Cecil Slack's letters: Volume 7

The body of each letter is as transcribed by Lady Joan Slack. In each case the name or initial of the writer is followed by the recipient, the date (where known) and the address from which the letter was sent. For convenience, these have been presented in a common format. CMS is, of course, Cecil Moorhouse Slack.

CMS to WHS and WS; 17/6/16.

My Dear Father and Mother,

By the time this reaches you you will have seen that we have had a number of casualties, both officers and men. One of the officers wounded has not been in France a week. I took him up to the trenches two days ago. You will probably remember him, Brown is his name, I brought him in to dinner one day from Dalton Camp. I don't know if it is serious or not yet.

A heavy bombardment started south of us last evening and gradually increased as it came up the line, finishing north of us in the early morning. It is about the longest I have known. Our fellows suffered rather badly. The alarm was blown in the camp here (You will remember I and a few more did not go up with this tour) and everyone had to "stand to". However we were not called up to the line, as it was only gas and shells that were coming over. It was a very cold night and spoilt a good sleep.

A few nights ago I was messing about in "No mans Land, having a look round. There were two sergeants with me. We got right over to the Hun parapet, and I was actually in a gap in his wire, 5 yards from his trench and 100 yards from ours. It had taken us one hour to get across that 100 yards.

We had rather an exciting 5 minutes at one time, when we continuously stalked 3 lumps of mud which we thought were stalking us.

It had been raining almost continuously for two days and two nights and was still doing it when we went out so you can imagine what we looked like and how we felt when we returned.

Don't think I was running unnecessary risks, because I wasn't. The people in the next hut to us have a gramaphone with some splendid records. It is delightful to listen to it.

I am glad Mother has been to Colwyn Bay for a week, and hope the weather has been decent. It is beautiful here today.

I note with much interest that Harold has gained first place in Latin. The compass thing to which Father refers I do not want.

Love to all

Your affec. son,

Cecil.

CMS to Dora; Tuesday 20/6/16.

My Dear Dora,

I am sitting outside in a deck chair on the verandah of the Officers' Club here; it is a beautiful evening and not a gun is firing. The only thing to remind one that we are at war is a row of tents in front of me. I feel just like that chap in Omar Khayam who said something like this - "a flask of wine, a book, and then, beside me sitting in the Wilderness. O Wilderness were Paradise enow" ? I could do without the flask of wine and the book, and if only "thou wert beside me sitting" I feel as if I should go mad with joy. I almost feel as if I were actually talking to you now and that you were listening.

I have been eagerly waiting for your letter, which I got yesterday. It seems very wonderful to me that you and I should now be as we are, you wondering whether you will ever really love me, and I wondering the same, and knowing that I have told you at last what I have ALWAYS known in a dim way.

I think one day you will know, and I have prayed to God that it will be what I want it to be, and that I shall be able to keep it so and be worthy of it.

I know we are both very young, but not too young to know our own minds, and I am glad. I shall be 23 on the 30th of next month. A palmist once told me I should marry between 24 and 26, but that remains to be seen. Your birthday is in May isn't it? I believe you're about a year younger than I am? No Dora, I shan't be shy next time I see you - I wasn't last time - only very much in earnest.

I paid a little visit to the Bosche wire a few nights ago; I went with a couple of sergeants into No Mans Land on a little tour of exploration. We got within 5 yards of a Hun sentry and I was actually in a gap in his wire at the foot of his parapet, and 100 yards from our trench. It had taken us over an hour to get there, but we weren't spotted. It's awfully exciting work especially when you see something which you think is a Hun. About half way across we stalked three lumps of mud for about 5 minutes.

The battalion had a nasty time in the recent gas attack. We had over 100 casualties with gas and shells, including several officers. I was not in the trenches at the time as I am staying behind with my merry men training for the "affair", which will soon be coming off. I should love to tell you all about it, but I mustn't till it is finished.

I am glad you are taking up nursing again. I do hope you will be able to stand it. Of course I shall come and see you at whatever Hospital you are at, when I get leave. Leave has been knocked down to 1 officer a fortnight, but it may improve later on.

Fred Elwell has certainly got two charming sitters for his portraits. You looked awfully nice in your tennis things, as you do in everything. It is rather hard to decide which is the best. I think perhaps the dress you had on for dinner - but of course the artist will know.

Do you know I drew a picture of you once from photographs. It was just before you put your hair up. I have the picture at home now in my album. It took me a long time and I'm rather proud of it. I have read Emma's letter. I can quite appreciate your feeling about College, I had just the same myself. My Father gave me the chance of going to Cambridge and taking up a profession, or going straight into the office. It was very hard to decide. I should have had a glorious time at the University but I don't think I should have done much work. I have often regretted my decision, but I think now that I have decided for the best. Anyway the chance has gone now and its no good crying over spilt milk. I think Bob will be going if the war is over in time. I shall be turned out of the Club in a few minutes as it's neally midnight, so goodbye for the present, and love from your"Knight",

Cecil.

P.S. Do you think I might have a photograph of you - a small one that I could carry about.

CMS to Bob; 24/6/16

Dear Bob,

It is very hot and I am sitting outside the Officers' Club on the verandah at peace with everything. Now and again a gun fires, but it will not be quiet like this for long.

I had quite a nice little ride yesterday. To begin with, I was no sooner in the saddle than my horse set off at a canter and coming to a gate which I knew, swerved through it, and I found myself sitting on the neck. We got going again in the right direction and nothing happened till we began to come home, and then, tug as I would the horse would trot or canter all the way home. I managed with luck to stick on, even over the two ditches which we jumped.

I was out in "No Man's Land" the other night with two others. We came across a Bosche patrol of about 10 men, who ran away immediately on seeing us. I got a machine gun turned on them and went on to see if any damage had been done, but nothing had happened, and all we found was a few bombs they had dropped, about the middle of No Man's Land. If I had been quite certain immediately I saw them that they were Bosches and not one of our listening patrols that was out about there I could have got two or three with my revolver. I went a bit nearer to make sure whilst the other officers asked about it in the trench, but we were too late. It was a glorious chance of a Bosche cap badge missed. I hope to make good use of any other similar chance that may come along.

I expect to be able to write a rather interesting letter next Tuesday.

I received a parcel from Mother today containing Primus Stove etc.

Your affec. brother,

Cecil.

CMS to WHS. and WS; 26/6/16

My Dear Father and Mother,

I am going across tonight, all being well. If you have not had a telegram by the time you get this letter, everything will be all right.

I have been having a very easy time lately. This morning I had breakfast in bed, and arose about 10.30, and then only because the rain was coming through the tent and falling over me. I had a delightful shower bath outside in the rain.

It is very cloudy now, and I expect and hope it will be so tonight.

Brown was not wounded, as I said in my last letter. I think it will be put down as shell shock. The other one, Gordon Gresham, whom I knew at Miss Walker's, and whom I think Bob would know at Hymers, has died of wounds.

I got the second parcel today containing bread etc. The primus stove is an excellent idea, they are wonderful little things and very cheap to keep up. I shall be living with the company for the next two or three weeks. In future when addressing letters please only put my name, regiment, and B.E.F. on, to comply with a new army order. This will save delay in case regiments are moved about a lot. There seems to be a rumour in England that the post will shortly be stopped; we have heard nothing about it here. I sincerely hope this will not happen.

Hammonds may be right in what they say, in which case I owe them 12/-, and not what their account said.

Love to all,

Your affec. son,

Cecil.

Dora to CMS; Tuesday 27.6.'16 9am.

My dear Cecil,

Do you know I only got your letter this morning - it arrived at the Elwells' on Sat. mg. and Mrs. Elwell had mislaid my address and consequently I only got it this morning - I know you will be wondering why I hadn't written - as a matter of fact I was getting rather anxious about you and then several people in Hull said that no one was allowed to write from the front now as the "push" had begun. Its all tush and nonsense isn't it? I had a fearfully restless night on Sunday night - I hardly got any sleep at all and I am sure, and knew at the time, that you were doing something very risky - it must be telepathy. In the papers this mg. it says there were ten successful raids into German trenches on Sunday night with very slight losses - I feel awfully pleased that you were chosen to take charge of one of those ten - but yet it is so VERY risky, but you told me you would be very careful and not take unnecessary risks. I have just been thinking and you are the oldest friend I have of my own age - I mean known the longest time - I remember sitting in the front long desk at Miss Keer's and sitting next to you and sharing a history book with you - it was the first thing I remember at Miss Keer's and I was just seven I think then. After that I remember you running me round the classroom once and trying to kiss me - I don't think you succeeded though - I forget about it really, it is such a long time ago! I know I am more than a friend to you now and you are getting to be more than a friend to me, dear.

It will be lovely when you get your next leave - we must have a very long talk - I would love a long talk with you now - but "........till we meet again".

I am sending you the snapshots we took when you were over - I think they have turned out very well, don't you? I look quite a past mistress in the art of smoking - don't I!! I seem to have got a superfluous amount of double chin in the others! They have turned out beautifully of you - I like the one of us together and you alone best. I have put in two snapshots Frank took of me at Skegness at the bottom of the garden on the sands - the other is of Frank and Queenie and Dora - it is the only one I have so would you mind returning it. I had two stamp photographs taken as I was passing through Hull - done to send to you - which do you like the better?

I was 22 on May 21st. so you are just 10 months older than I am - sometimes I feel older than you and other times I feel a positive kid - but I don't ever want to grow old and settled in my ways - do you?

I left Freddie's on Friday and came straight on here instead of going on to Grimsby because Ma wasn't well - I was up a good part of Friday and Sat. nights with her but she is much better and was downstairs yesterday. I'm afraid I shan't be able to go nursing after all - at any rate not until the end of Sept or October because Mother isn't really strong enough to be left - I am frightfully disappointed - Cecil - more than I can say - this place drives me potty sometimes - the people are so monotonous and uninteresting - Cephas is the most interesting being to talk to - Dorothy gets appalling at times like all the rest of them.

The post is just going - 10am - I will write again soon - I haven't finished telling you everything yet - do write at once and let me know how you have got on - I am longing to know.

My love to you

Dodo.

CMS to WHS and WS; 28/6/16, received 1/7/16.

My Dear Father and Mother,

The little affair for which we have been getting ready lately came off more or less, rather less than more, as I will explain later, on the night of Monday, the 26th.

It was a dark night and the ground was sodden with rain. Everything was ready and all watches had been synchronised. We all had our faces blackened, and were armed in various ways. I had a couple of revolvers and a bayonet, with a dagger and a jack-knife in my belt and a bomb in my coat pocket.

I set off at the crawl with a revolver in one hand and the bayonet in the other, and the rest of the party were following. At the time that we were to enter the Hun trench our artillery was to open fire on points behind their front line. I was about 20 yards from the Bosche front parapet when our guns began, not on the points behind the front line, but on the front line itself, and on us!

I immediately got up and ran for it followed by one man, the second man was blown high into the air and the next two or three completely demoralized by a shell bursting right on us. By the time they had recovered I was in the Hun trench, followed about half a minute after by one man only. Our shells had done for us. It turned out eventually that noone was killed, and if a certain man had had a little more pluck things would have turned out very differently. But it seems that someone's nerve went and the order was passed along to retire. Some acted on it, and some didn't. I knew nothing of this at the time as I was engaged in outing a Hun. I had jumped into a short forward sap and met a Bosche emerging from a mine shaft. I put three shots into him and waited for the others whom I heard moving about at the entrance.

It was at this time that one of my party joined me. He shone a light into the tunnel and we saw a Bosche a couple of yards from us. I shot him and the man bayoneted him. I then finished off the first Hun with my jack-knife. I then wanted to find out whereabouts in the trench the rest of the party were. The remaining man funked it and I had to go myself. All this time shells were landing round about us in quick succession. I passed through the front line without recognising it as such, owing to its bashed-about state. It was about this time that I blew my syren-whistle as a signal to return, as the time fixed was overdue.

I went forward a bit, and on looking round saw the front line 30 yards behind me. I about-turned and got to our point of entry, blew my whistle again, and returned, as it was seven minutes over time, and the party would all be outed or back in our trench. It turned out that they were all back in our trench. I thought I should never get back to our line when I was in the Hun trench, as the shellfire was Hellish. The place where I got into the Bosche trench was just by a machine gun which fires every night: I was in full view for 20 yards and it was quite light owing to the shells and Very lights ("star shells"). The gun did not fire then however.

Coming back I expected to be shot down every second, as I got mixed up in bits of wire. I would run for a yard and then fall full length. This happened about half a dozen times and when I did get well clear I couldn't even walk and just crawled slowly, I was so exhausted.

I was astounded when I discovered that the rest of the party had done nothing, and were all in our trench again. It has been rather a disgraceful show really, owing to the weak link where a man's nerve went, and will have to be kept as quiet as possible.

Of course there is going to be a frightful row about our artillery. They did the same thing to another raiding party some distance on our left. But for the artillery our break would never have occurred. I can't give you fuller details now, I may have said too much for the Censor as it is, if he happens to read this.

Love to you all,

Your affec. son,

Cecil.

P.S. The General of our Brigade personally thanked me for what I had done. He and everyone else is awfully fed up with the artillery.

Dora to CMS; 29.6.16. Thursday

Cheri,

I was in a great hurry on Tuesday morning to get you a letter off before 10am. altho' I don't know whether it would get there any sooner for it. It seems such a long time between getting your letters - I do wish you would write to me a little more often and I will write to you too - if you would like me to - I'm sure I'm loving you more, Cecil dear, if I love getting your letters - don't you think so? Sometimes I feel as if I do want you so badly - I do now, so it must be why I am writing to you - it is nearly a month less to your leave and coming to see me - by the way, I like your SMALL writing heaps better than your BIG writing - hope you don't mind me telling you so - you can tell me what you like, also your likes and dislikes about me - I shan't mind - I expect I shall tell you some when I find them. I'm not a fault finder really Cecil, don't think that. Parents say I'm quite a comfortable little soul to live with - but I am rather particular in some things. I haven't got a bad temper - when I do have one I keep out of other people's way till its over - but I generally begin to laugh half way through and see what a silly ass I'm making of myself! I simply HATE quarrelling - I only quarrel with Flossie - I don't know why I do that really - I expect it is because I always have done ever since I can remember! I seem to be giving you a kind of "character" of myself! Don't forget to write to me, will you? If you haven't time for much you can just scratch a line or two and I shall know you are quite safe.

I should love to take you to see "Romance" sometime - I should like to see it again and do want to take you. I might be somewhere near London when you come over - one never knows.

A draft of 36 men of the East Riding went off this morning - Ma wasn't well enough to go so I had to go and see them off with Pa - Ma always gives them chocs and cigarettes but I had to do it this time and talk to them. I love talking to Tommies - they are so natural and talkative and jolly, and several of these we knew with being here.

Freddie Elwell decided on my tennis things after all and I do think they are better after all and I think you will like it too - it won't get old fashioned - I am sitting on a chintzy covered chair and trying to look pleasant - the sitting is simply agony and if Freddie hadn't been of a rather entertaining and jolly nature - I think I should have gone potty. He is simply mad on gardening - so I did some digging and staking for him - he can't waggle his legs much at present because he's got sciatica rather badly.

You know if we ever got married - our love would have to bring us through all kinds of things and perhaps bad times - illness and - well, one never knows what - have you ever thought of that? We might get awfully weary of each other then. It sounds rather pessimistic, doesn't it, but I'm quite an optimist really - but its such a huge question - I don't want either of us to make a mistake - either way.

Ma is better than she was but is not better yet - she had to go upstairs again on Tuesday - I haven't been able to go out at all since I came back last Friday, except Barnsley once for shopping - I have been across to Marslands' once for tennis for an hour - it's beastly getting no exercise - but I think I shall be able to get out after the end of this week.

I am still wondering how you have managed your "affair" - I do hope you wrote and told me as soon as it was over 'cause I am awfully anxious about you, Cecil dear.

My love for you,

Dodo.

CMS to Dora; Friday 30/6/16

My Dear Dora,

I was awfully glad to get your letter this morning, I was beginning to wonder whether it had been mislaid in the post. I am sorry mine was not sent on to you sooner. I think the photographs are ripping. The two of you by yourself are beautiful. I have one in front of me now whilst I am writing. I love them both, but I think if there is anything to chose between them I prefer the full-face one. They are both perfect, especially those beautiful eyes. The one taken at Skegness, where you are standing up leaning against the gate is simply ripping. I like that one too where you and I are together, and you are puffing a cigarette. I am returning the one of the happy family herewith.

There have been a lot of raids lately - our little affair was on the night of the 26th - 27th. I was very restless on Sunday night, wondering how things would come off, and whether I should come back. I was thinking a lot of you. It turned out that our raid and that of one of our sister battalions were both destroyed by our artillery firing short.

There were only 2 men out of the whole lot, one being myself, who got into Hun territory. I will tell you all about it, as much as I dare, in case the censor gentleman should happen to open this letter. I don't think I am giving away anything of military importance. The Hun wire had been cut by our guns and a pathway cleared by a small party from us. It was a dark night, and raining heavily. We all had our faces blackened and were armed in various ways. I had a couple of revolvers and a bayonet, with a dagger and a knife on my belt, and a couple of bombs in my pocket. I set off crawling, with a revolver in one hand and the bayonet in the other, followed by the rest of the party.

When we were about 25 yards from the Bosche parapet our guns started, only instead of firing over us on to the enemy support lines they fired onto the enemy front line and onto us. As soon as this started I got up and ran, followed by the men, when a shell landed right in the middle of us with the result that I was followed into the Hun trench by one man only, and he was about half a minute after me. I jumped in about a yard off a Hun R.E. at the mouth of the sap. I shot him at once, having no time to take him prisoner, as I didn't know how many more there were. I kept the mouth of the tunnel covered as I heard movements there. It was at this moment that one of our men joined me, and on shining his lamp we saw a Hun crawling slowly. I shot him and the man bayonetted him. I then finished off the first one with my jack-knife. I then went to look for the rest of my party as I thought they must have got in at a different place. But it appears that our shells had spoilt everything and noone else was with us. The man with me was dazed with funk and I had to explore on my own. After I had been there seven minutes overtime, that is 25 minutes altogether, I blew my whistle in case any of our men should be there and I had missed them, and set off back. I was absolutely done in and when I at last got through the Hun wire I could not walk and had to crawl slowly. My hands and legs are covered with scratches. One pocket of my coat was torn right off, whereby I lost a good pipe and pouch of tobacco. I also left a revolver and a flash lamp in the mud of the Hun trench.

There is going to be a frightful row about our artillery.

We had a splendid view of a Bosche observation balloon on fire the other day. One of our aeroplanes dropped a bomb onto it and it slowly fell to the ground, a mass of flaming gas.

There are horrible rumours about that the post is going to be stopped, both ways, for a month or six weeks. But all these rumours come from England, and we have heard nothing about it here. It would be awful.

I have good reason to believe that my next leave will not be as long in coming as I expected. It will not be a long one though. But perhaps I am putting two and two together a little bit prematurely.

I am awfully sorry your Mother is not well. I got a letter from Bob the other day. He is either going to Sandhurst, or will join as a private, he can't quite decide. It will be rather funny if he comes out here in the ranks.

I smile when I think of Miss Keers where you and I used to sit on the front form. I can well remember canting about William the Conqueror 1066, - John etc. I don't remember chasing you round the classroom trying to kiss you I wonder if I did - I wonder if I shall?

You are not the oldest friend I have of my own age. I once knew a girl called Phylis and I was engaged to her when I was four years old. I have since broken it off. I have seen her several times since those days, but there is nothing doing.

Love from Cecil.

P.S. On looking at the two stamp photographs again I really don't know which I like better, they are both perfect.

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