Author Archives: Charles Wyndham Wynne

Yesterday we had our first man killed

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TCD MS 10247/1/841 folio 4 recto

5 [June 1917] I’m sorry I didn’t finish this till now – I’m afraid it will be a bit late. There is a certain depression over us now, as yesterday we had our first man killed – he was such a good chap everybody liked him. He was one of the best of my signallers – & such a good keen capable fellow, always capable & willing & I never once heard him complain no matter what the work was – Still I suppose its bound to happen sooner or later and we’ve really been quite miraculously lucky, up to now. Yesterday I had a topping letter from Em – what a pity your bad weather – we have had a simply unbroken succession of glorious cloudless days, which makes little things appear in a very different light. I’m glad you liked the photo perhaps you’d keep both for the present anyway. – I haven’t seen Samuelson since. I wonder where Bob is going – by the way what [where] exactly is Bill is? Now goodbye Your ever loving, Charles. W

When he came to he was roaring like a bull

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TCD MS 10247/1/841 folio 3 recto

[3 June 1917] heel or instep started to itch violently & when he went to scratch it of course it wasn’t there! also he said he could feel two toes crossed & of course they weren’t there to uncross! the nerves I suppose are all still active <even> after the leg has gone. There was a German officer there too – he had got poison in the leg so it had to be cut off – I watched the first preparations as the door of the theatre was open, but before they actually started they closed it so I couldn’t watch the job. But when he came to he was roaring like a bull and shouting and bellowing – you could here [sic] him all over the place. I can’t say that I could raise much sympathy for him. They say he’d have died if they had left the leg on – I’m sure I don’t know why they didn’t! You must excuse the writing as I am sitting out with the writing pad on my knee. It is about 8 o’cl[ock] – a perfectly glorious evening, how grand your all having such a great time at home – I do hope the mines hurry up – I had a very cheerful letter from May. I think you’ll have to give Jack a bit of disciplining as otherwise he’ll be destroyed altogether for out here!

One of our own shells hit his engine

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TCD MS 10247/1/841 folio 2 recto

[3 June 1917] talked to the doctor telling him not to <try to> patch it up but make a clean job. I was still awake when he came back and recovered consciousness – poor fellow he was frightfully sick & must have been in great pain – but still he was cheerful & talked away saying he was real glad they’d taken the leg off as it still left his knee. Next day he was as cheerful & gay as anything. I wouldn’t have believed it possible. He had a wonderful escape – he was in the R.F.C. – one of our own shell hit his engine and blew it right out of the frame – shattering his leg absolutely to pulp. Still by a miracle the machine wasn’t set on fire and he managed to land all right in our own lines. He crawled away as of course the Hun immediately opened fire on the machine – he managed to get to a H.Q. where he got a stretcher – of course the minute the Hun saw him carried on the stretcher they opened fire on him – but luckily he got through all right. The Hun can’t play a straight game – it makes me savage to see him make a special point of stretcher bearers who of course can’t run or duck. – <stretcher bearers> certainly of all people have a rotten time and they can’t even hit back. I thought this Flying man a particularly nice man. It was so funny he was saying how irritating it was when his

The Irish Times was distinctly interesting

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TCD MS 10247/1/841 folio 1 recto

3 June 1917

Dear Mother, You can imagine how disappointed & disgusted I was on returning to the battery to find a silly idea [sic] had sent all my letters down to the base. It is hard to believe what fools some people can be! but when they mean the best you can’t very well strafe. Goodness knows now when I shall get my letters, if ever. Anyway I got one of yours & one from Win, and was much cheered on getting one from V enclosing May’s today. The Irish Times was distinctly interesting – one might say perhaps a bit idealistic and imaginative but after all it seems to be sentiment & not logic rules the world! – e.g. this war. Well anyway you can’t imagine how glad I am to be back in the battery again. I duly arrived the day before yesterday. After travelling all around France! The doctor wants to send me down the line – but I persuaded him to send me back to the battery instead – which he finally did much to my relief. I was heartily disgusted with lounging about the hospital all day. Wonderful the doctors are – cutting legs & arms day & night – certainly thats the rotten side of this poor fellows just sort of starting life and then crippled. One officer came in the same night as I did – he had hi[s] leg absolutely shattered from the knee down. But still he was in good spirits and

I had a couple of decent civilised dinners in the town

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TCD MS 10247/1/840 folio 3 recto

[26 May 1917] end now – Rather bad luck on Hanhart & Mayer my going just as we had got to three – for rest is not half such fun with only two; for then one has to be on duty and so if the other goes out he’s all alone. Though as a matter of fact before we moved to rest billets the adjt. said he didn’t want an officer all the time – so Hanhart & I had a couple of decent civilised dinners in the town which was a very pleasing variety – but if there were three and if we had a sidecar in action which as a matter of fact at present we haven’t – then two could clear of[f] for the whole day & have a decent outing; which would have been a very pleasant variety. Now I’m afraid this letter is rather boring – but you see there’s really absolutely nothing to say so will end now. Your ever loving Charles.

By the way in answer to recent questions of Em’s the mail coming in everyday (great excitement!) I am still telephone officer -I believe that Mayer is a good signaller

It does your heart good to see the magnificent hospital trains

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TCD MS 10247/1/840 folio 2 recto

[26 May 1917] quickly – no confusion or hurry – it’s a pleasing variety from the utter confusion and lack of organisation elsewhere, but I suppose doctors can’t afford to do business in that kind & way. Then everything is of the best – it does your heart good to see the magnificent hospital <trains> – English engines & coaches – looking such a contrast to the filthy French troop trains. I wonder where Willy Taylor & the rest are – he was a great chap, wasnt he? – He’s the sort they want out here – would stand no nonsense from anyone. Thats what we want – never mind the military knowledge – there’s plenty of that about; what we want is a few business men; who know how to get things done, and then chuck all these well dressed scoundrels into the front line where the[y] can learn to soil their clothes a bit – they’ll be able to get all the red they want there (27th) I was to lazy to finish this yesterday so will have another attempt today – The weather is still heavenly & I’m in the same position as yesterday. I do hope Jack is having the same – but don’t let him be spoilt altogether – I’d really be quite more or less content for a week in this realm of peace if only I could get a letter from home – it must be a week or more since I got Em’s and goodness knows when I’ll get the rest – still I hope there’ll be a good budget when I do get back to the battery. But the day here seems so pointless with no post to look forward to. I suppose you will be back & [in] Tigroney again by now – so I’ll address this there – I wonder how the Olivers will get on at Avoca Lodge. I suppose the battery’s rest has come to an

The cut was right on the knee joint

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TCD MS 10247/1/840 folio 1 recto

26 May 1917

Dear Mother,

I’m fed up so don’t expect much of a letter – you will have got my letter to Em telling that I had a bike spill well I got a little cut on the knee of which I didn’t trouble [word missing] till before I turned in I thought I’d just go round and get it washed by the doctor – he bandaged it up and told me to come round again next day. I was going about all right thinking nothing of it till towards the evening it began to stiffen up – I went in the evening and when the doctor saw it he said I’d have to go right off to hospital and would be sent down the line – the cut was right on the knee joint and had got septic & fluid in the joint: it was hinted it might take months & might even be a Blighty one. I came down that evening in the motor ambulance to the Casualty Clearing station, where much to my relief they have detained me. However you can imagine how disgusted I am at my luck – Still they wouldn’t keep me here unless it was going to be a quick job, and I think already it’s starting to heal & judging by my operation I must have a quick healing skin so I live in hopes: It has never given any pain – simply stiff – and today feels limberer <so> I think[.] <so> with luck I hope to be back in the battery in a day or two. The weather is perfect and I’m sitting out in a deck chair in a dressing <gown> with my game leg propped up – pretty comfortable! -but its trillingly boring & feeding up simply lounging the whole day.

I must say if there’s one branch of the service I admire more than another its the R.A.M.C. Its wonderful to see everything perfectly organised – everyone busy – but all moving

I’m feeling a bit dull & lazy

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TCD MS 10247/1/839 folio 2 verso

[18 May 1917] I’m glad to say the [? Germans] seems to have stopped shelling the region where we were so I hope we’ll have a happy one returned!

So glad the chickens have done so well; and every<thing> still going strong at home. I hope Father gets about a bit this grand weather. What about the mines – doesn’t it break one’s heart the way everything seems to fiddle along – still really the mines business seems to be coming to something at last.

Now – I’m feeling a bit dull & lazy – the heat I suppose so will stop – ever so much love to all & please next time you write thank Win for all her topping letters.

Yr very lov[in]g son,

Charles

We’ve had one day’s real decent rest

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TCD MS 10247/1/839 folio 2 recto

[18 May 1917] men as they would be sitting being shelled the whole day & doing absolutely nothing – no good to anyone – which was asking for purely unnecessary casualties – quite apart from the great advantage of a complete rest for a few days with nothing to worry about.

Anyway fortune favoured us as we found some quite decent dugouts & shelters in a spot well behind the line where we are now established quiet & contented until the guns come back. I might have mentioned the battery split up into two – the Major having gone off with one half. I’m afraid it won’t be long till the guns come back! Anyway we’ve had one day’s real decent rest, and <I’ve had> a couple of civilized meals in a hotel again!!

The weather is still splendid except for one bad day & night – being the one luckily when we had a decent roof over our heads. Anyway we aren’t so bad, but I think you’ll not be surprised when I say I’d be ready to go through pretty heavy shell fire if I had or of two Staff officers with me just to show them what war really was.

Hanhart, Powell & myself remained with this part of the battery, now Powell has gone sick so Hanhart & I remain. We <are at> present in quite a nice cellar with a table & chairs which we wiped up – really most comfortable & luxurious. He is trying to draw me to send to his kiddy at home who is about 3 & the effort to remain still during the process perhaps partly accounts for the scram[b]liness of this letter.

We used at first to sleep in the shell hole. But later found a dugout which we got into – of course it was all right in the topping weather we’ve had. But I don’t think it would be very nice if the rain really seriously set in.

I find it hard to keep patience talking to chaps in comfortable offices

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TCD MS 10247/1/839 folio 1 recto

18 May 1917

Dear Mother,

I haven’t actually got the last letters beside me so can’t remember the questions I ought to answer – anyway I don’t think there were many – thank you so much for the letters & V’s and Em’s when she comes back in case I don’t write myself – also Aunt Sophys and the delightful box I got from Corris – however I hope to be able to write myself. At present our guns have all gone to the workshops for slight repairs. So we have nothing to do. We might be having a fine time only for army red tape. (and red tabs). Our artillery group got us a fine billet in a town near – and we moved in and were in palatial luxury & comfort for a day – with a more or less civilized town to walk about it and buy things – and bands to listen to <and real parks to stroll about in> and every-thing – but it was only for a day – I certainly find it very hard to keep my patience when talking to these chaps who sit in comfortable offices miles behind the line, with red tabs on, they never even hear a shell – they do the work of an office boy at 15/- a week – and yet you’ve got to stand and listen respectfully while in a thoroughly ill bred & ungentlemanly manner they rack up some finnicking order which prevents men who have done several months hard day & night work and have no prospect of rest for months to come, from getting a few days peace out of range of the guns – in billets which nobody wants to use and which at present simply stand empty.

Stuff had been coming over pretty thick and the batteries all round had been getting pretty heavy casualties, and going back didn’t seem to me fair to the