The Fernhurst Society
Tales from the Archives - 42
A Soldier’s Letter Home (2)
Extracts from Letters of Alec Dudman, 11th Battn, Royal Sussex Regiment, 1916. Alec is still in the trenches but getting quite philosophical:
‘The worst of the trenches is going out in ‘No Man’s Land’, you get bullets whizzing round you, as they fire from all directions; still one gets quite used to them. We are allowed to have a little sleep in the day time but not at night. We have a little drill and often a game of football.
When we came out last time we only had two days rest before going in again for 16 days more in the ‘Brickfields’. There have been many casualties there, it is the worst place we’ve been in yet. We were all cold and wet through as we had a bad thunderstorm. I had to go to hospital as I had such a bad cold. We were lying out for three nights in the mud and wet watching for Huns and they nearly had me. I was in front of our wire when they began to throw bombs. I was lucky enough to crawl into a hole and lay there until I was called in. We got some bombs and ‘had our own back’ and more besides.
I have just heard that Will Ralph is killed. I hope it is not true; I am so anxious to know about him as he was one of my six chums out here.
If you would like to know more about this story, or research other local topics, the Archive is open on Tuesdays, 2.30-5pm in the Village Hall. Other times by arrangement.
Christine Maynard
Fernhurst ArchiveOne of a series of short articles bringing you some of the incidents from our rich village history. Collated by Christine Maynard, based on documents preserved at the Fernhurst Archives, these originally were published in the monthly Fernhurst News.
The Fernhurst Archives
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