Letter from Pte George Speake, 1st KSLI.

LETTER FROM A BRIDGNORTH SOLDIER.
[Bridgnorth Journal, 15th May, 1915]

6258 Pte George Speake, A Co., 1st Batt., K.S.L.I., 16th Infantry Brigade, 6th Division, British Expeditionary Force, France, whose home is at 40 Mill Street, Bridgnorth, writes:-

"Allow me a small place in your valuable paper to express a few of my experiences in this war. At the time of writing I have been in the trenches for 9 days. . . We are all looking forward to being relieved, if it is only to have a wash and a shave.

The infantry around where we are at present have been rather quiet this last day or two, but there has been some heavy artillery duels, and they make it very warm for us, so when they shell our trenches we get into our dug-outs but these, although well-made, are not shock-proof from high-explosive shells. It is very [annoying | amusing] when they begin to burst around your dug-out and we are wondering whether the next one will burst on the top, for when one bursts near you the boys put their heads out and shout, "where did that one burst?" We are quite used to them now and pass them over as a joke.

The weather here is now quite fine, so we do not have to put up with the hardships that we went through during the winter months. The trenches are now nice and dry, and it is almost a pleasure to be in them. I do not think that this trench warfare will last much longer, as we shall soon be moving forward and put an end to this terrible war. Well, [then | now], all the Bridgnorth boys are quite well in spite of the hardships they have put up with, so I will close now wishing your paper every success."