Page 48 - Bulletin 11 2007

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Weekly Cape Times and Farmers’ Record: 17 December, 1915.

BOY SCOUTS’ ASSOCIATION
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(Incorporated by Royal Charter)
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BY “PATROL”
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(Special to the “Weekly Cape Times”)
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A LETTER FROM THE TRENCHES

Scout officials as well as Scouts are playing their part in the great struggle upon
which we are now engaged.
Here is a letter which I have received from one of our Commissioners:

Battlefield
Dear Chief,
Your two ripping letters came to me two days ago – to the very middle of the great
battlefield which has been so repeatedly mapped by all the London newspapers. The
postman who brought them was killed by a shell on the way, but the poor fellow’s letter-
bag was brought along by another who found him.
The battle is raging here incessantly day and night, not with rifles and bayonets at
present, but with shells. The noise is deafening.
It is impossible to describe the scenes here. The infantry’s job is to hold on to the
trenches we have won at all costs until the glorious moment comes for pushing on again.
We are all tremendously cheery, and the fellows are splendid. Where I lie with two
platoons in the front line we have had nothing to drink for twenty-four hours, and nothing
to eat but bread and cheese. We have raw bacon with us, but fires are out of the question, as
they provoke such terrific shell fire.
We sent a party last night to draw water at the only well, but two of men were badly
wounded before they could get any out, and the party had to retire.
All round the grass is strewn with dead – brave, still figures, gallantly struggling
forward just as they fell. They provoke no horror, but only pride and a tremendous
determination to carry on their work.
We are all cheery and confident and absolutely happy. For my own part I would not
be in any other place. It is good to be here, for this is how best we can serve our country. To
serve is what we joined the Army for.
Please tell the Scouts who are doing so much to help things at home that their
brothers in the New Army have no fears and no regrets. But that they have only great
happiness and great pride – pride in their country and their brotherhood, and happiness that
they are able in this crisis to express by their acts the loyalty and love and devotion that
they feel towards them continually.