Reminiscences and Experiences of Adam Fulton in the Great War (Part Two): Difference between revisions
Reminiscences and Experiences of Adam Fulton in the Great War (Part Two) (view source)
Revision as of 06:55, 18 May 2020
, 4 years agoCorrected typo
(The original note on the difference in names was for my benefit - it doesn't add to the piece and can be confusing hence the reason why I removed) Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
(Corrected typo) Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
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B.E.F.<br>3.10.16
Dear Johnny,<br>Just a line to enclose a letter sent in a parcel of sweets to you. We demolished the parcel with great delight. We all wish you the best of luck old man & "Blighty" for a month or two. I think all our wounded officers are going on all right from all I hear. I’m pretty broken up myself, old man, as I’ve just heard
Thine,
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{{bold heading|size=120|font_colour=444|line_colour=b5a48c|line_size=4|text=Extract from the War Diary of 1st Border Regiment for August 1917:}}
'''11th. Trenches Steenbeek sector:''' Battalion moved into the line tonight. Battn HQ at Saules Farm. "C" and "D" coys were in Wood 15. "B" coy at Saules Farm. Battn HQ and "B" coy moved to Abri Wood. The whole unit being attached to the 86th Brigade temporarily. No sooner had the battalion got into position, dark night and guides who were at least doubtful, than orders were received that a company was to be moved forward to "a line parallel to Fourches Farm." When a map had been carefully studied an idea was formed as to what was probably meant, orders were issued to o / c "A" coy to occupy a portion of the
'''12th. Trenches.''' Fairly quiet time for all coys except "A" who had a few casualties from fairly lively shelling round the
'''13th. Front Line Trenches.''' More shelling at Stand To this morning. 2nd Lt Hamlett<ref group="note">'''<small>(hf)</small>''': Newspaper clipping reporting on the incident noted:, “Prior to this the parents had received a telegram stating that their son was wounded, but the first intimation of his fate came to hand on Friday morning in a letter from a fellow officer, Second Lieutenant A Fulton who was himself wounded. The letter dated August 14th was written in a hospital abroad, and read:- You will have heard the awfully sad news by this time. I can only send my heartfelt sympathy. Froude was my best friend in the regiment, and I can in a way understand the loss you have sustained. I have been with him all the time, even to the last, and I saw him half an hour before he was hit. When the news came to the company headquarters, I immediately rushed up to find what had happened. He was unconscious then, and continued so; then I was wounded myself. He passed away just as he reached the first aid post."</ref> killed and acting [[Adam Fulton (Captain)|Captain A. Fulton]]<ref group="note">'''<small>(hf)</small>''': Adam Fulton wrote in his notes on his war experience that: “We spent the last night together before proceeding, as reinforcements, to join the 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment on the French Front. We were both posted to "A" company, then under Captain Bunting, and we were together there until he met his death, about eight months later. It happened when I had been in command of the company about a month. We had taken up position in the dark for an attack in the morning when Hamlet was hit in a burst of heavy shell fire by the Germans. When I was informed I went to investigate and found him dead from shrapnel wound in the head. A few minutes later I was also hit by shrapnel and had to be carried off."</ref> (just promoted that day)<ref group="note">His promotion to Acting Captain on 20th July 1917, was gazetted on 26th December 1917. One assumes that information regarding his promotion came through on 13th August.</ref> wounded and about 10 casualties to other ranks. Again heavy shelling principally in the early morning, between 2.30 and 3.30 a.m. an absolute barrage was put down on the line Fourches Farm/Captains Farm, getting 3 or 4 direct hits on Fourches Farm Bt HQ causing about 5 casualties in the Green Line and around.
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