209029 Bdr. George Russell "Gordie" Elder British Army 315 Brigade, A Bty. Royal Field Artillery from:Newcastle-upon-Tyne This book was written by my granfather, George Elder in six exercise books and was dedicted to his friend Teddy Watmough who died in action in 1917. The following extract from the book describes the event:-
My pal, Teddy Watmough and I, constructed our little dugout as we had been accustomed to sleeping together whenever the opportunity occurred. My Signallers had rigged up a telephone pit in the bank side, so we sat down at dusk around the inevitable petrol tin fire. Someone shouted "Elder you're wanted', I came out of the telephone pit to see our Major standing there. "Oh! Elder" he said "Your leave has come through so get packed and off you go at once". I was overjoyed and started to tremble at the thought of it and it didn't take me long to get my kit together. I went to my Pal Teddy Watmough, held out my hand and said:
"Well. Ta Ta Ted". He said "Geordie, there's something going to happen to me here". "Oh shut up man, don't be daft" I replied, "You'll be here all right when I come back", "Oh well Geordie, I feel it" he said. After bucking him up as best I could, I promised to go and visit his mother when I got home. I then walked about 10 kilometres to the Station at Boyelles, where I boarded a train of cattle trucks going to Boulogne. Two days later, I stepped off the train at Newcastle at 11 pm and was soon in the arms of my wife and kiddies. The following day I was walking through the streets of Newcastle with my wife, when I saw one of our Headquarters' Signallers coming towards us, we met and shook hands. "Hello Geordie" he said, "Did you hear about Teddy?". I nearly dropped at those words, my wife took hold of my arm and asked me what was wrong. Those words of my pal Ted Watmough immediately flashed through my brain. "Geordie, there's something going to happen to me". Then the Headquarters' Signaller told me the same night that I left my Battery, Teddy and a Driver who took my place, had been literally blown to pieces by an 8 inch German shell that dropped on top of the dugout. Poor Ted, he must have known, a finer lad one couldn't find. I was sick and faint with the shock of the news. I could no more visit my pal's mother than I could fly. He was uppermost in my thoughts all my fortnight at home and when my time was up to leave my wife and kiddies, it made me think deeply.
The following extract describes the horrors of war:-
My O/C was looking through his binoculars and without taking them from his eyes, he asked me to get the Adjutant on the phone. I rang up the brigade and got the Adjutant. Being curious, I placed my eye to the telescope and what I saw was a wide road away to the German rear and a batch of German infantry. They were close together and seemed to be making for the same direction. I knew it must be this that my O/C had been watching. Having the ear piece of the phone strapped to my head, this is the conversation I heard between my O/C and the Adjutant “Hello Brown, Langen speakingâ€, my O/C said, “Well, Langen, what can I do for you?†the Adjutant replied. “I have got a very good target for our counter battery if you can get them for meâ€. “All right Langen, just hang on and I'll get the heavies for you†the Adjutant replied as he left the phone, in about two ticks someone spoke. “Hello Major, this is the officer of the heavies speakingâ€. Then my O/C said, “I am sorry to trouble you, but I have such a good target I don't want to miss it. I can't reach it myself, so I want your assistance if you don't mindâ€. “I want you to put about a dozen shells on (a map reference meaning the roadway previously mentioned) as quick as possibleâ€. “Alright major, just look out for them†replied the officer of the 8 inch Howitzer Battery and at that I immediately put the telescope to my eyes once more and my O/C had the binoculars to his eyes. Just as I got settled looking through the telescope, I hear the sound of six heavy shells going over our heads. On the road behind the German lines was the batch of German infantry still passing along. All I could see of the roadway was great billows of black and white smoke. I knew then where those six heavy shells were going. They had dropped dead on the road where the soldiers were marching along. This was repeated about twelve times at intervals of about thirty seconds. When the smoke did clear away, I couldn't see anything on the road. In all probability, the German infantry had been blown to pieces. During this, I heard my O/C say out loud “My God, My God, this is terribleâ€. He then got down and spoke to the officer of the heavy battery saying, “Thank you, and goodbyeâ€.
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