Thrilling Letters from Pte Finch
A highly significant letter containing interesting details of the movements of the regiment to which he is attached since their arrival in France, has been sent home by Pte. Joe Finch, of Ammanford, now serving with the 1 st Shropshire Light Infantry, to his brother, Mr. W. Finch, of Pontyclerc House.
Faith in the success of the Allies and the nearness of the end form the keynote of his communication, and it is worthy of note that his regiment, although operating with the British Army in France, was within seven miles of the Belgian frontier on Sunday, the 18 th of October. It was on that day he wrote the letter.
We reproduce the letter below, feeling sure that Pte. Finch's many friends will be pleased to hear that he is in first rate health.
Should any of them desire to communicate with him the address should be, “Pte. J. Finch, No 8323, C Company, 1 st King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 16 th Brigade, 6 th Division, British Expeditionary Forces on active service.”
It reads thus:-
Dear Will, – I now write you these few lines hoping to find you all at Pontyclerc in very best of health, and, I am pleased to say,
I am still in first rate health myself at present.
Dear will, very many thanks for your kind letter and also parcel which I received quite safe and in splendid condition. Both pears and apples had kept fine; in fact the pears were as nice as jelly and custard.
“Well, old boy, I have not told you very much so far about my movements during the time I have been in France . Well, when we got off the boat which brought us over we had two days' ride in the train, as the Germans were then retiring rapidly towards the River Aiane.
Then, the night we got off the train, we marched seven miles before resting for the night. We then were marching for another six days and got into the trenches during the seventh night. Well, we were in the trenches for eleven days and nights, and afterwards we went into trenches in the rear of the front firing line for another ten days.
But although we were there all the time we did not do much firing, as it was chiefly artillery firing at one another over our heads.
However, we may have enough of fighting now as we have moved again and are now only about seven miles from the Belgian frontier, but we cannot move farther till our Engineers have repaired a bridge which the Germans blew up after our troops had driven them on.
They keep on retreating and cannot hold on long anywhere, and I don't think it will last much longer.”
“Dear Will, I don't think I have any more news to tell you now, so I will draw to a close with kindest regards and best wishes to you, Sarah,. Maud, and Mabel.
I remain, your ever loving and affectionate brother Joe.”
He sends kisses to Maud and Mabel, his nieces, and on a postscript says, “Please kindly thank Messrs. Lloyd Bros., and Mr. Lloyd Morgan for their kind wishes for my health and safe return; also give my kind regards to Dai and Bess, Dai John and Katie, and to P. Reece.”
A THRILLING NARRATIVE.
Another letter which he sent on the 26 th ult. gives a vivid glimpse of the thrilling experiences he has undergone.
“I told you (he says) I was moving to a fresh part. We did move, and I can tell you I have seen something during the last eight days. In the firs place, I have had only one drink of tea, and I have not had a wash at all during the whole of that period, and hardly any sleep at all, as we have been firing and under fire almost day and night.
But one thing I am proud of – my regiment has shown itself British to the Backbone, or we should all have been either prisoners or dead by now.
One regiment in our brigade surrendered yesterday, but by our holding on we saved the remainder of the brigade from utter defeat. We managed to hold on till midnight, when a lot of other regiments came u and we were able to retire, but we had heavy losses.
For the remainder of the night we went into a church, but suddenly this morning German shell started to burst over us, and we had to scatter in all directions like a lot of sheep looking for shelter.
“Well, about myself. I have had some near shaves. Friday morning a chap on my right got wounded, Friday night the one on my left, and on Saturday morning a Corporal who had come up on my right got killed, being shot right through the brain.
I had my hat blown off twice by shots hitting the top of the trench, but I am pleased to say they did not quite find their mark.
We had the first lot of letters this morning for eight days, but I did not get one from you, nor a parcel from P. Reece, which I expected, but I got a parcel and letter from home. Perhaps yours got lost when we fled from the church.”
He again sends his love to all the family at Pontyclerc House.
