News has reached Glanamman of the wounding on the battlefield of Private Tom Lewis, while serving with his regiment, the Somerset Light Infantry.
He was called up immediately on the declaration of war, and, although nearly always in the thick of it, he escaped unscathed up to the middle of December, when in a charge upon the German trenches he got cut up in the barbed wire entanglements.
He is now in hospital in France. Being a postman, he was well known in Glanamman.
Writing to his wife, Mrs. Lewis, of Tabernacle Terrace, from the hospital on Xmas evening, he gives a thrilling account of the charge. He says : -
"I wonder what sort of a Christmas Day you have had? Hope you had a pleasant and enjoyable one. If not, I shall be very cross when you see me.
Mine has been a very excitable and enjoyable one. I had two nice presents given me in hospital - Princess Mary's and a nice little writing case from some old folk in Scotland. Princess Mary's consists of a nice little box, pipe, fags, and "bacca."
I simply must tell you how I got wounded. Our Company was selected to make an attack on some trenches to our front about five hundred yards; the gunners bombarded them for a few hours before we commenced, and my God what a sight.
We hadn't been able to see the effects of our guns before. Their marksmanship and the many they had hit over with their trenches to pieces; they must have killed hundreds.
After the bombardment, we made the charge; then we had it hot for a while. Our boys went at them like tigers, with the thoughts of revenge for the many they have hit over with their snipers.
I didn't get right up myself; I got bowled over in front of the barbed wire entanglements, in the left buttock. I was very fortunate to have it in the fleshy part, though it is rather a nasty hit; it ripped me open so much. I am much easier now than I've been, my temperature almost normal; so things are looking a little rosy. I was left on the field form the time I was hit until eight o'clock without being dressed, nearly five hours; it was an awful time.
Of course on one could come to me, as we were under fire the whole time, and our boys had to hold on to what they had gained like grim death. However, I managed to drag myself back on my elbows to the edge of the wood - about 300 yards; there I got picked up by stretcher bearers, and here I am in, and very tired too."
