BMS/CWK/95/13/2

Two pages of a letter to C.W. Kaye from S. Johnson, The Elms, Oldbury Court Road, Fishponds, Bristol, an old boy of bedford Modern School

17 Jul 1922

From: 1922 To: 1922

Writer mentions he is the son of Rev. E.A. Johnson of Stevington. Johnson has recently returned from New Zealand, where his brother is a dairy farmer. He [the writer] was forced to take to some open air life after the War, as his health had been seriously affected by his service overseas. His compliants included neurasthenia, chronic bhronchitis and gas poisoning. He is now back in England and hopes to commence work with E.S. & A. Robinsons paper manufacturers in Bristol. Describes his experiences in the First World War with the 6th Territorial Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment. Was appointed acting Company Sargeant Major at Ovillers on the Somme in July 1916, when the company was reduced from 152 men and 5 officers to 4 men. ' I was suffering from shock naturally after an affair of this kind, but as we were so short of officers and N.C.O.'s I was kept with the battalion and did my best to carry out my duties. Fortunately we were soon reinforced and I reverted to Company Quarter-master Sgt. at my own request, and very pleased I was to get a little change from the front line and its accompanyment [sic] of shells.' After two years active service in France, he left his old battalion in March 1917 and was sent to an officer cadet battalion for six months. In October 1917 he was sent as 2nd Lieutenant to the reserve battalion of his regiment at Maidstone. He was subsequently sent to Salonika [May 1918]. He describes his journey through France and Italy '...Taranto I found was a disagreeable town with a very continental idea of drains and sanitary arrangements generally, but this I've found is quite the rule among the Latin nations.' Includes a long description of a perilous journey along narrow mountain tracks. On arrival in Salonika, he caught malaria, and 'spent my spare time in recovering ready to proceed to the front'. Of Salonika, he states 'I found the fighting there was far less dangerous than that in France, but the climatic conditions were against us and fever was our greatest enemy.' After a few months, orders received to return to France, where his battalion received orders to hold itself in readiness to train as a pioneer battalion. The writer was detailed to erect a bombing ground for the division. A divisional riding school was started, and the writer attended classes each evening. 'All too soon we set out to entrain at Abancourt for a destination unknown'.....'my astonishment...to find that we were making for the very spot in the line at which I had left my old battalion the previous year.' Joined the Fourth Army, and 'after hard fighting at Beaurevoir, Le Cateau and Landrecie, finally had the honour to form a part of the 4th Army Flying Column when we finished up 14 kms in advance of the Army on 11 November 1918. I was one of the officers to march into Germany with the battilion later and spent ten months with the Army of Occupation in Germany.' [Last page of letter missing]

item

Kaye, Cecil William,
Johnson, S.,
Johnson, E.A.,
E.S. & A. Robinson

Bedford Modern School, general correspondence, STEVINGTON, New Zealand, Bristol, dairy farming, 6th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, World War One, Somme, paper maker, shell shock, gas poisoning, Salonika, Taranto (Province), Maidstone, malaria, Abancourt, le Cateau-Cambresis, Germany, 4th Army