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History Guy

@history-guy.bsky.social

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Just an ordinary, passionate history enthusiast.

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History Guy

@history-guy.bsky.social

29 September 1915; No. 16 Stationary Hospital, Le Tréport, BEF France – as related by one VAD nurse.

"[...] we took in another convoy thatfilled every bed in all the huts and we were on thego all night long."

'Dorothea's War', Dorothea Crewdson, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2013

#Loos
#WW1

Dorothea Crewdson – VAD NurseNo. 16 Stationary Hospital, Le Tréport, BEF FranceDiary Entry – Wednesday, 29 September 1915

There is a most awful gale raging after a wet and wild night. The Mess anteroom tent collapsed again at breakfast time. We helped to do a hurried moving of furniture out into the Mess tent – made it only just in time. Orderlies and a troupe of volunteers did the rest of the tidying up. There was no attempt this time to save the tent as there was no use struggling with it. No other occupied tents have gone yet but if the wind gets worse tonight it will probably cause wholesale havoc. [...]

Such a time last night. Came on to find a convoy occupying half the beds in the ward and the otherhalf left empty by a departure in afternoon.Then at 4 a.m. we took in another convoy thatfilled every bed in all the huts and we were on thego all night long. Six operations, five of them head cases, were done last night. Rind came over fromthe enterics ward to help till 4. I was so pleased tosee her. The men are all in very poor spirits aboutthe fighting. There are a lot of very bad cases amongthe new arrivals, several on DI and SI lists. The day people will have a job. They already look very worn, hardly having had any off-duty time. I have no time at present for writing at night. Not much in the day either.

September 29, 2025 at 6:14 PM

History Guy

@history-guy.bsky.social

28 September 1915; No. 16 Stationary Hospital, Le Tréport, BEF France – as related by one VAD nurse.

"[...]oh! the suffering and misery it means is heart-rending! There seems to be a tremendous battle raging."

'Dorothea's War', Dorothea Crewdson, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2013

#Loos
#WW1

Dorothea Crewdson – VAD NurseNo. 16 Stationary Hospital, Le Tréport, BEF FranceDiary Entry – Tuesday, 28 September 1915

Well, here we are in the thick of it. I have always been told that one day we shall be busy and the time seems to have come at last but oh! the suffering and misery it means is heart-rending! There seems to be a tremendous battle raging. The general attack is from our side [...] it means a tremendous rush of work in all the hospitals tonight. We have had 20 extra beds put into the ward, brought in before midnight by crowds of orderlies and already we have 21 patients. Thereis hardly room to turn in the ward for all the beds.

The great rush began on Sunday morning.Now we are to have convoy after convoy andevacuations every day. What a life! [...] We havetwo or three really bad cases here and anothermight haemorrhage which is rather agitating. I amnot looking forward to the arrival of the next contingent of wounded soldiers. [...]

I went to bed as soon as possible to prepare for tonight. I find it very difficult to get to bed in spite of all my good intentions. Going to bed in the daytime is not the same as night, but I am very thankful to be able to sleep so well. It really is a great blessing.

September 28, 2025 at 12:32 PM

History Guy

@history-guy.bsky.social

25 September 1915; Loos Battle – as seen by one officer.

"Dear Mother,
What promises to be the biggest battle in history began exactly 24 minutes ago[...]"

'WE ARE ALL FLOURISHING – The Letters and Diary of Captain Walter JJ Coats MC, 1914–1919', Goldcrest Books International Ltd, 2022
#Loos
#WW1

Captain Walter JJ Coats MC1/9 Highland Light Infantry, 5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Division, I CorpsLetter to his mother – 25 September 1915 (from Givenchy sector)

My dear Mother,What promises to be the biggest battle in history began exactly 24 minutes ago to be precise at 5.50 AM this morning. I knew there was going to be a show several weeks ago and would have liked to tell you but of course could not. Our Battalion is going to make for the Germans in about a quarter of an hour but I am in charge of two guns which are Brigaded, so I stay with the Battalion headquarters for the time being. I may of course be called on to go over at any time but meantime I am sitting in a very comfortable dugout smoking a very fine cheroot.[...]Our men have just started across and I am rather anxious to know how they’re getting on. We cannot see them from where we are. It is beastly to have to sit and listen to the rifle fire and know that one’s friends are up against it. I would rather go and take my chance with them but being the junior Machine Gun Officer I had no say in the matter. The rifle fire is now I think not quite so heavy so either we are across or are driven back. Which? I must stop. [...]

September 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM

History Guy

@history-guy.bsky.social

110 years ago today:
Large-scale British and French offensive(s) across Champagne, Artois and Loos.
First British use of poison gas.
The [first] Big Push....

An anxious night – wondering what the wind would be in the morning. The greatest battle in the world’s history begins today – some 800,000 French and British troops will actually attack today.
General Sir Douglas Haig
Commander, BEF First Army
Diary Entry – 25 September 1915

September 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM

History Guy

@history-guy.bsky.social

Lieutenant Colonel V. F. Eberle (RE) on a Western Front Christmas, near Bazentin, 1916:

"For a short period the foulness and desolation that surrounded us were forgotten."

'With a Royal Engineers Field Company in France and Italy', Pen & Sword, 2020
#Christmas
#WW1