Letters From the Front

Dated: December 3, 1915

How Sergt. Palmer Won D.C.M.

The following letter from Sergeant Jock Waddell, of the Lethbridge Machine Gun Section, now in the trenches, tells how the plucky youth gained the decoration of the distinguished conduct medal.

"On the 19th of May we relieved the ------ at Festubert. The trench we took over was newly captured from the Germans, so they were not in the best of condition. Well, we all set in and worked very hard for three days, having very little sleep and shells falling all the time; it was nothing more than a death trap."

"Well on the 31st there were rumours floating around we were to make an attack that night, but none of us were sure of it, not until four o'clock, then I got an order to go up the communication line and find a place for my gun. Well that was not a very pleasant job, as there was a lot of the trench broken down, so I was exposed to the rifle fire of the Germans, but I knew I had to go, so I said, well here goes and I made a dash for trench. I then had to walk up to my knees in water before I got there, so you can imagine the mess I was in. I got in the trench and found the trench officer and asked him where he wanted the gun; he could not give me a very satisfactory answer so I went ahead myself and placed it, which I found was very good afterward, it was only twenty to thirty yards away from the German trench. After I made sure and marked my place I went back for my crew and gun."

"When I got there I explained the situation as well as I could and told them what to do. By this time the final bombardment was going on, and there were trench dugouts and Germans flying everywhere, so the officer laid down his men away back in case any of our shells fell short they would be safe, but as luck would have it I had to get this gun placed for the attack, which was hard at only thirty yards; while one of the men and myself were making the emplacement, one of the shells burst over the trench almost suffocating the boys. At first I thought it was some gas they had shot at us, so we all put our smoke helmets on, but in a short time it cleared away and we continued our work. It was a very funny sensation waiting there not knowing the minute the Germans would be coming down the trench, because we were both in the same, with just a few bags between us."

"Well, I got it all set and ready by 8 o'clock and the attack was to come off at 8.30 so I had a few minutes rest. I crawled into a dugout lay there not knowing the minute I was going to be blown to atoms, and as I lay there all sorts of things went through my mind. I could see everyone at home quite plain, everyone seemed to be quite happy, and then a shell would burst close and make me duck."

"At last the time came, and I went to my gun. They were creeping up  out thick, and I was keeping up an overhead fire to prevent them as much as I could when all of a sudden up they got and made for the trench. Well, I can say this, that the Germans did not wait to ask any questions, but just ran for their lives, and we all let drive at them. Well, there was not much doing that night except bringing in the wounded and the artillery were very active."

"Just as light was creeping into the sky they started three counter-attacks by rushing bomb parties; right in front of me there was a gap in the trench, which was one of the main supplies for bombs. It was only about twenty-five yards away, so I got a good bead on it, and every time a Hun tried to pass he was shot. When they found it was no use sending men across they got a very big bag and filled it with bombs, tying a rope on it and throwing it across the gap. In a few minutes I saw the rope get taut , so I lay my gun, cutting the rope and riddling the bag with bullets. Everything was quiet then for a while, when all of a sudden seven Germans jumped over the parapet and made for me. I shot the first two , and the others started back for the trench and I got them in the read portion, three of them rolled down dead to the world and the others fell in the trench. They tried this several times but failed so by that we held what trench we gained. About six o'clock we got word that we were going to be relieved, everybody was smiling and felt very much better. Well, about 10 o'clock the battalion filed out of the trench, but the machine gun men had to stay until the new crew arrived, which was about an hour and a half, and for some reason or other the battalion did not get in so the whole trench was held by a couple of guns. When the battalion got nicely away, they started a counter-attack, so I put my gun up on the parapet and fired eight belts right off, keeping them back until the ------ Brigade got in. We then packed up and went to billets, which took us until the next morning. None of us could walk over two hundred yards before we had to sit down and rest. I had a good drink of hot tea and then went to sleep for about twelve hours. This is one of the fights I have been through and it think it was about the worst, it was simply the gates of hell opened and everything let loose at once."

Jock has been through most of the engagements since, and up to the middle of November was still in the trenches.