bobdina
10-29-2009, 10:44 AM
War Hero's Diary Found 90yrs On
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Source: The Sun Online
A Tommy's amazing long-lost diaries telling of the hell of life in the trenches have come to light after more than 90 years.
John French's immaculately written pages provide a fascinating insight into the horrors faced by soldiers of the First World War.
He told of the nightmare of seeing dead men's limbs protruding from the mud of the battlefield.
John, a 23-year-old tin miner before he joined the Army in 1915, related how he cradled the head of a soldier who lay dying after being shot by a sniper.
In one matter-of-fact entry, he told how his thick leather belt stopped a flying shell fragment that would surely have killed him.
But hero John, who came home with two medals for bravery after being wounded, also revealed touches of the black humour that helped Tommies cope with the appalling conditions.
He told how troops swapped banter with the Germans 75 yards away across No Man's Land.
There was also the fond memory of finding water cress which "went alright with bread and cheese".
John's three diaries, written in pencil, lay forgotten amid family papers before they were discovered recently.
Now, in the run-up to Poppy Day, they have gone on public display with his medals.
Grenades
With no veterans left to talk of the First World War, John's recollections are a unique voice from history as the nation prepares to honour soldiers of all generations.
John, one of 11 children from Redruth, Cornwall, was among millions of men who joined up to fight for King and Country.
He became a sapper in 254th Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers where his mining skills were needed.
John arrived in France on New Year's Eve 1915, seasick from the Channel crossing.
His diary entries cover the next two years, starting with comments about the "heavy machine-gun fire" and mortars that looked like "big sausages".
The young Tommy spent days and nights "up to my knees in water" as he dug trenches so close to the Germans that they could hurl bombs and grenades that went "whizzing" past his head.
John and his comrades spoke in whispers as they dug tunnels under the German positions and fled poisonous gas that descended like "thick yellow fog".
He was forever "shifting and ducking" bullets which screamed past his head "like ten thousand devils on the loose".
Snipers regularly picked off his mates. One German, a "smart and hot" marksman, killed dozens of British troops.
John described the "awful mess" of limbs sticking out of the ground. He was often called to dig out men trapped under piles of earth after shells blew in trenches.
John complained about the food, saying: "You can't tell the soup from the tea." But the smell of frying bacon was a delight he never forgot.
And despite the horrors he admitted: "This war game is rather exciting - you never know what's coming next."
John's diary notes for 1916 are dramatic, poignant - and sometimes amusing:
April 16 1916. "One of our chaps got killed by a sniper. He was on the point of being relieved when he forgot himself - put his head above the parapet. Worked in darkness all night but had a good sing-song. Everyone seems in good spirits."
April 24 1916. "Lovely clear morning. Working in the wet last night. Water come down my back like a shower bath. Stiff fighting all night."
May 23 1916. "Took a stroll round part of the battlefield and there are scores of men lying dead. You can see the arms and legs sticking up everywhere.
"These grenades are murderous things. Found watercress growing in a stream - went alright with bread and cheese."
June 21 1916. "Had a mouse in a cage so we could be warned in time if gas got very bad. We got gas to make us sick - mouse still alive and kicking."
August 10 1916. "Saw a rather curious thing in the trenches this morning. Heard some shouting and laughing and saw a German leaning over the parapet and shouting across to our men who were also leaning over the parapet. The distance is about 75 yards.
"One of our men was shouting 'Come on over Fritz'. Fritz shouted back in perfect English, 'No blooming fear'. In fact they could all speak good English.
"This went on for half an hour and then heads were down and the war went on the same as usual. Instant death for the first man who put his head above the parapet."
August 13 1916. "Up in orders today that any German looking over the parapet is to be shot and any man found talking to them is to be placed under arrest."
In 1917 John was fighting at Ypres where half a million men were slaughtered amid the mud.
His diaries tell of the "big pushes" - attacks which often ended in costly failure. He noted: "There won't be many of us left at this rate."
April 9 1917. "One of our best officers was killed last night by a sniper. Man named Bernard. He was giving me some instructions when a shot rang out. He died a couple of minutes later while I was holding his head."
August 16 1917. "Had a rather narrow escape. Shell hit me full in the left side, ripped through my tunic but was stopped by my thick leather belt. Escaped with nothing worse than a bruise."
John was promoted to sergeant and was eventually commissioned as a second lieutenant.
He was awarded the Military Medal in December 1917 and the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry in April 1918.
Proud
It is not known what acts of bravery earned him the medals.
Despite being wounded John did not leave the Army until June 1919. He moved to America where he married a piano player called Eve.
He returned home in 1921 but developed TB and was only 37 when he died in 1929.
John had no children and the diaries went to his younger sister Emily. They were forgotten until they were found after Emily died recently aged 99.
John's niece Wendy Dawe, of Illogan, near Redruth, said she is "immensely proud" of her uncle.
She said: "The fact that he was part of my family, and that he shared in the horrors of the war, should never be forgotten."
The diaries are on display at the Old Cornwall Society Museum in Redruth.
Wendy said: "Diaries such as these, left by men doing their bit, let us see how brave they were and what it was like for them trying to fight and survive."
http://www.modoracle.com/news/War-Heros-Diary-Found-90yrs-On_19153.html
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Source: The Sun Online
A Tommy's amazing long-lost diaries telling of the hell of life in the trenches have come to light after more than 90 years.
John French's immaculately written pages provide a fascinating insight into the horrors faced by soldiers of the First World War.
He told of the nightmare of seeing dead men's limbs protruding from the mud of the battlefield.
John, a 23-year-old tin miner before he joined the Army in 1915, related how he cradled the head of a soldier who lay dying after being shot by a sniper.
In one matter-of-fact entry, he told how his thick leather belt stopped a flying shell fragment that would surely have killed him.
But hero John, who came home with two medals for bravery after being wounded, also revealed touches of the black humour that helped Tommies cope with the appalling conditions.
He told how troops swapped banter with the Germans 75 yards away across No Man's Land.
There was also the fond memory of finding water cress which "went alright with bread and cheese".
John's three diaries, written in pencil, lay forgotten amid family papers before they were discovered recently.
Now, in the run-up to Poppy Day, they have gone on public display with his medals.
Grenades
With no veterans left to talk of the First World War, John's recollections are a unique voice from history as the nation prepares to honour soldiers of all generations.
John, one of 11 children from Redruth, Cornwall, was among millions of men who joined up to fight for King and Country.
He became a sapper in 254th Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers where his mining skills were needed.
John arrived in France on New Year's Eve 1915, seasick from the Channel crossing.
His diary entries cover the next two years, starting with comments about the "heavy machine-gun fire" and mortars that looked like "big sausages".
The young Tommy spent days and nights "up to my knees in water" as he dug trenches so close to the Germans that they could hurl bombs and grenades that went "whizzing" past his head.
John and his comrades spoke in whispers as they dug tunnels under the German positions and fled poisonous gas that descended like "thick yellow fog".
He was forever "shifting and ducking" bullets which screamed past his head "like ten thousand devils on the loose".
Snipers regularly picked off his mates. One German, a "smart and hot" marksman, killed dozens of British troops.
John described the "awful mess" of limbs sticking out of the ground. He was often called to dig out men trapped under piles of earth after shells blew in trenches.
John complained about the food, saying: "You can't tell the soup from the tea." But the smell of frying bacon was a delight he never forgot.
And despite the horrors he admitted: "This war game is rather exciting - you never know what's coming next."
John's diary notes for 1916 are dramatic, poignant - and sometimes amusing:
April 16 1916. "One of our chaps got killed by a sniper. He was on the point of being relieved when he forgot himself - put his head above the parapet. Worked in darkness all night but had a good sing-song. Everyone seems in good spirits."
April 24 1916. "Lovely clear morning. Working in the wet last night. Water come down my back like a shower bath. Stiff fighting all night."
May 23 1916. "Took a stroll round part of the battlefield and there are scores of men lying dead. You can see the arms and legs sticking up everywhere.
"These grenades are murderous things. Found watercress growing in a stream - went alright with bread and cheese."
June 21 1916. "Had a mouse in a cage so we could be warned in time if gas got very bad. We got gas to make us sick - mouse still alive and kicking."
August 10 1916. "Saw a rather curious thing in the trenches this morning. Heard some shouting and laughing and saw a German leaning over the parapet and shouting across to our men who were also leaning over the parapet. The distance is about 75 yards.
"One of our men was shouting 'Come on over Fritz'. Fritz shouted back in perfect English, 'No blooming fear'. In fact they could all speak good English.
"This went on for half an hour and then heads were down and the war went on the same as usual. Instant death for the first man who put his head above the parapet."
August 13 1916. "Up in orders today that any German looking over the parapet is to be shot and any man found talking to them is to be placed under arrest."
In 1917 John was fighting at Ypres where half a million men were slaughtered amid the mud.
His diaries tell of the "big pushes" - attacks which often ended in costly failure. He noted: "There won't be many of us left at this rate."
April 9 1917. "One of our best officers was killed last night by a sniper. Man named Bernard. He was giving me some instructions when a shot rang out. He died a couple of minutes later while I was holding his head."
August 16 1917. "Had a rather narrow escape. Shell hit me full in the left side, ripped through my tunic but was stopped by my thick leather belt. Escaped with nothing worse than a bruise."
John was promoted to sergeant and was eventually commissioned as a second lieutenant.
He was awarded the Military Medal in December 1917 and the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry in April 1918.
Proud
It is not known what acts of bravery earned him the medals.
Despite being wounded John did not leave the Army until June 1919. He moved to America where he married a piano player called Eve.
He returned home in 1921 but developed TB and was only 37 when he died in 1929.
John had no children and the diaries went to his younger sister Emily. They were forgotten until they were found after Emily died recently aged 99.
John's niece Wendy Dawe, of Illogan, near Redruth, said she is "immensely proud" of her uncle.
She said: "The fact that he was part of my family, and that he shared in the horrors of the war, should never be forgotten."
The diaries are on display at the Old Cornwall Society Museum in Redruth.
Wendy said: "Diaries such as these, left by men doing their bit, let us see how brave they were and what it was like for them trying to fight and survive."
http://www.modoracle.com/news/War-Heros-Diary-Found-90yrs-On_19153.html