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[Page 85]
operations in the Balkans.
Sunday 17th Oct 1915
Wrote to Mabel one of my interim "casualty" letters "a momentary inspiration".
It came to me quite suddenly today how congenial & attractive are my duties. This is due no doubt to my absolute control of the work allocated to me, & I can say it without any over-confidence that I implicitly trusted by my officers. This is strikingly the case with Major Pinwill (who is Senior Staff Officer whilst Col. Braithwaite is away). He never worries me, though he is a thorough Tartar with others. He has promised to give me every support to gain promotion to S. Sergeant. The situation is unchanged. This has become the stereotyped report of all Brigades. We are now settled down comfortably in winter quarters, & prepared for a long wait. We have been tutored up to it so we can't suffer much disappointment. The artillery & naval guns engage their usual targets during the day & night & opposing snipers have their daily & nightly duels, but beyond these uneventful episodes, nothing occurs to mar the peacefulness of our life. I am feeling in excellent health & eating well & hearty.
War Office Telegram 17/10/15 (inter alia) officially stated Great Britain is at war with Bulgaria.
British Losses - Extract from "Spectator" Sept. 18 1915.
Killed or died from wounds – Officers – 4965 – Other ranks – 70992 – Totals – 75957
Wounded – Officers 9973 – Other ranks – 241086 – Totals 251059
Missing – Officers 1501 – Other ranks 53466 – Totals 54967
16439 – 365544 – 381983
Monday 18th Oct. 1915
The days drag along quietly with the same unchanging routine week after week. We hear & see little of the enemy, who seem to be awaiting developments as we are. Whether they are awaiting events with the same patience & usual as our men are I don't know. I have my doubts. A miserable half-clad poorly clad halfstarved Turk Deserter sneaked away from his lines the other night & claimed our protection & generosity. He seemed to be semidemented & his answers to questions were unintelligible in that they had no relevancy & were childlike in their simplicity. These long dreary winter days in the trenches must be hellish torture to some of these poor devils. 2 barrels of water per Bn a day they receive – no meat, some bread occasionally other than [indecipherable] mealy biscuits they live & fight on (vide latest examination of Turk prisoners) & labour [indecipherable] that some Bns fare better than others – as depends mainly on their position in the firing line & the officers who command them. The Turks are never well clothed.