Author Archives: Ted Berryman

Feb 27^th

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for your letter of 22, which I got yesterday. Yes rather I got the cake all right, with a tin of sweets & 2 little packets of chocolate inside & it was very much appreciated. I can’t help thinking the cake before must have been stolen, as I think one is missing. So glad Jim is getting his commission soon, I think it’s better on the whole; what about Topher? Has he managed anything yet?

About those waders; thanks awfully for suggesting them, & I should love a pair. But I’m afraid it’s a bit late in the day now, and conditions in most of the trenches have much improved, though they are by no means dry. But I fancy now, between you & me, we shan’t be doing much more trench work, so I don’t think it would be worthwhile sending them; I wish we could have had them before Christmas, but I don’t think they were invented then.

We are being relieved tomorrow & go back for a short rest. We’ve done 6 weeks in reserve & trenches & have been hard at it more or less ever since I came out from leave, so I think we deserve a bit of a rest don’t you. But I don’t fancy it will be for long.

Awfully cold up here for now, much colder than it has been before I think, but we all have lots of warm things, and the men have more than they can do with, so we are all right. My fur line scutum is a great success & keeps me rippingly dry & warm. We’ve had a little snow, but it has all gone now, & it freezes every night.

Sorry Ruth has been seedy & I trust she is better. My cold is much better, but has’nt quite gone yet, but I’m feeling as fit as a fiddle. I’m afraid there is’nt much news- We get shelled every day in the village here where we are  in reserve, which is trying, to say the least of it; we do our turn in the trenches & all the usual things, & nothing very exciting has happened. Lots of love to all

yr loving son

Ted

Drake-Brockman’s narration of where they were is a little confused at the end of February. It seems that they “occupied some houses behind [the line] in the Rue de l’Epinette as reserve for three days” but it’s not clear either which three days, probably the 25th to the 28th, or indeed which Rue de L’Epinette, I have assumed it’s the one near Festubert.

Feb 23/15

Dear Mother

very many thanks for the Cake which arrived today and is much appreciated by the mess. We are out in the trenches again now, we came out on the 21^st, & I believe we stay in 1 or 2 more days, but it’s not quite certain.

Things are fairly quiet here, though the Germans shell us a good deal, without however having done much damage so far. There was a good deal of rifle fire today, & Major Mac & I were caught right out in the open, on our way up to the front trenches! It was fearfully muddy & heavy going up so we could’nt go very fast. They were’nt shooting at us actually, as I don’t think they could see us, but at our front trenches, & all the bullets missing them of course came on to us! However nothing happened, but it was’nt exactly pleasant. You get an awfully good view of the German trenches from ours, & the country all round is in a mess, mud everywhere, trenches, ditches, barbed wire, parapets, ruined houses & other awful things all over the place. And I suppose we’ve got to advance over all this some day soon!

It’s been very cold & foggy these last 2 days, but there are signs of spring everywhere. Is’nt it splendid Lumb & Lane getting the Military Cross? Ben will be awfully bucked about Fred Lumb. He’s home in England now sick with a knee; tell Ben to write to the Willows, Marsham, Norfolk. Best love to all. Ask Jane to send another bottle of hair wash please.

Your loving son  Ted

Many thanks for Tatler, send another-

British Listed Buildings – The Willows, Marsham, Norfolk

Feb 20^th

Dear Mother

Just a line to say I’m quite well & have entirely recovered from my cold. We go into the trenches tomorrow for a few days. Weather is pretty rotten here, bar one or two lovely days, quite spring like. Awful luck yesterday, Major Mac & I were walking along a road up by the trenches when suddenly a shell came from nowhere apparently & burst just behind, about 10-15 yards off. However it fell in some soft mud & went off with an awful bang & threw mud all over the place & didn’t touch us! Lucky it fell in the mud, and I expect it went pretty deep & exploded well underground.

No news here. We got a mail today, so the German blockade has not yet stopped the mails. Have Jim & Topher managed to get their commissions yet? I trust so. I got a bystander from Rosamund today, but have’nt had any letters lately. I got some cigarettes from Dryden, but the regular supply has’nt started yet, but I have plenty to go on with now. Excuse a dull letter. Love to all

yr loving son

Ted.

oh by the way I am sending home one khaki jacket & 1 pair breeches, as we have to cut our kit down & this is the only way I can do it. Please keep em, & I’ll write for em when I want ‘em.

Feb. 16.
Shrove Tuesday, ha ha
how did I know that!

Dear Jinny

Very many thanks for your nice long letter today. Also an enorm parcel of anti cough & cold mixtures rolled up, a lovely lot of things. The only objection being of course that my cold has now completely gone; I cough once a day now and snivvle hardly at all. Never mind, the things are most acceptable, and I am now sitting in draughts & discarding underclothes with a view to catching a cold so as to make use of all the lovely things you sent. No rotting, the parcel is most acceptable, & will sure to come in useful if not for me then certainly for some other snuffler.

Cigarettes most welcome, as none have turned up yet from Jim’s patent man, but don’t worry as I have heaps now. C (Ben knows who C is; a man, how dull!) sent me 100 this morning, awfully nice of him I think.

No news here; we are still in reserve, but things are quietish just at present. We go up again for a bout in a fortnight soon I believe, more mud & trenches; what a life!

I am ragged about my hair nowadays my dear! They say it’s much thinner tho of course I swear it’s growing like hell, & so it is. No, my big toes are still dead, at least the top half is; never mind, does’nt matter a dam.

A simply gorgeous day today, lovely blue sky, & about 4 thousand and twelve aeroplanes up, lucky devils. One huge biplane that would carry a regiment I should think, & flying quite low. I have 2 lots of films to send you for developing, but I don’t quite know when I’ll be able to send em quite; I’ve clean forgotten what I’ve taken!!

F.F’s with the Davids indeed. Well, give my love to them all, especially Babs who was a great friend of mine- I shall want another bottle of hair wash I expect. I enclose £1 for Ben for those watches she got me. Please give it to her, & say I’ll write soon. Long letter form Mary today, please thank her for it orfly,  & say I’m writing as soon as I find time.

Been for a walk with Major Mac today, just strolling round enjoying the ripping weather. But you should have seen the last 2 days, howling wind & sleet and bitterly cold. Had a bath yesterday in a beer vat, & am feeling awful clean today.

Such a dull letter this is’nt it, but we are’nt doing much. Some of the aeroplanes were fired at today, awful pretty, but those high explosive shells make the most appalling noise in the air, & bits of em come careering about all over the place. They say the aviators themselves can’t hear the bang because the propeller makes such a noise; they certainly behave as if nothing was happening, & take not the slightest notice of shells or anything else.

Here’s a true yarn; a Saxon regiment a day or two ago just opposite some regiment or other, I don’t know which, kept on shouting out & yelling, & finally climbed out of their trenches & baleing water out. Our chaps didn’t fire, much too cold-blooded a job, but told ‘em to clear off or they would fire. However the Saxons said no, they wanted to be friendly etc etc & loathed war etc etc.

Finally the General commanding that brigade came down, went over to the Saxons, & said look here, I’ll give you 6 hours to dig yourself some more trenches, as your present ones are flooded, & after that I’ll have to open fire on any one outside”. So the jolly old Saxons started digging like blazes & got some sort of cover in the six hours & disappeared behind it; & as the 6 hours was up, they hoisted a huge notice board up in their trenches with this written on it “Don’t shoot us & we won’t shoot you; keep your bullets for the blankety blank Prussians, who relieve us tonight”.

That’s an absolutely true yarn, I had heard rumours of it before, & last night I got it from a feller who was there and saw it all.

Is’nt it weird, of course those were Saxons who F.F’d with us on Christmas day, & they are really quite good chaps, & it’s the pure Prussian who is such a blighter.

Dinner time. Keep smiling lots of love from

Ted

Before using Savages   Botanic Extract                                                      After ditto!

FF was family slang for a Fast Friendship, one that wouldn’t necessarily last but which was brought about by circumstances such as a sea voyage. 

The Saxons story was picked up by the papers:

Feb 13.

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for your letter today. So glad you are getting a bit of a change and a rest, I’m sure it will do you all the good in the world. My cold is much better now, and a few days in the trenches seemed to have a most beneficial effect, though I am still a bit snivelly, but I’m feeling perfectly well, which I certainly was’nt for a day or two. And thanks awfully for the gloves, they arrived yesterday & are also most welcome, as my other pair were getting a bit shaky & the warm woolly part inside was getting rather thin & worn. The cake has’nt arrived, but I got the refill safe & sound, but I have’nt used the original one up yet, so I have 2 refills in hand now.

We are out of the trenches now and in reserve for a few days, & then go back into the trenches about the 20^th I think. There was’nt much doing last time, fairly quiet, with one or two lively intervals just to keep things going. I wrote to Ruth the other day, I wonder if she ever got my letter.

It’s been a miserable day today, fearful wind & rain, but I managed to get out for a bit of a walk this afternoon as I got fed up fugging round the fire.

Leave has been opened again but there’s not the slightest chance of my getting any, as only 2 officers are allowed away at a time, & we can’t go as we are in reserve, and no one can go if he’s already had one whack of leave, unless there is an urgent reason; so you can see there are several obstacles, each of which by itself would effectively prevent one taking leave!

I hope Topher is all right again now, bad luck his getting flu, but there’s a lot about and any amount of fellows have had it out here and have gone sick with it, I fancy I must have had a touch of it, being somewhat prone to it as you well know.

Have Topher & Jim had any luck with their commissions I wonder; under the circumstances it would certainly appear the best thing to do.

Must end up now; I got the Sketches & Bystander all safe, thanks v. much, most acceptable.

Love to all, yr loving son

Ted

Feb 10^th

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for the cigarettes which arrived last night, most welcome. We are still on in the trenches, & it’s very raw and muddy. Last night there was a frost, but it has all thawed again today. It started today by being a nice blue sky day, but it’s all cloudy again now.

One of our airmen was out this morning, he was plucky, as the Germans kept plugging at him & went all round him, fearfully close, but he kept on circling round, going sort of ½ way home and coming back again only to be greeted with another halo of shrapnel. He wound up by calmly flying through a huge puff of black smoke made by a high-explosive German shell which burst just in front of him! I was glad when he finally cleared off unharmed, & it was very exciting to watch.

My cold is better I think, tho’ I am still a bit hoarse & snuffly, & cough is a bit troublesome. But I’m feeling much better, I knew a day or two in the trenches would do me no end of good. We go out tomorrow into reserve, for a few days, & then come up again I believe. Fairly quiet here; they have shelled us a little today & there are rather more bullets than usual flying about tonight, I dunno why-

Must end up now. The little sock things are ripping and warm. So long best love to all yr loving son

Ted

Feb 9^th

Dear Jinny.

Still got an awful cold, & I have eaten or sucked most of the lozenges & jubejubes in the rgt; but I am better, & will soon be as right as rain. So will you please send me 1 bottle formaloids, 1 tin eucalyptus jubejubes or anything good for a cough or cold. You can get them from Boots I think.

Not much going on here. It’s very cold, especially the wind. It rained a bit today too. Hair growing like anything under the new treatment.

Tons of love from Ted

Scottish vernacular detail on “jube jubes” as opposed to Jujubes
http://www.firstfoot.com/dictionary/j.html

“Regesan Formeloids” have very little info online beyond watermarked adverts from the Singapore Straits Times – this from 18/09/16 (cures consumption)
http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19160918.2.61.2.aspx

Article in NZ paper The Press 20/02/15 on removal of German medical supplies mentioning their substitution
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19150220.2.88

Bottle dug up in UK 2008 – nice deco design
http://www.bottledigging.org.uk/Forum/Topic75129-3-1.aspx

Feb 8^th

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for your letter this morning, & the handkerchief, which was most acceptable as I have a beastly cold and cough, & use a hanky pretty frequently- We go out into the trenches tonight for 3 days. We are having a terrier Colonel to stay with us, to learn all about trenches, it will be rather fun showing him round everywhere.

Righto about the cigarettes sorry to worry, but I thought it was best to find out about it & see if anything had gone wrong. As a matter of fact Abdulla sent us each a little tin of 25 as a present today, very sporting was’nt it. The ones you sent have’nt rolled up yet, but will tomorrow I expect. Sketch & Bystander also not come, but will doubtless come tomorrow & will be most welcome in the trenches.

Not much going on here, fairly quiet in our immediate front, though we can hear all the La Bassée fighting going on close by, continual firing day & night almost. I had a letter from Paul 2 or 3 days ago saying he was hovering round that last fight. Your letter is dated 6^th, Saturday & has arrived today 8^th, so it’s quite quick.

I hear Jim & Topher are going for commissions; quite the best thing to do I should think as they seem to be using their corps as an officers training corps & nothing else. Why does’nt Jim shove in for a job as motor cycle despatch rider, they have heaps of them, flying about all the roads every day & all day: suggest it to him, I don’t suppose it’s hard to get.

Quite a fine day today & not quite so cold, though windy. Must end up now. Excuse a short note, will write longer in a day or two. Love to all, yr loving son

Ted.

Drake-Brockman says “On the 8th February we again relieved the 1st Battalion in the front line… the same stretch of trenches along the Rue du Bois was taken over”. This would seem to be the first trenches they were in at Calonne-sur-la-Lys though the regimental diaries would give more detail.

Feb 7^th

Dear Jinny

I’ve got 2 long letters from you to answer, and no news for you I’m afraid. Thanks awfully for your letters, they were most interesting and enjoyable. My, they do know how to work you hard at the hospital, you certainly are doing your little bit.

I have got an absolute first class cold and cough, a touch of flu I think, everyone seems to have got it. I feel rather a worm, & have been gargling Condy’s & sucking potass lozenges, but not much result. However by tomorrow I expect I’ll be as right as rain, though I should like to go to bed more than anything else.

We go into the trenches tomorrow & I expect that’ll cure me all right. Could you send me a bottle of Somebody’s “lightning” Cough cure, Veno I think it’s called, someone said it was very good; or any cold mixture.

My dear the hair stuff has rolled up & I have been using it regularly & I trust with good results, but of course it’s too early to gauge yet. I expect I’ll be writing for another bottle soon.

I have been to church today “in the school opposite the 44^th Heavy Battery” as the notice was published in orders. And by Jove it was opposite the 44^th Heavy Battery with a vengeance!! They were only 50 yards off, and had found a suitable target just as church began- The noise was awful; and the whole thing was a curious mixture, church going on & quite close by the big guns killing & maiming the wretched enemy; so contrary somehow to the Church’s instructions regarding one’s enemy’s.

The hymns we had were Lead Kindly light, Son of my Soul, & abide with me. No organ or piano, just about ½ doz officers and 30 Tommies, so the singing was a trifle awkward at times, & broke down completely in Lead Kindly light, despite a valiant effort by Major Mac – sitting next to me – to switch em on to the right note again. I could only utter a hoarse croak! The guns were particularly noisy during this hymn and the result was something as follows, a quaint mixture of humour and pathos that made one want to cry and laugh at the same time:

Lead Kindly-Bang!- amid the’encircling gloom
Bang! – thou me on;
The night is dark and I am Bang! – from home
Lead thou me on.
Bang! Bang! The garish day, in spite of fears
Pride ruled my Bang! – Remember not Bangbangbangbang!

The last four being from a French battery of .75’s close by here, which, like all French batteries, always fires salvoes of 4 guns in rapid succession. I assure you my dear Jane the above is no exaggeration of the scene, and it was really very impressive in a way, and likely to stick in one’s memory for longer than many an exciting moment in the trenches.

They haven’t shelled us today thank goodness, except for one whispering Willie which fell the far end of the village & exploded harmlessly. The heavy firing round La Bassée still goes on, & we had a goodish success there last night I believe; today again there has been very heavy artillery fire there.

Right about the scarf, better give it to Jim as I have one all right. Chubbie sent me a pair of mittens & a letter; I also heard from Mary, & have answered her letter. Cake most welcomed, & stodged by my brother officers in no time. So long & give us a line sometime.

Lots of love from Ted.

Send out a packet of envelopes like this one will you please, thin foreign ones

The original of this letter is in the Archive of the the Imperial War Museum: Private Papers of Lieutenant Colonel E R P Berryman DSO –  http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030021700 

Feb 4^th

Dear Mother

Just got your parcel, at least the bull’s eyes and socks. Thanks awfully for them, the latter seem to be just the thing. We have just moved up into some new billets today just behind the trenches in a deserted and much shelled little village. We are living in a big house which must belong to quite a nut, as it is awfully nicely furnished, or was rather, but now is pretty well knocked about & has shell holes in it etc.

They started shelling this place just as we got in, but only sent about ½ a dozen which did no harm to us, but killed one man & wounded another man, French peasants, who were living in the local post office & were just getting things together preparatory to clearing out; awful bad luck. They must know troops are here, they are always somewhere in reserve, so they shell it pretty well every day. The church is full of holes, but not as bad as the last place we were at, which hardly had a stone left standing on another.

Lovely day today, & it’s fairly mild now; but I expect we shall get some more cold weather before long. There is’nt much going on here now I fancy, a good deal of promiscuous firing by both sides. We are only a few hundred yards behind the trenches, & we shall be here 3 days, & then go into the trenches for a bit.

By the way I met one of the Townsends a day or two ago, in the sappers, & I recognised him! Rather good for me; he asked how we all were, & said he remembered Dick very well. I’m not sure which one he was, & I forgot to ask his name. I saw him again today, passed him on the road marching; he is running a signal company, like Willis P.

I met a gunner today who said he thought the 28^th Divⁿ were at Dunkirk, rather a biff for yesterday’s rumour I told you about being near here! Also one Stephenson, the Divisional field cashier, from whom we draw our pay, is a cousin of Morton & Esmé’s. I met him the other day, & when I signed my name for my pay, I noticed he was Mr Stare-Stare; & afterwards I hear he asked another chap if I was one of a large family & his cousins knew me if I was! I haven’t seen him since, but when I do I’ll tackle him.

Must finish up now. How’s Paul, I haven’t heard from him for a long time. Love to all yr loving son

Ted

According to Drake-Brockman, the “deserted and much shelled little village” was Richebourg St Vaast