Category Archives: Ted Berryman

UPTON ST LEONARDS,
NR GLOUCESTER.

Sept. 12^th 1915-

Dear Jack,

We have been wishing you were home this week, we had a real old pre-war madcap of it on Friday- & longed for you & Marjorie. Captain Davis is now at the camp on Sneedham’s Green & he asked us to a tea party on Tuesday & we had a jolly time of it & played “up jenkins” on his bath for a table!

Two other officers – a Captain Berryman & Mr Culverwell were at the party, both very jolly & both home from the front- They belonged to the Indian army & were wounded & are now temporarily attached here. Well – during tea someone said what a pity we couldn’t have a fancy dress ball or some such jollification in the old Y.M.C.A tent! So we suggested our house as a trifle more feasible & so we fixed it up then & there for the Friday evening! The only other guests were Auntie, Bertha & the rector & Mrs Williams, who are staying at Belmont & Helen Fox.

We all dressed up & at 8 our guests arrived & were rigged up variously as greek, pirate & turk! Captain Berryman is a great sport, you’d like him awfully, he simply kept us in fits, Father was nearly ill & Auntie kept on gasping “I can’t laugh any more!” I hope he’ll still be here when you get your next leave.

Aileen Vinicombe & Margaret Walker are staying here too so we were quite a jolly party. I really think you would lose your heart to Margaret, she is one of the most taking little persons I know. A bit like little Marion only much more in her.

The rector came late & when he did make his appearance he came solemnly in pyjamas, & carrying a baby’s bottle & a candle, a beautiful dressing gown, night cap/& walking round the room, still very solemn, he at last found Babs to whom he presented the feeding bottle!

We had a very nice photo arrive yesterday from Oxo in his officer’s kit. He is attached to the 2^nd Gloucesters. Did you hear we have a cart for Nobby. A ralli car in neutral coloured wood, upholstered in grey- It is quite smart & runs beautifully. So the C.O. looks kindly on you, don’t be overcome by his blandishments whatever happens!

I suppose it’s no good thinking yet about another leave but I do hope it won’t be so long on the way this time.

We had all the clerks from the office here yesterday, several of them said “We want Jack here today”. So we did & so we do so can’t you get down again soon. How about your teeth by the way – oughtn’t they to be seen to?

Must go now as I’m due at the camp.

Much love

Gladys.

Ted met four sisters at a tea party on Tuesday 7th September at the camp at Sneedhams Green outside Gloucester. The Fielding sisters had been invited to tea by an officer returning hospitality who asked Ted to come along to help him entertain them. As Gladys says in her letter to her brother, this led to the party on Friday the 10th at their house above Gloucester. 

The sisters were still in mouring for their grandfather and were not sure what to wear. Nell, aged seventeen and the youngest but one, compromised with a white blouse and a black skirt and tied her dark hair back with a black ribbon. 

Their father John Fielding owned an engineering works in Gloucester. He and his wife Pauline had five daughters including Gladys who wrote this letter to their only son, her brother Jack.

Ted in 1915

Nell c1915 aged 17

Fielding Family and Friends c1915

Trenches 19/6/15

Dear Berryman

Thanks for yours of 16: received today. I am sorry to hear your wound is still troublesome necessitating an extension, but a bit extra leave will do you no harm & the rest ought to benefit you – though it may feel a bit boresome at times.

It is very tiring work this & so monotonous- & now with the smell, flies & bluebottles in the trenches, they are not very charming dwelling places. We shall be in these trenches for another 10 days & so with our time in support in trenches, we shall have done 20 days – quite like old times.

As usual plenty of rumours, I don’t think we are likely to be withdrawn, but I don’t think we shall do another winter campaign. I trust NOT, with the riff raff of B.M.P. we get as reinforcements.

Col. Ewing has another extension- Mainwaring & Lane also. Lumb is a fixture at Marseilles as C off. Base Depot- he is not very strong just yet. Clarke rejoined a day or two ago – so I am full of B.Cs & no GOs hardly

Yrs sincerely

W H Drake Brockman

France

31.5.15

My Dear Berryman

Your cards etc reached me, but I had no time to write as I went up to the Regiment on the 11^th to try and help in the night show. Well between the 11^th and 15^th we were pushed about between the firing line and the death traps & in the orchard and Rue du Bois, and then back to do that night show on the 15^th. There was a continuous bombardment by our guns for 60 hours without a stop, and you bet the Bosches let us have 0 back.

Bax and Monk both got killed with “Wizz bangs” and Gatherer got one into his dugout but only got slightly damaged. If we had been kept there a few more days we should all have been laid out. Smokes had 19 men laid out with one ‘Crump’ and we lost about 40 to 50 men a day during the bombardment, so you can imagine what we felt like when we were ordered to do this night show.

Smokes’ company was in front with mine just behind the parapit of the fire trench. Smokes got his company out before the attack and lay down in front of the ditch but as soon as he got up to move the Bosches were onto us, and Smokes got a bullet through the ankle and the attack only went about 30 yards, I came over the parapit with my two leading platoons but by the time we reached the ditch everyone was down. Eventually Percy came out and told us to get back.

The Bosches had a searchlight on all the time and brought up machine guns as well. I think it was rather a tall order asking us to do a night show after the 6 days’ hammering we had had by artillery.

Old Smokes was tophole by the way, he carried on all through those 6 bloody of bloody days, & the Perce did very stout working under a heavy fire in front of our fire trench on the night of the 15^th.

We have been back here in so called billets since the 17^th, but it’s been very wet and we have got the whole battalion into a space that ordinarily would be called tight for a company.

No news yet but I fancy we shall go up again very shortly. We have had several new 80’s join and have done away with one company so have only 3 now.

I went up yesterday morning to old fire trenches of the 2^nd Division with etc, and we got shelled the whole time with  Jack J etc but fortunately had no one hit, one landed within 5 yards of me, but didn’t take a hit. Anywhere within a mile of the firing line is to be avoided these days.

(Final page missing)

27/5/15

By the way- the C.O. has
asked me to tell you that
your Mess Bill is Fr 11.50
(say 9/-) Could you send P.O.
Sorry to trouble you but C.O. &c.

My dear Berryman

I was pleased to get your letter of the 23^rd & glad to hear you are making satisfactory progress. I thought I told you in my previous letter what happened after you left. The attack failed & we lost roughly 7 killed, 46 missing & 103 wounded. Rogers was wounded in the attack just 15 yards from our trenches, no other B.O. was hit. Rogers I believe has a painful wound in the ankle but I think is getting along nicely. He is now at No 1 London General Hospital, St Gabriel’s College, Camberwell, London.

The regiment went back again to the trenches last night. Etherton is sick away with measles & Fox is doing Adjutant. They apparently had a narrow escape yesterday as a “Jack Johnson” fell just by the side of their (C.O. & Fox) dugout & took away a part of the side. Burton has been temporarily transferred to assist the 154^th Highland Brigade of the Highland Division. As you may guess we are short of B.Os & the battalion is divided up now into three double Cos. Your kit & rucksack are being sent off immediately to Messrs Cox & Coy with instructions to reforward to your home address. I am having the rucksack put in your valise for safety’s sake, as en route I believe there are some people who have light consciences &c., shall be glad to hear from you as soon as received.

I have no other news – am just going off to the trenches with the rations – everything seems so changed now, so few of the B.O’s left. Blair has come back to take charge of a double Coy.

Must really hurry now- excuse scrawl in haste. Look after yourself & stay away as long as you can & keep fit.

Best regards   cheer oh!

Yours ever

J.M. Shaw.

I am amused by how modern J.M.Shaw sounds when he says “Sorry to bother you, but C.O. etc”. Because time-shift. 

&c is etc
Fr are Francs.
P.O. is a Postal Order.
B.O. is a British Officer.

BRYN,
DIGSWELL,
Welwyn,
Herts.

May 24/15.

Dear Mrs Berryman,

I am sure I saw you on Thursday at the meeting at the L.O.F. but when I tried to find you at the end you must have gone! I was so sorry and I wanted to ask after Ted.

We were so sorry to see his name in the Casualty list. I do hope his wound is slight and will cause you no anxiety, but give you the pleasure of having him home.

I suppose everyone at Guildford is nursing. I have not had any opportunity to do so yet but am to start a month’s training in June which I am much looking forward to. David seems very contained at the front and says trench life suits him down to the ground, bar the noise.

Tony is in the 3^rd Army so won’t go out for a bit. He turned up today on a motor bike to our surprise and delight, as we have hardly seen him since he joined. Please give my love to Ben and the others. Mother sends her kindest regards

Yours very sincerely

Gwynedd.M.Russell.

26, PARK STREET,
WINDSOR.

Whit Sunday

Dear Gertrude.

I fear very much it is your dear boy who is reported as wounded. I am grieved to think of your anxiety, but I trust his injury is slight & that he will soon recover from it- & perhaps you will have him at home soon.

We have seen a good deal of young Mr Fisher lately- he has been billeted with a friend of ours, he often spoke of you. I think you must know his people- he has left now for Cambridge.

I have many friends & relations out, & I hear 4 of your boys – are fighting for us – how much you have to think of. We have left this house to Capt Enscombe who is now in command of the anti-aircraft to defend the Castle, he has a very unrestful time during the visits of the King & is called up day & night with warning messages.

Our cottage at Wareham has been let out all winter to a soldier. With our love to you

Believe me

Yr affecte Aunt

Frances Palmer

SUIRVALE,
CAHIR,
CO. TIPPERARY.

May 23^rd 1915

My dear Gertrude

I saw amongst the list of wounded the other day the name of Capt E.R.P. Berryman of the Garhwal Rifles. I fear this must be your son Ted.

I hope you can find time to send me a few lines to tell me about it & how he is – is he able to come home? Also please tell me about the others. Paul & Christopher & the girls. Has Richard come home from India? I fear I have been a very bad correspondent but believe me I do not forget you all.

I hope this terrible war will not last much longer but I fear there is little sign of daylight as yet.

Hoping to hear good accounts from you

Yr affect^e Cousin

George Palmer.

Elmer House, West Street
Farnham

23^rd May

Dear Mrs Berryman,

I see your son has been wounded & if it would not give you too much trouble to send me a p.c. I should much like to know how he is. I do hope you are in no anxiety about him & that he is going on well. –

This war is terrible, still those at the Front seem always optimistic, my husband among them. He & Montagu are at Headquarters which is a great relief to me. I suppose your sons are scattered in all directions, I wonder where the naval one is?

It would be very nice if you could come over to luncheon one day, do if you can. My telephone no is 160 Farnham. My mother would like to see too.

Yours very sincerely

M.G.S. Stoppard

May 21^st 1915

22. Elphinstone Rd
Southsea

So sorry to see Ted’s name in the paper yesterday. Do hope the wounds are not serious.   Wasn’t it sad about poor Freddie Bond, he was such a dear boy. I am going back to Camberley on Sunday. Love to all.

L. Wooldridge.

BUDDS
WITTERSHAM
KENT.

21 May 15

Dear Gertrude.   We saw yesterday that Ted had been wounded, but Bens tells me it is not serious. I am so thankful, how glad you must be to have him at home. Isn’t it a dreadful time? Unspeakable I think.

Morton has been out since the beginning of Oct. he is in the A.S.C. Motor transport, attached to the Indian Contingent – He was ill in Feb. & had a fortnight’s leave, but I don’t suppose he will be able to get any more for a long time. He got influenza & a very bad throat. Everyone in the world will be out there soon.

We have lots of wounded in all the Red X hospitals round us- & they may take our school later on. Esmée is quite ready to be a ward maid or do anything, but we have not had a hospital in the village. I would much rather have a government one. Red X is wonderfully muddled as a rule, & such squabbles!

I have spent my life knitting, & am still at it, for the French wounded now.

Much love dear Gertrude

Ever yr affect

Ethel Ford