Letters of Julian Grenfell, November 1914

Hertfordshire Archives and Local History

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2 November 1914  

Darling Mother & Dad  

Here we are, in the burning centre of it; and I would not be anywhere else for a million pounds and the Queen of Sheeba included.  The only thing is that there’s no job for cavalry. So we are just become infantry, and man the trenches.  I believe we’re getting entrenching tools, which is good hearing, we want them.  Col Burn is taking this, so I’ve only time to write one word of love.
He’s off.
He tells me I was reported dead, 
But there’s life in the old dog yet.
Bless you both  Julian
Things arriving splendidly from you.  Are you both well,  Thank you for your letters today.
Arrived today    Tobacco, socks, woolen band  

3 November 1914  

Darling Mother  

I sent you a scrap of a letter yesterday by Col Burn.  Wasn’t it sad about his son – his first days soldiering!  My things are arriving splendidly.  Yesterday came (in addition to what I’ve already acknowledged)  
Holdall (capital)
Lamp refills
Pipe lighter (beauty)
Tobacco
Woolen belt
Socks
Methylated spirit (thank God)
Daily Mail 

What I want most now is  
Sleeping cap (Hawa’s earhole pattern)
Handkerchiefs (1 a week)
Brandy – a bottle would be ripping now & then
Writing papers & envelopes
A few hard pencils
Methylated Spirit once a week  

I asked you to stop the tins of café au lait.  But please send them.  They have been very useful just lately.  Two a week.  They are good, and such a fall-back when one sleeps away from the wagons.  Stop sending pipe tobacco.  I’ve got plenty.

And I am now the most completely outfitted soldier of the Expeditionary Force.  I have everything I want.  You have been too wonderful at sending the right things.

No matter about putties.  The sleeping bag as per picture is just what I wanted.  It hasn’t arrived yet.  Nor has the map-case.

     …..I have not washed for a week, or had my boots off for a fortnight.  But we cook good hot food in the dark in the morning before we start, and in the night when we get back to the horses, and we take our good cold rations with us in the daytime.  It is all the best of fun;  I’ve never felt so well or happy, or enjoyed anything so much.  It just suits my stolid health and stolid nerves and barbaric disposition.  The fighting excitement vitalises everything – every sight and word and action.  One loves one’s fellow man so much more when one is bent on killing him.  And picknicking in the open day and night (we never see a roof now) is the only real method of existence.  

13 November 1914  

…..The next day just before dawn I crawled out there again, and found it empty again.  Then a single German came through the wood towards the trench.  I saw him 50 yds off.  We was come along upright quite carelessly, making a great noise.  I heard him before I saw him.  I let him get within 25 yds, and shot him in the heart.  He never made a sound. Nothing for 10 minutes; then there was noise and talking, and a lot of them came along through the wood behind the trench, about 40 yds from me.  I counted about 20, and there were more coming.  They halted in front, and I picked out the one I thought was the officer or sergeant.  He stood facing the other way, and I had a steady shot at him behind the shoulders.  He went down, and that was all I saw – I went back at a sort of galloping crawl to our lines, and sent a message to the 10th that the Germans were moving up their way in some numbers.  Half an hour afterwards they attacked the 10th and our right in massed formation, advancing slowly to within 10 yds of the trenches.  We simply mowed them down; it was rather horrible.  I was too far to the left – they did not attack our part of the line; but the 10th told me in the evening.  They counted 200 dead in a little bit of the line.  The 10th and us only lost 10!!.  They have made quite a ridiculous fuss about my stalking, and getting the message through;  I believe they are going to send me up to our general and all sorts.  It was only up to someone to do it – instead of leaving it all to the Germans, and losing 2 officers a day through snipers.  All our men have started it now.  It’s the popular amusement.  

…..Mummy darling, don’t publish my letters; because I think that things which one can write in a letter look somehow vainglorious and swaggery when they are in print.   …..Goodbye and bless you J