Raymond; or, Life and Death - Sir Oliver Lodge

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present, I hope it may not be long.

      "Great happenings are expected here shortly and we are going to have a share. We are resting at present and have been out a few days now. We had only two periods of three days each in the trenches last time in. …

      "Our last two days in the trenches were appallingly wet. My conduct would have given me double pneumonia at home. My rain-coat was soaked, so I had to sleep in shirt sleeves under my tunic, and the knees of my breeches were wet.

      "The next day the rain was incessant, and presently I found the floor of my dug-out was swimming—the water having welled up through the ground below and the sandbags.

      "I didn't have to sleep on it luckily, because we were relieved that night. But before we went I had to turn out with fifty men and work till midnight in water up to one foot deep. So at 8.30 p.m. I got my boots full of cold water and sat out in them till 12, then marched some eight miles. After nine hours' rest and some breakfast we came here, another three or four. It was nice to get a dry pair of boots and our valises and a tent.

      "That night I rode into Poperinghe with Captain Taylor, and we had a really good dinner there—great fun.

      "We have a full set of parades here unfortunately, otherwise things are all right. …

      "Alec has very kindly had a 'Molesworth' sent me. Most useful.

      "I would like a motor paper now and then, I think! The Motor for preference—or The Autocar. Aren't I young?

      "Captain Taylor has sprained his ankle by falling from his horse one night, and has gone to a rest home near. So I am commanding C Company at the moment. Hope not for long. Too responsible at the present time of crisis.

      "9 September, 3.30 p.m.

      "Must just finish this off for post.

      "We have just had an inspection by the Army Corps Commander, Lieut.-General Plumer [Sir Herbert].

      "I am still in command of C Company, and had to call them to attention and go round with the General, followed by a whole string of minor generals, colonels, etc. He asked me a good many questions:—

      "First.—How long had I had the Company? Then, how long had I been out? I said since March. He then asked if I had been sick or wounded even, and I said no!

      "Then he said, 'Good lad for sticking it!' at least I thought he was going to.

      "We are kept very busy nowadays. I must try and write a proper letter soon. I do apologise.

      "A box of cigarettes has arrived from, I suppose, Alec. Virginias, I mean, and heaps of them.

      "We have just got another tent—we have been so short and have been sleeping five in. Now we shall be two in each. The new one is a lovely dove-grey—like a thundercloud. After the war I shall buy one.

      "I shall be quite insufferable, I know; I shall want everything done for me on the word of command. Never mind—roll on the end of the war!

      "Cheer-ho, lovely weather, great spirits! Aeroplane [English] came down in our field yesterday slightly on fire. All right though.—Good-bye, much love,

      "Raymond [Maurice]."

      "Sunday, 12 September 1915, 2 p.m.

      "You will understand that I still have the Company to look after, and we are going into the front-line trenches this evening at 5 p.m. for an ordinary tour of duty. We are going up in motor buses! …

      "Capt. T. thinks he will be away a month!"

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      "17 September 1915

      "Deeply regret to inform you that Second Lieut. R. Lodge, Second South Lancs, was wounded 14 Sept. and has since died. Lord Kitchener expresses his sympathy."

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       21 September 1915

      "The King and Queen deeply regret the loss you and the army have sustained by the death of your son in the service of his country. Their Majesties truly sympathise with you in your sorrow."

      Footnotes

      [3] See Note by O. J. L. at the end of this letter.

      [4] This must have been part of my book "The War and After."—O. J. L.

      

      CHAPTER III

       LETTERS FROM OFFICERS

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      SOME letters from other officers gradually arrived, giving a few particulars. But it was an exceptionally strenuous period at the Ypres salient, and there was little time for writing. Moreover, some of his friends were killed either at the same time or soon afterwards.

      The fullest account that has reached us is in the following letter, which arrived eight months later:—

       To Sir Oliver Lodge

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      "7th Brigade Machine-Gun Company, B.E.F., 16 May 1916

      "Dear Sir Oliver Lodge—When I was lately on leave, a brother of mine, who had met one of your relatives, encouraged me to write and tell you what I knew of your son Raymond. I was in the South Lancashire Regiment when he joined the Battalion out here last spring, and I think spent the first spell he had in the trenches in his company.

      "Afterwards I became Machine Gunner, and in the summer he became my assistant, and working in shifts we tided over some very trying times indeed. In particular during August at St. Eloi. To me at any rate it was most pleasant being associated together, and I think he very much preferred work with the gunners to Company work. Being of a mechanical turn of mind, he was always devising some new 'gadget' for use with the gun—for instance, a mounting for firing at aeroplanes, and a device for automatic traversing; and those of my men who knew him still quote him as their authority when laying down the law and arguing about machine gunning.

      "I wish we had more like him, and the endless possibilities of the Maxim would be more quickly brought to light.

      "I am always glad to think that it was not in any way under my responsibility that he was killed.

      "During September times grew worse and worse up in the Ypres salient, culminating in the attack we made on the 25th, auxiliary to the Loos battle. The trenches were ruins, there was endless work building them up at night, generally to be wrecked again the next day. The place was the target for every gun for miles on either side of the salient.

      "Every day our guns gave the enemy a severe bombardment, in preparation

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