Sunday 20th December 1914: Another Luton man's experience of the war is very different to that of young Private Allin from whom we heard yesterday. Mrs Cox of 66 Beech Road, Luton has received a letter from her husband George who is serving with A Company, 1st Norfolk Regiment.[1] He says:
“Just a few lines to let you know that I am still in the land of the living, but it is like being in the land of hell. We are never out of hearing of the enemy’s big guns, especially their Jack Johnsons.[2] We have had some trying times since we have been out here. In one place alone we were in the trenches for 32 days, which I should think was the longest that any regiment have held the trenches for a stretch without being relieved. During that time we had a great many casualties, for in a fortnight we lost 110 poor fellows. A great number of them were shot through the head whilst firing through port-holes. Whilst we were lying in that place my company was taken from the trenches at night time, as it is the uisual thing to take us away under cover of darkness for our 24 hours’ rest. The next morning my section was ordered to fall in to take up ammunition to the firing line. There were 13 of us, and we each had to carry 650. The distance was about 1,000 yards, and 300 of that was all open. Across that latter portion we had to run as hard as our legs could carry us, because we were under a very heavy fire from the enemy. Thank God, we all got across safely.”
“Then we had to come back again under the same heavy fire. I am sorry to say that the poor, unlucky thirteenth got wounded but I hope and trust that it did not turn out to be a serious wound. I must say that trench work is very nerve breaking, for at least the enemy shell our trenches with Jack Johnsons, which break our trenches down and bury some of our poor fellows alive. Only the other day a Jack Johnson fell in our trenches and completely buried a man. The very next blew him out again. We were all pleased to see the poor fellow alive again, but he looked such a wreck.”
Source: Luton News 24th December 1914
[1] This would appear to be Richard George Cox, who was living at 66 Beech Road in 1911 with his wife Bernice and two young children. He was killed on 22nd June 1915.
[2] “Jack Johnson” was a slang term used to describe the impact of a heavy German artillery shell, named after an American heavyweight boxing champion.
“Just a few lines to let you know that I am still in the land of the living, but it is like being in the land of hell. We are never out of hearing of the enemy’s big guns, especially their Jack Johnsons.[2] We have had some trying times since we have been out here. In one place alone we were in the trenches for 32 days, which I should think was the longest that any regiment have held the trenches for a stretch without being relieved. During that time we had a great many casualties, for in a fortnight we lost 110 poor fellows. A great number of them were shot through the head whilst firing through port-holes. Whilst we were lying in that place my company was taken from the trenches at night time, as it is the uisual thing to take us away under cover of darkness for our 24 hours’ rest. The next morning my section was ordered to fall in to take up ammunition to the firing line. There were 13 of us, and we each had to carry 650. The distance was about 1,000 yards, and 300 of that was all open. Across that latter portion we had to run as hard as our legs could carry us, because we were under a very heavy fire from the enemy. Thank God, we all got across safely.”
“Then we had to come back again under the same heavy fire. I am sorry to say that the poor, unlucky thirteenth got wounded but I hope and trust that it did not turn out to be a serious wound. I must say that trench work is very nerve breaking, for at least the enemy shell our trenches with Jack Johnsons, which break our trenches down and bury some of our poor fellows alive. Only the other day a Jack Johnson fell in our trenches and completely buried a man. The very next blew him out again. We were all pleased to see the poor fellow alive again, but he looked such a wreck.”
Source: Luton News 24th December 1914
[1] This would appear to be Richard George Cox, who was living at 66 Beech Road in 1911 with his wife Bernice and two young children. He was killed on 22nd June 1915.
[2] “Jack Johnson” was a slang term used to describe the impact of a heavy German artillery shell, named after an American heavyweight boxing champion.
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