OSE WWI Transcriptions from the Archives

09: R. J. Cholmley - 3 rd Southern General Hospital, Somerville College, Oxford – 21 May c.1915-1916 My dear Sing, The Dirty dog of Bosche blew up a mine on my trench on May 2 and in the argument that followed I got in the way of a rifle grenade and collected half a dozen wounds – none serious and all healing quickly now except one that caught me first under the ear and is giving some trouble. I’m afraid I shall be out of the hunt for a couple of months or so, but it ought not to be longer than that with any luck. We were on the now famous Vimy Ridge when this happened – an unpleasant bit of the line where the Bosche amused himself by springing 5 mines in six days, and spent the rest of the time amusing us not a little with heavy minenwerfers and other disagreeable stuff- : we shall have to oust him completely from the ridge before it’s at all healthy, and a good beginning seems to have been made by our brigade (to which that Batt. of the Lanc Inf[antry]. And L North Lancs who retook the craters the other day belong). I haven’t heard what part the Cheshires played in that – it’s very sickening to be put out of it just when a good honest attack begins. I was sent over from France on May 11 (from Havre) here at my own request, so as to be near the wife, and old Oxford friends. Let me hear from you when you’ve time. Yours sincerely, R. J. Cholmley

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