I am to meet with the document curator at 11:00 am on Friday, September 6th. It will be the morning after I give my speech to the London branch of the Western Front Association so between these two events I'll be a basket-case.
On Sept 6th, 1914 my grandfather recorded the following:
September 6th
We were advancing, occupied
a position east of [the town] of VOINSLES [so that we could] cover advance of
[the] 3rd and 5th Cavalry Brigades. [We] moved forward and occupied [ the] line
[between] Le PLESSIS, and ANDNOY.
I dismounted behind the house
and went inside, there I first saw house sacked by the Germans, [and]
everything was destroyed. Outside I saw one of the Coldstream guards, killed by
shrapnel, poor chap.
I thought then, I wondered
if this means the breaking of a woman’s heart, or had he little children. It
was my first close contact with a dead man, and it set me thinking. My thoughts
were all with my dear ones at home. I shall always remember that hour, my real
first initiation into the horrors of war. I cannot say I was afraid, it all
seemed so strange, but we were advancing that was our cry we’ve got’em on the
run, and we are going to have our own back. – bivouacked south of VOUDNOY.[i]
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