Harold Bowker
Jan 21, 2017 13:17:43 GMT
Post by shred on Jan 21, 2017 13:17:43 GMT
Harold Bowker
10/12/1915
ECCLES CRICKETER AND COUNTY FOOTBALLER'S EXPERIENCES
An interesting letter from a well known member of the Eccles Cricket Club, Private Harold Bowker, of the Duke of Lancaster Yeomanry, has been received by an Eccles friend. Bowker, who is also a Lancashire County Rugby Union player, has been with his regiment since the outbreak of the war and writes:- "We are in a little village just outside --------, and have been here for some time now. The squadron go in the trenches for about a week or ten days at a time, and by all accounts it's much safer there than it is outside, as we are often under shell-fire round about here, and they don't shell the trenches much, except, I suppose, on special occasions, and then the fellows are protected a little. They all say the same, that it's all right there. Not having been them(the first line I mean) I cannot say, but I can say that I have been i some hellish hot places out of them. You see I get about with the colonel a good deal, and he's one of the right sort, and we have got right in it a few times, twice within the last fortnight. We were out about five days ago, and he wanted to go to the trenches to see how our chaps were going on. As the crow flies, this cafe where we live is only 2 1/2 miles from the German trenches, so you can see that we are well up. However, our fellows were five or six miles away. Well, off we went, and got right amongst the reserve trenches, when the colonel told me to stop with the horses, and he would go on foot. Off he went, and had only been gone about half a hour when I found that I was right near one of our batteries. I only found it out when they began firing against the Germans they were so well hidden. All went well till the Germans began firing back, and I found that I was well in the soup. It's an awful sensation I can tell you to hear those shells whistling all about, and I say all about, because at least six places were dished in within 100 yards of where I stood, and shell after shell came over the barn against which I was standing with the horses. One hit a stable right opposite to me, and only the distance of the street away, and it blew a horse clean in two, and blew the stable up. I went and had a look at it, and paced it off, and it was 55 yards away from where I stood. It was quite near enough for me I can tell you. They sent about 50-100 shells altogether, but that was the nearest to me, and I don't think that they found the battery. When they hit the stable opposite, an officer told me I had better clear out, and get in a field close by, and I wasn't sorry, I can tell you. I am pleased to say that I am still jogging along, and quite safe and sound, and shall be looking forward to a game of football on Saturday. The trouble will be getting two teams, as up to the present we have only 20 men on each side. I expect by Saturday there will be about 50 a side. We shall have to have a number of games.
Harold later became a 2nd Lieutenant serving in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
10/12/1915
ECCLES CRICKETER AND COUNTY FOOTBALLER'S EXPERIENCES
An interesting letter from a well known member of the Eccles Cricket Club, Private Harold Bowker, of the Duke of Lancaster Yeomanry, has been received by an Eccles friend. Bowker, who is also a Lancashire County Rugby Union player, has been with his regiment since the outbreak of the war and writes:- "We are in a little village just outside --------, and have been here for some time now. The squadron go in the trenches for about a week or ten days at a time, and by all accounts it's much safer there than it is outside, as we are often under shell-fire round about here, and they don't shell the trenches much, except, I suppose, on special occasions, and then the fellows are protected a little. They all say the same, that it's all right there. Not having been them(the first line I mean) I cannot say, but I can say that I have been i some hellish hot places out of them. You see I get about with the colonel a good deal, and he's one of the right sort, and we have got right in it a few times, twice within the last fortnight. We were out about five days ago, and he wanted to go to the trenches to see how our chaps were going on. As the crow flies, this cafe where we live is only 2 1/2 miles from the German trenches, so you can see that we are well up. However, our fellows were five or six miles away. Well, off we went, and got right amongst the reserve trenches, when the colonel told me to stop with the horses, and he would go on foot. Off he went, and had only been gone about half a hour when I found that I was right near one of our batteries. I only found it out when they began firing against the Germans they were so well hidden. All went well till the Germans began firing back, and I found that I was well in the soup. It's an awful sensation I can tell you to hear those shells whistling all about, and I say all about, because at least six places were dished in within 100 yards of where I stood, and shell after shell came over the barn against which I was standing with the horses. One hit a stable right opposite to me, and only the distance of the street away, and it blew a horse clean in two, and blew the stable up. I went and had a look at it, and paced it off, and it was 55 yards away from where I stood. It was quite near enough for me I can tell you. They sent about 50-100 shells altogether, but that was the nearest to me, and I don't think that they found the battery. When they hit the stable opposite, an officer told me I had better clear out, and get in a field close by, and I wasn't sorry, I can tell you. I am pleased to say that I am still jogging along, and quite safe and sound, and shall be looking forward to a game of football on Saturday. The trouble will be getting two teams, as up to the present we have only 20 men on each side. I expect by Saturday there will be about 50 a side. We shall have to have a number of games.
Harold later became a 2nd Lieutenant serving in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.