EXTRACT FROM LT.G.P.HEINEKEY’S LETTER.

3rd London General Hospital, Ward “G”, Wandsworth, S.W.,18., Sept. 10, 1917.

“To start with I’ll go back a little — I was in command of “D” Company, and had been for some time, and the Battalion was in the front line for four days prior to the advance, which was at first going to take place in April 8th (Easter Sunday) but was postponed for 24 hours, making zero 5.30 a.m. Monday morning about a quarter to three I started to assemble my Company for readiness to occupy the “Jumping-off” trench. I sent my runners with a despatch to Battalion Headquarters at 4.55, stating that “D” Company was all O.K. in the latter trench. At 5.30 a.m. to the second our artillery opened up, the Huns retaliating within half a minute (as they were more or less expecting us). The noise from the guns was so loud that you could not hear yourself speaking and therefore co-mands were out of the question. We advanced along in four waves, over the old trenches, broken ground and large mine craters, the Huns showing very little desire to stick to their posts and fight. It was within the first three or four hundred yards that we had most of our casualties. “B.Company took the first objective (the Hun’s first line system) the remaining companies passing through them. “C” Company took the second objective (the Hun’s strong support trench) and “D” Coy passing through them, took the third objective (the Hun’s resisting trench and fort, La Jolie Farm.) “A” Company passed through

BC Archives, MS-1901, Box 1, File 6, RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873–1964. Victoria; librarian. Selected letter from Lieutenant Gordon Patrick Helmskey, 1917.