The Boar's Head - Part V.

The Eastbourne Gazette on the 2nd August also carried this story from Private Hart:-

Southdowns Capture Prisoners

Private T Hart, Royal Sussex Regiment, writing to his mother, Mrs Turner, 1 Salehurst Road, Old Town, Eastbourne describes the operation on June 30 as being “like hell”.

He says, “The bombardment was enough to drive us off our heads, but we took three lines of trenches and faced the shells as coolly as anything. I had the bottom of my rifle blown off, but I didn’t get a scratch myself. We were up to necks in mud. We gave them (the Germans) a few pills to go on with. We took several prisoners and all they could say was ‘Mercy, kamarade.’ Our colonel said we stuck it grandly. I think we have got them done for this time. I saw I lot of my chums fall by my side, but I was one of the lucky ones. It is your prayers that have saved my life mum,” concluded the writer, “and I thank God for it.”