Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 29 September, 1915 Letters 1916-1923 William Alexander Montgomery

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Letter from William Montgomery (d. 1932) to his father, Harford Hugh (1866-1933). William writes of his postal arrangements. He explains that communication is becoming more difficult due to the problems with espionage behind the lines. To illustrate this he describes a meeting he attended concerning the Battle of Loos (September 1915) and an information leak which resulted in 'the Huns' (Germans) knowing all the details and logistics of attack. William goes on to describe his living conditions in the trenches, including details of the difficulties they are experiencing with supplies as the men are forbidden to buy locally because it upsets the supply chain for civilians. When writing this letter William expresses respect for 'the Boches' (Germans) on a number of occasions. This extends to his description of the techniques employed by German snipers. Montgomery also describes an incident of a night-time collision between both sides between lines.The Montgomery family lived in Malone Park, one of the wealthiest suburbs in Belfast. This letter is part of a large collection that their son, William Alexander, a Captain with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, wrote to his parents, Harford Hugh and Sarah Montgomery, throughout the war. Captain Montgomery was a decorated soldier. He was awarded both the Victoria and the 15 Star medals and was promoted to the rank of Major.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Papers of the Montgomery Family, D2794/1/1/6 https://letters1916.ie/item/690 English William Alexander Montgomery 1916-09-26 Harford Hugh Montgomery Monacherra, Malone Park,Belfast, Ireland Male World War I (1914-1918)

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 In the Field 29.12.15. My dear Father & Mother I have father's letter dated on last page with stamp 21st inst. There seems to be a fate about wires of a vital nature addressed to the office. I was very annoyed that Jock McConnell's wire got thro first. As the wire to you the wire to Lizzie Hanna and the wire Crozier sent. were all handed by me to an officer at the one time who handed them to a special Brigade office Despatch rider to take at top speed to an authorised Post office for civilian wires. A great deal of very necessary formality has to be gone thro' in order to get a wire away at all. This is because behind our front lines living in our midst are many I fear very many clever brave spies who undoubtedly manage in marvellous ways to communicate very quickly & very fully accurate information of almost everything that goes on. I was taken after dark last night to the — Army Headquarters in a motor bus to hear a lecture on the Battle of Loos. At that lecture which was given in the presence of several hundred officers all of ranks up of lieutenant or upwards (nearly all Captains at least) & included a very famous Army Commander, the statement was definitely made that altho' everything was kept absolutely secret right up to the last moment even from many of the high commanders when the attack was actually launched the Huns he knew the frontage, time, dispositions, and even the names of the regiments allotted to different sectors & their particular position in the assault. They of course were all ready in the place which we fondly believed were we would take with 'benefit of surprise. I could if I dare tell, you other things about the Battle of Loos which I don't think you have yet heard. I send you the enclosed note from my C.O. I was just about to destroy it when it occurred to me that you might like to have it. You always possessed a strong family sentiment which I often, I fear, ridiculed but really admired. It is a simple note put very nicely, but it is nevertheless an order to 'carry on' for another 48 hours with practically no sleep after I had just had a spell of what old W. J. Jefferson would call responsible work for a young fellow which lasted 65 hours, 6 of which I slept & then it was on no down bed. 3/9 x 1 1/2 planks propped up on biscuit tins of various heights a under leaky dug out roof. My pillow Maynard Sinclair's wet British Warm & my covering a wet shin coat & a much wetter Burberry. So much for my bed & I didenjoy it too. After I woke from my second spell Maynard Sinclair (poor wee devil) just sat & 'turned over' to me & put his head down among the debris of our mess table & in 10 seconds was sound asleep. He wakened, I remember, with the brand of a much advertised brand of cigarettes on his brow, caused by making a pillow of a tin of cigarettes He did look funny. He is just 19 father but the purest of pure gold. The business man who tells me a young fellow mustn't be trusted with responsibility in the future will be surprised at what I tell him. I have trusted this one to turn an Artillery against an enemy whose nearest trenches are 24 yards from ours and sleptthrough it. My servant & I are thoroughly enjoying ourselves with the Autostrap razor you were so thoughtful as to send me. I am getting quite good with it. I am very satisfied with it & don't want to change it I have had I think all mother's lovely parcels for which I am very grateful some which have been advised from other people as sent 14 days ago havent turned up yet. I just love to hear some of the Firms business 'shop' It is such a relief from ours. Please let me have letters about it just like your last. I thank you for your good wishes in the New year which I heartily reciprocate. I shall be in the trenches on new years eve & new year's days I was also in on Xmas day. In fact to make it worse we were relieved that day. This pen is the greatest possible luxury. I had a very nice letter from Horace from hospital in Rouen dated 26/12/15. It is written in ink in his own handwriting. It has been passed round his coy & and the officers so that they can see for themselves that Horace can see too. I almost stood myself a drink when I got it. I go very shy of drink. I never drink water of course without a little whisky or chloride of lime or petrol or all three in it. But beyond that no spirits not even a tot of rum. Then if I do happen to get really badly chilled and foundered I will get the benefit of it. But I really believe hot cocoa or tea is better & I drink oceans of both. I sent to the A&N Stores & got a pocket primus stove from them, which will help in the culinary department very considerably. The fuel question with us is very acute now. There is some hitch about the supply & in consequence our men are suffering damnably. We are now forbidden to buy locally as it upsets supplies available to civilians but — a lot of things happen in the Army You might tell Charlie McCann & Miss McDermott I haven't had their long looked for letters yet. One meets all sorts of people here continually for instance Bass Copper called in my mess today to see me but I was out & he didnt wait & he didnt even take the trouble to tell any of my officers where he was stationed. I also entertained Charlie McCanns pal Lindsay from lough Neagh & we were talking about Charlie &yacht boating in my dug out just before Lindsay went out to try some new telephone instrument by means of which it is possible to tap messages thro' their earths. He got his earthpin in within 2 yards of the Bosch Defence wire but couldn't catch any messages 'on earth'. The Hun is too intelligent to put his earth pin in within at least a hundred yards of his front line. All he got was a good wetting, his trousers practically torn off him and a real war with snipers all on his own. He wasnt hit coming back & when he got in to report return to me he was perfectly at ease & happy. The Hun has worked this earth trick on us more than once & got all the messages that passed for days. I have the greatest possible respect for them. I like them least when they are quietest. Two of our officers have been recommended for awards of honour — Stevenson and Gould — Jock Stevenson is well worth a D.S.O. & Gould a military cross. Both for patrol work. Stevenson carried in a wounded man under heavy fire a distance of 300 yards after his own revolver had died knocked out of his hand by a rifle bullet. The wounded man was hit again when Stevenson was carrying him & died a few hours after he got in. He couldn't have lived anyway as he had hideous abdominal injuries caused by a bomb explosion. There was 'some war' that night 'tween lines'. We don't know & I don't expect the Bosches know exactly what did happen, but it started by a strong patrol of ours colliding with a strong patrol of theirs in absolute darkness. They all opened fire on each other at once with bombs revolvers & rifles This was all quite plain & straight sailing but our people getting the worst of it were ordered to retire as we saw reinforcements arrive for the Bosch who were even then easily twice our strength. We retired but a new war started immediately & the last we saw of the performance was the two Bosch parties busy killing each other. They actually got hand to hand at the finish. They are reported to have done the thing thoroughly. I was listening to the performance comfortably on my front line firestep and they certainly took their time at it. I of course thought it was us & them otherwise I should have helped them to a speedy understanding by turning one of the two machine guns now at my own disposal on to them. A sudden burst of machine gun fire traversing along your fire parapet at night when your working parties are usually up on top is enough to make even the dead roots of my top hair tingle. It is a hideous sound. The Hun Gun is slower than our gun but 450 rounds per minute from nowhere arriving everywhere is quite fast enough to make one duck. Although what good ducking is when one hears the crack of the bullet I don't know. A man never hears the one that hits him. I heard the one that got Horace. I hear it yet. A damned horrible thing happened to the Batt. of regulars we relieved last time on the day we relieved. Their C.O. was going along the line he met a soldier in a narrow place. The soldier got up on the firestep to make way. He forgot the parapet was damaged at that point He lost the side of his head and, of course, his life. The C.O. was upset about it. Organisation of German snipers is marvellous. And the patience of the blighters is horrible. They wont fire for days just to encourage you & then when you have got lulled into a feeling of veryfalse security they play some most ingenious trick and get someone or perhaps more. It is known they have a sliding scale of Head money. It is said to be £2-10-0 (50 marks) for an officer. I wish I could make a prisoner of the one that got Horace. I should have him escorted to safety by men from D Coy. These of course sound awful things by a warm fine in a comfortable room, but father, men who have seen a loved officer shot before their eyes are never quite the same again. They are human beings & war — this war — does not elevate. It is too scientific. Discipline among our own troops is only maintained by awfully severe physical punishment and the infliction of pain. Thinking it over I don't believe I would hand him to D Coy. to escort. It is whispered that prisoners get shot after capture sometimes 'when endeavouring to escape' . I couldn't really permit coldblooded murder to be done knowingly. Some of it is horrible. I must close now with love to all. No press or public please. Your loving son. W. Montgomery William Alexander Montgomery Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 26 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 13 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 19 November, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 30 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 29 September, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 16 November, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 13 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 18 November, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 29 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 23 December, 1915 Monacherra, Malone Park,Belfast, Ireland Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 13 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 29 September, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 18 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 18 November, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to Sara Montgomery, 23 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 23 December, 1915