Irish Voices from the First World War A blog based on PRONI sources Monitoring the pace, accuracy and effect of bombardment and the ebb and flow of infantry attack was indispensable to trench warfare, D1981/1 July to September 1917 British Army commanders were convinced that the Western German army would have been close to defeat by later 1917, had not the Russian front begun to crumble in September, as revolutionary insurgents, crucially assisted by the German state, took over the Russian administration in a vast upheaval. Following the misery of Passchendaele where teeming rain created perhaps one of the bleakest landscapes of battle in the war, the British Army revived in confidence by virtue of promising success in the mass use of tanks during the first days of Cambrai. In spite of formal adherence to international rules of combat, how prisoners were treated, by all sides, depended greatly on the state of mind of attacking troops hour by hour, D1981/1 Document 1: Journal entries of Captain Godfrey John Mulholland (4th son of Henry, 2nd Baron Dunleath, Ballwalter Park), Horse Transport, Army Service Corps, June 1917. The A.S.C. was responsible for supply of food, equipment and ammunition to forces on front line. Mulholland proud of equestrian assignment and skills [D4179/9/2/] 4th June – Went on Leave 14th June – Went to very good Corps Horse Show near Mardeuil in which we won 1st prize for best stripped H.D. horse. Went to still better Army Horse Show at Camblain l’Abbé, excellent jumping and turns out. A Portuguese officer won the jumping. Arthur Anderson came & saw me. July – Corps Commander came & inspected us & was very pleased with everything. It has been decided that A.S.C. officers under 30 are to be attached to Infantry keeping their rank & pay. As I do not want to have to march on foot with a pack on my back, I have resubmitted my previous application to transfer to the Royal Field Artillery. It has been recommended by the Divisional General. Went up with King to a good observation point & got a splendid view of Oppy & Douai. 14TH July – rode up with 1st Line Transport of Nelson battalion with rations. Rained very heavily. I left here 9pm & got back 2.30 am soaked through & covered with mud. The trenches were over one’s boots in water. We went as far as Battalion Headquarters about 300 yards from Front Line just in front of Oppy. Not very much shelling. It was pitch dark & very slippery. We trotted nearly whole way back, an exciting game as shell holes were strewn all over the track. It was rather like scenic railway at Earls Court as you could not see your horse’s head & you suddenly found yourself going down into a shell hole & then going up a steep hill & then down again. None of the horses fell. It was very interesting & I was very glad to experience it under the worst conditions. The front line was a very pretty sight like a big firework display though the machine gun & whistling of the shells over our head & the stretcher etc made things very real. 17th July - Motored round with Smyth to try & find Arthur Farnham, but could not find him anywhere. 22nd July – My application for transfer to Royal Field Artillery refused by G.H.Q. on grounds that A.S.C. (Army Service Corps) officers are only eligible for transfer to Infantry or Flying Corps. I am disappointed. Rode with C.O. to Souchez, then climbed on to Vimy Ridge & had a good view of Lens, Lieven, Avion & Vimy. A good deal of shelling but none near us. 25th July – Put in application for transfer to Machine Gun Corps, Heavy Branch. 5th August – Attended Parade Service of 1st Army at Ranchicourt about 5000 on parade, very fine service. 8th August – Went to very good performance by the 12th Division at the Theatre Arras, a sort of musical comedy. Quite as good as a lot of shows in London. 10th August – Baddish pain in my back. 11th August – Stayed in bed all day, took castor oil. I think the pain is muscular. 12th August – got up, but pain is still there. 23rd August – Wrote to Tom Vesey re transferring to Irish Guards. There is just a possibility of my being recommended to go through a course with a view to become a Staff Officer. 23rd August – Have been playing polo about twice a week & enjoy it very much. Heard from Tom Vesey’s brother who says they will take me in the Irish Guards which is good news. 25th August – Left our camp near Arras & moved to Savy. I rode across country the whole way in 2 hours about 12 miles, very pleasant ride. Horrible being in billets after 5 months in camp. 26th August – Rode to Aubigny & got my hair cut. 27th August – Rode to Rocourt & back to see 2 Company. 2nd Sept – Motred to Wormhoudt, rest of Division entrained. Fairly busy day looking for refilling points etc. 3rd Sept – Tried to meet Companies detraining, got to bed 1 am 4th Sept – Got up 5 am & went round companies. Motored round Briefen, Poperinghe etc, looking for Refilling Points. Shells dropped quite near enough. One divisional train lost 90 horses from shell fire, 50 killed chiefly by bombs. Document 2: Lt-Colonel Robert David (Bob) Perceval-Maxwell (Finnebrogue, Downpatrick), Battalion Commander, 13th Royal Irish Rifles, to his wife, Edith, 11th July 1917 Bob Perceval-Maxwell worries about parading Orangemen and the threat of Sinn Fein back home while he looks forward to taking the 12th holiday in Flanders [D1556/27/1/8] – I have not much news or time but must send you a line. We began the morning at 6.30 breakfast at 5.45 and + were hard at work till 12. Then lunch. Then a bayonette fighting man & for me a week’s programme of work & musketry to make out. A lot of official correspondence & tonight I am going to dine with the Brigadier. The day was lovely & this is a very healthy upland sort of country exactly like the Sussex Downs & just the same chalk soil. What luck we had to be together all that time. My darling I am so glad you are in Ireland. London seems to be having a bad time. No letters for me for two or three days now but I expect the G.P.O being bombed has upset the post. Also I hear that submarines have been about Ireland. One of my own boys just returned from leave says he was hung up at Kingstown but as far as I can make out the submarine was at or near Queenstown, however, returning from leave, that is near enough. I wonder what will happen at the Conference. I don’t suppose anything except perhaps widening the split between everyone. Still of course one never can tell & perhaps the very violence of the Sinn Fein may drive less violent people to our side. Just heard from Dick a very vague letter but he seems to be going about 12 miles from here only his map references don’t agree with any map I can find. I am trying to borrow a motor to run over & see him tomorrow as it is a holiday being the 12th, but I don’t know if I shall succeed. If not I shall try to get leave on Sunday but we are training every day now, milady most of Sunday so it is hard to get away. My darling I shall be thinking of you & the Orangemen on tomorrow. I hope everything will be all right & that they won’t bother you. I wouldn’t bother them about paying for the fencing. They won’t do much harm & it is a small matter. Love to Jack, David and all & heaps for yourself. Forgive blots my pen wants nurses careful hand. I hope she is better Document 3: Correspondence between Major-General Oliver Nugent, commander 36th (Ulster) Division, and wife, Kitty, July 1917 Nugent emotionally overwhelmed by courage and perseverance of Ulster Division on the field at Messines. Relieved to get chance of leave and rest and London holiday with his wife and children. Decorated with battle-honours. His mind flits between trenches and family [D3835/E/2/13/21] 3rd July 1917 While I think of it please send me my waterproof by post. I left it in the hall in the hotel and forgot to see it put into the taxi. We had an uneventful journey. I travelled over on the bridge of the ship as I was in command on board. The Channel was very full of ships. We did not get to Boulogne till 9.30 p.m. so had some dinner at the buffet there. I found Lindsey Fitzpatrick and Mrs Fitzpatrick and the Duchess of Westminster at the next table. Mrs Fitzpatrick was Mrs Malone, an aunt, I believe of Madge Fowler. I told her of our hammering on M. Fowler’s door and she and John only came home on Saturday so I suspect he and M. had gone off somewhere. I am to meet a certain illustrious personage tomorrow in the Morning and again in the afternoon when I shall receive my CB. I shall send it to you to keep. I couldn’t keep it here. Did you go back to the bazaar and I hope you enjoyed it. Did Lady N. turn up? We are out of the trenches now and I hope we shan’t be back there for at least a month.