WW1 Basil
1914 - aged 23 - Basil got a commission in The RA – The Royal Artillery 21st siege battery (the thirsty first) and was moved to the Western Front - to Ypres area of West Flanders in Belgium where he was involved in the carnage of 1916 and in the battle of Mount Sorrel and where he got an MC June 1916
He was in the Royal Artillery and was in a team that managed a huge gun 9.2 Howitzers.
Part of the team were observers/spotters who had to spot the target and the rest fired the big gun at the target the spotters guided them to. There could be several miles between one and the other.
Letter extracts 1915
Basil to Vincent
We seem to be in about the very quietest part of the line and so don’t do much shooting (which is a pity), as when we do shoot we invariably have a complimentary letter sent to us by some general or other.
Not many weeks ago we dropped 7 consecutive shells into 7 consecutive gun emplacements. Glad I was not in any of them.
As telephone and observation officer for the battery, I have most fun. I have observed our fire from the first line trenches several times. The first time I was only 150 yards away from the target and was very much more interested in where our own shells were going to fall, than in the movements of the ugly Hun.
A Canadian soldier, who was near me, gave me away by looking over the parapet every time our shell landed. The Huns saw him and sent three 5.9’s at us. The last missed is by 10 yards as we knelt on the bottom of the trench. As the earth sprayed on our abased forms I wondered to myself if the pieces of shell would be very heavy when they fell on us. My somewhat pessimistic forebodings were not fulfilled and none of us were hurt.
The Canadian major seemed to like it, and as a shell came towards us, he would dive to the bottom of the trench gaily singing “Get out and get under”. He rather annoyed me. My telephonists and I eventually left the trench intact – after one or two more excitements …..
We keep quite cosy as our guns are well hidden… These guns of ours are it out here, a regular court martial and several generals watching every time we fire!! Such is fame!
Basil to his mother
Dick and I have moved into a wooden hut in the battery, which we are gradually making cosy with mats, a fireplace and curtains. Have you a photo of the Gov and yourself I could hang up therein?
I have had a medium attack of gastritis which is still rather putting me off my job
I have spent today in a new observation post which we now occupy (with a Canadian sub. who is a great sport) It has a fire and is jolly comfy.
Can you send some records -we should love some including “He’ll never believe me from the musical “Tonight’s the night”
Basil setup a telephone system
An extract from a letter by Dr Ferranti to Vincent
“With regard to Basil, it looks as though he was getting busier.
In his last letter he said that they were doing some very good shooting. When last observing in the trenches some HE shells fell within 50 to 70 yards of him and he was hit on the foot by a small piece, but was not damaged!
He has ordinarily to do alternative 24 hours with the guns and at the observation dug out, some miles from the guns.
His latest scheme is to have music at the dugout by telephone, Garry working the gramophone at the guns and sending up the music by wire. Basil has some 15 miles of telephone wire out now, and lately, owing to the wires being cut by shell fire, he is burying the wires deeper down to protect them.
I have just made him a 16 inch telephone switchboard to connect up his various lines and to make a proper telephone exchange system. He had not received it when I last wrote
Ps I wish you were here to help me with shells and the other work that is required for the war.
1916 July he was seriously wounded and sent home for treatment
1916 July he was sent back to the front
Wounded and died
1917 24 June he was wounded in the build up to the battle of Messines just a little south of Ypres in Flanders
He was asleep in a canvas hut when - before anyone was awake - a shell fell on it, killing his fellow officers and seriously
wounding his foot.
He was removed to a causality clearing station
He was later taken to the military hospital at Wimereux near Boulogne
On the way there his condition deteriorated. His leg had to be amputated – but too late.
What actually killed him was a minor injury to a toe where gas gangrene then set in.
Gas gangrene (type of Clostridium bacteria which even with antibiotics needs amputation)
1917 6th July - From his last letter home
“I am getting well. I had an operation the other day which should hurry things along now. This is a splendid hospital and everyone is very kind. Have had the gramophone today as a treat”
1917 12 July He died approximately 3 weeks after he was injured
Basil’s Will
Written 2 years before his death at age 23 - with a covering letter to his parents
He asked that any money he may have and a certain picture - be given to Betty – Nellie Taylor - a well-known actress.
The letter explained the situation to his parents
“This will give you rather a shock, and I am afraid hurt you rather.
We met her (Dick and I) at Bristol. We went to see the play - Betty - and she was acting the principal part. Dick and I went 3 times that week in May. She was perfectly sweet, acted rippingly and sang most beautifully and we longed to know her. So on the second night we screwed up our courage and sent her our note, but she said she couldn’t see us. When she left Bristol, we wanted to see her so much that we wrote to her at Daly’s Theatre. We asked her not to be offended with us, and also to write to us and send her photo. I think the cheek of it amused her and she answered. Then we telephoned her in London and that started it. We got up to town one weekend and took her out for a motor run in the country. To our joy she was ever so much nicer off the stage than on. …
To cut a long story short we have seen her on many odd occasions since, - we’ve got to know her very well.
Now I want you to understand this absolutely clearly. We have always treated her as gentlemen should. You brought me up to lead a clean life and I have (so has Dick). She is absolutely straight I know. I think she is fond of us in quite a different way to others men. Of course she has lots of men friends. I don’t blame her, I’m glad: besides all actresses have, it’s their business
We have between us, given her a wrist watch and a brooch. She didn’t at all want us to, so don’t think she asked for presents. She never has even hinted at that sort of thing. Well we’ve had the time of our lives with Betty, I saw her and said goodbye in town on my way down yesterday. She was awfully sad at our going and kissed us goodbye
Now dears, see all this as I do; it’s been so splendid having Betty to go out with. I would have told you long ago only you are such dear old fashioned things you would have died of fear of my marrying Betty.
I hope she will understand the money. I am afraid she is rather poor and it might give her some pleasure, frocks and things. Dick is leaving her some too…
If she is near Baslow see her act and speak to her for my sake, dears
Well know, that’s all, except yourselves. You know what I feel about you. I couldn’t have been more fond of you and the family. If everyone brought their sons up as you have done there would be no excuse for so many bad ‘uns.
Please do as I ask about the money. There won’t be enough to be of any use to you (£130) and it might someday make all the difference to her.
He also left her a picture of a man and a girl going up to heaven on wings (with a very blue sky as background
The Actress
Betty whose real name was Nellie Taylor was born 1894.
She had a successful acting career
Having always suffered terribly from nervousness in
1922 she retired at the height of her career to own and work in a flower shop
1923 she married Captain Herbert Buckmaster the founder of the Bucks Club
She died in 1932 age 38 after a 3 week illness
1914 - aged 23 - Basil got a commission in The RA – The Royal Artillery 21st siege battery (the thirsty first) and was moved to the Western Front - to Ypres area of West Flanders in Belgium where he was involved in the carnage of 1916 and in the battle of Mount Sorrel and where he got an MC June 1916
He was in the Royal Artillery and was in a team that managed a huge gun 9.2 Howitzers.
Part of the team were observers/spotters who had to spot the target and the rest fired the big gun at the target the spotters guided them to. There could be several miles between one and the other.
Letter extracts 1915
Basil to Vincent
We seem to be in about the very quietest part of the line and so don’t do much shooting (which is a pity), as when we do shoot we invariably have a complimentary letter sent to us by some general or other.
Not many weeks ago we dropped 7 consecutive shells into 7 consecutive gun emplacements. Glad I was not in any of them.
As telephone and observation officer for the battery, I have most fun. I have observed our fire from the first line trenches several times. The first time I was only 150 yards away from the target and was very much more interested in where our own shells were going to fall, than in the movements of the ugly Hun.
A Canadian soldier, who was near me, gave me away by looking over the parapet every time our shell landed. The Huns saw him and sent three 5.9’s at us. The last missed is by 10 yards as we knelt on the bottom of the trench. As the earth sprayed on our abased forms I wondered to myself if the pieces of shell would be very heavy when they fell on us. My somewhat pessimistic forebodings were not fulfilled and none of us were hurt.
The Canadian major seemed to like it, and as a shell came towards us, he would dive to the bottom of the trench gaily singing “Get out and get under”. He rather annoyed me. My telephonists and I eventually left the trench intact – after one or two more excitements …..
We keep quite cosy as our guns are well hidden… These guns of ours are it out here, a regular court martial and several generals watching every time we fire!! Such is fame!
Basil to his mother
Dick and I have moved into a wooden hut in the battery, which we are gradually making cosy with mats, a fireplace and curtains. Have you a photo of the Gov and yourself I could hang up therein?
I have had a medium attack of gastritis which is still rather putting me off my job
I have spent today in a new observation post which we now occupy (with a Canadian sub. who is a great sport) It has a fire and is jolly comfy.
Can you send some records -we should love some including “He’ll never believe me from the musical “Tonight’s the night”
Basil setup a telephone system
An extract from a letter by Dr Ferranti to Vincent
“With regard to Basil, it looks as though he was getting busier.
In his last letter he said that they were doing some very good shooting. When last observing in the trenches some HE shells fell within 50 to 70 yards of him and he was hit on the foot by a small piece, but was not damaged!
He has ordinarily to do alternative 24 hours with the guns and at the observation dug out, some miles from the guns.
His latest scheme is to have music at the dugout by telephone, Garry working the gramophone at the guns and sending up the music by wire. Basil has some 15 miles of telephone wire out now, and lately, owing to the wires being cut by shell fire, he is burying the wires deeper down to protect them.
I have just made him a 16 inch telephone switchboard to connect up his various lines and to make a proper telephone exchange system. He had not received it when I last wrote
Ps I wish you were here to help me with shells and the other work that is required for the war.
1916 July he was seriously wounded and sent home for treatment
1916 July he was sent back to the front
Wounded and died
1917 24 June he was wounded in the build up to the battle of Messines just a little south of Ypres in Flanders
He was asleep in a canvas hut when - before anyone was awake - a shell fell on it, killing his fellow officers and seriously
wounding his foot.
He was removed to a causality clearing station
He was later taken to the military hospital at Wimereux near Boulogne
On the way there his condition deteriorated. His leg had to be amputated – but too late.
What actually killed him was a minor injury to a toe where gas gangrene then set in.
Gas gangrene (type of Clostridium bacteria which even with antibiotics needs amputation)
1917 6th July - From his last letter home
“I am getting well. I had an operation the other day which should hurry things along now. This is a splendid hospital and everyone is very kind. Have had the gramophone today as a treat”
1917 12 July He died approximately 3 weeks after he was injured
Basil’s Will
Written 2 years before his death at age 23 - with a covering letter to his parents
He asked that any money he may have and a certain picture - be given to Betty – Nellie Taylor - a well-known actress.
The letter explained the situation to his parents
“This will give you rather a shock, and I am afraid hurt you rather.
We met her (Dick and I) at Bristol. We went to see the play - Betty - and she was acting the principal part. Dick and I went 3 times that week in May. She was perfectly sweet, acted rippingly and sang most beautifully and we longed to know her. So on the second night we screwed up our courage and sent her our note, but she said she couldn’t see us. When she left Bristol, we wanted to see her so much that we wrote to her at Daly’s Theatre. We asked her not to be offended with us, and also to write to us and send her photo. I think the cheek of it amused her and she answered. Then we telephoned her in London and that started it. We got up to town one weekend and took her out for a motor run in the country. To our joy she was ever so much nicer off the stage than on. …
To cut a long story short we have seen her on many odd occasions since, - we’ve got to know her very well.
Now I want you to understand this absolutely clearly. We have always treated her as gentlemen should. You brought me up to lead a clean life and I have (so has Dick). She is absolutely straight I know. I think she is fond of us in quite a different way to others men. Of course she has lots of men friends. I don’t blame her, I’m glad: besides all actresses have, it’s their business
We have between us, given her a wrist watch and a brooch. She didn’t at all want us to, so don’t think she asked for presents. She never has even hinted at that sort of thing. Well we’ve had the time of our lives with Betty, I saw her and said goodbye in town on my way down yesterday. She was awfully sad at our going and kissed us goodbye
Now dears, see all this as I do; it’s been so splendid having Betty to go out with. I would have told you long ago only you are such dear old fashioned things you would have died of fear of my marrying Betty.
I hope she will understand the money. I am afraid she is rather poor and it might give her some pleasure, frocks and things. Dick is leaving her some too…
If she is near Baslow see her act and speak to her for my sake, dears
Well know, that’s all, except yourselves. You know what I feel about you. I couldn’t have been more fond of you and the family. If everyone brought their sons up as you have done there would be no excuse for so many bad ‘uns.
Please do as I ask about the money. There won’t be enough to be of any use to you (£130) and it might someday make all the difference to her.
He also left her a picture of a man and a girl going up to heaven on wings (with a very blue sky as background
The Actress
Betty whose real name was Nellie Taylor was born 1894.
She had a successful acting career
Having always suffered terribly from nervousness in
1922 she retired at the height of her career to own and work in a flower shop
1923 she married Captain Herbert Buckmaster the founder of the Bucks Club
She died in 1932 age 38 after a 3 week illness