Friday 19 May 1916
For many soldiers, like Pte Frank
Holmes Armitage, R.A.M.C., of
Baildon Green, the war provided a
chance to see places he had never
dreamed of seeing.
After five months in the Dardanelles,
Pte Armitage had a fortnight’s
rest in Alexandria ‘where the
glorious sunshine and bracing
breezess were most beneficial.’
In a letter home he revealed it
was his third time in Egypt but
was then followed by yet
another move.
On February 16th we left
Alexandria for German East
Africa on board the hospital ship
Ebani. There were about 20 nursing
sisters on board this ship and it was
said they were going with us to our
destination.
It took us exactly a fortnight to get to
Mombasa but the time spent on board
was a most enjoyable one. We had
concerts given by the “Ebani Follies,”
sports, tug-of-war and water carnival
in a big canvas bath fixed on deck.
Ducked
This took place whilst we were
crossing the equator and everyone
had to be ducked with all his clothing
on which caused much amusement
and roars of laughter.
We disembarked about 2 o’clock in
the afternoon and then travelled by
train from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. It was a
very tedious journey and I just
remember slipping off the seat on to
the floor of the compartment.
It was the sleep, gentle sleep with
another chap’s boots sticking in your
ribs. However, I slept through it but
felt rather sore the next morning.
I am acting as servant to two officers
that joined the staff at Alexandria. I
am in the best of health and spirits so
please do not get downhearted about
me
I hope before long to relate to you my
wonderful experiences. As regards
warfare, things seem to be moving
very quickly here and everyone
seems hopeful that this campaign will
have a speedy conclusion.
General Smuts is a great favourite
here. All the troops have a very high
opinion of him.
We have been here over a fortnight
but up to the present we have received
no patients and there is a rumour that
we have to go still further up country.
The weather is very hot indeed –
almost hot enough to roast you alive.
We never wear a coat during the day.
To tell you the truth, some of us
would like to cast our shirts. What
gets over me though is that they say it
is winter so goodness knows what
summer will be like.
We have had to cut our khaki drill
trousers down and anyone going out
of his tent without his helmet is very
severely dealt with.
There are plenty of “Jack Johnsons”
here otherwise black men. If you
could see how they work it would
make you smile. I think I never saw
better workers in my life.
They seem to think a lot about the
white man and will do almost
anything for you, although it is very
difficult to make them understand at
times.
The surrounding scenery of this place
is very exquisite and far prettier than
any place I have yet visited. As I sit
writing this letter I can see a large
forest of palm trees to the right of
which rises a large mountain which it
would take at least half a day to
climb.
Wild animals
The railway is at the foot of this
mountain and just a little further away
is the bush where the wild animals
prowl about on a night and there are
lots of tigers, monkeys etc.
The dwellings of the natives are made
Robinson Crusoe fashion and seem
rather queer places to dwell in.
Behind our camp is another mountain
and the slopes are covered with
various kinds of trees of different
shades and colours and sometimes the
summit is obscured with clouds
which seems very curious to one not
accustomed to seeing such sights.
The sky is nearly always blue but at
sunset it turns to blood red and then it
falls dark immediately. There is
very little twilight and the moon
and stars make the place look
even lovelier than it is in the
day time.
There are also many curious
insects, the like of which one
never sees in England and the
multi-coloured birds, butterflies,
moths, glow worms, fire flies,
dragonflies that abound everywhere is
very remarkable.
I am sure any naturalist would be
quite at home and perfectly happy in
these parts. It comes like a dream to
me. I cannot grasp it yet. It is a
veritable wonderland and no mistake.
Storm
We had a great storm the night we
arrived here. The rain came down in
torrents and the worst of it was that
we had no trenches dug around our
tents. The result was a complete
washout but we all rather enjoyed the
wetting, notwithstanding the fact that
the beds, kits, greatcoats and almost
all our gear, including ourselves, had
to go with the stream.
It was very amusing to see fellows
who could not swim, clinging to bits
of wood. It reminded one of a
shipwreck. However, we had no
casualties and the worst that
happened was that we had to do
without sleep that night. The sergeant
is talking about giving us lifebelts in
readiness for the next storm.
The currency is rather peculiar. Only
gold and paper money in the English
currency can be used. They charge a
commission of 2d in the shilling for
converting this into cents and rupees.
There are 100 cents in a rupee and
rupee is equivalent to 1s 4d. Roughly
speaking, therefore, 1d equals 6 cents.
I have had no letter since arriving
here but suppose a big bunch will
follow up. Please keep on sending the
Shipley Express. I am anxious to
know all the local news.
A chance to visit a ‘veritable wonderland’
Cpl Harry Skirrow was behind
the lines, taking instruction in
bomb throwing, when a grenade
exploded accidentally and killed
him instantly.
His sergeant wrote: ‘Although
accidentally killed, he gave his
life none the less for his
country. He could have done no
more had he been killed actually
in the firing line.
‘He was buried with full
military honours, comrades
from various units acting as
mourners.’
Formerly a painter with Waite
Brothers in Shipley, 24-year-old
Cpl Skirrow had previously
served five years with the Royal
Army Medical Corps, but was
now with the 20 West Yorkshire Regt.
The day before his was killed, he
posted a letter to his wife who was
living their two young children at her
parents’ house at 7 Dove Street
Saltaire.
He wrote: “I am in the firing line but
at present am going through a course
of bombing behind the trenches.
“You would be surprised if you were
here. The farmers go on working
within three-quarters of a mile from the
firing line as though nothing was amiss
and the big guns boom out and shake
the whole countryside.
“It is rare fun to watch old Fritz trying
to bring our airmen down and every
shot they fire is further off than the
previous one.
“I am in danger but cheer up, I know
God will watch over me and bring me
safely back to ‘Blighty.’ I am all right
so far.
“You know what thunder is like. Well it
is a thousand times worse than that out
here. The first time you hear the noise
of the guns it makes you shake all over
like a leaf but you soon get used to it.
“It is funny that when a man is in
danger his thoughts fly straight to his
loved ones at home and many a man
gets down and prays – men even who
never think of religion when at home.
“Those who think there is no God want
to come out here. It will soon be
proved to them there is. The war will
be over this summer and with a bit of
luck I shall soon be back in ‘Blighty’.”
Harry killed in training accident behind the lines
Cpl Harry Skirrow with his wife
and one of their children
Driver Sylvester Richardson told of
the hazards of driving near the
trenches with roads likely to be
shelled at any moment from
German guns.
Speaking to a Shipley Times &
Express reporter while home on a
short leave at 1 Undercliffe Road,
Eccleshill, Driver Richardson
explained: ‘It is nothing fresh for
roads to be shelled and to have to
traverse a longer route to reach our
destination.
‘We are sometimes surprised by the
arrival of 15inch shells which had
been sent from 15 to 20 miles by
the German long-range guns.’
He was now on his way back to the
front line where he had been with
the army transport division for more
than a year.
Narrow escape
Asked about his narrowest escape,
he said: ‘I was on a canal bank
when a hostile aeroplane passed
overhead. The pilot dropped a
bomb which did not explode.
‘A little boy, who was playing the
bank was killed with the next bomb
and I was most fortunate to escape
unhurt.’
And even when behind the lines
resting, the troops were not
entirely safe. ‘Quite a lot of our
soldiers were having a pleasant
diversion in a theatre when one of
these big ‘boomers’ arrived,’ he
said
‘That was the order for ringing
down the curtain and curtailing the
entertainment. Fortunately the
theatre escaped injury and the
men.’
Distant guns provide
hazards for drivers
Ben Rhodes and brother Harry
The two Rhodes brothers, of Mount
Pleasant, Greengates, had both been
injured.
Cpl Ben Rhodes was wounded in the
elbow by shrapnel while serving with
the 17 West Yorkshire Regiment in
France.
Before the war he worked at J
Baxter & Son of Apperley Bridge and
been a keen member of Albion RFC
and a prominent member of
Greengates Tradesman’s Club.
Accident
His brother, Able Seaman Albert
Rhodes was serving in the Navy on
board HMS Canada and he had been
slightly injured in an accident.
He had previously worked in the
wool warehouse at G Garnett & Son,
Valley Mills and played football for
Greengates Wesleyans.
Brothers wounded
Former Shipley plumber, Pte James
Shepherd, was wounded in the right
wrist and left leg and been shipped
back to Old Mill Hospital in
Aberdeen.
Having had his own business in
Manor Lane, Pte Shepherd, whose
parents lived on Springwood Terrace,
had emigrated to Vancouver in
Canada four years before.
When war broke out he joined one
of the Canadian Regiment and
returned to fight for his country in
France.
Emigré in hospital
Promoted to Captain
Architect Ernest Pearson of Idle was
promoted for the second time since
joining up and was now a Captain.
He was a ‘zealous worker’ for Wind-
hill Parish Church and noted as a
high-class entertainer.’