Guardsman's 1914 letter

[Desmond7]

Initially, I was going to post this account on the new ‘front page’ section of the Long Long Trail.

However, having keyed it in and mulled it over, I find this letter suspect. For one thing, Cpl. Nesbitt seems very well versed , speaking of ‘Hugo and Conan Doyle’. He also uses the phrase ‘one seems to get hardened to anything ....’

I would not have thought that ‘one would ...’ was common parlance for junior NCOs in the BEF - Guards Brigade or not!

There is also a tale of Germans wearing captured British uniforms in a ruse ... is this possibly true. Does anyone else have evidence to back up the contents of this letter (specifically the actions of the officer and the German’s alleged

‘uniform trick’?

Could this letter have been edited to include certain passages? Anyone know of ‘stock letters’ about particular actions which were circulated amongst soldiers so they could send them to their local newspapers to encourage recruitment etc.?

Perhaps this is just a soldier who is literate and utterly patriotic trying to paint his regt, in the very best light? In short does the while thing ring true as a genuine letter from ‘Tommy’ in 1914? I realise this is lengthy but it may be of some

use to forum members interested in early war or the Guards generally.

I am hopeful of getting a picture of Cpl. Nesbitt and further details of his life. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Cpl. Nesbitt survived the war.

Oct. 30 1914 Ballymena Observer

A Ballymena soldier at the front

‘Irish Guards will never surrender’

Thrilling Experience

Corporal W. J. Nesbitt, writing on the 9th inst. to his father, Mr. Nesbitt, Mount Street, gives an interesting a thrilling account of the Irish Guards in the retreat at Compiegne in September.

Cpl. Nesbitt was a constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary and being a reservist of the Irish Guards was called up at the outbreak of war. He writes:-

On the 1st of September the guards were covering the retreat of the 2nd Division. At about 4 o’clock in the morning, the Irish Guards took up a position to resist the enemy’s advance, who were quite close to us. My platoon, consisting

of some 50 men, occupied a small ridge in a cornfield. We remained there about two hours when suddenly came the advance guard of the enemy.

Our small force could not hold so many so we retired as fast as we could. When we reached the main body we found over half of our party was missing. Their fate is unknown, probably killed or captured. We found our btn. lining the road, guarding the entrance to a thick wood. The wood stretched for miles on both sides of the road.

Suddenly a shower of bullets was poured into us from all sides. Our commanding officer, Col. G. H. Morris, immediately gave orders for us to advance by companies into the woods. During the time our artillery, consisting of

four guns had been silenced by the enemy’s guns. We were thus left without support.

We advanced through the woods until we came to the outer fringe where we lay down to await the German advance.

Son we could see them coming over the skyline, thousands of them, in company column, marching shoulder to shoulder.

We awaited until the foremost ranks were about 200 yards distant when the order to fire was given. Our machine guns and rapid fire mowed them down like corn before a reaper, still they came on until their dead was piled five or six feet high (surely impossible! Des remark)

With drums beating, bugles blowing, uttering a peculiar kind of yell (the German ‘Hoch’ I suppose) they charged time and time again only to be driven back before the awful fire. This went on for about two hours when our

Brigadier gave the order to retire.

We retired again up the road....and this gave the enemy time to come up behind us, thus we were almost surrounded.

My company was again led into the woods to reinforce the Coldstreams who were on our left. Our captain had been shot some time previous to this so another officer, Lord Innes-Kerr took charge of us.

We were told not to fire on any account until we got an order. We went into the woods for some distance until we could see a line of men in front of us who were lying down.

Our officer said again: “Irish Guards don’t fire your own men are in front of you.”

Judge of our surprise when a voice came from the party whom we thought to be British, “if you be the Irish Guards we will give three minutes to surrender”

It was party of Germans dressed in khaki, probably taken from our dead and

wounded.

Our officer, like the hero and gentleman that he was, shouted back “Irish Guards will never surrender”. He was shot down immediately. We fought our best but what could a few do against so many? We charged our way with fixed

bayonets back to the road again. The bullets were poured into us from all sides and there seemed no hope of escape. We crossed through the wood on the other side of the road and fighting our way foot by foot, eventually got clear.

It would take the pen of a Hugo or Conan Doyle to adequately depict the deeds of unparalleled heroism which I witnessed that day. But suffice it to say, those who doubt the courage of Irishmen ought to have been there that day and they never again would doubt.

When we got safely out of that awful death trap, I thanked God for His mercy. The roll was called later on and we found we had lost our CO and eight officers (including the Brigadier wounded) and about 200n men. It would fill a small volume to detail every incident of that day. I only give you the base outline.

We had been fighting from 4am until three in the afternoon without bite or sup, then we had to march nearly 20 miles before we rested.

We halted at 12 midnight , got some tea and biscuits and then off again at 2o’clock a.m. Another 20-25 miles; so it went on day after day.

On September 6, the enemy began to retire. It was on a Sunday. The Guards Brigade were in advance. We came in contact with the enemy’s cavalry near a small wood. The Uhlans charged us but we repulsed them easily. We advanced towards the enemy infantry. In order to do this we had to cross a road then an open space swept by the enemy’s maxims.

We charged with fixed bayonets and I don’t think we did badly when we captured 12 maxims from the enemy (which) speaking of courage and bravado - this is an instance I witnessed that day.

When we were advancing across that open space there were a few apple and plum trees growing. Immediately our fellows came to them they commenced to pick them off and fill their pockets. Bullets were whistling round them like hail but they didn’t seem to regard them in the least.

Just the same here in the trenches where we have been for over three weeks. The men light fires, cook food and eat it, all the while shells continually bursting over them. One seems to get hardened to anything here.

Trusting you are all well at home, and hat you may get this safely. I have plenty of socks and shirts now but what I should like most would be a local paper every week if I could possibly get it. Hoping that I may hear from you all soon.

The Editor notes: In a PS he returns thanks for cigarettes which he said were much appreciated by the men in his section.

[Desmond7]

More info:

Cpl. W.J. Nesbitt of the Irish Guards has been wounded in the hand and is now in hospital in England. B. Observer Nov. 13,1914

Plus - Cpl. W.J. Nesbitt of the Irish Guards whom we reportd last week was wounded recentlyhas been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. November 20,1914

[BeppoSapone]

More info:

Cpl. W.J. Nesbitt of the Irish Guards has been wounded in the hand and is now in hospital in England. B. Observer Nov. 13,1914

Plus - Cpl. W.J. Nesbitt of the Irish Guards whom we reportd last week was wounded recentlyhas been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. November 20,1914

Des

Is he any relation to the actor chappy from your town?

[Desmond7]

Bleepin heck ... I hadn't thought of that. Although Mr. Nesbitt does support Coleraine FC in the Irish League! Yes he was born to a Ballymena family. His Uncle flew Wellingtons in WW2 ... good thinking Beppo. BTW sent you the US stuff.

[John_Hartley]

Des

You would expect your man to have a reasonable standard of literacy as he was a copper. And, as I understand things, it also seems a fair represeantation of the Guards on that day.

The writing style, however, does leave me to wonder. It's a very precise account, featuring "we" a lot rather than "I", which might suggest the "script". Also, the reference to the Germans being in Brit uniforms does worry me. I havnt heard this and there seems to be no particular purpose in them doing it. Is this another example of the "evil Hun" conjured up for the PR (see also past threads about the crucified Canadian, raped nuns, etc)?

I've read letters home, from son to father, that were not intended for the press and they simply do not read like this. No real "stiff upper lip". Ones that were printed in my local press have a similar take to this one.

[BeppoSapone]

Des

You would expect your man to have a reasonable standard of literacy as he was a copper. And, as I understand things, it also seems a fair represeantation of the Guards on that day.

The writing style, however, does leave me to wonder. It's a very precise account, featuring "we" a lot rather than "I", which might suggest the "script". Also, the reference to the Germans being in Brit uniforms does worry me. I havnt heard this and there seems to be no particular purpose in them doing it. Is this another example of the "evil Hun" conjured up for the PR (see also past threads about the crucified Canadian, raped nuns, etc)?

I've read letters home, from son to father, that were not intended for the press and they simply do not read like this. No real "stiff upper lip". Ones that were printed in my local press have a similar take to this one.

Maybe the letters were 'cleaned up' by a sub-editor before publication? We all know what they are like! <w.e.g.>

I have read passing mention of what was supposed to have been a German officer, in British uniform, who appeared in the Britsh trenches in late 1914 or early 1915. IIRC he spoke perfect English, but was wearing an obsolete type of collar? Now where did I read that? Was it Robert Graves in "Goodbye To All That"?

Des/

Thanks for the US info' which I am about to read. I assume you have read Juliet Gardner (sp?) and Norman Longmate, who both mention this subject in their books on the Americans in Britain in WW2.

[Desmond7]

Perhaps the 'German ruse' was of wearing British uniforms was one of those battlefield rumours which John Hartley referred to. The action he speaks of did take place in a wood with, I assume, poor visibility, men were under strain and they were right in the path of a German juggernaut.

Is it possible he's describing a case of friendly fire where words were mistaken and gunfire exchanged?

I find the letter strange. Similar epistles from the front mostly talk about how well the troops are doing, how they had a tough time but true grit helped them beat the fiendish hun ... that type of thing. Usually they contain the epic line ... 'and we'd do even better if all my chums from XYZ joined up.'

Here there is no such appeal and, as John Hartley says, the vast majority of the letter reads accurately from the historical point of view. The use of 'we' does not bother me as much as that term 'one' ... whether this guy was copper or not, I just can't see him writing home in those terms to his 'Da'.

If we have a vote, I opting for the 'script' theory. And didn't a similar thing happen in Iraq not so long ago?

PS to Beppo - at the moment I've got enough to read! Will keep the references in mind. Thanks for your interest.

[Geoff Parker]

I cant remember exactly which book but I read somewhere of a contempory

account from the salient either in 1914 or 1915 where the Germans apparently

dressed up in highland unforms taken from the Scottish dead in an attempt to

capture British positions. However the author of the book states it was much

more likely that the it was the skirts of the German greatcoats that were mistaken

for kilts.

Geoff

[Guest Desmond6]

I have been asking around about this guy and it seems his father was a printer/compositor who actually worked for the Ballymena Observer at that time. Maybe his rather 'flowery' style owes a bit to his father's influence?

[Paul Hodges]

The wearing of British or French uniforms isn't that uncommon an accusation. Another example similar to this one was published in The Times, Friday 11th September 1914, p6, letter received by Sir Roger Edgcumbe of Torquay from his son, Lieut OP Edgcumbe, 1st Battalion, D.C.L.I., serving on the staff of Gen Haking. "My regiment has had a bad time, and I am dreadfully afraid hey have been badly cut up, although I can as yet get no details. They were caught in a village by the Germans in houses, who had managed to get there by wearing our uniforms. Never again shall I respect the Germans. They have no code of honour, and there have been several cases of them wearing French and British uniforms, which is, of course, against the Geneva Convention."

I never quite know how to take such accusations. This one is a bit second-hand so could well just be rumour, especially as the logistics of acquiring uniforms en masse seems improbable. Reports of single Germans infiltrating or small raiding parties, which are more frequent, may be more believable.

[Desmond7]

I think your point is well made. One or two in uniform - acceptable. More than that - debateable. After that it's gotta be doubtful.

Still the rest of it seems accurate ... but who knows what kind of panicky 'fifth column' style thoughts were going through their minds. At this stage it was still war of (albeit foot powered) movement.

Cheers.

[Dave_Woods]

I've also seen several other ranks accounts in newspapers like this. They are all well written which is remarkable for the time considering the standard of education.

In the early stages of the war there were few if no journalists at all out with the troops, those that were had gone out privately. So being hacks and needing something on the front page they hatched a cunning plan.

I was under the impression that many regional papers came to an agreement with a local lad who was about to go off to the front. This involved him sending letters to the paper via his family. These letters were then paraphrased and edited. Headlines such as " we gave them a taste of our steel" , "our gallant boys" and "not a man flinched from the dreadful task ahead" spring to mind; all very boys own stuff. If you go to your local library and look at the papers on microfiche this style is employed almost universally.

The censor ( usually Company commander I think ) would read the mens letters so that details such as places, formations, objectives etc were not given away. The press would then have to play detective and although often were correct with assumptions did on occasions get things wrong. I have a copy of a 1914 letter from a Great Uncle in the Grenadiers where it is patently evident that he could not name where they were only that they were in Belgium.

Another interesting fact is that the common soldier in 1914 was not allowed to keep a personal diary which makes accounts like this al the more dubious.

[Guest Desmond6]

Dave - have several other examples which I will eventually post. Off line at home at the moment.

[Hett65]

Private Laurence Dinsdale Haggie of the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards wrote a letter to his father at Durham City describing an incident with a German in a British uniform. He told his father that in the early hours of March 13th (1915) at a place named by the men as 'Dead Cow Farm' he was nearly killed by a German in a British uniform. Haggie's platoon were short of water and he volunteered to replenish the supply, he took six water bottles and a nine stone jar for the officers. He left the trench at 2am and during the journey he came upon a soldier, apparently a Britisher wearing a khaki cap and overcoat. He told Haggie in perfect English to keep his head down as it was pretty hot, then asked what mob was down there, from where Haggie had come from. Haggie said it was the Guards, the officer asked which Guards and Haggie told him 1st Coldstreams. The officer then said goodnight, and as Haggie turned he heard a sound behind him, he saw the officer coming at him with a bayonet and although he tried to get out of the way he was stabbed in the leg. Haggie snatched his bayonet and let drive at the officers arm, knocking the bayonet out of his hand, he then thrust the bayonet as hard as he could and caught the officer below the ear, the bayonet went clean through his neck. He gurgled a bit and then went off (died), Haggie then dressed his wound which was bleeding heavily. He unbuttoned the coat of the officer and saw a German uniform underneath, it appears that he was one of the prisoners captured the night before and had escaped, Haggie thought he was from the 23rd Bavarian Regiment. Haggie had an interesting army career, he was wounded three times and received a commission as 2nd Lt DLI. In August 1918 while on leave he crashed his motor cycle and sidecar when a tyre blew out and fractured his leg in three places. On leaving the army he joined the police and served for 30 years, he died in 1961.

Was the letter just a story, how did it get past the censors?, we will never know.

[bob lembke]

As far as the first letter is concerned, I find a great number of things to doubt, plus the whole tone, style of the letter is not what men wrote. I have read a lot of letters (admittedly mostly in German, but soldiers are soldiers) and it really sounds wrong, although in my family the letters from 1914 were more dramatic, before the war became all too familiar.

Specific incidents, claims, etc. are dubious in the specific. The dead piled 5-6 feet high is of course rediculous. The body of Germans all dressed in Brit uniforms, but immediately acting as Germans when in contact with Brits makes no sense. The "if you are Irish Guards, surrender" bit is weird. What if they were Scots Guards or Highlanders? Dance a jig? I doubt that it was written from the front, or even by a military type.

Bob Lembke

[DaveBrigg]

"I have plenty of socks and shirts now but what I should like most would be a local paper every week if I could possibly get it."

Presumably that 'local paper' would happen to be the Ballymeena Observer...

[Jimmy Taylor]

Hi Des,

Got this from a contact:

William J. Nesbitt, RIC 65022 was born in Co. Antrim in 1889 and joined the RIC in 1909.

All the best,

Jimmy.

[Andrew Upton]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=4

Description Medal card of Nesbitt, William

Corps Regiment No Rank

Irish Guards 8527 Private

Irish Guards 8527 Corporal

Date 1914-1920

Catalogue reference WO 372/14

Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies

Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War

Piece Mill J - Nolan P

Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection

[centurion]

The Irish regiments were not short of well educated ORs. My Grandfather for example (RDF) had a degree from Trinity (and knew Yeats, Shaw and Joyce amongst others) and of his three brothers in law (RIR) two were former teachers, so I would not assume that the degree of literacy itself compromises the possible validity of the letter.

[tipperary]

I have just snatched a quick look at kiplings history of the 1st Bat for the dates mentioned in the letter the action in the woods is described as being snatched glimpses of figures darting between trees,the 1st bat at this time seemingly possesed only one machine gun the history mentions the battalion put up steady rifle fire.The officer losses are given as 3 dead and 4 wounded and a quick glimpse at the list for OR's at the end of the book i can find 10 kia for the 1/9/14.

There is no mention in the history of the use of British uniforms by the Germans if it had happened resulting in the shooting of innes-ker i think it would have been mentioned.This officer was taken prisoner and seemingly released by a french attack on the 12/9/14.

The history states that 3 officers and 90 men + 6 machine guns were captured in a charge on the 7th not the 6th of september.Whilst the events the letter writer reports were real they seem greatly exagerated.

[Desmond7]

Boy this is a blast from the past!!

It would seem that Mr. Nesbitt was a little bit liberal with his comments! He later claimed he was to receive a commission in the Glos. Regt. ... checked with them and no records could be found. Been down the line with the MICs too with same result.

However, I came across a passage on pages 92 and 93 of Malcolm Brown's '1914 - the Men Who Went To War' ... aside from the German uniform allegations, Nesbitt was not THAT far from the truth. Especially as seen from the aspect of a foot slogger and with the 'fog of war' in mind.

Scanner not working so I can't bang it on. Too late to key it in. But I think a search of the forum using Irish Guards and Nesbitt may throw something more up about this guy.

Enjoy.

Jimmy Taylor by gum .. how are ya???

[Beau Geste]

The Irish regiments were not short of well educated ORs....... so I would not assume that the degree of literacy itself compromises the possible validity of the letter.

I agree. One reads of educated soldiers in different regiments who refused commissions and promotions when they were offered. I suppose this could well have been the case in The Irish Guards where there was "no shortage of educated ORs" as Centurion points out. Dave Woods' comment that ordinary soldiers weren't allowed to keep a diary in 1914 didn't stop some from doing exactly that however.

As for the writing skills. It's true that the style, fluency and vocabulary are somewhat better than one finds in a lot of "ORs' letters home" but everything is comparative and it doesn't compare with the quality of prose found in much of the officers' letter writing.

From what you say, Nesbitt came from what appears to be "a relatively comfortable background". His father was in a decent job so I have no problem accepting the claim that he was the author. Whether or not it was "spruced up" and published in a local newspaper I have no idea.

As for the "Germans in Khaki" - possible but unlikely.

Harry

[Desmond7]

Without seeming cheeky ... I would like to point out that the first post on this subject clearly states that the source is the Ballymena Observer newspaper of the time.

[Beau Geste]

Without seeming cheeky ... I would like to point out that the first post on this subject clearly states that the source is the Ballymena Observer newspaper of the time.

Sorry Desmond, I didn't express what I meant very well. What I should have said was "spruced up before being" .......not "spruced up and".

Maybe I'm a reincarnated version of a 1914 soldier !

Harry

[Peter Zieminski]

While this is an old thread (and a search didn't reveal any others) I recently came across an entry in the report dated the 10th October 1915 written Lieutenant G A L Hatton of the Royal West Kent Regiment following fighting at Gun Trench ... " 6. All the Germans seen in this trench during the last week have been dressed in khaki." Anyone found anything similar in other accounts following actions?