Private * Henry Robinson, Dalebottom, Keswick, who enlisted in the Kings Own Royal Lancaster Rgt early in the war and was wounded at the Dardanelles, has again been wounded and is in hospital at West Didsbury.
Writing to his sister Mrs Dent, Keswick, he says you will have read about the great advance, we all knew it was coming off for some time, for we had been training hard for the last month or so. The day came at last, and I will never forget it as long as I live . Our artillery had bombarded the German trenches for several days, and it gave us good heart to see the German front line flattened to the ground, but they must have had some awfully deep dugouts, because when we went over the top they had a few machine guns left, and they kept up a rapid fire all the time we advanced. You should have seen our lads go over that Saturday morning, the sun was shining and the morning was lovely. The Germans soon spotted us coming and opened fire on us, but it did not prevent us from going on, although we saw our comrades falling around us. It did not take us long to get into the German front line, and then we got a bit of our own back. The trenches were full of dead Germans which our guns had blown up, and as soon as the remainder saw it was all up they threw up their hands and shouted " Mercy kamerad " ; so we had to take them prisoner. I got hit when I was going for more ammunition, a shell burst in the trench close beside me. I could not speak or hear for about ten minutes, I went down to the dressing station where they soon brought me round. I found I had been hit with a piece of shrapnel in the leg just below the old wound I got at the Dardanelles in August. the present wound is not as bad as the last and I never expected to be brought to England with it, but I was sent straight down the line and on to the hospital ship.
* Henry Robinson survived the war and died at Dalebottom 24th August 1969 aged 79
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Private Mark Stanley 3rd Border, of Otley Rd, Keswick, is lying wounded in the same hospital in Manchester.
Private Eric Atkinson, son of Councillor Atkinson, is more seriously wounded than his friends expected, being wounded in the thigh , both arms and the head.
Other Keswick Casualties are Lieut Hall RFA, of Greta Grove, reported wounded,
W J Downie, wounded,
Pte James Watson, Brigham, wounded in the arm, and in South Mead hospital, Bristol
Pte George Robinson, Threlkeld Hall, flesh wound , Chester Hospital
Cpl Fodden Ferguson, former asst master at Brigham, wounded in hand and arm
Hugh Duffield, Braithwaite, shrapnel in arm and leg
John Edwards son of Mr Edwards, Boatman, wounded in jaw, in hospital at Epsom
Joseph Blamire, Briery, writes he is wounded and fears his
brother George was killed.