Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookhe shriek of a coming shell just walked determinedly on into the jaws of it. Col. Shaw was shot dead at about this stage. My Capt., B. Farrel, was shot through the heart a minute or two after. Major Thielmann met instant death, and the man who went to help him was shot as he rose to do it. When we had advanced in rushes sufficiently near to the village, bayonets were fixed, and the Germans went back from the village without waiting for the assault. It was then dusk. We collected our men, gathered up and carried back what poor fellows we could, and marched the remainder back to some trenches about 500 yards in rear, leaving the position to be occupied by other troops, who dug themselves in. We laid down in some shallow trenches in a wood in the rain that night too tired to eat. Next morning (Sunday) we called our rolls, and then marched our weary, stiff heroes to occupy some trenches about a mile away, 500 yards in rear of some trenches which were being heavily attacked. We had to march to these trenches over a shrapnel-swept road, doubling over the most dangerous portion--at this stage Major Easton and Capt. Easton were both slightly wounded in the head, just grazes and not serious--and resting in the ditches occasionally at the sides. The Germans saw that we were entering these unoccupied trenches and bombarded them heavily. The trench my platoon occupied was dug in a clean grass field. Before we had been in it one hour there was not a blade of grass to be seen growing for 30 yards in rear of it; the front of it we could not see. A dug-out at one end disappeared in the air. Another dug-out in which were Lieut. Grindell (a fellow-subaltern of A Coy.), myself and about five men was blown in on us. I had to extricate poor old Grindell from the wreckage, and his knees were badly bruised, but he will be about again in a day or two. As soon as dusk came they ceased shelling us, and we then set to and worked like blazes to rebuild the broken parts of the trench. We could also get some doubtful water then, and sent Grindell to the dressing station. Water has been our trouble. At 11 p.m. (Sunday night) we were ordered to come out of the trenches and march back to a rest camp five miles in rear, and a terrible march it was. The road was swept with shrapnel for three of the miles. The villages which in times of peace had been on it were mere broken skeletons of their former selves. Many of the houses were in flames. The road had great shell holes in it, which parties of men were filling in with the broken houses in order to make it passable for transport, which crossed it at the gallop. Capt. Morrill, at about this stage, I think, got three shrapnel holes in one leg. Dead horses, broken wagons, mules, and occasionally men, strewed the road throughout its length, and the smell of them was sickening. The men at this stage were so tired that every time we got into the ditches for a rest we had difficulty in waking them to move on again, even in the roar of the shell bursts; many were being helped along by their pals. At 1 a.m. this morning (Monday, 26 April) we arrived at this camp for our well-earned rest. We walked into our huts, put our heads on our packs, and fell asleep with the roar of the battle still going on, and our artillery, part of which has a position near here, roaring away for all it was worth. I woke 10 hours afterwards stiff and hungry, and with a thirst I haven't yet succeeded in quenching, in spite of the eight pint-mugs of tea I have drunk at intervals to-day." Two days later, 28 April, his platoon had orders to entrench west of Gedde's detachment, between the canal and the Pilkem road, supported by a brigade of a north country Territorial Division, which had arrived from England only three days before. He was encouraging his men to dig themselves into the ground when a shell fell in their midst, killing four outright and wounding eight, including 2nd Lieut. Hellyer, who died in consequence of his wounds at No. 7 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, France, 8 May, 1915; _unm._ His body was brought home and buried at Brixham, South Devon. Sergt. T. Hurd, A Coy., 4th Battn. East Yorkshires, thus wrote of his death: "No doubt you have heard of Lieut. Sidney Hellyer being wounded. I will tell you how it happened. We had been in the trenches two days, when we received orders to move nearer the enemy's lines. Just as we reached the new position and were digging ourselves in, shrapnel shells burst right into the middle of our company, killing four outright and wounding eight, including Lieut. Hellyer, who had his arm blown off at the shoulder, the other arm, both legs and cheek injured. But wounded as he was, he would not let any one touch him until all the others had been attended to. I have never met a braver man in my life, and men in our platoon owed their lives to him time and time again by the way he handled them. After he fell he still exhorted his men to hurry up and cut themselves into the ground. I have gleaned that he was courageously fetched from the exposed position to the trench, where every possible care was exerted to alleviate his terrible sufferings. On a trench ambulance he was carried towards the clearing hospital, but in the darkness the bearers lost their way. No portion or stump of the left arm remaining, the men of the Medical Corps strove to stop the bleeding by pressing their fingers to the wounds. At the clearing hospital he dictated a letter to his parents, telling them he was wounded, but that he should find his way to England by easy stages, and not to worry about him. But not one word as to the terrible nature of his injuries nor of the awful sufferings during the tedious and prolonged transference from the battlefield to the hospital." Numerous other letters from his superior officers and men attest in the highest terms his lovable qualities and ability as a leader of men in camp, in trench, and in action. His cousin, Corpl. G. P. Hellyer, also died of wounds (see his notice). [Illustration: =Sidney Hannaford Hellyer.=] =HELPS, FRANK BOVETT=, Rifleman, No. 2471, 16th Battn. (Queen's Westminster Rifles), The London Regt. (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of Edward William Helps, of Westleigh, Durleigh Road, Bridgwater, Incorporated Accountant, Overseer for Borough of Bridgwater, by his wife, Elizabeth, dau. of E. J. Bovett, M.R.C.V.S.; _b._ Westfield, Bridgwater, co. Somerset, 11 May, 1894; educ. Dr. Morgan's School, Bridgwater, and Royal Grammar School, Colchester, and on leaving there was apprenticed to Mr. A. J. Beare, of Taunton, Draper, and after serving his time, went to the Brixton Bon Marché; enlisted, 11 Aug. 1914; went to France, 24 Jan. 1915, and was killed in action at Ypres, 23 July, 1915, while on outpost duty; _unm._ [Illustration: =Frank Bovett Helps.=] =HELYAR, MAURICE HOWARD=, Capt., Rifle Brigade, elder _s._ of Francis John Helyar, of 11, Royal Crescent, Bath, late Royal Bodyguard, by his wife, the Hon. Ursula Georgiana, née Addingt |