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Lance-Cpl. George Henry Dewdney, "P" Special Company, Royal Engineers.
Ms. copies of letters written from France/Flanders between April 1917-November 1918, copied in a small but neat hand in a contemp. (or earlier) notebook, approx. 140pp. (around 15,000 words).
#68008
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![[HLMainPic]](booksThumbs/68008.jpg "Click on the left or right of the image for more images")
George Dewdney lived at 27 Preston Road, Brighton at the time of his enlistment & at the time of his death of TB in November 1919, eight months after discharge & at the age of 21. Prior to his military service he was employed as a clerk in the Inland Revenue. He joined the Royal Engineers in 1917, proceeded to France in April 1917. Initially employed at the Depot of the Special Brigade at Rouen, he was posted to "P" Special Coy. RE on 19th July 1917. He was promoted to Lance-Cpl. in August 1918 & demobilised in March 1919. The Special Brigade operated gas projectors & each Coy. consisted of 225 men. Dewdney joined the unit in Flanders during the 3rd Battle of Ypres. The Coy. was operational throughout this battle, & when not employed in discharging gas was used for cleaning up & also salving, including gas cylinders & other specialised equipment. The writer does not describe gas operations in any detail, but gives a good account of life in France. Comrades at the Rouen depot were not always as honest as they ought to be: "I had such a sad misfortune on Friday. I always slept with my wallet under my pillow. As you know it contained all my little personal treasures - friends' photographs etc. - & my money (notes). When I went to breakfast on Friday morning I forgot to pick it up... when I returned less that half an hour later I found it gone... The pity of it all is that one of the fellows in our tent seems to have taken it, and that thought alters the whole spirit of trust & friendship which existed before." Much of his time in the Salient was spent in Poperinghe, when not in the line. "We raced back to Camp in time for a concert here. It was quite good. Not exactly West End style perhaps but - well. For instance can you imagine anything funnier than a Bairnsfather Tommy in a long great coat, hands in the pockets, standing stock still trying to sing a comic song seriously - when he was well oiled! Intentional humour is not always the most successful. Some of the turns were very good tho." He went to Toc H (Talbot House) many times: "One of the 'proper houses of amusement' is a fine big house turned into a 'soldiers rest' - canteen, music, games, reading & writing rooms, & a fine garden, & at the top a beautiful little chapel. It was an attic but is now fitted up beautifully..." In between operations much time was spent salving gas projectors & other materiel: "Today I have been up to the line. It was intended that we should 'scrounge' but Fritz, without being really saucy, was just sufficiently aggravating to make the game not worth the candle. By the way is 'scrounging' a dictionary word? If not it will be. Officially used it means salvaging - a worthy task in these hard times..." Hutted camp at Poperinghe, October 1917: "The weather has been quite good lately but it is very cold tonight. However, we have been issued our winter kit - two pairs of fine thick pants & vests... Did I tell you we are now in huts? They are fine, although the lighting problem is the worst. There are always plenty of candles going but these are usually close to the sides of the hut & their rays are hidden either behind a man, a book or possibly a shirt undergoing delousing! So long shadows cast their gloom over the place. That is what makes a walk to Talbot House worth while these nights. The rooms there are at any rate decently lighted & warm into the bargain, the little attic church at service time is best of all..." Letter book worn/split, contents sound, together with photo. of the writer, one of his grave, a contemp. sketch of the chapel at Talbot House & copies of Dewdney's service papers. See illustrations on our website.
£145
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