In this letter David Barrogill Keith writes to his family in Thurso to say that they go “back & forward to the trenches in spells”, and in his autobiography he states that each tour of the line was 8 days in and 4 days out. He lists the medals the 10th Battalion received during the Battle of Loos, and talks about the soldiers’ fondness for cigarettes, describing how in the early stages of Loos the men of the Battalion “lit cigarettes & strolled up & over Hill 70. They got tired & sat about smoking so utter was the German rout”.
Dated: 6th November 1915, 10th Cameronians, B.E.F.
My dear Mother,
I wrote you a long letter two days ago & I hope you got it all right. It exhausted most of my news & I have little left to tell. I have not seen George since his return & will not for some time. We are as I said going back & forward to the trenches in spells & go in very shortly. About the middle of December we go out for a month’s rest so we will I hope spend Xmas & New Year in comfort & most probably quite pleasantly. About New Year time too I qualify for leave & may get home. But that’s quite a distance ahead yet!
Our Battalion got today a Medaill Militaire for one of its Sergeants & a DCM for another. We also got a Military Cross for one of our Lieutenants. So altogether we have not done badly out of the attack.
At present we are back in billets & are having quite a good time on the whole. I got a large packet of cigarettes in the trenches from Martins. They were not nearly so good as the packet equally large which arrived yesterday I think from Yule. Cigarettes out here are none too plentiful though there is any quantity almost. They are smoked day & night.
In the attack our men having rushed through the 1st & 2nd lines of German trenches, lit cigarettes & strolled up & over Hill 70. They got tired & sat about smoking so utter was the German rout. Here when as in the trenches we are up day & night we smoke a lot. So they are very welcome & the very kind I like & they will last for several weeks.
I got several letters from Tiny & also a parcel which was very nice of her. It is now the second parcel from her – & also got toffee from Poll very much appreciated. It arrived in the trenches.
Another fellow Waddy has taken over seeing about getting my book published & I must write to him about it.
The university book of caricatures is with you I think. It contains some people now who have become causalities – which makes it all the more interesting.
Coming under fire is not extra terrifying. In fact it doesn’t distract one at all, only heavy shelling is a bit uncomfortable if it comes too near.
Well I’m ending now. Hope all are well. Animals to eat are most in demand of all the stuff you send. Can you get my old watch sent out at once – the big one I used to carry. This new one is bust again & I’m at sea. See if you can get a whalebone cover – not a metal one for it but send it as soon as poss.
Hope all well.
Love to all from
D.B. Keith
[Caithness Archive Centre reference P38/10/12; the next letter from DB Keith will be published on 9 November]
