Drummer E J Blagdon
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World War I Address
Place of Death
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Soldier or Civilian
- Soldier
DRUMMER AND A WOUNDED COMRADE "WAITING OUR DEATH" LUTON NEWS LETTER JANUARY 1915.
Drummer E J Blagdon, of the 2nd Battalion Beds Regiment, describes some narrow escapes in a letter he has just written from the front - he says -
We were advancing across a field when they opened rapid shellfire on us and I was just missed by a shell but it smashed a fellow's leg. He was next to me and a piece of the shell struck me in the breast but my small book in my breast-pocket saved it from being any damage. It cut my pocket and smashed my book. I sav ed the fellow's life who got his leg smashed. Shells were bursting all round but I crept up and got him off the field into a gutter under a small hedge. It seemed as though they were watching me for they shelled the hedge. I saw them load the guns and fire and each time I thought we were going to get blown to pieces. He told me to leave him and fly for my life but I would not go and dragged him behind a straw rick where I did his leg up and got some poles and made a stretcher. Then they started shelling the rick to set fire to it. I did not know what to do so I lay alongside of him. We were awaiting our death. To tell you the truth, I prayed. They ceased firing a bit and I sat there until it got dusk and then got another fellow to help me. We got him to hospital and snipers fired on us as we were crossing a field from a wood. Shells dropped in front of us all the way.
Individual Location
Author: Diane Cullen
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