Hell on earth

First World War Audio Archive

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Hell on earth

Transcript

The next morning we were told we were going to go over the top at

Soldier standing "at ease."

5:06 in the morning. It was September the 15th. A whistle started to blow, daylight was breaking and the first tanks that ever roamed over no-man’s land came across the trenches. And the bugle whistled and we had to help one another over the front-line trench. In the meantime, the German artillery had got a line on our trenches and they let us have it, and all hell broke loose. I saw a man, wounded, scream like a horse. I saw blood coming out

Soldier sitting on a chair, holding his hat and a baton in each hand.

of their ears, out of their mouth. Now, if you don’t think you get scared when that happens, you’re scared and you’re scared to death. We went over the top and we advanced to a place called Thiepville. There, it had been a sugar refinery, the factory was partly standing and partly blown to pieces. It was 1100 yards we had to advance that morning. That was the first time in the entire year we had ever been and seen the wide open country, by the trenches, by the battles, in the trenches where they were. Of course, the trees were shredded, just stubs of trees, the leaves and branches had gone from shellfire. We gave the Germans three days of steady, honest, artillery fire. The guns only, two or three hundred yards behind us, what they

Picture of five friends who enlisted together in the forces.

called whizz bang guns, 18 pounder guns, and they fired for three days and three nights over our head. I seen some of the men were so scared, and despondent. I know of one individual, Tom was about 24-25 years of age, a tall stately young man, and being a musician he wasn’t accustomed to anything like we going through there. And I remember trying to talk to him and blood was coming out of his ears from the explosion of the artillery and such. Anyway, when we got to this refinery, that’s where we had to dig

Mr.Hatch wearing a suit.

in to make our trenches for the night before we could advance further. When daylight broke the very next morning, I remember a young group of Canadian boys still in their uniforms as if on parade, were there to reinforce us. I’ve got my two stripes, I’m now a corporal, and I’m standing on top of the trench watching the boys start digging to change the trench around

Mr.Hatch in a suit with his arm around a young girl.

somewhat, and a shell came so close that I didn’t have time to jump down in the trench where they were digging. I just stood the there and the shrapnel pellets were going all around my feet and I saw at least 25 of the boys killed right there and then. They just got to the trench, just got to the trench. Well, the dirt from that explosion on the ground knocked me flat on my face. I put my hand at the back of my neck and off came skin and hair and everything.

Description

Mr. Hatch describes reaching their day’s objective, a bombed out sugar factory at Thiepville, and the devastation caused by a single shrapnel bomb.

George Frederick Hatch

George Frederick Hatch was born in Manchester, England, on May 15, 1898. He moved to Colborne, Ontario, with his parents in 1904. After his father was killed in the Boer War, Mr. Hatch worked on the family farm. He ran away to enlist at the age of sixteen, and, with the help of a creative recruiter, was accepted into the 20th Canadian Overseas Infantry Battalion, going overseas in May 1915. He spent Christmas at Ypres, and then saw serious action at the Somme, where he was wounded. Mr. Hatch then joined the Royal Flying Corps, firstly as a “volunteer” machine gunner and then as a fully qualified pilot. He was shot down and, although partially blinded by his own blood, was able to land safely behind his own lines. After the war, Mr. Hatch emigrated to the United States, living in Virginia, then Montana. He and his wife were killed in a car accident on November 26, 1986.

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