"Doing our Bit for the Country" contains transcripts of 30 letters sent home by Walter Pounds M.M during the First World War. Several letters were written on the battlefields in Flanders and France including the one copied below dated June 1916, others while in hospitals recovering twice from war wounds. "Dear Mother Just a line in hast to you letting you know I am quite safe after the Battle we have had here this last week. I think I told you we were on a short rest but it only lasted a few day as we had quick orders to come back to the firing line & I can tell you we have had a hot time of it and lost 600 yards of trenches but I think we have got most of them back again for the Artillery shelled them out of it. We had the order to get back one afternoon and the whole of the 17 miles we had to walk at a fast rate and the whole of the way it poured with rain. When we got to our position we were like drowned rats we did not land until 1:30 in the morning & all that night we had to be firing & all the next night. We have only had one night in bed this week & then we had had to sleep fully dressed they did not use gas this time but liquid fire. It has been a hot time. We are expecting another clash any day now but I think we shall hold them. We have had several air raids this last day we only had 10 German planes over this morning & all today we have had plenty of fighting in the Air as well as down below. It is a devil out here for mud lately but today sunny. I only wish it would keep like it for a week or so. This letter will be posted in England as one of my Pals is on leave in England I wish I was coming with him as I am fed up with the life out here. It is a regular tramps life & we have no fires to have a warm by but we keep on smiling as long as we are doing our bit for the country. It makes you feel rather sorry for this country to see the wreck of the place, the fields around our guns are just like a quarry for it is full of shell holes & they smashed some of dugouts in the other night. We have had a few of our lads killed & others died of wounds but I think it lucky for any of us to be alive. Our position is just outside the town of Ypres. I expect you often see the name in the papers we are about 50 yards from the main Calais road of which the Germans have so many times to get for. If we let them through here they would have a straight run to Calais but they have something to do to get through though we had a job hold them the other week. So just look out for an attack around Ypres and hill 60 because I will be in them. Must now close. Hoping this finds you all well as it leaves me in the best.Love Walter" This book also contains his army records and awards while serving 41/4 years with the British Royal Garrison Artillery in France and Belgium in the 1914-1918 war. He also received two Police medals for voluntary service, during more than 25 years, as a Special Police Constable before, during and for many years after the Second World War 1939-1945. Walter Pounds M.M. (b. 1895, d.1991) was born in the 'Bee Hive', Church Lane in Newton Solney, Derbyshire, England and started work at age 13 on the Ratcliff estate, first as a stable boy later becoming gamekeeper/ woodsman. Following discharge from army service, he continued his gamekeeper and woodsman duties on the Ratcliff estate at Newton Solney. Throughout his life, Walter Pounds M.M. recorded the highlights of daily events in large ledgers and small diaries. The book content titles include: The Ratcliff estate in Newton Solney Training dogs Pheasant and Partridge shoots Hunting rabbits using ferrets Fishing on the river Dove Special Constable Walter Pounds M.M. Walter Pounds M.M. and his Pound_ ancestors The passing of Walter Pounds M.M. at age ninety-six This book is available for on-line ordering through Amazon.com In the "search space" enter The ISBN number: 978-1490312194 Then click on "Doing our Bit for the Country" Walter Pounds M.M.
About the Author: Derrick Pounds Eng is a retired mechanical engineer who grew up with his father Walter Pounds and his mother Florence on the Ratcliff estate in Newton Solney, Derbyshire, England. He served a 6 year Engineering Apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce, Derby, emigrating to Canada in 1957. As their technical representative he worked for Rolls-Royce in Canada and the USA perfecting the overhaul of aircraft engines. In 1965 he joined the Pulp and Paper industry where he spent 25 years first as project engineer, later as director of engineering followed by 5 years with Environment Canada, monitoring the implementation of effluent regulations at 110 Pulp and Paper mills.