Bag of Bombs

Another in the series of letters home from the files at The Elgin Military Museum. Those on the homefront were desperate for news. Many of the letters found their way into the local newspaper - in this case the St. Thomas Journal so the community could share the apprehension, joy or sorrow.

Pte Tweed Tells of Capture
of Trench and His Wounding

St. Thomas Journal June 26, 1915

Writing from a hospital in France, Bomb Thrower Charles Tweed, who is reported suffering from concussion, tells his mother, Mrs. Annie Tweed, 20 Weldon Avenue, a graphic story of a charge on a German trench in which he figured. He was wounded by the explosion of a German bomb and removed to a dressing station. The letter follows:

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Dear Mother and Brother –

A few lines to let you know that I am getting along all right. I am a great deal better now and expect to be back at the front again in two or three weeks. I was not seriously wounded so I am not being sent to England. I am somewhere in France, in a hospital and being treated like a prince. We have a good lot of doctors and nurses looking after us and we get a lot of cigarettes and tobacco from the parson. He has brought up a gramophone to our ward last night and it is playing all kinds of tunes just now. So you may see we are having some time.

Bomb Throwers to the Front

I had better tell you how I was wounded. There was an attack coming off but the 1st Battalion was not taking part in it. However the regiment attacking lost nearly all its bomb throwers and the bomb throwers of the 1st Battalion were sent in their place. There are only two St. Thomas bomb throwers, Corp. Freeman and myself so we were the only boys from home in this particular charge, the rest being in reserve. We got up to where the charge was to be made and all got a good supply of bombs. Then came the order “Bomb throwers to the front.”

God Help the Germans

We led the charge and when we got close enough to the German trenches we threw the bombs into them. It prevented them from charging or shooting at our men when they charged. Well, I got out of the trench and started crawling towards the German trench with rifle loaded, bayonet fixed and a bag full of bobs. It was ‘God help the Germans’ if we get close to them.

Only Twenty-five Yards Apart

It was very hard to advance for the Germans were but twenty five yards from us but we got by all right and the order came to charge. We were all excited and you should have heard the yells as we started on the run. It was like a hell for a minute. Machine guns were sweeping all around us and the Germans kept up a rapid fire on us as we went along. But we had only a short distance to go and were soon in the German trenches. The Germans “beat it” as hard as they could go. They are poor fighters when it comes to bayonet work but I “got” one and I have his helmet as a souvenir.

I Got It

Well, we had taken that part of the trench so we started to go along to drive the out of another portion that they still held. It was there that I was hit. One of the German bomb throwers threw a bomb at us and it exploded right at my feet. I received a little cut over my right eye and my back was bruised and hurt so I had to quit fighting and was carried back to the dressing station. I am much better now. I can hobble around the ward and my eye is nearly all right so don’t worry.

Right: German 'bomb' (aka grenade)

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Sidney Gilbert went to the hospital about two weeks ago but is getting along fine.
 
Your loving son,
Charlie

More About Charlie

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Charles Tweed was born in Bathgate, Scotland on October 8th 1892.  He served for 5 years with the 10th Royal Scots before emigrating to Canada either with or after his mother and siblings. They lived at 127 Alma Street and Charlie worked as a machinist at the time of his attestation. He enlisted in the 1st Division, Canadian Expeditionary Force on September 23, 1914 and was discharged in January of 2018 with the rank of Sergeant.

The caption in the newspaper which accompanied this photo is as follows:

A telegram from headquarters has been received by Mrs. Weir, 74 Balaclava Street notifying her of the wounding of her son, Private Charles Tweed, No. 6749, who enlisted here with the First Battalion as bugler. Pte Tweed was employed in the machine department of the M.C.R. [Michigan Central Railroad] previous to his enlisting. He came to St. Thomas from

Montreal and was employed in the city about four months. This is the third time Pte Tweed has been reported wounded. The late Lieut. George Metcalfe in one of his letters reported Pte Tweed as being sprayed with vitriol [sulfuric acid] and splintered in the face with shrapnel. He was officially wounded a year ago, on May 22, 1915, suffering from concussion. A message today received by Mrs. Weir, stated that he had been wounded in the hip and admitted to No. 5 General Hospital, Leicester.
 
Pte Tweed on reaching the front took a bomb thrower’s course and has since been performing these duties.
 
He has an adopted brother now in France with the Pioneers and two brothers and his father in the 91st Battalion. The picture taken in France some months ago, shows Pte Tweed and Sergt. Hall in the trenches. Pte Tweed is watching Sergt. Hall shoot.