Brittain, Vera, Diary, 5 July 1916

00000307-3.jpg
Description: 
Diary of Vera Brittain

Tabs

Case Study: 
From Youth to Experience: Vera Brittain’s Work for Peace in Two World Wars
Creator: 
Brittain, Vera
Source: 
diary
Date: 
5 July 1916
Collection/Fonds: 
Contributer: 
McMaster University Libraries
Rights: 
Vera Brittain estate; McMaster University has a non-exclusive licence to publish this document.

Identifier: 
00000307-3
Language: 
eng
Type: 
image
Format: 
jpg
Transcript: 

he must have been blown up by a shell, but his body was found, long afterwards. All we know of him on that day was that he was wounded by shrapnel in the stomach, & when two of the attacking party stopped to pick him up & carry him in, he told them to "Go on & not bother about him". At least one can be thankful that this episode of his heroism came to light. It is such things that help us to live through this War.
Edward himself had to lead the first wave of his company. Capt. Harris & Lt. Harrison were both in the second. They were not the very first to attack, and while they were waiting to go over the parapet, whole crowds of wounded began to come in & block up the trench, & not only this, but a certain battalion of the K.O.Y.L.I. deceived by German counter-orders [?], got into a panic & came running back. What with the blocked trench & the sight of the wounded, the panic began to communicate itself to Edward's men. Had it not been for him they would never have gone. He wouldn't live through that struggle again, he says, even for the V.C. Twice he had to go back to rally them. Finally he got them over the parapet...He was wounded for the first time when about 90 yards along "No Man's Land" by a bullet through his thigh; he tried to go on but could not; he fell, & crawled into a shell hole. Quite soon a shell burst very close to him & either a bit of this or a machine-gun bullet went through his left arm above the elbow. It seemed far worse pain than the bullet in his