War Stories
An account of the Battle of the Somme by Private Tom Easton, 2nd Battalion Tyneside Scottish
On July 1st I was not yet 20. When the whistle blew for the assault, the bagpipes started and we advanced towards the crater side-by-side, we didn’t want to look like cowards.
There were enormous losses. Out of 1000 men there remained only one officer and 200 men.
Later there was one event that remains etched in my memory. During the attack we moved along the German front line where I saw one of my best friends sitting at a German artillery position.
He called me over and when I got to him he asked me to sit down.
I protested, telling him we had other things to do.
He said it wouldn’t take long and asked me if I could hear music. I could hear absolutely nothing.
He described what he could see: “The whole sky was opening up. Orchestras were playing, choir were singing, and all the ancestors were there telling him to come and join them”. He held his arms out. “There’s my old father he says, they’re waiting for me”.
He fell forward and I saw he had no back. A piece of shrapnel had gone through his chest.
These things shake you. But it was a momentous experience for me and in spite of the shock, it gave me the courage to do my duty as a soldier.

Photo by Stijn Swinnen on Unsplash