Taking German Trenches - Rushden Soldier’s Thrilling Description
The British Advance on July 1st - Havoc from the British Guns
Sergt H. Pendered - Wounded In The Head

Mrs. J. Pendered, of 82 Queen-street, Rushden, paid a visit on Saturday to King George’s Hospital, Stamford-road, London, to see her son, Sergt. Horace Pendered, 19468, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, from whom she received news on Saturday morning that he had been wounded in the big push.

Mrs. Pendered found her son, who had a wound in the head, going on fairly well. He was able to give her a good description of his participation in the British advance in France on July 1st. He said that he was one of the first to lead the men over in the advance, and he and his men reached the fourth line of German trenches, though it was stated in newspapers afterwards that the British had only reached the third line. The British guns had worked awful havoc on the German trenches, even to the fourth line and beyond that. The trenches were smashed in almost beyond recognition, and Sergt. Pendered and his men set to work to dig and consolidate them. Then, when Sergt. Pendered was sitting down and smoking, a shell came over and he remembered no more until he found himself in a French hospital behind the fighting line.

A piece of the shell had struck him in the scalp, rendering him unconscious for four days, and but for his steel helmet, according to his own statement, he would not have seen daylight on this earth again.

In describing the advance Serg. Pendered said that all the officers went under and he himself had to take charge of the men. One officer was killed two minutes after the advance commenced. One of his platoon, only a mere boy, trembled with fright during the artillery duel just before the advance, and Sergt Pendered sent him down a dug-out for a little while. The lad seemingly got over his fright and came out again later and was instantly killed. In the opinion of a good many soldiers, such men as those, whose nerves are not unnaturally shaken to bits by the awful row of the guns and the indescribable scenes the shells produce, are in almost every case the first to go under. When a man at the front keeps his nerves together – as he eventually does after a short experience of the fighting – he carries with him confidence, and in many cases, an uncanny grip on life.

Sergt Pendered said that, despite his wound, he would not have missed that battle for the world. It was a glorious charge and a great experience.

The young sergeant, who is only 25 years old, is well known in Rushden and district as a school teacher. He was a pupil teacher some years ago in Rushden, and then a teacher at Earls Barton for 12 months. After that he went to a Sheffield Training Collage for school teachers for a year and a half. He left the college in December 1914, to join the Army and went out to France in December, 1915. One of his brothers, Harold Pendered, 21 years of age, is a private in the 3/4th Northants and is now serving with that regiment in ---------- .

Another brother, Mr. Ernest Pendered, is in Aberdeen, America.

Bombarded for Three Days - Rushden N.C.O.’s Experiences
What a “Whiz-Bang” Did - “Jack Johnsons” the Worse War and All Its Horrors

Sergt Horace Pendered, 19468, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, son of Mr. J. Pendered, of Queen-street, Rushden, writing to his brother, who is in America says:-

“I came out to France on December 7th and have now got used to the war and all its horrors. I have seen a great deal – much more than I ever thought I could ever stand when I was in civil life and more than I would be allowed to tell you in this letter. I think I have experienced all the horrors and hardships of war excluding gas, which so far it has been my lucky escape. I have had scores and scores of bullets just whiz past my head, but when you have been here a short time you take no notice of these. I have had a shell – a “whiz-bang” – burst within two yards of me. I have undergone a three day bombardment during which time the Germans sent over a thousand of their heavy shells as well as many of the smaller ones. I have experienced some of the worst weather in the trenches and when I look back over the past few months I think myself jolly lucky that I am here to tell the tale. I think the narrowest escape I ever had was from a “whiz-bang.” I was sitting in my dug-out with three others having my dinner when the Huns started shelling. The first shell they sent over skinned the top of my dug-out and exploded within two yards of the door. It sent up stones and earth in all directions throwing a piece of earth straight into the dug-out but luckily none of us were hit. We didn’t wait for Fritz to send another but were up and out of it sharp. If that shell dropped a yard short it would have been all up with your humble servant. I have also had my rifle smashed by a piece of trench mortar, these are about as big as a two gallon jar and when they explode they send earth and stones up to a height of about 30 yards and make a hole big enough to drop a house in. The ‘Jack Johnsons’ that Fritz sends are the worst; they make a row which can nearly be heard in America. One would think the earth was splitting. They blow up sand bags, earth or anything they can to a height of 50 yards.

“I am out of the trenches now and billeted in a large building just back of the firing line. I have a little room to myself. My only furniture is an iron bedstead and a hole in the wall serves as a window. When I look out of this I am reminded that winter is still with us, for the snow is gently falling outside.

“You ask me if we can drive the Huns back. Yes most decidedly, any time. We have them absolutely whacked and could have driven them back before now, but we want to do it with as little loss of life as possible.”

Unconscious for Ten Days
Rushden Sergeant’s Thrilling Experience - Saved by A Steel Helmet
How The Germans Bolted – “Yelling Like Blazes”

Sergt. Horace Pendered (Rushden), of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Pendered, of Queen-street, Rushden, has been spending ten days’ leave at home after eight months’ exciting experiences on the western front. He received three wounds in the Somme battle, and has been in hospital eleven weeks, having been discharged last Saturday. Interviewed by a representative of the “Rushden Echo,” he said:

“I got wounded on the first day of the big offensive, on July 1st. My platoon was in the first wave of the tide of advance. We went over the top of the parapet about 7.30 a.m. in broad daylight; as a matter of fact the sun was shining beautifully. For the last half-an-hour before the attack our artillery was engaged in the heaviest bombardment of the enemy’s lines since the commencement of the war. It was rapid fire, and every gun we had got was belching shell as fast as our gunners could load. We went over the parapet with pipes and cigarettes in our mouths, and we did not run but walked across to Fritz’s trenches in extended order. It was practically a surprise attack and when we got over the top the only fire we had to face for the first 20 or 30 yards was from the German sentries who had soon spotted us.

“When we had advanced about 50 yards across No Man’s Land I couldn’t find my platoon officer, so I asked the chap immediately next to me on my left if he had seen the officer. No sooner had he replied ‘No’ than down he went, either killed or wounded, I hadn’t time to stop and see. I put the same question to a man on my right but before he could answer me he was killed outright by a bullet from a sentry’s rifle. I then eased off a bit to the left myself to see if I could find the officer. I came across two officers lying face downwards on the ground. I caught hold of one by the shoulder and turned him over. He had a bullet wound right through the head but he wasn’t my officer. I then turned the other one over and found him to be my officer. He also was quite dead from a bullet wound in the forehead, the missile having passed right through the head.

“By this time the Germans had got wind of our game, and having had time to stand to were subjecting us to a murderous machine gun fire. When we had got to within about 50 yards of the enemy trenches I noticed a German in a half left position slinging bombs into our ranks as hard as he could. I had a dozen rapid shots at him and put ‘paid’ to his account.

“The bullets by this time were coming across like hail, and the shells were bursting here, there, and everywhere. However, nothing daunted, we continued our advance, although the platoon had lost heavily, quite half of my pals having gone down, either killed or wounded.

“I began to think that I must bear a charmed life, as, although my comrades had dropped all round, I hadn’t received a scratch. When we were within about 20 yards of their trenches we charged, but the Boches didn’t wait for a taste of the bayonet; they bolted as fast as their legs would carry them. They ran yelling like blazes, and we went yelling after them.

“We had a nice little game when we got them in the open, and were picking them off as fast as we could fire. As a matter of fact, my rifle got so hot that I was obliged to give it a rest, as I couldn’t hold it. I’ll bet there were not many of the Germans that we drove out reached their second line.

“The enemy, after we had driven them out of the first line, seemed to have had all the steam knocked out of them. We met with next to no resistance, as they seemed scared to death, and we went on and collared the second and third lines. We then reached a sunken road, and were held up here for a few minutes by enfilade fire from a German machine gunner.

“After staying there for about a quarter-of-an-hour our machine guns got going, and soon put the German machine gunner out of action. Here we received reinforcements from the supporting waves, and pushed on to a fourth trench, which we found had been evacuated by the Germans. They hadn’t waited for us, as our artillery had knocked their trenches all to bits.

“By this time we had very few men left, and the only officer remaining gave us the order to consolidate this trench. From this point the advance was taken up by the Durham Light Infantry, who passed through our ranks in their forward movement. It was whilst we were consolidating this position that I got hit. I can’t tell you how it happened, or what hit me – the last thing I can remember was supervising the men when they were digging in. This was on July 1st, and I must have lain unconscious for practically ten days, as the next thing I remember was coming to myself in a hospital in France on July 10th. I was bewildered when I recovered consciousness, and the first thing I asked was ‘Where am I? What day is it?’ The doctor told me I was in hospital. I had realised by that time that I had a scalp wound, because of the bandage round my head.

“Whilst in hospital in France I was twice operated upon in connection with my head wound, but it wasn’t until I reached England on July 14th that I realised that I had also received two wounds in the hip. I discovered this fact through turning over in bed, as when I turned I felt a pain in my right hip, and putting my hand down I discovered the bandage. Up to that time I had no idea that I had wounds other than those in my head.

“It is a wonder that I survived this ordeal, and the doctor told me that I must be a remarkably healthy man. I am convinced that I owe my life to the fact that I was wearing a steel helmet when hit, but as to what struck me I could no more tell you than the dead.

“At first I was practically stone deaf, and I cannot hear properly yet, although my hearing is gradually improving. The scalp wound was just behind the right ear.

“The Somme attack was the finest experience I have ever had in my life, and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

Asked whether he could express an opinion as to how long the war would last, Sergt. Pendered said:

“It will not be over this year, anyway. The general opinion, at that part of the line where I was, is that it will be finished by about the autumn of next year. However we have got the Germans well beaten any time, as our superiority in artillery and aircraft is definitely established. In regard to our aeroplanes our superiority is more noticeable than in any other part of the fighting machine. Our airmen stop at nothing, and they are absolutely “great.” For the past three months the German airmen have not dared to come over our lines, although when I first went out they were over very frequently.

“Another thing that has been established by this attack is that the German, although a good trench fighter, is absolutely whacked when he gets in the open. They have no partiality for cold steel. As soon as we can get them clear of the trenches they will go back towards Berlin with a rush, and they won’t be given another chance to dig themselves in as they have done hitherto.”

Sergt. Pendered enlisted about four or five months after the outbreak of war, and went to France last November. Prior to enlistment he was at Sheffield Training College, and after enlistment he acted as physical training instructor to the battalion, giving instruction in Swedish drill and bayonet fighting.

Rushden Soldier Ill - Sergt. Horace Pendered Now in Hospital

We are sorry to report that Sgt. Horace Pendered, of the K.O.Y.L.I., son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Pendered, of 82, Queen-street, Rushden, is ill and in hospital. He has not, however, been seriously ill, as was rumoured in the town, as about a week ago his mother visited him in hospital at Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, and found him very comfortable and progressing favourably.