KATHLEEN Guy from Friends of St Augustine's Church looks at this week's This Day in History diary entry of the Penarth Times from Thursday, February 25, 1915.

Two Penarth men give first hand accounts of life on the front line.

Trooper S. Towhill, of Glebe Street, tells of digging trenches at night and under fire, when one of his colleagues is hit:

Four of us were told to carry him to the first-aid outpost. The bullets were flying about pretty quickly, but we had to keep on, for he was losing a lot of blood. When we were about a hundred yards from the outpost we were obliged to lie down flat on the road beside the stretcher to cover our man from the bullets, which came across the road. It was like hell let loose. We could hear them hitting a tree about ten yards away. After a time we got up, and started off again, and although we had only a hundred yards to go, I felt sure one of us would go under. Anyhow we got there safely, and were not sorry.

The second account is anonymous:

A Penarth Guardsman, writing home, says: 'We have just come out (of the trenches) for 48 hours' rest, and no one would ever believe what it was like unless they were out here and saw it. We have had a very hard time of it, and we have been in the thickest of it ever since we have been out here.'

Two Penarth men were reported injured:

Sergeant E.O. Hammond, of 96, Cornerswell Road, Penarth, an old Penarth County School boy, serving in the 2nd Border Regiment, who was wounded at Armentieres, and is now home on sick leave.

Mr. W.S. Sweet-Escott, Victoria Road, Penarth, received a telegram on Tuesday announcing the fact that Second-Lieut. T. Sweet-Escott was severely wounded on February 20.

As his brother, Second-Lieut. T.R. Sweet-Escott was in the same regiment, there was some doubt as to which of the brothers was wounded.

Merchant ships continued to be targeted:

On Saturday last the s.s. Cambank was torpedoed off Anglesea. The second engineer, Mr. Ivor Morris, of Westbourne Road, Penarth, escaped in a lifeboat with 20 others.

And:

The s.s. Branksome Chine is reported a total wreck. Two of the crew who escaped were Arthur Simons and Edwin Rogers, both of Dock Street, Cogan. The men arrived from London on Wednesday evening, where they had been taken care of by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.

There was better news: Lieut. Nevill Thomas, a former half-back for Penarth, was mentioned in dispatches, and Mr. John Gibbs, of East Cliff, Penarth, had been promoted to Captain.

PENARTH LADY LEAVING FOR FRANCE

Miss Hilda Pearce, a member of Trinity Wesleyan Church, and also of the Penarth branch of the Red Cross Society, leaves tomorrow to join Mrs. Harry in her work among the wounded soldiers at Saumur.

In a letter from the Infirmiere Anglaise, Saumur, Mrs. Harry writes to thank the people of Penarth for gifts. She concludes:

I thank every one, on behalf of the sick and wounded, most heartily for all these gifts of a gramophone, crutches, slippers and sticks. I wish I could let you see the pleasure depicted on their faces; then you would realise what I want to tell you. But please send me some more sticks and slippers.

Here in Penarth, fundraising continues

A most successful and enjoyable social was held at the Drill Hall, in aid of the local funds for the widows and orphans of soldiers and sailors. It is estimated that about £12 will be handed over after all expenses are paid. All expressed themselves as having spent a most enjoyable evening, and were sorry when 'lights out' was sounded.

Amongst those present at this 'most enjoyable evening' were Lieut. and Mrs. P. Window. They were, of course, unaware that this war would cost the lives of both their sons. Kenneth and Lionel Window are named on the Roll of Honour in St. Augustine's Church. And what of the newly promoted Captain Gibbs? Sadly, his name also appears on the Roll of Honour.