World War I: Walter Hipkins, A Letter From the Western Front

By Craig: It has been a century since the Great War which was supposed to have been the war that ended all wars. I have been reading a lot about it over the last few months and decided to do an article for this blog. On June 15, 1915 the Boston Post  published an article which I will post here in its entirety. The article relates details of a letter that my Uncle, Walter Hipkins, wrote to his brother, (my Great-Grandfather) Frederick T Hipkins who had been invalided out of the Royal Navy, and was at this time working as President of the United States Match Plate Company. Walter was serving in the South Staffordshire Regiment in France at the time.

He Writes From The Trenches

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Boston Man Tells of "Gas" War, German "Snipers," Etc.

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Fred T. Hipkins who lives in the Forest Hills district has just received a letter from his brother, Walter, who is fighting with the allied troops in the trenches in France. The letter is one of the most interesting yet received in this country.

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Praises German Soldiers

It praises the Germans as soldiers and says the Germans have the best equipment of any army in the world. Notwithstanding this he says, the English will go on fighting until they win. He says that the efficiency of the German "snipers" is so great that it is a 10 to one shot if a soldier on the side of the allies should put his head over the parapet of his trench in the daytime, he would be hit.

The letter also gives great praise to the Canadian contingent on the firing line and bids the Germans beware of them. The letter says:

"We have been in this country three months, and two of these we have spent on the firing line, so you can guess I know a little about it now, and am also getting used to it. Bullets and shells, my boy, are not snowballs, but I am hoping they will give me a miss, as I can't say I am anxious to become a property owner in this country; but I am sorry to say we have already lost a good few of our fellows. But are we downhearted? No. We shall stick to it until we win. They can kick an Englishman if he is on the floor, but he will get up smiling. What say you, brother? I must say this. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. The German soldiers are brave men. their equipment is the best in the world. Their snipers command your respect, for if you put your head above the parapet of your trench in the daytime, it is 10 to one you are among the empties. But when we shine and beat them, it is because we never know when we are beaten. And if all our officers were shot down, and the N.C.O said keep on firing, we should do so. They (meaning the Germans) would not. And there is the difference between the two greatest nations in the world.

"I have met some of the Canadians and they are a smart looking lot of men. They will do some mischief. Thank God for our colonies and for what makes them come from all over the world when the old flag is in danger. This question takes some answering. Is there any other country in the world, or nation, that could do what we are doing? I say no. And what is the cause of it all? I for myself put it in two words-"freedom" and "justice."

Denounces "Gas" War

"To die by a bullet or shell is war, but by gas it is murder. It is impossible for me to describe the horrors of it all. To see all these villages and towns in ruins. Thousands upon thousands of lives lost and what for? Just for the vanity of one man who talks about God more than he believes in him. I do not know how long it will be before you get this letter. Lots of things might happen in the meantime. Even while writing this letter, our artillery are firing and kicking up a nice row. Someone looks like getting hurt. We go into the trenches tonight just to send a few more rounds at them.

That reminds me of a dirty incident they did in the trenches when the Lusitania was sunk. They stuck up a piece of board over the trench with these words on it "What about the Lusitania?" Our reply was the Union Jack from the top of our trench, but thank God they did not hit it."



2nd Lt. Walter Hipkins

Worcestershire Regiment

Walter Hipkins was born in Coseley Staffordshire in 1888. He enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment in March 1915 and served with this regiment until he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on  27 June 1917 at which time he was transferred to the Worcestershire Regiment. He was posted to the 5th Special Reserve Battalion at Fort Tregantle, Cornwall. Apparently he was taking a break from the front line action that he had seen with the South Staffordshire Regiment, but it was to be short lived. He was soon back in France posted to the 1st Battalion. The 1st Worcestershire was commanded by Major F. C. Roberts. During the afternoon of March 22, 1918 the 1st Worcestershire boarded a troop train for the front lines and by that night had reached Amiens on the Somme. After a delay the journey resumed and by 0230 on the morning of March 23 the Battalion reached Nesle. The troops detrained and the 1st Worcestershire marched to Pargny where they took up defensive positions along the slopes of the river bank. The Germans had pushed the 5th army back and they were now in retreat. The 1st Worcestershire began to see the retreating troops come through their lines at around 1400. The pursuing Germans were right behind them, but the 1st Worcestershire stopped their advance. Sometime that evening Major Roberts found out that the Germans had taken the village of Pargny and he decided that a counter-attack was necessary to retake the village. That evening he led two companies of the Battalion into the village and pushed the Germans back across the river. 2nd Lt. Hipkins was wounded during this fighting which took place along a few country lanes, and around a churchyard. Sometime the following day the English realized that they were about to be encircled and therefore retreated to a stronger position along a railway embankment.

Officers and NCO's 1st Worcestershire, March 1918



2nd Lt. Walter Hipkins survived the horrors of the Great War and was awarded the 1915 Star Medal along with the British and Victory Medals for his service. Ironically, and sadly he would meet his death during another war. On February 28, 1941 he was killed by shrapnel falling down his chimney during a German air raid.