My name is John Jarvis Tinlin, I was born in Edinburgh on the 5th May 1884, I married Susan Ure Bowie on the 14th February 1908, we had five children Susie,Peter, Nessie, Jackie and Robert, I worked as a mercantile clerk until the great war was declared in 1914. I was 29. Everyone is so excited about going to war to fight the Germans little did we know about the ensuing conflicts, the horror and reality that would affect so many people for generations to come.
I join up and am sent for training down in Gosport near Liverpool, I am designated to the 39th siege battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. After training for 6 months we are sent to France, There was immense preparation, digging of trenches, duck boards timber and sand bags all had to be carried by hand the last one or two miles to the front line, this often had to be carried out in the cover of darkness and silently so the enemy could not detect us.
I have been home on leave several times you get six days two I spent travelling two at home and two to get back things are hard back home, Susan is about to give birth to our fourth child. The women have been stalwarts and seem to hold everything together, my sisters work in the roparee and help Susan out with the children when they can.
This bloody war, how long can it last for? We are sent to Flanders in December 1916, I don’t think I have ever experienced such coldness, the ground is like a rock and icy winds blow over the trenches, sometimes there are lulls in the fighting we play cards, sing songs write to our loved ones.
July 31st 1917 the battle of Ypres commences the noise is unbearable its been raining for days turning the ground in to a swirling swamp, the shells are relentless, landing yards away from you, we dive head first into our dugouts, there are roars of laughter from the men in dugouts behind you! We would also roar with laughter when the same exploding shells landed close to them.
I write hastily to Susan that night my hands are shaking, I,m exhausted very little sleep and very little food, Ive got to keep going this could be the end of this horrendous slaughter, im doing my bit
August 15th 1917 We trudge on through the mud, dead bodies lie face up in hideous shades of blues and greens, the shells bombarding us are relentless, we pull soldiers from the drowning mud the duck boards are no good as they sink slowly into the mud as we try to push the big guns towards the ridge, I feel strange, I fear for my life, we play stupid games in the dark, hum our favourite tunes some are praying out loud. They say it’s the shell that you don’t hear is the one that gets you.
August 16th 2017 A new dawn begins as cruel as the day before, having lived for days in close contact with my comrades in this contracted space, smoking incessantly, the sweet nicotine helping to endure the horror surrounding you. The noise is driving me insane you think I would be used to it by now. Our commanding officer briefs us its time to go. We proceed to fire the guns, the return fire is deadly. I feel a thud and fall back into the oozing mud which is starting to feel good now, the last thing I see is my lovely wife surrounded by our children blowing me a kiss.
John Jarvis Tinlin
Killed in Action – 16th August 1917
