Circumstances of Casualty: Killed in Action.
Location of Unit at Time of Casualty: Vicinity of St. Julien.
BX May 17, 1915
Brantford Man is Killed in Action – Private Dudden Died for Country – First Word to That Effect Received in Letter From Pte. Bingham to His Wife – Interesting Letters from Boys on Firing Line and in Hospitals
That Christopher George Dudden of the 4th Battalion, late of Brantford, had died at the front, soon after the battle of Langemarck, saying “Well boys, I have done my little bit, Good-bye.” Was the information contained in a letter received this morning by Mrs. William Bingham, 41 Dundas Street, from her husband, Private William Bingham, a member of the Dufferin Rifles first contingent, now with the 4th Battalion. This is the first intimation received here about Private Dudden, who was well known here, having been sergeant in the signalling corps of the Dufferin Rifles, in which he served 3 ½ years.
The letter from Private Bingham tells in a most vivid manner of the horrors of that battle – the sight of chums and bedmates dropping one by one, as the advance continued, but at the end is a little note “it was worth it, success for us.”
The letter is as follows:
Dear Wife,
This is the first opportunity I have had of writing to you for some time. The place I have been in has been too hot to allow any time for writing. We have had an awful experience these last few days, but, thank God, I have come through safely.
I am not going to try to describe the horrors that I have witnessed. You will read all about it in the newspapers, better than I can tell you, but I can tell you we have had a great many casualties. In fact, it is a marvel to me that any of us escaped with our lives.
Scores of my chums fell all around me, some of them never to rise again. Those of us who reached the trench we started out to take seemed to have charmed lives. Bullets and shells were falling all round us like rain, but we still kept going on, making rushes of 70 to 100 yards at a time until we finally reached the trench ahead of us, covering over 1000 yards of open country, with nothing but Providence to protect us from the thousands of German bullets and shells. Well, we got there and held it all day, subjected the whole time to murderous artillery and machine gun fire, but it was useless. They could not shift us. We had a terrible time, but it was well worth it, for by holding out we prevented what might have been a big reverse, but instead has turned out to be a glorious success.
Quite a few fellows you knew have been either killed or wounded. Poor Chris Dudden has gone, his last words being: ‘Well, boys, I have done my bit. Good bye.’ Bert West got three severe wounds, but not fatal ones.
I cannot write much more. My nerves are too unsettled, but I am alive and in very good health, thank God, so do not worry. The war is coming to an end.
Your loving husband,
Will.
BX July 2, 1915
Two Brantford Men are Reported Killed – Pte. W. Lofty and Pte. C. Dudden – Pte. Dudden Had Been Unofficially Reported to Have Been Killed – Pte. Lofty Had Previously Been Reported Wounded in Langemarck Fighting – Local Recruiting On
The official casualty lists published at Ottawa this morning contains the names of two Brantford volunteers, they being reported as having given up their lives on the field of battle. One of the men is Pte. Christopher George Dudden, who boarded at 141 Nelson Street, prior to his enlistment, and who was reported in the list prepared by Major M.A. Colquhoun some weeks ago as having been killed in action in the fighting at Langemarck. A letter received in the city several weeks ago told of the last words of Private Dudden. Just before the last spark of life had departed he was heard by his comrades to say, “Good-bye lads, I have done my little bit.”
