My grandfather, Edgar Spencer, was the batman of 2nd Lieutenant William Ward Odell MC who had played first class cricket for Leicestershire. On the 4th October 1917 during the Battle of Broodseinde my grandfather was with Lt Odell. The offensive began at 06:00am. At 06:30am Lt Odell was hit in the lung by a sniper’s bullet whilst trying to redirect the section. My grandfather tried to help but Lt Odell, mortally wounded, waved him away. Two minutes later my grandfather was hit by shrapnel. Regaining consciousness sometime later, my grandfather reported Lt Odell’s death to Captain Joseph Francis McCormack before being taken to be treated. My grandfather told of sharing a light rail trolley with a wounded German soldier who said to him “War is bad”. 

 

 

Sue Spencer