Victor Kettle - birth registered at Colchester, first quarter of 1881, mother's maiden name was Clark.
"Mrs. Kettle, of Burlington Road, Colchester, has received the following letter from her son, Lance-Cpl. Edgar Kettle, of the 1st Essex Regiment. Lance-Corpl. Kettle's elder brother received his death wound at Paardeberg and this letter contains an account of how his younger brother Private V. Kettle was fatally wounded at Driefontein. Thus of three brothers who went out with the 1st Essex in November last, Lance-Corpl. Edgar Kettle is the one survivor. The letter is dated March 15, and is written from Bloemfontein. It runs: -
"I hardly know how to write to you with all the trouble and worry I have had lately. I know what it must be for you waiting for news from us as I am waiting for news about Vic. He fell on March 10, at Drayfontein, I believe it is called, and this is March 15, and still no news, though I fear the worst. We were on the march, from 6 o'clock in the morning till about one o'clock, when we came I touch with the enemy. As we started the Boers retired off the first ridge; our regiment was on the left when we got on the ridge, which was flat on top. It was swept with a terrible rifle and shell fire, and we dropped flat on our faces. It was terrible; we had the big guns firing into us straight from the left side, which went right down. It was there poor Vic was hit. He shouted for me and I ran to him, though it was almost certain death to show yourself. I got another chap to help me and we carried him off a little way, then we stopped to dress him. Poor old Vic! He could not feel where the bullet had entered. He was hit in the left shoulder about the top of the shoulder blade, and the bullet came out just above his stomach. It was a very clean hit by a Mauser, and he did not bleed. The holes were just like eyelet holes in one's boots. He never lost his senses, and while we were dressing the wound the other chap was hit on the side of the head, but his helmet turned the bullet off in some marvellous way. It came out at the top just grazing his head, and Vic. asked me if there was anyone hit as he could hear it. We carried him to Hospital, and he kept saying to me "You won't trouble will you, mate." We got him down all right, and I saw that everything was done for him that could be done. Then I told him I was going back to the Company, and he said "Yes, mate, go back to the firing line, and take these," and he gave me his belt and two silver rings he had on. He said "Goodbye mate, you won't trouble will you." I then went to my Company. It was awful! We went about a mile across the plain till we got to the kopjes. We took them with the bayonet; we formed up when it was dark, and then went out to pick up the dead and wounded. It took us till nearly dawn, and at daybreak we marched off again. So I had no chance of seeing Vic again, but I heard the night after that he was dead; but we have not heard anything official about it yet. So, I am still hoping for the best. No doubt you will know before me as the field hospital is a long way from here. We marched for three days after the fight, and entered Bloemfontein on March 14."
Essex County Standard, Saturday 14th April 1900
