Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times Article, Friday January 15th, 1915

RAVENSTONE SOLDIER’S BATTLES

THRILLING EXPERIENCES OF DRIVER PLOWMAN

Few soldiers from the Coalville district, perhaps, have seen more of the fighting than Driver R. Plowman, of the Royal Field Artillery, who has recently returned to his home at Ravenstone after being discharged from hospital, suffering from injury to his leg.

Plowman joined the army in August 1905, and served for six years, after which he worked at the Whitwick Colliery. Being six years in the reserve he was at once called up on the outbreak of war and left to join his regiment on Wednesday in the August holiday week. He was with the first British Expeditionary Force and has been present in all the principal engagements since then, including Mons, Le Osteau, Marne, Aisne, Soissons, Richberg and several fights round La Bassee and Ypres.

As the artillery took a prominent part in the famous retreat from Mons, Plowman had his share in that memorable event and he helped in the saving of the guns at Le Cateau. He was wounded near Ypres being struck in the leg with a piece of shrapnel while mounted, the explosion causing the horse to rear and unseat him. He speaks in high praise of the provisioning of the British army and the excellent manner in which the wounded are tended. When he left, he said, the British were gaining all along the line, but every yard was strongly contested and dearly bought. He bears out what other soldiers have said in regard to the poor marksmanship of the German infantry but says they are very good with their artillery though no better than the English.

“There is nothing like British pluck,” says Plowman, “Our troops are splendidly disciplined, have faith in their officers and would not flinch at anything. That’s where we are beating the Germans. I think we are on the right road now.” In reply to further questions, Plowman said they were forbidden to talk much about the actual operations, the authorities being very strict in this respect. Asked whether he had had any narrow escapes, Plowman replied, “I don’t know who has not,” and he produced from his knapsack a bullet from a German rifle which whistled past his ear during one engagement and stuck in a wall behind him. Another grim souvenir was a shrapnel bullet which also struck the wall, after passing through, and killing a comrade by his side. He has had several narrow escapes from the “Jack Johnsons” which, he said, ploughed up the ground terribly. Plowman has not actually been in the trenches, his work with the artillery being at the rear and he said that sometimes they would be firing at the enemy at a distance of four miles. The roads were very bad and made it bad for marching, especially with artillery. Everywhere they were splendidly received by the French people.

After being in hospital in France, Plowman arrived at Southampton on December 24th and was in hospital for some time in Cambridge, being coming home. He resides in Church Lane, Ravenstone, and has a wife and two children.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from the Coalville Times) by Andy Murby, September 2017.