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diff --git a/22074-h/22074-h.htm b/22074-h/22074-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55a9724 --- /dev/null +++ b/22074-h/22074-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6324 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade, by Edward Lord Gleichen</title> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- + +body {font-size: 1em; text-align: justify; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} + +h1 {font-size: 140%; text-align: center; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h1.pg {font-size: 190%; text-align: center; margin-top: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em;} +h2 {font-size: 130%; text-align: center; margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h4 {font-size: 120%; text-align: center; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h4.pg {font-size: 90%; text-align: center; margin-top: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em;} + +a:focus, a:active {outline:#ffee66 solid 2px; background-color:#ffee66;} +a:focus img, a:active img {outline: #ffee66 solid 2px; } + +abbr {border: none; text-decoration: none;} + +ul.toc {list-style-type: none; margin-left: 10%;} +ul.text {list-style-type: none; margin-left: 5%; text-indent: -1em;} + +p {text-indent: 1em;} +p.footnote {text-indent: 0em;} +p.center {text-indent: 0em;} +p.noindent {text-indent: 0em;} + +span.ralign {position: absolute; right: 15%; top: auto;} + +.pagenum {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; right:0; + font-size: 13px; text-align: right; + color: #C0C0C0; background-color: inherit;} + +.ind2 {text-indent: 2em;} +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps; font-size: 95%;} +.smaller {font-size: smaller;} + +.p2 {margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} +.p4 {margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 1em;} + +.add2em {margin-left: 2em;} + +.figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center; margin-top: 2em;} +.center {text-align: center;} + +.left60 {margin-left: 60%; text-align: left;} + + hr.full { width: 100%; + margin-top: 0em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + border: solid black; + height: 5px; } + pre {font-size: 75%; } +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> +<h1 class="pg">The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade, +by Edward Lord Gleichen</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade</p> +<p> August 1914 to March 1915</p> +<p>Author: Edward Lord Gleichen</p> +<p>Release Date: July 14, 2007 [eBook #22074]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE***</p> +<br><br><center><h4 class="pg">E-text prepared by David Clarke, Christine P. Travers,<br> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br> + (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net/c/">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br> + from digital material generously made available by<br> + Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries<br> + (<a href="http://www.archive.org/details/toronto">http://www.archive.org/details/toronto</a>)</h4></center><br><br> +<p> </p> +<center> +<table border=0 bgcolor="ccccff" cellpadding=10 width="80%"> + <tr> + <td valign="top"> + Note: + </td> + <td> + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See + <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/fifteenthbrigad00gleiuoft"> + http://www.archive.org/details/fifteenthbrigad00gleiuoft</a> + </td> + </tr> +</table> +</center> +<p> </p> +<div class="smaller"> +<p class="center">Transcriber's note:</p> + +<p class="noindent">Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. All other +inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's +spelling has been preserved.</p> + +<p class="noindent">The missing word "in" has been added in the sentence:<br> +<br> +<p class="ind2">However, I detached the Dorsets to move along the canal bank +from <span lang="fr">Gorre</span> and get in touch with the French. + +<p class="ind2">Weatherby, who had cantered off to get in touch with them,...</p> + +<p class="noindent"><strong>Accessibility:</strong> Expansions of abbreviations have been provided using the <abbr> tag, and changes in language are marked. +Speech rendering will be improved if voices for the following languages are available: fr, de, nl.</p> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<hr class="full"> +<p> </p> + +<h1>The Doings of the<br> +Fifteenth Infantry Brigade<br> +August 1914 to March 1915</h1> + +<a id="img001" name="img001"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img001.jpg" width="500" height="322" alt="Some of brigade headquarters." title=""> +<p><span class="smcap" lang="fr">L. de <abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> A.</span> <span class="add2em smcap">J. T. W.</span> +<span class="add2em smcap">G.</span> <span class="add2em smcap">A. L. M.-B.</span> <span class="add2em smcap">R. E. B.</span><br> +<i>photo by</i> <i>Lieut. H. M. Cadell, <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr></i><br> SOME OF BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS.</p> +</div> + +<h1>The Doings of the<br> +Fifteenth Infantry Brigade<br> +August 1914 to March 1915</h1> + +<p class="center">BY</p> + +<h2>ITS COMMANDER</h2> + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Brigadier-General COUNT GLEICHEN,</span><br> +(now Major-General <span class="smcap">Lord Edward Gleichen</span>),<br> +<span class="smcap"><abbr title="Knight commander of the Royal Victorian Order">K.C.V.O.</abbr>, <abbr title="Companion of the Order of the Bath">C.B.</abbr>, +<abbr title="Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George">C.M.G.</abbr>, <abbr title="Distinguished Service Order">D.S.O.</abbr></span></p> + + +<p class="p4 center">William Blackwood & Sons<br> +Edinburgh and London<br> +1917</p> + +<h2>NOTE.</h2> + + +<p>The following pages—not in the first instance intended for +publication—contain an expanded version of the very scrappy Diary +which I kept in France from day to day.</p> + +<p>The version was intended for private home consumption only, and has +necessarily had to be pruned of certain personal matters before being +allowed to make its bow to the public. I have purposely refrained from +adding to it in the light of subsequent events.</p> + +<p>I trust that the reader will consequently bear in mind the essentially +individual and impressionist aspects of this little work, and will not +expect to find either rigidly historical, professional, or critical +matter therein.</p> + +<p><span class="left60">G.</span><br> +<i>14th August 1917.</i></p> + + + +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> + + +<div class="smcap"> +<ul class="toc"> +<li><a href="#page001">UP TO THE EVE OF <span lang="fr">MONS</span></a> +<span class="ralign">1-21</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page022">THE BATTLE OF <span lang="fr">MONS</span></a> +<span class="ralign">22-38</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page039"><span lang="fr">MONS</span> TO <span lang="fr">LE CATEAU</span></a> +<span class="ralign">39-43</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page044"><span lang="fr">LE CATEAU</span></a> +<span class="ralign">44-56</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page057">THE RETREAT</a> +<span class="ralign">57-86</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page087">THE ADVANCE</a> +<span class="ralign">87-93</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page094">THE <span lang="fr">MARNE</span></a> +<span class="ralign">94-102</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page103">TO THE <span lang="fr">AISNE</span></a> +<span class="ralign">103-111</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page112">THE <span lang="fr">AISNE</span></a> +<span class="ralign">112-140</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page141">WESTWARD HO!</a> +<span class="ralign">141-149</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page150"><span lang="fr">ABBEVILLE</span> TO <span lang="fr">BÉTHUNE</span></a> +<span class="ralign">150-157</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page158"><span lang="fr">GIVENCHY</span> AND <span lang="fr">FESTUBERT</span></a> +<span class="ralign">158-198</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page199">TO <span lang="fr">BAILLEUL</span></a> +<span class="ralign">199-205</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page206">TO <span lang="fr">YPRES</span></a> +<span class="ralign">206-208</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page209">THE FIRST BATTLE OF <span lang="fr">YPRES</span></a> +<span class="ralign">209-248</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page249">BACK TO <span lang="fr">LOCRE</span></a> +<span class="ralign">249-251</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page252">TRENCH LIFE OPPOSITE <span lang="fr">MESSINES</span></a> +<span class="ralign">252-280</span></li> + +<li><a href="#page281">GIVING UP COMMAND</a> +<span class="ralign">281-283</span></li> +</ul> +</div> + +<h2>SKETCH-MAPS.</h2> + +<div class="smcap"> +<ul class="toc"> +<li><a href="#img002"><span lang="fr">BOUSSU-WASMES</span></a> +<span class="ralign">28</span></li> + +<li><a href="#img003"><span lang="fr">MISSY-ON-AISNE</span></a> +<span class="ralign">123</span></li> + +<li><a href="#img004"><span lang="fr">GIVENCHY-VIOLAINES</span></a> +<span class="ralign">167</span></li> + +<li><a href="#img005">THE FOOTBRIDGE OVER THE CANAL</a> +<span class="ralign">175</span></li> + +<li><a href="#img006"><span lang="nl">BEUKENHORST</span> (NEAR <span lang="fr">YPRES</span>)</a> +<span class="ralign">211</span></li> + +<li><a href="#img007">THE <span lang="fr">MESSINES</span> FRONT</a> +<span class="ralign">255</span></li> +</ul> +</div> + +<h2>ILLUSTRATION.</h2> + +<ul class="toc"> +<li><span class="smcap"><a href="#img001">SOME OF BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS</a></span> +<span class="ralign"><i>Frontispiece</i></span></li> +</ul> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page001" name="page001"></a>(p. 001)</span> <h1>The Doings of the<br> +Fifteenth Infantry Brigade.<br> +August 1914 to March 1915.</h1> + + +<p>In accordance with the order received at Belfast at 5.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> on the +4th, the 15th Brigade started mobilizing on the 5th August 1914, and +by the 10th was complete in all respects. We were practically ready by +the 9th, but a machine-gun or two and some harness were a bit late +arriving from Dublin—not our fault. Everything had already been +rehearsed at mobilization inspections, held as usual in the early +summer, and all went like clock-work. On the 8th we got our final +orders to embark on the 14th, and on the 11th the embarkation orders +arrived in detail.</p> + +<p>Brigade Headquarters consisted of myself, Captain Weatherby (Oxford +<abbr title="Light Infantry">L.I.</abbr>) as Brigade <span class="pagenum"><a id="page002" name="page002"></a>(p. 002)</span> Major, Captain Moulton-Barrett (Dorsets), +Staff Captain, Captain Roe (Dorsets), Brigade Machine-Gun Officer, +Lieutenant Cadell, <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, Signalling Officer, and Lieutenant Beilby, +Brigade Veterinary Officer. Military Police, <abbr title="Army service corps">A.S.C.</abbr> drivers, postmen, +and all sorts of odds and ends arrived from apparently nowhere in +particular, and fitted together with extraordinary little effort. The +battalions grew to unheard-of sizes, and by the time that all was +complete the Brigade numbered 127 officers, 3958 men, 258 horses, and +74 vehicles.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 14th.</i></p> + +<p>The Cheshires<a id="footnotetag1" name="footnotetag1"></a><a href="#footnote1">[1]</a> and Bedfords<a id="footnotetag2" name="footnotetag2"></a><a href="#footnote2">[2]</a> arrived by train in the early morning +of the 14th from 'Derry and Mullingar and went straight on board their +ships—Brigade Headquarters, Dorsets,<a id="footnotetag3" name="footnotetag3"></a><a href="#footnote3">[3]</a> and half the Norfolks<a id="footnotetag4" name="footnotetag4"></a><a href="#footnote4">[4]</a> +being in one, Cheshires and the other half of the Norfolks in another, +and the Bedfords in a third.</p> + +<p>Great waving of handkerchiefs and cheering <span class="pagenum"><a id="page003" name="page003"></a>(p. 003)</span> as we warped +slowly out of Belfast docks at 3 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> and moved slowly down the +channel.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 16th.</i></p> + +<p>The weather was beautifully fine on the passage, and on the 16th we +all arrived at our destination.</p> + +<p>The Bedfords had arrived on the previous tide to ourselves, and were +already fast alongside the quay. Orders were received from the +Disembarking Officer, and we disembarked and formed up independently +and marched off to Rest Camp No. 8, six miles off on the hills above +Havre.</p> + +<p>It had been pouring heavily on shore for two days, though it was quite +fine when we landed; so the ground where we were to encamp was mostly +sopping. It was not easy to find in the dark, especially as the +sketch-maps with which we were provided most distinctly acted up to +their names. Added to these difficulties, a motor-lorry had stuck on +the way up and blocked our transport for the night. I rode ahead +alone, but had immense difficulty in finding the Brigade Headquarters +Camp, which was quite a long way from the other battalion <span class="pagenum"><a id="page004" name="page004"></a>(p. 004)</span> +camps. These were dotted on the open fields at some distance from each +other, and pitched in no particular order, so that by the time I had +got my bearings and brought in the battalions, it was about 11 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> +There was of course no baggage, nor anything to sleep on except the +bare ground under the tents, with our saddles for pillows; and as a +pleasant excitement nearly all our horses stampeded about 2 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, tore +up their picketing-pegs from the soft ground, and disappeared into the +darkness in different directions.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 17th.</i></p> + +<p>Daylight, however, brought relief, and a certain amount of our +transport; and all the horses were discovered in course of time and +brought back. Most of the morning was spent, unsuccessfully, in trying +to bring up the remaining transport up a steep and narrow road which +was the only alternative to the blocked one. But some of the horses +jibbed, and we had eventually to give it up and bring up supplies by +hand.</p> + +<p>The battalions were comfortably settled down under the expectation of +another night there; but at 2.15 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> we got orders to move off by +train at night. This we did <span class="pagenum"><a id="page005" name="page005"></a>(p. 005)</span> from three different stations, +at times varying from 12 midnight to 5.45 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, having arrived +according to order at the stations four hours previously. This is the +French system, allowing four hours for the entraining of a unit. +Although a lot of manhandling had to be done, and the trucks were not +what we had been accustomed to, we all entrained in about forty +minutes, so had any amount of time to spare.</p> + +<p>Silver (my first charger) was very bobbery as usual, and it took a +good half-hour to persuade him to enter his truck. Once in, he slept +like a lamb.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 18th.</i></p> + +<p>We were comfortable enough, though packed like sardines, and with +three-quarters of an hour's rest at <span lang="fr">Rouen</span> for coffee, and another rest +at <span lang="fr">Amiens</span>—where we heard that poor General Grierson, our Corps +Commander, was dead—broke a blood-vessel in the train—we arrived at +<span lang="fr">Busigny</span> at 2.15 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> Here we found Captain Hyslop<a id="footnotetag5" name="footnotetag5"></a><a href="#footnote5">[5]</a> (Dorsets), who +had been sent ahead from Belfast, and who gave us orders to detrain at +<span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span>, a few miles farther on. I <span class="pagenum"><a id="page006" name="page006"></a>(p. 006)</span> must say that all these +disembarking and training arrangements were extraordinarily well done, +and reflected great credit on the Allied staffs combined. No hitch, no +fuss, no worry, everybody got their orders in time, and all necessary +arrangements had been carefully thought out beforehand.</p> + +<p>We arrived at <span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span> at 3.10 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, and detrained in half an hour, +baggage and all. The battalions marched off to their billets,—Dorsets +and Headquarters to <span lang="fr">Ors</span>, the other three battalions to <span lang="fr">Pommereuil</span>: +nice clean little villages both of them.</p> + +<p>When about halfway out to <span lang="fr">Ors</span>—I was riding on ahead of the Brigade +with only Weatherby—we were met by a motor bikist with a cypher +telegram for me. This stumped us completely, as, not yet having +reported to the Division, we had not yet received the local field +cypher-word; so, seeing a car approaching with some "brass hats" in +it, I rode across the road and stopped it, with a view to getting the +key. To my horror, Sir John French and Sir A. Murray descended from +the car and demanded to know why I had stopped them. I explained and +apologised, and they were very pleasant about it; but on looking at +the wire they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page007" name="page007"></a>(p. 007)</span> said that I could disregard it, as they knew +what it was about, and it was of no particular importance by this +time; so we pursued our way in peace.</p> + +<p>The billeting had already been done for us by our (5th) Divisional +Staff, and we found no difficulty in shaking down.</p> + +<p>I was billeted on a small elderly lady of the name of <span lang="fr">Madame W</span>——, +who was kindness itself, and placed herself and her house at our +disposal; but I regret to say that when our men, in search of +firewood, picked up some old bits of plank lying about in the garden, +she at first made a shocking fuss, tried to make out that it was a +whole timber stack of new wood, and demanded fifty francs +compensation. She eventually took two francs and was quite content.</p> + +<p>Here it was that <span lang="fr">Saint André</span> joined us, having been cast off by the +5th Divisional Staff at Landrecies as a superfluous interpreter. +Looking like an ordinary French subaltern with a <span lang="fr">pince-nez</span>, he was in +fact a Protestant pastor from <span lang="fr">Tours</span>, son of the <span lang="fr">Vicomte de Saint +André</span>, very intelligent and "cultured," with a great sense of humour +and extremely keen. I really cannot speak too highly of him, for he +was a most useful <span class="pagenum"><a id="page008" name="page008"></a>(p. 008)</span> addition to the Staff. In billeting and +requisitioning, and in all matters requiring tact in connection with +the inhabitants or the French Army, he was invaluable. I used him +later as <abbr title="Aide-de-camp">A.D.C.</abbr> in action, and as <span lang="fr"><i>Officier de liaison</i></span> with the +French troops. I don't know what his knowledge of divinity may have +been, but if it was anything like equal to his military knowledge it +must have been considerable. He had studied theology at Edinburgh, and +his English was very fluent, luckily untouched by a Scottish accent. +He was always bubbling over with vitality and go, and plunged into +English with the recklessness of his race; when he couldn't express +himself clearly he invented words which were the joy of the +Mess,—"pilliate," "whizzle," "contemporative," and dozens of others +that I can't remember; and what used to charm us particularly was that +he so often went out of his way to put the accent on the wrong +syllable, such as in bilyétting, brígade, áttack, ambassádor, &c. He +was, indeed, a great acquisition to the Brigade.<a id="footnotetag6" name="footnotetag6"></a><a href="#footnote6">[6]</a></p> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page009" name="page009"></a>(p. 009)</span> <p class="p2"><i>Aug. 19th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning I rode across to have a look at the other battalions. The +transport horses of the Cheshires were perhaps not all they might have +been, but it was the particular stamp of Derry horse that was at +fault, and not the battalion arrangements. Otherwise we were ready for +the fray.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 20th.</i></p> + +<p>We had arrived on the Tuesday (18th), and on the Thursday Sir C. +Fergusson (commanding 5th Division) paraded the Brigade by battalions +and made them a short speech, telling us we were to move on the +morrow, and giving us a few technical tips about the Germans and how +to meet their various wiles, largely about machine-guns and their +methods of attack in large numbers. The Bedfords were the most +interested audience, and interrupted him every now and then with +"'Ear, 'ear," and a little handclapping at important points. I think +the General was a little nonplussed at this attention: I know I was. +Whether it was due or not to the audience being accustomed to +attending <span class="pagenum"><a id="page010" name="page010"></a>(p. 010)</span> political meetings at home, or to the air of +Bedfordshire being extremely vitalising I don't know, but once or +twice afterwards when the battalion was addressed by General Smith +Dorrien,<a id="footnotetag7" name="footnotetag7"></a><a href="#footnote7">[7]</a> and even by Sir J. French, they showed their approbation +in the manner above set forth—somewhat to my confusion.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 21st.</i></p> + +<p>Next day we moved off early. I already found myself overburdened with +kit—although I had not even as much as the regulation 150 lb.—and I +left a camp-bed and a thick waistcoat and various odds and ends behind +in <span lang="fr">Madame W</span>——'s cupboard, under the firm belief that I might at +some future period send for it if I wanted it. Alas! the Germans have +now been at <span lang="fr">Ors</span> for close on three years.</p> + +<p>A hot march of about fifteen miles brought us to <span lang="fr">Gommignies</span>. +Stragglers, I regret to say, were already many—all of them +reservists, who had not carried a pack for years. They had every +intention of keeping up, of course, but simply could not. I talked to +several of them and urged <span class="pagenum"><a id="page011" name="page011"></a>(p. 011)</span> them along, but the answer was +always the same—"Oh, I'll get along all right, sir, after a bit of +rest; but I ain't accustomed to carrying a big weight like this on a +hot day," and their scarlet streaming faces certainly bore out their +views. To do them justice, they practically all did turn up. I was +afraid that, in spite of great care and the numerous orders I had +issued about the fitting and greasing of new boots, it was the boots +which were at fault; but it was not so, except in a very few cases.</p> + +<p>Our billeting parties had, of course, been sent ahead and started on +their work. It was naturally quite new work to them, and it took a lot +of time at first—two and three hours—before the men were settled. +Nowadays it takes half an hour, or at most an hour, as everybody knows +his job, and also takes what is given him at once, squash or no +squash. After a little campaigning men very quickly find out that it +is better to shake down at once, even in uncomfortable billets, than +to hang about and try to get better ones. Here we got first touch, +though very indirectly, with the enemy, in the shape of a French +patrol of <span lang="fr"><i>Chasseurs à Cheval</i></span> (in extraordinarily <span class="pagenum"><a id="page012" name="page012"></a>(p. 012)</span> <i>voyant</i> +light-blue tunics and shakos), who had come in from somewhere north +after having seen some "Uhlans" and hunted them off. I sent the news, +such as it was, on to the Division.</p> + +<p>And here I must lay stress on the fact that throughout the campaign we +did not know in the least what was happening elsewhere. Beyond the +fact that the 3rd Division was somewhere on our right, and that the +French cavalry was believed to be covering our left front, we did not +know at this period what the movement was about or where the Germans +were supposed to be. We trusted to our superiors to do what was +necessary, and plunged blindly into the "fog of war."</p> + +<p>The usual proceedings on the ordinary line of march were that, on +receiving "Divisional Orders," which arrived at any time in the +afternoon, or often at night, we compiled "Brigade Orders" on them. +Divisional Orders give one first of all any information about the +enemy which it is advisable to impart, then the intention of the +Divisional General—whether he means to fight on the morrow, or march, +or stay where he is, &c., &c.; and if he means to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page013" name="page013"></a>(p. 013)</span> march he +gives the direction in which the Division is to proceed, the order of +march, by brigades, artillery, divisional troops such as <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, heavy +batteries, divisional cavalry, &c., &c., and generally says where and +how the transport is to march, whether with its own troops or some way +behind, and if so, where; and gives directions as to the supplies, +where the refilling-point, rendezvous for supply carts, and railhead +are, and many other odds and ends, especially as to which brigade is +to provide the advanced- or rear-guard, who is to command it, at what +time the head of the column and the heads of all the formations are to +pass a given point, and so on. On receiving these orders we have to +make out and issue similarly composed Brigade Orders in detail, giving +the order of march of the battalions and Brigade Headquarters, how +much rations are to be carried on the men and in the cook-waggons, +what is to happen to the supply and baggage waggons, whether B +transport (vehicles not absolutely necessary in the fighting line) are +to be with the A transport in rear of their respective battalions, or +to be bunched up by themselves behind the Brigade, with <span class="pagenum"><a id="page014" name="page014"></a>(p. 014)</span> +similar detailed orders about the advanced-guard or rear-guard, and +the time to a minute as to when each detail is to pass a given point, +the position of the Brigadier in the column, the point to which +reports are to be sent, &c., &c. These orders might be written in +anything from fifteen to fifty minutes according to the movement +required, and then had to be quadruplicated and sent out to the +battalions by their respective orderlies, or by wire. By the time the +battalions had written out and transmitted their own orders to their +companies it was sometimes very late indeed; but as the campaign went +on, orders got more and more simplified somehow, and things got done +quicker than at the beginning of the <span lang="fr"><i>premier pas</i></span>.</p> + +<p>The country through which we were passing was that technically +described by novelists as "smiling." That is to say, it was pretty, in +a mild sort of way, clean, green, with tidy farmhouses and cottages, +and fields about ripe for the harvest. Plenty of orchards there were +too, with lots of fruit-trees alongside the roads, and the people were +most kind in offering us fruit and milk and water and coffee and even +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page015" name="page015"></a>(p. 015)</span> wine as we went along. But this could not be allowed on the +march, as it would have led to men falling out without permission, and +also to drinking more than was good for them whilst marching. Except, +therefore, occasionally, and then only during the ten minutes' halt +that we had in each hour, I did not allow these luxuries to be +accepted.</p> + +<p><span lang="fr">Gommignies</span> was a nice shady little town, and the <span lang="fr">Notaire</span> gave me an +excellent bedroom in his big house; whilst I remember that I made +acquaintance there with the excellent penny cigar of the country.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 22nd.</i></p> + +<p>Off at cock-crow next day, the country got uglier, blacker, more +industrial, and more thickly populated as we pushed on through the +heat, and by the time we crossed the Belgian frontier we felt indeed +that we were in another land.</p> + +<p>The beastly paved road with cobbles, just broad enough for one vehicle +and extremely painful to the feet, whilst the remainder of the road on +both sides was deep in dust or caked mud, was a most offensive +feature; the people staring and crowding round the troops were quite a +different type from the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page016" name="page016"></a>(p. 016)</span> courteous French peasants; and +whilst in France not a single able-bodied civilian had been +visible—all having joined the Army—in Belgium the streets were +crowded with men who, we felt most strongly, ought to have been +fighting in the ranks.</p> + +<p>There was a great block in <span lang="fr">Dour</span>, which we reached after a +fourteen-mile march, and in spite of all attempts at keeping the +streets clear it was some time before we could get through. Part of +the Division was halting there for the night, and the municipal +authorities were extremely slow in allotting billets and keeping their +civilian waggons in order.</p> + +<p>From <span lang="fr">Dour</span> onwards it was a big straggling sort of suburban +town—tramways down the side, dirty little houses lining the street, +great chimneys belching (I believe that is the correct term) volumes +of black smoke, huge mountains of slag in all directions, rusty +brickfields littered with empty tins, old paper, and bits of iron, and +other similarly unlovely views. The only thing to be said in favour of +this industrial scrap-heap was that the smoke was not quite so sooty +as it looked, and things one touched did not "come off" quite so black +as might <span class="pagenum"><a id="page017" name="page017"></a>(p. 017)</span> have been expected. Otherwise there was no +attraction.</p> + +<p>Half a mile on or more was <span lang="fr">Bois de Boussu</span>, and here we were halted to +allow of a cavalry brigade moving down the street. We waited some +time, and eventually it arrived, not coming down the street but across +it from east to west. I am ashamed to say that I have forgotten which +it was, but the 4th Dragoon Guards, I think, were in it. They crossed +at a trot, men and horses both looking very fit and workmanlike, and +disappeared westwards through the haze of the factories; any more +impossible country for cavalry—except perhaps the London Docks—I +have never seen.</p> + +<p>We shortly afterwards got orders to billet in <span lang="fr">Bois de Boussu</span> and <span lang="fr">Dour</span>, +the real <span lang="fr">Boussu</span> being another half mile on. But where the whole +countryside was one vast straggling town, it was impossible to say +where one town ended and the other began. Even the inhabitants didn't +know.</p> + +<p>Moulton-Barrett and <span lang="fr">Saint André</span> had already got to work on the +billeting, and the Norfolks and Cheshires were shortly accommodated in +some factories up the road, whilst the Bedfords and Dorsets were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page018" name="page018"></a>(p. 018)</span> moved back nearly into <span lang="fr">Dour</span>, into a brewery and some +mine-offices respectively, if I remember rightly. Brigade Headquarters +was installed in an ultra-modern Belgian house and garden belonging to +one M. <span lang="fr">Durez</span>, a very civil little man, head of some local mining +concern. There was a <span lang="fr">Madame Durez</span> too, plump and good-natured, and a +girl and a boy, and they were profuse in their hospitality. The only +drawback about the meals, excellent as they were, was the appalling +length of time occupied in their preparation and consumption; it was +almost impossible to get away from them, even though there was so much +to do.</p> + +<p>So much was there to be done that I feel now as though we had been +there a week, or at least three days; but on looking at my diary I +find we arrived there at midday on Saturday the 22nd, and left at +midnight on Sunday the 23rd.</p> + +<p>On the Saturday afternoon there were rumours of the Germans being on +the other side of the <span lang="fr">Mons-Condé</span> Canal, not far off. The 13th and 14th +Brigades were in front of us, strung out and holding the Canal line, +ourselves being in Divisional Reserve. Where the exact left of the 5th +Division <span class="pagenum"><a id="page019" name="page019"></a>(p. 019)</span> was I cannot remember at this moment, but I am sure +that it was not farther west than <span lang="fr">Pommeroeul</span> bridge, with, I believe, +French or English cavalry on its left.</p> + +<p>Saturday afternoon was spent in studying the ground in our front and +looking to the approaches and the arrangements for the Brigade. Our +front was of course well covered, but there were numerous little +matters to be seen to and a certain amount of confabulation with the +Divisional Staff, which lived in the midst of a perpetual +<span lang="fr"><i>va-et-vient</i></span> at the railway station at <span lang="fr">Dour</span>. Our horses were picketed +out in M. Durez's garden and the grubby little fields close by, and +the Signal section and all the vehicles were stowed away there as best +could be arranged; but all was enclosed, cramped, and unhandy, and the +difficulty was to get a clear space anywhere. I walked with M. Durez +in the evening to a tiny mound in his garden, from which he assured me +a good view could be got; but although the sunset and colouring +through the haze was rather picturesque, one couldn't see much. Durez +was very apprehensive about his family and himself, and was most +urgent in his inquiries as to what was going to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page020" name="page020"></a>(p. 020)</span> happen. I +could not tell him much beyond the rumour that the German force in +front was reported not to be very big, and I advised him to stick it +out as long as he could; but he was restless, with good reason as it +turned out, and settled next day to take himself and his family away +whilst there was yet time.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 23rd.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning I got orders to go with Lieut.-Col. Tulloch, the +Divisional Commanding Royal Engineer, to select a defensive position +and entrench it. We got into a car, and went buzzing about in front of +<span lang="fr">Boussu</span> and round to the right as far as <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span>; but I never saw such a +hopeless place. There was no field of fire anywhere except to the +left, just where the railway crossed the <span lang="fr">Boussu</span> road, where, strange +to say, the country opened out on to a "glacis-like" slope of stubble. +Going was bad, up broken little roads over ground composed of a +bewildering variety of slag-heaps 40 to 150 feet high, intersected +with railway lines, mine heads, chimneys, industrial buildings, +furnaces, and <i>usines</i> of all sorts, and thickening into suburbs +consisting of narrow winding <span class="pagenum"><a id="page021" name="page021"></a>(p. 021)</span> little streets and grubby +little workmen's houses. Here and there were open spaces and even +green fields, but nowhere could a continuous field of fire be +obtained. The only thing was to select various <span lang="fr"><i>points d'appui</i></span> with +some sort of command, and try and connect them up by patches of +entrenchments; but even this was very difficult, as the line was so +long and broken that no unity of command was possible, and the +different patches were so separated and so uneven, some having to be +in front of the general line and some in rear, that they often could +not flank or even see each other.</p> + +<p>At about midday several cyclists came riding back in a great hurry +from the Canal, saying they had been attacked by a big force of +cavalry and been badly cut up; that they had lost all their officers +and 20 or 30 men killed, and the rest taken prisoners. This was hardly +a good beginning, but it eventually turned out that the grand total +losses were 1 officer (Corah of the Bedfords) slightly wounded, 2 men +killed, and 3 missing.</p> + +<p>Shortly after this the first German gun was heard—at 12.40 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> I +timed it—and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page022" name="page022"></a>(p. 022)</span> for the rest of the afternoon there was +intermittent bombardment and numerous shell-bursts in the direction of +the Canal, some of it our own Horse Artillery, but mostly German.</p> + +<p>When we had roughly settled on our line, I shouted to a crowd of +curious natives who had come out to watch us, and did not seem +particularly friendly—as they were not at all sure that we were not +Germans—to get all their friends together with pickaxes and shovels +and start digging entrenchments where we showed them. It was Sunday +afternoon, and all the miners were loafing about with nothing to do. +The idea rapidly caught on, and soon they were hurrying off home for +their tools, whilst we got hold of the best-dressed and most +authoritative-looking men and showed them what we wanted done. It was +scratch work, in more senses than one, as we had no time to lose and +could not superintend, but had to tear from one point to another, +raising men and showing them where the lines were to go, how deep the +trenches were to be made, which way the earth was to be thrown, and +all the rest of it.</p> + +<p>On our way round we came also upon some <span class="pagenum"><a id="page023" name="page023"></a>(p. 023)</span> batteries of field +artillery, disconsolately wending their way through the narrow +streets, and with their reconnoitring officers out in all directions +looking for positions; but they found none, and the Artillery did but +little in the way of shooting that night. With their present +experience I expect they would have done a good deal more.</p> + +<p>Then we tore back, and I got the battalions out, or rather two +companies of each battalion, set them to work, and sent out their +other two companies to support them. The Norfolks were on the left, at +the station, and eastwards down the line. Then came the Cheshires, a +bit thrown back, in beastly enclosed country for the most part. One of +the big slag-heaps had seemed to offer a good command, but to our +disgust it was so hot that we could hardly stand on it, so that had to +be given up. Other heaps again seemed to give a good position, and +they were fairly cool; but when we scrambled up there was always +something wrong—either there were more slag-heaps in front which +blocked the view, or the heap ran to a point and there was not room +for more than two men, or the slag-ridge faced the wrong way—it was a +nightmare of a place.</p> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page024" name="page024"></a>(p. 024)</span> <p>Beyond the Cheshires came the Dorsets and Bedfords, pretty +well together, and occupying some trenches on a high railway +embankment, &c., but the position was not really satisfactory, and if +attacked in force at night it would be very difficult to see or guard +against the approach of the enemy. Nor, as I heard afterwards, had the +inhabitants dug the trenches anything like deep enough, so that they +formed but poor protection against the rain of shells that began to +pour on them at nightfall.</p> + +<p>All pointed to an attack by the enemy during the night or next day, +but even then we had not the smallest idea of the enormous forces +arrayed against us. We were told at first that there was perhaps a +corps in front of us, but as a matter of fact there were three, if not +four corps.</p> + +<p>Having distributed the battalions as ordered—I had no Brigade Reserve +in hand, having to cover such a broad front (nearly three miles, when +my normal front, according to the text-books, should have been about +1000 yards)—myself and Brigade Headquarters were left rather "by our +lone." M. and <span lang="fr">Madame Durez</span> were packing up hard all, and disappeared +with their <span class="pagenum"><a id="page025" name="page025"></a>(p. 025)</span> friends and family before dinner in a big +motor-car, making in the direction of <span lang="fr">Bavai <abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Waast</span>, to the south, +where they had friends; as, however, we retired through there next day +I don't expect they stayed long, but continued their journey into +France. I don't know what became of them. They had been most +hospitable, and placed the house and everything in it, even a final +dinner, at our disposal; but the poor people were, of course, in a +great state of perturbation, and there was not much except the house +itself that we could make use of.</p> + +<p>As we were finishing dinner further orders arrived from the Division. +Weatherby and I cantered down to the Divisional Staff to learn +details, and we got them shortly, to the effect that the Cheshires and +Norfolks were to be left under direct command of the Divisional +Commander, whilst Brigade Headquarters was to be at <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span> by +sunrise on the morrow, and to hold that with our other two battalions +on the right.</p> + +<p>We "fell in" the Brigade Headquarters about midnight and, after some +trouble in securing guides, moved off through a labyrinth of streets +in the warm dark. Our <span class="pagenum"><a id="page026" name="page026"></a>(p. 026)</span> guides were local men, and we did not +take long to get to Warquignies, in the main street of which we met +the Headquarters of the 13th Brigade, minus their Brigadier. Here also +were the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s in bivouac, acting as Brigade Reserve to their +(13th) Brigade. The night was peaceful, and we pushed on after a short +rest, getting at dawn to a steep hill which led down into <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span>.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 20th.</i></p> + +<p>The latter was a fine big town with paved streets and +prosperous-looking houses, very different from the grubby streets of +<span lang="fr">Boussu</span>; but I was troubled about the hill street, as it was very steep +and bad and narrow. How we should get the transport up it again in a +hurry if it had to retire I did not know, and two eminently +respectable inhabitants assured me that there was no other way back +unless I went right up to <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span>—from which direction firing was +already beginning—and returned <i>viâ</i> the north. That didn't look +healthy for the transport, so I left most of the Brigade transport at +the top of the hill and only brought down the Signal section.</p> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page027" name="page027"></a>(p. 027)</span> <p>At the entrance into <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span> we found Currie, Cuthbert's +(13th Brigade) Brigade Major, but Cuthbert was not there, so it was a +little difficult to combine any action. However, we learnt that the +other three battalions of the 13th Brigade were distributed in front +of us on the north, and I received a message that the Dorsets and +Bedfords had been obliged to fall back during the night and were +holding the railway station at <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span> and a bit east of that. The 13th +Brigade had been along the line of the Canal the previous day and had +been driven back by superior numbers, but had blown up some of the +bridges. I heard afterwards that young Pottinger, a subaltern of the +17th Co. <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, had been entrusted with blowing up one bridge, and that +the charge had failed to explode. Whereupon he advanced under heavy +fire close to the charge and had gallantly fired his revolver at it, +which of course, as he knew, would have blown him sky-high with the +bridge had he hit it. But either he missed the shot altogether or he +hit the wrong part, and the thing didn't explode. And then he found +himself cut off by Germans who had crossed elsewhere, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page028" name="page028"></a>(p. 028)</span> he +had to leg it. So, unfortunately, that bridge was left intact.</p> + +<a id="img002" name="img002"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img002.jpg" width="500" height="323" alt="Map." title=""> +</div> + +<p>I trotted ahead alone to try and find the Dorsets or the Bedfords, +leaving Weatherby with other instructions. It was a long way to the +station (<span lang="fr">Pâturages</span> by name, but really in <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span>), but I eventually +found Griffith (<abbr title="Officer in Command">O.C.</abbr> Bedfords) and most of his men thereabouts. The +Germans had apparently got round to the east, but we were holding +them. The Dorsets were a bit further to the south-east, and I found +them after a good many wrong turnings; and then there was little to do +but pick up <span class="pagenum"><a id="page029" name="page029"></a>(p. 029)</span> connection with whoever I could. By this time my +staff had come up, and Weatherby and I cantered off to find General +Haking, who, I understood, had brought up his 5th Brigade from the 2nd +Division (1st Corps), and was somewhere towards Frameries. Him we +found after some trouble, with only one battalion in action in fairly +open country. It appeared that a message had been sent the night +before from the 3rd Division that the Germans were threatening +<span lang="fr">Pâturages</span> and going to attack in force, and help was most urgently +required; so General Haig had despatched Haking in a great hurry. The +5th Brigade made a forced march and arrived at <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span> at 2 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, +perspiring profusely. Not a sound. Fearing an ambush, they walked +delicately, with scouts well out in front and to both flanks. Not a +sign either of the British or the Germans,—empty streets, no one +about, all quiet as death. So they bivouacked in the streets and were +now thinking of falling back on their own corps, as there were only a +few Germans in front of them and these wouldn't advance.</p> + +<p>Where the 3rd Division exactly were I <span class="pagenum"><a id="page030" name="page030"></a>(p. 030)</span> could not at first +find out, though I tried; but I knew that they were holding the +country in the direction of <span lang="fr">Mons</span>. Anyway, except for a good many +shells flying about, there was very little of the enemy to see or +hear, and <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span> was safe at all events for the present.</p> + +<p>The Dorsets and Bedfords, however, had had a pretty bad time on the +previous evening, and had lost a number of men, though they had given +the Germans a good deal more than they got. The German shelling had +been fairly accurate, and their infantry had pushed on between the +slag-heaps and got their machine-guns to work under cover in a +horribly efficient manner. Eventually our battalions had to evacuate +their trenches as their right flank was being turned, and they fell +back on <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span> and <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span>, leaving most of their packs behind them +in the trenches. They had taken them off to dig, and, being hot, had +fought without them, and then this sudden outflanking movement had +necessitated a rapid falling back, so their packs and most of their +shovels had been left behind. This was awkward, more especially +hereafter, as, although the loss of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page031" name="page031"></a>(p. 031)</span> the greatcoat did not +matter much in this hot weather, and certainly added to their marching +power, still, the loss of the pack meant loss of spare socks and spare +shirt—besides other things.</p> + +<p>We snatched a little breakfast and coffee at an inn where the +<span lang="fr"><i>patronne</i></span> was still in possession, and then things began to get more +lively. Shells began to knock corners off the houses close by, and +reports kept coming in that the enemy appeared to be advancing, though +the bulk of his infantry was still some way off to the east. The +Dorsets were rearranging their line so as not to be cut off, and I was +standing with Bols (commanding Dorsets) and a few of his officers by +the <span lang="fr"><i>estaminet</i></span> when a shrapnel burst with a tremendous crack close +over our heads, bringing down branches and leaves in showers. Yet not +a man or a horse was hit. The shrapnel bullets whizzed along the +pavement in all directions, right among our feet, like hail it seemed; +yet the only result was a lot of bad language from Saunders, who had +got a nasty jar on the heel from one of the bullets: but it did not +even cut the leather.</p> + +<p>It now became time to get the Dorset <span class="pagenum"><a id="page032" name="page032"></a>(p. 032)</span> transport away, as +things were getting rather hot, and the crackling of rifles was +getting distinctly nearer. I thought of that horrible hill and I +looked at my map. Yes—there certainly was a way round back by the +south-east, <i>viâ</i> the road along which Weatherby and I had just come +back from interviewing Haking. So I directed the transport to move +that way—there was a road branching off to the right only 400 yards +on and quite safe, as I thought, for the firing was up north and +north-east, and this road lay south-southeast.</p> + +<p>Roe covered the withdrawal with his company and was very anxious to +lay an ambush for the enemy. But they did not seem inclined to oblige +him, but kept heading off in a more southerly direction. There was no +sign from the 3rd Division who, I knew, were on our right; so, as my +scouts could not find them, I could only come to the conclusion that +the enemy had got in between us, and if we didn't clear out soon we +should be in a bad way.</p> + +<p>Suddenly there was a crackle of rifles down the road along which the +Dorset transport had gone, and then nearly the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page033" name="page033"></a>(p. 033)</span> whole of the +transport came galloping back, a dead horse being dragged along in the +shafts of one of the waggons. Margetts, the transport officer, rode +past, revolver in hand, and streaming with blood from the shoulder, +and one or two of the men and horses had obviously been hit. What had +happened was that a few Germans had penetrated on to the road where +Weatherby and I had passed in perfect safety only a short time before +and ambushed the transport.</p> + +<p>Margetts had very gallantly ridden direct at the ambush with his +revolver, shot down one or two and bewildered the rest, and thus given +time for the transport to turn round on the (luckily) broad road and +gallop back. The Pioneer Sergeant of the Dorsets was killed, and so +was a Brigade Policeman who happened to be with the transport. +Otherwise almost the only loss was an ammunition-cart with two horses +killed, and some damage was done to a pole and wheel or two of the +other vehicles. Poor Nicholson (my servant), who should, strictly +speaking, have remained with the Brigade transport and not come up at +all, had attached himself to the Dorset transport <span class="pagenum"><a id="page034" name="page034"></a>(p. 034)</span> without +orders—wishing, I suppose, to be handy in case he was required—and +had been shot down with the two or three others. I believe he was +killed; anyway, I never saw him again, poor fellow. Margetts was +nearly falling off his horse with pain, so he dismounted and was +bandaged by the Medical Officer. But by that time the transport +vehicles had disappeared, and as he was fainting and was not in a fit +state to be carried, he had to be left in the house of a Belgian +doctor and was taken prisoner shortly afterwards. We heard of him +later, and I am glad to say his gallant action gained him a <abbr title="Distinguished Service Order">D.S.O.</abbr></p> + +<p>Bols strung out half a company to defend the place where we thought +the Germans would appear, but after waiting for ten minutes we found +we were practically "in the air," as large forces of the enemy were +reported coming round our right flank, and the firing on our left +front got more and more to the left, thus proving that the Bedfords +had been pushed back and were retiring <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span>—as they had been +told to do if overwhelmed. Weatherby, who had cantered off to get in +touch with them, confirmed this; and as it was getting extremely +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page035" name="page035"></a>(p. 035)</span> "hot" (shells) where we were, I gave the order to +withdraw—only just in time as it turned out.</p> + +<p>The Dorsets formed a proper rear-guard and held off the enemy, who +were by this time trickling in large numbers into the town; but by +good luck the Germans seemed to funk coming on in formation, and by +the time we had got back to the foot of the steep hill they didn't +bother us any more except by occasional shells. To my extreme +annoyance (in one way) we found another track leading round the hill, +towards Warquignies, not marked on the map; so those two wretched +inhabitants had told us quite wrong, and we could have retired the +transport this way after all. Of course we took advantage of it, and +fell back slowly <i>viâ</i> Warquignies on Blangies, where we arrived, with +very few casualties, about two.</p> + +<p>Here we got orders at first to bivouac for the night, but hardly had +the men had time to cook a meal and eat it than we were ordered to +continue the retirement on <span lang="fr">Bavai <abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Waast</span>, <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Athis</span>. As we got on +to the main road here we found a large column of our own troops moving +down it, and there were German mounted patrols <span class="pagenum"><a id="page036" name="page036"></a>(p. 036)</span> at a +respectful distance on both sides. We fired at them occasionally, and +they disappeared and then turned up again in twos and threes on the +skyline, evidently keeping touch with us.</p> + +<p>Just beyond <span lang="fr">Athis</span> we found the Norfolks, who had been fighting at +<span lang="fr">Élouges</span> all the morning, and then we came across the sad little +remainder of the Cheshires—only about 200 left out of 891 who had +gone into action that morning near <span lang="fr">Élouges</span>. It was horrible to hear of +this appalling loss. Shore was the only captain left, and he was in +command, with two or three subalterns only. His story was that his +company had been in reserve to the other three and had gone to occupy +a farmhouse as told, that he had seen the three companies extending to +his right, and then lost touch with them as they advanced rapidly over +the brow of the low rolling ground. There was very heavy firing all +along the line, and eventually a staff officer told him to fall back +to his right rear and rejoin his battalion. This he tried to do, but +he only came across a few wounded and stragglers of his regiment, who +told him that the three companies had lost very <span class="pagenum"><a id="page037" name="page037"></a>(p. 037)</span> heavily, +including Boger (commanding) and all their officers, and that there +was practically nobody left. Shore did his best to find out and help, +but a general retirement took place, and he and his men were swept +back with the rest. Tahourdin, Stapylton, Dyer, Dugmore, and lots of +others were reported killed, and poor Shore was in a terrible state of +mind. (It turned out afterwards that all these officers were alive and +prisoners, with a great number of their men, but at the time I could +not find out exactly how it happened that the battalion got so cut up +and lost such a desperate number.)</p> + +<p>The Norfolks had lost poor Cresswell, their Adjutant—such a good +fellow—and one or two other officers. But although their losses had +been serious they were nothing like so bad as the Cheshires. It +appears that our left about <span lang="fr">Élouges</span> and to the west rear of <span lang="fr">Dour</span> was +heavily attacked by the enemy; that we were on the defensive with the +14th Brigade (Rolt), and these two battalions of the 15th, and the 2nd +Cavalry Brigade (<span lang="fr">De Lisle</span>); and that Sir C. F. called on the Cavalry +to assist at a certain moment. <span lang="fr">De Lisle</span> thereupon very <span class="pagenum"><a id="page038" name="page038"></a>(p. 038)</span> +gallantly charged the German guns, but he started from some distance +off, and not only were the horses blown before they got there, but +there was a lot of wire between them and the Germans which they +couldn't get through. So, after losing heavily, they wheeled to the +right to get out of the way. What happened in detail to the 14th +Brigade I frankly don't know, but I fear the guns of the 5th Division +lost pretty heavily at this period.</p> + +<p>Two companies of the Bedfords had joined us by this time, but I was +rather nervous about the rest, including Griffith, for I had had no +word of him since <span lang="fr">Pâturages</span>. However, as we passed through <span lang="fr">Houdain</span> he +turned up from a side road with the rest of his battalion, having had +a pretty rough time in getting out of <span lang="fr">Wasmes</span>.</p> + +<p>By dusk we had got on to the open country near <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Waast</span>, and here we +found that the Division was bivouacking. Although it was nearly dark, +and the Brigade had been scattered, with its transport, over a lot of +country during the day, it all came together again, including its +empty supply waggons, in a marvellous way, and managed to find its way +through <span class="pagenum"><a id="page039" name="page039"></a>(p. 039)</span> all the other troops in the dark to its rightful +bivouac space—some fields covered with standing crops. Water was of +course the difficulty, but some was discovered in the shape of a small +stream half a mile off, over hedges and ditches; and after the +Norfolks had been put out on outpost to cover our rear, and we had had +some food, we slept the sleep of the dog-tired.</p> + +<p>I remember Cadell came out as cook that evening, for he fried a +lugubrious mess of biscuits, jam, and sardines together in a mess-tin, +and insisted on all of us having some. Up to this point our messing +had not been entirely happy, for an old soldier whom I had taken on in +Belfast, on his own statement that he had been second cook in his +officers' mess, turned out an absolute fraud. He could hardly even +poach an egg, and hadn't the smallest idea of cooking. I am sure he +had never been inside an officers' mess either, for when he was +deposed from the office of cook to that of mess waiter, he knew +nothing about that either, and could not even wash up. Private Brown, +who was supposed at first only to cook for the men of the Brigade +Headquarters, was therefore elevated to the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page040" name="page040"></a>(p. 040)</span> proud status of +Officers' cook, and made a thundering good one (till he was wounded at +<span lang="fr">Ypres</span>); and the Belfast man was given the sack at the earliest +opportunity and sent home,—only to appear later in the field as a +corporal of the Irish Rifles!</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 25th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning the Brigade was on the move before daylight, and was told +off as part of the main body of the Division, the 14th Brigade forming +the rear-guard. We had not had much to eat the night before, or in +fact the whole day, and as the rations had not come up during the +night, the men had devilish little breakfast—nor we either.</p> + +<p>We were told to requisition what we could from the country, but though +<span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> and myself did our best, and rode on ahead of the Brigade, +routing out the dwellers of the farmhouses and buying chickens and +cheese and oats wherever possible, there was very little to be had.</p> + +<p>There were already a great many inhabitants on the road fleeing +south-westwards, pitiful crowds of women and old men and children, +carrying bundles on their backs, or wheeling babies and more bundles +in wheelbarrows, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page041" name="page041"></a>(p. 041)</span> or perambulators, or broken-down carts. +Some of the peasant women were wearing their best Sunday gowns of +black bombazine and looked very hot and uncomfortable; children with +their dolls or pet dogs, old women and men hobbling along, already +very tired though the sun had not been up more than an hour or two, +and sturdy young mothers carrying an extraordinary quantity of +household stuff, trooped along, all of them anxiously asking how far +off the Germans were, and whether we could hold them off, or whether +they would all be killed by them,—it was a piteous sight. We warned +all the people who were still in their cottages to stay there and not +to run away, as their houses would only be pillaged if they were not +there, but I fear that few took our advice.</p> + +<p>It seemed a very long march that day, down the perfectly straight road +skirting the <span lang="fr">Mormal</span> forest and on to <span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span>. It was, as a matter of +fact, only a little over twenty miles, but the hot day, with very +little food, was most trying for the men. We had one good rest at +<span lang="fr">Englefontaine</span>, where we bought a lot of food—bread and cheese, and +apples and plums, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page042" name="page042"></a>(p. 042)</span> and a little meat—but it was not much. +The rest of the road was bare and hot, leading over down-like country +past the town of <span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span>, and on to the heights to the west of it. +Many aeroplanes, British, French, and German, were skimming about, and +numerous bodies of French cavalry could be seen moving about the downs +and the roads in the rear.</p> + +<p>We had received orders on the road to occupy part of an entrenched +position to the west of <span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span>, and Weatherby and I rode ahead to +look at it and apportion it off as the battalions came up. The +trenches, we considered, were quite well sited. They were about 3 feet +deep, and had been dug by the inhabitants under, I think, French +supervision; but, judging by our subsequent experience, they were +nothing like deep enough and placed on much too exposed ground; and +the artillery pits were far too close up—though correct according to +the then text-books.</p> + +<p>I put a few men into the trenches as an observing line, and sent the +commanding officers round to study them in case we had to hold them in +force on the morrow, and bivouacked the rest of the Brigade <span class="pagenum"><a id="page043" name="page043"></a>(p. 043)</span> +half a mile behind them. Although we seemed to have done a good day's +work already, it was then only about 3 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, for we had started about +3.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> We got a good deal more food—bully beef and biscuits—here, +besides a cart-load of very smelly cheeses and some hams and +vegetables and fresh bread, and the men got their stomachs fairly full +by sundown.</p> + +<p>The 13th Brigade came in a bit later and formed up on our right, but +the 14th Brigade, who had been doing rear-guard, did not get in till +nightfall, and were much exhausted.</p> + +<p>The enemy, however, bar cavalry, had not pressed on in any strength, +and we were left fairly well alone during the night.</p> + +<p>It began to rain heavily in the evening, and we had a wet dinner in +the open. There were various disturbances in the night, especially +when some men in the trenches began firing at some probably imaginary +Germans; but otherwise all ranks got a fair amount of sleep.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 26th.</i></p> + +<p>The orders overnight were that we were to continue the retirement +first thing in <span class="pagenum"><a id="page044" name="page044"></a>(p. 044)</span> the morning; but when morning came the +Germans were so close that it was decided that it would be impossible +to do so, and fresh orders were issued to hold the position we were +in.</p> + +<p>Accordingly we took up our positions as we had settled overnight, and +started all necessary preparations—deepening trenches, arranging +telephone wires and communications, and putting the village of +<span lang="fr">Troisvilles</span>, on our left, in a state of defence.</p> + +<p>The Dorsets were to hold this village and several hundred yards of +trenches to the east of it. On their right came the Bedfords in +trenches, with of course a proportion in support, and the Cheshires +were put in a dip of the ground in rear of them. The 13th Brigade was +on the right of the Bedfords, with the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s touching them. The +Norfolks I put in a second line, in rear of the right of the Bedfords +and the left of the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s, mostly along a sunken road where they +dug themselves well into the banks. The 27th Brigade of Artillery, +under Onslow, was put under my orders; two batteries of it were in our +right rear, and the third was taken away by Sir C. F., to strengthen +the right I believe. A battery <span class="pagenum"><a id="page045" name="page045"></a>(p. 045)</span> of the 15th Artillery Brigade +was also put in close behind the Bedfords, in the dip of ground +afore-mentioned, whence they did excellent execution without being +seen by the enemy. Divisional Headquarters were at <span lang="fr">Reumont</span>, a mile +behind us, with a wood in between; but we were, of course, connected +up by telephone with them, as well as with our battalions and our +artillery. We—<i>i.e.</i>, the Brigade Headquarters—sat in the +continuation of the hollow sandy road, in rear of the Bedfords and on +the left of the Norfolks.</p> + +<p>The morning was distinctly cool after the rain, and I remember that I +wore my woolly till about 11 o'clock. Our horses were stowed away a +few hundred yards to our left, in a hollow; and the extraordinary +thing was that neither they nor ourselves got shelled as long as we +were there, though some shrapnel burst occasionally only a hundred +yards off or so in different directions.</p> + +<p>We were in position by 7 o'clock, as far as I can remember; but unless +one keeps a record the whole time one is very liable to err—and I +won't swear that it was not 8 o'clock. Some shells began to arrive +about then, but did no harm. On our left was the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page046" name="page046"></a>(p. 046)</span> 9th Brigade +(3rd Division), and the shelling began to develop pretty heavily in +their direction. Our guns were of course in action by this time, and +for the first two or three hours the air was full of shells and very +little Infantry fire was heard. The 4th Division had arrived only that +morning, I believe by train, and was guarding the left flank of the +line, assisted by our Cavalry. Behind the town of <span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span>, on the +extreme right, was the 19th Brigade. Then came the 14th Brigade, then +the 13th, then ourselves, and then the 3rd Division; so we were about +the right centre.</p> + +<p>The Dorsets were hard at work putting <span lang="fr">Troisvilles</span> into a strong state +of defence, and were helped by some of our Divisional Sappers, I +believe the 59th Co. <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> (but it might have been the 17th).</p> + +<p>There was a local French ambulance—civilian I think—in <span lang="fr">Troisvilles</span>, +and several of our own <abbr title="Royal Army Medical Corps">R.A.M.C.</abbr> personnel there; but the Divisional +ambulances were farther to the rear, and as the wounded began to come +in from the right front we sent them back towards <span lang="fr">Reumont</span>. <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> +was very useful in galloping backwards and forwards between +<span lang="fr">Troisvilles</span> and Brigade Headquarters—I <span class="pagenum"><a id="page047" name="page047"></a>(p. 047)</span> kept him for that, +as I wanted my proper staff for other staff work; but all of them paid +a visit or two there once or twice. The enemy's shells were now +falling fast on our left about Inchy, but seemed to do extraordinarily +little damage there; and during the first hours it was really more of +a spectacular piece for us than a battle. However, we were of course +kept busy sending and receiving wires from all parts, and every now +and then a few wounded came in from our front. We were also bucked up +by hearing that a French Cavalry Division was coming to help us from +<span lang="fr">Cambrai</span>; but I don't know whether it ever materialised.</p> + +<p>As the day wore on, the Bedfords got engaged with infantry in their +front, but neither they nor the Dorsets got anything very much to +shoot at; and though a German machine-gun or two pushed pluckily +forward and did a certain amount of damage from hidden folds in the +ground, I think we accounted for them—anyway we stopped their +shooting after a short time.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the 13th Brigade and the guns on our right were catching it +very hot. There seemed an enormous number of guns against us (I +believe, as a matter <span class="pagenum"><a id="page048" name="page048"></a>(p. 048)</span> of fact, there were nearer 700 than +600), and our batteries were suffering very heavily. So were the 14th +and 19th Brigades—the latter being a scratch one composed of units +from the lines of communication under Laurence Drummond.</p> + +<p>At one moment—it must have been about 12 o'clock or later—I saw to +my horror the best part of a company of Bedfords leave their trenches +in our front and retire slowly and in excellent order across the open. +So I got on my horse and galloped out to see what they were doing and +to send them back, as it seemed to me that some of the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s were +falling back too, in sympathy. I'm afraid that my language was strong; +but I made the Bedfords turn about again, although their officer +explained that he was only withdrawing, by superior battalion orders, +in order to take up an advanced position further on the right; and +with some of the Cheshires, whom I picked up on the way, they advanced +again in extended order.</p> + +<p>They got back again to their trenches without any casualties to speak +of, and I was much gratified by a message I received shortly +afterwards from my right (I think <span class="pagenum"><a id="page049" name="page049"></a>(p. 049)</span> Cuthbert or the gunners) +thanking me warmly for my most valuable counter-attack, which had +considerably relieved the pressure in their front!</p> + +<p>On our immediate right the Norfolks were occupied for several hours in +trying to cut down a very big tree, which was about the most +conspicuous feature in the whole of our position, and formed an +excellent object on which the enemy could range. It was all very well; +but as soon as they had cut it half through, so as to fall to the +south, the south wind, which was blowing pretty strongly, not only +kept it upright but threatened to throw it over to the north. This +would have been a real disaster, as it would have blocked completely +the sunken road along which the ammunition carts, to say nothing of +artillery and other waggons, would have had to come. So it had to be +guyed up with ropes, with much difficulty; and even when teams hung on +and hauled on the ropes, they could make little impression—the wind +was so strong. Eventually they did manage to get it down, but even so +it formed a fairly conspicuous mark. (It was so big that it was marked +on the map.)</p> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page050" name="page050"></a>(p. 050)</span> <p>Inchy was now the centre of an appalling bombardment. A crowd +of Germans had got into it, it appeared, and the village was being +heavily shelled by both sides—British and German. Several houses and +haystacks caught fire, and the poor devils inside must have had a +terrible time. The 3rd Division was holding its own, but was being +heavily attacked by the enemy's infantry. However, we eventually got +the better of it, and the 9th and 10th Brigades drove the Germans away +from their trenches and pursued them some distance, much assisted by +the fire of the Dorsets and the advance of one or two of their +companies.</p> + +<p>Things went on hammer-and-tongs for another hour or two; more and more +wounded began coming in from the 13th Brigade, including a lot of +<abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s. We turned Beilby, our veterinary officer, on to "first +aid" for many of them and sent them on; but some of the shrapnel +wounds were appalling. One man I remember lying across a pony; I +literally took him for a Frenchman, for his trousers were drenched red +with blood, and not a patch of khaki showing. Another man had the +whole of the back of his thigh torn away; yet, after <span class="pagenum"><a id="page051" name="page051"></a>(p. 051)</span> being +bandaged, he hobbled gaily off, smoking a pipe. What struck me as +curious was the large number of men hit in the face or below the +knee,—there seemed few body wounds in comparison; but that may of +course have been because those badly hit in the body were killed or +unmovable. But one would see men apparently at their last gasp, with +gruesome wounds on them and no more stretchers available, and yet five +minutes afterwards they had disappeared.</p> + +<p>Time was getting on, and the thunder and rain of German shells seemed +unceasing; they appeared to come now not only from all along the front +and the right front, but from our right as well, and our guns were +replying less and less. Reports began to come in from the right of +batteries wiped out (the 28th <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr> Brigade lost nearly all their +guns here, for nearly all the detachments and horses were killed), and +of a crushing attack on the 19th Brigade and penetration of our line +thereabouts. And soon afterwards the movement itself became visible, +for the 14th Brigade, and then the 13th, began to give way, and one +could see the trenches being evacuated on the right. The Norfolks +stuck well to it on <span class="pagenum"><a id="page052" name="page052"></a>(p. 052)</span> the right, and covered the retirement +that was beginning; but they were taken out of my hands by Sir C. F., +and told off to act as rear-guard for the brigades on their right.</p> + +<p>The 15th Brigade had really been very lucky, and had neither been +shelled nor attacked very heavily, and consequently we were pretty +fresh and undamaged. I forget if we got any definite message to +retire, and if so, when, but it was fairly obvious that we couldn't +stay where we were much longer. The Dorsets were quite happy in +<span lang="fr">Troisvilles</span> and thereabouts, but the 9th Brigade on their left had had +a very bad time, and were already beginning to withdraw, though in +good order.</p> + +<p>This being so, I sent orders to the battery of the 15th <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr> Brigade +in my front to retire before they got cut off; and they executed it +grandly, bringing up the horses at a gallop, swinging round, hooking +in, and starting off at a canter as if at an Aldershot field-day, +though they were under heavy shell and rifle fire all the time.</p> + +<p>Only two horses and about two men were hit altogether, and though all +these were apparently killed, the men got up after a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page053" name="page053"></a>(p. 053)</span> little +and were brought safely off with the Bedfords.</p> + +<p>The <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s were now falling back on us from the right, and they +were strung out along the Norfolks' late position, and almost at right +angles to our line, for the Germans were pressing us there, and heavy +rifle fire was breaking out there and nearly in our right rear. Then I +ordered the Cheshires and after them the Bedfords to retire, which +they did quite calmly and in good order; and lastly came the Dorsets, +very well handled by Bols and forming a rear-guard to the rest of the +troops hereabouts. His machine-guns under Lieut. Wodehouse had been +doing excellent work, and the shooting of both Bedfords and Dorsets +had had a great effect in keeping off the German attack hereabouts.</p> + +<p>By this time units had become a bit mixed, and lines of troops +belonging to different battalions and even different brigades were +retiring slowly over the open ground and under a heavy fire of +shrapnel—which by the same token seemed to do extraordinarily little +damage. It was difficult to give a definite point for all these troops +to move on, for we had been warned against retiring <span class="pagenum"><a id="page054" name="page054"></a>(p. 054)</span> through +villages, as they were naturally made a cockshy of by the enemy's +guns. <span lang="fr">Reumont</span> was being already heavily bombarded, and though we had +instructions to fall back south-westwards along the road to <span lang="fr">Estrées</span>, +this road passed through <span lang="fr">Reumont</span>. I did not know how to get +comfortably on to it without going through some village, so gave a +general direction off the road, between it and Bertry, and struck +across country, together with a number of troops on foot in various +formations, all moving quite steadily and remarkably slowly.</p> + +<p>As the shrapnel were bursting in large numbers overhead, I got the men +well extended, as best I could, but some of course were hit. Just as +we left the road a man in charge of an ambulance-waggon full of +wounded ran up and asked what he was to do, as some infernal civilian +had unhitched and gone off with the horses whilst he was attending to +the wounded. Stephenson, commanding <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s, was lying wounded in +the waggon, but this I did not hear till afterwards. Some of the +<abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s thereupon very gallantly harnessed themselves to the waggon +and towed it along the road.</p> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page055" name="page055"></a>(p. 055)</span> <p>It was hard work making our way mounted across country, +because of the numerous wire fences we came across, not to mention +ditches and hedges. We worked rather towards Bertry, avoiding woods +and boggy bits, but the line wasn't easy to keep. The Germans had an +unpleasant habit of plugging bursts of four to a dozen shrapnel at one +range, then another lot fifty yards on, and so on, so it was no good +hurrying on, as you only came in for the next lot. Then they very +nearly got us just when we had got to a hopeless-looking place—the +railway, with thick fence and ditch on each side of the track and a +barbed-wire fence as well, with signal wires knee high just where you +expected to be able to jump down on to the track. Luckily Catley, my +groom, had some wire nippers; but just as he was cutting at the wire, +and we of the Brigade Staff were all standing round close by, trying +to get over or through, whack came four shrapnel, one close after the +other, bursting just short of us and above us—a very good shot if +intentional, but I don't think they could possibly have seen us. +Horses of course flew all over the place; Cadell and his horse +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page056" name="page056"></a>(p. 056)</span> came down, and I thought he was hit, but he only lost his +cap, and his horse only got a nasty flesh wound from a bit of shrapnel +in his hindquarters. Again, why none of these shrapnel hit us was most +extraordinary: there we were, seven or eight of us mounted and close +together, and the shells bursting beautifully with terrific and +damnable cracks—yet not one of the Brigade Staff touched. Beilby's +horse, by the way, also got a bullet in the quarter.</p> + +<p>These same shrapnel hit two or three infantry standing round us, and +the next thing we saw was Dillon (of the Divisional Staff) dismounted +and staggering along supporting two wounded privates and hoisting them +over the obstacles on to the rail track, one man hanging heavily from +his neck on either side. He was streaming with sweat, and said +afterwards it was the hardest job he'd ever had. Others of course +helped him and his men, and we wandered along over the grass, and +skirting the little woods and coppices till we got to the main road +again.</p> + +<p>As we proceeded along the road we did our best to get the troops +collected into their units, getting single men together into <span class="pagenum"><a id="page057" name="page057"></a>(p. 057)</span> +bunches and the bunches into groups and platoons, and so on. But many +of them were wounded and dog-tired, and it was hard work. Ballard and +his Norfolks joined us in bits, and we heard that they had had a hard +time falling back through <span lang="fr">Reumont</span> and done very well as rear-guard. +There were stories at first of their having suffered terribly and lost +a lot of men; but it was not in the least true,—they had had +comparatively few casualties.</p> + +<p>The country gradually grew more and more open till by dusk—somewhere +about 7 o'clock—we were traversing a huge rolling plain with open +fields and only occasional farmhouses visible. The troops on the road +were terribly mixed, infantry and artillery and waggons and transport +all jumbled up together, and belonging not only to different brigades +but even to different divisions, the main ones being of course the 5th +and 3rd Divisions.</p> + +<p>Darkness came on, and the night grew cooler and cooler, yet still we +pushed on. As it got blacker, terrible blocks occurred and perpetual +unintentional halts. In one place, somewhere near the <span lang="fr">Serains-Prémont</span> +road I think, we were halted for about three-quarters <span class="pagenum"><a id="page058" name="page058"></a>(p. 058)</span> of an +hour by a jam of waggons just ahead. I gave the Norfolks leave to worm +their way through the press, but it was no use, for before they had +got through the waggons moved on again and only divided the men more +and more, so that they lost their formation again and were worse off +than before.</p> + +<p>Companies or bits of companies of my battalions were pretty close +together, and at one time the Brigade was pretty well cohesive, but as +the night wore on they got separated again and mixed up with the +transport till it was quite impossible to sort them out. It was a +regular nightmare, and all one could look forward to was the halt at +<span lang="fr">Estrées</span>.</p> + +<p>The German guns had long ceased to fire, even before the sun went +down, and there didn't seem to be any pursuit at all, as far as we +could gather. Our men moved quite steadily and without the vestige of +a sign of panic: in fact, they were much annoyed at having to fall +back. But I expect the German infantry was even more tired than ours, +for they had marched all through the previous night and certainly had +frightfully heavy casualties during the day. Anyway <span class="pagenum"><a id="page059" name="page059"></a>(p. 059)</span> they did +not worry us, and we pursued our way in peace. But men and horses were +desperately sleepy, and at these perpetual halts used to go to sleep +and block up the road again when we moved on.</p> + +<p>Luckily the road was as straight as a die, and one could not possibly +lose it; but it was difficult to know where we were, and occasional +twinkling lights in houses and cottages on the road only made our +whereabouts still more deceptive.</p> + +<p>At last we entered something that looked in the pitch darkness more +like a town. It was <span lang="fr">Estrées</span> right enough, but there were no signs of a +halt, though it was 1 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> or so. We could not find any staff officers +here, even at the solitary local inn, to give us any information, and +the only rumour was that we were to march on as far as we could go. We +had had no direct orders, and we did not know where the Divisional +staff were, but as by this time we had pushed on and were, as far as +we knew, ahead of most of the Brigade, Weatherby and I moved aside +into a field full of corn stooks, unsaddled our horses, gave them a +feed, and went fast asleep in the wet corn. We had meant to sleep only +for half an hour, but were so <span class="pagenum"><a id="page060" name="page060"></a>(p. 060)</span> dead tired that it must have +been more like an hour and a half. And even then we were only awakened +by a battalion (I think it was the Northumberland Fusiliers) irrupting +into our field and pulling the stooks down for their own benefit. So +we guiltily saddled up again, thinking that the whole Brigade must +have passed us in the dark. But, as a matter of fact, it had not.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 27th.</i></p> + +<p>Daylight came at last through the damp grey mists, and we found +ourselves still in open country, with the road thickly covered as +before with troops of all arms and, in places by the roadside, the +remains of bivouac fires and empty boxes and bully-beef tins, and +hunks of raw meat; for the <abbr title="Army service corps">A.S.C.</abbr> finding that it was impossible to +supply the troops regularly, had wisely dumped down their stores at +intervals alongside the road and let the men help themselves.</p> + +<p>This was all very well for the men in front, but by the time we in +rear had got to the stores there was nothing left, and we had to go +hungry.</p> + +<p>Somewhere about 4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> I came on Sir <span class="pagenum"><a id="page061" name="page061"></a>(p. 061)</span> C. F. standing at the +cross-roads near <span lang="fr">Nauroy</span>. I naturally asked him where we were to retire +on; but he had not recently received any definite orders himself; so +after talking it over we came to the conclusion that our best line +would be on <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Quentin</span>, and we directed the men, as they came up—5th +Division straight on, 4th Division to the right to <span lang="fr">Bellicourt</span>, and 3rd +to the left to <span lang="fr">Lehaucourt</span>, for thus we should get the Divisions more +or less in their right positions. Of course a vast quantity of troops +had already preceded us, probably towards <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Quentin</span>, but that could +not be helped.</p> + +<p>It was a long way yet to <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Quentin</span>, about eight miles, and on the +road and off it were men, waggons, and stragglers in every direction. +The jumble of the night had disintegrated most of the formed bodies, +and the whole thing had the appearance of a vast <span lang="fr"><i>débâcle</i></span>. Men moving +on singly but slowly, little bunches of three and four men together, +sometimes of the same regiment, but oftener of odd ones; men lying +exhausted or asleep by the roadside, or with their packs off and +sitting on the grass, nibbling at a biscuit or looking hopelessly +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page062" name="page062"></a>(p. 062)</span> before them. It was a depressing sight, and I wondered how +on earth the formations would ever come together again. Officers of +course were doing their best to get their own men together, but the +results were small. Whenever we passed men of the 15th Brigade we +collected them as far as possible into bodies; but it was very +difficult to know what units men belonged to without asking them, for +very many of them had long ago, on arrival at Havre and elsewhere, +given their cap-badges and shoulder-names as souvenirs to women and +children, and they were most difficult to identify.</p> + +<p>A mile or two before getting into <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Quentin</span> I passed Laurence +Drummond, commanding the 19th Brigade, hobbling along on foot, and +offered him of course my second horse. He had got damaged somehow—by +a fall, I think—and said he had his horse all right, but it hurt him +less to walk than to ride.</p> + +<p>As we approached the town the entrance had got rather blocked with +troops. This was rather a good thing, as it enabled the stragglers +behind to close up and find other portions of their own regiments; +and, extraordinary as it seemed, whole companies had <span class="pagenum"><a id="page063" name="page063"></a>(p. 063)</span> now got +together and in some cases had even coagulated into battalions. I +found most of the Norfolks collected together in a field by the side +of the road, and a stray Bedford company or two looking quite fresh +and happy.</p> + +<p>As it was necessary to get further orders, I left Weatherby to do some +more collecting and pushed on by myself into the town, where I found +Rolt and some of his Staff; but he knew nothing. There was a hopeless +block at this moment, so I slipped off my horse for ten minutes and +had a bit of chocolate and biscuit, which were quite refreshing. Rolt +was somewhat depressed, for his Brigade had lost heavily, but they too +were gradually coming together. At last, in the middle of the town, I +managed to collect some instructions, and was told that the 5th +Division was to form up in a field near the railway station the other +side of the town. There were also Staff officers at different points, +calling out "5th Division this way, 3rd that," and so on; and as the +men, now more or less in columns of fours, passed them, they perked up +and swung along quite happily.</p> + +<p>We were now outside the region of our <span class="pagenum"><a id="page064" name="page064"></a>(p. 064)</span> maps, so I asked my +way to a stationer's, which luckily happened to be open, though it was +barely 7.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and bought all the local maps I could get hold of: +they were only paper, not linen, but they proved extremely useful. And +then I bought some big rings of bread and some apples, and made Catley +carry them strung on the little brigade flag that S. had embroidered, +and we filled up our haversacks with as much food as we could buy and +carry—for the benefit of the men.</p> + +<p>I found my way to the railway field all right, but none of the Brigade +had yet arrived, so I went back to look for them. On the way I found +that a number of the 13th Brigade had taken the wrong turning and were +plodding right away from the town, so I had to canter after them a +mile or more and turn them back. There was a lot of transport further +on, on the move; and fearing that they might belong to us, whilst my +horse was pretty tired, I begged a nice-looking Frenchman with a long +beard—a doctor of sorts—in a motor-car, to lend me his car to catch +them. This he willingly did, and drove me up to them, but they turned +out to be field <span class="pagenum"><a id="page065" name="page065"></a>(p. 065)</span> ambulances with orders of their own, so I +came back to the railway field, leaving a man at the railway turning +to turn the others and show them the way.</p> + +<p>Gradually bits of the 15th Brigade arrived—a few Dorsets, half the +Bedfords, and a few Cheshires; and to these I imparted the Staff +instructions that we were to bivouac here for the night. The men had +already done twenty-four miles during the night, and lay about, +thankful to get a little rest. Supplies, we were told, would be issued +shortly at the station, but before they came I got peremptory orders +to march off at 2 o'clock, and withdraw further south to a place +called <span lang="fr">Ollizy</span>, nine miles on.</p> + +<p>It was then 12.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, and the men had had no food since the previous +morning; however, orders had to be obeyed. So I distributed my bread +and apples, for which the men pressed round ravenously; and James, +commanding the 2nd Manchesters, who had been in my Brigade two years +previously, gave me a couple of most welcome big sandwiches and a +drink. None of my staff had yet turned up; and though I was told that +supplies were just going to arrive, none did arrive before we marched +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page066" name="page066"></a>(p. 066)</span> off. Five minutes before that time the Norfolks, who had had +a rest the other side of the town, turned up; and as the rest of the +Brigade marched off the rest of the Dorsets marched up—rather +disappointed at having to go on at once without either rest or +rations.</p> + +<p>Weatherby and the rest of Brigade Headquarters had trickled in by this +time, and we moved off in rear of the 13th Brigade. The day was fairly +hot by this time—luckily it had been cool all the morning—and I +expected to see whole heaps of the men fall out exhausted; but devil a +bit, they moved on, well closed up, good march discipline, and even +whistling and singing; and for the rest of the march I don't believe +that more than half a dozen fell out.</p> + +<p>We expected some more fighting near <span lang="fr">Ollizy</span>, for a message had come +through for the 13th to push on and collar a certain bridge before the +Germans got it; but all was peaceful, and we got to <span lang="fr">Ollizy</span> about five +o'clock. There I had to tell off a battalion and some guns not +belonging to me to take up a line of outposts to guard our rear (I +quite forget what the troops were, or why they were put under me), and +the Brigade <span class="pagenum"><a id="page067" name="page067"></a>(p. 067)</span> pushed on over the bridge, and through the +swampy, marshy country beyond.</p> + +<p>No halt yet, and I began to wonder whether we were expected to do yet +another night march. However, after another two miles I was told to +put the Brigade in bivouac round a farm and little village called +<span lang="fr">Eaucourt</span>, covering our rear with another line of outposts.</p> + +<p>There was some distant shelling during the evening; but we were too +dog-tired to worry about it, though bursts of rifle fire did occur +during the night, necessitating our jumping up once or twice to see +what it was.</p> + +<p>The farm was quite a good one of the usual form—<i>i.e.</i>, the +living-house forming one end of a big oblong courtyard, whilst barns +and lofts and cowsheds filled up the other three sides. In the middle, +of course, was a mass of dirty straw and manure, and pools of stinking +water in which ducks and pigs and chickens disported themselves. The +people were most friendly, and supplied us with eggs and straw and a +kitchen fire; but it was rather a squash, as the headquarters of an +artillery brigade were already feeding there, and we didn't get dinner +till very late. The men lay about in the lofts and sheds <span class="pagenum"><a id="page068" name="page068"></a>(p. 068)</span> +among the farm implements and sheep, and I should have expected them +after a march of over thirty-five miles, and no food or sleep in the +twenty-four hours, to curl up and go to sleep at once, but they +didn't; they were quite happy and lively now that at last they'd got +their rations, and made the most of them. I had a bed to lie on, and +actually enjoyed a wash in a real basin, but the little bedroom was +not very sweet or clean, and I'd as soon have slept with the others on +straw in the kitchen and living-room.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 28th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning we were off before the sun rose, with orders to proceed +towards <span lang="fr">Noyon</span>. We were well up to time as regards our place in the +column, but some of the rest of the Division were very late—probably +some counter-order had been given; anyway, we had to wait a good extra +half-hour by the roadside. I remember that I occupied the time in +shaving myself; and as there was no water handy, I moistened the brush +in the dew on the grass. It did fairly well—though removing two days' +growth was rather painful, I allow.</p> + +<p>We plodded on through the heat of the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page069" name="page069"></a>(p. 069)</span> day, in rear of the +14th Brigade, and kept our march discipline without trouble, though +the number of apple- and pear-trees on the road was a great temptation. +What had happened or where we were going to was a complete mystery; +all that we knew was that we had had to leg it at <span lang="fr">Le Cateau</span>, but that +we were distinctly <i>not</i> downhearted; nor did the Germans seem to be +pursuing. So we thought that we should probably soon get the order to +turn and either take up a defensive position or advance again against +the enemy—though we also knew that we must have lost a number of guns +and a good many men.</p> + +<p>Soon after we started we were asked how many waggons we required to +carry damaged and footsore men, and at a certain point there were some +thirty or forty waggons drawn up for that purpose. I felt rather +insulted, and said so, but eventually put my pride in my pocket and +said I'd have one per battalion. The officer in charge at once offered +ten, but I did not accept them, and I don't think we filled even one +waggon all day.</p> + +<p>Somewhere about ten o'clock the message was passed down from the front +that Sir <span class="pagenum"><a id="page070" name="page070"></a>(p. 070)</span> John French was on the roadside and wanted to see +battalion commanders. I cantered on, and found him under a tree with a +few of his staff. I saluted and asked for orders, but he said he only +wanted to see the <abbr title="Commanding Officer">C.O.</abbr>'s. Then he took me aside and said that he +wanted to compliment and congratulate the men on their magnificent +work; that we had saved the left flank of the French army, and that +<span lang="fr">Joffre</span> had begged him to tell the troops that they had saved France +for the time being, and more to the same effect. I hastened, of +course, to tell everybody; I think the men got their tails up well in +consequence. But the British are an undemonstrative lot, and Thomas +never lets his feelings show on the surface. Anyway, we were all +pleased that our sacrifices hadn't been for nothing, and hoped we'd +soon stop and turn round.</p> + +<p>At <span lang="fr">Guiscard</span> we turned into the main road to <span lang="fr">Noyon</span>. It was very hot, +and we had had no rest (except the regulation ten minutes per hour) +since starting. So when we got to some nice shade on the left, and big +spreading trees dotted over some fields, I turned the Brigade off the +road, transport <span class="pagenum"><a id="page071" name="page071"></a>(p. 071)</span> and all, and we halted for an hour and a +half. We went to sleep after luncheon, of course, and when it was time +to start I remember that Moulton-Barrett went up to <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span>, who was +lying fast asleep, and shouted out, "The Germans are on us!" Poor <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> +André</span> jumped to his feet with a yell and seized his revolver; it was a +wicked joke.</p> + +<p>The main road into <span lang="fr">Noyon</span> was much crowded, not only with a lot of +French cavalry going north, but a very large number of waggons full of +our own men—of other brigades, mind you, for I don't think there were +any 15th Brigade men there at all; but then the others had had a +harder time.</p> + +<p>The French cavalry were a dragoon brigade—horses looking very fit and +well, and wonderfully light equipment on them; they do not go in for +carrying half so much on the saddle as we do—for one thing, +apparently they don't consider it necessary to carry cleaning material +on the horse.</p> + +<p>There was again a considerable squash in <span lang="fr">Noyon</span>, and here <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> was +delighted to meet some spick-and-span young friends of his whom he +affected to treat with <span class="pagenum"><a id="page072" name="page072"></a>(p. 072)</span> great contempt, as not yet having +seen a shot fired. Having to cross the railway line also delayed us +still more, as a long supply-train was shunting and reshunting and +keeping the gates shut.</p> + +<p>It was a lovely evening, and though progress was slow, we eventually +reached <span lang="fr">Pontoise</span> by about 7 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> The country was thickly wooded and +very pretty, and the quarters into which we got after our sixteen-mile +march were most acceptable. Here we were told we should probably be +for several days—to rest and recuperate; but we were beginning to +have doubts about these perpetually-promised rests which never came +off.</p> + +<p>The Brigade Headquarters put up at a blacksmith's shop, and the old +couple here received us with hospitality; but though there were beds +and mattresses for most of us, there was very little to be had in the +way of vegetables or eggs or other luxuries such as milk or butter.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 29th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning and afternoon were devoted to a little rest and cleaning +up; but I had little leisure myself, for I had <span class="pagenum"><a id="page073" name="page073"></a>(p. 073)</span> to preside +over a court of inquiry for several hot and weary hours.</p> + +<p>At 6 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> we suddenly received orders to move at once to <span lang="fr">Carlepont</span>, +only three miles back, and began to move by the shortest and most +unblocked way. Just when we were moving off I received orders to move +the other way, but with the sanction of the Divisional Staff I +preferred going my own way, and went it.</p> + +<p>The detail of the map, however, turned out to be incorrect, and I +found myself at the far, instead of the near, end of the village, with +a lot of transport in the narrow street between ourselves and our +billets. This was hopeless, and after a prolonged jam in the dark I +gave it up, put the battalions on to the pavement and down a side +street, and told them to bivouac and feed where they were.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> had got a kind Frenchman to give the staff some +dinner, but I misunderstood the arrangement and could not find the +place; so I insisted on digging out some food from our cook's waggon +on the wet grass of a little park we found. And there we ate it about +midnight and went to sleep <span class="pagenum"><a id="page074" name="page074"></a>(p. 074)</span> in the sopping herbage. I fear my +staff were not much pleased with the arrangement.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 30th.</i></p> + +<p>Off again at 2:20 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, we pushed on over pretty country <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Attichy</span> +to <span lang="fr">Croûtoy</span>, a matter of eleven miles. It developed into a roasting-hot +day, and the last two miles, up a very steep hill, were most trying +for the transport. We were at the head of the column, and longed to +stop in the shady little village of <span lang="fr">Croûtoy</span>, but we had to move on +beyond to some open stubble fields, where the heat was terrific. And +there we bivouacked till about midday, when we were told we might go +back to <span lang="fr">Croûtoy</span>, and did. It was a very pretty little village with a +magnificent view northwards over the <span lang="fr">Aisne</span>. We were very comfortably +put up in <span lang="fr">General de France</span>'s château, and enjoyed there a real big +bath with taps and hot water, the first genuine bath we had had since +arriving at Havre. My only <i>contretemps</i> here was that, having when +halfway to <span lang="fr">Croûtoy</span> dismounted Catley and lent his horse to a Staff +officer, I never saw the horse or my kit on him again. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page075" name="page075"></a>(p. 075)</span> The +Staff officer had duly sent the horse back by a sergeant of gunners, +but the latter never materialized, and, strangely enough, was never +heard of afterwards. So I thus lost my bivouac tent, mackintosh, +lantern, and several other things, besides Catley's complete +possessions, all of which were on the animal. Luckily the horse was +not my own, but a spare one, as my mare Squeaky had had a sore back, +and Catley was not riding her.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Aug. 31st.</i></p> + +<p>Next day was awfully hot again. We were off by 7.30, and were by way +of billeting at a place called <span lang="fr">Béthisy</span>, on the south-west edge of the +forest of <span lang="fr">Compiègne</span>. We passed by the eastern edge, close by the +extraordinary château of <span lang="fr">Pierrefonds</span>, built by <span lang="fr">Viollet le Duc</span> to the +exact model of the old castle of the thirteenth century, a huge pile +of turrets and battlements, like one of <span lang="fr">Gustave Doré</span>'s nightmares; and +then struck across the open towards <span lang="fr">Morienval</span>. We were a long time on +the march, largely owing to the necessary habit that the Artillery +have of stopping to "feed and water" when they come to water, +irrespective <span class="pagenum"><a id="page076" name="page076"></a>(p. 076)</span> of the hourly ten-minute halt. Then, having +thus stopped the Infantry column in rear for twenty minutes, they trot +on and catch up the rest of the column in front, leaving the Infantry +toiling hopelessly after them, trying to fill the gap the guns leave +behind them. It is bad, of course, but it is a choice of evils, for +one way the Artillery suffers, the other the Infantry; but they both +arrive together in the end.</p> + +<p>I had trotted ahead to <span lang="fr">Morienval</span>, to settle on the road, as there was +a divergence of opinion on the subject, and there a kindly farmer +asked me in to dinner with his family—an excellent <span lang="fr"><i>potage aux choux</i></span> +and a succulent stew, with big juicy pears to follow, all washed down +by remarkably good red <span lang="fr"><i>vin du pays</i></span>, I remember. There were perpetual +halts on the road, which we did not understand, but soon after leaving +<span lang="fr">Morienval</span> we were abruptly ordered to turn sharp off to the left and +make for <span lang="fr">Crépy</span>. The fact was, a force of German cavalry had turned up +at <span lang="fr">Béthisy</span>, just as our billeting parties were entering it, and the +latter had only just time to clear out.</p> + +<p>Our own cavalry cleared the Germans out <span class="pagenum"><a id="page077" name="page077"></a>(p. 077)</span> of <span lang="fr">Béthisy</span> for the +time being, but we continued on to <span lang="fr">Crépy-en-Valois</span>, and arrived there, +rather done, at six o'clock—nearly eleven hours to go fifteen miles, +just the sort of thing to tire troops on a very hot day,—and with +numerous apparently unnecessary halts. However, we had few if any +stragglers, and we made our way to some fields on the south-west of +<span lang="fr">Crépy</span>, <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Agathe</span> being the name of the district. I selected the +bivouac myself, as I did not get billeting orders in time, and I +preferred open fields on a hot night for the troops instead of stuffy +billets in the town.</p> + +<p>The Brigade Staff, however, occupied a little house and grounds in the +suburbs, and I shall never forget arriving there with <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> after +seeing to the bivouac of the Brigade. There were two wine-bottles and +glasses on a table on the lawn, with comfortable chairs alongside. +Nearly speechless with thirst, we rushed at them. They were empty!</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 1st.</i></p> + +<p>The night was hot, and though I had an excellent bed I remember I +could not get to sleep for ever so long. We were to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page078" name="page078"></a>(p. 078)</span> have +moved off early, but the sound of the guns not far to the north +stopped us, and orders quickly arrived for the Brigade to go and +occupy <span lang="fr">Duvy</span>, a village a mile or so to the west, and give what help we +could to General Pulteney's force of a Division and a brigade, who +were being attacked on the north-west.</p> + +<p>So we moved out rapidly and pushed out two battalions to assist. +Cavalry was reported everywhere, but it was difficult to know which +was English and which German. The latter's patrols were fairly bold, +and single horsemen got close up to us. Broadwood, of the Norfolks, +bowled over one of them at 700 yards—with a rifle, it was reported, +but it was probably his machine-gun. Meanwhile our guns on the plateau +north of <span lang="fr">Crépy</span> supporting the 13th Brigade did good execution, three +consecutive shells of theirs falling respectively into a squadron of +Uhlans, killing a whole gun-team, and smashing up a gun by direct hit +(27th Brigade <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr>)</p> + +<p>The two battalions working up north-west from <span lang="fr">Duvy</span> had just extended +and were moving carefully across country, when I received word that a +large force of the enemy's <span class="pagenum"><a id="page079" name="page079"></a>(p. 079)</span> cavalry was moving on to my left +rear. I did not like this, and pushed out another battalion (Norfolks) +to guard my flank. But we need not have been worried, for shortly +afterwards it appeared that the "hostile" cavalry was the North Irish +Horse, turned up from goodness knows where.</p> + +<p>About the same time we got a message from General Pulteney thanking us +for the assistance rendered, and another one from Sir C. Fergusson +telling us to continue our retirement towards <span lang="fr">Ormoy Villers</span> as +flank-guard to the rest of the Division. This we did, across country +and partly on the railway—very bad going this for horses, especially +as we might any moment have come across a bridge or culvert with +nothing but rails across it. It is true that, if we had, we might have +slipped down into the turnip fields on either side, but there were +ditches and wire alongside which would have proved awkward.</p> + +<p>We halted about <span lang="fr">Ormoy Villers</span> station—in ruins almost, and with its +big water-tank blown up,—and I put two battalions to guard the flank +whilst the rest of us had a meal. <span lang="fr">Saint André</span> had as usual managed to +forage for us in the ruins, and produced a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page080" name="page080"></a>(p. 080)</span> tin of sardines +and some tomatoes and apples, which, with chocolate and biscuits and +warm water—it was another roasting day—filled us well up. Then after +a long and dusty walk through the woods we reached <span lang="fr">Nanteuil</span>, where +most of the Division had already arrived.</p> + +<p>We had to find outposts (Dorsets and Norfolks) that night, covering a +huge bit of country. I borrowed a car in order to settle how they +should be put out, and ran out much too far, nearly into the enemy. It +was not easy to place them, as connection through the woods was most +awkward. However, we were not attacked, the German cavalry and +advanced guards not having apparently come up.</p> + +<p>I had sent Major Allason (of the Bedfords) out earlier in the day to +scout northwards with a couple of mounted men, and he came back at +eventide, having collared a German officer and his servant, but not +brought them in. They had just been falling back at a walk with the +information they had gathered, when they heard a clatter of hoofs +behind them, and beheld a German cavalry officer and his man trying to +gallop past them—not to attack them,—apparently bolting from +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page081" name="page081"></a>(p. 081)</span> some of our own cavalry. Allason, who was in front, stuck +spurs into his horse and galloped after the officer and shot his +horse, bringing the German down, the latter also being put out of +action. Then they bound up the German's wound and took all his papers +from him, which proved to be very useful, giving the location of the +German cavalry and other troops. Meanwhile the officer's servant stood +by, with his mouth open, doing nothing. As they couldn't carry the +officer off, they left them both there and came on.</p> + +<p>Amongst other stories, we heard here that a squadron of one of our +cavalry brigades had stopped to water in a wood. A lot of German +cavalry bungled on top of them, and then bolted as if the devil were +after them. The row stampeded our horses, and they dashed off through +the wood in all directions, leaving many of our men on foot. But their +steeds were soon recovered.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 2nd.</i></p> + +<p>Off again next morning at 4.15 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> We did rear-guard to the Division, +but we had an easy time of it, the Dorsets being in rear. I had also +the 27th Brigade <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr>, the <abbr title="North Irish">N.I.</abbr> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page082" name="page082"></a>(p. 082)</span> Horse +under Massereene, and 70 cyclists to help, but the Germans never pursued us or fired a +shot. It was awfully hot again, but we had not far to go—only eleven +miles—into <span lang="fr">Montgé</span>. There we arrived at 10.45 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and should have +been there much sooner if it had not been for some of the Divisional +Train halting to water on the way.</p> + +<p><span lang="fr">Montgé</span> is a nice little village on a hillside, almost within sight of +<span lang="fr">Paris</span>, which is only about twenty-five miles off; and on a clear day +one can, I believe, see the Eiffel Tower and <span lang="fr">Montmartre</span>. We could not +make out why we were always thus retiring without fighting, and +imagined it was some deep-laid plan of <span lang="fr">Joffre</span>'s that we perhaps were +to garrison <span lang="fr">Paris</span> whilst the French turned on the Germans. But no +light was vouchsafed to us. Meanwhile the retirement was morally +rather bad for our men, and the stragglers increased in numbers.</p> + +<p>The Brigade Headquarters billeted in a tiny house marked by two big +poplars on the main road. The proprietor, a stout peasant—I think he +was the Maire—received us very civilly, but his questions as to our +retirement were difficult to answer. However, we didn't trouble him +long, and were <span class="pagenum"><a id="page083" name="page083"></a>(p. 083)</span> off next morning by 5.30 acting as +flank-guard again.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 3rd.</i></p> + +<p>It was hotter than ever over those parched fields, and the march was +complicated, for when we had reached Trilbardon down a narrow leafy +path, past a bridge over the <span lang="fr">Marne</span> which an <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> officer was most +anxious to blow up at once, we were told to act as rear-guard again. +For this we had to wait till all the troops had passed through the +little streets, and then we followed. We overtook a good many +stragglers, and these we hustled along, insisting on their getting +over the other side of the <span lang="fr">Marne</span> before the main bridges were blown +up. We were responsible for leaving no one behind, but I'm afraid that +several were left, as they had fallen out and gone to sleep under +hedges and were not seen; and one <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr> man was suffering so +violently from pains in his tummy that he at first refused to stir, +and said he didn't care if he <i>was</i> taken prisoner. There were a +considerable number of these tummy cases on the way—hot sun and +unripe apples had, I fancy, a good deal to do with them.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page084" name="page084"></a>(p. 084)</span> At <span lang="fr">Esbly</span> we halted, gratefully, in the shade for an hour; it +was a nice little town, but strangely empty, for nearly all the +inhabitants had fled.</p> + +<p>We put up for the night round <span lang="fr">Mont Pichet</span>, a beastly little hamlet, +with the Cheshires and one company Bedfords finding the outposts. The +Brigade Headquarters billeted round a horrible little house, +surrounded by hundreds of ducks and chickens, which ran in and out all +over the place till it stank most horribly. There was only one room +which wasn't absolutely foul, and that I took. The others slept in the +open. I wish I had.</p> + +<p>I went to visit the outposts by myself; and my wretched pony, Gay, +refused to cross a little stream about two feet broad and two inches +deep. Nothing would induce her to cross it, so I had to send her back +and do it all on foot, beyond a village called <span lang="fr">Chevalrue</span> and back. By +the time I got back, late, hot, and hungry, I must have done four +miles on foot.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 4th.</i></p> + +<p>Having been told we should be here for at least a day to rest, we +received orders, I <span class="pagenum"><a id="page085" name="page085"></a>(p. 085)</span> need hardly say, at 7 next morning, to be +ready to move immediately. However, it was rather a false alarm, as, +except for a Divisional "pow-wow" on general subjects, at 10 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> at +<span lang="fr">Bouleurs</span>, we had little to do all day, and did not move till 11.50 +<span class="smcap">P.M.</span> There had been an alarm in the afternoon, by the way, of German +cavalry advancing, and I reinforced the Bedfords with another company, +and got two howitzers ready to support, but the "Uhlans" did not +materialize.</p> + +<p>I might here mention, by the way, that all German cavalry, whether +Lancers or not, went by the generic name of Uhlans. But it was perhaps +not surprising, as all the hostile cavalry, even Hussars, had lances. +They were, however, extraordinarily unhandy with them, and our own +cavalry had a very poor opinion of their prowess and dash.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 5th.</i></p> + +<p>The Divisional Orders for the march were complicated, and comprised +marching in two columns from different points and meeting about ten +miles off. Also, the collecting of my outposts and moving to a left +flank was complicated. But it went <span class="pagenum"><a id="page086" name="page086"></a>(p. 086)</span> off all right, and we +marched gaily along in the cool night and effected the junction at +<span lang="fr">Villeneuve</span>. Thence on through a big wood with a network of rides, +where the two officers who were acting as guides in front went +hopelessly astray and took the wrong turning. The leading battalion +was, however, very shortly extricated and put on the right road, and +after passing <span lang="fr">Tournans</span> we halted, after a sixteen-mile march, at a +magnificent château near <span lang="fr">Gagny</span> (<span lang="fr">Château de la Monture</span>) at 7.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span></p> + +<p>Here we made ourselves extremely comfortable in the best bedrooms of +M. <span lang="fr">Boquet</span>, of the <span lang="fr">Assurance Maritime</span>, <span lang="fr">Havre</span>, and sent him a letter +expressing our best thanks. Up to 6 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> we slept peacefully, with no +orders to disturb us, but then they arrived and gave us great joy, for +we were to march at 5 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, not southwards, but northwards again.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 6th.</i></p> + +<p>What had happened, or why we were suddenly to turn against the enemy +after ten days of retreat, we could not conceive; but the fact was +there, and the difference in the spirits of the men was enormous. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page087" name="page087"></a>(p. 087)</span> They marched twice as well, whistling and singing, back +through <span lang="fr">Tournans</span> and on to <span lang="fr">Villeneuve</span>. Here we had orders to halt and +feed, but the halt did not last long, for a summons to the 5th +Division Headquarters (in a hot and stuffy little pothouse) arrived +at 1 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, and by 2 we were marching on through the <span lang="fr">Forêt de Crécy</span> to +<span lang="fr">Mortcerf</span>. It was frightfully hot and dusty, and the track through the +forest was not easy to find. Although I had issued stringent orders +about the rear of one unit always dropping a guide for the next unit +(if not in sight) at any cross-roads we came to, something went astray +this time, and half the Brigade turned up at one end of the village of +<span lang="fr">Mortcerf</span>, whilst the other half came in at the other. We were on +advanced guard at the time, and so increasing the frontage like this +did no harm; but it caused rather a complication in the billets we +proceeded to allot.</p> + +<p>A delightful little village it was, and the Maire, in whose house we +put up, was extremely kind; but by the time I had covered the front +with outposts and ridden back, very hot and tired, General Smith +Dorrien turned up, and announced that <span class="pagenum"><a id="page088" name="page088"></a>(p. 088)</span> we were to push on in +an hour. He was, by the way, very complimentary about the way in which +the 15th Brigade had behaved all through, and cast dewdrops upon us +with both hands. It was very pleasant, but I was rather taken aback, +for I genuinely did not think that we had done anything particularly +glorious in the retreat. However, it appeared that the authorities +considered that the Brigade was extremely well disciplined and well in +hand—for which the praise was due to the <abbr title="Commanding Officer">C.O.</abbr>'s and not to me—and +were accordingly well pleased.</p> + +<p>So we made a hurried little meal at the Maire's house, and Madame +threw us delicious pears from a first-floor window as we rode away.</p> + +<p>We had not far to go in the dusk, only two or three miles on to the +turning which led to <span lang="fr">La Celle</span>. The Dorsets were pushed on into and +beyond <span lang="fr">La Celle</span>, in rather complicated country—for there was a deep +valley and a twisting road beyond; but the few Uhlans in the village +bolted as they entered it, and no further disturbances occurred in our +front. On our right, however, there was heavy firing, for the 3rd +Division had come across a good many <span class="pagenum"><a id="page089" name="page089"></a>(p. 089)</span> of the enemy at +<span lang="fr">Faremoutiers</span>, and at 9.30, and again at 11.30, general actions seemed +to be developing. But they died away, and we slept more or less +peacefully on a stubble field with a few sheaves of straw to keep us +warm. Perpetual messengers, however, kept on arriving with orders and +queries all night long, and our sleep was a broken one.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 7th.</i></p> + +<p>We awoke with the sun, feeling—I speak for myself—rather touzled and +chippy, and waited a long time for the orders to proceed. The cooks' +waggon turned up with the Quartermaster-Sergeant and breakfast—and +still we didn't move. Eventually we fell in and moved off at noon—a +hot day again—very hot, in fact, as we strung along on a narrow road +in the deep and wooded valley. Very pretty country it was; but what +impressed itself still more on me was the gift of some most +super-excellent "William" pears by a farmer's wife in a tiny village +nestling in the depths—real joy on that thirsty day.</p> + +<p>There were still some Uhlans left in the woods, and I turned a couple +of Norfolk <span class="pagenum"><a id="page090" name="page090"></a>(p. 090)</span> companies off the road to drive them out. Some of +our artillery had also heard of them, and a Horse battery dropped a +few shells into the wood to expedite matters; but I regret to say the +only bag, as far as we could tell, was one of our own men killed and +another wounded by them.</p> + +<p>At <span lang="fr">Mouroux</span> we halted for a time, and then pushed on, rather late, to +<span lang="fr">Boissy le Châtel</span>—the delay being caused by the motor-bikist carrying +orders to us missing, by some mischance, our Headquarters +altogether—though we were within a few hundred yards of Divisional +Headquarters, and had reported our whereabouts—and going on several +miles to look for us.</p> + +<p>We were now again the advanced guard of the Division, and had to find +outposts for it a mile beyond. It is always rather a grind having to +ride round the outposts after a long day, but one can't sleep in peace +till one is satisfied that one's front is properly protected, so it +has to be done; and as the Brigade Staff is limited, the Staff Captain +allotting the billets, and the Brigade Major seeing that all the +troops arrive safely, one generally has to do these little excursions +by oneself. On the road <span class="pagenum"><a id="page091" name="page091"></a>(p. 091)</span> I came across Hubert Gough, +commanding the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, in a motor, cheery as ever, with +his cavalry somewhere on our right flank keeping touch with us. We put +up in a little deserted château in <span lang="fr">Boissy le Châtel</span>, but it was +overcrowded with trees and bushes and very stuffy.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 8th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning we had, before starting, the unpleasant duty to perform +of detailing a firing-party to execute a deserter. I forget what +regiment he belonged to (not in our brigade), but he had had rotten +luck from his point of view. He had cleared out and managed to get +hold of some civilian clothes, and, having lost himself, had asked the +way of a gamekeeper he met. The gamekeeper happened to be an +Englishman, and what was more, an old soldier, and he promptly gave +him up to the authorities as a deserter.</p> + +<p>We left at 7.25 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> as the last brigade in the Division. I might +mention here that, for billeting, the ground for the Division was +divided into "Brigade Areas," each area to hold not only an Infantry +Brigade but one or two Artillery Brigades, a Field <span class="pagenum"><a id="page092" name="page092"></a>(p. 092)</span> +Ambulance, and generally a company of <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, and occasionally some +other odds and ends, such as Divisional Ammunition Column, Train, +Irish Horse, Cyclists, &c., and for all these we had to find billets. +The troops billeted in these areas varied in composition nearly every +day. It was very hard work for the Staff Captain (Moulton-Barrett), +whose proper job would normally have been limited to the 15th Brigade; +but he and <span lang="fr">Saint André</span>, who both worked like niggers, somehow always +managed to do it satisfactorily. It would have turned my hair grey, I +know, to stuff away a conflicting crowd of troops of different arms +into an area which was always too small for them. But M.-B. would sit +calmly on his horse amid the clamour of inexperienced subalterns and +grasping <abbr title="Non-commissioned Officer">N.C.O.</abbr>'s, and allot the farms and streets in such a way that +they always managed to get in somehow—though occasionally I expect +the conditions were not those of perfect comfort. We were lucky in the +weather, however, and many times troops bivouacked in the open in +comparative ease when a rainy night would have caused them extreme +discomfort.</p> + +<p>It was not always easy to find billets even <span class="pagenum"><a id="page093" name="page093"></a>(p. 093)</span> for our own +Brigade Staff, for though we were a small unit, comparatively, we had +a good number of horses and half a dozen vehicles; and besides this, +we had to have a decent room or place for the Signal section, and rig +up a wire for them to work in connection with the Divisional +Headquarters or other troops. In this Cadell was excellent, and we +rarely had a breakdown. Sometimes, of course, we were too far off to +get a wire fixed in time, and then we had recourse to our Signal +"push-bikists"—no motor cyclists being on our establishment. The +Signal companies, by the way, had only been completely organized a +month or two before the war, and what we should have done without them +passes my imagination, for they were quite invaluable, and most +excellently organized and trained.</p> + +<p>And sometimes when, after all this work, we had settled down into +billets for the night, an order would come to move on at once. Fresh +orders had then hurriedly to be written, and despatched by the orderly +of each unit (who was attached to our headquarters) to his respective +unit, giving the time at which the head of the unit was to pass a +given point on the road so as to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page094" name="page094"></a>(p. 094)</span> dovetail into its place in +the column in the dark, and all with reference to what we were going +to do, whether the artillery or part of it was to be in front or in +rear, what rations were to be carried, arrangements for supply, +position of the transport in the column, compositions of the advanced +or rear-guard, &c., &c. It sounds very complicated, and still more so +when you have to fit in not only your own brigade but all the +miscellaneous troops of your "Brigade Area." But Weatherby had reduced +this to a fine art, and, after all, we had had heaps of practice at +it; so orders were short and to the point, and issued in really an +extraordinarily short time.</p> + +<p>To return. Our march that day was through pretty country, with +fighting always going on just ahead of us or on both flanks, but we +were never actually engaged. At <span lang="fr">Doue</span> we halted for an hour or so, and +then received orders to push out a battalion to hold the high ground +in front. But when we had got there we only found a panorama +stretching out all round, dotted with troops, and our guns firing from +all sorts of unseen hiding-places, with the enemy well on the run in +front of us. Soon the order came <span class="pagenum"><a id="page095" name="page095"></a>(p. 095)</span> for us to push on, and we +moved forward through <span lang="fr">Mauroy</span>, down a steep hill into <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Cyr</span> and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> +Ouen</span>, pretty little villages in a cleft in the ground, across the +<span lang="fr">Petit Morin</span> river and up a beastly steep hill on the other side.</p> + +<p>Then came a "pow-wow" in a stiff shower of rain, and on again slowly +over the plateau, in a curious position, for there was a big fight +going on amid some burning villages in the plain far on our left—I +don't know what Division—probably the 4th—and a smaller fight +parallel to us on the right, not two miles off; and we were marching +calmly along the road in column.</p> + +<p>Then a longer halt, whilst we got closer touch with the 14th Brigade +on our right. It was a tangled fight there; for when we pushed forward +some cyclists in that direction they were unintentionally fired on by +the East Surrey; and the latter, who had rounded up and taken about +100 of the enemy prisoners, mostly cavalry, were just resting whilst +they counted them, when some of our own guns lobbed some shells right +into the crowd, and five German officers and about fifty of the +prisoners escaped in the confusion.</p> + +<p>A little farther on, near <span lang="fr">Charnesseuil</span>, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page096" name="page096"></a>(p. 096)</span> we got orders to +billet for the night there, and the Brigade Headquarters moved on to +<span lang="fr">Montapeine</span> cross-roads. Here there was a good deal of confusion, stray +units of several divisions trying to find their friends, and the +cross-roads blocked by a small body of sixty-three German prisoners. +We got the place cleared at last, and the Staff occupied an untidy, +dirty, unfurnished house and grounds at the corner. It had been used +by the enemy the night before, and they had luckily brought great +masses of straw into the house.</p> + +<p>I stowed away the prisoners in the stables—great big, docile, +sheepish-looking men of the Garde-Schützen-Bataillon (2nd and 4th +companies) and machine-gun battery attached. I talked to several of +them, and they said that the battalion had lost very heavily and there +were hardly any officers left. One of the latter, Fritz Wrede by name, +I found wounded and lying on the straw in a dark room in the basement. +Other wounded were being brought in here, and all complained of +feeling very cold, although the evening was quite warm. I made some +men heap straw on them, which was an improvement—but I believe that +wounded always do feel cold.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page097" name="page097"></a>(p. 097)</span> Wrede had a bullet through the shoulder, but was not bad, so +I got him to sign a paper to say he would not try to escape—otherwise +he might have made trouble. Our men, as usual, were more than kind to +the prisoners, and insisted on giving them their own bread and +jam—though the Germans had already been given a lot of biscuit. I +remember being struck with the extreme mild-seemingness of all the +prisoners, and wondering how such men could have been capable of such +frightful brutalities as they had been in Belgium—they looked and +behaved as if they wouldn't have hurt a fly.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 9th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning we moved off at 7.30 and went <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Saacy</span> across the +<span lang="fr">Marne</span> to <span lang="fr">Merz</span>, and thence up an extremely steep and bad road through +the woods. It was a very hot day, and as there was no prospect of +getting the transport up I left it behind at <span lang="fr">Merz</span>, meaning to send it +round another way when the road was clear. Firing was going on to the +left front, and we halted for a council of war with the Divisional +Staff, which was immediately in front of us.</p> + +<p>The 14th Brigade was apparently hung up <span class="pagenum"><a id="page098" name="page098"></a>(p. 098)</span> somewhere to our +left front and couldn't get on, so we were sent on to help them take +the high ground towards the <span lang="fr">Montreuil</span> road. They were, we were told, +already in possession of Hill 189; but when we emerged from the woods +there was a Prussian battery on the hill. There did not seem to be any +men with it, as far as we could see, and it was not firing. But we +made a good target, and not more than a battalion had got clear when +the "deserted" battery opened fire and lobbed a shell or two into the +Bedfords and Cheshires.</p> + +<p>They only lost a man or two killed and wounded; but a Howitzer battery +with us, which was already on the lookout, came into action at once +and speedily silenced the German guns for the time being.</p> + +<p>Bols, who was leading, reported that the hill was attackable—it was +really only a rise in the ground,—and after a reconnaissance I gladly +issued orders. So the Norfolks and Dorsets proceeded to attack in +proper form, whilst I sent the Bedfords round to the right towards +<span lang="fr">Bézu</span> to try and take the rise in flank. The 14th Brigade were +meanwhile somewhere on the left, and we got touch with them after a +time; but they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page099" name="page099"></a>(p. 099)</span> could not get forward, as a number of big +guns from much further off kept up a heavy fire, and there was a body +of infantry hidden somewhere as well, to judge from the number of +bullets that came over and into us.</p> + +<p>That was rather a trying afternoon. Dorsets and Norfolks were held up +about half a mile from Hill 189, and I went forward to <span lang="fr">Bézu</span> with the +Bedfords to try to get them on to the flank. Thorpe and his company +got forward into a wood, but lost a number of men in getting there; +and the lie of the ground did not seem to justify my sending many more +to help him, as the space up to the wood was swept by a heavy fire. +Just about this time poor Roe of the Dorsets, who had taken some of +his company into this wood, was shot through the head—as was also +George, one of his subalterns.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile those horrible big guns from somewhere near <span lang="fr">Sablonnières</span> +were giving us a lot of trouble, and knocked out also several of the +Cheshires, who had been sent by the Divisional Commander towards the +left to support the 14th Brigade. The latter—(I went to see Rolt, the +Brigadier, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page100" name="page100"></a>(p. 100)</span> but there was little we could combine)—seemed at +one moment to be a little unhappy, as they were enfiladed from +<span lang="fr">Chanoust</span> on their left; but the Dorsets had worked carefully forward +on their tummies, and with the Norfolks held a low ridge well to the +front, whence, though they could not get forward themselves, they +could do the enemy a good deal of damage. So the 14th Brigade stuck it +out, and we kept up the game till dusk, when we dug ourselves in a +little further back and posted outposts.</p> + +<p>I might add that when Weatherby and I went forward to see Bols and +Ballard, Weatherby had bad luck, for his horse was shot in the body +whilst he was leading him, and died that night.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division was on our right, under +Shaw, and although his Lincolns, or some of them, had got into the +wood, and we tried a combined movement, they also got hung up there +and we could not get on.</p> + +<p>The Germans certainly fought this rear-guard action remarkably well. +We did not know at the time that it was a rear-guard action, for we +thought a whole corps might be occupying a strong position here and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page101" name="page101"></a>(p. 101)</span> intending to fight next day. But no more fighting took place +that night, and by next morning they had cleared out.</p> + +<p>The Germans had evidently only just left <span lang="fr">Bézu</span>, for on my going to see +M'Cracken (commanding 7th Brigade) there, I found him in a house with +the remains of an unfinished (German) meal, including many half-empty +bottles, on the table. Then we managed to get some supper in another +house, and were nearly turned out of it by a subaltern of General +Hamilton's staff, who, seeing a light in the window, thought he would +save himself the trouble of hunting for another house for his General, +and announced that it was required for the 3rd Divisional Staff. I was +inclined to demur at first and sit tight; but the ever-useful <span lang="fr">Saint +André</span>, to save trouble, hurried out and secured another house for us; +as a matter of fact it was better and bigger than the first one, and +would have suited the Divisional Staff much better.</p> + +<p>After issuing orders for to-morrow's attack or march we flung +ourselves down dead tired, and were awakened ten minutes afterwards by +a summons from General Hamilton to come and see him at once, as +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page102" name="page102"></a>(p. 102)</span> he was going to hold a pow-wow on the situation. I found him +in a tiny, poky little attic, and there we waited for three-quarters +of an hour whilst Rolt was being sent for. Two hours did this pow-wow +last, and we had to write and issue fresh orders in consequence. Just +as they had been sent out and we had flung ourselves down again for a +little sleep, an entirely new set of orders arrived from the 5th +Division, and for the third time we had to think out and write and +distribute a fresh set of orders. By that time it was 12.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and +we were to move at 3.45 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, which meant getting up at 2.30. Two +hours broken sleep that night was all we got—and lucky to get it.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 10th.</i></p> + +<p>Off at 3.45 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, we moved out in careful fashion towards Haloup, in +the direction of <span lang="fr">Montreuil</span>. But our scouts reported all clear, and in +very truth the Germans had left. What was more, they had left that +field battery on Hill 189 behind them, surrounded by about twenty or +more corpses and a quantity of ammunition.</p> + +<p>It was a damp day, and progress was slow, as it was not at all certain +where <span class="pagenum"><a id="page103" name="page103"></a>(p. 103)</span> the enemy was. At <span lang="fr">Denizy</span>, a small village on the way, +we were told that a German general, with his staff, had received a +severe shock there the day before by an unexpected British shell +dropping on his headquarters whilst he was at luncheon. He had jumped +up with a yell and bolted up the hill, but was driven down again by +another shell which landed close by. He was reported to have died +almost at once, but whether from fright or not was not quite clear.</p> + +<p>When near <span lang="fr">Germigny</span> we espied a German column in the distance, and +shelled it heavily with the 61st howitzer battery attached to us +(Major Wilson), causing it to bolt in all directions. The 3rd Cavalry +Brigade now turned up in our front (Hubert Gough's), and with the 5th +(Chetwode's) hustled the enemy along. We were advanced guard again, +and it was difficult to get on, for the Divisional Commander kept +sending messages from behind asking me why the deuce I wasn't going +faster, whilst Gough was sending me protests from the front that I was +treading on his heels, and not giving him time to clear up the +situation!</p> + +<p>We halted for some time the other side of <span lang="fr">Germigny</span>, and then pushed on +to Gandelu, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page104" name="page104"></a>(p. 104)</span> a large village in a cleft of the hills, from +the heights in front of which the German artillery might have made it +extremely unpleasant for us. But none were there, nor were there any +at <span lang="fr">Chézy</span>, which would have made a perfect defensive position for them, +with a glacis-like slope in all directions.</p> + +<p>On the other side of Gandelu, in the wood, we came across the first +signs of the German bolt. A broken motor-car was lying in the stream, +and dead horses and men were lying about, whilst every now and then we +passed two or three of our troopers with a dozen German prisoners in +tow.</p> + +<p>As we moved up the steep hill towards <span lang="fr">Chézy</span>, we came across packs, +rifles, and kit of all sorts flung away, broken-down waggons, more +dead Germans, and, at last, on a whole convoy of smashed waggons, +their contents mostly littered over the fields and road, and groups of +our horsemen beaming with joy. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade had rounded up +this convoy with their Horse Artillery, scuppered or bolted most of +the escort, and captured the rest. Besides this, they had attacked a +whole cavalry division and scattered it to the winds. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page105" name="page105"></a>(p. 105)</span> Their +first lot of prisoners numbered 348, and their second 172.</p> + +<p>We halted near the convoy for our usual ten minutes, and examined it +with much satisfaction. There were all sorts of things in the +waggons—food and corn, to which I allowed our men to help themselves, +for our horses were short of oats and our men of rations, and some of +the tinned meats, <span lang="de">"gulasch"</span> and <span lang="de">"blutwurst,"</span> were quite excellent and +savoury, much more so than our everlasting bully beef. Other waggons +were full of all sorts of loot—cases of liqueur and wine, musical +instruments, household goods, clothing, bedding, &c., trinkets, +clocks, ribbons, and an infinite variety of knick-knacks, many of +which one would hardly have thought worth taking. But the German is a +robber at heart, and takes everything he can lay his hands on. There +was also a first-rate motor-car, damaged, by the side of the road, and +in it were a General's orders and decorations, and 100 rifle +cartridges (Mauser) with soft-nosed bullets. To make certain of this I +kept one of the cartridges and gave it to Sir C. Fergusson. I think +these were about the only things (besides food) which we took +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page106" name="page106"></a>(p. 106)</span> from the whole convoy, though many of the other things would +have been well worth taking. The men were very good, and did not +attempt even to leave the ranks till allowed by me to take the corn +and food.</p> + +<p>A short way on was the dirty village of <span lang="fr">Chézy</span>, and here we found a +heap of cavalry and many of the 3rd Division. So we branched off to +the left in a frightfully heavy ten minutes' shower, and marched away +to <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Quentin</span>—marked as a village, but really only a farmhouse in a +big wood. As we approached the wood Headlam's guns began to shell it +in order to clear it of possible hostile troops, and continued until I +sent back to say that the shells were preventing us from going on; +then he eased off.</p> + +<p>We halted near <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Quentin</span> for half an hour, and then came a message to +say we were to billet there. It was impossible to billet a whole +brigade in one farmhouse, and that none too large. So we told off +different fields for the battalions to bivouac in, and occupied the +farm ourselves, first sending out cyclists to clear the wood, as there +were rumoured to be parties of Uhlans in it.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page107" name="page107"></a>(p. 107)</span> It was a grubby farm with not much water, but we made the +best of it, and settled down for the night. A starved-looking priest +was also sleeping there, and he told me his story.</p> + +<p>He and a fellow-priest, an Aumônier from <span lang="fr">Paris</span>, had been on their way +to join the French unit to which they had been allotted for ambulance +purposes, when they fell into German hands and were treated as +prisoners. The priest was robbed by a sergeant of 1200 francs, his +sole possessions, and both he and the Aumônier were beaten black and +blue, forced to march carrying German knapsacks, and kept practically +without food or drink. After three days the Aumônier succumbed to ill +usage and died, and the priest only managed to escape because his +captors were themselves on the run.</p> + +<p>The priest also told us that there were some British prisoners in the +column, and that the Germans behaved perfectly brutally to them, +kicking them, starving them, and forcing them to carry German +knapsacks.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 11th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning we did not move off till 9.25, for the supplies to the +Brigades did not <span class="pagenum"><a id="page108" name="page108"></a>(p. 108)</span> arrive as soon as we expected, and hence +the column was late in starting. We dawdled along, forming the rear +brigade, in cool weather, and nothing in particular happened beyond +reports coming in from the front that the Germans were quite +demoralised. It came on to pour as we left Chouy, and at Billy we +parked the transport and prepared to billet there. But it was already +chokeful of other troops, and more than half our brigade would have +had to bivouac in the sopping fields. So we pushed on to <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Remy</span>, and, +evacuating some cavalry and making them move on to some farms a bit +ahead,—including Massereene and his North Irish Horse, who, I fear, +were not much pleased at having to turn out of their comfortable +barns,—we billeted there, headquarters being taken up in the <span lang="fr">Curé</span>'s +house. Even here his poor little rooms had been ransacked, drawers and +tables upset and their contents littered over the floor, and +everything of the smallest value stolen by the Germans.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 12th.</i></p> + +<p>Off at 5 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, we did only a short march as far as the <span lang="fr">Ferme de +l'Épitaphe</span>, a huge <span class="pagenum"><a id="page109" name="page109"></a>(p. 109)</span> farm standing by itself in a vast and +dreary plain of ploughed fields. Here we halted in pouring rain all +day, expecting orders to go on. But we eventually had to billet there, +with the Divisional Headquarters, and though we could only put up the +Bedfords and the Cheshires there was a terrific squash. The Dorsets +and Norfolks were sent back to billet at <span lang="fr">Nampteuil</span>, a village a mile +or so back, but even here there was some confusion, as the 14th +Brigade had meanwhile arrived and begun to billet there. They were, +however, sent back likewise to <span lang="fr">Chrisy</span>, and the whole Division passed a +most uncomfortable night. The rain never ceased from pouring, and a +gale sprang up, which made matters worse. We slept in a loft with a +number of Cheshire and Bedford officers, and didn't get dinner till +past nine. Some gunner officers turned up, with no food at all, and we +fed them; but there wasn't much at the best of times, for we had no +rations and had to depend on the contents of our Mess basket, which +consisted only of Harvey sauce, knives and forks, an old ham-bone, +sweet biscuits, and jam.</p> + +<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page110" name="page110"></a>(p. 110)</span> <i>Sept. 13th.</i></p> + +<p>It was fine in the morning, but the farmyard was ankle-deep in water +and slush, and the sky was leaden with lurid clouds in the east, when +we started at 4.10 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> We pushed on slowly in column for the few +miles to Serches, and there we halted at the cross-roads on the top of +the plateau and parked the brigade whilst the situation was cleared up +by troops in front. Shells began to drop unpleasantly near us, and a +couple of field batteries which got into action just in front of us, +together with a "cow-gun"<a id="footnotetag8" name="footnotetag8"></a><a href="#footnote8">[8]</a> (60 lb.) battery, only drew the hostile +fire still more. They were pretty big shells, Black Marias mostly, and +the heavy battery being right out in the open suffered somewhat +severely, losing eight horses and a few men killed and wounded by one +shell alone.</p> + +<p>So we prudently scattered the battalions a bit, and the field +batteries limbered up and walked slowly back under cover of a slope. +But the cow-guns had one gun disabled, and though they also moved back +and got again <span class="pagenum"><a id="page111" name="page111"></a>(p. 111)</span> into action they were evidently spotted and +had rather a poor time.</p> + +<p>Just about then, too, the transport of the 13th Brigade, which was +necessarily following the infantry over the crest towards Sermoise, +were noticed by the enemy, and a few shells over them killed and +disabled a number of waggon-horses and men, making a very nasty mess +in the road.</p> + +<p>There we sat all day whilst the sun came out and dried us a bit. But +we were not very happy at luncheon; for though hungry and with plenty +to eat now, those beastly shells came nearer and nearer us, till our +bully and biscuit lost their charm entirely. At last we got up, plates +in hand, and moved with dignity out of range, or, rather, more under +cover.</p> + +<p>The Cheshires had meanwhile discovered a curious cave in the hillside +which sheltered the whole battalion (though, in truth, the latter was +not large, only 450 men or so), whilst the other battalions were well +out of sight in the folds of the ground.</p> + +<p>The shadows grew longer and longer, and we rigged up some comfortable +little shelters in the coppice for the night, thinking we should +bivouac where we were. But at 6 I <span class="pagenum"><a id="page112" name="page112"></a>(p. 112)</span> was sent for to Divisional +Headquarters at Serches, and told to reconnoitre the road towards the +<span lang="fr">Aisne</span>—only a mile or two ahead. This I did in a motor-car, and +returned in time for dinner; but we had barely got through it, about +8, when marching orders came to the effect that we were to push on and +cross the <span lang="fr">Aisne</span> by rafts to-night, and the sooner the better.</p> + +<p>So we moved off with some difficulty in the dark, for there were no +connecting roads with the halting-places of the battalions, and got on +to the main road, whence all was plain sailing, down to the <span lang="fr">Moulin des +Roches</span>, an imaginary mill on the river bank. Over some sloppy pasture +fields in dead silence, and we found ourselves on the bank, with a +darker shadow plashing backwards and forwards over the river in our +front, and some <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> officers talking in whispers.</p> + +<p>The actual crossing of the Brigade was a long job, and had to be +carefully worked out. The raft held sixty men at a time, or thirty men +and three horses; but as horses on a raft in the dead of night were +likely to cause a fuss, we left them behind, to follow on in the +morning, and crossed without them,—four and a half hours it <span class="pagenum"><a id="page113" name="page113"></a>(p. 113)</span> +took; and whilst the men were crossing we tried to get a bit of sleep +on the wet bank. It was not very successful, as it was horribly cold +and we had no blankets. The staff crossed last of all, and we landed +in a wood on the far side, in a bog but thinly covered with cut +brushwood, and full of irritating, sharp, and painful tree-stumps.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 14th.</i></p> + +<p>When we were across it was difficult to discover the battalions asleep +in the fields, and when we had found them and it was time to start it +was difficult to wake them. However, we moved off just as it was +getting light; but it was not easy to find the way, for there was no +path at first. We had orders to go <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Bucy-le-Long</span> to <span lang="fr">Sainte +Marguerite</span>, and found the villages right enough, for they were close +together. But as we moved into <span lang="fr">Sainte Marguerite</span>, with a good many +other troops in front of us, we became aware that there was an +unnecessary number of bullets flying about, and that our fellows in +front were being held up.</p> + +<p>The village was held by the 12th Brigade <span class="pagenum"><a id="page114" name="page114"></a>(p. 114)</span> (4th Division), and +the 14th Brigade was somewhere on our right. The Dorsets were our +leading battalion, and they were pushed on to help the 12th, and +filled a gap in their line on the hill above the village front at the +eastern end. But there we stuck for a long time. The enemy's artillery +had meanwhile opened on us, and shells began to crash overhead and +played the devil with the tiles and the houses. But they did not do us +much harm.</p> + +<p>We now received orders to move on to <span lang="fr">Missy</span> (not a mile off to the +right) and clear the <span lang="fr">Chivres</span> ridge of the enemy and push on to <span lang="fr">Condé</span> +and take that if possible—rather a "large order." The difficulty was +to get to <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, for the road thither was spattered with bullets, and +shells were bursting all along it. However, by dint of careful work we +moved out bit by bit, cutting through the gardens and avoiding the +road, and taking advantage of a slight slope in the ground by which we +could sneak to the far side of the little railway embankment which led +to <span lang="fr">Missy</span> Station.</p> + +<p>It took a long time, and I made what proved to be the serious mistake +of staying to the end in order to see the whole <span class="pagenum"><a id="page115" name="page115"></a>(p. 115)</span> Brigade +clear of <span lang="fr">Sainte Marguerite</span>. I ought really to have gone ahead with the +first party to reconnoitre; for just as we were starting after the +rear company I stopped to write a message to the Division in answer to +one which had just arrived, and at that moment a hellish shrapnel, +machine-gun, and rifle fire was opened, not only on the village but on +all the exits therefrom, and this fire lasted for nearly two hours. +One simply could not make the attempt; it would have been certain +death. And so we had to sit in the tiny courtyard of one of the +houses, with our backs against the wall, and listen to the inferno +overhead, whilst the proprietor's wife plied us with most acceptable +roast potatoes and milk.</p> + +<p>I wrote a lot of messages during those two hours, but whether they all +got through or not I do not know: some of the messengers never came +back. Colonel Seely turned up at one moment—from General +Headquarters, I think—demanding information. This I supplied, and +made use of him to take some of my orders back; it really was quite a +new sensation giving orders to a recent Secretary of State for War.</p> + +<p>At one time two or three artillery waggons <span class="pagenum"><a id="page116" name="page116"></a>(p. 116)</span> appeared in the +little main street and remained there quietly for a bit under a heavy +fire, but only losing a man or two slightly wounded. Then suddenly +there was a loud crack overhead, and half a dozen horses were lying +struggling and kicking on the ground, with great pools of blood +forming in the road and four or five prostrate men in them. It was a +horrible sight for us, for the shell had burst just opposite the gate +of our courtyard. But the gunners behaved magnificently, and a farrier +sergeant gave out his orders as quietly and unconcernedly as if he had +been on parade. I took his name with a view to recommendation, but +regret that I have forgotten it by now.</p> + +<p>We also had some very unpleasant shaves at this time in our own +courtyard. Twice did a shell burst just above the house and drive +holes in the roof, bringing down showers of tiles; the second time +practically all the tiles fell on me and nearly knocked me down. I do +not know why they did not hurt me more—luckily the house was a low +one; but they merely bruised my back.</p> + +<p>At last, in a lull, we managed to get away, and sneaked out at a +run—through a yard <span class="pagenum"><a id="page117" name="page117"></a>(p. 117)</span> and back garden, behind a farm, out at +the back behind a fold in the ground, then across a wide open field +and on to the low railway embankment, behind which we ducked, and made +our way to the little station of <span lang="fr">Missy</span> and up behind some scattered +houses to near the church.</p> + +<p>Here, after some trouble, we got the commanding officers together, and +arranged to push on and attack the wooded ridge above the town. The +force was rather mixed. I had met Rolt (commanding the 14th Brigade) +on the way, and we had settled that I should collect whatever of his +men I could get together in <span lang="fr">Missy</span> and join them to my attacking party. +The difficulty was that it was already getting late—4.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>—and +that there was insufficient time for a thorough reconnaissance, though +we did what we could in that direction. However, my orders from the +Divisional Commander had been to take the ridge, and I tried to do it. +I had got together three companies of the Norfolks, three of the +Bedfords, two Cheshires (in reserve), two East Surreys (14th Brigade), +and two Cornwalls (13th Brigade, who had arrived <i>viâ</i> the broken +bridge at <span lang="fr">Missy</span> and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page118" name="page118"></a>(p. 118)</span> some rafts hastily constructed +there)—twelve companies altogether.</p> + +<p>But when they pushed forward it became very difficult, for there +turned out to be too many men for the space. What I had not known was +that, though they could advance up a broad clearing to more than +halfway up the hill, this clearing was bounded on both flanks, as it +gradually drew to a point, by high 6-feet wire netting just inside the +wood, so that the men could not get properly into the wood, but were +gradually driven in towards the point, where the only entrance to the +wood occurred.</p> + +<p>Luckily the Germans had not noticed this either—or there would have +been many more casualties than there were. As it was, a company of the +East Surrey and another one (Allason's) of the Bedfords did get +through to the top of the wood and on to the edge of the open plateau; +but this I did not hear of till later. When the greater part of the +force had got through the opening into the wood they found a few +Germans there and drove them back, killing some. Then they surged on +to a horse-shoe-shaped road further on in the wood, and some men lost +their direction and began firing in front <span class="pagenum"><a id="page119" name="page119"></a>(p. 119)</span> of them at what +they thought were Germans. But they were others of our own, and these +began firing back, also without knowing that they were their friends. +Consequently, although casualties were few, an unpleasant situation +arose, and numbers of men turned about and retired down the hill into +<span lang="fr">Missy</span>, saying that our artillery was firing into them. This may have +been true, for some shells were bursting over the wood; but whether +they were English or German I do not know to this day.</p> + +<p>Anyhow, the stream of men coming back increased. They fell back into +the village, and then came some certainly German shells after them. +For an unpleasant quarter of an hour the little sloping village of +<span lang="fr">Missy</span> was heavily shelled by shrapnel; but the walls of the houses +were thick, and though of course there were a certain number of +casualties, they were not serious as long as the men kept close to the +south side of the walls. Beilby (our Veterinary officer) for some +reason would keep to the wrong side of the street and was very nearly +killed, the fuse of a shell landing with a whump on a door not two +feet in front of him, and a shrapnel bullet going through <span class="pagenum"><a id="page120" name="page120"></a>(p. 120)</span> +his skirt pocket; but he was not touched. The shrapnel were in bursts +of four, and luckily Moulton-Barrett noticed it, for he calmly held up +the stream of men till the fourth shell had burst, and then let as +many as possible past the open space there till the next bunch +arrived, when he stopped them behind cover,—just like a London +policeman directing traffic.</p> + +<p>I remember one man falling, as we thought dead, close to where the +Staff were standing. But he groaned, and Weatherby ran to pick him up. +There was, however, no wound of any sort on him, and after a minute he +got up and went on. I think he must have been knocked down by the wind +of a shell—for he certainly was as much astonished as we were at +finding no damage on himself.</p> + +<p>By this time I had given orders that the troops were to retire to +their previous positions in and near the village, and it was getting +dusk.</p> + +<p>Luard (Norfolks) and a party of twenty-five men were well ahead in the +wood, and received the order to retire, for Luard was heard shouting +it to his men. But nothing has since been heard of him, and I much +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page121" name="page121"></a>(p. 121)</span> regret to say that he was either taken prisoner with most of +his men, or, more probably, killed.</p> + +<p>A message now came down from the plateau saying that some East Surreys +and Bedfords were still up in the wood, and should they retire or hold +on? As it was nearly dark and I consequently could not support +them—for if the men could not get through the wire-netting in +daylight they could hardly do so at night—I told them to retire. I +gave this order after I had consulted Rolt, who was somewhere west of +the village; but even if Rolt had not been there I should have given +it, for it would have been impossible to reinforce them adequately in +the circumstances.</p> + +<p>So I issued orders for an early reconnaissance and attack next +morning, to be led by the Norfolks; and the troops covered their front +with sentries and bivouacked in and round the village. We were all +short of food that night, for none of our supply carts, and not even a +riding-horse, had come with us. But all or most of the men had an +"iron ration" on them, and this they consumed, with the "unexpired" +portion of their previous day's ration.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page122" name="page122"></a>(p. 122)</span> The Bedfords took up their position along the railway to the +west, Cheshires on the right, Norfolks right front of village, +<abbr title="Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry">D.C.L.I.</abbr> left front.</p> + +<p>As for the Staff, we retired to a farm called <span lang="fr">La Bizaie</span>, +three-quarters of a mile south of <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, and close to the river, and +took up our quarters there. There was not a whole pane of glass in the +house, for it had been heavily bombarded—being empty, except for a +few wounded—during the day, and great craters had been formed close +by the walls by the Black Marias. But except at one corner of the roof +of an outhouse, no damage had been done to the buildings—except the +broken glass.</p> + +<p>It was a very old farmhouse, as we found out afterwards, part of it +dating back to 1200 and something. Curiously enough, there was a +photograph of an English Colonel (of the <abbr title="Royal Army Medical Corps">R.A.M.C.</abbr>) on the sideboard—a +friend, so the farm servants told us, of the owner, whose name I have +forgotten. The buildings were very superior to the ordinary farm type, +and more like a comfortable country house than one would expect, but +there were plenty of barns as well, and some pigs and chickens running +about.</p> + +<p>We bought, murdered, and ate an elderly <span class="pagenum"><a id="page123" name="page123"></a>(p. 123)</span> chicken, but +otherwise there was devilish little to eat except a store of jam, and +we had only a very few biscuits and no bread.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 15th.</i></p> + +<a id="img003" name="img003"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img003.jpg" width="500" height="386" alt="Map." title=""> +</div> + +<p>After writing out orders for the attack next day we went to bed, +dog-tired; and I was routed out again at 12.45 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> by Malise Graham, +who had come with a message from the Divisional Commander that he +wanted to see me at once at the broken bridge at <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, a mile off +through long wet grass in pitch darkness. It was <span class="pagenum"><a id="page124" name="page124"></a>(p. 124)</span> not good +"going," but we got there eventually and crossed the river, sliding +down steep slippery banks into a punt, ferried across, and up the +other side. Cuthbert eventually turned up from somewhere, and we had a +pow-wow in the dark, resulting in fresh orders being given for the +morrow's work.</p> + +<p>This involved new orders being written, and it was 4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> by the time +we turned in again for an hour's sleep.</p> + +<p>A careful reconnaissance was made by Done and some other Norfolk +officers as soon as it was light; but the result was not promising. +Fresh German trenches had been dug commanding the open space, and more +wire had been put up during the night.</p> + +<p>The Norfolks were told off to lead the assault, with the Bedfords in +support and the Cheshires in reserve. The Dorsets were still above +<span lang="fr">Sainte Marguerite</span>, helping the 12th Brigade, and were not available.</p> + +<p>We began by shelling that horrible <span lang="fr">Chivres</span> Spur, but it produced +little effect, as the Germans were in the wood and invisible. The +Norfolks pushed on, but gradually came to a standstill in the wood, +and the day wore on with little result, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page125" name="page125"></a>(p. 125)</span> for the wood was +desperately blind, and we were being heavily shelled at all points.</p> + +<p>The Brigade staff sat under a hedge halfway between <span lang="fr">La Bizaie</span> farm and +<span lang="fr">Missy</span>; but it was not a very happy place, for the big shells fell +nearer and nearer till we had to make a move forward at a run for the +shelter of a big manure-heap. But even here the Black Marias found us +out, and two of them fell within a few yards, their explosion covering +us with dirt. We were also in view of German snipers halfway up the +hill, and bullets came thick whenever we showed a cap or a leg beyond +the muck-heap, which, besides being distinctly unsweet, was covered +with disgusting-looking flies in large numbers.</p> + +<p>However, there we had to stay most of the day. The village of <span lang="fr">Missy</span> +was intermittently shelled by some huge howitzers, and bunches of +their shells blew up several houses and nearly demolished the church, +a fine old 14th century building. A few Norfolks were buried or killed +by the falling houses, but otherwise extraordinarily little damage was +done, and most of the shells fell in the open, where there was nobody +worth mentioning.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page126" name="page126"></a>(p. 126)</span> At 3 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> I got a summons to go to Rolt at his farm just +outside <span lang="fr">Sainte Marguerite</span>; and a most unpleasing journey it was for +Weatherby and me. We separated, going across the open plough and +cabbage fields, but snipers were on us the whole time, and several +times missed us by only a few inches. We must have offered very +sporting targets to the Germans on the hill, for we ran all the way, +and—I speak for myself—we got extremely hot.</p> + +<p>I sprinted a good 400 yards under fire for the shelter of a thick +hedge, and when I got there found to my disgust there was a young +river to be got over before I could reach the cover. However, I +squirmed along a fallen bough and struggled through the fence—to find +myself face to face with Bols and his Dorsets, whom he was bringing +along to hold the line of the fence. This gave a certain "moral +relief," and from there it was easier going to Rolt's farm, all except +one point where the railway cut through a hedge and crossed the +stream. On this point a German machine-gun had been laid, and to cross +it with a whole skin one had to hurry a bit. Our Brigade machine-gun +officer, young D—— of the Bedfords, was <span class="pagenum"><a id="page127" name="page127"></a>(p. 127)</span> subsequently hit +here, in the back, but not very seriously.</p> + +<p>I concerted measures with Rolt for holding the line <span lang="fr">Missy-Sainte +Marguerite</span>, and we began to dig in places. But at 7.40 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> came +orders for the 15th Brigade to evacuate the north bank <i>viâ</i> a new +bridge near the old raft one where we had crossed; so we issued fresh +orders about the 14th Brigade taking over our line, and prepared for +another night march,—no sleep again.</p> + +<p>I forgot to mention that our horses had arrived at <span lang="fr">La Bizaie</span> early +that morning, having crossed by the raft bridge the day before. Silver +as usual made a desperate fuss, and was eventually knocked into the +river by a mule who was crossing with him. He swam up and down the +river for twenty-five minutes, refusing to come out—poor Catley in +desperation all the time. But he was eventually hauled out, with my +saddle and bags, of course, sopping wet. His stable shed was also +shelled heavily during the day, but strange to say none of the horses +or grooms were touched.</p> + +<p>It poured in buckets that night; and as the Bedfords were streaming +past the farm in the dark about 11 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> a terrific fire <span class="pagenum"><a id="page128" name="page128"></a>(p. 128)</span> +broke out from the direction of <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, accompanied by German +flare-lights and searchlights. The word went round that it was a German +counter-attack, and we ran out and halted the Bedfords and put them +into some trenches covering the farm. But it turned out to be a false +alarm; for the Germans, hearing troops moving in the dark, thought +that they were going to be attacked, and opened a heavy fire on <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, +whilst the 14th Brigade and the remainder of our men still there +replied to it. It eventually died down, and we resumed our march in +pitch darkness and mud up to the men's knees in the water meadows by +the river.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 16th.</i></p> + +<p>The Cheshires came last, and we of the Brigade Staff followed them at +4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> through dripping fields and criss-cross hedges, coming across +the Scottish Rifles lying asleep near the pontoon bridge. They +belonged to the 19th Brigade, but where the rest of the Brigade was I +do not know.</p> + +<p>On the other side of the river we found the Divisional Commander with +a few of his staff. It was beastly cold and just getting light, about +5 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and why Sir <span class="pagenum"><a id="page129" name="page129"></a>(p. 129)</span> Charles should be standing there I could +not at first make out. However, it turned out that he had come down +from Serches, being somewhat anxious as to what might be happening on +the other side of the river—with considerable justification, for if +we had been driven back on to the one bridge which crossed the river +we might have been in a parlous state.</p> + +<p>Half an hour later we arrived in Jury, a tidy little village in and +round which most of the Brigade was already billeting, and here, in a +nice little house, belonging to a worthy old couple, we took our rest, +thankful for a little peace and some sleep at last.</p> + +<p>And here we stayed for a week.</p> + +<p>Not that it was all beer and skittles even then. The 14th Brigade was +still holding <span lang="fr">Missy</span> over the river, and there were some serious alarms +on one or two nights, necessitating troops being sent down to the +river at <span lang="fr">Rupreux</span>, in case they were wanted.</p> + +<p>Shells fell near Jury for a day or two, but they gradually died away, +until some heavy guns of the 4th Division were brought up close by and +began banging away again at the <span lang="fr">Chivres</span> heights and beyond. Quite +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page130" name="page130"></a>(p. 130)</span> unnecessary we thought them, for they not only made a +hideous noise day and night, but the enemy began searching for them +with Black Marias, some of which fell unpleasantly close to us.</p> + +<p>It was a pretty little valley with wooded hills, running northwards to +the <span lang="fr">Aisne</span>, and on our right was a big plateau with huge haystacks +dotted about the corn-fields, which served as excellent observing +stations for our artillery, of which by this time we had a vast mass. +The other (north) bank of the <span lang="fr">Aisne</span> was clearly visible from here—in +fact from the top of the biggest haystack there was a regular panorama +to be seen, from the twin towers of <span lang="fr">Soissons</span> Cathedral on the left to +the enemy's trenches above <span lang="fr">Vailly</span> and beyond—a beautiful landscape +typical of <span lang="fr">La Belle France</span>, even to the rows of poplars in the +distance, marking the <span lang="fr">Routes Nationales</span> from <span lang="fr">Soissons</span> to other places +of distinction.</p> + +<p>Our business was to hold the line of the river by digging a line of +trenches from <span lang="fr">Sermoise</span> to near <span lang="fr">Venizel</span>, and to cover them with a line +of outposts day and night. This took about four companies, and the +rest were engaged in digging another <span class="pagenum"><a id="page131" name="page131"></a>(p. 131)</span> series of trenches on +the plateau as a supporting line to the first, flanking the Jury +Valley on one side and the ruins of <span lang="fr">Sermoise</span> and <span lang="fr">Ciry</span> on the other. +This was really the first serious digging of trenches we had had +during the campaign, and I remember, in the light of after +experiences, how futile they must have been at the time, for they were +nothing like as deep as we subsequently found to be necessary, nor had +they any wire entanglements or obstacles worth mentioning. However, I +expect that the French improved them greatly during the subsequent +winter.</p> + +<p>Sermoise had been desperately shelled; there were no inhabitants left, +and practically every house was a heap of ruins; but though our +outposts in front of it could not have been seen through the woods, +the Germans continued to shell it most viciously.</p> + +<p>On the right of Sermoise was the 13th Brigade, extended towards the +3rd Division, which had crossed the river at <span lang="fr">Vailly</span> and was holding +the slopes above it. I believe the 13th had a poor time of it, for +they were scattered over open ground and in small woods which were +perpetually being <span class="pagenum"><a id="page132" name="page132"></a>(p. 132)</span> shelled, and they had, besides, to find a +battalion or so to help the 14th Brigade in <span lang="fr">Missy</span>.</p> + +<p>On our left we joined hands with the 4th Division, most of whom were +on the other bank, running from <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Marguerite</span> westwards; on their left +were, I believe, the French, in and round <span lang="fr">Soissons</span>.</p> + +<p>It was a nice time for the Artillery; for guns were there in large +numbers, and they had some good targets to shoot at, over <span lang="fr">Vregny</span> and +<span lang="fr">Chivres</span> way, in the shape of the enemy's batteries and lines, when +they could be seen.</p> + +<p>The weather was mostly fine during that week, but there were two +horridly cold days on which the rain came down in torrents, and did +not help us in our entrenching tasks.</p> + +<p>At last came the day which I had been expecting for some time; and I +was ordered to send the Dorsets across, to begin relieving the 14th +Brigade near <span lang="fr">Missy</span>.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Sept. 24th.</i></p> + +<p>They left on the 23rd, and on the 24th the Bedfords went over, +preceded by the Brigade Staff at 2.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> The Norfolks <span class="pagenum"><a id="page133" name="page133"></a>(p. 133)</span> had +been sent off three days before to strengthen the 3rd Division, so I +had only three battalions, and of these the Cheshires were very weak. +However, the <abbr title="King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry">K.O.Y.L.I.</abbr>, and West Kents (of the 13th Brigade), already +holding the eastern edge of <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, were put under my orders, besides +the 15th Brigade <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr> under Charles Ballard (a cousin of +Colin's<a id="footnotetag9" name="footnotetag9"></a><a href="#footnote9">[9]</a>), and a Howitzer Battery (61st) of Duffus's 8th Brigade.</p> + +<p>Weatherby and I walked across to Rolt's farm, across a series of big +fields, with only an occasional bullet or shell pitching in the +distance. Lord, what a poor place it was; Rolt and his staff had lived +there for the last week, all lying together on straw in one or two +rooms: it must have been most uncomfortable. The windows towards the +north-east had been plugged up with sandbags, so that the rooms were +very dark, and the floors were deep in caked mud and dirt of all +sorts. The only attraction in the main room was a big open fireplace +with a huge sort of witches' cauldron standing over the hot ashes, and +this was most useful in providing us with hot baths later on.</p> + +<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page134" name="page134"></a>(p. 134)</span> <i>Sept. 25th.</i></p> + +<p>Rolt explained his position and the places which the different +battalions were occupying; but beyond an occasional bombardment of +<span lang="fr">Missy</span> and losses from German snipers in trees and elsewhere, he had +not suffered overmuch. However, he and his Brigade were not sorry to +leave, and leave they did at 4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> next morning. The awkward part of +it was that one could never go out in the daytime, as the road in +front of the farm leading towards <span lang="fr">Missy</span> was under perpetual rifle-fire +directly any one showed up, and several holes had been made in the +farmyard gate, windows, and walls, not to mention bits of the roof +taken off by shrapnel. Why they did not shell the farm more I cannot +conceive. Perhaps the enemy thought it was deserted, but whilst we +were there no shells fell within a couple of hundred yards of it, +though some were pitched well over it, and exploded 500 yards to the +rear.</p> + +<p>I had gone to see the Dorsets and 13th Brigade in <span lang="fr">Missy</span> on the evening +before, and found them fairly well ensconced. The Dorsets were in +<span lang="fr">Missy</span> itself, with their headquarters in a really nice house with +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page135" name="page135"></a>(p. 135)</span> carpets and big shaded lamps, and a cellar full of excellent +wine, and a nice garden all complete, and charming +bedrooms—infinitely superior to our pig-sty of a farm. I seriously +thought of turning them out and taking the house for the Brigade +Staff, especially as our farm was not at all central but quite on the +left of our line; but all our cable-lines converged on to the farm, +and, in addition, the Dorset house would have been impossible to get +out of for further control if <span lang="fr">Missy</span> were shelled; so I settled to +remain at the farm. The 13th Brigade—<i>i.e.</i>, <abbr title="King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry">K.O.Y.L.I.</abbr>, and West +Kents, were further on, the <abbr title="King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry">K.O.Y.L.I.</abbr>, on the eastern outskirts, and +the West Kents in trenches beyond them. The <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s were still +further south-eastwards, and reached back to the river, but there were +only one or two weak companies of them.</p> + +<p>Before dawn, and just after Rolt had left, I went to inspect the +Bedfords' position, which was close to Rolt's farm, in the wood in +front of it, and a beastly position it was. The wood was very damp, +and when one tried to dig trenches one struck water only a foot below +ground, so most of the line had to be made of breastworks. There +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page136" name="page136"></a>(p. 136)</span> were German trenches within 20 yards of our advanced trench +there, and ours was remarkably badly situated and liable to be rushed +at a moment's notice; yet it was impossible from the lie of the ground +to dig suitable ones unless we retired altogether for 200 yards, which +of course was out of the question. So we chanced it and stuck it out, +and luckily were never attacked there. The men suffered there from +damp and cold, I'm afraid, for every morning a wet and freezing fog +arose in the wood, although the weather was clear elsewhere; but it +could not be helped.</p> + +<p>We stayed in Rolt's farm and in the positions described for just a +week. On one day, the 27th, we had a false alarm, for the enemy was +reported as crossing the Condé bridge at 4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> in large numbers, and +everybody was at once on the <span lang="fr"><i>qui vive</i></span>, the Cheshires, who were in +bivouac behind Rolt's farm, being sent back (by Sir C. Fergusson's +orders) to <span lang="fr">Rupreux</span>, the other side of the river. We rather doubted the +news from the start, as the <span lang="fr">Condé</span> bridge had, we knew, been blown up, +and there was only one girder left, by which a few <span class="pagenum"><a id="page137" name="page137"></a>(p. 137)</span> men at a +time could conceivably have crossed; but the information was so +circumstantial that it sounded possible. Eventually it turned out all +to be owing to the heated imagination of a Hibernian patrol officer of +the West Kents, and we turned in again.</p> + +<p><span lang="fr">Missy</span> was shelled particularly heavily that day from 10 to 6, and it +was painful to watch great bouquets of 8-in. <abbr title="High Explosive">H.E.</abbr> shells exploding in +the village, and whole houses coming down with a crash; it seemed as +though there must be frightfully heavy casualties, and I trembled in +anticipation of the casualty return that night.</p> + +<p>But the Dorsets and <abbr title="King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry">K.O.Y.L.I.</abbr> had dug themselves in so thoroughly in +deep funk-holes and cellars that they did not have a single casualty; +and literally the only men wounded were three <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s and six West +Kents outside the village in a trench, who were hit by about the last +shell of the day; whilst a Bedford sniper, an excellent shot, one +Sergeant Hunt, unfortunately got a bullet through two fingers of his +right hand.</p> + +<p>During that week it was moderately quiet, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page138" name="page138"></a>(p. 138)</span> with nothing like +so many casualties as we had expected. Our supply waggons rolled up +after dark right into <span lang="fr">Missy</span> village and never lost a man, whilst the +village was so thoroughly barricaded and strengthened and +scientifically defended—mostly Dorset work—that we could have held +out against any number. The sappers too, 17th Co. <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, worked like +Trojans under young Pottinger, a most plucky and capable youth wearing +the weirdest of clothes—a short and filthy mackintosh, ragged coat +and breeches, and a huge revolver.<a id="footnotetag10" name="footnotetag10"></a><a href="#footnote10">[10]</a></p> + +<p>We put Rolt's farm and the mill (between that and <span lang="fr">Missy</span>) and <span lang="fr">La Bizaie</span> +farm in a thorough state of defence, and dug hundreds of yards of +trenches. In fact we should have welcomed an infantry attack, but it +never came—only artillery long bowls.</p> + +<p>In this the two howitzer batteries, especially Wilson's 61st, were +splendid, and spotted and knocked out gun after gun of the enemy. He +had an observing station halfway up the hill above <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Sainte">Ste</abbr> Marguerite</span>, +to which I went occasionally, with a grand view up to <span lang="fr">Vregny</span> and +<span lang="fr">Chivres</span>; but even <span class="pagenum"><a id="page139" name="page139"></a>(p. 139)</span> here, +although the <abbr title="Observation Post">O.P.</abbr> was beautifully +concealed, one had to be careful not to show a finger or a cap, for +the German snipers in the wood below were excellent shots, and there +were some narrow escapes.</p> + +<p>The worst of it was that we could take very little exercise. I used to +go out nearly every morning before sunrise to visit the posts, but was +often surprised by the sun before I'd finished my rounds, and had to +bolt back under fire; and after sunset I'd go round to <span lang="fr">Missy</span>, &c., and +visit the troops there. Otherwise, we could not go out at all in the +daytime—it was much too "unhealthy,"—and what with numerous meals +and little movement we grew disgustingly fat. I put in a lot of time +drawing careful maps of the position.</p> + +<p>The farm itself was cleaned up from roof to cellar by Moulton-Barrett +and his myrmidons, but it was not perfect at first. My bed was a mass +of stale blood-stains from the wounded who had lain there before we +came, and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span>, whose bed was not of the cleanest and exuded an +odd and unpleasing smell, routed about below it, and extracted the +corpse of a hen, which must have been there for ten days at least.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page140" name="page140"></a>(p. 140)</span> We cleaned up the farmyard too—it was perfectly foul when we +came—but we could not show much even there, although the gate was +always kept closed, for any sign of life was generally greeted with a +bullet. A man got one through the knee when just outside it, and the +gate itself had several holes through it. The Bedfords used to send a +company at a time there for hot tea in the mornings and evenings, for +they could not light fires where they were, and shivered accordingly.</p> + +<p>Many were the schemes for improving their wood—trenches; and at last +Orlebar (killed later near <span lang="nl">Wulverghem</span>), who had been a civil engineer, +drew up an arrangement for flooding the wood and retiring to a more +satisfactory line. But before it could be put into practice we got +orders to retire, and for the 12th Brigade on our left to relieve us.</p> + +<p>This meant, of course, thinning the line terribly, and we were, with +the 12th Brigade, somewhat nervous about it, for we did not know what +it portended. But we got away during the night in perfect safety; for +although there was a full moon there was also a thick mist, and the +Germans never <span class="pagenum"><a id="page141" name="page141"></a>(p. 141)</span> seemed to notice the movement, which required +most careful staff work on the part of both Brigades.</p> + +<p>Cuthbert, seedy, was relieved by Hickie in command of the 13th Brigade +to-day.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 2nd.</i></p> + +<p>By some time in the early morning of the 2nd October—1.40 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> it +was, to be accurate—the whole Brigade had got back to Jury, and there +we were told, as usual, that we were to rest and recuperate for a +week; so we were not surprised at getting orders in the afternoon to +move out at 6.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, our destination being a place called <span lang="fr">Droizy</span>. I +had caught a bad cold that day, due solely, I believe, to taking a +"woolly" into wear for the first time; and the cold fog in which we +marched did nothing to improve it. Above us was a bright clear moon, +but the fog clung heavily to the valleys, and we marched in it most of +the time. Desperate secrecy and quiet was observed, for we were +evidently doing secret marching at night for some great object; though +what it was we could only conjecture. But orders came that for the +next few days we were to march at night, and during the daytime +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page142" name="page142"></a>(p. 142)</span> were to lie "doggo" and not show ourselves for fear of the +enemy's aeroplanes.</p> + +<p>We reached <span lang="fr">Droizy</span> at about 11 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> and there found the Norfolks, who +had been taken away from us at Jury ten days before and attached to +the 3rd Division on our right in the direction of <span lang="fr">Vailly</span>. Much pleased +we were to see them again. They had not suffered many casualties, +though they had had a stiff time at their château of <span lang="fr">Chassemy</span>, filling +the gap between the 3rd and 5th Divisions, and had been attacked +several times.</p> + +<p>The Dorsets in arriving here managed to take a wrong turn in the +village and went careering off into the fog in the opposite direction +to where their billets had been told off for them; but they were +shortly retrieved and put on the right track. A brigade of artillery, +by the way—I forget which—was attached to our brigade area that +night, and distinguished itself next day by taking up a position in +some open fields; which led to trouble.</p> + +<p>Our headquarters were at a curious old castle-farm belonging to one M. +<span lang="fr">Choron</span>, right in the middle of the village, and looked after by his +father, a vice-admiral, late a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page143" name="page143"></a>(p. 143)</span> director of naval +construction, a nice old fellow, who had been brutally treated by the +Germans in their retreat. There was a very old tower to the place, no +surroundings except a farmyard, and a little old kitchen of most +antique aspect, in which we had our meals.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 3rd.</i></p> + +<p>For most of the next day we had a good rest, and I stayed in bed to +doctor my cold; but orders soon came to move on, and the Brigade +started in the evening for <span lang="fr">Long Pont</span>, a village about twelve miles +off, getting there about 11. The Divisional Commander had kindly sent +a motor-car for me; and Done, of the Norfolks (who was also rather +seedy), and Tandy, <abbr title="Royal Artillery">R.A.</abbr>, a person of large knowledge and always +interesting, accompanied me; so we arrived at <span lang="fr">Long Pont</span> a long time +ahead of the troops.</p> + +<p>A great big château was gleaming in the moonlight as we drove up, and +I determined that we should spend the night there, in spite of the +fact that the Divisional staff had also that intention. But when I +introduced myself to the proprietor, a courteous and frail old +gentleman, the <span lang="fr">Comte de Montesquiou-Fezensac</span>, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page144" name="page144"></a>(p. 144)</span> he bewailed +the fact that there was no room available, and this in spite of the +fact that there were dozens of big windows outside, and long corridors +inside, with heaps of rooms opening off them.</p> + +<p>A visit to the village in search of a lodging revealed its true +state—<i>i.e.</i>, that it was choke-full and dirty. But even then it +required a good deal of persuasion before the old gentleman at last +grasped the fact that I was not demanding twenty bedrooms, but only +one or two empty rooms in which twenty men could lie for the night. +Then he kindly produced mattresses and straw, and all was well. As for +myself, he was good enough to lead me to the chamber of his late +mother, a curious little room with a four-poster and locks and hasps +and cupboards of Louis <abbr title="13th">XIII.</abbr> times, and bundles of magnificent old +embroideries. As for washing apparatus—that also was almost of that +date.</p> + +<p>Next day, being Sunday, we had Divine Service in the ruins of a grand +old fourteenth-century abbey which adjoined the château—wrecked in +the French Revolution and again in 1830. The park also was most +attractive, rather of the Trianon surroundings style; but several +brigades of artillery <span class="pagenum"><a id="page145" name="page145"></a>(p. 145)</span> which had to be tucked away under the +trees for fear of aeroplanes rather spoilt the turf, I fear. We did, +of course, as little damage as we could, and after a friendly farewell +to the old couple I drove off, again in a motor, with Henvey (<abbr title="Assistant Provost Marshall">A.P.M.</abbr> +of 5th Division), and preceded the Brigade to a place called <span lang="fr">Pontdron</span>. +Here I arrived at 10 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>; but the Brigade, which had been heavily +held up by French troops on the march, did not turn up till nearly 4 +<span class="smcap">A.M.</span></p> + +<p>Meanwhile I amused myself by getting the château ready. It had, of +course, been occupied by Germans, and, equally of course, it had been +ransacked and partly wrecked by them—though a good deal of furniture +had been left. There were even candles and oil-lamps available, and of +these we made full use, as well as of the bedrooms. I chose the lady's +(<span lang="fr">Comtesse de Coupigny</span>, with husband in the 21st Dragoons) bedroom. The +counterpane was full of mud and sand, through some beastly German +having slept on it without taking his boots off, but there was +actually a satin coverlet left, and pillows. All the stud- and +jewellery-cases had been opened and their contents stolen, and <span lang="fr">Madame +de C.</span>'s writing-table had also <span class="pagenum"><a id="page146" name="page146"></a>(p. 146)</span> been forced open, and papers +and the contents of the drawers scattered on the floor. Other +unmentionable crimes had also been committed.</p> + +<p>Here we stayed for nearly two days, cleaning up the château, picking +up a lot of stores in the shape of boots and caps and clothing of all +sorts—not to mention some heavy mails from home,—and actually +playing lawn-tennis. At least I played with Cadell two sets, each +winning one, on a sand court with an improvised net, and racquets and +balls somewhat the worse for wear, with a lovely big hot bath to +follow.</p> + +<p>It was gradually borne in on us that we were going to be moved off by +train to take part in a different theatre of the fighting altogether; +but where we should find ourselves we had not the least idea. What +caused us much joy to hear was that we had intercepted a German +wireless message, two days after four out of the six Divisions had +left the <span lang="fr">Aisne</span>, to say that it was "all right, all six British +Divisions were still on the <span lang="fr">Aisne!</span>"</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 6th.</i></p> + +<p>On the 6th we moved off at 2.15 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page147" name="page147"></a>(p. 147)</span> pushed on to +<span lang="fr">Béthisy <abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Pierre</span>, where the Bedfords and Norfolks and ourselves +halted, whilst the Dorsets and Cheshires pushed on to <span lang="fr">Verberies</span>, so as +to save time for the entraining on the morrow. We got our time-table +that night, and found that we were to entrain at four +stations—<i>i.e.</i>, <span lang="fr">Compiègne</span>, <span lang="fr">Le Meux</span>, +<span lang="fr">Longueil <abbr title="Sainte">Ste</abbr> Marie</span>, and <span lang="fr">Pont +Sainte Maxence</span>—on the following day. Very careful arrangements and +calculations had to be made, so that the whole thing should go without +a hitch, and we sat up for some time at the Convent, a sort of +educational establishment where Brigade Headquarters was quartered, +making out the orders.</p> + +<p>A "Brigade Area" command was allotted to me, including, besides my +own Brigade, the 8th Brigade <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr> (howitzers), 59th Co. <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, 15th +Field Ambulance, and 4th Co. of 5th Div. Train.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 7th.</i></p> + +<p>Then off at 5 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> next morning, ourselves for +<span lang="fr">Pont <abbr title="Sainte">Ste</abbr> Maxence</span>. +Major Vandeleur of the Scottish Rifles had just arrived to take +command of the Cheshires, who had had nothing but a captain to command +them <span class="pagenum"><a id="page148" name="page148"></a>(p. 148)</span> since Lt.-Col. Boger was taken prisoner on the 24th +August. He seemed to me a first-rate sensible fellow, but we were not +destined to keep him for long.</p> + +<p>As the Brigade was still rather short of socks, I bought as many as I +could here for the men, but not many were available. It was a nice +little town with a blown-up stone bridge, but the French <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> had +already constructed another of wood.</p> + +<p>The French entraining orders are that all troops have to be at the +station four blessed hours before the train starts, so as to give time +to load up properly. We thus arrived at 8, and did not start till 12; +but the actual entraining of the Cheshires—the only battalion with +Brigade Headquarters—took only one hour and a quarter,—not bad at +all considering that there were no ramps or decent accessories, and +all the vehicles had to be man-handled into the trucks.</p> + +<p>There were two sorts of trains—one mostly for men, the other mostly +for horses and vehicles; but although they were very long—thirty-four +to forty cars if I remember right—they were not quite long enough for +us, and several men and vehicles had <span class="pagenum"><a id="page149" name="page149"></a>(p. 149)</span> to be left behind and +brought on by other trains, resulting in slight incompleteness for a +few days.</p> + +<p>We rapidly reached <span lang="fr">Creil</span>, where we were to get our final orders. What +on earth would our destination be? Rumour had it that we should go to +<span lang="fr">Calais</span>, or even to <span lang="fr">Bruges</span>; but we had no such journey after all, for +we were only intended to go to <span lang="fr">Abbeville</span> as it turned out—rather a +disappointment, as we hoped it would be further afield.</p> + +<p><span lang="fr">Abbeville</span>—a two hours' journey as a rule in peace time—was not +reached till 8 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, although we were due there at 6.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> We halted +by the way, for half an hour or more, at <span lang="fr">Amiens</span>, where we made the +acquaintance of a cheery crowd of <span lang="fr">"Fusiliers Marins,"</span> sturdy naval +reservists from Normandy and Brittany, who covered themselves with +glory later on amid the Belgian dunes.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 8th.</i></p> + +<p>We were not allowed to detrain at <span lang="fr">Abbeville</span> till 9.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, as the +platforms were already occupied by other troops. It was wretchedly +cold and pitch-dark by the time we had got away from the station, and +we <span class="pagenum"><a id="page150" name="page150"></a>(p. 150)</span> marched in dead silence through the town at 12.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> +Not a soul was in the streets, not even a policeman from whom to ask +the way, and we nearly lost our direction twice.</p> + +<p>Our orders, which we received from Dunlop (5th Divisional staff), who +was ensconced in a red-hot waiting-room in the goods yard, were to the +effect that we were to billet near <span lang="fr">Neuilly</span>, a village about six miles +off. Done (Norfolks) had been sent ahead on the previous day to +prepare the billets, but when we got near the village, after a cold +march with a clear moon, Done was nowhere to be seen; and I nearly +ordered the battalion to "doss down" in the road, as all the houses +near were full of men of other brigades. However, Weatherby rode on, +and eventually found Done in bed at the <span lang="fr">Mairie</span>, he having been +officially told that the Brigade would not be in till the following +day. He had had a trying time, having been deposited by his train at a +station about ten miles off, and having to make his way across country +(riding) without a map and with very vague ideas of where he was to +go. However, he had already told off billets for all the Brigade Area, +and the troops trickled in independently by battalions and batteries, +arriving <span class="pagenum"><a id="page151" name="page151"></a>(p. 151)</span> by different trains and even at different stations, +up to 10 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> in the morning. I thought it showed distinctly good work +on the part of all concerned that we concentrated our "Brigade Area" +so quickly and without being deficient of anything except the few +vehicles which had perforce been left behind for want of trucks; but +they turned up all right a day or two after. The Brigade staff +billeted at the château (as usual!), a strangely ruined-looking little +place belonging to the <span lang="fr">Comte de Belleville</span>, now at the wars. We turned +up there about 4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and were guided thither by an old gardener, who +thumped at the door and shouted loudly for <span lang="fr">"Madame."</span> A woman soon +appeared, and showed us most civilly to our rooms—very plain and bare +but very clean. I could not quite make her out, for though she was +dressed in the plainest of print clothes she did not talk like a +servant—in fact she talked like a lady; so I put her down as some +relation perhaps who was helping <span lang="fr">Mme de Belleville</span>. But later in the +morning I discovered that she was <span lang="fr">Madame la Comtesse</span> herself, who had +kindly risen at that unearthly hour to let us in, and that there were +no servants in the establishment <span class="pagenum"><a id="page152" name="page152"></a>(p. 152)</span> at all except the old +gardener and a nurse.</p> + +<p>Our movements were still by way of being kept a dead secret, so we +went off in the afternoon at 6 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, reinforced now by some divisional +cavalry and divisional cyclists. The road, in the dark, was an +extremely complicated one, as it involved about twenty turnings and +movement along narrow lanes with high hedges and big trees, making it +quite impossible to see for more than a few yards. So I took the +guiding of the column into my own hands, and distributed the rest of +my staff along it to see that the different units did not miss the way +and kept well closed up. The result was good, and after 5 hours march, +<i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Agenvilliers</span> and <span lang="fr">Gueschard</span>, we reached the little village of +<span lang="fr">Boufflers</span> about 11 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> Here, at an odd little <span lang="fr">Nouvel Art</span> +"Château"—or rather small country house, empty of its +owners—belonging to M. <span lang="fr">Sagebien</span>, <span lang="fr">Préfet de Niort</span>, we of the Brigade +staff put up, the rest of the command being billeted in the tiny +villages lining each bank of the tiny stream near—I have forgotten +its name.</p> + +<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page153" name="page153"></a>(p. 153)</span> <i>Oct. 9th.</i></p> + +<p>It was a nice sunny day on the morrow, and we got our orders by midday +that we were to move off at 2 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> We wrote out Brigade orders and +prepared to start, when suddenly post-haste came some orders +cancelling these, and telling us that we were to drop our transport +and be moved off at once in a series of motor-buses to a place called +<span lang="fr">Diéval</span>.</p> + +<p>And then began a lovely jumble, which resulted (not our own fault) in +getting to <span lang="fr">Diéval</span> rather later than we should have done had we trusted +to our own unaided powers of locomotion.</p> + +<p>We moved off at 2 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, only taking blanket-waggons which were to dump +blankets and supplies into the buses. These were to have turned up on +the <span lang="fr">Haravesnes-Fillièvres</span> road at 7 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>; in any case it would have +been a complicated job getting into them in the dark, but they did not +arrive till midnight, owing to some mechanical breakdowns in the +column. The first lot of <span lang="fr">"camions"</span> were to have taken six +battalions—<i>i.e.</i>, the 14th Brigade, which was just ahead of us, and +half of the 15th Brigade. But when they did arrive, there were only +enough for <span class="pagenum"><a id="page154" name="page154"></a>(p. 154)</span> three and three-quarter battalions; so we +bivouacked in more or less peace by the roadside until this bunch had +moved off and returned from <span lang="fr">Diéval</span> to fetch us. Horribly cold it was +too, and we only kept moderately warm by pulling down several straw +stacks—which we carefully put together again next day—and covering +ourselves up in the straw.</p> + +<p>I had, by the way, an extremely narrow escape from being killed that +night. I had been lying down just off the road, when it struck me that +I should find out more of what was happening and going to happen if I +went to the head of the <span lang="fr">camion</span> column and interviewed the officer in +charge. It was a tramp of a mile or more through the 14th Brigade, and +I found out something of what I wanted; but when I returned to the +bivouac I heard that, not two minutes after I had started, a motor-bus +had swerved off the road and passed exactly over the place where my +head had been. It very nearly went over <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> and Moulton-Barrett, +who were lying a few feet away, as it was. Of course the driver could +not see any one lying down in the dark.</p> + +<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page155" name="page155"></a>(p. 155)</span> <i>Oct. 10th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning we had breakfast at 7.30 in the field, and still the +buses had not returned. We waited in that place till 11 o'clock before +they turned up, and then clambered into them as quickly as we +could—twenty-two men to a bus, sixteen buses to 300 metres being the +allowance. Even then we had to leave about two battalions behind for a +third trip.</p> + +<p>I got into the first bus—a very fast one,—and reached <span lang="fr">Diéval</span> some +time before the rest of the Brigade; but there was no room in the town +for another Brigade, as it was already full of the 14th.</p> + +<p>I went to see Rolt, and got into telephone communication with +Divisional Headquarters on the subject, and they gave me leave to +billet at <span lang="fr">La Thieuloye</span>, one and a half miles back and off the road. So +W. and I walked back and turned the buses off there just as they were +arriving.</p> + +<p>A curious sight were the hundreds, or even thousands, of French +civilians whom we met—all men of military age, whom the French Army +was sending away westwards out of <span lang="fr">Lille</span>; for it was likely that <span lang="fr">Lille</span> +would shortly be invested by the Germans, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page156" name="page156"></a>(p. 156)</span> and they did not +want this large batch of recruits and reservists to be interned in +Germany.</p> + +<p>The rest of the Brigade—transport, horses, and all—rolled up by 6 +<span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, the horses being very tired after their long night march.</p> + +<p>From what I could gather German cavalry was trying to get round our +north-west flank, whilst a big fight was going on at <span lang="fr">Arras</span>. <span lang="fr">Lille</span>, +with a few Territorial battalions in it, was still holding out, but +was surrounded by the enemy. Hence the hurry. But we ought to have +plenty of troops now to keep the Germans off. It was very puzzling to +make out what was happening, for we had not even the vaguest idea +where the rest of our own Army was, let alone the French or Germans. +Nobody seemed to know anything, except that we should probably soon be +fighting again.</p> + +<p>Our quarters that night were a horrid little château—empty, damp, and +desolate, in a deserted wilderness of a place, with no furniture +except some straw, a mattress or two, and some packing-cases. So here +we tried to make ourselves comfortable, and succeeded in lighting a +fire and settling down. But it was beastly cold and damp.</p> + +<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page157" name="page157"></a>(p. 157)</span> <i>Oct. 11th.</i></p> + +<p>We marched at 7.20 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> in a thick damp mist, myself being in charge +of the right column of the Division, consisting of the Brigade, the +15th Brigade <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr>, 108th heavy battery (under Tyrrell, late Military +<span lang="fr">Attaché</span> at Constantinople), 17th <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> Fd. Co., and cyclists (who, by +the way, did not turn up, having been sent ahead). On the way to +<span lang="fr">Béthune</span> we were evidently coming into touch with the enemy, for I +received orders to detach two companies (Cheshires) to our right flank +at <span lang="fr">Fonquières Verquin</span> to support the French. But they returned in the +course of the afternoon, not being wanted.</p> + +<p>Outside <span lang="fr">Béthune</span> we halted for some time, and were regaled with soup +and pears by some hospitable ladies at luncheon-time. And then we +received orders to push through the town and cover it along the bend +of the canal and across the arc of it (from <span lang="fr">Essars</span> due east) with +three battalions, the Norfolks being sent away to the east to help the +French about <span lang="fr">Annequin</span>.</p> + +<p>It was perfectly flat country and difficult to defend, as it was so +cut up by high hedges and suburbs; but I went round it in the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page158" name="page158"></a>(p. 158)</span> afternoon, inspected it carefully, and posted the +battalions. Towards evening, however, we had orders to fall back into +the town—the French taking over the outposts—and billet there, our +Headquarters being in the <span lang="fr">Grande Place</span>—a large square with a curious +old belfry in the middle—at a wine-shop, No. 34. Here we were well +looked after, and had each of us a lovely hot bath, provided by a +marvellous system of gas-jets which heated the water in about five +minutes.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 12th.</i></p> + +<p>Off eastwards next morning at 8.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> through a freezing thick +fog—so thick that one could not see twenty yards in front of one. The +big open space in the town through which we passed was occupied with +masses of Spahis, Moorish troops, and Algerians of all sorts, looking +miserably cold in their scarlet jackets and white burnouses. The idea +was that we were to push forward to <span lang="fr">Festubert</span> and act as a pivot, with +our right near the canal at <span lang="fr">Rue de l'Épinette</span>, to the 3rd Division and +the remainder of the Corps, which were swinging slowly round to their +right so as eventually to face south-east and take <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page159" name="page159"></a>(p. 159)</span> At first my orders directed me to leave a gap between myself +and the canal, the gap being filled by French troops; but shortly +afterwards I was told that the Brigade was to hold from <span lang="fr">Festubert</span> to +the canal, relieving the French cavalry here, who were to hold on till +we got there; and I paid a visit to the French cavalry General at +<span lang="fr">Gorre</span> to make sure that this would be done. The line was a horribly +extended one—about two miles; and the prospect was not entrancing. +However, I detached the Dorsets to move along the canal bank from +<span lang="fr">Gorre</span> and get in touch with the French. Very glad I was that I had +done so, for they had severe fighting there that day against a strong +force of the enemy, who tried to get in between us and the French.</p> + +<p>The Bedfords I ordered to hold <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>. The first rumour was that the +French had evacuated <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> before we could come up, and that the +Germans had occupied it; but this turned out not to be true after all. +The Cheshires held <span lang="fr">Festubert</span>, and the Norfolks were in Divisional +reserve somewhere in rear.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the Germans were attacking <span class="pagenum"><a id="page160" name="page160"></a>(p. 160)</span> along the canal; but +the Dorsets checked them most gallantly, losing poor Roper, killed in +leading a charge, and a number of men. Lilly was wounded at the same +time.</p> + +<p>The Headquarters passed most of that day—and an extremely busy Staff +day it was—in a little pothouse in <span lang="fr">Festubert</span>, and we slept in a tiny +house put at our disposal by one <span lang="fr">Masse</span>, <span lang="fr">gendarme</span>, a gallant old +soldier, who was the only representative of civilian authority in the +place, the Maire having bolted, and his second in command being sick +unto death in his own house.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 13th.</i></p> + +<p>The night went off fairly peaceably, but early next morning we had a +nasty jar, for it was reported at 8 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> that Majors Vandeleur +(commanding) and Young (2nd in command) of the Cheshires, together +with a company and a half, had all been made prisoners or killed by +the Germans about <span lang="fr">Rue d'Ouvert</span>. The circumstantial story was that the +early morning patrols had reported that <span lang="fr">Rue d'Ouvert</span> (about a mile in +front of <span lang="fr">Festubert</span>) was free of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page161" name="page161"></a>(p. 161)</span> Germans; that Vandeleur and +Young had gone out with two platoons to make sure of it, had got into +<span lang="fr">Rue d'Ouvert</span> and found it empty at first, but had been subsequently +fired at from the houses, surrounded by superior numbers, and had been +taken prisoners after losing half their men. As for Shore's company, +who were supporting them, they had disappeared completely and had +apparently suffered the same fate.</p> + +<p>I immediately sent out scouts to find out the truth; but a very heavy +fire was by this time opened on the remainder of the Cheshires, and +the scouts could not get through. No further news even came in of +Shore's company, but we could not believe that it had really been +scuppered, or else there would have been much more firing, and we must +have had some news of the disaster, if it had occurred.</p> + +<p>And so it was. Towards 3 o'clock we had news that the company was +safely tucked away in some ditches, holding its front, and had had +practically no losses, although it could not move out without +attracting a heavy artillery fire.</p> + +<p>Not till long afterwards did I hear what had really happened to +Vandeleur, and then <span class="pagenum"><a id="page162" name="page162"></a>(p. 162)</span> it was from his own lips in January +1915, he having escaped from Crefeld just before Christmas. It +appeared that he and Young had gone up with about half a company in +support of some scouts who had reported <span lang="fr">Rue d'Ouvert</span> clear. The half +company did not, however, go into <span lang="fr">Rue d'Ouvert</span>, for they were +violently attacked by superior forces before they got there. They lost +heavily, but succeeded in getting into a farmhouse, which they held +all day against the enemy, hoping that we should move out and rescue +them. But we, of course, had been told circumstantially that they were +already prisoners at 8 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, so knew nothing of it and took no action.</p> + +<p>The enemy set the house on fire, and the gallant little garrison put +it out with wine from the cellars, for they were cut off from the +water-supply. Their numbers were reduced to about thirty, when they +were again attacked in overwhelming force at 9 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, and many of the +remainder (including Vandeleur) wounded. Then there was no choice, and +they surrendered, being complimented on their gallantry by the German +General in command at <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>. They were then sent off to Germany +<i>viâ</i> <span class="pagenum"><a id="page163" name="page163"></a>(p. 163)</span> <span lang="fr">Douai</span>, and were most abominably treated on the +journey, wounded and all being pigged together in a filthy +cattle-truck three inches deep in manure for thirty hours without food +or water, insulted and kicked by the German escort and a brute of a +lieutenant at <span lang="fr">Douai</span>, and finally sent to Crefeld, where they were +again ill-treated, starved, and left in tents with no covering—their +greatcoats, and even their tunics, having been taken away,—nothing to +lie on except damp and verminous straw, on muddy wet ground. Many men +died of this treatment. The officers were treated somewhat better, but +very harshly, and were never given enough to eat. Vandeleur's escape +is "another story."</p> + +<p>That day was a terrible day: <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> was bombarded heavily by the +Germans for hours, and rendered absolutely untenable. The Bedfords +held out there gallantly, and stuck to one end of the village whilst +the enemy was in possession of the other; but the heavy artillery was +too much for them, and after losing about sixty casualties, many of +them killed by falling houses, they gradually fell back to trenches in +rear of the village. Griffith (commanding) and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page164" name="page164"></a>(p. 164)</span> Macready +(Adjutant) came to see me about 3 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, their clothes and faces a mass +of white dust and plaster, and explained the situation; but there was +nothing to be done, as we had no reserves, and had to stick it out as +best we could.</p> + +<p>But by far the worst was what happened to the Dorsets. The account of +what happened was rather confused, but it appears that, depending on +their left being supported by the Bedfords at <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>, and their +right by the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s (13th Brigade) on the south side of the Canal, +they pushed forward for some distance and dug themselves roughly in, +after driving the Germans back. Then suddenly their front trench was +attacked from the left rear, and a heavy fire poured upon their men as +they retired on their supports. They were also shot down from the +embankment on the south of the Canal—from just where they had +expected the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s to be.</p> + +<p>At one place about twenty Germans advanced and held up their hands. +The Dorsets then advanced to take their surrender, when suddenly the +twenty fell down flat, and about 100 more who had come close up under +cover of the incident opened <span class="pagenum"><a id="page165" name="page165"></a>(p. 165)</span> a heavy fire on our men and +killed a lot. The battalion retired slowly, in admirable order, to +<span lang="fr">Pont Fixe</span> and the trenches covering it, and put a big factory there in +a state of defence. But they had lost very heavily: thirteen officers +killed (including Pitt and Davidson), wounded (including Bols and +Rathbone), and missing; and 112 men killed and wounded, and 284 +missing—most of these, I fear, being killed, for numbers of bodies +were discovered later on between the lines. Bols was at first reported +killed, but he only had a bullet through his back, narrowly missing +the spine, and another through his arm. He fell unseen and had to be +left behind when the battalion retired, and was found and stripped of +all his kit by the Germans; but he recovered in the darkness, and +managed to scramble and crawl back to the English lines. (From here he +was sent to London, arriving there only two days later.)</p> + +<p>We also lost two guns there, which had been brought up from the 15th +<abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr> Brigade and could not be got away in time. A gallant attempt +was made by volunteers to recover them next day, but it was useless +and only cost more lives.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page166" name="page166"></a>(p. 166)</span> The Dorsets as well as the Bedfords also lost one of their +machine-guns. Altogether it was a damnable day, and we on the staff +were also pretty well exhausted by the amount of staff work and +telegrams and messages going through all day. The 2nd Devons (or +rather two companies of them) were sent to the assistance of the +Dorsets in the evening; but it was a difficult thing to carry out, as +the banks of the Canal, along which they had to go, were soft and +boggy, and they had much difficulty in getting their <abbr title="Small Arms Ammunition">S.A.A.</abbr> carts +along.</p> + +<p>The Brigade Headquarters withdrew in the evening from <span lang="fr">Festubert</span> to a +foul big farm about half a mile back. This, from a particularly +offensive big cesspool in the middle of the yard, we labelled Stink +Farm (it had 1897 in big red tiles on the roof). It was a beastly +place, and W. and I had to sleep in a tiny room on a couple of beds +which had not seen clean mattresses or coverings for certainly ten +years or more. There were, however, plenty of barns and clean straw +for the men.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 14th.</i></p> + +<p>The general idea was to continue to push <span class="pagenum"><a id="page168" name="page168"></a>(p. 168)</span> forward, with our +right on the Canal, to let the 3rd Division swing round. But though we +did our best, we could not get forward as long as the 13th Brigade on +our right, on the other side of the Canal, were held up—for if we +advanced that would merely mean getting our right flank exposed and +enfiladed by the enemy.</p> + +<a id="img004" name="img004"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img004.jpg" width="500" height="705" alt="Map." title=""> +</div> + +<p>Two more companies of the Devons arrived, to support the remains of +the Dorsets, from the 14th Brigade, the battalion being under +Lieutenant-Colonel Gloster. But we could not do any good, and except +for an immense number of messages we did little all day. The enemy was +in some strength in our front, but did not attack.</p> + +<p>There was very heavy firing at 6.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> and again at 9 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> all along +our line of outposts, and we thought at first it was a night attack; +but it was only a case of false alarm on the part of the Dorsets on +the right and the 14th Brigade on our left.</p> + +<p>I forgot to mention that we were told to advance with the 13th Brigade +at 3 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, but the latter were held up, and relieved in the evening by +the 58th French Brigade. What immediately happened to the 13th I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page169" name="page169"></a>(p. 169)</span> do not remember; but they were eventually sent round on to +the left of the 11th Brigade, I believe.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 15th.</i></p> + +<p>The French were meanwhile heavily attacking <span lang="fr">Vermelles</span>, and we were to +be ready to advance alongside them if they succeeded. I sent +Moulton-Barrett to the Canal to receive the message from the French +through Chapman (our Divisional Intelligence officer) when it came. +But it never came, for the French made no progress; so we did nothing +except dig proper trenches and strengthen our positions.</p> + +<p>In the evening came in reports that the Germans were withdrawing and +evacuating posts in our front. The remains of the Dorsets were +withdrawn into reserve, and the Devons came under my orders in their +place.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 16th.</i></p> + +<p>There was a dripping thick mist nearly all day, and we pushed on under +its cover—the Bedfords into <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> (losing poor Rendall, killed by +the retiring Germans), and the Norfolks into <span lang="fr">Rue d'Ouvert</span> and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page170" name="page170"></a>(p. 170)</span> Roch</span>, whilst the Devons, ordered to make the footbridge to +<span lang="fr">Canteleux</span> road "good," pushed on in the afternoon. But it got so +absolutely pitch-dark that it was impossible to make a cohesive +advance; so after getting close to the footbridge and coming under a +heavy fire thence, the Devons fell back again, all the more justified +since <span lang="fr">Canteleux</span> was reported still occupied by the enemy on their left +flank. A vast amount of staff work all day. We returned to the +<span lang="fr">Festubert</span> pothouse in the evening.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 17th.</i></p> + +<p>The first question was, Was <span lang="fr">Canteleux</span> occupied by the enemy? +Preparations were made to shell it at 6 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, but figures were seen +strolling about there which did not look very German. Shortly +afterwards the Norfolks reported that they had about sixty men in it +who had penetrated thither during the night. The Bedfords at first +were still convinced that the men in <span lang="fr">Canteleux</span> were German, but we +disabused them as soon as we heard the truth for certain, and for a +change shelled some farms to our front whence hostile machine-gun fire +was proceeding, setting one on fire.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page171" name="page171"></a>(p. 171)</span> In the afternoon we were ordered to advance to the line: +bridge—<span lang="fr">Canteleux</span>—Violaines; and again the Devons pushed on, slowly, +in connection with the French, but were again obliged to retire from +the vicinity of the bridge by heavy fire, and took up their position +in the advanced position that the Dorsets had occupied on the 13th.</p> + +<p>The Cheshires, under the three gallant captains, Shore, Mahony, and +Rich, meanwhile worked well forward and reported their arrival at +<span lang="fr">Violaines</span> at 4 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, having reached it <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Rue du Marais</span>.</p> + +<p>A desperate amount of work again, 5 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> to 11 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> I only got out of +the pothouse for twenty minutes all day, and that was at 5 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span></p> + +<p>Thus we had pushed forward some way on our line by the evening, and +the 14th Brigade was in touch with the Cheshires and moving slowly +forward—but very slowly.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 18th.</i></p> + +<p>Next day the usual "general advance" was ordered for 6 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and the +artillery loosed off a lot of shells on to where we thought the enemy +were. But it was really quite useless our advancing on the right +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page172" name="page172"></a>(p. 172)</span> unless the French did also, for the Germans held the south +bank of the Canal in front of the latter, and any advance by us merely +exposed our right flank to a terrible enfilade fire.</p> + +<p>Major-General Morland, who had succeeded Sir C. Fergusson in command +of the Division, now turned up, and to him I explained these things. +The Railway Triangle was the worst place, for it was heavily held by +Germans, who had dug themselves in behind stockades of rails and +trucks and defied even our howitzers; but it was difficult, very +difficult, for the latter to make good practice at them here, as the +country was so flat, yet so cut up with high trees and fences that it +was almost impossible to get an observing station or to see what one +was firing at.</p> + +<p>I shifted Brigade Headquarters about 1 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> to a nice little house +with garden, close behind the cross-roads half a mile west of +<span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>, and here we stayed for four unpleasant days. We had to be +very careful, after dark, not to show a light of any sort towards the +enemy, and had to plaster up the windows with blankets and things +which every now and then came down with a run, causing rapid +transition to total darkness <span class="pagenum"><a id="page173" name="page173"></a>(p. 173)</span> and discomfort. But it was a +good little place on the whole, and quite decently furnished.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon I went to observe what I could from <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>. The +village was already in ruins, with most of the church blown down, +whilst the only place to observe from was from between the rafters of +a barn on the eastern outskirts—most of the roof having been carried +away by shrapnel. There was not much to see; for although <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> +stood on the only little rise in the country, a tree in one direction +and a chapel in the other blocked most of the view towards <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>. +In front of us lay the Bedford trenches, with the Devons on their +right and the French on their right again. One could just see the farm +buildings of <span lang="fr">Canteleux</span>, and the spires of part of <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>, but <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> +Roch</span> was invisible, and so were the Norfolk trenches.</p> + +<p>Later on I went to interview Gloster, commanding the Devons; but I did +not find him. With a French orderly and a Devon officer I rode through +<span lang="fr">Pont Fixe</span> and turned to the left along the Canal. Then we had to +dismount at a bend of the Canal, which brought us into view of the +enemy, and we <span class="pagenum"><a id="page174" name="page174"></a>(p. 174)</span> bolted across bullet-swept ground into the +right of the Devon trenches. Here I waited about an hour; but Gloster +did not turn up, and meanwhile a heavy hostile fusillade went on which +effectually prevented my putting my nose above ground. I don't know +whether they had spotted me going into that trench, but I do know the +parapet received an unfair share of bullets.</p> + +<p>When it was nearly dark I cleared out and went to the Canal and +whistled for my mare (I had been riding Squeaky). The French orderly +turned up leading her, but his own horse had gone,—as he ruefully +explained, <span lang="fr">"à cause d'un obus qui a éclaté tout près dans l'eau."</span> He +was a good youth: he had stuck to my mare and let his own go, as he +could not manage both. However, virtue was rewarded, and he found his +horse peacefully grazing in the outskirts of <span lang="fr">Pont Fixe</span>.</p> + +<p>When I reached Headquarters I found Gloster there, for he had come to +look for me; so I had the required interview with him and settled +about a rearrangement of his trenches.</p> + +<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page175" name="page175"></a>(p. 175)</span> <i>Oct. 19th.</i></p> + +<p>We actually had a quiet night—six and a half hours' sleep without +being disturbed at all.</p> + +<a id="img005" name="img005"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img005.jpg" width="500" height="257" alt="Map." title=""> +</div> + +<p>An attack was ordered for 7 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> in conjunction with the French. But +the French were not ready at that hour. I was told that the 6th +battalion of the 295th Regiment, which had now been brought over to +the north of the Canal, was to be under my orders; but hardly had I +heard this when I received a message at 9.25 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> that the French were +going to attack at 9.30. At noon they did so, and very pluckily. It +was, however, impossible to assist them, for they (the 6/295) ran +forward and attacked the Canal and footbridge obliquely, completely +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page176" name="page176"></a>(p. 176)</span> masking any action possible by the Devons They lost heavily, +I fear, but it really was not our fault, though at one time they +seemed to think it was.</p> + +<p>I went to talk to Lieut.-Col. <span lang="fr">Perron</span>, who commanded the detachment +(6/295 and a few <span lang="fr">Chasseurs à Cheval</span>), in the afternoon; but the +interview did not enlighten me very much. The commander of the 6/295, +however, one <span lang="fr">Baron d'Oullenbourg</span>, was most intelligent, and a gallant +fellow with plenty of <span lang="fr"><i>nous</i></span>. He was badly wounded two days afterwards +in another attempt.</p> + +<p>I was so much struck with the plucky way in which the 6/295 pushed on +under heavy fire that I sent a complimentary note both to the +battalion and to General Joubert, commanding the 58th Brigade on the +other side of the Canal—for the battalion belonged (to start with) to +his brigade. They published both my notes in the <span lang="fr"><i>Ordre du Jour</i></span> of +the Division, and <span lang="fr">d'Oullenbourg</span> received a <span lang="fr">Légion d'Honneur</span> in +consequence (so <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> told me). Anyway, he thoroughly deserved it.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile we heard that the Cheshires, Manchesters, and <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s +were all held up near <span lang="fr">Violaines</span> by a beastly sugar factory <span class="pagenum"><a id="page177" name="page177"></a>(p. 177)</span> +which the Germans occupied on the road north of <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>, and they +could not get on at all.</p> + +<p>Generals Morland and Franklin turned up in the afternoon. We were +perpetually being urged to advance and attack, but how could we? There +was nothing to attack in front of us except <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>, a couple of +miles off, and we could not advance a yard in that direction without +exposing our right flank to a deadly enfilade fire from across the +Canal, for the Germans were still strongly holding that infernal +railway triangle, and nothing availed to get them out of it.<a id="footnotetag11" name="footnotetag11"></a><a href="#footnote11">[11]</a> +General Morland wisely, therefore, ordered me not to advance in force.</p> + +<p>Later on we heard that the Cheshires had made a gain of 800 yards, but +had got so extended that they asked for a Bedford company to support +them, and this I sent.</p> + +<p>In the evening I went to examine a French 75 mm. battery, and had the +whole thing explained to me. The gun is simply marvellous, slides +horizontally on its own axle, never budges however much it fires, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page178" name="page178"></a>(p. 178)</span> and has all sorts of patent dodges besides: but it is no use +painting the lily!</p> + +<p>Wilson, of the 61st Howitzers, was, by the way, a little aggrieved by +this French battery coming and taking up its position close alongside +him and invading his observing stations. The captain also got on his +nerves, for he was somewhat excitable, and his shells were numerous +that burst prematurely, whilst a house only 100 yards off, which +should have been well under the trajectory of his shells, was several +times hit by them. However, he doubtless caused much damage to the +enemy.</p> + +<p>On the 20th and 21st the Germans kept us fairly busy with threatened +attacks, especially on the Cheshires at <span lang="fr">Violaines</span>; but nothing +definite happened, although we were kept on the perpetual <span lang="fr"><i>qui vive</i></span>, +and could not relieve our feelings by attacking, for we had orders to +"consolidate our position."</p> + +<p>By this time we occupied a line as follows:—</p> + +<ul class="text"> +<li>Canal from crossed swords (<i>v.</i> map) to 300 yards North (French).</li> +<li>Thence to <span lang="fr">Canteleux</span> (excl.) (Devons).</li> +<li><span lang="fr">Canteleux</span> to Pt. 21<a id="footnotetag12" name="footnotetag12"></a><a href="#footnote12">[12]</a>(Norfolks).</li> +<li><span class="pagenum"><a id="page179" name="page179"></a>(p. 179)</span> Pt. 21 to <span lang="fr">Violaines</span> (Do. patrols).</li> +<li><span lang="fr">Violaines</span> (Cheshires and one company Bedfords).</li> +<li><span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>, in reserve (three companies Bedfords).</li> +</ul> + +<p>On the evening of the 21st there was serious news on our left. +Although the Cheshires were still in occupation of <span lang="fr">Violaines</span>, it +looked as if they might have to retire from it very soon, as the right +of the 14th Brigade, on the Cheshires' left, was being driven back. +<span lang="fr">Violaines</span>, however, was very important, and to let the Germans get a +footing here was most dangerous. So, with General Morland's sanction, +and after communicating with the Cheshires, who cheerily said they +could hold out all right, I told the Cheshires to stick to <span lang="fr">Violaines</span>, +throwing their left flank back in case the line to their left was +penetrated.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 22nd.</i></p> + +<p>A very anxious day ensued. At 6 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> the Cheshires were invaded in +front and flank by a surprise attack of the enemy in great force, and +had to fall back towards <span lang="fr">Rue du Marais</span>, losing heavily. Some Dorsets +(who had been for the last three <span class="pagenum"><a id="page180" name="page180"></a>(p. 180)</span> days at Stink Farm and were +sent as a support to the 13th Brigade) were supporting them, but they +could not do much, and they also lost a number of men. From what I +could gather, the Cheshires had been digging in the dark round the +southern and eastern flank of the village, and had their sentries out, +but apparently not quite far enough out for such thick weather, and +when the Germans appeared rushing through the fog they were taken at a +disadvantage, for they had cast their equipment in order to dig, and +the covering party was quickly cut down.</p> + +<p>This, at all events, was what I made out from the surviving officers, +of whom one, 2nd Lieut. Pogson, was the senior. Mahony and Rich, +fighting gallantly, had been killed, and Shore wounded and taken +prisoner. About 200 men were also killed and wounded out of about 600, +and a good many of the Bedfords with them, including poor Coventry +(late Transport officer) killed.</p> + +<p>At 8.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> I was ordered to send my three companies of Bedfords from +<span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> to <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Roch</span>, to support the 13th Brigade, who were hanging on +about <span lang="fr">Rue du Marais</span>. But, besides thus depriving me of my only +reserve, these companies had great difficulty in getting <span class="pagenum"><a id="page181" name="page181"></a>(p. 181)</span> to +their places, as the country over which they had to pass was heavily +shelled by the enemy, and they took a long time getting there.</p> + +<p>I heard that the combined 13th and 14th Brigades were to make a +counter-attack on <span lang="fr">Rue du Marais</span> in the afternoon, and this was +certainly attempted. But owing to the mix-up of their battalions in +the enclosed country it was impossible to arrange a combined movement +under the heavy fire, and it was eventually given up—merely confused +fighting taking place during the afternoon. It was, however, +sufficient to stop the Germans for the time being. One reason for the +difficulty—as I afterwards heard—was that the officer temporarily +commanding the 13th Brigade had, by some mischance, got stuck right in +the firing line with his staff and signal section, and could not be +got at, nor could he move himself or issue orders,—a useful though +unhappy warning to Brigadiers.</p> + +<p>I moved with the Brigade Staff from my house at <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> to another +house about 600 yards west of <span lang="fr">Festubert</span>, so as to be more behind the +centre of my Brigade.</p> + +<p>During the night, in pursuance of orders <span class="pagenum"><a id="page182" name="page182"></a>(p. 182)</span> from the Division, +we fell back on to a somewhat undefined line of defence covering the +front of <span lang="fr">Festubert-Givenchy</span>, and proceeded to dig ourselves in along +a line entirely in the open fields, and very visible, I fear, to the +enemy. Some battalions could not get sufficient tools, and were not +half dug in by daylight. However, the Germans must have suffered +considerably themselves, for they did not attack us in the morning, +although their Field Artillery kept up a heavy shrapnel fire. The West +Ridings (13th Brigade) were put under my orders.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 23rd.</i></p> + +<p>We were shelled all the morning, but had no serious casualties.</p> + +<p>My Brigade now consisted of the Devons (14th Brigade), West Ridings +(13th Brigade), and the Norfolks (15th Brigade). The remains of the +Cheshires and Dorsets were withdrawn and put into the <span lang="fr">Rue de Béthune</span> +hamlet in rear of <span lang="fr">Festubert</span>, under orders of the 13th Brigade as their +reserve, whilst the Bedfords were attached to, I think, the 14th +Brigade, somewhere <span lang="fr">Quinque Rue</span> way. It was a glorious jumble, and what +happened to the rest of the 13th Brigade I do not <span class="pagenum"><a id="page183" name="page183"></a>(p. 183)</span> know. I +believe they combined in some way with the 14th, but I know that two +days afterwards the Brigadier was left with only one fighting +battalion, the West Kents, I think.</p> + +<p>However, my command was shortly increased considerably by the arrival +of Commandant <span lang="fr">Blanchard</span> with the 2nd Battalion of the 70th <span lang="fr">Infanterie +de Ligne</span> (Regulars). <span lang="fr">Blanchard</span> was a good solid man, and I put him to +hold <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> in conjunction with the Devons, who were now occupying +the Bedford trenches there. The French on the right of the 70th gave +us acute reason for anxiety by retiring calmly from their trenches +when they were shelled; but it was only their way, for half an hour +afterwards they trotted back into them quite happily, much to the +relief of the Devons and their exposed flank.</p> + +<p>I rode down to <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> in the afternoon to see <span lang="fr">Blanchard</span> and make +arrangements for holding the village, and here I met Williams (now +commanding the Devons since his <abbr title="Commanding Officer">C.O.</abbr>, Gloster, had been hit two days +before, not very seriously) and talked matters over with him.</p> + +<p>We expected a night attack, and were <span class="pagenum"><a id="page184" name="page184"></a>(p. 184)</span> certainly not in a +strong position to resist it. Had we been driven in we should have +been jammed into the swamp in rear, between the Canal and the +<span lang="fr">Gorre-Festubert</span> road, which would have been extremely unpleasant. So I +issued orders to hold tight at all costs, besides secret orders to +certain <abbr title="Commanding Officer">C.O.</abbr>'s as to what they were to do if we were badly mauled and +had to fall back.</p> + +<p>Luckily no attack took place, and we had a fairly quiet night.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 24th.</i></p> + +<p>At 7 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> I received the encouraging news (from the 2nd corps) that we +were going to be heavily attacked to-day, and what certainly gave +colour to it was the arrival of a large number of Black Marias during +breakfast, which exploded within an unpleasantly narrow radius of our +house. It is quite conceivable that the position of our Headquarters +had been given away by some spy. Anyhow, it looked like it, and we +decamped at 9.30 to a cottage half a mile back. Perhaps it is as well +that we did so, for at 9.40 a big shell arrived through the roof and +exploded in my late bedroom, tearing out the corner of the house wall +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page185" name="page185"></a>(p. 185)</span> and wrecking the stable; whilst nearly at the same moment +another shell completely wrecked the house just opposite, where +Ballard (commanding 15th Brigade <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr>) had been spending the night. +He also had cleared out about an hour before.</p> + +<p>Before I went I sent my senior officer, Ballard (Norfolks), down to +<span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> to take local command over the French and English troops +there, and am glad I did so, for it introduced unity of command and +satisfaction. The Devons down there were meanwhile getting exhausted +after their long spell in the trenches; but I had no troops to relieve +them with, nor any reserve.</p> + +<p>The "attack" did not materialize, and we had a fairly quiet afternoon, +the Germans limiting their activities to digging themselves in and +sniping perpetually.</p> + +<p>It was an extraordinarily warm day, and we sat in the cottage with +windows and doors wide open till long after dark. An attack was made +about 10 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> on the French the other side of the Canal, but it was +too far off to interest us much.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 25th.</i></p> + +<p>Another lovely warm day of Indian <span class="pagenum"><a id="page186" name="page186"></a>(p. 186)</span> summer. Also of many +shells, some falling pretty close to our cottage. The Germans were +seen making splendid use of the folds in the ground for driving saps +and connecting up their heads into trenches getting nearer and nearer +to our lines. And we could do nothing but shell them and snipe them as +best we could, but with little result, for artillery observation-posts +were almost impossible, and snap-shooting at an occasional head or +shovel appearing above ground produced but small results.</p> + +<p>Three French batteries arrived during the morning and were put under +<span lang="fr">Blanchard</span>'s orders in the swampy wood behind <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>. Some spasmodic +attacks occurred on the trenches east of the village, and the French +lost rather heavily; for the Germans got into some of their evacuated +trenches and killed the wounded there. A speedy counter-attack, +however, drove them out again. The Devons lost two officers (Besley +and Quick) and ten men killed and thirty-eight wounded.</p> + +<p>At 4.50 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> I got a message saying large columns of the enemy had +been seen by the French issuing from <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span> and <span lang="fr">Violaines</span>, and I +was ordered peremptorily <span class="pagenum"><a id="page187" name="page187"></a>(p. 187)</span> to be ready to counter-attack at +once, with my whole force if required.</p> + +<p>Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien arrived alone an hour or so afterwards, and +I pointed out our situation to him; he entirely concurred in my view, +and heartened me up considerably by quite recognising the state of +affairs and congratulating us, and especially the Devons, on sticking +it out so well.</p> + +<p>Maynard (Major in the Devons) arrived about midnight and took over +command of the battalion, he having been on the staff of the 2nd +Corps.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 26th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning I rode out again to <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> to see Ballard and my fresh +French troops; for the 6/285th (Captain <span lang="fr">Gigot</span>), the 5/290th +(Commandant <span lang="it">Ferracci</span>—a typical little Corsican and a good soldier), +and a squadron of <span lang="fr">Chasseurs à Cheval</span> had arrived to strengthen us, +besides the three batteries aforesaid (under Commandant <span lang="fr">Menuan</span>). The +2/70th (now under Captain <span lang="fr">de Ferron</span>) and the 6/295th (lately under +<span lang="fr">Baron d'Oullenbourg</span>, now wounded; I have, I fear, forgotten his +successor's name) were, of course, also under me; so I had a nice +little command <span class="pagenum"><a id="page188" name="page188"></a>(p. 188)</span> now of three English and four French +battalions, four English and three French batteries, and a French +squadron. <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> as liaison officer was of the greatest possible use +to me, being both tactful and suggestive as to dealing with my new +command, and keeping up splendid communication.</p> + +<p>I then relieved the Devons by the 6/295th—and well they deserved it +after their bad time for the last week,—and put the 296th in reserve +at various points during the night, sending the Devons as reserve to +the Norfolks and West Ridings at <span lang="fr">Les Plantins</span>, between <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> and +<span lang="fr">Festubert</span>.</p> + +<p>There was practically no shelling at all during the whole day—I +wonder why; nor did the enemy make any movement. But we heard of their +bringing big guns on to the rising ground at Billy and Haisnes, to the +south of <span lang="fr">La Bassée</span>, and tried to "find" them with our howitzers and +heavy artillery battery.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 27th.</i></p> + +<p>The reliefs were not finished till 2.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>—largely owing to some +idiots, French or English, loosing off their rifles as they left the +trench, which brought a heavy fire on us <span class="pagenum"><a id="page189" name="page189"></a>(p. 189)</span> from the enemy and +delayed matters for a long time. It was also not easy—although we had +made elaborate and detailed arrangements—to relieve British by French +troops in pitch darkness, for, interpreters being scarce, they could +not understand each other when they met.</p> + +<p>We heard that there was an attack on the 14th Brigade on our left +about 1 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and that 200 Germans had got in behind the <abbr title="King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry">K.O.Y.L.I.</abbr> +and were still there; what happened to them I do not know. The 7th +Brigade, on the left of the 14th, had also been driven in, and the +14th Brigade received orders to make a counter-attack in the evening, +with the Devons held ready to help them if required.</p> + +<p>During the day one Captain <span lang="fr">Pigeonne</span> and his batch of <span lang="fr">gendarmerie</span> +arrived, with orders to clear <span lang="fr">Festubert</span> of its civilian inhabitants. +This was necessary, as the Germans were pretty close up to it and +there were undoubtedly spies, and even snipers were reported in and +about the village. But hardly any people were found except the lunatic +inhabitants of a small asylum, together with their staff, who had +stayed there, both men and women, most <span class="pagenum"><a id="page190" name="page190"></a>(p. 190)</span> devotedly for the +last week, with practically nothing to eat in the whole place. The +inhabitants were ordered to clear out, and some of them did. But +others hid, and yet others crept back again by night, so the result +was practically <i>nil</i>. One poor old woman was hunted out three times, +but she returned yet once more, piteously saying that she had nowhere +to go to, and wanted to die in her own house.</p> + +<p>During the evening General Joubert, commanding the 58th Brigade, +arrived with orders to take over command of all French troops north of +the Canal. So my international command had not lasted long. But they +sent me a liaison <abbr title="Non-commissioned Officer">N.C.O.</abbr> of their artillery—a most intelligent man +with a yellow beard—and I was still allowed to call on the French +batteries for assistance whenever I needed them.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 28th.</i></p> + +<p>Joubert was a typical French General, white-moustached, short, +courteous, gallant, and altogether charming and practical, and I went +again to see and consult him next morning at <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>, cantering +through the swampy woods at the back, where most <span class="pagenum"><a id="page191" name="page191"></a>(p. 191)</span> of our +seven batteries were posted under excellent cover. I also, before +going to bid him adieu, had written him what I thought was a charming +letter, congratulating him on the <span lang="fr">"galanterie de ses troupes."</span> Alas, +<span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> was out when I wrote the letter, or probably I should have +expressed it differently; I hear it was subsequently published in +orders, but I trust it was edited first!</p> + +<p>The night had been extraordinarily quiet, and after my visit to +Joubert the situation was so peaceful that I walked back a bit to +inspect a third line of trenches that were being dug by civilians and +spare troops under <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> supervision. I was not much edified at the +portion that the 15th Brigade had been told off to, for it was within +150 yards of a bunch of houses in front, under cover of which the +Germans could have come up quite close; and if they had put a +selection of their snipers into them, we should have had a poor time. +But I quite allow that I was at a loss, owing to the awkward ground, +to suggest anything better. We had also a mile of front to cover, with +three weak battalions and a difficult line, whilst the four French +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page192" name="page192"></a>(p. 192)</span> battalions had been allotted altogether only half a mile of +excellent natural trenches behind the Canal, or rather behind a broad +water-ditch which ran into the Canal.</p> + +<p>The 2nd Manchesters, under Strickland,<a id="footnotetag13" name="footnotetag13"></a><a href="#footnote13">[13]</a> late of the Norfolks, a +first-rate battalion just arrived from India, had now been attached to +the 14th Brigade—where their own 1st battalion were also—and had had +very heavy fighting during the last few days just north of <span lang="fr">Festubert</span>. +The Devons were therefore sent to relieve them,—rather rough on them +after barely forty-eight hours out of the trenches.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 29th.</i></p> + +<p>We had an extraordinarily quiet night—a full eight hours' sleep +without any disturbance,—and we were consequently feeling much +fitter. But the ball began full early by a violent attack on the +Devons at dawn, and another at 7 on the 2nd Manchesters, both hard +pressed, but both repulsed—the Manchesters, who were short of +ammunition, getting well in with the bayonet.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page193" name="page193"></a>(p. 193)</span> I sent one company of the Norfolks to support the Devons, but +I could barely afford even that. The enemy was entrenching within 200 +to 400 yards of all my battalions, pushing out saps from their +trenches along the ditches and folds of the ground, and connecting up +their heads in a most ingenious and hidden manner. The French were not +attacked, so they sent a couple of companies at my request to <span lang="fr">Les +Plantins</span>, behind the Norfolks. However, after another attack between 9 +and 10 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> the Germans dried up for the present.</p> + +<p>We knew that the Indian Divisions from Lahore and Meerut were shortly +coming to strengthen this part of the line, and I was therefore not +surprised to hear that Macbean, commanding one of their Brigades, +wanted to see Martyn<a id="footnotetag14" name="footnotetag14"></a><a href="#footnote14">[14]</a> and me about the relief of our respective +Brigades. This was distinctly satisfactory from our point of view; but +I was not entirely happy, for I was very doubtful how far these +untried Indian troops would stand up to what was evidently going to be +a very difficult situation if the Germans went on attacking as +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page194" name="page194"></a>(p. 194)</span> they had been doing. Fresh troops, it is true. But they had +had no experience of this sort of fighting, nor of trenches, nor of +cold wet weather: and they were going to have all three.</p> + +<p>The relief of the West Ridings by the Black Watch battalion of the +Indian Division was carried out on the same evening. The relief of the +Bedfords, Cheshires, and Dorsets was also arranged for, but the +Norfolks could not be relieved till the morrow. The 2nd Manchesters +were relieved, however, by the 2/8th Gurkhas, who looked very much out +of place with their big hats and tiny, sturdy Mongolian physique.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 30th.</i></p> + +<p>After a very quiet night—except for French guns which started +shelling heavily about 4 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and kept us awake till daylight—we had +another unpleasant day.</p> + +<p>There were repeated attacks on the Devons and Gurkhas all day, and at +3 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> Maynard reported that the Gurkhas had lost all their British +officers and were being driven out of their trenches, and that support +was badly wanted.</p> + +<p>The first story about the Gurkhas was <span class="pagenum"><a id="page195" name="page195"></a>(p. 195)</span> that they had come to +an end of their ammunition and were fighting with the bayonet, but +were driven back by superior numbers. But it turned out later that +they lost very heavily from shell fire, and, the trenches being too +deep for the little men, they could produce no effect with their +rifles, and could see nothing. So, having lost all their English +officers, and being bewildered by the heavy fire and totally new +conditions, and having no chance of getting in with the bayonet, they +cleared out one by one, so as to get together into formation. The +Devons' last man was in the firing line by this time, and so two +Bedford companies and the West Ridings, no longer under my command, +were ordered to retake some Gurkha trenches, into which the Germans +had already penetrated, alongside ours.</p> + +<p>It was frightfully difficult to make out what was happening, as not +only were our troops in process of being relieved by the Indians, but +there was very heavy fire as well on all our supports and on the roads +leading up to the trenches, so that communication was all but +impossible, most telephone wires having been broken long ago and found +impossible to repair under such fire.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page196" name="page196"></a>(p. 196)</span> The 58th (Wilde's) Rifles had arrived, and were by way of +relieving the Norfolks; but owing to this attack they were deflected +in rear of the Devons. Then we were called on to send two companies to +support the Devons. But, considering that they now had already two +Bedford companies, four of West Ridings, and four of the 58th Rifles, +to support them in enclosed country where they could hardly move, and +that to weaken my already very thin line of Norfolks and Black Watch +meant leaving me no supports at all, I respectfully protested, and +gained my point.</p> + +<p>Elaborate arrangements were made by the authorities for retaking the +lost trenches by the Bedfords, &c., at nightfall; then the movement +was deferred till 1.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and then till dawn; but nothing happened +at all during the night except occasional fire-bursts, which sounded +like general attacks.</p> + +<p>I might mention that during these "quiet" nights there were numerous +fire-bursts at intervals, which used to bring me out of, or rather +off, my bed three or four times a night, for the sentry on our cottage +had strict orders to call me in case anything alarming occurred in our +front. But they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page197" name="page197"></a>(p. 197)</span> always slacked off after 5 or 10 minutes of +my waiting in the cold, wet, muddy road, and I crept to bed again till +the next one woke me.</p> + +<p>It was a tiny cottage that we lived in during those days, belonging to +a poor woman who, with her child, had been turned out by some one else +and sent to another house half a mile off. She was perpetually coming +back and weeping to be readmitted, but there really was not room, and +we had to soothe her with promises, and eventually with cash in order +to get rid of her. After all, she was living with her friends, though +doubtless they were a bit crowded, and she returned to her cottage +when we left it.</p> + +<p>Everything in that country was mud, thick clay mud, black and greasy, +and the country flat and hideous. And it rained perpetually and was +getting beastly cold. Altogether it was a nightmare of a place, even +without the fighting thrown in, and we prayed to be delivered from it, +and go and fight somewhere else.</p> + +<p>Our prayers were destined to be answered, for on this morning we were +ordered, in spite of the desultory fighting going on, to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page198" name="page198"></a>(p. 198)</span> +hand over to Macbean's Brigade and go north. This only meant the +Brigade Staff, two companies Bedfords, and about 300 Cheshires and 300 +Dorsets who had been in reserve to the 14th Brigade; but they were not +in a very happy condition, for they had hardly any officers left and +had been extremely uncomfortable for the last week, being hauled out +of their barns on most nights and made to sleep in the wet open as +supports in case of attack.</p> + +<p>Our orders were, together with the 15th <abbr title="Royal Field Artillery">R.F.A.</abbr> Brigade, to move north +and concentrate near <span lang="nl">Strazeele</span> and <span lang="fr">Pradelles</span>, where we were to go into +rest for five or six days.</p> + +<p>I knew those rests.</p> + +<p>So after handing over to Macbean at 10.30 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and talking to General +Anderson (commanding the Indian Division) and the Maharajah of +Bikanir,<a id="footnotetag15" name="footnotetag15"></a><a href="#footnote15">[15]</a> we made devoutly thankful tracks in the direction of +<span lang="fr">Locon</span> and <span lang="fr">Merville</span>.</p> + +<p>We were but a small part of the 15th Brigade after all who left the +<span lang="fr">environs</span> of <span lang="fr">Festubert</span> on that morning—only Headquarters, a very weak +battalion of Cheshires—not <span class="pagenum"><a id="page199" name="page199"></a>(p. 199)</span> more than 300 all told—and two +companies of Bedfords. The remains of the Dorsets had been ordered to +join us about <span lang="nl">Strazeele</span>, and the whole of the Norfolks and half the +Bedfords were left in the trenches to give a bit of moral and physical +support to the Indians. I did not at all like being parted from them, +but there was no help for it. The West Ridings (Duke of Wellington's) +were attached to me from the 13th Brigade, but that did not make up +for the absence of one and a half of my own beloved battalions.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless it was with a feeling of extreme thankfulness that we +left the horrible mud-plain of <span lang="fr">Festubert</span> and <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span>, with its cold +wet climate and its swampy surroundings and its dismal memories, for +both Dorsets and Cheshires had suffered terribly in the fighting here. +And the pleasantest feeling was to hear the noise of the bursting +shells grow less and ever less as we worked north-westwards, and to +realise that for the present, at all events, we need not worry about +Jack Johnsons or Black Marias and all their numerous smaller brethren, +nor to keep our attention on the tense strain for bad news from the +firing trenches, but that we could, for <span class="pagenum"><a id="page200" name="page200"></a>(p. 200)</span> several days to +come, sleep quietly, not fully dressed and on our beds or straw with +one eye on the wake all night, but in our blessed beds and in our +still more beloved pyjamas.</p> + +<p>We trotted on ahead over the cold, wet, muddy, level roads of those +parts, with a welcome break for luncheon at a real live <span lang="fr">estaminet</span>, +till we got to <span lang="fr">Merville</span>, and then we slowed down.</p> + +<p><span lang="fr">Merville</span> is a nice prosperous little town, with canals and parks and a +distinctly good modern statue of a French soldier in the middle—by +whom, and of whom, I have forgotten. It was, oddly enough, almost like +an extra-European bit of civilisation, for the streets were swarming +with Indians and Africans of both armies—tall, solemn, handsome Sikhs +and Rajputs in khaki; Spahis, Algerians, and Moors in every variety of +kit—red jackets, cummerbunds, and baggy breeches, bright blue +jackets, white breeches, blue breeches, khaki breeches, dark blue +<span lang="fr"><i>vareuses</i></span>, white burnouses, Arab corded turbans, baggy crimson +trousers, &c., &c., even to Senegalese as black as night, and Berbers +from Mauritania and the Atlas. I tried to talk to some of the latter, +but it <span class="pagenum"><a id="page201" name="page201"></a>(p. 201)</span> was not a success, for they did not understand my +Arabic, and I did not understand their Shlukh.</p> + +<p>And so on <i>viâ</i> <span lang="nl">Strazeele</span>—where Saunders and his Dorsets had already +arrived—contentedly to <span lang="fr">Pradelles</span>, in which neighbourhood we billeted, +and were met by a staff officer, Cameron of the 5th Divisional Staff, +who gave us the welcome news that we were to rest and recuperate for +at least a week—really and truly this time.</p> + +<p>We put up at a nice, bright, ugly little château belonging to an +elderly lady who was most civil and told us stories of what the +Germans had done when they passed through a week or two ago on their +retreat eastwards. Amongst other abominations, they had, on arrival, +demanded of the old <span lang="fr">curé</span> the key of the church tower, on which they +wished to put a Maxim. The old man, not having the key, had hobbled +off to get it from the <span lang="fr">garde champêtre</span>, who happened to be in +possession of it for the time being. He could not, however, find him, +and the officer in command, being in a diabolical temper, put the poor +old priest up against a wall and shot him dead on the spot. This was +recounted by the <span lang="fr">curé</span>'s sister, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page202" name="page202"></a>(p. 202)</span> there was not a shadow +of doubt on the matter, for it was confirmed by all.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Oct. 31st.</i></p> + +<p>Next day was a clear bright Sunday, and before we had come down to +breakfast, looking forward to a nice lazy day, we were ordered to send +the Dorsets away in motor-buses to <span lang="nl">Wulverghem</span> (opposite <span lang="fr">Messines</span>), +where heavy fighting was going on. So much for our promised week's +rest! And before 11 o'clock we had received another urgent telegram +telling us to fall in at once and march eastwards through <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span>.</p> + +<p>I was deputed to command the whole of the remaining troops of the +Division on this march, and by a complicated series of moves from +their billets we got them strung out on the road, and pushed on by +12.30. The troops were mostly artillery, engineers, and train, and the +only other infantry that joined me were the West Kent, now under their +own <abbr title="Commanding Officer">C.O.</abbr>, Martyn.</p> + +<p>Other troops were also on the move through <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span>, and we had a +weary time of it getting through. It was dark before we had filed +through the big market-square <span class="pagenum"><a id="page203" name="page203"></a>(p. 203)</span> with its old brick church +tower and Town Hall; and even then, though billets had been arranged +for in the country beyond for the rest of the troops, we had the +devil's own job before our own headquarters could find a +resting-place. We wanted to put up at <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> village, but the +village was full of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, and we should have been +in front of our own lot; so after a depressing wait in a tiny pothouse +near <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span>, whilst <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> and Weatherby and Moulton-Barrett +scoured the country, we eventually settled down in a little farmhouse +at Hille, a few hundred yards inside the Belgian border. Not so bad, +but tiny, and crowded with not only the proprietor and his numerous +family, but with a number of refugees from further east. My own +bedroom was about 6 feet square and full of stinking old clothes, but +I was lucky to get one at all.</p> + +<p>It seemed curious being amongst inhabitants many of whom understood no +French, but only talked Wallon or Flemish. I found my reminiscences of +the South African Taal came in quite usefully; but the best +communicators were the Lowland Scots, who, thanks to their own strange +dialect, managed <span class="pagenum"><a id="page204" name="page204"></a>(p. 204)</span> to make themselves quite decently +understood by the natives.</p> + +<p>Here we stayed for a few days—to be accurate, until the morning of +the 5th November. My own "outfit" consisted of the West Kent, +Cheshires, and two companies Bedfords, and the West Ridings were +subsequently added. At one period I was given the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s as well, +who were in <span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span>; but they were taken away from me on the same +day, and so were the West Kent. There was, in fact, a glorious jumble, +battalions and batteries being added and taken away as the +circumstances demanded. Even the two companies Bedfords were spirited +away for forty-eight hours, leaving me with the decimated Cheshires as +the only representatives of the 15th Brigade, but with two battalions +of the 13th and one of the 14th superadded, as well as an <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> company +(17th). Meanwhile the 5th Divisional Staff was stranded and almost +troopless, for all the other battalions of the Division were scattered +among other divisions—some even under the command of the Cavalry +Division; and guns were pushed up, almost piecemeal, as they were +wanted, to help in the attempt to retake <span class="pagenum"><a id="page205" name="page205"></a>(p. 205)</span> <span lang="fr">Messines</span>, out of +which our cavalry had been driven some days before. French troops were +also there, in lumps. One morning the country would be brilliant with +the white horses, sky-blue tunics and red trousers, of the <span lang="fr">Chasseurs +d'Afrique</span>, and the roads impassable with French infantry and transport +moving towards <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>; and by the next evening nothing but khaki-clad +British were seen, besides patches of Belgian infantry, largely +stragglers and mostly unarmed.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile rumours of desperate fighting up north came through—the +critical time when the 7th Division stuck heroically to their crippled +trenches and withstood the ponderous attacks of the German masses; but +it was difficult to make out what was occurring, for one only gathered +bits of news here and there and could not piece them together as a +whole, for the links were missing.</p> + +<p>On the 4th November we received orders that Sir Horace would inspect +us on the following morning, and we made preparations to turn out as +clean as we could in the ever-prevailing mud. But in the evening more +important work was at hand, for <span class="pagenum"><a id="page206" name="page206"></a>(p. 206)</span> we were notified to be ready +to march on the following morning to <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>. So the inspection fell +through.</p> + +<p>The idea was that we—that is, two companies Bedfords (450 men), +Cheshires (550), and West Ridings (700)—were to combine as the 15th +Brigade with M'Cracken's 7th Brigade (Wiltshires, Gordons, Irish +Rifles, and another battalion), and go to relieve the 7th Division, +which had, we heard, been getting some terrific knocks. With us were +to go the two <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> companies, the 17th and 59th, belonging to the 5th +Division.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Nov. 5th.</i></p> + +<p>We marched at 7.20 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> <i>viâ</i> <span lang="fr">Locre</span> and <span lang="de">Dickebusch</span>, on the main +<span lang="fr">Bailleul-Ypres</span> road, passing through many French troops on the way. +Not far on the other side of <span lang="de">Dickebusch</span> we heard that the road was +being shelled by the enemy; so M'Cracken ordered the whole force to +park in the fields some distance down a road to the west, whilst he +went on to <span lang="fr">Ypres</span> for instructions.</p> + +<p>We had our midday meal whilst we waited there, but it was not pleasant +for the men, for the fields were dripping wet and very muddy; they +had, therefore, to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page207" name="page207"></a>(p. 207)</span> sit on their kits, whilst the transport +had to remain on the road, the fields being so deep.</p> + +<p>McCracken came back at 3.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> with instructions, and we moved on, +myself being in charge of the movement. We managed to get to <span lang="fr">Ypres</span> all +right along the main road, as the shells were rather diminishing and +not reaching so far, and we pushed through the town, entering it by a +bridge over the nearly dry canal. Why the Germans had not shot this +bridge to pieces before I cannot imagine, as it was well within their +range. There were numerous big shell-holes in the open space near the +railway station; one or two houses were smouldering; there were heaps +of bricks and stones from damaged houses in the streets, and the +extreme roof corner of the Cloth Hall had been knocked off, but +otherwise the town was fairly normal-looking, except, of course, that +hardly any civilians were visible.</p> + +<p>At the other end of the town I came across General Haig, and rode +ahead with him down the <span lang="fr">Menin</span> road as far as the village of Hooge, +where the Headquarters of the 1st Division were, under General Landon. +(He had succeeded General Lomax, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page208" name="page208"></a>(p. 208)</span> who had been badly wounded +by a shell exploding at his headquarters, and subsequently died, 15th +April.) Here we had a cup of tea in a dirty little <span lang="fr">estaminet</span> crowded +with Staff officers whilst awaiting the arrival of the Brigade.</p> + +<p>No part of this <span lang="fr">Menin</span> road was, in fact, "healthy," and at night it +was generally subject to a searching fire by German shells. The +wonder, indeed, was that more casualties did not occur here, for after +dark the road was packed with transport and ration and ambulance +parties moving slowly and silently back and forth. But the hostile +shelling was not accurate, and for one "crumper" that burst in or over +the road twenty exploded in the fields alongside.</p> + +<p>Only a day or two before, a couple of heavy shells had burst just +outside General Haig's Headquarters at the entrance to <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>. Luckily +the General himself had just left, but poor "Conky" Marker of the +Coldstream had been fatally wounded, and several other officers, +signallers, and clerks had been killed.</p> + +<p>My Brigade arrived in the dark by the time that I had received further +instructions in detail, and was parked off the road (south <span class="pagenum"><a id="page209" name="page209"></a>(p. 209)</span> +side) half a mile further on, whilst Weatherby went on to make +arrangements for their taking up the line, taking representatives of +the battalions with him. I met General Capper (commanding 7th +Division) at his dug-out in the wood close by, and he told me that his +Division had been reduced to barely 3000 men and a very few officers, +after an appalling amount of severe fighting.</p> + +<p>Weatherby came back after a time, and the battalions and ourselves +moved off along the road and branched off into the grounds of +Herenthage Château—deep mud, broken trees, and hardly rideable. Here +we bade adieu to our horses, who were, with the transport, to stay in +the same place where we had had our dinners, right the other side of +<span lang="fr">Ypres</span> and out of shell-range, whilst we kept a few ammunition-carts +and horses hidden near Hooge village. All the rest of our supplies and +stuff had to be brought up every night under cover of darkness to near +Herenthage, and there be unloaded and carried by hand into the +trenches.</p> + +<p>In the château itself who should we come across but Drysdale,<a id="footnotetag16" name="footnotetag16"></a><a href="#footnote16">[16]</a> +Brigade-Major now <span class="pagenum"><a id="page210" name="page210"></a>(p. 210)</span> of the 22nd Brigade, the one which, by the +law of chances, we were now relieving; and, still more oddly, the +other battalion (2nd) of the Bedfords was in his Brigade. It was a +cheerless place, this château—every single pane of glass in it +shivered, and lying, crunched at our every step, on the floor.</p> + +<p>We pushed on over the grass of the park, through the scattered trees, +and into the wood, and so into the trenches. Even then, as far as one +could judge in the darkness, the ground was a regular rabbit-warren. +By the time we had finished with the district the ground was even more +so; there seemed to be more trenches and fallen trees and wire +entanglements than there was level ground to walk on.</p> + +<p>Our own Headquarters were in a poky little dug-out<a id="footnotetag17" name="footnotetag17"></a><a href="#footnote17">[17]</a> in a wood, not +200 yards from our firing trenches. There was just room for +two—Weatherby and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> (Moulton-Barrett having gone to settle +about transport and supplies, Cadell being away sick, and Beilby being +left with the transport the other side of <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>)—to lie down in it, +and there was a little tunnel out of it, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page211" name="page211"></a>(p. 211)</span> 6 feet long and 2 +broad and 2 high, into which I crept and where I slept; but I was not +very happy in it, as the roof-logs had sagged with the weight of the +earth on them, and threatened every moment to fall in whilst I was +inside.</p> + +<a id="img006" name="img006"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img006.jpg" width="500" height="386" alt="Map." title=""> +</div> + +<p>The Bedfords were put into the trenches on the eastern edge of the +wood, the Cheshires continued the line to the south and for a couple +of hundred yards outside the wood, and the West Ridings were in +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page212" name="page212"></a>(p. 212)</span> reserve at the back of the wood, in rear of our dug-out.</p> + +<p>I did not like our place at all, for it seemed to me that, being so +close to the firing line, I should not be able to get out or control +the little force if there were heavy operations on; and this was +exactly what did happen.</p> + +<p>We had been told that the 6th Cavalry Brigade was in trenches on our +left, and the 7th Infantry Brigade in ditto on our right, and that was +about all we knew of the situation.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Nov. 6th.</i></p> + +<p>Next morning there was a thick mist till 10 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and I took advantage +of it to visit the trenches in detail. The left of the Cheshires was +within 40 yards of the enemy, who were hidden in the wood in front of +them, so, there being no communication trenches, we had to be fairly +careful hereabouts. But it was desperately difficult to make one's way +about, what with the fallen trees and telephone wires, and little +patches of open ground on the slopes, and long, wet, yellow grass and +tangled heather in parts, not to mention <span class="pagenum"><a id="page213" name="page213"></a>(p. 213)</span> the criss-cross of +trenches, occupied and unoccupied, in all directions. Difficult enough +to find one's way in daylight, it was infinitely worse in pitch +darkness. No wonder that our reliefs had not been accomplished till +nearly 3 o'clock that morning!</p> + +<p>We were shelled pretty heavily all the morning, and two of the shells +burst so close that they covered us with dirt. Two officers—Langdale +and O'Kelly, of the West Ridings—had their legs broken by their +dug-out being blown in upon them, and three Cheshires were buried by +an exploding shell and dug out dead. Another dozen were killed or +wounded in their trenches, which were nothing like deep enough, and +could not be further deepened because of the water which lay there +only just below the ground. About twenty Cheshires were moved back to +escape the shell fire, and taken to a rather less-exposed place. At +4.30 the Bedfords reported a heavy attack on their front; but it was +confined to rifle fire, and nothing serious happened there.</p> + +<p>The remainder of the Bedfords, under Griffith, consisting of two +strong companies, turned up at 6 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, and the West Ridings were taken +away from me, so that my <span class="pagenum"><a id="page214" name="page214"></a>(p. 214)</span> command was now reduced to two +battalions, one rather strong (1100—just reinforced by a big fresh +draft), and the other, Cheshires, only about half that number.</p> + +<p>On further consideration of the situation, I settled to make Brigade +Headquarters at the <span lang="de">Beukenhorst</span> Château,<a id="footnotetag18" name="footnotetag18"></a><a href="#footnote18">[18]</a> half a mile farther back, +and started the <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> and a strange fatigue party to dig a funk-hole +for us in front of it in case it were badly shelled; but I remember as +a particular grievance that when the foreign fatigue party heard they +were to go somewhere else, they went off, leaving their work half +undone, and with our Brigade tools, though I had given them distinct +orders to do neither of these things. But they were now out of my +jurisdiction, so nothing could be done except to send them a message +to return our tools—which they never did.</p> + +<p>Moulton-Barrett turned up in the afternoon with a basket of cold food +for us, and took <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> away; it was not the least necessary for him +to stay, as the dug-out was really only big enough for two, so +Weatherby and I settled down for the night. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page215" name="page215"></a>(p. 215)</span> We had wanted to +move into the château at 7 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, but we could not. For it was not +advisable as long as an attack was imminent; also, M. B. had not got +our message of that morning saying we wanted him to clean up the +château for us; and thirdly, the Bedford relief was taking place. So +we settled to move next day instead.</p> + +<p>But it was not very attractive living in the tiny dug-out. We had no +servants, we had to prepare our own food and wash up afterwards; it +was frightfully cramped, and we were always getting half-empty +sardine-tins oozing over official documents, and knives and forks lost +in the mud and straw at the bottom, and bread-crumbs and fragments of +bully beef and jam mixed up with our orders and papers; and it was not +at all healthy going for a stroll as long as the sun was up because of +the bullets and shells fizzing about. Altogether, although it was no +worse, except as regards size, than other dug-outs, it was not +luxurious; and as for washing, a little water in the bottom of a +biscuit-tin was about all we could manage, whilst a shave was a matter +of pain and difficulty.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page216" name="page216"></a>(p. 216)</span> <i>Nov. 7th.</i></p> + +<p>We had now come under the 3rd Division (under General Wing +temporarily—a very good and charming fellow, a gunner, who had taken +over General Hubert Hamilton's command, the latter having been killed, +I forgot to mention, some time previously), whilst the 9th Brigade had +relieved the 6th Cavalry on the previous day. The Division, therefore, +now consisted of the 7th, 15th, and 9th Brigades (the latter +comprising the Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Fusiliers, Lincolns, +and Scots Fusiliers)—in that order from right to left. It looked, +therefore, as if we ought to be soon relieved by the 8th Brigade and +return to our own Division. Vain hope! We were not destined to be +relieved for another fortnight.</p> + +<p>There was a good deal of shelling of the 9th Brigade during the +morning, but we personally had not many shells into us, and were +fairly quiet till past 2 o'clock.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, about 3, a hellish hostile fire broke out in the wood—not +in our front, but close on our left. A hail of bullets whizzed over +our heads, responded to by our fire trenches; and then, to our horror, +we saw our Bedford supports, to our left <span class="pagenum"><a id="page217" name="page217"></a>(p. 217)</span> front, retiring +slowly, but in some confusion, on top of us—many of the men only +half-dressed, and buckling on their kits as they moved. We jumped out +of our dug-out, and with the assistance of their officers stopped and +rallied them. They were certainly not running, and were in no sort of +panic; but they all said that the word had been passed from the right +front that the Bedfords were to retire, so they had done so—half of +them being asleep or feeding at the time the fire began.</p> + +<p>We made them advance again, which they were more than willing to do, +and then there was a cheer from the Bedfords in front. Upon which the +supports pricked up their ears, rallied to the sound, and charged +forward like hounds rallying to the horn.</p> + +<p>Violent firing and confused fighting and yelling in the wood for a +space, and some wounded began to come back. Then some Germans, both +wounded and prisoners, in small batches, and at last the news that the +Bedfords had completely repulsed the attack and taken about 25 +prisoners, driving the enemy back with the bayonet at the run.</p> + +<p>Who it was that started the order to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page218" name="page218"></a>(p. 218)</span> retire we could never +find out. It certainly was not Milling, who was commanding in the +front trench, nor was it any officer. Quite conceivably it may have +been started by the enemy themselves.</p> + +<p>What happened, as far as I could make out, was that the right centre +of the Northumberland Fusiliers on our left had been pressed back and +the Germans had poured through the opening. The right flank of the +Northumberlands had sat tight, so the Bedfords in our front line had +known nothing of the German success till they were fired at by the +enemy in the wood on their left rear. I do not fancy, however, from +what the prisoners told me, that the attack was a very strong one—not +more, I expect, than three or four companies.</p> + +<p>These belonged to the <span lang="de">Frankfurt-am-Main</span> Corps (<abbr title="7th">VII.</abbr>). I examined one +prisoner, a regular <span lang="de">"Schwabe"</span> from <span lang="de">Heilbronn</span>, a jolly man with a red +beard, who told me that his company was commanded by a cavalry +captain, who considered it beneath his dignity to charge with +infantry, and remained snugly ensconced behind a wall whilst he +shouted encouragement to his men.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page219" name="page219"></a>(p. 219)</span> The Bedfords retook three of the Northumberlands' trenches +with them, but failed to retake one of their own—together with two +machine-guns in it—that they had lost, although they tried hard, A +Company (Milling's) making three bayonet charges. They behaved +devilish well, in spite of heavy losses both in officers and men. +Macready, their Adjutant, was shot through the liver (but recovered +eventually); Allason (Major) was hit twice—once through the shoulder, +and again, on returning after getting his wound dressed, through the +thigh; Davenport was shot through the left elbow (we looked after him +in our dug-out); and two subalterns were killed, besides twenty-four +men killed and fifty-three wounded. Of the Cheshires, Pollok, Hodson, +and Anderson (the latter a fine runner and very plucky chap) were +killed, besides five men killed, nineteen wounded, and eight missing. +Altogether the losses were rather heavy. The men were particularly +good to the wounded Germans; I remember especially one man, a +black-bearded evil-looking scoundrel, who had been shot through the +lungs, and rolled about in the mud at my feet, and him they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page220" name="page220"></a>(p. 220)</span> +looked after carefully. The last glimpse I caught of him was being +helped to a stretcher by two of our own men, also wounded.</p> + +<p>There was again no chance of our getting to the château to-night, so +another basket of food arrived, and we fed with what comfort we could.</p> + +<p>We worked all night at strengthening our lines, but the Germans had +got up so close to our weakest salient that I was a bit anxious on the +subject of a renewed attack by night.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Nov. 8th.</i></p> + +<p>A small reinforcement arrived at 7 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, in the shape of the +Divisional Mounted Troops of the 3rd and 5th Divisions—about 250 men +altogether, consisting of 70 of the 15th Hussars and 60 cyclists from +the 3rd, and 50 of the 19th Hussars and 70 cyclists from the 5th +Divisions, under Courage and Parsons respectively.</p> + +<p>These were distributed in rear of our dug-out.</p> + +<p>We had a fairly quiet day as far as we ourselves were concerned, but +both Brigades on our flanks were heavily shelled. The <span class="pagenum"><a id="page221" name="page221"></a>(p. 221)</span> French +on our right were attacking in force, but although they were being +supported by their 16th Corps, I do not think there was much result +about <span lang="de">Klein Zillebeke</span>.</p> + +<p>At last, at 5.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, we started for our château, and hardly had we +gone 150 yards when a terrific fire broke out. We got behind a little +ruined hut to escape the bullets, and I made ready to return in case +it was a serious attack. But it died down in ten minutes, and we +pursued our way in more or less peace, for it was only a case of +firing at reliefs, and I think the Germans were rather jumpy.</p> + +<p>The Château of <span lang="de">Beukenhorst</span> was a square white block of a place, and +merits perhaps some description, as we were there for a most +uncomfortable fortnight—uncomfortable as far as events and fighting +went, though not so as regards living.</p> + +<p>It belonged to some people whose name I have forgotten—<span lang="fr">Baron</span> +something (Belgian) and his German wife, and it was due to this lady's +nationality—so the story went—that the place had suffered so little. +Personally I think that it was due to the house only being indicated +on the map, whilst the stables, 200 yards off, which were perpetually +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page222" name="page222"></a>(p. 222)</span> being shelled, were marked in heavy black, and were a +cockshy for the German guns, which were evidently laid by map and not +by sight; yet the house was on a fair elevation, and must have been +visible from certain points on the German side. By the same token, +General Capper had had his Headquarters there for a few days, but had +cleared out, I believe, because of shells. Half a dozen shrapnel had +certainly hit it, but they had only chipped off some bits of stone and +broken all the windows at the eastern end.</p> + +<p>We lived in a room half below ground at the western end, which must +evidently have been the housekeeper's room or servants' hall, next to +the kitchen. About half the Signal Section lived in some sort of +cellars close by, the other half being away with the transport. Two of +these cellars were also used as a dressing station for the 7th +Brigade, and wounded used to be brought in here frequently and tended +by a sanitary Highlander, a corporal whose exact functions I could +never discover, but who worked like a Trojan. The wounded were visited +by a medical officer in the evening, and removed on stretchers every +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page223" name="page223"></a>(p. 223)</span> night to the ambulances who came to fetch them. Our own +wounded did not come here, but were looked after just behind the +trenches near the Herenthage Château, and taken away from there at +night by our own 15th Field Ambulance, who worked all night in +circumstances of much danger, but were luckily hardly ever hit.</p> + +<p>The owners had evidently had plenty of notice before clearing out, for +they had removed all the smaller articles and most of the furniture, +and had rolled up the carpets and curtains and blinds, leaving only +big cupboards and bare bedsteads and larger bits of furniture. These +were, oddly enough, in very good taste—Louis <abbr title="15">XV.</abbr> style—and only +sand-papered and not polished or painted. There was a good bathroom +too, and a lavatory with big basins, but much of it had been smashed +by shrapnel, as it was at the east end. Our bedrooms were on the first +floor, and most of them had good beds and washhand-stands, but no +linen or blankets. I need hardly say that we carefully selected those +at the western end of the house, whither few bullets had penetrated. +But the windows there were mostly untouched, and consisted <span class="pagenum"><a id="page224" name="page224"></a>(p. 224)</span> +of good plate glass. Altogether the whole place gave one the idea of +comfort, money, and good taste, and was an eminently satisfactory +abode—bar the shells.</p> + +<p>I know that, as far as looking after the Brigade was concerned, we got +through three times as much satisfactory work in the morning after we +arrived as we did during all the three days we were in the little +dug-out. For we could now communicate not only by wire but by +messenger and by personal contact with the authorities and commanders +in our rear and on our flanks, and could discuss matters <i>re</i> +artillery and defences and plans in a way which had been quite +impossible in our advanced position.</p> + +<p>General Wing<a id="footnotetag19" name="footnotetag19"></a><a href="#footnote19">[19]</a> used to come and see us most evenings, and I used to +communicate personally with Shaw (9th Brigade), and Fanshawe +(Artillery), and M'Cracken (7th Brigade), about combined movements, +&c. Every morning before daylight, and at a good many other times +besides, I, or Weatherby, or Moulton-Barrett, used to go down to the +trenches and confabulate with <span class="pagenum"><a id="page225" name="page225"></a>(p. 225)</span> Griffith—always cool and +resourceful, who was in immediate command—or Frost and Burfeild, who +were running the Cheshires excellently between them. It was not always +a very easy business getting down to the trenches, for there were +nearly always shells bursting in the woods and on the open field which +lay between us and the trench wood; and we had generally to hurry in +order to leave the château precincts unperceived by the beastly Taubes +who hovered overhead, always on the lookout for headquarters to shell; +so we cut down orderlies and staff to a minimum, and absolutely +forbade any hanging about outside.</p> + +<p>It is no use going into or describing our proceedings day by day: +<span lang="fr">"Plus ça changeait, plus c'était la même chose."</span> I have the detail of +it day by day in my diary, but it was always, in the main, the same +thing—minds and bodies at high tension throughout the day and most of +the night; perpetual artillery fire—if not by the enemy then by +ourselves; shells bursting round the château and hardly ever into it, +mostly shrapnel near the house and Black Marias a bit further +off—chiefly into a walled garden 200 yards off which, for some +unknown <span class="pagenum"><a id="page226" name="page226"></a>(p. 226)</span> reason, the Germans were convinced held some of our +guns, though, as a matter of fact, our batteries were in our right +rear, in well-covered positions just inside (or even outside, in some +cases) the woods. But we got shells on the other side of the house as +well, over the bare half-grown lawn and flower-beds between the +château and the <span lang="fr">Hooge-Menin</span> road.</p> + +<p>It was rarely "healthy" to take a stroll in the grounds, however much +we might be in want of fresh air. Even on days which were +exceptionally quiet—and there were not many of them,—when one would +move out to look at the grounds with a view to future defences in case +we were driven back, or with a desire to ease a torpid liver, suddenly +there would be a loudening swish in the air and a crash which would +send one of the tall pine-trees into smithereens, with a shower of +broken branches in all directions, followed by another, or half a +dozen more; and we would retire gracefully—sometimes even +rapidly—behind the shelter of our house.</p> + +<p>There were some late roses in the garden, or rather in the scattered +flower-beds near the house, which lasted out even when the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page227" name="page227"></a>(p. 227)</span> +snow was on them; but about the only live beings who took any interest +in them were three or four goats, who haunted the precincts of the +château, and were everlastingly trying to get inside. Indeed, when +Moulton-Barrett first came to take possession, there were two goats in +the best bedrooms upstairs, who peered out of the windows at the +undesired visitors, and had to be evicted after a display of +considerable force.</p> + +<p>Also pigs; for half a dozen great raw-boned pink and dirty swine +rootled about in the woods near by for sustenance. They were, however, +shy, and did not seek the shelter of the château. Stray cattle there +were too; but neither these nor the pigs paid any attention to the +shells which fell near them with impartial regularity, but did them, +as far as I could see, no damage whatever.</p> + +<p>There was a stable a couple of hundred yards in rear of the house, and +here at first we put what horses there were in the neighbourhood. +Having Squeaky and Silver there one night—I forget why, but I know +they were there—I put them into a couple of loose-boxes. Silver went +in all right, but Squeaky, generally a most sensible <span class="pagenum"><a id="page228" name="page228"></a>(p. 228)</span> mare, +shivered and sweated with terror, had almost to be forced in, and +refused to feed when there. So I let her out again, and picketed her +outside. Two nights after, a doctor's horse which was in there was all +but killed, for a shrapnel burst through the window and drove fourteen +bullets into his head and neck. They wanted leave to kill the poor +beast, but I refused permission, as he was not hit in any vital spot, +and he recovered, more or less, in a few days.</p> + +<p>As mentioned above, this stable was marked in black on the map, whilst +the château—a far bigger building, of course—was hardly indicated. I +take it that this accounted for our comparative immunity, for the +stable was shelled (and hit) with great regularity, whilst the château +was hardly ever touched. We had, however, a couple of small <abbr title="High Explosive">H.E.</abbr> shell +through the eastern end whilst we were in the western; one of these +bored clean through the wall of a room where there was a big cupboard +against it on the far side and exploded forthwith. But the cupboard +was not even scratched; it was blown into the middle of the room and a +table or two upset, but, strange to relate, nothing serious in the way +of damage <span class="pagenum"><a id="page229" name="page229"></a>(p. 229)</span> was done.<a id="footnotetag20" name="footnotetag20"></a><a href="#footnote20">[20]</a> On another occasion, however, a few +shrapnel exploded just outside the kitchen window. At the sound of the +first we all bolted to the other side of the house, and called to the +servants to do the same. They came out; but Brown, our excellent cook, +who had come out in his shirt-sleeves, must needs go back, without +orders, to fetch his coat: for which he promptly received a jagged +piece of shell in his left arm, which put a stop, alas, to his cooking +for good and all, as far as we were concerned, for he was sent away, +and, although he recovered, never came back to us.</p> + +<p>During the chief hours of the day, when not (or whilst) being shelled, +we were pretty busy with telegrams and reports and queries and +excursions and alarums. We were comfortable enough in the +housekeeper's room, and got our meals "reg'lar," and we even had two +or three arm-chairs, and newspapers and mails fairly well, and news +from outside, which used to arrive with our rations at 9 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> or +thereabouts. But a minor trial was the fact that two out of our five +panes of glass had been blown in by shell, and let in an icy draught +on most days. So we got <span class="pagenum"><a id="page230" name="page230"></a>(p. 230)</span> some partially-oiled paper, and made +some paste, and stuck up the panes.</p> + +<p>The first shell explosion made the paper sag, the second made it +shiver, and the third blew it out. The paste would not stick—it was +the wrong sort of flour or something.</p> + +<p>Then we used jam—that glutinous saccharine mess known as "best plum +jam"—and blue sugar paper, and it stuck quite fairly well. But it +wouldn't dry; and tears of jam used to trickle down the paper panes +and mingle with the tin-tacks and the bread-crumbs on the sill.</p> + +<p>The room was even then fairly dark, but the shell-bursts again +shivered the jam paper and burst it, and we had to take to cardboard +and drawing-boards. This made it still darker, and was not even then +successful, for the explosions still shook the boards down and +eventually broke another pane: it was most trying. On the last day but +one four panes had been broken, and on the last day, as will be +recounted, all were broken and the whole window blown in. Then we +left.</p> + +<p>But what was of much vaster interest, of course, than these trifles, +was the desperate fighting which was being waged along our <span class="pagenum"><a id="page231" name="page231"></a>(p. 231)</span> +front, not 1000 yards from the château. Our two battalions, being +entrenched in the wood, did not receive such a severe hammering as the +brigades on either side—the 7th and 9th respectively on our right and +left,—who were more in the open. And the shelling and attacks on them +were incessant, as well as on troops still further off on the other +side of them.</p> + +<p>The 11th November was a typically unpleasant day. It started with a +touch of comedy, Weatherby arriving stark naked in my room at 6.30 +<span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, just when I was shaving, saying, "I say, sir, may I finish my +dressing in here? They're shelling the bathroom!" He had a towel and a +few clothes on his arm, <i>et præterea nihil</i>. (He, M.-B., and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span>, +though sleeping in different rooms, used to dress in the bathroom, +where there were excellent taps and basins, though no water was +running.)</p> + +<p>The shelling continued till 10. It was on this morning that Brown was +damaged and lots of windows blown in.</p> + +<p>About that time I saw, to my consternation, a number of British +soldiers retiring towards the walled garden. I sent out at once to +stop them and turn them back, thinking <span class="pagenum"><a id="page232" name="page232"></a>(p. 232)</span> they were Cheshires +or Bedfords. To my relief they were neither, but belonged to a brigade +on our right. They had been heavily shelled, and, though in no sort of +panic, were falling back deliberately, though without orders. There +were no officers with them—all killed or wounded, I believe. My +efforts were successful, though I grieve to say that a nice boy, +Kershaw of the Signallers, who volunteered to carry a message to them, +was hit by shrapnel in the thigh and brought in by our clerk, Sergeant +Hutchison, and another, bleeding profusely. Burnett, commanding the +Cyclist Corps, had been knocked down by a falling tree and his back +damaged—also internal damage, I believe (for he was not really fit a +year afterwards); he also was brought in, as well as Cooper of the +Royal Fusiliers. A number of Zouaves and some more troops also +trickled slowly back from the left with stories of appalling losses +(mostly untrue) and disaster to the trenches (ditto). They were also +stopped—the Zouaves by <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span>—and sent back. Certainly the +Frenchmen's nerve was not damaged, for I remember that several had +playing-cards in their hands, and when they got to what <span class="pagenum"><a id="page233" name="page233"></a>(p. 233)</span> they +considered a fairly quiet spot they stopped, sat down, and went on +with their game. Norman M'Mahon, commanding Royal Fusiliers, had, +however, been killed, just as he had been appointed Brigadier to +another Brigade, besides a lot more good men of the 9th Brigade. Shaw, +commanding the Brigade, had also been wounded, and Douglas Smith +succeeded him. Both the 1st and 9th Brigades had lost several +trenches, and intended to try and retake them at night, but both had +been pushed back some distance.</p> + +<p>A company of Wiltshires was sent to reinforce us in case we were +seriously attacked. But they were not used by us for fighting—only +for digging extra trenches near the château in case the front +battalions had to fall back. But the front battalions had no intention +of falling back, and the Cheshires got in a very heavy fire on the +flank of some Germans who were attacking the 7th Brigade, and, +together with the Gordons on our right, killed a great number. The +Cheshires reported afterwards that the Germans walked slowly forward +to the attack without enthusiasm and in a sort of dazed way, with +their rifles under their <span class="pagenum"><a id="page234" name="page234"></a>(p. 234)</span> arms, as if they were drugged. I +wonder whether they were: we several times received reports to the +same effect.</p> + +<p>A particularly cheery item of intelligence, on good authority, was +that fifteen German Guards battalions were being specially brought up +in order to break through our line here at all costs. I thought at the +time that this was false news, and that nothing like so many would be +available, but it was not far out. As part confirmation, some papers +taken off a dead German officer were brought in; they belonged to A. +<span lang="de">von Obernitz</span>, 2nd Garde Grenadier Regiment, 2nd Division Guard Corps, +but there was nothing of interest in them.</p> + +<p>About that date Weatherby, who had been seedy for several days, became +seriously ill with a sort of light typhoid fever, and had to be +evacuated. Moulton-Barrett therefore added the duties of Brigade-Major +to his already heavy ones as Staff Captain, and did excellently well +in the double capacity.</p> + +<p>To finish up with, the weather, which had been calm and fine up to +date, broke that evening, and there were violent rain-storms from the +south-west all night.</p> + +<p>We went to bed in no very happy state of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page235" name="page235"></a>(p. 235)</span> mind, expecting a +serious night attack by overwhelming forces. But no attack came, for +probably the enemy was as exhausted as ourselves. All the same we had +to fall back by order, on the following night, for many trenches on +our right and left had been driven in, and we did not want to be cut +off.</p> + +<p>So we fell back about 200 yards through the wood, and straightened up +our line—in a much worse defensive position as regards our own bit, +but it could not be helped. My suggestions as to the line were +overruled, and we took up our second line of trenches and constructed +a little <span lang="fr">réduit</span> in the wood, ringed around with barbed wire and +holding about twenty-five men, who would—we were sanguine enough to +expect—hold off any serious rush that came.</p> + +<p>I forgot to mention that Singer, commanding the 17th Fd. Co. <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, had +arrived, and did an extraordinary amount of good work with his company +in circumstances of the greatest difficulty and danger. He told me +that the first night he went out, in order to put up some wire +entanglement in a dangerous place, it was as black as pitch. He made +his sections hold on to each other's coats, but <span class="pagenum"><a id="page236" name="page236"></a>(p. 236)</span> within ten +minutes they had not only lost each other in the dense black +woods—chiefly through tumbling into trenches and falling over +telephone wires,—but Singer had lost the whole company, and after +wandering helplessly in what he thought the right direction for some +time, he discovered that he had lost himself as well. He said he felt +inclined to sit down and have a good cry, so utterly miserable did he +feel!</p> + +<p>In falling back to the second line we had a fairly easy job, but for +the 9th Brigade it was a regular Chinese puzzle, for by this time some +of their trenches were in German hands at one end and English at the +other, whilst Northumberland Fusiliers, Lincolns, Sussex, West +Ridings, Cavalry, and even part of the 2nd Grenadiers,<a id="footnotetag21" name="footnotetag21"></a><a href="#footnote21">[21]</a> who had +turned up from goodness knows where, were inextricably tangled up; not +to mention that a party of Northumberlands, numbering about 120, under +one gallant subaltern called Brown, had been holding out for three +days in front of our line, with no food or drink, and Germans in +trenches only 30 yards off them. I believe this lot eventually got +away in safety, but the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page237" name="page237"></a>(p. 237)</span> retirement of all was about as +difficult as it could be. This was on the 13th.</p> + +<p>On the 14th the Bedfords were heavily attacked, and the Germans pushed +a machine-gun right forward through the wood and enfiladed the +Cheshire left. These stood it for some time and then retired further +down their trench, being unable to let the Bedfords know. Consequently +this beastly gun got in a heavy fire on the Bedfords right as well and +forced them to retire. The <span lang="fr">réduit</span> was no good—the wood was too +thick—and some of the garrison were captured. So the Bedfords had to +fall back, fighting, on to their third line 50 yards back, where they +held the enemy.</p> + +<p>Edwards, who commanded the advanced Bedford company, came up to the +château to report, and gave a most cheery and amusing account of the +whole thing, but the result was not at all amusing, as we had lost +ground and a lot of men.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the big attack by the German Guards was being made on the +brigades on our flanks, but, as all the world knows, it was completely +repulsed, though the 15th Brigade was not very heavily engaged as a +whole. The fighting was terribly confused <span class="pagenum"><a id="page238" name="page238"></a>(p. 238)</span> in the woods, and +nothing but the individual grit of our men held the line, for it was +practically impossible to give directions or exercise control in this +horrible terrain.</p> + +<p>During this period we got much "mixed" as regards our machine-guns. We +took over some from the 7th Division and lost some of those. Then we +borrowed some more from other units in rear and recovered some of the +lost ones. Sergeant Mart of the Bedfords did a splendid thing, and +recovered two of the lost Bedford guns practically by himself, +stalking the Germans with only one other man and rushing their trench, +killing the few men in it. I wanted to recommend him for the <abbr title="Victoria Cross">V.C.</abbr>, but +had such difficulty in getting sufficient evidence about it that an +official recommendation would not have held water. Meanwhile poor Mart +was shot through the neck. I got him a <abbr title="Distinguished Conduct Medal">D.C.M.</abbr>, but do not know whether +he lived to receive it.</p> + +<p>Then three out of our five guns got damaged by shells and bullets and +mud and stopped work. So we borrowed some more, and had some +difficulty in working them, as they were a new pattern. By the time we +understood them two other guns were <i>hors de combat</i>,—it was a real +nightmare, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page239" name="page239"></a>(p. 239)</span> and it needed strenuous efforts to keep even one +or two guns<a id="footnotetag22" name="footnotetag22"></a><a href="#footnote22">[22]</a> going; yet they were of enormous importance, and +accounted for a lot of the enemy, especially on the right flank of the +Cheshires.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the weather had turned beastly cold—snowstorms and sleet +during the day and a hard frost at night. The men suffered terribly in +the trenches—especially the Cheshires, whose trenches were very wet. +Although we kept the wet ones occupied as lightly as possible, we +could not abandon them altogether and dig others further forward or +back, as there was water everywhere only a foot below the ground. +Breastworks were attempted, but they were very visible and attracted +large numbers of shells: altogether the Cheshires had a very poor +time, I fear. The Bedfords were rather better off, their trenches in +the wood being on rather higher and sandy ground, but they were not +dry by any means.</p> + +<p>It was very awkward getting to the trenches, even in broad daylight, +by this time, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page240" name="page240"></a>(p. 240)</span> for such numbers of trees had been blown down +by the shells, there were so many shell-holes and so much wire about, +and the mud and pools of water so universal, that it was really quite +a physical effort to get through at all.</p> + +<p>About this time—the 17th—the Germans in our immediate front appeared +to have retired a bit, but they certainly had not gone far, for our +scouts on pushing on for 50 yards or so were greeted with a heavy +fire, so we were unable to get on as much as we wanted. But though the +rifle-bullets were rarer for a day or two, shells certainly were not, +and continued with the utmost regularity.</p> + +<p>On the evening of the 17th, by the way, the enemy, annoyed perhaps at +our scouts pushing on, made what was probably meant to be a +counter-attack. It was not made in much strength, and we repelled it +with ease. But it appeared to us at the château to be more serious +than it was, for a messenger from the trenches arrived with the +information that the Bedfords were being very severely pressed, and +the Cheshires had had very heavy losses, and could not hold their +trenches for more than <span class="pagenum"><a id="page241" name="page241"></a>(p. 241)</span> ten minutes unless they were +supported at once. I had no supports to send them. A message to +Griffith by telephone for confirmation of this alarm produced no +result, for the wires were, of course, broken at that critical moment. +So I wired to General Wing asking him to send me some supports if he +could, and got 200 Royal Fusiliers shortly afterwards. But I did not +use them, for the news of the messenger—who protested that he had +been sent with a verbal message (not likely) by an officer whose name +he did not know—turned out to be grossly exaggerated, and by the time +the Fusiliers arrived the fighting was over. I never could trace +whether any officer was responsible for the original message: I +believe not. Anyhow, there was trouble for the messenger.</p> + +<p>On the 18th and 19th we had comparatively quiet days—except for +nervousness about our left flank, where certain troops who had joined +the 9th Brigade were very heavily shelled and lost one or two of their +trenches. They managed, indeed, to get most of the lost ground back, +but I was not entirely happy about it, for the ground between us and +them was extremely difficult and could not be properly covered by +either <span class="pagenum"><a id="page242" name="page242"></a>(p. 242)</span> of us. There was a pond hereabouts, with a little +island on it with a summer-house; and we found, on extending our left +to take it over, that there must have been a German sniper there for +several nights, for many empty Mauser cartridge-cases were found in +the summer-house, and a very dicky punt was discovered in the rushes. +This latter we sank, and were no more troubled; but it shows the cool +pluck of the enemy's snipers in getting right into our lines by +themselves (and also—I regret to add—certain other things as well).</p> + +<p>Rumours now came of an approaching relief, and certainly troops had +rarely been more in want of it, for our two battalions had been in the +trenches for fourteen days, with pretty stiff fighting—and nervous, +jumpy fighting in the dark at that—all the time, and no chance of +being comfortable or quiet during the whole of this period. Each +battalion had had to find its own supports or reserves; but even the +latter had to be pretty close up to the firing line, for in such +cramped country one could not afford the risk of a sudden rush which +might have succeeded before the reserves could get up. Our line, it is +true, was not a particularly <span class="pagenum"><a id="page243" name="page243"></a>(p. 243)</span> long one; but it was awkward, +and the troops were much cramped and confined by nearly all being +obliged to take cover in the wood, which gradually grew too small to +hold them.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Nov. 19th.</i></p> + +<p>On the 19th General Wing arrived and told us that, after settling to +relieve us to-day, the French had been unable to find the men and +could not do it. This was a disappointment; but a later message +arrived to say that the Worcesters, coming from the 5th Brigade, would +arrive that afternoon and relieve both of our battalions, who by that +time were reduced to 540 Bedfords and 220 Cheshires altogether (the +Bedfords having started with 1100 and the Cheshires with 600 odd).</p> + +<p>In the evening a battalion of Worcesters—from goodness knows +where—turned up and announced that they were to relieve us. We had +already, as above mentioned, heard that they were coming, and were +ready for them; but it was funny that they should arrive for only +twenty-four hours, for the French were going to occupy our trenches on +the morrow.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page244" name="page244"></a>(p. 244)</span> Anyhow, by midnight or so the Bedfords and Cheshires had +cleared out, thankful to leave the horrible rabbit-warren where they +had been stuck for nearly three wet, cold, and beastly weeks; and they +retired to the wood and dug-outs close behind our château, so as to be +in reserve in case of necessity.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Nov. 20th.</i></p> + +<p>But they were not wanted as such, and the following day was fairly +quiet as far as trench fighting was concerned.</p> + +<p>But not so for the staff. We were sitting in the housekeeper's room +after breakfast working out our orders for the withdrawal that night, +when there was a terrific bang just outside the château—nearer than +ever before. We looked at each other, and would, I verily believe, +have settled down again to our work, so accustomed were we to shells +of all sorts, had not Naylor, who had joined us two days before as +temporary signal officer (<i>vice</i> Cadell, gone sick with light typhoid +at Hille eighteen days before), jumped up and run outside in order to +see where it had gone. Being Divisional signal officer, he had not, +perhaps, had quite so much experience of shells as we <span class="pagenum"><a id="page245" name="page245"></a>(p. 245)</span> had, +and he wanted to get into closer touch. The example was infectious, +and we also strolled out to see where the shell had fallen. Hardly had +we got outside into the passage, and halfway up the basement steps +into the fresh air, when there was a roar and an appalling crash which +shook the building. The concussion made me stagger, and blew my cap +off. <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span>'s hat fizzed away into the bushes, and, surrounded by a +cloud of red dust and stones and chips of balustrades and hunks of +wood and branches, we held on to anything we could. No damage to +ourselves; but a glance down the passage showed us that the shell, or +most of it, had exploded in or just outside the kitchen, and blown +that chamber, as well as the housekeeper's room, which we had just +left, into absolute smithereens.</p> + +<p>No time to look into further details; a hurried issue of orders, and +we legged it for all we were worth across the open and into our +funk-hole in the shrubbery 300 yards off, whilst the signal section +and servants and orderlies made a bolt for the stables in the opposite +direction.</p> + +<p>But the Germans seem to have been satisfied with this little +exhibition of "hate," <span class="pagenum"><a id="page246" name="page246"></a>(p. 246)</span> and bombarded us no more—except +casually, with shrapnel, as usual. We crept back to the château at +intervals during the morning, and removed various possessions and +chairs and tables to our dug-out, which was not a very luxurious +abode, though dry and fairly deep. Poor Conway, Weatherby's servant, +whom he had left behind, was the only casualty; his dead body was +found, with both legs broken and an arm off, blown down a cellar +passage at the back. The next most serious casualty was +Moulton-Barrett's new pair of breeches, arrived that morning from +England, and driven full of holes like a sugar-sifter. Our late room +was a mass of wreckage—half the outer wall and most of the inner one +blown down, tables and chairs and things overturned and broken, and +the floor knee-deep in plaster and rubbish. Of the kitchen there was +still less; and nothing was to be rescued from the debris except one +tin plate and one tin mustard-pot. It would have taken days to clear +it, for a good deal of the room above seemed to have fallen into it as +well, and one could hardly get in at the door, so full was the place +of plaster, wreckage, and stones, and hot-water pipes and bits of iron +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page247" name="page247"></a>(p. 247)</span> and twisted rails, and dust and earth and broken laths and +rafters. Luckily the concussion put the fire out, or there might have +been still more damage.</p> + +<p>We spent our day somewhat uncomfortably in the dug-out, for there was +a hard frost and very little room to turn round in, and though we had +a brazier, its charcoal fumes in the confined space nearly poisoned +us. In the middle of the day three French officers turned up, and we +made mutual arrangements for the taking over by them of this portion +of the line, Milling (of the Bedfords) guiding one party and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> +the other.</p> + +<p>Food was rather a difficulty, for the mess servants had disappeared, +and had last been seen hastening in the direction of <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>—for which +we cursed them loud and long. We did our best with small hunks of +bully and odd bits of chocolate and a modicum of tea and biscuits in +our haversacks—for all the rest of our food had been buried by that +infernal shell,—but it was neither comfortable nor filling; and, in +truth, as the dark winter evening came on with only one or two +candle-stumps between us, we were not as happy as we should otherwise +have been.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page248" name="page248"></a>(p. 248)</span> Help was, however, at hand; for our servants, Inskip and +Stairs, who we thought had ignominiously run away, suddenly turned up +with heaps of food. They had gone all the way to our cook's waggon +three miles the other side of <span lang="fr">Ypres</span> for comestibles, and whilst we +were d—ing their eyes for bolting, were trudging, heavily laden, +along the road back to us—good youths.</p> + +<p>It was a lengthy business getting the relief through. The French +troops, due at 7.30 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, did not arrive till 9.15 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, and even then +it was difficult to pilot a lot of troops, fresh to the ground, in +pitch darkness, over shell-holes and wires and broken trees and +stumps, and through mud and undergrowth and dead horses, &c., &c., +into the trenches destined for them. The details had to be very +carefully arranged indeed, and it was not till nearly 2 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> that we +had got the French into the trenches, the Worcesters into reserve, and +the Bedfords and Cheshires on their way back to <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>.</p> + +<p>Then, with a sigh of some thankfulness apiece, we stumbled back in the +darkness to the château, where we waited to collect the remains of the +Signal Section and staff, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page249" name="page249"></a>(p. 249)</span> then moved off, mounted this +time, down the <span lang="fr">Menin-Ypres</span> road.</p> + +<p>It was freezing very hard—as I think I remarked before—and the road +was frightfully slippery. Trotting was almost out of the question, but +I tried it on Squeaky for a few yards, on a dry broken bit. She pulled +back on to the slippery part, slid up, and sat down heavily, whilst I +fell gracefully off on to my shoulder. And she repeated the +performance the other side of the town. <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>, in the bright +starlight, was still quite impressive, and the Cloth Hall was still +almost intact. But there were many shell-holes about, and some of the +houses were still smouldering. The town happened to be respited from +shells for the actual moment, but I believe that the very next day a +heavy bombardment began again, and the Cloth Hall was destroyed till +hardly the skeleton thereof was left.</p> + +<p class="p2"><i>Nov. 21st.</i></p> + +<p>We were due to billet in Locre, and there we arrived at about 7 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> +It was frightfully cold, but, after we had seen the two battalions +billeted, the military policeman who had been told to turn up and show +us <span class="pagenum"><a id="page250" name="page250"></a>(p. 250)</span> to our billets was nowhere to be found, so we wandered on +as far as the Convent, staggering and slipping on the snowy ice and +blowing on our fingers as we went. The thermometer must have shown ten +degrees of frost or more, but I only know that I was very glad to +reach our little house at last (having passed it already once half a +mile before) and get in between the sheets of an ancient but +respectably clean bed, covered by all the mackintoshes, blankets, and +rugs I could get hold of.</p> + +<p>The Cheshires were billeted on the <span lang="fr">Mont Rouge</span> close by, and the +Bedfords near us, at the corner of the <span lang="fr">Westoutre road</span>. They had all +struggled over the fourteen miles or so that divided them from their +trenches, but having arrived and their feet having swollen terribly +during the long march, any number of them could not get their boots on +again, and they went to hospital by twenties and thirties, hobbling +along the road with their feet tied up in rags or socks, for they were +deformed with rheumatism and swollen joints,<a id="footnotetag23" name="footnotetag23"></a><a href="#footnote23">[23]</a> and would not fit any +boot. The Cheshires, as I expected, were much the worse of the two +battalions, for <span class="pagenum"><a id="page251" name="page251"></a>(p. 251)</span> their trenches had been very wet, and most +of the men had sat with cold feet in water for many days; yet there +was not a single case of pulmonary complaint amongst them, and hardly +even a cough or a cold.</p> + +<p>Here we stayed, at Locre, till the 25th, the men enjoying a most +well-earned rest, and filling up with hot baths, warm clothes, socks, +parcels from home, and comforts of all sorts. The Divisional +Headquarters were in the Convent, a clean huge building which did very +well for the purpose, and here we went almost daily, either on +business or on a meal intent. The Cheshires—only 230 of them +left—were of no practical value, alas, with their bad feet; so they +were sent in to 2nd Corps Headquarters (Sir H. S.-D.) at <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span>, +nominally to "find" the Headquarters Guard, but in reality to +convalesce.</p> + +<p>On the 25th we—that is, Headquarters and the Bedfords, for that was +all there was left of the 15th for the moment—moved to <span lang="nl"><abbr title="Sint">St</abbr> Jan's +Cappel</span>, a nice little village only a few miles behind Locre. We lived +in the <span lang="fr">Curé</span>'s (<span lang="fr">M. de Vos</span>) house, clean and pleasant; and the <span lang="fr">Curé</span>, who +liked the good things of this world, brought his stout person to +coffee every evening, and did not disdain to make <span class="pagenum"><a id="page252" name="page252"></a>(p. 252)</span> the +acquaintance of an occasional tot of British rum or whisky, except on +Fridays.</p> + +<p>Two days afterwards we were inspected both by Sir Horace and, half an +hour later, by Sir John French, who were both pleased to say +complimentary things of the Brigade. It did us good. The Bedfords +again put me to confusion by calling out "'Ear! 'ear!" at telling +points of the speeches—curious folk,—the only battalion I ever heard +do so. 587 men and 8 officers on parade, not one of the latter of +whom, except the Quartermaster, had come out with the battalion. +Griffith was on leave, his place being taken by Major Mackenzie, <abbr title="Victoria Cross">V.C.</abbr>, +who had just joined. All the other officers who had left Ireland with +me in August were either killed, wounded, or sick.</p> + +<p>We were under orders to go into the trenches again shortly, taking +over from Maude,<a id="footnotetag24" name="footnotetag24"></a><a href="#footnote24">[24]</a> now commanding the 14th Brigade; he also had the +Dorsets and Norfolks, scraped up from various places, attached to him. +His line was in front of <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span>.</p> + +<p>On the 29th November we took over there, a most complicated +arrangement which only evolved itself clearly during the next week. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page253" name="page253"></a>(p. 253)</span> I had the East Surreys and Manchesters under me for a time, +and then the <abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s, all interchanging and intershuffling with my +battalions, the main reason being that I had not got the Cheshires, so +had to shift as best I could without them, picking up a battalion of +the 13th or 14th Brigade when one was available.</p> + +<p>The line was not exactly nice. We had, it is true, got rid of the +worst bit, Hill 73, on to the 3rd Division, which was next door on the +left; but it extended all the same for an unpleasant length on our +right, which was south of the <span lang="nl">Wulverghem</span>-<span lang="fr">Messines</span> road, the right of +the Brigade on our right being on the <span lang="fr">Douve</span>. At the longest—the +length that the Brigade had to defend varied according to +circumstances—the line was just over 2500 yards; at its shortest it +was about 2200. Considering that the normal frontage (defensive) of +the Brigade at full strength was 900 to 1300 yards, this was a bit +"thin" in more senses than one.</p> + +<p>As we were here for three months, off and on—from the beginning of +December to the end of February,—it may be worth while trying to +describe it, if I can.</p> + +<a id="img007" name="img007"></a> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/img007.jpg" width="500" height="345" alt="Map." title=""> +</div> + +<p>Imagine a bit of rolling country—rather <span class="pagenum"><a id="page254" name="page254"></a>(p. 254)</span> like parts of +Leicestershire,—fair-sized fields, separated mostly by straggling +fences interspersed with wire (largely barbed), and punctuated by tall +trees. Patches of wood in places, spinney size for the most part. Low +hills here and there—<span lang="de">;Kemmel</span>, <span lang="de">Scherpenberg</span>, <span lang="nl">Ploegsteert</span> Wood,—but all +outside our area. For villages, <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span>, <span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span>, <span lang="de">Wulverghem</span>, +and <span lang="nl">Lindenhoek</span>, of which the two last were already more than half shot +to pieces and almost deserted. Opposite our right was <span lang="fr">Messines</span>—a mile +and a half in front of our line,—its big, square, old church tower +still standing; it may have had a spire on the top, but if so it had +disappeared before we came. Nearly opposite our extreme left, but out +of our jurisdiction and in the sphere of the Division on our left, was +<span lang="nl">Wytschaete</span> (pronounce Wich Khâte), one and a half miles off. The +cavalry had held both <span lang="fr">Messines</span><a id="footnotetag25" name="footnotetag25"></a><a href="#footnote25">[25]</a> +and <span lang="nl">Wytschaete</span> at the end of +October, but had been overwhelmingly attacked here and driven out of +them, so that the two villages formed a hostile bulge into our line. +We had been in hopes of driving attacks into the base of the bulge and +thus forcing a retirement. But the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page256" name="page256"></a>(p. 256)</span> Germans reinforced the +bulge and entrenched it heavily, and instead of our cutting off the +bulge, it became flatter and flatter, without giving way at the point, +so that we had to retire slightly, on either side, and not they.</p> + +<p>Farms, nearly all of them roofless and half-ruined, were dotted about +over the country. Small ones for the most part they were, and of the +usual type—a liquid and stinking manure-heap surrounded on three +sides by a living-house and barns. Of the roads, those from <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> +to <span lang="nl">Lindenhoek</span>, <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> to <span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span>, +and <span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span> <i>viâ</i> +<span lang="de">Wulverghem</span> to <span lang="fr">Messines</span>, were <span lang="fr"><i>pavé</i></span>—<i>i.e.</i>, cobble-stones down the +centre and mud on both sides. Those joining <span lang="nl">Lindenhoek</span> to <span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span> +and <span lang="de">Wulverghem</span> were also mostly <span lang="fr"><i>pavé</i></span>. The remainder were mere field +tracks for the most part, rarely metalled, and in wet weather almost +impassable for mud.</p> + +<p>O that mud! We have heard lots about Flanders mud, but the reality +transcends imagination, especially in winter. Greasy, slippery, +holding clay, over your toes in most places and over your ankles in +all the rest—where it is not over your knees,—it is <span class="pagenum"><a id="page257" name="page257"></a>(p. 257)</span> the +most horrible "going" I know anywhere. Whether you are moving across +plough or grass fields, or along lanes, you are perpetually skating +about and slipping up on the firmer bits and held fast by the ankles +in the softer ones. There is no stone in the district, nothing but +rich loamy clay, <i>alias</i> mud. However much you dig, you never come +across stone, nothing but sticky mud which clings to your shovel and +refuses to be parted from it—mud that has to be scraped off at almost +every stroke, mud that absorbs water like a sponge yet refuses to give +it up again. Every little puddle and rut, every hoof-depression full +of rain, remains like that for weeks; even when the weather is fine +the water does not seem to evaporate, but remains on the surface.</p> + +<p>And when it rains, as it did all that winter (except when it snowed), +the state of the trenches is indescribable. Some were, frankly, so +full of water that they had to be abandoned, and a breastwork erected +behind. But a breastwork is slow work, especially if you are less than +100 yards from the enemy. For weeks, indeed, the garrison of one +particular trench had to lie out on the mud, or on what waterproofs +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page258" name="page258"></a>(p. 258)</span> they could get, behind a shelter two to three feet +high—always growing a little, yet never to be made to a real six feet +height for reason of conspicuousness and consequent clusters of Black +Marias.</p> + +<p>Other trenches varied from five inches to five feet deep in mud; in +one a Dorset man was literally almost drowned and drawn forth with +great difficulty. Many cases occurred of semi-submersion, and as for +moving up the communication trenches during the winter, it was +generally an impossibility, for they were either knee-deep in water or +in mud, and simply refused to be drained. So men preferred the risk of +a stray bullet to the certainty of liquid mud to the knees and +consequent icy discomfort for twenty-four hours and more. And as for +the unfortunate ration-parties and men bringing up heavy trench +stores, their task was really one of frightful labour, for, for two +men to cross a large and slippery muddy series of fields carrying a +100 lb. box between them was no joke. First one would slide up and +skate off in one direction whilst the other did his best to hold on, +generally resulting in dropping his end of the box or finding himself +on the flat of his back. Then <span class="pagenum"><a id="page259" name="page259"></a>(p. 259)</span> the parts would be reversed, +but they always slid up in opposite directions—the mud saw to +that,—and they would arrive in the trenches, after their stroll of a +mile or less, absolutely exhausted and dripping with sweat. It was +difficult enough, over much of the ground, to avoid slipping up even +when burdened by nothing more than a walking-stick; that I know from +personal experience. Yet for many weeks the men had to do this and +suffer, for fascines and bricks, besides sandbags, were only just +beginning to make their appearance in December; and floor-boards and +gratings and gravel and trench stores and wire-netting, and revetments +and planks and iron sheeting and trestles and hurdles of all sorts, +did not really materialize in anything like sufficient numbers till +March.</p> + +<p>The draining of the trenches was heartbreaking. After a heavy day or +two of rain the parapets would fall down in hunks into the foot of +water or so in the trenches, and would churn up into liquid mud, only +to be removed by large spoons, of which we had none, or buckets, of +which we had but very few. It was too thick to drain off down the +very, very gradual slopes which <span class="pagenum"><a id="page260" name="page260"></a>(p. 260)</span> were the best we could do, +and too liquid to be shovelled away; so there it would remain, and our +strenuous efforts in rebuilding the parapets (for at this period we +had no revetting material) would only result, a night or two later, in +still further collapses.</p> + +<p>The <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> companies, both 17th and 59th, worked like heroes, and so +particularly did the Norfolks and Bedfords; but it was most +disheartening work. No sooner was one parapet fairly complete than +another fell in; and when this was mended the first one would collapse +again under the incessant downpour. And all this time wire +entanglements had to be put up in front under hostile fire, trenches +connected up and drained, support trenches dug, communication trenches +improved, loopholes made, defences thickened and strengthened, saps +pushed out, all under the fire of an enemy anything from 60 to 200 +yards off, and always on rather higher ground than ourselves, worse +luck, so that he had the whip-hand.</p> + +<p>Soon came the period of hand grenades, in which he had six to one the +best of us in numbers; and then in rifle grenades <span class="pagenum"><a id="page261" name="page261"></a>(p. 261)</span> ditto +ditto; and then in trench mortars, flare-lights, searchlights, and +rockets—wherein we followed him feebly and at a great distance; for +where he sent up 100 (say) light balls at night, we could only afford +five or six; and other things in proportion. Later on came the +<span lang="de">Minenwerfer</span>, an expanded type of trench mortar, and its bomb, but up +to the end of February his efforts in this direction were not very +serious, though I allow that he did us more harm thereby than we him. +For our trench mortars were in an experimental stage, made locally by +the <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, and constructed of thin gas-pipe iron and home-made jam-pot +bombs, whose behaviour was always erratic, and sometimes, I regret to +say, fatal to the mortarist. (Poor Rogers, <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, a capital subaltern, +was killed thus, besides others, I fear.)</p> + +<p>Our reliefs varied. Normally the Brigade was supposed to be, at first, +eight days in and four days out. Then this was rapidly changed to +twelve days in and six days out; then, as the 14th Brigade suggested +that it should hold <span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span>, a quite short front, in perpetuity, +whilst the 13th and 15th Brigades relieved each other alternate +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page262" name="page262"></a>(p. 262)</span> eight days along the long front, it was changed nominally to +eight in and eight out. But it was not always possible, and our last +tour lasted twenty days in and only three out.</p> + +<p>The reliefs made one's head whirl. It was all right to start with, two +battalions in the trenches (<i>i.e.</i>, fire-trenches, support-trenches, +and reserve-trenches), and two battalions in reserve at <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> or +thereabouts—four days about, each battalion, in eight-day reliefs, +or three days about in twelve-day reliefs. This was simple. But when +our line was lengthened to a three-battalion length it became much +more difficult, especially when one battalion was much weaker than the +other three. And when, eventually, the brigade was presented with a +Territorial battalion of great strength but no experience, making five +battalions of varying strengths to occupy a three-battalion length, +whilst one could only put the Territorial one (at first) into a +comparatively safe place in the line which did not fit it, then the +problem of the wolf, the goat, and the cabbage faded into complete +insignificance.</p> + +<p>It was very difficult to fit everything in so that each battalion had +its fair share of duty <span class="pagenum"><a id="page263" name="page263"></a>(p. 263)</span> and of rest. Even with the best +intentions matters did not always pan out straight, for considerations +of strength, of comparative excellence, of dangerous and of safe +localities, of moral, of comfortable or uncomfortable trenches, of +spade-work and of a dozen other things, had to be fitted together like +a Chinese puzzle.</p> + +<p>There was a particularly dangerous and uncomfortable length which was +given to the best battalion to hold. On its relief, who should hold +it? the next best, who was badly wanted somewhere else, or another one +weak in numbers and consequently unfit? And when the relief came +again, was the best battalion always to be doomed to the worst and +most dangerous trenches, merely because it <i>was</i> the best? Hardly an +incitement to good work. And when the battalions did not fit their +length, were you to add or subtract a company from somebody else, or +would you put some in reserve out of their turn, thereby inflicting +unfair hardship on another battalion? And would you like to reinforce +one battalion, in case of attack, by another battalion? or would you +like to make it thin in front and deep behind, and support itself? If +the other <span class="pagenum"><a id="page264" name="page264"></a>(p. 264)</span> thing was necessary, how could you do it when the +two battalions were accustomed to relieve their companies, internally, +in different ways, when perhaps the transport of one was deficient, or +one battalion preferred sandbags, whilst the other cherished hurdles, +as revetting material?—for I always found that giving the commanding +officer his head in such small internal matters produced the best +work. It was a matter for deep study and wet towels, and there let it +rest.</p> + +<p>We had much difficulty about quarters outside the trenches, for all +the farmhouses anywhere within two miles of the enemy were shelled +pretty regularly as regards quantity of explosive material devoted to +them—though, as regards dates, they varied considerably. Battalion +headquarters had to be dumped down in farms half shot to pieces, with +all windows broken and howling icy draughts tearing through the +shell-holed walls. If you did not like this, you could go and dig a +big hole in the side of a road or a turnip-field and live in that. The +reserves were always the difficulty, and so, for a long time, were +even the supports. For whatever and wherever the trenches <span class="pagenum"><a id="page265" name="page265"></a>(p. 265)</span> +that we dug for them, the rain came steadily down and broke away the +sides of the dug-outs and provided wet legs for those that sat therein. +Later on, more timber being available, as well as iron sheeting, +hurdles and other things, they became a good deal more weather-proof; +but at first the men as well as the officers were, I fear, very +uncomfortable.</p> + +<p>In those days one could not dream of going up to or into a trench +except in the dark, or, indeed, of moving about anywhere near there +except at night. Nowadays one can visit all one's trenches in broad +daylight, and never care a rap for the occasional bullets which +whistle over the comfortable deep communication trenches; but up to +the spring of 1915 it was very different almost throughout.</p> + +<p>I used to visit the trenches every third night or so; at least I tried +to, but it was not by any means always possible. It meant a three-mile +ride there, putting up the horses in <span lang="de">Wulverghem</span> or <span lang="nl">Lindenhoek</span>, and a +walk of a mile or so to the trenches, then a mile or less along the +trenches. It was lucky for you if there was any light of moon or stars +to see by, and lucky if you did not <span class="pagenum"><a id="page266" name="page266"></a>(p. 266)</span> go over your knees in +mud in the dark. On one occasion it came down a pitchy dead blackness +just as I was arriving at the trenches, so that you literally could +not see your hand in front, or the road, or anything else; so I gave +it up and went back. Other nights were impossible for the same reason; +and occasionally the brilliance of the moon was in fault, though not +often. So we had to select our nights carefully.</p> + +<p>Johnston, <abbr title="Victoria Cross">V.C.</abbr>,<a id="footnotetag26" name="footnotetag26"></a><a href="#footnote26">[26]</a> <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr>, +was in <abbr title="Royal Engineers">R.E.</abbr> charge of our trenches. (Poor +fellow, he was killed by a sniper near <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Éloi</span> on April 15.) He must +have worked something like eighteen hours out of the twenty-four. For +by 9 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> he was collecting material near <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> and receiving +reports, and settling his company administrative work. At 11.30 he +came to see me, and we discussed and settled the ensuing night's task. +Then back to his farm to give out instructions to his sappers, and +fifty other things to do before he rode out about 6 <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> to the +trenches, remaining there till 3 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> or even 6 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>—to superintend +the work and struggle about in the mud all night. He never <span class="pagenum"><a id="page267" name="page267"></a>(p. 267)</span> +spared himself an ounce. He was occasionally so nearly dead with want +of sleep that I once or twice ordered him to take a night's sleep; but +he always got out of it on some pretext or other.</p> + +<p>And with it all he was as plucky as the devil—he seemed to like +getting shot at. One night he got a ricochet bullet over his heart, +but this only put him in a furious rage (if you can use the word about +such a seeming mild person), and spent the next twenty-four hours in +collecting ammunition and bombs and extra trench-mortars and firing +them himself; this seemed to soothe him. He was a wonderful fellow all +round, always full of expedients and never disheartened by the cruel +collapse of all his plans caused by the wet weather; and if there was +a dangerous piece of work on hand, he was always first in giving the +lead. One very nasty place on the left there was which was commanded +by the enemy at short range, yet we could not dig in it, as the water +was only a foot below the ground, and breastworks there were +practically impossible; yet if the enemy had seized this bit they +would have enfiladed the rest of the line; why they did not do so I do +not <span class="pagenum"><a id="page268" name="page268"></a>(p. 268)</span> know. He was always pressing me to attack the Germans at +this point and seize a bit of false crest that they held; but my +better judgment was against it, as, if we had taken the bit, we should +have been commanded there from three sides instead of one, and could +not have held it for half an hour. I know Johnston's private opinion +of me in this matter was that I was a funk, but he was too polite to +say so. After I left, the following Brigade not only did not attack +the point, but fell back some distance here, "on its own"; and I am +sure they were right.</p> + +<p>Poor Johnston—he became Brigade-Major after Weatherby left for the +5th Divisional Staff (some time in April 1915, I think), and, as I +remarked, was killed shortly afterwards. His death was a very heavy +loss to the Brigade.</p> + +<p>At <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> we—that is, the Brigade staff—lived in a perpetual +atmosphere of mud and draughts. The <span lang="fr">Curé</span>'s house was very small and +very dirty, and was not improved by the pounds of mud which every one +brought in on his boots at all hours of the day and left on our best +drugget—a cheap, thin thing which I <span class="pagenum"><a id="page269" name="page269"></a>(p. 269)</span> bought in <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span> +(they had not such a thing as a carpet in the whole town) wherewith to +cover the nakedness of the brick floor of the one tiny room in which +we all worked and ate.</p> + +<p>Weatherby and I slept in the house, and the others were billeted +outside, but the quarters were none of them more than passable—poor +villagers' rooms, with a frowzy though comfortable bed, a rickety +washhand-stand, if you were lucky (I did not even have that), no +carpet on the dirty wooden floor, and one small hard-backed chair, +generally minus a portion of a leg; never any chest of drawers or +anywhere to put your things, as if there by any chance was such a +thing in the room, it was sure to be full of the inhabitants' rusty +old black clothes and dirty blue flannel shirts, and petticoats, thick +and musty, by the ton,—I never saw so many petticoats per inhabitant.</p> + +<p>Our mess had only had one change since the beginning of the war, and +that was in the signal officer. Cadell had gone sick in November, and +Miles had replaced him in December. For about a month, including all +the period at <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>, we had had no signal officer (except Naylor for +two days), <span class="pagenum"><a id="page270" name="page270"></a>(p. 270)</span> nor any Brigade-Major from about the 12th +November (at <span lang="fr">Ypres</span>) till the beginning of December; so Sergeant King, +a first-rate signaller, though not the senior, had carried on for +Cadell, and Moulton-Barrett had added the duties of Brigade-Major to +his own. But by the middle of December we were complete again. +Weatherby had returned from his sick leave, and Miles, of the +<abbr title="King's Own Scottish Borderers">K.O.S.B.</abbr>'s, was now signalling officer. A quite excellent one he was, +too—very silent, always an hour or two late for dinner (owing to +strenuous night work), never asking questions, but always doing things +before they were even suggested, and very thoroughly at that; he was a +great acquisition. Moulton-Barrett was still Staff Captain—very +hard-working and conscientious, and very thorough; Weatherby was still +Brigade-Major—keen and resourceful; Beilby was still veterinary +officer—capable and helpful; and <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> was still interpreter and +billeting officer—cheerful and most willing. His duties were mostly +to investigate the numerous cases of natives who wanted to go +somewhere or do something—generally to fetch their cows off a +shell-swept field, or to rescue <span class="pagenum"><a id="page271" name="page271"></a>(p. 271)</span> their furniture from a burnt +village, or to fetch or buy something from <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span>—and recommend +them (or otherwise) to me for passes—a most trying duty, wearing to +the temper; but he was angelic in patience, and, as a light +recreation, used to accompany me to the trenches fairly often.</p> + +<p>One case there was where, for three nights running, great fids of wire +were cut out of some artillery cables connecting them with their +observers—a most reprehensible deed. So I had patrols out to spy +along the lines,—no result, except that next morning another 100 +yards had gone. So I made <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> André</span> publish a blood-and-thunder +proclamation threatening death to any one found tampering with our +wires. Spies were plentiful, and a gap in our wires might be fatal.</p> + +<p>And then the culprit owned up. It was an old woman near whose cottage +the wires passed, and her fences required mending.</p> + +<p><span lang="fr">Neuve Église</span>, which we inhabited for a fortnight or more, and where we +spent Xmas Day, was a good cut above <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span>. Except for the first +three days, when we lived with a doctor,—and his stove <span class="pagenum"><a id="page272" name="page272"></a>(p. 272)</span> +smoked frightfully till we discovered a dead starling in the pipe,—we +dwelt in exceeding comfort, comparatively speaking. It was a brewer's +house, about the biggest in the village—which was three times the +size of <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span>,—with real furniture in it, a real dining-room +(horribly cold, as the stove refused to work), and a most comfortable +series of highly civilized bedrooms. (Last time I was in the +neighbourhood—August 1915—there was long grass in the streets, not a +soul in the place, half the houses in absolute ruins, and our late +quarters with one side missing and three parts of the house as well.) +The trenches were much less pestered with shells and bullets than the +<span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> lot, and it was easier work altogether for the men. We quite +enjoyed it, and on Xmas Day so did the Germans. For they came out of +their trenches and walked across unarmed, with boxes of cigars and +seasonable remarks. What were our men to do? Shoot? You could not +shoot unarmed men. Let them come? You could not let them come into +your trenches; so the only thing feasible at the moment was done—and +some of our men met them halfway and began talking to them.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page273" name="page273"></a>(p. 273)</span> We got into trouble for doing it. But, after all, it is +difficult to see what we could otherwise have done, unless we shot the +very first unarmed man who showed himself—<span lang="fr"><i>pour encourager les +autres</i></span>; but we did not know what he was going to do. Meanwhile our +officers got excellent close views of the German trenches, and we +profited accordingly; the <span lang="fr">Boche</span> did not, for he was not allowed close +enough to ours.</p> + +<p>Which reminds me that on one occasion, when going round the trenches, +I asked a man whether he had had any shots at the Germans. He +responded that there was an elderly gentleman with a bald head and a +long beard who often showed himself over the parapet.</p> + +<p>"Well, why didn't you shoot him?"</p> + +<p>"Shoot him?" said the man; "why, Lor' bless you, sir, 'e's never done +<i>me</i> no 'arm!" A case of "live and let live," which is certainly not +to be encouraged. But cold-blooded murder is never popular with our +men.</p> + +<p>Talking of anecdotes, and the trend of our men's minds, I heard that +on another occasion a groom, an otherwise excellent creature, wrote +home to his "girl" thus: "Me and the master rode out to the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page274" name="page274"></a>(p. 274)</span> +trenches last night. We was attacked by a strong German patrol. I nips +off me horse, pulls out my rifle and shoots two of them, and the rest +bolted." Not a single atom of truth in the story, except that he was +nestling in a warm stable at an advanced village, whilst his master +was shivering in the mud of the trenches that night.</p> + +<p>Another gem was a statement by a Transport officer's servant that he +had shot 1200 Germans himself with a machine-gun. This was a man who, +I verily believe, had never even been within earshot of a gun, much +less seen a German, his duties being exclusively several miles in rear +of the firing line. And, being a civilian up till quite recently, I am +sure he did not know the muzzle of a maxim from its breech.</p> + +<p>During our tours in "Divisional reserve" we generally spent the time +in <span lang="nl"><abbr title="Sint">St</abbr> Jan's Cappel</span> (already described) or <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span>. The latter town, +with its rather quaint old brick fourteenth-century church, porched <span lang="fr"><i>à +la</i> Louis Quinze</span>, was tolerable rather than admirable. Nothing of +civil interest, and hardly anything to buy except magnificent grapes +from the <span lang="fr">"Grapperies,"</span> even in <span class="pagenum"><a id="page275" name="page275"></a>(p. 275)</span> November. We housed a +battalion or more in the man's series of greenhouses, and he +responded—after several more battalions had been quartered +there—with a claim for 2,000,000 francs. He could not prove that a +single pane of glass or any of his vines had been broken, nor any +grapes stolen, for indeed they had not been, but he based his claim on +the damage done to them by tobacco smoke (which I always thought was +particularly good for them), and by the report of the big guns, which +shattered the vines' nerves so that he was sure they would not produce +again (also a fallacy, for I had some more excellent grapes there +nearly a year afterwards—September '15). I did not hear what +compensation he got, but he would have been lucky to get 20 francs.</p> + +<p>I once went into a poorly furnished watchmaker's shop, but the lady +there could do nothing for my watch. She told me that, being an +optician in a small way as well, she had had a whole stock of +spectacles and glasses. When the Germans came through the town in +October, they demanded fieldglasses. The few ones she had they stole, +and then because she had no more they stole her watchmaker's tools, +and swept all <span class="pagenum"><a id="page276" name="page276"></a>(p. 276)</span> the spectacles and glasses and watches on to +the floor and stamped them to powder.</p> + +<p>There is really little more to relate about our time at <span lang="fr">Dranoutre</span> and +neighbourhood. It was a time of a certain amount of nerve-strain, for +we all knew that our trenches were by no means perfect, and that if +the enemy did attack us we should have great difficulty in bringing up +reserves in time to beat them off; for we could not keep them under +cover within decent range—there were no billets or houses,—and if we +dug trenches for them they were not only exposed to the enemy's shell +fire but were certain to be half full of water in two days; whilst we +could not get anything like enough trench stores and timber, and what +we did get we had enormous difficulty in bringing up to the trenches.</p> + +<p>During all this time the artillery helped us all they knew, and were +extremely well run, first by Ballard, then Saunders, and then Sandys, +as Brigade Commanders. But they were badly handicapped by want of +shells, especially howitzer high explosives, and we had to suffer a +great deal of shell fire without returning it.</p> + +<p>We used to average about four casualties <span class="pagenum"><a id="page277" name="page277"></a>(p. 277)</span> a day in each +battalion, say fifteen to twenty a day in the Brigade, which made a +big hole in the strengths. Officers were always getting killed—often, +alas, their own fault, through excess of zeal; and men used +perpetually to lose their lives through getting out of the trenches in +order to stretch their half-frozen limbs. Sickness was, strange to +say, almost negligible. There were far more cases of arthritis and +other things due to cold wet feet than anything else; and the men were +extraordinarily healthy, comparatively speaking, considering the +desperately uncomfortable hard life.</p> + +<p>General Morland was, of course, commanding the Division during this +time, and used to come nearly every morning in his car to see us; also +Sir C. Fergusson, now Corps Commander, often came.</p> + +<p>But during the whole of that winter there was very little for the +higher commands to do, except to collect and send up material for the +trenches, and to try and keep pace with the German developments—for +we could do little or nothing in the way of offensive action.</p> + +<p>I tried to get the thing neatly organised, as to stores and times and +amounts and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page278" name="page278"></a>(p. 278)</span> transport for taking the things up to the +trenches; but it was very difficult, as sometimes there were no +engineer stores to be had, or the wires got broken by shell fire and +took a long time to repair, or it was more urgent to bring up rations +or water or ammunition, and the requisite transport for all was not +available. But all the same, the trenches gradually improved.</p> + +<p>At last, on the 18th February, we got news that there was to be a move +from our present line. The fact was that the 28th Division (also the +27th), composed of white troops from India and other tropical places, +had had an exceedingly nasty time. Many of the men were rotten with +fever, and the cold wet weather had sent scores and scores into +hospital. They had been put into the trenches round <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Éloi</span> to relieve +the French, who had held all the line round here chiefly with their +field artillery and a very few men; and the trenches were, +consequently, most sketchy, according to British ideas, and the +approaches under heavy fire. The French did not mind, for, if they +were shelled out of their trenches, as often happened, they just +skipped out of them and turned their <span class="pagenum"><a id="page279" name="page279"></a>(p. 279)</span> guns on till the +Germans were cleared out; and then they went back again. But this sort +of thing did not suit us; and when the Germans did attack our trenches +here they took a good many and we lost a lot of men, especially when +we tried to counter-attack and retake them. So the 28th Division was +<i>hors de combat</i> for the moment, and was sent down to recuperate in a +quieter area—which was that of the 5th Division.</p> + +<p>Our orders were for the 13th and 15th Brigades to move north to <span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> +Éloi</span> and be replaced by the 83rd and 84th Brigades. This was done,—a +most complicated move, for the 84th Brigade, which fell to our lot, +was composed of four very weak battalions, and we had five battalions, +mostly rather strong; and by the 24th February we had six battalions, +including the 9th Londons (an excellent battalion) and 6th Cheshires +(a strong and hard-working one).</p> + +<p>We ought to have been relieved, in the normal state of affairs, on the +17th February, but we were kept on, as a matter of fact, till the +27th, because of this new arrangement.</p> + +<p>On that morning I received word that <span class="pagenum"><a id="page280" name="page280"></a>(p. 280)</span> an extraordinary lamp +message had been read during the night in the enemy's lines by a +signaller of the 6th Cheshires. It was a long, confused message in +English, repeating that "the hill" was going to be attacked at noon on +that day, with messages about "B.C. codes"—whatever that may +be,—trumpery wire entanglements, the unready English, good leading +essential, &c., and a lot of other undecipherable nonsense. The whole +message had lasted nearly two hours, with interruptions and +repetitions. I did not know what to make of it. It was probably a +"leg-pull," or somebody practising his English; but as there was a +1000 to 1 chance of its being sent by some sympathiser in our front, +and of the projected "attack" being a real one, I sent two companies +down as a reserve to the Bus Farm in our reserve line, and held a +battery ready before its time. But nothing happened, and we were +relieved without incident.</p> + +<p>Bols, by the way, had, from commanding the Dorsets, been appointed to +command the 84th Brigade, and he took over before leaving, on the day +before we left. I was very sorry indeed to lose him, but knew +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page281" name="page281"></a>(p. 281)</span> that, once his foot was well on the ladder, he would go +right ahead—as he has.<a id="footnotetag27" name="footnotetag27"></a><a href="#footnote27">[27]</a> The same applied to Ballard, who also had +been given a Brigade—the 7th.</p> + +<p>The 15th Brigade thereupon retired into billets at <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span>, with +orders to stay there for three days only, and then to go straight to +<span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Éloi</span> and take over these trenches of the 28th Division. Not much +rest—twenty days in the trenches, three out, and then trenches again.</p> + +<p>As regards myself, however, my days of connection with the Brigade +were numbered. I had heard, with mixed but pleasant feelings, that I +had been promoted Major-General "for distinguished service" on the +18th February (Weatherby got a brevet majority in the same 'Gazette'), +and I was now ordered to go home and report myself in London. My +successor was to be Northey, of the 60th Rifles, from <span lang="fr">Givenchy</span> way, +and he turned up on the 2nd March at our Headquarters, which were then +at 28 <span lang="fr">Rue de Lille</span>. I at once recognised that he would carry on +excellently well, and had no compunction in leaving the command in his +hands. All <span class="pagenum"><a id="page282" name="page282"></a>(p. 282)</span> that was left for me to do was to take a tender +farewell of the officers of the Brigade and of my staff, and to +publish a final farewell order to the old Brigade. I was very sad at +leaving, and had I known what an awful time they were going to have at +<span lang="fr"><abbr title="Saint">St</abbr> Éloi</span> and Hill 60, I should have been sadder still.<a id="footnotetag28" name="footnotetag28"></a><a href="#footnote28">[28]</a> Of all the +regimental officers and men who had left Ireland with me on the 14th +August 1914, six and a half months previously, I could count on my ten +fingers the number of officers left:—</p> + +<ul class="text"> +<li>Norfolks—Done<a id="footnotetag29" name="footnotetag29"></a><a href="#footnote29">[29]</a> and Bruce (both ill in + hospital from strenuous overwork), + Megaw (killed later), Paterson.</li> + +<li>Dorsets—Ransome, Partridge.</li> + +<li>Bedfords—Griffith<a href="#footnote29">[29]</a> (trustiest of <abbr title="Commanding Officer">C.O.</abbr>'s, + who had been under heavier fire than + almost any one in the Brigade, yet never + touched), Allason (thrice wounded), Gledstanes + (killed later).</li> + +<li>Cheshires—Frost (killed later).</li> +</ul> + +<p>I do not think there was another officer except the +quartermasters—Smith (Norfolks), <span class="pagenum"><a id="page283" name="page283"></a>(p. 283)</span> Sproule (Cheshires), and +Pearce (Bedfords)<a id="footnotetag30" name="footnotetag30"></a><a href="#footnote30">[30]</a>; and as for the men, there may have been ten or +so per battalion, but I really do not think there were more.</p> + +<p>I took the evening train at <span lang="fr">Bailleul</span> and spent an agreeable evening +with Ker Seymer, the train officer. I got to <span lang="fr">Boulogne</span> and on board the +boat at midnight, and next day, the 3rd March, saw me arrive at 8.30 +<span class="smcap">A.M.</span> in London.</p> + +<h4>PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS.</h4> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote1" name="footnote1"></a> +<b>Footnote 1:</b> 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. D. C. +Boger).<a href="#footnotetag1">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote2" name="footnote2"></a> +<b>Footnote 2:</b> 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. C. R. Griffith, +<abbr title="Distinguished Service Order">D.S.O.</abbr>).<a href="#footnotetag2">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote3" name="footnote3"></a> +<b>Footnote 3:</b> 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. L. J. Bols, +<abbr title="Distinguished Service Order">D.S.O.</abbr>).<a href="#footnotetag3">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote4" name="footnote4"></a> +<b>Footnote 4:</b> 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. C. R. +Ballard).<a href="#footnotetag4">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote5" name="footnote5"></a> +<b>Footnote 5:</b> Hyslop was very severely wounded six days afterwards and +taken prisoner, but exchanged later on.<a href="#footnotetag5">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote6" name="footnote6"></a> +<b>Footnote 6:</b> He was subsequently awarded the <abbr title="Distinguished Service Order">D.S.O.</abbr> and <span lang="fr">Croix de +Guerre (aux Palmes)</span> for excellent and gallant work achieved under +fire.<a href="#footnotetag6">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote7" name="footnote7"></a> +<b>Footnote 7:</b> Commanding of course the 2nd Corps (composed of the 3rd +and 5th Divisions).<a href="#footnotetag7">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote8" name="footnote8"></a> +<b>Footnote 8:</b> So called because similar guns in the South African war +had been drawn by oxen.<a href="#footnotetag8">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote9" name="footnote9"></a> +<b>Footnote 9:</b> Commanding the Norfolk's.<a href="#footnotetag9">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote10" name="footnote10"></a> +<b>Footnote 10:</b> I grieve very much to see that he was fatally wounded +outside <span lang="fr">Ypres</span> (15th May 1916).<a href="#footnotetag10">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote11" name="footnote11"></a> +<b>Footnote 11:</b> They are still there (August 1917)!<a href="#footnotetag11">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote12" name="footnote12"></a> +<b>Footnote 12:</b> Nearly halfway to <span lang="fr">Violaines</span>.<a href="#footnotetag12">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote13" name="footnote13"></a> +<b>Footnote 13:</b> Who had been with me as a Major in Belfast—a most +capable officer, now (1917) commanding a Division.<a href="#footnotetag13">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote14" name="footnote14"></a> +<b>Footnote 14:</b> Temporarily commanding 13th Brigade.<a href="#footnotetag14">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote15" name="footnote15"></a> +<b>Footnote 15:</b> I was struck with his wonderful command of English—not +the trace of any accent.<a href="#footnotetag15">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote16" name="footnote16"></a> +<b>Footnote 16:</b> My late Brigade-Major at Belfast, now, alas! killed (on +the <span lang="fr">Somme</span>, 1916).<a href="#footnotetag16">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote17" name="footnote17"></a> +<b>Footnote 17:</b> Really only a half roofed-in little trench, marked H on +the map.<a href="#footnotetag17">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote18" name="footnote18"></a> +<b>Footnote 18:</b> "Stirling Castle" on our present maps.<a href="#footnotetag18">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote19" name="footnote19"></a> +<b>Footnote 19:</b> To everybody's great regret, he was killed in October +1915.<a href="#footnotetag19">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote20" name="footnote20"></a> +<b>Footnote 20:</b> This is a fact, though I cannot explain it.<a href="#footnotetag20">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote21" name="footnote21"></a> +<b>Footnote 21:</b> My old battalion.<a href="#footnotetag21">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote22" name="footnote22"></a> +<b>Footnote 22:</b> It does indeed seem extraordinary now that in those +strenuous days of 1914 we only had about three machine-guns to two +battalions. Nowadays we should have at least twenty!<a href="#footnotetag22">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote23" name="footnote23"></a> +<b>Footnote 23:</b> What would now be known as "trench feet."<a href="#footnotetag23">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote24" name="footnote24"></a> +<b>Footnote 24:</b> The victor of Baghdad.<a href="#footnotetag24">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote25" name="footnote25"></a> +<b>Footnote 25:</b> Locally pronounced <span lang="fr">Mersé</span>.<a href="#footnotetag25">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote26" name="footnote26"></a> +<b>Footnote 26:</b> He had received the <abbr title="Victoria Cross">V.C.</abbr> for a particularly plucky piece +of raft work under heavy fire at <span lang="fr">Missy</span>.<a href="#footnotetag26">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote27" name="footnote27"></a> +<b>Footnote 27:</b> He is now (1917) Major-General.<a href="#footnotetag27">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote28" name="footnote28"></a> +<b>Footnote 28:</b> They lost 2400 men out of not quite 4000 in a fortnight +in April.<a href="#footnotetag28">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote29" name="footnote29"></a> +<b>Footnote 29:</b> Now (1917) commanding a Brigade.<a href="#footnotetag29">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p class="footnote"><a id="footnote30" name="footnote30"></a> +<b>Footnote 30:</b> The Dorset one had been promoted.<a href="#footnotetag30">(Back to main text)</a></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 22074-h.txt or 22074-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/0/7/22074">http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/0/7/22074</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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