diff options
Diffstat (limited to '22074.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 22074.txt | 6190 |
1 files changed, 6190 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/22074.txt b/22074.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3e62436 --- /dev/null +++ b/22074.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6190 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade, +by Edward Lord Gleichen + + +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 www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade + August 1914 to March 1915 + + +Author: Edward Lord Gleichen + + + +Release Date: July 14, 2007 [eBook #22074] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH +INFANTRY BRIGADE*** + + +E-text prepared by David Clarke, Christine P. Travers, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) from +digital material generously made available by Internet Archive/Canadian +Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/toronto) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 22074-h.htm or 22074-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/0/7/22074/22074-h/22074-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/0/7/22074/22074-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See + http://www.archive.org/details/fifteenthbrigad00gleiuoft + + +Transcriber's note: + + Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. All other + inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's + spelling has been preserved. + + The missing word "in" has been added in the sentence: + However, I detached the Dorsets to move along the + canal bank from Gorre and get in touch with the French. + + Weatherby, who had cantered off to get in touch with them,... + + + + + +THE DOINGS OF THE +FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE +AUGUST 1914 TO MARCH 1915 + + + +[Illustration: L. de St. A. -- J. T. W. -- G. -- A. L. M.-B. -- R. E. B. +_photo by Lieut. H. M. Cadell, R.E._ Some Of Brigade Headquarters.] + + + + +THE DOINGS OF THE +FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE +AUGUST 1914 TO MARCH 1915 + +by + +Its Commander + +Brigadier-General COUNT GLEICHEN, +(now Major-General Lord Edward Gleichen), +K.C.V.O., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. + + + + + + + +William Blackwood & Sons +Edinburgh and London +1917 + + + + +NOTE. + + +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. + +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. + +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. + + G. + _14th August 1917._ + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + Pages + Up to the Eve of Mons................................ 1-21 + + The Battle of Mons.................................. 22-38 + + Mons to Le Cateau................................... 39-43 + + Le Cateau........................................... 44-56 + + The Retreat......................................... 57-86 + + The Advance......................................... 87-93 + + The Marne.......................................... 94-102 + + To the Aisne...................................... 103-111 + + The Aisne......................................... 112-140 + + Westward Ho!...................................... 141-149 + + Abbeville to Bethune.............................. 150-157 + + Givenchy and Festubert............................ 158-198 + + To Bailleul....................................... 199-205 + + To Ypres.......................................... 206-208 + + The First Battle of Ypres......................... 209-248 + + Back to Locre..................................... 249-251 + + Trench Life Opposite Messines..................... 252-280 + + Giving Up Command................................. 281-283 + + +SKETCH-MAPS. + + Page + Boussu-Wasmes.......................................... 28 + + Missy-on-Aisne........................................ 123 + + Givenchy-Violaines.................................... 167 + + The Footbridge over the Canal......................... 175 + + Beukenhorst (near Ypres).............................. 211 + + The Messines Front.................................... 255 + + +ILLUSTRATION. + + + Some of Brigade Headquarters _Frontispiece_ + + + + +The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade. + +August 1914 to March 1915. + + +In accordance with the order received at Belfast at 5.30 P.M. 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. + +Brigade Headquarters consisted of myself, Captain Weatherby (Oxford +L.I.) as Brigade Major, Captain Moulton-Barrett (Dorsets), Staff +Captain, Captain Roe (Dorsets), Brigade Machine-Gun Officer, +Lieutenant Cadell, R.E., Signalling Officer, and Lieutenant Beilby, +Brigade Veterinary Officer. Military Police, A.S.C. 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. + + +_Aug. 14th._ + +The Cheshires[1] and Bedfords[2] arrived by train in the early morning +of the 14th from 'Derry and Mullingar and went straight on board their +ships--Brigade Headquarters, Dorsets,[3] and half the Norfolks[4] +being in one, Cheshires and the other half of the Norfolks in another, +and the Bedfords in a third. + + [Footnote 1: 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. D. C. Boger).] + + [Footnote 2: 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. C. R. Griffith, D.S.O.).] + + [Footnote 3: 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. L. J. Bols, D.S.O.).] + + [Footnote 4: 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. C. R. Ballard).] + +Great waving of handkerchiefs and cheering as we warped slowly out of +Belfast docks at 3 P.M. and moved slowly down the channel. + + +_Aug. 16th._ + +The weather was beautifully fine on the passage, and on the 16th we +all arrived at our destination. + +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. + +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 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 P.M. 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 A.M., tore up their +picketing-pegs from the soft ground, and disappeared into the darkness +in different directions. + + +_Aug. 17th._ + +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. + +The battalions were comfortably settled down under the expectation of +another night there; but at 2.15 P.M. we got orders to move off by +train at night. This we did from three different stations, at times +varying from 12 midnight to 5.45 A.M., 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. + +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. + + +_Aug. 18th._ + +We were comfortable enough, though packed like sardines, and with +three-quarters of an hour's rest at Rouen for coffee, and another rest +at Amiens--where we heard that poor General Grierson, our Corps +Commander, was dead--broke a blood-vessel in the train--we arrived at +Busigny at 2.15 P.M. Here we found Captain Hyslop[5] (Dorsets), who +had been sent ahead from Belfast, and who gave us orders to detrain at +Le Cateau, a few miles farther on. I 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. + + [Footnote 5: Hyslop was very severely wounded six days + afterwards and taken prisoner, but exchanged later on.] + +We arrived at Le Cateau at 3.10 P.M., and detrained in half an hour, +baggage and all. The battalions marched off to their billets,--Dorsets +and Headquarters to Ors, the other three battalions to Pommereuil: +nice clean little villages both of them. + +When about halfway out to Ors--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 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. + +The billeting had already been done for us by our (5th) Divisional +Staff, and we found no difficulty in shaking down. + +I was billeted on a small elderly lady of the name of Madame W----, +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. + +Here it was that Saint Andre 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 pince-nez, he was in +fact a Protestant pastor from Tours, son of the Vicomte de Saint +Andre, 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 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 A.D.C. in action, and as _Officier de liaison_ 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 bilyetting, brigade, attack, ambassador, &c. He +was, indeed, a great acquisition to the Brigade.[6] + + [Footnote 6: He was subsequently awarded the D.S.O. and Croix + de Guerre (aux Palmes) for excellent and gallant work + achieved under fire.] + + +_Aug. 19th._ + +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. + + +_Aug. 20th._ + +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 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,[7] and even +by Sir J. French, they showed their approbation in the manner above +set forth--somewhat to my confusion. + + [Footnote 7: Commanding of course the 2nd Corps (composed of + the 3rd and 5th Divisions).] + + +_Aug. 21st._ + +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 Madame W----'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 Ors for close on three years. + +A hot march of about fifteen miles brought us to Gommignies. +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 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. + +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 _Chasseurs a Cheval_ (in extraordinarily _voyant_ +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. + +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." + +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 march he gives the +direction in which the Division is to proceed, the order of march, by +brigades, artillery, divisional troops such as R.E., 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 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 _premier pas_. + +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 +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. + +Gommignies was a nice shady little town, and the Notaire 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. + + +_Aug. 22nd._ + +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. + +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 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. + +There was a great block in Dour, 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. + +From Dour 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 have been expected. Otherwise there was no attraction. + +Half a mile on or more was Bois de Boussu, 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. + +We shortly afterwards got orders to billet in Bois de Boussu and Dour, +the real Boussu 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. + +Moulton-Barrett and Saint Andre 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 +moved back nearly into Dour, 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. Durez, a very civil little man, head of some local mining concern. +There was a Madame Durez 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. + +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. + +On the Saturday afternoon there were rumours of the Germans being on +the other side of the Mons-Conde 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 was I cannot remember at this moment, but I am sure that it +was not farther west than Pommeroeul bridge, with, I believe, French +or English cavalry on its left. + +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 +_va-et-vient_ at the railway station at Dour. 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 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. + + +_Aug. 23rd._ + +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 +Boussu and round to the right as far as Wasmes; 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 Boussu 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 _usines_ of all sorts, and thickening into suburbs +consisting of narrow winding 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 _points d'appui_ 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. + +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. + +Shortly after this the first German gun was heard--at 12.40 P.M. I +timed it--and 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. + +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. + +On our way round we came also upon some 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 Madame Durez were packing up hard all, and disappeared +with their friends and family before dinner in a big motor-car, +making in the direction of Bavai St Waast, 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. + +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 Paturages by +sunrise on the morrow, and to hold that with our other two battalions +on the right. + +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 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 K.O.S.B.'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 Paturages. + + +_Aug. 20th._ + +The latter was a fine big town with paved streets and +prosperous-looking houses, very different from the grubby streets of +Boussu; 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 Wasmes--from which direction firing was +already beginning--and returned _via_ 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. + +At the entrance into Paturages 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 Wasmes 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. +R.E., 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 he had to leg it. +So, unfortunately, that bridge was left intact. + +[Illustration: Boussu-Wasmes.] + +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 (Paturages by name, but really in Wasmes), but I eventually +found Griffith (O.C. 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 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 +Paturages 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 Paturages at 2 A.M., +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. + +Where the 3rd Division exactly were I could not at first find out, +though I tried; but I knew that they were holding the country in the +direction of Mons. Anyway, except for a good many shells flying about, +there was very little of the enemy to see or hear, and Paturages was +safe at all events for the present. + +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 Wasmes and Paturages, 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 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. + +We snatched a little breakfast and coffee at an inn where the +_patronne_ 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 _estaminet_ 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. + +It now became time to get the Dorset 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, _via_ 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. + +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. + +Suddenly there was a crackle of rifles down the road along which the +Dorset transport had gone, and then nearly the 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. + +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 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 D.S.O. + +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 _via_ Wasmes--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 +"hot" (shells) where we were, I gave the order to withdraw--only just +in time as it turned out. + +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 _via_ Warquignies on Blangies, where we arrived, with +very few casualties, about two. + +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 Bavai St Waast, _via_ Athis. 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 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. + +Just beyond Athis we found the Norfolks, who had been fighting at +Elouges 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 Elouges. 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 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.) + +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 Elouges and to the west rear of Dour 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 (De Lisle); and that Sir C. F. called on the Cavalry +to assist at a certain moment. De Lisle thereupon very 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. + +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 Paturages. However, as we passed through Houdain he +turned up from a side road with the rest of his battalion, having had +a pretty rough time in getting out of Wasmes. + +By dusk we had got on to the open country near St Waast, 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 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. + +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 proud status of Officers' +cook, and made a thundering good one (till he was wounded at Ypres); +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! + + +_Aug. 25th._ + +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. + +We were told to requisition what we could from the country, but though +St Andre 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. + +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, 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. + +It seemed a very long march that day, down the perfectly straight road +skirting the Mormal forest and on to Le Cateau. 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 +Englefontaine, where we bought a lot of food--bread and cheese, and +apples and plums, 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 Le Cateau, 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. + +We had received orders on the road to occupy part of an entrenched +position to the west of Le Cateau, 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. + +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 half a +mile behind them. Although we seemed to have done a good day's work +already, it was then only about 3 P.M., for we had started about 3.30 +A.M. 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. + +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. + +The enemy, however, bar cavalry, had not pressed on in any strength, +and we were left fairly well alone during the night. + +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. + + +_Aug. 26th._ + +The orders overnight were that we were to continue the retirement +first thing in 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. + +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 +Troisvilles, on our left, in a state of defence. + +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 K.O.S.B.'s touching them. The +Norfolks I put in a second line, in rear of the right of the Bedfords +and the left of the K.O.S.B.'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 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 Reumont, 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.e._, the Brigade Headquarters--sat in the +continuation of the hollow sandy road, in rear of the Bedfords and on +the left of the Norfolks. + +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. + +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 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 Le Cateau, 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. + +The Dorsets were hard at work putting Troisvilles into a strong state +of defence, and were helped by some of our Divisional Sappers, I +believe the 59th Co. R.E. (but it might have been the 17th). + +There was a local French ambulance--civilian I think--in Troisvilles, +and several of our own R.A.M.C. 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 Reumont. St Andre +was very useful in galloping backwards and forwards between +Troisvilles and Brigade Headquarters--I 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 +Cambrai; but I don't know whether it ever materialised. + +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. + +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 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. + +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 K.O.S.B.'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. + +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 Cuthbert or the gunners) thanking +me warmly for my most valuable counter-attack, which had considerably +relieved the pressure in their front! + +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.) + +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. + +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 +K.O.S.B.'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 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. + +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 R.F.A. 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 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. + +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 +Troisvilles 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. + +This being so, I sent orders to the battery of the 15th R.F.A. 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. + +Only two horses and about two men were hit altogether, and though all +these were apparently killed, the men got up after a little and were +brought safely off with the Bedfords. + +The K.O.S.B.'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. + +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 through villages, +as they were naturally made a cockshy of by the enemy's guns. Reumont +was being already heavily bombarded, and though we had instructions to +fall back south-westwards along the road to Estrees, this road passed +through Reumont. 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. + +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 K.O.S.B.'s, was lying wounded in +the waggon, but this I did not hear till afterwards. Some of the +K.O.S.B.'s thereupon very gallantly harnessed themselves to the waggon +and towed it along the road. + +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 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. + +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. + +As we proceeded along the road we did our best to get the troops +collected into their units, getting single men together into 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 Reumont 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. + +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. + +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 Serains-Premont +road I think, we were halted for about three-quarters 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. + +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 +Estrees. + +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 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. + +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. + +At last we entered something that looked in the pitch darkness more +like a town. It was Estrees right enough, but there were no signs of a +halt, though it was 1 A.M. 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 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. + + +_Aug. 27th._ + +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 A.S.C. 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. + +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. + +Somewhere about 4 A.M. I came on Sir C. F. standing at the +cross-roads near Nauroy. 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 St Quentin, and we directed the men, as they came up--5th +Division straight on, 4th Division to the right to Bellicourt, and 3rd +to the left to Lehaucourt, 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 St Quentin, but that could +not be helped. + +It was a long way yet to St Quentin, 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 _debacle_. 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 +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. + +A mile or two before getting into St Quentin 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. + +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 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. + +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. + +We were now outside the region of our maps, so I asked my way to a +stationer's, which luckily happened to be open, though it was barely +7.30 A.M., 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. + +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 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. + +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 Ollizy, nine miles on. + +It was then 12.30 P.M., 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 +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. + +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. + +We expected some more fighting near Ollizy, 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 Ollizy 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 pushed on over the bridge, and through the swampy, marshy +country beyond. + +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 +Eaucourt, covering our rear with another line of outposts. + +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. + +The farm was quite a good one of the usual form--_i.e._, 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 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. + + +_Aug. 28th._ + +Next morning we were off before the sun rose, with orders to proceed +towards Noyon. 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. + +We plodded on through the heat of the 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 Le Cateau, but that +we were distinctly _not_ 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. + +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. + +Somewhere about ten o'clock the message was passed down from the front +that Sir 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 C.O.'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 Joffre 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. + +At Guiscard we turned into the main road to Noyon. 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 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 St Andre, who was lying +fast asleep, and shouted out, "The Germans are on us!" Poor St Andre +jumped to his feet with a yell and seized his revolver; it was a +wicked joke. + +The main road into Noyon 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. + +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. + +There was again a considerable squash in Noyon, and here St Andre was +delighted to meet some spick-and-span young friends of his whom he +affected to treat with 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. + +It was a lovely evening, and though progress was slow, we eventually +reached Pontoise by about 7 P.M. 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. + +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. + + +_Aug. 29th._ + +Next morning and afternoon were devoted to a little rest and cleaning +up; but I had little leisure myself, for I had to preside over a +court of inquiry for several hot and weary hours. + +At 6 P.M. we suddenly received orders to move at once to Carlepont, +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. + +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. + +Meanwhile St Andre 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 in the sopping herbage. I fear my staff +were not much pleased with the arrangement. + + +_Aug. 30th._ + +Off again at 2:20 A.M., we pushed on over pretty country _via_ Attichy +to Croutoy, 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 Croutoy, 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 Croutoy, and did. It was a very pretty little village with a +magnificent view northwards over the Aisne. We were very comfortably +put up in General de France's chateau, 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 _contretemps_ here was that, having when +halfway to Croutoy dismounted Catley and lent his horse to a Staff +officer, I never saw the horse or my kit on him again. 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. + + +_Aug. 31st._ + +Next day was awfully hot again. We were off by 7.30, and were by way +of billeting at a place called Bethisy, on the south-west edge of the +forest of Compiegne. We passed by the eastern edge, close by the +extraordinary chateau of Pierrefonds, built by Viollet le Duc to the +exact model of the old castle of the thirteenth century, a huge pile +of turrets and battlements, like one of Gustave Dore's nightmares; and +then struck across the open towards Morienval. 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 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. + +I had trotted ahead to Morienval, 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 _potage aux choux_ +and a succulent stew, with big juicy pears to follow, all washed down +by remarkably good red _vin du pays_, I remember. There were perpetual +halts on the road, which we did not understand, but soon after leaving +Morienval we were abruptly ordered to turn sharp off to the left and +make for Crepy. The fact was, a force of German cavalry had turned up +at Bethisy, just as our billeting parties were entering it, and the +latter had only just time to clear out. + +Our own cavalry cleared the Germans out of Bethisy for the time +being, but we continued on to Crepy-en-Valois, 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 +Crepy, St Agathe 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. + +The Brigade Staff, however, occupied a little house and grounds in the +suburbs, and I shall never forget arriving there with St Andre 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! + + +_Sept. 1st._ + +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 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 Duvy, 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. + +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 Crepy 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 R.F.A.) + +The two battalions working up north-west from Duvy had just extended +and were moving carefully across country, when I received word that a +large force of the enemy's 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. + +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 Ormoy Villers 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. + +We halted about Ormoy Villers 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. Saint Andre had as usual managed to +forage for us in the ruins, and produced a 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 Nanteuil, where most +of the Division had already arrived. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + + +_Sept. 2nd._ + +Off again next morning at 4.15 A.M. 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 R.F.A., the N.I. 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 Montge. There we arrived at 10.45 A.M., and should have +been there much sooner if it had not been for some of the Divisional +Train halting to water on the way. + +Montge is a nice little village on a hillside, almost within sight of +Paris, which is only about twenty-five miles off; and on a clear day +one can, I believe, see the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre. We could not +make out why we were always thus retiring without fighting, and +imagined it was some deep-laid plan of Joffre's that we perhaps were +to garrison Paris 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. + +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 off next morning by 5.30 acting as flank-guard again. + + +_Sept. 3rd._ + +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 Marne which an R.E. 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 Marne 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 K.O.S.B. 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 _was_ 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. + +At Esbly 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. + +We put up for the night round Mont Pichet, 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. + +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 Chevalrue and back. By +the time I got back, late, hot, and hungry, I must have done four +miles on foot. + + +_Sept. 4th._ + +Having been told we should be here for at least a day to rest, we +received orders, I 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 A.M. at Bouleurs, we +had little to do all day, and did not move till 11.50 P.M. 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. + +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. + + +_Sept. 5th._ + +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 off all right, and we marched +gaily along in the cool night and effected the junction at Villeneuve. +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 +Tournans we halted, after a sixteen-mile march, at a magnificent +chateau near Gagny (Chateau de la Monture) at 7.30 A.M. + +Here we made ourselves extremely comfortable in the best bedrooms of +M. Boquet, of the Assurance Maritime, Havre, and sent him a letter +expressing our best thanks. Up to 6 P.M. 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 A.M., not southwards, but northwards again. + + +_Sept. 6th._ + +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. +They marched twice as well, whistling and singing, back through +Tournans and on to Villeneuve. 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 P.M., +and by 2 we were marching on through the Foret de Crecy to Mortcerf. +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 Mortcerf, +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. + +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 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 C.O.'s and not to me--and +were accordingly well pleased. + +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. + +We had not far to go in the dusk, only two or three miles on to the +turning which led to La Celle. The Dorsets were pushed on into and +beyond La Celle, 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 of the enemy at Faremoutiers, +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. + + +_Sept. 7th._ + +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. + +There were still some Uhlans left in the woods, and I turned a couple +of Norfolk 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. + +At Mouroux we halted for a time, and then pushed on, rather late, to +Boissy le Chatel--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. + +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 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 chateau in Boissy le Chatel, but it was overcrowded +with trees and bushes and very stuffy. + + +_Sept. 8th._ + +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. + +We left at 7.25 A.M. 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 Ambulance, and +generally a company of R.E., 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 +Saint Andre, 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 +N.C.O.'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. + +It was not always easy to find billets even 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. + +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 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. + +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 Doue 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 for us to push on, and we moved +forward through Mauroy, down a steep hill into St Cyr and St Ouen, +pretty little villages in a cleft in the ground, across the Petit +Morin river and up a beastly steep hill on the other side. + +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. + +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. + +A little farther on, near Charnesseuil, we got orders to billet for +the night there, and the Brigade Headquarters moved on to Montapeine +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. + +I stowed away the prisoners in the stables--great big, docile, +sheepish-looking men of the Garde-Schuetzen-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. + +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. + + +_Sept. 9th._ + +Next morning we moved off at 7.30 and went _via_ Saacy across the +Marne to Merz, 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 Merz, 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. + +The 14th Brigade was apparently hung up somewhere to our left front +and couldn't get on, so we were sent on to help them take the high +ground towards the Montreuil 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. + +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. + +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 +Bezu 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 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. + +That was rather a trying afternoon. Dorsets and Norfolks were held up +about half a mile from Hill 189, and I went forward to Bezu 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. + +Meanwhile those horrible big guns from somewhere near Sablonnieres +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, but there was little we could combine)--seemed at one +moment to be a little unhappy, as they were enfiladed from Chanoust 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +intending to fight next day. But no more fighting took place that +night, and by next morning they had cleared out. + +The Germans had evidently only just left Bezu, 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 Saint +Andre, 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. + +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 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 A.M., and we were to +move at 3.45 A.M., which meant getting up at 2.30. Two hours broken +sleep that night was all we got--and lucky to get it. + + +_Sept. 10th._ + +Off at 3.45 A.M., we moved out in careful fashion towards Haloup, in +the direction of Montreuil. 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. + +It was a damp day, and progress was slow, as it was not at all certain +where the enemy was. At Denizy, 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. + +When near Germigny 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! + +We halted for some time the other side of Germigny, and then pushed on +to Gandelu, 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 Chezy, +which would have made a perfect defensive position for them, with a +glacis-like slope in all directions. + +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. + +As we moved up the steep hill towards Chezy, 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. Their first lot +of prisoners numbered 348, and their second 172. + +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, "gulasch" and "blutwurst," 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 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. + +A short way on was the dirty village of Chezy, 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 St Quentin--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. + +We halted near St Quentin 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. + +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. + +He and a fellow-priest, an Aumonier from Paris, 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 Aumonier were beaten black and +blue, forced to march carrying German knapsacks, and kept practically +without food or drink. After three days the Aumonier succumbed to ill +usage and died, and the priest only managed to escape because his +captors were themselves on the run. + +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. + + +_Sept. 11th._ + +Next morning we did not move off till 9.25, for the supplies to the +Brigades did not 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 St Remy, 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 Cure'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. + + +_Sept. 12th._ + +Off at 5 A.M., we did only a short march as far as the Ferme de +l'Epitaphe, a huge 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 Nampteuil, 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 Chrisy, 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. + + +_Sept. 13th._ + +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 A.M. 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"[8] (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. + + [Footnote 8: So called because similar guns in the South + African war had been drawn by oxen.] + +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 into action they were evidently spotted and had rather +a poor time. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 was sent for to Divisional +Headquarters at Serches, and told to reconnoitre the road towards the +Aisne--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 Aisne by rafts to-night, and the sooner the better. + +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 Moulin des +Roches, 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 R.E. officers talking in whispers. + +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 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. + + +_Sept. 14th._ + +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 _via_ Bucy-le-Long to Sainte +Marguerite, and found the villages right enough, for they were close +together. But as we moved into Sainte Marguerite, 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. + +The village was held by the 12th Brigade (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. + +We now received orders to move on to Missy (not a mile off to the +right) and clear the Chivres ridge of the enemy and push on to Conde +and take that if possible--rather a "large order." The difficulty was +to get to Missy, 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 Missy Station. + +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 Brigade clear of +Sainte Marguerite. 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. + +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. + +At one time two or three artillery waggons 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. + +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. + +At last, in a lull, we managed to get away, and sneaked out at a +run--through a yard 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 Missy and up behind some scattered houses to +near the church. + +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 Missy and join them to my attacking party. +The difficulty was that it was already getting late--4.30 P.M.--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 _via_ the broken +bridge at Missy and some rafts hastily constructed there)--twelve +companies altogether. + +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. + +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 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 +Missy, 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. + +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 +Missy 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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +regret to say that he was either taken prisoner with most of his men, +or, more probably, killed. + +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. + +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. + +The Bedfords took up their position along the railway to the west, +Cheshires on the right, Norfolks right front of village, D.C.L.I. left +front. + +As for the Staff, we retired to a farm called La Bizaie, +three-quarters of a mile south of Missy, 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. + +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 R.A.M.C.) 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. + +We bought, murdered, and ate an elderly 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. + + +_Sept. 15th._ + +[Illustration: Missy-on-Aisne.] + +After writing out orders for the attack next day we went to bed, +dog-tired; and I was routed out again at 12.45 A.M. 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 Missy, a mile off +through long wet grass in pitch darkness. It was 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. + +This involved new orders being written, and it was 4 A.M. by the time +we turned in again for an hour's sleep. + +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. + +The Norfolks were told off to lead the assault, with the Bedfords in +support and the Cheshires in reserve. The Dorsets were still above +Sainte Marguerite, helping the 12th Brigade, and were not available. + +We began by shelling that horrible Chivres 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, for the wood was desperately +blind, and we were being heavily shelled at all points. + +The Brigade staff sat under a hedge halfway between La Bizaie farm and +Missy; 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. + +However, there we had to stay most of the day. The village of Missy +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. + +At 3 P.M. I got a summons to go to Rolt at his farm just outside +Sainte Marguerite; 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. + +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 subsequently hit here, in +the back, but not very seriously. + +I concerted measures with Rolt for holding the line Missy-Sainte +Marguerite, and we began to dig in places. But at 7.40 P.M. came +orders for the 15th Brigade to evacuate the north bank _via_ 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. + +I forgot to mention that our horses had arrived at La Bizaie 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. + +It poured in buckets that night; and as the Bedfords were streaming +past the farm in the dark about 11 P.M. a terrific fire broke out +from the direction of Missy, 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 Missy, 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. + + +_Sept. 16th._ + +The Cheshires came last, and we of the Brigade Staff followed them at +4 A.M. 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. + +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 A.M., and why Sir 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. + +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. + +And here we stayed for a week. + +Not that it was all beer and skittles even then. The 14th Brigade was +still holding Missy over the river, and there were some serious alarms +on one or two nights, necessitating troops being sent down to the +river at Rupreux, in case they were wanted. + +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 Chivres heights and beyond. Quite +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. + +It was a pretty little valley with wooded hills, running northwards to +the Aisne, 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 Aisne 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 Soissons Cathedral on the left to +the enemy's trenches above Vailly and beyond--a beautiful landscape +typical of La Belle France, even to the rows of poplars in the +distance, marking the Routes Nationales from Soissons to other places +of distinction. + +Our business was to hold the line of the river by digging a line of +trenches from Sermoise to near Venizel, 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 series of trenches on the +plateau as a supporting line to the first, flanking the Jury Valley on +one side and the ruins of Sermoise and Ciry 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. + +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. + +On the right of Sermoise was the 13th Brigade, extended towards the +3rd Division, which had crossed the river at Vailly 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 shelled, and they had, besides, to find a battalion +or so to help the 14th Brigade in Missy. + +On our left we joined hands with the 4th Division, most of whom were +on the other bank, running from St Marguerite westwards; on their left +were, I believe, the French, in and round Soissons. + +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 Vregny and +Chivres way, in the shape of the enemy's batteries and lines, when +they could be seen. + +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. + +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 Missy. + + +_Sept. 24th._ + +They left on the 23rd, and on the 24th the Bedfords went over, +preceded by the Brigade Staff at 2.30 P.M. The Norfolks 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 K.O.Y.L.I., and West Kents (of the 13th Brigade), already holding +the eastern edge of Missy, were put under my orders, besides the 15th +Brigade R.F.A. under Charles Ballard (a cousin of Colin's[9]), and a +Howitzer Battery (61st) of Duffus's 8th Brigade. + + [Footnote 9: Commanding the Norfolk's.] + +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. + + +_Sept. 25th._ + +Rolt explained his position and the places which the different +battalions were occupying; but beyond an occasional bombardment of +Missy 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 A.M. 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 Missy 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. + +I had gone to see the Dorsets and 13th Brigade in Missy on the evening +before, and found them fairly well ensconced. The Dorsets were in +Missy itself, with their headquarters in a really nice house with +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 +Missy were shelled; so I settled to remain at the farm. The 13th +Brigade--_i.e._, K.O.Y.L.I., and West Kents, were further on, the +K.O.Y.L.I., on the eastern outskirts, and the West Kents in trenches +beyond them. The K.O.S.B.'s were still further south-eastwards, and +reached back to the river, but there were only one or two weak +companies of them. + +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 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. + +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 Conde bridge at 4 A.M. in large numbers, and +everybody was at once on the _qui vive_, the Cheshires, who were in +bivouac behind Rolt's farm, being sent back (by Sir C. Fergusson's +orders) to Rupreux, the other side of the river. We rather doubted the +news from the start, as the Conde bridge had, we knew, been blown up, +and there was only one girder left, by which a few 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. + +Missy was shelled particularly heavily that day from 10 to 6, and it +was painful to watch great bouquets of 8-in. H.E. 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. + +But the Dorsets and K.O.Y.L.I. 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 K.O.S.B.'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. + +During that week it was moderately quiet, with nothing like so many +casualties as we had expected. Our supply waggons rolled up after dark +right into Missy 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. R.E., 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.[10] + + [Footnote 10: I grieve very much to see that he was fatally + wounded outside Ypres (15th May 1916).] + +We put Rolt's farm and the mill (between that and Missy) and La Bizaie +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. + +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 Ste Marguerite, to +which I went occasionally, with a grand view up to Vregny and Chivres; +but even here, although the O.P. 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. + +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 Missy, &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. + +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 St Andre, 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. + +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. + +Many were the schemes for improving their wood--trenches; and at last +Orlebar (killed later near Wulverghem), 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. + +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 seemed to notice the movement, which required most +careful staff work on the part of both Brigades. + +Cuthbert, seedy, was relieved by Hickie in command of the 13th Brigade +to-day. + + +_Oct. 2nd._ + +By some time in the early morning of the 2nd October--1.40 A.M. 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 P.M., our destination being a place called Droizy. 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 were +to lie "doggo" and not show ourselves for fear of the enemy's +aeroplanes. + +We reached Droizy at about 11 P.M. 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 Vailly. Much pleased +we were to see them again. They had not suffered many casualties, +though they had had a stiff time at their chateau of Chassemy, filling +the gap between the 3rd and 5th Divisions, and had been attacked +several times. + +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. + +Our headquarters were at a curious old castle-farm belonging to one M. +Choron, right in the middle of the village, and looked after by his +father, a vice-admiral, late a 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. + + +_Oct. 3rd._ + +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 Long Pont, 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, R.A., a person of large knowledge and always +interesting, accompanied me; so we arrived at Long Pont a long time +ahead of the troops. + +A great big chateau 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 Comte de Montesquiou-Fezensac, 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. + +A visit to the village in search of a lodging revealed its true +state--_i.e._, 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 XIII. times, and bundles of magnificent old +embroideries. As for washing apparatus--that also was almost of that +date. + +Next day, being Sunday, we had Divine Service in the ruins of a grand +old fourteenth-century abbey which adjoined the chateau--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 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 (A.P.M. of 5th +Division), and preceded the Brigade to a place called Pontdron. Here I +arrived at 10 P.M.; but the Brigade, which had been heavily held up by +French troops on the march, did not turn up till nearly 4 A.M. + +Meanwhile I amused myself by getting the chateau 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 +(Comtesse de Coupigny, 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 Madame +de C.'s writing-table had also been forced open, and papers and the +contents of the drawers scattered on the floor. Other unmentionable +crimes had also been committed. + +Here we stayed for nearly two days, cleaning up the chateau, 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. + +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 Aisne, to say that it was "all right, all six British +Divisions were still on the Aisne!" + + +_Oct. 6th._ + +On the 6th we moved off at 2.15 P.M. and pushed on to Bethisy St +Pierre, where the Bedfords and Norfolks and ourselves halted, whilst +the Dorsets and Cheshires pushed on to Verberies, 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.e._, Compiegne, +Le Meux, Longueil Ste Marie, and Pont Sainte Maxence--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. + +A "Brigade Area" command was allotted to me, including, besides my own +Brigade, the 8th Brigade R.F.A. (howitzers), 59th Co. R.E., 15th Field +Ambulance, and 4th Co. of 5th Div. Train. + + +_Oct. 7th._ + +Then off at 5 A.M. next morning, ourselves for Pont Ste Maxence. +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 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. + +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 R.E. had +already constructed another of wood. + +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. + +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 to be left behind and brought on +by other trains, resulting in slight incompleteness for a few days. + +We rapidly reached Creil, where we were to get our final orders. What +on earth would our destination be? Rumour had it that we should go to +Calais, or even to Bruges; but we had no such journey after all, for +we were only intended to go to Abbeville as it turned out--rather a +disappointment, as we hoped it would be further afield. + +Abbeville--a two hours' journey as a rule in peace time--was not +reached till 8 P.M., although we were due there at 6.30 P.M. We halted +by the way, for half an hour or more, at Amiens, where we made the +acquaintance of a cheery crowd of "Fusiliers Marins," sturdy naval +reservists from Normandy and Brittany, who covered themselves with +glory later on amid the Belgian dunes. + + +_Oct. 8th._ + +We were not allowed to detrain at Abbeville till 9.30 P.M., 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 marched in dead silence through the town at 12.30 A.M. Not a soul +was in the streets, not even a policeman from whom to ask the way, and +we nearly lost our direction twice. + +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 Neuilly, 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 Mairie, 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 by different trains and even at different stations, up to 10 +A.M. 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 chateau (as usual!), a strangely ruined-looking little +place belonging to the Comte de Belleville, now at the wars. We turned +up there about 4 A.M., and were guided thither by an old gardener, who +thumped at the door and shouted loudly for "Madame." 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 Mme de Belleville. But later in the +morning I discovered that she was Madame la Comtesse herself, who had +kindly risen at that unearthly hour to let us in, and that there were +no servants in the establishment at all except the old gardener and a +nurse. + +Our movements were still by way of being kept a dead secret, so we +went off in the afternoon at 6 P.M., 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, +_via_ Agenvilliers and Gueschard, we reached the little village of +Boufflers about 11 P.M. Here, at an odd little Nouvel Art "Chateau"--or +rather small country house, empty of its owners--belonging to M. +Sagebien, Prefet de Niort, 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. + + +_Oct. 9th._ + +It was a nice sunny day on the morrow, and we got our orders by midday +that we were to move off at 2 P.M. 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 +Dieval. + +And then began a lovely jumble, which resulted (not our own fault) in +getting to Dieval rather later than we should have done had we trusted +to our own unaided powers of locomotion. + +We moved off at 2 P.M., only taking blanket-waggons which were to dump +blankets and supplies into the buses. These were to have turned up on +the Haravesnes-Fillievres road at 7 P.M.; 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 "camions" were to have taken six +battalions--_i.e._, 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 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 Dieval 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. + +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 camion 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 St Andre 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. + + +_Oct. 10th._ + +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. + +I got into the first bus--a very fast one,--and reached Dieval 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. + +I went to see Rolt, and got into telephone communication with +Divisional Headquarters on the subject, and they gave me leave to +billet at La Thieuloye, 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. + +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 Lille; for it was likely that Lille +would shortly be invested by the Germans, and they did not want this +large batch of recruits and reservists to be interned in Germany. + +The rest of the Brigade--transport, horses, and all--rolled up by 6 +P.M., the horses being very tired after their long night march. + +From what I could gather German cavalry was trying to get round our +north-west flank, whilst a big fight was going on at Arras. Lille, +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. + +Our quarters that night were a horrid little chateau--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. + + +_Oct. 11th._ + +We marched at 7.20 A.M. in a thick damp mist, myself being in charge +of the right column of the Division, consisting of the Brigade, the +15th Brigade R.F.A., 108th heavy battery (under Tyrrell, late Military +Attache at Constantinople), 17th R.E. Fd. Co., and cyclists (who, by +the way, did not turn up, having been sent ahead). On the way to +Bethune we were evidently coming into touch with the enemy, for I +received orders to detach two companies (Cheshires) to our right flank +at Fonquieres Verquin to support the French. But they returned in the +course of the afternoon, not being wanted. + +Outside Bethune 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 Essars due east) with +three battalions, the Norfolks being sent away to the east to help the +French about Annequin. + +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 +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 Grande Place--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. + + +_Oct. 12th._ + +Off eastwards next morning at 8.30 A.M. 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 Festubert and act as a pivot, with +our right near the canal at Rue de l'Epinette, 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 La Bassee. + +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 Festubert 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 Gorre 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 Gorre 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. + +The Bedfords I ordered to hold Givenchy. The first rumour was that the +French had evacuated Givenchy 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 Festubert, and the Norfolks were in Divisional +reserve somewhere in rear. + +Meanwhile the Germans were attacking 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. + +The Headquarters passed most of that day--and an extremely busy Staff +day it was--in a little pothouse in Festubert, and we slept in a tiny +house put at our disposal by one Masse, gendarme, 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. + + +_Oct. 13th._ + +The night went off fairly peaceably, but early next morning we had a +nasty jar, for it was reported at 8 A.M. 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 Rue d'Ouvert. The circumstantial story was that the +early morning patrols had reported that Rue d'Ouvert (about a mile in +front of Festubert) was free of Germans; that Vandeleur and Young had +gone out with two platoons to make sure of it, had got into Rue +d'Ouvert 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. + +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. + +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. + +Not till long afterwards did I hear what had really happened to +Vandeleur, and then 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 Rue d'Ouvert clear. The half company did not, +however, go into Rue d'Ouvert, 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 A.M., so knew nothing of it and took no action. + +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 P.M., 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 La Bassee. They were then sent off to Germany +_via_ Douai, 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 Douai, 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." + +That day was a terrible day: Givenchy 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 Macready (Adjutant) +came to see me about 3 P.M., 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. + +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 Givenchy, and their +right by the K.O.S.B.'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 K.O.S.B.'s to be. + +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 a heavy fire on our men and killed a +lot. The battalion retired slowly, in admirable order, to Pont Fixe +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.) + +We also lost two guns there, which had been brought up from the 15th +R.F.A. 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. + +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 S.A.A. carts +along. + +The Brigade Headquarters withdrew in the evening from Festubert 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. + + +_Oct. 14th._ + +The general idea was to continue to push 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. + +[Illustration: Givenchy-Violaines.] + +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. + +There was very heavy firing at 6.30 P.M. and again at 9 P.M. 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. + +I forgot to mention that we were told to advance with the 13th Brigade +at 3 P.M., but the latter were held up, and relieved in the evening by +the 58th French Brigade. What immediately happened to the 13th I do +not remember; but they were eventually sent round on to the left of +the 11th Brigade, I believe. + + +_Oct. 15th._ + +The French were meanwhile heavily attacking Vermelles, 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. + +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. + + +_Oct. 16th._ + +There was a dripping thick mist nearly all day, and we pushed on under +its cover--the Bedfords into Givenchy (losing poor Rendall, killed by +the retiring Germans), and the Norfolks into Rue d'Ouvert and St +Roch, whilst the Devons, ordered to make the footbridge to Canteleux +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 Canteleux was +reported still occupied by the enemy on their left flank. A vast +amount of staff work all day. We returned to the Festubert pothouse in +the evening. + + +_Oct. 17th._ + +The first question was, Was Canteleux occupied by the enemy? +Preparations were made to shell it at 6 A.M., 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 Canteleux 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. + +In the afternoon we were ordered to advance to the line: +bridge--Canteleux--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. + +The Cheshires, under the three gallant captains, Shore, Mahony, and +Rich, meanwhile worked well forward and reported their arrival at +Violaines at 4 P.M., having reached it _via_ Rue du Marais. + +A desperate amount of work again, 5 A.M. to 11 P.M. I only got out of +the pothouse for twenty minutes all day, and that was at 5 P.M. + +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. + + +_Oct. 18th._ + +Next day the usual "general advance" was ordered for 6 A.M., 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 +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. + +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. + +I shifted Brigade Headquarters about 1 P.M. to a nice little house +with garden, close behind the cross-roads half a mile west of +Givenchy, 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 and discomfort. But it was a good little +place on the whole, and quite decently furnished. + +In the afternoon I went to observe what I could from Givenchy. 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 Givenchy +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 La Bassee. +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 Canteleux, and the spires of part of La Bassee, but St +Roch was invisible, and so were the Norfolk trenches. + +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 +Pont Fixe 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 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. + +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, "a cause d'un obus qui a eclate tout pres dans l'eau." 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 Pont Fixe. + +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. + + +_Oct. 19th._ + +We actually had a quiet night--six and a half hours' sleep without +being disturbed at all. + +[Illustration: The Footbridge over the Canal.] + +An attack was ordered for 7 A.M. 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 A.M. 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 +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. + +I went to talk to Lieut.-Col. Perron, who commanded the detachment +(6/295 and a few Chasseurs a Cheval), in the afternoon; but the +interview did not enlighten me very much. The commander of the 6/295, +however, one Baron d'Oullenbourg, was most intelligent, and a gallant +fellow with plenty of _nous_. He was badly wounded two days afterwards +in another attempt. + +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 _Ordre du Jour_ of +the Division, and d'Oullenbourg received a Legion d'Honneur in +consequence (so St Andre told me). Anyway, he thoroughly deserved it. + +Meanwhile we heard that the Cheshires, Manchesters, and K.O.S.B.'s +were all held up near Violaines by a beastly sugar factory which the +Germans occupied on the road north of La Bassee, and they could not +get on at all. + +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 La Bassee, 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.[11] +General Morland wisely, therefore, ordered me not to advance in force. + + [Footnote 11: They are still there (August 1917)!] + +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. + +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, and +has all sorts of patent dodges besides: but it is no use painting the +lily! + +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. + +On the 20th and 21st the Germans kept us fairly busy with threatened +attacks, especially on the Cheshires at Violaines; but nothing +definite happened, although we were kept on the perpetual _qui vive_, +and could not relieve our feelings by attacking, for we had orders to +"consolidate our position." + +By this time we occupied a line as follows:-- + + Canal from crossed swords (_v._ map) to 300 yards North (French). + Thence to Canteleux (excl.) (Devons). + Canteleux to Pt. 21[12](Norfolks). + Pt. 21 to Violaines (Do. patrols). + Violaines (Cheshires and one company Bedfords). + Givenchy, in reserve (three companies Bedfords). + + [Footnote 12: Nearly halfway to Violaines.] + +On the evening of the 21st there was serious news on our left. +Although the Cheshires were still in occupation of Violaines, 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. +Violaines, 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 Violaines, +throwing their left flank back in case the line to their left was +penetrated. + + +_Oct. 22nd._ + +A very anxious day ensued. At 6 A.M. the Cheshires were invaded in +front and flank by a surprise attack of the enemy in great force, and +had to fall back towards Rue du Marais, losing heavily. Some Dorsets +(who had been for the last three 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. + +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. + +At 8.30 A.M. I was ordered to send my three companies of Bedfords from +Givenchy to St Roch, to support the 13th Brigade, who were hanging on +about Rue du Marais. But, besides thus depriving me of my only +reserve, these companies had great difficulty in getting 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. + +I heard that the combined 13th and 14th Brigades were to make a +counter-attack on Rue du Marais 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. + +I moved with the Brigade Staff from my house at Givenchy to another +house about 600 yards west of Festubert, so as to be more behind the +centre of my Brigade. + +During the night, in pursuance of orders from the Division, we fell +back on to a somewhat undefined line of defence covering the front of +Festubert-Givenchy, 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. + + +_Oct. 23rd._ + +We were shelled all the morning, but had no serious casualties. + +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 Rue de Bethune +hamlet in rear of Festubert, under orders of the 13th Brigade as their +reserve, whilst the Bedfords were attached to, I think, the 14th +Brigade, somewhere Quinque Rue way. It was a glorious jumble, and what +happened to the rest of the 13th Brigade I do not 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. + +However, my command was shortly increased considerably by the arrival +of Commandant Blanchard with the 2nd Battalion of the 70th Infanterie +de Ligne (Regulars). Blanchard was a good solid man, and I put him to +hold Givenchy 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. + +I rode down to Givenchy in the afternoon to see Blanchard and make +arrangements for holding the village, and here I met Williams (now +commanding the Devons since his C.O., Gloster, had been hit two days +before, not very seriously) and talked matters over with him. + +We expected a night attack, and were 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 +Gorre-Festubert road, which would have been extremely unpleasant. So I +issued orders to hold tight at all costs, besides secret orders to +certain C.O.'s as to what they were to do if we were badly mauled and +had to fall back. + +Luckily no attack took place, and we had a fairly quiet night. + + +_Oct. 24th._ + +At 7 A.M. 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 +and wrecking the stable; whilst nearly at the same moment another +shell completely wrecked the house just opposite, where Ballard +(commanding 15th Brigade R.F.A.) had been spending the night. He also +had cleared out about an hour before. + +Before I went I sent my senior officer, Ballard (Norfolks), down to +Givenchy 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. + +The "attack" did not materialize, and we had a fairly quiet afternoon, +the Germans limiting their activities to digging themselves in and +sniping perpetually. + +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 P.M. on the French the other side of the Canal, but it was +too far off to interest us much. + + +_Oct. 25th._ + +Another lovely warm day of Indian 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. + +Three French batteries arrived during the morning and were put under +Blanchard's orders in the swampy wood behind Givenchy. 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. + +At 4.50 P.M. I got a message saying large columns of the enemy had +been seen by the French issuing from La Bassee and Violaines, and I +was ordered peremptorily to be ready to counter-attack at once, with +my whole force if required. + +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. + +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. + + +_Oct. 26th._ + +Next morning I rode out again to Givenchy to see Ballard and my fresh +French troops; for the 6/285th (Captain Gigot), the 5/290th +(Commandant Ferracci--a typical little Corsican and a good soldier), +and a squadron of Chasseurs a Cheval had arrived to strengthen us, +besides the three batteries aforesaid (under Commandant Menuan). The +2/70th (now under Captain de Ferron) and the 6/295th (lately under +Baron d'Oullenbourg, now wounded; I have, I fear, forgotten his +successor's name) were, of course, also under me; so I had a nice +little command now of three English and four French battalions, four +English and three French batteries, and a French squadron. St Andre 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. + +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 Les Plantins, between Givenchy and +Festubert. + +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 La Bassee, and tried to "find" them with our howitzers and +heavy artillery battery. + + +_Oct. 27th._ + +The reliefs were not finished till 2.30 A.M.--largely owing to some +idiots, French or English, loosing off their rifles as they left the +trench, which brought a heavy fire on us 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. + +We heard that there was an attack on the 14th Brigade on our left +about 1 A.M., and that 200 Germans had got in behind the K.O.Y.L.I. +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. + +During the day one Captain Pigeonne and his batch of gendarmerie +arrived, with orders to clear Festubert 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 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 +_nil_. 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. + +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 N.C.O. 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. + + +_Oct. 28th._ + +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 Givenchy, cantering +through the swampy woods at the back, where most 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 "galanterie de ses troupes." Alas, St Andre +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! + +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 R.E. 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 +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. + +The 2nd Manchesters, under Strickland,[13] 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 Festubert. +The Devons were therefore sent to relieve them,--rather rough on them +after barely forty-eight hours out of the trenches. + + [Footnote 13: Who had been with me as a Major in Belfast--a + most capable officer, now (1917) commanding a Division.] + + +_Oct. 29th._ + +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. + +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 Les Plantins, behind +the Norfolks. However, after another attack between 9 and 10 A.M. the +Germans dried up for the present. + +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[14] 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 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. + + [Footnote 14: Temporarily commanding 13th Brigade.] + +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. + + +_Oct. 30th._ + +After a very quiet night--except for French guns which started +shelling heavily about 4 A.M., and kept us awake till daylight--we had +another unpleasant day. + +There were repeated attacks on the Devons and Gurkhas all day, and at +3 P.M. 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. + +The first story about the Gurkhas was 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 A.M., and then till dawn; but nothing happened +at all during the night except occasional fire-bursts, which sounded +like general attacks. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +Our prayers were destined to be answered, for on this morning we were +ordered, in spite of the desultory fighting going on, to 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. + +Our orders were, together with the 15th R.F.A. Brigade, to move north +and concentrate near Strazeele and Pradelles, where we were to go into +rest for five or six days. + +I knew those rests. + +So after handing over to Macbean at 10.30 A.M., and talking to General +Anderson (commanding the Indian Division) and the Maharajah of +Bikanir,[15] we made devoutly thankful tracks in the direction of +Locon and Merville. + + [Footnote 15: I was struck with his wonderful command of + English--not the trace of any accent.] + +We were but a small part of the 15th Brigade after all who left the +environs of Festubert on that morning--only Headquarters, a very weak +battalion of Cheshires--not more than 300 all told--and two companies +of Bedfords. The remains of the Dorsets had been ordered to join us +about Strazeele, 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. + +Nevertheless it was with a feeling of extreme thankfulness that we +left the horrible mud-plain of Festubert and Givenchy, 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 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. + +We trotted on ahead over the cold, wet, muddy, level roads of those +parts, with a welcome break for luncheon at a real live estaminet, +till we got to Merville, and then we slowed down. + +Merville 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 +_vareuses_, 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 was not a success, for they did not understand my Arabic, and +I did not understand their Shlukh. + +And so on _via_ Strazeele--where Saunders and his Dorsets had already +arrived--contentedly to Pradelles, 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. + +We put up at a nice, bright, ugly little chateau 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 cure 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 garde champetre, 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 cure's sister, and there was not a shadow of doubt +on the matter, for it was confirmed by all. + + +_Oct. 31st._ + +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 Wulverghem (opposite Messines), +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 Bailleul. + +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 C.O., Martyn. + +Other troops were also on the move through Bailleul, and we had a +weary time of it getting through. It was dark before we had filed +through the big market-square 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 Dranoutre 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 Dranoutre, whilst St +Andre 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. + +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 to make themselves quite decently understood by the +natives. + +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 K.O.S.B.'s as well, +who were in Neuve Eglise; 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 R.E. 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 Messines, 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 Chasseurs +d'Afrique, and the roads impassable with French infantry and transport +moving towards Ypres; and by the next evening nothing but khaki-clad +British were seen, besides patches of Belgian infantry, largely +stragglers and mostly unarmed. + +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. + +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 we were notified to be ready to march +on the following morning to Ypres. So the inspection fell through. + +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 R.E. companies, the 17th and 59th, belonging to the 5th +Division. + + +_Nov. 5th._ + +We marched at 7.20 A.M. _via_ Locre and Dickebusch, on the main +Bailleul-Ypres road, passing through many French troops on the way. +Not far on the other side of Dickebusch 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 Ypres for instructions. + +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 sit on their kits, whilst the transport had to +remain on the road, the fields being so deep. + +McCracken came back at 3.30 P.M. with instructions, and we moved on, +myself being in charge of the movement. We managed to get to Ypres 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. + +At the other end of the town I came across General Haig, and rode +ahead with him down the Menin road as far as the village of Hooge, +where the Headquarters of the 1st Division were, under General Landon. +(He had succeeded General Lomax, 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 estaminet crowded +with Staff officers whilst awaiting the arrival of the Brigade. + +No part of this Menin 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. + +Only a day or two before, a couple of heavy shells had burst just +outside General Haig's Headquarters at the entrance to Ypres. 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. + +My Brigade arrived in the dark by the time that I had received further +instructions in detail, and was parked off the road (south 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. + +Weatherby came back after a time, and the battalions and ourselves +moved off along the road and branched off into the grounds of +Herenthage Chateau--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 +Ypres 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. + +In the chateau itself who should we come across but Drysdale,[16] +Brigade-Major now 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 chateau--every single pane of glass in it shivered, and +lying, crunched at our every step, on the floor. + + [Footnote 16: My late Brigade-Major at Belfast, now, alas! + killed (on the Somme, 1916).] + +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. + +Our own Headquarters were in a poky little dug-out[17] in a wood, not +200 yards from our firing trenches. There was just room for +two--Weatherby and St Andre (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 Ypres)--to lie down in it, +and there was a little tunnel out of it, 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. + + [Footnote 17: Really only a half roofed-in little trench, + marked H on the map.] + +[Illustration: Beukenhorst (near Ypres).] + +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 +reserve at the back of the wood, in rear of our dug-out. + +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. + +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. + + +_Nov. 6th._ + +Next morning there was a thick mist till 10 A.M., 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 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! + +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. + +The remainder of the Bedfords, under Griffith, consisting of two +strong companies, turned up at 6 P.M., and the West Ridings were taken +away from me, so that my 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. + +On further consideration of the situation, I settled to make Brigade +Headquarters at the Beukenhorst Chateau,[18] half a mile farther back, +and started the R.E. 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. + + [Footnote 18: "Stirling Castle" on our present maps.] + +Moulton-Barrett turned up in the afternoon with a basket of cold food +for us, and took St Andre 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. We had wanted to move +into the chateau at 7 P.M., 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 chateau for us; +and thirdly, the Bedford relief was taking place. So we settled to +move next day instead. + +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. + + +_Nov. 7th._ + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +Who it was that started the order to 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. + +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. + +These belonged to the Frankfurt-am-Main Corps (VII.). I examined one +prisoner, a regular "Schwabe" from Heilbronn, 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. + +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 looked +after carefully. The last glimpse I caught of him was being helped to +a stretcher by two of our own men, also wounded. + +There was again no chance of our getting to the chateau to-night, so +another basket of food arrived, and we fed with what comfort we could. + +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. + + +_Nov. 8th._ + +A small reinforcement arrived at 7 A.M., 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. + +These were distributed in rear of our dug-out. + +We had a fairly quiet day as far as we ourselves were concerned, but +both Brigades on our flanks were heavily shelled. The 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 Klein +Zillebeke. + +At last, at 5.30 P.M., we started for our chateau, 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. + +The Chateau of Beukenhorst 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. + +It belonged to some people whose name I have forgotten--Baron +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 +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. + +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 +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 Chateau, 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. + +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 XV. 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 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. + +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 _re_ +artillery and defences and plans in a way which had been quite +impossible in our advanced position. + +General Wing[19] 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 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 chateau 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. + + [Footnote 19: To everybody's great regret, he was killed in + October 1915.] + +It is no use going into or describing our proceedings day by day: +"Plus ca changeait, plus c'etait la meme chose." 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 chateau 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 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 chateau and +the Hooge-Menin road. + +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. + +There were some late roses in the garden, or rather in the scattered +flower-beds near the house, which lasted out even when the 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 chateau, +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. + +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 chateau. 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. + +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 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. + +As mentioned above, this stable was marked in black on the map, whilst +the chateau--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 chateau +was hardly ever touched. We had, however, a couple of small H.E. 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 was done.[20] 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. + + [Footnote 20: This is a fact, though I cannot explain it.] + +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 P.M. 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 some partially-oiled paper, and made some +paste, and stuck up the panes. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +But what was of much vaster interest, of course, than these trifles, +was the desperate fighting which was being waged along our front, +not 1000 yards from the chateau. 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. + +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 +A.M., 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, _et praeterea nihil_. (He, M.-B., and St Andre, +though sleeping in different rooms, used to dress in the bathroom, +where there were excellent taps and basins, though no water was +running.) + +The shelling continued till 10. It was on this morning that Brown was +damaged and lots of windows blown in. + +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 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 St Andre--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 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. + +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 chateau 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 arms, as if they were drugged. I wonder +whether they were: we several times received reports to the same +effect. + +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. +von Obernitz, 2nd Garde Grenadier Regiment, 2nd Division Guard Corps, +but there was nothing of interest in them. + +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. + +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. + +We went to bed in no very happy state of 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. + +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 reduit 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. + +I forgot to mention that Singer, commanding the 17th Fd. Co. R.E., 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 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! + +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,[21] 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 retirement of all was about as difficult as +it could be. This was on the 13th. + + [Footnote 21: My old battalion.] + +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 reduit 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. + +Edwards, who commanded the advanced Bedford company, came up to the +chateau 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. + +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 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. + +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 V.C., 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 D.C.M., but do not know whether +he lived to receive it. + +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 _hors de combat_,--it was a real +nightmare, and it needed strenuous efforts to keep even one or two +guns[22] going; yet they were of enormous importance, and accounted +for a lot of the enemy, especially on the right flank of the +Cheshires. + + [Footnote 22: 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!] + +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. + +It was very awkward getting to the trenches, even in broad daylight, +by this time, 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. + +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. + +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 chateau 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 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. + +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 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). + +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 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. + + +_Nov. 19th._ + +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). + +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. + +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 chateau, so as to be in reserve in +case of necessity. + + +_Nov. 20th._ + +But they were not wanted as such, and the following day was fairly +quiet as far as trench fighting was concerned. + +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 chateau--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 (_vice_ 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 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. St +Andre'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. + +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. + +But the Germans seem to have been satisfied with this little +exhibition of "hate," and bombarded us no more--except casually, with +shrapnel, as usual. We crept back to the chateau 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 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. + +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 St Andre +the other. + +Food was rather a difficulty, for the mess servants had disappeared, +and had last been seen hastening in the direction of Ypres--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. + +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 Ypres for comestibles, and whilst we were d--ing +their eyes for bolting, were trudging, heavily laden, along the road +back to us--good youths. + +It was a lengthy business getting the relief through. The French +troops, due at 7.30 P.M., did not arrive till 9.15 P.M., 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 A.M. that we +had got the French into the trenches, the Worcesters into reserve, and +the Bedfords and Cheshires on their way back to Ypres. + +Then, with a sigh of some thankfulness apiece, we stumbled back in the +darkness to the chateau, where we waited to collect the remains of the +Signal Section and staff, and then moved off, mounted this time, down +the Menin-Ypres road. + +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. Ypres, 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. + + +_Nov. 21st._ + +We were due to billet in Locre, and there we arrived at about 7 A.M. +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 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. + +The Cheshires were billeted on the Mont Rouge close by, and the +Bedfords near us, at the corner of the Westoutre road. 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,[23] and would not fit any +boot. The Cheshires, as I expected, were much the worse of the two +battalions, for 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. + + [Footnote 23: What would now be known as "trench feet."] + +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 Bailleul, +nominally to "find" the Headquarters Guard, but in reality to +convalesce. + +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 St Jan's +Cappel, a nice little village only a few miles behind Locre. We lived +in the Cure's (M. de Vos) house, clean and pleasant; and the Cure, who +liked the good things of this world, brought his stout person to +coffee every evening, and did not disdain to make the acquaintance of +an occasional tot of British rum or whisky, except on Fridays. + +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, V.C., +who had just joined. All the other officers who had left Ireland with +me in August were either killed, wounded, or sick. + +We were under orders to go into the trenches again shortly, taking +over from Maude,[24] 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 Dranoutre. + + [Footnote 24: The victor of Baghdad.] + +On the 29th November we took over there, a most complicated +arrangement which only evolved itself clearly during the next week. I +had the East Surreys and Manchesters under me for a time, and then the +K.O.S.B.'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. + +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 Wulverghem-Messines road, the right of +the Brigade on our right being on the Douve. 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: The Messines Front.] + +Imagine a bit of rolling country--rather 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--Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Ploegsteert Wood,--but all +outside our area. For villages, Dranoutre, Neuve Eglise, Wulverghem, +and Lindenhoek, of which the two last were already more than half shot +to pieces and almost deserted. Opposite our right was Messines--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 +Wytschaete (pronounce Wich Khate), one and a half miles off. The +cavalry had held both Messines[25] and Wytschaete 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 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. + + [Footnote 25: Locally pronounced Merse.] + +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 Dranoutre +to Lindenhoek, Dranoutre to Neuve Eglise, and Neuve Eglise _via_ +Wulverghem to Messines, were _pave_--_i.e._, cobble-stones down the +centre and mud on both sides. Those joining Lindenhoek to Neuve Eglise +and Wulverghem were also mostly _pave_. The remainder were mere field +tracks for the most part, rarely metalled, and in wet weather almost +impassable for mud. + +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 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, _alias_ 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. + +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 +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. + +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 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. + +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 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. + +The R.E. 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. + +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 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 +Minenwerfer, 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 R.E., 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, R.E., a capital subaltern, +was killed thus, besides others, I fear.) + +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 Neuve Eglise, a quite short front, in perpetuity, +whilst the 13th and 15th Brigades relieved each other alternate 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. + +The reliefs made one's head whirl. It was all right to start with, two +battalions in the trenches (_i.e._, fire-trenches, support-trenches, +and reserve-trenches), and two battalions in reserve at Dranoutre 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. + +It was very difficult to fit everything in so that each battalion had +its fair share of duty 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. + +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 _was_ 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 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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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 Wulverghem or Lindenhoek, 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 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. + +Johnston, V.C.,[26] R.E., was in R.E. charge of our trenches. (Poor +fellow, he was killed by a sniper near St Eloi on April 15.) He must +have worked something like eighteen hours out of the twenty-four. For +by 9 A.M. he was collecting material near Dranoutre 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 P.M. to the +trenches, remaining there till 3 A.M. or even 6 A.M.--to superintend +the work and struggle about in the mud all night. He never 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. + + [Footnote 26: He had received the V.C. for a particularly + plucky piece of raft work under heavy fire at Missy.] + +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 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. + +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. + +At Dranoutre we--that is, the Brigade staff--lived in a perpetual +atmosphere of mud and draughts. The Cure'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 bought in Bailleul (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. + +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. + +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 Ypres, we had had no signal officer (except Naylor for +two days), nor any Brigade-Major from about the 12th November (at +Ypres) 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 K.O.S.B.'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 St Andre 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 their furniture from a burnt village, or to fetch +or buy something from Bailleul--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. + +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 St Andre 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. + +And then the culprit owned up. It was an old woman near whose cottage +the wires passed, and her fences required mending. + +Neuve Eglise, which we inhabited for a fortnight or more, and where we +spent Xmas Day, was a good cut above Dranoutre. Except for the first +three days, when we lived with a doctor,--and his stove 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 +Dranoutre,--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 Dranoutre 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. + +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--_pour encourager les autres_; 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 Boche did not, for he was not allowed close enough to +ours. + +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. + +"Well, why didn't you shoot him?" + +"Shoot him?" said the man; "why, Lor' bless you, sir, 'e's never done +_me_ 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. + +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 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. + +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. + +During our tours in "Divisional reserve" we generally spent the time +in St Jan's Cappel (already described) or Bailleul. The latter town, +with its rather quaint old brick fourteenth-century church, porched _a +la_ Louis Quinze, was tolerable rather than admirable. Nothing of +civil interest, and hardly anything to buy except magnificent grapes +from the "Grapperies," even in 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. + +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 the spectacles and glasses and watches on to the floor +and stamped them to powder. + +There is really little more to relate about our time at Dranoutre 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. + +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. + +We used to average about four casualties 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. + +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. + +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. + +I tried to get the thing neatly organised, as to stores and times and +amounts and 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. + +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 St Eloi 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 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 _hors de +combat_ for the moment, and was sent down to recuperate in a quieter +area--which was that of the 5th Division. + +Our orders were for the 13th and 15th Brigades to move north to St +Eloi 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). + +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. + +On that morning I received word that 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. + +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 that, +once his foot was well on the ladder, he would go right ahead--as he +has.[27] The same applied to Ballard, who also had been given a +Brigade--the 7th. + + [Footnote 27: He is now (1917) Major-General.] + +The 15th Brigade thereupon retired into billets at Bailleul, with +orders to stay there for three days only, and then to go straight to +St Eloi and take over these trenches of the 28th Division. Not much +rest--twenty days in the trenches, three out, and then trenches again. + +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 Givenchy way, +and he turned up on the 2nd March at our Headquarters, which were then +at 28 Rue de Lille. I at once recognised that he would carry on +excellently well, and had no compunction in leaving the command in his +hands. All 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 St Eloi and Hill +60, I should have been sadder still.[28] 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:-- + + Norfolks--Done[29] and Bruce (both ill in hospital from strenuous + overwork), Megaw (killed later), Paterson. + Dorsets--Ransome, Partridge. + Bedfords--Griffith[29] (trustiest of C.O.'s, who had been under + heavier fire than almost any one in the Brigade, yet never + touched), Allason (thrice wounded), Gledstanes (killed later). + Cheshires--Frost (killed later). + + [Footnote 28: They lost 2400 men out of not quite 4000 in a + fortnight in April.] + + [Footnote 29: Now (1917) commanding a Brigade.] + +I do not think there was another officer except the +quartermasters--Smith (Norfolks), Sproule (Cheshires), and Pearce +(Bedfords)[30]; and as for the men, there may have been ten or so per +battalion, but I really do not think there were more. + +I took the evening train at Bailleul and spent an agreeable evening +with Ker Seymer, the train officer. I got to Boulogne and on board the +boat at midnight, and next day, the 3rd March, saw me arrive at 8.30 +A.M. in London. + + [Footnote 30: The Dorset one had been promoted.] + + +PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH INFANTRY +BRIGADE*** + + +******* This file should be named 22074.txt or 22074.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/0/7/22074 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +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. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://www.gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +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 www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: +https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + |