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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3c0c4c4 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52201 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52201) diff --git a/old/52201-0.txt b/old/52201-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dda03a4..0000000 --- a/old/52201-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9653 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Soldiers' Stories of the War, by Various - -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/license - - -Title: Soldiers' Stories of the War - -Author: Various - -Editor: Walter Wood - -Illustrator: A. C. Michael - -Release Date: May 31, 2016 [EBook #52201] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOLDIERS' STORIES OF THE WAR *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - - - SOLDIERS’ STORIES - OF THE WAR - - [Illustration: - - [_Frontispiece._ - - L BATTERY’S HEROIC STAND. - -“Another battery of horse-gunners was dashing to the rescue” (p. 130).] - - - - - SOLDIERS’ STORIES - OF THE WAR - - EDITED BY - WALTER WOOD - - AUTHOR OF - “MEN OF THE NORTH SEA,” “SURVIVORS’ TALES OF GREAT EVENTS,” - “NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS,” ETC. - - _WITH TWENTY FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS - BY A. C. MICHAEL_ - - LONDON - CHAPMAN AND HALL, LTD. - 1915 - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY - RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, - BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., - AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -All the stories in this volume are told by men who were seen personally, -and who, with one or two exceptions--cases of soldiers who had returned -to the front--read the typescripts of their narratives, so that accuracy -should be secured. The narrators spoke while the impressions of fighting -and hardships and things seen were still strong and clear; in several -cases full notes had been made or diaries kept, and reference to these -records was of great value in preparing the stories. When seeing an -informant I specially asked that a true tale should be told, and I -believe that no unreliable details were knowingly given. - -I have been fortunate in getting a good deal of exclusive matter--the -full record of the noble achievement of L Battery, Royal Horse -Artillery, for example, has not been given anywhere in such detail as is -presented here, and the same remark applies to the story of the three -torpedoed cruisers. - -During the earlier periods of the war British soldiers told me tales of -barbarities and outrages committed by German troops which were so -terrible that it was impossible to believe them, and I omitted many of -these details from the finished stories; but I know now, from reading -the Report of the Committee on Alleged German Outrages, presided over by -Viscount Bryce, formerly British Ambassador at Washington, that even -the most dreadful of the statements did not do more than touch the -fringe of the appalling truth. - -Though much has been already published in the form of tales and letters -from our soldiers at the front, yet I hope that this collection of -stories will be accepted as a contribution from the British fighting man -to the general history of the earlier stages of the war--those memorable -preliminary operations which have made a deep and indelible impression -on the British race throughout the world. - -WALTER WOOD. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -CHAPTER I -MONS AND THE GREAT RETREAT 1 -PRIVATE J. PARKINSON, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders. - -CHAPTER II -GERMAN ATROCITIES 17 -DRIVER G. BLOW, Royal Field Artillery. - -CHAPTER III -“GREENJACKETS” IN THE FIRING LINE 29 -RIFLEMAN R. BRICE, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. - -CHAPTER IV -THE STRUGGLE ON THE AISNE 41 -PRIVATE HERBERT PAGE, Coldstream Guards. - -CHAPTER V -“THE MOST CRITICAL DAY OF ALL” 54 -CORPORAL F. W. HOLMES, V.C., M.M., 2nd Battalion -King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. - -CHAPTER VI -BRITISH FIGHTERS IN FRENCH FORTS 70 -PRIVATE J. BOYERS, Durham Light Infantry. - -CHAPTER VII -GERMAN TREACHERY AND HATRED 82 -CORPORAL W. BRATBY, Middlesex Regiment. - -CHAPTER VIII -LIFE IN THE TRENCHES 94 -PRIVATE G. TOWNSEND, 2nd Battalion East Lancashire -Regiment. - -CHAPTER IX -SAPPING AND MINING: THE “LUCKY COMPANY” 108 -SAPPER WILLIAM BELL, Royal Engineers. - -CHAPTER X -L BATTERY’S HEROIC STAND 118 -GUNNER H. DARBYSHIRE, Royal Horse Artillery. - -CHAPTER XI -SIXTEEN WEEKS OF FIGHTING 135 -PRIVATE B. MONTGOMERY, Royal West Kent Regiment. - -CHAPTER XII -A DAISY-CHAIN OF BANDOLIERS 146 -PRIVATE W. H. COOPERWAITE, Durham Light Infantry. - -CHAPTER XIII -DESPATCH-RIDING 158 -CORPORAL HEDLEY G. BROWNE, Royal Engineers. - -CHAPTER XIV -THE THREE TORPEDOED CRUISERS 169 -ABLE-SEAMAN C. C. NURSE. - -CHAPTER XV -THE RUNAWAY RAIDERS 182 -SAPPER W. HALL, Royal Engineers. - -CHAPTER XVI -CAMPAIGNING WITH THE HIGHLANDERS 191 -PRIVATE A. VENESS, 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. - -CHAPTER XVII -TRANSPORT-DRIVING 203 -PRIVATE JAMES ROACHE, Army Service Corps. - -CHAPTER XVIII -BRITISH GUNNERS AS CAVE-DWELLERS 213 -CORPORAL E. H. BEAN, Royal Field Artillery. - -CHAPTER XIX -WITH THE “FIGHTING FIFTH” 225 -PRIVATE W. G. LONG, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment. - -CHAPTER XX -THE VICTORY OF THE MARNE 236 -CORPORAL G. GILLIAM, Coldstream Guards. - -CHAPTER XXI -AN ARMOURED CAR IN AMBUSH 256 -TROOPER STANLEY DODDS, Northumberland Hussars. - -CHAPTER XXII -EXPLOITS OF THE LONDON SCOTTISH 264 -PRIVATE J. E. CARR, 14th (County of London) Battalion -London Regiment (London Scottish). - -CHAPTER XXIII -THE ROUT OF THE PRUSSIAN GUARD AT YPRES 277 -PRIVATE H. J. POLLEY, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire -Regiment. - -CHAPTER XXIV -THE BRITISH VICTORY AT NEUVE CHAPELLE 291 -SERGEANT GILLIAM, Coldstream Guards. - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _To face page_ - -L Battery’s heroic stand: “Another battery of horse-gunners -was dashing to the rescue” _Frontispiece_ - -“We were helped by the Germans throwing searchlights on us” 2 - -“Some of our cavalry caught him” 16 - -“The Germans came on and hurled themselves against us” 38 - -“From behind trees we kept up a destructive fire on the enemy” 50 - -“I hoisted the trumpeter into the saddle” 62 - -“We found a fair lot of Germans in houses and farms” 80 - -“We were so near the Germans that they could hurl bombs at us” 102 - -“We had a very warm time of it” 112 - -“Planted a maxim on his knees and rattled into the Germans” 128 - -“The men were told to lay hands on anything that would float” 168 - -“Good swimmers were helping those who could not swim” 180 - -“The _Hogue_ began to turn turtle; the four immense funnels -broke away” 188 - -“A bullet struck him in the back and killed him” 202 - -“We were in a real hell of bursting shrapnel” 222 - -“I took him up and began to carry him” 234 - -“Before they knew what was happening the car was in the river” 244 - -“Cavalry and Guards got in amongst the Germans and fairly -scattered them” 254 - -“I made a lunge at him, but just missed, and I saw his own -long, ugly blade driven out” 286 - -“The infantry dashed on with the bayonet” 302 - - - - -SOLDIERS’ STORIES OF - -THE WAR - - - - -CHAPTER I - -MONS AND THE GREAT RETREAT - - [History does not give a more splendid story of courage and - endurance than that which is afforded by the battle of Mons and the - subsequent retreat. The British Expeditionary Force, straight from - home, with no time for preparation, and only two days after a - concentration by rail, was confronted by at least four times its - number of the finest troops of Germany, and, after a four days’ - furious battle, remained unconquered and undismayed. What might - have been annihilation of the British forces had become a throwing - off of the weight of the enemy’s pursuit, allowing a preparation - for the driving back of the German hordes. At Mons the 1st - Battalion Gordon Highlanders lost most of their officers, - non-commissioned officers and men in killed, wounded and missing. - This story is told by Private J. Parkinson, of the Gordons, who was - invalided home at the finish of the Great Retreat.] - - -To be rushed from the routine of a soldier’s life at home in time of -peace into the thick of a fearful fight on the Continent is a strange -and wonderful experience; yet it happened to me, and it was only one of -many amazing experiences I went through between leaving Southampton in a -transport and coming to a London hospital. - -We landed at Boulogne, and went a long journey by train. At the end of -it we found ourselves, on Saturday, August 22nd, billeted in a -gentleman’s big house and we looked forward to a comfortable night, -little dreaming that so soon after leaving England we should be in the -thick of a tremendous fight. - -It was strange to be in a foreign country, but there was no time to -dwell on that, and the British soldier soon makes himself at home, -wherever he is. Those of us who were not on duty went to sleep; but we -had not been resting very long when we were called to arms. That was -about half-past three o’clock on the Sunday morning, August 23rd. - -There was no bugle sound, no fuss, no noise; we were just quietly roused -up by the pickets, and as quietly we marched out of the château and went -along a big, sunken road--the main road to Paris, I think. We started at -once to make trenches alongside the road, using the entrenching-tool -which every soldier carries; and we went on steadily with that work for -several hours on that August Sunday morning--a perfect Sabbath, with a -wonderful air of peace about it. The country looked beautiful and -prosperous--how soon it was to be turned into a blazing, ruined -landscape, with thousands of dead and wounded men lying on it! - -It would be about nine o’clock when we heard heavy firing in a wood near -us--there is plenty of wooded country about Mons--and we were told that -the engineers were blowing up obstacles; so we went on entrenching, for -although we knew that the Germans were not far away, we had no idea they -were as close as they soon proved to be. - -I am a first-class scout, and, with a corporal and three men, I was sent -on picket some time before noon. - -Just on the right of us was a farm, and the people who came out gave us -some beer and eggs. We drank - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 2._ - -“WE WERE HELPED BY THE GERMANS THROWING SEARCHLIGHTS ON US” (p. 10).] - -the beer and sucked the eggs, and uncommonly good they were, too, on -that blazing hot August Sunday, when everything looked so pleasant and -peaceful. You had it hot at home, I know; but I dare say we had it -hotter, and we were in khaki, with a heavy kit to carry. - -There was a big tree near us, and I made for it and climbed up, so that -I could see better over the countryside. I was hanging on to a branch, -and looking around, when all at once a bullet or two came, and we knew -that the Germans had spotted us. I got down from that tree a vast deal -quicker than I had got up into it, and we made ready to rush back to the -trenches; but before scuttling we told the civilians to clear out at -once, and they began to do so. The poor souls were taken aback, -naturally, but they lost no time in obeying the warning, leaving all -their worldly treasures--belongings which they were never to see again, -for the German barbarians were soon to destroy them shamefully and -mercilessly, and, worse than that, were to take the lives of innocent -and inoffensive people who had not done them the slightest wrong in any -way. - -As soon as we had raised the alarm a whole section of Germans opened -fire on the four of us, and as we could not do anything against them, -being heavily outnumbered, we ran for it back to the trenches. Yes, we -did run indeed, there is no mistake about that. Luckily for us we knew -the way back; but if the Germans had been able to shoot for nuts with -their rifles, not one of us would have been spared. We laughed as we -ran, and one of the scouts, named Anderson, laughed so much that he -could scarcely run, though there was nothing special to laugh at; but, -as you know, there are some odd chaps amongst Highlanders. They don’t -care a rap for anything. - -It was soon reported that there were in front of us about 15,000 -Germans, including some of the finest of the Kaiser’s troops, amongst -them the Imperial Guard, who have worked military miracles--at peace -manœuvres. And to oppose that great body of men we had only the 8th -Brigade, consisting of the Royal Scots, the Royal Irish, the -Middlesex--the old “Die-Hards”--and the Gordon Highlanders, of which I -was in B Company. - -The Royal Scots were on our right, and the Royal Irish and the Middlesex -on our left. We had Royal Field Artillery, too, and never did British -gunners do more splendid work and cover themselves with greater glory -than in the battle of Mons. - -The Royal Irish were getting their dinners when the Germans opened fire -on them with their machine-guns, doing some dreadful damage straight -off, for they seemed to have the range, and there was no time for the -Royal Irish to get under cover. - -That, I think, was really the beginning of the battle; but I had better -try and give you an idea of the battlefield, so that you can understand -what actually took place. - -Mons itself is a fair-sized manufacturing town, with plenty of -coal-mines about, and we were in a pleasant village near it, the main -road to Paris cutting through the village. From our trenches we could -see across the country, towards the mines and other villages, and we had -a clear rifle-range of well over a mile, because a lot of obstruction in -the shape of hedges, foliage and corn had been cut away. - -To our rear, on each side of us, was a forest, and between the two -forests were our splendid gunners, who were to do such awful mischief in -the German hosts. The “Die-Hards” were in a sort of garden, and I saw -only too clearly what happened to them when the fight was in full swing. - -It was just before noon when the most fearful part of the battle -started, and that was the artillery duel. Our own guns were making a -terrible commotion near us; but the din was a very comforting sound, -because it meant something very bad for the German gunners, who were -making havoc in our brigade. - -I saw the awful effects of the German shrapnel amongst the men of the -Middlesex in that fair Belgian garden on what should have been a -peaceful Sunday afternoon. The Middlesex were practically blown to -pieces, and the fearful way in which they suffered was shown later, when -the casualty lists were published, and it was seen that most of them -were either killed, wounded or missing. - -Then the Gordons’ turn came. The Germans had got our position, and they -opened fire on us; but we were lucky--perhaps the German batteries were -too far away to be really effective. At any rate, they did not harm us -much. - -The battle had opened swiftly, and it continued with amazing speed and -fury, for both sides soon settled into their stride--and you know, of -course, that the Germans were on the promenade to Paris and were going -to mop the British Army up. It took a lot of mopping! - -Our own field-gunners were doing magnificently, and the Germans were -first-rate hands at the deadly game. If they had been anything like as -accurate with the rifle as they were with the artillery I think that -very few British soldiers would have been left to tell the tale of -Mons. But with the rifle they were no good. - -The Germans came out of their trenches in big heaps in close formation, -because their game was to rush us by sheer weight of numbers; but we -just shot them down. Yet as soon as we shot them down others came out, -literally like bees. No wonder the poor chaps are called by their -officers “cannon-fodder”! British officers don’t talk of their men in -that brutal way; and the British officer always leads--shows the way; -but the German officer seems to follow his men, and to shove and shoot -them along. - -It was marvellous to watch the Germans come on in their legions, and -melt away under our artillery and rifle fire. We simply took deliberate -aim at the masses of figures, grey clad, with their helmets covered with -grey cloth; but it seemed as if not even our absolutely destructive fire -would stop them. On they came, still on, the living actually sheltering -behind the dead. But it was no use. We kept them off, and they kept -themselves off, too, for it was perfectly clear that they had a horror -of the bayonet, and would not come near it. - -The nearest the Germans got to us, as far as I can tell--that is, to the -Gordons--was about 300 yards; but that was near enough, seeing that they -outnumbered us by four to one, and were amongst the finest troops of -Germany. Some of the enemy’s cavalry--I suppose the much-talked-of -Uhlans--came into the sunken road in front of us, hoping to do business; -but our machine-guns got on them, and we had a go at them with our -rifles, with the result that the Uhlans made a cut for it and most of -them got away. Even so, there were plenty of riderless horses galloping -madly about. - -Our officers had told us to carry on--and carry on we did, then and -later. - -What was I feeling like? Well, of course, at the start I was in a bit of -a funk and it wasn’t pleasant; but I can honestly say that the feeling -soon vanished, as I’m certain it did from all of us, and we settled down -to good hard pounding, all the time seeing who could pound the hardest -and last longest. And I can assure you that, in spite of everything, men -kept laughing, and they kept their spirits up. - -You see, we had such splendid officers, and there is always such a fine -feeling between officers and men in Highland regiments. Our colonel, a -Gordon by name and commanding the Gordons, was a real gallant Gordon, -who won his Victoria Cross in the South African War--a regular warrior -and a veteran; amongst other things he was in at the storming of Dargai, -and he had more experience of actual fighting, I should think, than all -the Germans in front of us put together. - -Another brave officer was Major Simpson, my company officer, a Companion -of the Distinguished Service Order, which is the next best thing to the -V.C. Major Simpson and a private went to fetch some ammunition. To do -that they had to leave shelter and rush along in a literal hail of -fire--shrapnel and bullets. It seemed as if no living thing could exist, -and they were watched with intense anxiety. Shells were bursting all -around us--some in the air and others on the ground, though there were -German shells that did not burst at all. - -Suddenly, with a fearful shattering sound, a shell burst just beside the -major and the private, and for the moment it looked as if they had been -destroyed. Some Gordons rushed towards them, and picked them up and put -them on a horse. It was seen that they were badly hurt, but even so, -and at a time like that, the major actually laughed, and I am sure he -did it to keep our spirits up. He was taken away to hospital, and was -laughing still when he said-- - -“It’s all right, lads! There’s nothing much the matter with me! Carry -on!” - -Oh, yes! There were some fine cool things done on that great Sunday when -the Germans were like bees in front of us in the turnip-fields at Mons, -and we were settling down into our stride. - -And the N.C.O.’s were splendid, too. - -Our section sergeant, Spence, when the firing was fiercest, popped up to -take a shot, which is always a risky thing to do, because a bullet is so -much swifter than a man’s movements. The sergeant fired, and the instant -he had done so he fell back into the trench, saying, “I believe they’ve -got me now!” But they hadn’t. He was taken to hospital, and it was found -that a bullet had come and so cleanly grazed his head--on the left side, -like this--that the hair was cut away in a little path, just like a big -parting, as if it had been shaved. It was touch and go with death, the -closest thing you could possibly see; but, luckily, the sergeant was all -right, and he made no commotion about his narrow shave. - -There was a gallant young officer and brave gentleman of the -Gordons--Lieutenant Richmond--who had been doing his duty nobly -throughout that Sunday afternoon. - -Dusk was falling, and Lieutenant Richmond made his way out of the trench -and over the open ground, crawling, to try and learn something about the -Germans. He was crawling back--that is the only way in such a merciless -fire--and was only about three yards from the trench when he rose up -and was going to make a final dash for it. Just as he rose, a bullet -struck him in the back and came out through his heart--and killed him -straight away. He was in my trench, and I saw this happen quite clearly. -It was such sights as that which made the Gordons all the more resolved -to carry on and mow the Germans down as hard as they could--the Germans -who seemed to be for ever rushing at us from the turnip-fields in front -and never getting any nearer than their own barriers of dead. - -I never thought it possible that such a hell of fire could be known as -that which we endured and made at Mons. There was the ceaseless crackle -of the rifles on both sides, with the everlasting explosions of the guns -and the frightful bursting of the shells. They were particularly -horrible when they burst on the cobbled road close by--as hundreds -did--so near to us that it seemed as if we were certain to be shattered -to pieces by the fragments of shrapnel which did so much mischief and -killed so many men and horses, to say nothing of the gaping wounds they -inflicted on the troops and the poor dumb beasts. - -But you can best understand what the German artillery fire was like when -I tell you that all the telegraph-poles were shattered, the very wires -were torn away, and trees were smashed and blown to pieces. It seemed -miraculous that any human being could live in such a storm of metal -fragments and bullets. - -From before noon until dusk, and that was a good eight hours, the battle -of Mons had been truly awful; but we had held our own, and as the -evening came I realised what a fearful thing a modern battle -is--especially such a fight as this, brought on in a peaceful and -beautiful country whose people had done no wrong. - -All the villages in front of us were burning, either set on fire -deliberately by the Germans, or by shells; but there was no halting in -the fight, and when we could no longer see the enemy because it was dark -we blazed away at the flashes of their rifles--thousands of spurts of -flame; and the field-gunners crashed at the straight lines of fire which -could be seen when the German artillerymen discharged their guns. We -were helped, too, in a way that many of us never expected to be, and -that was by the Germans throwing searchlights on us. These long, ghastly -beams shone on us and gave a weird and terrible appearance to the -fighters in the trenches, and more so to the outstretched forms of -soldiers who had fought for the last time. - -It was a dreadful yet fascinating sight, and one which I shall never -forget; nor shall I ever forget the extraordinary fact that, in spite of -the annihilating hail of missiles and the deafening din of battle, some -of our fellows in the trenches went to sleep, and seemed to sleep as -peacefully and soundly as if they were in feather beds. They went to -sleep quite cheerfully, too. I should say that half our chaps were -having a doze in this way and taking no notice of the fight and the -screech and roar of shells and guns. - -Sunday night--and such a night! The sky red with burning villages, the -air rent with awful noises of guns and rifles, men and horses--a -terrible commotion from the devilish fight that was going on. The -villagers had left; they had fled on getting our warning, but they were -not too far away to see the utter ruin of their homes. - -I do not want to say too much about the villagers--it is too sad and -makes one too savage; but I will tell of one incident I saw. An old man -was running away, to try and get out of danger, when he was hit in the -stomach. I saw him fall, and I know that he bled to death. Think of -that--an absolutely innocent and inoffensive old man who had done -nothing whatever to harm the brigands who were over-running Belgium! - -Just about midnight we got the order to retire. We joined the survivors -of the 8th Brigade and began a march which lasted nearly all night. We -were weary and worn, but as right in spirit as ever, and didn’t want to -retire. There was no help for it, however, and the Great Retreat began. -Everything that the Red Cross men could do had been done for the -wounded; but there were some who had to be left, as well as the dead. - -It was fearfully hot, and we were thankful indeed when we were able to -lie down in a field and get about two hours’ sleep--the sleep that you -might suppose a log has. - -When we awoke it was not to music of birds, but of shrapnel; for the -Germans were following us and began to fire on us as soon as we started -to retire again. Hour after hour we went on, feeling pretty bad at -having to retreat; but a bit cheered when, at about two o’clock on the -Monday afternoon, we began to dig trenches again. We had the -field-gunners behind us once more, and joyous music it was to hear their -shells screaming over our heads. - -It was about dinner-time on the Monday when we had one of the most -thrilling experiences of the whole fight--one of the extraordinary -incidents that have become part and parcel of a modern battle, although -only a very few years ago they were looked upon as mad fancies or wild -dreams. We were marching along a road when we sighted a German -aeroplane--a bird-like-looking thing in the sky. It was keeping watch on -us, and signalling our position to the main German body. It gave the -position, and the Germans promptly gave us some shells. The thing was -most dangerous and unpleasant; but the German airman was not to have it -all his own way. - -Two of our own aeroplanes spotted him and went for him, just like -immense birds--the whole business might have been carried out by living -creatures of the air--and there was as fine a fight in the air as you -could hope to see on land--firing and swift manœuvring with the -object of killing and destroying, and both sides showing amazing pluck -and skill. It was an uncommonly exciting spectacle, and it became all -the more thrilling when we opened fire with our rifles. - -I blazed away as hard as I could, but an aeroplane on the wing is not an -easy thing to hit. Whether I struck the machine or not I can’t say, but -it came down in the road just where my company was. As far as I know the -aeroplane was not struck--the chap that was in it planed down. He was -determined not to be caught cheaply, for as soon as he landed he fired -his petrol tank to destroy his machine, and then ran for it. He went off -at a hard lick, but some of our cavalry rushed after him and caught him, -and it was found that he was not hurt. - -Just on our right was a railway, with a big cutting, and we were ordered -to retire down into it; so into the cutting we got and along the line we -went, retreating all that day by the railway and the roads, our gunners -giving the Germans socks throughout that hard rearguard action. - -On the Tuesday we were still retreating, and a miserable day it was, -with a deluge of rain that soaked us to the skin. We reached a village -and slept in barns, and a good sleep we got, without the trouble of -undressing or drying our clothes or taking our boots off. - -Early on the Wednesday morning the pickets quietly roused and warned us -again, and we went out in front of the village and entrenched. - -There was a big lot of coal-mines in front of us, about a mile away, -with the refuse-heaps that are common to mines. Behind one of these -great mounds a battery of German artillery had got into position, and -one of the finest things you could have seen was the way in which our -own grand gunners got on the Germans. They seemed to have found the -range of the enemy exactly, and that was a good job for us, because the -German shells were dropping just between us and our own artillery, and -we expected to have them bang on us. But our guns silenced our -opponents, and, what was more, scattered a lot of German infantry, about -1,500 yards away, who were making for us. - -We got straight into our trenches, and in this respect we were lucky, -because we went into one that the Engineers had made, while most of the -other companies had to dig their own. - -Our trench was in a cornfield. The corn had been cut down, and we spread -it and other stuff in front of the trenches, on top of the earth, to -make us invisible. From that queer hiding-place we resumed our blazing -away at the pursuing Germans. - -When Wednesday came we were at Cambrai, where hell itself seemed to be -let loose again; for first thing in the morning we heard heavy artillery -fire on all sides of us, and it was clear that a fearful battle was -going on. We were utterly worn and weary, but were cheered by looking -forward to a good dinner. We knew that the food was in the field -cookers, in preparation for serving out to the men. But the dinner never -came, and it was not until next day that we heard the reason why--then -we learned that a German shell had blown the field cookers to -smithereens. - -Now all this time, from the moment the battle opened at Mons till we -were blazing away again at the Germans at Cambrai we were waiting for -the French to come--waiting and longing, for we were utterly outnumbered -and completely exhausted; but we never had a glimpse of a Frenchman, and -we know now, of course, that the French themselves were so hard pressed -that they could not spare any help at all for the British. - -At about half-past four in the afternoon we resumed the retreat, for a -major of artillery had galloped up and shouted “Retire!” B Company -retired across the level ground behind us. This was a good bit off a -sunken road that we wanted to get back to, because it would give us -comparative safety. Eventually we reached it, and were thankful to find -that we were pretty secure, though shells were still bursting all around -and over us. - -From that time we never saw any more of the rest of the regiment, and I -lost sight of our gallant colonel. He became numbered with the -missing.[1] There were only about 175 of my own company and parts of -other companies who had got away and joined us. - -A terrible time it was at Cambrai, and one that I sha’n’t forget in a -hurry. The last I clearly remember of the place is that several men were -killed near me; but by that time killing had become a matter of course. -The Red Cross men did noble work, but they could not cover all the -cases. I am sorry to say it, but it is true that the Germans -deliberately fired on the hospitals at Mons and also at Cambrai. It -sounds incredible, but there were many things done in Belgium by the -Germans that you could not have believed unless you had seen them. - -Well, from that dreadful carnage at Cambrai we went on retreating, and -we never really rested until the Sunday, seven days after the battle -started, when we reached Senlis, about forty miles from Paris. We had -then marched between 130 and 140 miles, and had made one of the longest, -hardest, swiftest and most successful retreats in history--I say -successful, because Sir John French and his generals had got us out of -what looked like a death-trap. We were cursing all the time we were -retreating--cursing because we had to retire, though we knew that there -was no help for it. - -A wonderful change came with the Wednesday, because we did no more -fighting. We forged ahead, blowing up bridges and doing all we could to -stop the Germans. - -We had a splendid time going through France, as we had had in going -through Belgium, and when we reached Paris there was nothing the French -people thought too good for us. We were taken across Paris in -char-a-bancs, and flowers, cigarettes and five-franc pieces were thrown -at us. A lot of Americans spoke to us, and were very kind. They were -particularly anxious to know how we were getting on, and what we had -gone through. It was very pleasant to hear our own language, as most of -us did not understand a word of French. - -We trained to Rouen, but had not the slightest idea that we were going -to England--we thought we were being sent to hospital at Havre; but at -that port we were put into motors and driven down to the quay and shoved -on board a transport and brought at last to London. - -I am not wounded. I was struck on the leg by a bullet, but it did not -really hurt me. I was utterly worn out and exhausted, however, and -rheumatism set in and crippled me, so I was sent to hospital; and here I -am. But I’m almost fit and well now, and all I want to do is to fall in -again before the fighting’s done. - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 16._ - -“SOME OF OUR CAVALRY CAUGHT HIM” (p. 12).] - - - - -CHAPTER II - -GERMAN ATROCITIES - - [The war was begun by Germany in a spirit of ruthlessness which was - to spare neither man, woman nor child, and was to leave innocent - people “only their eyes to weep with.” The neutrality of Belgium - was outraged and German hosts poured into that country. In - repelling them an immortal part was played by the British - Expeditionary Force, which fought against enormous odds. This story - of the earlier days of the war is told from the narrative of Driver - George William Blow, Royal Field Artillery, who was invalided home - after having two of his ribs broken and five horses killed under - him.] - - -It was a blazing hot Sunday, and the place was Mons. We had got into -camp about one on the Saturday afternoon, and had billeted till four on -the Sunday morning, when we were ordered to harness up and prepare for -action, but we did not receive actual fighting orders until noon; then -we had to march into a place in the neighbourhood, and as soon as we -reached it German shells burst over us. - -That was the beginning of a long and terrible battle. We went straight -into it, without any warning; but the Germans were ready, and knew what -to expect, because they had been waiting for us for forty-eight hours. - -It was field artillery we were up against. The Germans at that time had -not got the big siege guns, which we called Black Marias, Jack Johnsons -and Coal Boxes. I will tell you about them later. - -We, the drivers, took the guns up into action, then we retired under -cover with the horses. While we were retiring the bullets from the -German shells were dropping all around us, and farther away our men at -the guns and the other troops were carrying on that desperate fight -against immense odds which will be always known as the battle of Mons. -From start to finish we were heavily outnumbered, but we knocked them -out. - -We were soon hard at it, pounding away, while our infantry were simply -mowing the Germans down. We had some terrible fire to put up with, and -at the end of about four hours we were forced to retire from the -position. At that time we were the only battery left in action out of -the whole of our brigade. - -An officer was sent to reconnoitre, to see where we could retire to, and -he picked out a little valley, a sort of rain-wash, and the battery -thundered into it. This was a hard place to tackle, and all our -attention was needed to keep the horses from falling down, because the -ground was so rough and steep. - -So far we had not seen any of the German infantry at close quarters, but -as soon as we had got into the level of the valley we ran into a lot of -them, and saw that we were ambushed. In this ambush I had one of the -experiences that were so common in the retreat, but I was lucky enough -to come out of it safely. Many gallant deeds were done there which will -never be officially known--for instance, when we were going through the -valley and were being heavily fired on, and it seemed as if there was no -chance for us, Corporal Holiday ran the gauntlet twice to warn us that -the enemy had us in ambush. - -We made a desperate effort to get out of the valley, but before we could -get clear many horses were shot down, amongst them being the one I was -riding. I did the only thing I could do--I lay there amongst the dead -horses. I had had a narrow shave, for my cap had been shot off by a -piece of shell. - -The first gun and two waggons had got through, and our corporal could -have got safely out, but he wasn’t built that way, and wasn’t thinking -about himself. - -He shouted, “Well, boys, your horses are down, and the best thing you -can do is to run for it.” - -I scrambled up and dashed through some brambles--they nearly scratched -me to pieces. Just as I and one or two more men got out five Germans -potted at us. I had no weapon--nothing except my whip--if we had had -arms we could have settled a lot of Germans that day--so I had to make a -dash for cover. But the corporal, with his rifle, did splendidly, for he -picked off three of the Germans, and the other two bolted. - -If it had not been for the corporal I should not have been here to tell -the tale; I should either have been killed or made a prisoner. Had it -not been for him, in fact, they would have wiped the lot of us -completely out. - -We were in that deadly ambush for about five hours--from five till -ten--no gunners with us, only drivers. It was night and dark, but the -darkness was made terrible by the glare of the villages which the -Germans had set fire to. - -There we were, ambushed and imprisoned in the valley, unable to move -either backward or forward, because the roadway was choked up with dead -horses. - -At last our major went away some distance, and inquired of a woman in a -house which would be the best way for us to get out of the valley. While -he was talking with her the house was surrounded by Germans, and it -seemed certain that he would be discovered; but in the darkness they -could not make him clearly out, and he was clever enough to shout to -them in their own language. It was a critical and dangerous time, but -the major scored. He baffled the Germans, and got himself out of the -house, and us out of the ambush in the valley. It was a splendid -performance and I believe the major was recommended for the D.S.O. on -account of it. - -We were thankful when we were clear of the valley, but about two miles -farther on we ran into some more Germans; there were Germans everywhere, -they swarmed over the whole countryside, day and night, and, as I have -told you, they heavily outnumbered us all the time and at every turn. -But by this time we were better able to meet them, for we had plenty of -infantry with us--Gordons, and Wiltshire and Sussex men--who were -joining in the retreat. - -That retirement was a terrible business. Our infantry had been fighting -in the trenches and in the open, and they were fighting all the time -they were retiring. The Germans gave them no rest, and, like the -barbarians some of them are, they showed no mercy to our wounded, as we -discovered when we got back to Mons again, as we did in time. We saw -lots of our wounded who had been killed by the butts of the Prussian -bullies’ rifles. They had the finest troops of Prussia at Mons, and I -suppose the braggarts wanted to get some of their own back for having -been so badly mauled by Sir John French’s “contemptible little army.” - -In the earlier hours of the battle, during that awful Sunday at Mons and -in the neighbourhood, the British had suffered heavily. Twelve men of my -own battery and a dozen of the horses had been killed, and a waggon -limber had been blown to pieces. Mind you, I am talking only of our own -battery and our own brigade, and dealing with only a very small part of -the battle. No man who shared in it can do more. Our brigade consisted -of three batteries of six guns each. - -It had been a day of ceaseless fighting and terrific strain on men and -horses, and we were utterly done up when we got into camp at about one -on the Monday morning. We hoped we might rest a bit, but we had to -harness up at two, and shift off at three, because the Germans were -preparing to shell the village we were in. - -There was a hospital in the village, and by that time a good many of our -wounded were in it. The Germans could see plainly enough that it was a -hospital, and knew that it must be filled with wounded, but they -deliberately shelled it and set fire to it. Our captain and my sergeant -were in the hospital when the Germans fired it, but I don’t know whether -they got away or were left in the burning building. - -By the time we were on the move again it was full daylight. We dropped -into action again three or four times, but were forced to resume our -retirement, harassed all the time by the Germans. - -During the retirement we had several shots at German aeroplanes, which -were flying about spying out our positions and signalling them to their -own people; but field-guns are not much use against aircraft, because -the muzzles cannot be elevated sufficiently high. You need howitzers for -the work, because they are specially made for high-angle fire and can -throw their shots right over aeroplanes. - -We were retiring from the Monday till the Wednesday; then we got the -order to drop into action again. That was at eight o’clock in the -morning, and by that time we were at Cambrai, a good distance from Mons, -as you can see from the map. - -Mons was bad, but Cambrai was far worse. We had been retreating all the -time, day and night, fighting a heavy rearguard action, so that men and -horses were utterly worn out. Again the artillery did splendid work, and -had to pay for it. The 6th Battery had lost two guns and a waggon at -Mons, because the horses were killed, and they also had another gun put -out of action. They lost a further gun at Cambrai, and the battery was -almost completely cut up, but for their loss we in the 23rd Battery were -able to make up in a way. - -Our own guns were concealed so cleverly that the Germans could not find -them anyhow. The nearest they could get to us was about fifty yards in -front or fifty yards behind, and in dropping shells fifty yards make a -lot of difference, as the Germans found to their cost. Our concealed -battery did heavy execution amongst them, and they deserved all they -got. - -When I was clear of the valley I got two fresh horses; but at Cambrai, -on the Wednesday, they were both killed. A shell burst and took off the -head of the riding horse, and bullets killed the off horse, so I was -dismounted again; and not a few of my chums were in the same unfortunate -position. - -Cambrai was the last battle we had before we turned the tables on the -Germans, and began to drive them back at the Marne, where a tremendous -fight went on for many days. Altogether we had been retiring pretty well -a week, and we rejoiced when the advance began. - -The advance made new men of us, especially when we saw what the Germans -had done. There were plenty of wrecks of our convoys on the roads, where -the enemy had got at them. That sort of thing was all right, of course, -and came in fairly enough in warfare; but it made our blood boil to see -the wanton damage that these so-called civilised soldiers had committed -on a people who had done no greater crime than defend their hearths and -families. - -You ask about German cruelties and barbarities. Well, I will tell you -something about what I saw myself, and people can form their own opinion -as to what generally happened. - -When the British troops retired from Mons the villages and the country -were untouched. No words can tell how kind the Belgians and the French -were to us, and I am glad to say that they were no worse for our passage -through their towns and villages and farms. They gave us food and wine, -and helped our sick and wounded, and wherever they were they did all -they could for us. - -Villages and towns and farms were peaceful and prosperous when we passed -through them first; but they were terribly changed when we returned and -went through them a second time, after the Germans had been at their -foul work. Sword, rifle, artillery and fire had done their dreadful -mischief, and deeds had been committed which filled us with horror. I -will mention two or three things by way of illustration, and these are -only instances of hosts of cases. - -On the first day of the advance we were passing through a small village. -I saw a little child which seemed to be propped up against a window. -There were some infantry passing at the same time as ourselves--Gordons, -I think they were--and one of the officers went into the cottage and -took the little creature from the window. He found that it was dead. The -Germans had killed it. - -The officer had a look over the house, and in the next room he found the -mother. She was dead also, and mutilated in a most ferocious way. - -The interior of the cottage was in a state of absolute wreckage. The -barbarians had not spared anything. They had destroyed the furniture, -thrown everything about, and done their best to ruin inoffensive people -whose country they had laid waste, and who had not done them the -slightest wrong. When our men saw that, they went almost mad. - -I will give you another instance. We passed through a village about two -hours after some of the braggart Uhlans had visited it, and we saw how -courageous they can be when they have only old men and women and -children to deal with. They sing a different song when the British -cavalry are after them. There was a farmhouse which had been the home -of two old people, a farmer and his wife. I believe the poor old couple -looked after the farm themselves. - -We found the old lady at the farm all alone, and I saw her. A pitiful -spectacle she was, and well she might be, for the Uhlans had come and -taken her poor old husband out into a field and shot him, and left his -dead body there. They had robbed the house of everything--all the money -and every bit of food--and had left the old lady almost demented. - -When our own troops came up they gave the poor old soul--she was sitting -outside the house, crying--the bully beef and biscuits which had been -served out to them that very morning, and which they themselves needed -badly. - -We heard of several cases like that from the people of the country as we -returned through it, and cases of these German bullies holding revolvers -to women’s heads and forcing the frightened creatures to give them their -rings and jewellery and everything they could lay their hands on. This -was the sort of thing we saw, or heard at first hand, and it made us all -the more thankful that we were driving the Germans back and getting -level with them. - -We fell into action that morning about seven o’clock. We had to make our -way straight across country, regardless of fields or roads; and all the -time the Germans shelled us. It didn’t matter where we were, the shells -fell beyond us; but the enemy weren’t clever enough to find our twelve -batteries, which were in action, and which properly “gave them socks.” - -We held that village till about eight o’clock, then we started on the -advance again, driving the Germans back; and when once they start going -they travel very quickly--when the enemy is after them. - -That was the last battle we had before we got to the river Marne. So -far, we had had a lot to do with the German field-guns; now we were to -make the acquaintance of the bigger chaps I have referred to--Black -Marias, Coal Boxes and Jack Johnsons, as I have said we called them, -because they fired a big shell, a 90-pounder, which burst and made a -thick cloud of filthy, greasy smoke which was enough to poison you if it -got at you. I believe that the fumes of some of the German shells will -actually kill you if you get them properly into your system. - -The Battle of the Marne was a long and big affair, lasting about three -weeks, and the Black Marias did a good deal of mischief. On the Sunday, -as our ambulance waggons retired, the Germans shelled them with these -siege guns, and blew them to pieces. At the finish there was not an -ambulance waggon available. Yes, that is what they did, and it was done -deliberately, because any soldier can tell an ambulance waggon when he -sees it. - -The Germans stuck at nothing to gain their ends; no trick is too dirty -for them to play. One particularly vile one was the using of ambulance -waggons for the purpose of carrying machine-guns. Our troops did not -dream of firing at ambulance waggons; but when we saw that this wicked -use was being made of them--and we did see it, for they came quite close -to us--we gave the Germans in them what for. - -The Germans tried three or four times to break through our lines, but -our Tommies were too good for them, and sent them back a great deal -faster than they had come on. They swept them away with rifle fire, and -the Germans never had a chance when our men could get fairly in with the -bayonet. - -During that long month of fighting we were in a good many places in -France and Belgium. At one time we were actually on the field of -Waterloo, and could see in the distance the monument put up in memory of -the battle. I dare say the Germans fancied they were going to do a lot -with us at Waterloo; but it all ended in fancy, and we kept on the -driving game with them till they were altogether forced back. - -When we could get at them we could beat them, though they were sometimes -about ten to one, and in one little affair I saw twenty of our -“Jocks”--Gordons, I think they were--scatter something like two hundred -Germans. The Jocks badly wanted to get at the Germans with the steel, -but the Germans just as badly didn’t want to be bayoneted, and those who -weren’t shot scuttled. - -The fighting was not the only hard part of the Battle of the Marne. For -nearly three weeks we never had a dry shirt on owing to the wet weather, -and we never had our boots off; we hadn’t time for it, and we were kept -too well at it. The poor horses were fearfully knocked up. They were -like us--never had a chance to rest--and were three or four days without -food. - -Once, during the retirement, we had only two hours’ rest in four days; -but we daren’t stop. Sometimes we were on foot, sometimes in the saddle, -and the Germans were after us in motor-lorries, full of troops. - -But however badly they handled us, I think it was nothing to the way in -which we mangled them when our artillery got really to work, and -especially when it came to “gun fire”--that is, rapid firing, each gun -firing as soon as it is loaded. This means that you take no time between -rounds; you simply blaze away, and the guns become quite hot. In one -particular position every sub-section fired 150 rounds, so that, taking -a whole battery, I should think they pretty well fired a thousand rounds -in a day. - -It was on the Marne that my fifth horse was killed under me. A shell -struck him, and before I could clear myself I fell over into a ditch, -the horse on top of me, shot and shell flying all around as I went over. -Two of my ribs were broken, and I was put out of action. I was picked up -and carried down to the camp. I was in hospital there for three days -before I was sent to London. - -I had a complete Uhlan’s uniform with me, and wanted to bring it home, -but this bit of the saddle is all I have left. The Uhlan’s saddle is a -wonderful thing, weighing 78 lb., compared with 12 lb. for the British -saddle. Here is the piece; you can see that it is filled in with -lead--why, I don’t know. And here is the torn khaki jacket I was wearing -when my fifth horse was killed under me at the Marne--and this part is -sodden with his blood. - -I had a round month of fighting, retreating, advancing, and fighting -again, and apart from the broken ribs I was utterly done up; but I am -pretty well again now. I am just off to see the doctor; the day after -to-morrow I am to get married, the next day I rejoin, and after -that--well, who can tell? - - - - -CHAPTER III - -“GREENJACKETS” IN THE FIRING LINE - - [The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, the famous old 60th Rifles, the - “Greenjackets,” I have had a large share in the war and have added - to their glorious distinctions. Many of the officers of this - regiment have given their lives for their country, amongst them - being Prince Maurice of Battenberg. Some details of the Prince’s - service in the war before he was killed in action are given in this - story by Rifleman Brice, of the 60th, who was wounded at the Battle - of the Aisne and invalided home.] - - -When we first landed in France we were welcomed and cheered by crowds of -French people who decked us with flowers and couldn’t do too much for -us, and they kept that kindness up all the time I was over there until I -was sent home with a lot more wounded. Throwing flowers at us was a -great deal pleasanter than the shells and bullets which were shot at us -a few days later, when we were in the thick of trench-digging and -fighting. It’s astonishing how soon you settle down to a state of things -that you’ve never been used to and how extraordinarily war alters life -and people. - -The Greenjackets are very proud of themselves, especially in time of -peace, and have many little ways of their own; but a war like this makes -all soldiers chums and equals and even the officers are practically just -like the men. Our own colonel did his share in the trench-digging, and a -royal officer like Prince Maurice of Battenberg, who is now resting in -a soldier’s grave, was living the same life as the rest of us. Many an -act of kindness did the Prince show to his riflemen, and many a fierce -fight he shared in before he was killed in battle; many a word of cheer -did he utter to men who were almost exhausted and nearly dying of -thirst, and I have seen him go and buy fresh bread, when it could be -got, and give it to us as a treat--and a glorious treat it was! - -One of the first things we had to do after the retirement from Mons was -to bury German dead, and you will get some idea of the awful losses they -suffered, even at the beginning of the war, when I tell you that in one -place alone we were about eight hours in doing this unpleasant task. - -We got used to digging ourselves in and being shelled out, and to -guarding towns and villages while the panic-stricken inhabitants escaped -to safety. It was a pitiful sight to see people turned out of their -houses, taking their belongings, when they could, in carts, -perambulators, wheelbarrows and every available conveyance. They always -kept as close to us as they could keep, and our fellows used to collect -money amongst themselves for the poor souls and give them all the food -they could spare--and they were very grateful if we gave them only a -biscuit. - -It was terrible work on our way to the Aisne; but the hardships were -lightened for us in many little ways that counted a lot. Some of our -officers would carry two rifles, when men became too weary to carry -their own; the colonel would jump off his horse and give an exhausted -man a lift in the saddle, and he would take apples from his pockets and -pass them along the ranks to the men. These acts of kindness helped us -all enormously. And we were helped on the way by smoking--what a joy it -was to get a fag, especially when cigarettes ran so short that one would -go round a dozen times, passed from man to man, and a chap was sorely -tempted to take a pull that was almost enough to fill him with smoke. -When we hadn’t a scrap of tobacco of any sort we would roll a fag of -dried tea-leaves which had been used for making tea--and that was better -than nothing. - -It was fighting all the way to the Aisne, heavy rearguard actions most -of the time, though in a lesser war many of these affairs would have -been reckoned proper battles. One night, at about ten o’clock, after a -hard march, we had reached a town, and had thankfully gone into our -billets--houses, barns, any sort of place that came handy, and we were -expecting a peaceful time; but we were no sooner settling down than we -got the alarm to dress and fall in. Getting dressed was the work of -seconds only, because undressing was merely a case of putting the pack -and equipment and rifle down and resting on the flags or earth, or, if -we were lucky, hay or straw; and so, when the alarm was given, we very -soon fell in, and with fixed bayonets we rushed for a bridge across the -river that we had been ordered to take. - -At the point of the bayonet the bridge was carried with a splendid rush, -then we had to hold it while our transport and ammunition column got out -of the town, and there we were till seven o’clock next morning. The main -body of the troops retired and left us as a rearguard; but they had not -gone from the town more than ten minutes when we saw the Germans coming -towards the bridge in swarms. There was no help for it--we had to get -away from the bridge which we had held throughout the night. - -We began to retire in good order, fighting desperately, and our men -falling killed and wounded. Yard by yard we fell back from the bridge, -firing as furiously as we could at the German masses, and for half a -mile we kept up an unequal rearguard struggle. It seemed that we should -be hopelessly outnumbered and that there was little hope; then we saw -two divisions of the French advancing, and knew that we should pull -through. The French came on and gave us help, and, covering our -retirement, enabled us to get away from the bridge. - -It was in one of the charges on a bridge which was held by the Germans, -just before we got to the Aisne, that Prince Maurice distinguished -himself. He was very daring and was always one of the first in the -fighting, no matter where or what it was. I was not actually in the -charge, being in the supports behind; but I saw the charge made, and a -grand sight it was to watch our fellows rush forward with the steel and -take the bridge. At another time the Prince was in action with a German -rearguard and narrowly escaped death. I was in this affair, and saw a -German shell burst about a yard away. It plugged into the ground and -made a fine commotion and scattered earth and fragments around us; but a -chum and myself laughed as we dodged it, and that was the way we got -into of taking these explosions when we became used to the war. You -could not help laughing, even if you were a bit nervous. During this -fight Prince Maurice was shot through the cap, so that he had a shave -for his life, but he made light of his escape, and was very proud of the -hole in the cap, which he showed to us when he talked with us, as he -often did, before he fell. - -There were so many incidents of coolness and disregard of wounds that it -is not easy to recollect them all; but I call to mind that our adjutant, -Lieutenant Woods, was shot in a little affair with the Germans. A -sergeant had taken a maxim gun to put in position at a certain spot; but -he had gone the wrong way and the adjutant went after him to put things -right. He was too late, however, for the sergeant was spotted by the -Germans and was killed. The adjutant himself was struck, but managed to -get away, and he came back laughing and saying, “Oh! damn those Germans! -They’ve shot me in the leg!” But in spite of the wound he would not lie -up or let anybody do anything for him--he bound up the wound himself and -carried on. - -I saw another case, later, which illustrates the coolness of the British -officer and his determination not to leave the fight till he is forced -to do so. I was by that time wounded and in a temporary hospital, and -the artillery were keeping up one of the endless duels. The officer had -been struck, and he came into the hospital, and I saw that his hand had -been partially blown off; but instead of caving in, as he might well -have done, he had the hand bound up and put it in a sling, then he went -back to his battery just outside the windows and kept on pounding away -at the Germans. - -We had plenty of excitement with the German aeroplanes, and often potted -at them, but I did not see any of the machines brought down. I remember -one day when an aeroplane was trying to locate our position--we were -retiring through a French village--and a brigade started firing at it. -Just when the aeroplane appeared, the little boys and girls of the -village were giving us delicious plums, which they were getting from the -trees. We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves, and the youngsters liked -it too, when the aeroplane swooped along and we instantly started firing -at it. So many rifles going made a tremendous rattle, and the poor -little boys and girls were terrified and ran off screaming, and -scattered in all directions. We shouted to them and tried to bring them -back, but they didn’t come, and disappeared in all sorts of -hiding-places. The aeroplane got away, I believe, but at any rate it did -no mischief at that particular spot. The French civilian folk got used -to running off and hiding. In another village we passed through we came -to a large house and found that three young ladies and their parents had -been forced into the cellar and locked there by the Germans. When we -entered the house, the prisoners were starving, and were thankful for -anything that we gave them; but they would not take any money from us. -The young ladies spoke English quite nicely. - -We got quite used to aeroplanes--our own, the Germans, and the French, -and saw several thrilling fights in the air. Once we saw a French -aeroplane furiously fired on by the Germans--a regular cannonade it was; -but the shells and bullets never got at it, and the aeroplane escaped. -It was wonderful to see the way the machine shot down, as if nothing -could prevent it from smashing on the ground, then to watch it suddenly -turn upward and soar away as safely and swiftly as a bird. The airman’s -idea seemed to be to dodge the fire, and he darted about in such a -bewildering fashion that no gunner or rifleman could hope to do -anything with him. We were all greatly excited by this thrilling -performance in the air, and glad when we knew that the plucky Frenchman -had been swift enough to dodge the shells and bullets. - -We had had some very trying work to do, and now we were going to get our -reward for it. Some of the hardest of the work was that about which -people hear nothing, and perhaps never even think--on sentry at night, -for instance, about the most nerve-racking job you can imagine. We were -always double sentry, and stood for two hours about five yards from each -other, like statues, never moving. I always felt funky at this sort of -work at the start--you can imagine such a lot in the dark and the strain -is so heavy. At the slightest sound the rifle would be presented, and -the word “Halt!” ring out--just that word and nothing more, and if there -wasn’t an instant satisfactory reply it was a bad look-out for the other -party. The Germans were very cunning at getting up to some of the -British outposts and sentries, and as so many of them speak English very -well, they were dangerous customers to tackle, and this added to the -heavy strain of sentry work at night. - -Now I come to the Battle of the Aisne. I had three days and nights of it -before I was bowled out. - -A strange thing happened on the first day of the battle, and that was -the appearance of a little black dog. I don’t know where he came from, -or why he joined us, but he followed the battalion all the rest of the -time I was with it, and not only that, but he went into action, so he -became quite one of us. - -Once, in the darkness, we walked into a German outpost. We found it -pretty hard going just about there, for the German dead were so thick -that we had to walk over them. That march in the night was a wonderful -and solemn thing. Three columns of us were going in different -directions, yet moving so quietly that you could scarcely hear a sound. -All around us, in that Valley of the Aisne, were burning buildings and -haystacks, making a terrible illumination, and showing too well what war -means when it is carried on by a nation like the Germans, for this -burning and destroying was their doing. - -Silently, without any talking, we went on, and then we fell into the -outpost. I heard the stillness of the night broken by the sharp sound of -voices, a sound which was instantly followed by shots, and the furious -barking of our little dog, which up to that point had been perfectly -quiet. The shots were fired by Captain Woollen, who killed two of the -Germans, and one of our men shot a third. We left them where they fell -and retired as quickly as we could; but we had done what we started out -to do, and that was to find the position of the enemy. - -While advancing again we caught a column of Germans. Our brigade-major -saw them and came tearing back and told us that they were about fourteen -hundred yards to the left of us. Within ten minutes we had a firing line -made and our artillery was in position as well. It was a grand sight to -see our fellows running into the firing line smoking cigarettes, as cool -as if they were doing a bit of skirmishing on training. - -We gave the Germans about three hours’ hot firing, then a company went -round to take the prisoners. The white flag had been shown, but we had -not been allowed to take any notice of that until we were sure of our -men, because the Germans had so often made a wrong use of the signal of -surrender. When the company got round to the Germans it was found that -they had already thrown down their rifles. Our brigade took about 500 -prisoners, and the rest we handed over to the 1st Division. The Germans -had about a mile and a half of convoy, which got away; but the French -captured it in the evening, and so made a very nice little complete -victory of the affair. - -At that time, early in the war, the Germans thought they were going to -have it all their own way, and they considered that any trick, white -flag or otherwise, was good enough. So certain were they about victory -that in one village we passed through we saw written on a wall, in -English, evidently by a German, “We will do the tango in Paris on the -13th.” We laughed a good deal when we read that boast, and well we -might, for it was on the 13th that we saw the writing on the wall, and -the Germans by that time were getting driven a long way back from the -French capital. - -On the Monday morning we went out as flank guard on the Aisne, and were -going along behind some hills when our captain spotted swarms of Germans -coming up over a ridge about twelve hundred yards away. He ordered two -platoons to go out and line the ridge, and for the ridge we went. When -we reached it, our captain told us that not a man was to show his head -over the ridge until he gave the word to fire. - -The Germans came on, getting nearer and nearer, in dense masses, and it -was the hardest thing in the world not to let fly at them. They advanced -till they were about seven hundred yards away, then we showed them what -British rifles could do. We simply went for them, and our rifles got so -hot that we could scarcely hold them. Despite that awful hail of -bullets the Germans came on, and hurled themselves against us till they -were not more than a hundred yards away; then we wanted to charge them, -and begged to be let loose with the bayonet, but our captain told us -that there were not enough of us to do it. So we retired to our own -battalion, the whole of which had the joy of going for them. But the -Germans didn’t wait for us. They don’t like the British steel, and when -we had pushed them right back, without actually getting at them, they -cleared off. - -This was the kind of thing that went on in the Valley of the Aisne. It -was work in the open and work in the trenches, on top of the incessant -fighting we had had. On the third day, at night, we had just come out of -the trenches, having been relieved by another company. We were in good -spirits, for we had been sent to a barn, where we were to spend the -night. That was a splendid bit of luck, because it meant that we were to -get a nice rest and have a good time. The barn had hay in it, and we -simply packed the place. It was on a farm, and during the day we had -seen the farmer and his wife. There was a village near, with a church -and houses, and it had proved a fine target for the Germans, who -constantly shelled the place. We had got quite into the way of watching -the shells burst about fifty yards in front of us, and it really was a -grand sight to sit and gaze at them. We sometimes did this when we were -so heavily bombarded that we could do nothing with the rifle or bayonet. -Little did we know what was in store for us at the barn from shells. - -The night passed and the morning came. We breakfasted and made ready to -march; but were - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 38._ - -“THE GERMANS CAME ON AND HURLED THEMSELVES AGAINST US.”] - -ordered to hold back a bit, and so we put aside our packs and rifles and -had a sing-song to pass the time. It was one of the most surprising -concerts ever held, I daresay, because all the time about three German -batteries were shelling us, and occasionally a shell burst very near us -and made an awful commotion. We were still packed in the barn, quite -cheerful, when the sergeant who was in charge of us, and was acting as -sergeant-major, told us to fall in. - -He had hardly spoken the words when the very building seemed to -collapse, the wall was blown in, the roof fell, timbers crashed down and -the barn was filled with a horrible smoke and dust, and there were -deafening and awful cries--screams and groans where a few moments -earlier there had been the sound of merriment, for a German shell had -crashed through the wall and exploded in the very thick of us. - -I was lying down in the barn, with my pack on, when this thing happened. -I sprang to my feet and dashed to the door and rushed into the open air, -but as soon as I had left the building a second shell came and burst and -I was knocked down. I tried to rise, but my leg was numb, and so I had -to wait till the stretcher-bearers came and took me to a big white house -about three hundred yards away, which had been turned into a hospital, -and there I was put with the rest of the wounded. For about ten minutes -I had to wait outside, and there I was struck by a piece of spent shell, -but not much hurt. When we were carried off in the stretchers we were -kept near the bank of the road, to avoid as much as possible the German -fire. - -At the hospital it was found that I had been wounded in the leg; but I -did not care so much about myself, I wanted to know what had happened -in the barn. I soon learned the dreadful truth--the shells had killed -eleven of the men and wounded thirty-two, some of whom died afterwards. - -Prince Maurice was close at hand when this happened, and at night he -attended the burial of the poor fellows near the barn. About an hour -after the men were killed he came into the house to see us. “How are you -getting on?” he asked me. “I am so sorry such a dreadful thing has -happened.” And he looked it, too. - -I was in the hospital three days before being sent home. All that time -there were villagers in the cellars of the hospital, terrified people -who were hiding from the German fire, and were fed from our transport. - -A lot was crowded into that retirement from Mons and the advance to the -Aisne. We had kept our spirits up and had not been downhearted, and when -the great day came which brought the order to advance and fight the -enemy, we positively shouted and sang. And this was not just swank; it -was a real expression of our feelings, for we wanted to do our bit for -the Empire. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE STRUGGLE ON THE AISNE - - [The Battle of the Aisne began on Sunday, September 13th, 1914, - when the Allies crossed the river. The Germans made furious efforts - to hack their way through to Paris, but after a struggle lasting - three weeks they were driven back with enormous losses. The British - losses were: 561 officers and 12,980 men in killed, wounded and - missing. The beginning of this tremendous conflict is told by - Private Herbert Page, of the Coldstream Guards, who was wounded and - had a wonderful escape from instant death on the battlefield.] - - -There was fierce fighting all day on Sunday, September 13th, when the -Battle of the Aisne began; but the Coldstreamers were not in it till the -Monday. We had had a lot of heavy fighting, though, since the beginning -of the business at Mons, and we had had a fine fight at Landrecies--a -fight which has been specially mentioned in despatches. At the end of it -all the men in my company--Number 2--had their names taken, but I don’t -know why. Anyway, it was a grand affair, and no doubt some day the real -full story of it will be told and everybody will know what the -Coldstreamers did there. Landrecies is particularly an affair of the 3rd -Coldstreamers. - -We had had a very hard time, fighting and marching and sleeping in the -open during the cold nights and in thick mud or in trenches that were -deep in water; but with it all we kept very cheerful, especially when -we knew that we had brought the Germans up with a jerk and were -beginning to roll them back. - -The Coldstreamers were in the open all day on the Sunday, right on the -side of the artillery, behind a big hill, and were very comfortable. The -artillery on both sides were hard at it, but the Germans could not get -our range and no shells came near us. It was harvest time, and we were -lying down on sheaves of wheat, and making ourselves as cosy as we -could. That was not altogether easy to do, because it was raining during -the best part of the day and everything was rather depressing and very -wet. But we put our oilsheets on the ground, our greatcoats over the -oilsheets, and straw on the top of ourselves, so that we were really -pretty snug, taken altogether. The straw, I fancy, was put there not so -much to give us comfort as to hide us from the view of the chaps who -were always flying about in the German aeroplanes, trying to spot us and -make our positions known to their own gunners. - -Our own aeroplanes and the Germans’ were very busy during that Sunday, -and shells were flying about them on both sides, but I don’t think they -were doing much mischief. We ourselves were doing very nicely indeed. -Our transport came up and issued new biscuits, and we got a pot of jam -each--and delicious they were, too. We enjoyed them immensely, and -didn’t care a rap about the German shells. Our transport was splendid, -and we always had something to go on with. There was no fixed time for -any meal, there couldn’t be, for we used to march about fifty minutes -and take ten minutes’ halt. If we were on a long day’s march we would -get an hour or two at dinner-time, usually from one o’clock. It was a -funny country we were in, hot in the daytime and cold at night; but we -soon got used to that. We were helped enormously by the kindness of the -French, and we got on very well with the people and had not much -difficulty in making ourselves understood, especially as we picked up a -few words of the language--and we could always make signs. When we -wanted a drink we would hold out our water-bottles and say “loo,” and -they laughed and rushed off and filled our bottles with water. - -On the way to the Valley of the Aisne we passed through towns and -villages where the Germans had been and we saw what outrages they had -committed on both people and property. They had recklessly destroyed -everything. They had thrown poor people’s property out of the windows -into the streets and pulled their bedding into the roads to lie on -themselves. The Germans acted like barbarians wherever they went--I saw -one poor child who was riddled with bullets. We ourselves had strict -orders against looting of any sort, but we did not dream of touching -other people’s property. Whenever we came to a town or village we warned -the people to get away, as the Germans were coming, and they went. It -was always pleasant to hear them say--as they did to our officers, who -spoke to them in French--that they felt safe when the English were -there. - -The river Aisne runs through lovely country, which looks a bit of a -wreck now, because we had to rush across the open and trample down the -wheat to get at the Germans. The country’s crops were spoiled, but the -damage we did was trifling compared with the devastation that the -Germans caused. - -Throughout that Sunday when the Battle of the Aisne opened we had no -casualties, and the day passed pretty well. At night we slept in a barn, -which was better than the wet fields. There were no rats, but plenty of -rabbits, for the people of the farm seemed to breed them and to have -left the hutches open. That night in the barn gave me the best rest I -had had since Mons, as I was not even on guard. We had a good breakfast -in the barn, tea, bully beef and biscuits, and marched off soon after -six in the morning, which was very wet and cold. We marched about four -miles, until we came to the Aisne, to a bridge that had been blown up -and so shattered that there was only a broken girder left. The rest of -the bridge was in the river, which was very deep in the middle, after -the heavy rains. - -We were now properly in the thick of the battle and a fierce business it -was, because the Germans had the range of us and were dropping shells as -fast as they could fire. Some of the Guards were got across by boats, -but we had to wait our turn to cross over a pontoon bridge which the -Engineers had put up, in spite of the heavy fire. - -We felt the German artillery fire at this place, near the village of -Vendresse, but we could not see them. We watched the Loyal North -Lancashires cross the pontoon bridge and saw them march away on the -other side of the river, which was well wooded, then we heard them -firing hard and knew that they were in action with the Germans. We were -not long in following the North Lancashires and over the pontoon bridge -we went, going very quietly, as we had been told to make as little noise -as possible. In about an hour we were properly in the business -ourselves. - -After crossing the river we began to feel that at last we were really -at the Germans. We made the best of the shelter that the wood gave us, -and from behind trees and from the sodden ground we kept up a -destructive fire on the enemy, getting nearer to him all the time. -Things were growing very hot and the whole countryside rang with the -crashing of the guns and the everlasting rattle of the rifles and -machine-guns. We were expecting more of our men to cross the river and -reinforce us, but the German guns had got the range of the pontoons and -no more of our men could cross, so that for the time being we were cut -off and had to do as best we could with one of the very strong -rearguards of the enemy. - -When we had put some good firing in from the wood we left the shelter of -the trees and got into the open country, and then we were met by a shell -fire which did a great deal of mischief amongst us. These shells were -the big chaps that we called Jack Johnsons, and one came and struck an -officer of the North Lancashires who was standing on the right of his -line. I was not far from him, being on the left of our own line. The -shell shattered both his legs and he fell to the ground. I hurried up, -and the first thing the officer asked for was a smoke. We propped him up -against a haycock and a chap who had some French tobacco made a fag and -gave it to the officer--nobody had a cigarette ready made. He smoked -half of it and died. By that time the stretcher-bearers had come up and -were taking him away. Before he left for the rear I gently pulled his -cap over his face. This affair filled the men around with grief, but it -put more heart into us to go on fighting the Germans. - -Our artillery now began to fire rapidly and the Germans started to -retire. There was a big bunch of them, and they made for the hill as -fast as they could go, meaning to scuttle down the other side and get -away. But our gunners were too sharp for them, and they were properly -roused up by that time. They came up in splendid style--the 117th Field -Battery, I think they were--and just as the Germans reached the top of -the hill in a solid body our gunners dropped three shells straight into -them, and three parts of the flying Germans stopped on the top of the -hill--dead. - -I could not say how many Germans there were against us at this place, -but I know that they came on in swarms, and they went down as fast as we -could fire. But their going down seemed to make no difference to their -numbers. They were only a few hundred yards away, and we could see them -quite plainly. They were running all over the place, like a lot of mad -sheep, they were so excited. And they were blowing trumpets, like our -cavalry trumpets, and beating drums and shouting “Hoch! Hoch!” as hard -as they could shout. - -They kept blowing their charge and banging their drums till they were -about 300 yards away, and shouting their “Hochs!” They shouted other -words as well, but I don’t know what they were. - -When our chaps heard the trumpets and drums going and the German cheers -they answered with a good old British “Hooray!” and a lot of them -laughed and shouted, “Here comes the Kaiser’s rag-time band! We’ll give -you ‘Hoch!’ when you get a bit nearer!” And I think we did. At any rate -we kept on firing at them all the time they were advancing; but they -swept ahead in such big numbers that we were forced to retire into the -wood. - -As soon as we got into the wood we came under very heavy machine-gun -fire from the Germans, and the bullets rained about us, driving into the -earth and into the trees and whizzing all around us everywhere. The -German shells were smashing after us, too, but were not doing much -damage at that point. - -It was now that I lost a very old chum of mine, a fine chap from -Newcastle named Layden, a private. He was in the thick of the -machine-gun fire, a few paces from me, when he suddenly cried out and I -knew that he was hit. The first thing he said was, “Give me a cigarette. -I know I shan’t go on much longer.” When we asked him what the matter -was he said he was hurt. “Are you wounded?” he was asked. “Yes, I’m hit -in the stomach,” he answered--and he was, by about seventeen bullets. - -The call went round for a cigarette, but nobody had one--lots of -cigarettes were sent out to the soldiers that never reached them--but -poor Layden was soon beyond the need of fags. He was delirious when our -stretcher-bearers came and took him to a barn which had been turned into -a temporary hospital. He lingered there for some time; but the last I -saw of him was on the field. I missed him badly, because we had been -good chums, and whatever we got we used to give each other half of it. - -For about five hours, until two o’clock in the afternoon, that part of -the battle went on, and all the time we were holding the Germans back; -then we were reinforced by the remainder of our troops, who came across -the pontoon bridge to our assistance. - -The Germans now seemed to think that they had had enough of it and they -held up white flags, and we left the shelter of the wood and went out to -capture them. I should think that there were about three hundred of the -Germans at that point who pretended to surrender by holding up the white -flag; but as soon as we were up with them their people behind fired at -us--a treacherous trick they practised very often. In spite of it all we -managed to get the best part of the prisoners safe and drove them in -before us to our own lines. When they really surrendered, and did not -play the white flag game, we used to go up and take all their rifles, -bayonets and ammunition, and throw them away out of their reach, so that -they could not make a sudden dash for them and turn on us. When we had -chased a few prisoners and had seen what the Germans meant by the white -flag signal, we were told to take no notice of it, but to keep on -shooting till they put their hands up. - -A lot of the prisoners spoke English and said how glad they were to be -captured and have no more fighting to do. Some said they loved England -too much to want to fight against us, and a German said, “Long live King -George, and blow the Kaiser!” But I don’t know how many of them meant -what they said--you can’t depend on Germans. - -We had plenty of talks with the German prisoners who could speak -English. Some of them who had lived in England spoke our language quite -well, and it was very interesting to hear what they had to say about us -and the French and the Belgians. They couldn’t stand the British -cavalry, and one man said, “We don’t like those Englishmen on the grey -horses at all,” meaning the Scots Greys. Several of the prisoners said -they didn’t mind so much fighting the French, because the French -infantry fired too high, nor the Russians, because they fired too low; -“but,” they said, “every time the Englishman pulls the trigger he means -death.” That was a very nice compliment to us, and there was a great -deal of truth in what was said about the British rifle fire. I can -assure you that when we settled down to the work we often enough plugged -into the Germans just as if we were on manœuvres. - -At the very first--and I’m not ashamed to say it--I shook like a leaf -and fired anyhow and pretty well anywhere; but when that first awful -nervousness had passed--not to return--we went at it ding-dong all the -time and fired as steadily as if we were on the ranges. The men were -amazingly cool at the business--and as for the officers, well, they -didn’t seem to care a rap for bullets or shells or anything else, and -walked about and gave orders as if there were no such things in the -world as German soldiers. - -Most of the poor beggars we took were ravenous for want of food, and -those who could speak English said they had been practically without -food for days, and we saw that they had had to make shift with the oats -that the horses were fed with. This starvation arose from the fact that -a few days earlier we had captured the German transport and left them -pretty short of food. - -That rush after the Germans and bagging them was exciting work. It was -successful and everything seemed to be going very well. But there was a -nasty surprise in store for me and one which very nearly ended my career -as a fighting man. I had really a miraculous escape. - -I had charge of about four prisoners, and kept them well in front of me, -so that they could not rush me. I kept them covered with my rifle all -the time, and as I had ten rounds in my magazine I knew that they -wouldn’t have a ghost of a chance if they tried any German tricks on -me--I could easily have finished the lot before they could have got at -me. - -As I was driving the prisoners I felt as if some one had come up and -punched me on the ear. I did not know whether I had been actually hit by -somebody or shot, but I turned my head and at once fell to the ground. I -was swiftly up again on my feet and scrambled about. I knew that I was -hurt, but the thing I mostly cared about just then was my bag of -prisoners, so I handed them over to another man, and he took them in. I -then found that I had been shot in the neck by a bullet. It had gone in -at the collar of the jacket, at the back of the neck--here’s the hole it -made--and through the neck and out here, where the scar is, just under -the jaw. A narrow shave? Yes, that’s what the doctor said--it had just -missed the jugular vein. The shot bowled me out, but it was a poor -performance by the German who fired, because he could not have been more -than three hundred yards away, and being six foot one I made a big -target at that short distance. Anyway, he missed me and I was told to go -to a barn not far away which had been turned into a hospital, bed -mattresses having been placed on the floor. Here my kit was taken off me -and I was looked after at once, my kit being given to a North Lancashire -man who had lost his own and had been without one for three days. He had -been in a small battle and had had to take his choice between dropping -his kit and being caught; so he got rid of his kit and was able to -escape. When he left the barn he went into the firing line, but he only -lasted about ten minutes there. I had seen him leave - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 50._ - -“FROM BEHIND TREES WE KEPT UP A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE ON THE ENEMY.” (p. -45).] - -and I saw him brought back by the stretcher-bearers. As soon as he was -inside the barn he asked where I was, and he was told and was laid down -close to me. “Look here, old chap,” he said pleasantly, “if you’d only -been ten minutes later I shouldn’t have been here, because I shouldn’t -have got your kit and gone into the firing line and got hit.” - -Perhaps he was right. He might have escaped; but as it was he had been -shot through both legs. - -I didn’t like being in the barn and out of the fighting. It was better -to be in the firing line, with all its excitement and the knowledge that -you were doing your bit to help things along and drive the Germans back -to the best place for them, and that’s Germany; but our officers, who -never lost a chance of cheering and helping us, came in when they could -to see how we were getting on. During the afternoon my company officer, -Captain Brocklehurst, and the adjutant, came in to see how things were -going. Captain Brocklehurst saw me and said, “There are not many of the -company left; but we’re doing wonderfully well. We’ve killed a good many -of the Germans and taken about five hundred prisoners.” That was good -news, very good, but it was even better when the captain added, “And -we’re pushing them back all the time.” - -The guns were booming and the rifles were crackling all around us while -we were lying in the barn, and wounded men were being constantly brought -in, keeping the doctors and the ambulance men terribly busy--and you can -imagine what it must have meant for the Germans if it was like that for -us; because we fought in open order, so that we were not easy to hit, -whereas the Germans were in their solid formation, which meant that -they could not advance against the British fire without being mown down. - -I was in the barn, which was crowded with wounded, till about one -o’clock in the morning, then we were taken in Red Cross vans to another -hospital about three miles away, and as we left the French people showed -us all the kindness they could, giving us water, milk and food, in fact -all they had. We crossed the pontoon bridge and were put into another -barn which had been turned into a hospital, and we stayed there for the -night. We left that place in the morning for La Fère, about twenty miles -away. There were a great many motor waggons being used as ambulances, -and they were all needed, because of the crowds of wounded. All of us -who could walk had to do so, as all the vans and lorries were wanted for -the bad cases. I could manage to walk for about a mile at a stretch, but -I could not use my arms. When I had done a mile, I rested, then went on -again, and so I got to the end of the journey, with a lot more who were -just about able to do the same. We didn’t grumble, because we were -thankful to be able to walk at all and not to be so badly wounded that -we could not shift for ourselves. When we got to La Fère the hospital -was so full that we were put straight into a hospital train, and I was -in it for two days and nights, stopping at stations for brief halts. -Again the French people were kindness itself and pressed food and drink -on us. We got to Nantes, where my wound was dressed and we had supper, -and then I had what seemed like a taste of heaven, for I was put into a -proper bed. Yes, after sleeping for so many nights on the ground, anyhow -and anywhere, often enough in mud and water, it was like getting into -heaven itself to get into a bed. On the Saturday they put us on board a -ship and took us round to Liverpool, a four days’ journey on the sea. -First we went to Fazackerley, and then I was lucky enough to be sent on -to Knowsley Hall, where Lady Derby, who has a son in France with the -Grenadiers, had turned the state dining-room into a hospital ward. There -were sixteen Guardsmen in the ward, with four trained nurses to look -after us. Wasn’t that a contrast to the barns and flooded trenches! Now -I’m back in London, feeling almost fit again, and soon I shall have to -report myself. - -I have only told you about the little bit I saw myself of the tremendous -Battle of the Aisne. Considering the length of it and the fearful nature -of the firing, it sometimes strikes me as a very strange thing that I -should be alive at all; but stranger still that some men went through it -all, right away from the beginning at Mons, and escaped without a -scratch. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -“THE MOST CRITICAL DAY OF ALL” - - [In the first four months of the war nineteen Victoria Crosses were - gazetted for valour in the field, and of these no fewer than five - were awarded for the sanguinary fighting at Le Cateau on August - 26th, 1914. In his despatch dealing with the retreat from Mons Sir - John French described the 26th as “the most critical day of all.” - It was during this crisis of the battle that Corporal Frederick - William Holmes, of the 2nd Battalion The King’s Own (Yorkshire - Light Infantry), “carried a wounded man out of the trenches under - heavy fire and later assisted to drive a gun out of action by - taking the place of a driver who had been wounded.” Corporal Holmes - has not only won the Victoria Cross, but he has been also awarded - the Médaille Militaire of the Legion of Honour of France. His story - gives further proof of the wondrous courage and endurance of the - gallant British Army in Belgium and in France.] - - -For seven years I was with the colours in the old 51st, which is now the -Yorkshire Light Infantry, then I was drafted to the Reserve; but I was -called back only a fortnight later, when the war broke out. - -The regimental depôt is at Pontefract, in South Yorkshire, which some -unkind people say is the last place that God started and never finished, -and in August, having become a soldier again, after marrying and -settling down to civil life in Dublin, I found myself in a region which -was almost like the South Yorkshire coalfields. There were the same -pit-heads and shale-heaps, so that you could almost think you were in -England again--but how different from England’s calmness and security! -It was around these pit-heads and shale-heaps that some of the fiercest -fighting of the earlier days of the war took place. - -We had left Dublin and reached Havre at midnight; we had been to the -fortified town of Landrecies, where the Coldstreamers were to do such -glorious things, and had got to Maroilles, where Sir Douglas Haig and -the 1st Division became heavily engaged. We were at Maroilles, in -billets, from the 18th to the 21st. Billets meant almost anything, and -we lived and slept in all sorts of places as well as the trenches--but -being in the open in summer was no hardship. The fields had been -harvested and we often slept on the stacks of corn. - -The people were really most kind; they gave us every mortal thing as we -marched, beer, wine, cigarettes and anything else there was. - -At five o’clock on the Saturday afternoon we were billeted in a brewery, -where we stayed till Sunday noon, when, as we were having dinner, shells -were bursting and beginning things for us. We were ordered to take up a -position about two miles from Mons, and on that famous Sunday we went -into action near a railway embankment. - -People by this time know all about Mons, so I will only say that after -that hard business we retired towards Le Cateau, after fighting all day -on the 24th and all the following night. After that we took up a -position on outpost and stayed on outpost all night, then, at about two -in the morning, we dropped into some trenches that we had previously -occupied. - -I know what Mons was and I went through the battles of the Marne and the -Aisne; but nothing I had seen could be compared for fury and horror -with the stand of the 5th Division on the 26th. It was essentially a -fight by the 5th, because that was the only division employed at Le -Cateau. The division was composed of three brigades, the 12th, 13th and -14th. My battalion, the 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry, was in the 13th, -the other battalions with us being the West Riding, the King’s Own -Scottish Borderers and the West Kent. - -There were some coal-pit hills in front of us and the Germans advanced -over them in thousands. That was about eleven o’clock in the morning, -and the firing began in real earnest again. - -The Germans by this time were full of furious hope and reckless courage, -because they believed that they had got us on the run and that it was -merely a question of hours before we were wiped out of their way. Their -blood was properly up, and so was ours, and I think we were a great deal -hotter than they were, though we were heavily outnumbered. We hadn’t the -same opinion of German soldiers that the Germans had, and as they rushed -on towards us we opened a fire from the trenches that simply destroyed -them. - -Some brave deeds were done and some awful sights were seen on the top of -the coal-pits. A company of Germans were on one of the tops and an -officer and about a dozen men of the “Koylis” went round one side of the -pit and tried to get at them. Just as they reached the back of the pit -the German artillery opened fire on the lot, Germans and all--that was -one of their tricks. They would rather sacrifice some of their own men -themselves than let any of ours escape--and they lost many in settling -their account with the handful of Englishmen who had rushed behind the -pit at a whole company of Germans. - -Hereabouts, at the pits, the machine-gun fire on both sides was -particularly deadly. Lieutenant Pepys, who was in charge of the -machine-gun of our section, was killed by shots from German -machine-guns, and when we went away we picked him up and carried him -with us on the machine-gun limber until we buried him outside a little -village in a colliery district. - -He was a very nice gentleman and the first officer to go down. When he -fell Lieutenant N. B. Dennison, the brigade machine-gun officer, took -charge. He volunteered to take over the gun, and was either killed or -wounded. Then Lieutenant Unett, the well-known gentleman jockey, crawled -on his stomach to the first line of the trenches, with some men, -dragging a machine-gun behind them. They got this gun into the very -front of the line of the trenches, then opened fire on the Germans with -disastrous effect. Lieutenant Unett was wounded and lay in the open all -the time. - -This gallant deed was done between twelve noon and one o’clock, and I -was one of the few men who saw it. I am glad to be able to pay my humble -tribute to it. - -There was a battery of the Royal Field Artillery on our left rear, about -800 yards behind the front line of trenches. Our gunners had such -excellent range on the Germans that the German gunners were finding them -with high explosive shell. It was mostly those shells that were dropping -on them till they got the range and killed the gunners. There were only -about five who were not either killed or wounded. The officer was -wounded; but in spite of that he carried a wounded man round the bottom -of the hill, then went back and fetched another man and repeated the -journey until he had taken every one of the five away. After that he -returned, picked up a spade and smashed the sights of the gun and made -it useless. We heard some time afterwards that he had been killed. - -This brave deed was witnessed by most of us who were in the front line -of trenches. - -When the German guns were got into position in front of us and the -Germans tried their hardest to blow us out of our trenches, they -searched for our artillery and, failing to discover it, they grew more -determined than ever to rout us out of the place from which we were -doing deadly damage. - -In spite of the heavy losses around us we held on, and all the more -stubbornly because we expected every moment that the French would come -up and reinforce us. The French were due about four o’clock, but owing -to some accident they did not arrive, and it seemed as if nothing could -save us. - -There was a falling off in our artillery fire, and it was clear that one -of our batteries had been put out of action. And no wonder, for the -German guns were simply raining shells upon us. The Germans at that time -were sticking to the dense formations which had been their practice -since the war began--and they hurled themselves forward in clouds -towards the 37th Field Battery. - -So furiously did they rush, so vast were their numbers, and so certain -were they that they had the guns as good as captured, that they actually -got within a hundred yards of the battery. - -It was at this terrible crisis that Captain Douglas Reynolds and -volunteers rushed up with two teams and limbered up two guns, and in -spite of all the German batteries and rifles did one gun was saved. This -was a wonderful escape, in view of the nearness of the German infantry -and their numbers, and for their share in the desperate affair the -captain and two of the drivers--Drane and Luke--who had volunteered, got -the Victoria Cross. - -In a way we had got used to retiring, and we were not at the end of it -even now, by a good deal, for on our left the Borderers were withdrawing -and on our right the Manchesters were being forced right back; fighting -magnificently and leaving the ground littered with their dead and -wounded. - -The Yorkshire Light Infantry were left in the centre of the very front -line of the trenches, where we were heavily pressed. We made every -mortal effort to hold our ground, and C Company was ordered up from the -second line to reinforce us in the first. - -Imagine what it meant for a company of infantry to get from one trench -to another at a time like that, to leave shelter, to rush across a space -of open ground that was literally riddled with shrapnel and rifle -bullets, and in the daytime, too, with the Germans in overwhelming force -at point-blank range. - -But the order had been given, and C Company obeyed. The men sprang from -their trench, they rushed across a fire-swept zone--and the handful of -them who were not shot down made a final dash and simply tumbled into -our trench and strengthened us. They had just about lost their first -wind, but were soon hard at it again with the rifle and did murderous -work, if only to get something back on account of the comrades who had -fallen. - -It was a help, a big help, to have C Company with us in the front -trench; but even with this reinforcement we could do nothing, and after -we had made a hot stand the order came to retire. That was about -half-past four in the afternoon. - -Things had been bad before; they were almost hopeless now, for to retire -meant to show ourselves in the open and become targets for the German -infantry; but our sole chance of salvation was to hurry away--there was -no thought of surrender. - -When the order was given there was only one thing to do--jump out of the -trenches and make a rush, and we did both; but as soon as we were seen a -storm of bullets struck down most of the men. - -At such a time it is every man for himself, and it is hardly possible to -think of anything except your own skin. All I wanted to do was to obey -orders and get out of the trench and away from it. - -I had rushed about half-a-dozen yards when I felt a curious tug at my -boot. I looked to see what was the matter and found that my foot had -been clutched by a poor chap who was wounded and was lying on the ground -unable to move. - -“For God’s sake, save me!” he cried, and before I knew what was -happening I had got hold of him and slung him across my back. I can’t -pretend to tell you details of how it was all done, because I don’t -clearly remember. There was no time to think of much besides the bullets -and the fastest way of getting out of their reach. Rain was falling, not -heavily, but it was drizzling, and this made the ground greasy and -pretty hard going. - -I had not gone far before the poor chap complained that my equipment -hurt him and begged me to get it out of his way. The only thing to be -done was to drop the equipment altogether, so I halted and somehow got -the pack and the rest of it off, and I let my rifle go, too, for the -weight of the lot, with the weight of a man, was more than I could -tackle. - -I picked my man up again, and had struggled on for twenty or thirty -yards when I had to stop for a rest. - -Just then I saw the major of the company, who said, “What’s the matter -with him?” - -I could not speak, so I pointed to the man’s knees, which were shot with -shrapnel; then the major answered, “All right! Take him as far as you -can, and I hope you’ll get him safely out of it.” - -I picked him up again and off I went, making straight over the hill at -the back of the position we had taken, so that he should be safe from -the German fire. The point I wanted to reach was about a mile away, and -it was a dreadful journey; but I managed to do it, and when I had got -there, after many rests, I started to carry my man to the nearest -village, which was some distance off. - -I got to the village, but the German heavy shells were dropping so fast -that I could not stay there, and they told me to carry him into the next -village. I was pretty well worn out by this time, but I started again, -and at last with a thankful heart I reached the village and got the man -into a house where wounded men were being put. - -How far did I carry him? - -Well, it was calculated that the distance was three miles; but I never -felt the weight. Yes, he was quite conscious and kept on moaning and -saying, “Oh!” and telling me that if ever he got out of it he would -remember me; but I said that he mustn’t talk such nonsense--for I wanted -him to stop thanking me and to keep his spirits up. - -I don’t know how long I was in getting him over the ground, for I had no -idea of time. - -Having put my man in safety I left the house and began to go back to the -position, expecting to find some of the regiments to rejoin, but when I -reached the firing line there were no regiments left. They had been -forced to retire, and the ground was covered with the dead and wounded, -as it was impossible to bring all the wounded away. - -There was a road at this particular point, and on reaching the top of it -I saw the Germans advancing, about 500 yards away. Between them and -myself there was a field-gun, with the horses hooked in, ready to move -off; but I saw that there was only a wounded trumpeter with it. - -I rushed up to him and shouted, “What’s wrong?” - -“I’m hurt,” he said. “The gun has to be got away; but there’s nobody -left to take it.” - -I looked all around, and saw that there were no English gunners -left--there were only the Germans swarming up, 500 yards away and badly -wanting to get at the gun. - -There was not a second to lose. “Come on,” I said, and with that I -hoisted the trumpeter into the saddle of the near wheel horse, and -clambering myself into the saddle of the lead horse we got the gun going -and made a dash up the hill. - -There was only the one road, and this was so littered up and fenced -about with wire entanglements - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 62._ - -“I HOISTED THE TRUMPETER INTO THE SADDLE.”] - -that we could not hope to escape by it. Our only chance was by dashing -at the hill, and this we did--and a terrible business it was, because we -were forced to gallop the gun over the dead bodies of our own -men--mostly artillerymen, they were. Many of the poor chaps had crawled -away from their battery and had died on the hillside or on the road. - -We carried on over the hill, and when the Germans saw what we were doing -they rained shells and bullets on us. One or two of the horses were hit, -and a bullet knocked my cap off and took a piece of skin from my -head--just here. But that didn’t hurt me much, nor did another bullet -which went through my coat. We carried on, and got over the hill, just -driving straight ahead, for we couldn’t steer, not even to avoid the -dead. - -I daresay the bullet that carried off my cap stunned me a bit, at any -rate I didn’t remember very much after that, for the time being; all I -know is that we galloped madly along, and dashed through two or three -villages. There was no one in the first village; but in the second I saw -an old lady sitting outside a house, with two buckets of water, from -which soldiers were drinking. She was rocking to and fro, with her head -between her hands, a pitiful sight. Shells were dropping all around and -the place was a wreck. - -I carried on at full stretch for about ten miles, tearing along to get -to the rear of the column. I don’t remember that I ever looked back; but -I took it that the trumpeter was still in the saddle of the wheel horse. - -At last I caught up with the column; then I looked round for the -trumpeter, but he was not there, and I did not know what had become of -him. That was the first I knew of the fact that I had been driving the -gun by myself. - -Willy-nilly I had become a sort of artilleryman, and from that time -until the 28th I attached myself to the guns; but on that day I rejoined -what was left of my old regiment. - -I had been in charge of twelve men, but when I inquired about them I -found that only three were left--nine had been either killed or wounded, -and the rest of the battalion had suffered in proportion. That gives -some idea of the desperate nature of the fighting and the way in which -the little British army suffered during the first three days after Mons. - -The officer who had seen me carrying the man off did not see me go back, -but a sergeant who knew me noticed me passing through the village with -the gun and he was the first man of my battalion that I saw. This was -Sergeant Marchant, who, for his gallantry in helping another sergeant, -who was wounded, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. In that -fine affair he was helped by Company-Sergeant-Major Bolton, and both of -them were mentioned in despatches. - -Of course I never thought of saying anything about what I had done; but -I was sent for and asked if it was true, and I said I had got the man -away and helped to take the gun off, and this was confirmed by the major -who had seen me carrying the man. - -For the day’s work at Le Cateau two Victoria Crosses were given to my -regiment--one to Major C. A. L. Yate, “Cal,” he was called, because of -his initials, and one to myself. - -Major Yate was a very fine officer. He joined us and took command of B -Company just before we went out to the war. On this day he was in the -trenches, on our left rear, not very far from where I was. When we went -into action he had 220 men, but they caught so much of the hot fire -which was meant for the battery behind that he lost all his men except -nineteen when he was surrounded and captured. The day before this -happened the major declared that if it came to a pinch and they were -surrounded he would not surrender--and he did not surrender now. -Reckless of the odds against him he headed his nineteen men in a charge -against the Germans--and when that charge was over only three of the -company could be formed up. All the rest of B Company were either killed -or wounded or taken prisoners, though very few prisoners were taken. The -major was one of them; but he was so badly wounded that he lived only a -very short time, and died as a prisoner of war. His is one of the cases -in which the Cross is given although the winner of it is dead. Major -Yate was an absolute gentleman and a great favourite with us all. He had -had a lot of experience in the Far East and at home, and I am sure that -if he had lived he would have become a general. He was always in front, -and his constant cry was “Follow me!” - -From Le Cateau we got to the Valley of the Aisne and were in trenches -for ten days. At midnight on September 24th we advanced two miles beyond -the river, which we had crossed by pontoons because all the other -bridges had been blown up. - -We reached a little village and stayed there in shelters underneath the -houses, where all the inhabitants slept. We stayed in one of these -cellars and went on outpost at four in the morning and came off at four -next morning, then went on again at four a.m. - -We were only 250 yards from the Germans, who were in a small wood -outside the village, opposite the houses. They had snipers out and were -sniping at us all the time. We barricaded the windows of the houses and -knocked bricks out of the walls to make loopholes, and through these -loopholes we sniped the Germans, and they did their level best to pick -us off too. Every time your head was shown a dozen bullets came, and you -could not see where they came from. Two or three of our men were killed -by snipers; but there was no real chance of getting to grips, for there -was barbed wire everywhere, and nothing could be done till this was cut. -Night was the only time when the wire could be cut--and night work was -both eerie and nerve-racking. - -We had “listeners” to listen for any movement by the enemy. A sentry in -peace times means a man who walks up and down, smartly dressed, but in -war time, at night, he is a listener, and in the daytime he is a -“watcher”--he can see in the daytime and hear at night. That is one of -the little things which show how greatly war changes the customs of -peace. - -It was outside Béthune, when we were in reserve to the rest of the -brigade, that I was wounded. We had got well into October and we were -behind trenches, with French infantry on our right. At night we -advanced, on a level with the firing line, and in the darkness we dug -trenches. We were then next to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. We -finished the trenches before the early hours of the morning and stuck in -them till five in the afternoon, when we heard some shouts, and on -looking over we saw that the Germans were making a charge. - -We opened rapid fire and the Germans answered very smartly, having -dropped down. But they were not down long, for up they sprang and with -further shouts on they came and got within three hundred yards of us. -Then we were ordered to fix bayonets and be ready to charge at any -moment; but before we started charging we rushed into another line of -trenches in front of us, and there we mixed with the Borderers. - -This fight in the night was a thrilling affair, the chief guide on each -side being the flashes of the rifles, and these were incessant. The -Germans were firing rapidly at anything they could see; but there was -little to see except the tiny forks of flame. They must have heard us, -however, and that, of course, would help them. One strange thing -happened when we reached the trench, and that was that we had to wake up -some of the men. In spite of the fighting they were sleeping--but war -turns everything upside down, and the British soldier reaches a point -when it takes a lot to disturb him. - -Suddenly, at this crisis, I felt as if my leg had been struck by -something that vibrated, like a springboard, and I dropped down. I was -dizzy, but did not think I was hit, and I supposed that if I stayed down -for a few minutes I should be all right and able to go on. So I sat -down, but quickly found that I could not move, and on feeling my leg I -discovered that it was wet and warm, and I knew what that meant, so I -took off my equipment and put it down and began to crawl back to the -trench I had left when we charged. - -I crawled across a mangel-wurzel field to a house of some sort, then I -must have become unconscious, for the next thing I knew was that I was -being carried along on a stretcher. - -It was only yesterday that a friend in my battalion wrote to tell me -that we were crawling pretty close together through the mangel-wurzel -field. He was shot in the arm and stopped two of the Borderers’ -stretcher-bearers just in time to have me put on a stretcher. - -I had a natural walking-stick which I had cut from a vine, and of which -I was very fond. I had fastened it to my rifle and was so proud of it -that I said I would carry it through the war, if I could. My friend must -have known how I prized the vine-stick, for when he was sent home he -brought it with him, and it’s waiting for me when I leave hospital. - -I also had a letter from my company officer a few days ago. He says he -missed me that night, but he could not make out what had happened. He -heard that a complete set of equipment had been found, and on learning -that I was wounded he assumed that it was mine, and that I had been -carried away and left it. He told me that on the very night I was -wounded they were relieved by the French infantry, and that he himself -was hit ten days afterwards. It was the day before I was wounded that I -heard that I was recommended for the French Military Medal, and that was -as big a surprise to me as the news that I had been given the Victoria -Cross. - -That equipment of mine had a tragic history. During the first day of the -Aisne I was without equipment and set to work to get some. A bugler of -my battalion had been killed by shrapnel and I was told by my officer -to go and get his equipment. “Treat him gently, poor chap,” said the -officer, and you may be sure I did. I helped myself, and thinking that -the poor lad’s mother might like a memento I brought away his -“iron-rations” tin. This is riddled with bullet-holes, just as the -bugler was. - -There is one thing more that I would like to say, and it is about my -birthday, which falls on September 7th. As I had left the colours and -gone into the Reserve I thought I could look forward to a fine -celebration of the anniversary. And there _was_ a fine celebration, too, -for on September 7th our retiring before the Germans ended and we -started to advance and drive them back. - -Could any British soldier want a finer birthday celebration than that? - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -BRITISH FIGHTERS IN FRENCH FORTS - - [We very slowly learned something of the many extraordinary - features of this amazing war. Nothing is too astonishing or - stupendous to happen in connection with the fight to crush the - militarism of Prussia. Through this story by Private J. Boyers, of - the Durham Light Infantry--the old 68th Foot, long known by reason - of its devotion on many a bloody field like Salamanca and Inkerman - as the “Faithful Durhams”--we get to know something of the British - and French fighting side by side in the forts at Lille, one of the - strongest of the famous fortresses of France. Lille is a great - manufacturing town, the Manchester of France, and early in October - 1914, and later, it was the scene of much desperate fighting - between the Allied Armies and the Germans.] - - -I went from England with the first party in the Expeditionary Force, and -after landing on the other side of the Channel, we had a march of fifty -miles to Mons, where I had my first battle. - -I was in the great retirement--but I suppose you have heard enough about -that and Mons already, so I will leave it. After that beginning, I took -part in the Battle of the Marne and the Battle of the Aisne, and later -on I was shot in the thigh and bowled out. - -I am only a young soldier--I am a native of Sunderland, and was born in -1891--and I have only been in the army a few months--in the old 68th, -the “Faithful Durhams,” so I think I have seen a fair lot of the big war -and have got to know what it means. - -The Durhams have done splendidly and suffered terribly, and many a chum -of mine is sleeping with thousands more British soldiers on the -battlefields of France and Belgium. A great many have been wounded, and -of course there are a number of missing, mostly men, I dare say, who are -prisoners of war. - -I had been at sea before joining the army, and thought I knew something -about roughing it; but even the North Sea in bad weather was nothing -compared with the hardships of the retirement from Mons, and the living -and sleeping in the trenches when the ground was sodden and deep in -water. - -Sometimes we were very short of food, and once for several days on end -we were almost starving, because the supplies could not get up to us, -and we had been forced to throw away a lot of our packs and things. - -A good many of us had to carry a seven-pound tin of bully beef in -addition to our heavy packs and a great many rounds of ammunition. In -the fearfully hot weather we could not carry all this weight, and the -tins of beef had to go. We should have been thankful for them later on, -when we ran short and some of the beef we had with us had gone bad -through the tins getting punctured, which happened in all sorts of -strange ways, including bullet-holes and bayonet pricks. But these were -things that couldn’t be helped, and in spite of them all we kept very -cheerful, and often enough, both on the march and in the trenches and -French forts, when we got to them, we sang and joked and whistled as if -there was no such thing going on as war. - -Our officers shared everything with us, and suffered just as we did, -though often worse, so that whenever we got a bit downhearted, their -example cheered us up and put us right. I don’t think there’s a man -who’s fought in this great war who won’t say the same thing about his -officers. - -We had so much fierce fighting when the work really began, and saw so -many strange and dreadful things, that it is not easy to say what stands -out most clearly in our minds in such a business, but one of the things -I do remember, and shall never forget, is the week or so we spent in one -of the big French forts at Lille, fighting side by side with French -soldiers. I will tell you about that later, but we did a lot before we -got to Lille. - -When we were on the march we had a great deal of exciting work to do in -hunting Germans. Small bodies of them were everywhere, apart from the -immense numbers of spies who were in the Lille district and elsewhere. - -The French bagged a lot of spies and gave them short shrift. They hid in -all sorts of queer places--some of them got into the tall mill -chimneys--but they were routed out and shot. - -We found a fair lot of Germans in houses and farms when we were on the -march. We examined these places thoroughly. When we arrived at -farmhouses and suchlike places, a non-commissioned officer, with a small -party of men would make inquiries, often with the help of French -cavalrymen who were with us and could speak English, and we always found -that threats of fearful punishment to the womenfolk had been made by the -Germans if they told us that any Germans had been seen about. But the -women told us readily enough, especially when there happened to be any -Germans in hiding--those who were too drunk to get away and had been -left behind. It didn’t take long to make these fellows prisoners, and -they rubbed their eyes a lot when they got sober and found that the -British had bagged them--though I fancy that most of them were glad to -be caught and out of the fighting. - -We saw some dreadful sights in these farms and houses that we entered, -and it was no uncommon thing for us to bury the women who had been done -to death by these invaders who were worse than heathens. We had to carry -out this sad work at night, to escape the German fire, for no matter -what we were doing they went for us with rifles and machine-guns and -anything else that came handy. - -Time after time on the march we saw proof of the terrible way in which -the French and Germans fought, and saw how bravely the French had -defended their country and how freely they had given their lives to get -something like even with the enemy. - -The Frenchmen were naturally even more upset than the British soldiers -were at many of the sights that met us, and in the streets along which -we marched we often saw dead bodies of Frenchmen and Germans lying close -together, where they had fallen after a desperate fight on the pavements -or in the roadway. They had met and fought to the death, and it looked -as if no quarter had been given. And with all this there had been a -perfectly savage destruction of everything that the Germans could lay -their hands on. - -The Germans had thieved and killed wherever they had gone, led on in the -work by their officers, and little supposing, I fancy, that the day of -reckoning had come for them and that their brutal game was being -spoiled. There is no doubt that they had been taught that they were -going to have a walk over in France and were going to have a good time -in Paris; but some of them were poor enough specimens when we caught -them or they surrendered. - -After the terrific battles of the Marne and the Aisne we were -transferred rather quickly to La Bassée, which is not far from Lille, -and then we had to take a share in defending Lille, in one of the big -forts just outside the town. - -The Germans had got up into that part of the country in very strong -force, and they were making furious efforts to smash the forts and get -hold of Lille, which had become a most important place for them. - -Lille is a large manufacturing town and was very strongly defended by -forts and in other ways. These big forts, about half-a-dozen in number, -form a ring round the town and command all the countryside, or rather -did, for they have been pretty badly hammered by this time; while the -town itself is protected in other ways. Lille was also one of the big -centres for French troops, but owing to the heavy drain caused by the -immense numbers of Germans that had to be dealt with at the Aisne there -were not a great many first-rate troops left, and a good deal of the -defence had to fall on the territorials. - -The particular fort where I had my strangest experiences was about a -mile from Lille, and from the outside it looked like a low hill-top, so -much so that when we were getting near it the fort seemed like a little -round hill rising from the plain. - -The fort was built of immense blocks of stone, and, as far as one could -tell, great quantities of steel, so that its strength must have been -enormous. - -It was a romantic sort of business to get into the fort, because, first -of all, we had to pass the sentries, then some huge stone sliding doors -were opened, by a lever, I suppose, in the same way as the midway doors -of a District Railway carriage open and shut. They were very big and -heavy doors, yet they opened and shut quite easily, and when they were -closed you could hardly see a crack between them. - -Past this gloomy entrance was a narrow walled slope which led into -darkness. We went down the slope into what looked like an archway and -then we got into proper blackness. It was some time before you could get -used to such darkness, but at last I saw that we had reached a large -vault; but I can’t pretend to give details, because I never had a chance -of properly making them out, and we were more concerned about the -Germans than we were about the fort. - -Of course it can be easily understood that owing to the presence of -great quantities of ammunition and inflammable stores, only the dimmest -lighting was possible--in fact, there was practically no lighting at all -except by little portable electric lamps, and as for smoking, that was -absolutely off. - -The instant we reached the fort we were told that smoking was most -strictly forbidden, and that disobedience was punishable by death. The -French soldier is as fond as the British Tommy of his smoke, but it is a -remarkable thing that in the darkness of the fort we didn’t feel the -want of smoking, which isn’t much of a catch in the pitch darkness. As a -matter of fact I had no wish to smoke when we were in the fort, so I was -never tempted to run the risk of being shot. - -Cooking, like smoking, was out of the question, for you can no more -smoke with safety in a magazine like that than you can in a coal-mine--a -spark is enough to do tremendous mischief, let alone a fire; so our -rations had to be brought to us by the Army Service Corps, though they, -with their carts, were a long way off. - -The A.S.C. chaps were splendid all through, and the men in the fighting -line owe a lot to them. - -In this black dungeon, with such cunning Germans about, a sentry’s -challenge was a good deal more than a formality; but it nearly became -one when the welcome commissariat man arrived. But for his coming we -should have had to fall back on our emergency rations. These were good, -of their kind, but they can’t compare with the best efforts of the -A.S.C. - -But I’m getting off the track a bit. In the side of the vault, or -cavern, there was a low, shallow dug-out which was meant to hold a -rifleman lying at full stretch. This was something like a small cubicle -in size and shape, and to enter it in the darkness was a proper problem. -After a try or two, however, you got into the way of stumbling -comfortably into it. By crouching and creeping, and using your hands and -knees, you could secure a position from which it was fairly easy to draw -yourself up into the dug-out. I dwell on this because I think it is -important, seeing that four of us took two-hour watches throughout the -twenty-four hours, so that getting to and from such a dug-out becomes an -event in your daily life. - -At one end of the dug-out was a loophole for a rifle or a maxim-gun, and -here we patiently waited for those pests, the snipers. These German -potters gave us no rest; but many a German who thought he was well -hidden got the finishing touch from one of our loopholes. - -This was thrilling fighting, especially when things became hot, and we -manned all the loopholes in the fort, to the number of four, and at a -pinch we could use two maxims at each. There were fourteen of us in the -fort altogether, four officers and ten men. The orders, being in French, -sounded very strange at first, but to my surprise, I soon fell into the -way of understanding what was said around me, certainly so far as -ordinary little things were concerned. I shall never forget the French -for water so long as I remember the thirst I had in the black depths of -the fort. - -The life in the fort was one of the strangest parts of the whole of the -fighting. It was queer enough to be in France, fighting with the French, -but a good deal queerer to be living in one of the big famous French -forts which the Germans were trying to pound to bits with their enormous -siege guns. But we soon settled down and got fairly well used to the -sound of the fort’s guns and the row of the German artillery and the -crashing of the shells around us. - -We were told off into parties in the fort, each party being commanded by -a non-commissioned officer, who used to light the way for us with an -electric lamp that he carried in front of him, hung round his neck. - -We ate and drank and slept with the French gunners, and taken altogether -we were very comfortable, and were spared something of the awful noise -of the firing, for when the guns of the forts were fired the noise was -worse than thunderbolts, and everything about was shaken in the most -extraordinary manner. - -The Germans were mad to get at us and they shot tons and tons of shells -at us, and time after time made efforts to storm the forts and Lille -itself. In these attempts they lost immense numbers of men, and when we -got outside of the fort we saw the dead bodies of the Germans lying -about in thousands--so thick on the ground were they that we had to -clamber over them as best we could. - -Our own fort was pretty lucky, but the next one to us was very badly -damaged, huge holes being made where the monster shells got home, and -most of the defenders of the fort being wiped out. The German big guns -certainly did a vast amount of mischief against forts--so the Germans -will know what to expect when our own big guns get to work on forts in -Germany. - -It was soon clear that it would not be possible to hold on at Lille for -long, because we were so hopelessly outnumbered. The fight went on, day -and night, for a full week, and the Germans bombarded everything. - -On Sunday, October 4th, there was some desperate fighting in the streets -of the town and the outskirts. German troops were rushed up in armoured -trains and motors, but when it came to hand-to-hand fighting they were -not much good, and on the Monday they were driven away with heavy loss. - -We had a few goes at them with the bayonet, and that charging was very -hard work. It had to be done in short rushes of about a hundred yards, -but we could not get near enough to them to give the bayonet a fair -chance. In that respect it was the same old story--the Germans would not -face the steel. In anything like equal numbers they can’t stand up -against a charge. They would mostly run for it, firing at us over their -shoulders as they bolted, but not doing a great deal of mischief that -way. When they could run no more and saw that the game was up, they -would throw away their rifles and surrender, and we then brought them -in. - -Before the fighting began, and while it was going on, a good many of the -inhabitants got into a panic and fled to Boulogne and Calais; but the -French troops held out gamely, and on the Tuesday a fearful lot of -execution was done amongst the masses of Germans by the French artillery -fire. Neither the German guns nor the infantry could make a stand -against this onslaught, and at this time the German losses were -particularly heavy, hundreds of men falling together. At the end of that -part of the battle the Germans for the time being were completely -routed, and they were driven back a good dozen miles. - -The Durhams suffered greatly in the fighting, and the good old West -Yorkshires, who had seen a lot of hard work with us, had been badly cut -up too. Some splendid help was given by the little Gurkhas, who had -joined the British; but unfortunately I was not able to see much of what -they did, because soon after they appeared with their famous knives I -got my wound. - -Some of the most exciting and dangerous work was done at night, when we -tried to get at the Germans with the bayonet and rout them out of their -trenches and positions. We had to do everything so quietly--creep out of -the forts, creep along the ground, and creep up to the enemy as near as -we could get, and sometimes that was not very close, because of such -things as barbed wire entanglements. - -These entanglements were particularly horrible, because they were so -hard to overcome and tore the flesh and clothing. At first we had a -pretty good way of destroying them, and that was by putting the muzzles -of our rifles on the wire and blowing it away; but there were two -serious drawbacks to that trick--one was that it was a waste of -ammunition, and the other was that the noise of the firing gave us away, -and let the Germans loose on us with guns and rifles. - -We soon got too canny to go on with that practice, and just before I was -wounded and sent home a very ingenious arrangement had been fixed to the -muzzle of the rifle for wire-cutting--a pair of shears which you could -work with a swivel from near the trigger, so that instead of putting the -muzzle of the rifle against the wire, you could cut it by using the -pliers. - -It was in one of these night affairs that I was nearly finished as a -soldier. I was ordered to join a reconnoitring party. We got clear of -the fort, and made our way over the country for about a mile. We were -then in a field which had been harvested and harrowed, so that it was -pretty hard ground to go over. In spite of it all we were getting on -very nicely when the Germans got wind of our movements and opened a -terrible fire with rifles and maxims. - -We lost a lot of men, and where a man fell there he had to lie, dead or -living. - -Suddenly I fell plump on the ground, and found that I could not get up -again, though I did my best to keep up with my chums. Then I felt an -awful pain in my thigh and knew that I was hurt, but I must have been -struck five minutes before I fell, by a bullet from a German rifle. It -had gone clean through my right thigh. They told me afterwards that I -had had a very narrow shave indeed; but a miss is as good as a mile. - -I knew there was nothing for it but pluck and patience, so I made the -best of things, and waited till the day broke and brought the battalion -stretcher-bearers, - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 80._ - -“WE FOUND A FAIR LOT OF GERMANS IN HOUSES AND FARMS” (p. 72).] - -who always came out just about dawn to collect the wounded. - -I was lying on the ground, in a sort of ditch, for six hours before I -was picked up by the stretcher-bearers and carried to a stable which was -being used as a temporary hospital. - -The Germans fired on the wounded as they were being carried off in the -grey light, but they didn’t hit me again. - -I lay in the stable for about eight hours, waiting for the ambulance, -which took me to the rail-head, and then I was put in a train and taken -to Rouen--and that travelling was simply awful, because the French -trains jolt like traction-engines. - -All the same, I had a pleasant voyage to Southampton, and hoped that I -might be sent to a hospital near home, but I was too ill to go a long -journey to the north, so I was taken to Woolwich, and afterwards sent -here, to the Royal Hospital at Richmond, where everybody is kindness -itself, and can’t do enough for you, it seems. - -I’ve had a month in bed, so far, but I’m hoping to be out of it soon and -hobbling about. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -GERMAN TREACHERY AND HATRED - - [“Die hard, my men, die hard!” shouted the heroic Colonel Inglis, - when, at Albuhera, in the Peninsular War, his regiment, the 57th - Foot, were furiously engaged with the enemy. And the regiment - obeyed, for when the bloody fight was ended twenty-two out of - twenty-five officers had been killed or wounded, 425 of 570 rank - and file had fallen and thirty bullets had riddled the King’s - Colour. The 57th is now the 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, but - the regiment is still best known by its gallant nickname of the - “Die-Hards.” It has suffered exceptional losses in this war, and - the story of some of its doings is told by Corporal W. Bratby, who - relates a tale which he has described as a brother’s revenge.] - - -The old “Die-Hards” went into action at Mons nearly a thousand strong; -but when, after Mons had been left behind, a roaring furnace, the roll -was called, not more than 270 of us were left. D Company came out a -shattered remnant--only thirty-six men, and no officers. When what was -left of us marched away, other regiments were shouting, “Three cheers -for the Die-Hards!” And three rousing cheers they gave; but I had no -heart for them, because I had left my younger brother Jack, a “Die-Hard” -like myself. They told me that he had been killed by a bursting shell -while doing his duty with the machine-gun section. - -I did not say much. I asked the adjutant if any of the machine-gun -section had returned, and he answered sadly, “No, they’ve all gone.” - -Jack and I were brothers and had been good old chums all our lives--I -had taught him a bit of boxing and he was most promising with the -gloves, and we had a widowed mother to keep; so I really felt as if -something had gone snap in my head and that all I cared for was to get -my revenge from the Germans. The last words I heard him say were, “Well, -Bill, I’m going right into the firing line,” and I remember laughing and -saying, “Yes, Jack, but you’re not the only one who’s going to do that.” - -Jack laughed too and said, “All right, Bill, I’ll see you in the firing -line,” and with that he went and I saw no more of him. - -I had been in the regiment five years and nine months when the war broke -out and Jack had served more than two years. I had become a corporal and -he was a lance-corporal. - -The days in the beginning were swelteringly hot; but the “Die-Hards,” -being typical Cockneys, made the best of them. Our Brigade consisted of -ourselves (the 4th Middlesex), the 2nd Royal Scots, the 1st Gordon -Highlanders and the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles. We began operations with -trench digging, one particular trench, the machine-gun trench, being -allotted to B Company. I helped to superintend the construction of the -trenches, and I was proud of the work when I saw what was done from them -when the Germans showed themselves. - -Our machine-gun caused enormous havoc amongst the German ranks, and I am -sure that my brother did his part in settling a lot of them, for he was -keen on his work and full of go. The Royal Irish at this stage were -doing splendidly--they were not more than 350 yards from the enemy, -separated from them by a railway--and they were lucky enough to fetch -one gun out of action again, but the enormously superior numbers of the -Germans told and the famous retreat began. The machine-gunners had -suffered very heavily and it was hard to learn anything definite about -the position in the trenches. - -Officers and men were falling everywhere on both sides, and I saw a -reconnoitring patrol of Uhlans bowled over in trying to avoid some of -the 4th Royal Fusiliers. An officer and seven men of the Uhlans were -killed in that little affair without getting in a shot in return. It was -not much, but it was something cheering after what we had gone through -at Mons. We looked upon it as a bit of sport, and after that we went -into châteaux, cafés and other places, and discussed affairs in a proper -Tommy-like spirit. It is very strange, but if it had not been for the -language I could have thought at times that I was back in Kilburn or in -London, on strike duty again, as I was at the time of the railway -trouble three years ago. - -We were fighting a rearguard action for three days right off the reel, -and doing that wonderful march to which “Kitchener’s test” or anything -like it was a mere nothing. Owing to the heat, we discarded overcoats, -kits and in some cases rifles and equipment. Our transport was blown to -pieces three days after Mons, which to the 8th Brigade is known as _the_ -Wednesday. - -But lost kit and shattered transport mattered little to most of us, and -certainly had slight significance for me, because the only thing I had -in mind was this determination to get revenge. I am not exaggerating in -the least, I am merely putting down on record the state of my feelings -and wishing to make you understand how remarkable a change had come -over me, an alteration such as is brought about, I take it, by war, and -war alone. Perhaps, too, the excessive stress and strain of those early -days of the war had something to do with my condition; but whatever the -cause, there it was. Danger itself meant nothing, and I, like the rest -of us, took the ordinary fighting and the incessant and truly horrible -shell fire as a matter of course, a part of the day’s work. I bided my -time, and it came. - -We had crossed the Aisne, a dangerous unit still, in spite of our -losses, for we had received reinforcements from the base; but just -before crossing the river we sat down on the road, waiting for a -favourable opportunity to cross by a pontoon bridge which the Engineers -were building. That pontoon replaced a bridge which had been blown up. - -On the word “Rise” we fell in, and in doing so a man had the misfortune -to shoot himself through the hand. - -The colonel came up at once and ordered the injured man to go back to -the hospital in a village about a mile and a half up the road, in rear -of the bridge. I was told off to take him, and we went to a house that -had been turned into a hospital, the people in it being typically -French. There were some sad cases there, amongst them one of our own -fellows who had been severely wounded and a trooper of the 4th Hussars -who was the only survivor of a reconnoitring party. He had been shot -while going through the village that morning. Just at that time we had -had many losses of small bodies--in one case a sergeant and five men had -been blown to pieces. - -After I had got the wounded man into the hospital I asked the -“monsieur” in charge of the house for some tea, which he very willingly -produced--it had no milk in it, of course, but by that time I had almost -forgotten that milk existed. - -At this time the village was being shelled, but that did not affect the -enjoyment of my tea-drinking, and after that refreshing draught and a -chunk of “bully” and some biscuit crumbs which I found in the corner of -a none-too-clean haversack, I “packed down” for the night. - -At about four o’clock next morning I awoke and went back to the bridge, -which my battalion had crossed on the previous day, the “Die-hards” -being the first to have the honour to cross. By this time we had got -past the sweltering stage of things and had become accustomed to soaking -weather, and on this particular morning I was thoroughly cold and wet -and generally “fed up” with things; but I still glowed with the longing -to get level with the Germans. - -You must bear in mind that regiments had been broken up and scattered in -the most astonishing manner and had become mixed up with other -regiments, and I had lost my own and had to set to work to find it. - -I got over the bridge and reached some artillery. - -“Have you seen anything of the Middlesex?” I asked. - -“Yes,” the gunners answered, “they’ve just gone into action on the brow -of the hill.” - -I made my way towards the top of a neighbouring hill and found that my -battalion had taken up a position there, but I had to wander about -aimlessly, and I did so till I came across one or two men who were -separated from the battalion. They directed me to the actual position, -which was on the ridge of the hill, and to the ridge I went and found -that it was lined with remnants of the brigade. - -I tried to find my own company, but could not do so, as it had been -surprised in the night; so I attached myself to another and lay down -with the corporal on the sodden ground. - -Wet through, cold, hungry and physically miserable, but still tough in -spirit, we lay there, wishing that all sorts of impossible things would -happen. - -The corporal showed me where he had hit a German scout. We watched the -poor devil rolling about--then we finished him off. - -In addition to the wet there was a fog, and under cover of this the -Germans crept up and were on us almost before we knew of their presence. - -The alarm was first given by a man near us who was suffering from ague -or some such ailment and had been moaning and groaning a good deal. - -Suddenly he cried, “Here they are, corporal! Fire at ’em!” - -My loaded rifle was lying just in front of me. I snatched it up, and as -I did so the Germans jumped out of the mist on to us, with loud shouts. -I brought the first German down and my chum dropped one; and we managed -to fetch the officer down. He was carrying a revolver and a stick, like -most German officers, so that you had no difficulty in distinguishing -them. - -When the alarm was given I gave a quick look over a small hump in the -ground and then we were rushed; but I hated the idea of retiring, and -kept on shouting, “Crawl back! Crawl back!” - -Machine-guns and rifles were rattling and men were shouting and -cursing. In the midst of it all I was sane enough to hang on to my fire -till I got a good chance--and I did not wait for nothing. - -Up came two Germans with a stretcher. They advanced till they were not -more than twenty-five yards away, for I could see their faces quite -clearly; then I took aim, and down went one of the pair and “bang” off -the stretcher fell a maxim. The second German seemed to hesitate, but -before he could pull himself together he had gone down too. I began to -feel satisfied. - -By this time the order to retire had been given and I kept on shouting, -“Keep down! Crawl back!” and the lads crawled and jumped with curious -laughs and curses. - -In that excited retirement the man who was with me was shot in the -chest. I halted for a little while to see what had really happened to -him, and finding that he was killed I took his waterproof sheet and left -him. I hurried on until I was in a valley, well away from the ridge; -then an officer managed to get us together and lead us into a wood. - -As we got into the wood I spotted a quarry. I said to the officer, “Is -it best to go down here, sir?” - -“I’ll have a look--yes,” he answered. - -We went into the quarry, where there were Royal Scots, Middlesex, -Gordons and Royal Irish. - -The officer was afraid that we might be rushed, in which case we should -be cut up, so he put a man out on scout. We were not rushed, however, -and when the firing ceased we filed out and lined the ridge again, and -there we lay, expecting the Germans to come back, but for the time being -we saw no more of them. - -By some means one of the Irishmen had got drunk and wanted to fight the -Germans “on his own.” He was shouting for them to come on and was -wandering about. Soon afterwards he was found lying on the top of the -hill, having been shot in the thigh. He was carried out of action and I -have never heard of him since. - -After that affair of the hill-crest we had a lot of trench work, and -very harassing it was. For five days we stayed in trenches, so near to -the enemy that it was death to show your head. - -Trench fighting is one of the most terrible features of the war, for not -only is there the constant peril of instant death, which, of course, -every soldier gets accustomed to, but there is also the extreme -discomfort and danger of illness arising from insanitary surroundings. -Often enough, too, when a new trench was being dug we would find that we -were working on ground that had been previously occupied, and the spades -brought up many a ghastly reminder of an earlier fight. - -Sometimes in this wonderful warfare we were so very close to the Germans -that when we sang hymns--and many a hymn that a soldier has sung at his -mother’s knee has gone up from the trenches from many a brave lad who -has given his life for his country--the Germans would harmonise with -them. It was strange to hear these men singing like that and to bear in -mind that they were the soldiers who had done such monstrous things as -we saw during the retreat, when they thought that certain victory was -theirs. Time after time, with my own eyes, I saw evidence of the brutal -outrages of the German troops, especially on women and children, yet it -seems hard to convince some of the people at home that these things -have been done. - -At one time in the trenches, for a whole week, we were so situated that -we dare not even speak for fear of revealing our position--we were -subjected to an enfilade fire and did not dare to speak or light a fire, -which meant that we had no hot food for a week, and we could not even -smoke, which was the biggest hardship of all for a lot of the lads. We -were thankful when we were relieved; but were sorry indeed to find how -dearly the newcomers paid for their experience. We had been cramped and -uncomfortable, but pretty safe, and the Germans had not been able to get -at us to do us any real mischief, but our reliefs walked about as -unconcernedly as if they were on furlough, with the result that on the -very first night they went into action they lost a hundred men. - -The system of trenches grew into a sort of enormous gridiron, and if you -walked about--which you could only attempt to do at night--you were -almost certain to drop into a trench or a hole of some sort. This made -getting about a very exciting job, and it added enormously to the -intense strain of fighting in the trenches, a strain which was hardest -to bear in the night-time, when we were constantly expecting attacks and -when the Germans adopted all kinds of devices to get at us. - -The Germans are what we call dirty fighters, and they will take -advantage of anything to try and score over you. They have no respect -for anything and made a particular point in many of the places they -overran of desecrating the churches. They never hesitated to turn a -place of worship into a scene for an orgy, and I remember going into one -church after the Germans had occupied it and being shocked at their -conduct. In this particular place they had been able to lay hands on a -good deal of champagne and they had drunk to excess, turning the church -into a drinking-place, so that when we reached it there was an -indescribable scene--filthy straw on the floor, empty champagne bottles -littered everywhere, and the whole building degraded and desecrated. - -The Germans had got a French uniform and stuffed it with straw and -propped it up to resemble a man, and on the uniform they had stuck a -piece of paper with some writing on it in German. I do not know what the -writing was, but I took it to be some insult to the brave men who were -defending their country and preventing the Germans from getting anywhere -near Paris. I could tell you much more and many things of the Germans’ -dirty fighting, and of things that were far worse than such an incident -as turning a church into a drinking-place; but perhaps enough has been -said on that point of late. - -But that dirty fighting does not mean that the Germans do not fight -bravely--far from it; they are hard cases, especially when they are in -overwhelming numbers, which is the form of fighting that they like best -of all. They are great believers in weight and hurling masses of men at -a given point, and they are absolutely mad at times when their opponents -are the English. - -I will tell you of a case which illustrates this particular hatred. One -night we were attacked by the Germans, though there was but little hope -of them doing anything serious, in view of the fact that we were in -trenches and that there were the barbed wire entanglements everywhere. -There had been no sign of an attack, but in the middle of the night a -furious assault was made upon us and a young German by some -extraordinary means managed to get through the entanglements. An officer -of the Buffs was near us, and in some way which I cannot explain the -German managed to reach him. With a fierce cry he sprang directly at the -officer, put an arm round his neck, and with the revolver which he held -in the other hand shot him. - -It was the work of a moment; but it succeeded--so did our bayonet attack -on the German, for almost as soon as his shot had rung out in the night -a dozen bayonets had pierced him. He died very quickly, but not before -he had managed to show how intensely he hated all the English. He was a -fine young fellow, not more than seventeen or eighteen years old, and it -was impossible not to admire the courage and cleverness he had shown in -getting through the awful barbed wire entanglements and hurling himself -upon us in the trenches in the middle of the night. The point that -puzzles me even now, when I recall the incident, is how the young German -managed to make such a clean jump for the officer. I daresay there was -something more than luck in it. - -At this time we were with the Buffs, who told us that they were being -badly troubled by snipers. I was in a trench with Lieutenant Cole, who -was afterwards killed, and he said to me, “Corporal, the snipers are -worrying our people, but it’s very difficult to locate them. Try and see -what you can make out of it.” - -It was very difficult, but I set to work to try and make something out. -Before long, with the help of the glasses, I concluded that the sniping -came from a wood not far away, and I told the officer that I thought -they were in a tree there. The consequence was that a platoon loaded up, -went round, concentrated their fire on this particular spot and brought -down two German roosters from a tree. We were glad to be rid of the -pests, and they ought to have been satisfied, for they had had a very -good innings. - -I have been telling about the determination I had to be revenged for my -brother’s death. That was my great object, and I kept it in mind before -anything else--and I think I carried it out. Apart from any motive, it -is the British soldier’s duty to do everything he can to settle the -enemy, especially the Germans, and I am glad that I did my bit in this -respect. - -Now listen to what has really happened. After all that fighting and -suffering with the grand old “Die-Hards” I got my own turn, after many -wonderful escapes. A shell burst near me and the fragments peppered me -on the right hand here and about this side of the body, and bowled me -out for the time being. I was sent home, and here I am in London again, -getting well and expecting the call to come at any time to go back to -the front. When it comes I shall be ready to obey. - -Look at this postcard. It is written, as you see, by a British soldier -who is a prisoner of war in Germany, and it tells the glad news that my -brother, who, I was told, was killed months ago by a bursting shell, is -not dead, but is alive and well, although he is a prisoner of war. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -LIFE IN THE TRENCHES - - [The winter of the war was marked by an abnormal rainfall and - storms of uncommon severity: also by the extraordinary development - of trench warfare. The rain and storms, the frost and snow, made it - impossible to carry out the greater operations of campaigning, with - the result that both sides dug themselves in and fought from rival - trenches which in many cases were separated by only a few yards. - This story deals with life in the trenches, at La Bassée, and it - gives a wonderful understanding of the privations that have been - uncomplainingly borne by British soldiers. The teller is Private G. - Townsend, 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, who has had more - than six years’ service with the colours. These long-service men - have compelled the attention of even the Germans who despised the - “contemptible little army,” for they have admitted that the - seasoned British private soldier is the equal of a German - non-commissioned officer.] - - -When the rebellion broke out in South Africa we--the old “Lily -Whites”--were the only imperial regiment kept in that country. We were -sitting still and stiff for twenty days, till General Botha got his own -troops ready. During that time we were guarding Cape Town, and it took -us all we knew to hold in, because the big war was on, and we were about -seven thousand miles away from the seat of it. We had to wait till -General Botha was ready, and that was not for more than a month after -the British and the Germans met in Belgium. - -We were eager to get away from South Africa, and at last we sailed--but -what a slow voyage it was! Almost a record, I should think. We were -thirty-two days getting to Southampton; but that was because we had -halts on the way and were convoyed by some of the British warships which -have worked such marvels in this war. We had with us a noble cruiser -which on a later day, though we thought her slow, knocked more speed out -of herself than the builders ever dreamed of, and that was when she -helped to sink the German warships off the Falkland Islands. - -By the time we reached the south of England some big things had -happened, and we were keener than ever to get to the front. We had not -long to wait. We landed, and in less than a week we left England and -crossed over to France, where we went into billets for four days, to -settle down. From the billets we marched nearly seven miles and went -into trenches. For three full months, in the worst time of a very bad -year, I ate and drank, and slept and fought, in trenches, with intervals -in billets, sometimes up to the hips in water and often enough sleeping -on a thick couch of mud. I cannot go into too much detail, but I can say -that our officers always tried to go one better than the Germans, for -the sake of the men--and for the most part they succeeded. We have -picked up a lot from the Germans in this trench game. They have a main -trench and about four trenches behind that, the first of the four being -about twenty yards away; so that if you knock them out of one you knock -them into another. - -That march to the trenches was a thing that can never be forgotten. It -was very dark and raining heavily, so that we were thoroughly soaked; -but we had no time to think of that, for we were bound for the firing -line, we were going to fight for the first time, and we wondered who -amongst us would be absent when the next roll was called. The trench to -which we were bound was in its little way famous. It had been the scene -of some terrible fighting. The Indian troops were holding it, but they -had been driven out by the Germans, who took possession and thought they -were going to hold it; but the Connaught Rangers made a desperate -charge, routed the Germans with the bayonet and retook the trenches. The -Connaughts won, but at a very heavy cost, and about 150 of the brave -fellows fell and were buried near the little bit of sodden, muddy ground -on which they had fought. It was to relieve the Connaughts that we went -into the trenches on La Bassée Road that stormy night. - -It was not a very cheerful beginning, and as much unlike going into -action as anything you can imagine. But we felt queer, this being our -first taste of fighting, as we slipped into the trenches with our rifles -loaded and prepared to fire in the wild night at an enemy we could not -see. As soon as we went into the trenches we were ankle-deep in mud, and -we were in mud, day and night, for seventy-two hours without a break. -That was the beginning of three solid months of a sort of animal life in -trenches and dug-outs, with occasional breaks for the change and rest in -billets without which it would not be possible to live. - -In a storm-swept trench--a barricade trench we called it--pointing my -rifle at an enemy I could not see, I fired my first shot in battle. My -section of thirteen men was in the trench which was nearest to the -Germans, and that meant that we were separated from them by only a very -few dozen yards. An officer of the Connaughts had given a descriptive -object to fire at, and this was a small white outhouse which could be -dimly made out in the darkness. The outhouse had the German trenches -just in front of it, and we made a target of the building in the hope of -potting the men in the trenches. - -The order came, one man up and one man down, which meant that a man who -was firing was standing for two hours and the man who was down was -sitting or otherwise resting, or observing, as we call it. - -Throughout that long night we kept up fire from the trenches, all -anxious for the day to break, so that we could see what sort of a place -we were in and what we were doing; but when the melancholy morning broke -there was nothing to see in front of us except the portholes of the -German trenches. - -We had got through the first night of battle safely and had given the -Germans good-morning with what we came to call the “awaking fire,” -though it sent many a man to sleep for the last time--and we were -settling down to make some tea. That was shortly after midday of our -first day in the trenches. I was working “partners” with my left-hand -man, Private Smith, who said, “I’ll just have a look to see what’s going -on.” - -He popped his head over the top of the trench and almost instantly he -fell into my arms, for he had been shot--there must have been a sniper -waiting for him--and had received what proved to be a most extraordinary -wound. A bullet had struck him on the side of the head, just below the -ear, and gone clean through and out at the other side, leaving a hole -on each side. - -“I’m hit!” said Smith, as he fell--that was all. - -I was badly upset, as this was the first man I had seen shot, and being -my special chum it came home to me; but I didn’t let that prevent me -from doing my best for him. Smith was quite conscious, and a plucky -chap, and he knew that there was nothing for it but to see it through -till night came. We bandaged him up as best we could and he had to lie -there, in the mud and water and misery, till it was dark, then he was -able to walk away from the trench to the nearest first-aid station, -where the doctor complimented him on his courage and told him what an -extraordinary case it was and what a miraculous escape he had had. Later -on Smith was invalided home. - -During the whole of that first spell in trenches we had no water to -drink except what we fetched from a natural trench half-a-mile away. Men -volunteered for this duty, which was very dangerous, as it meant -hurrying over open ground, and the man who was fetching the water was -under fire all the time, both going and coming, if the Germans saw him. -This job was usually carried out a little before daybreak, when there -was just light enough for the man to see, and not enough for the Germans -to spot him; and a chap was always thankful when he was safely back in -the trench and under cover. - -At the end of the seventy-two hours we left the trenches. We came out at -ten o’clock at night, expecting to be out for three days. We marched to -an old barn which had been pretty well blown to pieces by shells, and -into it we went; but it was no better than the trenches. The rain -poured on to us through the shattered roof and it was bitterly cold, so -that I could not sleep. We had everything on, so as to be ready for a -call instantly, and without so much as a blanket I was thoroughly -miserable. Instead of having three days off we were ordered to go into a -fresh lot of trenches, and next afternoon we marched into them and there -we stayed for six weeks, coming out seven or eight times. In these -trenches we were in dug-outs, so that we got a change from standing -sometimes hip-deep in mud and water by getting into the dug-out and -resting there. A dug-out was simply a hole made in the side of the -trench, high enough to be fairly dry and comfortable. - -During the whole of these six weeks it meant practically death to show -yourself, and so merciless was the fire that for the whole of the time a -dead German soldier was lying on the ground about a hundred yards away -from us. He was there when we went and was still there when we left. We -could not send out a party to bury him and the Germans themselves never -troubled about the poor beggar. One day a chum of mine, named Tobin, was -on the look-out when his rifle suddenly cracked, and he turned round and -said, “I’ve hit one.” And so he had, for he had knocked a German over -not far away and no doubt killed him. - -What with the weather and the mud and the constant firing we had a very -bad time. Each night we had four hours’ digging, which was excessively -hard work, and if we were not digging we were fetching rations in for -the company. These rations had to be fetched at night from carts -three-quarters of a mile away, which was the nearest the drivers dare -bring them. These expeditions were always interesting, because we never -knew what we were going to get--sometimes it would be a fifty-pound tin -of biscuits and sometimes a bag of letters or a lot of cigarettes, but -whatever it was we took it to our dug-outs, just as animals take food to -their holes, and the things were issued next morning. - -One way and another we had between fifty and sixty men wounded in our -own particular trenches, mostly by rifle fire, though occasionally a -shell would burst near us and do a lot of mischief; and what was -happening in our own trenches was taking place all around La Bassée. We -should have suffered much more heavily if we had not been provided with -periscopes, which have saved many a precious life and limb. - -We paid very little attention to the German shell fire, and as for the -“Jack Johnsons” we took them as much as a matter of course as we took -our breakfast. Some of the German artillery fire actually amused us, and -this was when they got their mortars to work. We could see the shot -coming and often enough could dodge it, though frequently the great fat -thing would drive into the ground and smother us with mud. For some of -the German artillery fire we were really very thankful, because in their -rage they were smashing up some farm buildings not far away from us. The -cause of our gratitude was that this shelling saved us the trouble of -cutting down and chopping firewood for warmth and cooking in the -trenches. When night came we simply went to the farmhouse, and the -firewood, in the shape of shattered doors and beams and furniture, was -waiting for us. The farm people had left, so we were able to help -ourselves to chickens, which we did, and a glorious change they were on -the everlasting bully beef. A chicken doesn’t go very far with hungry -soldiers, and on one occasion we had a chicken apiece, and remarkably -good they were too, roasted in the trenches. Another great time was when -we caught a little pig at the farm and killed it and took it to the -trenches, where we cooked it. - -When we had finished with the second lot of trenches we went into a -third set, and I was there till I was wounded and sent home. These -trenches were only about a hundred and twenty yards from the second lot, -so that the whole of the three months I spent in trenches was passed in -a very little area of ground, an experience which is so totally -different from that of so many of our soldiers who were out at the war -at the very beginning, and covered such great distances in marching from -place to place and battle to battle. These chaps were lucky, because -they got the change of scene and the excitement of big fighting, but the -only change we had was in going out of one trench into another. - -It was now the middle of December and bitter weather, but we were -cheered up by the thought of Christmas, and found that things were -getting much more lively than they had been. One night a splendid act -was performed by Lieutenant Seckham, one of our platoon officers, and -two of our privates, Cunningham and Harris. - -An officer of the Royal Engineers had gone out to fix up some barbed -wire entanglements in front of our trenches. The Germans were firing -heavily at the time, and they must have either seen or heard the -officer at work. They went for him and struck him down and there he lay -in the open. To leave the trenches was a most perilous thing to do, but -Mr. Seckham and the two men got out and on to the open ground, and bit -by bit they made their way to the Engineer officer, got hold of him, and -under a furious fire brought him right along and into our trench, and we -gave a cheer which rang out in the night above the firing and told the -Germans that their frantic efforts had failed. Mr. Seckham was a -splendid officer in every way and we were greatly grieved when, not long -afterwards, he was killed. Another of our fine young platoon officers, -Lieutenant Townsend, has been killed since I came home. - -We were so near the Germans at times that we could throw things at them -and they could hurl things at us, and we both did, the things being -little bombs, after the style of the old hand-grenade. We got up a -bomb-throwing class and hurled our bombs; but it was not possible to -throw them very far--only twenty-five yards or so. The West Yorkshires, -who were near us, got a great many of these missiles thrown at them, but -they did not all explode. One day a sergeant of ours--Jarvis--was out -getting wood when he saw one of them lying on the ground. He picked it -up and looked at it, then threw it down and instantly it exploded, and -he had no fewer than forty-three wounds, mostly cuts, caused by the -flying fragments, so that the bomb made a proper mess of him. - -Our own bombs were made of ordinary pound jam tins, filled with -explosive and so on, like a little shell, which, as the case of the -sergeant showed, was not anything like as sweet a thing to get as jam. -The - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 102._ - -“WE WERE SO NEAR THE GERMANS THAT THEY COULD HURL BOMBS AT US.”] - -Germans were very fond of flinging these hand-bombs and seemed to have a -great idea of their value in attacks and defence. - -Christmas Eve was with us, Christmas Day was soon to dawn--and what a -strange and terrible Christmas it was to be! - -On Christmas Eve itself we plainly heard the Germans shouting. - -“A merry Christmas to you!” they said, and there was no mistaking the -German voices that came to us in our trenches out of the darkness. - -“A merry Christmas to you!” - -Again the Germans greeted us, though we could not see them, and there -was something pathetic in the words, which were shouted in a lull in the -fighting. Some of our men answered the wish, but I did not--I had no -heart to do so, when I knew that the message meant so little. - -It may have been a matter of sentiment, because this was the time of -peace on earth and goodwill towards men, or it may not; but at any rate -the order came that if the Germans did not fire we were not to fire. But -Christmas or no Christmas, and in spite of their greetings, the Germans -went on firing, and we were forced to do the same, so throughout the -night of Christmas Eve we had our rifles going and did not stop till it -was daylight. - -But the rifle fire was not the only sound of warfare that was -heard--there was the sharp booming of artillery. The field batteries -were hard at it and we knew they must be doing fearful mischief amongst -the Germans. The night became truly awful; but how dreadful we did not -know till Christmas Day itself, then, the firing having ceased, we saw -that the ground in front of us, not very far away, was littered with -the German dead. - -A Merry Christmas! - -The very men who had sent the greeting to us were lying dead within our -sight, for the Germans had started to change their position and the -British shells had shattered them. Something like two hundred and fifty -of the Germans were lying dead upon the field, and sorry indeed must the -dawn of Christmas Day have been to those who were left. - -Peace on earth! There _was_ peace of a sort, for as we looked on the -German dead from our trenches we saw two Germans appear in full view, -holding up their hands, to show us that they were unarmed. - -You can imagine what a solemn spectacle that was--what a Christmas Day -it was which dawned upon us in the trenches. We knew instinctively what -was wanted--the ground was littered with the German dead and the Germans -wanted an armistice so that they could bury them. - -One of our officers went out and talked with the two Germans who were -holding up their hands--covered by British rifles. He soon learned what -they wanted, and the armistice was granted. - -It was about three o’clock in the afternoon of Christmas Day when the -Germans set to work to bury their dead, and as they did so we left our -trenches and stood on the open ground and watched them. We saw them -perfectly clearly, because the main German trench was not more than 120 -yards away, and the burial took place a few yards behind this. - -I have seen a photograph of British and German soldiers fraternising on -Christmas Day; but there was nothing of this sort with us. The only -incident I witnessed was a British officer shaking hands with a German -officer. That was all. I did not shake hands with them--and I had not -the least wish to do so, though I bore them no ill-will on that sad -Christmas Day. - -I was thankful when Christmas was over and we had settled down to -ordinary routine work, killing and being killed, for it is astonishing -how soon you get accustomed to the business of firing on and being fired -at. - -The trenches had got from bad to worse. When I first went into them -there was eighteen inches of water and five inches of mud; but now it -was a matter of standing almost up to the waist in water. They became so -bad that instead of using the communication trenches, which you might -almost call tunnels, it was decided that we should cross the open -country to get to our fighting-place, the main trench--indeed, we had no -option, because the communication trench was almost impassable. - -On a mid-January night, and very bad at that, we began the journey to -the trenches. If there had been just ordinary honest darkness we should -have been all right and quite satisfied; but though there was darkness -enough there was plenty of light--the uncanny brightness which came from -the star-shells. - -Star-shells were going up all along the line and bursting. They are a -sort of firework, giving a brilliant light, and as they exploded they -showed us up almost as clearly as if we had been in daylight. - -We had only a very short distance to go, but the star-lights made the -journey to the trenches a desperate undertaking. - -In single file, a little bunch of ten of us, crouching down, holding our -loaded rifles and carrying all we possessed--we went along, losing no -time. - -From the stealthy way in which we started on our little trip you might -have thought that we were burglars or villains bent on some fearsome -job, instead of ordinary British soldiers getting back to their -trenches. - -We went with caution, and had not covered more than ten yards when what -I take to be machine-gun fire was opened on us. - -All at once, without the slightest warning, a real hail of bullets -struck us, and of the ten men of us who were advancing in single file -three were killed and four were wounded. The three who were shot down in -the ghastly glare of the star-shells were ahead of me. - -When that happened we were ordered to keep well apart and open out, but -there was not much chance for those of us who were left; at any rate, no -sooner had we obeyed and were making a little headway than I was struck -myself on the head. - -For half-an-hour or so I was unconscious; then I recovered and picked -myself up and found that I was all alone. I crawled a few yards to a -trench and got into it; but finding it full of water I thought I might -as well be killed as drowned, so I got out, and not caring in the least -for the German bullets or the star-shells, I made my way as best I could -to the nearest dressing-station, and received attention. After that I -found myself in a motor-car, and later at a clearing-station and on the -boat for home. - -You can see the scar of the wound here; but I don’t bother about that. I -suffer terribly from sleeplessness--and too often I see again the German -soldiers who had wished us a merry Christmas--and were buried at the -back of their trenches on the gloomy afternoon of Christmas Day. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -SAPPING AND MINING: THE “LUCKY COMPANY” - - [In blowing up bridges, repairing the ravages of the enemy, in - throwing pontoons over rivers, and in countless other ways, the - Royal Engineers have contributed largely to the success of the - British operations in the war. These splendid men, known a century - ago as the Royal Sappers and Miners, have not only worked with the - greatest energy since the war began, but they have also seen some - hard fighting. This story of Sapper William Bell, 23rd Field - Company, Royal Engineers, gives a picture of the many-sided - operations of the magnificent corps whose mottoes are “Everywhere” - and “Where right and glory lead.”] - - -Sheer hard work was the order of the day for our chaps from the time I -landed in France from an old Irish cattle-boat till the day when I was -packed off back to England suffering from rheumatic fever. - -We worked excessively hard, and so did everybody else. Wherever there -was an obstacle it had to go, and the infantry themselves time after -time slaved away at digging and clearing, all of which was over and -above the strain of the fighting and tremendous marching. It was a rare -sight to see the Guards sweeping down the corn with their -bayonets--sickles that reaped many a grim harvest then and later. - -It was during the early stage of the war that bridges were blown up in -wholesale fashion to check the German advance, and the work being -particularly dangerous we had some very narrow escapes. A very near -thing happened at Soissons. - -We had been ordered to blow up a bridge, and during the day we charged -it with gun-cotton, and were waiting to set the fuse until the last of -our troops had crossed over. That was a long business, and exciting -enough for anybody, because for hours the men of a whole division were -passing, and all the time that great passing body of men, horses, guns, -waggons and so on, was under a heavy artillery fire from the Germans. - -At last the bridge was clear--it had served its purpose; the division -was on the other side of the river, and all that remained to be done was -to blow up the bridge. Three sections of our company retired, and the -remaining section was left behind to attend to the fuse. - -Very soon we heard a terrific report, and the same awful thought -occurred to many of us--that there had been a premature explosion and -that the section was lost. One of my chums, judging by the time of the -fuse, said it was certain that the section was blown up, and indeed it -was actually reported that an officer and a dozen men had been killed. - -But, to our intense relief, we learned that the report was wrong; but we -heard also how narrowly our fellows had escaped, and how much they owed -to the presence of mind and coolness of the officer. It seems that as -soon as the fuse was fired the lieutenant instinctively suspected that -something was wrong, and instantly ordered the men to lie flat, with the -result that they were uninjured by the tremendous upheaval of masonry, -though they were a bit shaken when they caught us up on the road later. -This incident gives a good idea of the sort of work and the danger that -the Royal Engineers were constantly experiencing in the earlier stages -of the war, so that one can easily understand what is happening now in -the bitter winter-time. - -An Engineer, like the referee in a football match, sees a lot of the -game, and it was near a French village that we had a fine view of a -famous affair. - -We had been sent to the spot on special duty, and were resting on the -crest of a hill, watching the effects of the enemy’s field-guns. - -Suddenly in the distance we saw figures moving. At first we could not -clearly make them out, but presently we saw that they were Algerian -troops, and that there seemed to be hosts of them. They swarmed on -swiftly, and took up a position in some trenches near us. - -The Algerians, like our Indian troops, hate trench fighting, and long to -come to grips with the enemy. We knew this well enough, but we realised -the peril of leaving cover and advancing towards an enemy who was very -close, and who was sweeping the ground with an uncommonly deadly fire. - -Putting all fear aside, remembering only their intense desire to come to -grips, giving no thought to what must happen to them, the Algerians with -enthusiastic shouts sprang from the trenches and bounded, like the sons -of the desert they are, across the shell-swept zone that separated them -from the annihilating gunfire of the enemy. - -What happened was truly terrible. The Algerians were literally mowed -down, as they charged across the deadly zone, and for a piece of sheer -recklessness I consider that this attack was as good--or as bad--as the -charge of the Light Brigade. - -The Algerians were cut to pieces in the mad attempt to reach the German -batteries, and the handful of survivors were forced to retire. To their -everlasting credit be it said that, in withdrawing under that terrible -fire, they did their best to bring their wounded men away. They picked -up as many of the fallen as they could and slung them across the -shoulder, as the best way of carrying them out of danger. - -I shall never forget the scene that met my eyes when we returned to the -village. Women were weeping and wringing their hands as the survivors -carried their wounded through the streets--for the French are deeply -attached to their Colonial troops--and the men of the place were nearly -as bad; even some of our chaps, who are not too easily moved, were -upset. - -While in this locality we had a very warm time of it, for we were -continuously under artillery fire. We were in a remarkably good position -for seeing the battle, some of our batteries being on our right, some on -our left, and the German guns in front. It was really hot work, and when -we were not hard at it carrying out our own duties, we took cover on the -other side of a hill near the road; but some of our men got rather tired -of cover, and found the position irksome; but if you so much as showed -yourself you were practically done for. One day our trumpeter exposed -himself, just for a moment; but it was enough. He was instantly struck -and badly wounded. - -At another time we were in our sleeping-quarters in a school-house, and -had an escape that was truly miraculous. We had settled down and were -feeling pretty comfortable, when the Germans suddenly started shelling -us; suddenly, too, with a terrific crash, a shell dropped and burst in -the very midst of us. - -Theoretically, the lot of us in that school-house ought to have been -wiped out by this particular shell, but the extraordinary fact is that -though every one was badly shaken up, only one of our men was -wounded--all the rest of us escaped. Luckily we had the hospital men at -hand, and the poor chap who had been knocked over was taken away at once -to the doctors. - -We had had a very hard, hot time, and were glad when the French came and -relieved us, and gave our division a bit of rest and change. The Germans -in that particular part were thoroughly beaten, and a batch of 500 who -were covering the retreat were captured by the French. - -They had started for Paris, and were very near it when they were bagged. -I dare say they got to Paris all right. So did we, for we entrained for -the city, but stayed there less than an hour. I had a chance of seeing -something of the thorough way in which Paris had been prepared for -defence, and on my way to Ypres I noticed how extensively the bridges -that were likely to be of any use to the Germans had been destroyed. The -loss in bridges alone in this great war has been stupendous. - -When we entered Ypres it was a beautiful old cathedral city; now it is a -shapeless mass of ruins, a melancholy centre of the longest and -deadliest battle that has ever been fought in the history of the world. -We had a rousing reception from the British troops who were already in -the city, and a specially warm greeting from our own R.E. men, who gave -me a huge quantity of pipes, tobacco and cigarettes from home, to divide -amongst our company. - -We were soon in the thick of the fiercest and most eventful part of the -fighting. We were put to work digging trenches for the infantry and -fixing up wire entanglements. The wire was in coils half a mile - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 112._ - -“WE HAD A VERY WARM TIME OF IT” (p. 111).] - -long, and what with that and the barbs and the weight, the carrying and -dragging and fixing was a truly fearsome job. - -And not only that, but it was extremely dangerous, because we were -constantly under fire--sometimes we were fixing up wire within a few -hundred yards of the German lines. Before getting to Ypres we had -covering parties of infantry to protect us from snipers and sudden -attacks; but at Ypres this protection was rarely given, because of the -very heavy pressure on the firing line. We were ceaselessly sniped; but -on the whole our casualties were remarkably few--but we were always -known as the “Lucky Company.” - -In addition to doing this hard and dangerous work, we were roughing it -with a vengeance. Our sleeping-quarters were dug-outs in a wood, and -were lined with straw, when we could get it. The enemy always make a -special point of “searching” woods with shells, and we were so situated -that we were pestered day and night by the German gunners, who were -hoping to draw our artillery fire and so locate our own batteries. -Anything like rest was utterly out of the question owing to these -artillery duels, which were the bane of our life. - -Silence was essential for our work, and we used muffled mauls--our big -wooden mallets. - -One moonlight night we were going to our usual duties when a shell flew -past, exploding with terrific force within ten paces of us. We took it -to be one of the Germans’ random shots, but after going a short distance -we had more shells bursting about us, and bullets whizzing, telling us -that the enemy’s snipers were at it again. Once more we justified our -nickname of the “Lucky Company,” for we had only one man hit--a fine -chap, whose fighting qualities were well known to us, so we grinned when -he said to me, after being struck on the shoulder, “I should like to -have a look at that German, Bill!” - -In the moonlight we offered a first-rate target to the hidden German -snipers, and they certainly ought to have done more with us than just -hit one man; but compared with British soldiers, the Germans, with rare -exceptions, are only “third-class” shots. I have mentioned this little -affair chiefly by way of showing the constant danger to which field -engineers are exposed. - -The Germans at that time had their eyes on us properly, and the very -next day they did their level best to make up for their sorry -performance in the moonlight. - -We had been told off to dig trenches for the infantry on our left, and -we started out on the job. Rain had been falling heavily, the ground was -like a quagmire, and we had to struggle through marshy ground and -ploughed fields. - -This was bad enough in all conscience, but to help to fill the cup of -our misery the German snipers got at us, and gave us what was really a -constant hail of bullets. We floundered on, doing our dead best to reach -a certain wood. After floundering for some time, we were ordered to -halt. By that time we had reached the wood, and the fire was truly -awful. - -Behind our tool-carts we usually fasten a big biscuit-tin, which is a -big metal case, and as the sniping became particularly furious, four of -our men bolted for shelter behind the biscuit-tin. I don’t know what it -is in the British soldier that makes him see the humour of even a fatal -situation, but it happened that the rest of us were so tickled at the -sight of our comrades scuttling that we burst out laughing. - -But we didn’t laugh long, for shells as well as bullets came, and we saw -that the Germans were concentrating their fire upon us. They were going -for all they were worth at the wood, and our only chance of safety lay -in securing cover. We made a dash for the trees, and I sheltered behind -one. - -Then an extraordinary thing happened. A shell came and literally chopped -down the tree. The shell spared my life, but the tumbling tree nearly -got me. Luckily I skipped aside, and just escaped from being crushed to -death by the crashing timber. - -The firing was kept up for a long time after that, but we went on with -our work and finished it, and then we were ordered to occupy the -trenches we had just dug. We were glad to get into them, and it was -pleasant music to listen to our own infantry, who had come into action, -and were settling the accounts of some of the German snipers. - -Later on we were told to get to a farmhouse, and we did, and held it for -some hours, suffering greatly from thirst and hunger, in consequence of -having missed our meals since the early morning. Some of our tool-carts -had been taken back by the infantry, and this was a far more perilous -task than some people might think, for the carts are usually filled with -detonators, containing high explosives like gun-cotton, and an exploding -shell hitting a cart would cause devastation. - -The farmhouse was ranked as a “safe place,” and we reckoned that we were -lucky to get inside it; but it proved anything but lucky, and I grieve -to say that it was here that my particular chum, an old schoolmate, met -his death. We had scarcely reached the “safe place” when the cursed -shells began to burst again, and I said to myself that we were bound to -get some souvenirs. And we did. - -My comrades had brought their tea to a hut, and I went there to get my -canteen to take to the cookhouse. No sooner had I left the hut than I -heard a fearful explosion. One gets used to these awful noises, and I -took no notice of it at the time; but shortly afterwards I was told that -my chum had been hit, and I rushed back to the hut. Terrible was the -sight that met me. Eight of our men were lying wounded, amongst them my -friend. With a heavy heart I picked him up, and he died in my arms soon -afterwards. Two other men died before their injuries could be attended -to--and this single shell also killed two officers’ chargers. - -It was soon after this that I went through what was perhaps my most -thrilling experience. Again it was night, and we were engaged in our -usual work, when suddenly we heard the sound of heavy rifle fire. -Throwing down our tools, we grabbed our rifles. We had not the slightest -idea of what was happening, but looking cautiously over the parapet of -the trench which we were working on, we could dimly see dark figures in -front, and took them to be Germans. - -We were ordered to fire, the word being passed from man to man to take -careful aim; but owing to the darkness this was not an easy thing to do. -We fired, and instantly we were greeted with terrific shouting, and we -knew that the Germans were charging. Not an instant was lost. With fixed -bayonets, out from the trench we jumped, the infantry on our right and -left doing the same. - -Carrying out a bayonet charge is an experience I shall never forget. One -loses all sense of fear, and thinks of nothing but going for and -settling the enemy. For my own part I distinctly recollect plunging my -bayonet into a big, heavy German, and almost instantly afterwards -clubbing another with the butt of my rifle. It was only a short fight, -but a very fierce one. The Germans gave way, leaving their dead and -wounded behind them. - -When the charge was over we went back to our trenches, taking our -wounded with us. Our company’s casualties numbered about a dozen, the -majority of the men suffering from more or less serious wounds; but we -were pretty well satisfied, and felt that we had earned our sleep that -night. - -The next day I had another close shave, a shell bursting very near me -and killing twelve horses belonging to the 15th Hussars, who were on -patrol duty. - -After seven weeks of this famous and awful fighting at Ypres, I was -taken ill with rheumatic fever--and no wonder, after such work, and -sleeping in such places as we were forced to occupy. After a spell in -the hospital at Ypres, I was moved on from place to place, till I made -the final stage of the journey to England. - -A remarkable thing happened during one of the heavy bombardments that we -endured. A shell came and fell plump in the midst of us, and it really -seemed as if we were all doomed. But the shell did not explode, and on -examining the cap, it was found to bear the number “23.” That, you will -remember, is the number of my own company, so you can understand that we -felt more justified than ever in calling ourselves the “Lucky Company.” - - - - -CHAPTER X - -L BATTERY’S HEROIC STAND - - [Not one of the almost numberless valiant deeds of the war has - proved more thrilling and splendid than the exploit of L Battery, - Royal Horse Artillery, at Nery, near Compiègne, on September 1st, - 1914. After greatly distinguishing itself at Mons, the battery - helped to cover the retreat of the Allies, and fought a heavy - rearguard action. On the last day of the retirement the battery - unexpectedly came into action at very close range with an - overwhelmingly superior German force. So destructive was the fire - which was brought to bear on the battery that only one British gun - was left in action, and this was served, until all the ammunition - was expended, by Battery-Sergeant-Major Dorrell, Sergeant Nelson, - Gunner H. Darbyshire and Driver Osborne, all the rest of the - officers and men of the battery having been killed or wounded. At - the close of the artillery duel the Queen’s Bays and I Battery came - to the rescue, and the shattered remnant of L Battery came - triumphant out of the tremendous fray. This story is told by Gunner - Darbyshire, who, with Driver Osborne, was awarded the great - distinction of the Médaille Militaire of France, while the - sergeant-major and Sergeant Nelson for their gallantry were - promoted to second-lieutenants, and awarded the Victoria Cross.] - - -As soon as we got into touch with the Germans--and that was at -Mons--they never left us alone. We had a hot time with them, but we gave -them a hotter. Mons was a terrible experience, especially to men going -straight into action for the first time, and so furious was the -artillery duel that at its height some of the British and German shells -actually struck each other in the air. In less than an hour we fired -nearly six hundred rounds--the full number carried by a battery of six -guns. But I must not talk of Mons; I will get to the neighbourhood of -Compiègne, and tell of the fight that was sprung on the battery and left -only three survivors. - -All through the retreat we had been fighting heavily, and throughout the -day on August 31st we fought till four o’clock in the afternoon; then we -were ordered to retire to Compiègne. It was a long march, and when we -got to Nery, near Compiègne, early in the evening, both horses and men -were utterly exhausted and very hungry. As soon as we got in we gave the -horses some food--with the mounted man the horse always comes first--and -made ourselves as comfortable as possible. - -Outposts were put out by the officers, and the cavalry who were with us, -the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s Bays), were in a small field on the side -of a road which was opposite to us. That road was really a deep cutting, -and I want you to bear it in mind, because it largely proved the -salvation of the few survivors of the battery at the end of the fight. -For the rest, the country was just of the sort you can see in many -places in England--peaceful, fertile and prosperous, with farms dotted -about, but nobody left on them, for the warning had been given that the -German hordes were marching, and the people had fled in terror. - -Having made all our dispositions, we went to sleep, and rested till -half-past three in the morning, when we were roused and told to get -ready to march at a moment’s notice. - -The darkness seemed to hang about more than usual, and the morning was -very misty; but we did not pay much attention to that, and we -breakfasted and fed the horses. We expected to be off again, but the -battery was ordered to stand fast until further notice. - -In war-time never a moment is wasted, and Sergeant-Major Dorrell thought -that this would be a good opportunity to water the horses, so he ordered -the right half-battery to water, and the horses were taken behind a -sugar factory which was a little distance away. The horses were watered -and brought back and hooked into the guns and waggons; then the left -half-battery went to water. - -Everything was perfectly quiet. Day had broken, and the landscape was -hidden in the grey veil of the early morning. All was well, it seemed, -and we were now expecting to move off. A ridge about 600 yards away was, -we supposed, occupied by French cavalry, and a general and orderly -retreat was going on in our rear. Then, without the slightest warning, a -“ranging” shot was dropped into the battery, and we knew instantly that -the Germans were on us and had fired this trial shot to get the range of -us. - -Immediately after this round was fired the whole place was alive with -shrapnel and maxim bullets, and it was clear that the battery was almost -surrounded by German artillery and infantry. As a matter of fact, the -French cavalry had left their position on the ridge before daybreak, and -a strong German force, with ten guns and two maxims, had advanced under -cover of the mist and occupied the position, which was an uncommonly -good one for artillery. - -We were taken completely by surprise, and at first could do nothing, for -the “ranging” shot was followed by an absolute hail of shrapnel, which -almost blew the battery to pieces. - -The very beginning of the German fire made havoc amongst the battery and -the Bays, and the losses amongst the horses were particularly severe and -crippling. But we soon pulled ourselves together, with a fierce -determination to save the battery, and to do our best to give the -Germans a vast deal more than they were giving us. - -“Who’ll volunteer to get the guns into action?” shouted Captain -Bradbury. - -Every man who could stand and fight said “Me!” and there was an instant -rush for the guns. Owing to heavy losses in our battery, I had become -limber gunner, and it was part of my special duty to see to the -ammunition in the limbers. But special duties at a time like that don’t -count for much; the chief thing is to keep the guns going, and it was -now a case of every one, officer and man, striving his best to save the -battery. The officers, while they lived and could keep up at all, were -noble, and worked exactly like the men. From start to finish of that -fatal fight they set a glorious example. - -We rushed to the guns, I say, and with the horses, when they were living -and unhurt, and man-handling when the poor beasts were killed or maimed, -we made shift to bring as heavy a fire as we could raise against the -Germans. The advantage was clearly and undoubtedly with them--they were -in position, they had our range, and they had far more guns and men, -while we had half our horses watering by the sugar mill and shells were -thick in the air and ploughing up the earth before we could get a single -gun into action. - -Let me stop for a minute to explain what actually happened to the guns, -so that you can understand the odds against us as we fought. The guns, -as you have seen, were ready for marching, not for fighting, which we -were not expecting; half the horses were away, many at the guns were -killed or wounded, and officers and men had suffered fearfully in the -course literally of a few seconds after the “ranging” shot plumped into -us. - -The first gun came to grief through the terrified horses bolting and -overturning it on the steep bank of the road in front of us; the second -gun had the spokes of a wheel blown out by one of the very first of the -German shells, the third was disabled by a direct hit with a shell which -killed the detachment; the fourth was left standing, though the wheels -got knocked about and several holes were made in the limber, and all the -horses were shot down. The fifth gun was brought into action, but was -silenced by the detachment being killed, and the sixth gun, our own, -remained the whole time, though the side of the limber was blown away, -the wheels were severely damaged, holes were blown in the shield, and -the buffer was badly peppered by shrapnel bullets. The gun was a wreck, -but, like many another wreck, it held gallantly on until the storm was -over--and it was saved at last. - -In a shell fire that was incessant and terrific, accompanied by the hail -of bullets from the maxims, we got to work. - -We had had some truly tremendous cannonading at Mons; but this was -infinitely worse, for the very life of the battery was in peril, and it -was a point-blank battle, just rapid, ding-dong kill-fire, our own -shells and the Germans’ bursting in a fraction of time after leaving the -muzzles of the guns. - -As soon as we were fairly in action, the Germans gave us a fiercer fire -than ever, and it is only just to them to say that their practice was -magnificent; but I think we got the pull of them, crippled and shattered -though we were--nay, I know we did, for when the bloody business was all -over, we counted far more of the German dead than all our battery had -numbered at the start. - -The thirteen-pounders of the Royal Horse Artillery can be fired at the -rate of fifteen rounds a minute, and though we were not perhaps doing -that, because we were short-handed and the limbers were about thirty -yards away, still we were making splendid practice, and it was telling -heavily on the Germans. - -As the mist melted away we could at that short distance see them -plainly--and they made a target which we took care not to miss. We went -for the German guns and fighting men, and the Germans did all they knew -to smash us--but they didn’t know enough, and failed. - -As soon as we got number six gun into action I jumped into the seat and -began firing, but so awful was the concussion of our own explosions and -the bursting German shells that I could not bear it for long. I kept it -up for about twenty minutes, then my nose and ears were bleeding because -of the concussion, and I could not fire any more, so I left the seat and -got a change by fetching ammunition. - -And now there happened one of those things which, though they seem -marvellous, are always taking place in time of war, and especially such -a war as this, when life is lost at every turn. Immediately after I -left the seat, Lieutenant Campbell, who had been helping with the -ammunition, took it, and kept the firing up without the loss of a second -of time; but he had not fired more than a couple of rounds when a shell -burst under the shield. The explosion was awful, and the brave young -officer was hurled about six yards away from the very seat in which I -had been sitting a few seconds earlier. There is no human hope against -such injuries, and Mr. Campbell lived for only a few minutes. - -Another officer who fell quickly while doing dangerous work was -Lieutenant Mundy, my section officer. He was finding the range and -reporting the effects of our shells. To do that he had left the -protection of the shield and was sitting on the ground alongside the gun -wheel. This was a perilous position, being completely exposed to the -shells which were bursting all around. Mr. Mundy was killed by an -exploding shell which also wounded me. A piece of the shell caught me -just behind the shoulder-blade. I felt it go into my back, but did not -take much notice of it at the time, and went on serving the gun. Mr. -Mundy had taken the place of Mr. Marsden, the left-section officer. The -latter had gone out from home with us; but he had been badly wounded at -Mons, where a shrapnel bullet went through the roof of his mouth and -came out of his neck. In spite of that dreadful injury, however, he -stuck bravely to his section. - -I am getting on a bit too fast, perhaps, so I will return to the time -when I had to leave the seat of the gun owing to the way in which the -concussion had affected me. When I felt a little better I began to help -Driver Osborne to fetch ammunition from the waggons. I had just managed -to get back to the gun with an armful of ammunition, when a lyddite -shell exploded behind me, threw me to the ground, and partly stunned me. - -I was on the ground for what seemed to be about five minutes and thought -I was gone; but when I came round I got up and found that I was -uninjured. On looking round, however, I saw that Captain Bradbury, who -had played a splendid part in getting the guns into action, had been -knocked down by the same shell that floored me. I had been thrown on my -face, Captain Bradbury had been knocked down backwards, and he was about -two yards away from me. When I came to my senses I went up to him and -saw that he was mortally wounded. He expired a few minutes afterwards. -Though the captain knew that death was very near, he thought of his men -to the last, and repeatedly begged to be carried away, so that they -should not be upset by seeing him or hearing the cries which he could -not restrain. Two of the men who were wounded, and were lying in the -shelter of a neighbouring haystack, crawled up and managed to take the -captain back with them; but he died almost as soon as the haystack was -reached. - -By this time our little camp was an utter wreck. Horses and men were -lying everywhere, some of the horses absolutely blown to pieces; waggons -and guns were turned upside down, and all around was the ruin caused by -the German shells. The camp was littered with fragments of shell and our -own cartridge-cases, while the ground looked as if it had been ploughed -and harrowed anyhow. Nearly all the officers and men had been either -killed or wounded. - -It is no exaggeration to say that the Germans literally rained shrapnel -and bullets on us. A German shell is filled with about three hundred -bullets, so that with two or three shells bursting you get as big a -cloud of bullets as you would receive from a battalion of infantry. - -The Germans had ten of their guns and two machine-guns going, and it is -simply marvellous that every man and horse in our battery was not -destroyed. Bear in mind, too, that the German artillery was not all -field-guns--they had big guns with them, and they fired into us with the -simple object of wiping us out. That is quite all right, of course; but -they never gave a thought to our wounded--they went for them just as -mercilessly as they bombarded the rest. - -There was a little farmhouse in our camp, an ordinary French farm -building with a few round haystacks near it. When the fight began, we -thought of using this building as a hospital; but it was so clear that -the place was an absolute death-trap that we gave up that idea very -quickly, and got our wounded under the shelter of one of the haystacks, -where they were pretty safe so long as the stack did not catch fire, -because a good thick stack will resist even direct artillery fire in a -wonderful manner. But the Germans got their guns on this particular -stack, and it was a very bad look-out for our poor, helpless fellows, -many of whom had been badly mangled. - -As for the farmhouse it was blown to pieces, as I saw afterwards when I -visited it, and not a soul could have lived in the place. Walls, -windows, roof, ceilings--all were smashed, and the furniture was in -fragments. A building like that was a fair target; but the haystack was -different, and the Germans did a thing that no British gunners would -have done. At that short distance they could see perfectly clearly what -was happening--they could see that as our wounded fell we got hold of -them and dragged them out of the deadly hail to the shelter of the -stack, about a score of yards away, to comparative safety. Noticing -this, one of the German officers immediately concentrated a heavy shell -fire on the heap of wounded--thirty or forty helpless men--in an attempt -to set fire to the stack. That was a deliberate effort to destroy -wounded men. We saw that, and the sight helped us to put more strength -into our determination to smash the German guns. - -The Germans were mad to wipe us out, and I know that for my own part I -would not have fallen into their clutches alive. My mind was quite made -up on that point, for I had seen many a British soldier who had fallen -on the roadside, dead beat, and gone to sleep--and slept for the last -time when the Germans came up. On a previous occasion we passed through -one place where there had been a fight--it must have been in the -darkness--and the wounded had been put in a cemetery, the idea being -that the Germans would not touch a cemetery. That idea proved to be -wrong. One of the German aeroplanes that were constantly hovering over -the battery had given some German batteries our position, but we got -away, and the German gunners, enraged at our escape, instantly dropped -shells into the cemetery, to wipe the wounded out. If they would do that -they would not hesitate to fire deliberately on our wounded under the -haystack--and they did not hesitate. - -It was not many minutes after the fight began in the mist when only -number six gun was left in the battery, and four of us survived to serve -it--the sergeant-major, who had taken command; Sergeant Nelson, myself, -and Driver Osborne, and we fired as fast as we could in a noise that was -now more terrible than ever and in a little camp that was utter -wreckage. There was the ceaseless din of screaming, bursting shells, the -cries of the wounded, for whom we could do something, but not much, and -the cries of the poor horses, for which we could do nothing. The noise -they made was like the grizzling of a child that is not well--a very -pitiful sound, but, of course, on a much bigger scale; and that sound of -suffering went up from everywhere around us, because everywhere there -were wounded horses. - -It was not long before we managed to silence several German guns. But -very soon Sergeant Nelson was severely wounded by a bursting shell, and -that left only three of us. - -The Bays’ horses, like our own, had been either killed or wounded or had -bolted, but the men had managed to get down on the right of us and take -cover under the steep bank of the road, and from that position, which -was really a natural trench, they fired destructively on the Germans. - -British cavalry, dismounted, have done some glorious work in this great -war, but they have done nothing finer, I think, than their work near -Compiègne on that September morning. And of all the splendid work there -was none more splendid than the performance of a lance-corporal, who -actually planted a maxim on his own knees and rattled into the Germans -with it. There was plenty of kick in the job, but he held on gamely, and -he must have done heavy execution with his six hundred bullets a minute. - -This rifle and maxim fire of the Bays had a wonderful - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 128._ - -“PLANTED A MAXIM ON HIS OWN KNEES AND RATTLED INTO THE GERMANS.”] - -effect in silencing the German fire, and it helped us greatly when we -came to the last stage of the duel. - -I don’t know how many of the Bays there were, but it was impossible for -them to charge, even if they had had their horses, owing to the fact -that the road in front of us was a deep cutting. If the cutting had not -been there the Uhlans, who alone considerably outnumbered us, would have -swept down on us and there would not have been anyone left in L Battery -at any rate. - -By the time we had practically silenced the German guns the three of us -who were surviving were utterly exhausted. Osborne, who was kneeling -beside a waggon wheel, had a narrow escape from being killed. A shell -burst between the wheel and the waggon body, tore the wheel off, and -sent the spokes flying all over the place. One of the spokes caught -Osborne just over the ribs and knocked him over, backwards. - -I looked round on hearing the explosion of the shell, and said, “I think -Osborne’s gone this time,” but we were thankful to find that he was only -knocked over. One of his ribs was fractured, but we did not know of this -till afterwards. - -Meanwhile, the men who had gone to water the horses of the left-half -battery had heard the firing, and had tried hard to get back to help us; -but they were met on the road by an officer, who said that the battery -was practically annihilated, and it would be useless for them to return. -The Germans had seen them watering the horses, and had begun to shell -the sugar factory. This caused the remaining horses of the battery to -gallop away, and a lot of them were killed as they galloped, though a -good many got away and were afterwards found in the neighbouring town -of Compiègne, wandering about. As for the men, they “mooched” in any -direction as stragglers, and eventually we came up with them. - -The three of us had served the gun and kept it in action till it was -almost too hot to work, and we were nearly worn out; but we went on -firing, and with a good heart, for we knew that the Germans had been -badly pounded, that the Bays had them in a grip, and that another -battery of horse-gunners was dashing to the rescue. On they came, in -glorious style--there is no finer sight than that of a horse battery -galloping into action. - -Two or three miles away from us I Battery had heard the heavy firing, -and knew that something must be happening to us. Round they turned, and -on they dashed, taking everything before them and stopping for nothing -till they reached a ridge about 2000 yards away; then they unlimbered -and got into action, and never was there grander music heard than that -which greeted the three of us who were left in L Battery when the saving -shells of “I” screamed over us and put the finish to the German rout. - -In a speech made to I Battery Sir John French said-- - -“No branch of the Service has done better work in this campaign than the -Royal Horse Artillery. It is impossible to pick out one occasion more -than another during this campaign on which I Battery has specially -distinguished itself, because the battery has always done brilliant -work. Your general tells me that you were in action continuously for ten -days....” - -We had been pretty well hammered out of existence, but we had a kick -left in us, and we gave it, and what with this and the Bays and the -bashing by the fresh battery, the Germans soon had enough of it, and for -the time being they made no further effort to molest us. - -At last the fight was finished. We had--thank God!--saved the guns, and -the Germans, despite their frantic efforts, had made no progress, and -had only a heap of dead and wounded and a lot of battered guns to show -for their attempt to smash us in the morning mist. We had kept them off -day after day, and we kept them off again. We had been badly punished, -but we had mauled them terribly in the fight, which lasted about an -hour. - -Three of our guns had been disabled, two waggons blown up, and many -wheels blown off the waggons. - -Some strange things had happened between Mons and Compiègne, and now -that the duel had ended we had a chance of recollecting them and -counting up the cost to us. Corporal Wheeler Carnham was knocked down -while trying to stop a runaway ammunition waggon, and one of the wheels -went over his legs. He managed to get on his feet again, but he had no -sooner done so than he was struck on the legs by a piece of shell. At -Compiègne two gunners were blown to pieces and could not be identified. -Driver Laws had both legs broken by a waggon which turned over at Mons, -and afterwards the waggon was blown up, and he went with it. -Shoeing-Smith Heath was standing alongside me at Compiègne when the -firing began. I told him to keep his head down, but he didn’t do so--and -lost it. The farrier was badly wounded, and the quartermaster-sergeant -was knocked down and run over by an ammunition waggon. Gunner Huddle, a -signaller, was looking through his glasses to try to find out where the -shells were coming from, when he was struck on the head by a piece of -bursting shell. - -Our commanding officer, Major the Hon. W. D. Sclater-Booth, was standing -behind the battery, dismounted, as we all were, observing the fall of -the shells, when he was hit by a splinter from a bursting shell and -severely wounded. He was removed, and we did not see him again until we -were on the way to the base. As far as I remember, he was taken off by -one of the cavalry officers from the Bays. - -Lieutenant Giffard, our right section officer, was injured early in the -fight by a shell which shattered his left knee, and he was taken and -placed with the rest of the wounded behind the haystack, where in a very -short time they were literally piled up. As soon as the officers and men -fell we did the best we could for them; but all we could do was just -simply to drag them out of the danger of the bursting shells. Luckily, -this particular haystack escaped fairly well, but very soon after the -fight began nearly every haystack in the camp was blazing fiercely, set -on fire by the German shells. - -The first thing to be done after the fight was to bury our dead and -collect our wounded, and in this sorrowful task we were helped by the -Middlesex Regiment--the old “Die-Hards”--who have done so splendidly and -suffered so heavily in this war. They, like I Battery, had come up, and -we were very glad to see them. Some of our gallant wounded were beyond -help, because of the shrapnel fire. - -We buried our dead on the field where they had fallen, amidst the ruins -of the battery they had fought to save, and with the fire and smoke -still rising from the ruined buildings and the burning haystacks. - -Another thing we did was to go round and shoot the poor horses that were -hopelessly hurt--and a sorry task it was. One waggon we went to had five -horses killed--only one horse was left out of the six which had been -hooked in to march away in the mist of the morning; so we shot him and -put him out of his misery. We had to shoot about twenty horses; but the -rest were already dead, mostly blown to pieces and scattered over the -field--a dreadful sight. - -When we had buried the dead, collected our wounded, and destroyed our -helpless horses, the guns of our battery were limbered up on to sound -waggon limbers, and a pair of horses were borrowed from each sub-section -of I Battery to take them away. Everything else was left -behind--waggons, accoutrements, clothing, caps, and so on, and the -battery was taken to a little village about four miles from Compiègne, -where we tried to snatch a bit of rest; but we had no chance of getting -it, owing to the harassing pursuit of big bodies of Uhlans. - -From that time, until we reached the base, we wandered about as best we -could, and managed to live on what we could get, which was not much. We -were in a pretty sorry state, most of us without caps or jackets, and we -obtained food from other units that we passed on the road. - -We were marching, dismounted, day and night, till we reached the -rail-head, where I was transferred to the base and sent home. The -sergeant-major and Osborne came home at the same time, and the -sergeant-major is now a commissioned officer. So is Sergeant Nelson. - -After such a furious fight and all the hardships and sufferings of Mons -and the retreat, it seems strange and unreal to be back in peaceful -London. I don’t know what will happen to me, of course, but whatever -comes I earnestly hope that some day I shall be able to go back to the -little camp where we fought in the morning mist in such a deadly hail of -shell, and look at the resting-places of the brave officers and men who -gave their lives to save the battery they loved so well. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -SIXTEEN WEEKS OF FIGHTING - - [Indomitable cheerfulness and consistent courage are two of the - outstanding features of the conduct of the British soldier in the - war, and these qualities are finely shown in this story of some of - the doings of the 1st Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kent - Regiment, which has greatly distinguished itself and suffered - heavily. Private Montgomery is a member of a fighting family, for - he has a brother in the Royal Navy, two brothers in the Rifle - Brigade, one in the Army Service Corps, and one in the Royal Army - Medical Corps, so that there are six brothers serving their country - in this time of urgent need.] - - -I don’t know whether you have seen the picture of the retreat from -Moscow, showing everybody going along in a drove, this, that, and the -other way. You know it? Well, that wasn’t a patch on some parts of the -great retirement on Paris; but there was this enormous difference, that -the retreat from Moscow was just that and nothing more, while our -retirement was simply the beginning of what was to be a splendid -victory. - -It led up to the present tremendous fighting and this terrific trench -work; and let me say that it is impossible for anybody who has not taken -part in that trench warfare to realise what it means. Words and pictures -will enable you to understand the life to some extent, but only by -sharing in it will you fully realise its awful meaning. - -But I’m not grumbling--I’m only stating a fact. Trench life is hard and -dismal work, especially in a winter like this; but everything that it -has been possible to do for the British soldier by the folk at home has -been done. - -Look at this--one of the new skin coats that have been served out to us. -This is the way we wear it--yes, it certainly does smell, but it’s -goat-skin, and might have done with a bit more curing--and I can tell -you that it takes a lot of even the wet and wind of the Low Countries to -get through the fur and skin. These coats are splendid, and a perfect -godsend. - -I won’t attempt to tell you about things exactly as they happened; I’ll -talk of them just as they come into my mind, so that you can understand -what the Royal West Kents have done. - -I can speak, I hope, as a fully-trained soldier, for I served eight -years with the colours and two years in the Reserve before I was called -up, and I did seven years abroad, in China, Singapore, and India; so I -had got into the way of observing things that interest a soldier. - -Well, one of my first and worst experiences was when at about ten-thirty -at night the order for a general retirement was given, but through some -mistake that order did not reach a sergeant and fourteen of the West -Kents, of whom I was one, and it was not until just before four o’clock -in the morning that we got the word, and began to try and pull ourselves -out of it. - -The Germans were then not more than eighty yards away from us, and our -position was desperate. To make matters worse, the bridge by which we -had to get across a neighbouring canal had been blown up, but as it -happened the detonator on the overhead part of the bridge had not -exploded, so that there was still a sort of communication across the -water. - -The bridge was full of wire entanglements and broken chains--a mass of -metal wreckage--and the only way of crossing was to scramble along the -ruins and crawl along what had been the iron parapet, which was only -eight or nine inches wide. You will best understand what I mean if you -imagine one of the iron bridges over the Thames destroyed, and that the -principal thing left is the flat-topped iron side which you often see. - -Under a terrible fire we made for the parapet and got on to it as best -we could. I was the last man but one to get on to it. Just in front of -me was Lance-corporal Gibson, and just behind me was Private Bailey. - -With the Germans so near, so many of them, and keeping up such a heavy -fire on us, you can imagine what it meant to crawl along a twisted -parapet like that. The marvel is that a single one of us escaped, but a -few of us did, which was no credit to the German marksmanship. - -The bullets whizzed and whistled around us and very soon both the man in -front of me and the man behind were struck. - -The corporal was knocked straight over and disappeared. Bailey was shot -through the instep, but he managed to hold on to the parapet, and to -make a very singular request. - -“Mont,” he said, “come and take my boot off!” - -I turned round and saw what had happened to him; but, of course, it -wasn’t possible to do what he asked, when it needed every bit of one’s -strength and skill to hang on to the parapet and keep crawling, so I -cried back, “Never mind about taking your boot off--come on!” - -It was no use saying anything; poor chap, he would insist on having his -boot off, so I said, “For Heaven’s sake get along, or we shall all get -knocked over!” And with that I started to crawl again, and to get ahead -as best I could. - -The corporal, as I have said, had gone; he had been hit right between -the shoulder-blades, and I just saw him roll over into the horrible -barbed-wire entanglements. - -What exactly happened to poor Bailey I don’t know. I hadn’t a chance of -looking back, but I heard afterwards that both he and the corporal were -found lying there, dead, with their faces spattered with blood. - -At last, after what seemed like a miraculous escape, I got clear of the -parapet, with a few more, and landed safely on the other side of the -canal, looking for the West Kents; but it had been impossible to re-form -any battalion, and regiments were walking about like flocks of sheep. -Efforts were being made to re-form our own men, but at that time there -was no chance of doing so. - -It was the sight of these disorganised and wandering soldiers that -brought to my mind the picture of the retreat from Moscow. - -It was not until we reached Le Cateau that the handful of us rejoined -the regiment, and so far as fighting went we merely changed from bad to -worse. - -At Le Cateau the West Kents held the second line of trenches, and the -Yorkshire Light Infantry were in the first line, so that we were -supporting them. We had the 121st and 122nd Batteries of the Royal -Field Artillery in front of us--and no troops could wish for better -gunners than the British. - -We got into the trenches at about four-thirty on the morning of the -26th, and remained in them for something like twelve hours, and during -that time we took part in what was probably the fiercest battle that had -ever been fought up to that time, though there was worse to follow in -the Ypres region. We were rather unlucky, as it happened, because we -were forced to lie in the trenches and watch the other regiments and our -artillery shelling the enemy without our being able to fire a shot, for -we were so placed that we could not do anything effective against the -enemy just then. - -The Yorkshire Light Infantry retired, and then came the order for the -West Kents to go. It was an order that needed the greatest care and -courage to carry out, but it had been given, and, of course, the West -Kents always do just what they are told to do. We did so now, with the -result, I am proud to say, that we carried out Colonel Martyn’s command -to the letter. - -“Don’t get excited in any way,” he said. “Just go off as if you were on -battalion parade.” - -And we did, and the colonel showed us how to do it, for he walked off -just as he might have walked off the barrack square, though all the time -we were under heavy shell fire and our men were falling. We lost a fair -number, but not many, considering the nature of the fire upon us. - -We got as far as St. Quentin, which is a big town, trying to find out -where our regiment had gone; but we got cold comfort, for a man came up -and said: “It’s no good going in there. The town’s surrounded. The best -thing you can do is to put down your arms and surrender.” - -We didn’t relish the surrender suggestion, and we started to make -inquiries. A sergeant who spoke French went up to a gendarme who was at -the side of the railway station, and asked him if it was true that the -town was surrounded. - -The gendarme replied that he didn’t know, but he believed the statement -was true; anyway he advised us to remain where we were. - -Not satisfied with that, about half a dozen of us went up to a French -cavalry officer and put the question to him. - -The cavalry officer, like the gendarme, said he didn’t know, but told us -that the best thing we could do was to go on to a place, which he named, -about eight miles away, and off we went; but before we reached it we -came across a cavalry division, and learned that it was not safe to go -farther. Again we were advised to remain where we were, and we did for -the time being. - -It was not until later that we discovered what a narrow escape we had -had, for three German cavalry divisions had been ordered to pursue the -retiring troops hereabouts, but through a blunder the order had -miscarried and the Uhlans did not follow us. - -In such a serious business as this we had, of course, lost heavily, and -we continued to lose. Major Buckle, D.S.O., one of the bravest men that -ever stepped in a pair of shoes in the British Army, lost his life in -attempting to distribute the West Kents. That is merely one of many -instances of officers and men who were killed under fire. - -Sometimes men were lost in the most extraordinary manner, especially -owing to shell fire. At one time about six big shells burst, and in the -wreckage caused by one of the explosions ten men were buried. - -Men volunteered to go and try to dig these poor fellows out, but as fast -as the volunteers got to work they, too, were shelled and buried, so -that in the end about thirty men were buried--buried alive. It was -useless to attempt to continue such a forlorn hope, and it was -impossible to dig the men out, so they had to be left. It was hard to do -this, but there was nothing else for it. - -Bodies of men were lost, too, as prisoners, when overpowering numbers of -Germans had to be met, or when the Germans rushed unarmed men and left -them no alternative to capture. A doctor and twenty-five men of the West -Kents who were acting as stretcher-bearers were taken. Very splendid -work is done by the stretcher-bearers, who go to the trenches every -night to collect the wounded, and bring them in to the hospitals. All -sorts of buildings and places are used as hospitals, and in this case it -was the cellar of a house in a village that was utilised. The men were -not armed, as they were acting as members of the Royal Army Medical -Corps, to render first aid. - -Just about midnight the Germans broke through the line and surrounded -the village, and rushed in and captured the stretcher-bearers, and took -them off, no doubt thinking they had gallantly won a very fine prize. - -I remember this particular occasion well, because on the following -morning we were reinforced by some of the native Bhopal Infantry, from -India, and that took me back to the time I spent in that country. Little -did I think in those days, when we were associated so much with the -troops of the Indian Army, that the day would come when, in the heart of -winter, we and the Indians would be fighting side by side in the awful -Low Countries. - -I got used to the heat of the day and the cold of the night in India, -but it wasn’t easy to become accustomed to the sweltering heat of the -earlier days of the war, or the bitter cold of the winter. - -One day, not long before I came home, we had six miles to do, after a -very heavy fall of snow. We ploughed through the snow in the daytime, -and at night we travelled in the transport, but what with the snow by -day and the bitter freezing by night, we were fourteen hours covering -that short distance--which works out at something under half a mile an -hour. And that was the roundabout way we had to go to get at some enemy -trenches which were only about fifty yards away from us. But, in spite -of this terrific weather, we had only one or two cases of frost-bite. - -A change on trench work and actual fighting came with my being told off -as an ammunition carrier. There are two ammunition carriers to each -company, and our duty was to keep the firing line well supplied with -ammunition. This we fetched from the pack-mules, which were some -distance away, and we took it to the men in the firing line in -bandoliers, which we filled from the boxes carried by the mules. It was -lively work, especially when the mules turned awkward and the firing was -hot; but we got through it all right--Lance-Corporal Tweedale and -myself. - -One night, when the shell and rifle fire was very heavy, we went up to -the firing line with ammunition, which was badly wanted, and we had such -a hot time of it that the officer in charge advised us to remain for a -couple of hours, till the firing slackened or ceased; but we had a -feeling that it would be more comfortable in the rear, and as the matter -rested with us we started off to get back. - -This was one of the most uncomfortable bits of journeying I ever -undertook, for in order to shelter from the fire of the Germans, which -threatened every second to kill us, we had to crawl along a ditch for -fully three-quarters of a mile. We crawled along in the darkness, with -the bullets whizzing and shells bursting; but we lay low, and at last -got out of it and landed back at the rear, which was certainly more -agreeable than being in the very thick of the firing line. - -I am proud to be one of the Royal West Kents, because they have done so -well in this great war. “Give ’em a job and they’ll do it,” a general -said of us, just after Le Cateau. One day another general said, “What -regiment is that coming out of the trenches?” The answer was, “The Royal -West Kent, sir,” and the general promptly said, “For Heaven’s sake give -them a rest--they’ve earned it!” But we hadn’t gone more than two -hundred yards when a staff officer told us to get into position in a -field and dig ourselves in--and we were the last out of action that day. - -At another time, when we had been hard at it, a general said: “Come on, -West Kents! In another half-hour you’ll be in your billets.” And we went -on, for that sounded very cheerful; but, instead of going into billets, -we had half-an-hour’s rest for a drop of tea--then we went on outpost -duty for the night, and woke in the morning in a big scrap. - -I am mentioning these things just to show how unexpectedly -disappointments came at times; but we soon got into the way of taking -these set-backs as part of the day’s work. - -When the winter advanced, the strain became uncommonly severe, but we -were able to bear it owing to the first-rate system of relief we had--a -relief which gave us as much change as possible on the confinement and -hardship of the actual trenches. - -Some very strange things happened in the trenches, and none were -stranger than those cases of men being in them for long periods under -heavy fire and escaping scot free, to be succeeded by others who lost -their lives almost as soon as they got into their places. - -There was one youngster--he could not have been more than seventeen or -eighteen--who had been in France only about a fortnight. He was having -his second day in the trenches, and, like a good many more who are new -to the business, he was curious to see what was going on. This was -particularly dangerous, as the Germans were only sixty yards away, and -any seen movement on the part of our men brought instant fire. - -The officer kept telling the youngster to keep down, and more than once -he pulled him down; but the lad seemed fascinated by the port-hole of -the trench--the loop-hole, it is generally called--and he looked through -it again; once too often, for a German marksman must have spotted him. -Anyway, a bullet came through the port-hole and struck the lad just -under the eye, went through his brain, and killed him on the spot. - -I will give you another curious instance, that of Sergeant Sharpe. It -was his turn to be in reserve, but he had volunteered to go up to the -trenches, to look round. He had scarcely had time to put his feet in -them before a shot came and struck him between the eyes, killing him -instantly. - -I specially remember the sad case of the inquisitive youngster, because -it happened on the very day I was wounded, and that was December 16. I -was in a trench, sitting over a coke fire in a biscuit tin, when a -bullet struck me on the chin--here’s the scar--then went to the back of -the trench, where it struck a fellow on the head, without seriously -hurting him, and came back to me, hitting me just over the right eye, -but not doing any serious mischief. After that I was sent into hospital, -and later on came home. - -On the way back I came across two very singular cases. One was that of a -man who had had his arm amputated only a fortnight previously, and he -was not used to it. He used to turn round and say, “I keep putting up my -hand to scratch the back of it--and the hand isn’t there!” - -I saw another poor fellow--quite a youngster--who was being carried on a -stretcher to the train. Both his legs had been blown off by a shell. I -was right alongside when he said, “For Heaven’s sake cover up my -feet--they’re cold!” He lived for about half an hour after that, but -never reached the train. - -There is one thing I would like to say in finishing, and that is to -thank our own flesh and blood for what they have done for us. I’m sure -there never can have been a war in which so much has been done in the -way of sending presents like cigarettes and tobacco; but I think that -too much has been sent at one time, and that friends would do well to -keep some of the good gifts back a bit. They will all be wanted later -on. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -A DAISY-CHAIN OF BANDOLIERS - - [In this story we become acquainted with a brilliant bit of work - done by our brave little Gurkhas, fresh from India, and we learn of - a splendid achievement under a deadly fire--the sort of act for - which many of the Victoria Crosses awarded recently have been - given. The teller of this story was, at the time of writing, home - from the front. He is Private W. H. Cooperwaite, 2nd Battalion - Durham Light Infantry, a fine type of the Northerners who have done - so much and suffered so heavily in the war.] - - -I was wounded at Ypres--badly bruised in the back by a piece of a “Jack -Johnson.” There is nothing strange in that, and people have got used to -hearing of these German shells; but the main thing about this particular -customer was that it was the only one that burst out of eighteen “Jack -Johnsons” I counted at one time. If the other seventeen had blown up, I -and a lot more of the Durhams would not have been left alive. That same -shell killed two of my comrades. - -We went into action very soon after leaving England. We had had plenty -of tough marching, and on the way we grew accustomed to the terrible -evidences of the Germans’ outrages. - -In one place, going towards Coulommiers, we came across tracks of the -German hosts. They had ravaged and destroyed wherever they had passed, -and amongst other sights our battalion saw were the bodies of two young -girls who had been murdered. The men didn’t say much when they set eyes -on that, but they marched a good deal quicker, and so far from feeling -any fear about meeting the Germans, the sole wish was to get at them. - -After a four days’ march we got to Coulommiers, where we came up with -the French, who had been holding the Germans back and doing fine work. -That was in the middle of September, when the Battle of the Aisne was in -full swing. On the 19th we went into the trenches, and after a spell in -them we were billeted in a house. We had settled down nicely and -comfortably, when crash came a shell, and so tremendous was the mischief -it did that we had only just time to make a rush and clear out before -the house collapsed. - -It just sort of fell down, as if it was tired out, and what had been our -billet was a gaping ruin. That was the kind of damage which was being -done in all directions, and it told with sorry effect on those who were -not so lucky as we had been, and were buried in the smash. All the -cellars were crowded with people who had taken refuge in them, and they -lived in a state of terror and misery during these continuous -bombardments by German guns. - -After that lively bit of billeting we returned to the trenches, and on -Sunday, the 20th, with the West Yorkshires on our right, we were in the -very thick of heavy fighting. The artillery on both sides was firing -furiously, and the rifles were constantly going. Our own fire from the -trenches was doing very heavy mischief amongst the Germans, and they -were losing men at such a rate that it was clear to them that they -would have to take some means of stopping it, or get so badly mauled -that they could not keep the fight going. - -Suddenly there was a curious lull in the fighting and we saw that a -perfect horde of the Germans were marching up to the West Yorkshires, -carrying a huge flag of truce. - -It was a welcome sight, and we thought, “Here’s a bit of pie for the -Tykes--they must have been doing good.” They had lost heavily, but it -seemed from this signal of surrender that they were to be rewarded for -their losses. - -A large party of the West Yorkshires went out to meet the Germans with -the flag, and I watched them go up until they were within fifty yards of -the enemy. I never suspected that anything wrong would happen, nor did -the West Yorkshires, for the surrender appeared to be a fair and -aboveboard business. - -When only that short distance separated the Germans and the West -Yorkshires, the leading files of the surrender party fell apart like -clockwork and there were revealed to us, behind the flag of truce, -stretchers with machine-guns on them, and these guns were set to work at -point-blank range on the West Yorkshires, who, utterly surprised and -unprepared, were simply mown down, and suffered fearfully before they -could pull themselves together. - -Now, this dastardly thing was done in full view of us; we could see it -all, and our blood just boiled. What we would have liked best of all was -a bayonet charge; but the Germans were too far off for the steel, and it -seemed as if they were going to have it all their own way. - -They had given us a surprise, and a bad one; but we had a worse in -store for them--we also had machine-guns, and they were handy, and we -got them to work on the dirty tricksters and fairly cut them up. The -whole lot seemed to stagger as our bullets showered into them. That was -one of the cowardly games the Germans often played at the beginning of -the war; but it did not take the British long to get used to them, and -very soon the time came when no risks were taken, and the stretcher -dodge was played out. - -That Sunday brought with it some heavy fighting, and some very sad -losses. There was with us an officer whose family name is very -particularly associated with the Durham Light Infantry, and that was -Major Robb, as good and brave a gentleman as ever breathed. - -After that proof of German treachery he received information that the -Germans meant to attack us again; but Major Robb thought it would be -better to turn things about, and let _us_ do the attacking. I dare say -he was burning to help to avenge the losses of the West Yorkshires, the -poor fellows who were lying dead and wounded all around us. - -To carry out an attack like that was a desperate undertaking, because -the Germans were six hundred yards away, and the ground was all to their -advantage. It rose towards them, and they were on the skyline, so that -it became doubly difficult to reach them. - -Well, the order was given to advance, and we got out of our trenches and -covered most of the distance in good order. Bit by bit we made our way -over the rising ground towards that skyline which was a blaze of fire, -and from which there came shells and bullets constantly. - -There could be no such thing, of course, as a dash, however swift, -towards the skyline; we had to creep and crawl and make our way so as to -give them as little to hit as possible; but it was terrible--too -terrible. - -We fell down under that deadly blast, and though I am not a particularly -religious man, I’ll own that I offered up a prayer, and the man on my -left said something of the same sort too. Poor chap! He had scarcely got -the words out of his mouth, when over he went, with a bullet in his -neck, and there he lay, while those of us who were fit and well kept up -and crept up. - -At last we were near enough to the skyline to give the Germans rapid -fire, and we rattled away as fast as we could load and shoot, till the -rifles were hot with firing. After that rapid fire we crept up again, -and it was then that I saw Major Robb lying down, facing us, and smoking -a pipe--at least he had a pipe in his mouth, just as cool as usual. He -sang out to my platoon officer, “How are you feeling, Twist?” - -Lieutenant Twist answered, “Oh, I’m about done for.” I looked at him and -saw that he was wounded in the chest and arm. We had to go on, and we -could not take him back just then. - -The lieutenant had scarcely finished speaking when I saw Major Robb -himself roll over on his side. A poor lad named Armstrong, with four -more of our men, crept up to attend to the major, but a piece of -shrapnel struck the lad on the head and killed him--and other men were -falling all around me. - -There was no help for it now--we had to get back to our trenches, if we -could; that was our only chance, as the Germans were hopelessly greater -in number than we were. So we made our way back as best we could, and we -took with us as many of the wounded as we could get hold of. - -Time after time our men went back for the wounded; but, in spite of all -we could do, some of the wounded had to be left where they had fallen. - -We got back, the survivors of us, to the trenches, and we had hardly -done so when we heard a shout. We looked up from the trenches, and saw -Major Robb on the skyline, crawling a little way. - -Instantly a whole lot of us volunteered to go and fetch the major in; -but three were picked out--Lance-Corporal Rutherford, Private Warwick, -and Private Nevison. - -Out from the trenches the three men went; up the rising ground they -crawled and crept; then, at the very skyline, Rutherford and Nevison -were shot dead, and Warwick was left alone. But he was not left for -long. Private Howson went to help him, and he actually got to the ridge -and joined him, and the two managed to raise the major up; but as soon -as that had been done the officer was shot in a vital part, and Warwick -also was hit. - -More help went out, and the major and Warwick were brought in; but I -grieve to say that the poor major, who was loved by all of us, died soon -after he reached the trenches. - -That furious fight had cost the Durhams very dearly. When the roll was -called we found that we had lost nearly 600 men, and that in my own -company only one officer was left. This was Lieutenant Bradford, one of -the bravest men I ever saw. At one time, when we had lost a young -officer and a man with a machine-gun, Lieutenant Bradford worked the -gun himself. I am sorry to say that he was killed in another battle -later on. - -Now I am going to leave the Valley of the Aisne and get round to -Flanders, where we found ourselves near Ypres, faced by a big force of -Germans. - -Again we were with our friends the West Yorkshires--they were on our -right, and on our left we had the East Yorkshires, so that there were -three North-country regiments together. Near Ypres we soon had to carry -out a smart bit of work which, in a way, proved very pathetic. The -Durhams were ordered to take a small village, and we went for it. We -reached a farmhouse, and there we found about a score of women and -children. Some of our men were sent into the house, but they could not -make the women and children understand English. The poor souls were -terrified; they had had to do with Germans, and as they were not -familiar with our uniforms they thought we were Germans too--another lot -of the breed from which they had suffered so much. - -We fetched Captain Northey to explain things to the women, and as he -entered the house a shell burst near him and took off part of one of his -trouser-legs, but without hurting him. The captain took no notice of -this little drawback, and into the house he went, and made the women -understand that we were English troops; and I can assure you that when -they realised that they simply went wild with joy, and hugged and kissed -us. - -We had gone out to learn, if we could, something about the enemy’s -strength, and we got to know that there were about 30,000 Germans in -front of our brigade, and that they were entrenched. - -The Sherwood Foresters, who were in reserve to us, were ordered to -relieve us, and it was wonderful to see they way in which they came into -the village we had taken, smoking cigarettes as if they were doing a -sort of route-march, although they came right up against a hail of -bullets, with the usual shells. In face of such tremendous odds they had -to retire; but, like good soldiers, they prepared another lot of -trenches near the village, and later on we went into them. - -In such fighting as this war brings about there are many, many sad -incidents, and one of the saddest I know of occurred at this particular -village. There was a fine young soldier named Matthews, who came from -West Hartlepool, I think it was. He was struck by shrapnel, and we saw -that he was badly hurt. We did what we could for him, but it was clear -that he was mortally wounded, and that he knew it. His last thought was -for home and wife, and he said he would like his cap-badge to be sent to -her, to be made into a brooch. I believe that a comrade, who was also a -neighbour of his, undertook to do this for him. - -It was my good fortune to see the little Gurkhas rout the enemy, who had -attacked them, and to give the Germans a most unpleasant shock. - -The Germans had been shelling the East Yorkshires, who were now on the -right of the Durhams. The enemy had the range almost to an inch, and the -effect of the shelling was terrible. Hour after hour this shelling was -kept up pitilessly, and the German aeroplanes--“birds,” we called -them--swooped about and saw the havoc that was being done. This sort of -thing went on till after dark, and the Durhams wondered if any of the -East Yorkshires were left. - -There was a surprise in store for us at dawn next day when we awoke, for -the East Yorkshires’ trenches were full of Gurkhas, who had slipped in -during the night. The Germans knew nothing of this. All they knew was -that their shells had been pounding on the East Yorkshires for hours, -and doubtless they had satisfied themselves that no troops on earth -could stand such a gruelling. - -The Germans came on pretty confidently, after dawn, to the position of -the East Yorkshires--came on in a cloud. That was after we had repulsed -an attack on ourselves, but not finally, owing to the vast numbers of -the Germans. Perhaps they expected to find the trenches filled with -English dead and wounded, and certainly to us it seemed as if the -trenches must be in that condition, for the Gurkhas let the Germans come -on without showing a sign of life. - -The Germans gave enough warning--as they always do. Bugles sounded, and -they rushed on, shouting and yelling; but still there was no sound from -the trenches, no sign of life was seen. Even we, who had a fine view of -the trenches, could see nothing. We were intensely interested, though we -had plenty of hard work to do ourselves in firing at the enemy. - -When the Germans got to within about forty yards of the trenches on our -left, the little brown fellows, who had been lying so low, sprang up and -simply poured over the tops of the trenches. That performance was one of -the most extraordinary things seen in the war. The Gurkhas never even -attempted to fire; they just seemed to roll over the ground, gripping -their long, curved knives. - -We were too far off to see exactly what sort of expression came on the -Germans’ faces when the trenches, which were supposed to be choked with -dead and wounded Britons, vomited these Indian warriors; but we saw the -whole shouting, yelling line of Germans pull up sharp. - -The Germans made a half-hearted effort to come on, then they wavered -badly, and well they might, for by this time the little Gurkhas were on -them with fury, and the blades flashed like lightning about the mass of -startled Germans. - -Stunned by the unexpectedness and swiftness of the Indian onslaught, -terrified by the deadly wielding of the knives, the Germans made no real -effort to withstand the rush from the trenches, and they broke and ran -like rabbits, throwing down their rifles as they scuttled, with the -Gurkhas leaping after them and doing fearful execution. - -It was truly great, and as the victorious little warriors came back we -gave them a cheer that was a real hurrah. We were as pleased as the -Gurkhas were, and they showed their joy as they came back wiping their -knives. They seemed all grin and knife as they returned, and we felt all -the better for it, too, especially as we gave the broken, flying Germans -a heavy peppering. - -Only the Germans who were behind got away, or had a chance. Those in -front, who had had to meet the Indians’ swift, fierce spring, were done -for as soon as the curved blades were whirling amongst them. - -I had had a pretty good innings by this time, and had escaped serious -injury, but I was very soon to be bowled out. The Durhams were -supporting the West Yorkshires, who had been badly cut up. We received -word that the West Yorkshires had run short of ammunition, and that -fresh supplies were urgently wanted. We advanced with supplies, and -found that we had to cover about fifty yards of open ground. The Germans -had got the exact range of this open ground, so that it was impossible -to advance over it, except singly. The shell and rifle fire was -particularly heavy, and it seemed as if nothing could live on that -exposed stretch. - -One by one we made a dash across that awful space towards the trenches -where the Yorkshiremen were hungering for fresh ammunition, and each of -us carried a full bandolier for the Tykes. A good many of our men fell, -but a lot got through and took part in a very strange bit of work. - -I got through myself, after being blown down by the force of a shell -explosion near me--thank Heaven it was the force and not the shell -itself that knocked me over for the moment! It was terrible going, for -we soon found, after we began to make the journey, that we could not -quite reach the Yorkshires’ trenches. - -There were some haystacks on the open ground, and we dodged behind them -and dashed from one to the other, every dash meaning a shower of bullets -from the Germans. - -There was still the last fifty yards I have mentioned to be covered; but -now it meant almost sure destruction to be seen, so we threw the -bandoliers to the end man in the trenches, the man nearest to us; but a -full bandolier is a heavy thing, and there was not much chance of taking -aim. We were almost at our wits’ end, but we tried another way. We made -a sort of daisy-chain of several bandoliers, and paid this out as best -we could towards the trenches. - -The nearest man in the trench--a plucky chap he was--slipped out and -made a dart for the end of the chain. He just made a mad grab and got -it. Then he dashed back to his trench, and it seemed as if the business -was all over, and that the daisy-chain would be safely hauled in; but to -the grief of all of us the chain broke when a few yards of it had been -pulled in. - -This was a dreadful disappointment, but still something had been done, -some rounds of ammunition, at any rate, had been got into the trenches, -and we were determined that the Tykes should have some more. We had to -wait a bit, for as soon as the Yorkshireman had shot back to his trench, -the ground that he had scuttled over was absolutely churned up by -shells, and if he had been caught on it he would have been blown to -rags. We lost no time in making other efforts, and at last the -ammunition was safely delivered to the West Yorkshires in the trenches, -and they did some rattling good business with it. - -I have mentioned “Jack Johnsons,” and I want to speak of them again by -way of finish. It was at Ypres that I was bowled out. These “J.J.’s” -were falling heavily, but many of them were what you might call -dumb--they didn’t speak. As I have said, I counted eighteen as they -came, and out of the whole of that number only one exploded. But it was -enough. I have already told you what happened to two of my comrades, and -as for myself it settled me for the time being by badly bruising my -spine and back. - -And that’s the reason why I was invalided home. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -DESPATCH-RIDING - - [Particularly hard and responsible work has been done for the - British Army by motor cycle despatch-riders. Many members of this - fine branch of our fighting men abandoned very promising careers in - civil life to go to the seat of war. Amongst them is Corporal - Hedley G. Browne, Captain of the Norfolk Motor Cycle Club, who when - war broke out volunteered for active service and became a motor - cycle despatch-rider, attached to a signal company of the Royal - Engineers. It is his story which is here retold. Of the work of the - motor cycle despatch-riders Sir John French has spoken in terms of - high praise, and when the King visited the front recently a number - of the riders were specially brought to his Majesty’s notice.] - - -I was in Ypres, billeted in a brewery, when that beautiful old city was -still intact; I was there when the first German shell came and began the -ruthless bombardment which has laid the city in ruins and added one more -to the list of heavy debts which the Germans will have to pay when the -war is over. The sooner that time comes the better, especially for those -who have been at the front since the beginning, and have had to endure -things which people at home cannot possibly realise. Five days ago I -left the front for a flying visit home, and now I am on my way back. It -has seemed a very short spell, and a big slice of the time has been -eaten up in travelling. A nice batch of us came over together, and here -we are assembling again, though it’s a good hour before the boat-train -starts. - -We go to Boulogne, and then we shall get into motor lorries and be -trundled off back to the fighting line. This is the kit we work and live -in--even now my revolver is loaded in every chamber. No, so far, I -haven’t used it on a German; but it’s shot a pig or two when we’ve -wanted pork, and really there isn’t much difference between the two. It -is hard to believe that human beings committed some of the acts of which -I saw so many during those four months at the front. The astounding -thing is that the Germans don’t realise that they have done anything -wrong, and quite lately I was talking with some German prisoners who -spoke English, who not only did not see this, but were also quite sure -that the war will end in favour of Germany. By this time, however, they -are changing their tune. - -When I got to the front I was attached to a signal company, which -consists of establishing communication between headquarters and three -brigades, and that meant when we were on the march riding through about -seven miles of troops, guns, waggons and hosts of other things. When in -action we had to go quite up to the firing line, and very soon I hardly -knew myself, as I got quite used to the bursting of shells and to the -shocking condition of the killed and wounded. It was astonishing to see -how soon men, who had been used to every comfort at home and who knew -nothing of war in any shape or form, got accustomed to the hardships of -campaigning and developed a callousness which is altogether foreign to -their real nature. - -One of the most amazing things about the war is the way in which it -changes a man and makes him callous. I know that before I had anything -to do with the Army I was so sensitive in some ways that the mere -thought of blood was almost enough to make me ill, yet now, after being -for more than four months in the war, and having seen the havoc of the -most terrific battles the world has ever known, I tear along the lonely -roads and remain almost unmoved by the most dreadful sights. The dead -pass unnoticed, and as for the wounded, you can do nothing, as a rule. -You have your orders, and they must be obeyed without loss of time, -because a motor despatch-rider is always on the rush. - -I well remember the very first German I saw lying dead. He was an Uhlan, -and was on the roadside. I was greatly distressed at the sight of him, -there was something so sad about it all, but now there is no such -sensation at the sight of even great numbers of the dead. A strange -thing happened in connection with the Uhlan. I took his cap as a -memento, and brought it home, with several other German caps and -helmets, chunks of shell, clips of cartridges, and relics of -altar-cloths; and now, for some cause which I can’t quite fathom, the -Uhlan’s cap has turned a queer sort of yellow. - -That strange callousness comes over one at the most unexpected times, -and often enough a motor despatch-rider has to dash through a crowd of -refugees and scatter them, though the very sight of the poor souls is -heart-breaking. When Ypres was bombarded, the men, women and children -thronged the roads, and all that was left to them in the world they -carried in bundles on their backs; yet they had to be scattered like -flocks of sheep when the motor despatch-riders rushed along. There was, -however, one pleasing feature in the matter, and that was that these -poor people knew that we were tearing along in their interests as well -as our own, and that we did not mean to hurt anybody--which was -different, indeed, from the spirit of the enemy, whose policy was to -spread terror and havoc wherever he could, and to destroy mercilessly. -When I first went into Ypres it was a beautiful old city, very much like -Norwich, but I saw the German guns smash the place and the shells set -fire to glorious old structures like the Cathedral and the Cloth Hall. -The two pieces of altar-cloth which I brought home were taken from the -Cathedral while it was burning. - -Though you soon get used to war, still there are always things coming -along which are either particularly interesting or very thrilling. -Perhaps the most exciting incident I can call to mind is the bringing -down of a German aeroplane by a British brigade. That was on October -27th, when I was with the brigade. It was afternoon, and the aeroplane -was flying fairly low, so that it was a good target for the rain of -bullets which was directed on it. Even when flying low, an aeroplane is -not easy to hit, because of its quick, dodging movements, but this -machine was fairly got by the brigade. Suddenly there was an explosion -in the aeroplane, flames shot out and the machine made a sickening, -terrible somersault. I took it that a bullet or two had struck the -petrol tank and blown the machine up--anyway, the airman was shot out -and crashed to earth with fearful speed. You wanted to look away, but an -awful fascination made you keep your eyes on what was happening. At -first the man looked like a piece of paper coming down, then, almost -before you could realise the tragedy that was taking place, the piece of -paper took the form of a fellow-creature--then the end came. The man -himself smashed to earth about two hundred yards from the spot where I -was watching, but the machine dropped some distance off. That was really -one of the sights that no amount of war will accustom you to, and I -shall never forget it as long as I live. - -At first the weather was very hot, which made the work for the troops -very hard. The machine I had soon struck work, and was left to be handed -over to the Kaiser as a souvenir; and several other machines gave up the -ghost in like manner. When a machine went wrong, it was left and a new -one took its place--the list of casualties for motors of every sort is -an amazingly heavy one; but casualties were inevitable, because in many -places the roads that we had to take were perfect nightmares. - -It was very hard going till we got used to it. During the first month at -the front I had my boots off about three times--I am now wearing my -fourth pair, which is an average of one a month--and we reckoned that we -were lucky if we slept in a barn, with straw; if we couldn’t manage that -we turned in anywhere, in our greatcoats. When I say sleep, I mean lying -down for an hour or two, as sometimes we did not billet till dark. Then -we had some grub, anything we could get, and after that a message. Next -day we were off, five times out of six, at 3.30 to four o’clock, and got -long, hard days in. - -Amongst the messages we had to carry there were none more urgent than -those which were sent for reinforcements, the men upon whose coming the -issue of a battle depended. It was tear and scurry all along, but -somehow the message would get delivered all right and the reinforcements -would hurry up and save the situation. Often enough a message would be -delivered at midnight to a tired officer who was living in a dug-out, -and I scarcely ever reached one of these warrens without being invited -to take something of whatever was going--it might be a drink of hot -coffee, with a biscuit, or a tot of rum, which was truly grateful after -a bitter ride. That is the only thing in the way of alcoholic drink at -the front, and very little of it. This is, for the British, a teetotal -war; but for the Germans it has been the very reverse, and time after -time we came across evidence of their drunken debauches. - -The shell fire was so incessant that it was soon taken as part of the -day’s work. At first it was terrible, though one got used to it. My -first experience of rifle fire did not come until I had been at the -front for some weeks, and then I was surprised to find what a -comparatively small thing it is compared with shells--it is not nearly -so bad. - -It was getting dark, and it was my duty to go down a lane where snipers -were hidden in the trees. This was just the kind of lane you know in -England, and you can easily picture what it meant. Imagine leaving your -machine, as I did, in a tree-lined lane at home, and going down it, -knowing that there were fellows up the trees who were on the watch to -pot you, and you will realise what it meant; but you will have to -picture also the sides of the lane being littered, as this was, with -dead and wounded men. Well, I had to go down that lane, and I -went--sometimes walking, sometimes running, with the bullets whizzing -round and the shells bursting. But by good luck I escaped the bullets, -though a piece of shell nearly nailed me--or would have got me if I had -been with my machine. The fragment struck the cycle and I picked it up -and brought it home with the other things as a souvenir. - -That escape was practically nothing. It was a detail, and came in the -day’s work; but I had a much more narrow shave a few days later. It was -a Saturday and I had had a pretty hard time--amongst other things I had -done a thirty-mile ride after one o’clock in the morning--the sort of -ride that takes it out of you. - -There was one of our orderlies with a horse near me and I was standing -talking to him. We heard a shrapnel shell coming, and ducked our heads -instinctively to dodge it--but the shell got at us. The horse was killed -and the orderly was so badly hit that he died in less than an hour. He -was buried in the afternoon, and very solemn the funeral was, with the -guns booming all around. I was deeply shocked at the time, but war is -war, and in a very short time the incident had passed out of my mind. -Our fellows told me that I was one of the lucky ones that day. - -That was the beginning of one of the most awful periods of the war, -especially for the despatch-riders, for we were at it night and day. The -roads were hopelessly bad, and as we were not allowed to carry any lamps -at night the danger of rapid travel was greatly increased. We were, -however, relieved to some extent by mounted men. The fighting was -furious and incessant, and we were in the thick of a good deal of it. -After a very hard spell I was quartered all day in a little stable, and -it proved to be about the most dangerous place I had come across. On -October 29th the Germans went for the stable with high explosives and -the everlasting “scuttles.” For some time these big shells came and -burst in the locality, and two houses within a score of yards of us -were blown to pieces and enormous holes were driven in the ground. - -From the stable we went to a house, and then we fairly got it. Four huge -shells came, one after the other, and one came and ripped the roof just -like paper. We were amazingly lucky, however, for the worst thing that -happened was that a fellow was wounded in the leg. I was thankful when -the order came to pack up and stand by, for there were in that little -place about twenty of us from different regiments, and a single -explosion would have put us all well beyond the power of carrying either -despatches or anything else. For a while we could not understand why the -enemy should so greatly favour us, but we soon learned that they were -going for some French guns near us. So the firing went on, and when we -went to sleep, as we did in spite of all, bullets ripped through the -roof, coming in at one side of the building and going out at the other, -and four more big shells paid us a most unwelcome visit. - -I was thankful when we moved out of those unpleasant quarters and took -up our abode in a large farmhouse about three hundred yards away. This -was one of the very few buildings that had escaped the ravages of the -German artillery fire. We made the move on the 30th, when the cannonade -was very heavy, yet the only casualties were a pig and two horses. We -were now much better protected from the Germans’ fire, though the very -house shook with the artillery duel and the noise grew deafening and -almost maddening. I wrote home pretty often, and I remember that at this -time I got behind a hedge to write a letter, and as I wrote bullets -whizzed over my head, fired by German snipers who were up some trees -not very far away. They were going for our chaps in the trenches a mile -away. - -Mons had been bad, and there had been many harrowing sights on the -retreat, but at the end of October and the beginning of November the -climax of horror was reached. The Germans, mad to hack their way through -to the coast, and perhaps realising that they would never do it, stuck -at nothing. They were frantic, and I saw sights that would sicken any -human being. No consideration weighed with them, they simply did their -best to annihilate us--but they are trying still to do that and not -succeeding. - -We had left the farmhouse and gone into a large château, which served as -headquarters, and here, on November 2nd, we had a ghastly experience. It -is likely that the Germans knew the particular purpose to which the -château had been devoted; at any rate they shelled it mercilessly, and -no fewer than six staff officers were killed, while a considerable -number were wounded. Again I was lucky, and came out of the adventure -unscathed. On the following day, however, I was nearly caught. I had -taken a message to headquarters and was putting my machine on a stand. -To do this I had to leave a house, and go about fifty yards away, to the -stand. I had scarcely left the building when two shells struck it fair -and plump, and killed two motor cyclists and wounded three others. Like -a flash I jumped into a ditch, and as I did so I heard the bits of burst -shell falling all around me. When I got out of the ditch and went back -along the main road I saw a huge hole which a shell had made. It was a -thrilling enough escape, and shook me at the time, because I knew the -two poor fellows who were killed. That was the kind of thing we went -through as we jogged along from day to day. - -I am not, of course, giving a story of the war so much as trying to show -what it means to be a motor cycle despatch-rider at the front. He is -here, there and everywhere--and there is no speed limit. He is not in -the actual firing line, yet he sees a great deal of what is going on. -Sometimes he is very lucky, as I was myself one day, in being allowed to -witness a fight that was taking place. I had taken a despatch to an -officer, and perhaps conveyed some cheering news. Anyway, I had the -chance to go to an eminence from which I could view the battle, and I -went, and it was wonderful to see the waging of the contest over a vast -tract of country--for in a war like this the ordinary fighter sees very -little indeed of the battle. At this special point I had the rare chance -of witnessing a fight as I suppose it is seen by the headquarters staff, -and one of the strangest things about it was the little there was to be -seen. There were puffs of smoke and tongues of flame--and the -everlasting boom of guns; but not much more. Men are killed at long -distances and out of sight in these days. - -War is excessively wearing, and it was a blessed relief when a day came -which was free from shells and bullets. That, indeed, was the calm after -the storm. It came to us when we were snug in a farmyard about a mile -away from a big town, with our motor-cars, cycles and horses so well -under cover that the German aeroplanes did not find us out. Thankful -indeed were we for the change, because the whole region where we were -had been pitilessly bombarded, and there was nothing but devastation -around us. Shells had done their work, and there was a special kind of -bomb which fired anything it touched that was inflammable. A great many -petrol discs, about the size of a shilling, were discharged by the -Germans, and these things, once alight, did amazing mischief. Villages -were obliterated, and in the big town where we were billeted the -engineers were forced to blow up the surrounding houses to prevent the -entire place from being destroyed. - -The glad time came when our Division was relieved for a time. We got a -bit of rest, and I crossed the Channel and came home for a short spell. -One of the last things I saw before I left the front was the Prince of -Wales making a tour. At that time he was about fifteen miles from the -firing line. - -What was the most noticeable thing that struck me when I came back over -the Channel? Well, that is not easy to say, but I know that I -particularly noticed the darkness of the London streets. - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 168._ - -“THE MEN WERE TOLD TO LAY HANDS ON ANYTHING THAT WOULD FLOAT” (p. -172).] - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE THREE TORPEDOED CRUISERS - - [Within a few minutes, on the morning of Tuesday, September 22nd, - 1914, three large British cruisers, sister ships, foundered in the - North Sea, after being torpedoed by German submarines, and nearly - 1,500 officers and men perished. The ships were the _Aboukir_, - _Cressy_ and _Hogue_. Each was of 12,000 tons, with a speed of - twenty-two knots, and each cost £750,000. The vessels were fine - warships, but almost obsolete, and before the war it had been - decided to sell them out of the Navy. The _Aboukir_ was torpedoed, - and while the _Hogue_ and _Cressy_ had closed, and were standing by - to save the crew, they also were torpedoed. All three ships - speedily sank. The boats were filled, and, later, destroyers and - other vessels came up and rescued many of the survivors, amongst - whom was C. C. Nurse, an able seaman of the _Hogue_, whose story is - here retold. The casualties were very heavy; but, said the - Admiralty, the lives lost were “as usefully, as necessarily, and as - gloriously devoted to the requirements of his Majesty’s service as - if the loss had been incurred in a general action.”] - - -The three cruisers, sister ships, were on patrol duty in the North Sea -early on the morning of September 22nd. They were alone, protecting our -own merchant ships and on the look-out for vessels that were -mine-laying. The weather was nice, with a rather heavy swell on the -water. There had been plenty of bad weather, and this was the first good -day we had had for a week. - -I had done my twelve years in the Navy and had been called up from the -Royal Fleet Reserve. We had settled into our stride and had been in at -the tail-end of the scrap in the Heligoland Bight, where the _Hogue_ -got hold of the _Arethusa_ and towed her away. At that time the -_Arethusa_ had been commissioned only about two days. We knew that she -was just beginning her life; but we little thought that the _Hogue_ was -ending hers. - -It was my watch below, and I was asleep in my hammock when the bugles -sounded the _réveillé_, and we were shaken up and told that one of our -ships was going down. We had turned in all standing, and lost no time in -rushing on deck. Then I saw that the _Aboukir_, which was about six -hundred yards away, was heeling over, and that we were steaming up to -her assistance. At first we thought she had been mined; but we quickly -learned that she had been torpedoed by German submarines. We were very -soon alongside of her, and were doing everything we could to save the -survivors. It was very clear that she was sinking, that a good many of -the crew had been killed by the explosion, and that a lot of men, who -were far below, in the engine-room and stokeholds, would have no chance -of escaping. - -We instantly started getting out the few boats that were left in our -ship. There were only three, because we were cleared for action, and as -it was war-time the great majority of them had been taken away. This has -to be done so that there shall be as little woodwork as possible to be -splintered by shells. With extraordinary speed some of the _Aboukir’s_ -men had got to the _Hogue_, and some, who were badly hurt, had been -taken to the sick-bay and were being attended to. The attack had come -swiftly, and it was for us the worst of all attacks to guard against; -but there was nothing like panic anywhere, and from the calmness of -things you might have thought that the three ships were carrying out -some ordinary evolution. - -I was standing on the starboard side of the after-shelter-deck of the -_Hogue_, and could see a great deal of what was going on. With -remarkable smartness and speed our two lifeboats were got away to the -_Aboukir_, our men pulling splendidly on their life-saving errand. Our -main derrick, too, was over the side and had got the launch out. The -launch was a big rowing-boat, which would hold about a hundred men, and -not a second had been lost in getting her afloat under the direction of -Lieutenant-Commander Clive Phillipps-Wolley. He worked the derrick to -get the launch out, though he was not in the best of health, and only a -little while previously he had been ill in his bunk. He was near me on -the after-bridge, which was above the shelter-deck, and I saw and heard -him giving orders for the getting out of the launch. That was the last I -knew about him. He was one of the lost. - -The launch was afloat, and the men were ready to hurry up to the -_Aboukir_; but before she could get away the very deck under my feet was -blown up. There was a terrific explosion, and a huge column of wreckage -rose. I was stunned for a moment by the force of the explosion. I -thought we had been mined; but almost instantly there was a second -explosion under me, and I knew that we had been torpedoed. The _Hogue_ -had been badly holed, and she began to heel over to starboard -immediately. - -It is only telling the plain truth to say that there was practically no -confusion, and that every man was cool and going about his business as -if no such thing as a calamity like this had happened. War is war, and -we were ready for all sorts of things--and the discipline of the British -Navy always stands firm at a crisis. - -There was naturally a good deal of noise, shouting of orders, and -orderly rushing to and fro as men carried them out; but everything was -done with wonderful coolness, and the splendid courage of the officers -was reflected in the men. A noble example was set, and it was -magnificently followed. The men waited until they got their orders, just -as they did at any other time. - -The captain was on the fore-bridge, and I heard him shouting; but as I -was so far aft I could not clearly make out what he said. I know, -however, that he was ordering every man to look after himself. The men -were told to take their clothes off, and to lay hands on anything that -would float. They promptly obeyed, and at the word of command a lot of -them jumped overboard. There was then hope that we could all get to the -_Cressy_, which was still uninjured, standing by and doing all she could -to rescue the survivors of her two sister ships. Soon, however, she -herself was torpedoed, and in a few moments it was perfectly clear that -the three ships were going to the bottom of the sea. - -All the cruisers shared the same fate, and were doomed. They were the -only British ships at hand, and we did not expect the enemy, being -Germans, to do anything for us. But everything that skill and resource -could do was done by our own survivors without a moment’s loss of time. -In the sea there was an amazing collection of things that had been -thrown overboard--tables, chairs, spars, oars, hand-spikes, targets and -furniture from the officers’ cabins, such as chests of drawers. And -everything that could float was badly wanted, because the sea was simply -covered with men who were struggling for dear life, and knew that the -fight would have to be a long and terrible one. - -It takes a long time to talk of what happened, but, as a matter of fact, -the whole dreadful business, so far as the loss of the ships was -concerned, was over in a few minutes. As far as I can reckon, the -_Hogue_ herself was struck three times within a minute or so. The first -torpedo came, followed almost immediately by a second in the same place, -and by a third about a minute afterwards. The war-head of a torpedo -holds a very big charge of gun-cotton, which, when it explodes against -the side of a ship, drives an enormous hole through. An immense gap was -driven in the _Hogue’s_ side, and there seems to be no doubt that the -first torpedo struck her under the aft 9·2in. magazine. That fact would -account for the fearful nature of the explosion. - -As soon as the _Hogue_ had been torpedoed, she began to settle by the -stern; then she was quite awash aft, and began to turn turtle. Our ship -sank stern first before she heeled over. There was a frightful turmoil -as the four immense funnels broke away from their wire stays and went -over the side, and the sea got into the stokeholds and sent up dense -clouds of steam. - -The Germans boast about the work having been done by one submarine, but -that is nonsense. No single submarine could have done it, because she -could not carry enough torpedoes. I am sure that there were at least -half-a-dozen submarines in the attack; certainly when I was in the water -I saw two rise. They came up right amongst the men who were swimming -and struggling, and it was a curious sensation when some of the men felt -the torpedoes going through the water under their legs. I did not feel -that, but I did feel the terrific shock of the explosion when the first -torpedo struck the _Cressy_; it came through the water towards us with -very great force. - -We had a fearful time in the cold water. The struggle to keep afloat and -alive, the coming up of the submarines, and the rushing through the -water of the torpedoes--all that we had to put up with. Then we had -something infinitely worse, for the _Cressy_ spotted the submarines, and -instantly opened a furious fire upon them. The chief gunner, Mr. -Dougherty, saw one of them as soon as her periscope appeared, and he -fired, and, I believe, hit the periscope; then he fired again--and -again, getting three shots in from a four-pounder within a minute, and -when he had done with her, the submarine had made her last dive--and -serve her right! The Germans played a dirty game on us, and only a -little while before we had done our best to save some of them in the -Heligoland Bight, but never a German bore a hand to save the three -cruisers’ men from the water. Of course, a sailor expects to be hit -anyhow and anywhere in a straight piece of fighting, but this torpedoing -of rescue ships was rather cold-blooded, and I don’t think British -submarines would have done it. - -There were some awful sights--but I don’t want to dwell too much on -them. Men had been torn and shattered by the explosions and falling -things, and there was many a broken leg and broken arm. Great numbers of -men had been badly hurt and scalded inside the ship. In the -engine-rooms, the stokeholds, and elsewhere, brave and splendid fellows -who never left their posts had died like heroes. They never had a chance -when the ships heeled over, for they were absolutely imprisoned. - -When once I had reached the shelter-deck I never tried to go below -again; but some of the men did, and they were almost instantly driven -out by the force of the huge volumes of water which were rushing into -the side through the gaping holes. - -One man had an extraordinary escape. He had rushed below to get a -hammock, and had laid hands on it when the ship heeled over. It seemed -as if he must be drowned like a rat in a trap, and would have no chance, -but the rush of water carried him along until he reached an -entry-port--one of the steel doorways in the ship’s sides--and then he -was hurled out of the ship and into the sea, where he had, at any rate, -a sporting chance, like the rest of us, of being saved. - -I saw the three ships turn turtle, and a dreadful sight it was. The -_Hogue_ was the first to go--she was not afloat for more than seven -minutes after she was struck; then the _Aboukir_ went, but much more -slowly--she kept afloat for rather more than half-an-hour; and the last -to go was the _Cressy_. The _Cressy_ heeled over very slowly and was -quite a long time before she had completely turned turtle. When that -happened the bottom of the ship, which was almost flat for most of its -length, was where the deck had been. And on this big steel platform, -which was nearly awash, the Captain was standing. I saw him quite -clearly--I was not more than forty yards away--and I had seen men -walking, running, crawling and climbing down the side of the ship as she -heeled over. They either fell or hurled themselves into the sea and -swam for it; but the captain stuck to his post to the very last and went -down with his ship. It was the old British Navy way of doing things, -though probably he could have saved himself if he had taken his chance -in the water. - -One thing which proved very useful in the water, and was the means of -saving a number of lives, was a target which had been cast adrift from -the _Cressy_. Targets vary in size, and this was one of the smaller -ones, known as Pattern Three, about twelve feet square. It was just the -woodwork without the canvas, so it floated well, and a lot of the -survivors had something substantial in the way of a raft to cling to. -Many of them held on gamely till the end, when rescue came; but other -poor chaps dropped off from sheer exhaustion, and were drowned. - -It must be remembered that not a few of the men had had an experience -which was so shattering that, perhaps, there has never been anything -like it in naval warfare. They were first torpedoed in the _Aboukir_, -then they were taken to the _Hogue_ and torpedoed in her, and then -removed to the _Cressy_ and torpedoed for the third time. Finally they -were cast into the sea to take their chance, and, in some cases, they -had to float or swim in the water for hours until they were rescued. No -wonder it became a question of endurance and holding on more than a -matter of swimming. - -The sea was covered with men who were either struggling for life or -holding on to wreckage. The boats were packed, and well they might be, -because no effort had been spared to get struggling men into them. The -men who were in the best of health and good swimmers were helping those -who could not swim, and in this way many a man was saved who would have -been lost. - -When I was in the water I did not utter a word to anybody--it was not -worth it, and you needed all your breath; but I never abandoned hope, -even when I saw the last ship go down, because I knew that we should -have assistance. - -Wireless calls were made, and appeals for help were being sent out all -the time, and when I looked around at all, it was in the hope of seeing -some of our own ships tearing down to the rescue. My mind was easy on -the point--I knew that the call must have been made, and it was merely a -question of time for the response to come. - -I was supported by a plank and clung to it with all my strength, though -from time to time I endured agony from cramp. In spite of the torture I -never let go. I gripped my plank, but I saw men near me forced to let go -their hold of things they had seized, and they were drowned. In many -cases cramp overcame them, and quite near to me were poor fellows who -were so contracted with it that they were doubled up in the water, with -their knees under their chins. I could see their drawn faces and knotted -hands--and in several cases I saw that the grip which was on the -floating objects was the grip of death. I floated past these poor chaps, -and it was pitiful to see them. Thank God some of the struggling in the -water did not last long, because many of the men had been badly burnt or -scalded, or hit by heavy pieces of wreckage, and these soon fell away -exhausted, and were drowned. Some, too, were dazed and lost their nerve -as well as their strength, so that they could not keep up the fight for -life. For long after the cruisers had sunk, carrying hundreds of men -with them, the sea for a great space was covered with floating -bodies--dead sailors, as well as those who had managed to live. - -Whenever a boat came up I tried to help a man into it; but it was not -possible to do anything except with the aid of the boats. The two -cutters acted splendidly, picking up all the men they could. Captain -Nicholson, of the _Hogue_, was in charge of one of them, and he did some -rousing rescue work. - -There were some fine deeds of courage and unselfishness that sad morning -in the North Sea. The launch and the cutter were packed, of course, and -seeing this, and knowing that there were men in the water who were more -badly wanting a place in the boat than he was, a Royal Fleet Reserve -man, named Farmstone, sprang into the sea and swam for it, to make room -for a man who was exhausted. - -I was thankful indeed when I saw smoke on the horizon--black clouds -which showed that some ships were steaming up as hard as they could -lick. Very soon, some of our own destroyers--blessed and welcome -sight--came into view, and as they did so, I believe, they potted at -submarines which were slinking away, but I can’t say with what result. -The destroyers came up. The _Lucifer_, a small cruiser, came up too, and -the work of rescue began as hard as it could be carried out, every -officer and man working with a will. There were two or three other ships -about, two Lowestoft trawlers--which did uncommonly good work--and two -small Dutch steamers, one called the _Titan_ and the other the _Flora_. -The next thing that I clearly remember was that I had been hauled out of -the bitter-cold water and lifted on board the _Flora_, and that she was -soon packed with half-dead men like myself. - -The _Flora_ was a very small Dutch cargo boat, and with so many men on -board she was crammed. It is impossible to say how some of the men got -on board, and they could not explain themselves, they were so utterly -exhausted. The Dutch could understand us, though words were hardly -necessary, and they shared everything they had--clothes, food, drink and -accommodation. They wrapped their bedding round us and gave us hot -coffee. The stokehold was crowded with men who had gone down into it to -get dry and warm. Some of the men were suffering dreadfully from burns, -wounds and exhaustion, and one of them died on board the _Flora_. He was -my next messmate, Green. He lived for only about an hour. I saw him in -one of the seamen’s bunks, and he was then in great agony. I think he -had been struck very badly in the explosion. We took him away from the -bunk, laid him on the fore-hatch and covered him with a tarpaulin, where -he lay till about five o’clock in the afternoon, when we landed at -Ymuiden. Poor Green was buried there with full honours, the British -chaplain at Amsterdam conducting the service. - -One very strange incident of the disaster was the way in which the -ensign of the _Hogue_ was saved. I don’t know how it happened, but one -of the stokers who had managed to escape got hold of the ensign when he -was in the water, and hung on to it all the time he was in--two or three -hours. He had the ensign with him when we were in Holland, and had his -photograph taken with it in the background. - -Another remarkable fact is that four brothers, who came from the -Yorkshire coast, I think, were in the _Hogue_, and all of them were -saved! - -Talking of photographs, I was one of a group which was taken at -Ymuiden, when we were rigged out in the kit of Dutch bluejackets. There -I am, in the back row. At that time I was wearing a beard and moustache, -as there was neither much time not inclination for shaving. - -We had lost everything we had, and were almost naked, so we were very -glad of the clothes that were given to us by the Dutch. These people -were kindness itself to us, and did everything they could to make us -comfortable and happy. I was taken to a small café and went to bed. - -A Dutch soldier was in charge of us, but he had no fear of us doing any -harm. Next evening they took us by train to a place in the north of -Holland; then we had a sixteen miles’ tramp along the level roads to a -concentration camp where there were some Belgian prisoners, who gave us -a cheer. - -We marched those sixteen miles whistling and singing. Had we not been -snatched from death? - -We had to rough it, of course, but that came easy after such an -experience as ours. There was only one blanket amongst thirteen men, and -we had to sleep on straw, and eat with our fingers. We had plenty of -food, though--rough, but very nice, and we were very glad of it, and -thankful to get a drink of water. - -Next morning, when we left the straw and solitary blanket, it was very -raw and cheerless, and there was a heavy mist. The Belgian prisoners had -a football, and we borrowed it and played a game, and got warm. We were -covered with straw, and our clothes were filled with it when we woke, -but we soon shook it clear when we got going with the ball. We enjoyed a -basin of coffee and a big lump of brown bread which - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 180._ - -“GOOD SWIMMERS WERE HELPING THOSE WHO COULD NOT SWIM” (p. 176).] - -the Dutch cook gave us, then we got the time on by turning our tents -out, and were quite in clover when the British Consul supplied us with -knives, forks, spoons, towels, overcoats and boots. - -We spent the first morning washing and drying our socks, and wondering -what was going to be done with us. We kept on wondering, but soon knew -that we were not going to be detained in Holland, but were to be sent -home. On the Friday we had definite news that we were to go back to -England, and on the Saturday morning we left, and did the sixteen miles’ -tramp again; but it was easier this time, because we were prepared for -it. We stopped at a farm, and they gave us milk and food, cigars and -cigarettes, and before entering a special train for Flushing, the Dutch -gave us milk again, and cake, bread and apples. - -From Flushing we came on to Sheerness, and then we went on leave--and -here I am; but I go back in a day or two. I don’t know what will happen, -for owing to the explosion the sight of my left eye has practically -gone. Besides that, I seem to have been completely shattered in nerves, -though I reckoned that I was one of those men who have no nerves--I have -been a steeple-jack since I left the Navy, and just before I was called -up I was cleaning the face of Big Ben. - -It is when I wake in the middle of the night, as I often do, that the -whole fearful thing comes back with such awful vividness, and I see -again the dreadful sights that it is better to forget. - -Yes, the Germans got three good hauls in the cruisers; but I don’t think -they’ll have another chance like it. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE RUNAWAY RAIDERS - - [“Practically the whole fast cruiser force of the German Navy, - including some great ships vital to their fleet and utterly - irreplaceable, has been risked for the passing pleasure of killing - as many English people as possible, irrespective of sex, age or - condition, in the limited time available. Whatever feats of arms - the German Navy may hereafter perform, the stigma of the - baby-killers of Scarborough will brand its officers and men while - sailors sail the seas.” So wrote the First Lord of the Admiralty - (Mr. Winston S. Churchill) on December 20th, 1914, in reference to - the German raid on Scarborough, Whitby, and the Hartlepools on - December 16th. In that cowardly bombardment of unprotected places, - the Huns killed more than a hundred men, women, and children in the - Hartlepools alone, and altogether the casualties numbered more than - six hundred. This story is based on the narrative of Sapper W. - Hall, R.E., one of the few English soldiers who have been under an - enemy’s fire on English soil. Sapper Hall was badly wounded.] - - -It is just a fortnight to-day since the German warships came up out of -the mist, bombarded Hartlepool, wrecked many of the houses, killed a lot -of defenceless women, children and men, and then tore away into the mist -as hard as they could steam. Our own warships nearly got up with them, -and if it had not been for the mist, never one of those vessels which -were so valiant in bombarding helpless towns would have got back to -Germany. - -A great deal of confusion has been caused in telling the story of the -raids on the Hartlepools, the two places being hopelessly mixed up. They -are, as a matter of fact, quite separate towns, with separate mayors and -corporations. - -Hartlepool itself, where we now are, is on the coast, facing the sea; -West Hartlepool is two miles inland. Both towns were bombarded, but it -is hereabouts that most of the damage by shells was done, and many -children and grown-up people killed. It was just over there, too, that -eight Territorials were standing on the front, watching the firing, when -a shell struck them and killed seven of the men and wounded the -eighth.[2] - -It was soon after eight o’clock in the morning when we rushed out of our -billets into the streets, and, looking seaward, we saw warships firing. - -In our billets we had heard the booming of guns, and supposing that it -was our own warships practising or fighting, we had hurried out to see -the fun. A few seconds was enough to tell us that there was no fun in -it, but that this was a bombardment in deadly earnest by the enemy. - -The German ships were easily visible from the shore, and did not seem to -be very far away--about two miles. They were firing rapidly, and there -was a deafening noise as the shells screamed and burst--the crashing of -the explosions, the smashing of immense numbers of window-panes by the -concussion, and the thudding of the shells and fragments against walls -and buildings. - -Coming so unexpectedly, the bombardment caused intense excitement and -commotion, and men, women and children rushed into the streets to see -what was happening--the worst thing they could do, because the splinters -of shell, horrible jagged fragments, were flying all about and killing -and maiming the people they struck. A number of little children who had -rushed into the streets, as children will, were killed or wounded. - -As soon as we realised what was happening, we rushed back and got our -rifles and hurried into the street again, and did what we could; but -rifles were absolutely useless against warships, and the incessant -bursting of shells and the scattering of fragments and bullets made it -most dangerous to be in the open. - -Shells were striking and bursting everywhere, wrecking houses, ploughing -into the ground, and battering the concrete front of the promenade. - -The houses hereabouts, overlooking the sea, were big and easy targets -for the Germans, who blazed away like madmen, though they must have been -in terror all the time when they thought that their cannonading was sure -to fetch British warships up. How thankful they must have felt for that -protecting mist! - -The Hartlepool Rovers’ Football Ground is very near the sea and the -lighthouse, and it came under heavy fire. One of our men, Sapper Liddle, -was near the wall of the ground when a shell burst and mortally wounded -him, injuring him terribly. It was not possible to get at him and bring -him into hospital for a long time, but when he was brought here -everything that was humanly possible was done for him. He lingered for -a few hours, then died. - -Meanwhile, death and destruction were being dealt out all around us, and -the land batteries were making such reply as they could to the Germans’ -heavy guns. This reply was a very plucky performance, for Hartlepool is -not a fortified place in anything like the real meaning of the word, and -our light guns were no match for the weapons of the German -battle-cruisers. - -As it happened, no damage was done to the guns; but fearful mischief was -caused to buildings near us. A shell struck the Baptist Chapel fair and -square on the front, and drove a hole in it big enough for the passage -of a horse and cart; then it wrecked the inside and went out at the -other end of the chapel, again making a huge hole. - -House after house was struck and shattered, in some cases people being -buried in the ruins. Some of the houses are very old, and pretty well -collapsed when a shell struck them and burst. - -While the bombardment was in progress we were doing our best, but that -could not be much. There was not much cause for laughter, but I remember -that a shell came and burst near us, and made us see the humour of a -little incident. The explosion itself did no actual damage, but the -concussion and force of it were so violent that a sapper was jerked up -into the air and came down with a crash. He picked himself up and -scuttled as hard as he could make for shelter. - -The firing was so sudden and so fierce that it was begun and finished -almost before it was possible to realise that it had taken place. Most -of the men of Hartlepool were at work when the bombardment started, and -some of them were killed at their work, or as they were rushing home to -see to their wives and children, while some were killed as they fled for -safety. - -The streets were crowded with fugitives during the bombardment, and it -was owing to this that so many people were killed and wounded. The -shells burst among them with awful results. - -While the Germans were firing point-blank at the buildings facing the -sea, and deliberately killing inoffensive people, they were also -bombarding West Hartlepool, and doing their best to blow up the -gasworks, destroy the big shipbuilding yards there, and set fire to the -immense stacks of timber which are stored in the yards. - -People were killed who were five or six miles from the guns of the -warships, and in one street alone in West Hartlepool seven persons, -mostly women, were killed. Several babies were killed in their homes, -and little children were killed as they played in the streets. - -A good deal has been said about the number of shells that were fired -from the German warships, and some people had put down a pretty low -total; but from what I saw, I should think that certainly five hundred -shells of all sorts were fired by these valiant Germans, who knew that -they were perfectly safe so far as the shore was concerned, and took -mighty good care not to be caught by British ships of their own size and -power; but that will surely come later, and the men of the North will -get their own back. - -I cannot say anything about the actual defences, or what the military -did; but the few troops who were here did their best, and a couple of -destroyers bore a brave part in the affair. - -A shell fell in the lines of the Royal Engineers, and several dropped in -the lines of the 18th Service Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. - -It was very quickly known, as I have mentioned, that seven out of eight -men of the Durhams, who were watching the firing--thinking, like -everybody else, that it was some sort of battle practice, till they -learned the real truth--had been killed by the explosion of a shell, and -that the eighth man had been wounded; but there were several other cases -of men being wounded which were not known about until later, because of -the great difficulties of discovering the men amongst the ruins which -the shell-fire had caused. - -From the moment the bombardment began there was an awful commotion, and -the noise grew until it was simply deafening. The whole town literally -shook, and while the firing lasted there was a tremendous and continuous -vibration--everything shivered and rattled. One shell struck the wall of -the football ground, which faces the sea; not far away a hole was dug in -the ground by one of the very first of the shells that were fired; the -fine old church of St. Hilda was damaged, and the side of the rectory -was simply peppered by a bursting shell. - -In the particular place where I and my chums were, the shells were -coming in a shower, and doing enormous mischief. We could see that -plainly enough. But it was not until later, when the German warships had -steamed away as hard as they could go, that we knew how great the damage -had been, and how many lives had been lost and people wounded. - -The German ships fired from one side to begin with, then they turned -round and continued the bombardment from the other side, so they must -have been ready loaded all round. The size of the shots varied from the -12-inch shells, perfect monsters, to the small ones which came so fast -and did so much havoc. The fact that some of the huge shells were found -unexploded after the bombardment proves that ships of great size took -part in the raid. - -Some time after the firing began I felt a blow on my thigh, and fell to -the ground, helpless, though I did not know at the time what had -happened. At last, when the firing--which continued for about forty -minutes--ceased, stretcher-bearers and volunteer ambulance workers set -about collecting the wounded, and I was picked up and brought to the -hospital here. - -It was then found that I had been struck on the thigh by part of the cap -of a shell, and that I had sustained a compound fracture. The piece of -metal was still sticking in me--you can see it later. It was taken out, -and I was promptly and most kindly looked after, as were all our men who -had been wounded and were brought in. Poor Liddle, as I have told you, -was not discovered for some time; then he was found and brought here, -and died late at night, in spite of all the efforts that were made to -save him. He had a real soldier’s funeral--just as had the rest of the -soldiers who had been killed. - -As soon as the bombardment was over the people set to work to collect -the dead as well as save the wounded, and both were heavy tasks; but -there - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 188._ - -“THE ‘HOGUE’ BEGAN TO TURN TURTLE. THE FOUR IMMENSE FUNNELS BROKE AWAY” -(p. 173).] - -were many willing hands. Even in half-an-hour a wonderful difference had -been made in the streets, and those people who had been rushing towards -the country for safety began to return. They brought in reports of -losses which had been suffered in the outskirts through shells; but, as -I have said, the worst cases of all were just about here. - -One house was completely demolished, and the father, mother, and -half-a-dozen children were killed, so that home and family were wiped -out in an instant. One part of the Old Town is so utterly destroyed that -it is called “Louvain,” and if you look at the houses there you will -find that they are just heaps of rubbish and ruins, with beds and -furniture and so on, buried. - -Shells had exploded in the streets, in houses, fields, at the gasworks, -in shipyards--anywhere and everywhere--and one big thing stuck itself in -a house and is kept as a relic. Another crashed through four railway -waggons, and another shell, which travelled low on the ground, went -through several sets of the steel metals on the railway, which shows the -fearful penetrative power of the projectile. - -If the Germans had had their way, no doubt this place would have been -wiped out altogether. They made a dead set at the gasworks, but did not -do a great deal of mischief there, though it meant that that night a lot -of people had to burn candles instead of gas. And though more than a -hundred people were killed, and the Germans fondly supposed that they -had struck terror into the place, they had done nothing of the sort. - -The residents were soon clearing up the ruins and settling down again as -if nothing had happened. The most pitiful of all the tasks was that of -dealing with the dead and wounded children, and the remembrance of the -sad sights will be the best of all inspirations for some of our fellows -when the day comes on which they will get their own back from the -Germans. - -It was not long before we learned that at about the same time as we were -being shelled at Hartlepool, German warships had appeared off the -entirely undefended places of Whitby and Scarborough. They call these -old fishing ports fortified, but that is an absolute untruth, and they -know it. But the Germans were out to kill and destroy, and they did both -in a manner which showed that they had made calculations to a minute, -and that their spies had been long at work. - -At Scarborough the raiders did a lot of damage before they ran away. -They had prepared one of their boasted surprises for us, and we got it; -but that was nothing to the surprise we gave them on Christmas morning -at Cuxhaven--a real fortified place--and nothing, I hope and believe, to -the surprises that our Navy has in store for the German naval runaways. - -You ask how long shall I be in hospital. - -That is hard to tell; but I have been here two weeks already, and I -suppose that I shall be here for at least six weeks longer. - -I keep the piece of shell which struck me, in a bit of brown paper in -the cupboard near the head of the bed. I cannot rise to get it myself, -but if you will open the little door you will find it. It’s the sort of -thing which caused such havoc in the Hartlepools when the German -warships came and bombarded us. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -CAMPAIGNING WITH THE HIGHLANDERS - - [The Highland regiments have made a great impression upon the - Germans since the war began, and the kilted troops have added to - their laurels in the field. This story of fighting with the - Highlanders is told by Private A. Veness, 2nd Battalion Seaforth - Highlanders, who was wounded and invalided home.] - - -I have served eight years in the Seaforth Highlanders. To begin with I -was a bandsman, but when the war broke out and I was recalled to the -colours, I became an ordinary private, and the only music that the -Germans heard me play was the rattle of my rifle. When we landed in -France and marched off to the front the girls seemed to have a special -fancy for the kilted men--at any rate they crowded up and hugged and -kissed those they could get hold of; so we went off in very good -spirits, singing and whistling popular tunes, not forgetting the -Marseillaise and “Tipperary.” - -Being a strange country we saw a good many things that were new and very -strange to us till we got used to them. One amusing incident happened as -soon as we were in Belgium, and that was the sight of a big fat man -being pulled in a little cart by two dogs. It was funny, but still it -made us angry, for we rather looked upon it as cruelty to animals; so we -shouted, “Lazy brute!” “Get out and give the dogs a ride!” and so on, -and I daresay the man was greatly surprised, though he didn’t know what -we were saying. In a little while we understood that dogs are -extensively used for haulage purposes in Belgium and we ceased to take -any special notice of them. - -It was not long after landing before we were told to be ready for the -Germans, but that proved a false alarm. We were, however, to get our -baptism of fire in a dramatic fashion, and that baptism naturally dwells -in my mind more vividly than many of the far bigger things which -happened later in the war. - -A terrific thunderstorm broke, and a party of us were ordered to billet -in a barn. We climbed up into a loft and began to make ourselves -comfortable and to make some tea. We had scarcely got the welcome tea to -our lips when the hurried order came to clear out of the building, and -into the thunderstorm we dashed. Then the German shells began to fly and -burst, and in a few minutes the barn was struck and shattered, so that -we had a very narrow escape. - -It was at this stage that we had our first man killed. He was a chum of -mine, a bandsman, named Dougal McKinnon. While we were having our tea -Dougal was under cover in the trenches, in front of the barn, with his -company. They were under shell fire, and he was killed by bursting -shrapnel. He was buried close to the spot where he fell, and being the -first of our men to be killed in action we felt it very deeply. Many -times after that, when our chums were killed, we had to leave them, -because we had no time to bury them. - -We got on the move, and when night came it was awful to see the whole -countryside lit up with the flames of burning buildings--farms and -houses and other places which had been set on fire by the Germans. -There was a farm which was blazing furiously and I shall never forget -it, for the good reason that in marching we managed to circle it three -times before we could get properly on the march and go ahead. - -We pushed on to Cambrai, where the cannonading was truly terrible. My -company was in support of another company in advance. We lay behind a -bank, sheltering, for a few hours. At the back of us was a British -howitzer battery, in a bit of a wood, so that we were between two awful -fires. It was indescribable--the deafening din, which never ceased or -lessened while the duel raged, the excitement, the danger, and the -nerve-strain; yet there was something fascinating in watching the firing -and wondering what was going to happen. - -It is wonderful to think of the working of the human mind at such a -time, and strange to recall the odd things one does. In our own case, as -we had to go on sheltering and watching, we amused ourselves by counting -the number of shells that dropped within a certain area which was well -under our observation. The area was, roughly speaking, about 200 yards -square, and in three-quarters of an hour no fewer than seventy-six -shells exploded over that particular spot. They were shrapnel and high -explosive and never struck the ground--they burst in the air, and at one -time I counted six shells bursting in the air together. That gives you -some idea of the tremendous nature of the German shell fire. Luckily a -great number of the shells did not explode at all, or few if any of us -could have got away. - -It is impossible to praise too highly the British artillery’s work. To -my own personal knowledge there was one battery that day--I don’t know -which it was--which was under fire for at least seven hours continuously -without shifting; and during the whole of that time they were replying -to the German guns. - -After that shattering experience we camped in a cornfield at night, and -were settling down to sleep when were we ordered to move again. For -hours, worn and weary though we were, we were on the march, and thankful -we were when we halted in a village and got a box of biscuits from the -French as a midday snack. We had been forced to part with most of our -equipment and many of the greatcoats were thrown away; but I felt that I -should want mine and I stuck to it--and I am wearing it now. It has had -plenty of rough usage--and here are the holes made by a piece of flying -shrapnel. - -I am proud to say that the general in command of our division -congratulated the regiment on its splendid marching, and I think we did -a fine thing, for in about twelve hours we covered about thirty-two -miles--actual marching, with just a halt here and there. The Germans had -done their best to trap us, but they had not succeeded, and we escaped, -to turn the tables on them with a vengeance. - -That night I had to report sick--there was something wrong with my -ankles. I was unable to march, so I got a lift on a limber-waggon of the -88th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery. During the ride, which lasted -all night, I went through some of the finest country I ever saw. It was -particularly beautiful because of the time of the year, late autumn, and -the clear light of the full moon. This moonlight ride on a limber will -be always associated in my memory with the grandest spectacle of its -sort I saw during the war. - -The battery was travelling along a switchback road, and I was wrapped up -in the beautiful and peaceful scenery--it was hard to believe that this -calm landscape was the scene of war and that the splendid British -gunners I was with had been dealing death and destruction amongst the -Germans so lately. - -Not far away was a river, winding like a silver thread over the face of -the country, and suddenly, from the river, there rose an immense mass of -flame and smoke, followed quickly by a thunderous rumbling roar. - -I knew at once that a bridge had been blown up. I cannot tell you who -destroyed it--Germans or French; all I know is that I saw the sight and -it was the most remarkable of its kind that I witnessed--and I saw four -splendid bridges destroyed in this manner. - -At one time we had crossed a fine bridge and as soon as we had done so a -hole was dug and a mine was laid in the centre. Then our cyclist section -was sent out to report what was going to happen and the bridge was blown -up. In this case we were the last to cross before the explosion -occurred. - -At an early stage of the operations I was lucky enough to see a very -fine fight in the air, a duel between a French airman and a German -airman. I was able to follow the duel for miles. The men in the -aeroplanes were firing revolvers at each other and we could hear the -crack of the shots, though we could not see any definite results, -because the duel got too far away. This was the first fight in the air -that I saw, and I watched it with extraordinary interest, especially as -we all keenly hoped that the German would be brought down, because he -had been flying over our lines and quickly directed shell fire on us -owing to his signals. For fully twenty minutes I watched this air fight. -It was wonderful to see the swiftness with which the machines dived and -dodged. The Frenchman circled over the German in the most skilful and -daring manner and time after time threatened his existence. - -Another remarkable incident I witnessed at this time was the escape of a -German cavalryman. He was an Uhlan, a scout, I take it, and quite alone. -We were on the march and had been told that the German cavalry were in -large numbers near us, and so that we should be ready for them we took -up a position, with some Irish infantry to the left of us. - -We were lying in position on a hill, and in front of us was three or -four miles of good flat country, so that we should have had a fine view -of cavalry in force. We watched and waited, but the threatened cavalry -did not come--all we saw was this solitary Uhlan, a mere speck on the -wide plain. - -As soon as the Uhlan was seen the rifles rattled and it was expected -that he would be potted; but he seemed to bear a charmed life. The Irish -battalion gave him a particularly heavy fire--the Seaforths were too far -off to reach him with the rifle; but the Uhlan galloped gaily on, and it -was quite amusing to watch him. No doubt he thoroughly enjoyed -himself--at any rate he galloped unscathed across two or three miles of -open country, and got away. - -It was not until we were within about eighteen miles of Paris that the -retirement ended and we began the offensive. We had had a very hard -time, and were to have a few days’ rest, but we never got it. Yet in -spite of the hardships we had some very pleasant times, because of the -beauty of the country and the season. - -Joyful indeed was the day when we began to drive the Germans back, and -it was the more joyful because the advance was almost as swift as our -retirement had been. - -On that wonderful advance we saw some horrible things--I will not dwell -on German barbarities, though there were many proofs of them--including -great numbers of horses which had been killed or wounded and left just -where they had fallen. No attempt had been made to dispose of the -decaying carcases and many a poor brute had died a lingering death. - -I was greatly struck by the Germans’ cruelty to their horses, in leaving -them like this; but that was one proof of the hurriedness of the enemy’s -retreat--the Germans who had got so near Paris and were then flung right -away back from the city. I need hardly say that whenever a sign of -movement was noticed in a horse a man was sent to put the poor thing out -of its misery. - -There was still plenty of hardship to put up with, but that did not -matter so much when we were driving back the Germans. - -I remember very well one day and night of uncommon wretchedness. It was -raining heavily and continuously, and in the deluge I and three more men -were sent on outpost--to observe and keep our eyes open, and so that we -could do that to the best advantage we took up a position on the top of -a hayrick. A perfect hurricane was blowing, and the almost solid rain -was fairly driven into us; but we stuck it through, and hung on to the -top of the haystack till it was dark, then we thankfully got down and -went into an open shed for shelter--a building that was just a -protection for wheat-stacks. - -I had had my turn of picketing and was lying down to get a snatch of -sleep when I was ordered to go up a road about a mile and a half away, -to find out whether our relief had come. So out into the darkness and -the wind and rain I staggered and fought my way through what was the -worst night for weather that I ever saw. On and on I and my comrades -went, looking hard for our relief, but we never saw it, and we waited -there till next morning, when we rejoined our brigade. - -Those were times when there was little rest for the Seaforths, or -anybody else. - -The aeroplanes gave us little chance of rest, and at times they had an -uncanny knack of finding us. - -One day, after a long, hard march, we put into a wood for shelter. A -French supply column was already in the wood and doubtless the Germans -knew of or suspected this; at any rate a German aeroplane came over us, -with the result that in a few minutes we were shelled out. We rested in -another part of the wood till it was dark, then we were taken on to -billets, but we had to make another move, because we were shelled out -again. That was the sort of thing which came along as part of the day’s -work; and as part of the day’s work we took it cheerfully. - -When we got the Germans on the move we took prisoners from time to -time. I was on guard over a few prisoners, part of a crowd, when one of -them came up to me and to my amazement I recognised him as a German who -had worked in Soho Square and used often to go to the same place as -myself for dinner--a little shop in Hanway Street, at the Oxford Street -end of Tottenham Court Road. The prisoner recognised me at once and I -recognised him. To show how ignorant the Germans were of the enemy they -were fighting, I may tell you that this man said to me, “If we had known -we were fighting the English, I would never have left London!” - -Was it not strange that the two of us, who had so often met as friends -for dinner in the little foreign shop, should meet again as enemies on -the banks of the Marne? - -I am now coming to a sorrowful personal incident--the loss of my chum, -Lance-Corporal Lamont. We had been together from the beginning of the -war and had shared everything there was, even to the waterproof sheet. -He would carry the sheet one day and I would carry it the next, and -whenever such a thing had to be done as fetching drinking-water, often a -very dangerous task, we would share that too. - -Throughout one awful night of ceaseless rain, which soaked us to the -skin, the two of us were in the trenches--we had dug ourselves in, with -just ordinary head cover. We lay there till next morning, when an -officer came along my platoon and asked if we had any drinking-water. - -We told him that we had not. - -The officer said, “If you care to risk it, one of you can go and fetch -some water.” - -We decided to take the risk, which was great, because to get the water -meant getting to a farmhouse just behind us, under a heavy fire. - -My chum volunteered to go, and, taking the water-bottles, he left the -trench and started to cross the open ground between us and the -farmhouse. While he was doing this the order came for us to advance--and -I never saw him again. - -It was soon my turn to be put out of action. A pretty stiff fight was -going on and the fire was so heavy that it was very dangerous to be in -the open; but it was necessary for me and a few more men to cross a bit -of open ground, and we made a start. We had not gone far when a shell -came between me and another man who was at my side. The shell struck him -fair on the arm and shattered it. He fell over on his side, and as he -did so he said, “For Heaven’s sake cut my equipment off!” - -I took out my jack-knife and slit the equipment across the shoulders and -let it drop away from him. - -He crawled off and I was told afterwards that while he was trying to -creep to shelter he was struck again and killed. - -I crawled as best I could up to the firing line, but when I got there I -found that there was no room in the trenches for me, so I had to lie in -the open. I had not been there long before a fellow next to me asked me -what time it was. I took out my watch and told him it was about -eleven-fifteen--and the next thing I knew was that I felt as if someone -had kicked me on the top of the head. - -I turned round and said, “Tommy, I’m hit!” I became unconscious for some -time, then, when I recovered, I said, “Tommy, is it safe to crawl -away?” - -“No,” said Tommy, “it’s risky. It’s a bit too hot!” - -“Never mind,” I answered. “If I stay here much longer I shall collapse. -I’m going to have a shot at it--here goes!” - -I began to crawl away, but I must have taken the wrong direction, for I -was soon under two fires. I was approaching the mouths of two or three -of our own guns, which were in front of a farmhouse. - -I soon found that this was a bit too warm for me, and so I turned and -took what I supposed was the right direction. I had had enough of -crawling, which was very slow work. I wanted to get out of it, and I -made up my mind to rise and run. That does not sound very brave, but it -was the better part of valour. - -I started to run, as best I could; but I had hardly got going when a -bullet struck me, as I supposed, and I collapsed alongside some of my -own comrades. - -Stretcher-bearers came up, in time, and I was carried to the field -hospital. Then a curious discovery was made, which was, that a bullet -had gone through four or five pleats of my kilt and had stuck in my leg, -high up. This is the place where it struck and stuck and here’s the -bullet, which the doctor easily pulled out with his fingers, for it had -not penetrated deeply, owing, I think, to the resistance of the pleats -of my kilt. Apart from this bullet wound I was struck by shrapnel four -times, but I managed to keep going. - -I left the field hospital the next day and joined an ambulance column -which was shelled by the Germans as it went along. I escaped myself, but -one of the waggons was completely wrecked. - -Having recovered from my wound to a certain extent I went back to the -regiment, but after a few days I had to be invalided home, and I have -had a long and tedious spell in hospital. - -There is one more incident I would like to mention by way of closing. We -halted in a village in France where we saw some of the Turcos, one of -whom was very noticeable because he was proudly wearing the greatcoat of -a German officer which he had secured on the battlefield, after killing -the officer. - -While we halted, a batch of German prisoners was brought into the -village, and they were put into a courtyard between two rows of -cottages. No sooner had this been done than an old man rushed out, and -if it had not been for the guard he would have hurled himself upon the -prisoners and done his best to thrash them. - -The act was so strange that I inquired the reason for the old man’s -fury. And the answer I received was, “He remembers 1870.” - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 202._ - -“A BULLET STRUCK HIM IN THE BACK AND KILLED HIM” (p. 9).] - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -TRANSPORT DRIVING - - [It was estimated that, early in the war, no fewer than 10,000 - vehicle workers were serving with the colours--3000 taxicab - drivers, 3000 tramway men, and 4000 motor-’bus drivers. These - trained men went from London and the provinces, some being - Reservists, and others joining various regiments; but a very large - number went into the Transport Section, and did splendid work. From - this story by Private James Roache, Mechanical Transport Section, - Siege Artillery Brigade, we learn something of the heavy and - perilous work that falls to the lot of the Transport Section, and - can realise the enormous extent to which the Army depends upon its - transport.] - - -I got into Ypres about seven days after the Germans had left the city, -and I learned from a school-teacher who spoke English that they had -commandeered a good many things, and had pillaged the jewellers’ shops -and other places of business. - -At that time the Germans did not seem to have done any exceptional -damage; but they made up for any neglect later on, when they acted like -barbarians in bombarding and destroying the beautiful old city, and -smashing its priceless ancient buildings into ruins. That is part of the -system of savagery which they boast about as “culture.” - -We had been in Ypres about a week when the first German shell came. It -was the beginning of a fearful havoc. That was about ten o’clock in the -morning. The shell dropped plumb into the prison. There were a good -many civil prisoners in the gaol at the time, but I do not know what -happened to them, and I cannot say whether any of the helpless creatures -were killed or wounded. - -At that time I was helping to supply the Siege Artillery Brigade, the -guns of which--the famous 6 in. howitzers--were a mile or so out of the -city. We had four cars, each carrying three tons of lyddite--twelve tons -in all--standing in the Market Square, and exposed to the full artillery -fire of the enemy. - -It was a perilous position, for if a shell had struck that enormous -amount of lyddite probably the whole city would have been wrecked, and -the loss of life would have been appalling. We had to wait for several -hours before we could move, because of the difficulty in communicating -with the brigade; but when the order did at last arrive, we lost no time -in getting to a safer place than the Market Square. - -It was while we were standing under fire that I saw a mother and her -child--a girl--struck by a fragment of a bursting shell. They were the -first people to be wounded in Ypres. - -The shell--a big brute--burst on the roof of a house, and the fragments -scattered with terrific force all around. People were flying for their -lives, or hiding, terror-stricken, in the cellars; and the woman and her -daughter were struck as we watched them fly. - -Some of us rushed up and found that one of the boots of the woman had -been ripped open, and that the child had been struck on the face and -badly cut. - -I picked her up, and saw that she was unconscious; but I got at my -field-dressing and did all I could for her, and was thankful to find -that she soon came back to her senses, though she was suffering -terribly from shock and began to cry bitterly. - -The mother also was dreadfully upset, but not seriously hurt. We lost no -time in getting them into the underground part of a café near at hand, -and there we had to leave them. I don’t know what became of them, but I -suppose they were taken away. I often wonder what has happened to the -poor little soul and her mother, victims, like so many thousands more, -of the German invaders. I am glad to know that with our field-dressings -we were able to help a good many civilians who were wounded. - -The four cars I have mentioned were big transport-lorries, made -specially for the war, and very fine work can be done with them. But how -different the work is from that which we used to do at home as -motor-drivers!--and I had a fair experience of that before I joined the -Transport Service. There was as much difference between the two as there -is between this war and the South African War, in which I served in the -Imperial Yeomanry. - -These lorries carried immense quantities of ammunition, and so the -Germans made a special point of going for them, in the hope of bringing -about a destructive explosion; but, taken on the whole, they had very -poor luck that way. - -When the order came to us in the Market Square at Ypres to march, we -left the city and travelled along the roads till it was dark; and after -that we returned to the city, taking the stuff with us. No sooner were -we back in Ypres than the Germans started shelling again, after having -ceased fire for about four hours. - -What we carried was wanted for the guns, but we could not reach them, -owing to the excessive danger from the German fire. It is a strange fact -that as soon as any stuff was going through by transport the Germans -started shelling it, which seems to show that they had word when -transports were on the move. They shelled us constantly, and we got to -take the thing as a very ordinary part of the day’s work. - -It was only when some uncommon explosion occurred that we were roused to -take notice; and such an event took place one day when one of the very -biggest of the German shells burst in the air not far away from me with -a tremendous crash, and made an immense cloud of awful smoke and rubbish -as the fragments struck the ground. - -This explosion was so near and so unusual that I thought I would get -hold of a souvenir of it. And so I did. I secured a piece of the base of -the shell, and meant to bring it home as a trophy; but I had to leave -it, for the weight of the fragment was 95 lb., and that’s a trifle heavy -even for a transport-driver. This was certainly one of the very biggest -and most awful of the German shells of the immense number I saw explode. - -There is, or was, a skittle-alley in Ypres, near the water-tower, and -some of the Munsters were billeted there. I was near the place when some -very heavy shelling was going on, and I saw one shell burst on the -building with a terrific report. I knew at once that serious damage was -done, and that there must have been a heavy loss of life, for I saw -wounded and unwounded men rushing into the street from the ruined -building. Some of the men were bandaging themselves as they rushed out. -I knew that there must be a shocking sight inside the building; so when -the commanding officer said, “Would you like to go inside and look at -it?” I replied that I would rather not. And I was glad afterwards, for I -learned that six poor fellows had been killed. That was the sort of -thing which was constantly happening to our fighting men, and it was bad -enough; but it was infinitely worse when the victims were women and -children, as they so often were, and it was the sight of these innocent -sufferers which was the hardest of all to bear. Some of our youngsters -were particularly upset. - -There was a little trumpeter of the Royal Garrison Artillery, to which -we were attached, and a fine youngster he was, about sixteen years old. -We called him “Baggie.” He used to stick it very well, but at times, -when he saw women and children hurt, he gave way and cried. But that -kind-heartedness did not prevent him from being always eager to come -with us when we took the ammunition up to the guns in the firing line. -“Baggie” never knew fear for himself, but he felt it badly when others -were hit or hurt, and that took place day after day. - -There was another little trumpeter of the Royal Engineers who got badly -upset for the same reason. He was billeted in a timber-yard, and I saw a -shell fall in the yard and burst and send the timber flying in all -directions. It seemed as if tremendous mischief had been done, and that -there must have been a heavy loss of life; but, as a matter of fact, -only one man was injured on the head and face by splinters. - -The trumpeter rushed out, and I went up and talked with him to cheer him -up a bit. - -“It’s no good!” he said. “I can’t stick it any longer! I try to be -brave, but I have to give way!” - -Then he broke down and fairly cried, and a very pitiful sight it was, -for he was only a kiddie, fifteen or sixteen years old. - -I was always troubled myself when I saw how these little chaps were -upset; but they did not break down through anything like fear--they were -not afraid, and were splendid when they were with the men--it was the -suffering and the fearful sights they saw that bowled them out. - -These trumpeters--mere lads--went through all the marching and fighting -that led up to the fearful business at Ypres, and they came out of the -business splendidly. Little “Baggie,” for example, was right through it -from the Aisne, and was up and down with the Siege Artillery all the -time. He was present when one of the lieutenants was killed, and when I -last heard of him he was still on the move and well; and I sincerely -hope that he is all right now, and will come safely home. - -I mention these things about the youngsters particularly, because they -struck me as being out of the common, and so you notice them more than -the ordinary matters. - -While speaking of the earlier days of the war, I might say that, after -the Marne and the Aisne, when we were going back over ground that we -knew and on which we fought, we saw some sickening slaughter scenes, and -realised to the full what an awful thing a war like this is. - -One very peculiar incident which comes into my mind was the finding of a -dead Uhlan in a wood. He had evidently been badly wounded, and had made -his way into the wood for safety, but he had died there. When we found -him he was sitting in a crouching position. On examining him, we found -two postcards which he had written. We could not read them, but, as far -as we could tell, they were addressed to women of the same name, but -living in different places. We buried the Uhlan in the wood, and handed -the postcards to a German officer who had been made prisoner, and he -gave us to understand that he would see that they were sent to their -destinations when he got a chance to despatch them. That incident was -only one of many similar sights we came across in our part of the -business. - -Transport work, as a rule, was very uncomfortable, because it was mostly -done at night, when the roads were very dark, and we had to do as best -we could without lights. Anything like an ammunition or supply column -was a particular mark for the Germans, and whenever they got the chance -they would do their best to find us out; and a favourite way of doing -this was to fire a few shots in one place and a few in another, in the -hope that we should be drawn and reveal our position. But we didn’t give -the show away quite so easily as that. - -I had many opportunities of seeing the fine work which was done by our -armoured trains, and I saw something of the performances of the -aeroplanes. I witnessed several air fights, but there was not really a -lot to see, because there was so much swift manœuvring. There was -plenty of firing at the aircraft, but they are most difficult things to -hit. One of the German aeroplanes dropped a bomb on Ypres. It fell on a -doctor’s house near the town station and exploded, but it did not do any -great amount of mischief. It broke the front door and shattered the -windows and knocked the place about, but I fancy that it did not hurt or -kill anybody. - -What was the finest sight I saw while I was at the front? Well, I think -the best thing I ever saw was the way some of our lancers scattered a -far superior body of Uhlans and made them fly. That was on the -retirement from Mons. It was a very bad time, and there were some -fearful sights, for the roads leading from the town were crowded with -fleeing women and children. In any case it was bad enough to get along -the road, but it was infinitely worse to make our way along through the -crowds of refugees with our motor-lorries, especially in view of what we -carried. To make matters worse, we had got on the wrong road, and it was -necessary to turn back. To do this we had to turn round, and, as there -were eighty cars, I need not tell you what a business that meant, -especially with the enemy harassing us, and I dare say fondly thinking -that they had us in a proper grip. The Germans were quite close to us, -and firing, and we were ordered to get down and defend the cars. The -road at this point was very narrow, and it seemed as if we were trapped, -though we were covered by cavalry. - -The country thereabouts did not seem very favourable for cavalry work, -but it was all right from the point of view of the Uhlans, who, from -their horses, potted at us from the brow of the hill on which they -stood. The weather was miserable, dull, and it was raining, and, -altogether, it was not an exhilarating business. The Uhlans seemed to be -having it all their own way; then the scene changed like magic, and that -was when the gallant 9th Lancers appeared, to our unspeakable joy. I -can claim to understand something in a modest way about cavalry, as an -old Imperial Yeoman, and I do know that there was no finer sight ever -seen than the spectacle of those splendid fellows of the 9th, who, -without any sound of trumpet or any noise, came up and charged the -Uhlans. One body of Uhlans was on the brow, two more bodies were in a -wood. But these two did not take any active part in the fighting; they -seemed to wait till their comrades on the brow had paved the way with -us, so that they could swoop down. But the Uhlans did not get a chance -to swoop, though they were three to one against our lancers. - -Jumping a ditch and galloping across the country, our cavalry were after -the Uhlans like the wind. But the Uhlans never stopped to face the -lance; they vanished over the brow of the hill, and the fellows who were -watching and waiting in the wood vanished, too. They bolted, and must -have been thankful to get out of it. All they knew, probably, was that -our men came along a road in the wood till they got to a clear part, and -that through that opening the 9th were on them like a flash, without -firing a shot. They managed to get in amongst the first line of the -Germans with the lance and empty some of the saddles, while they -themselves had only one or two men bowled over. - -I had a splendid view of this brilliant little affair--I should think -there were not more than 120 of the 9th--and I shall never forget the -way in which the lancers went for the enemy, nor the swiftness with -which the boasted Uhlans scuttled off behind the brow. It was an -uncommonly fine piece of work, and it saved our column. - -The Uhlans had another shot at us two or three days later. They were at -quite close range, not more than four or five hundred yards away, but we -managed to keep them off and go about our business, which was to reach -the Marne and the Aisne, and then start back. We had about a month on -the Aisne without making much progress, though our troops were hard at -it all the time. - -I had got out of Ypres--thankful to go--and had gone towards another -town. It was about midday, and we had halted. The hot weather had gone -away, and the cold had come. I was walking up and down to keep myself -warm. Shells were falling and bursting, as usual, but I did not pay much -attention to them. At last one burst about fifty yards away, and a -fragment struck me and knocked me round, after which I fell. At first I -thought I had been struck by a stone or a brick which somebody had -thrown, and it was not for some time that I realised that I had been -wounded in the thigh by a piece of shell. I was sent to England in due -course, and here I am, in a most comfortable hospital at the seaside, -ready to leave for home in two or three days. - -My own experience with regard to the wound is not uncommon. It is not -easy to say how you have been hit, and I have known men who have been -shot through the body and have been quite unable to say whether the -bullet went in at the front or the back. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -BRITISH GUNNERS AS CAVE-DWELLERS - - [Sir John French has repeatedly praised the splendid work of the - Royal Artillery during the war and glowing tributes to the courage - and resourcefulness of British gunners have been paid by the other - branches of the Army. Many a critical battle has been turned into a - success by the artillery, some of the batteries of which have - particularly distinguished themselves. Amongst them is the 134th, - of whose officers and men no fewer than five were mentioned in Sir - John French’s list, published on February 18th, of names of those - whom he recommended for gallant and distinguished conduct in the - field. This story of some of the work of our gunners is told by - Corporal Ernest Henry Bean, of the 134th Field Battery, who was - severely wounded and invalided home.] - - -You cannot exaggerate anything in this war. I am of a cheerful and -hopeful disposition, but I never thought I should live through the awful -business; yet here I am, cheerful still, though shot through both feet, -and forced to hop when I want to get from place to place. - -I have had some strange adventures during the last few months, and one -of the oddest was in this good old Yarmouth. That was when the Germans -came and bombed us. But I will tell you about the air raid later. Here -are two eighteen-pounder shells, not from the front, but from -practice-firing, and it was such shells as these that made havoc amongst -the German troops, especially when we got to work on big bodies of -them. - -The war came upon us so suddenly that even now it seems amazing that I -left peaceful England on a summer day and went straight into the very -thick of things. There was no waiting, for I sailed from Southampton on -the day after Mons was fought, and when we got into action it was at Le -Cateau. We had had a short spell in a rest camp, then we had some hard -marching. Throughout the whole of one night we kept at it, and soon -after breakfast next morning we were in the thick of one of the most -terrible artillery fights that has ever been known. For six mortal hours -we were under an incessant shell-fire. The experience itself was enough -to leave its mark for ever on your mind, but I shall always remember it -because of what happened to our horses. They were not used to this awful -business and they stampeded, galloping all over the place, and defying -every effort of the drivers to control them. The horses bolted with the -waggons and tore madly over the country, taking pretty nearly everything -that came in their way. The drivers were on the horses, but they were -powerless to control the frightened animals. - -The battery itself was in action. I was with the teams--on an open road -with half-a-dozen of them, and no protection whatever, for the road ran -between open fields. We were a fine target for the Germans, and they saw -it and began to shell us hell for leather. The fire was deadly and there -is no wonder that the horses bolted. - -What was to be done? What could be done except make a dash for shelter? -I did my level best to get out of the open and seek shelter. But shelter -seemed far away, there was nothing near at hand, but in the distance I -saw something that seemed hopeful, so I galloped towards it with my -teams. We went furiously along, and as I got nearer to the object I -could make out that it was a long brick wall which separated an orchard -from the road. - -For about a mile, under a constant and furious fire, I dashed on; then I -got to the wall, and instantly I drew in as many of the bolting horses -as I could lay hands on. It all happened so swiftly that it is not easy -to tell how this was done; but I know that I was safely mounted on my -own horse when the stampede began, and that I dashed at the bolting -animals and grabbed as many as I could, and that I hurried them to the -shelter of the wall, and I fancy that they were just about as glad of -the protection as I was. The gallop was a mad affair, and very likely it -would never have ended as it did if all the shells the Germans fired had -burst; but some of them did not explode, though I did not know of this -till later, when I picked some of them up from the ground. - -While I was in the thick of this exciting business Farrier-Sergeant -Scott was rushing about and securing other runaway teams, and he did so -well and his work was considered so brilliant and important that the -French gave him the decoration of the Legion of Honour. - -For the best part of an hour I was under cover of the wall, doing the -best I could with the horses, and it was a funny old job to keep them -anything like quiet with such a heavy fire going on all the time; yet so -complete was the protection that practically no damage was done, the -worst that occurred being the shattering of a pair of wheels by a -bursting shell. - -By the end of the hour both myself and the horses were pretty well -settling down; then things calmed down a bit. The Germans appeared to be -tired of pounding at us, and perhaps they thought that they had blown us -to pieces. At any rate we began to get out of it, and we had no sooner -started to do that than the firing instantly re-opened. - -There was a village not far away and we made a dash for it; but we were -forced to clear out, for the enemy’s artillery set the little place on -fire and all the stacks and buildings were in flames. There was a good -deal of confusion and mixing up of all sorts of troops. I had lost touch -with my own lot and was ordered by a captain to join another column for -the night, and this I did. I joined the 2nd Brigade Ammunition Column -and next day I was with my own battery again, thankful to have got -safely through a very dangerous business. - -Next day we picked up another position, and had no sooner done that than -information came that immense bodies of Germans were on the move in our -direction. The outlook was serious, because we were in the open and -there was nothing for it except a fight to the death. The Germans were -expected along a certain road and we made ready to fire at what is -practically point-blank range, using Fuses 0 and 2, so that at 500 and -1000 yards the masses of the enemy would have had the shells bursting -amongst them. - -We had been through some tough times; but not in any situation which was -as unpromising as this. We knew that we could make a long stand, and mow -down the Germans as they swept along the open country; but we knew also -that in the end vastly superior forces must tell against us; but we -held our ground and the stern order went round, “Each take charge of -your own gun--and God help us!” - -How long that awful strain lasted I cannot tell. It could not have been -long, but it seemed an eternity. While it lasted the strain was almost -unendurable; then it suddenly snapped, an immense relief came over us -and even the bravest and most careless amongst us breathed more freely -when we knew that the prospect of almost sure annihilation had passed, -for the German hosts, instead of coming by the expected road, had gone -another way. - -With lighter hearts we limbered up, and day after day, night after -night, for eleven days, we kept hard at it, marching and fighting, and -whenever we got into action it was against very heavy odds. I was with -my own special chum, Sergeant Charlie Harrison, and often enough, -especially in the night-time, we would walk alongside our horses and -talk as we dragged ourselves along--talk about anything that came into -our minds, and all for the sake of keeping awake and not falling down -exhausted on the road; yet in spite of everything we could do we would -fall asleep. Sometimes we would continue walking while practically -asleep--we wanted to save our horses as much as we could--and more than -once, when I was riding, I went to sleep and fell out of the saddle. -There was one good thing, however, about the shock--it acted as a very -fine wakener-up. As for sleeping, when we got the chance of it, we could -do that anywhere--in ploughed fields, deep in mud and water, and on the -road itself. - -All sorts of strange and unexpected things happened. While I was with -the Ammunition Column the Engineers were putting all their smartness and -skill into the building of a pontoon, and the Germans were specially -favouring them with “Coal Boxes.” This was my introduction to these big -brutes of shells, and it was not pleasant, especially as the column was -not more than twenty-five yards from the spot where they were exploding -with a terrific roar. - -I was standing by my horse, feeling none too comfortable, when a big -shell burst and made awful havoc near me. A piece of it came and struck -me. I thought I was done for, then I looked around at myself, and found -that the two bottom buttons of my greatcoat had been torn away, but that -no further damage had been done. I was glad to have got off so easily, -and just as pleased to find that the horses had escaped. - -At this time we were wanting food pretty badly, so that every ration -became precious. We were bivouacked when a file of infantrymen brought -in a German prisoner. Of course we gave him a share of pretty well -everything there was going, hot tea, bread, biscuits and bully beef, and -he did himself well. The prisoner was not exactly the sort to arouse -compassion, for he looked well fed and was dressed in a very smart -uniform. An officer came up, saw the captive, and said, “Do you think -this fellow looks as if he wanted anything?” Truth to tell, the fellow -didn’t, and as we did want things badly, he was sent somewhere else, and -we were not sorry to see him go. - -After being kept so constantly on the rack, we had a welcome and -remarkable change--we became cave-dwellers. We spent five days and -nights in some of the famous caves at Soissons, and had a thoroughly -comfortable and happy time. We had a fine chance of resting and -enjoying ourselves, and we made the most of it. - -Originally these caves were occupied by very primitive people; lately -they were used as a French hospital, and the French made all sorts of -interesting pictures and carvings on the outsides, by way of decoration, -then the British took them over as billets. By nature the caverns were -queer gloomy places, but a good deal had been done to make them -habitable, such as fitting in doors and windows. There had been a lot of -fighting near the caves, with the result that there were graves at the -very entrances of some of these uncommon billets; but this had no effect -on our spirits. We did not allow ourselves to be depressed. What is the -use of that in war-time? The British soldier has the happy knack of -making himself at home in all kinds of odd places, and so we did in our -billets in the rocks and hillside. We called one of our caves the “Cave -Theatre Royal,” and another the “Cave Cinema,” and many a cheerful -performance and fine sing-song we had. The only light we had came from -candles, but you can sing just as well by candle-light as you can by big -electric lamps, and I don’t suppose that ever since the caves were -occupied they rang with more cheerful sounds than were heard when the -British soldiers were joining in a chorus of the latest popular song -from home. - -Another great advantage of the caverns was that they gave splendid cover -to our guns, and protection to ourselves, so that these five days and -nights gave us a real rest and complete change, and we were very sorry -when we left them and resumed the work of incessant fighting and -marching. We were constantly at the guns, and by way of showing what a -fearful business the artillery duels became at times, I may tell you -that from a single battery alone--that is, half-a-dozen guns--in one day -and night we fired more than 4000 rounds. - -It was a vast change from the comfort and safety of the caverns, where -never a German shell reached us, to the open again, but we got our quiet -times and little recreations still, and one of these intervals we -devoted to football. We were at Messines, and so was a howitzer battery, -and as we happened to be rather slack, we got up a match. I am keen on -football, and things were going splendidly. I had scored two goals and -we were leading 3-1, when the game came to a very sudden stop, for some -German airmen had seen us running about and had swooped down towards us, -with the result that the howitzer chaps were rushed into action and we -followed without any loss of time. We took it quite as a matter of -course to let the football go, and pound away at the Germans, who had so -suddenly appeared. It was getting rather late, so we gave the enemy -about fifty rounds by way of saying good-night. We always made a point -of being civil in this direction; but our usual dose for good-night was -about fifteen rounds. - -Talking of football recalls sad memories. On Boxing Day, 1913, when I -and an old chum were home on leave, I played in a football match, and at -the end of the game a photograph was taken of the team. On last Boxing -Day, if the roll of the team had been called, there would have been no -answer in several cases--for death and wounds have claimed some of the -eleven. Little did we think when we were being grouped for the picture -that it was the last muster for us as a team. - -We had got through the tail end of summer and were well into autumn, and -soon the gloom of November was upon us, then came my change of luck and -I was knocked out. It was November 2, and almost as soon as it was -daylight we were in the thick of an uncommonly furious artillery duel, -one of the very worst I have seen. The Germans seemed to be making a -special effort that morning. They had got our position pretty -accurately, and they fired so quickly and had the range so well that we -were in a real hell of bursting shrapnel, indeed, the fragments were so -numerous that it is little short of a miracle that we were not wiped -out. - -We had not been long in action when a shell burst on the limber-pole, -smashed it in halves, penetrated through the wheel, blew the spokes of -the wheel away and shot me some distance into the air. For a little -while I had no clear idea of what had happened, then I found that three -of us had been wounded. My right boot had been blown to shreds, and -there was a hole right through the left boot. So much I saw at once--a -mess of blood and earth and leather; but of the extent of my wounds I -knew very little, nor did I trouble much about them at the time. The -first thing I did was to get into the main pit by the side of the gun, -the captain and one or two chums helping me, and there, though the pain -of my wounds was terrible, I laughed and chatted as best I could, and I -saw how the battery kept at it against big odds. - -Number 1, Sergeant Barker, who was in charge of the gun, had been struck -by a piece of shrapnel, which had fractured his leg; but though that was -quite enough to knock him out of time, he never flinched or faltered. He -held on to his gun, and went on fighting pretty much as if nothing had -happened. Number 2, Gunner Weedon, had been wounded through the thigh, a -bad injury about three inches long being caused; but he, too, held -gamely on. - -I tried to crawl out of the pit; but could not do so, and I passed the -time by trying to cheer my chums, just as they did their best to help me -to keep my own spirits up. - -The sergeant found time occasionally to turn round and ask how I was -getting on. - -“It’s all right, old Bean,” he shouted cheerily. “Keep quiet. We can -manage without you.” And he went on firing, while the officers continued -to give orders and encourage the men. - -I was getting very thirsty and craved for a drink; but I saw no prospect -of getting either water or anything else at such a time. - -The sergeant noticed my distress and gave me the sweetest drink I ever -tasted, and that was a draught from his own canteen. He managed to stop -firing for a few seconds while he did this--just long enough to sling -his canteen round, let me take a pull, and sling it back. I learned -afterwards that throughout the whole of that day, in that inferno of -firing and bursting shells, the sergeant stuck to his gun and kept it -at. For his courage and tenacity he has been awarded the Distinguished -Conduct Medal, and no man has ever more fully deserved it. - -I was lying in the gun pit for about an hour, then a doctor came and my -wounds were dressed, but there was no chance of getting away for the -time being, so I had to wait till the firing ceased. At last a stretcher -was brought, and I was carried into a barn which was at the rear of our -battery. One of the bearers was - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 222._ - -“WE WERE IN A REAL HELL OF BURSTING SHRAPNEL” (p. 221).] - -Sergeant E. Leet, the right-back in our battery team. He left the fight -to bear a hand with me, and as soon as I was safely in the barn he -returned to his post. He had no sooner done that than he too was struck -down by a wound in the ankle and had to be invalided home. - -When I was carried away the major and the sergeant-major said good-bye, -and I rather think they expected that that was the last they would ever -see of me. I certainly felt bad, and I daresay I looked it; but I was -quite cheerful. I particularly felt it when I passed my chum, Charlie -Harrison, because for more than six years we had kept together without a -break. We shouted good-bye as we passed, and I did not know whether I -should ever see him again. - -When I reached the barn I wanted to get back to the battery, to be at my -own gun again, to bear a hand once more in the fighting that was still -going on and seemed as if it would never stop; but when I tried to stand -up I collapsed, through pain and loss of blood. Soon after this I heard -that Charlie Harrison too had been wounded. He was struck on the neck -just after I was carried away from the gun pit and had shouted good-bye -to him; but he bandaged himself and refused to leave the battery. - -What became of him? Why, he got home from the front a day or two ago, -and you’ve just seen him. There he is. And let me show you this -shattered foot, to let you see how it is that I’m forced to hop when I -want to get about. - -And now to get back to the air raid on the East Coast, which to me and -other soldiers from the front who saw it, was an extraordinary -experience, though I fancy that we took it more or less as a matter of -course, because you so soon get used to that kind of thing. - -I had scarcely settled down at home when one night there was a fearful -commotion, caused by dull explosions. I was a bit taken aback, for I -knew what the sounds meant, and thought that I had done with the Germans -and fighting for a spell at any rate. - -As soon as the sound of the explosions was heard, people rushed into the -streets--the most dangerous thing they could do--to see what it all -meant, and there were cries that the Germans had come. - -So they had. They had come in a gas-bag or two, and were dropping bombs -on the good old town, which was lighted as usual, though that was soon -altered. - -I hopped into the street--hopping is the only thing I can do at -present--and there I found that there was intense excitement and that -women in particular were badly scared. But really the thing did not -upset me at all--it was mere child’s play compared with what I had been -through, so I made myself useful, and hopped away and bought some -brandy, which suited some of the scared people very well--so well that -there wasn’t a drop left for myself. - -The raid was soon over, and so was the scare, and I hopped back to the -house. There have been several frantic alarms since then, and more than -once I have been shaken out of my sleep and told that the Germans have -come again; but all I have said has been that it will take something far -worse than a German gas-bag raid to make me turn out of bed in the -middle of the night. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -WITH THE “FIGHTING FIFTH” - - [One of the battalions which composed the 5th Division of the - British Expeditionary Force was the 1st East Surrey Regiment. It - was on the 5th Division that so much of the heavy fighting fell on - the way to the Aisne, and in that heavy fighting the East Surreys - suffered very severely. This story is told by Private W. G. Long, - who rejoined his regiment from the Reserve. He has been wounded by - shrapnel, and has permanently lost the use of his right arm.] - - -When I went out with my old battalion, the Young Buffs, we were more -than 1,300 strong. When I came back, after six weeks’ fighting, we had -lost more than half that number. This simple fact will show you what the -East Surreys have done during the war, as part of the famous “Fighting -Fifth” which has been so greatly praised by Sir John French. - -I had got up to start my day’s work after the August Bank Holiday; but -that day’s work was never done, for the postman brought the mobilisation -papers, and off I went to Kingston, after kissing my wife and baby -good-bye. Many a fine fellow who marched off with me is sleeping in or -near a little forest which we called “Shrapnel Wood.” That was near -Missy, where we crossed the Aisne on rafts. - -We lost our first man soon after we landed in France, and before we met -the Germans. That was at Landrecies, where we went into French barracks, -and were told off into rooms which we called rabbit-hutches, because -they were so small--no bigger than a little kitchen at home. We were -crowded into these, and the only bed we had was a bit of straw on the -floor. The nights were bitterly cold, but the days were hot enough to -melt us; so we had a bathing parade, and had a fine old time in the -canal till one of our men was missed. - -I looked around, and saw that one of our fellows was having artificial -respiration tried on him. He came round, and then he told us that -another man had gone under the water. Then began a really first-class -diving display, many of our chaps plunging into the canal to try to find -the missing soldier. - -At last one of the divers rose and shouted, “I’ve got him!” And, sure -enough, he had brought a poor chap to the surface. Lots of strong arms -were stretched out, and in a few seconds the rescued man was got on to -the bank, and every effort was made to bring him back to life. But -nothing could be done. The man was drowned, and we buried him. This -little tragedy threw quite a gloom over us till we moved away. - -I am going to tell of a few of the things that happened and affected me -personally. They took place mostly when we were retiring, and some of -them occurred in the early days, when we were forging along in fearfully -bad weather. We were soaked to the skin, and at night did our best to -get some sort of shelter by building up the stacks of corn that had been -cut for drying, but it was no use. The rain came through so heavily that -we gave the task up, and waited for daylight again. When the day came it -brought another rain of shells and bullets with it. The place got too -warm for us, so we had to leave and retire again. We went on, getting as -much shelter as we could; and then we had to halt, and here the sorry -discovery was made that we had not a round of ammunition left. At this -time there were advancing towards us some men in khaki, and our -sergeant, thinking they were our own men, told us not to fire at them. - -The order was not necessary, seeing that we had nothing to fire with. As -soon as these men got level with us on our flank they opened fire, and -then we knew that they were Germans, who had stripped some of our men, -or had picked up British caps and greatcoats which had been thrown -aside. - -In this desperate position a man who belonged to the Cornwall Light -Infantry was shot just below the left ear. He was knocked down, but got -up, and kept saying, “Help me! Help me!” - -I shouted to him to lie down and keep under cover, but he took no -notice, and kept on calling for help. He came up to me, and when he was -near enough I pulled him down and forced him to lie on the ground. All -this time there was a very heavy fire. We were getting shots from the -front and on our flanks, and there was nothing for it but to get away as -best we could. - -I could not bear the thought of leaving this Cornwall man where he was, -so I took him up and began to carry him, but it was very slow going. It -was all uphill, the ground was sodden with rain, and I had to force a -way through a field of turnips, which were growing as high as my knees. -It was bad enough to make one’s own way through such a tangle as that; -but I am young and strong, and I managed to make progress, although I -was hit five different times--not hurt, but struck, a shot, for -instance, hitting my cap, another my water-bottle, and another the -sleeve of my coat. - -After going a long distance, as it seemed, and feeling utterly -exhausted, I put my man down under what I thought was safe shelter. I -wanted to give him a drink, but I could not do so, as the shot-hole in -my water-bottle had let the water run to waste. - -At last we reached a roadway, where we saw some more of our men, who had -got there before us, and had commandeered a horseless cart and filled it -with wounded men. - -I got the wounded man into the cart, and then off we all went. It was as -much as we could manage to get the cart along, for it was such a great -big thing; but we worked it willingly, the officers taking their turn in -the shafts. - -We dragged the cart along the heavy roads, but it was such hard going -that we saw that we should be forced to get a horse from somewhere; so -we looked around at the first farm we came to--and a sorry place it was, -with everything in confusion, and the animals about suffering terribly -and starving--and there we found a horse of the largest size. - -With great difficulty we got together bits of harness, string and rope, -and tied the horse in the shafts with the ropes for traces, and when we -had finished we did not know whether we had harnessed the horse or tied -the cart on to it. Anyway, we got along very well after that. - -The cart had amongst its wounded an infantry officer who had been saved -by one of our fellows, though the officer belonged to another regiment. -He had got entangled in some barbed wire, and, as he had been wounded -in the leg, he could not move either one way or the other. He was -absolutely helpless, and under a heavy fire. - -Our fellow went out and got to the helpless officer, and, by sticking at -it and doing all he could, being himself pretty badly cut in the -operation, he freed the officer from the entanglement, and carried him -safely up to the cart. We were getting on very nicely with our little -contrivance when we ran into the 2nd Dragoons, but we soon left them -behind us, and found ourselves amongst some of our own transport. We -joined up with it, adding another and a very strange waggon to the -column, and on we went until we reached a large town and halted. - -During the whole of this time I had been carrying a canteen which had -belonged to a Frenchman. It was quite a big canteen, and I kept it -filled with apples, of which we got an enormous number, and on which at -times we had practically to live for two or three days together. - -We had reached a stage of fighting when we had to make continuous short -rushes against the Germans, under hails of shrapnel. In making these -rushes it often happened that we sheltered behind a little sort of -earthwork which we threw up. We just made a bit of head cover and lay -behind that; but sometimes this head cover could not be made, and that -was where I scored with my Frenchman’s canteen. - -During one of our rushes shrapnel burst right over my head, and one -fellow said to me, “I wouldn’t carry that thing, George, if I were you.” -But, having kept it for so long, I was not going to throw it away. - -Away we went. I was carrying the canteen in my left hand, and my rifle -in the right; but I changed them over, and I had no sooner done that -than crash came a shell, and, in bursting, a fragment hit the canteen, -and took a great piece out of it. I should have been badly wounded -myself, but I had filled the canteen with earth, and so it had protected -me and acted as a first-rate cover. The man who was on my right received -a nasty wound. - -After this we had to advance over open country, where there was not so -much as a blade of grass for cover. We went on till we reached a ditch, -which was full of water. Some of us had to wade through it, but others, -by going farther back, were able to cross a tiny footbridge--one of -those narrow planks which only allow one man at a time to cross. The -Germans had a machine-gun trained at this little bridge so we lost no -time in getting off it. It was here that our captain was mortally -wounded by a shot, and we had other casualties in crossing the bridge. - -From this point we had to climb to the top of a hill, which was so steep -that we had to dig our fixed bayonets into the ground to help us up. -There was a wood at the top of the hill, and there we took shelter; but -we had no sooner got amongst the trees than the shrapnel was on us -again, causing many casualties. - -There were many funny incidents at this place, and one I particularly -remember was that there were three of us in a sort of heap, when a piece -of shell dropped just alongside. There was not any great force in it, -because before falling the piece had struck a tree; but, as it dropped, -fellows started turning up the collars of their coats, and rolling -themselves into balls--just as if things of that sort could make any -difference to a bursting shell; but it is amusing to see what men will -do at such a time as that. - -From this wood we got into what seemed a wide roadway between two other -woods, and here we were under a never-ending rain of bullets, which hit -the trees, sending splinters all over us, cutting branches off and -ploughing up the ground on every side. One of our officers said, “Keep -your heads down, lads,” and he had scarcely got the words out of his -mouth when he was shot in the body and killed, and we had to leave him -where he fell. - -So heavy and continuous was the fire that we could not get on between -these two woods, and we had to try another way; so we started to go -through a vineyard, but we were forced to lie down. We sheltered as best -we could amongst the vines, with bullets coming and actually cutting off -bunches of grapes. Like good British soldiers, we made the best of the -business, for we were both hungry and thirsty, and we devoured a good -many of the bunches that were knocked off by the German bullets. - -After this we got into an orchard, but we did not remain there long, as -the place was later on blown to smithereens. We hung on to the orchard -till it was dark, then we advanced farther into the wood, and again got -through into the open, and lay down to try and get some sleep; but that -was almost impossible, because it was raining and perishingly cold, and -we had nothing at all for cover. Then, in whispers, we were ordered to -get out as silently as we possibly could. - -At first I could not understand the meaning of this secrecy, but it soon -became known that we had been actually sleeping amongst the enemy, -though we were not aware of this until we were again on the move. We -crept about like a lot of mice, till we reached a village, where we were -to get some breakfast. - -We were settling down, and making ourselves comfortable under a wall -which gave us some cover. There were some men from another regiment with -us, and we thought we were going to have a good time, for we had got -hold of some biscuits and jam. Then over the wall came a shell, which -exploded and wounded about seven men from the other regiment. We did not -stop for any more breakfast, and some of the men who had had nothing to -eat did not trouble to get anything, and they went without food for the -rest of the day. - -We went back to the wood, and there we soon again found the Germans, and -plenty of them. We fired at them for all we were worth, after which we -advanced a little, and came across so many dead that we had to jump over -them every pace we took. One thing which particularly struck me then, -and which I remember now, was the great size of some of these German -soldiers. At a little distance they looked just like fallen logs. - -After that our officer called us together to wait for reinforcements. I -thought I would have a look around me, and while I was doing so I saw -one German running off to our left, about fifteen yards away. I took aim -and fired, and down he went. I got down on my knee and unloaded my -rifle, when I saw another German going in the same direction. I was just -getting ready to take aim again, but this time I did not fire--in fact, -I did not even get to the aim, for I felt something hit my arm. - -For the moment I thought that some chap behind me had knocked me with -his rifle or his foot. I turned round, but there was no one behind me, -so I concluded that I had been hit. I stood up, and then my arm began to -wobble, and the blood streamed out of my sleeve. Some one shouted, -“You’ve got it, George.” And I replied: “Yes; in the arm somewhere, but -where I don’t know.” - -I did my best to get back again, and then a fellow came, and ripped the -sleeve open and dressed my arm, and there was all my elbow joint laid -open, and some of the bones broken. This chap wanted to take me back to -the village, but I said I was all right, although in a sense I was -helpless. We started going back, and we got to the first house, where we -saw a poor old man and his daughter who had been there all through the -fighting. The place was filled with wounded, and the two were doing -their best for them. - -I asked for a drink, for I was almost dying of thirst, and I got some -whisky. While I was drinking it a shell burst in the middle of the road, -and sent the mud and stones everywhere; so I shifted my quarters, and -went along to a big house which had been a fine place, but it had been -pulled to pieces, and was now being used as a hospital. The place itself -gave no protection, but we found a cellar and crowded into it, and there -we watched the Germans blowing the temporary hospital to pieces. - -The night came, and it was terrible to hear the poor chaps moaning with -pain. I was in pain myself now, but my sufferings were a mere nothing -compared with those of some of the men around me. It seemed as if the -day would never break, but at last it came, and by that time some of the -poor fellows who had been making such pitiful noises were no more. Some -time after that, however, I got away in a field ambulance. - -When we were at Le Cateau many spies were caught. I saw several of them. -They were young chaps, dressed up as women and as boys and girls, and it -was not very easy to detect them. One was disguised as a woman, with -rather a good figure. I saw this interesting female when she was -captured by our artillery. The gunners had their suspicions aroused, -with the result that they began to knock the lady about a bit, and her -wig fell off. Then her figure proved to be not what it seemed, for the -upper front part of it was composed of two carrier-pigeons! I did not -see the end of that batch of spies, but a battery sergeant-major -afterwards told me that they had been duly shot. - -One of the most extraordinary things I saw was the conduct of a man who -had had his right arm shot off from above the elbow. I was standing -quite near him, and expected that he would fall and be helpless. Instead -of doing that, he turned his head and looked at the place where the arm -should have been. I suppose he must have been knocked off his balance by -what had happened. At any rate, he gave a loud cry, and instantly -started to run as fast as I ever saw a man go. Two or three members of -the Royal Army Medical Corps at once gave chase, with the object of -securing him and attending to him. The whole lot of them disappeared -over some rising ground, and what happened to them I do not know. - -I saw many fellows who had queer tales to tell of what had happened to -them. One chap, a rifleman, who was in the ship coming home, was so -nervous that the slightest noise made him almost jump out - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 234._ - -“I TOOK HIM UP AND BEGAN TO CARRY HIM” (p. 227).] - -of his skin. And well it might, for his nerves had been shattered. A -shell had buried itself in the ground just in front of him and exploded, -blowing him fifteen feet into the air, and landing him in a bed of mud. -He was so completely stunned that he lay there for about eight hours, -scarcely moving, though he was not even scratched. He came round all -right, but was a nervous wreck, and had to be invalided. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE VICTORY OF THE MARNE - - [One of the most moving statements in the earlier official reports - dealing with the war was that about the fighting at Mons and - elsewhere, which cost us 6000 men, and no paragraph was more - stirring than that relating to Landrecies, a quiet little French - town on the Sambre. “In Landrecies alone,” the report said, “a - German infantry brigade advanced in the closest order into the - narrow street, which they completely filled. Our machine-guns were - brought to bear on this target from the end of the town. The head - of the column was swept away, a frightful panic ensued, and it is - estimated that no fewer than 800 to 900 dead and wounded Germans - were lying in this street alone.” The story of that furious combat - and the subsequent operations on the Marne is told by Corporal G. - Gilliam, of the Coldstream Guards. On September 6, in conjunction - with the French, the British assumed the offensive, and, after a - four days’ desperate struggle, which is known as the Battle of the - Marne, the Germans were driven back to Soissons, with enormous - losses.] - - -It was early on the afternoon of August 26 when we entered Landrecies, -which is a little garrison town, consisting mostly of a single street in -which there are three cross-roads. We were billeted in the people’s -houses, and for the first time in three days we had a drop of tea and a -bit of dinner in comfort, and to crown our satisfaction we were told we -could lie down and rest, but we were to have our bayonets fixed and -rifles by our sides and kits ready to put on. - -We were soon down to it and sound asleep. It was about eight o’clock -when some of us woke, and after a smoke were off to sleep again, but not -for long, for almost immediately we heard the sound of a motor-cycle, -and knew that the rider was travelling at a terrific rate. - -Nearer and nearer came the sound, and the rider himself swept round the -corner of the street. He never stopped nor slackened speed; he simply -shouted one word as he vanished, and that was “Germans!” Only one word, -but enough. - -Rifles in hand, we rushed to the top of the street and lined the three -cross-roads, lying down. Our officer, who was standing up behind us, -said, “Lie still, men”; and we did--perfectly still, not a man moving. -All at once, out of the darkness, an officer came and cried in English -to our commander, “Surrender!” - -“We don’t surrender here!” our officer answered. “Take that!”--and -instantly shot him through the head with his revolver. - -Our officer’s shot had scarcely died away when crash went a German -artillery gun, and a lyddite shell burst right over us. This was our -first experience of lyddite, and the fumes nearly choked us. - -“Lie still, boys--don’t move!” said our officer; and we lay low. - -Just then, from the opposite direction, we heard the sound of horses and -a waggon, in the distance, it seemed; but soon it was very near, and to -our great joy there dashed up the street one of the guns of the 17th -Field Battery. There was a shout of “Into action! Left wheel!” And in -truly magnificent style that gun was almost instantly laid and ready for -action. - -Shells now came upon us rapidly, wounding several of our men; but our -maxim gunners had got to work, and very soon enormous numbers of Germans -were put beyond the power of doing any further mischief. - -Many splendid things were done that night at Landrecies; but there was -nothing finer than the work of our maxim-gunner Robson, who was on our -left. Our machine-guns were by now at our end of the town, and they had -a solid mass of Germans to go at. Robson was sitting on his stool, and -as soon as the officer ordered “Fire!” his maxim hailed death. It -literally was a hail of fire that met the packed Germans, and swept down -the head of the column, so that the street was choked in an instant with -the German dead. Those who lived behind pushed on in desperation--shoved -on by the masses still further behind, the darkness being made light by -the fire of the maxims and the enemy’s rifles. Those behind, I say, -pressed on, with fearful cries, but only to be mown down and shattered, -so that the street became more than ever glutted with the dead and -wounded. The Germans were thrown into frenzy, and if sheer weight of men -could have driven the head of the column on to us not a British soldier -could have lived that night at Landrecies. - -Meanwhile, we had been ordered to hold our fire. There were only 600 of -us opposed to an immense body of Germans; but the maxims were doing -annihilating work, and the artillery had got into action. - -When the gun of the 17th had got the order to fire we heard a gunner -shout: “Watch me put that gun out of action!”--meaning a German gun -which had been brought up and laid against us. He fired, and the most -marvellous thing happened, for the shell from it went right down the -muzzle of the German weapon and shattered it to pieces. - -Then we heard a shout, and before we could look round about 4000 German -infantry were charging us, with horns blowing and drums beating--adding -to the fearful din. - -“Don’t shoot, boys,” shouted our officer, “till I give the word!” - -On the living mass of Germans came. They rushed up to within 80 yards of -us; then the order rang out: “Fire!” - -Again the Germans got it--fifteen rounds to the minute from each rifle, -for the front rank men had their loading done for them. As soon as a -rifle was emptied it was handed to the rear and a fresh loaded rifle was -handed back. In this way the rifles were kept from getting too hot, and -an incessant fire was poured into the Germans. - -In spite of this hail, a few Germans managed to break through their -walls of dead and wounded. One of them, disguised as a French officer, -and wanting us to think he had been a prisoner, but had just broken away -from the Germans, rushed up to Robson and patted him on the shoulder and -said: “Brave fellow!” And with that he whipped round his sword and -killed our maxim gunner on the spot; but he himself was instantly shot -down by our enraged fellows. - -There was another case of treachery, this time, unhappily, from inside -our ranks. Our guide, a man claiming to be a Frenchman, at about one -o’clock in the morning, turned traitor, and went and told the Germans -how many there were of us, and by way of indicating our position he -fired a haystack; but he had no sooner done that than two bullets -settled him. - -One of our corporals dashed away to put the fire out, but before he -reached the haystack he was killed. It was at this time that Private -Wyatt, of my company, rushed out--everything was done at a rush--and -brought in a wounded officer. The colonel, who was on his horse, and saw -what had happened, said: “Who is that brave man?” He was told, and -afterwards Wyatt was taken before the general and recommended for a -decoration. - -Hour after hour, all through the time of darkness, and until daylight -came, that terrible fight went on. For seven long hours a few hundred -British Guards had kept at bay an enormous body of Germans--and at the -end of the firing we had killed far more than the whole of our force -numbered when the battle began. We had given them wholesale death from -our machine-guns, our rifles, and our artillery, and they had faced -it--they had been driven on to it. Now they were to have the bayonet. - -We gave them two charges; but they didn’t stop long, for as soon as they -saw the cold steel on the ends of our rifles they were off like a shot, -throwing down a lot of rifles and equipment. When this happened it was -between five and six o’clock on the morning of the 27th, and we then got -the order to retire. - -We were told that we had lost 126 in killed and wounded. That was a -heavy list, but not so big as we had expected, bearing in mind the -furious nature of the fight. The marvel was that we had not been wiped -out, and we should certainly have been in a very serious state if it had -not been for the 17th Field Battery. There is this to be said, too: if -the Germans had broken through our lines it would have meant that, in -all probability, the whole Second Division of our army would have been -cut up. - -We fell in and were soon on the march again, retiring, and we marched as -fast as we could go till we halted at a rather large town about ten -miles from Landrecies. Here we were in clover, in a way of speaking, -because we sheltered in a clay-pit where the French had been making -bricks, and we all sat down and waited for our tea of German shells. - -They soon came and we were on the move again, and we were constantly at -it, retiring and fighting, until we halted about thirty miles from -Paris; then we were told that after retiring another dozen miles it -would be our turn to advance. - -Didn’t we cheer? It was glorious to hear we were going to chase the -Germans instead of their chasing us. At this time we had our first wash -for a fortnight, and it was as good as having a thousand pounds given to -us. - -The fiercest fighting of the war has taken place on Sundays, and it was -on a Sunday that the Battle of the Marne began. The Germans had had the -biggest surprise of their lives on a Sunday, and that was at Mons. -Though we had been kept on the go because they outnumbered us so -hopelessly, we mauled them mercilessly on the retreat, teaching them -many bitter lessons. When we got to the Marne and were able to tackle -them on equal terms, they scarcely had a look in. The Germans had almost -reached the forts of Paris, and, I daresay, had their bands ready to -play them into the city. Soon, however, they were hurrying back on their -tracks a good deal faster than they had come. We heard the German bands -playing a good many times, but every time we heard the music it was -farther away from Paris. - -We covered such big tracks of country, and saw so many great happenings, -that it is the most difficult thing in the world to know where to start -a story of the Marne; but I will come down to the time just before the -battle, when we were still retiring, and had got used to marching twenty -or twenty-five miles a day. We had left the Germans very sore for coming -too close to us, and we had gone through a small town and entered a -great wood. - -While we were in the wood I had to fall out. Almost instantly I heard -the sound of talking which wasn’t English, and in the distance I saw six -Germans coming after me as hard as they could. I thought it was all up -with me, but I said “Come on, chum, let’s clear!”--“chum” being my -rifle, which I had placed on the ground. I snatched it up and sprang -behind a tree, and felt fairly safe. It’s wonderful what a feeling of -security a good rifle and plenty of ammunition give you. I waited till -the Germans got within a hundred yards of me; then with a good aim I -fetched down two; but my position was becoming very critical, as the -other four dodged from tree to tree, watching for a chance to pot me, -and it looked very much as if they wouldn’t have long to wait. I don’t -know what would have happened, but to my intense relief three men of the -17th Field Battery, which was passing, rushed up and shouted, “Don’t -move. We’ll have ’em!” - -By this time the four Germans were within about fifty yards, continually -sniping at me--how I blessed them for being such bad shots!--and at last -they came out into the open and made straight in my direction. But they -only dashed about twenty yards, for my rescuers put “paid” to the four -of them, and saved me from being made a prisoner and worse, far worse, -for by that time we had seen proof enough of the monstrous things they -did to men they captured--things you might expect from savages, but -certainly not from soldiers of a nation that boasts so much of its -civilisation. - -The last day of our retirement was September 4, and on that day we never -saw the enemy. We had crossed and recrossed the River Marne, and had -blown up bridges as we retired; but the Germans threw their own bridges -over the river with amazing speed, and kept up the pursuit. Sometimes -they overdid their zeal, and were a trifle too quick for their own -comfort. - -We had blown up two bridges that crossed the Marne, one a railway bridge -and the other a fine stone structure. I was one of the last of our men -to cross the stone bridge before the engineers, who had made it ready -for destruction. The bridge ran between two high banks, so that it was a -considerable height above the water. When the explosion took place there -was a tremendous shattering roar, almost like a salvo of Black Marias, -then a crashing and grinding and thudding as the middle of the bridge -was utterly wrecked, and fell into the river, leaving an immense gap -between the banks. The work of months, costing thousands upon thousands -of pounds, had been smashed in a few seconds. - -I was looking back at the ruins when I saw a motor-car, with several -Germans in it, tearing after us, meaning to cross the bridge as we had -done. The car came on at a tremendous speed, and the Germans in it must -have had eyes only for us and none for the road in front of them, for -they rushed on right into the blank space, and before they knew what was -happening, the car was in the river. - -We had had battle after battle, each one in itself enough to make a long -story. We had fought and marched in the fearful August heat, and had -been thankful when we could lie down with a little heap of sand or a -sheaf of corn as a pillow. At last we were so near Paris that the forts -opened fire, and that was the beginning of what I’m sure will be the end -of the Germans. - -Now at last we were in touch with the French, and we got the Germans in -a proper grip. The French got round the Germans and turned them towards -Coulommiers, a town on the Marne; then the British took the job on and -drove the Germans through the town. That part of the work fell largely -on the Guards, and what we were doing was being done, of course, over an -enormous stretch of country by other British and French troops. - -We had got to the night of September 5 and were lying in trenches which -we had dug along a canal bank about Coulommiers. We waited for the -Germans to come, and they came in fine style. It was getting dark and we -could make out three of their aeroplanes sweeping in the air like big -birds. We had seen a good deal of the German aeroplanes by this time and -knew what to expect. These were trying to find out our positions, so -that they - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 244._ - -“BEFORE THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING THE CAR WAS IN THE RIVER.”] - -could signal to their gunners and give them the range. - -Suddenly the aeroplanes dropped some balls of blue fire, and very pretty -the fireworks looked; but we hadn’t time to admire them, because the -German artillery instantly opened fire on us with such fury that we felt -the very ground shake as we lay in our trenches. - -Under cover of their guns the Germans--the 32nd Infantry Brigade, I -think it was--dashed up to the other side of the canal bank and blazed -away at us; but we blazed harder at them. We gave them a fair hell of -rifle fire and very soon they were forced to clear out, leaving the -whole of the canal bank littered with their dead and wounded. - -A fine little “tiffey” we had at the Marne was a rearguard action, in -which there was one of those British cavalry and infantry charges that -have shaken a lot of the Germans to pieces, especially the Uhlans, who -are a pretty poor crowd in spite of all their boasting. - -Our scouts had returned with the news that the Germans were entrenched -about a mile and a half away, on the bank of the Marne. We got the order -to extend the usual three paces, and our advance guard went out, while -our main body lay down. Our advance guard had gone about 900 yards when -the German infantry opened fire. We took it up, and there was a -ceaseless rattle. We kept the Germans well employed, and our advance -guard were pouring in a proper good peppering. But there was a little -surprise in store for them. We had with us a couple of the magnificent -British cavalry regiments--the Scots Greys and the 16th Lancers, and -they swept on till they got to a little wood, where they had the -Germans on the left wing of their rearguard, fairly at their mercy. When -they were ready for the charge the signal was given to our advance -guard, and, with a perfect roar of cheering, the British cavalry and -infantry hurled themselves on the Germans, a tremendous weight of horse -and man. The Greys and the 16th fairly thundered over the earth, and the -Guards rushed up in splendid style, though we had our heavy packs, and -in such hot weather a big weight adds enormously to the terrific work of -charging. But you don’t think of heat or weight at such a time--you feel -only the thrill and excitement of the battle and have the joy of knowing -that you are settling the account of a suffering and outraged nation. - -Cavalry and Guards got in amongst the Germans and fairly scattered them. -I got one German in the back and another sideways, and all around me -chums were doing the same, while the cavalry were cutting the Germans -down everywhere. Limbs literally flew about as they were lopped off with -the sword, and Germans in the open and in the trenches--for we routed -them out--fell to the bayonet. - -That was a fierce and bloody “tiffey,” and there have been many like it. -At the end of it we had settled that particular German rearguard and had -a nice bag of prisoners. A lot of these prisoners were glad to be out of -the business; most of the Germans we captured seemed to feel like that, -and I remember hearing one of them--an officer--say, in good English, -“Thank God I’m caught! Now I shall not starve any more!” - -Talking of charges, I might tell you that there is a great difference -between the British and the German ways of doing it. The Germans make as -much noise as possible--a perfect devil of a row, with drums thumping -and trumpets sounding, and, of course, their banners flying. We carry no -colours into action (we leave them at home), we have no drum-thumping -and no bugles sounding--often enough the signal for a charge is just -something like a hand wave or a word of command; but that answers all -practical purposes and starts us on the business as quickly and full of -fire as any amount of noise. - -When we had got through our first rearguard action we thought we had -driven the Germans to the other side of the Marne and got them fairly on -the move back to Berlin; but to our surprise we were attacked by a -strong force of their cavalry, who had been in ambush not a thousand -yards away. The German horsemen came on us at a full gallop and swept on -until they were about two hundred yards away. At this particular spot -there were Guards, Worcesters, and Camerons, and it looked very much as -if the Germans would dash up and do a lot of mischief. - -The commander of the Worcesters shouted, “Fix bayonets! Make sure of -your men.” - -On came the German cavalry, with a roar and a rattle, until they were -less than a hundred yards away; then we let go and the troopers tumbled -out of their saddles like ninepins. The going was too hard for German -cavalry, and as one of their officers shouted an order, they wheeled -round and made off, rushing, as they supposed, for a safe place and a -way out; but they galloped straight up to a spot where some French -artillery were in position. - -The Germans thundered on towards their fancied safety; then there were -crashes from the French artillery, and shells went plump into the -horsemen and practically annihilated them. Horses and men were -shattered, and of those who escaped the French took about one hundred -and fifty prisoners. It was a fine little performance, and helped us to -fix in our memories the first meeting with the Frenchmen on the Marne. - -The artillery fire on the Marne was awful in its destructiveness and -earsplitting in its noise--sometimes the very air seemed to be solid -matter that was broken into chunks and knocked about you; but we soon -got used to it all, and laughed and smoked and joked in the trenches, -where, at the back, we had dug-outs which we called rabbit-hutches. -These were shelter-places, well covered at the top, and were most useful -protections against shells. When the enemy’s fire became too hot we -would go into our rabbit-hutches. - -About noon on the 6th we had re-formed and advanced to the bank of the -river, and there we found that we were opposed to a large body of -Germans and that they had howitzer batteries with them. These howitzers -do deadly mischief, and the fumes from their lyddite shells are -perfectly poisonous--they spread through a good big patch of air and -suffocate the men. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when the -Germans began to pour into us a fearful fire, and we were enfiladed; but -our trenches gave us some fine shelter, and the Germans did not have -their own way for long, nor did they do much damage at that point. Here -again the British had ready one more of the many surprises that the -Germans met with on the banks of the Marne. One of our batteries of -short howitzers, four guns, went along the river bank and hid in some -bushes on the right of the German howitzers, while a battery of our -field artillery dashed up and took a commanding position which got the -Germans between two fires. Then the command was given, “Ten rounds rapid -fire!” - -But ten rounds were not needed--only four were fired before the German -battery was put to rest. But the crippling of the German howitzers did -not seem to have much effect on the enemy at that point, for they rushed -up more of the infantry, which, brought along by immense numbers of -trains and motors, literally swarmed over the countryside. - -At this time we renewed our acquaintance with some of the Germans who -were known to us as the “drop-shots.” I believe there is only one -brigade of them in the German Army, and I will do them the justice to -say that they are very good at the game. They kneel down, and putting -the butt of the rifle on the thigh, fire in the air at an angle of about -forty-five degrees. The bullet makes a big arc and drops right on top of -you in such places as trenches. These “drop-shots” were about four -hundred yards away, but they hadn’t got just the right range of us and -the bullets plugged into the wrong places. - -The “drop-shots” tried their queer game on us for about half an hour, -but finding that they could not damage us, they stopped, especially as -we were beginning to shift them out of their positions. There was some -furious rifle firing between the troops entrenched on both banks of the -Marne, and often enough the reddened water bore away many a dead -soldier. - -The fighting was always most fierce when the Germans were in masses and -hurled their regiments against us in their attempt to hack their way -through to Paris. Any street fighting that came about was sure to be -terrific, and one of the most furious of the fights took place in the -streets of Coulommiers, a town similar to Reading. - -Coulommiers, of course, was almost entirely given up to troops, for the -inhabitants had been warned by us to leave and get as far away from the -Germans as they could go. Poor souls, they did not need much persuading, -knowing what they did of German “culture,” and, carrying with them only -such few oddments as they could quickly collect, they fled, the roads -leading to Paris being thick with them. During this fighting in -Coulommiers there was such brilliant moonlight that you could see almost -well enough to shoot a rabbit. - -It was about eight o’clock at night when we got to Coulommiers. We were -just going to stop to have some food when the Germans put two big shells -into us, killing four of our men, and wounding fourteen. We jumped up, -fixed bayonets, and rushed for the Germans; but we were brought up by -some more shells, and for a couple of hours the guns were banging at us. -Fortunately the shells had a bit too long a range, and instead of -hitting us they went over the back of us. - -We lay down until ten o’clock, when the order was given to prepare to -charge. Up again we sprang--we were getting used to charging--and made -another rush, running as hard as we could down the street for a hundred -yards, then lying flat in the roadway. - -All this time the Germans were pouring in on us a fire which, if it had -been accurate, would have swept us out of existence. But it was very -poor stuff, and we were lucky enough to escape with the loss of a very -few men. We were lying down for five minutes, then we were up and off -again, dashing along the main street. - -It was a rousing bit of work, and we gloried in it, especially when, -from every doorway in the street, Germans dashed out and made a bolt for -their lives. They had been firing at us from bedroom windows, and tore -frantically downstairs and out of doorways when they saw that we were -fairly on the job and after them. - -That bolting gave us just the chance we wanted. We drove after the -flying Germans as hard as we could go, and being big and powerful men, -with plenty of weight in us, we literally picked some of them up on the -bayonets. We rushed them through the town and out of it; then we came -across a gang of Germans who were no good at all. They had looted all -the wine-shops and soaked themselves with liquor. Many a German from -Mons to the Marne was drunk when he died or was made a prisoner. - -When we had dashed through Coulommiers we had to halt, because the -Germans had four batteries of guns and a division of cavalry waiting for -us. So we retired to the cross-roads in the middle of the town, and had -to take up almost exactly the same position as we did at Landrecies, -where the Coldstreamers wiped out a strong German force in the street. -We waited at Coulommiers till our heavy howitzer batteries were fetched -up, then we lined the cross-roads, two howitzers were placed at the end -of each street and we were in at the finish of the fight. - -It was about midnight when the Germans started shelling us again, and -the town blazed and boomed with the awful gunfire. We did not suffer -much damage, but the houses were wrecked, and bricks and stones and -pieces of timber were flying all about. A few of the bricks struck us, -but we paid no heed to trifles like that. The Germans kept up the firing -till about half-past two in the morning. Then, to our great surprise, -they charged down the street. - -“Lie still, boys, and let them come!” our officers shouted. - -We lay perfectly quiet, and let the Germans rush on till they were -almost upon us; then the sharp order came: “Ten rounds rapid fire!” - -There was an absolute fusillade, and the ten rounds were fired in less -than a minute, and simply struck the Germans down. Their dead and -wounded were lying thick in the roadway and on the pavements when we -sprang up and were after the survivors with the bayonet. This time we -chased them up to the very muzzles of the guns, where we had a splendid -bit of luck. The German gunners flew when they saw us, and we were on -top of them and on top of the infantry. We dashed straight through the -batteries, the enemy flying before the bayonet, and there, in the -moonlight, which was almost as strong as daylight, I accounted for two -of them with my own steel. - -For fully three miles that furious chase was kept up, the Germans flying -in all directions. It was a long and fierce fight in the moonlight, but -at the end of it Coulommiers was ours, and six batteries of German guns -and a thousand prisoners were ours, too, to say nothing of the killed -and wounded. - -You might have thought that enough had been done, but we had scarcely -settled down to have a little drop of something hot to drink--and we -needed it badly--when the cry arose, “Come on, boys; let’s get after -them again!” We emptied our canteens, which were full of hot coffee and -rum, and were after the Germans again as hard as we could go. By -daylight we had put the finish on them at Coulommiers. We were well -pleased, too, with the fine haul of guns. - -We had fought fiercely, and had not spared the Germans--no one could -have any mercy on them who saw the proofs, as we had seen them, of their -barbarities. When we advanced into Coulommiers we saw the bodies of two -little girls who had been murdered and mutilated in a shocking manner. -There were in that locality alone scores of such atrocities committed by -the brutes who came from the land of “culture” and are being driven back -to it. - -I had a fair innings at the Marne, and saw a good deal of the beginning -of the fight which started the Germans on the run. I had two days and -nights of it; then I was bowled out by a piece of shell which struck me -on the thigh and went off with a piece of flesh. I felt as if a brick -had hit me, and when I saw the blood I thought it was all up with me. -The doctor told me that this might easily have happened if the wound had -been a little deeper. He was Lieutenant Huggin, of the Royal Army -Medical Corps, a kind and brave gentleman, who was soon afterwards -killed while doing his duty under fire. He was mentioned in despatches, -with other officers who did so much. I remember one of them, a field -officer of the Coldstreamers, during a very hot fight standing with his -hands in his pockets watching to see how things were going, and saying, -“Men, this is beautiful! We shall soon be on the other side of the -river.” - -And we soon were--though to cross the Marne meant that we had at one -time to fight waist deep in its waters. - -The Battle of the Marne was hard, long work, following a long and -terrible retreat; but it was a glorious victory. We had many privations, -but also many compensations, and we were always cheerful, and very often -singing. “Tipperary” was an easy first. - -We often saw Sir John French and General Joffre, and I can tell you that -when our own great field-marshal appeared it was as good as a victory -for us, for we fairly worship him. Sir John is a thorough gentleman, and -the friend of every soldier. He used to come into the trenches with his -hands in his pockets and take no more notice of the German shells and -bullets which were bursting and flying about than if they were peas shot -by little boys. - -One morning Sir John came round the trenches, and said, as usual, “Is -everything all right, men?” - -“Well, sir,” he was told, “we want a drop of water, please.” And we did -want it, badly, because the weather was so fearfully hot, and we were -almost boiled in our uniforms and heavy kits. - -“Certainly; I’ll see to that at once,” replied the field-marshal. He -immediately turned round, called to some men of the transport who were -at hand, and told them to bring us some water at once. - -General Joffre, too, was a great favourite. He speaks English well. Once -when he came into the - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 254._ - -“CAVALRY AND GUARDS GOT IN AMONGST THE GERMANS AND FAIRLY SCATTERED -THEM” (p. 246).] - -trenches he asked if there was anything we should like. Well, we wanted -some cigarettes badly, and told him so, and he promptly took a box of -about a hundred from his pocket, and handed them round. They went almost -as fast as the Germans. - -I am now well enough to be back at the front, and I’m keen to get into -the firing line again, and rush along in some more bayonet charges--for -those are the swoops that roll the Germans up as much as anything we do. - -I have been a Coldstreamer for more than a dozen years, and have always -been proud of it; but I never felt prouder than I do now, after reading -what our great chief has said about us in despatches. - -We have sometimes been called feather-bed soldiers; but we’re known as -“Coldsteelers” now, and try to live up to the reputation of our -motto--“Second to none.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -AN ARMOURED CAR IN AMBUSH - - [Sir John French, in one of his despatches, expressed his great - admiration of the splendid work which has been done at the front by - our Territorials--that work, indeed, by this time has become almost - equal to the glorious achievements of our Regular troops. The first - of our Territorials to go into action during the war were the - Northumberland Hussars, and this story is told by Trooper Stanley - Dodds, of that fine corps, who was serving as a despatch-rider and - on being wounded was invalided home. He afterwards returned to the - front. Trooper Dodds is one of the best-known motor cyclists in the - North, and winner in the competition of the summer of 1914 promoted - by the North-Eastern Automobile Association. This was decided in - North Yorkshire, over difficult country.] - - -I fancy there are people in England who imagine that the life of a -despatch-rider is one long unbroken joy ride. They seem to think that he -gets somewhere near the front, and spends all his days careering over -beautifully kept military roads between headquarters and the firing -line, and seeing and enjoying everything that goes on; but I can assure -such people that in practice despatch-riding does not work out like that -at all. - -I am only a humble member of the fraternity, but I have had a fair share -of despatch work, and I do know that I have not had a single joy ride -since I took the business on, and I can vouch for the fact that -beautifully kept roads do not exist anywhere near the front, at any -rate in Flanders. Even some of the so-called roads have never been -roads--they were simply tracks to start with, and when military traffic -had been going over them for some time they had lost all resemblance to -roads, and you could scarcely tell the difference between them and the -ordinary countryside. - -The fact is that the life of a despatch-rider, though exciting enough to -satisfy the cravings of any ordinary man, is largely an endless battle -amongst bad roads, bullets and shell fire, want of sleep, and the -hundred-and-one other things which often wreck the nerves; but the life -is well worth living, all the same. - -In work like this there is a good deal of nerve-racking riding and all -sorts of difficult jobs have to be tackled. One of the worst I had to -carry out while I was at the front was riding back to a patrol which was -in our rear, and which had been lost sight of in the strain and turmoil -of a rapid retirement. - -The patrol had been left at a corner where there were some forked roads, -and in order to reach them it was necessary to go through a village. - -The Germans were everywhere and keenly on the look-out for a chance of -sniping, so that there was plenty of excitement in the affair, -especially as it was night and there was a darkness which was literally -black. - -This made the task doubly dangerous, for in addition to the ordinary -risks of being shot there was the great danger of coming to serious -grief on the road--a road which you could feel but scarcely see. I don’t -mind saying that when I started in the pitch darkness on this expedition -I did not feel any too comfortable. - -It is the custom at such times to ride without lights, because lights -serve as targets, but in spite of this I was forced to light up, because -it would have been utterly impossible to ride without some sort of -guide. - -After a good deal of trouble and a lot of risk I reached the village and -then I had a most unpleasant shock, for a Belgian peasant told me that -the Germans were actually occupying some of the houses. - -That was a startling announcement, but the added danger forced me to set -my wits to work to decide what it was best to do. At last I determined -to make tracks down a side street. - -I was riding very slowly and carefully when I was pulled up short with a -sharp cry of “Halt” and I knew that a loaded rifle was covering me not -far away. - -I did halt--I didn’t need to be told twice, not knowing what fate had in -store for me; but thank heaven I quickly found that it was a British -sentry who had spoken. - -I rapidly told him what I was out to do, and I was very glad to have his -help and advice. - -The sentry told me that the patrol, like wise men, had acted on their -own initiative and had fallen back on the village--and that was joyful -news, because it meant that my work was practically done. - -Being greatly relieved I could not resist the temptation to tell the -sentry that I might have scooted past him and got clear, but my humour -vanished when another British soldier from the darkness said grimly, -“Yes, you might have got past _him_, but _I_ should have put a bullet -into you!” - -I have not the slightest doubt that this smart fellow spoke the -truth--anyway, if he had missed me I should doubtless have been potted -by a chum of his, because there were four sentries posted at short -distances from this place. I could not see a sign of them, but of course -they had my light as a target and they were as keen as mustard, knowing -that the Germans were in the village. - -There were a good many little thrilling experiences for all of us which -came in as part of the day’s work, and most of them were thoroughly -enjoyable--a few in particular I would not have missed for worlds. One -of these was a little jaunt with an armoured motor-car. - -Incidentally, this experience showed me that we have learnt a good deal -from the South African War. It is pretty common knowledge by this time -that the Germans sprang something of a surprise on the world with their -big guns; but our own armoured cars came on the Germans with even more -stunning effect. It was the South African War which to a great extent -gave us the most useful knowledge we now possess of armoured cars and -armoured trains. - -The armoured car is a development of the idea of the armoured train, -with this enormous advantage, that you can get your car pretty nearly -anywhere, while the train is limited in its operations to the lines on -which it runs. Remarkably good motor-car work at the front has been done -by Brigadier-General Seely and Commander Sampson. Some of these cars are -extremely powerful and fast, with huge wheels, and in the hands of -skilful drivers they can overcome almost any obstacle. - -In order to meet the exceptional demands which a war like this makes -upon them the cars have to be specially protected and strengthened. The -body itself is protected with toughened steel, which has so much -resistance that bullets simply make no impression on it, and light guns -can therefore be mounted behind the metal which can do enormous -execution amongst bodies of the enemy’s riflemen or troops who are not -protected by anything but rifles. If you want excitement, therefore, you -can get it to the full by being associated with these machines. Whenever -they go out they simply look for trouble--and they can afford to do so, -because they despise ordinary cavalry and infantry tactics. Their chief -gain has been Uhlan patrols, which they have wiped out with the greatest -ease. - -Scouts bring in word of enemy patrols on the road; off swoop the cars -straight to the spot, and the fun begins. - -My own little job was not actually in an armoured car, but accompanying -one. Very often, in the case of a retreat, the cars remain behind the -main line, to do the work of wiping out as many of the enemy’s advanced -guards as they can get under fire, and an affair of this description -took place during the retreat from Roulers. - -I happened to be there, armed with my rifle, which I carry in preference -to a revolver, because I have found it more useful. - -I stayed behind to keep in touch with the armoured car. This was at a -corner of one of the roads, and a prominent feature of the district was -a brewery, the entrance to which commanded the approach by road. - -Matters at that particular time were very lively and the car was swiftly -run into the yard, where with astonishing skill and speed it was -disguised as much as possible and then it was ready to give the Germans -a surprise. - -I left my machine round the corner, and made my way into one of the -nearest of the houses. Rushing upstairs, I entered a bedroom and went to -the window, where I took up a position with my rifle, and kept properly -on the alert, for you never knew from which quarter a bullet would come -and settle your account for ever. - -There was every reason to believe that the enemy would come--and they -did. They came along as if they were satisfied that nothing could happen -to them--certainly the German body that was making its way along the -road had no idea that a disguised motor-car was ready to give it a -welcome as soon as it got within striking distance of the entrance to -the brewery. Being Germans, doubtless their thoughts, when they saw the -brewery, were more concentrated on beer than on the British troops in -ambush. - -On the Germans came, and one could not help feeling how awful it was -that they should be advancing utterly unsuspectingly into a perfect -death-trap. - -From behind my bedroom window, rifle in hand, I watched them come up to -their doom. They got nearer and nearer to the innocent-looking brewery -entrance and to the houses and other places where the unseen rifles were -covering them; then, just at the right moment, the maxims from the -armoured car rattled and the rifles kept them company. - -The German ranks were shattered and scattered instantly. It was a swift -and destructive cannonade and the Germans went down in the fatal roadway -just like ninepins. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that -practically the whole of the enemy’s advanced guard was wiped out in a -few moments. - -This little affair was as short as it was brilliant and decisive, and -almost before there was time to realise fully what had happened the car -was stripped of its disguise and was triumphantly driven out of the -brewery yard and back to the British lines. - -When I saw the car going I took it as a signal that I had better make -tracks myself, so I hurried away from the bedroom, got clear of the -house, jumped on to my machine, and lost no time in following it. - -This fine performance, typical of a great number of such deeds done in -the war by resourceful men of which nothing has been heard and perhaps -never will be, strikes me as being a very good illustration of doing -exactly those things which the enemy does not expect you to do. -Personally, I have always made a point of putting this principle into -practice. If the enemy is waiting for you to take the highroad, the -obvious thing, it seems to me, is to take to the fields, especially as -in bad weather, in a country like Flanders, there is very little -difference between the fields and the roads. - -There is one interesting point which I may mention, and it is that so -far I have had no difficulty in finding petrol. Nearly all the Belgian -farmers use gas-engines, and their stores are very useful for motor -cycles. I need hardly say that I never saw any want of willingness on -the part of Belgian farmers to help the fighters who are doing their -best to get the country back for them. - -At present I am not a bit useful as a fighting man, because when I was -going into the trenches I heard the ping of a German bullet and found -that blood was running down my arm. - -When I was actually struck I felt only a numb sensation, and did not -for some time know what had happened; but later it was discovered that -the bullet had struck me between the wrist and elbow of the right arm -and had gone clean through, leaving a hole on each side of the arm. - -Strange though it may seem, I felt little pain at any time, in spite of -the fact that one of the bones of the arm was broken, and I am glad to -say that this wound--and there have been an enormous number like it -since the war began--is making a first-class recovery, and I shall soon -be all right again. - -A man does not go to war for fun, but there is a bright side to the grim -business, as I found when I reached a Belgian hospital. I spent three -very comfortable days there, and when I was sent off to England the -nurse who was attending me very gravely made me a little present, which -I as gravely accepted. She paid me three-halfpence! I did not know what -it meant, but I concluded that I had received the Belgian’s rate of -daily pay as a soldier, and his keep. I was perfectly satisfied, and I -hope my excellent nurse was the same. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -EXPLOITS OF THE LONDON SCOTTISH - - [“Eye-Witness,” in his descriptive account of November 4th, dealing - with the first phase of the desperate fight for Ypres, said that a - special feature of the battle was that it formed an epoch in the - military history of the British Empire, and marked the first time - that a complete unit of our Territorial Army has been thrown into - the fight alongside its sister units of the Regulars. That unit was - the 14th (County of London) Battalion London Regiment, better known - as the London Scottish. Its ranks contained many prominent men who - gave up everything at their country’s call and went to the front. - Amongst them was Mr. J. E. Carr, Managing Director of Scremerston - Colliery, Northumberland, a well-known breeder of Border Leicester - sheep, a keen rider to hounds and a thoroughly good sportsman. - Private Carr served with the London Scottish until he was wounded - and invalided home and it is his story which is here retold.] - - -It is very difficult to keep within defined limits the varied -experiences that are crowded into a few months at the front in a war -which is waged on such a vast scale as the present conflict. Every day -has its own fresh and particular excitements which are worth -remembering, and one can scarcely pick out, off-hand, the most startling -or interesting phases of the campaigning. However, the earliest -impressions undoubtedly cling most tenaciously, and I have vivid -recollections of the thrill I experienced when our transport swung to -her moorings and the London Scottish disembarked on the other side of -the Channel. - -I should like to say here that the London Scottish have been the subject -of a good deal of comment, mostly favourable, I am glad to know; but -there has been undue exaltation. The blame for this certainly does not -rest with the London Scottish, but in other perfectly well-meaning -quarters. - -I am proud indeed to belong to the London Scottish, because they are -good boys to be amongst, so good that there was no reason whatever why -people should have expressed surprise that the first Territorials to go -into action did so well. I don’t think there was any reason for -astonishment, for the London Scottish had been a well-trained body of -Volunteers before the Territorial system came into being. And if they -pulled through, as they did, when the actual fighting began, do not let -it be forgotten that they had some glorious examples to follow. On their -left and on their right were some of the very finest soldiers in the -world, and it was for the London Scottish to prove that they were worthy -of fighting with these truly splendid fellows. Troops like the -Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Black Watch and the Cameron -Highlanders are men with whom it is indeed an honour to be associated. - -Our landing on the Continent was an event which I shall remember all my -life. It meant that we were many miles nearer to the band of heroes who -had held the Germans up at Mons and had completely disarranged a whole -plan of campaign. Whenever I meet a man who fought in that greatest of -rearguard actions I want to take off my hat to him. - -It was not long after the war began that we found ourselves on the lines -of communication and began to feel that we were really bearing a hand -in the things that mattered. This was in September, and the weather -being good we found it no great hardship to guard railways, escort -prisoners, run up ammunition for the fighting lines and do any odd job -that came along. There was not a man amongst us who did not put his back -into the business, realising that it was all a part of the tremendous -game that was being played, monotonous and unexciting though the duties -might be, and with every day that passed we got fitter and keener and -better able to meet the heavy calls that came upon us later. We felt -that we were really “in” and part of the great adventure. In various -ways we did a good deal of wandering, and some of us went as far south -as Nantes. - -This was about harvest time, and we saw the old men of France and the -women and the boys gathering in the sheaves. Later on we saw even the -women ploughing, and very good work they did. One thing which -particularly astonished us was their courage in working on the land -quite close up to the fighting line. They were often well within shell -fire, but they did not seem to be in the least disturbed. I suppose they -thought that if their husbands and sons and brothers could fight for -France at rifle and bayonet range they could go on working for their -country in spite of a stray shell or two. - -A few weeks later we moved up to the firing line, and then we had the -opportunity of seeing how gloriously the Scottish Regular troops were -doing their work and maintaining the splendid traditions of the Highland -regiments. - -People have become so used to amazing happenings in this war that it is -not easy to realise that only a very few months ago the mere sight of -an aeroplane was a novelty, and it was a thrill indeed for us when, near -Béthune, we had a splendid view of a fight in the air between British, -French and German airmen. The German, in a machine which looked exactly -like an enormous bird in the sky, came scouting over our lines, to find -out what was going on. The mere sight of him was enough to fetch along a -British ’plane and a Frenchman followed. This happened on a clear, -peaceful Sunday morning, and it was truly wonderful to see how the three -machines were manœuvred to get the top position and so spell doom to -the lowest ’plane. By extraordinary daring and skill, and because his -very life hung in the balance, the German managed to get away, in spite -of the most desperate efforts of his opponents to bag him. But I don’t -think he would escape to-day, when the British and French airmen have so -fully established their superiority over the German flyers and when it -has been proved that the machines of the Allies are far better than any -of the craft that the German airmen use. - -One of our first experiences of real fighting came when we were ordered -to charge at Messines. I do not care to say much about that charge, -because I think too much has been said of it already; so I will not go -beyond saying that it was hot and sanguinary work with the bayonet and -that we lost many good fellows. I cannot help thinking that the London -Scottish got too much praise for Messines, and they are the first to -admit that; but this was due to the fact that correspondents and others -spread themselves out on the charge and gave special attention to the -matter because of the fact that up to that time practically nothing had -been heard of Territorials in action. - -The praise that was given to the regiment had the effect of making us -rather unpopular with the Regulars, and naturally enough, too, seeing -that they had been constantly doing the same sort of work ever since the -beginning of the war. It was pride enough for us to be in the same -brigade as the Coldstreamers, the Scots Guards, the Black Watch and the -Camerons, and to feel that we had done just what we were told to do. It -was, of course, a source of great satisfaction to us afterwards to be -congratulated by General Munro on what he was good enough to term our -“steadiness as a battalion.” Now that is all I am going to say about the -charge of the London Scottish at Messines. - -Speaking generally the fighting from November until the time I was -wounded can be divided into two distinct parts, the actions around Ypres -and the affairs at La Bassée. At Ypres about fifty men of our regiment -were in the city during the siege, and a very exciting time we had. -Shells were constantly bursting all around and no matter where the -people were they did not seem to be able to keep clear of danger. Even -the cellars, in which large numbers of men and women and children sought -refuge, were at times blown in and there were some very distressing and -unpleasant sights. Personally, I was uncommonly lucky, because I escaped -being hurt. - -I had the good fortune to sleep for two nights in the beautiful and -famous Cloth Hall, of which the story is told that it was particularly -spared by the German artillery because the Kaiser meant to enter it in -state at the head of his victorious troops. But when I was in it the -shells came pounding on the walls and roof of the hall, doing grievous -damage, though our own men had the good luck to escape. Not so lucky -were some men of the Suffolk Regiment who followed us, for one afternoon -a huge shell came through and burst and killed five of the Suffolks and -wounded a number of other men of that fine regiment. - -So much has been said of the enormous German shells which have become -known as Jack Johnsons that people have almost ceased to be affected by -their performances; but nothing that I have heard or read conveys any -real idea of the extraordinarily destructive nature of these awful -engines of war when they explode--and that, luckily, does not always -happen. One afternoon, however, we counted no fewer than thirty of them -which _did_ explode, and the results were absolutely devastating. - -When the Germans really set to work to bombard Ypres, the Cloth Hall and -the splendid cathedral were soon practically destroyed; but one of the -most noticeable things in connection with this destruction was that many -sacred objects were undamaged whilst there was ruin all around them. -Take the case of the crucifix of Ypres Cathedral--it is literally true -that this was found entire and upright amongst such general ruin that it -seemed as if only a miracle could have saved it. In several other places -I saw crucifixes hanging uninjured on walls of houses although the -structures themselves had been practically wrecked. On the other hand, -while we were in the trenches I saw a little nickel crucifix with a -bullet-hole right through it. - -With the King’s Royal Rifles on their right, and fired by their glorious -example, the London Scottish were in some furious fighting in the -earlier days of November, and the coming of Christmas brought more hot -work. On December 22nd we marched about twenty-six miles with the -brigade, and the Coldstreamers, gallant as ever, went straight into -action after their arrival. They did fine work that day, and paid for it -accordingly. There followed a rest at Béthune and then we went into more -trouble in the neighbourhood of Givenchy. - -Very little of what may be called spectacular fighting was seen -hereabouts; it was mostly trench work, and this was all the more -difficult because the German trenches were so close to our own, and the -real old-fashioned way of conducting a battle was out of the question. -But all the same we got some variations, and one of these was a fight -for a brick-field which was a good hot performance while it lasted. - -At this period we made a change on the usual form of trench by lining -our own trenches with bricks, which were handy for the purpose. These -trenches were more comfortable than the general type, but they were more -dangerous, because when a shell burst near us the bricks splintered, so -that the flying bricks had to be added to the dangers and discomforts of -the flying metal fragments. - -One of the brick splinters struck my hand and poisoned it, and another -unwelcome attention that was paid to me was a piece of shrapnel in the -back of the neck; but these were really very minor details compared with -the injuries that were received by other members of the London Scottish, -and I am not for a moment complaining, nor can I, for when I came home -my company had only twenty left out of 119. There had been the -casualties in the charge and in other affairs, and a number of men had -been killed and wounded in the trenches. - -At Givenchy we had to endure as best we could that most unpleasant -engine of war which is called the trench mortar. This affects high-angle -fire and plumps a shell into the trenches when the aim is good. One -shell dropped into a trench of ours and exploded, killing one man and -wounding five others--a round half-dozen fine fellows as toll to a -single German shot. - -There were the snipers, too, pests who are intensely disliked by the -British soldier. These fellows find a lodging in what seems to be an -impossible sort of place, often enough high up a tree, and being well -supplied with food and ammunition they can go on potting for a long time -without going down from their perch. It was always matter for rejoicing -when one of these queer birds was winged. - -I spent Christmas in the trenches, with the boys. It is odd to be -talking about Christmas at this time of the year, but that season was an -outstanding feature of the experiences of the London Scottish, just as -the New Year was. Christmas Day was comparatively comfortable because -there was a lull in the fighting. New Year’s Day was unforgettable to -those who saw it in and did their best to keep up the national custom. - -I think that of all the strange incidents that have been recorded in -connection with this war, and they have been many--and some of them have -proved how soon soldiers become impervious to the most terrible -happenings of campaigning--one of the strangest must have been the sight -we saw on New Year’s Eve. - -When the New Year actually came in we fired three rounds rapid, and the -pipes of the Black Watch rose on the night, while our own voices broke -into “Auld lang syne.” Wonderful and affecting it was to hear the pipes -and the dear old tune and many of us were deeply moved. - -The effect on the Germans was very curious. Apparently they judged from -the sounds of the pipes and the roll of the song that the Scots were -going to pay them a special visit with the bayonet, and by way of being -ready for it and giving us a welcome, they sent up star-lights, and -these, bursting in the air, gave a sinister illumination of the -landscape and would have shown us up if we had had in mind the purpose -of an assault on the German trenches. But we had no intention of letting -the New Year in upon them in such an unfriendly manner, although later -in the day we were of necessity hard at it again in the ordinary way of -firing. - -From day to day the London Scottish kept at it, doing their best, I -hope; then, on January 25th a spell of uncommonly hard work came along. -The Coldstreamers, who had held out gloriously and successfully against -great odds, had to withdraw from their trenches owing to an overwhelming -attack by the enemy. For the time being the Germans had scored and no -doubt they were exulting in their best manner, but the London Scottish -were sent up to reinforce the Coldstreamers--and proud they were to do -it. Later in the afternoon the Black Watch, with the Sussex Regiment and -the Royal Rifles, came up too, and the combination proved too much for -the Germans, who, after a brilliant attack, were sent flying back to -their own trenches. - -I have heard that many old and young Germans have been taken prisoners -at various parts of the immense battle-front of the Allies; but those -that I saw pass through our lines were neither very old nor very young. -Occasionally we observed signs that they required a good lot of leading, -that is to say, “leading” from behind; but generally speaking they -seemed to be the best men that Germany had and on the whole they were -undoubtedly good fighters. - -While talking of German prisoners I am reminded of a particularly ugly -incident. When I was taken to the hospital I was with a number of German -prisoners. - -The hospital rule is that everything shall be taken away from the -patient until the time comes for him to be discharged. Well, when one of -these prisoners was searched I learned to my amazement, disgust and -anger, that he carried with him a bomb which was powerful enough to blow -up the whole place--but prompt steps were taken to prevent him from -making any use of it. How on earth he had got so far from the lines with -the deadly thing I cannot understand; but he had it with him all right. - -We got a good deal of amusement and help from a new set of “Ten -Commandments for Soldiers in the Field,” which were duly but not -officially published. I will quote one or two by way of showing their -character and indicating that incorrigible British cheerfulness which -the German, with all his “culture,” cannot understand. Number Three ran: -“Thou shalt not use profane language except under extraordinary -circumstances, such as seeing thy comrade shot or getting petrol in thy -tea.” Number Four was worded: “Remember that the soldier’s week consists -of seven days. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work, and on -the seventh do all thy odd jobs!” “Honour thy King and country,” was the -Fifth. “Keep thy rifle oiled, and shoot straight, in order that thy days -may be long upon the land the enemy giveth thee.” Then we had, “Thou -shalt not steal thy neighbour’s kit,” and “Thou shalt not kill--time!” -By Number Nine it was enjoined, “Thou shalt not bear false witness -against thy comrade, but preserve discreet silence on his outgoings and -incomings.” Last of all came Number Ten, full of a wonderful hope for -the lowly: “Thou shalt not covet thy Sergeant’s post, nor the -Corporal’s, nor the Staff-Major’s, but do thy duty and by dint of -perseverance rise to the high position of Field-Marshal.” - - * * * * * - -(This is one of the first detailed stories to be told of some of the -achievements of the London Scottish at the front, and its modest vein is -in keeping with the general point of view of the members of this -distinguished corps. It has been for others, not of the London Scottish, -to tell us something of what the regiment really did at Messines and -elsewhere in those early days of the Ypres fighting on which such vast -issues depended. What happened at Messines was this: The regiment was in -reserve when unexpectedly the order came to hurry up to the support of -the hard-pressed Regular troops, who were being fiercely assailed by -very much superior German forces. Crowding on to motor-buses the London -Scottish were hurried along in the course of the afternoon and while -some of them spent the night in deserted cottages others bivouacked in -the streets, waiting for daylight. - -After much marching and wandering, the zone of fire was entered, and the -fine battalion which not many weeks before had marched along London -streets after being embodied made acquaintance with the German shells -and got ready to show what the British Territorials could do with the -rifle and the bayonet. - -The regiment was amused and interested in the antics of a windmill the -sails of which turned constantly and oddly, although there was no wind. -It was not until later that the phenomenon was explained and that was -when the windmill was visited and a German spy was caught in the act of -signalling, by means of the sails, the position and movements of the -British troops. - -It was at Hollebecke and at Messines, between Ypres and Warneton, that -the British lines were hard pressed owing to the determined attempts of -the Germans to break through and hack their way to Calais, and it was -here that the London Scottish went to support the Cavalry Brigade who -were holding the trenches. - -Forming up under the crest of a hill they advanced over the crest and -found themselves right in the battle line. Hurrying down the slope, -struggling over heavy ground which was made all the harder because of -beet crops, the regiment went into a most destructive artillery and -rifle and machine-gun fire. - -Many a splendid fellow was shot down before he could use his own rifle, -and others were wounded; but nothing could stop the advance. By short -rushes, and taking cover, the men in time reached the trenches and had -to encounter an overwhelming assault of Germans with the bayonet. - -Now it was that a wonderful and splendid thing was done, for these -Territorials, fresh from civil life, hurled themselves with the bayonet -upon the finest troops of Germany. They were thrown back. Again they -charged, only to be driven off once more; but the regiment was not to be -denied or beaten and with a final furious rush the Germans were -scattered and the day was won for the British. No wonder that Colonel J. -H. Scott, late of the Gordon Highlanders and formerly adjutant of the -London Scottish, wrote on hearing the glorious news: “Hurrah for the -London Scottish! From my knowledge of them I knew they would do it!”) - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE ROUT OF THE PRUSSIAN GUARD AT YPRES - - [The official writers have told us of the almost superhuman efforts - made by the Germans to break through to Calais so that they might, - from that place, either raid or bombard England. For a whole month - a little British army round Ypres held its ground against the - repeated onslaughts of overwhelming German hosts. These actions - were divided into two phases, the first lasting from October 20th - to November 2nd, and the second from November 3rd to 17th. German - infantry of the Line having failed to win success, the vaunted - Prussian Guard was hurried up, and, encouraged by the presence of - the braggart Most High War Lord himself, hurled itself in frenzy - against the British troops, only to be thrown back and broken. This - crushing of the crack corps of Prussia was a bitter blow to the - Kaiser and the German people, who believed it to be invincible. In - these unexampled contests the Glorious Seventh Infantry Division - bore the brunt of battle, and the tale of the first phase is told - by Private H. J. Polley, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. - Lieutenant-General Sir H. S. Rawlinson, commanding the Division, - said in an order: “You have been called to take a conspicuous part - in one of the severest struggles of the war.... The Seventh - Division has gained for itself a reputation for stubborn valour and - endurance in defence.” When the Glorious Seventh was withdrawn from - the firing line only forty-four officers were left out of 400 who - had sailed from England, and only 2,336 out of 12,000 men.] - - -All the world knows now how furiously the Germans tried to hack their -way through to Calais, so that they could have their fling at the hated -English. It is known too that they were held and hurled back. - -I am going to tell you something of the way in which this was done, for -I belong to the Bedfordshire Regiment, the old 16th Foot, and the -Bedfords were part of the Glorious Seventh Division, and did their share -in keeping back the German forces, which included the Prussian Guards, -the Kaiser’s pet men. They had been rushed up to this position because -it was thought that no troops could stand against them. - -These idols of the German nation are picked men and brave fellows, and -at that time had an absolute belief in their own invincibility; but -events proved that they were no match for the British Guards and the -rest of the British troops who fought them at Ypres, and practically -wiped them out. I saw these Prussian Guards from Berlin mown down by our -artillery, machine-gun and rifle fire, and I saw them lying dead in -solid masses--walls of corpses. - -The Kaiser had planned to enter Ypres as a conqueror, at the head of his -Guards; but he hurried off a beaten man, leaving his slaughtered Guards -in heaps. - -Originally in the 1st Battalion of the Bedfords, I later went into the -2nd, and I was serving with the 2nd in South Africa when the European -War broke out. It is an interesting fact that nearly all the battalions -which formed the Seventh Division came from foreign service--India, -Egypt, Africa and elsewhere--which meant that many of the men of the -Seventh had seen active service and were veteran fighters. They had not -learned their warfare at peace manœuvres in Germany. Our Division -consisted of the 1st Grenadier Guards, the 2nd Scots Guards, the 2nd -Border, 2nd Gordon Highlanders, 2nd Bedfordshire, 2nd Yorkshire, 2nd -Royal Scots Fusiliers, 2nd Wiltshire, 2nd Royal West Surrey, 2nd Royal -Warwickshire, 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1st South Staffordshire, and -the Northumberland Hussars; and we had a pom-pom detachment and horse, -field and garrison artillery. We were under Major-General Sir T. Capper, -D.S.O. - -We had been sent to help the Naval Division at Antwerp, and early in -October we landed at Zeebrugge--the only division to land at that port. -But we were not there long, for we soon learned that we were too late, -and that Antwerp had fallen. We were sorry, but there was no time for -moping, and we were quickly on the move to the quaint old city of -Bruges, where we were billeted for a night. Sir Harry Rawlinson had -moved his headquarters from Bruges to Ostend, so next day we marched -towards Ostend and took up outpost. Then we had a forced march back to -Bruges, and from Bruges we started marching, but we did not know where -we were going till we got to the city of Ypres. - -So far we had not had any fighting. We had been marching and marching, -first to one place, then to another, constantly expecting to come into -action, and very nearly doing so, for the Germans were swarming all over -the countryside. We had to be content with being on outpost and guarding -bridges, and so on--hard and necessary work, we knew; but we wanted -something more thrilling, something bigger--and we eventually got it. - -There was practically only the Seventh Division available for anything -that turned up. The Northumberland Hussars were able to give a very good -account of themselves, and were, I believe, the first Yeomanry corps to -go into action. The few Uhlans I saw while I was at the front had been -taken prisoners by these Hussars, who brought them in, lances and all. -But there is very little to say about cavalry work; it was mostly a -matter for the infantry, and, of course, the artillery--the wonderful -British gunners who have punished the Germans so severely whenever they -have met them. - -While we were around Ypres, waiting for the Germans to come and break -through, we heard a good deal, indirectly, of what was going to happen -to us and to England. The Germans had all sorts of monster guns, and -with these they were going to bombard England across the narrow Channel -when they got to the French coast, and they were going to work all sorts -of miracles with their airships and aeroplanes. - -We soon heard, too, that the Kaiser himself was in the field; but the -only effect of that information was to make us more keen to show what we -could do. Truth to tell, we were far from being impressed by the -presence of either the Kaiser or his vaunted Guards. We were in the best -of spirits, and had a sublime belief in Sir John French and all his -staff and our own officers. - -It was on October 31st--which has been called _the_ decisive day of the -fight for Ypres, and which was certainly a most terrible day in every -way--that the Seventh Division was ordered to attack the German -position. The weather was very fine, clear and sunny, and our spirits -were in keeping with it. We were thankful to be on the move, because we -had had nearly three weeks in the trenches, and had been billeted in all -sorts of queer places--above and below ground--under an everlasting -shell fire, which became unendurable and was thoroughly -nerve-destroying. - -We knew what a desperate business the advance would be, because the -Germans greatly outnumbered us, and they had planted vast numbers of -guns. They had immense bodies of men in trenches, and in a large number -of the houses and buildings which commanded the ground over which we had -to advance they had placed machine-guns, with their villainous muzzles -directed on us from bedroom windows and holes which had been knocked in -walls. - -From start to finish the advance was a terrible business--far more -terrible than any words of mine can make you realise. The whole Division -was on the move, stretching along a big tract of country; but of course -no man could see much of what was happening, except in his own immediate -locality. Neither had he much chance of thinking about anything or -anybody except himself, and then only in a numbed sort of way, because -of the appalling din of the artillery on both sides, the crash of the -guns and the explosions of the shells, with the ceaseless rattle of the -rifles and the machine-guns. - -At the beginning, the regiments kept fairly well together, but very soon -we were all mixed up, and you could not tell what regiment a man -belonged to, unless he wore a kilt; then you knew that, at any rate, he -wasn’t a Bedford. Some of us had our packs and full equipment. Others -were without packs, having been compelled to throw them away. But there -was not a man who had let his rifle go: that is the last thing of all to -be parted from; it is the soldier’s very life. And every man had a big -supply of ammunition, with plenty in reserve. The general himself took -part in the advance, and what he did was done by every other officer -present. There was no difference between officer and man, and a thing -to be specially noticed is the fact that the officers got hold of rifles -and blazed away as hard as any man. - -Never, during the whole of the war, had there been a more awful fire -than that which we gave the Germans. Whenever we got the chance, we gave -them what they call the “Englishman’s mad minute”--that is, the dreadful -fifteen rounds a minute rapid fire. We drove it into them and mowed them -down. Many a soldier, when his own rifle was too hot to hold, threw it -down and snatched the rifle of a dead or wounded comrade who had no -further use for it, and with this fresh, cool weapon he continued the -deadly work by which success could alone be won. I do not know what the -German losses were, but I do know that I saw bodies lying around in -solid masses, while we passed our own dead and wounded everywhere as we -advanced. Where they fell they had to stay; it was impossible to do -anything for them while the fighting continued. - -The whole of the advance consisted of a series of what might be called -ups and downs--a little rush, then a “bob down.” At most, no one rush -carried us more than fifty yards; then we dropped out of sight as best -we could, to get a breather and prepare for another dash. It was pretty -open country hereabouts, so that we were fully exposed to the German -artillery and rifle fire, in addition to the hail from the machine-guns -in the neighbouring buildings. Here and there we found little woods and -clumps of trees and bits of rising ground and ditches and hedges--and -you may take it from me that shelter of any sort was very welcome and -freely used. - -A remarkable feature of this striving to hide from the enemy’s fire was -that it was almost impossible to escape from the shells and bullets for -any appreciable time, for the simple reason that the Germans altered -their range in the most wonderful manner. So surely as we got the -shelter of a little wood or ditch, they seemed to have the distance -almost instantly, and the range was so accurate that many a copse and -ditch became a little graveyard in the course of that advance. - -At one point as we went along I noticed a small ditch against a hedge. -It was a dirty, uninviting ditch, deep in water; but it seemed to offer -promising shelter, and so some officers and men made a rush for it, -meaning to take cover. They had no sooner scrambled into the ditch and -were thinking themselves comparatively safe than the Germans got the -range of them with machine-guns, and nearly the whole lot were -annihilated. In this case, as in others, the enemy had been marvellously -quick with their weapons, and had swept the ditch with bullets. I don’t -know what happened to the fine fellows who had fallen. We had to leave -them and continue the advance. - -The forenoon passed, noon came, and the afternoon was with us; still the -fighting went on, the guns on both sides crashing without cessation, and -the machine-guns and the rifles rattling on without a break. The air was -filled with screaming, bursting shells and whistling bullets, and the -ground was ploughed and torn everywhere. It was horrible beyond -expression, yet it fired the blood in us, so that the only thing that -mattered was to put the finish to the work, get up to the Germans, and -rout them out of their positions. - -At last, after endless spells of lying down and jumping up, we got near -enough to make it possible to charge, and the order went round to get -ready. We now saw what big, fine fellows we had to tackle. Clearly now -we could distinguish the Prussian Guards, and a thing that particularly -struck me just then was that their bayonets looked very cruel. The -Guards wore cloth-covered brass helmets, and through the cloth we could -see the gleam of the brass in the sunshine. - -The nearer we got, the more clearly we saw what splendid chaps they -were, and what a desperate business it would be when we actually reached -the long, snaky blades of steel--much longer than our own bayonets--with -longer rifles, too, so that the Germans had the pull of us in every way. -But all that counted as nothing, and there was not a man amongst us who -was not hungering to be in amongst them. - -The order to fix bayonets came quietly, and it was carried out without -any fuss whatever, just as a part of the day’s work. We were lying down -when the order came, and as we lay we got round at our bayonets, drew -them and fixed them, and I could hear the rattle of the fixing all along -the line, just as I had heard it many times on parade or at -manœuvres--the same sound, but with what a different purpose! - -A few of the fellows did not fix their bayonets as we lay, but they -managed to do it as we ran, when we had jumped up and started to rush -along to put the finish to the fight. There was no bugle sound, we just -got the word to charge, an order which was given to the whole of the -Seventh Division. - -When this last part of the advance arrived we started halloaing and -shouting, and the Division simply hurled itself against the Prussian -Guard. By the time we were up with the enemy we were mad. I can’t tell -you much of what actually happened--and I don’t think any man who took -part in it could do so--but I do know that we rushed helter-skelter, and -that when we got up to the famous Guards there were only two of my own -section holding together--Lance-Corporal Perry and myself, and even we -were parted immediately afterwards. - -The next thing I clearly knew was that we were actually on the -Prussians, and that there was some very fierce work going on. There was -some terrific and deadly scrimmaging, and whatever the Prussian Guard -did in the way of handling the steel, the Seventh Division did better. - -It was every man for himself. I had rushed up with the rest, and the -first thing I clearly knew was that a tremendous Prussian was making at -me with his villainous bayonet. I made a lunge at him as hard and swift -as I could, and he did the same to me. I thought I had him, but I just -missed, and as I did so, I saw his own long, ugly blade driven out at -the end of his rifle. Before I could do anything to parry the thrust, -the tip of the bayonet had ripped across my right thigh, and I honestly -thought that it was all up with me. - -Then, when I reckoned that my account was paid, when I supposed that the -huge Prussian had it all his own way, one of our chaps--I don’t know -who, I don’t suppose I ever shall; but I bless him--rushed up, drove his -bayonet into the Prussian and settled him. I am sure that if this had -not been done I should have been killed by the Prussian; as it was, I -was able to get away without much inconvenience at the end of the -bayonet fight. - -This struggle lasted about half-an-hour, and fierce, hard work it was -all the time. In the end we drove the Guards away and sent them -flying--all except those who had fallen; the trench was full of the -latter, and we took no prisoners. Then we were forced to retire -ourselves, for the ample reason that we were not strong enough to hold -the position that we had taken at such a heavy cost. The enemy did not -know it then, though perhaps they found out later, that we had nicely -deceived them in making them believe that we had reinforcements. But we -had nothing of the sort; yet we had stormed and taken the position and -driven its defenders away. - -We were far too weak to hold the position, and so we retired over the -ground that we had won, getting back a great deal faster than we had -advanced. We had spent the best part of the day in advancing and -reaching the enemy’s position; and it seemed as if we must have covered -a great tract of country, but as a matter of fact we had advanced less -than a mile. It had taken us many hours to cover that short distance; -but along the whole of the long line of the advance the ground was -littered with the fallen--the officers and men who had gone down under -such a storm of shells and bullets as had not been known since the war -began. - -Retiring, we took up a position behind a wood, and were thinking that we -should get a bit of a rest, when a German aeroplane came flying over us, -gave our hiding-place away, and brought upon us a fire that drove us out -and sent us back to three lines of trenches which we had been -occupying. - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 286._ - -“I MADE A LUNGE AT HIM, BUT JUST MISSED, AND I SAW HIS OWN LONG, UGLY -BLADE DRIVEN OUT” (p. 285).] - -By this time our ambulances were hard at work; but ambulance or no -ambulance, the pitiless shelling went on, and I saw many instances of -German brutality in this respect. The ambulance vehicles were crowded, -and I saw one which had two wounded men standing on the back, because -there was not room enough for them inside. Shells were bursting all -around, and a piece struck one of the poor chaps and took part of his -foot clean away. He instantly fell on to the road, and there he had to -be left. I hope he got picked up by another ambulance, though I doubt -it, for the shell-firing just then was heavy, and deliberately aimed at -helpless ambulances by people who preach what they call culture! - -We made the best of things during the evening and the night in the -trenches. The next day things were reversed, for the Germans came on -against us; but we kept up a furious fight, and simply mowed them down -as they threw themselves upon us. We used to say, “Here comes another -bunch of ’em!” and then we gave them the “mad minute.” We had suffered -heavily on the 31st, and we were to pay a big bill again on this 1st of -November, amongst our casualties being two of our senior officers. - -The battalion was in the peculiar position of having no colonel at the -head of it, our commanding officer being Major J. M. Traill. I should -like to say now, by way of showing how heavily the Bedfords suffered, -that in one of Sir John French’s despatches, published early in the -year, seven officers were mentioned, and in the cases of six of them it -had to be added that they had been killed in action. Major Traill and -Major R. P. Stares were killed not far from me on the day I am telling -of--and within two hours of each other. - -We were lying in trenches, and the majors were in front of us, walking -about, and particularly warning us to be careful and not expose -ourselves. Their first thought seemed to be for us, and their last for -themselves. - -Just at that time there was some uncommonly deadly sniping going on, and -any figure that was seen even for a fraction of time was a certain -target. The sniper himself was a specially chosen German, and he had as -a companion and look-out a smart chap with field-glasses, to sweep the -countryside and report to the sniper anything promising that he saw in -the way of a target. Working in pairs like this, the snipers were able -to pick off the two majors as they walked up and down directing and -encouraging us. They were shot, and, as far as we could tell, killed -instantly. We felt their loss very greatly. - -Major Stares had very much endeared himself to his men, and he was a -great favourite in South Africa before the war began. We were all eager -to get to the front, of course, and were constantly talking about what -we should do, and wondering what would happen when we met the Germans. -The major was never tired of explaining what we ought to do in tight and -dangerous corners, and asking us what _we_ should do. I have known him -stop us in the street to ask us these questions, so keen and anxious was -he for our welfare. - -The second day of the fighting passed and the third came. Still we held -on, but it became clear that we were too hopelessly outnumbered to hope -for complete success at the time, and so we were forced to leave the -trenches. Withdrawing again, we took up positions in farmhouses and -woods and any other places that gave shelter. All the time there was a -killing fire upon us, and it happened that entire bodies of men would be -wiped out in a few moments. A party of the Warwicks got into a wood near -us, and they had no sooner taken shelter than the German gunners got the -range of them, shelled them, and killed nearly all of them. - -There was not a regiment of the Glorious Seventh that had not suffered -terribly in the advance during the three days’ fateful fighting. The -Bedfords had lost, all told, about 600, and it was a mere skeleton of -the battalion that formed up when the roll was called. But there was one -pleasant surprise for me, and that was meeting again with Lance-Corporal -Perry. We had lost sight of each other in the hand-to-hand fighting with -the Prussian Guard, and met again when we were reorganised at an old -château; and very thankful we were to compare notes, especially as each -of us thought that the other was a dead man. There were a good many -cases of soldiers turning up who were supposed to be either killed or -wounded, or, what is worse, missing. In the inevitable disorder and -confusion of such a battle they had got separated from their own -regiments and had joined others; but they turned up in due course in -their right places. - -I had become a member of the grenade company of the battalion, which was -something like going back to the early days of the Army, when the -grenadier companies of the regiments flung their little bombs at the -enemy. So did we, and grim work it was, hurling home-made bombs, which -had the power of doing a great amount of mischief. - -I was with the grenade company, behind a brick wall close to the -trenches, and was sitting with several others round a fire which we had -made in a biscuit-tin. We were quite a merry party, and had the dixie -going to make some tea. There was another dixie on, with two or three -nice chickens that our fellows had got hold of--perhaps they had seen -them wandering about homeless and adopted them. - -Anyway, they found a good home in the stew-pot, and we were looking -forward to a most cosy meal. As a sort of change from shelling by -batteries in the ordinary way, we were being shelled from an armoured -train, but were taking little notice of it, being busy with the tea and -chickens. - -The Germans were close enough to fling hand-bombs at us. They gave us -lots of these little attentions, so that when I suddenly found myself -blinded, and felt a sharp pain in my left hand, I thought they had made -a lucky shot, or that something had exploded in the fire in the -biscuit-tin. - -For some time I did not know what had happened; then I was able to see, -and on looking at my hand, I found it to be in a sorry mess, half the -thumb and half a finger having been carried away. - -I stayed and had some tea from the dixie, and my chums badly wanted me -to wait for my share of the chickens; but I had no appetite for fowls -just then. I made the best of things till darkness came, and under cover -of it a couple of stretcher-bearers took me to the nearest -dressing-station. - -I suffered intensely, and lockjaw set in, but the splendid medical staff -and the nursing saved me, and I was put into a horse ambulance and -packed off home. And here I am. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE BRITISH VICTORY AT NEUVE CHAPELLE - - [On the road from Béthune to Armentières, four miles to the north - of La Bassée, is the little straggling frontier village of Neuve - Chapelle, which first came into notice in October during the - British advance to the north of La Bassée. At that time the village - was held by the Germans, but on October 16th they were driven out - by the British. As a result of the tremendous efforts of the - Germans in trying to reach Calais we were not able to hold the - village, which again was held by the enemy at the beginning of - November. The British were driven back a short distance and for - more than four months they remained near Neuve Chapelle; then, on - March 10th they began an attack which ended in the village being - retaken by us and held. The German Westphalian Army Corps in - October and November had forced the British out of Neuve Chapelle, - but in March these troops were routed and severely punished by part - of Sir John French’s “contemptible little army.” What the battle - meant and how it was fought is told by Sergeant Gilliam, 1st - Battalion Coldstream Guards.] - - -The battle of Neuve Chapelle began at half-past seven o’clock on the -morning of March 10th, and ended at about half-past nine on the night of -the 12th. Earlier on the morning of that famous day our battalion was -ordered to stand to, as supports of the 1st Brigade. We were told to be -ready to turn out at ten minutes’ notice; and we _were_ ready, for we -were longing to have a settlement with the Germans, who had dug -themselves in at Neuve Chapelle, and made themselves very comfortable -and thought that no power on earth could drive them out. But we had a -big surprise in store for them, and we sprung it on them like a -thunderbolt when our massed guns roared soon after sunrise on that early -day in March. Whatever advantages the Germans might have had at the -beginning of the war we had been getting the better of them, and we were -certain that we were now much superior to the enemy in every way. We -knew that the British Army was becoming too much for them, and we were -anxious to prove it that morning, when the biggest bombardment the world -has ever known began, and along a tremendous front there came into -action hundreds of the largest and the smallest guns that we had out in -France. - -I am sure that every man who was in at the beginning of this war, from -Mons to the Marne and the Aisne, as I was, till I was invalided home -wounded, will agree with me that there had been nothing like the British -artillery fire at Neuve Chapelle. It was truly fearful. Something like -five miles away, nearly five hundred British guns were bombarding the -village, the batteries being on a front four or five miles in extent, so -that there was only a few yards space between each gun. The result was -that an immense wall of fire was seen where the artillery was in -position, while the village itself was a target on which shells rained -and made havoc. Nothing could withstand that awful cannonading--houses -and buildings of every sort were shattered, and often enough a single -shell was sufficient to destroy an entire house. When we got into the -place at the end of the battle it looked as if some tremendous -earthquake had upheaved it and thrown it down in a mass of wreckage. It -was almost impossible to tell where the streets had been, and so -enormous was the power of some of the shells that were fired and burst -in the ground, that the very dead had been blown up from their -resting-places in the churchyard, only to be re-buried by the falling -walls around. The bombardment was bad enough for those who were out of -it; for those who were in it the effect of the shell fire was -paralysing. The Germans had had nothing like it, and more than one -prisoner declared that it was not war, it was murder. We didn’t quite -see how they made that out; but it was near enough for the Germans, and -we told them that we were only getting a bit of our own back for Mons. -“And,” we said, “this is only a taste of what’s in store for you. It’s -nothing to what’s coming!” - -The roar of these massed guns was so deafening, and the noise of the -exploding shells was so incessant, that we could not hear one another -speak. The air was all of a quiver and you could see the heat in the -atmosphere just as you see it when looking at the horizon in a tropical -country, and as I saw it many times when we were in Egypt. The heat from -the shells made the day for all the world like a hot summer day, and the -fumes and flashes caused a strange mist that looked like rain, though -the sun was shining. - -The bombardment was grand and terrible beyond description; but there was -one good thing about it, and that was that the Germans did not reply -very often--they seemed numbed and stunned--and when they did, their -fire was very slight and feeble, and so far as I could tell not one of -their shells did any serious damage amongst the British forces. - -For half-an-hour the British artillery bombarded the enemy’s first line -of trenches, and this fire to the Germans must have seemed as if hell -had been let loose, because everything that was in the line of fire was -blown away or levelled to the ground--walls, trees, buildings, sandbags, -even the barbed wire entanglements were carried away by shell splinters -and shrapnel bullets, though unfortunately some of the entanglements -escaped injury, and became death-traps for a number of our fine fellows -who were hurling themselves upon the Germans. - -Perhaps I should explain, so that my story is quite clear, that Neuve -Chapelle, or what is left of it, stands on perfectly flat ground, with -plenty of enclosed gardens and orchards and some wooded country near. -The Germans had dug themselves into very complete trenches, and had -built some strong breastworks near the highroad into which they had put -a large number of machine-guns. In houses and elsewhere these weapons -had been planted, and in some places they fairly bristled. Our object -was to rout the Germans out of their trenches and houses and barricades, -and in view of the deadly nature of machine-guns and rifles the work was -bound to be long and heavy and costly. How desperate the assault was has -been shown by the losses of some of our splendid line battalions. - -When the bombardment of the first line of trenches was over, the way had -been paved for the infantry, who were lying in their trenches, not far -from the village. They were waiting eagerly for the order to advance, -and when it came, they sprang out of their trenches with such shouts -that you might have thought a lot of lunatics had been let loose. They -dashed forward, and almost before it was possible to realise what had -happened they were in the nearest German trench. - -Then it was, even so soon after the battle had opened, that we knew how -destructive the fire of our guns had been, for when the trench was -reached there was hardly a German left to tackle. Our shells had landed -plump into the enemy, and the result was that the trench was full of -dead and wounded Germans. The few survivors did not hesitate to explain -that they felt as if they could shake hands with themselves and to -marvel that any one of them had come out of such a fire alive. - -Our men were full of joy at such an ending to their rush, full of -satisfaction to feel that they were making such a fine score, then came -one of those misunderstandings and mishaps which are part and parcel of -a fight in which the artillery cannot always see what it is doing--our -own poor fellows suddenly found themselves under the fire of our -gunners, who had started bombarding the trench again under the -impression that it was still held by the Germans. - -Imagine, if you can, what it meant to be in a trench like that, at such -a time--a long narrow pit which had been knocked about by shells and was -crowded with débris and killed and wounded men, and then to be under our -own shell-fire. With unerring aim the shells came into the trench, -causing consternation, and yet a sort of grim humour. Above the cries of -the wounded and the shouts of the men came the loud voices of the -officers, saying, “What is our artillery thinking of? What are they -doing?” And at the same time doing their dead best to get their men out -of it and back to their own trenches. - -The order was now given to retire to our old position, and at last the -order was carried out, but still some of our men were puzzled to know -what had taken place, and they shouted, “What’s wrong?” “What’s -happened?” and so on, while there were many cries for help and water. It -was soon seen that there had been a mistake, and the best was made of -it, though that was not much consolation for poor chaps who had been -badly mauled and knocked about by fire that was meant for the enemy. - -Noon came round on that first day of the battle and the chief thing we -knew was that what we thought was finished had not been done, and we had -to start afresh; but there was no grumbling or whining. It was realised -that there had been a mistake, and it was taken in the way of British -soldiers. And we were well rewarded, for suddenly our artillery -re-started. They knew by this time what had happened, and I think they -must have felt pretty savage, judging from the nature of their fire. We -could see the destructive effects of it from our trenches, and it was a -wonderful yet awful sight to watch the Germans being blown out of their -trenches into the air, some of the bodies being shot twenty or thirty -feet high. I am not going to dwell on the havoc that was caused amongst -men; but you can imagine how dismembered parts were scattered by such a -continuous bursting of shells. - -The bombardment stopped abruptly, and in the strange calm that followed -it we went off again, in just the same high spirits as before. This time -we were lucky; there was no mishap, things went well and right, and by -half-past two we had the joy and pride of knowing that we had made -ourselves masters of the first line of the German trenches. - -This line was piled up with the German dead, and the first thing we did -was to get to work to clear some of the bodies away, so as to make a bit -of room for ourselves to stand, keeping at the same time well under -cover in case the enemy tried to get their own back; but they had been -too badly shaken, and nothing of this sort took place. The Germans -believed that Neuve Chapelle could not be taken, as it was so strongly -fortified, and we now had a chance of seeing how much ground they had -for their belief. A particularly strong defence was the barbed wire -entanglements, which had been made uncommonly thick and complicated. -This was the reason why even our destructive fire did not cut through -the entanglements and why some of our infantry suffered so heavily. The -Liverpool Regiment lost terribly, as so many of the officers and men -were caught in the wires and had no chance of escaping from the fire -which the Germans mercilessly directed upon them. The Liverpools were -caught between the cross-fire of two German maxims as they tried to cut -through the barbed wire, just in front of the German trenches. It was -real heroism on the part of the Liverpools and it was a ghastly sight to -see the brave fellows being cut down like flies. - -In our captured trench, which was nothing more than a huge grave, we -began, when we had made ourselves secure, to snatch a few mouthfuls of -food; but we had no sooner started on this pleasant task than down came -the order to prepare to advance. - -“That’s right!” the men shouted. “The music’s started again! Let’s get -at the German pigs!” Not very polite, perhaps, but in this war a good -deal has been said on both sides about swine. - -We sprang out of our trench and went full swing for the second -trench--there were four trenches to storm and take before our object was -accomplished. Very soon we were in amongst the Germans in the second -trench, and it was a fine sight to see them being put through the mill. - -Just in front of us, amongst the enemy, the shells from our own guns -were bursting--a wonderful instance of the accuracy of modern artillery -fire--and it was fascinating to see the shells sweeping every inch of -the ground, and marvellous that human beings could exist in such a -deadly area. Every now and then in would go one of the German parapets, -and the almost inevitable accompaniment was the blowing into the air of -limbs and mangled bodies. These things were not a laughing matter, yet -often enough, as we watched a shell burst and cause havoc we laughed -outright--which shows how soon even the most dreadful of happenings are -taken as matters of course. - -Now came the order for us to assault and away the infantry went, right -into the German trench, with such a rush and power that the enemy seemed -to have no chance of standing up against the onslaught. - -The men of the Leicestershire Regiment hurled themselves into the thick -of the bloody fray, not once, nor twice, but five times in succession -did they rush the Germans with the bayonet--and at the end of that -tremendous onslaught they had not a single German prisoner! Never while -a German lives who survived the charges of the Leicesters will he forget -what happened in the trenches at Neuve Chapelle--and what the Leicesters -did was done by the Irish Guards. No prisoners--and no man who has been -through the war from the start will blame them, for he knows what the -Germans have done to our own brave fellows, not in fair fight, but when -they have been lying helpless on the roadside, especially in the -retreat from Mons. - -The long and thrilling day was ending, darkness was falling, and we -pulled ourselves together and prepared for a lively night. We fully -expected a counter attack, but no--it seemed to be the other way about, -for on our left we had our famous Gurkhas and Sikhs, and they were -getting ready for work. - -It was quite dark, about half-past nine, when suddenly there was a shout -in the German trenches, and as it rose in the night a pair of our -star-lights burst, like bright, beautiful fireworks in the sky, and -showed us what was happening. It was this--the Indians had moved swiftly -and silently in the night, they had crept and crawled up to the German -position, and before the enemy knew what was taking place the heavy -curved knife, which is the Gurkha’s pride, was at work, and that is a -weapon against which the German soldier, especially when in the -trenches, seems to have no chance whatever. It is almost impossible to -get over your surprise at the way in which these brave little Indians -cover the ground in attacking. They crawl out of their trenches at -night, lie flat on their stomachs, with the rifle and the bayonet in the -right hand, and wriggle over the ground like a snake and with amazing -speed. Having reached the enemy’s trenches they drop the rifle and -bayonet and out come the knives--and woe betide the Germans that are -within reach. The Gurkhas are born fighters, the love of battle is in -their very blood, and they fight all the more readily and gladly because -they believe that if they are slain they are sure to go to heaven. If a -German makes a lunge at him, the Gurkha seizes the bayonet with the left -hand and gets to work with the knife. The plucky little chaps get their -hands badly ripped with the German bayonets, and many came into Neuve -Chapelle with half their left hands off. - -The Germans hate the sight of these Indians, and those who could do so -escaped from the trench. They lost no time in going--they fled, and no -wonder, for they had suffered terribly, not only from the Indians, but -also from the Black Watch, who had been at them with the bayonets. The -Highlanders took a large number of prisoners; but the German dead were -everywhere, and the trench was packed with them--indeed, all the -trenches at the end of the battle were filled with Germans. - -During the 10th and 11th we made such good progress that we had taken -three of the four trenches; then came the worst day of all, the 12th, -for on that we were ordered to take the fourth trench which the Germans -held. This was on the outskirts of the village and was strongly -fortified. There was a strong blockhouse at the back of the trench which -added greatly to the security of the position. - -We were up and ready early--at half-past six--and as soon as day had -broken the guns began their dreadful booming, and very solemn they -sounded in the cold grey light, which is always so cheerless. The guns -cleared the way again and did some excellent work in smashing away the -wire entanglements and blowing up German works; then came the order to -charge. - -I was not in at the actual taking of this last trench, but I was lucky -in being close enough to be able to see what was going on, and what I -saw was some of the most furious fighting in the whole of the battle. -The first charge was made with all the dash and courage of the infantry, -who had already done so well. Our men rushed gallantly at the Germans; -but so withering was the fire with which they were met and so hopeless -seemed the obstacles that they were repulsed with heavy loss, and I know -of nothing more heart-breaking to us who were watching than the sight of -these soldiers being sacrificed and suffering as they did without, -apparently, winning any success. - -Again the artillery shelled the German position, then, across the ground -which was littered with our dead and dying our brave fellows charged -again. They sprang up from the shelter of their trenches, and with even -greater fury than before threw themselves upon the enemy, only to be -beaten back for the second time, by the cross fire of the machine-guns. -In spite of all these losses and the awful odds against them our men -kept their spirits up and vowed that they would still drive the enemy -completely out of Neuve Chapelle, and get their own back for Mons and -the rest of it, and so, while our artillery took up its tune again the -men got a breather, and after a bombardment which lasted at least -three-quarters of an hour there were shouts of “Now, boys, again! Let -’em have it!” And up the infantry sprang once more and dashed across the -fatal ground. The men who were nearest to me were the 2nd Black Watch, -and it did one’s heart good to see the way the kilties swung towards the -enemy’s position. But it all seemed in vain, for at this point there was -the blockhouse to be reckoned with. It was right in the centre and was a -veritable little fortress which seemed a mass of flame and sent -machine-gun and rifle bullets like hail. No troops could live or stand -against such a fusillade, and so our men had to fall back even once -more to the protection of the trenches. - -By this time the position and danger of the blockhouse were known, and -our artillery got the range of it, and that having been done, the end -was merely a matter of time. A battery of British guns was trained on -the blockhouse and the fire was so accurate that the fourth shell went -through the left corner and the building was riddled with shrapnel and -put out of action. - -It was about this time that our fellows spotted an observation-post on -the church in the village. As you know, churches and houses are objects -that the British always avoid firing upon if they can, though the -Germans have wantonly destroyed large numbers of both. There was the -observation-post, plainly to be seen, and as the Germans were directing -their artillery fire from it and the post was a danger and a nuisance to -us and hindered our progress, a special effort was made to wipe it out. -And the effort succeeded, for the British gunners got on it a “Little -Harry,” a shell that puts to shame even the Jack Johnsons and the Black -Marias of the enemy. “Little Harry” settled the observation-post swiftly -and finally, and then the fourth and last charge for Neuve Chapelle was -made. - -And what a charge it was! It was magnificent. Every bit of strength and -courage that was left seemed to be put into it, and while the infantry -dashed on with the bayonet and put the finish to the stubborn German -resistance in the trenches and got the enemy fairly on the run, the -Gurkhas and the famous Sikhs and Bengal Lancers hurled themselves on the -flying regiments and cut them down with lance and sword. - -[Illustration: - -[_To face p. 302._ - -“THE INFANTRY DASHED ON WITH THE BAYONET.”] - -It was a wonderful swirl of fighting. This time the blockhouse was -stormed by the 2nd Middlesex and the Royal Irish Rifles. - -All at once the guns had finished, and with wild cheers the old -“Die-Hards” and the Irishmen rushed to the German trench and would not -be driven back. By about half-past three the blockhouse was taken, and -then it was seen that it had been defended by no fewer than half-a-dozen -machine-guns and two trench mortars, to say nothing of rifles. These -weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were captured and the -Germans who had not been killed were found hiding under cover as best -they could and they were thankful to surrender. - -While this splendid piece of work was being finished our Indians on the -left were doing heavy execution. The Bengal Lancers were driving the -fleeing enemy straight through the village, if that could be called a -village which was now an almost shapeless mass of burning and smoking -ruins. And spies and snipers had to be searched for in the shattered -buildings, while we had to leave the captured trenches for two reasons, -because they were filled with dead, and at any moment we might be blown -out of them by mines which the Germans had laid. So we had to set to -work, even while the fight was being finished, to construct new -trenches, and we worked hard on these so as to make ourselves secure in -case of a counter attack. - -It was not long before we saw the victorious Indian cavalry returning. -At about six o’clock we heard the thud of horses’ hoofs, and looking up -from the new trenches that we were making we saw the Bengal Lancers -coming back from their pursuit and rout of the Germans. They had chased -the enemy right through the village and into a big wood on the other -side of Neuve Chapelle, and what they had done was shown by their -reddened lances and the helmets and caps that were stuck on the steel. -There were about six hundred of these fine horsemen and not one of them -had less than two trophies on his lance, while I saw one of them with no -fewer than eight skewered on, and he was smiling all over his dark -handsome face. So were the rest of them--they were all delighted with -the success that had crowned their work, and we cheered them mightily -and laughed too, for somehow we couldn’t help doing both. - -Meanwhile we were being shelled from a spot which we could not locate -for some time, then we learned that the firing came from a fort on the -left of the village which was known as Port Arthur. We were in the -direct line of fire from it, and our position became very uncomfortable. -The Germans who were in Port Arthur were a plucky and stubborn lot, for -they refused to surrender when they were asked to do so, and declared -that they would not cave in either for British or French or Russians. -That showed a fine and right spirit, but at last these chaps had to -stop, because our gunners got two or three “Little Harrys” into Port -Arthur, and it came tumbling down about the defenders’ ears. - -It was now dark, past nine o’clock, and it seemed that the enemy was a -long time making up his mind to attack us; but at about twenty minutes -past the hour they began firing with their artillery. The very first -shell they sent came right into my two sections of trenches, and killed -one man and wounded half-a-dozen of us, including myself. The poor -fellow who was killed had his head completely taken off his shoulders. -I helped to bandage the other five before I troubled about myself. Then -I looked around again and found that the Germans were well into the -night attack; but they never got within fifty yards of our trenches. - -What happened after that I am not able to tell you. I was sent to the -field ambulance to have my wounds dressed, then I learned that I had got -two shrapnel bullets in me, one in the left thigh and one on the other -side, to keep it company. - -In the ambulance train I went to Béthune, then on to Boulogne, then, on -a Sunday afternoon--the 14th of March--I landed at an English Channel -port and once again had experience of the care and kindness of friends -and nurses in the hospitals at home. - -For the second time I had been sent home wounded from the front. I was -proud enough when I felt that I had tried to do my duty in the glorious -rearguard fighting after Mons and in the battles of the Marne and Aisne; -but I was prouder still to know that I had shared in the victory of -Neuve Chapelle, in which we got our own back, with a lot of interest, -from some of the finest troops of Germany. - - THE END - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY - RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, - BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., - AND BUNGAY SUFFOLK. - - * * * * * - - A SELECTION FROM - - CHAPMAN & HALL’S NEW BOOKS - - J. L. GARVIN - - THE COMING of the GREAT WAR - - By J. L. GARVIN, Editor of the _Pall Mall Gazette_. Demy 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ net. - -J. JOHNSTON ABRAHAM - -THE RED CROSS IN SERBIA - - By J. JOHNSTON ABRAHAM, Author of “The Surgeon’s Log.” Demy 8vo. - 6_s._ net. - -CECIL CHESTERTON - -THE PRUSSIAN HATH SAID IN HIS HEART - -By CECIL CHESTERTON. Crown 8vo. 2_s._ net. - -W. L. COURTNEY, M.A., LL.D. - -ARMAGEDDON--AND AFTER - - By W. L. COURTNEY, M.A. Crown 8vo. 1_s._ net; cloth, 1_s._ 6_d._ - net. - -EDWARD THOMAS - -THE LIFE OF THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH - - By EDWARD THOMAS, Author of “George Borrow,” “Richard Jefferies.” - Illustrated. Demy 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ net. - - * * * * * - -WINIFRED JAMES - -A NEW WORK ON PANAMA - - By WINIFRED JAMES, Author of “The Mulberry Tree,” “Letters to My - Son,” etc. Illustrated. Demy 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ net. - -C. E. GOULDSBURY - -TIGERSLAYER BY ORDER - -(Digby Davies, late Bombay Police) - - By C. E. GOULDSBURY, Author of “Tigerland.” With numerous - Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ net. - -NEW 6/-NOVELS - - =THE PASSIONATE CRIME.= By E. TEMPLE THURSTON. - - =THE SON OF HIS FATHER.= By RIDGWELL CULLUM. - - =MR. BROOM AND HIS BROTHER.= By MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK. - - =A SENTIMENTAL PILGRIM.= By MARION ASHWORTH. - - =A NEW NOVEL= by MRS. GEORGE NORMAN. - - =THE SOUL OF A TEACHER.= By ROGER WRAY. - -LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LTD. - -FOOTNOTES: - - [1] Colonel Gordon was twice reported killed; but it was definitely - ascertained, later, that he was a prisoner of war. - - [2] I saw the “eighth” man not far from the spot where he and his - comrades were standing when the shell burst. He had been wounded by - shell splinters on the head, which, when I saw him, was bandaged. The - effect of the explosion, he said, was terrible. He declared that the - German warships were flying the British white ensign, and that he - could distinguish their flags quite clearly.--W. 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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/license - - -Title: Soldiers' Stories of the War - -Author: Various - -Editor: Walter Wood - -Illustrator: A. C. Michael - -Release Date: May 31, 2016 [EBook #52201] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOLDIERS' STORIES OF THE WAR *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/cover_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="330" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: cover" /></a> -</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="border: 2px black solid;margin:auto auto;max-width:50%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td> - -<p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents.</a></p> - -<p class="c"><a href="#LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS">List of Illustrations</a><br /> <span class="nonvis">(In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] -clicking on directly on the image, -will bring up a larger version.)</span></p> - -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="cb">SOLDIERS’ STORIES<br /> -OF THE WAR</p> - -<p><a name="front" id="front"></a></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_frontispiece_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_frontispiece_sml.jpg" width="500" height="346" alt="Image unavailable: [Frontispiece. - - -L BATTERY’S HEROIC STAND. - -“Another battery of horse-gunners was dashing to the rescue” (p. 130)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 50%;">[Frontispiece.</span> -<br /> - -L BATTERY’S HEROIC STAND. -<br /> -“Another battery of horse-gunners was dashing to the rescue” (<a href="#page_130">p. 130</a>).</span> -</div> - -<h1> -SOLDIERS’ STORIES<br /> -OF THE WAR</h1> - -<p class="cb">EDITED BY<br /> -<span class="spc">WALTER WOOD</span><br /> -<small> -AUTHOR OF<br /> -“MEN OF THE NORTH SEA,” “SURVIVORS’ TALES OF GREAT EVENTS,”<br /> -“NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS,” ETC.</small><br /> -<br /><br /> -<i>WITH TWENTY FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS<br /> -BY A. C. MICHAEL</i><br /> -<br /><br /> -LONDON<br /> -CHAPMAN AND HALL, <span class="smcap">Ltd.</span><br /> -1915<br /> -<br /><br /> -<span class="smcap">Printed in Great Britain by<br /> -Richard Clay & Sons, Limited,<br /> -brunswick st., stamford st., s.e.,<br /> -and bungay, suffolk.</span><br /> -</p> - -<h2><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></a>INTRODUCTION</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">All</span> the stories in this volume are told by men who were seen personally, -and who, with one or two exceptions—cases of soldiers who had returned -to the front—read the typescripts of their narratives, so that accuracy -should be secured. The narrators spoke while the impressions of fighting -and hardships and things seen were still strong and clear; in several -cases full notes had been made or diaries kept, and reference to these -records was of great value in preparing the stories. When seeing an -informant I specially asked that a true tale should be told, and I -believe that no unreliable details were knowingly given.</p> - -<p>I have been fortunate in getting a good deal of exclusive matter—the -full record of the noble achievement of L Battery, Royal Horse -Artillery, for example, has not been given anywhere in such detail as is -presented here, and the same remark applies to the story of the three -torpedoed cruisers.</p> - -<p>During the earlier periods of the war British soldiers told me tales of -barbarities and outrages committed by German troops which were so -terrible that it was impossible to believe them, and I omitted many of -these details from the finished stories; but I know now, from reading -the Report of the Committee on Alleged German Outrages, presided over by -Viscount Bryce, formerly British Ambassador at Washington, that even -the most dreadful of the statements did not do more than touch the -fringe of the appalling truth.</p> - -<p>Though much has been already published in the form of tales and letters -from our soldiers at the front, yet I hope that this collection of -stories will be accepted as a contribution from the British fighting man -to the general history of the earlier stages of the war—those memorable -preliminary operations which have made a deep and indelible impression -on the British race throughout the world.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Walter Wood.</span><br /> -</p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="margin:auto auto;max-width:80%;"> - -<tr><td> </td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Mons and the Great Retreat</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_001">1</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private J. Parkinson</span>, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">German Atrocities</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_017">17</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Driver G. Blow</span>, Royal Field Artillery.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">“Greenjackets” in the Firing Line</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_029">29</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Rifleman R. Brice</span>, King’s Royal Rifle Corps.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Struggle on the Aisne</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_041">41</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private Herbert Page</span>, Coldstream Guards.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top">“<span class="smcap">The Most Critical Day of All</span>”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_054">54</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Corporal F. W. Holmes</span>, V.C., M.M., 2nd Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">British Fighters in French Forts</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_070">70</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private J. Boyers</span>, Durham Light Infantry.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">German Treachery and Hatred</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_082">82</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Corporal W. Bratby</span>, Middlesex Regiment.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Life in the Trenches</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_094">94</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private G. Townsend</span>, 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Sapping and Mining: the “Lucky Company”</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_108">108</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Sapper William Bell</span>, Royal Engineers.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">L Battery’s Heroic Stand</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_118">118</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Gunner H. Darbyshire</span>, Royal Horse Artillery.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Sixteen Weeks of Fighting</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_135">135</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private B. Montgomery</span>, Royal West Kent Regiment.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">A Daisy-Chain of Bandoliers</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_146">146</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private W. H. Cooperwaite</span>, Durham Light Infantry.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Despatch-Riding</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_158">158</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Corporal Hedley G. Browne</span>, Royal Engineers.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Three Torpedoed Cruisers</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_169">169</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Able-Seaman C. C. Nurse.</span></td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Runaway Raiders</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_182">182</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Sapper W. Hall</span>, Royal Engineers.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Campaigning with the Highlanders</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_191">191</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private A. Veness</span>, 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Transport-Driving</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_203">203</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private James Roache</span>, Army Service Corps.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">British Gunners as Cave-Dwellers</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_213">213</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Corporal E. H. Bean</span>, Royal Field Artillery.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">With the “Fighting Fifth”</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_225">225</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private W. G. Long</span>, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Victory of the Marne</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_236">236</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Corporal G. Gilliam</span>, Coldstream Guards.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">An Armoured Car in Ambush</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_256">256</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Trooper Stanley Dodds</span>, Northumberland Hussars.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Exploits of the London Scottish</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_264">264</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private J. E. Carr</span>, 14th (County of London) Battalion London Regiment (London Scottish).</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Rout of the Prussian Guard at Ypres</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_277">277</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Private H. J. Polley</span>, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.</td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</a></th></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The British Victory at Neuve Chapelle</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_291">291</a></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"> Sergeant Gilliam</span>, Coldstream Guards.</td></tr> -</table> - -<h2><a name="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="margin:auto auto;max-width:85%;"> -<tr><td> </td><td><br /><small><i>To face page</i></small></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top" >L Battery’s heroic stand: “Another battery of horse-gunners was dashing to the rescue” -</td><td valign="bottom"><a href="#front"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“We were helped by the Germans throwing searchlights on us”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_002">2</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“Some of our cavalry caught him”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_016">16</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“The Germans came on and hurled themselves against us”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_038">38</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“From behind trees we kept up a destructive fire on the enemy”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_050">50</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“I hoisted the trumpeter into the saddle”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_062">62</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“We found a fair lot of Germans in houses and farms”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_080">80</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“We were so near the Germans that they could hurl bombs at us”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_102">102</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“We had a very warm time of it”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_112">112</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“Planted a maxim on his knees and rattled into the Germans”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_128">128</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“The men were told to lay hands on anything that would float”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_168">168</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“Good swimmers were helping those who could not swim”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_180">180</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“The <i>Hogue</i> began to turn turtle; the four immense funnels broke away”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_188">188</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“A bullet struck him in the back and killed him”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_202">202</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“We were in a real hell of bursting shrapnel”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_222">222</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“I took him up and began to carry him”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_234">234</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“Before they knew what was happening the car was in the river”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_244">244</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“Cavalry and Guards got in amongst the Germans and fairly scattered them”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_254">254</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“I made a lunge at him, but just missed, and I saw his own long, ugly blade driven out”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_286">286</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top">“The infantry dashed on with the bayonet”</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_302">302</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_001" id="page_001"></a>{1}</span></p> - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h1>SOLDIERS’ STORIES OF<br /> -THE WAR</h1> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I<br /><br /> -<small>MONS AND THE GREAT RETREAT</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[History does not give a more splendid story of courage and -endurance than that which is afforded by the battle of Mons and the -subsequent retreat. The British Expeditionary Force, straight from -home, with no time for preparation, and only two days after a -concentration by rail, was confronted by at least four times its -number of the finest troops of Germany, and, after a four days’ -furious battle, remained unconquered and undismayed. What might -have been annihilation of the British forces had become a throwing -off of the weight of the enemy’s pursuit, allowing a preparation -for the driving back of the German hordes. At Mons the 1st -Battalion Gordon Highlanders lost most of their officers, -non-commissioned officers and men in killed, wounded and missing. -This story is told by Private J. Parkinson, of the Gordons, who was -invalided home at the finish of the Great Retreat.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">To</span> be rushed from the routine of a soldier’s life at home in time of -peace into the thick of a fearful fight on the Continent is a strange -and wonderful experience; yet it happened to me, and it was only one of -many amazing experiences I went through between leaving Southampton in a -transport and coming to a London hospital.</p> - -<p>We landed at Boulogne, and went a long journey by train. At the end of -it we found ourselves, on Saturday, August 22nd, billeted in a -gentleman’s big house and we looked forward to a comfortable night,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_002" id="page_002"></a>{2}</span> -little dreaming that so soon after leaving England we should be in the -thick of a tremendous fight.</p> - -<p>It was strange to be in a foreign country, but there was no time to -dwell on that, and the British soldier soon makes himself at home, -wherever he is. Those of us who were not on duty went to sleep; but we -had not been resting very long when we were called to arms. That was -about half-past three o’clock on the Sunday morning, August 23rd.</p> - -<p>There was no bugle sound, no fuss, no noise; we were just quietly roused -up by the pickets, and as quietly we marched out of the château and went -along a big, sunken road—the main road to Paris, I think. We started at -once to make trenches alongside the road, using the entrenching-tool -which every soldier carries; and we went on steadily with that work for -several hours on that August Sunday morning—a perfect Sabbath, with a -wonderful air of peace about it. The country looked beautiful and -prosperous—how soon it was to be turned into a blazing, ruined -landscape, with thousands of dead and wounded men lying on it!</p> - -<p>It would be about nine o’clock when we heard heavy firing in a wood near -us—there is plenty of wooded country about Mons—and we were told that -the engineers were blowing up obstacles; so we went on entrenching, for -although we knew that the Germans were not far away, we had no idea they -were as close as they soon proved to be.</p> - -<p>I am a first-class scout, and, with a corporal and three men, I was sent -on picket some time before noon.</p> - -<p>Just on the right of us was a farm, and the people who came out gave us -some beer and eggs. We drank<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_003" id="page_003"></a>{3}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_002fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_002fp_sml.jpg" width="500" height="337" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 2. - - -“WE WERE HELPED BY THE GERMANS THROWING SEARCHLIGHTS ON US” (p. 10)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 2.</span> -<br /> - -“WE WERE HELPED BY THE GERMANS THROWING SEARCHLIGHTS ON US” (<a href="#page_010">p. 10</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">the beer and sucked the eggs, and uncommonly good they were, too, on -that blazing hot August Sunday, when everything looked so pleasant and -peaceful. You had it hot at home, I know; but I dare say we had it -hotter, and we were in khaki, with a heavy kit to carry.</p> - -<p>There was a big tree near us, and I made for it and climbed up, so that -I could see better over the countryside. I was hanging on to a branch, -and looking around, when all at once a bullet or two came, and we knew -that the Germans had spotted us. I got down from that tree a vast deal -quicker than I had got up into it, and we made ready to rush back to the -trenches; but before scuttling we told the civilians to clear out at -once, and they began to do so. The poor souls were taken aback, -naturally, but they lost no time in obeying the warning, leaving all -their worldly treasures—belongings which they were never to see again, -for the German barbarians were soon to destroy them shamefully and -mercilessly, and, worse than that, were to take the lives of innocent -and inoffensive people who had not done them the slightest wrong in any -way.</p> - -<p>As soon as we had raised the alarm a whole section of Germans opened -fire on the four of us, and as we could not do anything against them, -being heavily outnumbered, we ran for it back to the trenches. Yes, we -did run indeed, there is no mistake about that. Luckily for us we knew -the way back; but if the Germans had been able to shoot for nuts with -their rifles, not one of us would have been spared. We laughed as we -ran, and one of the scouts, named Anderson, laughed so much that he -could scarcely run, though there was nothing special to laugh at; but, -as you<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_004" id="page_004"></a>{4}</span> know, there are some odd chaps amongst Highlanders. They don’t -care a rap for anything.</p> - -<p>It was soon reported that there were in front of us about 15,000 -Germans, including some of the finest of the Kaiser’s troops, amongst -them the Imperial Guard, who have worked military miracles—at peace -manœuvres. And to oppose that great body of men we had only the 8th -Brigade, consisting of the Royal Scots, the Royal Irish, the -Middlesex—the old “Die-Hards”—and the Gordon Highlanders, of which I -was in B Company.</p> - -<p>The Royal Scots were on our right, and the Royal Irish and the Middlesex -on our left. We had Royal Field Artillery, too, and never did British -gunners do more splendid work and cover themselves with greater glory -than in the battle of Mons.</p> - -<p>The Royal Irish were getting their dinners when the Germans opened fire -on them with their machine-guns, doing some dreadful damage straight -off, for they seemed to have the range, and there was no time for the -Royal Irish to get under cover.</p> - -<p>That, I think, was really the beginning of the battle; but I had better -try and give you an idea of the battlefield, so that you can understand -what actually took place.</p> - -<p>Mons itself is a fair-sized manufacturing town, with plenty of -coal-mines about, and we were in a pleasant village near it, the main -road to Paris cutting through the village. From our trenches we could -see across the country, towards the mines and other villages, and we had -a clear rifle-range of well over a mile, because a lot of obstruction in -the shape of hedges, foliage and corn had been cut away.</p> - -<p>To our rear, on each side of us, was a forest, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_005" id="page_005"></a>{5}</span> between the two -forests were our splendid gunners, who were to do such awful mischief in -the German hosts. The “Die-Hards” were in a sort of garden, and I saw -only too clearly what happened to them when the fight was in full swing.</p> - -<p>It was just before noon when the most fearful part of the battle -started, and that was the artillery duel. Our own guns were making a -terrible commotion near us; but the din was a very comforting sound, -because it meant something very bad for the German gunners, who were -making havoc in our brigade.</p> - -<p>I saw the awful effects of the German shrapnel amongst the men of the -Middlesex in that fair Belgian garden on what should have been a -peaceful Sunday afternoon. The Middlesex were practically blown to -pieces, and the fearful way in which they suffered was shown later, when -the casualty lists were published, and it was seen that most of them -were either killed, wounded or missing.</p> - -<p>Then the Gordons’ turn came. The Germans had got our position, and they -opened fire on us; but we were lucky—perhaps the German batteries were -too far away to be really effective. At any rate, they did not harm us -much.</p> - -<p>The battle had opened swiftly, and it continued with amazing speed and -fury, for both sides soon settled into their stride—and you know, of -course, that the Germans were on the promenade to Paris and were going -to mop the British Army up. It took a lot of mopping!</p> - -<p>Our own field-gunners were doing magnificently, and the Germans were -first-rate hands at the deadly game. If they had been anything like as -accurate with the rifle as they were with the artillery I think that -very<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_006" id="page_006"></a>{6}</span> few British soldiers would have been left to tell the tale of -Mons. But with the rifle they were no good.</p> - -<p>The Germans came out of their trenches in big heaps in close formation, -because their game was to rush us by sheer weight of numbers; but we -just shot them down. Yet as soon as we shot them down others came out, -literally like bees. No wonder the poor chaps are called by their -officers “cannon-fodder”! British officers don’t talk of their men in -that brutal way; and the British officer always leads—shows the way; -but the German officer seems to follow his men, and to shove and shoot -them along.</p> - -<p>It was marvellous to watch the Germans come on in their legions, and -melt away under our artillery and rifle fire. We simply took deliberate -aim at the masses of figures, grey clad, with their helmets covered with -grey cloth; but it seemed as if not even our absolutely destructive fire -would stop them. On they came, still on, the living actually sheltering -behind the dead. But it was no use. We kept them off, and they kept -themselves off, too, for it was perfectly clear that they had a horror -of the bayonet, and would not come near it.</p> - -<p>The nearest the Germans got to us, as far as I can tell—that is, to the -Gordons—was about 300 yards; but that was near enough, seeing that they -outnumbered us by four to one, and were amongst the finest troops of -Germany. Some of the enemy’s cavalry—I suppose the much-talked-of -Uhlans—came into the sunken road in front of us, hoping to do business; -but our machine-guns got on them, and we had a go at them with our -rifles, with the result that the Uhlans made a cut for it and most of -them got away. Even so, there were plenty of riderless horses galloping -madly about.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_007" id="page_007"></a>{7}</span></p> - -<p>Our officers had told us to carry on—and carry on we did, then and -later.</p> - -<p>What was I feeling like? Well, of course, at the start I was in a bit of -a funk and it wasn’t pleasant; but I can honestly say that the feeling -soon vanished, as I’m certain it did from all of us, and we settled down -to good hard pounding, all the time seeing who could pound the hardest -and last longest. And I can assure you that, in spite of everything, men -kept laughing, and they kept their spirits up.</p> - -<p>You see, we had such splendid officers, and there is always such a fine -feeling between officers and men in Highland regiments. Our colonel, a -Gordon by name and commanding the Gordons, was a real gallant Gordon, -who won his Victoria Cross in the South African War—a regular warrior -and a veteran; amongst other things he was in at the storming of Dargai, -and he had more experience of actual fighting, I should think, than all -the Germans in front of us put together.</p> - -<p>Another brave officer was Major Simpson, my company officer, a Companion -of the Distinguished Service Order, which is the next best thing to the -V.C. Major Simpson and a private went to fetch some ammunition. To do -that they had to leave shelter and rush along in a literal hail of -fire—shrapnel and bullets. It seemed as if no living thing could exist, -and they were watched with intense anxiety. Shells were bursting all -around us—some in the air and others on the ground, though there were -German shells that did not burst at all.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, with a fearful shattering sound, a shell burst just beside the -major and the private, and for the moment it looked as if they had been -destroyed. Some Gordons rushed towards them, and picked them up and put -them on a horse. It was seen that they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_008" id="page_008"></a>{8}</span> were badly hurt, but even so, -and at a time like that, the major actually laughed, and I am sure he -did it to keep our spirits up. He was taken away to hospital, and was -laughing still when he said—</p> - -<p>“It’s all right, lads! There’s nothing much the matter with me! Carry -on!”</p> - -<p>Oh, yes! There were some fine cool things done on that great Sunday when -the Germans were like bees in front of us in the turnip-fields at Mons, -and we were settling down into our stride.</p> - -<p>And the N.C.O.’s were splendid, too.</p> - -<p>Our section sergeant, Spence, when the firing was fiercest, popped up to -take a shot, which is always a risky thing to do, because a bullet is so -much swifter than a man’s movements. The sergeant fired, and the instant -he had done so he fell back into the trench, saying, “I believe they’ve -got me now!” But they hadn’t. He was taken to hospital, and it was found -that a bullet had come and so cleanly grazed his head—on the left side, -like this—that the hair was cut away in a little path, just like a big -parting, as if it had been shaved. It was touch and go with death, the -closest thing you could possibly see; but, luckily, the sergeant was all -right, and he made no commotion about his narrow shave.</p> - -<p>There was a gallant young officer and brave gentleman of the -Gordons—Lieutenant Richmond—who had been doing his duty nobly -throughout that Sunday afternoon.</p> - -<p>Dusk was falling, and Lieutenant Richmond made his way out of the trench -and over the open ground, crawling, to try and learn something about the -Germans. He was crawling back—that is the only way in such a merciless -fire—and was only about three<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_009" id="page_009"></a>{9}</span> yards from the trench when he rose up -and was going to make a final dash for it. Just as he rose, a bullet -struck him in the back and came out through his heart—and killed him -straight away. He was in my trench, and I saw this happen quite clearly. -It was such sights as that which made the Gordons all the more resolved -to carry on and mow the Germans down as hard as they could—the Germans -who seemed to be for ever rushing at us from the turnip-fields in front -and never getting any nearer than their own barriers of dead.</p> - -<p>I never thought it possible that such a hell of fire could be known as -that which we endured and made at Mons. There was the ceaseless crackle -of the rifles on both sides, with the everlasting explosions of the guns -and the frightful bursting of the shells. They were particularly -horrible when they burst on the cobbled road close by—as hundreds -did—so near to us that it seemed as if we were certain to be shattered -to pieces by the fragments of shrapnel which did so much mischief and -killed so many men and horses, to say nothing of the gaping wounds they -inflicted on the troops and the poor dumb beasts.</p> - -<p>But you can best understand what the German artillery fire was like when -I tell you that all the telegraph-poles were shattered, the very wires -were torn away, and trees were smashed and blown to pieces. It seemed -miraculous that any human being could live in such a storm of metal -fragments and bullets.</p> - -<p>From before noon until dusk, and that was a good eight hours, the battle -of Mons had been truly awful; but we had held our own, and as the -evening came I realised what a fearful thing a modern battle -is—especially such a fight as this, brought on in a peaceful<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_010" id="page_010"></a>{10}</span> and -beautiful country whose people had done no wrong.</p> - -<p>All the villages in front of us were burning, either set on fire -deliberately by the Germans, or by shells; but there was no halting in -the fight, and when we could no longer see the enemy because it was dark -we blazed away at the flashes of their rifles—thousands of spurts of -flame; and the field-gunners crashed at the straight lines of fire which -could be seen when the German artillerymen discharged their guns. We -were helped, too, in a way that many of us never expected to be, and -that was by the Germans throwing searchlights on us. These long, ghastly -beams shone on us and gave a weird and terrible appearance to the -fighters in the trenches, and more so to the outstretched forms of -soldiers who had fought for the last time.</p> - -<p>It was a dreadful yet fascinating sight, and one which I shall never -forget; nor shall I ever forget the extraordinary fact that, in spite of -the annihilating hail of missiles and the deafening din of battle, some -of our fellows in the trenches went to sleep, and seemed to sleep as -peacefully and soundly as if they were in feather beds. They went to -sleep quite cheerfully, too. I should say that half our chaps were -having a doze in this way and taking no notice of the fight and the -screech and roar of shells and guns.</p> - -<p>Sunday night—and such a night! The sky red with burning villages, the -air rent with awful noises of guns and rifles, men and horses—a -terrible commotion from the devilish fight that was going on. The -villagers had left; they had fled on getting our warning, but they were -not too far away to see the utter ruin of their homes.</p> - -<p>I do not want to say too much about the villagers—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_011" id="page_011"></a>{11}</span>it is too sad and -makes one too savage; but I will tell of one incident I saw. An old man -was running away, to try and get out of danger, when he was hit in the -stomach. I saw him fall, and I know that he bled to death. Think of -that—an absolutely innocent and inoffensive old man who had done -nothing whatever to harm the brigands who were over-running Belgium!</p> - -<p>Just about midnight we got the order to retire. We joined the survivors -of the 8th Brigade and began a march which lasted nearly all night. We -were weary and worn, but as right in spirit as ever, and didn’t want to -retire. There was no help for it, however, and the Great Retreat began. -Everything that the Red Cross men could do had been done for the -wounded; but there were some who had to be left, as well as the dead.</p> - -<p>It was fearfully hot, and we were thankful indeed when we were able to -lie down in a field and get about two hours’ sleep—the sleep that you -might suppose a log has.</p> - -<p>When we awoke it was not to music of birds, but of shrapnel; for the -Germans were following us and began to fire on us as soon as we started -to retire again. Hour after hour we went on, feeling pretty bad at -having to retreat; but a bit cheered when, at about two o’clock on the -Monday afternoon, we began to dig trenches again. We had the -field-gunners behind us once more, and joyous music it was to hear their -shells screaming over our heads.</p> - -<p>It was about dinner-time on the Monday when we had one of the most -thrilling experiences of the whole fight—one of the extraordinary -incidents that have become part and parcel of a modern battle, although -only a very few years ago they were looked upon as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_012" id="page_012"></a>{12}</span> mad fancies or wild -dreams. We were marching along a road when we sighted a German -aeroplane—a bird-like-looking thing in the sky. It was keeping watch on -us, and signalling our position to the main German body. It gave the -position, and the Germans promptly gave us some shells. The thing was -most dangerous and unpleasant; but the German airman was not to have it -all his own way.</p> - -<p>Two of our own aeroplanes spotted him and went for him, just like -immense birds—the whole business might have been carried out by living -creatures of the air—and there was as fine a fight in the air as you -could hope to see on land—firing and swift manœuvring with the -object of killing and destroying, and both sides showing amazing pluck -and skill. It was an uncommonly exciting spectacle, and it became all -the more thrilling when we opened fire with our rifles.</p> - -<p>I blazed away as hard as I could, but an aeroplane on the wing is not an -easy thing to hit. Whether I struck the machine or not I can’t say, but -it came down in the road just where my company was. As far as I know the -aeroplane was not struck—the chap that was in it planed down. He was -determined not to be caught cheaply, for as soon as he landed he fired -his petrol tank to destroy his machine, and then ran for it. He went off -at a hard lick, but some of our cavalry rushed after him and caught him, -and it was found that he was not hurt.</p> - -<p>Just on our right was a railway, with a big cutting, and we were ordered -to retire down into it; so into the cutting we got and along the line we -went, retreating all that day by the railway and the roads, our gunners -giving the Germans socks throughout that hard rearguard action.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_013" id="page_013"></a>{13}</span></p> - -<p>On the Tuesday we were still retreating, and a miserable day it was, -with a deluge of rain that soaked us to the skin. We reached a village -and slept in barns, and a good sleep we got, without the trouble of -undressing or drying our clothes or taking our boots off.</p> - -<p>Early on the Wednesday morning the pickets quietly roused and warned us -again, and we went out in front of the village and entrenched.</p> - -<p>There was a big lot of coal-mines in front of us, about a mile away, -with the refuse-heaps that are common to mines. Behind one of these -great mounds a battery of German artillery had got into position, and -one of the finest things you could have seen was the way in which our -own grand gunners got on the Germans. They seemed to have found the -range of the enemy exactly, and that was a good job for us, because the -German shells were dropping just between us and our own artillery, and -we expected to have them bang on us. But our guns silenced our -opponents, and, what was more, scattered a lot of German infantry, about -1,500 yards away, who were making for us.</p> - -<p>We got straight into our trenches, and in this respect we were lucky, -because we went into one that the Engineers had made, while most of the -other companies had to dig their own.</p> - -<p>Our trench was in a cornfield. The corn had been cut down, and we spread -it and other stuff in front of the trenches, on top of the earth, to -make us invisible. From that queer hiding-place we resumed our blazing -away at the pursuing Germans.</p> - -<p>When Wednesday came we were at Cambrai, where hell itself seemed to be -let loose again; for first thing in the morning we heard heavy artillery -fire on all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_014" id="page_014"></a>{14}</span> sides of us, and it was clear that a fearful battle was -going on. We were utterly worn and weary, but were cheered by looking -forward to a good dinner. We knew that the food was in the field -cookers, in preparation for serving out to the men. But the dinner never -came, and it was not until next day that we heard the reason why—then -we learned that a German shell had blown the field cookers to -smithereens.</p> - -<p>Now all this time, from the moment the battle opened at Mons till we -were blazing away again at the Germans at Cambrai we were waiting for -the French to come—waiting and longing, for we were utterly outnumbered -and completely exhausted; but we never had a glimpse of a Frenchman, and -we know now, of course, that the French themselves were so hard pressed -that they could not spare any help at all for the British.</p> - -<p>At about half-past four in the afternoon we resumed the retreat, for a -major of artillery had galloped up and shouted “Retire!” B Company -retired across the level ground behind us. This was a good bit off a -sunken road that we wanted to get back to, because it would give us -comparative safety. Eventually we reached it, and were thankful to find -that we were pretty secure, though shells were still bursting all around -and over us.</p> - -<p>From that time we never saw any more of the rest of the regiment, and I -lost sight of our gallant colonel. He became numbered with the -missing.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> There were only about 175 of my own company and parts of -other companies who had got away and joined us.</p> - -<p>A terrible time it was at Cambrai, and one that I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_015" id="page_015"></a>{15}</span> sha’n’t forget in a -hurry. The last I clearly remember of the place is that several men were -killed near me; but by that time killing had become a matter of course. -The Red Cross men did noble work, but they could not cover all the -cases. I am sorry to say it, but it is true that the Germans -deliberately fired on the hospitals at Mons and also at Cambrai. It -sounds incredible, but there were many things done in Belgium by the -Germans that you could not have believed unless you had seen them.</p> - -<p>Well, from that dreadful carnage at Cambrai we went on retreating, and -we never really rested until the Sunday, seven days after the battle -started, when we reached Senlis, about forty miles from Paris. We had -then marched between 130 and 140 miles, and had made one of the longest, -hardest, swiftest and most successful retreats in history—I say -successful, because Sir John French and his generals had got us out of -what looked like a death-trap. We were cursing all the time we were -retreating—cursing because we had to retire, though we knew that there -was no help for it.</p> - -<p>A wonderful change came with the Wednesday, because we did no more -fighting. We forged ahead, blowing up bridges and doing all we could to -stop the Germans.</p> - -<p>We had a splendid time going through France, as we had had in going -through Belgium, and when we reached Paris there was nothing the French -people thought too good for us. We were taken across Paris in -char-a-bancs, and flowers, cigarettes and five-franc pieces were thrown -at us. A lot of Americans spoke to us, and were very kind. They were -particularly anxious to know how we were getting on, and what we had -gone through. It was very pleasant to hear<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_016" id="page_016"></a>{16}</span> our own language, as most of -us did not understand a word of French.</p> - -<p>We trained to Rouen, but had not the slightest idea that we were going -to England—we thought we were being sent to hospital at Havre; but at -that port we were put into motors and driven down to the quay and shoved -on board a transport and brought at last to London.</p> - -<p>I am not wounded. I was struck on the leg by a bullet, but it did not -really hurt me. I was utterly worn out and exhausted, however, and -rheumatism set in and crippled me, so I was sent to hospital; and here I -am. But I’m almost fit and well now, and all I want to do is to fall in -again before the fighting’s done.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_016fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_016fp_sml.jpg" width="361" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 16. - - -“SOME OF OUR CAVALRY CAUGHT HIM” (p. 12)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 16. -</span> -<br /> -“SOME OF OUR CAVALRY CAUGHT HIM” (<a href="#page_012">p. 12</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_017" id="page_017"></a>{17}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II<br /><br /> -<small>GERMAN ATROCITIES</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The war was begun by Germany in a spirit of ruthlessness which was -to spare neither man, woman nor child, and was to leave innocent -people “only their eyes to weep with.” The neutrality of Belgium -was outraged and German hosts poured into that country. In -repelling them an immortal part was played by the British -Expeditionary Force, which fought against enormous odds. This story -of the earlier days of the war is told from the narrative of Driver -George William Blow, Royal Field Artillery, who was invalided home -after having two of his ribs broken and five horses killed under -him.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> was a blazing hot Sunday, and the place was Mons. We had got into -camp about one on the Saturday afternoon, and had billeted till four on -the Sunday morning, when we were ordered to harness up and prepare for -action, but we did not receive actual fighting orders until noon; then -we had to march into a place in the neighbourhood, and as soon as we -reached it German shells burst over us.</p> - -<p>That was the beginning of a long and terrible battle. We went straight -into it, without any warning; but the Germans were ready, and knew what -to expect, because they had been waiting for us for forty-eight hours.</p> - -<p>It was field artillery we were up against. The Germans at that time had -not got the big siege guns,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_018" id="page_018"></a>{18}</span> which we called Black Marias, Jack Johnsons -and Coal Boxes. I will tell you about them later.</p> - -<p>We, the drivers, took the guns up into action, then we retired under -cover with the horses. While we were retiring the bullets from the -German shells were dropping all around us, and farther away our men at -the guns and the other troops were carrying on that desperate fight -against immense odds which will be always known as the battle of Mons. -From start to finish we were heavily outnumbered, but we knocked them -out.</p> - -<p>We were soon hard at it, pounding away, while our infantry were simply -mowing the Germans down. We had some terrible fire to put up with, and -at the end of about four hours we were forced to retire from the -position. At that time we were the only battery left in action out of -the whole of our brigade.</p> - -<p>An officer was sent to reconnoitre, to see where we could retire to, and -he picked out a little valley, a sort of rain-wash, and the battery -thundered into it. This was a hard place to tackle, and all our -attention was needed to keep the horses from falling down, because the -ground was so rough and steep.</p> - -<p>So far we had not seen any of the German infantry at close quarters, but -as soon as we had got into the level of the valley we ran into a lot of -them, and saw that we were ambushed. In this ambush I had one of the -experiences that were so common in the retreat, but I was lucky enough -to come out of it safely. Many gallant deeds were done there which will -never be officially known—for instance, when we were going through the -valley and were being heavily fired on, and it seemed as if there was no -chance for us, Corporal Holiday ran the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_019" id="page_019"></a>{19}</span> gauntlet twice to warn us that -the enemy had us in ambush.</p> - -<p>We made a desperate effort to get out of the valley, but before we could -get clear many horses were shot down, amongst them being the one I was -riding. I did the only thing I could do—I lay there amongst the dead -horses. I had had a narrow shave, for my cap had been shot off by a -piece of shell.</p> - -<p>The first gun and two waggons had got through, and our corporal could -have got safely out, but he wasn’t built that way, and wasn’t thinking -about himself.</p> - -<p>He shouted, “Well, boys, your horses are down, and the best thing you -can do is to run for it.”</p> - -<p>I scrambled up and dashed through some brambles—they nearly scratched -me to pieces. Just as I and one or two more men got out five Germans -potted at us. I had no weapon—nothing except my whip—if we had had -arms we could have settled a lot of Germans that day—so I had to make a -dash for cover. But the corporal, with his rifle, did splendidly, for he -picked off three of the Germans, and the other two bolted.</p> - -<p>If it had not been for the corporal I should not have been here to tell -the tale; I should either have been killed or made a prisoner. Had it -not been for him, in fact, they would have wiped the lot of us -completely out.</p> - -<p>We were in that deadly ambush for about five hours—from five till -ten—no gunners with us, only drivers. It was night and dark, but the -darkness was made terrible by the glare of the villages which the -Germans had set fire to.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_020" id="page_020"></a>{20}</span></p> - -<p>There we were, ambushed and imprisoned in the valley, unable to move -either backward or forward, because the roadway was choked up with dead -horses.</p> - -<p>At last our major went away some distance, and inquired of a woman in a -house which would be the best way for us to get out of the valley. While -he was talking with her the house was surrounded by Germans, and it -seemed certain that he would be discovered; but in the darkness they -could not make him clearly out, and he was clever enough to shout to -them in their own language. It was a critical and dangerous time, but -the major scored. He baffled the Germans, and got himself out of the -house, and us out of the ambush in the valley. It was a splendid -performance and I believe the major was recommended for the D.S.O. on -account of it.</p> - -<p>We were thankful when we were clear of the valley, but about two miles -farther on we ran into some more Germans; there were Germans everywhere, -they swarmed over the whole countryside, day and night, and, as I have -told you, they heavily outnumbered us all the time and at every turn. -But by this time we were better able to meet them, for we had plenty of -infantry with us—Gordons, and Wiltshire and Sussex men—who were -joining in the retreat.</p> - -<p>That retirement was a terrible business. Our infantry had been fighting -in the trenches and in the open, and they were fighting all the time -they were retiring. The Germans gave them no rest, and, like the -barbarians some of them are, they showed no mercy to our wounded, as we -discovered when we got back to Mons again, as we did in time. We saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_021" id="page_021"></a>{21}</span> -lots of our wounded who had been killed by the butts of the Prussian -bullies’ rifles. They had the finest troops of Prussia at Mons, and I -suppose the braggarts wanted to get some of their own back for having -been so badly mauled by Sir John French’s “contemptible little army.”</p> - -<p>In the earlier hours of the battle, during that awful Sunday at Mons and -in the neighbourhood, the British had suffered heavily. Twelve men of my -own battery and a dozen of the horses had been killed, and a waggon -limber had been blown to pieces. Mind you, I am talking only of our own -battery and our own brigade, and dealing with only a very small part of -the battle. No man who shared in it can do more. Our brigade consisted -of three batteries of six guns each.</p> - -<p>It had been a day of ceaseless fighting and terrific strain on men and -horses, and we were utterly done up when we got into camp at about one -on the Monday morning. We hoped we might rest a bit, but we had to -harness up at two, and shift off at three, because the Germans were -preparing to shell the village we were in.</p> - -<p>There was a hospital in the village, and by that time a good many of our -wounded were in it. The Germans could see plainly enough that it was a -hospital, and knew that it must be filled with wounded, but they -deliberately shelled it and set fire to it. Our captain and my sergeant -were in the hospital when the Germans fired it, but I don’t know whether -they got away or were left in the burning building.</p> - -<p>By the time we were on the move again it was full daylight. We dropped -into action again three<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_022" id="page_022"></a>{22}</span> or four times, but were forced to resume our -retirement, harassed all the time by the Germans.</p> - -<p>During the retirement we had several shots at German aeroplanes, which -were flying about spying out our positions and signalling them to their -own people; but field-guns are not much use against aircraft, because -the muzzles cannot be elevated sufficiently high. You need howitzers for -the work, because they are specially made for high-angle fire and can -throw their shots right over aeroplanes.</p> - -<p>We were retiring from the Monday till the Wednesday; then we got the -order to drop into action again. That was at eight o’clock in the -morning, and by that time we were at Cambrai, a good distance from Mons, -as you can see from the map.</p> - -<p>Mons was bad, but Cambrai was far worse. We had been retreating all the -time, day and night, fighting a heavy rearguard action, so that men and -horses were utterly worn out. Again the artillery did splendid work, and -had to pay for it. The 6th Battery had lost two guns and a waggon at -Mons, because the horses were killed, and they also had another gun put -out of action. They lost a further gun at Cambrai, and the battery was -almost completely cut up, but for their loss we in the 23rd Battery were -able to make up in a way.</p> - -<p>Our own guns were concealed so cleverly that the Germans could not find -them anyhow. The nearest they could get to us was about fifty yards in -front or fifty yards behind, and in dropping shells fifty yards make a -lot of difference, as the Germans found to their cost. Our concealed -battery did heavy execution amongst them, and they deserved all they -got.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_023" id="page_023"></a>{23}</span></p> - -<p>When I was clear of the valley I got two fresh horses; but at Cambrai, -on the Wednesday, they were both killed. A shell burst and took off the -head of the riding horse, and bullets killed the off horse, so I was -dismounted again; and not a few of my chums were in the same unfortunate -position.</p> - -<p>Cambrai was the last battle we had before we turned the tables on the -Germans, and began to drive them back at the Marne, where a tremendous -fight went on for many days. Altogether we had been retiring pretty well -a week, and we rejoiced when the advance began.</p> - -<p>The advance made new men of us, especially when we saw what the Germans -had done. There were plenty of wrecks of our convoys on the roads, where -the enemy had got at them. That sort of thing was all right, of course, -and came in fairly enough in warfare; but it made our blood boil to see -the wanton damage that these so-called civilised soldiers had committed -on a people who had done no greater crime than defend their hearths and -families.</p> - -<p>You ask about German cruelties and barbarities. Well, I will tell you -something about what I saw myself, and people can form their own opinion -as to what generally happened.</p> - -<p>When the British troops retired from Mons the villages and the country -were untouched. No words can tell how kind the Belgians and the French -were to us, and I am glad to say that they were no worse for our passage -through their towns and villages and farms. They gave us food and wine, -and helped our sick and wounded, and wherever they were they did all -they could for us.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_024" id="page_024"></a>{24}</span></p> - -<p>Villages and towns and farms were peaceful and prosperous when we passed -through them first; but they were terribly changed when we returned and -went through them a second time, after the Germans had been at their -foul work. Sword, rifle, artillery and fire had done their dreadful -mischief, and deeds had been committed which filled us with horror. I -will mention two or three things by way of illustration, and these are -only instances of hosts of cases.</p> - -<p>On the first day of the advance we were passing through a small village. -I saw a little child which seemed to be propped up against a window. -There were some infantry passing at the same time as ourselves—Gordons, -I think they were—and one of the officers went into the cottage and -took the little creature from the window. He found that it was dead. The -Germans had killed it.</p> - -<p>The officer had a look over the house, and in the next room he found the -mother. She was dead also, and mutilated in a most ferocious way.</p> - -<p>The interior of the cottage was in a state of absolute wreckage. The -barbarians had not spared anything. They had destroyed the furniture, -thrown everything about, and done their best to ruin inoffensive people -whose country they had laid waste, and who had not done them the -slightest wrong. When our men saw that, they went almost mad.</p> - -<p>I will give you another instance. We passed through a village about two -hours after some of the braggart Uhlans had visited it, and we saw how -courageous they can be when they have only old men and women and -children to deal with. They sing a different song when the British -cavalry are after them. There was a farmhouse which had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_025" id="page_025"></a>{25}</span> the home -of two old people, a farmer and his wife. I believe the poor old couple -looked after the farm themselves.</p> - -<p>We found the old lady at the farm all alone, and I saw her. A pitiful -spectacle she was, and well she might be, for the Uhlans had come and -taken her poor old husband out into a field and shot him, and left his -dead body there. They had robbed the house of everything—all the money -and every bit of food—and had left the old lady almost demented.</p> - -<p>When our own troops came up they gave the poor old soul—she was sitting -outside the house, crying—the bully beef and biscuits which had been -served out to them that very morning, and which they themselves needed -badly.</p> - -<p>We heard of several cases like that from the people of the country as we -returned through it, and cases of these German bullies holding revolvers -to women’s heads and forcing the frightened creatures to give them their -rings and jewellery and everything they could lay their hands on. This -was the sort of thing we saw, or heard at first hand, and it made us all -the more thankful that we were driving the Germans back and getting -level with them.</p> - -<p>We fell into action that morning about seven o’clock. We had to make our -way straight across country, regardless of fields or roads; and all the -time the Germans shelled us. It didn’t matter where we were, the shells -fell beyond us; but the enemy weren’t clever enough to find our twelve -batteries, which were in action, and which properly “gave them socks.”</p> - -<p>We held that village till about eight o’clock, then we started on the -advance again, driving the Germans<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_026" id="page_026"></a>{26}</span> back; and when once they start going -they travel very quickly—when the enemy is after them.</p> - -<p>That was the last battle we had before we got to the river Marne. So -far, we had had a lot to do with the German field-guns; now we were to -make the acquaintance of the bigger chaps I have referred to—Black -Marias, Coal Boxes and Jack Johnsons, as I have said we called them, -because they fired a big shell, a 90-pounder, which burst and made a -thick cloud of filthy, greasy smoke which was enough to poison you if it -got at you. I believe that the fumes of some of the German shells will -actually kill you if you get them properly into your system.</p> - -<p>The Battle of the Marne was a long and big affair, lasting about three -weeks, and the Black Marias did a good deal of mischief. On the Sunday, -as our ambulance waggons retired, the Germans shelled them with these -siege guns, and blew them to pieces. At the finish there was not an -ambulance waggon available. Yes, that is what they did, and it was done -deliberately, because any soldier can tell an ambulance waggon when he -sees it.</p> - -<p>The Germans stuck at nothing to gain their ends; no trick is too dirty -for them to play. One particularly vile one was the using of ambulance -waggons for the purpose of carrying machine-guns. Our troops did not -dream of firing at ambulance waggons; but when we saw that this wicked -use was being made of them—and we did see it, for they came quite close -to us—we gave the Germans in them what for.</p> - -<p>The Germans tried three or four times to break through our lines, but -our Tommies were too good for them, and sent them back a great deal -faster than they had come on. They swept them away with rifle<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_027" id="page_027"></a>{27}</span> fire, and -the Germans never had a chance when our men could get fairly in with the -bayonet.</p> - -<p>During that long month of fighting we were in a good many places in -France and Belgium. At one time we were actually on the field of -Waterloo, and could see in the distance the monument put up in memory of -the battle. I dare say the Germans fancied they were going to do a lot -with us at Waterloo; but it all ended in fancy, and we kept on the -driving game with them till they were altogether forced back.</p> - -<p>When we could get at them we could beat them, though they were sometimes -about ten to one, and in one little affair I saw twenty of our -“Jocks”—Gordons, I think they were—scatter something like two hundred -Germans. The Jocks badly wanted to get at the Germans with the steel, -but the Germans just as badly didn’t want to be bayoneted, and those who -weren’t shot scuttled.</p> - -<p>The fighting was not the only hard part of the Battle of the Marne. For -nearly three weeks we never had a dry shirt on owing to the wet weather, -and we never had our boots off; we hadn’t time for it, and we were kept -too well at it. The poor horses were fearfully knocked up. They were -like us—never had a chance to rest—and were three or four days without -food.</p> - -<p>Once, during the retirement, we had only two hours’ rest in four days; -but we daren’t stop. Sometimes we were on foot, sometimes in the saddle, -and the Germans were after us in motor-lorries, full of troops.</p> - -<p>But however badly they handled us, I think it was nothing to the way in -which we mangled them when our artillery got really to work, and -especially when<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_028" id="page_028"></a>{28}</span> it came to “gun fire”—that is, rapid firing, each gun -firing as soon as it is loaded. This means that you take no time between -rounds; you simply blaze away, and the guns become quite hot. In one -particular position every sub-section fired 150 rounds, so that, taking -a whole battery, I should think they pretty well fired a thousand rounds -in a day.</p> - -<p>It was on the Marne that my fifth horse was killed under me. A shell -struck him, and before I could clear myself I fell over into a ditch, -the horse on top of me, shot and shell flying all around as I went over. -Two of my ribs were broken, and I was put out of action. I was picked up -and carried down to the camp. I was in hospital there for three days -before I was sent to London.</p> - -<p>I had a complete Uhlan’s uniform with me, and wanted to bring it home, -but this bit of the saddle is all I have left. The Uhlan’s saddle is a -wonderful thing, weighing 78 lb., compared with 12 lb. for the British -saddle. Here is the piece; you can see that it is filled in with -lead—why, I don’t know. And here is the torn khaki jacket I was wearing -when my fifth horse was killed under me at the Marne—and this part is -sodden with his blood.</p> - -<p>I had a round month of fighting, retreating, advancing, and fighting -again, and apart from the broken ribs I was utterly done up; but I am -pretty well again now. I am just off to see the doctor; the day after -to-morrow I am to get married, the next day I rejoin, and after -that—well, who can tell?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_029" id="page_029"></a>{29}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III<br /><br /> -<small>“GREENJACKETS” IN THE FIRING LINE</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, the famous old 60th Rifles, the -“Greenjackets,” I have had a large share in the war and have added -to their glorious distinctions. Many of the officers of this -regiment have given their lives for their country, amongst them -being Prince Maurice of Battenberg. Some details of the Prince’s -service in the war before he was killed in action are given in this -story by Rifleman Brice, of the 60th, who was wounded at the Battle -of the Aisne and invalided home.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">When</span> we first landed in France we were welcomed and cheered by crowds of -French people who decked us with flowers and couldn’t do too much for -us, and they kept that kindness up all the time I was over there until I -was sent home with a lot more wounded. Throwing flowers at us was a -great deal pleasanter than the shells and bullets which were shot at us -a few days later, when we were in the thick of trench-digging and -fighting. It’s astonishing how soon you settle down to a state of things -that you’ve never been used to and how extraordinarily war alters life -and people.</p> - -<p>The Greenjackets are very proud of themselves, especially in time of -peace, and have many little ways of their own; but a war like this makes -all soldiers chums and equals and even the officers are practically just -like the men. Our own colonel did his share in the trench-digging, and a -royal officer like Prince<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_030" id="page_030"></a>{30}</span> Maurice of Battenberg, who is now resting in -a soldier’s grave, was living the same life as the rest of us. Many an -act of kindness did the Prince show to his riflemen, and many a fierce -fight he shared in before he was killed in battle; many a word of cheer -did he utter to men who were almost exhausted and nearly dying of -thirst, and I have seen him go and buy fresh bread, when it could be -got, and give it to us as a treat—and a glorious treat it was!</p> - -<p>One of the first things we had to do after the retirement from Mons was -to bury German dead, and you will get some idea of the awful losses they -suffered, even at the beginning of the war, when I tell you that in one -place alone we were about eight hours in doing this unpleasant task.</p> - -<p>We got used to digging ourselves in and being shelled out, and to -guarding towns and villages while the panic-stricken inhabitants escaped -to safety. It was a pitiful sight to see people turned out of their -houses, taking their belongings, when they could, in carts, -perambulators, wheelbarrows and every available conveyance. They always -kept as close to us as they could keep, and our fellows used to collect -money amongst themselves for the poor souls and give them all the food -they could spare—and they were very grateful if we gave them only a -biscuit.</p> - -<p>It was terrible work on our way to the Aisne; but the hardships were -lightened for us in many little ways that counted a lot. Some of our -officers would carry two rifles, when men became too weary to carry -their own; the colonel would jump off his horse and give an exhausted -man a lift in the saddle, and he would take apples from his pockets and -pass them along the ranks to the men. These acts of kindness helped us<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_031" id="page_031"></a>{31}</span> -all enormously. And we were helped on the way by smoking—what a joy it -was to get a fag, especially when cigarettes ran so short that one would -go round a dozen times, passed from man to man, and a chap was sorely -tempted to take a pull that was almost enough to fill him with smoke. -When we hadn’t a scrap of tobacco of any sort we would roll a fag of -dried tea-leaves which had been used for making tea—and that was better -than nothing.</p> - -<p>It was fighting all the way to the Aisne, heavy rearguard actions most -of the time, though in a lesser war many of these affairs would have -been reckoned proper battles. One night, at about ten o’clock, after a -hard march, we had reached a town, and had thankfully gone into our -billets—houses, barns, any sort of place that came handy, and we were -expecting a peaceful time; but we were no sooner settling down than we -got the alarm to dress and fall in. Getting dressed was the work of -seconds only, because undressing was merely a case of putting the pack -and equipment and rifle down and resting on the flags or earth, or, if -we were lucky, hay or straw; and so, when the alarm was given, we very -soon fell in, and with fixed bayonets we rushed for a bridge across the -river that we had been ordered to take.</p> - -<p>At the point of the bayonet the bridge was carried with a splendid rush, -then we had to hold it while our transport and ammunition column got out -of the town, and there we were till seven o’clock next morning. The main -body of the troops retired and left us as a rearguard; but they had not -gone from the town more than ten minutes when we saw the Germans coming -towards the bridge in swarms. There was no<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_032" id="page_032"></a>{32}</span> help for it—we had to get -away from the bridge which we had held throughout the night.</p> - -<p>We began to retire in good order, fighting desperately, and our men -falling killed and wounded. Yard by yard we fell back from the bridge, -firing as furiously as we could at the German masses, and for half a -mile we kept up an unequal rearguard struggle. It seemed that we should -be hopelessly outnumbered and that there was little hope; then we saw -two divisions of the French advancing, and knew that we should pull -through. The French came on and gave us help, and, covering our -retirement, enabled us to get away from the bridge.</p> - -<p>It was in one of the charges on a bridge which was held by the Germans, -just before we got to the Aisne, that Prince Maurice distinguished -himself. He was very daring and was always one of the first in the -fighting, no matter where or what it was. I was not actually in the -charge, being in the supports behind; but I saw the charge made, and a -grand sight it was to watch our fellows rush forward with the steel and -take the bridge. At another time the Prince was in action with a German -rearguard and narrowly escaped death. I was in this affair, and saw a -German shell burst about a yard away. It plugged into the ground and -made a fine commotion and scattered earth and fragments around us; but a -chum and myself laughed as we dodged it, and that was the way we got -into of taking these explosions when we became used to the war. You -could not help laughing, even if you were a bit nervous. During this -fight Prince Maurice was shot through the cap, so that he had a shave -for his life, but he made light of his escape, and was very proud of the -hole in the cap, which he showed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_033" id="page_033"></a>{33}</span> us when he talked with us, as he -often did, before he fell.</p> - -<p>There were so many incidents of coolness and disregard of wounds that it -is not easy to recollect them all; but I call to mind that our adjutant, -Lieutenant Woods, was shot in a little affair with the Germans. A -sergeant had taken a maxim gun to put in position at a certain spot; but -he had gone the wrong way and the adjutant went after him to put things -right. He was too late, however, for the sergeant was spotted by the -Germans and was killed. The adjutant himself was struck, but managed to -get away, and he came back laughing and saying, “Oh! damn those Germans! -They’ve shot me in the leg!” But in spite of the wound he would not lie -up or let anybody do anything for him—he bound up the wound himself and -carried on.</p> - -<p>I saw another case, later, which illustrates the coolness of the British -officer and his determination not to leave the fight till he is forced -to do so. I was by that time wounded and in a temporary hospital, and -the artillery were keeping up one of the endless duels. The officer had -been struck, and he came into the hospital, and I saw that his hand had -been partially blown off; but instead of caving in, as he might well -have done, he had the hand bound up and put it in a sling, then he went -back to his battery just outside the windows and kept on pounding away -at the Germans.</p> - -<p>We had plenty of excitement with the German aeroplanes, and often potted -at them, but I did not see any of the machines brought down. I remember -one day when an aeroplane was trying to locate our position—we were -retiring through a French village—and a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_034" id="page_034"></a>{34}</span> brigade started firing at it. -Just when the aeroplane appeared, the little boys and girls of the -village were giving us delicious plums, which they were getting from the -trees. We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves, and the youngsters liked -it too, when the aeroplane swooped along and we instantly started firing -at it. So many rifles going made a tremendous rattle, and the poor -little boys and girls were terrified and ran off screaming, and -scattered in all directions. We shouted to them and tried to bring them -back, but they didn’t come, and disappeared in all sorts of -hiding-places. The aeroplane got away, I believe, but at any rate it did -no mischief at that particular spot. The French civilian folk got used -to running off and hiding. In another village we passed through we came -to a large house and found that three young ladies and their parents had -been forced into the cellar and locked there by the Germans. When we -entered the house, the prisoners were starving, and were thankful for -anything that we gave them; but they would not take any money from us. -The young ladies spoke English quite nicely.</p> - -<p>We got quite used to aeroplanes—our own, the Germans, and the French, -and saw several thrilling fights in the air. Once we saw a French -aeroplane furiously fired on by the Germans—a regular cannonade it was; -but the shells and bullets never got at it, and the aeroplane escaped. -It was wonderful to see the way the machine shot down, as if nothing -could prevent it from smashing on the ground, then to watch it suddenly -turn upward and soar away as safely and swiftly as a bird. The airman’s -idea seemed to be to dodge the fire, and he darted about in such a -bewildering fashion that no gunner or rifleman could hope to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_035" id="page_035"></a>{35}</span> do -anything with him. We were all greatly excited by this thrilling -performance in the air, and glad when we knew that the plucky Frenchman -had been swift enough to dodge the shells and bullets.</p> - -<p>We had had some very trying work to do, and now we were going to get our -reward for it. Some of the hardest of the work was that about which -people hear nothing, and perhaps never even think—on sentry at night, -for instance, about the most nerve-racking job you can imagine. We were -always double sentry, and stood for two hours about five yards from each -other, like statues, never moving. I always felt funky at this sort of -work at the start—you can imagine such a lot in the dark and the strain -is so heavy. At the slightest sound the rifle would be presented, and -the word “Halt!” ring out—just that word and nothing more, and if there -wasn’t an instant satisfactory reply it was a bad look-out for the other -party. The Germans were very cunning at getting up to some of the -British outposts and sentries, and as so many of them speak English very -well, they were dangerous customers to tackle, and this added to the -heavy strain of sentry work at night.</p> - -<p>Now I come to the Battle of the Aisne. I had three days and nights of it -before I was bowled out.</p> - -<p>A strange thing happened on the first day of the battle, and that was -the appearance of a little black dog. I don’t know where he came from, -or why he joined us, but he followed the battalion all the rest of the -time I was with it, and not only that, but he went into action, so he -became quite one of us.</p> - -<p>Once, in the darkness, we walked into a German outpost. We found it -pretty hard going just about there, for the German dead were so thick -that we had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_036" id="page_036"></a>{36}</span> to walk over them. That march in the night was a wonderful -and solemn thing. Three columns of us were going in different -directions, yet moving so quietly that you could scarcely hear a sound. -All around us, in that Valley of the Aisne, were burning buildings and -haystacks, making a terrible illumination, and showing too well what war -means when it is carried on by a nation like the Germans, for this -burning and destroying was their doing.</p> - -<p>Silently, without any talking, we went on, and then we fell into the -outpost. I heard the stillness of the night broken by the sharp sound of -voices, a sound which was instantly followed by shots, and the furious -barking of our little dog, which up to that point had been perfectly -quiet. The shots were fired by Captain Woollen, who killed two of the -Germans, and one of our men shot a third. We left them where they fell -and retired as quickly as we could; but we had done what we started out -to do, and that was to find the position of the enemy.</p> - -<p>While advancing again we caught a column of Germans. Our brigade-major -saw them and came tearing back and told us that they were about fourteen -hundred yards to the left of us. Within ten minutes we had a firing line -made and our artillery was in position as well. It was a grand sight to -see our fellows running into the firing line smoking cigarettes, as cool -as if they were doing a bit of skirmishing on training.</p> - -<p>We gave the Germans about three hours’ hot firing, then a company went -round to take the prisoners. The white flag had been shown, but we had -not been allowed to take any notice of that until we were sure of our -men, because the Germans had so often made a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_037" id="page_037"></a>{37}</span> wrong use of the signal of -surrender. When the company got round to the Germans it was found that -they had already thrown down their rifles. Our brigade took about 500 -prisoners, and the rest we handed over to the 1st Division. The Germans -had about a mile and a half of convoy, which got away; but the French -captured it in the evening, and so made a very nice little complete -victory of the affair.</p> - -<p>At that time, early in the war, the Germans thought they were going to -have it all their own way, and they considered that any trick, white -flag or otherwise, was good enough. So certain were they about victory -that in one village we passed through we saw written on a wall, in -English, evidently by a German, “We will do the tango in Paris on the -13th.” We laughed a good deal when we read that boast, and well we -might, for it was on the 13th that we saw the writing on the wall, and -the Germans by that time were getting driven a long way back from the -French capital.</p> - -<p>On the Monday morning we went out as flank guard on the Aisne, and were -going along behind some hills when our captain spotted swarms of Germans -coming up over a ridge about twelve hundred yards away. He ordered two -platoons to go out and line the ridge, and for the ridge we went. When -we reached it, our captain told us that not a man was to show his head -over the ridge until he gave the word to fire.</p> - -<p>The Germans came on, getting nearer and nearer, in dense masses, and it -was the hardest thing in the world not to let fly at them. They advanced -till they were about seven hundred yards away, then we showed them what -British rifles could do. We simply went for them, and our rifles got so -hot that we could<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_038" id="page_038"></a>{38}</span> scarcely hold them. Despite that awful hail of -bullets the Germans came on, and hurled themselves against us till they -were not more than a hundred yards away; then we wanted to charge them, -and begged to be let loose with the bayonet, but our captain told us -that there were not enough of us to do it. So we retired to our own -battalion, the whole of which had the joy of going for them. But the -Germans didn’t wait for us. They don’t like the British steel, and when -we had pushed them right back, without actually getting at them, they -cleared off.</p> - -<p>This was the kind of thing that went on in the Valley of the Aisne. It -was work in the open and work in the trenches, on top of the incessant -fighting we had had. On the third day, at night, we had just come out of -the trenches, having been relieved by another company. We were in good -spirits, for we had been sent to a barn, where we were to spend the -night. That was a splendid bit of luck, because it meant that we were to -get a nice rest and have a good time. The barn had hay in it, and we -simply packed the place. It was on a farm, and during the day we had -seen the farmer and his wife. There was a village near, with a church -and houses, and it had proved a fine target for the Germans, who -constantly shelled the place. We had got quite into the way of watching -the shells burst about fifty yards in front of us, and it really was a -grand sight to sit and gaze at them. We sometimes did this when we were -so heavily bombarded that we could do nothing with the rifle or bayonet. -Little did we know what was in store for us at the barn from shells.</p> - -<p>The night passed and the morning came. We breakfasted and made ready to -march; but were</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_038fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_038fp_sml.jpg" width="500" height="330" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 38. - - -“THE GERMANS CAME ON AND HURLED THEMSELVES AGAINST US.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 38.</span> -<br /> - -“THE GERMANS CAME ON AND HURLED THEMSELVES AGAINST US.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_039" id="page_039"></a>{39}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">ordered to hold back a bit, and so we put aside our packs and rifles and -had a sing-song to pass the time. It was one of the most surprising -concerts ever held, I daresay, because all the time about three German -batteries were shelling us, and occasionally a shell burst very near us -and made an awful commotion. We were still packed in the barn, quite -cheerful, when the sergeant who was in charge of us, and was acting as -sergeant-major, told us to fall in.</p> - -<p>He had hardly spoken the words when the very building seemed to -collapse, the wall was blown in, the roof fell, timbers crashed down and -the barn was filled with a horrible smoke and dust, and there were -deafening and awful cries—screams and groans where a few moments -earlier there had been the sound of merriment, for a German shell had -crashed through the wall and exploded in the very thick of us.</p> - -<p>I was lying down in the barn, with my pack on, when this thing happened. -I sprang to my feet and dashed to the door and rushed into the open air, -but as soon as I had left the building a second shell came and burst and -I was knocked down. I tried to rise, but my leg was numb, and so I had -to wait till the stretcher-bearers came and took me to a big white house -about three hundred yards away, which had been turned into a hospital, -and there I was put with the rest of the wounded. For about ten minutes -I had to wait outside, and there I was struck by a piece of spent shell, -but not much hurt. When we were carried off in the stretchers we were -kept near the bank of the road, to avoid as much as possible the German -fire.</p> - -<p>At the hospital it was found that I had been wounded in the leg; but I -did not care so much about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_040" id="page_040"></a>{40}</span> myself, I wanted to know what had happened -in the barn. I soon learned the dreadful truth—the shells had killed -eleven of the men and wounded thirty-two, some of whom died afterwards.</p> - -<p>Prince Maurice was close at hand when this happened, and at night he -attended the burial of the poor fellows near the barn. About an hour -after the men were killed he came into the house to see us. “How are you -getting on?” he asked me. “I am so sorry such a dreadful thing has -happened.” And he looked it, too.</p> - -<p>I was in the hospital three days before being sent home. All that time -there were villagers in the cellars of the hospital, terrified people -who were hiding from the German fire, and were fed from our transport.</p> - -<p>A lot was crowded into that retirement from Mons and the advance to the -Aisne. We had kept our spirits up and had not been downhearted, and when -the great day came which brought the order to advance and fight the -enemy, we positively shouted and sang. And this was not just swank; it -was a real expression of our feelings, for we wanted to do our bit for -the Empire.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_041" id="page_041"></a>{41}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /><br /> -<small>THE STRUGGLE ON THE AISNE</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The Battle of the Aisne began on Sunday, September 13th, 1914, -when the Allies crossed the river. The Germans made furious efforts -to hack their way through to Paris, but after a struggle lasting -three weeks they were driven back with enormous losses. The British -losses were: 561 officers and 12,980 men in killed, wounded and -missing. The beginning of this tremendous conflict is told by -Private Herbert Page, of the Coldstream Guards, who was wounded and -had a wonderful escape from instant death on the battlefield.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">There</span> was fierce fighting all day on Sunday, September 13th, when the -Battle of the Aisne began; but the Coldstreamers were not in it till the -Monday. We had had a lot of heavy fighting, though, since the beginning -of the business at Mons, and we had had a fine fight at Landrecies—a -fight which has been specially mentioned in despatches. At the end of it -all the men in my company—Number 2—had their names taken, but I don’t -know why. Anyway, it was a grand affair, and no doubt some day the real -full story of it will be told and everybody will know what the -Coldstreamers did there. Landrecies is particularly an affair of the 3rd -Coldstreamers.</p> - -<p>We had had a very hard time, fighting and marching and sleeping in the -open during the cold nights and in thick mud or in trenches that were -deep in water; but with it all we kept very cheerful, especially when<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_042" id="page_042"></a>{42}</span> -we knew that we had brought the Germans up with a jerk and were -beginning to roll them back.</p> - -<p>The Coldstreamers were in the open all day on the Sunday, right on the -side of the artillery, behind a big hill, and were very comfortable. The -artillery on both sides were hard at it, but the Germans could not get -our range and no shells came near us. It was harvest time, and we were -lying down on sheaves of wheat, and making ourselves as cosy as we -could. That was not altogether easy to do, because it was raining during -the best part of the day and everything was rather depressing and very -wet. But we put our oilsheets on the ground, our greatcoats over the -oilsheets, and straw on the top of ourselves, so that we were really -pretty snug, taken altogether. The straw, I fancy, was put there not so -much to give us comfort as to hide us from the view of the chaps who -were always flying about in the German aeroplanes, trying to spot us and -make our positions known to their own gunners.</p> - -<p>Our own aeroplanes and the Germans’ were very busy during that Sunday, -and shells were flying about them on both sides, but I don’t think they -were doing much mischief. We ourselves were doing very nicely indeed. -Our transport came up and issued new biscuits, and we got a pot of jam -each—and delicious they were, too. We enjoyed them immensely, and -didn’t care a rap about the German shells. Our transport was splendid, -and we always had something to go on with. There was no fixed time for -any meal, there couldn’t be, for we used to march about fifty minutes -and take ten minutes’ halt. If we were on a long day’s march we would -get an hour or two at dinner-time, usually from one o’clock. It was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_043" id="page_043"></a>{43}</span> -funny country we were in, hot in the daytime and cold at night; but we -soon got used to that. We were helped enormously by the kindness of the -French, and we got on very well with the people and had not much -difficulty in making ourselves understood, especially as we picked up a -few words of the language—and we could always make signs. When we -wanted a drink we would hold out our water-bottles and say “loo,” and -they laughed and rushed off and filled our bottles with water.</p> - -<p>On the way to the Valley of the Aisne we passed through towns and -villages where the Germans had been and we saw what outrages they had -committed on both people and property. They had recklessly destroyed -everything. They had thrown poor people’s property out of the windows -into the streets and pulled their bedding into the roads to lie on -themselves. The Germans acted like barbarians wherever they went—I saw -one poor child who was riddled with bullets. We ourselves had strict -orders against looting of any sort, but we did not dream of touching -other people’s property. Whenever we came to a town or village we warned -the people to get away, as the Germans were coming, and they went. It -was always pleasant to hear them say—as they did to our officers, who -spoke to them in French—that they felt safe when the English were -there.</p> - -<p>The river Aisne runs through lovely country, which looks a bit of a -wreck now, because we had to rush across the open and trample down the -wheat to get at the Germans. The country’s crops were spoiled, but the -damage we did was trifling compared with the devastation that the -Germans caused.</p> - -<p>Throughout that Sunday when the Battle of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_044" id="page_044"></a>{44}</span> Aisne opened we had no -casualties, and the day passed pretty well. At night we slept in a barn, -which was better than the wet fields. There were no rats, but plenty of -rabbits, for the people of the farm seemed to breed them and to have -left the hutches open. That night in the barn gave me the best rest I -had had since Mons, as I was not even on guard. We had a good breakfast -in the barn, tea, bully beef and biscuits, and marched off soon after -six in the morning, which was very wet and cold. We marched about four -miles, until we came to the Aisne, to a bridge that had been blown up -and so shattered that there was only a broken girder left. The rest of -the bridge was in the river, which was very deep in the middle, after -the heavy rains.</p> - -<p>We were now properly in the thick of the battle and a fierce business it -was, because the Germans had the range of us and were dropping shells as -fast as they could fire. Some of the Guards were got across by boats, -but we had to wait our turn to cross over a pontoon bridge which the -Engineers had put up, in spite of the heavy fire.</p> - -<p>We felt the German artillery fire at this place, near the village of -Vendresse, but we could not see them. We watched the Loyal North -Lancashires cross the pontoon bridge and saw them march away on the -other side of the river, which was well wooded, then we heard them -firing hard and knew that they were in action with the Germans. We were -not long in following the North Lancashires and over the pontoon bridge -we went, going very quietly, as we had been told to make as little noise -as possible. In about an hour we were properly in the business -ourselves.</p> - -<p>After crossing the river we began to feel that at last<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_045" id="page_045"></a>{45}</span> we were really -at the Germans. We made the best of the shelter that the wood gave us, -and from behind trees and from the sodden ground we kept up a -destructive fire on the enemy, getting nearer to him all the time. -Things were growing very hot and the whole countryside rang with the -crashing of the guns and the everlasting rattle of the rifles and -machine-guns. We were expecting more of our men to cross the river and -reinforce us, but the German guns had got the range of the pontoons and -no more of our men could cross, so that for the time being we were cut -off and had to do as best we could with one of the very strong -rearguards of the enemy.</p> - -<p>When we had put some good firing in from the wood we left the shelter of -the trees and got into the open country, and then we were met by a shell -fire which did a great deal of mischief amongst us. These shells were -the big chaps that we called Jack Johnsons, and one came and struck an -officer of the North Lancashires who was standing on the right of his -line. I was not far from him, being on the left of our own line. The -shell shattered both his legs and he fell to the ground. I hurried up, -and the first thing the officer asked for was a smoke. We propped him up -against a haycock and a chap who had some French tobacco made a fag and -gave it to the officer—nobody had a cigarette ready made. He smoked -half of it and died. By that time the stretcher-bearers had come up and -were taking him away. Before he left for the rear I gently pulled his -cap over his face. This affair filled the men around with grief, but it -put more heart into us to go on fighting the Germans.</p> - -<p>Our artillery now began to fire rapidly and the Germans started to -retire. There was a big bunch<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_046" id="page_046"></a>{46}</span> of them, and they made for the hill as -fast as they could go, meaning to scuttle down the other side and get -away. But our gunners were too sharp for them, and they were properly -roused up by that time. They came up in splendid style—the 117th Field -Battery, I think they were—and just as the Germans reached the top of -the hill in a solid body our gunners dropped three shells straight into -them, and three parts of the flying Germans stopped on the top of the -hill—dead.</p> - -<p>I could not say how many Germans there were against us at this place, -but I know that they came on in swarms, and they went down as fast as we -could fire. But their going down seemed to make no difference to their -numbers. They were only a few hundred yards away, and we could see them -quite plainly. They were running all over the place, like a lot of mad -sheep, they were so excited. And they were blowing trumpets, like our -cavalry trumpets, and beating drums and shouting “Hoch! Hoch!” as hard -as they could shout.</p> - -<p>They kept blowing their charge and banging their drums till they were -about 300 yards away, and shouting their “Hochs!” They shouted other -words as well, but I don’t know what they were.</p> - -<p>When our chaps heard the trumpets and drums going and the German cheers -they answered with a good old British “Hooray!” and a lot of them -laughed and shouted, “Here comes the Kaiser’s rag-time band! We’ll give -you ‘Hoch!’ when you get a bit nearer!” And I think we did. At any rate -we kept on firing at them all the time they were advancing; but they -swept ahead in such big numbers that we were forced to retire into the -wood.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_047" id="page_047"></a>{47}</span></p> - -<p>As soon as we got into the wood we came under very heavy machine-gun -fire from the Germans, and the bullets rained about us, driving into the -earth and into the trees and whizzing all around us everywhere. The -German shells were smashing after us, too, but were not doing much -damage at that point.</p> - -<p>It was now that I lost a very old chum of mine, a fine chap from -Newcastle named Layden, a private. He was in the thick of the -machine-gun fire, a few paces from me, when he suddenly cried out and I -knew that he was hit. The first thing he said was, “Give me a cigarette. -I know I shan’t go on much longer.” When we asked him what the matter -was he said he was hurt. “Are you wounded?” he was asked. “Yes, I’m hit -in the stomach,” he answered—and he was, by about seventeen bullets.</p> - -<p>The call went round for a cigarette, but nobody had one—lots of -cigarettes were sent out to the soldiers that never reached them—but -poor Layden was soon beyond the need of fags. He was delirious when our -stretcher-bearers came and took him to a barn which had been turned into -a temporary hospital. He lingered there for some time; but the last I -saw of him was on the field. I missed him badly, because we had been -good chums, and whatever we got we used to give each other half of it.</p> - -<p>For about five hours, until two o’clock in the afternoon, that part of -the battle went on, and all the time we were holding the Germans back; -then we were reinforced by the remainder of our troops, who came across -the pontoon bridge to our assistance.</p> - -<p>The Germans now seemed to think that they had had enough of it and they -held up white flags, and we left the shelter of the wood and went out to -capture<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_048" id="page_048"></a>{48}</span> them. I should think that there were about three hundred of the -Germans at that point who pretended to surrender by holding up the white -flag; but as soon as we were up with them their people behind fired at -us—a treacherous trick they practised very often. In spite of it all we -managed to get the best part of the prisoners safe and drove them in -before us to our own lines. When they really surrendered, and did not -play the white flag game, we used to go up and take all their rifles, -bayonets and ammunition, and throw them away out of their reach, so that -they could not make a sudden dash for them and turn on us. When we had -chased a few prisoners and had seen what the Germans meant by the white -flag signal, we were told to take no notice of it, but to keep on -shooting till they put their hands up.</p> - -<p>A lot of the prisoners spoke English and said how glad they were to be -captured and have no more fighting to do. Some said they loved England -too much to want to fight against us, and a German said, “Long live King -George, and blow the Kaiser!” But I don’t know how many of them meant -what they said—you can’t depend on Germans.</p> - -<p>We had plenty of talks with the German prisoners who could speak -English. Some of them who had lived in England spoke our language quite -well, and it was very interesting to hear what they had to say about us -and the French and the Belgians. They couldn’t stand the British -cavalry, and one man said, “We don’t like those Englishmen on the grey -horses at all,” meaning the Scots Greys. Several of the prisoners said -they didn’t mind so much fighting the French, because the French -infantry fired too high, nor the Russians, because they fired too low; -“but,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_049" id="page_049"></a>{49}</span> they said, “every time the Englishman pulls the trigger he means -death.” That was a very nice compliment to us, and there was a great -deal of truth in what was said about the British rifle fire. I can -assure you that when we settled down to the work we often enough plugged -into the Germans just as if we were on manœuvres.</p> - -<p>At the very first—and I’m not ashamed to say it—I shook like a leaf -and fired anyhow and pretty well anywhere; but when that first awful -nervousness had passed—not to return—we went at it ding-dong all the -time and fired as steadily as if we were on the ranges. The men were -amazingly cool at the business—and as for the officers, well, they -didn’t seem to care a rap for bullets or shells or anything else, and -walked about and gave orders as if there were no such things in the -world as German soldiers.</p> - -<p>Most of the poor beggars we took were ravenous for want of food, and -those who could speak English said they had been practically without -food for days, and we saw that they had had to make shift with the oats -that the horses were fed with. This starvation arose from the fact that -a few days earlier we had captured the German transport and left them -pretty short of food.</p> - -<p>That rush after the Germans and bagging them was exciting work. It was -successful and everything seemed to be going very well. But there was a -nasty surprise in store for me and one which very nearly ended my career -as a fighting man. I had really a miraculous escape.</p> - -<p>I had charge of about four prisoners, and kept them well in front of me, -so that they could not rush me. I kept them covered with my rifle all -the time, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_050" id="page_050"></a>{50}</span> as I had ten rounds in my magazine I knew that they -wouldn’t have a ghost of a chance if they tried any German tricks on -me—I could easily have finished the lot before they could have got at -me.</p> - -<p>As I was driving the prisoners I felt as if some one had come up and -punched me on the ear. I did not know whether I had been actually hit by -somebody or shot, but I turned my head and at once fell to the ground. I -was swiftly up again on my feet and scrambled about. I knew that I was -hurt, but the thing I mostly cared about just then was my bag of -prisoners, so I handed them over to another man, and he took them in. I -then found that I had been shot in the neck by a bullet. It had gone in -at the collar of the jacket, at the back of the neck—here’s the hole it -made—and through the neck and out here, where the scar is, just under -the jaw. A narrow shave? Yes, that’s what the doctor said—it had just -missed the jugular vein. The shot bowled me out, but it was a poor -performance by the German who fired, because he could not have been more -than three hundred yards away, and being six foot one I made a big -target at that short distance. Anyway, he missed me and I was told to go -to a barn not far away which had been turned into a hospital, bed -mattresses having been placed on the floor. Here my kit was taken off me -and I was looked after at once, my kit being given to a North Lancashire -man who had lost his own and had been without one for three days. He had -been in a small battle and had had to take his choice between dropping -his kit and being caught; so he got rid of his kit and was able to -escape. When he left the barn he went into the firing line, but he only -lasted about ten minutes there. I had seen him leave</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_050fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_050fp_sml.jpg" width="361" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 50. - - -“FROM BEHIND TREES WE KEPT UP A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE ON THE ENEMY.” (p. -45)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 50.</span> - -<br /> -“FROM BEHIND TREES WE KEPT UP A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE ON THE ENEMY.” (<a href="#page_045">p. 45</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_051" id="page_051"></a>{51}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">and I saw him brought back by the stretcher-bearers. As soon as he was -inside the barn he asked where I was, and he was told and was laid down -close to me. “Look here, old chap,” he said pleasantly, “if you’d only -been ten minutes later I shouldn’t have been here, because I shouldn’t -have got your kit and gone into the firing line and got hit.”</p> - -<p>Perhaps he was right. He might have escaped; but as it was he had been -shot through both legs.</p> - -<p>I didn’t like being in the barn and out of the fighting. It was better -to be in the firing line, with all its excitement and the knowledge that -you were doing your bit to help things along and drive the Germans back -to the best place for them, and that’s Germany; but our officers, who -never lost a chance of cheering and helping us, came in when they could -to see how we were getting on. During the afternoon my company officer, -Captain Brocklehurst, and the adjutant, came in to see how things were -going. Captain Brocklehurst saw me and said, “There are not many of the -company left; but we’re doing wonderfully well. We’ve killed a good many -of the Germans and taken about five hundred prisoners.” That was good -news, very good, but it was even better when the captain added, “And -we’re pushing them back all the time.”</p> - -<p>The guns were booming and the rifles were crackling all around us while -we were lying in the barn, and wounded men were being constantly brought -in, keeping the doctors and the ambulance men terribly busy—and you can -imagine what it must have meant for the Germans if it was like that for -us; because we fought in open order, so that we were not easy to hit, -whereas the Germans were in their solid formation,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_052" id="page_052"></a>{52}</span> which meant that -they could not advance against the British fire without being mown down.</p> - -<p>I was in the barn, which was crowded with wounded, till about one -o’clock in the morning, then we were taken in Red Cross vans to another -hospital about three miles away, and as we left the French people showed -us all the kindness they could, giving us water, milk and food, in fact -all they had. We crossed the pontoon bridge and were put into another -barn which had been turned into a hospital, and we stayed there for the -night. We left that place in the morning for La Fère, about twenty miles -away. There were a great many motor waggons being used as ambulances, -and they were all needed, because of the crowds of wounded. All of us -who could walk had to do so, as all the vans and lorries were wanted for -the bad cases. I could manage to walk for about a mile at a stretch, but -I could not use my arms. When I had done a mile, I rested, then went on -again, and so I got to the end of the journey, with a lot more who were -just about able to do the same. We didn’t grumble, because we were -thankful to be able to walk at all and not to be so badly wounded that -we could not shift for ourselves. When we got to La Fère the hospital -was so full that we were put straight into a hospital train, and I was -in it for two days and nights, stopping at stations for brief halts. -Again the French people were kindness itself and pressed food and drink -on us. We got to Nantes, where my wound was dressed and we had supper, -and then I had what seemed like a taste of heaven, for I was put into a -proper bed. Yes, after sleeping for so many nights on the ground, anyhow -and anywhere, often enough in mud and water, it was like getting into -heaven itself to get into<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_053" id="page_053"></a>{53}</span> a bed. On the Saturday they put us on board a -ship and took us round to Liverpool, a four days’ journey on the sea. -First we went to Fazackerley, and then I was lucky enough to be sent on -to Knowsley Hall, where Lady Derby, who has a son in France with the -Grenadiers, had turned the state dining-room into a hospital ward. There -were sixteen Guardsmen in the ward, with four trained nurses to look -after us. Wasn’t that a contrast to the barns and flooded trenches! Now -I’m back in London, feeling almost fit again, and soon I shall have to -report myself.</p> - -<p>I have only told you about the little bit I saw myself of the tremendous -Battle of the Aisne. Considering the length of it and the fearful nature -of the firing, it sometimes strikes me as a very strange thing that I -should be alive at all; but stranger still that some men went through it -all, right away from the beginning at Mons, and escaped without a -scratch.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_054" id="page_054"></a>{54}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V<br /><br /> -<small>“THE MOST CRITICAL DAY OF ALL”</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[In the first four months of the war nineteen Victoria Crosses were -gazetted for valour in the field, and of these no fewer than five -were awarded for the sanguinary fighting at Le Cateau on August -26th, 1914. In his despatch dealing with the retreat from Mons Sir -John French described the 26th as “the most critical day of all.” -It was during this crisis of the battle that Corporal Frederick -William Holmes, of the 2nd Battalion The King’s Own (Yorkshire -Light Infantry), “carried a wounded man out of the trenches under -heavy fire and later assisted to drive a gun out of action by -taking the place of a driver who had been wounded.” Corporal Holmes -has not only won the Victoria Cross, but he has been also awarded -the Médaille Militaire of the Legion of Honour of France. His story -gives further proof of the wondrous courage and endurance of the -gallant British Army in Belgium and in France.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">For</span> seven years I was with the colours in the old 51st, which is now the -Yorkshire Light Infantry, then I was drafted to the Reserve; but I was -called back only a fortnight later, when the war broke out.</p> - -<p>The regimental depôt is at Pontefract, in South Yorkshire, which some -unkind people say is the last place that God started and never finished, -and in August, having become a soldier again, after marrying and -settling down to civil life in Dublin, I found myself in a region which -was almost like the South Yorkshire coalfields. There were the same -pit-heads and shale-heaps, so that you could almost think you were in -England again—but how different from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_055" id="page_055"></a>{55}</span> England’s calmness and security! -It was around these pit-heads and shale-heaps that some of the fiercest -fighting of the earlier days of the war took place.</p> - -<p>We had left Dublin and reached Havre at midnight; we had been to the -fortified town of Landrecies, where the Coldstreamers were to do such -glorious things, and had got to Maroilles, where Sir Douglas Haig and -the 1st Division became heavily engaged. We were at Maroilles, in -billets, from the 18th to the 21st. Billets meant almost anything, and -we lived and slept in all sorts of places as well as the trenches—but -being in the open in summer was no hardship. The fields had been -harvested and we often slept on the stacks of corn.</p> - -<p>The people were really most kind; they gave us every mortal thing as we -marched, beer, wine, cigarettes and anything else there was.</p> - -<p>At five o’clock on the Saturday afternoon we were billeted in a brewery, -where we stayed till Sunday noon, when, as we were having dinner, shells -were bursting and beginning things for us. We were ordered to take up a -position about two miles from Mons, and on that famous Sunday we went -into action near a railway embankment.</p> - -<p>People by this time know all about Mons, so I will only say that after -that hard business we retired towards Le Cateau, after fighting all day -on the 24th and all the following night. After that we took up a -position on outpost and stayed on outpost all night, then, at about two -in the morning, we dropped into some trenches that we had previously -occupied.</p> - -<p>I know what Mons was and I went through the battles of the Marne and the -Aisne; but nothing I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_056" id="page_056"></a>{56}</span> had seen could be compared for fury and horror -with the stand of the 5th Division on the 26th. It was essentially a -fight by the 5th, because that was the only division employed at Le -Cateau. The division was composed of three brigades, the 12th, 13th and -14th. My battalion, the 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry, was in the 13th, -the other battalions with us being the West Riding, the King’s Own -Scottish Borderers and the West Kent.</p> - -<p>There were some coal-pit hills in front of us and the Germans advanced -over them in thousands. That was about eleven o’clock in the morning, -and the firing began in real earnest again.</p> - -<p>The Germans by this time were full of furious hope and reckless courage, -because they believed that they had got us on the run and that it was -merely a question of hours before we were wiped out of their way. Their -blood was properly up, and so was ours, and I think we were a great deal -hotter than they were, though we were heavily outnumbered. We hadn’t the -same opinion of German soldiers that the Germans had, and as they rushed -on towards us we opened a fire from the trenches that simply destroyed -them.</p> - -<p>Some brave deeds were done and some awful sights were seen on the top of -the coal-pits. A company of Germans were on one of the tops and an -officer and about a dozen men of the “Koylis” went round one side of the -pit and tried to get at them. Just as they reached the back of the pit -the German artillery opened fire on the lot, Germans and all—that was -one of their tricks. They would rather sacrifice some of their own men -themselves than let any of ours escape—and they lost many in settling -their account with the handful of Englishmen<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_057" id="page_057"></a>{57}</span> who had rushed behind the -pit at a whole company of Germans.</p> - -<p>Hereabouts, at the pits, the machine-gun fire on both sides was -particularly deadly. Lieutenant Pepys, who was in charge of the -machine-gun of our section, was killed by shots from German -machine-guns, and when we went away we picked him up and carried him -with us on the machine-gun limber until we buried him outside a little -village in a colliery district.</p> - -<p>He was a very nice gentleman and the first officer to go down. When he -fell Lieutenant N. B. Dennison, the brigade machine-gun officer, took -charge. He volunteered to take over the gun, and was either killed or -wounded. Then Lieutenant Unett, the well-known gentleman jockey, crawled -on his stomach to the first line of the trenches, with some men, -dragging a machine-gun behind them. They got this gun into the very -front of the line of the trenches, then opened fire on the Germans with -disastrous effect. Lieutenant Unett was wounded and lay in the open all -the time.</p> - -<p>This gallant deed was done between twelve noon and one o’clock, and I -was one of the few men who saw it. I am glad to be able to pay my humble -tribute to it.</p> - -<p>There was a battery of the Royal Field Artillery on our left rear, about -800 yards behind the front line of trenches. Our gunners had such -excellent range on the Germans that the German gunners were finding them -with high explosive shell. It was mostly those shells that were dropping -on them till they got the range and killed the gunners. There were only -about five who were not either killed or wounded.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_058" id="page_058"></a>{58}</span> The officer was -wounded; but in spite of that he carried a wounded man round the bottom -of the hill, then went back and fetched another man and repeated the -journey until he had taken every one of the five away. After that he -returned, picked up a spade and smashed the sights of the gun and made -it useless. We heard some time afterwards that he had been killed.</p> - -<p>This brave deed was witnessed by most of us who were in the front line -of trenches.</p> - -<p>When the German guns were got into position in front of us and the -Germans tried their hardest to blow us out of our trenches, they -searched for our artillery and, failing to discover it, they grew more -determined than ever to rout us out of the place from which we were -doing deadly damage.</p> - -<p>In spite of the heavy losses around us we held on, and all the more -stubbornly because we expected every moment that the French would come -up and reinforce us. The French were due about four o’clock, but owing -to some accident they did not arrive, and it seemed as if nothing could -save us.</p> - -<p>There was a falling off in our artillery fire, and it was clear that one -of our batteries had been put out of action. And no wonder, for the -German guns were simply raining shells upon us. The Germans at that time -were sticking to the dense formations which had been their practice -since the war began—and they hurled themselves forward in clouds -towards the 37th Field Battery.</p> - -<p>So furiously did they rush, so vast were their numbers, and so certain -were they that they had the guns as good as captured, that they actually -got within a hundred yards of the battery.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_059" id="page_059"></a>{59}</span></p> - -<p>It was at this terrible crisis that Captain Douglas Reynolds and -volunteers rushed up with two teams and limbered up two guns, and in -spite of all the German batteries and rifles did one gun was saved. This -was a wonderful escape, in view of the nearness of the German infantry -and their numbers, and for their share in the desperate affair the -captain and two of the drivers—Drane and Luke—who had volunteered, got -the Victoria Cross.</p> - -<p>In a way we had got used to retiring, and we were not at the end of it -even now, by a good deal, for on our left the Borderers were withdrawing -and on our right the Manchesters were being forced right back; fighting -magnificently and leaving the ground littered with their dead and -wounded.</p> - -<p>The Yorkshire Light Infantry were left in the centre of the very front -line of the trenches, where we were heavily pressed. We made every -mortal effort to hold our ground, and C Company was ordered up from the -second line to reinforce us in the first.</p> - -<p>Imagine what it meant for a company of infantry to get from one trench -to another at a time like that, to leave shelter, to rush across a space -of open ground that was literally riddled with shrapnel and rifle -bullets, and in the daytime, too, with the Germans in overwhelming force -at point-blank range.</p> - -<p>But the order had been given, and C Company obeyed. The men sprang from -their trench, they rushed across a fire-swept zone—and the handful of -them who were not shot down made a final dash and simply tumbled into -our trench and strengthened us. They had just about lost their first -wind, but were soon hard at it again with the rifle and did<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_060" id="page_060"></a>{60}</span> murderous -work, if only to get something back on account of the comrades who had -fallen.</p> - -<p>It was a help, a big help, to have C Company with us in the front -trench; but even with this reinforcement we could do nothing, and after -we had made a hot stand the order came to retire. That was about -half-past four in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>Things had been bad before; they were almost hopeless now, for to retire -meant to show ourselves in the open and become targets for the German -infantry; but our sole chance of salvation was to hurry away—there was -no thought of surrender.</p> - -<p>When the order was given there was only one thing to do—jump out of the -trenches and make a rush, and we did both; but as soon as we were seen a -storm of bullets struck down most of the men.</p> - -<p>At such a time it is every man for himself, and it is hardly possible to -think of anything except your own skin. All I wanted to do was to obey -orders and get out of the trench and away from it.</p> - -<p>I had rushed about half-a-dozen yards when I felt a curious tug at my -boot. I looked to see what was the matter and found that my foot had -been clutched by a poor chap who was wounded and was lying on the ground -unable to move.</p> - -<p>“For God’s sake, save me!” he cried, and before I knew what was -happening I had got hold of him and slung him across my back. I can’t -pretend to tell you details of how it was all done, because I don’t -clearly remember. There was no time to think of much besides the bullets -and the fastest way of getting out of their reach. Rain was falling, not -heavily, but it was drizzling, and this made the ground greasy and -pretty hard going.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_061" id="page_061"></a>{61}</span></p> - -<p>I had not gone far before the poor chap complained that my equipment -hurt him and begged me to get it out of his way. The only thing to be -done was to drop the equipment altogether, so I halted and somehow got -the pack and the rest of it off, and I let my rifle go, too, for the -weight of the lot, with the weight of a man, was more than I could -tackle.</p> - -<p>I picked my man up again, and had struggled on for twenty or thirty -yards when I had to stop for a rest.</p> - -<p>Just then I saw the major of the company, who said, “What’s the matter -with him?”</p> - -<p>I could not speak, so I pointed to the man’s knees, which were shot with -shrapnel; then the major answered, “All right! Take him as far as you -can, and I hope you’ll get him safely out of it.”</p> - -<p>I picked him up again and off I went, making straight over the hill at -the back of the position we had taken, so that he should be safe from -the German fire. The point I wanted to reach was about a mile away, and -it was a dreadful journey; but I managed to do it, and when I had got -there, after many rests, I started to carry my man to the nearest -village, which was some distance off.</p> - -<p>I got to the village, but the German heavy shells were dropping so fast -that I could not stay there, and they told me to carry him into the next -village. I was pretty well worn out by this time, but I started again, -and at last with a thankful heart I reached the village and got the man -into a house where wounded men were being put.</p> - -<p>How far did I carry him?</p> - -<p>Well, it was calculated that the distance was three miles; but I never -felt the weight. Yes, he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_062" id="page_062"></a>{62}</span> quite conscious and kept on moaning and -saying, “Oh!” and telling me that if ever he got out of it he would -remember me; but I said that he mustn’t talk such nonsense—for I wanted -him to stop thanking me and to keep his spirits up.</p> - -<p>I don’t know how long I was in getting him over the ground, for I had no -idea of time.</p> - -<p>Having put my man in safety I left the house and began to go back to the -position, expecting to find some of the regiments to rejoin, but when I -reached the firing line there were no regiments left. They had been -forced to retire, and the ground was covered with the dead and wounded, -as it was impossible to bring all the wounded away.</p> - -<p>There was a road at this particular point, and on reaching the top of it -I saw the Germans advancing, about 500 yards away. Between them and -myself there was a field-gun, with the horses hooked in, ready to move -off; but I saw that there was only a wounded trumpeter with it.</p> - -<p>I rushed up to him and shouted, “What’s wrong?”</p> - -<p>“I’m hurt,” he said. “The gun has to be got away; but there’s nobody -left to take it.”</p> - -<p>I looked all around, and saw that there were no English gunners -left—there were only the Germans swarming up, 500 yards away and badly -wanting to get at the gun.</p> - -<p>There was not a second to lose. “Come on,” I said, and with that I -hoisted the trumpeter into the saddle of the near wheel horse, and -clambering myself into the saddle of the lead horse we got the gun going -and made a dash up the hill.</p> - -<p>There was only the one road, and this was so littered up and fenced -about with wire entanglements</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_062fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_062fp_sml.jpg" width="500" height="340" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 62. - - -“I HOISTED THE TRUMPETER INTO THE SADDLE.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 62.</span> -<br /> - -“I HOISTED THE TRUMPETER INTO THE SADDLE.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_063" id="page_063"></a>{63}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">that we could not hope to escape by it. Our only chance was by dashing -at the hill, and this we did—and a terrible business it was, because we -were forced to gallop the gun over the dead bodies of our own -men—mostly artillerymen, they were. Many of the poor chaps had crawled -away from their battery and had died on the hillside or on the road.</p> - -<p>We carried on over the hill, and when the Germans saw what we were doing -they rained shells and bullets on us. One or two of the horses were hit, -and a bullet knocked my cap off and took a piece of skin from my -head—just here. But that didn’t hurt me much, nor did another bullet -which went through my coat. We carried on, and got over the hill, just -driving straight ahead, for we couldn’t steer, not even to avoid the -dead.</p> - -<p>I daresay the bullet that carried off my cap stunned me a bit, at any -rate I didn’t remember very much after that, for the time being; all I -know is that we galloped madly along, and dashed through two or three -villages. There was no one in the first village; but in the second I saw -an old lady sitting outside a house, with two buckets of water, from -which soldiers were drinking. She was rocking to and fro, with her head -between her hands, a pitiful sight. Shells were dropping all around and -the place was a wreck.</p> - -<p>I carried on at full stretch for about ten miles, tearing along to get -to the rear of the column. I don’t remember that I ever looked back; but -I took it that the trumpeter was still in the saddle of the wheel horse.</p> - -<p>At last I caught up with the column; then I looked round for the -trumpeter, but he was not there, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_064" id="page_064"></a>{64}</span> I did not know what had become of -him. That was the first I knew of the fact that I had been driving the -gun by myself.</p> - -<p>Willy-nilly I had become a sort of artilleryman, and from that time -until the 28th I attached myself to the guns; but on that day I rejoined -what was left of my old regiment.</p> - -<p>I had been in charge of twelve men, but when I inquired about them I -found that only three were left—nine had been either killed or wounded, -and the rest of the battalion had suffered in proportion. That gives -some idea of the desperate nature of the fighting and the way in which -the little British army suffered during the first three days after Mons.</p> - -<p>The officer who had seen me carrying the man off did not see me go back, -but a sergeant who knew me noticed me passing through the village with -the gun and he was the first man of my battalion that I saw. This was -Sergeant Marchant, who, for his gallantry in helping another sergeant, -who was wounded, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. In that -fine affair he was helped by Company-Sergeant-Major Bolton, and both of -them were mentioned in despatches.</p> - -<p>Of course I never thought of saying anything about what I had done; but -I was sent for and asked if it was true, and I said I had got the man -away and helped to take the gun off, and this was confirmed by the major -who had seen me carrying the man.</p> - -<p>For the day’s work at Le Cateau two Victoria Crosses were given to my -regiment—one to Major C. A. L. Yate, “Cal,” he was called, because of -his initials, and one to myself.</p> - -<p>Major Yate was a very fine officer. He joined us<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_065" id="page_065"></a>{65}</span> and took command of B -Company just before we went out to the war. On this day he was in the -trenches, on our left rear, not very far from where I was. When we went -into action he had 220 men, but they caught so much of the hot fire -which was meant for the battery behind that he lost all his men except -nineteen when he was surrounded and captured. The day before this -happened the major declared that if it came to a pinch and they were -surrounded he would not surrender—and he did not surrender now. -Reckless of the odds against him he headed his nineteen men in a charge -against the Germans—and when that charge was over only three of the -company could be formed up. All the rest of B Company were either killed -or wounded or taken prisoners, though very few prisoners were taken. The -major was one of them; but he was so badly wounded that he lived only a -very short time, and died as a prisoner of war. His is one of the cases -in which the Cross is given although the winner of it is dead. Major -Yate was an absolute gentleman and a great favourite with us all. He had -had a lot of experience in the Far East and at home, and I am sure that -if he had lived he would have become a general. He was always in front, -and his constant cry was “Follow me!”</p> - -<p>From Le Cateau we got to the Valley of the Aisne and were in trenches -for ten days. At midnight on September 24th we advanced two miles beyond -the river, which we had crossed by pontoons because all the other -bridges had been blown up.</p> - -<p>We reached a little village and stayed there in shelters underneath the -houses, where all the inhabitants slept. We stayed in one of these -cellars<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_066" id="page_066"></a>{66}</span> and went on outpost at four in the morning and came off at four -next morning, then went on again at four a.m.</p> - -<p>We were only 250 yards from the Germans, who were in a small wood -outside the village, opposite the houses. They had snipers out and were -sniping at us all the time. We barricaded the windows of the houses and -knocked bricks out of the walls to make loopholes, and through these -loopholes we sniped the Germans, and they did their level best to pick -us off too. Every time your head was shown a dozen bullets came, and you -could not see where they came from. Two or three of our men were killed -by snipers; but there was no real chance of getting to grips, for there -was barbed wire everywhere, and nothing could be done till this was cut. -Night was the only time when the wire could be cut—and night work was -both eerie and nerve-racking.</p> - -<p>We had “listeners” to listen for any movement by the enemy. A sentry in -peace times means a man who walks up and down, smartly dressed, but in -war time, at night, he is a listener, and in the daytime he is a -“watcher”—he can see in the daytime and hear at night. That is one of -the little things which show how greatly war changes the customs of -peace.</p> - -<p>It was outside Béthune, when we were in reserve to the rest of the -brigade, that I was wounded. We had got well into October and we were -behind trenches, with French infantry on our right. At night we -advanced, on a level with the firing line, and in the darkness we dug -trenches. We were then next to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. We -finished the trenches before the early hours of the morning and stuck in -them till five in the afternoon, when we<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_067" id="page_067"></a>{67}</span> heard some shouts, and on -looking over we saw that the Germans were making a charge.</p> - -<p>We opened rapid fire and the Germans answered very smartly, having -dropped down. But they were not down long, for up they sprang and with -further shouts on they came and got within three hundred yards of us. -Then we were ordered to fix bayonets and be ready to charge at any -moment; but before we started charging we rushed into another line of -trenches in front of us, and there we mixed with the Borderers.</p> - -<p>This fight in the night was a thrilling affair, the chief guide on each -side being the flashes of the rifles, and these were incessant. The -Germans were firing rapidly at anything they could see; but there was -little to see except the tiny forks of flame. They must have heard us, -however, and that, of course, would help them. One strange thing -happened when we reached the trench, and that was that we had to wake up -some of the men. In spite of the fighting they were sleeping—but war -turns everything upside down, and the British soldier reaches a point -when it takes a lot to disturb him.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, at this crisis, I felt as if my leg had been struck by -something that vibrated, like a springboard, and I dropped down. I was -dizzy, but did not think I was hit, and I supposed that if I stayed down -for a few minutes I should be all right and able to go on. So I sat -down, but quickly found that I could not move, and on feeling my leg I -discovered that it was wet and warm, and I knew what that meant, so I -took off my equipment and put it down and began to crawl back to the -trench I had left when we charged.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_068" id="page_068"></a>{68}</span></p> - -<p>I crawled across a mangel-wurzel field to a house of some sort, then I -must have become unconscious, for the next thing I knew was that I was -being carried along on a stretcher.</p> - -<p>It was only yesterday that a friend in my battalion wrote to tell me -that we were crawling pretty close together through the mangel-wurzel -field. He was shot in the arm and stopped two of the Borderers’ -stretcher-bearers just in time to have me put on a stretcher.</p> - -<p>I had a natural walking-stick which I had cut from a vine, and of which -I was very fond. I had fastened it to my rifle and was so proud of it -that I said I would carry it through the war, if I could. My friend must -have known how I prized the vine-stick, for when he was sent home he -brought it with him, and it’s waiting for me when I leave hospital.</p> - -<p>I also had a letter from my company officer a few days ago. He says he -missed me that night, but he could not make out what had happened. He -heard that a complete set of equipment had been found, and on learning -that I was wounded he assumed that it was mine, and that I had been -carried away and left it. He told me that on the very night I was -wounded they were relieved by the French infantry, and that he himself -was hit ten days afterwards. It was the day before I was wounded that I -heard that I was recommended for the French Military Medal, and that was -as big a surprise to me as the news that I had been given the Victoria -Cross.</p> - -<p>That equipment of mine had a tragic history. During the first day of the -Aisne I was without equipment and set to work to get some. A bugler of -my battalion had been killed by shrapnel and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_069" id="page_069"></a>{69}</span> was told by my officer -to go and get his equipment. “Treat him gently, poor chap,” said the -officer, and you may be sure I did. I helped myself, and thinking that -the poor lad’s mother might like a memento I brought away his -“iron-rations” tin. This is riddled with bullet-holes, just as the -bugler was.</p> - -<p>There is one thing more that I would like to say, and it is about my -birthday, which falls on September 7th. As I had left the colours and -gone into the Reserve I thought I could look forward to a fine -celebration of the anniversary. And there <i>was</i> a fine celebration, too, -for on September 7th our retiring before the Germans ended and we -started to advance and drive them back.</p> - -<p>Could any British soldier want a finer birthday celebration than that?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_070" id="page_070"></a>{70}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /><br /> -<small>BRITISH FIGHTERS IN FRENCH FORTS</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[We very slowly learned something of the many extraordinary -features of this amazing war. Nothing is too astonishing or -stupendous to happen in connection with the fight to crush the -militarism of Prussia. Through this story by Private J. Boyers, of -the Durham Light Infantry—the old 68th Foot, long known by reason -of its devotion on many a bloody field like Salamanca and Inkerman -as the “Faithful Durhams”—we get to know something of the British -and French fighting side by side in the forts at Lille, one of the -strongest of the famous fortresses of France. Lille is a great -manufacturing town, the Manchester of France, and early in October -1914, and later, it was the scene of much desperate fighting -between the Allied Armies and the Germans.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I went</span> from England with the first party in the Expeditionary Force, and -after landing on the other side of the Channel, we had a march of fifty -miles to Mons, where I had my first battle.</p> - -<p>I was in the great retirement—but I suppose you have heard enough about -that and Mons already, so I will leave it. After that beginning, I took -part in the Battle of the Marne and the Battle of the Aisne, and later -on I was shot in the thigh and bowled out.</p> - -<p>I am only a young soldier—I am a native of Sunderland, and was born in -1891—and I have only been in the army a few months—in the old 68th, -the “Faithful Durhams,” so I think I have seen a fair lot of the big war -and have got to know what it means.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_071" id="page_071"></a>{71}</span></p> - -<p>The Durhams have done splendidly and suffered terribly, and many a chum -of mine is sleeping with thousands more British soldiers on the -battlefields of France and Belgium. A great many have been wounded, and -of course there are a number of missing, mostly men, I dare say, who are -prisoners of war.</p> - -<p>I had been at sea before joining the army, and thought I knew something -about roughing it; but even the North Sea in bad weather was nothing -compared with the hardships of the retirement from Mons, and the living -and sleeping in the trenches when the ground was sodden and deep in -water.</p> - -<p>Sometimes we were very short of food, and once for several days on end -we were almost starving, because the supplies could not get up to us, -and we had been forced to throw away a lot of our packs and things.</p> - -<p>A good many of us had to carry a seven-pound tin of bully beef in -addition to our heavy packs and a great many rounds of ammunition. In -the fearfully hot weather we could not carry all this weight, and the -tins of beef had to go. We should have been thankful for them later on, -when we ran short and some of the beef we had with us had gone bad -through the tins getting punctured, which happened in all sorts of -strange ways, including bullet-holes and bayonet pricks. But these were -things that couldn’t be helped, and in spite of them all we kept very -cheerful, and often enough, both on the march and in the trenches and -French forts, when we got to them, we sang and joked and whistled as if -there was no such thing going on as war.</p> - -<p>Our officers shared everything with us, and suffered just as we did, -though often worse, so that whenever we got a bit downhearted, their -example cheered us<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_072" id="page_072"></a>{72}</span> up and put us right. I don’t think there’s a man -who’s fought in this great war who won’t say the same thing about his -officers.</p> - -<p>We had so much fierce fighting when the work really began, and saw so -many strange and dreadful things, that it is not easy to say what stands -out most clearly in our minds in such a business, but one of the things -I do remember, and shall never forget, is the week or so we spent in one -of the big French forts at Lille, fighting side by side with French -soldiers. I will tell you about that later, but we did a lot before we -got to Lille.</p> - -<p>When we were on the march we had a great deal of exciting work to do in -hunting Germans. Small bodies of them were everywhere, apart from the -immense numbers of spies who were in the Lille district and elsewhere.</p> - -<p>The French bagged a lot of spies and gave them short shrift. They hid in -all sorts of queer places—some of them got into the tall mill -chimneys—but they were routed out and shot.</p> - -<p>We found a fair lot of Germans in houses and farms when we were on the -march. We examined these places thoroughly. When we arrived at -farmhouses and suchlike places, a non-commissioned officer, with a small -party of men would make inquiries, often with the help of French -cavalrymen who were with us and could speak English, and we always found -that threats of fearful punishment to the womenfolk had been made by the -Germans if they told us that any Germans had been seen about. But the -women told us readily enough, especially when there happened to be any -Germans in hiding—those who were too drunk to get away and had been -left behind. It didn’t take long<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_073" id="page_073"></a>{73}</span> to make these fellows prisoners, and -they rubbed their eyes a lot when they got sober and found that the -British had bagged them—though I fancy that most of them were glad to -be caught and out of the fighting.</p> - -<p>We saw some dreadful sights in these farms and houses that we entered, -and it was no uncommon thing for us to bury the women who had been done -to death by these invaders who were worse than heathens. We had to carry -out this sad work at night, to escape the German fire, for no matter -what we were doing they went for us with rifles and machine-guns and -anything else that came handy.</p> - -<p>Time after time on the march we saw proof of the terrible way in which -the French and Germans fought, and saw how bravely the French had -defended their country and how freely they had given their lives to get -something like even with the enemy.</p> - -<p>The Frenchmen were naturally even more upset than the British soldiers -were at many of the sights that met us, and in the streets along which -we marched we often saw dead bodies of Frenchmen and Germans lying close -together, where they had fallen after a desperate fight on the pavements -or in the roadway. They had met and fought to the death, and it looked -as if no quarter had been given. And with all this there had been a -perfectly savage destruction of everything that the Germans could lay -their hands on.</p> - -<p>The Germans had thieved and killed wherever they had gone, led on in the -work by their officers, and little supposing, I fancy, that the day of -reckoning had come for them and that their brutal game was being -spoiled. There is no doubt that they had been taught that they were -going to have a walk over in France and were going to have a good time -in Paris; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_074" id="page_074"></a>{74}</span> some of them were poor enough specimens when we caught -them or they surrendered.</p> - -<p>After the terrific battles of the Marne and the Aisne we were -transferred rather quickly to La Bassée, which is not far from Lille, -and then we had to take a share in defending Lille, in one of the big -forts just outside the town.</p> - -<p>The Germans had got up into that part of the country in very strong -force, and they were making furious efforts to smash the forts and get -hold of Lille, which had become a most important place for them.</p> - -<p>Lille is a large manufacturing town and was very strongly defended by -forts and in other ways. These big forts, about half-a-dozen in number, -form a ring round the town and command all the countryside, or rather -did, for they have been pretty badly hammered by this time; while the -town itself is protected in other ways. Lille was also one of the big -centres for French troops, but owing to the heavy drain caused by the -immense numbers of Germans that had to be dealt with at the Aisne there -were not a great many first-rate troops left, and a good deal of the -defence had to fall on the territorials.</p> - -<p>The particular fort where I had my strangest experiences was about a -mile from Lille, and from the outside it looked like a low hill-top, so -much so that when we were getting near it the fort seemed like a little -round hill rising from the plain.</p> - -<p>The fort was built of immense blocks of stone, and, as far as one could -tell, great quantities of steel, so that its strength must have been -enormous.</p> - -<p>It was a romantic sort of business to get into the fort, because, first -of all, we had to pass the sentries,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_075" id="page_075"></a>{75}</span> then some huge stone sliding doors -were opened, by a lever, I suppose, in the same way as the midway doors -of a District Railway carriage open and shut. They were very big and -heavy doors, yet they opened and shut quite easily, and when they were -closed you could hardly see a crack between them.</p> - -<p>Past this gloomy entrance was a narrow walled slope which led into -darkness. We went down the slope into what looked like an archway and -then we got into proper blackness. It was some time before you could get -used to such darkness, but at last I saw that we had reached a large -vault; but I can’t pretend to give details, because I never had a chance -of properly making them out, and we were more concerned about the -Germans than we were about the fort.</p> - -<p>Of course it can be easily understood that owing to the presence of -great quantities of ammunition and inflammable stores, only the dimmest -lighting was possible—in fact, there was practically no lighting at all -except by little portable electric lamps, and as for smoking, that was -absolutely off.</p> - -<p>The instant we reached the fort we were told that smoking was most -strictly forbidden, and that disobedience was punishable by death. The -French soldier is as fond as the British Tommy of his smoke, but it is a -remarkable thing that in the darkness of the fort we didn’t feel the -want of smoking, which isn’t much of a catch in the pitch darkness. As a -matter of fact I had no wish to smoke when we were in the fort, so I was -never tempted to run the risk of being shot.</p> - -<p>Cooking, like smoking, was out of the question, for you can no more -smoke with safety in a magazine like that than you can in a coal-mine—a -spark is enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_076" id="page_076"></a>{76}</span> to do tremendous mischief, let alone a fire; so our -rations had to be brought to us by the Army Service Corps, though they, -with their carts, were a long way off.</p> - -<p>The A.S.C. chaps were splendid all through, and the men in the fighting -line owe a lot to them.</p> - -<p>In this black dungeon, with such cunning Germans about, a sentry’s -challenge was a good deal more than a formality; but it nearly became -one when the welcome commissariat man arrived. But for his coming we -should have had to fall back on our emergency rations. These were good, -of their kind, but they can’t compare with the best efforts of the -A.S.C.</p> - -<p>But I’m getting off the track a bit. In the side of the vault, or -cavern, there was a low, shallow dug-out which was meant to hold a -rifleman lying at full stretch. This was something like a small cubicle -in size and shape, and to enter it in the darkness was a proper problem. -After a try or two, however, you got into the way of stumbling -comfortably into it. By crouching and creeping, and using your hands and -knees, you could secure a position from which it was fairly easy to draw -yourself up into the dug-out. I dwell on this because I think it is -important, seeing that four of us took two-hour watches throughout the -twenty-four hours, so that getting to and from such a dug-out becomes an -event in your daily life.</p> - -<p>At one end of the dug-out was a loophole for a rifle or a maxim-gun, and -here we patiently waited for those pests, the snipers. These German -potters gave us no rest; but many a German who thought he was well -hidden got the finishing touch from one of our loopholes.</p> - -<p>This was thrilling fighting, especially when things<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_077" id="page_077"></a>{77}</span> became hot, and we -manned all the loopholes in the fort, to the number of four, and at a -pinch we could use two maxims at each. There were fourteen of us in the -fort altogether, four officers and ten men. The orders, being in French, -sounded very strange at first, but to my surprise, I soon fell into the -way of understanding what was said around me, certainly so far as -ordinary little things were concerned. I shall never forget the French -for water so long as I remember the thirst I had in the black depths of -the fort.</p> - -<p>The life in the fort was one of the strangest parts of the whole of the -fighting. It was queer enough to be in France, fighting with the French, -but a good deal queerer to be living in one of the big famous French -forts which the Germans were trying to pound to bits with their enormous -siege guns. But we soon settled down and got fairly well used to the -sound of the fort’s guns and the row of the German artillery and the -crashing of the shells around us.</p> - -<p>We were told off into parties in the fort, each party being commanded by -a non-commissioned officer, who used to light the way for us with an -electric lamp that he carried in front of him, hung round his neck.</p> - -<p>We ate and drank and slept with the French gunners, and taken altogether -we were very comfortable, and were spared something of the awful noise -of the firing, for when the guns of the forts were fired the noise was -worse than thunderbolts, and everything about was shaken in the most -extraordinary manner.</p> - -<p>The Germans were mad to get at us and they shot tons and tons of shells -at us, and time after time made efforts to storm the forts and Lille -itself. In these attempts they lost immense numbers of men, and when we -got outside of the fort we saw the dead bodies<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_078" id="page_078"></a>{78}</span> of the Germans lying -about in thousands—so thick on the ground were they that we had to -clamber over them as best we could.</p> - -<p>Our own fort was pretty lucky, but the next one to us was very badly -damaged, huge holes being made where the monster shells got home, and -most of the defenders of the fort being wiped out. The German big guns -certainly did a vast amount of mischief against forts—so the Germans -will know what to expect when our own big guns get to work on forts in -Germany.</p> - -<p>It was soon clear that it would not be possible to hold on at Lille for -long, because we were so hopelessly outnumbered. The fight went on, day -and night, for a full week, and the Germans bombarded everything.</p> - -<p>On Sunday, October 4th, there was some desperate fighting in the streets -of the town and the outskirts. German troops were rushed up in armoured -trains and motors, but when it came to hand-to-hand fighting they were -not much good, and on the Monday they were driven away with heavy loss.</p> - -<p>We had a few goes at them with the bayonet, and that charging was very -hard work. It had to be done in short rushes of about a hundred yards, -but we could not get near enough to them to give the bayonet a fair -chance. In that respect it was the same old story—the Germans would not -face the steel. In anything like equal numbers they can’t stand up -against a charge. They would mostly run for it, firing at us over their -shoulders as they bolted, but not doing a great deal of mischief that -way. When they could run no more and saw that the game was up, they -would throw away their rifles and surrender, and we then brought them -in.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_079" id="page_079"></a>{79}</span></p> - -<p>Before the fighting began, and while it was going on, a good many of the -inhabitants got into a panic and fled to Boulogne and Calais; but the -French troops held out gamely, and on the Tuesday a fearful lot of -execution was done amongst the masses of Germans by the French artillery -fire. Neither the German guns nor the infantry could make a stand -against this onslaught, and at this time the German losses were -particularly heavy, hundreds of men falling together. At the end of that -part of the battle the Germans for the time being were completely -routed, and they were driven back a good dozen miles.</p> - -<p>The Durhams suffered greatly in the fighting, and the good old West -Yorkshires, who had seen a lot of hard work with us, had been badly cut -up too. Some splendid help was given by the little Gurkhas, who had -joined the British; but unfortunately I was not able to see much of what -they did, because soon after they appeared with their famous knives I -got my wound.</p> - -<p>Some of the most exciting and dangerous work was done at night, when we -tried to get at the Germans with the bayonet and rout them out of their -trenches and positions. We had to do everything so quietly—creep out of -the forts, creep along the ground, and creep up to the enemy as near as -we could get, and sometimes that was not very close, because of such -things as barbed wire entanglements.</p> - -<p>These entanglements were particularly horrible, because they were so -hard to overcome and tore the flesh and clothing. At first we had a -pretty good way of destroying them, and that was by putting the muzzles -of our rifles on the wire and blowing it away; but there were two -serious drawbacks to that trick—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_080" id="page_080"></a>{80}</span>one was that it was a waste of -ammunition, and the other was that the noise of the firing gave us away, -and let the Germans loose on us with guns and rifles.</p> - -<p>We soon got too canny to go on with that practice, and just before I was -wounded and sent home a very ingenious arrangement had been fixed to the -muzzle of the rifle for wire-cutting—a pair of shears which you could -work with a swivel from near the trigger, so that instead of putting the -muzzle of the rifle against the wire, you could cut it by using the -pliers.</p> - -<p>It was in one of these night affairs that I was nearly finished as a -soldier. I was ordered to join a reconnoitring party. We got clear of -the fort, and made our way over the country for about a mile. We were -then in a field which had been harvested and harrowed, so that it was -pretty hard ground to go over. In spite of it all we were getting on -very nicely when the Germans got wind of our movements and opened a -terrible fire with rifles and maxims.</p> - -<p>We lost a lot of men, and where a man fell there he had to lie, dead or -living.</p> - -<p>Suddenly I fell plump on the ground, and found that I could not get up -again, though I did my best to keep up with my chums. Then I felt an -awful pain in my thigh and knew that I was hurt, but I must have been -struck five minutes before I fell, by a bullet from a German rifle. It -had gone clean through my right thigh. They told me afterwards that I -had had a very narrow shave indeed; but a miss is as good as a mile.</p> - -<p>I knew there was nothing for it but pluck and patience, so I made the -best of things, and waited till the day broke and brought the battalion -stretcher-bearers,</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_080fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_080fp_sml.jpg" width="351" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 80. - - -“WE FOUND A FAIR LOT OF GERMANS IN HOUSES AND FARMS” (p. 72)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 80.</span> -<br /> - -“WE FOUND A FAIR LOT OF GERMANS IN HOUSES AND FARMS” (<a href="#page_072">p. 72</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_081" id="page_081"></a>{81}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">who always came out just about dawn to collect the wounded.</p> - -<p>I was lying on the ground, in a sort of ditch, for six hours before I -was picked up by the stretcher-bearers and carried to a stable which was -being used as a temporary hospital.</p> - -<p>The Germans fired on the wounded as they were being carried off in the -grey light, but they didn’t hit me again.</p> - -<p>I lay in the stable for about eight hours, waiting for the ambulance, -which took me to the rail-head, and then I was put in a train and taken -to Rouen—and that travelling was simply awful, because the French -trains jolt like traction-engines.</p> - -<p>All the same, I had a pleasant voyage to Southampton, and hoped that I -might be sent to a hospital near home, but I was too ill to go a long -journey to the north, so I was taken to Woolwich, and afterwards sent -here, to the Royal Hospital at Richmond, where everybody is kindness -itself, and can’t do enough for you, it seems.</p> - -<p>I’ve had a month in bed, so far, but I’m hoping to be out of it soon and -hobbling about.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_082" id="page_082"></a>{82}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /><br /> -<small>GERMAN TREACHERY AND HATRED</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[“Die hard, my men, die hard!” shouted the heroic Colonel Inglis, -when, at Albuhera, in the Peninsular War, his regiment, the 57th -Foot, were furiously engaged with the enemy. And the regiment -obeyed, for when the bloody fight was ended twenty-two out of -twenty-five officers had been killed or wounded, 425 of 570 rank -and file had fallen and thirty bullets had riddled the King’s -Colour. The 57th is now the 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, but -the regiment is still best known by its gallant nickname of the -“Die-Hards.” It has suffered exceptional losses in this war, and -the story of some of its doings is told by Corporal W. Bratby, who -relates a tale which he has described as a brother’s revenge.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> old “Die-Hards” went into action at Mons nearly a thousand strong; -but when, after Mons had been left behind, a roaring furnace, the roll -was called, not more than 270 of us were left. D Company came out a -shattered remnant—only thirty-six men, and no officers. When what was -left of us marched away, other regiments were shouting, “Three cheers -for the Die-Hards!” And three rousing cheers they gave; but I had no -heart for them, because I had left my younger brother Jack, a “Die-Hard” -like myself. They told me that he had been killed by a bursting shell -while doing his duty with the machine-gun section.</p> - -<p>I did not say much. I asked the adjutant if any of the machine-gun -section had returned, and he answered sadly, “No, they’ve all gone.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_083" id="page_083"></a>{83}</span></p> - -<p>Jack and I were brothers and had been good old chums all our lives—I -had taught him a bit of boxing and he was most promising with the -gloves, and we had a widowed mother to keep; so I really felt as if -something had gone snap in my head and that all I cared for was to get -my revenge from the Germans. The last words I heard him say were, “Well, -Bill, I’m going right into the firing line,” and I remember laughing and -saying, “Yes, Jack, but you’re not the only one who’s going to do that.”</p> - -<p>Jack laughed too and said, “All right, Bill, I’ll see you in the firing -line,” and with that he went and I saw no more of him.</p> - -<p>I had been in the regiment five years and nine months when the war broke -out and Jack had served more than two years. I had become a corporal and -he was a lance-corporal.</p> - -<p>The days in the beginning were swelteringly hot; but the “Die-Hards,” -being typical Cockneys, made the best of them. Our Brigade consisted of -ourselves (the 4th Middlesex), the 2nd Royal Scots, the 1st Gordon -Highlanders and the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles. We began operations with -trench digging, one particular trench, the machine-gun trench, being -allotted to B Company. I helped to superintend the construction of the -trenches, and I was proud of the work when I saw what was done from them -when the Germans showed themselves.</p> - -<p>Our machine-gun caused enormous havoc amongst the German ranks, and I am -sure that my brother did his part in settling a lot of them, for he was -keen on his work and full of go. The Royal Irish at this stage were -doing splendidly—they were not more than 350 yards from the enemy, -separated from them<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_084" id="page_084"></a>{84}</span> by a railway—and they were lucky enough to fetch -one gun out of action again, but the enormously superior numbers of the -Germans told and the famous retreat began. The machine-gunners had -suffered very heavily and it was hard to learn anything definite about -the position in the trenches.</p> - -<p>Officers and men were falling everywhere on both sides, and I saw a -reconnoitring patrol of Uhlans bowled over in trying to avoid some of -the 4th Royal Fusiliers. An officer and seven men of the Uhlans were -killed in that little affair without getting in a shot in return. It was -not much, but it was something cheering after what we had gone through -at Mons. We looked upon it as a bit of sport, and after that we went -into châteaux, cafés and other places, and discussed affairs in a proper -Tommy-like spirit. It is very strange, but if it had not been for the -language I could have thought at times that I was back in Kilburn or in -London, on strike duty again, as I was at the time of the railway -trouble three years ago.</p> - -<p>We were fighting a rearguard action for three days right off the reel, -and doing that wonderful march to which “Kitchener’s test” or anything -like it was a mere nothing. Owing to the heat, we discarded overcoats, -kits and in some cases rifles and equipment. Our transport was blown to -pieces three days after Mons, which to the 8th Brigade is known as <i>the</i> -Wednesday.</p> - -<p>But lost kit and shattered transport mattered little to most of us, and -certainly had slight significance for me, because the only thing I had -in mind was this determination to get revenge. I am not exaggerating in -the least, I am merely putting down on record the state of my feelings -and wishing to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_085" id="page_085"></a>{85}</span> you understand how remarkable a change had come -over me, an alteration such as is brought about, I take it, by war, and -war alone. Perhaps, too, the excessive stress and strain of those early -days of the war had something to do with my condition; but whatever the -cause, there it was. Danger itself meant nothing, and I, like the rest -of us, took the ordinary fighting and the incessant and truly horrible -shell fire as a matter of course, a part of the day’s work. I bided my -time, and it came.</p> - -<p>We had crossed the Aisne, a dangerous unit still, in spite of our -losses, for we had received reinforcements from the base; but just -before crossing the river we sat down on the road, waiting for a -favourable opportunity to cross by a pontoon bridge which the Engineers -were building. That pontoon replaced a bridge which had been blown up.</p> - -<p>On the word “Rise” we fell in, and in doing so a man had the misfortune -to shoot himself through the hand.</p> - -<p>The colonel came up at once and ordered the injured man to go back to -the hospital in a village about a mile and a half up the road, in rear -of the bridge. I was told off to take him, and we went to a house that -had been turned into a hospital, the people in it being typically -French. There were some sad cases there, amongst them one of our own -fellows who had been severely wounded and a trooper of the 4th Hussars -who was the only survivor of a reconnoitring party. He had been shot -while going through the village that morning. Just at that time we had -had many losses of small bodies—in one case a sergeant and five men had -been blown to pieces.</p> - -<p>After I had got the wounded man into the hospital<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_086" id="page_086"></a>{86}</span> I asked the -“monsieur” in charge of the house for some tea, which he very willingly -produced—it had no milk in it, of course, but by that time I had almost -forgotten that milk existed.</p> - -<p>At this time the village was being shelled, but that did not affect the -enjoyment of my tea-drinking, and after that refreshing draught and a -chunk of “bully” and some biscuit crumbs which I found in the corner of -a none-too-clean haversack, I “packed down” for the night.</p> - -<p>At about four o’clock next morning I awoke and went back to the bridge, -which my battalion had crossed on the previous day, the “Die-hards” -being the first to have the honour to cross. By this time we had got -past the sweltering stage of things and had become accustomed to soaking -weather, and on this particular morning I was thoroughly cold and wet -and generally “fed up” with things; but I still glowed with the longing -to get level with the Germans.</p> - -<p>You must bear in mind that regiments had been broken up and scattered in -the most astonishing manner and had become mixed up with other -regiments, and I had lost my own and had to set to work to find it.</p> - -<p>I got over the bridge and reached some artillery.</p> - -<p>“Have you seen anything of the Middlesex?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” the gunners answered, “they’ve just gone into action on the brow -of the hill.”</p> - -<p>I made my way towards the top of a neighbouring hill and found that my -battalion had taken up a position there, but I had to wander about -aimlessly, and I did so till I came across one or two men who were -separated from the battalion. They directed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_087" id="page_087"></a>{87}</span> me to the actual position, -which was on the ridge of the hill, and to the ridge I went and found -that it was lined with remnants of the brigade.</p> - -<p>I tried to find my own company, but could not do so, as it had been -surprised in the night; so I attached myself to another and lay down -with the corporal on the sodden ground.</p> - -<p>Wet through, cold, hungry and physically miserable, but still tough in -spirit, we lay there, wishing that all sorts of impossible things would -happen.</p> - -<p>The corporal showed me where he had hit a German scout. We watched the -poor devil rolling about—then we finished him off.</p> - -<p>In addition to the wet there was a fog, and under cover of this the -Germans crept up and were on us almost before we knew of their presence.</p> - -<p>The alarm was first given by a man near us who was suffering from ague -or some such ailment and had been moaning and groaning a good deal.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he cried, “Here they are, corporal! Fire at ’em!”</p> - -<p>My loaded rifle was lying just in front of me. I snatched it up, and as -I did so the Germans jumped out of the mist on to us, with loud shouts. -I brought the first German down and my chum dropped one; and we managed -to fetch the officer down. He was carrying a revolver and a stick, like -most German officers, so that you had no difficulty in distinguishing -them.</p> - -<p>When the alarm was given I gave a quick look over a small hump in the -ground and then we were rushed; but I hated the idea of retiring, and -kept on shouting, “Crawl back! Crawl back!”</p> - -<p>Machine-guns and rifles were rattling and men were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_088" id="page_088"></a>{88}</span> shouting and -cursing. In the midst of it all I was sane enough to hang on to my fire -till I got a good chance—and I did not wait for nothing.</p> - -<p>Up came two Germans with a stretcher. They advanced till they were not -more than twenty-five yards away, for I could see their faces quite -clearly; then I took aim, and down went one of the pair and “bang” off -the stretcher fell a maxim. The second German seemed to hesitate, but -before he could pull himself together he had gone down too. I began to -feel satisfied.</p> - -<p>By this time the order to retire had been given and I kept on shouting, -“Keep down! Crawl back!” and the lads crawled and jumped with curious -laughs and curses.</p> - -<p>In that excited retirement the man who was with me was shot in the -chest. I halted for a little while to see what had really happened to -him, and finding that he was killed I took his waterproof sheet and left -him. I hurried on until I was in a valley, well away from the ridge; -then an officer managed to get us together and lead us into a wood.</p> - -<p>As we got into the wood I spotted a quarry. I said to the officer, “Is -it best to go down here, sir?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll have a look—yes,” he answered.</p> - -<p>We went into the quarry, where there were Royal Scots, Middlesex, -Gordons and Royal Irish.</p> - -<p>The officer was afraid that we might be rushed, in which case we should -be cut up, so he put a man out on scout. We were not rushed, however, -and when the firing ceased we filed out and lined the ridge again, and -there we lay, expecting the Germans to come back, but for the time being -we saw no more of them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_089" id="page_089"></a>{89}</span></p> - -<p>By some means one of the Irishmen had got drunk and wanted to fight the -Germans “on his own.” He was shouting for them to come on and was -wandering about. Soon afterwards he was found lying on the top of the -hill, having been shot in the thigh. He was carried out of action and I -have never heard of him since.</p> - -<p>After that affair of the hill-crest we had a lot of trench work, and -very harassing it was. For five days we stayed in trenches, so near to -the enemy that it was death to show your head.</p> - -<p>Trench fighting is one of the most terrible features of the war, for not -only is there the constant peril of instant death, which, of course, -every soldier gets accustomed to, but there is also the extreme -discomfort and danger of illness arising from insanitary surroundings. -Often enough, too, when a new trench was being dug we would find that we -were working on ground that had been previously occupied, and the spades -brought up many a ghastly reminder of an earlier fight.</p> - -<p>Sometimes in this wonderful warfare we were so very close to the Germans -that when we sang hymns—and many a hymn that a soldier has sung at his -mother’s knee has gone up from the trenches from many a brave lad who -has given his life for his country—the Germans would harmonise with -them. It was strange to hear these men singing like that and to bear in -mind that they were the soldiers who had done such monstrous things as -we saw during the retreat, when they thought that certain victory was -theirs. Time after time, with my own eyes, I saw evidence of the brutal -outrages of the German troops, especially on women and children, yet it -seems hard to convince<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_090" id="page_090"></a>{90}</span> some of the people at home that these things -have been done.</p> - -<p>At one time in the trenches, for a whole week, we were so situated that -we dare not even speak for fear of revealing our position—we were -subjected to an enfilade fire and did not dare to speak or light a fire, -which meant that we had no hot food for a week, and we could not even -smoke, which was the biggest hardship of all for a lot of the lads. We -were thankful when we were relieved; but were sorry indeed to find how -dearly the newcomers paid for their experience. We had been cramped and -uncomfortable, but pretty safe, and the Germans had not been able to get -at us to do us any real mischief, but our reliefs walked about as -unconcernedly as if they were on furlough, with the result that on the -very first night they went into action they lost a hundred men.</p> - -<p>The system of trenches grew into a sort of enormous gridiron, and if you -walked about—which you could only attempt to do at night—you were -almost certain to drop into a trench or a hole of some sort. This made -getting about a very exciting job, and it added enormously to the -intense strain of fighting in the trenches, a strain which was hardest -to bear in the night-time, when we were constantly expecting attacks and -when the Germans adopted all kinds of devices to get at us.</p> - -<p>The Germans are what we call dirty fighters, and they will take -advantage of anything to try and score over you. They have no respect -for anything and made a particular point in many of the places they -overran of desecrating the churches. They never hesitated to turn a -place of worship into a scene for an orgy, and I remember going into one -church after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_091" id="page_091"></a>{91}</span> the Germans had occupied it and being shocked at their -conduct. In this particular place they had been able to lay hands on a -good deal of champagne and they had drunk to excess, turning the church -into a drinking-place, so that when we reached it there was an -indescribable scene—filthy straw on the floor, empty champagne bottles -littered everywhere, and the whole building degraded and desecrated.</p> - -<p>The Germans had got a French uniform and stuffed it with straw and -propped it up to resemble a man, and on the uniform they had stuck a -piece of paper with some writing on it in German. I do not know what the -writing was, but I took it to be some insult to the brave men who were -defending their country and preventing the Germans from getting anywhere -near Paris. I could tell you much more and many things of the Germans’ -dirty fighting, and of things that were far worse than such an incident -as turning a church into a drinking-place; but perhaps enough has been -said on that point of late.</p> - -<p>But that dirty fighting does not mean that the Germans do not fight -bravely—far from it; they are hard cases, especially when they are in -overwhelming numbers, which is the form of fighting that they like best -of all. They are great believers in weight and hurling masses of men at -a given point, and they are absolutely mad at times when their opponents -are the English.</p> - -<p>I will tell you of a case which illustrates this particular hatred. One -night we were attacked by the Germans, though there was but little hope -of them doing anything serious, in view of the fact that we were in -trenches and that there were the barbed wire entanglements everywhere. -There had been no sign<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_092" id="page_092"></a>{92}</span> of an attack, but in the middle of the night a -furious assault was made upon us and a young German by some -extraordinary means managed to get through the entanglements. An officer -of the Buffs was near us, and in some way which I cannot explain the -German managed to reach him. With a fierce cry he sprang directly at the -officer, put an arm round his neck, and with the revolver which he held -in the other hand shot him.</p> - -<p>It was the work of a moment; but it succeeded—so did our bayonet attack -on the German, for almost as soon as his shot had rung out in the night -a dozen bayonets had pierced him. He died very quickly, but not before -he had managed to show how intensely he hated all the English. He was a -fine young fellow, not more than seventeen or eighteen years old, and it -was impossible not to admire the courage and cleverness he had shown in -getting through the awful barbed wire entanglements and hurling himself -upon us in the trenches in the middle of the night. The point that -puzzles me even now, when I recall the incident, is how the young German -managed to make such a clean jump for the officer. I daresay there was -something more than luck in it.</p> - -<p>At this time we were with the Buffs, who told us that they were being -badly troubled by snipers. I was in a trench with Lieutenant Cole, who -was afterwards killed, and he said to me, “Corporal, the snipers are -worrying our people, but it’s very difficult to locate them. Try and see -what you can make out of it.”</p> - -<p>It was very difficult, but I set to work to try and make something out. -Before long, with the help of the glasses, I concluded that the sniping -came from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_093" id="page_093"></a>{93}</span> a wood not far away, and I told the officer that I thought -they were in a tree there. The consequence was that a platoon loaded up, -went round, concentrated their fire on this particular spot and brought -down two German roosters from a tree. We were glad to be rid of the -pests, and they ought to have been satisfied, for they had had a very -good innings.</p> - -<p>I have been telling about the determination I had to be revenged for my -brother’s death. That was my great object, and I kept it in mind before -anything else—and I think I carried it out. Apart from any motive, it -is the British soldier’s duty to do everything he can to settle the -enemy, especially the Germans, and I am glad that I did my bit in this -respect.</p> - -<p>Now listen to what has really happened. After all that fighting and -suffering with the grand old “Die-Hards” I got my own turn, after many -wonderful escapes. A shell burst near me and the fragments peppered me -on the right hand here and about this side of the body, and bowled me -out for the time being. I was sent home, and here I am in London again, -getting well and expecting the call to come at any time to go back to -the front. When it comes I shall be ready to obey.</p> - -<p>Look at this postcard. It is written, as you see, by a British soldier -who is a prisoner of war in Germany, and it tells the glad news that my -brother, who, I was told, was killed months ago by a bursting shell, is -not dead, but is alive and well, although he is a prisoner of war.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_094" id="page_094"></a>{94}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /><br /> -<small>LIFE IN THE TRENCHES</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The winter of the war was marked by an abnormal rainfall and -storms of uncommon severity: also by the extraordinary development -of trench warfare. The rain and storms, the frost and snow, made it -impossible to carry out the greater operations of campaigning, with -the result that both sides dug themselves in and fought from rival -trenches which in many cases were separated by only a few yards. -This story deals with life in the trenches, at La Bassée, and it -gives a wonderful understanding of the privations that have been -uncomplainingly borne by British soldiers. The teller is Private G. -Townsend, 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, who has had more -than six years’ service with the colours. These long-service men -have compelled the attention of even the Germans who despised the -“contemptible little army,” for they have admitted that the -seasoned British private soldier is the equal of a German -non-commissioned officer.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">When</span> the rebellion broke out in South Africa we—the old “Lily -Whites”—were the only imperial regiment kept in that country. We were -sitting still and stiff for twenty days, till General Botha got his own -troops ready. During that time we were guarding Cape Town, and it took -us all we knew to hold in, because the big war was on, and we were about -seven thousand miles away from the seat of it. We had to wait till -General Botha was ready, and that was not for more than a month after -the British and the Germans met in Belgium.</p> - -<p>We were eager to get away from South Africa,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_095" id="page_095"></a>{95}</span> and at last we sailed—but -what a slow voyage it was! Almost a record, I should think. We were -thirty-two days getting to Southampton; but that was because we had -halts on the way and were convoyed by some of the British warships which -have worked such marvels in this war. We had with us a noble cruiser -which on a later day, though we thought her slow, knocked more speed out -of herself than the builders ever dreamed of, and that was when she -helped to sink the German warships off the Falkland Islands.</p> - -<p>By the time we reached the south of England some big things had -happened, and we were keener than ever to get to the front. We had not -long to wait. We landed, and in less than a week we left England and -crossed over to France, where we went into billets for four days, to -settle down. From the billets we marched nearly seven miles and went -into trenches. For three full months, in the worst time of a very bad -year, I ate and drank, and slept and fought, in trenches, with intervals -in billets, sometimes up to the hips in water and often enough sleeping -on a thick couch of mud. I cannot go into too much detail, but I can say -that our officers always tried to go one better than the Germans, for -the sake of the men—and for the most part they succeeded. We have -picked up a lot from the Germans in this trench game. They have a main -trench and about four trenches behind that, the first of the four being -about twenty yards away; so that if you knock them out of one you knock -them into another.</p> - -<p>That march to the trenches was a thing that can never be forgotten. It -was very dark and raining heavily, so that we were thoroughly soaked; -but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_096" id="page_096"></a>{96}</span> we had no time to think of that, for we were bound for the firing -line, we were going to fight for the first time, and we wondered who -amongst us would be absent when the next roll was called. The trench to -which we were bound was in its little way famous. It had been the scene -of some terrible fighting. The Indian troops were holding it, but they -had been driven out by the Germans, who took possession and thought they -were going to hold it; but the Connaught Rangers made a desperate -charge, routed the Germans with the bayonet and retook the trenches. The -Connaughts won, but at a very heavy cost, and about 150 of the brave -fellows fell and were buried near the little bit of sodden, muddy ground -on which they had fought. It was to relieve the Connaughts that we went -into the trenches on La Bassée Road that stormy night.</p> - -<p>It was not a very cheerful beginning, and as much unlike going into -action as anything you can imagine. But we felt queer, this being our -first taste of fighting, as we slipped into the trenches with our rifles -loaded and prepared to fire in the wild night at an enemy we could not -see. As soon as we went into the trenches we were ankle-deep in mud, and -we were in mud, day and night, for seventy-two hours without a break. -That was the beginning of three solid months of a sort of animal life in -trenches and dug-outs, with occasional breaks for the change and rest in -billets without which it would not be possible to live.</p> - -<p>In a storm-swept trench—a barricade trench we called it—pointing my -rifle at an enemy I could not see, I fired my first shot in battle. My -section of thirteen men was in the trench which was nearest<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_097" id="page_097"></a>{97}</span> to the -Germans, and that meant that we were separated from them by only a very -few dozen yards. An officer of the Connaughts had given a descriptive -object to fire at, and this was a small white outhouse which could be -dimly made out in the darkness. The outhouse had the German trenches -just in front of it, and we made a target of the building in the hope of -potting the men in the trenches.</p> - -<p>The order came, one man up and one man down, which meant that a man who -was firing was standing for two hours and the man who was down was -sitting or otherwise resting, or observing, as we call it.</p> - -<p>Throughout that long night we kept up fire from the trenches, all -anxious for the day to break, so that we could see what sort of a place -we were in and what we were doing; but when the melancholy morning broke -there was nothing to see in front of us except the portholes of the -German trenches.</p> - -<p>We had got through the first night of battle safely and had given the -Germans good-morning with what we came to call the “awaking fire,” -though it sent many a man to sleep for the last time—and we were -settling down to make some tea. That was shortly after midday of our -first day in the trenches. I was working “partners” with my left-hand -man, Private Smith, who said, “I’ll just have a look to see what’s going -on.”</p> - -<p>He popped his head over the top of the trench and almost instantly he -fell into my arms, for he had been shot—there must have been a sniper -waiting for him—and had received what proved to be a most extraordinary -wound. A bullet had struck him on the side of the head, just below the -ear, and gone clean<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_098" id="page_098"></a>{98}</span> through and out at the other side, leaving a hole -on each side.</p> - -<p>“I’m hit!” said Smith, as he fell—that was all.</p> - -<p>I was badly upset, as this was the first man I had seen shot, and being -my special chum it came home to me; but I didn’t let that prevent me -from doing my best for him. Smith was quite conscious, and a plucky -chap, and he knew that there was nothing for it but to see it through -till night came. We bandaged him up as best we could and he had to lie -there, in the mud and water and misery, till it was dark, then he was -able to walk away from the trench to the nearest first-aid station, -where the doctor complimented him on his courage and told him what an -extraordinary case it was and what a miraculous escape he had had. Later -on Smith was invalided home.</p> - -<p>During the whole of that first spell in trenches we had no water to -drink except what we fetched from a natural trench half-a-mile away. Men -volunteered for this duty, which was very dangerous, as it meant -hurrying over open ground, and the man who was fetching the water was -under fire all the time, both going and coming, if the Germans saw him. -This job was usually carried out a little before daybreak, when there -was just light enough for the man to see, and not enough for the Germans -to spot him; and a chap was always thankful when he was safely back in -the trench and under cover.</p> - -<p>At the end of the seventy-two hours we left the trenches. We came out at -ten o’clock at night, expecting to be out for three days. We marched to -an old barn which had been pretty well blown to pieces by shells, and -into it we went; but it was no<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_099" id="page_099"></a>{99}</span> better than the trenches. The rain -poured on to us through the shattered roof and it was bitterly cold, so -that I could not sleep. We had everything on, so as to be ready for a -call instantly, and without so much as a blanket I was thoroughly -miserable. Instead of having three days off we were ordered to go into a -fresh lot of trenches, and next afternoon we marched into them and there -we stayed for six weeks, coming out seven or eight times. In these -trenches we were in dug-outs, so that we got a change from standing -sometimes hip-deep in mud and water by getting into the dug-out and -resting there. A dug-out was simply a hole made in the side of the -trench, high enough to be fairly dry and comfortable.</p> - -<p>During the whole of these six weeks it meant practically death to show -yourself, and so merciless was the fire that for the whole of the time a -dead German soldier was lying on the ground about a hundred yards away -from us. He was there when we went and was still there when we left. We -could not send out a party to bury him and the Germans themselves never -troubled about the poor beggar. One day a chum of mine, named Tobin, was -on the look-out when his rifle suddenly cracked, and he turned round and -said, “I’ve hit one.” And so he had, for he had knocked a German over -not far away and no doubt killed him.</p> - -<p>What with the weather and the mud and the constant firing we had a very -bad time. Each night we had four hours’ digging, which was excessively -hard work, and if we were not digging we were fetching rations in for -the company. These rations had to be fetched at night from carts -three-quarters of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span> mile away, which was the nearest the drivers dare -bring them. These expeditions were always interesting, because we never -knew what we were going to get—sometimes it would be a fifty-pound tin -of biscuits and sometimes a bag of letters or a lot of cigarettes, but -whatever it was we took it to our dug-outs, just as animals take food to -their holes, and the things were issued next morning.</p> - -<p>One way and another we had between fifty and sixty men wounded in our -own particular trenches, mostly by rifle fire, though occasionally a -shell would burst near us and do a lot of mischief; and what was -happening in our own trenches was taking place all around La Bassée. We -should have suffered much more heavily if we had not been provided with -periscopes, which have saved many a precious life and limb.</p> - -<p>We paid very little attention to the German shell fire, and as for the -“Jack Johnsons” we took them as much as a matter of course as we took -our breakfast. Some of the German artillery fire actually amused us, and -this was when they got their mortars to work. We could see the shot -coming and often enough could dodge it, though frequently the great fat -thing would drive into the ground and smother us with mud. For some of -the German artillery fire we were really very thankful, because in their -rage they were smashing up some farm buildings not far away from us. The -cause of our gratitude was that this shelling saved us the trouble of -cutting down and chopping firewood for warmth and cooking in the -trenches. When night came we simply went to the farmhouse, and the -firewood, in the shape of shattered doors and beams and furniture, was -waiting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span> for us. The farm people had left, so we were able to help -ourselves to chickens, which we did, and a glorious change they were on -the everlasting bully beef. A chicken doesn’t go very far with hungry -soldiers, and on one occasion we had a chicken apiece, and remarkably -good they were too, roasted in the trenches. Another great time was when -we caught a little pig at the farm and killed it and took it to the -trenches, where we cooked it.</p> - -<p>When we had finished with the second lot of trenches we went into a -third set, and I was there till I was wounded and sent home. These -trenches were only about a hundred and twenty yards from the second lot, -so that the whole of the three months I spent in trenches was passed in -a very little area of ground, an experience which is so totally -different from that of so many of our soldiers who were out at the war -at the very beginning, and covered such great distances in marching from -place to place and battle to battle. These chaps were lucky, because -they got the change of scene and the excitement of big fighting, but the -only change we had was in going out of one trench into another.</p> - -<p>It was now the middle of December and bitter weather, but we were -cheered up by the thought of Christmas, and found that things were -getting much more lively than they had been. One night a splendid act -was performed by Lieutenant Seckham, one of our platoon officers, and -two of our privates, Cunningham and Harris.</p> - -<p>An officer of the Royal Engineers had gone out to fix up some barbed -wire entanglements in front of our trenches. The Germans were firing -heavily at the time, and they must have either seen or heard<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a>{102}</span> the -officer at work. They went for him and struck him down and there he lay -in the open. To leave the trenches was a most perilous thing to do, but -Mr. Seckham and the two men got out and on to the open ground, and bit -by bit they made their way to the Engineer officer, got hold of him, and -under a furious fire brought him right along and into our trench, and we -gave a cheer which rang out in the night above the firing and told the -Germans that their frantic efforts had failed. Mr. Seckham was a -splendid officer in every way and we were greatly grieved when, not long -afterwards, he was killed. Another of our fine young platoon officers, -Lieutenant Townsend, has been killed since I came home.</p> - -<p>We were so near the Germans at times that we could throw things at them -and they could hurl things at us, and we both did, the things being -little bombs, after the style of the old hand-grenade. We got up a -bomb-throwing class and hurled our bombs; but it was not possible to -throw them very far—only twenty-five yards or so. The West Yorkshires, -who were near us, got a great many of these missiles thrown at them, but -they did not all explode. One day a sergeant of ours—Jarvis—was out -getting wood when he saw one of them lying on the ground. He picked it -up and looked at it, then threw it down and instantly it exploded, and -he had no fewer than forty-three wounds, mostly cuts, caused by the -flying fragments, so that the bomb made a proper mess of him.</p> - -<p>Our own bombs were made of ordinary pound jam tins, filled with -explosive and so on, like a little shell, which, as the case of the -sergeant showed, was not anything like as sweet a thing to get as jam. -The</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_102fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_102fp_sml.jpg" width="346" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 102. - - -“WE WERE SO NEAR THE GERMANS THAT THEY COULD HURL BOMBS AT US.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 102.</span> -<br /> - -“WE WERE SO NEAR THE GERMANS THAT THEY COULD HURL BOMBS AT US.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span></p> - -<p>Germans were very fond of flinging these hand-bombs and seemed to have a -great idea of their value in attacks and defence.</p> - -<p>Christmas Eve was with us, Christmas Day was soon to dawn—and what a -strange and terrible Christmas it was to be!</p> - -<p>On Christmas Eve itself we plainly heard the Germans shouting.</p> - -<p>“A merry Christmas to you!” they said, and there was no mistaking the -German voices that came to us in our trenches out of the darkness.</p> - -<p>“A merry Christmas to you!”</p> - -<p>Again the Germans greeted us, though we could not see them, and there -was something pathetic in the words, which were shouted in a lull in the -fighting. Some of our men answered the wish, but I did not—I had no -heart to do so, when I knew that the message meant so little.</p> - -<p>It may have been a matter of sentiment, because this was the time of -peace on earth and goodwill towards men, or it may not; but at any rate -the order came that if the Germans did not fire we were not to fire. But -Christmas or no Christmas, and in spite of their greetings, the Germans -went on firing, and we were forced to do the same, so throughout the -night of Christmas Eve we had our rifles going and did not stop till it -was daylight.</p> - -<p>But the rifle fire was not the only sound of warfare that was -heard—there was the sharp booming of artillery. The field batteries -were hard at it and we knew they must be doing fearful mischief amongst -the Germans. The night became truly awful; but how dreadful we did not -know till Christmas Day itself, then, the firing having ceased, we saw -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span> the ground in front of us, not very far away, was littered with -the German dead.</p> - -<p>A Merry Christmas!</p> - -<p>The very men who had sent the greeting to us were lying dead within our -sight, for the Germans had started to change their position and the -British shells had shattered them. Something like two hundred and fifty -of the Germans were lying dead upon the field, and sorry indeed must the -dawn of Christmas Day have been to those who were left.</p> - -<p>Peace on earth! There <i>was</i> peace of a sort, for as we looked on the -German dead from our trenches we saw two Germans appear in full view, -holding up their hands, to show us that they were unarmed.</p> - -<p>You can imagine what a solemn spectacle that was—what a Christmas Day -it was which dawned upon us in the trenches. We knew instinctively what -was wanted—the ground was littered with the German dead and the Germans -wanted an armistice so that they could bury them.</p> - -<p>One of our officers went out and talked with the two Germans who were -holding up their hands—covered by British rifles. He soon learned what -they wanted, and the armistice was granted.</p> - -<p>It was about three o’clock in the afternoon of Christmas Day when the -Germans set to work to bury their dead, and as they did so we left our -trenches and stood on the open ground and watched them. We saw them -perfectly clearly, because the main German trench was not more than 120 -yards away, and the burial took place a few yards behind this.</p> - -<p>I have seen a photograph of British and German<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span> soldiers fraternising on -Christmas Day; but there was nothing of this sort with us. The only -incident I witnessed was a British officer shaking hands with a German -officer. That was all. I did not shake hands with them—and I had not -the least wish to do so, though I bore them no ill-will on that sad -Christmas Day.</p> - -<p>I was thankful when Christmas was over and we had settled down to -ordinary routine work, killing and being killed, for it is astonishing -how soon you get accustomed to the business of firing on and being fired -at.</p> - -<p>The trenches had got from bad to worse. When I first went into them -there was eighteen inches of water and five inches of mud; but now it -was a matter of standing almost up to the waist in water. They became so -bad that instead of using the communication trenches, which you might -almost call tunnels, it was decided that we should cross the open -country to get to our fighting-place, the main trench—indeed, we had no -option, because the communication trench was almost impassable.</p> - -<p>On a mid-January night, and very bad at that, we began the journey to -the trenches. If there had been just ordinary honest darkness we should -have been all right and quite satisfied; but though there was darkness -enough there was plenty of light—the uncanny brightness which came from -the star-shells.</p> - -<p>Star-shells were going up all along the line and bursting. They are a -sort of firework, giving a brilliant light, and as they exploded they -showed us up almost as clearly as if we had been in daylight.</p> - -<p>We had only a very short distance to go, but the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span> star-lights made the -journey to the trenches a desperate undertaking.</p> - -<p>In single file, a little bunch of ten of us, crouching down, holding our -loaded rifles and carrying all we possessed—we went along, losing no -time.</p> - -<p>From the stealthy way in which we started on our little trip you might -have thought that we were burglars or villains bent on some fearsome -job, instead of ordinary British soldiers getting back to their -trenches.</p> - -<p>We went with caution, and had not covered more than ten yards when what -I take to be machine-gun fire was opened on us.</p> - -<p>All at once, without the slightest warning, a real hail of bullets -struck us, and of the ten men of us who were advancing in single file -three were killed and four were wounded. The three who were shot down in -the ghastly glare of the star-shells were ahead of me.</p> - -<p>When that happened we were ordered to keep well apart and open out, but -there was not much chance for those of us who were left; at any rate, no -sooner had we obeyed and were making a little headway than I was struck -myself on the head.</p> - -<p>For half-an-hour or so I was unconscious; then I recovered and picked -myself up and found that I was all alone. I crawled a few yards to a -trench and got into it; but finding it full of water I thought I might -as well be killed as drowned, so I got out, and not caring in the least -for the German bullets or the star-shells, I made my way as best I could -to the nearest dressing-station, and received attention. After that I -found myself in a motor-car, and later at a clearing-station and on the -boat for home.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span></p> - -<p>You can see the scar of the wound here; but I don’t bother about that. I -suffer terribly from sleeplessness—and too often I see again the German -soldiers who had wished us a merry Christmas—and were buried at the -back of their trenches on the gloomy afternoon of Christmas Day.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX<br /><br /> -<small>SAPPING AND MINING: THE “LUCKY COMPANY”</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[In blowing up bridges, repairing the ravages of the enemy, in -throwing pontoons over rivers, and in countless other ways, the -Royal Engineers have contributed largely to the success of the -British operations in the war. These splendid men, known a century -ago as the Royal Sappers and Miners, have not only worked with the -greatest energy since the war began, but they have also seen some -hard fighting. This story of Sapper William Bell, 23rd Field -Company, Royal Engineers, gives a picture of the many-sided -operations of the magnificent corps whose mottoes are “Everywhere” -and “Where right and glory lead.”]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Sheer</span> hard work was the order of the day for our chaps from the time I -landed in France from an old Irish cattle-boat till the day when I was -packed off back to England suffering from rheumatic fever.</p> - -<p>We worked excessively hard, and so did everybody else. Wherever there -was an obstacle it had to go, and the infantry themselves time after -time slaved away at digging and clearing, all of which was over and -above the strain of the fighting and tremendous marching. It was a rare -sight to see the Guards sweeping down the corn with their -bayonets—sickles that reaped many a grim harvest then and later.</p> - -<p>It was during the early stage of the war that bridges were blown up in -wholesale fashion to check the German advance, and the work being -particularly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span> dangerous we had some very narrow escapes. A very near -thing happened at Soissons.</p> - -<p>We had been ordered to blow up a bridge, and during the day we charged -it with gun-cotton, and were waiting to set the fuse until the last of -our troops had crossed over. That was a long business, and exciting -enough for anybody, because for hours the men of a whole division were -passing, and all the time that great passing body of men, horses, guns, -waggons and so on, was under a heavy artillery fire from the Germans.</p> - -<p>At last the bridge was clear—it had served its purpose; the division -was on the other side of the river, and all that remained to be done was -to blow up the bridge. Three sections of our company retired, and the -remaining section was left behind to attend to the fuse.</p> - -<p>Very soon we heard a terrific report, and the same awful thought -occurred to many of us—that there had been a premature explosion and -that the section was lost. One of my chums, judging by the time of the -fuse, said it was certain that the section was blown up, and indeed it -was actually reported that an officer and a dozen men had been killed.</p> - -<p>But, to our intense relief, we learned that the report was wrong; but we -heard also how narrowly our fellows had escaped, and how much they owed -to the presence of mind and coolness of the officer. It seems that as -soon as the fuse was fired the lieutenant instinctively suspected that -something was wrong, and instantly ordered the men to lie flat, with the -result that they were uninjured by the tremendous upheaval of masonry, -though they were a bit shaken when they caught us up on the road later. -This incident gives a good idea of the sort of work and the danger that -the Royal Engineers were constantly experiencing in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span> the earlier stages -of the war, so that one can easily understand what is happening now in -the bitter winter-time.</p> - -<p>An Engineer, like the referee in a football match, sees a lot of the -game, and it was near a French village that we had a fine view of a -famous affair.</p> - -<p>We had been sent to the spot on special duty, and were resting on the -crest of a hill, watching the effects of the enemy’s field-guns.</p> - -<p>Suddenly in the distance we saw figures moving. At first we could not -clearly make them out, but presently we saw that they were Algerian -troops, and that there seemed to be hosts of them. They swarmed on -swiftly, and took up a position in some trenches near us.</p> - -<p>The Algerians, like our Indian troops, hate trench fighting, and long to -come to grips with the enemy. We knew this well enough, but we realised -the peril of leaving cover and advancing towards an enemy who was very -close, and who was sweeping the ground with an uncommonly deadly fire.</p> - -<p>Putting all fear aside, remembering only their intense desire to come to -grips, giving no thought to what must happen to them, the Algerians with -enthusiastic shouts sprang from the trenches and bounded, like the sons -of the desert they are, across the shell-swept zone that separated them -from the annihilating gunfire of the enemy.</p> - -<p>What happened was truly terrible. The Algerians were literally mowed -down, as they charged across the deadly zone, and for a piece of sheer -recklessness I consider that this attack was as good—or as bad—as the -charge of the Light Brigade.</p> - -<p>The Algerians were cut to pieces in the mad attempt to reach the German -batteries, and the handful of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span> survivors were forced to retire. To their -everlasting credit be it said that, in withdrawing under that terrible -fire, they did their best to bring their wounded men away. They picked -up as many of the fallen as they could and slung them across the -shoulder, as the best way of carrying them out of danger.</p> - -<p>I shall never forget the scene that met my eyes when we returned to the -village. Women were weeping and wringing their hands as the survivors -carried their wounded through the streets—for the French are deeply -attached to their Colonial troops—and the men of the place were nearly -as bad; even some of our chaps, who are not too easily moved, were -upset.</p> - -<p>While in this locality we had a very warm time of it, for we were -continuously under artillery fire. We were in a remarkably good position -for seeing the battle, some of our batteries being on our right, some on -our left, and the German guns in front. It was really hot work, and when -we were not hard at it carrying out our own duties, we took cover on the -other side of a hill near the road; but some of our men got rather tired -of cover, and found the position irksome; but if you so much as showed -yourself you were practically done for. One day our trumpeter exposed -himself, just for a moment; but it was enough. He was instantly struck -and badly wounded.</p> - -<p>At another time we were in our sleeping-quarters in a school-house, and -had an escape that was truly miraculous. We had settled down and were -feeling pretty comfortable, when the Germans suddenly started shelling -us; suddenly, too, with a terrific crash, a shell dropped and burst in -the very midst of us.</p> - -<p>Theoretically, the lot of us in that school-house ought to have been -wiped out by this particular shell,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span> but the extraordinary fact is that -though every one was badly shaken up, only one of our men was -wounded—all the rest of us escaped. Luckily we had the hospital men at -hand, and the poor chap who had been knocked over was taken away at once -to the doctors.</p> - -<p>We had had a very hard, hot time, and were glad when the French came and -relieved us, and gave our division a bit of rest and change. The Germans -in that particular part were thoroughly beaten, and a batch of 500 who -were covering the retreat were captured by the French.</p> - -<p>They had started for Paris, and were very near it when they were bagged. -I dare say they got to Paris all right. So did we, for we entrained for -the city, but stayed there less than an hour. I had a chance of seeing -something of the thorough way in which Paris had been prepared for -defence, and on my way to Ypres I noticed how extensively the bridges -that were likely to be of any use to the Germans had been destroyed. The -loss in bridges alone in this great war has been stupendous.</p> - -<p>When we entered Ypres it was a beautiful old cathedral city; now it is a -shapeless mass of ruins, a melancholy centre of the longest and -deadliest battle that has ever been fought in the history of the world. -We had a rousing reception from the British troops who were already in -the city, and a specially warm greeting from our own R.E. men, who gave -me a huge quantity of pipes, tobacco and cigarettes from home, to divide -amongst our company.</p> - -<p>We were soon in the thick of the fiercest and most eventful part of the -fighting. We were put to work digging trenches for the infantry and -fixing up wire entanglements. The wire was in coils half a mile</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_112fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_112fp_sml.jpg" width="357" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 112. - - -“WE HAD A VERY WARM TIME OF IT” (p. 111)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 112. -</span> -<br /> -“WE HAD A VERY WARM TIME OF IT” (<a href="#page_111">p. 111</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">long, and what with that and the barbs and the weight, the carrying and -dragging and fixing was a truly fearsome job.</p> - -<p>And not only that, but it was extremely dangerous, because we were -constantly under fire—sometimes we were fixing up wire within a few -hundred yards of the German lines. Before getting to Ypres we had -covering parties of infantry to protect us from snipers and sudden -attacks; but at Ypres this protection was rarely given, because of the -very heavy pressure on the firing line. We were ceaselessly sniped; but -on the whole our casualties were remarkably few—but we were always -known as the “Lucky Company.”</p> - -<p>In addition to doing this hard and dangerous work, we were roughing it -with a vengeance. Our sleeping-quarters were dug-outs in a wood, and -were lined with straw, when we could get it. The enemy always make a -special point of “searching” woods with shells, and we were so situated -that we were pestered day and night by the German gunners, who were -hoping to draw our artillery fire and so locate our own batteries. -Anything like rest was utterly out of the question owing to these -artillery duels, which were the bane of our life.</p> - -<p>Silence was essential for our work, and we used muffled mauls—our big -wooden mallets.</p> - -<p>One moonlight night we were going to our usual duties when a shell flew -past, exploding with terrific force within ten paces of us. We took it -to be one of the Germans’ random shots, but after going a short distance -we had more shells bursting about us, and bullets whizzing, telling us -that the enemy’s snipers were at it again. Once more we justified our -nickname of the “Lucky Company,” for we had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a>{114}</span> only one man hit—a fine -chap, whose fighting qualities were well known to us, so we grinned when -he said to me, after being struck on the shoulder, “I should like to -have a look at that German, Bill!”</p> - -<p>In the moonlight we offered a first-rate target to the hidden German -snipers, and they certainly ought to have done more with us than just -hit one man; but compared with British soldiers, the Germans, with rare -exceptions, are only “third-class” shots. I have mentioned this little -affair chiefly by way of showing the constant danger to which field -engineers are exposed.</p> - -<p>The Germans at that time had their eyes on us properly, and the very -next day they did their level best to make up for their sorry -performance in the moonlight.</p> - -<p>We had been told off to dig trenches for the infantry on our left, and -we started out on the job. Rain had been falling heavily, the ground was -like a quagmire, and we had to struggle through marshy ground and -ploughed fields.</p> - -<p>This was bad enough in all conscience, but to help to fill the cup of -our misery the German snipers got at us, and gave us what was really a -constant hail of bullets. We floundered on, doing our dead best to reach -a certain wood. After floundering for some time, we were ordered to -halt. By that time we had reached the wood, and the fire was truly -awful.</p> - -<p>Behind our tool-carts we usually fasten a big biscuit-tin, which is a -big metal case, and as the sniping became particularly furious, four of -our men bolted for shelter behind the biscuit-tin. I don’t know what it -is in the British soldier that makes him see the humour of even a fatal -situation, but it happened<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a>{115}</span> that the rest of us were so tickled at the -sight of our comrades scuttling that we burst out laughing.</p> - -<p>But we didn’t laugh long, for shells as well as bullets came, and we saw -that the Germans were concentrating their fire upon us. They were going -for all they were worth at the wood, and our only chance of safety lay -in securing cover. We made a dash for the trees, and I sheltered behind -one.</p> - -<p>Then an extraordinary thing happened. A shell came and literally chopped -down the tree. The shell spared my life, but the tumbling tree nearly -got me. Luckily I skipped aside, and just escaped from being crushed to -death by the crashing timber.</p> - -<p>The firing was kept up for a long time after that, but we went on with -our work and finished it, and then we were ordered to occupy the -trenches we had just dug. We were glad to get into them, and it was -pleasant music to listen to our own infantry, who had come into action, -and were settling the accounts of some of the German snipers.</p> - -<p>Later on we were told to get to a farmhouse, and we did, and held it for -some hours, suffering greatly from thirst and hunger, in consequence of -having missed our meals since the early morning. Some of our tool-carts -had been taken back by the infantry, and this was a far more perilous -task than some people might think, for the carts are usually filled with -detonators, containing high explosives like gun-cotton, and an exploding -shell hitting a cart would cause devastation.</p> - -<p>The farmhouse was ranked as a “safe place,” and we reckoned that we were -lucky to get inside it; but it proved anything but lucky, and I grieve -to say that it was here that my particular chum, an<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span> old schoolmate, met -his death. We had scarcely reached the “safe place” when the cursed -shells began to burst again, and I said to myself that we were bound to -get some souvenirs. And we did.</p> - -<p>My comrades had brought their tea to a hut, and I went there to get my -canteen to take to the cookhouse. No sooner had I left the hut than I -heard a fearful explosion. One gets used to these awful noises, and I -took no notice of it at the time; but shortly afterwards I was told that -my chum had been hit, and I rushed back to the hut. Terrible was the -sight that met me. Eight of our men were lying wounded, amongst them my -friend. With a heavy heart I picked him up, and he died in my arms soon -afterwards. Two other men died before their injuries could be attended -to—and this single shell also killed two officers’ chargers.</p> - -<p>It was soon after this that I went through what was perhaps my most -thrilling experience. Again it was night, and we were engaged in our -usual work, when suddenly we heard the sound of heavy rifle fire. -Throwing down our tools, we grabbed our rifles. We had not the slightest -idea of what was happening, but looking cautiously over the parapet of -the trench which we were working on, we could dimly see dark figures in -front, and took them to be Germans.</p> - -<p>We were ordered to fire, the word being passed from man to man to take -careful aim; but owing to the darkness this was not an easy thing to do. -We fired, and instantly we were greeted with terrific shouting, and we -knew that the Germans were charging. Not an instant was lost. With fixed -bayonets, out from the trench we jumped, the infantry on our right and -left doing the same.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span></p> - -<p>Carrying out a bayonet charge is an experience I shall never forget. One -loses all sense of fear, and thinks of nothing but going for and -settling the enemy. For my own part I distinctly recollect plunging my -bayonet into a big, heavy German, and almost instantly afterwards -clubbing another with the butt of my rifle. It was only a short fight, -but a very fierce one. The Germans gave way, leaving their dead and -wounded behind them.</p> - -<p>When the charge was over we went back to our trenches, taking our -wounded with us. Our company’s casualties numbered about a dozen, the -majority of the men suffering from more or less serious wounds; but we -were pretty well satisfied, and felt that we had earned our sleep that -night.</p> - -<p>The next day I had another close shave, a shell bursting very near me -and killing twelve horses belonging to the 15th Hussars, who were on -patrol duty.</p> - -<p>After seven weeks of this famous and awful fighting at Ypres, I was -taken ill with rheumatic fever—and no wonder, after such work, and -sleeping in such places as we were forced to occupy. After a spell in -the hospital at Ypres, I was moved on from place to place, till I made -the final stage of the journey to England.</p> - -<p>A remarkable thing happened during one of the heavy bombardments that we -endured. A shell came and fell plump in the midst of us, and it really -seemed as if we were all doomed. But the shell did not explode, and on -examining the cap, it was found to bear the number “23.” That, you will -remember, is the number of my own company, so you can understand that we -felt more justified than ever in calling ourselves the “Lucky Company.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X<br /><br /> -<small>L BATTERY’S HEROIC STAND</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[Not one of the almost numberless valiant deeds of the war has -proved more thrilling and splendid than the exploit of L Battery, -Royal Horse Artillery, at Nery, near Compiègne, on September 1st, -1914. After greatly distinguishing itself at Mons, the battery -helped to cover the retreat of the Allies, and fought a heavy -rearguard action. On the last day of the retirement the battery -unexpectedly came into action at very close range with an -overwhelmingly superior German force. So destructive was the fire -which was brought to bear on the battery that only one British gun -was left in action, and this was served, until all the ammunition -was expended, by Battery-Sergeant-Major Dorrell, Sergeant Nelson, -Gunner H. Darbyshire and Driver Osborne, all the rest of the -officers and men of the battery having been killed or wounded. At -the close of the artillery duel the Queen’s Bays and I Battery came -to the rescue, and the shattered remnant of L Battery came -triumphant out of the tremendous fray. This story is told by Gunner -Darbyshire, who, with Driver Osborne, was awarded the great -distinction of the Médaille Militaire of France, while the -sergeant-major and Sergeant Nelson for their gallantry were -promoted to second-lieutenants, and awarded the Victoria Cross.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">As</span> soon as we got into touch with the Germans—and that was at -Mons—they never left us alone. We had a hot time with them, but we gave -them a hotter. Mons was a terrible experience, especially to men going -straight into action for the first time, and so furious was the -artillery duel that at its height some of the British and German shells -actually struck each other in the air. In less than an hour we fired -nearly six<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span> hundred rounds—the full number carried by a battery of six -guns. But I must not talk of Mons; I will get to the neighbourhood of -Compiègne, and tell of the fight that was sprung on the battery and left -only three survivors.</p> - -<p>All through the retreat we had been fighting heavily, and throughout the -day on August 31st we fought till four o’clock in the afternoon; then we -were ordered to retire to Compiègne. It was a long march, and when we -got to Nery, near Compiègne, early in the evening, both horses and men -were utterly exhausted and very hungry. As soon as we got in we gave the -horses some food—with the mounted man the horse always comes first—and -made ourselves as comfortable as possible.</p> - -<p>Outposts were put out by the officers, and the cavalry who were with us, -the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s Bays), were in a small field on the side -of a road which was opposite to us. That road was really a deep cutting, -and I want you to bear it in mind, because it largely proved the -salvation of the few survivors of the battery at the end of the fight. -For the rest, the country was just of the sort you can see in many -places in England—peaceful, fertile and prosperous, with farms dotted -about, but nobody left on them, for the warning had been given that the -German hordes were marching, and the people had fled in terror.</p> - -<p>Having made all our dispositions, we went to sleep, and rested till -half-past three in the morning, when we were roused and told to get -ready to march at a moment’s notice.</p> - -<p>The darkness seemed to hang about more than usual, and the morning was -very misty; but we did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a>{120}</span> pay much attention to that, and we -breakfasted and fed the horses. We expected to be off again, but the -battery was ordered to stand fast until further notice.</p> - -<p>In war-time never a moment is wasted, and Sergeant-Major Dorrell thought -that this would be a good opportunity to water the horses, so he ordered -the right half-battery to water, and the horses were taken behind a -sugar factory which was a little distance away. The horses were watered -and brought back and hooked into the guns and waggons; then the left -half-battery went to water.</p> - -<p>Everything was perfectly quiet. Day had broken, and the landscape was -hidden in the grey veil of the early morning. All was well, it seemed, -and we were now expecting to move off. A ridge about 600 yards away was, -we supposed, occupied by French cavalry, and a general and orderly -retreat was going on in our rear. Then, without the slightest warning, a -“ranging” shot was dropped into the battery, and we knew instantly that -the Germans were on us and had fired this trial shot to get the range of -us.</p> - -<p>Immediately after this round was fired the whole place was alive with -shrapnel and maxim bullets, and it was clear that the battery was almost -surrounded by German artillery and infantry. As a matter of fact, the -French cavalry had left their position on the ridge before daybreak, and -a strong German force, with ten guns and two maxims, had advanced under -cover of the mist and occupied the position, which was an uncommonly -good one for artillery.</p> - -<p>We were taken completely by surprise, and at first could do nothing, for -the “ranging” shot was followed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a>{121}</span> by an absolute hail of shrapnel, which -almost blew the battery to pieces.</p> - -<p>The very beginning of the German fire made havoc amongst the battery and -the Bays, and the losses amongst the horses were particularly severe and -crippling. But we soon pulled ourselves together, with a fierce -determination to save the battery, and to do our best to give the -Germans a vast deal more than they were giving us.</p> - -<p>“Who’ll volunteer to get the guns into action?” shouted Captain -Bradbury.</p> - -<p>Every man who could stand and fight said “Me!” and there was an instant -rush for the guns. Owing to heavy losses in our battery, I had become -limber gunner, and it was part of my special duty to see to the -ammunition in the limbers. But special duties at a time like that don’t -count for much; the chief thing is to keep the guns going, and it was -now a case of every one, officer and man, striving his best to save the -battery. The officers, while they lived and could keep up at all, were -noble, and worked exactly like the men. From start to finish of that -fatal fight they set a glorious example.</p> - -<p>We rushed to the guns, I say, and with the horses, when they were living -and unhurt, and man-handling when the poor beasts were killed or maimed, -we made shift to bring as heavy a fire as we could raise against the -Germans. The advantage was clearly and undoubtedly with them—they were -in position, they had our range, and they had far more guns and men, -while we had half our horses watering by the sugar mill and shells were -thick in the air and ploughing up the earth before we could get a single -gun into action.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a>{122}</span></p> - -<p>Let me stop for a minute to explain what actually happened to the guns, -so that you can understand the odds against us as we fought. The guns, -as you have seen, were ready for marching, not for fighting, which we -were not expecting; half the horses were away, many at the guns were -killed or wounded, and officers and men had suffered fearfully in the -course literally of a few seconds after the “ranging” shot plumped into -us.</p> - -<p>The first gun came to grief through the terrified horses bolting and -overturning it on the steep bank of the road in front of us; the second -gun had the spokes of a wheel blown out by one of the very first of the -German shells, the third was disabled by a direct hit with a shell which -killed the detachment; the fourth was left standing, though the wheels -got knocked about and several holes were made in the limber, and all the -horses were shot down. The fifth gun was brought into action, but was -silenced by the detachment being killed, and the sixth gun, our own, -remained the whole time, though the side of the limber was blown away, -the wheels were severely damaged, holes were blown in the shield, and -the buffer was badly peppered by shrapnel bullets. The gun was a wreck, -but, like many another wreck, it held gallantly on until the storm was -over—and it was saved at last.</p> - -<p>In a shell fire that was incessant and terrific, accompanied by the hail -of bullets from the maxims, we got to work.</p> - -<p>We had had some truly tremendous cannonading at Mons; but this was -infinitely worse, for the very life of the battery was in peril, and it -was a point-blank battle, just rapid, ding-dong kill-fire, our own<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>{123}</span> -shells and the Germans’ bursting in a fraction of time after leaving the -muzzles of the guns.</p> - -<p>As soon as we were fairly in action, the Germans gave us a fiercer fire -than ever, and it is only just to them to say that their practice was -magnificent; but I think we got the pull of them, crippled and shattered -though we were—nay, I know we did, for when the bloody business was all -over, we counted far more of the German dead than all our battery had -numbered at the start.</p> - -<p>The thirteen-pounders of the Royal Horse Artillery can be fired at the -rate of fifteen rounds a minute, and though we were not perhaps doing -that, because we were short-handed and the limbers were about thirty -yards away, still we were making splendid practice, and it was telling -heavily on the Germans.</p> - -<p>As the mist melted away we could at that short distance see them -plainly—and they made a target which we took care not to miss. We went -for the German guns and fighting men, and the Germans did all they knew -to smash us—but they didn’t know enough, and failed.</p> - -<p>As soon as we got number six gun into action I jumped into the seat and -began firing, but so awful was the concussion of our own explosions and -the bursting German shells that I could not bear it for long. I kept it -up for about twenty minutes, then my nose and ears were bleeding because -of the concussion, and I could not fire any more, so I left the seat and -got a change by fetching ammunition.</p> - -<p>And now there happened one of those things which, though they seem -marvellous, are always taking place in time of war, and especially such -a war as this, when life is lost at every turn. Immediately after I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a>{124}</span> -left the seat, Lieutenant Campbell, who had been helping with the -ammunition, took it, and kept the firing up without the loss of a second -of time; but he had not fired more than a couple of rounds when a shell -burst under the shield. The explosion was awful, and the brave young -officer was hurled about six yards away from the very seat in which I -had been sitting a few seconds earlier. There is no human hope against -such injuries, and Mr. Campbell lived for only a few minutes.</p> - -<p>Another officer who fell quickly while doing dangerous work was -Lieutenant Mundy, my section officer. He was finding the range and -reporting the effects of our shells. To do that he had left the -protection of the shield and was sitting on the ground alongside the gun -wheel. This was a perilous position, being completely exposed to the -shells which were bursting all around. Mr. Mundy was killed by an -exploding shell which also wounded me. A piece of the shell caught me -just behind the shoulder-blade. I felt it go into my back, but did not -take much notice of it at the time, and went on serving the gun. Mr. -Mundy had taken the place of Mr. Marsden, the left-section officer. The -latter had gone out from home with us; but he had been badly wounded at -Mons, where a shrapnel bullet went through the roof of his mouth and -came out of his neck. In spite of that dreadful injury, however, he -stuck bravely to his section.</p> - -<p>I am getting on a bit too fast, perhaps, so I will return to the time -when I had to leave the seat of the gun owing to the way in which the -concussion had affected me. When I felt a little better I began to help -Driver Osborne to fetch ammunition from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>{125}</span> the waggons. I had just managed -to get back to the gun with an armful of ammunition, when a lyddite -shell exploded behind me, threw me to the ground, and partly stunned me.</p> - -<p>I was on the ground for what seemed to be about five minutes and thought -I was gone; but when I came round I got up and found that I was -uninjured. On looking round, however, I saw that Captain Bradbury, who -had played a splendid part in getting the guns into action, had been -knocked down by the same shell that floored me. I had been thrown on my -face, Captain Bradbury had been knocked down backwards, and he was about -two yards away from me. When I came to my senses I went up to him and -saw that he was mortally wounded. He expired a few minutes afterwards. -Though the captain knew that death was very near, he thought of his men -to the last, and repeatedly begged to be carried away, so that they -should not be upset by seeing him or hearing the cries which he could -not restrain. Two of the men who were wounded, and were lying in the -shelter of a neighbouring haystack, crawled up and managed to take the -captain back with them; but he died almost as soon as the haystack was -reached.</p> - -<p>By this time our little camp was an utter wreck. Horses and men were -lying everywhere, some of the horses absolutely blown to pieces; waggons -and guns were turned upside down, and all around was the ruin caused by -the German shells. The camp was littered with fragments of shell and our -own cartridge-cases, while the ground looked as if it had been ploughed -and harrowed anyhow. Nearly all the officers and men had been either -killed or wounded.</p> - -<p>It is no exaggeration to say that the Germans<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a>{126}</span> literally rained shrapnel -and bullets on us. A German shell is filled with about three hundred -bullets, so that with two or three shells bursting you get as big a -cloud of bullets as you would receive from a battalion of infantry.</p> - -<p>The Germans had ten of their guns and two machine-guns going, and it is -simply marvellous that every man and horse in our battery was not -destroyed. Bear in mind, too, that the German artillery was not all -field-guns—they had big guns with them, and they fired into us with the -simple object of wiping us out. That is quite all right, of course; but -they never gave a thought to our wounded—they went for them just as -mercilessly as they bombarded the rest.</p> - -<p>There was a little farmhouse in our camp, an ordinary French farm -building with a few round haystacks near it. When the fight began, we -thought of using this building as a hospital; but it was so clear that -the place was an absolute death-trap that we gave up that idea very -quickly, and got our wounded under the shelter of one of the haystacks, -where they were pretty safe so long as the stack did not catch fire, -because a good thick stack will resist even direct artillery fire in a -wonderful manner. But the Germans got their guns on this particular -stack, and it was a very bad look-out for our poor, helpless fellows, -many of whom had been badly mangled.</p> - -<p>As for the farmhouse it was blown to pieces, as I saw afterwards when I -visited it, and not a soul could have lived in the place. Walls, -windows, roof, ceilings—all were smashed, and the furniture was in -fragments. A building like that was a fair target; but the haystack was -different, and the Germans did a thing that no British gunners would -have done. At<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a>{127}</span> that short distance they could see perfectly clearly what -was happening—they could see that as our wounded fell we got hold of -them and dragged them out of the deadly hail to the shelter of the -stack, about a score of yards away, to comparative safety. Noticing -this, one of the German officers immediately concentrated a heavy shell -fire on the heap of wounded—thirty or forty helpless men—in an attempt -to set fire to the stack. That was a deliberate effort to destroy -wounded men. We saw that, and the sight helped us to put more strength -into our determination to smash the German guns.</p> - -<p>The Germans were mad to wipe us out, and I know that for my own part I -would not have fallen into their clutches alive. My mind was quite made -up on that point, for I had seen many a British soldier who had fallen -on the roadside, dead beat, and gone to sleep—and slept for the last -time when the Germans came up. On a previous occasion we passed through -one place where there had been a fight—it must have been in the -darkness—and the wounded had been put in a cemetery, the idea being -that the Germans would not touch a cemetery. That idea proved to be -wrong. One of the German aeroplanes that were constantly hovering over -the battery had given some German batteries our position, but we got -away, and the German gunners, enraged at our escape, instantly dropped -shells into the cemetery, to wipe the wounded out. If they would do that -they would not hesitate to fire deliberately on our wounded under the -haystack—and they did not hesitate.</p> - -<p>It was not many minutes after the fight began in the mist when only -number six gun was left in the battery, and four of us survived to serve -it—the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a>{128}</span> sergeant-major, who had taken command; Sergeant Nelson, myself, -and Driver Osborne, and we fired as fast as we could in a noise that was -now more terrible than ever and in a little camp that was utter -wreckage. There was the ceaseless din of screaming, bursting shells, the -cries of the wounded, for whom we could do something, but not much, and -the cries of the poor horses, for which we could do nothing. The noise -they made was like the grizzling of a child that is not well—a very -pitiful sound, but, of course, on a much bigger scale; and that sound of -suffering went up from everywhere around us, because everywhere there -were wounded horses.</p> - -<p>It was not long before we managed to silence several German guns. But -very soon Sergeant Nelson was severely wounded by a bursting shell, and -that left only three of us.</p> - -<p>The Bays’ horses, like our own, had been either killed or wounded or had -bolted, but the men had managed to get down on the right of us and take -cover under the steep bank of the road, and from that position, which -was really a natural trench, they fired destructively on the Germans.</p> - -<p>British cavalry, dismounted, have done some glorious work in this great -war, but they have done nothing finer, I think, than their work near -Compiègne on that September morning. And of all the splendid work there -was none more splendid than the performance of a lance-corporal, who -actually planted a maxim on his own knees and rattled into the Germans -with it. There was plenty of kick in the job, but he held on gamely, and -he must have done heavy execution with his six hundred bullets a minute.</p> - -<p>This rifle and maxim fire of the Bays had a wonderful</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_128fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_128fp_sml.jpg" width="354" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 128. - - -“PLANTED A MAXIM ON HIS OWN KNEES AND RATTLED INTO THE GERMANS.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 128.</span> -<br /> - -“PLANTED A MAXIM ON HIS OWN KNEES AND RATTLED INTO THE GERMANS.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a>{129}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">effect in silencing the German fire, and it helped us greatly when we -came to the last stage of the duel.</p> - -<p>I don’t know how many of the Bays there were, but it was impossible for -them to charge, even if they had had their horses, owing to the fact -that the road in front of us was a deep cutting. If the cutting had not -been there the Uhlans, who alone considerably outnumbered us, would have -swept down on us and there would not have been anyone left in L Battery -at any rate.</p> - -<p>By the time we had practically silenced the German guns the three of us -who were surviving were utterly exhausted. Osborne, who was kneeling -beside a waggon wheel, had a narrow escape from being killed. A shell -burst between the wheel and the waggon body, tore the wheel off, and -sent the spokes flying all over the place. One of the spokes caught -Osborne just over the ribs and knocked him over, backwards.</p> - -<p>I looked round on hearing the explosion of the shell, and said, “I think -Osborne’s gone this time,” but we were thankful to find that he was only -knocked over. One of his ribs was fractured, but we did not know of this -till afterwards.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the men who had gone to water the horses of the left-half -battery had heard the firing, and had tried hard to get back to help us; -but they were met on the road by an officer, who said that the battery -was practically annihilated, and it would be useless for them to return. -The Germans had seen them watering the horses, and had begun to shell -the sugar factory. This caused the remaining horses of the battery to -gallop away, and a lot of them were killed as they galloped, though a -good many got away and were afterwards found in the neighbouring<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a>{130}</span> town -of Compiègne, wandering about. As for the men, they “mooched” in any -direction as stragglers, and eventually we came up with them.</p> - -<p>The three of us had served the gun and kept it in action till it was -almost too hot to work, and we were nearly worn out; but we went on -firing, and with a good heart, for we knew that the Germans had been -badly pounded, that the Bays had them in a grip, and that another -battery of horse-gunners was dashing to the rescue. On they came, in -glorious style—there is no finer sight than that of a horse battery -galloping into action.</p> - -<p>Two or three miles away from us I Battery had heard the heavy firing, -and knew that something must be happening to us. Round they turned, and -on they dashed, taking everything before them and stopping for nothing -till they reached a ridge about 2000 yards away; then they unlimbered -and got into action, and never was there grander music heard than that -which greeted the three of us who were left in L Battery when the saving -shells of “I” screamed over us and put the finish to the German rout.</p> - -<p>In a speech made to I Battery Sir John French said—</p> - -<p>“No branch of the Service has done better work in this campaign than the -Royal Horse Artillery. It is impossible to pick out one occasion more -than another during this campaign on which I Battery has specially -distinguished itself, because the battery has always done brilliant -work. Your general tells me that you were in action continuously for ten -days....”</p> - -<p>We had been pretty well hammered out of existence,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a>{131}</span> but we had a kick -left in us, and we gave it, and what with this and the Bays and the -bashing by the fresh battery, the Germans soon had enough of it, and for -the time being they made no further effort to molest us.</p> - -<p>At last the fight was finished. We had—thank God!—saved the guns, and -the Germans, despite their frantic efforts, had made no progress, and -had only a heap of dead and wounded and a lot of battered guns to show -for their attempt to smash us in the morning mist. We had kept them off -day after day, and we kept them off again. We had been badly punished, -but we had mauled them terribly in the fight, which lasted about an -hour.</p> - -<p>Three of our guns had been disabled, two waggons blown up, and many -wheels blown off the waggons.</p> - -<p>Some strange things had happened between Mons and Compiègne, and now -that the duel had ended we had a chance of recollecting them and -counting up the cost to us. Corporal Wheeler Carnham was knocked down -while trying to stop a runaway ammunition waggon, and one of the wheels -went over his legs. He managed to get on his feet again, but he had no -sooner done so than he was struck on the legs by a piece of shell. At -Compiègne two gunners were blown to pieces and could not be identified. -Driver Laws had both legs broken by a waggon which turned over at Mons, -and afterwards the waggon was blown up, and he went with it. -Shoeing-Smith Heath was standing alongside me at Compiègne when the -firing began. I told him to keep his head down, but he didn’t do so—and -lost it. The farrier was badly wounded, and the quartermaster-sergeant -was knocked down and run over by an ammunition<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a>{132}</span> waggon. Gunner Huddle, a -signaller, was looking through his glasses to try to find out where the -shells were coming from, when he was struck on the head by a piece of -bursting shell.</p> - -<p>Our commanding officer, Major the Hon. W. D. Sclater-Booth, was standing -behind the battery, dismounted, as we all were, observing the fall of -the shells, when he was hit by a splinter from a bursting shell and -severely wounded. He was removed, and we did not see him again until we -were on the way to the base. As far as I remember, he was taken off by -one of the cavalry officers from the Bays.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Giffard, our right section officer, was injured early in the -fight by a shell which shattered his left knee, and he was taken and -placed with the rest of the wounded behind the haystack, where in a very -short time they were literally piled up. As soon as the officers and men -fell we did the best we could for them; but all we could do was just -simply to drag them out of the danger of the bursting shells. Luckily, -this particular haystack escaped fairly well, but very soon after the -fight began nearly every haystack in the camp was blazing fiercely, set -on fire by the German shells.</p> - -<p>The first thing to be done after the fight was to bury our dead and -collect our wounded, and in this sorrowful task we were helped by the -Middlesex Regiment—the old “Die-Hards”—who have done so splendidly and -suffered so heavily in this war. They, like I Battery, had come up, and -we were very glad to see them. Some of our gallant wounded were beyond -help, because of the shrapnel fire.</p> - -<p>We buried our dead on the field where they had fallen, amidst the ruins -of the battery they had fought<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a>{133}</span> to save, and with the fire and smoke -still rising from the ruined buildings and the burning haystacks.</p> - -<p>Another thing we did was to go round and shoot the poor horses that were -hopelessly hurt—and a sorry task it was. One waggon we went to had five -horses killed—only one horse was left out of the six which had been -hooked in to march away in the mist of the morning; so we shot him and -put him out of his misery. We had to shoot about twenty horses; but the -rest were already dead, mostly blown to pieces and scattered over the -field—a dreadful sight.</p> - -<p>When we had buried the dead, collected our wounded, and destroyed our -helpless horses, the guns of our battery were limbered up on to sound -waggon limbers, and a pair of horses were borrowed from each sub-section -of I Battery to take them away. Everything else was left -behind—waggons, accoutrements, clothing, caps, and so on, and the -battery was taken to a little village about four miles from Compiègne, -where we tried to snatch a bit of rest; but we had no chance of getting -it, owing to the harassing pursuit of big bodies of Uhlans.</p> - -<p>From that time, until we reached the base, we wandered about as best we -could, and managed to live on what we could get, which was not much. We -were in a pretty sorry state, most of us without caps or jackets, and we -obtained food from other units that we passed on the road.</p> - -<p>We were marching, dismounted, day and night, till we reached the -rail-head, where I was transferred to the base and sent home. The -sergeant-major and Osborne came home at the same time, and the -sergeant-major is now a commissioned officer. So is Sergeant Nelson.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a>{134}</span></p> - -<p>After such a furious fight and all the hardships and sufferings of Mons -and the retreat, it seems strange and unreal to be back in peaceful -London. I don’t know what will happen to me, of course, but whatever -comes I earnestly hope that some day I shall be able to go back to the -little camp where we fought in the morning mist in such a deadly hail of -shell, and look at the resting-places of the brave officers and men who -gave their lives to save the battery they loved so well.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a>{135}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI<br /><br /> -<small>SIXTEEN WEEKS OF FIGHTING</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[Indomitable cheerfulness and consistent courage are two of the -outstanding features of the conduct of the British soldier in the -war, and these qualities are finely shown in this story of some of -the doings of the 1st Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kent -Regiment, which has greatly distinguished itself and suffered -heavily. Private Montgomery is a member of a fighting family, for -he has a brother in the Royal Navy, two brothers in the Rifle -Brigade, one in the Army Service Corps, and one in the Royal Army -Medical Corps, so that there are six brothers serving their country -in this time of urgent need.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I don’t</span> know whether you have seen the picture of the retreat from -Moscow, showing everybody going along in a drove, this, that, and the -other way. You know it? Well, that wasn’t a patch on some parts of the -great retirement on Paris; but there was this enormous difference, that -the retreat from Moscow was just that and nothing more, while our -retirement was simply the beginning of what was to be a splendid -victory.</p> - -<p>It led up to the present tremendous fighting and this terrific trench -work; and let me say that it is impossible for anybody who has not taken -part in that trench warfare to realise what it means. Words and pictures -will enable you to understand the life to some extent, but only by -sharing in it will you fully realise its awful meaning.</p> - -<p>But I’m not grumbling—I’m only stating a fact.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a>{136}</span> Trench life is hard and -dismal work, especially in a winter like this; but everything that it -has been possible to do for the British soldier by the folk at home has -been done.</p> - -<p>Look at this—one of the new skin coats that have been served out to us. -This is the way we wear it—yes, it certainly does smell, but it’s -goat-skin, and might have done with a bit more curing—and I can tell -you that it takes a lot of even the wet and wind of the Low Countries to -get through the fur and skin. These coats are splendid, and a perfect -godsend.</p> - -<p>I won’t attempt to tell you about things exactly as they happened; I’ll -talk of them just as they come into my mind, so that you can understand -what the Royal West Kents have done.</p> - -<p>I can speak, I hope, as a fully-trained soldier, for I served eight -years with the colours and two years in the Reserve before I was called -up, and I did seven years abroad, in China, Singapore, and India; so I -had got into the way of observing things that interest a soldier.</p> - -<p>Well, one of my first and worst experiences was when at about ten-thirty -at night the order for a general retirement was given, but through some -mistake that order did not reach a sergeant and fourteen of the West -Kents, of whom I was one, and it was not until just before four o’clock -in the morning that we got the word, and began to try and pull ourselves -out of it.</p> - -<p>The Germans were then not more than eighty yards away from us, and our -position was desperate. To make matters worse, the bridge by which we -had to get across a neighbouring canal had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a>{137}</span> blown up, but as it -happened the detonator on the overhead part of the bridge had not -exploded, so that there was still a sort of communication across the -water.</p> - -<p>The bridge was full of wire entanglements and broken chains—a mass of -metal wreckage—and the only way of crossing was to scramble along the -ruins and crawl along what had been the iron parapet, which was only -eight or nine inches wide. You will best understand what I mean if you -imagine one of the iron bridges over the Thames destroyed, and that the -principal thing left is the flat-topped iron side which you often see.</p> - -<p>Under a terrible fire we made for the parapet and got on to it as best -we could. I was the last man but one to get on to it. Just in front of -me was Lance-corporal Gibson, and just behind me was Private Bailey.</p> - -<p>With the Germans so near, so many of them, and keeping up such a heavy -fire on us, you can imagine what it meant to crawl along a twisted -parapet like that. The marvel is that a single one of us escaped, but a -few of us did, which was no credit to the German marksmanship.</p> - -<p>The bullets whizzed and whistled around us and very soon both the man in -front of me and the man behind were struck.</p> - -<p>The corporal was knocked straight over and disappeared. Bailey was shot -through the instep, but he managed to hold on to the parapet, and to -make a very singular request.</p> - -<p>“Mont,” he said, “come and take my boot off!”</p> - -<p>I turned round and saw what had happened to him; but, of course, it -wasn’t possible to do what he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a>{138}</span> asked, when it needed every bit of one’s -strength and skill to hang on to the parapet and keep crawling, so I -cried back, “Never mind about taking your boot off—come on!”</p> - -<p>It was no use saying anything; poor chap, he would insist on having his -boot off, so I said, “For Heaven’s sake get along, or we shall all get -knocked over!” And with that I started to crawl again, and to get ahead -as best I could.</p> - -<p>The corporal, as I have said, had gone; he had been hit right between -the shoulder-blades, and I just saw him roll over into the horrible -barbed-wire entanglements.</p> - -<p>What exactly happened to poor Bailey I don’t know. I hadn’t a chance of -looking back, but I heard afterwards that both he and the corporal were -found lying there, dead, with their faces spattered with blood.</p> - -<p>At last, after what seemed like a miraculous escape, I got clear of the -parapet, with a few more, and landed safely on the other side of the -canal, looking for the West Kents; but it had been impossible to re-form -any battalion, and regiments were walking about like flocks of sheep. -Efforts were being made to re-form our own men, but at that time there -was no chance of doing so.</p> - -<p>It was the sight of these disorganised and wandering soldiers that -brought to my mind the picture of the retreat from Moscow.</p> - -<p>It was not until we reached Le Cateau that the handful of us rejoined -the regiment, and so far as fighting went we merely changed from bad to -worse.</p> - -<p>At Le Cateau the West Kents held the second line of trenches, and the -Yorkshire Light Infantry were in the first line, so that we were -supporting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>{139}</span> them. We had the 121st and 122nd Batteries of the Royal -Field Artillery in front of us—and no troops could wish for better -gunners than the British.</p> - -<p>We got into the trenches at about four-thirty on the morning of the -26th, and remained in them for something like twelve hours, and during -that time we took part in what was probably the fiercest battle that had -ever been fought up to that time, though there was worse to follow in -the Ypres region. We were rather unlucky, as it happened, because we -were forced to lie in the trenches and watch the other regiments and our -artillery shelling the enemy without our being able to fire a shot, for -we were so placed that we could not do anything effective against the -enemy just then.</p> - -<p>The Yorkshire Light Infantry retired, and then came the order for the -West Kents to go. It was an order that needed the greatest care and -courage to carry out, but it had been given, and, of course, the West -Kents always do just what they are told to do. We did so now, with the -result, I am proud to say, that we carried out Colonel Martyn’s command -to the letter.</p> - -<p>“Don’t get excited in any way,” he said. “Just go off as if you were on -battalion parade.”</p> - -<p>And we did, and the colonel showed us how to do it, for he walked off -just as he might have walked off the barrack square, though all the time -we were under heavy shell fire and our men were falling. We lost a fair -number, but not many, considering the nature of the fire upon us.</p> - -<p>We got as far as St. Quentin, which is a big town, trying to find out -where our regiment had gone; but we got cold comfort, for a man came up -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a>{140}</span> said: “It’s no good going in there. The town’s surrounded. The best -thing you can do is to put down your arms and surrender.”</p> - -<p>We didn’t relish the surrender suggestion, and we started to make -inquiries. A sergeant who spoke French went up to a gendarme who was at -the side of the railway station, and asked him if it was true that the -town was surrounded.</p> - -<p>The gendarme replied that he didn’t know, but he believed the statement -was true; anyway he advised us to remain where we were.</p> - -<p>Not satisfied with that, about half a dozen of us went up to a French -cavalry officer and put the question to him.</p> - -<p>The cavalry officer, like the gendarme, said he didn’t know, but told us -that the best thing we could do was to go on to a place, which he named, -about eight miles away, and off we went; but before we reached it we -came across a cavalry division, and learned that it was not safe to go -farther. Again we were advised to remain where we were, and we did for -the time being.</p> - -<p>It was not until later that we discovered what a narrow escape we had -had, for three German cavalry divisions had been ordered to pursue the -retiring troops hereabouts, but through a blunder the order had -miscarried and the Uhlans did not follow us.</p> - -<p>In such a serious business as this we had, of course, lost heavily, and -we continued to lose. Major Buckle, D.S.O., one of the bravest men that -ever stepped in a pair of shoes in the British Army, lost his life in -attempting to distribute the West Kents. That is merely one of many -instances of officers and men who were killed under fire.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a>{141}</span></p> - -<p>Sometimes men were lost in the most extraordinary manner, especially -owing to shell fire. At one time about six big shells burst, and in the -wreckage caused by one of the explosions ten men were buried.</p> - -<p>Men volunteered to go and try to dig these poor fellows out, but as fast -as the volunteers got to work they, too, were shelled and buried, so -that in the end about thirty men were buried—buried alive. It was -useless to attempt to continue such a forlorn hope, and it was -impossible to dig the men out, so they had to be left. It was hard to do -this, but there was nothing else for it.</p> - -<p>Bodies of men were lost, too, as prisoners, when overpowering numbers of -Germans had to be met, or when the Germans rushed unarmed men and left -them no alternative to capture. A doctor and twenty-five men of the West -Kents who were acting as stretcher-bearers were taken. Very splendid -work is done by the stretcher-bearers, who go to the trenches every -night to collect the wounded, and bring them in to the hospitals. All -sorts of buildings and places are used as hospitals, and in this case it -was the cellar of a house in a village that was utilised. The men were -not armed, as they were acting as members of the Royal Army Medical -Corps, to render first aid.</p> - -<p>Just about midnight the Germans broke through the line and surrounded -the village, and rushed in and captured the stretcher-bearers, and took -them off, no doubt thinking they had gallantly won a very fine prize.</p> - -<p>I remember this particular occasion well, because on the following -morning we were reinforced by some of the native Bhopal Infantry, from -India, and that took me back to the time I spent in that country. Little -did I think in those days, when we were associated<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a>{142}</span> so much with the -troops of the Indian Army, that the day would come when, in the heart of -winter, we and the Indians would be fighting side by side in the awful -Low Countries.</p> - -<p>I got used to the heat of the day and the cold of the night in India, -but it wasn’t easy to become accustomed to the sweltering heat of the -earlier days of the war, or the bitter cold of the winter.</p> - -<p>One day, not long before I came home, we had six miles to do, after a -very heavy fall of snow. We ploughed through the snow in the daytime, -and at night we travelled in the transport, but what with the snow by -day and the bitter freezing by night, we were fourteen hours covering -that short distance—which works out at something under half a mile an -hour. And that was the roundabout way we had to go to get at some enemy -trenches which were only about fifty yards away from us. But, in spite -of this terrific weather, we had only one or two cases of frost-bite.</p> - -<p>A change on trench work and actual fighting came with my being told off -as an ammunition carrier. There are two ammunition carriers to each -company, and our duty was to keep the firing line well supplied with -ammunition. This we fetched from the pack-mules, which were some -distance away, and we took it to the men in the firing line in -bandoliers, which we filled from the boxes carried by the mules. It was -lively work, especially when the mules turned awkward and the firing was -hot; but we got through it all right—Lance-Corporal Tweedale and -myself.</p> - -<p>One night, when the shell and rifle fire was very heavy, we went up to -the firing line with ammunition, which was badly wanted, and we had such -a hot<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>{143}</span> time of it that the officer in charge advised us to remain for a -couple of hours, till the firing slackened or ceased; but we had a -feeling that it would be more comfortable in the rear, and as the matter -rested with us we started off to get back.</p> - -<p>This was one of the most uncomfortable bits of journeying I ever -undertook, for in order to shelter from the fire of the Germans, which -threatened every second to kill us, we had to crawl along a ditch for -fully three-quarters of a mile. We crawled along in the darkness, with -the bullets whizzing and shells bursting; but we lay low, and at last -got out of it and landed back at the rear, which was certainly more -agreeable than being in the very thick of the firing line.</p> - -<p>I am proud to be one of the Royal West Kents, because they have done so -well in this great war. “Give ’em a job and they’ll do it,” a general -said of us, just after Le Cateau. One day another general said, “What -regiment is that coming out of the trenches?” The answer was, “The Royal -West Kent, sir,” and the general promptly said, “For Heaven’s sake give -them a rest—they’ve earned it!” But we hadn’t gone more than two -hundred yards when a staff officer told us to get into position in a -field and dig ourselves in—and we were the last out of action that day.</p> - -<p>At another time, when we had been hard at it, a general said: “Come on, -West Kents! In another half-hour you’ll be in your billets.” And we went -on, for that sounded very cheerful; but, instead of going into billets, -we had half-an-hour’s rest for a drop of tea—then we went on outpost -duty for the night, and woke in the morning in a big scrap.</p> - -<p>I am mentioning these things just to show how<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a>{144}</span> unexpectedly -disappointments came at times; but we soon got into the way of taking -these set-backs as part of the day’s work.</p> - -<p>When the winter advanced, the strain became uncommonly severe, but we -were able to bear it owing to the first-rate system of relief we had—a -relief which gave us as much change as possible on the confinement and -hardship of the actual trenches.</p> - -<p>Some very strange things happened in the trenches, and none were -stranger than those cases of men being in them for long periods under -heavy fire and escaping scot free, to be succeeded by others who lost -their lives almost as soon as they got into their places.</p> - -<p>There was one youngster—he could not have been more than seventeen or -eighteen—who had been in France only about a fortnight. He was having -his second day in the trenches, and, like a good many more who are new -to the business, he was curious to see what was going on. This was -particularly dangerous, as the Germans were only sixty yards away, and -any seen movement on the part of our men brought instant fire.</p> - -<p>The officer kept telling the youngster to keep down, and more than once -he pulled him down; but the lad seemed fascinated by the port-hole of -the trench—the loop-hole, it is generally called—and he looked through -it again; once too often, for a German marksman must have spotted him. -Anyway, a bullet came through the port-hole and struck the lad just -under the eye, went through his brain, and killed him on the spot.</p> - -<p>I will give you another curious instance, that of Sergeant Sharpe. It -was his turn to be in reserve, but he had volunteered to go up to the -trenches,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a>{145}</span> to look round. He had scarcely had time to put his feet in -them before a shot came and struck him between the eyes, killing him -instantly.</p> - -<p>I specially remember the sad case of the inquisitive youngster, because -it happened on the very day I was wounded, and that was December 16. I -was in a trench, sitting over a coke fire in a biscuit tin, when a -bullet struck me on the chin—here’s the scar—then went to the back of -the trench, where it struck a fellow on the head, without seriously -hurting him, and came back to me, hitting me just over the right eye, -but not doing any serious mischief. After that I was sent into hospital, -and later on came home.</p> - -<p>On the way back I came across two very singular cases. One was that of a -man who had had his arm amputated only a fortnight previously, and he -was not used to it. He used to turn round and say, “I keep putting up my -hand to scratch the back of it—and the hand isn’t there!”</p> - -<p>I saw another poor fellow—quite a youngster—who was being carried on a -stretcher to the train. Both his legs had been blown off by a shell. I -was right alongside when he said, “For Heaven’s sake cover up my -feet—they’re cold!” He lived for about half an hour after that, but -never reached the train.</p> - -<p>There is one thing I would like to say in finishing, and that is to -thank our own flesh and blood for what they have done for us. I’m sure -there never can have been a war in which so much has been done in the -way of sending presents like cigarettes and tobacco; but I think that -too much has been sent at one time, and that friends would do well to -keep some of the good gifts back a bit. They will all be wanted later -on.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a>{146}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII<br /><br /> -<small>A DAISY-CHAIN OF BANDOLIERS</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[In this story we become acquainted with a brilliant bit of work -done by our brave little Gurkhas, fresh from India, and we learn of -a splendid achievement under a deadly fire—the sort of act for -which many of the Victoria Crosses awarded recently have been -given. The teller of this story was, at the time of writing, home -from the front. He is Private W. H. Cooperwaite, 2nd Battalion -Durham Light Infantry, a fine type of the Northerners who have done -so much and suffered so heavily in the war.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I was</span> wounded at Ypres—badly bruised in the back by a piece of a “Jack -Johnson.” There is nothing strange in that, and people have got used to -hearing of these German shells; but the main thing about this particular -customer was that it was the only one that burst out of eighteen “Jack -Johnsons” I counted at one time. If the other seventeen had blown up, I -and a lot more of the Durhams would not have been left alive. That same -shell killed two of my comrades.</p> - -<p>We went into action very soon after leaving England. We had had plenty -of tough marching, and on the way we grew accustomed to the terrible -evidences of the Germans’ outrages.</p> - -<p>In one place, going towards Coulommiers, we came across tracks of the -German hosts. They had ravaged and destroyed wherever they had passed, -and amongst<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147"></a>{147}</span> other sights our battalion saw were the bodies of two young -girls who had been murdered. The men didn’t say much when they set eyes -on that, but they marched a good deal quicker, and so far from feeling -any fear about meeting the Germans, the sole wish was to get at them.</p> - -<p>After a four days’ march we got to Coulommiers, where we came up with -the French, who had been holding the Germans back and doing fine work. -That was in the middle of September, when the Battle of the Aisne was in -full swing. On the 19th we went into the trenches, and after a spell in -them we were billeted in a house. We had settled down nicely and -comfortably, when crash came a shell, and so tremendous was the mischief -it did that we had only just time to make a rush and clear out before -the house collapsed.</p> - -<p>It just sort of fell down, as if it was tired out, and what had been our -billet was a gaping ruin. That was the kind of damage which was being -done in all directions, and it told with sorry effect on those who were -not so lucky as we had been, and were buried in the smash. All the -cellars were crowded with people who had taken refuge in them, and they -lived in a state of terror and misery during these continuous -bombardments by German guns.</p> - -<p>After that lively bit of billeting we returned to the trenches, and on -Sunday, the 20th, with the West Yorkshires on our right, we were in the -very thick of heavy fighting. The artillery on both sides was firing -furiously, and the rifles were constantly going. Our own fire from the -trenches was doing very heavy mischief amongst the Germans, and they -were losing men at such a rate that it was clear to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a>{148}</span> them that they -would have to take some means of stopping it, or get so badly mauled -that they could not keep the fight going.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there was a curious lull in the fighting and we saw that a -perfect horde of the Germans were marching up to the West Yorkshires, -carrying a huge flag of truce.</p> - -<p>It was a welcome sight, and we thought, “Here’s a bit of pie for the -Tykes—they must have been doing good.” They had lost heavily, but it -seemed from this signal of surrender that they were to be rewarded for -their losses.</p> - -<p>A large party of the West Yorkshires went out to meet the Germans with -the flag, and I watched them go up until they were within fifty yards of -the enemy. I never suspected that anything wrong would happen, nor did -the West Yorkshires, for the surrender appeared to be a fair and -aboveboard business.</p> - -<p>When only that short distance separated the Germans and the West -Yorkshires, the leading files of the surrender party fell apart like -clockwork and there were revealed to us, behind the flag of truce, -stretchers with machine-guns on them, and these guns were set to work at -point-blank range on the West Yorkshires, who, utterly surprised and -unprepared, were simply mown down, and suffered fearfully before they -could pull themselves together.</p> - -<p>Now, this dastardly thing was done in full view of us; we could see it -all, and our blood just boiled. What we would have liked best of all was -a bayonet charge; but the Germans were too far off for the steel, and it -seemed as if they were going to have it all their own way.</p> - -<p>They had given us a surprise, and a bad one;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a>{149}</span> but we had a worse in -store for them—we also had machine-guns, and they were handy, and we -got them to work on the dirty tricksters and fairly cut them up. The -whole lot seemed to stagger as our bullets showered into them. That was -one of the cowardly games the Germans often played at the beginning of -the war; but it did not take the British long to get used to them, and -very soon the time came when no risks were taken, and the stretcher -dodge was played out.</p> - -<p>That Sunday brought with it some heavy fighting, and some very sad -losses. There was with us an officer whose family name is very -particularly associated with the Durham Light Infantry, and that was -Major Robb, as good and brave a gentleman as ever breathed.</p> - -<p>After that proof of German treachery he received information that the -Germans meant to attack us again; but Major Robb thought it would be -better to turn things about, and let <i>us</i> do the attacking. I dare say -he was burning to help to avenge the losses of the West Yorkshires, the -poor fellows who were lying dead and wounded all around us.</p> - -<p>To carry out an attack like that was a desperate undertaking, because -the Germans were six hundred yards away, and the ground was all to their -advantage. It rose towards them, and they were on the skyline, so that -it became doubly difficult to reach them.</p> - -<p>Well, the order was given to advance, and we got out of our trenches and -covered most of the distance in good order. Bit by bit we made our way -over the rising ground towards that skyline which was a blaze of fire, -and from which there came shells and bullets constantly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a>{150}</span></p> - -<p>There could be no such thing, of course, as a dash, however swift, -towards the skyline; we had to creep and crawl and make our way so as to -give them as little to hit as possible; but it was terrible—too -terrible.</p> - -<p>We fell down under that deadly blast, and though I am not a particularly -religious man, I’ll own that I offered up a prayer, and the man on my -left said something of the same sort too. Poor chap! He had scarcely got -the words out of his mouth, when over he went, with a bullet in his -neck, and there he lay, while those of us who were fit and well kept up -and crept up.</p> - -<p>At last we were near enough to the skyline to give the Germans rapid -fire, and we rattled away as fast as we could load and shoot, till the -rifles were hot with firing. After that rapid fire we crept up again, -and it was then that I saw Major Robb lying down, facing us, and smoking -a pipe—at least he had a pipe in his mouth, just as cool as usual. He -sang out to my platoon officer, “How are you feeling, Twist?”</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Twist answered, “Oh, I’m about done for.” I looked at him and -saw that he was wounded in the chest and arm. We had to go on, and we -could not take him back just then.</p> - -<p>The lieutenant had scarcely finished speaking when I saw Major Robb -himself roll over on his side. A poor lad named Armstrong, with four -more of our men, crept up to attend to the major, but a piece of -shrapnel struck the lad on the head and killed him—and other men were -falling all around me.</p> - -<p>There was no help for it now—we had to get back to our trenches, if we -could; that was our<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a>{151}</span> only chance, as the Germans were hopelessly greater -in number than we were. So we made our way back as best we could, and we -took with us as many of the wounded as we could get hold of.</p> - -<p>Time after time our men went back for the wounded; but, in spite of all -we could do, some of the wounded had to be left where they had fallen.</p> - -<p>We got back, the survivors of us, to the trenches, and we had hardly -done so when we heard a shout. We looked up from the trenches, and saw -Major Robb on the skyline, crawling a little way.</p> - -<p>Instantly a whole lot of us volunteered to go and fetch the major in; -but three were picked out—Lance-Corporal Rutherford, Private Warwick, -and Private Nevison.</p> - -<p>Out from the trenches the three men went; up the rising ground they -crawled and crept; then, at the very skyline, Rutherford and Nevison -were shot dead, and Warwick was left alone. But he was not left for -long. Private Howson went to help him, and he actually got to the ridge -and joined him, and the two managed to raise the major up; but as soon -as that had been done the officer was shot in a vital part, and Warwick -also was hit.</p> - -<p>More help went out, and the major and Warwick were brought in; but I -grieve to say that the poor major, who was loved by all of us, died soon -after he reached the trenches.</p> - -<p>That furious fight had cost the Durhams very dearly. When the roll was -called we found that we had lost nearly 600 men, and that in my own -company only one officer was left. This was Lieutenant Bradford, one of -the bravest men I ever saw. At one time, when we had lost a young -officer and a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a>{152}</span> man with a machine-gun, Lieutenant Bradford worked the -gun himself. I am sorry to say that he was killed in another battle -later on.</p> - -<p>Now I am going to leave the Valley of the Aisne and get round to -Flanders, where we found ourselves near Ypres, faced by a big force of -Germans.</p> - -<p>Again we were with our friends the West Yorkshires—they were on our -right, and on our left we had the East Yorkshires, so that there were -three North-country regiments together. Near Ypres we soon had to carry -out a smart bit of work which, in a way, proved very pathetic. The -Durhams were ordered to take a small village, and we went for it. We -reached a farmhouse, and there we found about a score of women and -children. Some of our men were sent into the house, but they could not -make the women and children understand English. The poor souls were -terrified; they had had to do with Germans, and as they were not -familiar with our uniforms they thought we were Germans too—another lot -of the breed from which they had suffered so much.</p> - -<p>We fetched Captain Northey to explain things to the women, and as he -entered the house a shell burst near him and took off part of one of his -trouser-legs, but without hurting him. The captain took no notice of -this little drawback, and into the house he went, and made the women -understand that we were English troops; and I can assure you that when -they realised that they simply went wild with joy, and hugged and kissed -us.</p> - -<p>We had gone out to learn, if we could, something about the enemy’s -strength, and we got to know that there were about 30,000 Germans in -front of our brigade, and that they were entrenched.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a>{153}</span></p> - -<p>The Sherwood Foresters, who were in reserve to us, were ordered to -relieve us, and it was wonderful to see they way in which they came into -the village we had taken, smoking cigarettes as if they were doing a -sort of route-march, although they came right up against a hail of -bullets, with the usual shells. In face of such tremendous odds they had -to retire; but, like good soldiers, they prepared another lot of -trenches near the village, and later on we went into them.</p> - -<p>In such fighting as this war brings about there are many, many sad -incidents, and one of the saddest I know of occurred at this particular -village. There was a fine young soldier named Matthews, who came from -West Hartlepool, I think it was. He was struck by shrapnel, and we saw -that he was badly hurt. We did what we could for him, but it was clear -that he was mortally wounded, and that he knew it. His last thought was -for home and wife, and he said he would like his cap-badge to be sent to -her, to be made into a brooch. I believe that a comrade, who was also a -neighbour of his, undertook to do this for him.</p> - -<p>It was my good fortune to see the little Gurkhas rout the enemy, who had -attacked them, and to give the Germans a most unpleasant shock.</p> - -<p>The Germans had been shelling the East Yorkshires, who were now on the -right of the Durhams. The enemy had the range almost to an inch, and the -effect of the shelling was terrible. Hour after hour this shelling was -kept up pitilessly, and the German aeroplanes—“birds,” we called -them—swooped about and saw the havoc that was being done. This sort of -thing went on till after dark,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a>{154}</span> and the Durhams wondered if any of the -East Yorkshires were left.</p> - -<p>There was a surprise in store for us at dawn next day when we awoke, for -the East Yorkshires’ trenches were full of Gurkhas, who had slipped in -during the night. The Germans knew nothing of this. All they knew was -that their shells had been pounding on the East Yorkshires for hours, -and doubtless they had satisfied themselves that no troops on earth -could stand such a gruelling.</p> - -<p>The Germans came on pretty confidently, after dawn, to the position of -the East Yorkshires—came on in a cloud. That was after we had repulsed -an attack on ourselves, but not finally, owing to the vast numbers of -the Germans. Perhaps they expected to find the trenches filled with -English dead and wounded, and certainly to us it seemed as if the -trenches must be in that condition, for the Gurkhas let the Germans come -on without showing a sign of life.</p> - -<p>The Germans gave enough warning—as they always do. Bugles sounded, and -they rushed on, shouting and yelling; but still there was no sound from -the trenches, no sign of life was seen. Even we, who had a fine view of -the trenches, could see nothing. We were intensely interested, though we -had plenty of hard work to do ourselves in firing at the enemy.</p> - -<p>When the Germans got to within about forty yards of the trenches on our -left, the little brown fellows, who had been lying so low, sprang up and -simply poured over the tops of the trenches. That performance was one of -the most extraordinary things seen in the war. The Gurkhas never even<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a>{155}</span> -attempted to fire; they just seemed to roll over the ground, gripping -their long, curved knives.</p> - -<p>We were too far off to see exactly what sort of expression came on the -Germans’ faces when the trenches, which were supposed to be choked with -dead and wounded Britons, vomited these Indian warriors; but we saw the -whole shouting, yelling line of Germans pull up sharp.</p> - -<p>The Germans made a half-hearted effort to come on, then they wavered -badly, and well they might, for by this time the little Gurkhas were on -them with fury, and the blades flashed like lightning about the mass of -startled Germans.</p> - -<p>Stunned by the unexpectedness and swiftness of the Indian onslaught, -terrified by the deadly wielding of the knives, the Germans made no real -effort to withstand the rush from the trenches, and they broke and ran -like rabbits, throwing down their rifles as they scuttled, with the -Gurkhas leaping after them and doing fearful execution.</p> - -<p>It was truly great, and as the victorious little warriors came back we -gave them a cheer that was a real hurrah. We were as pleased as the -Gurkhas were, and they showed their joy as they came back wiping their -knives. They seemed all grin and knife as they returned, and we felt all -the better for it, too, especially as we gave the broken, flying Germans -a heavy peppering.</p> - -<p>Only the Germans who were behind got away, or had a chance. Those in -front, who had had to meet the Indians’ swift, fierce spring, were done -for as soon as the curved blades were whirling amongst them.</p> - -<p>I had had a pretty good innings by this time, and had escaped serious -injury, but I was very soon to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a>{156}</span> be bowled out. The Durhams were -supporting the West Yorkshires, who had been badly cut up. We received -word that the West Yorkshires had run short of ammunition, and that -fresh supplies were urgently wanted. We advanced with supplies, and -found that we had to cover about fifty yards of open ground. The Germans -had got the exact range of this open ground, so that it was impossible -to advance over it, except singly. The shell and rifle fire was -particularly heavy, and it seemed as if nothing could live on that -exposed stretch.</p> - -<p>One by one we made a dash across that awful space towards the trenches -where the Yorkshiremen were hungering for fresh ammunition, and each of -us carried a full bandolier for the Tykes. A good many of our men fell, -but a lot got through and took part in a very strange bit of work.</p> - -<p>I got through myself, after being blown down by the force of a shell -explosion near me—thank Heaven it was the force and not the shell -itself that knocked me over for the moment! It was terrible going, for -we soon found, after we began to make the journey, that we could not -quite reach the Yorkshires’ trenches.</p> - -<p>There were some haystacks on the open ground, and we dodged behind them -and dashed from one to the other, every dash meaning a shower of bullets -from the Germans.</p> - -<p>There was still the last fifty yards I have mentioned to be covered; but -now it meant almost sure destruction to be seen, so we threw the -bandoliers to the end man in the trenches, the man nearest to us; but a -full bandolier is a heavy thing, and there was not much chance of taking -aim. We were almost at our wits’ end, but we tried another way. We made<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a>{157}</span> -a sort of daisy-chain of several bandoliers, and paid this out as best -we could towards the trenches.</p> - -<p>The nearest man in the trench—a plucky chap he was—slipped out and -made a dart for the end of the chain. He just made a mad grab and got -it. Then he dashed back to his trench, and it seemed as if the business -was all over, and that the daisy-chain would be safely hauled in; but to -the grief of all of us the chain broke when a few yards of it had been -pulled in.</p> - -<p>This was a dreadful disappointment, but still something had been done, -some rounds of ammunition, at any rate, had been got into the trenches, -and we were determined that the Tykes should have some more. We had to -wait a bit, for as soon as the Yorkshireman had shot back to his trench, -the ground that he had scuttled over was absolutely churned up by -shells, and if he had been caught on it he would have been blown to -rags. We lost no time in making other efforts, and at last the -ammunition was safely delivered to the West Yorkshires in the trenches, -and they did some rattling good business with it.</p> - -<p>I have mentioned “Jack Johnsons,” and I want to speak of them again by -way of finish. It was at Ypres that I was bowled out. These “J.J.’s” -were falling heavily, but many of them were what you might call -dumb—they didn’t speak. As I have said, I counted eighteen as they -came, and out of the whole of that number only one exploded. But it was -enough. I have already told you what happened to two of my comrades, and -as for myself it settled me for the time being by badly bruising my -spine and back.</p> - -<p>And that’s the reason why I was invalided home.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a>{158}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br /><br /> -<small>DESPATCH-RIDING</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[Particularly hard and responsible work has been done for the -British Army by motor cycle despatch-riders. Many members of this -fine branch of our fighting men abandoned very promising careers in -civil life to go to the seat of war. Amongst them is Corporal -Hedley G. Browne, Captain of the Norfolk Motor Cycle Club, who when -war broke out volunteered for active service and became a motor -cycle despatch-rider, attached to a signal company of the Royal -Engineers. It is his story which is here retold. Of the work of the -motor cycle despatch-riders Sir John French has spoken in terms of -high praise, and when the King visited the front recently a number -of the riders were specially brought to his Majesty’s notice.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I was</span> in Ypres, billeted in a brewery, when that beautiful old city was -still intact; I was there when the first German shell came and began the -ruthless bombardment which has laid the city in ruins and added one more -to the list of heavy debts which the Germans will have to pay when the -war is over. The sooner that time comes the better, especially for those -who have been at the front since the beginning, and have had to endure -things which people at home cannot possibly realise. Five days ago I -left the front for a flying visit home, and now I am on my way back. It -has seemed a very short spell, and a big slice of the time has been -eaten up in travelling. A nice batch of us came over together, and here -we are assembling again, though it’s a good hour before the boat-train -starts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a>{159}</span></p> - -<p>We go to Boulogne, and then we shall get into motor lorries and be -trundled off back to the fighting line. This is the kit we work and live -in—even now my revolver is loaded in every chamber. No, so far, I -haven’t used it on a German; but it’s shot a pig or two when we’ve -wanted pork, and really there isn’t much difference between the two. It -is hard to believe that human beings committed some of the acts of which -I saw so many during those four months at the front. The astounding -thing is that the Germans don’t realise that they have done anything -wrong, and quite lately I was talking with some German prisoners who -spoke English, who not only did not see this, but were also quite sure -that the war will end in favour of Germany. By this time, however, they -are changing their tune.</p> - -<p>When I got to the front I was attached to a signal company, which -consists of establishing communication between headquarters and three -brigades, and that meant when we were on the march riding through about -seven miles of troops, guns, waggons and hosts of other things. When in -action we had to go quite up to the firing line, and very soon I hardly -knew myself, as I got quite used to the bursting of shells and to the -shocking condition of the killed and wounded. It was astonishing to see -how soon men, who had been used to every comfort at home and who knew -nothing of war in any shape or form, got accustomed to the hardships of -campaigning and developed a callousness which is altogether foreign to -their real nature.</p> - -<p>One of the most amazing things about the war is the way in which it -changes a man and makes him callous. I know that before I had anything -to do with the Army I was so sensitive in some ways that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a>{160}</span> mere -thought of blood was almost enough to make me ill, yet now, after being -for more than four months in the war, and having seen the havoc of the -most terrific battles the world has ever known, I tear along the lonely -roads and remain almost unmoved by the most dreadful sights. The dead -pass unnoticed, and as for the wounded, you can do nothing, as a rule. -You have your orders, and they must be obeyed without loss of time, -because a motor despatch-rider is always on the rush.</p> - -<p>I well remember the very first German I saw lying dead. He was an Uhlan, -and was on the roadside. I was greatly distressed at the sight of him, -there was something so sad about it all, but now there is no such -sensation at the sight of even great numbers of the dead. A strange -thing happened in connection with the Uhlan. I took his cap as a -memento, and brought it home, with several other German caps and -helmets, chunks of shell, clips of cartridges, and relics of -altar-cloths; and now, for some cause which I can’t quite fathom, the -Uhlan’s cap has turned a queer sort of yellow.</p> - -<p>That strange callousness comes over one at the most unexpected times, -and often enough a motor despatch-rider has to dash through a crowd of -refugees and scatter them, though the very sight of the poor souls is -heart-breaking. When Ypres was bombarded, the men, women and children -thronged the roads, and all that was left to them in the world they -carried in bundles on their backs; yet they had to be scattered like -flocks of sheep when the motor despatch-riders rushed along. There was, -however, one pleasing feature in the matter, and that was that these -poor people knew that we were tearing along in their<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>{161}</span> interests as well -as our own, and that we did not mean to hurt anybody—which was -different, indeed, from the spirit of the enemy, whose policy was to -spread terror and havoc wherever he could, and to destroy mercilessly. -When I first went into Ypres it was a beautiful old city, very much like -Norwich, but I saw the German guns smash the place and the shells set -fire to glorious old structures like the Cathedral and the Cloth Hall. -The two pieces of altar-cloth which I brought home were taken from the -Cathedral while it was burning.</p> - -<p>Though you soon get used to war, still there are always things coming -along which are either particularly interesting or very thrilling. -Perhaps the most exciting incident I can call to mind is the bringing -down of a German aeroplane by a British brigade. That was on October -27th, when I was with the brigade. It was afternoon, and the aeroplane -was flying fairly low, so that it was a good target for the rain of -bullets which was directed on it. Even when flying low, an aeroplane is -not easy to hit, because of its quick, dodging movements, but this -machine was fairly got by the brigade. Suddenly there was an explosion -in the aeroplane, flames shot out and the machine made a sickening, -terrible somersault. I took it that a bullet or two had struck the -petrol tank and blown the machine up—anyway, the airman was shot out -and crashed to earth with fearful speed. You wanted to look away, but an -awful fascination made you keep your eyes on what was happening. At -first the man looked like a piece of paper coming down, then, almost -before you could realise the tragedy that was taking place, the piece of -paper took the form of a fellow-creature—then the end came. The man -himself<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a>{162}</span> smashed to earth about two hundred yards from the spot where I -was watching, but the machine dropped some distance off. That was really -one of the sights that no amount of war will accustom you to, and I -shall never forget it as long as I live.</p> - -<p>At first the weather was very hot, which made the work for the troops -very hard. The machine I had soon struck work, and was left to be handed -over to the Kaiser as a souvenir; and several other machines gave up the -ghost in like manner. When a machine went wrong, it was left and a new -one took its place—the list of casualties for motors of every sort is -an amazingly heavy one; but casualties were inevitable, because in many -places the roads that we had to take were perfect nightmares.</p> - -<p>It was very hard going till we got used to it. During the first month at -the front I had my boots off about three times—I am now wearing my -fourth pair, which is an average of one a month—and we reckoned that we -were lucky if we slept in a barn, with straw; if we couldn’t manage that -we turned in anywhere, in our greatcoats. When I say sleep, I mean lying -down for an hour or two, as sometimes we did not billet till dark. Then -we had some grub, anything we could get, and after that a message. Next -day we were off, five times out of six, at 3.30 to four o’clock, and got -long, hard days in.</p> - -<p>Amongst the messages we had to carry there were none more urgent than -those which were sent for reinforcements, the men upon whose coming the -issue of a battle depended. It was tear and scurry all along, but -somehow the message would get delivered all right and the reinforcements -would hurry up and save the situation. Often enough a message would be -delivered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a>{163}</span> at midnight to a tired officer who was living in a dug-out, -and I scarcely ever reached one of these warrens without being invited -to take something of whatever was going—it might be a drink of hot -coffee, with a biscuit, or a tot of rum, which was truly grateful after -a bitter ride. That is the only thing in the way of alcoholic drink at -the front, and very little of it. This is, for the British, a teetotal -war; but for the Germans it has been the very reverse, and time after -time we came across evidence of their drunken debauches.</p> - -<p>The shell fire was so incessant that it was soon taken as part of the -day’s work. At first it was terrible, though one got used to it. My -first experience of rifle fire did not come until I had been at the -front for some weeks, and then I was surprised to find what a -comparatively small thing it is compared with shells—it is not nearly -so bad.</p> - -<p>It was getting dark, and it was my duty to go down a lane where snipers -were hidden in the trees. This was just the kind of lane you know in -England, and you can easily picture what it meant. Imagine leaving your -machine, as I did, in a tree-lined lane at home, and going down it, -knowing that there were fellows up the trees who were on the watch to -pot you, and you will realise what it meant; but you will have to -picture also the sides of the lane being littered, as this was, with -dead and wounded men. Well, I had to go down that lane, and I -went—sometimes walking, sometimes running, with the bullets whizzing -round and the shells bursting. But by good luck I escaped the bullets, -though a piece of shell nearly nailed me—or would have got me if I had -been with my machine. The fragment struck the cycle and I picked it up<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a>{164}</span> -and brought it home with the other things as a souvenir.</p> - -<p>That escape was practically nothing. It was a detail, and came in the -day’s work; but I had a much more narrow shave a few days later. It was -a Saturday and I had had a pretty hard time—amongst other things I had -done a thirty-mile ride after one o’clock in the morning—the sort of -ride that takes it out of you.</p> - -<p>There was one of our orderlies with a horse near me and I was standing -talking to him. We heard a shrapnel shell coming, and ducked our heads -instinctively to dodge it—but the shell got at us. The horse was killed -and the orderly was so badly hit that he died in less than an hour. He -was buried in the afternoon, and very solemn the funeral was, with the -guns booming all around. I was deeply shocked at the time, but war is -war, and in a very short time the incident had passed out of my mind. -Our fellows told me that I was one of the lucky ones that day.</p> - -<p>That was the beginning of one of the most awful periods of the war, -especially for the despatch-riders, for we were at it night and day. The -roads were hopelessly bad, and as we were not allowed to carry any lamps -at night the danger of rapid travel was greatly increased. We were, -however, relieved to some extent by mounted men. The fighting was -furious and incessant, and we were in the thick of a good deal of it. -After a very hard spell I was quartered all day in a little stable, and -it proved to be about the most dangerous place I had come across. On -October 29th the Germans went for the stable with high explosives and -the everlasting “scuttles.” For some time these big shells came and -burst in the locality, and two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>{165}</span> houses within a score of yards of us -were blown to pieces and enormous holes were driven in the ground.</p> - -<p>From the stable we went to a house, and then we fairly got it. Four huge -shells came, one after the other, and one came and ripped the roof just -like paper. We were amazingly lucky, however, for the worst thing that -happened was that a fellow was wounded in the leg. I was thankful when -the order came to pack up and stand by, for there were in that little -place about twenty of us from different regiments, and a single -explosion would have put us all well beyond the power of carrying either -despatches or anything else. For a while we could not understand why the -enemy should so greatly favour us, but we soon learned that they were -going for some French guns near us. So the firing went on, and when we -went to sleep, as we did in spite of all, bullets ripped through the -roof, coming in at one side of the building and going out at the other, -and four more big shells paid us a most unwelcome visit.</p> - -<p>I was thankful when we moved out of those unpleasant quarters and took -up our abode in a large farmhouse about three hundred yards away. This -was one of the very few buildings that had escaped the ravages of the -German artillery fire. We made the move on the 30th, when the cannonade -was very heavy, yet the only casualties were a pig and two horses. We -were now much better protected from the Germans’ fire, though the very -house shook with the artillery duel and the noise grew deafening and -almost maddening. I wrote home pretty often, and I remember that at this -time I got behind a hedge to write a letter, and as I wrote bullets -whizzed over my<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a>{166}</span> head, fired by German snipers who were up some trees -not very far away. They were going for our chaps in the trenches a mile -away.</p> - -<p>Mons had been bad, and there had been many harrowing sights on the -retreat, but at the end of October and the beginning of November the -climax of horror was reached. The Germans, mad to hack their way through -to the coast, and perhaps realising that they would never do it, stuck -at nothing. They were frantic, and I saw sights that would sicken any -human being. No consideration weighed with them, they simply did their -best to annihilate us—but they are trying still to do that and not -succeeding.</p> - -<p>We had left the farmhouse and gone into a large château, which served as -headquarters, and here, on November 2nd, we had a ghastly experience. It -is likely that the Germans knew the particular purpose to which the -château had been devoted; at any rate they shelled it mercilessly, and -no fewer than six staff officers were killed, while a considerable -number were wounded. Again I was lucky, and came out of the adventure -unscathed. On the following day, however, I was nearly caught. I had -taken a message to headquarters and was putting my machine on a stand. -To do this I had to leave a house, and go about fifty yards away, to the -stand. I had scarcely left the building when two shells struck it fair -and plump, and killed two motor cyclists and wounded three others. Like -a flash I jumped into a ditch, and as I did so I heard the bits of burst -shell falling all around me. When I got out of the ditch and went back -along the main road I saw a huge hole which a shell had made. It was a -thrilling enough escape, and shook me at the time, because I knew the -two poor fellows who were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>{167}</span> killed. That was the kind of thing we went -through as we jogged along from day to day.</p> - -<p>I am not, of course, giving a story of the war so much as trying to show -what it means to be a motor cycle despatch-rider at the front. He is -here, there and everywhere—and there is no speed limit. He is not in -the actual firing line, yet he sees a great deal of what is going on. -Sometimes he is very lucky, as I was myself one day, in being allowed to -witness a fight that was taking place. I had taken a despatch to an -officer, and perhaps conveyed some cheering news. Anyway, I had the -chance to go to an eminence from which I could view the battle, and I -went, and it was wonderful to see the waging of the contest over a vast -tract of country—for in a war like this the ordinary fighter sees very -little indeed of the battle. At this special point I had the rare chance -of witnessing a fight as I suppose it is seen by the headquarters staff, -and one of the strangest things about it was the little there was to be -seen. There were puffs of smoke and tongues of flame—and the -everlasting boom of guns; but not much more. Men are killed at long -distances and out of sight in these days.</p> - -<p>War is excessively wearing, and it was a blessed relief when a day came -which was free from shells and bullets. That, indeed, was the calm after -the storm. It came to us when we were snug in a farmyard about a mile -away from a big town, with our motor-cars, cycles and horses so well -under cover that the German aeroplanes did not find us out. Thankful -indeed were we for the change, because the whole region where we were -had been pitilessly bombarded, and there was nothing but devastation -around us. Shells had done their work, and there was a special kind of -bomb<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a>{168}</span> which fired anything it touched that was inflammable. A great many -petrol discs, about the size of a shilling, were discharged by the -Germans, and these things, once alight, did amazing mischief. Villages -were obliterated, and in the big town where we were billeted the -engineers were forced to blow up the surrounding houses to prevent the -entire place from being destroyed.</p> - -<p>The glad time came when our Division was relieved for a time. We got a -bit of rest, and I crossed the Channel and came home for a short spell. -One of the last things I saw before I left the front was the Prince of -Wales making a tour. At that time he was about fifteen miles from the -firing line.</p> - -<p>What was the most noticeable thing that struck me when I came back over -the Channel? Well, that is not easy to say, but I know that I -particularly noticed the darkness of the London streets.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_168fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_168fp_sml.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 168. - - -“THE MEN WERE TOLD TO LAY HANDS ON ANYTHING THAT WOULD FLOAT” (p. -172)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 168.</span> - -<br /> -“THE MEN WERE TOLD TO LAY HANDS ON ANYTHING THAT WOULD FLOAT” <a href="#page_172">(p. 172</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a>{169}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV<br /><br /> -<small>THE THREE TORPEDOED CRUISERS</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[Within a few minutes, on the morning of Tuesday, September 22nd, -1914, three large British cruisers, sister ships, foundered in the -North Sea, after being torpedoed by German submarines, and nearly -1,500 officers and men perished. The ships were the <i>Aboukir</i>, -<i>Cressy</i> and <i>Hogue</i>. Each was of 12,000 tons, with a speed of -twenty-two knots, and each cost £750,000. The vessels were fine -warships, but almost obsolete, and before the war it had been -decided to sell them out of the Navy. The <i>Aboukir</i> was torpedoed, -and while the <i>Hogue</i> and <i>Cressy</i> had closed, and were standing by -to save the crew, they also were torpedoed. All three ships -speedily sank. The boats were filled, and, later, destroyers and -other vessels came up and rescued many of the survivors, amongst -whom was C. C. Nurse, an able seaman of the <i>Hogue</i>, whose story is -here retold. The casualties were very heavy; but, said the -Admiralty, the lives lost were “as usefully, as necessarily, and as -gloriously devoted to the requirements of his Majesty’s service as -if the loss had been incurred in a general action.”]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> three cruisers, sister ships, were on patrol duty in the North Sea -early on the morning of September 22nd. They were alone, protecting our -own merchant ships and on the look-out for vessels that were -mine-laying. The weather was nice, with a rather heavy swell on the -water. There had been plenty of bad weather, and this was the first good -day we had had for a week.</p> - -<p>I had done my twelve years in the Navy and had been called up from the -Royal Fleet Reserve. We had settled into our stride and had been in at -the tail-end<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a>{170}</span> of the scrap in the Heligoland Bight, where the <i>Hogue</i> -got hold of the <i>Arethusa</i> and towed her away. At that time the -<i>Arethusa</i> had been commissioned only about two days. We knew that she -was just beginning her life; but we little thought that the <i>Hogue</i> was -ending hers.</p> - -<p>It was my watch below, and I was asleep in my hammock when the bugles -sounded the <i>réveillé</i>, and we were shaken up and told that one of our -ships was going down. We had turned in all standing, and lost no time in -rushing on deck. Then I saw that the <i>Aboukir</i>, which was about six -hundred yards away, was heeling over, and that we were steaming up to -her assistance. At first we thought she had been mined; but we quickly -learned that she had been torpedoed by German submarines. We were very -soon alongside of her, and were doing everything we could to save the -survivors. It was very clear that she was sinking, that a good many of -the crew had been killed by the explosion, and that a lot of men, who -were far below, in the engine-room and stokeholds, would have no chance -of escaping.</p> - -<p>We instantly started getting out the few boats that were left in our -ship. There were only three, because we were cleared for action, and as -it was war-time the great majority of them had been taken away. This has -to be done so that there shall be as little woodwork as possible to be -splintered by shells. With extraordinary speed some of the <i>Aboukir’s</i> -men had got to the <i>Hogue</i>, and some, who were badly hurt, had been -taken to the sick-bay and were being attended to. The attack had come -swiftly, and it was for us the worst of all attacks to guard against; -but there was nothing like panic anywhere, and from the calmness<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a>{171}</span> of -things you might have thought that the three ships were carrying out -some ordinary evolution.</p> - -<p>I was standing on the starboard side of the after-shelter-deck of the -<i>Hogue</i>, and could see a great deal of what was going on. With -remarkable smartness and speed our two lifeboats were got away to the -<i>Aboukir</i>, our men pulling splendidly on their life-saving errand. Our -main derrick, too, was over the side and had got the launch out. The -launch was a big rowing-boat, which would hold about a hundred men, and -not a second had been lost in getting her afloat under the direction of -Lieutenant-Commander Clive Phillipps-Wolley. He worked the derrick to -get the launch out, though he was not in the best of health, and only a -little while previously he had been ill in his bunk. He was near me on -the after-bridge, which was above the shelter-deck, and I saw and heard -him giving orders for the getting out of the launch. That was the last I -knew about him. He was one of the lost.</p> - -<p>The launch was afloat, and the men were ready to hurry up to the -<i>Aboukir</i>; but before she could get away the very deck under my feet was -blown up. There was a terrific explosion, and a huge column of wreckage -rose. I was stunned for a moment by the force of the explosion. I -thought we had been mined; but almost instantly there was a second -explosion under me, and I knew that we had been torpedoed. The <i>Hogue</i> -had been badly holed, and she began to heel over to starboard -immediately.</p> - -<p>It is only telling the plain truth to say that there was practically no -confusion, and that every man was cool and going about his business as -if no such thing as a calamity like this had happened. War is war,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a>{172}</span> and -we were ready for all sorts of things—and the discipline of the British -Navy always stands firm at a crisis.</p> - -<p>There was naturally a good deal of noise, shouting of orders, and -orderly rushing to and fro as men carried them out; but everything was -done with wonderful coolness, and the splendid courage of the officers -was reflected in the men. A noble example was set, and it was -magnificently followed. The men waited until they got their orders, just -as they did at any other time.</p> - -<p>The captain was on the fore-bridge, and I heard him shouting; but as I -was so far aft I could not clearly make out what he said. I know, -however, that he was ordering every man to look after himself. The men -were told to take their clothes off, and to lay hands on anything that -would float. They promptly obeyed, and at the word of command a lot of -them jumped overboard. There was then hope that we could all get to the -<i>Cressy</i>, which was still uninjured, standing by and doing all she could -to rescue the survivors of her two sister ships. Soon, however, she -herself was torpedoed, and in a few moments it was perfectly clear that -the three ships were going to the bottom of the sea.</p> - -<p>All the cruisers shared the same fate, and were doomed. They were the -only British ships at hand, and we did not expect the enemy, being -Germans, to do anything for us. But everything that skill and resource -could do was done by our own survivors without a moment’s loss of time. -In the sea there was an amazing collection of things that had been -thrown overboard—tables, chairs, spars, oars, hand-spikes, targets and -furniture from the officers’ cabins,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>{173}</span> such as chests of drawers. And -everything that could float was badly wanted, because the sea was simply -covered with men who were struggling for dear life, and knew that the -fight would have to be a long and terrible one.</p> - -<p>It takes a long time to talk of what happened, but, as a matter of fact, -the whole dreadful business, so far as the loss of the ships was -concerned, was over in a few minutes. As far as I can reckon, the -<i>Hogue</i> herself was struck three times within a minute or so. The first -torpedo came, followed almost immediately by a second in the same place, -and by a third about a minute afterwards. The war-head of a torpedo -holds a very big charge of gun-cotton, which, when it explodes against -the side of a ship, drives an enormous hole through. An immense gap was -driven in the <i>Hogue’s</i> side, and there seems to be no doubt that the -first torpedo struck her under the aft 9·2in. magazine. That fact would -account for the fearful nature of the explosion.</p> - -<p>As soon as the <i>Hogue</i> had been torpedoed, she began to settle by the -stern; then she was quite awash aft, and began to turn turtle. Our ship -sank stern first before she heeled over. There was a frightful turmoil -as the four immense funnels broke away from their wire stays and went -over the side, and the sea got into the stokeholds and sent up dense -clouds of steam.</p> - -<p>The Germans boast about the work having been done by one submarine, but -that is nonsense. No single submarine could have done it, because she -could not carry enough torpedoes. I am sure that there were at least -half-a-dozen submarines in the attack; certainly when I was in the water -I saw two rise.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a>{174}</span> They came up right amongst the men who were swimming -and struggling, and it was a curious sensation when some of the men felt -the torpedoes going through the water under their legs. I did not feel -that, but I did feel the terrific shock of the explosion when the first -torpedo struck the <i>Cressy</i>; it came through the water towards us with -very great force.</p> - -<p>We had a fearful time in the cold water. The struggle to keep afloat and -alive, the coming up of the submarines, and the rushing through the -water of the torpedoes—all that we had to put up with. Then we had -something infinitely worse, for the <i>Cressy</i> spotted the submarines, and -instantly opened a furious fire upon them. The chief gunner, Mr. -Dougherty, saw one of them as soon as her periscope appeared, and he -fired, and, I believe, hit the periscope; then he fired again—and -again, getting three shots in from a four-pounder within a minute, and -when he had done with her, the submarine had made her last dive—and -serve her right! The Germans played a dirty game on us, and only a -little while before we had done our best to save some of them in the -Heligoland Bight, but never a German bore a hand to save the three -cruisers’ men from the water. Of course, a sailor expects to be hit -anyhow and anywhere in a straight piece of fighting, but this torpedoing -of rescue ships was rather cold-blooded, and I don’t think British -submarines would have done it.</p> - -<p>There were some awful sights—but I don’t want to dwell too much on -them. Men had been torn and shattered by the explosions and falling -things, and there was many a broken leg and broken arm. Great numbers of -men had been badly hurt and scalded inside the ship. In the -engine-rooms, the stokeholds,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a>{175}</span> and elsewhere, brave and splendid fellows -who never left their posts had died like heroes. They never had a chance -when the ships heeled over, for they were absolutely imprisoned.</p> - -<p>When once I had reached the shelter-deck I never tried to go below -again; but some of the men did, and they were almost instantly driven -out by the force of the huge volumes of water which were rushing into -the side through the gaping holes.</p> - -<p>One man had an extraordinary escape. He had rushed below to get a -hammock, and had laid hands on it when the ship heeled over. It seemed -as if he must be drowned like a rat in a trap, and would have no chance, -but the rush of water carried him along until he reached an -entry-port—one of the steel doorways in the ship’s sides—and then he -was hurled out of the ship and into the sea, where he had, at any rate, -a sporting chance, like the rest of us, of being saved.</p> - -<p>I saw the three ships turn turtle, and a dreadful sight it was. The -<i>Hogue</i> was the first to go—she was not afloat for more than seven -minutes after she was struck; then the <i>Aboukir</i> went, but much more -slowly—she kept afloat for rather more than half-an-hour; and the last -to go was the <i>Cressy</i>. The <i>Cressy</i> heeled over very slowly and was -quite a long time before she had completely turned turtle. When that -happened the bottom of the ship, which was almost flat for most of its -length, was where the deck had been. And on this big steel platform, -which was nearly awash, the Captain was standing. I saw him quite -clearly—I was not more than forty yards away—and I had seen men -walking, running, crawling and climbing down the side of the ship as she -heeled over.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a>{176}</span> They either fell or hurled themselves into the sea and -swam for it; but the captain stuck to his post to the very last and went -down with his ship. It was the old British Navy way of doing things, -though probably he could have saved himself if he had taken his chance -in the water.</p> - -<p>One thing which proved very useful in the water, and was the means of -saving a number of lives, was a target which had been cast adrift from -the <i>Cressy</i>. Targets vary in size, and this was one of the smaller -ones, known as Pattern Three, about twelve feet square. It was just the -woodwork without the canvas, so it floated well, and a lot of the -survivors had something substantial in the way of a raft to cling to. -Many of them held on gamely till the end, when rescue came; but other -poor chaps dropped off from sheer exhaustion, and were drowned.</p> - -<p>It must be remembered that not a few of the men had had an experience -which was so shattering that, perhaps, there has never been anything -like it in naval warfare. They were first torpedoed in the <i>Aboukir</i>, -then they were taken to the <i>Hogue</i> and torpedoed in her, and then -removed to the <i>Cressy</i> and torpedoed for the third time. Finally they -were cast into the sea to take their chance, and, in some cases, they -had to float or swim in the water for hours until they were rescued. No -wonder it became a question of endurance and holding on more than a -matter of swimming.</p> - -<p>The sea was covered with men who were either struggling for life or -holding on to wreckage. The boats were packed, and well they might be, -because no effort had been spared to get struggling men into them. The -men who were in the best of health and good swimmers were helping those -who could not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a>{177}</span> swim, and in this way many a man was saved who would have -been lost.</p> - -<p>When I was in the water I did not utter a word to anybody—it was not -worth it, and you needed all your breath; but I never abandoned hope, -even when I saw the last ship go down, because I knew that we should -have assistance.</p> - -<p>Wireless calls were made, and appeals for help were being sent out all -the time, and when I looked around at all, it was in the hope of seeing -some of our own ships tearing down to the rescue. My mind was easy on -the point—I knew that the call must have been made, and it was merely a -question of time for the response to come.</p> - -<p>I was supported by a plank and clung to it with all my strength, though -from time to time I endured agony from cramp. In spite of the torture I -never let go. I gripped my plank, but I saw men near me forced to let go -their hold of things they had seized, and they were drowned. In many -cases cramp overcame them, and quite near to me were poor fellows who -were so contracted with it that they were doubled up in the water, with -their knees under their chins. I could see their drawn faces and knotted -hands—and in several cases I saw that the grip which was on the -floating objects was the grip of death. I floated past these poor chaps, -and it was pitiful to see them. Thank God some of the struggling in the -water did not last long, because many of the men had been badly burnt or -scalded, or hit by heavy pieces of wreckage, and these soon fell away -exhausted, and were drowned. Some, too, were dazed and lost their nerve -as well as their strength, so that they could not keep up the fight for -life. For long after the cruisers had sunk, carrying hundreds of men -with them, the sea<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a>{178}</span> for a great space was covered with floating -bodies—dead sailors, as well as those who had managed to live.</p> - -<p>Whenever a boat came up I tried to help a man into it; but it was not -possible to do anything except with the aid of the boats. The two -cutters acted splendidly, picking up all the men they could. Captain -Nicholson, of the <i>Hogue</i>, was in charge of one of them, and he did some -rousing rescue work.</p> - -<p>There were some fine deeds of courage and unselfishness that sad morning -in the North Sea. The launch and the cutter were packed, of course, and -seeing this, and knowing that there were men in the water who were more -badly wanting a place in the boat than he was, a Royal Fleet Reserve -man, named Farmstone, sprang into the sea and swam for it, to make room -for a man who was exhausted.</p> - -<p>I was thankful indeed when I saw smoke on the horizon—black clouds -which showed that some ships were steaming up as hard as they could -lick. Very soon, some of our own destroyers—blessed and welcome -sight—came into view, and as they did so, I believe, they potted at -submarines which were slinking away, but I can’t say with what result. -The destroyers came up. The <i>Lucifer</i>, a small cruiser, came up too, and -the work of rescue began as hard as it could be carried out, every -officer and man working with a will. There were two or three other ships -about, two Lowestoft trawlers—which did uncommonly good work—and two -small Dutch steamers, one called the <i>Titan</i> and the other the <i>Flora</i>. -The next thing that I clearly remember was that I had been hauled out of -the bitter-cold water and lifted on board the <i>Flora</i>, and that she was -soon packed with half-dead men like myself.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a>{179}</span></p> - -<p>The <i>Flora</i> was a very small Dutch cargo boat, and with so many men on -board she was crammed. It is impossible to say how some of the men got -on board, and they could not explain themselves, they were so utterly -exhausted. The Dutch could understand us, though words were hardly -necessary, and they shared everything they had—clothes, food, drink and -accommodation. They wrapped their bedding round us and gave us hot -coffee. The stokehold was crowded with men who had gone down into it to -get dry and warm. Some of the men were suffering dreadfully from burns, -wounds and exhaustion, and one of them died on board the <i>Flora</i>. He was -my next messmate, Green. He lived for only about an hour. I saw him in -one of the seamen’s bunks, and he was then in great agony. I think he -had been struck very badly in the explosion. We took him away from the -bunk, laid him on the fore-hatch and covered him with a tarpaulin, where -he lay till about five o’clock in the afternoon, when we landed at -Ymuiden. Poor Green was buried there with full honours, the British -chaplain at Amsterdam conducting the service.</p> - -<p>One very strange incident of the disaster was the way in which the -ensign of the <i>Hogue</i> was saved. I don’t know how it happened, but one -of the stokers who had managed to escape got hold of the ensign when he -was in the water, and hung on to it all the time he was in—two or three -hours. He had the ensign with him when we were in Holland, and had his -photograph taken with it in the background.</p> - -<p>Another remarkable fact is that four brothers, who came from the -Yorkshire coast, I think, were in the <i>Hogue</i>, and all of them were -saved!</p> - -<p>Talking of photographs, I was one of a group which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a>{180}</span> was taken at -Ymuiden, when we were rigged out in the kit of Dutch bluejackets. There -I am, in the back row. At that time I was wearing a beard and moustache, -as there was neither much time not inclination for shaving.</p> - -<p>We had lost everything we had, and were almost naked, so we were very -glad of the clothes that were given to us by the Dutch. These people -were kindness itself to us, and did everything they could to make us -comfortable and happy. I was taken to a small café and went to bed.</p> - -<p>A Dutch soldier was in charge of us, but he had no fear of us doing any -harm. Next evening they took us by train to a place in the north of -Holland; then we had a sixteen miles’ tramp along the level roads to a -concentration camp where there were some Belgian prisoners, who gave us -a cheer.</p> - -<p>We marched those sixteen miles whistling and singing. Had we not been -snatched from death?</p> - -<p>We had to rough it, of course, but that came easy after such an -experience as ours. There was only one blanket amongst thirteen men, and -we had to sleep on straw, and eat with our fingers. We had plenty of -food, though—rough, but very nice, and we were very glad of it, and -thankful to get a drink of water.</p> - -<p>Next morning, when we left the straw and solitary blanket, it was very -raw and cheerless, and there was a heavy mist. The Belgian prisoners had -a football, and we borrowed it and played a game, and got warm. We were -covered with straw, and our clothes were filled with it when we woke, -but we soon shook it clear when we got going with the ball. We enjoyed a -basin of coffee and a big lump of brown bread which</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_180fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_180fp_sml.jpg" width="347" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 180. - - -“GOOD SWIMMERS WERE HELPING THOSE WHO COULD NOT SWIM” (p. 176)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 180.</span> -<br /> - -“GOOD SWIMMERS WERE HELPING THOSE WHO COULD NOT SWIM” (<a href="#page_176">p. 176</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a>{181}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">the Dutch cook gave us, then we got the time on by turning our tents -out, and were quite in clover when the British Consul supplied us with -knives, forks, spoons, towels, overcoats and boots.</p> - -<p>We spent the first morning washing and drying our socks, and wondering -what was going to be done with us. We kept on wondering, but soon knew -that we were not going to be detained in Holland, but were to be sent -home. On the Friday we had definite news that we were to go back to -England, and on the Saturday morning we left, and did the sixteen miles’ -tramp again; but it was easier this time, because we were prepared for -it. We stopped at a farm, and they gave us milk and food, cigars and -cigarettes, and before entering a special train for Flushing, the Dutch -gave us milk again, and cake, bread and apples.</p> - -<p>From Flushing we came on to Sheerness, and then we went on leave—and -here I am; but I go back in a day or two. I don’t know what will happen, -for owing to the explosion the sight of my left eye has practically -gone. Besides that, I seem to have been completely shattered in nerves, -though I reckoned that I was one of those men who have no nerves—I have -been a steeple-jack since I left the Navy, and just before I was called -up I was cleaning the face of Big Ben.</p> - -<p>It is when I wake in the middle of the night, as I often do, that the -whole fearful thing comes back with such awful vividness, and I see -again the dreadful sights that it is better to forget.</p> - -<p>Yes, the Germans got three good hauls in the cruisers; but I don’t think -they’ll have another chance like it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a>{182}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV<br /><br /> -<small>THE RUNAWAY RAIDERS</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[“Practically the whole fast cruiser force of the German Navy, -including some great ships vital to their fleet and utterly -irreplaceable, has been risked for the passing pleasure of killing -as many English people as possible, irrespective of sex, age or -condition, in the limited time available. Whatever feats of arms -the German Navy may hereafter perform, the stigma of the -baby-killers of Scarborough will brand its officers and men while -sailors sail the seas.” So wrote the First Lord of the Admiralty -(Mr. Winston S. Churchill) on December 20th, 1914, in reference to -the German raid on Scarborough, Whitby, and the Hartlepools on -December 16th. In that cowardly bombardment of unprotected places, -the Huns killed more than a hundred men, women, and children in the -Hartlepools alone, and altogether the casualties numbered more than -six hundred. This story is based on the narrative of Sapper W. -Hall, R.E., one of the few English soldiers who have been under an -enemy’s fire on English soil. Sapper Hall was badly wounded.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> is just a fortnight to-day since the German warships came up out of -the mist, bombarded Hartlepool, wrecked many of the houses, killed a lot -of defenceless women, children and men, and then tore away into the mist -as hard as they could steam. Our own warships nearly got up with them, -and if it had not been for the mist, never one of those vessels which -were so valiant in bombarding helpless towns would have got back to -Germany.</p> - -<p>A great deal of confusion has been caused in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a>{183}</span> telling the story of the -raids on the Hartlepools, the two places being hopelessly mixed up. They -are, as a matter of fact, quite separate towns, with separate mayors and -corporations.</p> - -<p>Hartlepool itself, where we now are, is on the coast, facing the sea; -West Hartlepool is two miles inland. Both towns were bombarded, but it -is hereabouts that most of the damage by shells was done, and many -children and grown-up people killed. It was just over there, too, that -eight Territorials were standing on the front, watching the firing, when -a shell struck them and killed seven of the men and wounded the -eighth.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<p>It was soon after eight o’clock in the morning when we rushed out of our -billets into the streets, and, looking seaward, we saw warships firing.</p> - -<p>In our billets we had heard the booming of guns, and supposing that it -was our own warships practising or fighting, we had hurried out to see -the fun. A few seconds was enough to tell us that there was no fun in -it, but that this was a bombardment in deadly earnest by the enemy.</p> - -<p>The German ships were easily visible from the shore, and did not seem to -be very far away—about two miles. They were firing rapidly, and there -was a deafening noise as the shells screamed and burst—the crashing of -the explosions, the smashing of immense numbers of window-panes by the -concussion,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a>{184}</span> and the thudding of the shells and fragments against walls -and buildings.</p> - -<p>Coming so unexpectedly, the bombardment caused intense excitement and -commotion, and men, women and children rushed into the streets to see -what was happening—the worst thing they could do, because the splinters -of shell, horrible jagged fragments, were flying all about and killing -and maiming the people they struck. A number of little children who had -rushed into the streets, as children will, were killed or wounded.</p> - -<p>As soon as we realised what was happening, we rushed back and got our -rifles and hurried into the street again, and did what we could; but -rifles were absolutely useless against warships, and the incessant -bursting of shells and the scattering of fragments and bullets made it -most dangerous to be in the open.</p> - -<p>Shells were striking and bursting everywhere, wrecking houses, ploughing -into the ground, and battering the concrete front of the promenade.</p> - -<p>The houses hereabouts, overlooking the sea, were big and easy targets -for the Germans, who blazed away like madmen, though they must have been -in terror all the time when they thought that their cannonading was sure -to fetch British warships up. How thankful they must have felt for that -protecting mist!</p> - -<p>The Hartlepool Rovers’ Football Ground is very near the sea and the -lighthouse, and it came under heavy fire. One of our men, Sapper Liddle, -was near the wall of the ground when a shell burst and mortally wounded -him, injuring him terribly. It was not possible to get at him and bring -him into hospital for a long time, but when he was brought here -everything<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a>{185}</span> that was humanly possible was done for him. He lingered for -a few hours, then died.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, death and destruction were being dealt out all around us, and -the land batteries were making such reply as they could to the Germans’ -heavy guns. This reply was a very plucky performance, for Hartlepool is -not a fortified place in anything like the real meaning of the word, and -our light guns were no match for the weapons of the German -battle-cruisers.</p> - -<p>As it happened, no damage was done to the guns; but fearful mischief was -caused to buildings near us. A shell struck the Baptist Chapel fair and -square on the front, and drove a hole in it big enough for the passage -of a horse and cart; then it wrecked the inside and went out at the -other end of the chapel, again making a huge hole.</p> - -<p>House after house was struck and shattered, in some cases people being -buried in the ruins. Some of the houses are very old, and pretty well -collapsed when a shell struck them and burst.</p> - -<p>While the bombardment was in progress we were doing our best, but that -could not be much. There was not much cause for laughter, but I remember -that a shell came and burst near us, and made us see the humour of a -little incident. The explosion itself did no actual damage, but the -concussion and force of it were so violent that a sapper was jerked up -into the air and came down with a crash. He picked himself up and -scuttled as hard as he could make for shelter.</p> - -<p>The firing was so sudden and so fierce that it was begun and finished -almost before it was possible to realise that it had taken place. Most -of the men of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a>{186}</span> Hartlepool were at work when the bombardment started, and -some of them were killed at their work, or as they were rushing home to -see to their wives and children, while some were killed as they fled for -safety.</p> - -<p>The streets were crowded with fugitives during the bombardment, and it -was owing to this that so many people were killed and wounded. The -shells burst among them with awful results.</p> - -<p>While the Germans were firing point-blank at the buildings facing the -sea, and deliberately killing inoffensive people, they were also -bombarding West Hartlepool, and doing their best to blow up the -gasworks, destroy the big shipbuilding yards there, and set fire to the -immense stacks of timber which are stored in the yards.</p> - -<p>People were killed who were five or six miles from the guns of the -warships, and in one street alone in West Hartlepool seven persons, -mostly women, were killed. Several babies were killed in their homes, -and little children were killed as they played in the streets.</p> - -<p>A good deal has been said about the number of shells that were fired -from the German warships, and some people had put down a pretty low -total; but from what I saw, I should think that certainly five hundred -shells of all sorts were fired by these valiant Germans, who knew that -they were perfectly safe so far as the shore was concerned, and took -mighty good care not to be caught by British ships of their own size and -power; but that will surely come later, and the men of the North will -get their own back.</p> - -<p>I cannot say anything about the actual defences,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a>{187}</span> or what the military -did; but the few troops who were here did their best, and a couple of -destroyers bore a brave part in the affair.</p> - -<p>A shell fell in the lines of the Royal Engineers, and several dropped in -the lines of the 18th Service Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry.</p> - -<p>It was very quickly known, as I have mentioned, that seven out of eight -men of the Durhams, who were watching the firing—thinking, like -everybody else, that it was some sort of battle practice, till they -learned the real truth—had been killed by the explosion of a shell, and -that the eighth man had been wounded; but there were several other cases -of men being wounded which were not known about until later, because of -the great difficulties of discovering the men amongst the ruins which -the shell-fire had caused.</p> - -<p>From the moment the bombardment began there was an awful commotion, and -the noise grew until it was simply deafening. The whole town literally -shook, and while the firing lasted there was a tremendous and continuous -vibration—everything shivered and rattled. One shell struck the wall of -the football ground, which faces the sea; not far away a hole was dug in -the ground by one of the very first of the shells that were fired; the -fine old church of St. Hilda was damaged, and the side of the rectory -was simply peppered by a bursting shell.</p> - -<p>In the particular place where I and my chums were, the shells were -coming in a shower, and doing enormous mischief. We could see that -plainly enough. But it was not until later, when the German warships had -steamed away as hard as they could go, that we knew how great the damage -had been,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a>{188}</span> and how many lives had been lost and people wounded.</p> - -<p>The German ships fired from one side to begin with, then they turned -round and continued the bombardment from the other side, so they must -have been ready loaded all round. The size of the shots varied from the -12-inch shells, perfect monsters, to the small ones which came so fast -and did so much havoc. The fact that some of the huge shells were found -unexploded after the bombardment proves that ships of great size took -part in the raid.</p> - -<p>Some time after the firing began I felt a blow on my thigh, and fell to -the ground, helpless, though I did not know at the time what had -happened. At last, when the firing—which continued for about forty -minutes—ceased, stretcher-bearers and volunteer ambulance workers set -about collecting the wounded, and I was picked up and brought to the -hospital here.</p> - -<p>It was then found that I had been struck on the thigh by part of the cap -of a shell, and that I had sustained a compound fracture. The piece of -metal was still sticking in me—you can see it later. It was taken out, -and I was promptly and most kindly looked after, as were all our men who -had been wounded and were brought in. Poor Liddle, as I have told you, -was not discovered for some time; then he was found and brought here, -and died late at night, in spite of all the efforts that were made to -save him. He had a real soldier’s funeral—just as had the rest of the -soldiers who had been killed.</p> - -<p>As soon as the bombardment was over the people set to work to collect -the dead as well as save the wounded, and both were heavy tasks; but -there</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_188fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_188fp_sml.jpg" width="359" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 188. - - -“THE ‘HOGUE’ BEGAN TO TURN TURTLE. THE FOUR IMMENSE FUNNELS BROKE AWAY” -(p. 173)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 188.</span> -<br /> - -“THE ‘HOGUE’ BEGAN TO TURN TURTLE. THE FOUR IMMENSE FUNNELS BROKE AWAY” -(<a href="#page_173">p. 173</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>{189}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">were many willing hands. Even in half-an-hour a wonderful difference had -been made in the streets, and those people who had been rushing towards -the country for safety began to return. They brought in reports of -losses which had been suffered in the outskirts through shells; but, as -I have said, the worst cases of all were just about here.</p> - -<p>One house was completely demolished, and the father, mother, and -half-a-dozen children were killed, so that home and family were wiped -out in an instant. One part of the Old Town is so utterly destroyed that -it is called “Louvain,” and if you look at the houses there you will -find that they are just heaps of rubbish and ruins, with beds and -furniture and so on, buried.</p> - -<p>Shells had exploded in the streets, in houses, fields, at the gasworks, -in shipyards—anywhere and everywhere—and one big thing stuck itself in -a house and is kept as a relic. Another crashed through four railway -waggons, and another shell, which travelled low on the ground, went -through several sets of the steel metals on the railway, which shows the -fearful penetrative power of the projectile.</p> - -<p>If the Germans had had their way, no doubt this place would have been -wiped out altogether. They made a dead set at the gasworks, but did not -do a great deal of mischief there, though it meant that that night a lot -of people had to burn candles instead of gas. And though more than a -hundred people were killed, and the Germans fondly supposed that they -had struck terror into the place, they had done nothing of the sort.</p> - -<p>The residents were soon clearing up the ruins and settling down again as -if nothing had happened.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a>{190}</span> The most pitiful of all the tasks was that of -dealing with the dead and wounded children, and the remembrance of the -sad sights will be the best of all inspirations for some of our fellows -when the day comes on which they will get their own back from the -Germans.</p> - -<p>It was not long before we learned that at about the same time as we were -being shelled at Hartlepool, German warships had appeared off the -entirely undefended places of Whitby and Scarborough. They call these -old fishing ports fortified, but that is an absolute untruth, and they -know it. But the Germans were out to kill and destroy, and they did both -in a manner which showed that they had made calculations to a minute, -and that their spies had been long at work.</p> - -<p>At Scarborough the raiders did a lot of damage before they ran away. -They had prepared one of their boasted surprises for us, and we got it; -but that was nothing to the surprise we gave them on Christmas morning -at Cuxhaven—a real fortified place—and nothing, I hope and believe, to -the surprises that our Navy has in store for the German naval runaways.</p> - -<p>You ask how long shall I be in hospital.</p> - -<p>That is hard to tell; but I have been here two weeks already, and I -suppose that I shall be here for at least six weeks longer.</p> - -<p>I keep the piece of shell which struck me, in a bit of brown paper in -the cupboard near the head of the bed. I cannot rise to get it myself, -but if you will open the little door you will find it. It’s the sort of -thing which caused such havoc in the Hartlepools when the German -warships came and bombarded us.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a>{191}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI<br /><br /> -<small>CAMPAIGNING WITH THE HIGHLANDERS</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The Highland regiments have made a great impression upon the -Germans since the war began, and the kilted troops have added to -their laurels in the field. This story of fighting with the -Highlanders is told by Private A. Veness, 2nd Battalion Seaforth -Highlanders, who was wounded and invalided home.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I have</span> served eight years in the Seaforth Highlanders. To begin with I -was a bandsman, but when the war broke out and I was recalled to the -colours, I became an ordinary private, and the only music that the -Germans heard me play was the rattle of my rifle. When we landed in -France and marched off to the front the girls seemed to have a special -fancy for the kilted men—at any rate they crowded up and hugged and -kissed those they could get hold of; so we went off in very good -spirits, singing and whistling popular tunes, not forgetting the -Marseillaise and “Tipperary.”</p> - -<p>Being a strange country we saw a good many things that were new and very -strange to us till we got used to them. One amusing incident happened as -soon as we were in Belgium, and that was the sight of a big fat man -being pulled in a little cart by two dogs. It was funny, but still it -made us angry, for we rather looked upon it as cruelty to animals; so we -shouted, “Lazy brute!” “Get out and give the dogs a ride!” and so on, -and I daresay the man was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a>{192}</span> greatly surprised, though he didn’t know what -we were saying. In a little while we understood that dogs are -extensively used for haulage purposes in Belgium and we ceased to take -any special notice of them.</p> - -<p>It was not long after landing before we were told to be ready for the -Germans, but that proved a false alarm. We were, however, to get our -baptism of fire in a dramatic fashion, and that baptism naturally dwells -in my mind more vividly than many of the far bigger things which -happened later in the war.</p> - -<p>A terrific thunderstorm broke, and a party of us were ordered to billet -in a barn. We climbed up into a loft and began to make ourselves -comfortable and to make some tea. We had scarcely got the welcome tea to -our lips when the hurried order came to clear out of the building, and -into the thunderstorm we dashed. Then the German shells began to fly and -burst, and in a few minutes the barn was struck and shattered, so that -we had a very narrow escape.</p> - -<p>It was at this stage that we had our first man killed. He was a chum of -mine, a bandsman, named Dougal McKinnon. While we were having our tea -Dougal was under cover in the trenches, in front of the barn, with his -company. They were under shell fire, and he was killed by bursting -shrapnel. He was buried close to the spot where he fell, and being the -first of our men to be killed in action we felt it very deeply. Many -times after that, when our chums were killed, we had to leave them, -because we had no time to bury them.</p> - -<p>We got on the move, and when night came it was awful to see the whole -countryside lit up with the flames of burning buildings—farms and -houses and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a>{193}</span> other places which had been set on fire by the Germans. -There was a farm which was blazing furiously and I shall never forget -it, for the good reason that in marching we managed to circle it three -times before we could get properly on the march and go ahead.</p> - -<p>We pushed on to Cambrai, where the cannonading was truly terrible. My -company was in support of another company in advance. We lay behind a -bank, sheltering, for a few hours. At the back of us was a British -howitzer battery, in a bit of a wood, so that we were between two awful -fires. It was indescribable—the deafening din, which never ceased or -lessened while the duel raged, the excitement, the danger, and the -nerve-strain; yet there was something fascinating in watching the firing -and wondering what was going to happen.</p> - -<p>It is wonderful to think of the working of the human mind at such a -time, and strange to recall the odd things one does. In our own case, as -we had to go on sheltering and watching, we amused ourselves by counting -the number of shells that dropped within a certain area which was well -under our observation. The area was, roughly speaking, about 200 yards -square, and in three-quarters of an hour no fewer than seventy-six -shells exploded over that particular spot. They were shrapnel and high -explosive and never struck the ground—they burst in the air, and at one -time I counted six shells bursting in the air together. That gives you -some idea of the tremendous nature of the German shell fire. Luckily a -great number of the shells did not explode at all, or few if any of us -could have got away.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to praise too highly the British artillery’s work. To -my own personal knowledge<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a>{194}</span> there was one battery that day—I don’t know -which it was—which was under fire for at least seven hours continuously -without shifting; and during the whole of that time they were replying -to the German guns.</p> - -<p>After that shattering experience we camped in a cornfield at night, and -were settling down to sleep when were we ordered to move again. For -hours, worn and weary though we were, we were on the march, and thankful -we were when we halted in a village and got a box of biscuits from the -French as a midday snack. We had been forced to part with most of our -equipment and many of the greatcoats were thrown away; but I felt that I -should want mine and I stuck to it—and I am wearing it now. It has had -plenty of rough usage—and here are the holes made by a piece of flying -shrapnel.</p> - -<p>I am proud to say that the general in command of our division -congratulated the regiment on its splendid marching, and I think we did -a fine thing, for in about twelve hours we covered about thirty-two -miles—actual marching, with just a halt here and there. The Germans had -done their best to trap us, but they had not succeeded, and we escaped, -to turn the tables on them with a vengeance.</p> - -<p>That night I had to report sick—there was something wrong with my -ankles. I was unable to march, so I got a lift on a limber-waggon of the -88th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery. During the ride, which lasted -all night, I went through some of the finest country I ever saw. It was -particularly beautiful because of the time of the year, late autumn, and -the clear light of the full moon. This moonlight ride on a limber will -be always associated in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>{195}</span> my memory with the grandest spectacle of its -sort I saw during the war.</p> - -<p>The battery was travelling along a switchback road, and I was wrapped up -in the beautiful and peaceful scenery—it was hard to believe that this -calm landscape was the scene of war and that the splendid British -gunners I was with had been dealing death and destruction amongst the -Germans so lately.</p> - -<p>Not far away was a river, winding like a silver thread over the face of -the country, and suddenly, from the river, there rose an immense mass of -flame and smoke, followed quickly by a thunderous rumbling roar.</p> - -<p>I knew at once that a bridge had been blown up. I cannot tell you who -destroyed it—Germans or French; all I know is that I saw the sight and -it was the most remarkable of its kind that I witnessed—and I saw four -splendid bridges destroyed in this manner.</p> - -<p>At one time we had crossed a fine bridge and as soon as we had done so a -hole was dug and a mine was laid in the centre. Then our cyclist section -was sent out to report what was going to happen and the bridge was blown -up. In this case we were the last to cross before the explosion -occurred.</p> - -<p>At an early stage of the operations I was lucky enough to see a very -fine fight in the air, a duel between a French airman and a German -airman. I was able to follow the duel for miles. The men in the -aeroplanes were firing revolvers at each other and we could hear the -crack of the shots, though we could not see any definite results, -because the duel got too far away. This was the first fight in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a>{196}</span> air -that I saw, and I watched it with extraordinary interest, especially as -we all keenly hoped that the German would be brought down, because he -had been flying over our lines and quickly directed shell fire on us -owing to his signals. For fully twenty minutes I watched this air fight. -It was wonderful to see the swiftness with which the machines dived and -dodged. The Frenchman circled over the German in the most skilful and -daring manner and time after time threatened his existence.</p> - -<p>Another remarkable incident I witnessed at this time was the escape of a -German cavalryman. He was an Uhlan, a scout, I take it, and quite alone. -We were on the march and had been told that the German cavalry were in -large numbers near us, and so that we should be ready for them we took -up a position, with some Irish infantry to the left of us.</p> - -<p>We were lying in position on a hill, and in front of us was three or -four miles of good flat country, so that we should have had a fine view -of cavalry in force. We watched and waited, but the threatened cavalry -did not come—all we saw was this solitary Uhlan, a mere speck on the -wide plain.</p> - -<p>As soon as the Uhlan was seen the rifles rattled and it was expected -that he would be potted; but he seemed to bear a charmed life. The Irish -battalion gave him a particularly heavy fire—the Seaforths were too far -off to reach him with the rifle; but the Uhlan galloped gaily on, and it -was quite amusing to watch him. No doubt he thoroughly enjoyed -himself—at any rate he galloped unscathed across two or three miles of -open country, and got away.</p> - -<p>It was not until we were within about eighteen<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a>{197}</span> miles of Paris that the -retirement ended and we began the offensive. We had had a very hard -time, and were to have a few days’ rest, but we never got it. Yet in -spite of the hardships we had some very pleasant times, because of the -beauty of the country and the season.</p> - -<p>Joyful indeed was the day when we began to drive the Germans back, and -it was the more joyful because the advance was almost as swift as our -retirement had been.</p> - -<p>On that wonderful advance we saw some horrible things—I will not dwell -on German barbarities, though there were many proofs of them—including -great numbers of horses which had been killed or wounded and left just -where they had fallen. No attempt had been made to dispose of the -decaying carcases and many a poor brute had died a lingering death.</p> - -<p>I was greatly struck by the Germans’ cruelty to their horses, in leaving -them like this; but that was one proof of the hurriedness of the enemy’s -retreat—the Germans who had got so near Paris and were then flung right -away back from the city. I need hardly say that whenever a sign of -movement was noticed in a horse a man was sent to put the poor thing out -of its misery.</p> - -<p>There was still plenty of hardship to put up with, but that did not -matter so much when we were driving back the Germans.</p> - -<p>I remember very well one day and night of uncommon wretchedness. It was -raining heavily and continuously, and in the deluge I and three more men -were sent on outpost—to observe and keep our eyes open, and so that we -could do that to the best<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a>{198}</span> advantage we took up a position on the top of -a hayrick. A perfect hurricane was blowing, and the almost solid rain -was fairly driven into us; but we stuck it through, and hung on to the -top of the haystack till it was dark, then we thankfully got down and -went into an open shed for shelter—a building that was just a -protection for wheat-stacks.</p> - -<p>I had had my turn of picketing and was lying down to get a snatch of -sleep when I was ordered to go up a road about a mile and a half away, -to find out whether our relief had come. So out into the darkness and -the wind and rain I staggered and fought my way through what was the -worst night for weather that I ever saw. On and on I and my comrades -went, looking hard for our relief, but we never saw it, and we waited -there till next morning, when we rejoined our brigade.</p> - -<p>Those were times when there was little rest for the Seaforths, or -anybody else.</p> - -<p>The aeroplanes gave us little chance of rest, and at times they had an -uncanny knack of finding us.</p> - -<p>One day, after a long, hard march, we put into a wood for shelter. A -French supply column was already in the wood and doubtless the Germans -knew of or suspected this; at any rate a German aeroplane came over us, -with the result that in a few minutes we were shelled out. We rested in -another part of the wood till it was dark, then we were taken on to -billets, but we had to make another move, because we were shelled out -again. That was the sort of thing which came along as part of the day’s -work; and as part of the day’s work we took it cheerfully.</p> - -<p>When we got the Germans on the move we took<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a>{199}</span> prisoners from time to -time. I was on guard over a few prisoners, part of a crowd, when one of -them came up to me and to my amazement I recognised him as a German who -had worked in Soho Square and used often to go to the same place as -myself for dinner—a little shop in Hanway Street, at the Oxford Street -end of Tottenham Court Road. The prisoner recognised me at once and I -recognised him. To show how ignorant the Germans were of the enemy they -were fighting, I may tell you that this man said to me, “If we had known -we were fighting the English, I would never have left London!”</p> - -<p>Was it not strange that the two of us, who had so often met as friends -for dinner in the little foreign shop, should meet again as enemies on -the banks of the Marne?</p> - -<p>I am now coming to a sorrowful personal incident—the loss of my chum, -Lance-Corporal Lamont. We had been together from the beginning of the -war and had shared everything there was, even to the waterproof sheet. -He would carry the sheet one day and I would carry it the next, and -whenever such a thing had to be done as fetching drinking-water, often a -very dangerous task, we would share that too.</p> - -<p>Throughout one awful night of ceaseless rain, which soaked us to the -skin, the two of us were in the trenches—we had dug ourselves in, with -just ordinary head cover. We lay there till next morning, when an -officer came along my platoon and asked if we had any drinking-water.</p> - -<p>We told him that we had not.</p> - -<p>The officer said, “If you care to risk it, one of you can go and fetch -some water.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a>{200}</span></p> - -<p>We decided to take the risk, which was great, because to get the water -meant getting to a farmhouse just behind us, under a heavy fire.</p> - -<p>My chum volunteered to go, and, taking the water-bottles, he left the -trench and started to cross the open ground between us and the -farmhouse. While he was doing this the order came for us to advance—and -I never saw him again.</p> - -<p>It was soon my turn to be put out of action. A pretty stiff fight was -going on and the fire was so heavy that it was very dangerous to be in -the open; but it was necessary for me and a few more men to cross a bit -of open ground, and we made a start. We had not gone far when a shell -came between me and another man who was at my side. The shell struck him -fair on the arm and shattered it. He fell over on his side, and as he -did so he said, “For Heaven’s sake cut my equipment off!”</p> - -<p>I took out my jack-knife and slit the equipment across the shoulders and -let it drop away from him.</p> - -<p>He crawled off and I was told afterwards that while he was trying to -creep to shelter he was struck again and killed.</p> - -<p>I crawled as best I could up to the firing line, but when I got there I -found that there was no room in the trenches for me, so I had to lie in -the open. I had not been there long before a fellow next to me asked me -what time it was. I took out my watch and told him it was about -eleven-fifteen—and the next thing I knew was that I felt as if someone -had kicked me on the top of the head.</p> - -<p>I turned round and said, “Tommy, I’m hit!” I became unconscious for some -time, then, when I recovered, I said, “Tommy, is it safe to crawl -away?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a>{201}</span></p> - -<p>“No,” said Tommy, “it’s risky. It’s a bit too hot!”</p> - -<p>“Never mind,” I answered. “If I stay here much longer I shall collapse. -I’m going to have a shot at it—here goes!”</p> - -<p>I began to crawl away, but I must have taken the wrong direction, for I -was soon under two fires. I was approaching the mouths of two or three -of our own guns, which were in front of a farmhouse.</p> - -<p>I soon found that this was a bit too warm for me, and so I turned and -took what I supposed was the right direction. I had had enough of -crawling, which was very slow work. I wanted to get out of it, and I -made up my mind to rise and run. That does not sound very brave, but it -was the better part of valour.</p> - -<p>I started to run, as best I could; but I had hardly got going when a -bullet struck me, as I supposed, and I collapsed alongside some of my -own comrades.</p> - -<p>Stretcher-bearers came up, in time, and I was carried to the field -hospital. Then a curious discovery was made, which was, that a bullet -had gone through four or five pleats of my kilt and had stuck in my leg, -high up. This is the place where it struck and stuck and here’s the -bullet, which the doctor easily pulled out with his fingers, for it had -not penetrated deeply, owing, I think, to the resistance of the pleats -of my kilt. Apart from this bullet wound I was struck by shrapnel four -times, but I managed to keep going.</p> - -<p>I left the field hospital the next day and joined an ambulance column -which was shelled by the Germans as it went along. I escaped myself, but -one of the waggons was completely wrecked.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a>{202}</span></p> - -<p>Having recovered from my wound to a certain extent I went back to the -regiment, but after a few days I had to be invalided home, and I have -had a long and tedious spell in hospital.</p> - -<p>There is one more incident I would like to mention by way of closing. We -halted in a village in France where we saw some of the Turcos, one of -whom was very noticeable because he was proudly wearing the greatcoat of -a German officer which he had secured on the battlefield, after killing -the officer.</p> - -<p>While we halted, a batch of German prisoners was brought into the -village, and they were put into a courtyard between two rows of -cottages. No sooner had this been done than an old man rushed out, and -if it had not been for the guard he would have hurled himself upon the -prisoners and done his best to thrash them.</p> - -<p>The act was so strange that I inquired the reason for the old man’s -fury. And the answer I received was, “He remembers 1870.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_202fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_202fp_sml.jpg" width="359" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 202. - - -“A BULLET STRUCK HIM IN THE BACK AND KILLED HIM” (p. 9)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 202.</span> -<br /> - -“A BULLET STRUCK HIM IN THE BACK AND KILLED HIM” (<a href="#page_009">p. 9</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>{203}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII<br /><br /> -<small>TRANSPORT DRIVING</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[It was estimated that, early in the war, no fewer than 10,000 -vehicle workers were serving with the colours—3000 taxicab -drivers, 3000 tramway men, and 4000 motor-’bus drivers. These -trained men went from London and the provinces, some being -Reservists, and others joining various regiments; but a very large -number went into the Transport Section, and did splendid work. From -this story by Private James Roache, Mechanical Transport Section, -Siege Artillery Brigade, we learn something of the heavy and -perilous work that falls to the lot of the Transport Section, and -can realise the enormous extent to which the Army depends upon its -transport.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I got</span> into Ypres about seven days after the Germans had left the city, -and I learned from a school-teacher who spoke English that they had -commandeered a good many things, and had pillaged the jewellers’ shops -and other places of business.</p> - -<p>At that time the Germans did not seem to have done any exceptional -damage; but they made up for any neglect later on, when they acted like -barbarians in bombarding and destroying the beautiful old city, and -smashing its priceless ancient buildings into ruins. That is part of the -system of savagery which they boast about as “culture.”</p> - -<p>We had been in Ypres about a week when the first German shell came. It -was the beginning of a fearful havoc. That was about ten o’clock in the -morning. The shell dropped plumb into the prison. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a>{204}</span> were a good -many civil prisoners in the gaol at the time, but I do not know what -happened to them, and I cannot say whether any of the helpless creatures -were killed or wounded.</p> - -<p>At that time I was helping to supply the Siege Artillery Brigade, the -guns of which—the famous 6 in. howitzers—were a mile or so out of the -city. We had four cars, each carrying three tons of lyddite—twelve tons -in all—standing in the Market Square, and exposed to the full artillery -fire of the enemy.</p> - -<p>It was a perilous position, for if a shell had struck that enormous -amount of lyddite probably the whole city would have been wrecked, and -the loss of life would have been appalling. We had to wait for several -hours before we could move, because of the difficulty in communicating -with the brigade; but when the order did at last arrive, we lost no time -in getting to a safer place than the Market Square.</p> - -<p>It was while we were standing under fire that I saw a mother and her -child—a girl—struck by a fragment of a bursting shell. They were the -first people to be wounded in Ypres.</p> - -<p>The shell—a big brute—burst on the roof of a house, and the fragments -scattered with terrific force all around. People were flying for their -lives, or hiding, terror-stricken, in the cellars; and the woman and her -daughter were struck as we watched them fly.</p> - -<p>Some of us rushed up and found that one of the boots of the woman had -been ripped open, and that the child had been struck on the face and -badly cut.</p> - -<p>I picked her up, and saw that she was unconscious; but I got at my -field-dressing and did all I could for her, and was thankful to find -that she soon came<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a>{205}</span> back to her senses, though she was suffering -terribly from shock and began to cry bitterly.</p> - -<p>The mother also was dreadfully upset, but not seriously hurt. We lost no -time in getting them into the underground part of a café near at hand, -and there we had to leave them. I don’t know what became of them, but I -suppose they were taken away. I often wonder what has happened to the -poor little soul and her mother, victims, like so many thousands more, -of the German invaders. I am glad to know that with our field-dressings -we were able to help a good many civilians who were wounded.</p> - -<p>The four cars I have mentioned were big transport-lorries, made -specially for the war, and very fine work can be done with them. But how -different the work is from that which we used to do at home as -motor-drivers!—and I had a fair experience of that before I joined the -Transport Service. There was as much difference between the two as there -is between this war and the South African War, in which I served in the -Imperial Yeomanry.</p> - -<p>These lorries carried immense quantities of ammunition, and so the -Germans made a special point of going for them, in the hope of bringing -about a destructive explosion; but, taken on the whole, they had very -poor luck that way.</p> - -<p>When the order came to us in the Market Square at Ypres to march, we -left the city and travelled along the roads till it was dark; and after -that we returned to the city, taking the stuff with us. No sooner were -we back in Ypres than the Germans started shelling again, after having -ceased fire for about four hours.</p> - -<p>What we carried was wanted for the guns, but we<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a>{206}</span> could not reach them, -owing to the excessive danger from the German fire. It is a strange fact -that as soon as any stuff was going through by transport the Germans -started shelling it, which seems to show that they had word when -transports were on the move. They shelled us constantly, and we got to -take the thing as a very ordinary part of the day’s work.</p> - -<p>It was only when some uncommon explosion occurred that we were roused to -take notice; and such an event took place one day when one of the very -biggest of the German shells burst in the air not far away from me with -a tremendous crash, and made an immense cloud of awful smoke and rubbish -as the fragments struck the ground.</p> - -<p>This explosion was so near and so unusual that I thought I would get -hold of a souvenir of it. And so I did. I secured a piece of the base of -the shell, and meant to bring it home as a trophy; but I had to leave -it, for the weight of the fragment was 95 lb., and that’s a trifle heavy -even for a transport-driver. This was certainly one of the very biggest -and most awful of the German shells of the immense number I saw explode.</p> - -<p>There is, or was, a skittle-alley in Ypres, near the water-tower, and -some of the Munsters were billeted there. I was near the place when some -very heavy shelling was going on, and I saw one shell burst on the -building with a terrific report. I knew at once that serious damage was -done, and that there must have been a heavy loss of life, for I saw -wounded and unwounded men rushing into the street from the ruined -building. Some of the men were bandaging themselves as they rushed out. -I knew that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a>{207}</span> there must be a shocking sight inside the building; so when -the commanding officer said, “Would you like to go inside and look at -it?” I replied that I would rather not. And I was glad afterwards, for I -learned that six poor fellows had been killed. That was the sort of -thing which was constantly happening to our fighting men, and it was bad -enough; but it was infinitely worse when the victims were women and -children, as they so often were, and it was the sight of these innocent -sufferers which was the hardest of all to bear. Some of our youngsters -were particularly upset.</p> - -<p>There was a little trumpeter of the Royal Garrison Artillery, to which -we were attached, and a fine youngster he was, about sixteen years old. -We called him “Baggie.” He used to stick it very well, but at times, -when he saw women and children hurt, he gave way and cried. But that -kind-heartedness did not prevent him from being always eager to come -with us when we took the ammunition up to the guns in the firing line. -“Baggie” never knew fear for himself, but he felt it badly when others -were hit or hurt, and that took place day after day.</p> - -<p>There was another little trumpeter of the Royal Engineers who got badly -upset for the same reason. He was billeted in a timber-yard, and I saw a -shell fall in the yard and burst and send the timber flying in all -directions. It seemed as if tremendous mischief had been done, and that -there must have been a heavy loss of life; but, as a matter of fact, -only one man was injured on the head and face by splinters.</p> - -<p>The trumpeter rushed out, and I went up and talked with him to cheer him -up a bit.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a>{208}</span></p> - -<p>“It’s no good!” he said. “I can’t stick it any longer! I try to be -brave, but I have to give way!”</p> - -<p>Then he broke down and fairly cried, and a very pitiful sight it was, -for he was only a kiddie, fifteen or sixteen years old.</p> - -<p>I was always troubled myself when I saw how these little chaps were -upset; but they did not break down through anything like fear—they were -not afraid, and were splendid when they were with the men—it was the -suffering and the fearful sights they saw that bowled them out.</p> - -<p>These trumpeters—mere lads—went through all the marching and fighting -that led up to the fearful business at Ypres, and they came out of the -business splendidly. Little “Baggie,” for example, was right through it -from the Aisne, and was up and down with the Siege Artillery all the -time. He was present when one of the lieutenants was killed, and when I -last heard of him he was still on the move and well; and I sincerely -hope that he is all right now, and will come safely home.</p> - -<p>I mention these things about the youngsters particularly, because they -struck me as being out of the common, and so you notice them more than -the ordinary matters.</p> - -<p>While speaking of the earlier days of the war, I might say that, after -the Marne and the Aisne, when we were going back over ground that we -knew and on which we fought, we saw some sickening slaughter scenes, and -realised to the full what an awful thing a war like this is.</p> - -<p>One very peculiar incident which comes into my mind was the finding of a -dead Uhlan in a wood. He had evidently been badly wounded, and had made -his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>{209}</span> way into the wood for safety, but he had died there. When we found -him he was sitting in a crouching position. On examining him, we found -two postcards which he had written. We could not read them, but, as far -as we could tell, they were addressed to women of the same name, but -living in different places. We buried the Uhlan in the wood, and handed -the postcards to a German officer who had been made prisoner, and he -gave us to understand that he would see that they were sent to their -destinations when he got a chance to despatch them. That incident was -only one of many similar sights we came across in our part of the -business.</p> - -<p>Transport work, as a rule, was very uncomfortable, because it was mostly -done at night, when the roads were very dark, and we had to do as best -we could without lights. Anything like an ammunition or supply column -was a particular mark for the Germans, and whenever they got the chance -they would do their best to find us out; and a favourite way of doing -this was to fire a few shots in one place and a few in another, in the -hope that we should be drawn and reveal our position. But we didn’t give -the show away quite so easily as that.</p> - -<p>I had many opportunities of seeing the fine work which was done by our -armoured trains, and I saw something of the performances of the -aeroplanes. I witnessed several air fights, but there was not really a -lot to see, because there was so much swift manœuvring. There was -plenty of firing at the aircraft, but they are most difficult things to -hit. One of the German aeroplanes dropped a bomb on Ypres. It fell on a -doctor’s house near the town station and exploded, but it did not do any -great<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a>{210}</span> amount of mischief. It broke the front door and shattered the -windows and knocked the place about, but I fancy that it did not hurt or -kill anybody.</p> - -<p>What was the finest sight I saw while I was at the front? Well, I think -the best thing I ever saw was the way some of our lancers scattered a -far superior body of Uhlans and made them fly. That was on the -retirement from Mons. It was a very bad time, and there were some -fearful sights, for the roads leading from the town were crowded with -fleeing women and children. In any case it was bad enough to get along -the road, but it was infinitely worse to make our way along through the -crowds of refugees with our motor-lorries, especially in view of what we -carried. To make matters worse, we had got on the wrong road, and it was -necessary to turn back. To do this we had to turn round, and, as there -were eighty cars, I need not tell you what a business that meant, -especially with the enemy harassing us, and I dare say fondly thinking -that they had us in a proper grip. The Germans were quite close to us, -and firing, and we were ordered to get down and defend the cars. The -road at this point was very narrow, and it seemed as if we were trapped, -though we were covered by cavalry.</p> - -<p>The country thereabouts did not seem very favourable for cavalry work, -but it was all right from the point of view of the Uhlans, who, from -their horses, potted at us from the brow of the hill on which they -stood. The weather was miserable, dull, and it was raining, and, -altogether, it was not an exhilarating business. The Uhlans seemed to be -having it all their own way; then the scene changed like magic, and that -was when the gallant 9th Lancers appeared,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a>{211}</span> to our unspeakable joy. I -can claim to understand something in a modest way about cavalry, as an -old Imperial Yeoman, and I do know that there was no finer sight ever -seen than the spectacle of those splendid fellows of the 9th, who, -without any sound of trumpet or any noise, came up and charged the -Uhlans. One body of Uhlans was on the brow, two more bodies were in a -wood. But these two did not take any active part in the fighting; they -seemed to wait till their comrades on the brow had paved the way with -us, so that they could swoop down. But the Uhlans did not get a chance -to swoop, though they were three to one against our lancers.</p> - -<p>Jumping a ditch and galloping across the country, our cavalry were after -the Uhlans like the wind. But the Uhlans never stopped to face the -lance; they vanished over the brow of the hill, and the fellows who were -watching and waiting in the wood vanished, too. They bolted, and must -have been thankful to get out of it. All they knew, probably, was that -our men came along a road in the wood till they got to a clear part, and -that through that opening the 9th were on them like a flash, without -firing a shot. They managed to get in amongst the first line of the -Germans with the lance and empty some of the saddles, while they -themselves had only one or two men bowled over.</p> - -<p>I had a splendid view of this brilliant little affair—I should think -there were not more than 120 of the 9th—and I shall never forget the -way in which the lancers went for the enemy, nor the swiftness with -which the boasted Uhlans scuttled off behind the brow. It was an -uncommonly fine piece of work, and it saved our column.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a>{212}</span></p> - -<p>The Uhlans had another shot at us two or three days later. They were at -quite close range, not more than four or five hundred yards away, but we -managed to keep them off and go about our business, which was to reach -the Marne and the Aisne, and then start back. We had about a month on -the Aisne without making much progress, though our troops were hard at -it all the time.</p> - -<p>I had got out of Ypres—thankful to go—and had gone towards another -town. It was about midday, and we had halted. The hot weather had gone -away, and the cold had come. I was walking up and down to keep myself -warm. Shells were falling and bursting, as usual, but I did not pay much -attention to them. At last one burst about fifty yards away, and a -fragment struck me and knocked me round, after which I fell. At first I -thought I had been struck by a stone or a brick which somebody had -thrown, and it was not for some time that I realised that I had been -wounded in the thigh by a piece of shell. I was sent to England in due -course, and here I am, in a most comfortable hospital at the seaside, -ready to leave for home in two or three days.</p> - -<p>My own experience with regard to the wound is not uncommon. It is not -easy to say how you have been hit, and I have known men who have been -shot through the body and have been quite unable to say whether the -bullet went in at the front or the back.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a>{213}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII<br /><br /> -<small>BRITISH GUNNERS AS CAVE-DWELLERS</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[Sir John French has repeatedly praised the splendid work of the -Royal Artillery during the war and glowing tributes to the courage -and resourcefulness of British gunners have been paid by the other -branches of the Army. Many a critical battle has been turned into a -success by the artillery, some of the batteries of which have -particularly distinguished themselves. Amongst them is the 134th, -of whose officers and men no fewer than five were mentioned in Sir -John French’s list, published on February 18th, of names of those -whom he recommended for gallant and distinguished conduct in the -field. This story of some of the work of our gunners is told by -Corporal Ernest Henry Bean, of the 134th Field Battery, who was -severely wounded and invalided home.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">You</span> cannot exaggerate anything in this war. I am of a cheerful and -hopeful disposition, but I never thought I should live through the awful -business; yet here I am, cheerful still, though shot through both feet, -and forced to hop when I want to get from place to place.</p> - -<p>I have had some strange adventures during the last few months, and one -of the oddest was in this good old Yarmouth. That was when the Germans -came and bombed us. But I will tell you about the air raid later. Here -are two eighteen-pounder shells, not from the front, but from -practice-firing, and it was such shells as these that made havoc amongst -the German troops, especially when we got to work on big bodies of -them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a>{214}</span></p> - -<p>The war came upon us so suddenly that even now it seems amazing that I -left peaceful England on a summer day and went straight into the very -thick of things. There was no waiting, for I sailed from Southampton on -the day after Mons was fought, and when we got into action it was at Le -Cateau. We had had a short spell in a rest camp, then we had some hard -marching. Throughout the whole of one night we kept at it, and soon -after breakfast next morning we were in the thick of one of the most -terrible artillery fights that has ever been known. For six mortal hours -we were under an incessant shell-fire. The experience itself was enough -to leave its mark for ever on your mind, but I shall always remember it -because of what happened to our horses. They were not used to this awful -business and they stampeded, galloping all over the place, and defying -every effort of the drivers to control them. The horses bolted with the -waggons and tore madly over the country, taking pretty nearly everything -that came in their way. The drivers were on the horses, but they were -powerless to control the frightened animals.</p> - -<p>The battery itself was in action. I was with the teams—on an open road -with half-a-dozen of them, and no protection whatever, for the road ran -between open fields. We were a fine target for the Germans, and they saw -it and began to shell us hell for leather. The fire was deadly and there -is no wonder that the horses bolted.</p> - -<p>What was to be done? What could be done except make a dash for shelter? -I did my level best to get out of the open and seek shelter. But shelter -seemed far away, there was nothing near at hand, but in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a>{215}</span> the distance I -saw something that seemed hopeful, so I galloped towards it with my -teams. We went furiously along, and as I got nearer to the object I -could make out that it was a long brick wall which separated an orchard -from the road.</p> - -<p>For about a mile, under a constant and furious fire, I dashed on; then I -got to the wall, and instantly I drew in as many of the bolting horses -as I could lay hands on. It all happened so swiftly that it is not easy -to tell how this was done; but I know that I was safely mounted on my -own horse when the stampede began, and that I dashed at the bolting -animals and grabbed as many as I could, and that I hurried them to the -shelter of the wall, and I fancy that they were just about as glad of -the protection as I was. The gallop was a mad affair, and very likely it -would never have ended as it did if all the shells the Germans fired had -burst; but some of them did not explode, though I did not know of this -till later, when I picked some of them up from the ground.</p> - -<p>While I was in the thick of this exciting business Farrier-Sergeant -Scott was rushing about and securing other runaway teams, and he did so -well and his work was considered so brilliant and important that the -French gave him the decoration of the Legion of Honour.</p> - -<p>For the best part of an hour I was under cover of the wall, doing the -best I could with the horses, and it was a funny old job to keep them -anything like quiet with such a heavy fire going on all the time; yet so -complete was the protection that practically no damage was done, the -worst that occurred being the shattering of a pair of wheels by a -bursting shell.</p> - -<p>By the end of the hour both myself and the horses<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a>{216}</span> were pretty well -settling down; then things calmed down a bit. The Germans appeared to be -tired of pounding at us, and perhaps they thought that they had blown us -to pieces. At any rate we began to get out of it, and we had no sooner -started to do that than the firing instantly re-opened.</p> - -<p>There was a village not far away and we made a dash for it; but we were -forced to clear out, for the enemy’s artillery set the little place on -fire and all the stacks and buildings were in flames. There was a good -deal of confusion and mixing up of all sorts of troops. I had lost touch -with my own lot and was ordered by a captain to join another column for -the night, and this I did. I joined the 2nd Brigade Ammunition Column -and next day I was with my own battery again, thankful to have got -safely through a very dangerous business.</p> - -<p>Next day we picked up another position, and had no sooner done that than -information came that immense bodies of Germans were on the move in our -direction. The outlook was serious, because we were in the open and -there was nothing for it except a fight to the death. The Germans were -expected along a certain road and we made ready to fire at what is -practically point-blank range, using Fuses 0 and 2, so that at 500 and -1000 yards the masses of the enemy would have had the shells bursting -amongst them.</p> - -<p>We had been through some tough times; but not in any situation which was -as unpromising as this. We knew that we could make a long stand, and mow -down the Germans as they swept along the open country; but we knew also -that in the end vastly superior forces must tell against us; but we -held<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a>{217}</span> our ground and the stern order went round, “Each take charge of -your own gun—and God help us!”</p> - -<p>How long that awful strain lasted I cannot tell. It could not have been -long, but it seemed an eternity. While it lasted the strain was almost -unendurable; then it suddenly snapped, an immense relief came over us -and even the bravest and most careless amongst us breathed more freely -when we knew that the prospect of almost sure annihilation had passed, -for the German hosts, instead of coming by the expected road, had gone -another way.</p> - -<p>With lighter hearts we limbered up, and day after day, night after -night, for eleven days, we kept hard at it, marching and fighting, and -whenever we got into action it was against very heavy odds. I was with -my own special chum, Sergeant Charlie Harrison, and often enough, -especially in the night-time, we would walk alongside our horses and -talk as we dragged ourselves along—talk about anything that came into -our minds, and all for the sake of keeping awake and not falling down -exhausted on the road; yet in spite of everything we could do we would -fall asleep. Sometimes we would continue walking while practically -asleep—we wanted to save our horses as much as we could—and more than -once, when I was riding, I went to sleep and fell out of the saddle. -There was one good thing, however, about the shock—it acted as a very -fine wakener-up. As for sleeping, when we got the chance of it, we could -do that anywhere—in ploughed fields, deep in mud and water, and on the -road itself.</p> - -<p>All sorts of strange and unexpected things happened. While I was with -the Ammunition Column the Engineers were putting all their smartness and -skill<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a>{218}</span> into the building of a pontoon, and the Germans were specially -favouring them with “Coal Boxes.” This was my introduction to these big -brutes of shells, and it was not pleasant, especially as the column was -not more than twenty-five yards from the spot where they were exploding -with a terrific roar.</p> - -<p>I was standing by my horse, feeling none too comfortable, when a big -shell burst and made awful havoc near me. A piece of it came and struck -me. I thought I was done for, then I looked around at myself, and found -that the two bottom buttons of my greatcoat had been torn away, but that -no further damage had been done. I was glad to have got off so easily, -and just as pleased to find that the horses had escaped.</p> - -<p>At this time we were wanting food pretty badly, so that every ration -became precious. We were bivouacked when a file of infantrymen brought -in a German prisoner. Of course we gave him a share of pretty well -everything there was going, hot tea, bread, biscuits and bully beef, and -he did himself well. The prisoner was not exactly the sort to arouse -compassion, for he looked well fed and was dressed in a very smart -uniform. An officer came up, saw the captive, and said, “Do you think -this fellow looks as if he wanted anything?” Truth to tell, the fellow -didn’t, and as we did want things badly, he was sent somewhere else, and -we were not sorry to see him go.</p> - -<p>After being kept so constantly on the rack, we had a welcome and -remarkable change—we became cave-dwellers. We spent five days and -nights in some of the famous caves at Soissons, and had a thoroughly -comfortable and happy time. We had a fine chance<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>{219}</span> of resting and -enjoying ourselves, and we made the most of it.</p> - -<p>Originally these caves were occupied by very primitive people; lately -they were used as a French hospital, and the French made all sorts of -interesting pictures and carvings on the outsides, by way of decoration, -then the British took them over as billets. By nature the caverns were -queer gloomy places, but a good deal had been done to make them -habitable, such as fitting in doors and windows. There had been a lot of -fighting near the caves, with the result that there were graves at the -very entrances of some of these uncommon billets; but this had no effect -on our spirits. We did not allow ourselves to be depressed. What is the -use of that in war-time? The British soldier has the happy knack of -making himself at home in all kinds of odd places, and so we did in our -billets in the rocks and hillside. We called one of our caves the “Cave -Theatre Royal,” and another the “Cave Cinema,” and many a cheerful -performance and fine sing-song we had. The only light we had came from -candles, but you can sing just as well by candle-light as you can by big -electric lamps, and I don’t suppose that ever since the caves were -occupied they rang with more cheerful sounds than were heard when the -British soldiers were joining in a chorus of the latest popular song -from home.</p> - -<p>Another great advantage of the caverns was that they gave splendid cover -to our guns, and protection to ourselves, so that these five days and -nights gave us a real rest and complete change, and we were very sorry -when we left them and resumed the work of incessant fighting and -marching. We were constantly at the guns, and by way of showing what a -fearful<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a>{220}</span> business the artillery duels became at times, I may tell you -that from a single battery alone—that is, half-a-dozen guns—in one day -and night we fired more than 4000 rounds.</p> - -<p>It was a vast change from the comfort and safety of the caverns, where -never a German shell reached us, to the open again, but we got our quiet -times and little recreations still, and one of these intervals we -devoted to football. We were at Messines, and so was a howitzer battery, -and as we happened to be rather slack, we got up a match. I am keen on -football, and things were going splendidly. I had scored two goals and -we were leading 3-1, when the game came to a very sudden stop, for some -German airmen had seen us running about and had swooped down towards us, -with the result that the howitzer chaps were rushed into action and we -followed without any loss of time. We took it quite as a matter of -course to let the football go, and pound away at the Germans, who had so -suddenly appeared. It was getting rather late, so we gave the enemy -about fifty rounds by way of saying good-night. We always made a point -of being civil in this direction; but our usual dose for good-night was -about fifteen rounds.</p> - -<p>Talking of football recalls sad memories. On Boxing Day, 1913, when I -and an old chum were home on leave, I played in a football match, and at -the end of the game a photograph was taken of the team. On last Boxing -Day, if the roll of the team had been called, there would have been no -answer in several cases—for death and wounds have claimed some of the -eleven. Little did we think when we were being grouped for the picture -that it was the last muster for us as a team.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a>{221}</span></p> - -<p>We had got through the tail end of summer and were well into autumn, and -soon the gloom of November was upon us, then came my change of luck and -I was knocked out. It was November 2, and almost as soon as it was -daylight we were in the thick of an uncommonly furious artillery duel, -one of the very worst I have seen. The Germans seemed to be making a -special effort that morning. They had got our position pretty -accurately, and they fired so quickly and had the range so well that we -were in a real hell of bursting shrapnel, indeed, the fragments were so -numerous that it is little short of a miracle that we were not wiped -out.</p> - -<p>We had not been long in action when a shell burst on the limber-pole, -smashed it in halves, penetrated through the wheel, blew the spokes of -the wheel away and shot me some distance into the air. For a little -while I had no clear idea of what had happened, then I found that three -of us had been wounded. My right boot had been blown to shreds, and -there was a hole right through the left boot. So much I saw at once—a -mess of blood and earth and leather; but of the extent of my wounds I -knew very little, nor did I trouble much about them at the time. The -first thing I did was to get into the main pit by the side of the gun, -the captain and one or two chums helping me, and there, though the pain -of my wounds was terrible, I laughed and chatted as best I could, and I -saw how the battery kept at it against big odds.</p> - -<p>Number 1, Sergeant Barker, who was in charge of the gun, had been struck -by a piece of shrapnel, which had fractured his leg; but though that was -quite enough to knock him out of time, he never flinched or faltered. He -held on to his gun, and went<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a>{222}</span> on fighting pretty much as if nothing had -happened. Number 2, Gunner Weedon, had been wounded through the thigh, a -bad injury about three inches long being caused; but he, too, held -gamely on.</p> - -<p>I tried to crawl out of the pit; but could not do so, and I passed the -time by trying to cheer my chums, just as they did their best to help me -to keep my own spirits up.</p> - -<p>The sergeant found time occasionally to turn round and ask how I was -getting on.</p> - -<p>“It’s all right, old Bean,” he shouted cheerily. “Keep quiet. We can -manage without you.” And he went on firing, while the officers continued -to give orders and encourage the men.</p> - -<p>I was getting very thirsty and craved for a drink; but I saw no prospect -of getting either water or anything else at such a time.</p> - -<p>The sergeant noticed my distress and gave me the sweetest drink I ever -tasted, and that was a draught from his own canteen. He managed to stop -firing for a few seconds while he did this—just long enough to sling -his canteen round, let me take a pull, and sling it back. I learned -afterwards that throughout the whole of that day, in that inferno of -firing and bursting shells, the sergeant stuck to his gun and kept it -at. For his courage and tenacity he has been awarded the Distinguished -Conduct Medal, and no man has ever more fully deserved it.</p> - -<p>I was lying in the gun pit for about an hour, then a doctor came and my -wounds were dressed, but there was no chance of getting away for the -time being, so I had to wait till the firing ceased. At last a stretcher -was brought, and I was carried into a barn which was at the rear of our -battery. One of the bearers was</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_222fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_222fp_sml.jpg" width="361" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 222. - - -“WE WERE IN A REAL HELL OF BURSTING SHRAPNEL” (p. 221)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 222.</span> -<br /> - -“WE WERE IN A REAL HELL OF BURSTING SHRAPNEL” (<a href="#page_221">p. 221</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>{223}</span></p> - -<p>Sergeant E. Leet, the right-back in our battery team. He left the fight -to bear a hand with me, and as soon as I was safely in the barn he -returned to his post. He had no sooner done that than he too was struck -down by a wound in the ankle and had to be invalided home.</p> - -<p>When I was carried away the major and the sergeant-major said good-bye, -and I rather think they expected that that was the last they would ever -see of me. I certainly felt bad, and I daresay I looked it; but I was -quite cheerful. I particularly felt it when I passed my chum, Charlie -Harrison, because for more than six years we had kept together without a -break. We shouted good-bye as we passed, and I did not know whether I -should ever see him again.</p> - -<p>When I reached the barn I wanted to get back to the battery, to be at my -own gun again, to bear a hand once more in the fighting that was still -going on and seemed as if it would never stop; but when I tried to stand -up I collapsed, through pain and loss of blood. Soon after this I heard -that Charlie Harrison too had been wounded. He was struck on the neck -just after I was carried away from the gun pit and had shouted good-bye -to him; but he bandaged himself and refused to leave the battery.</p> - -<p>What became of him? Why, he got home from the front a day or two ago, -and you’ve just seen him. There he is. And let me show you this -shattered foot, to let you see how it is that I’m forced to hop when I -want to get about.</p> - -<p>And now to get back to the air raid on the East Coast, which to me and -other soldiers from the front who saw it, was an extraordinary -experience, though I fancy that we took it more or less as a matter of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a>{224}</span> -course, because you so soon get used to that kind of thing.</p> - -<p>I had scarcely settled down at home when one night there was a fearful -commotion, caused by dull explosions. I was a bit taken aback, for I -knew what the sounds meant, and thought that I had done with the Germans -and fighting for a spell at any rate.</p> - -<p>As soon as the sound of the explosions was heard, people rushed into the -streets—the most dangerous thing they could do—to see what it all -meant, and there were cries that the Germans had come.</p> - -<p>So they had. They had come in a gas-bag or two, and were dropping bombs -on the good old town, which was lighted as usual, though that was soon -altered.</p> - -<p>I hopped into the street—hopping is the only thing I can do at -present—and there I found that there was intense excitement and that -women in particular were badly scared. But really the thing did not -upset me at all—it was mere child’s play compared with what I had been -through, so I made myself useful, and hopped away and bought some -brandy, which suited some of the scared people very well—so well that -there wasn’t a drop left for myself.</p> - -<p>The raid was soon over, and so was the scare, and I hopped back to the -house. There have been several frantic alarms since then, and more than -once I have been shaken out of my sleep and told that the Germans have -come again; but all I have said has been that it will take something far -worse than a German gas-bag raid to make me turn out of bed in the -middle of the night.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a>{225}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX<br /><br /> -<small>WITH THE “FIGHTING FIFTH”</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[One of the battalions which composed the 5th Division of the -British Expeditionary Force was the 1st East Surrey Regiment. It -was on the 5th Division that so much of the heavy fighting fell on -the way to the Aisne, and in that heavy fighting the East Surreys -suffered very severely. This story is told by Private W. G. Long, -who rejoined his regiment from the Reserve. He has been wounded by -shrapnel, and has permanently lost the use of his right arm.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">When</span> I went out with my old battalion, the Young Buffs, we were more -than 1,300 strong. When I came back, after six weeks’ fighting, we had -lost more than half that number. This simple fact will show you what the -East Surreys have done during the war, as part of the famous “Fighting -Fifth” which has been so greatly praised by Sir John French.</p> - -<p>I had got up to start my day’s work after the August Bank Holiday; but -that day’s work was never done, for the postman brought the mobilisation -papers, and off I went to Kingston, after kissing my wife and baby -good-bye. Many a fine fellow who marched off with me is sleeping in or -near a little forest which we called “Shrapnel Wood.” That was near -Missy, where we crossed the Aisne on rafts.</p> - -<p>We lost our first man soon after we landed in France, and before we met -the Germans. That was at Landrecies, where we went into French barracks, -and were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a>{226}</span> told off into rooms which we called rabbit-hutches, because -they were so small—no bigger than a little kitchen at home. We were -crowded into these, and the only bed we had was a bit of straw on the -floor. The nights were bitterly cold, but the days were hot enough to -melt us; so we had a bathing parade, and had a fine old time in the -canal till one of our men was missed.</p> - -<p>I looked around, and saw that one of our fellows was having artificial -respiration tried on him. He came round, and then he told us that -another man had gone under the water. Then began a really first-class -diving display, many of our chaps plunging into the canal to try to find -the missing soldier.</p> - -<p>At last one of the divers rose and shouted, “I’ve got him!” And, sure -enough, he had brought a poor chap to the surface. Lots of strong arms -were stretched out, and in a few seconds the rescued man was got on to -the bank, and every effort was made to bring him back to life. But -nothing could be done. The man was drowned, and we buried him. This -little tragedy threw quite a gloom over us till we moved away.</p> - -<p>I am going to tell of a few of the things that happened and affected me -personally. They took place mostly when we were retiring, and some of -them occurred in the early days, when we were forging along in fearfully -bad weather. We were soaked to the skin, and at night did our best to -get some sort of shelter by building up the stacks of corn that had been -cut for drying, but it was no use. The rain came through so heavily that -we gave the task up, and waited for daylight again. When the day came it -brought another rain of shells and bullets with it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>{227}</span> The place got too -warm for us, so we had to leave and retire again. We went on, getting as -much shelter as we could; and then we had to halt, and here the sorry -discovery was made that we had not a round of ammunition left. At this -time there were advancing towards us some men in khaki, and our -sergeant, thinking they were our own men, told us not to fire at them.</p> - -<p>The order was not necessary, seeing that we had nothing to fire with. As -soon as these men got level with us on our flank they opened fire, and -then we knew that they were Germans, who had stripped some of our men, -or had picked up British caps and greatcoats which had been thrown -aside.</p> - -<p>In this desperate position a man who belonged to the Cornwall Light -Infantry was shot just below the left ear. He was knocked down, but got -up, and kept saying, “Help me! Help me!”</p> - -<p>I shouted to him to lie down and keep under cover, but he took no -notice, and kept on calling for help. He came up to me, and when he was -near enough I pulled him down and forced him to lie on the ground. All -this time there was a very heavy fire. We were getting shots from the -front and on our flanks, and there was nothing for it but to get away as -best we could.</p> - -<p>I could not bear the thought of leaving this Cornwall man where he was, -so I took him up and began to carry him, but it was very slow going. It -was all uphill, the ground was sodden with rain, and I had to force a -way through a field of turnips, which were growing as high as my knees. -It was bad enough to make one’s own way through such a tangle as that; -but I am young and strong, and I managed to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a>{228}</span> progress, although I -was hit five different times—not hurt, but struck, a shot, for -instance, hitting my cap, another my water-bottle, and another the -sleeve of my coat.</p> - -<p>After going a long distance, as it seemed, and feeling utterly -exhausted, I put my man down under what I thought was safe shelter. I -wanted to give him a drink, but I could not do so, as the shot-hole in -my water-bottle had let the water run to waste.</p> - -<p>At last we reached a roadway, where we saw some more of our men, who had -got there before us, and had commandeered a horseless cart and filled it -with wounded men.</p> - -<p>I got the wounded man into the cart, and then off we all went. It was as -much as we could manage to get the cart along, for it was such a great -big thing; but we worked it willingly, the officers taking their turn in -the shafts.</p> - -<p>We dragged the cart along the heavy roads, but it was such hard going -that we saw that we should be forced to get a horse from somewhere; so -we looked around at the first farm we came to—and a sorry place it was, -with everything in confusion, and the animals about suffering terribly -and starving—and there we found a horse of the largest size.</p> - -<p>With great difficulty we got together bits of harness, string and rope, -and tied the horse in the shafts with the ropes for traces, and when we -had finished we did not know whether we had harnessed the horse or tied -the cart on to it. Anyway, we got along very well after that.</p> - -<p>The cart had amongst its wounded an infantry officer who had been saved -by one of our fellows, though the officer belonged to another regiment. -He had got<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>{229}</span> entangled in some barbed wire, and, as he had been wounded -in the leg, he could not move either one way or the other. He was -absolutely helpless, and under a heavy fire.</p> - -<p>Our fellow went out and got to the helpless officer, and, by sticking at -it and doing all he could, being himself pretty badly cut in the -operation, he freed the officer from the entanglement, and carried him -safely up to the cart. We were getting on very nicely with our little -contrivance when we ran into the 2nd Dragoons, but we soon left them -behind us, and found ourselves amongst some of our own transport. We -joined up with it, adding another and a very strange waggon to the -column, and on we went until we reached a large town and halted.</p> - -<p>During the whole of this time I had been carrying a canteen which had -belonged to a Frenchman. It was quite a big canteen, and I kept it -filled with apples, of which we got an enormous number, and on which at -times we had practically to live for two or three days together.</p> - -<p>We had reached a stage of fighting when we had to make continuous short -rushes against the Germans, under hails of shrapnel. In making these -rushes it often happened that we sheltered behind a little sort of -earthwork which we threw up. We just made a bit of head cover and lay -behind that; but sometimes this head cover could not be made, and that -was where I scored with my Frenchman’s canteen.</p> - -<p>During one of our rushes shrapnel burst right over my head, and one -fellow said to me, “I wouldn’t carry that thing, George, if I were you.” -But, having kept it for so long, I was not going to throw it away.</p> - -<p>Away we went. I was carrying the canteen in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a>{230}</span> my left hand, and my rifle -in the right; but I changed them over, and I had no sooner done that -than crash came a shell, and, in bursting, a fragment hit the canteen, -and took a great piece out of it. I should have been badly wounded -myself, but I had filled the canteen with earth, and so it had protected -me and acted as a first-rate cover. The man who was on my right received -a nasty wound.</p> - -<p>After this we had to advance over open country, where there was not so -much as a blade of grass for cover. We went on till we reached a ditch, -which was full of water. Some of us had to wade through it, but others, -by going farther back, were able to cross a tiny footbridge—one of -those narrow planks which only allow one man at a time to cross. The -Germans had a machine-gun trained at this little bridge so we lost no -time in getting off it. It was here that our captain was mortally -wounded by a shot, and we had other casualties in crossing the bridge.</p> - -<p>From this point we had to climb to the top of a hill, which was so steep -that we had to dig our fixed bayonets into the ground to help us up. -There was a wood at the top of the hill, and there we took shelter; but -we had no sooner got amongst the trees than the shrapnel was on us -again, causing many casualties.</p> - -<p>There were many funny incidents at this place, and one I particularly -remember was that there were three of us in a sort of heap, when a piece -of shell dropped just alongside. There was not any great force in it, -because before falling the piece had struck a tree; but, as it dropped, -fellows started turning up the collars of their coats, and rolling -themselves into balls—just as if things of that sort could make any<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a>{231}</span> -difference to a bursting shell; but it is amusing to see what men will -do at such a time as that.</p> - -<p>From this wood we got into what seemed a wide roadway between two other -woods, and here we were under a never-ending rain of bullets, which hit -the trees, sending splinters all over us, cutting branches off and -ploughing up the ground on every side. One of our officers said, “Keep -your heads down, lads,” and he had scarcely got the words out of his -mouth when he was shot in the body and killed, and we had to leave him -where he fell.</p> - -<p>So heavy and continuous was the fire that we could not get on between -these two woods, and we had to try another way; so we started to go -through a vineyard, but we were forced to lie down. We sheltered as best -we could amongst the vines, with bullets coming and actually cutting off -bunches of grapes. Like good British soldiers, we made the best of the -business, for we were both hungry and thirsty, and we devoured a good -many of the bunches that were knocked off by the German bullets.</p> - -<p>After this we got into an orchard, but we did not remain there long, as -the place was later on blown to smithereens. We hung on to the orchard -till it was dark, then we advanced farther into the wood, and again got -through into the open, and lay down to try and get some sleep; but that -was almost impossible, because it was raining and perishingly cold, and -we had nothing at all for cover. Then, in whispers, we were ordered to -get out as silently as we possibly could.</p> - -<p>At first I could not understand the meaning of this secrecy, but it soon -became known that we had been actually sleeping amongst the enemy, -though we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a>{232}</span> not aware of this until we were again on the move. We -crept about like a lot of mice, till we reached a village, where we were -to get some breakfast.</p> - -<p>We were settling down, and making ourselves comfortable under a wall -which gave us some cover. There were some men from another regiment with -us, and we thought we were going to have a good time, for we had got -hold of some biscuits and jam. Then over the wall came a shell, which -exploded and wounded about seven men from the other regiment. We did not -stop for any more breakfast, and some of the men who had had nothing to -eat did not trouble to get anything, and they went without food for the -rest of the day.</p> - -<p>We went back to the wood, and there we soon again found the Germans, and -plenty of them. We fired at them for all we were worth, after which we -advanced a little, and came across so many dead that we had to jump over -them every pace we took. One thing which particularly struck me then, -and which I remember now, was the great size of some of these German -soldiers. At a little distance they looked just like fallen logs.</p> - -<p>After that our officer called us together to wait for reinforcements. I -thought I would have a look around me, and while I was doing so I saw -one German running off to our left, about fifteen yards away. I took aim -and fired, and down he went. I got down on my knee and unloaded my -rifle, when I saw another German going in the same direction. I was just -getting ready to take aim again, but this time I did not fire—in fact, -I did not even get to the aim, for I felt something hit my arm.</p> - -<p>For the moment I thought that some chap behind<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a>{233}</span> me had knocked me with -his rifle or his foot. I turned round, but there was no one behind me, -so I concluded that I had been hit. I stood up, and then my arm began to -wobble, and the blood streamed out of my sleeve. Some one shouted, -“You’ve got it, George.” And I replied: “Yes; in the arm somewhere, but -where I don’t know.”</p> - -<p>I did my best to get back again, and then a fellow came, and ripped the -sleeve open and dressed my arm, and there was all my elbow joint laid -open, and some of the bones broken. This chap wanted to take me back to -the village, but I said I was all right, although in a sense I was -helpless. We started going back, and we got to the first house, where we -saw a poor old man and his daughter who had been there all through the -fighting. The place was filled with wounded, and the two were doing -their best for them.</p> - -<p>I asked for a drink, for I was almost dying of thirst, and I got some -whisky. While I was drinking it a shell burst in the middle of the road, -and sent the mud and stones everywhere; so I shifted my quarters, and -went along to a big house which had been a fine place, but it had been -pulled to pieces, and was now being used as a hospital. The place itself -gave no protection, but we found a cellar and crowded into it, and there -we watched the Germans blowing the temporary hospital to pieces.</p> - -<p>The night came, and it was terrible to hear the poor chaps moaning with -pain. I was in pain myself now, but my sufferings were a mere nothing -compared with those of some of the men around me. It seemed as if the -day would never break, but at last it came, and by that time some of the -poor fellows who had been making such pitiful noises were no more. Some<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a>{234}</span> -time after that, however, I got away in a field ambulance.</p> - -<p>When we were at Le Cateau many spies were caught. I saw several of them. -They were young chaps, dressed up as women and as boys and girls, and it -was not very easy to detect them. One was disguised as a woman, with -rather a good figure. I saw this interesting female when she was -captured by our artillery. The gunners had their suspicions aroused, -with the result that they began to knock the lady about a bit, and her -wig fell off. Then her figure proved to be not what it seemed, for the -upper front part of it was composed of two carrier-pigeons! I did not -see the end of that batch of spies, but a battery sergeant-major -afterwards told me that they had been duly shot.</p> - -<p>One of the most extraordinary things I saw was the conduct of a man who -had had his right arm shot off from above the elbow. I was standing -quite near him, and expected that he would fall and be helpless. Instead -of doing that, he turned his head and looked at the place where the arm -should have been. I suppose he must have been knocked off his balance by -what had happened. At any rate, he gave a loud cry, and instantly -started to run as fast as I ever saw a man go. Two or three members of -the Royal Army Medical Corps at once gave chase, with the object of -securing him and attending to him. The whole lot of them disappeared -over some rising ground, and what happened to them I do not know.</p> - -<p>I saw many fellows who had queer tales to tell of what had happened to -them. One chap, a rifleman, who was in the ship coming home, was so -nervous that the slightest noise made him almost jump out</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_234fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_234fp_sml.jpg" width="353" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 234. - - -“I TOOK HIM UP AND BEGAN TO CARRY HIM” (p. 227)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 234.</span> -<br /> - -“I TOOK HIM UP AND BEGAN TO CARRY HIM” (<a href="#page_227">p. 227</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a>{235}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">of his skin. And well it might, for his nerves had been shattered. A -shell had buried itself in the ground just in front of him and exploded, -blowing him fifteen feet into the air, and landing him in a bed of mud. -He was so completely stunned that he lay there for about eight hours, -scarcely moving, though he was not even scratched. He came round all -right, but was a nervous wreck, and had to be invalided.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a>{236}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX<br /><br /> -<small>THE VICTORY OF THE MARNE</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[One of the most moving statements in the earlier official reports -dealing with the war was that about the fighting at Mons and -elsewhere, which cost us 6000 men, and no paragraph was more -stirring than that relating to Landrecies, a quiet little French -town on the Sambre. “In Landrecies alone,” the report said, “a -German infantry brigade advanced in the closest order into the -narrow street, which they completely filled. Our machine-guns were -brought to bear on this target from the end of the town. The head -of the column was swept away, a frightful panic ensued, and it is -estimated that no fewer than 800 to 900 dead and wounded Germans -were lying in this street alone.” The story of that furious combat -and the subsequent operations on the Marne is told by Corporal G. -Gilliam, of the Coldstream Guards. On September 6, in conjunction -with the French, the British assumed the offensive, and, after a -four days’ desperate struggle, which is known as the Battle of the -Marne, the Germans were driven back to Soissons, with enormous -losses.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> was early on the afternoon of August 26 when we entered Landrecies, -which is a little garrison town, consisting mostly of a single street in -which there are three cross-roads. We were billeted in the people’s -houses, and for the first time in three days we had a drop of tea and a -bit of dinner in comfort, and to crown our satisfaction we were told we -could lie down and rest, but we were to have our bayonets fixed and -rifles by our sides and kits ready to put on.</p> - -<p>We were soon down to it and sound asleep. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>{237}</span> was about eight o’clock -when some of us woke, and after a smoke were off to sleep again, but not -for long, for almost immediately we heard the sound of a motor-cycle, -and knew that the rider was travelling at a terrific rate.</p> - -<p>Nearer and nearer came the sound, and the rider himself swept round the -corner of the street. He never stopped nor slackened speed; he simply -shouted one word as he vanished, and that was “Germans!” Only one word, -but enough.</p> - -<p>Rifles in hand, we rushed to the top of the street and lined the three -cross-roads, lying down. Our officer, who was standing up behind us, -said, “Lie still, men”; and we did—perfectly still, not a man moving. -All at once, out of the darkness, an officer came and cried in English -to our commander, “Surrender!”</p> - -<p>“We don’t surrender here!” our officer answered. “Take that!”—and -instantly shot him through the head with his revolver.</p> - -<p>Our officer’s shot had scarcely died away when crash went a German -artillery gun, and a lyddite shell burst right over us. This was our -first experience of lyddite, and the fumes nearly choked us.</p> - -<p>“Lie still, boys—don’t move!” said our officer; and we lay low.</p> - -<p>Just then, from the opposite direction, we heard the sound of horses and -a waggon, in the distance, it seemed; but soon it was very near, and to -our great joy there dashed up the street one of the guns of the 17th -Field Battery. There was a shout of “Into action! Left wheel!” And in -truly magnificent style that gun was almost instantly laid and ready for -action.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a>{238}</span></p> - -<p>Shells now came upon us rapidly, wounding several of our men; but our -maxim gunners had got to work, and very soon enormous numbers of Germans -were put beyond the power of doing any further mischief.</p> - -<p>Many splendid things were done that night at Landrecies; but there was -nothing finer than the work of our maxim-gunner Robson, who was on our -left. Our machine-guns were by now at our end of the town, and they had -a solid mass of Germans to go at. Robson was sitting on his stool, and -as soon as the officer ordered “Fire!” his maxim hailed death. It -literally was a hail of fire that met the packed Germans, and swept down -the head of the column, so that the street was choked in an instant with -the German dead. Those who lived behind pushed on in desperation—shoved -on by the masses still further behind, the darkness being made light by -the fire of the maxims and the enemy’s rifles. Those behind, I say, -pressed on, with fearful cries, but only to be mown down and shattered, -so that the street became more than ever glutted with the dead and -wounded. The Germans were thrown into frenzy, and if sheer weight of men -could have driven the head of the column on to us not a British soldier -could have lived that night at Landrecies.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, we had been ordered to hold our fire. There were only 600 of -us opposed to an immense body of Germans; but the maxims were doing -annihilating work, and the artillery had got into action.</p> - -<p>When the gun of the 17th had got the order to fire we heard a gunner -shout: “Watch me put that gun out of action!”—meaning a German gun<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a>{239}</span> -which had been brought up and laid against us. He fired, and the most -marvellous thing happened, for the shell from it went right down the -muzzle of the German weapon and shattered it to pieces.</p> - -<p>Then we heard a shout, and before we could look round about 4000 German -infantry were charging us, with horns blowing and drums beating—adding -to the fearful din.</p> - -<p>“Don’t shoot, boys,” shouted our officer, “till I give the word!”</p> - -<p>On the living mass of Germans came. They rushed up to within 80 yards of -us; then the order rang out: “Fire!”</p> - -<p>Again the Germans got it—fifteen rounds to the minute from each rifle, -for the front rank men had their loading done for them. As soon as a -rifle was emptied it was handed to the rear and a fresh loaded rifle was -handed back. In this way the rifles were kept from getting too hot, and -an incessant fire was poured into the Germans.</p> - -<p>In spite of this hail, a few Germans managed to break through their -walls of dead and wounded. One of them, disguised as a French officer, -and wanting us to think he had been a prisoner, but had just broken away -from the Germans, rushed up to Robson and patted him on the shoulder and -said: “Brave fellow!” And with that he whipped round his sword and -killed our maxim gunner on the spot; but he himself was instantly shot -down by our enraged fellows.</p> - -<p>There was another case of treachery, this time, unhappily, from inside -our ranks. Our guide, a man claiming to be a Frenchman, at about one -o’clock in the morning, turned traitor, and went<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a>{240}</span> and told the Germans -how many there were of us, and by way of indicating our position he -fired a haystack; but he had no sooner done that than two bullets -settled him.</p> - -<p>One of our corporals dashed away to put the fire out, but before he -reached the haystack he was killed. It was at this time that Private -Wyatt, of my company, rushed out—everything was done at a rush—and -brought in a wounded officer. The colonel, who was on his horse, and saw -what had happened, said: “Who is that brave man?” He was told, and -afterwards Wyatt was taken before the general and recommended for a -decoration.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour, all through the time of darkness, and until daylight -came, that terrible fight went on. For seven long hours a few hundred -British Guards had kept at bay an enormous body of Germans—and at the -end of the firing we had killed far more than the whole of our force -numbered when the battle began. We had given them wholesale death from -our machine-guns, our rifles, and our artillery, and they had faced -it—they had been driven on to it. Now they were to have the bayonet.</p> - -<p>We gave them two charges; but they didn’t stop long, for as soon as they -saw the cold steel on the ends of our rifles they were off like a shot, -throwing down a lot of rifles and equipment. When this happened it was -between five and six o’clock on the morning of the 27th, and we then got -the order to retire.</p> - -<p>We were told that we had lost 126 in killed and wounded. That was a -heavy list, but not so big as we had expected, bearing in mind the -furious nature of the fight. The marvel was that we had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a>{241}</span> not been wiped -out, and we should certainly have been in a very serious state if it had -not been for the 17th Field Battery. There is this to be said, too: if -the Germans had broken through our lines it would have meant that, in -all probability, the whole Second Division of our army would have been -cut up.</p> - -<p>We fell in and were soon on the march again, retiring, and we marched as -fast as we could go till we halted at a rather large town about ten -miles from Landrecies. Here we were in clover, in a way of speaking, -because we sheltered in a clay-pit where the French had been making -bricks, and we all sat down and waited for our tea of German shells.</p> - -<p>They soon came and we were on the move again, and we were constantly at -it, retiring and fighting, until we halted about thirty miles from -Paris; then we were told that after retiring another dozen miles it -would be our turn to advance.</p> - -<p>Didn’t we cheer? It was glorious to hear we were going to chase the -Germans instead of their chasing us. At this time we had our first wash -for a fortnight, and it was as good as having a thousand pounds given to -us.</p> - -<p>The fiercest fighting of the war has taken place on Sundays, and it was -on a Sunday that the Battle of the Marne began. The Germans had had the -biggest surprise of their lives on a Sunday, and that was at Mons. -Though we had been kept on the go because they outnumbered us so -hopelessly, we mauled them mercilessly on the retreat, teaching them -many bitter lessons. When we got to the Marne and were able to tackle -them on equal terms, they scarcely had a look in. The Germans had almost -reached the forts of Paris, and, I daresay,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a>{242}</span> had their bands ready to -play them into the city. Soon, however, they were hurrying back on their -tracks a good deal faster than they had come. We heard the German bands -playing a good many times, but every time we heard the music it was -farther away from Paris.</p> - -<p>We covered such big tracks of country, and saw so many great happenings, -that it is the most difficult thing in the world to know where to start -a story of the Marne; but I will come down to the time just before the -battle, when we were still retiring, and had got used to marching twenty -or twenty-five miles a day. We had left the Germans very sore for coming -too close to us, and we had gone through a small town and entered a -great wood.</p> - -<p>While we were in the wood I had to fall out. Almost instantly I heard -the sound of talking which wasn’t English, and in the distance I saw six -Germans coming after me as hard as they could. I thought it was all up -with me, but I said “Come on, chum, let’s clear!”—“chum” being my -rifle, which I had placed on the ground. I snatched it up and sprang -behind a tree, and felt fairly safe. It’s wonderful what a feeling of -security a good rifle and plenty of ammunition give you. I waited till -the Germans got within a hundred yards of me; then with a good aim I -fetched down two; but my position was becoming very critical, as the -other four dodged from tree to tree, watching for a chance to pot me, -and it looked very much as if they wouldn’t have long to wait. I don’t -know what would have happened, but to my intense relief three men of the -17th Field Battery, which was passing, rushed up and shouted, “Don’t -move. We’ll have ’em!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a>{243}</span></p> - -<p>By this time the four Germans were within about fifty yards, continually -sniping at me—how I blessed them for being such bad shots!—and at last -they came out into the open and made straight in my direction. But they -only dashed about twenty yards, for my rescuers put “paid” to the four -of them, and saved me from being made a prisoner and worse, far worse, -for by that time we had seen proof enough of the monstrous things they -did to men they captured—things you might expect from savages, but -certainly not from soldiers of a nation that boasts so much of its -civilisation.</p> - -<p>The last day of our retirement was September 4, and on that day we never -saw the enemy. We had crossed and recrossed the River Marne, and had -blown up bridges as we retired; but the Germans threw their own bridges -over the river with amazing speed, and kept up the pursuit. Sometimes -they overdid their zeal, and were a trifle too quick for their own -comfort.</p> - -<p>We had blown up two bridges that crossed the Marne, one a railway bridge -and the other a fine stone structure. I was one of the last of our men -to cross the stone bridge before the engineers, who had made it ready -for destruction. The bridge ran between two high banks, so that it was a -considerable height above the water. When the explosion took place there -was a tremendous shattering roar, almost like a salvo of Black Marias, -then a crashing and grinding and thudding as the middle of the bridge -was utterly wrecked, and fell into the river, leaving an immense gap -between the banks. The work of months, costing thousands upon thousands -of pounds, had been smashed in a few seconds.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a>{244}</span></p> - -<p>I was looking back at the ruins when I saw a motor-car, with several -Germans in it, tearing after us, meaning to cross the bridge as we had -done. The car came on at a tremendous speed, and the Germans in it must -have had eyes only for us and none for the road in front of them, for -they rushed on right into the blank space, and before they knew what was -happening, the car was in the river.</p> - -<p>We had had battle after battle, each one in itself enough to make a long -story. We had fought and marched in the fearful August heat, and had -been thankful when we could lie down with a little heap of sand or a -sheaf of corn as a pillow. At last we were so near Paris that the forts -opened fire, and that was the beginning of what I’m sure will be the end -of the Germans.</p> - -<p>Now at last we were in touch with the French, and we got the Germans in -a proper grip. The French got round the Germans and turned them towards -Coulommiers, a town on the Marne; then the British took the job on and -drove the Germans through the town. That part of the work fell largely -on the Guards, and what we were doing was being done, of course, over an -enormous stretch of country by other British and French troops.</p> - -<p>We had got to the night of September 5 and were lying in trenches which -we had dug along a canal bank about Coulommiers. We waited for the -Germans to come, and they came in fine style. It was getting dark and we -could make out three of their aeroplanes sweeping in the air like big -birds. We had seen a good deal of the German aeroplanes by this time and -knew what to expect. These were trying to find out our positions, so -that they</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_244fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_244fp_sml.jpg" width="360" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 244. - - -“BEFORE THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING THE CAR WAS IN THE RIVER.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 244.</span> - -<br /> -“BEFORE THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING THE CAR WAS IN THE RIVER.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>{245}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">could signal to their gunners and give them the range.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the aeroplanes dropped some balls of blue fire, and very pretty -the fireworks looked; but we hadn’t time to admire them, because the -German artillery instantly opened fire on us with such fury that we felt -the very ground shake as we lay in our trenches.</p> - -<p>Under cover of their guns the Germans—the 32nd Infantry Brigade, I -think it was—dashed up to the other side of the canal bank and blazed -away at us; but we blazed harder at them. We gave them a fair hell of -rifle fire and very soon they were forced to clear out, leaving the -whole of the canal bank littered with their dead and wounded.</p> - -<p>A fine little “tiffey” we had at the Marne was a rearguard action, in -which there was one of those British cavalry and infantry charges that -have shaken a lot of the Germans to pieces, especially the Uhlans, who -are a pretty poor crowd in spite of all their boasting.</p> - -<p>Our scouts had returned with the news that the Germans were entrenched -about a mile and a half away, on the bank of the Marne. We got the order -to extend the usual three paces, and our advance guard went out, while -our main body lay down. Our advance guard had gone about 900 yards when -the German infantry opened fire. We took it up, and there was a -ceaseless rattle. We kept the Germans well employed, and our advance -guard were pouring in a proper good peppering. But there was a little -surprise in store for them. We had with us a couple of the magnificent -British cavalry regiments—the Scots Greys and the 16th Lancers, and -they swept<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a>{246}</span> on till they got to a little wood, where they had the -Germans on the left wing of their rearguard, fairly at their mercy. When -they were ready for the charge the signal was given to our advance -guard, and, with a perfect roar of cheering, the British cavalry and -infantry hurled themselves on the Germans, a tremendous weight of horse -and man. The Greys and the 16th fairly thundered over the earth, and the -Guards rushed up in splendid style, though we had our heavy packs, and -in such hot weather a big weight adds enormously to the terrific work of -charging. But you don’t think of heat or weight at such a time—you feel -only the thrill and excitement of the battle and have the joy of knowing -that you are settling the account of a suffering and outraged nation.</p> - -<p>Cavalry and Guards got in amongst the Germans and fairly scattered them. -I got one German in the back and another sideways, and all around me -chums were doing the same, while the cavalry were cutting the Germans -down everywhere. Limbs literally flew about as they were lopped off with -the sword, and Germans in the open and in the trenches—for we routed -them out—fell to the bayonet.</p> - -<p>That was a fierce and bloody “tiffey,” and there have been many like it. -At the end of it we had settled that particular German rearguard and had -a nice bag of prisoners. A lot of these prisoners were glad to be out of -the business; most of the Germans we captured seemed to feel like that, -and I remember hearing one of them—an officer—say, in good English, -“Thank God I’m caught! Now I shall not starve any more!”</p> - -<p>Talking of charges, I might tell you that there<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a>{247}</span> is a great difference -between the British and the German ways of doing it. The Germans make as -much noise as possible—a perfect devil of a row, with drums thumping -and trumpets sounding, and, of course, their banners flying. We carry no -colours into action (we leave them at home), we have no drum-thumping -and no bugles sounding—often enough the signal for a charge is just -something like a hand wave or a word of command; but that answers all -practical purposes and starts us on the business as quickly and full of -fire as any amount of noise.</p> - -<p>When we had got through our first rearguard action we thought we had -driven the Germans to the other side of the Marne and got them fairly on -the move back to Berlin; but to our surprise we were attacked by a -strong force of their cavalry, who had been in ambush not a thousand -yards away. The German horsemen came on us at a full gallop and swept on -until they were about two hundred yards away. At this particular spot -there were Guards, Worcesters, and Camerons, and it looked very much as -if the Germans would dash up and do a lot of mischief.</p> - -<p>The commander of the Worcesters shouted, “Fix bayonets! Make sure of -your men.”</p> - -<p>On came the German cavalry, with a roar and a rattle, until they were -less than a hundred yards away; then we let go and the troopers tumbled -out of their saddles like ninepins. The going was too hard for German -cavalry, and as one of their officers shouted an order, they wheeled -round and made off, rushing, as they supposed, for a safe place and a -way out; but they galloped straight up to a spot where some French -artillery were in position.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a>{248}</span></p> - -<p>The Germans thundered on towards their fancied safety; then there were -crashes from the French artillery, and shells went plump into the -horsemen and practically annihilated them. Horses and men were -shattered, and of those who escaped the French took about one hundred -and fifty prisoners. It was a fine little performance, and helped us to -fix in our memories the first meeting with the Frenchmen on the Marne.</p> - -<p>The artillery fire on the Marne was awful in its destructiveness and -earsplitting in its noise—sometimes the very air seemed to be solid -matter that was broken into chunks and knocked about you; but we soon -got used to it all, and laughed and smoked and joked in the trenches, -where, at the back, we had dug-outs which we called rabbit-hutches. -These were shelter-places, well covered at the top, and were most useful -protections against shells. When the enemy’s fire became too hot we -would go into our rabbit-hutches.</p> - -<p>About noon on the 6th we had re-formed and advanced to the bank of the -river, and there we found that we were opposed to a large body of -Germans and that they had howitzer batteries with them. These howitzers -do deadly mischief, and the fumes from their lyddite shells are -perfectly poisonous—they spread through a good big patch of air and -suffocate the men. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when the -Germans began to pour into us a fearful fire, and we were enfiladed; but -our trenches gave us some fine shelter, and the Germans did not have -their own way for long, nor did they do much damage at that point. Here -again the British had ready one more of the many surprises<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a>{249}</span> that the -Germans met with on the banks of the Marne. One of our batteries of -short howitzers, four guns, went along the river bank and hid in some -bushes on the right of the German howitzers, while a battery of our -field artillery dashed up and took a commanding position which got the -Germans between two fires. Then the command was given, “Ten rounds rapid -fire!”</p> - -<p>But ten rounds were not needed—only four were fired before the German -battery was put to rest. But the crippling of the German howitzers did -not seem to have much effect on the enemy at that point, for they rushed -up more of the infantry, which, brought along by immense numbers of -trains and motors, literally swarmed over the countryside.</p> - -<p>At this time we renewed our acquaintance with some of the Germans who -were known to us as the “drop-shots.” I believe there is only one -brigade of them in the German Army, and I will do them the justice to -say that they are very good at the game. They kneel down, and putting -the butt of the rifle on the thigh, fire in the air at an angle of about -forty-five degrees. The bullet makes a big arc and drops right on top of -you in such places as trenches. These “drop-shots” were about four -hundred yards away, but they hadn’t got just the right range of us and -the bullets plugged into the wrong places.</p> - -<p>The “drop-shots” tried their queer game on us for about half an hour, -but finding that they could not damage us, they stopped, especially as -we were beginning to shift them out of their positions. There was some -furious rifle firing between the troops entrenched on both banks of the -Marne, and often<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250"></a>{250}</span> enough the reddened water bore away many a dead -soldier.</p> - -<p>The fighting was always most fierce when the Germans were in masses and -hurled their regiments against us in their attempt to hack their way -through to Paris. Any street fighting that came about was sure to be -terrific, and one of the most furious of the fights took place in the -streets of Coulommiers, a town similar to Reading.</p> - -<p>Coulommiers, of course, was almost entirely given up to troops, for the -inhabitants had been warned by us to leave and get as far away from the -Germans as they could go. Poor souls, they did not need much persuading, -knowing what they did of German “culture,” and, carrying with them only -such few oddments as they could quickly collect, they fled, the roads -leading to Paris being thick with them. During this fighting in -Coulommiers there was such brilliant moonlight that you could see almost -well enough to shoot a rabbit.</p> - -<p>It was about eight o’clock at night when we got to Coulommiers. We were -just going to stop to have some food when the Germans put two big shells -into us, killing four of our men, and wounding fourteen. We jumped up, -fixed bayonets, and rushed for the Germans; but we were brought up by -some more shells, and for a couple of hours the guns were banging at us. -Fortunately the shells had a bit too long a range, and instead of -hitting us they went over the back of us.</p> - -<p>We lay down until ten o’clock, when the order was given to prepare to -charge. Up again we sprang—we were getting used to charging—and made -another rush, running as hard as we could down the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251"></a>{251}</span> street for a hundred -yards, then lying flat in the roadway.</p> - -<p>All this time the Germans were pouring in on us a fire which, if it had -been accurate, would have swept us out of existence. But it was very -poor stuff, and we were lucky enough to escape with the loss of a very -few men. We were lying down for five minutes, then we were up and off -again, dashing along the main street.</p> - -<p>It was a rousing bit of work, and we gloried in it, especially when, -from every doorway in the street, Germans dashed out and made a bolt for -their lives. They had been firing at us from bedroom windows, and tore -frantically downstairs and out of doorways when they saw that we were -fairly on the job and after them.</p> - -<p>That bolting gave us just the chance we wanted. We drove after the -flying Germans as hard as we could go, and being big and powerful men, -with plenty of weight in us, we literally picked some of them up on the -bayonets. We rushed them through the town and out of it; then we came -across a gang of Germans who were no good at all. They had looted all -the wine-shops and soaked themselves with liquor. Many a German from -Mons to the Marne was drunk when he died or was made a prisoner.</p> - -<p>When we had dashed through Coulommiers we had to halt, because the -Germans had four batteries of guns and a division of cavalry waiting for -us. So we retired to the cross-roads in the middle of the town, and had -to take up almost exactly the same position as we did at Landrecies, -where the Coldstreamers wiped out a strong German force in the street. -We waited at Coulommiers till our heavy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252"></a>{252}</span> howitzer batteries were fetched -up, then we lined the cross-roads, two howitzers were placed at the end -of each street and we were in at the finish of the fight.</p> - -<p>It was about midnight when the Germans started shelling us again, and -the town blazed and boomed with the awful gunfire. We did not suffer -much damage, but the houses were wrecked, and bricks and stones and -pieces of timber were flying all about. A few of the bricks struck us, -but we paid no heed to trifles like that. The Germans kept up the firing -till about half-past two in the morning. Then, to our great surprise, -they charged down the street.</p> - -<p>“Lie still, boys, and let them come!” our officers shouted.</p> - -<p>We lay perfectly quiet, and let the Germans rush on till they were -almost upon us; then the sharp order came: “Ten rounds rapid fire!”</p> - -<p>There was an absolute fusillade, and the ten rounds were fired in less -than a minute, and simply struck the Germans down. Their dead and -wounded were lying thick in the roadway and on the pavements when we -sprang up and were after the survivors with the bayonet. This time we -chased them up to the very muzzles of the guns, where we had a splendid -bit of luck. The German gunners flew when they saw us, and we were on -top of them and on top of the infantry. We dashed straight through the -batteries, the enemy flying before the bayonet, and there, in the -moonlight, which was almost as strong as daylight, I accounted for two -of them with my own steel.</p> - -<p>For fully three miles that furious chase was kept up, the Germans flying -in all directions. It was a long and fierce fight in the moonlight, but -at the end of it Coulommiers was ours, and six batteries of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253"></a>{253}</span> German guns -and a thousand prisoners were ours, too, to say nothing of the killed -and wounded.</p> - -<p>You might have thought that enough had been done, but we had scarcely -settled down to have a little drop of something hot to drink—and we -needed it badly—when the cry arose, “Come on, boys; let’s get after -them again!” We emptied our canteens, which were full of hot coffee and -rum, and were after the Germans again as hard as we could go. By -daylight we had put the finish on them at Coulommiers. We were well -pleased, too, with the fine haul of guns.</p> - -<p>We had fought fiercely, and had not spared the Germans—no one could -have any mercy on them who saw the proofs, as we had seen them, of their -barbarities. When we advanced into Coulommiers we saw the bodies of two -little girls who had been murdered and mutilated in a shocking manner. -There were in that locality alone scores of such atrocities committed by -the brutes who came from the land of “culture” and are being driven back -to it.</p> - -<p>I had a fair innings at the Marne, and saw a good deal of the beginning -of the fight which started the Germans on the run. I had two days and -nights of it; then I was bowled out by a piece of shell which struck me -on the thigh and went off with a piece of flesh. I felt as if a brick -had hit me, and when I saw the blood I thought it was all up with me. -The doctor told me that this might easily have happened if the wound had -been a little deeper. He was Lieutenant Huggin, of the Royal Army -Medical Corps, a kind and brave gentleman, who was soon afterwards -killed while doing his duty under fire. He was mentioned in despatches, -with other officers who did so much. I remember one of them, a field -officer of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254"></a>{254}</span> Coldstreamers, during a very hot fight standing with his -hands in his pockets watching to see how things were going, and saying, -“Men, this is beautiful! We shall soon be on the other side of the -river.”</p> - -<p>And we soon were—though to cross the Marne meant that we had at one -time to fight waist deep in its waters.</p> - -<p>The Battle of the Marne was hard, long work, following a long and -terrible retreat; but it was a glorious victory. We had many privations, -but also many compensations, and we were always cheerful, and very often -singing. “Tipperary” was an easy first.</p> - -<p>We often saw Sir John French and General Joffre, and I can tell you that -when our own great field-marshal appeared it was as good as a victory -for us, for we fairly worship him. Sir John is a thorough gentleman, and -the friend of every soldier. He used to come into the trenches with his -hands in his pockets and take no more notice of the German shells and -bullets which were bursting and flying about than if they were peas shot -by little boys.</p> - -<p>One morning Sir John came round the trenches, and said, as usual, “Is -everything all right, men?”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir,” he was told, “we want a drop of water, please.” And we did -want it, badly, because the weather was so fearfully hot, and we were -almost boiled in our uniforms and heavy kits.</p> - -<p>“Certainly; I’ll see to that at once,” replied the field-marshal. He -immediately turned round, called to some men of the transport who were -at hand, and told them to bring us some water at once.</p> - -<p>General Joffre, too, was a great favourite. He speaks English well. Once -when he came into the</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_254fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_254fp_sml.jpg" width="351" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 254. - - -“CAVALRY AND GUARDS GOT IN AMONGST THE GERMANS AND FAIRLY SCATTERED -THEM” (p. 246)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 254.</span> -<br /> - -“CAVALRY AND GUARDS GOT IN AMONGST THE GERMANS AND FAIRLY SCATTERED -THEM” (<a href="#page_246">p. 246</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255"></a>{255}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">trenches he asked if there was anything we should like. Well, we wanted -some cigarettes badly, and told him so, and he promptly took a box of -about a hundred from his pocket, and handed them round. They went almost -as fast as the Germans.</p> - -<p>I am now well enough to be back at the front, and I’m keen to get into -the firing line again, and rush along in some more bayonet charges—for -those are the swoops that roll the Germans up as much as anything we do.</p> - -<p>I have been a Coldstreamer for more than a dozen years, and have always -been proud of it; but I never felt prouder than I do now, after reading -what our great chief has said about us in despatches.</p> - -<p>We have sometimes been called feather-bed soldiers; but we’re known as -“Coldsteelers” now, and try to live up to the reputation of our -motto—“Second to none.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a>{256}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI<br /><br /> -<small>AN ARMOURED CAR IN AMBUSH</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[Sir John French, in one of his despatches, expressed his great -admiration of the splendid work which has been done at the front by -our Territorials—that work, indeed, by this time has become almost -equal to the glorious achievements of our Regular troops. The first -of our Territorials to go into action during the war were the -Northumberland Hussars, and this story is told by Trooper Stanley -Dodds, of that fine corps, who was serving as a despatch-rider and -on being wounded was invalided home. He afterwards returned to the -front. Trooper Dodds is one of the best-known motor cyclists in the -North, and winner in the competition of the summer of 1914 promoted -by the North-Eastern Automobile Association. This was decided in -North Yorkshire, over difficult country.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">I fancy</span> there are people in England who imagine that the life of a -despatch-rider is one long unbroken joy ride. They seem to think that he -gets somewhere near the front, and spends all his days careering over -beautifully kept military roads between headquarters and the firing -line, and seeing and enjoying everything that goes on; but I can assure -such people that in practice despatch-riding does not work out like that -at all.</p> - -<p>I am only a humble member of the fraternity, but I have had a fair share -of despatch work, and I do know that I have not had a single joy ride -since I took the business on, and I can vouch for the fact that -beautifully kept roads do not exist anywhere<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257"></a>{257}</span> near the front, at any -rate in Flanders. Even some of the so-called roads have never been -roads—they were simply tracks to start with, and when military traffic -had been going over them for some time they had lost all resemblance to -roads, and you could scarcely tell the difference between them and the -ordinary countryside.</p> - -<p>The fact is that the life of a despatch-rider, though exciting enough to -satisfy the cravings of any ordinary man, is largely an endless battle -amongst bad roads, bullets and shell fire, want of sleep, and the -hundred-and-one other things which often wreck the nerves; but the life -is well worth living, all the same.</p> - -<p>In work like this there is a good deal of nerve-racking riding and all -sorts of difficult jobs have to be tackled. One of the worst I had to -carry out while I was at the front was riding back to a patrol which was -in our rear, and which had been lost sight of in the strain and turmoil -of a rapid retirement.</p> - -<p>The patrol had been left at a corner where there were some forked roads, -and in order to reach them it was necessary to go through a village.</p> - -<p>The Germans were everywhere and keenly on the look-out for a chance of -sniping, so that there was plenty of excitement in the affair, -especially as it was night and there was a darkness which was literally -black.</p> - -<p>This made the task doubly dangerous, for in addition to the ordinary -risks of being shot there was the great danger of coming to serious -grief on the road—a road which you could feel but scarcely see. I don’t -mind saying that when I started in the pitch darkness on this expedition -I did not feel any too comfortable.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258"></a>{258}</span></p> - -<p>It is the custom at such times to ride without lights, because lights -serve as targets, but in spite of this I was forced to light up, because -it would have been utterly impossible to ride without some sort of -guide.</p> - -<p>After a good deal of trouble and a lot of risk I reached the village and -then I had a most unpleasant shock, for a Belgian peasant told me that -the Germans were actually occupying some of the houses.</p> - -<p>That was a startling announcement, but the added danger forced me to set -my wits to work to decide what it was best to do. At last I determined -to make tracks down a side street.</p> - -<p>I was riding very slowly and carefully when I was pulled up short with a -sharp cry of “Halt” and I knew that a loaded rifle was covering me not -far away.</p> - -<p>I did halt—I didn’t need to be told twice, not knowing what fate had in -store for me; but thank heaven I quickly found that it was a British -sentry who had spoken.</p> - -<p>I rapidly told him what I was out to do, and I was very glad to have his -help and advice.</p> - -<p>The sentry told me that the patrol, like wise men, had acted on their -own initiative and had fallen back on the village—and that was joyful -news, because it meant that my work was practically done.</p> - -<p>Being greatly relieved I could not resist the temptation to tell the -sentry that I might have scooted past him and got clear, but my humour -vanished when another British soldier from the darkness said grimly, -“Yes, you might have got past <i>him</i>, but <i>I</i> should have put a bullet -into you!”</p> - -<p>I have not the slightest doubt that this smart fellow spoke the -truth—anyway, if he had missed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259"></a>{259}</span> me I should doubtless have been potted -by a chum of his, because there were four sentries posted at short -distances from this place. I could not see a sign of them, but of course -they had my light as a target and they were as keen as mustard, knowing -that the Germans were in the village.</p> - -<p>There were a good many little thrilling experiences for all of us which -came in as part of the day’s work, and most of them were thoroughly -enjoyable—a few in particular I would not have missed for worlds. One -of these was a little jaunt with an armoured motor-car.</p> - -<p>Incidentally, this experience showed me that we have learnt a good deal -from the South African War. It is pretty common knowledge by this time -that the Germans sprang something of a surprise on the world with their -big guns; but our own armoured cars came on the Germans with even more -stunning effect. It was the South African War which to a great extent -gave us the most useful knowledge we now possess of armoured cars and -armoured trains.</p> - -<p>The armoured car is a development of the idea of the armoured train, -with this enormous advantage, that you can get your car pretty nearly -anywhere, while the train is limited in its operations to the lines on -which it runs. Remarkably good motor-car work at the front has been done -by Brigadier-General Seely and Commander Sampson. Some of these cars are -extremely powerful and fast, with huge wheels, and in the hands of -skilful drivers they can overcome almost any obstacle.</p> - -<p>In order to meet the exceptional demands which a war like this makes -upon them the cars have to be specially protected and strengthened. The -body itself is protected with toughened steel, which has so much<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260"></a>{260}</span> -resistance that bullets simply make no impression on it, and light guns -can therefore be mounted behind the metal which can do enormous -execution amongst bodies of the enemy’s riflemen or troops who are not -protected by anything but rifles. If you want excitement, therefore, you -can get it to the full by being associated with these machines. Whenever -they go out they simply look for trouble—and they can afford to do so, -because they despise ordinary cavalry and infantry tactics. Their chief -gain has been Uhlan patrols, which they have wiped out with the greatest -ease.</p> - -<p>Scouts bring in word of enemy patrols on the road; off swoop the cars -straight to the spot, and the fun begins.</p> - -<p>My own little job was not actually in an armoured car, but accompanying -one. Very often, in the case of a retreat, the cars remain behind the -main line, to do the work of wiping out as many of the enemy’s advanced -guards as they can get under fire, and an affair of this description -took place during the retreat from Roulers.</p> - -<p>I happened to be there, armed with my rifle, which I carry in preference -to a revolver, because I have found it more useful.</p> - -<p>I stayed behind to keep in touch with the armoured car. This was at a -corner of one of the roads, and a prominent feature of the district was -a brewery, the entrance to which commanded the approach by road.</p> - -<p>Matters at that particular time were very lively and the car was swiftly -run into the yard, where with astonishing skill and speed it was -disguised as much as possible and then it was ready to give the Germans -a surprise.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261"></a>{261}</span></p> - -<p>I left my machine round the corner, and made my way into one of the -nearest of the houses. Rushing upstairs, I entered a bedroom and went to -the window, where I took up a position with my rifle, and kept properly -on the alert, for you never knew from which quarter a bullet would come -and settle your account for ever.</p> - -<p>There was every reason to believe that the enemy would come—and they -did. They came along as if they were satisfied that nothing could happen -to them—certainly the German body that was making its way along the -road had no idea that a disguised motor-car was ready to give it a -welcome as soon as it got within striking distance of the entrance to -the brewery. Being Germans, doubtless their thoughts, when they saw the -brewery, were more concentrated on beer than on the British troops in -ambush.</p> - -<p>On the Germans came, and one could not help feeling how awful it was -that they should be advancing utterly unsuspectingly into a perfect -death-trap.</p> - -<p>From behind my bedroom window, rifle in hand, I watched them come up to -their doom. They got nearer and nearer to the innocent-looking brewery -entrance and to the houses and other places where the unseen rifles were -covering them; then, just at the right moment, the maxims from the -armoured car rattled and the rifles kept them company.</p> - -<p>The German ranks were shattered and scattered instantly. It was a swift -and destructive cannonade and the Germans went down in the fatal roadway -just like ninepins. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that -practically the whole of the enemy’s advanced guard was wiped out in a -few moments.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262"></a>{262}</span></p> - -<p>This little affair was as short as it was brilliant and decisive, and -almost before there was time to realise fully what had happened the car -was stripped of its disguise and was triumphantly driven out of the -brewery yard and back to the British lines.</p> - -<p>When I saw the car going I took it as a signal that I had better make -tracks myself, so I hurried away from the bedroom, got clear of the -house, jumped on to my machine, and lost no time in following it.</p> - -<p>This fine performance, typical of a great number of such deeds done in -the war by resourceful men of which nothing has been heard and perhaps -never will be, strikes me as being a very good illustration of doing -exactly those things which the enemy does not expect you to do. -Personally, I have always made a point of putting this principle into -practice. If the enemy is waiting for you to take the highroad, the -obvious thing, it seems to me, is to take to the fields, especially as -in bad weather, in a country like Flanders, there is very little -difference between the fields and the roads.</p> - -<p>There is one interesting point which I may mention, and it is that so -far I have had no difficulty in finding petrol. Nearly all the Belgian -farmers use gas-engines, and their stores are very useful for motor -cycles. I need hardly say that I never saw any want of willingness on -the part of Belgian farmers to help the fighters who are doing their -best to get the country back for them.</p> - -<p>At present I am not a bit useful as a fighting man, because when I was -going into the trenches I heard the ping of a German bullet and found -that blood was running down my arm.</p> - -<p>When I was actually struck I felt only a numb<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263"></a>{263}</span> sensation, and did not -for some time know what had happened; but later it was discovered that -the bullet had struck me between the wrist and elbow of the right arm -and had gone clean through, leaving a hole on each side of the arm.</p> - -<p>Strange though it may seem, I felt little pain at any time, in spite of -the fact that one of the bones of the arm was broken, and I am glad to -say that this wound—and there have been an enormous number like it -since the war began—is making a first-class recovery, and I shall soon -be all right again.</p> - -<p>A man does not go to war for fun, but there is a bright side to the grim -business, as I found when I reached a Belgian hospital. I spent three -very comfortable days there, and when I was sent off to England the -nurse who was attending me very gravely made me a little present, which -I as gravely accepted. She paid me three-halfpence! I did not know what -it meant, but I concluded that I had received the Belgian’s rate of -daily pay as a soldier, and his keep. I was perfectly satisfied, and I -hope my excellent nurse was the same.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264"></a>{264}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII<br /><br /> -<small>EXPLOITS OF THE LONDON SCOTTISH</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[“Eye-Witness,” in his descriptive account of November 4th, dealing -with the first phase of the desperate fight for Ypres, said that a -special feature of the battle was that it formed an epoch in the -military history of the British Empire, and marked the first time -that a complete unit of our Territorial Army has been thrown into -the fight alongside its sister units of the Regulars. That unit was -the 14th (County of London) Battalion London Regiment, better known -as the London Scottish. Its ranks contained many prominent men who -gave up everything at their country’s call and went to the front. -Amongst them was Mr. J. E. Carr, Managing Director of Scremerston -Colliery, Northumberland, a well-known breeder of Border Leicester -sheep, a keen rider to hounds and a thoroughly good sportsman. -Private Carr served with the London Scottish until he was wounded -and invalided home and it is his story which is here retold.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> is very difficult to keep within defined limits the varied -experiences that are crowded into a few months at the front in a war -which is waged on such a vast scale as the present conflict. Every day -has its own fresh and particular excitements which are worth -remembering, and one can scarcely pick out, off-hand, the most startling -or interesting phases of the campaigning. However, the earliest -impressions undoubtedly cling most tenaciously, and I have vivid -recollections of the thrill I experienced when our transport swung to -her moorings and the London Scottish disembarked on the other side of -the Channel.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265"></a>{265}</span></p> - -<p>I should like to say here that the London Scottish have been the subject -of a good deal of comment, mostly favourable, I am glad to know; but -there has been undue exaltation. The blame for this certainly does not -rest with the London Scottish, but in other perfectly well-meaning -quarters.</p> - -<p>I am proud indeed to belong to the London Scottish, because they are -good boys to be amongst, so good that there was no reason whatever why -people should have expressed surprise that the first Territorials to go -into action did so well. I don’t think there was any reason for -astonishment, for the London Scottish had been a well-trained body of -Volunteers before the Territorial system came into being. And if they -pulled through, as they did, when the actual fighting began, do not let -it be forgotten that they had some glorious examples to follow. On their -left and on their right were some of the very finest soldiers in the -world, and it was for the London Scottish to prove that they were worthy -of fighting with these truly splendid fellows. Troops like the -Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Black Watch and the Cameron -Highlanders are men with whom it is indeed an honour to be associated.</p> - -<p>Our landing on the Continent was an event which I shall remember all my -life. It meant that we were many miles nearer to the band of heroes who -had held the Germans up at Mons and had completely disarranged a whole -plan of campaign. Whenever I meet a man who fought in that greatest of -rearguard actions I want to take off my hat to him.</p> - -<p>It was not long after the war began that we found ourselves on the lines -of communication and began<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266"></a>{266}</span> to feel that we were really bearing a hand -in the things that mattered. This was in September, and the weather -being good we found it no great hardship to guard railways, escort -prisoners, run up ammunition for the fighting lines and do any odd job -that came along. There was not a man amongst us who did not put his back -into the business, realising that it was all a part of the tremendous -game that was being played, monotonous and unexciting though the duties -might be, and with every day that passed we got fitter and keener and -better able to meet the heavy calls that came upon us later. We felt -that we were really “in” and part of the great adventure. In various -ways we did a good deal of wandering, and some of us went as far south -as Nantes.</p> - -<p>This was about harvest time, and we saw the old men of France and the -women and the boys gathering in the sheaves. Later on we saw even the -women ploughing, and very good work they did. One thing which -particularly astonished us was their courage in working on the land -quite close up to the fighting line. They were often well within shell -fire, but they did not seem to be in the least disturbed. I suppose they -thought that if their husbands and sons and brothers could fight for -France at rifle and bayonet range they could go on working for their -country in spite of a stray shell or two.</p> - -<p>A few weeks later we moved up to the firing line, and then we had the -opportunity of seeing how gloriously the Scottish Regular troops were -doing their work and maintaining the splendid traditions of the Highland -regiments.</p> - -<p>People have become so used to amazing happenings in this war that it is -not easy to realise that only a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267"></a>{267}</span> very few months ago the mere sight of -an aeroplane was a novelty, and it was a thrill indeed for us when, near -Béthune, we had a splendid view of a fight in the air between British, -French and German airmen. The German, in a machine which looked exactly -like an enormous bird in the sky, came scouting over our lines, to find -out what was going on. The mere sight of him was enough to fetch along a -British ’plane and a Frenchman followed. This happened on a clear, -peaceful Sunday morning, and it was truly wonderful to see how the three -machines were manœuvred to get the top position and so spell doom to -the lowest ’plane. By extraordinary daring and skill, and because his -very life hung in the balance, the German managed to get away, in spite -of the most desperate efforts of his opponents to bag him. But I don’t -think he would escape to-day, when the British and French airmen have so -fully established their superiority over the German flyers and when it -has been proved that the machines of the Allies are far better than any -of the craft that the German airmen use.</p> - -<p>One of our first experiences of real fighting came when we were ordered -to charge at Messines. I do not care to say much about that charge, -because I think too much has been said of it already; so I will not go -beyond saying that it was hot and sanguinary work with the bayonet and -that we lost many good fellows. I cannot help thinking that the London -Scottish got too much praise for Messines, and they are the first to -admit that; but this was due to the fact that correspondents and others -spread themselves out on the charge and gave special attention to the -matter because of the fact that up to that time<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268"></a>{268}</span> practically nothing had -been heard of Territorials in action.</p> - -<p>The praise that was given to the regiment had the effect of making us -rather unpopular with the Regulars, and naturally enough, too, seeing -that they had been constantly doing the same sort of work ever since the -beginning of the war. It was pride enough for us to be in the same -brigade as the Coldstreamers, the Scots Guards, the Black Watch and the -Camerons, and to feel that we had done just what we were told to do. It -was, of course, a source of great satisfaction to us afterwards to be -congratulated by General Munro on what he was good enough to term our -“steadiness as a battalion.” Now that is all I am going to say about the -charge of the London Scottish at Messines.</p> - -<p>Speaking generally the fighting from November until the time I was -wounded can be divided into two distinct parts, the actions around Ypres -and the affairs at La Bassée. At Ypres about fifty men of our regiment -were in the city during the siege, and a very exciting time we had. -Shells were constantly bursting all around and no matter where the -people were they did not seem to be able to keep clear of danger. Even -the cellars, in which large numbers of men and women and children sought -refuge, were at times blown in and there were some very distressing and -unpleasant sights. Personally, I was uncommonly lucky, because I escaped -being hurt.</p> - -<p>I had the good fortune to sleep for two nights in the beautiful and -famous Cloth Hall, of which the story is told that it was particularly -spared by the German artillery because the Kaiser meant to enter it in -state at the head of his victorious troops. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269"></a>{269}</span> when I was in it the -shells came pounding on the walls and roof of the hall, doing grievous -damage, though our own men had the good luck to escape. Not so lucky -were some men of the Suffolk Regiment who followed us, for one afternoon -a huge shell came through and burst and killed five of the Suffolks and -wounded a number of other men of that fine regiment.</p> - -<p>So much has been said of the enormous German shells which have become -known as Jack Johnsons that people have almost ceased to be affected by -their performances; but nothing that I have heard or read conveys any -real idea of the extraordinarily destructive nature of these awful -engines of war when they explode—and that, luckily, does not always -happen. One afternoon, however, we counted no fewer than thirty of them -which <i>did</i> explode, and the results were absolutely devastating.</p> - -<p>When the Germans really set to work to bombard Ypres, the Cloth Hall and -the splendid cathedral were soon practically destroyed; but one of the -most noticeable things in connection with this destruction was that many -sacred objects were undamaged whilst there was ruin all around them. -Take the case of the crucifix of Ypres Cathedral—it is literally true -that this was found entire and upright amongst such general ruin that it -seemed as if only a miracle could have saved it. In several other places -I saw crucifixes hanging uninjured on walls of houses although the -structures themselves had been practically wrecked. On the other hand, -while we were in the trenches I saw a little nickel crucifix with a -bullet-hole right through it.</p> - -<p>With the King’s Royal Rifles on their right, and fired by their glorious -example, the London Scottish<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270"></a>{270}</span> were in some furious fighting in the -earlier days of November, and the coming of Christmas brought more hot -work. On December 22nd we marched about twenty-six miles with the -brigade, and the Coldstreamers, gallant as ever, went straight into -action after their arrival. They did fine work that day, and paid for it -accordingly. There followed a rest at Béthune and then we went into more -trouble in the neighbourhood of Givenchy.</p> - -<p>Very little of what may be called spectacular fighting was seen -hereabouts; it was mostly trench work, and this was all the more -difficult because the German trenches were so close to our own, and the -real old-fashioned way of conducting a battle was out of the question. -But all the same we got some variations, and one of these was a fight -for a brick-field which was a good hot performance while it lasted.</p> - -<p>At this period we made a change on the usual form of trench by lining -our own trenches with bricks, which were handy for the purpose. These -trenches were more comfortable than the general type, but they were more -dangerous, because when a shell burst near us the bricks splintered, so -that the flying bricks had to be added to the dangers and discomforts of -the flying metal fragments.</p> - -<p>One of the brick splinters struck my hand and poisoned it, and another -unwelcome attention that was paid to me was a piece of shrapnel in the -back of the neck; but these were really very minor details compared with -the injuries that were received by other members of the London Scottish, -and I am not for a moment complaining, nor can I, for when I came home -my company had only twenty left out of 119. There had been the -casualties in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271"></a>{271}</span> the charge and in other affairs, and a number of men had -been killed and wounded in the trenches.</p> - -<p>At Givenchy we had to endure as best we could that most unpleasant -engine of war which is called the trench mortar. This affects high-angle -fire and plumps a shell into the trenches when the aim is good. One -shell dropped into a trench of ours and exploded, killing one man and -wounding five others—a round half-dozen fine fellows as toll to a -single German shot.</p> - -<p>There were the snipers, too, pests who are intensely disliked by the -British soldier. These fellows find a lodging in what seems to be an -impossible sort of place, often enough high up a tree, and being well -supplied with food and ammunition they can go on potting for a long time -without going down from their perch. It was always matter for rejoicing -when one of these queer birds was winged.</p> - -<p>I spent Christmas in the trenches, with the boys. It is odd to be -talking about Christmas at this time of the year, but that season was an -outstanding feature of the experiences of the London Scottish, just as -the New Year was. Christmas Day was comparatively comfortable because -there was a lull in the fighting. New Year’s Day was unforgettable to -those who saw it in and did their best to keep up the national custom.</p> - -<p>I think that of all the strange incidents that have been recorded in -connection with this war, and they have been many—and some of them have -proved how soon soldiers become impervious to the most terrible -happenings of campaigning—one of the strangest must have been the sight -we saw on New Year’s Eve.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272"></a>{272}</span></p> - -<p>When the New Year actually came in we fired three rounds rapid, and the -pipes of the Black Watch rose on the night, while our own voices broke -into “Auld lang syne.” Wonderful and affecting it was to hear the pipes -and the dear old tune and many of us were deeply moved.</p> - -<p>The effect on the Germans was very curious. Apparently they judged from -the sounds of the pipes and the roll of the song that the Scots were -going to pay them a special visit with the bayonet, and by way of being -ready for it and giving us a welcome, they sent up star-lights, and -these, bursting in the air, gave a sinister illumination of the -landscape and would have shown us up if we had had in mind the purpose -of an assault on the German trenches. But we had no intention of letting -the New Year in upon them in such an unfriendly manner, although later -in the day we were of necessity hard at it again in the ordinary way of -firing.</p> - -<p>From day to day the London Scottish kept at it, doing their best, I -hope; then, on January 25th a spell of uncommonly hard work came along. -The Coldstreamers, who had held out gloriously and successfully against -great odds, had to withdraw from their trenches owing to an overwhelming -attack by the enemy. For the time being the Germans had scored and no -doubt they were exulting in their best manner, but the London Scottish -were sent up to reinforce the Coldstreamers—and proud they were to do -it. Later in the afternoon the Black Watch, with the Sussex Regiment and -the Royal Rifles, came up too, and the combination proved too much for -the Germans, who, after a brilliant attack, were sent flying back to -their own trenches.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273"></a>{273}</span></p> - -<p>I have heard that many old and young Germans have been taken prisoners -at various parts of the immense battle-front of the Allies; but those -that I saw pass through our lines were neither very old nor very young. -Occasionally we observed signs that they required a good lot of leading, -that is to say, “leading” from behind; but generally speaking they -seemed to be the best men that Germany had and on the whole they were -undoubtedly good fighters.</p> - -<p>While talking of German prisoners I am reminded of a particularly ugly -incident. When I was taken to the hospital I was with a number of German -prisoners.</p> - -<p>The hospital rule is that everything shall be taken away from the -patient until the time comes for him to be discharged. Well, when one of -these prisoners was searched I learned to my amazement, disgust and -anger, that he carried with him a bomb which was powerful enough to blow -up the whole place—but prompt steps were taken to prevent him from -making any use of it. How on earth he had got so far from the lines with -the deadly thing I cannot understand; but he had it with him all right.</p> - -<p>We got a good deal of amusement and help from a new set of “Ten -Commandments for Soldiers in the Field,” which were duly but not -officially published. I will quote one or two by way of showing their -character and indicating that incorrigible British cheerfulness which -the German, with all his “culture,” cannot understand. Number Three ran: -“Thou shalt not use profane language except under extraordinary -circumstances, such as seeing thy comrade shot or getting petrol in thy -tea.” Number Four was worded: “Remember that the soldier’s week consists -of seven days. Six days shalt thou<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274"></a>{274}</span> labour and do all thy work, and on -the seventh do all thy odd jobs!” “Honour thy King and country,” was the -Fifth. “Keep thy rifle oiled, and shoot straight, in order that thy days -may be long upon the land the enemy giveth thee.” Then we had, “Thou -shalt not steal thy neighbour’s kit,” and “Thou shalt not kill—time!” -By Number Nine it was enjoined, “Thou shalt not bear false witness -against thy comrade, but preserve discreet silence on his outgoings and -incomings.” Last of all came Number Ten, full of a wonderful hope for -the lowly: “Thou shalt not covet thy Sergeant’s post, nor the -Corporal’s, nor the Staff-Major’s, but do thy duty and by dint of -perseverance rise to the high position of Field-Marshal.”</p> - -<hr style="width: 45%;" /> - -<p>(This is one of the first detailed stories to be told of some of the -achievements of the London Scottish at the front, and its modest vein is -in keeping with the general point of view of the members of this -distinguished corps. It has been for others, not of the London Scottish, -to tell us something of what the regiment really did at Messines and -elsewhere in those early days of the Ypres fighting on which such vast -issues depended. What happened at Messines was this: The regiment was in -reserve when unexpectedly the order came to hurry up to the support of -the hard-pressed Regular troops, who were being fiercely assailed by -very much superior German forces. Crowding on to motor-buses the London -Scottish were hurried along in the course of the afternoon and while -some of them spent the night in deserted cottages others bivouacked in -the streets, waiting for daylight.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275"></a>{275}</span></p> - -<p>After much marching and wandering, the zone of fire was entered, and the -fine battalion which not many weeks before had marched along London -streets after being embodied made acquaintance with the German shells -and got ready to show what the British Territorials could do with the -rifle and the bayonet.</p> - -<p>The regiment was amused and interested in the antics of a windmill the -sails of which turned constantly and oddly, although there was no wind. -It was not until later that the phenomenon was explained and that was -when the windmill was visited and a German spy was caught in the act of -signalling, by means of the sails, the position and movements of the -British troops.</p> - -<p>It was at Hollebecke and at Messines, between Ypres and Warneton, that -the British lines were hard pressed owing to the determined attempts of -the Germans to break through and hack their way to Calais, and it was -here that the London Scottish went to support the Cavalry Brigade who -were holding the trenches.</p> - -<p>Forming up under the crest of a hill they advanced over the crest and -found themselves right in the battle line. Hurrying down the slope, -struggling over heavy ground which was made all the harder because of -beet crops, the regiment went into a most destructive artillery and -rifle and machine-gun fire.</p> - -<p>Many a splendid fellow was shot down before he could use his own rifle, -and others were wounded; but nothing could stop the advance. By short -rushes, and taking cover, the men in time reached the trenches and had -to encounter an overwhelming assault of Germans with the bayonet.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276"></a>{276}</span></p> - -<p>Now it was that a wonderful and splendid thing was done, for these -Territorials, fresh from civil life, hurled themselves with the bayonet -upon the finest troops of Germany. They were thrown back. Again they -charged, only to be driven off once more; but the regiment was not to be -denied or beaten and with a final furious rush the Germans were -scattered and the day was won for the British. No wonder that Colonel J. -H. Scott, late of the Gordon Highlanders and formerly adjutant of the -London Scottish, wrote on hearing the glorious news: “Hurrah for the -London Scottish! From my knowledge of them I knew they would do it!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277"></a>{277}</span>)</p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII<br /><br /> -<small>THE ROUT OF THE PRUSSIAN GUARD AT YPRES</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The official writers have told us of the almost superhuman efforts -made by the Germans to break through to Calais so that they might, -from that place, either raid or bombard England. For a whole month -a little British army round Ypres held its ground against the -repeated onslaughts of overwhelming German hosts. These actions -were divided into two phases, the first lasting from October 20th -to November 2nd, and the second from November 3rd to 17th. German -infantry of the Line having failed to win success, the vaunted -Prussian Guard was hurried up, and, encouraged by the presence of -the braggart Most High War Lord himself, hurled itself in frenzy -against the British troops, only to be thrown back and broken. This -crushing of the crack corps of Prussia was a bitter blow to the -Kaiser and the German people, who believed it to be invincible. In -these unexampled contests the Glorious Seventh Infantry Division -bore the brunt of battle, and the tale of the first phase is told -by Private H. J. Polley, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. -Lieutenant-General Sir H. S. Rawlinson, commanding the Division, -said in an order: “You have been called to take a conspicuous part -in one of the severest struggles of the war.... The Seventh -Division has gained for itself a reputation for stubborn valour and -endurance in defence.” When the Glorious Seventh was withdrawn from -the firing line only forty-four officers were left out of 400 who -had sailed from England, and only 2,336 out of 12,000 men.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">All</span> the world knows now how furiously the Germans tried to hack their -way through to Calais, so that they could have their fling at the hated -English. It is known too that they were held and hurled back.</p> - -<p>I am going to tell you something of the way in which this was done, for -I belong to the Bedfordshire<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278"></a>{278}</span> Regiment, the old 16th Foot, and the -Bedfords were part of the Glorious Seventh Division, and did their share -in keeping back the German forces, which included the Prussian Guards, -the Kaiser’s pet men. They had been rushed up to this position because -it was thought that no troops could stand against them.</p> - -<p>These idols of the German nation are picked men and brave fellows, and -at that time had an absolute belief in their own invincibility; but -events proved that they were no match for the British Guards and the -rest of the British troops who fought them at Ypres, and practically -wiped them out. I saw these Prussian Guards from Berlin mown down by our -artillery, machine-gun and rifle fire, and I saw them lying dead in -solid masses—walls of corpses.</p> - -<p>The Kaiser had planned to enter Ypres as a conqueror, at the head of his -Guards; but he hurried off a beaten man, leaving his slaughtered Guards -in heaps.</p> - -<p>Originally in the 1st Battalion of the Bedfords, I later went into the -2nd, and I was serving with the 2nd in South Africa when the European -War broke out. It is an interesting fact that nearly all the battalions -which formed the Seventh Division came from foreign service—India, -Egypt, Africa and elsewhere—which meant that many of the men of the -Seventh had seen active service and were veteran fighters. They had not -learned their warfare at peace manœuvres in Germany. Our Division -consisted of the 1st Grenadier Guards, the 2nd Scots Guards, the 2nd -Border, 2nd Gordon Highlanders, 2nd Bedfordshire, 2nd Yorkshire, 2nd -Royal Scots Fusiliers, 2nd Wiltshire, 2nd Royal West Surrey,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_279" id="page_279"></a>{279}</span> 2nd Royal -Warwickshire, 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1st South Staffordshire, and -the Northumberland Hussars; and we had a pom-pom detachment and horse, -field and garrison artillery. We were under Major-General Sir T. Capper, -D.S.O.</p> - -<p>We had been sent to help the Naval Division at Antwerp, and early in -October we landed at Zeebrugge—the only division to land at that port. -But we were not there long, for we soon learned that we were too late, -and that Antwerp had fallen. We were sorry, but there was no time for -moping, and we were quickly on the move to the quaint old city of -Bruges, where we were billeted for a night. Sir Harry Rawlinson had -moved his headquarters from Bruges to Ostend, so next day we marched -towards Ostend and took up outpost. Then we had a forced march back to -Bruges, and from Bruges we started marching, but we did not know where -we were going till we got to the city of Ypres.</p> - -<p>So far we had not had any fighting. We had been marching and marching, -first to one place, then to another, constantly expecting to come into -action, and very nearly doing so, for the Germans were swarming all over -the countryside. We had to be content with being on outpost and guarding -bridges, and so on—hard and necessary work, we knew; but we wanted -something more thrilling, something bigger—and we eventually got it.</p> - -<p>There was practically only the Seventh Division available for anything -that turned up. The Northumberland Hussars were able to give a very good -account of themselves, and were, I believe, the first Yeomanry corps to -go into action. The few Uhlans I saw while I was at the front had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_280" id="page_280"></a>{280}</span> -taken prisoners by these Hussars, who brought them in, lances and all. -But there is very little to say about cavalry work; it was mostly a -matter for the infantry, and, of course, the artillery—the wonderful -British gunners who have punished the Germans so severely whenever they -have met them.</p> - -<p>While we were around Ypres, waiting for the Germans to come and break -through, we heard a good deal, indirectly, of what was going to happen -to us and to England. The Germans had all sorts of monster guns, and -with these they were going to bombard England across the narrow Channel -when they got to the French coast, and they were going to work all sorts -of miracles with their airships and aeroplanes.</p> - -<p>We soon heard, too, that the Kaiser himself was in the field; but the -only effect of that information was to make us more keen to show what we -could do. Truth to tell, we were far from being impressed by the -presence of either the Kaiser or his vaunted Guards. We were in the best -of spirits, and had a sublime belief in Sir John French and all his -staff and our own officers.</p> - -<p>It was on October 31st—which has been called <i>the</i> decisive day of the -fight for Ypres, and which was certainly a most terrible day in every -way—that the Seventh Division was ordered to attack the German -position. The weather was very fine, clear and sunny, and our spirits -were in keeping with it. We were thankful to be on the move, because we -had had nearly three weeks in the trenches, and had been billeted in all -sorts of queer places—above and below ground—under an everlasting -shell fire, which became unendurable and was thoroughly -nerve-destroying.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_281" id="page_281"></a>{281}</span></p> - -<p>We knew what a desperate business the advance would be, because the -Germans greatly outnumbered us, and they had planted vast numbers of -guns. They had immense bodies of men in trenches, and in a large number -of the houses and buildings which commanded the ground over which we had -to advance they had placed machine-guns, with their villainous muzzles -directed on us from bedroom windows and holes which had been knocked in -walls.</p> - -<p>From start to finish the advance was a terrible business—far more -terrible than any words of mine can make you realise. The whole Division -was on the move, stretching along a big tract of country; but of course -no man could see much of what was happening, except in his own immediate -locality. Neither had he much chance of thinking about anything or -anybody except himself, and then only in a numbed sort of way, because -of the appalling din of the artillery on both sides, the crash of the -guns and the explosions of the shells, with the ceaseless rattle of the -rifles and the machine-guns.</p> - -<p>At the beginning, the regiments kept fairly well together, but very soon -we were all mixed up, and you could not tell what regiment a man -belonged to, unless he wore a kilt; then you knew that, at any rate, he -wasn’t a Bedford. Some of us had our packs and full equipment. Others -were without packs, having been compelled to throw them away. But there -was not a man who had let his rifle go: that is the last thing of all to -be parted from; it is the soldier’s very life. And every man had a big -supply of ammunition, with plenty in reserve. The general himself took -part in the advance, and what he did was done by every other officer -present. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_282" id="page_282"></a>{282}</span> was no difference between officer and man, and a thing -to be specially noticed is the fact that the officers got hold of rifles -and blazed away as hard as any man.</p> - -<p>Never, during the whole of the war, had there been a more awful fire -than that which we gave the Germans. Whenever we got the chance, we gave -them what they call the “Englishman’s mad minute”—that is, the dreadful -fifteen rounds a minute rapid fire. We drove it into them and mowed them -down. Many a soldier, when his own rifle was too hot to hold, threw it -down and snatched the rifle of a dead or wounded comrade who had no -further use for it, and with this fresh, cool weapon he continued the -deadly work by which success could alone be won. I do not know what the -German losses were, but I do know that I saw bodies lying around in -solid masses, while we passed our own dead and wounded everywhere as we -advanced. Where they fell they had to stay; it was impossible to do -anything for them while the fighting continued.</p> - -<p>The whole of the advance consisted of a series of what might be called -ups and downs—a little rush, then a “bob down.” At most, no one rush -carried us more than fifty yards; then we dropped out of sight as best -we could, to get a breather and prepare for another dash. It was pretty -open country hereabouts, so that we were fully exposed to the German -artillery and rifle fire, in addition to the hail from the machine-guns -in the neighbouring buildings. Here and there we found little woods and -clumps of trees and bits of rising ground and ditches and hedges—and -you may take it from me that shelter of any sort was very welcome and -freely used.</p> - -<p>A remarkable feature of this striving to hide from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_283" id="page_283"></a>{283}</span> the enemy’s fire was -that it was almost impossible to escape from the shells and bullets for -any appreciable time, for the simple reason that the Germans altered -their range in the most wonderful manner. So surely as we got the -shelter of a little wood or ditch, they seemed to have the distance -almost instantly, and the range was so accurate that many a copse and -ditch became a little graveyard in the course of that advance.</p> - -<p>At one point as we went along I noticed a small ditch against a hedge. -It was a dirty, uninviting ditch, deep in water; but it seemed to offer -promising shelter, and so some officers and men made a rush for it, -meaning to take cover. They had no sooner scrambled into the ditch and -were thinking themselves comparatively safe than the Germans got the -range of them with machine-guns, and nearly the whole lot were -annihilated. In this case, as in others, the enemy had been marvellously -quick with their weapons, and had swept the ditch with bullets. I don’t -know what happened to the fine fellows who had fallen. We had to leave -them and continue the advance.</p> - -<p>The forenoon passed, noon came, and the afternoon was with us; still the -fighting went on, the guns on both sides crashing without cessation, and -the machine-guns and the rifles rattling on without a break. The air was -filled with screaming, bursting shells and whistling bullets, and the -ground was ploughed and torn everywhere. It was horrible beyond -expression, yet it fired the blood in us, so that the only thing that -mattered was to put the finish to the work, get up to the Germans, and -rout them out of their positions.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_284" id="page_284"></a>{284}</span></p> - -<p>At last, after endless spells of lying down and jumping up, we got near -enough to make it possible to charge, and the order went round to get -ready. We now saw what big, fine fellows we had to tackle. Clearly now -we could distinguish the Prussian Guards, and a thing that particularly -struck me just then was that their bayonets looked very cruel. The -Guards wore cloth-covered brass helmets, and through the cloth we could -see the gleam of the brass in the sunshine.</p> - -<p>The nearer we got, the more clearly we saw what splendid chaps they -were, and what a desperate business it would be when we actually reached -the long, snaky blades of steel—much longer than our own bayonets—with -longer rifles, too, so that the Germans had the pull of us in every way. -But all that counted as nothing, and there was not a man amongst us who -was not hungering to be in amongst them.</p> - -<p>The order to fix bayonets came quietly, and it was carried out without -any fuss whatever, just as a part of the day’s work. We were lying down -when the order came, and as we lay we got round at our bayonets, drew -them and fixed them, and I could hear the rattle of the fixing all along -the line, just as I had heard it many times on parade or at -manœuvres—the same sound, but with what a different purpose!</p> - -<p>A few of the fellows did not fix their bayonets as we lay, but they -managed to do it as we ran, when we had jumped up and started to rush -along to put the finish to the fight. There was no bugle sound, we just -got the word to charge, an order which was given to the whole of the -Seventh Division.</p> - -<p>When this last part of the advance arrived we<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_285" id="page_285"></a>{285}</span> started halloaing and -shouting, and the Division simply hurled itself against the Prussian -Guard. By the time we were up with the enemy we were mad. I can’t tell -you much of what actually happened—and I don’t think any man who took -part in it could do so—but I do know that we rushed helter-skelter, and -that when we got up to the famous Guards there were only two of my own -section holding together—Lance-Corporal Perry and myself, and even we -were parted immediately afterwards.</p> - -<p>The next thing I clearly knew was that we were actually on the -Prussians, and that there was some very fierce work going on. There was -some terrific and deadly scrimmaging, and whatever the Prussian Guard -did in the way of handling the steel, the Seventh Division did better.</p> - -<p>It was every man for himself. I had rushed up with the rest, and the -first thing I clearly knew was that a tremendous Prussian was making at -me with his villainous bayonet. I made a lunge at him as hard and swift -as I could, and he did the same to me. I thought I had him, but I just -missed, and as I did so, I saw his own long, ugly blade driven out at -the end of his rifle. Before I could do anything to parry the thrust, -the tip of the bayonet had ripped across my right thigh, and I honestly -thought that it was all up with me.</p> - -<p>Then, when I reckoned that my account was paid, when I supposed that the -huge Prussian had it all his own way, one of our chaps—I don’t know -who, I don’t suppose I ever shall; but I bless him—rushed up, drove his -bayonet into the Prussian and settled him. I am sure that if this had -not been done I should have been killed by the Prussian; as it was,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_286" id="page_286"></a>{286}</span> I -was able to get away without much inconvenience at the end of the -bayonet fight.</p> - -<p>This struggle lasted about half-an-hour, and fierce, hard work it was -all the time. In the end we drove the Guards away and sent them -flying—all except those who had fallen; the trench was full of the -latter, and we took no prisoners. Then we were forced to retire -ourselves, for the ample reason that we were not strong enough to hold -the position that we had taken at such a heavy cost. The enemy did not -know it then, though perhaps they found out later, that we had nicely -deceived them in making them believe that we had reinforcements. But we -had nothing of the sort; yet we had stormed and taken the position and -driven its defenders away.</p> - -<p>We were far too weak to hold the position, and so we retired over the -ground that we had won, getting back a great deal faster than we had -advanced. We had spent the best part of the day in advancing and -reaching the enemy’s position; and it seemed as if we must have covered -a great tract of country, but as a matter of fact we had advanced less -than a mile. It had taken us many hours to cover that short distance; -but along the whole of the long line of the advance the ground was -littered with the fallen—the officers and men who had gone down under -such a storm of shells and bullets as had not been known since the war -began.</p> - -<p>Retiring, we took up a position behind a wood, and were thinking that we -should get a bit of a rest, when a German aeroplane came flying over us, -gave our hiding-place away, and brought upon us a fire that drove us out -and sent us back to three lines of trenches which we had been -occupying.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_286fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_286fp_sml.jpg" width="356" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 286. - - -“I MADE A LUNGE AT HIM, BUT JUST MISSED, AND I SAW HIS OWN LONG, UGLY -BLADE DRIVEN OUT” (p. 285)." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 286.</span> -<br /> - -“I MADE A LUNGE AT HIM, BUT JUST MISSED, AND I SAW HIS OWN LONG, UGLY -BLADE DRIVEN OUT” (<a href="#page_285">p. 285</a>).</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_287" id="page_287"></a>{287}</span></p> - -<p>By this time our ambulances were hard at work; but ambulance or no -ambulance, the pitiless shelling went on, and I saw many instances of -German brutality in this respect. The ambulance vehicles were crowded, -and I saw one which had two wounded men standing on the back, because -there was not room enough for them inside. Shells were bursting all -around, and a piece struck one of the poor chaps and took part of his -foot clean away. He instantly fell on to the road, and there he had to -be left. I hope he got picked up by another ambulance, though I doubt -it, for the shell-firing just then was heavy, and deliberately aimed at -helpless ambulances by people who preach what they call culture!</p> - -<p>We made the best of things during the evening and the night in the -trenches. The next day things were reversed, for the Germans came on -against us; but we kept up a furious fight, and simply mowed them down -as they threw themselves upon us. We used to say, “Here comes another -bunch of ’em!” and then we gave them the “mad minute.” We had suffered -heavily on the 31st, and we were to pay a big bill again on this 1st of -November, amongst our casualties being two of our senior officers.</p> - -<p>The battalion was in the peculiar position of having no colonel at the -head of it, our commanding officer being Major J. M. Traill. I should -like to say now, by way of showing how heavily the Bedfords suffered, -that in one of Sir John French’s despatches, published early in the -year, seven officers were mentioned, and in the cases of six of them it -had to be added that they had been killed in action. Major Traill and -Major R. P. Stares were killed not far from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_288" id="page_288"></a>{288}</span> me on the day I am telling -of—and within two hours of each other.</p> - -<p>We were lying in trenches, and the majors were in front of us, walking -about, and particularly warning us to be careful and not expose -ourselves. Their first thought seemed to be for us, and their last for -themselves.</p> - -<p>Just at that time there was some uncommonly deadly sniping going on, and -any figure that was seen even for a fraction of time was a certain -target. The sniper himself was a specially chosen German, and he had as -a companion and look-out a smart chap with field-glasses, to sweep the -countryside and report to the sniper anything promising that he saw in -the way of a target. Working in pairs like this, the snipers were able -to pick off the two majors as they walked up and down directing and -encouraging us. They were shot, and, as far as we could tell, killed -instantly. We felt their loss very greatly.</p> - -<p>Major Stares had very much endeared himself to his men, and he was a -great favourite in South Africa before the war began. We were all eager -to get to the front, of course, and were constantly talking about what -we should do, and wondering what would happen when we met the Germans. -The major was never tired of explaining what we ought to do in tight and -dangerous corners, and asking us what <i>we</i> should do. I have known him -stop us in the street to ask us these questions, so keen and anxious was -he for our welfare.</p> - -<p>The second day of the fighting passed and the third came. Still we held -on, but it became clear that we were too hopelessly outnumbered to hope -for complete success at the time, and so we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_289" id="page_289"></a>{289}</span> forced to leave the -trenches. Withdrawing again, we took up positions in farmhouses and -woods and any other places that gave shelter. All the time there was a -killing fire upon us, and it happened that entire bodies of men would be -wiped out in a few moments. A party of the Warwicks got into a wood near -us, and they had no sooner taken shelter than the German gunners got the -range of them, shelled them, and killed nearly all of them.</p> - -<p>There was not a regiment of the Glorious Seventh that had not suffered -terribly in the advance during the three days’ fateful fighting. The -Bedfords had lost, all told, about 600, and it was a mere skeleton of -the battalion that formed up when the roll was called. But there was one -pleasant surprise for me, and that was meeting again with Lance-Corporal -Perry. We had lost sight of each other in the hand-to-hand fighting with -the Prussian Guard, and met again when we were reorganised at an old -château; and very thankful we were to compare notes, especially as each -of us thought that the other was a dead man. There were a good many -cases of soldiers turning up who were supposed to be either killed or -wounded, or, what is worse, missing. In the inevitable disorder and -confusion of such a battle they had got separated from their own -regiments and had joined others; but they turned up in due course in -their right places.</p> - -<p>I had become a member of the grenade company of the battalion, which was -something like going back to the early days of the Army, when the -grenadier companies of the regiments flung their little bombs at the -enemy. So did we, and grim work it was, hurling home-made bombs, which -had the power of doing a great amount of mischief.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_290" id="page_290"></a>{290}</span></p> - -<p>I was with the grenade company, behind a brick wall close to the -trenches, and was sitting with several others round a fire which we had -made in a biscuit-tin. We were quite a merry party, and had the dixie -going to make some tea. There was another dixie on, with two or three -nice chickens that our fellows had got hold of—perhaps they had seen -them wandering about homeless and adopted them.</p> - -<p>Anyway, they found a good home in the stew-pot, and we were looking -forward to a most cosy meal. As a sort of change from shelling by -batteries in the ordinary way, we were being shelled from an armoured -train, but were taking little notice of it, being busy with the tea and -chickens.</p> - -<p>The Germans were close enough to fling hand-bombs at us. They gave us -lots of these little attentions, so that when I suddenly found myself -blinded, and felt a sharp pain in my left hand, I thought they had made -a lucky shot, or that something had exploded in the fire in the -biscuit-tin.</p> - -<p>For some time I did not know what had happened; then I was able to see, -and on looking at my hand, I found it to be in a sorry mess, half the -thumb and half a finger having been carried away.</p> - -<p>I stayed and had some tea from the dixie, and my chums badly wanted me -to wait for my share of the chickens; but I had no appetite for fowls -just then. I made the best of things till darkness came, and under cover -of it a couple of stretcher-bearers took me to the nearest -dressing-station.</p> - -<p>I suffered intensely, and lockjaw set in, but the splendid medical staff -and the nursing saved me, and I was put into a horse ambulance and -packed off home. And here I am.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_291" id="page_291"></a>{291}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV<br /><br /> -<small>THE BRITISH VICTORY AT NEUVE CHAPELLE</small></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[On the road from Béthune to Armentières, four miles to the north -of La Bassée, is the little straggling frontier village of Neuve -Chapelle, which first came into notice in October during the -British advance to the north of La Bassée. At that time the village -was held by the Germans, but on October 16th they were driven out -by the British. As a result of the tremendous efforts of the -Germans in trying to reach Calais we were not able to hold the -village, which again was held by the enemy at the beginning of -November. The British were driven back a short distance and for -more than four months they remained near Neuve Chapelle; then, on -March 10th they began an attack which ended in the village being -retaken by us and held. The German Westphalian Army Corps in -October and November had forced the British out of Neuve Chapelle, -but in March these troops were routed and severely punished by part -of Sir John French’s “contemptible little army.” What the battle -meant and how it was fought is told by Sergeant Gilliam, 1st -Battalion Coldstream Guards.]</p></div> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> battle of Neuve Chapelle began at half-past seven o’clock on the -morning of March 10th, and ended at about half-past nine on the night of -the 12th. Earlier on the morning of that famous day our battalion was -ordered to stand to, as supports of the 1st Brigade. We were told to be -ready to turn out at ten minutes’ notice; and we <i>were</i> ready, for we -were longing to have a settlement with the Germans, who had dug -themselves in at Neuve Chapelle, and made themselves very comfortable -and thought that no power on earth could drive them out. But we had a -big<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_292" id="page_292"></a>{292}</span> surprise in store for them, and we sprung it on them like a -thunderbolt when our massed guns roared soon after sunrise on that early -day in March. Whatever advantages the Germans might have had at the -beginning of the war we had been getting the better of them, and we were -certain that we were now much superior to the enemy in every way. We -knew that the British Army was becoming too much for them, and we were -anxious to prove it that morning, when the biggest bombardment the world -has ever known began, and along a tremendous front there came into -action hundreds of the largest and the smallest guns that we had out in -France.</p> - -<p>I am sure that every man who was in at the beginning of this war, from -Mons to the Marne and the Aisne, as I was, till I was invalided home -wounded, will agree with me that there had been nothing like the British -artillery fire at Neuve Chapelle. It was truly fearful. Something like -five miles away, nearly five hundred British guns were bombarding the -village, the batteries being on a front four or five miles in extent, so -that there was only a few yards space between each gun. The result was -that an immense wall of fire was seen where the artillery was in -position, while the village itself was a target on which shells rained -and made havoc. Nothing could withstand that awful cannonading—houses -and buildings of every sort were shattered, and often enough a single -shell was sufficient to destroy an entire house. When we got into the -place at the end of the battle it looked as if some tremendous -earthquake had upheaved it and thrown it down in a mass of wreckage. It -was almost impossible to tell where the streets had been, and so -enormous was the power of some of the shells<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_293" id="page_293"></a>{293}</span> that were fired and burst -in the ground, that the very dead had been blown up from their -resting-places in the churchyard, only to be re-buried by the falling -walls around. The bombardment was bad enough for those who were out of -it; for those who were in it the effect of the shell fire was -paralysing. The Germans had had nothing like it, and more than one -prisoner declared that it was not war, it was murder. We didn’t quite -see how they made that out; but it was near enough for the Germans, and -we told them that we were only getting a bit of our own back for Mons. -“And,” we said, “this is only a taste of what’s in store for you. It’s -nothing to what’s coming!”</p> - -<p>The roar of these massed guns was so deafening, and the noise of the -exploding shells was so incessant, that we could not hear one another -speak. The air was all of a quiver and you could see the heat in the -atmosphere just as you see it when looking at the horizon in a tropical -country, and as I saw it many times when we were in Egypt. The heat from -the shells made the day for all the world like a hot summer day, and the -fumes and flashes caused a strange mist that looked like rain, though -the sun was shining.</p> - -<p>The bombardment was grand and terrible beyond description; but there was -one good thing about it, and that was that the Germans did not reply -very often—they seemed numbed and stunned—and when they did, their -fire was very slight and feeble, and so far as I could tell not one of -their shells did any serious damage amongst the British forces.</p> - -<p>For half-an-hour the British artillery bombarded the enemy’s first line -of trenches, and this fire to the Germans must have seemed as if hell -had been let loose, because everything that was in the line of fire<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_294" id="page_294"></a>{294}</span> was -blown away or levelled to the ground—walls, trees, buildings, sandbags, -even the barbed wire entanglements were carried away by shell splinters -and shrapnel bullets, though unfortunately some of the entanglements -escaped injury, and became death-traps for a number of our fine fellows -who were hurling themselves upon the Germans.</p> - -<p>Perhaps I should explain, so that my story is quite clear, that Neuve -Chapelle, or what is left of it, stands on perfectly flat ground, with -plenty of enclosed gardens and orchards and some wooded country near. -The Germans had dug themselves into very complete trenches, and had -built some strong breastworks near the highroad into which they had put -a large number of machine-guns. In houses and elsewhere these weapons -had been planted, and in some places they fairly bristled. Our object -was to rout the Germans out of their trenches and houses and barricades, -and in view of the deadly nature of machine-guns and rifles the work was -bound to be long and heavy and costly. How desperate the assault was has -been shown by the losses of some of our splendid line battalions.</p> - -<p>When the bombardment of the first line of trenches was over, the way had -been paved for the infantry, who were lying in their trenches, not far -from the village. They were waiting eagerly for the order to advance, -and when it came, they sprang out of their trenches with such shouts -that you might have thought a lot of lunatics had been let loose. They -dashed forward, and almost before it was possible to realise what had -happened they were in the nearest German trench.</p> - -<p>Then it was, even so soon after the battle had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_295" id="page_295"></a>{295}</span> opened, that we knew how -destructive the fire of our guns had been, for when the trench was -reached there was hardly a German left to tackle. Our shells had landed -plump into the enemy, and the result was that the trench was full of -dead and wounded Germans. The few survivors did not hesitate to explain -that they felt as if they could shake hands with themselves and to -marvel that any one of them had come out of such a fire alive.</p> - -<p>Our men were full of joy at such an ending to their rush, full of -satisfaction to feel that they were making such a fine score, then came -one of those misunderstandings and mishaps which are part and parcel of -a fight in which the artillery cannot always see what it is doing—our -own poor fellows suddenly found themselves under the fire of our -gunners, who had started bombarding the trench again under the -impression that it was still held by the Germans.</p> - -<p>Imagine, if you can, what it meant to be in a trench like that, at such -a time—a long narrow pit which had been knocked about by shells and was -crowded with débris and killed and wounded men, and then to be under our -own shell-fire. With unerring aim the shells came into the trench, -causing consternation, and yet a sort of grim humour. Above the cries of -the wounded and the shouts of the men came the loud voices of the -officers, saying, “What is our artillery thinking of? What are they -doing?” And at the same time doing their dead best to get their men out -of it and back to their own trenches.</p> - -<p>The order was now given to retire to our old position, and at last the -order was carried out, but still some of our men were puzzled to know -what had taken place, and they shouted, “What’s wrong?” “What’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_296" id="page_296"></a>{296}</span> -happened?” and so on, while there were many cries for help and water. It -was soon seen that there had been a mistake, and the best was made of -it, though that was not much consolation for poor chaps who had been -badly mauled and knocked about by fire that was meant for the enemy.</p> - -<p>Noon came round on that first day of the battle and the chief thing we -knew was that what we thought was finished had not been done, and we had -to start afresh; but there was no grumbling or whining. It was realised -that there had been a mistake, and it was taken in the way of British -soldiers. And we were well rewarded, for suddenly our artillery -re-started. They knew by this time what had happened, and I think they -must have felt pretty savage, judging from the nature of their fire. We -could see the destructive effects of it from our trenches, and it was a -wonderful yet awful sight to watch the Germans being blown out of their -trenches into the air, some of the bodies being shot twenty or thirty -feet high. I am not going to dwell on the havoc that was caused amongst -men; but you can imagine how dismembered parts were scattered by such a -continuous bursting of shells.</p> - -<p>The bombardment stopped abruptly, and in the strange calm that followed -it we went off again, in just the same high spirits as before. This time -we were lucky; there was no mishap, things went well and right, and by -half-past two we had the joy and pride of knowing that we had made -ourselves masters of the first line of the German trenches.</p> - -<p>This line was piled up with the German dead, and the first thing we did -was to get to work to clear some of the bodies away, so as to make a bit -of room for ourselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_297" id="page_297"></a>{297}</span> to stand, keeping at the same time well under -cover in case the enemy tried to get their own back; but they had been -too badly shaken, and nothing of this sort took place. The Germans -believed that Neuve Chapelle could not be taken, as it was so strongly -fortified, and we now had a chance of seeing how much ground they had -for their belief. A particularly strong defence was the barbed wire -entanglements, which had been made uncommonly thick and complicated. -This was the reason why even our destructive fire did not cut through -the entanglements and why some of our infantry suffered so heavily. The -Liverpool Regiment lost terribly, as so many of the officers and men -were caught in the wires and had no chance of escaping from the fire -which the Germans mercilessly directed upon them. The Liverpools were -caught between the cross-fire of two German maxims as they tried to cut -through the barbed wire, just in front of the German trenches. It was -real heroism on the part of the Liverpools and it was a ghastly sight to -see the brave fellows being cut down like flies.</p> - -<p>In our captured trench, which was nothing more than a huge grave, we -began, when we had made ourselves secure, to snatch a few mouthfuls of -food; but we had no sooner started on this pleasant task than down came -the order to prepare to advance.</p> - -<p>“That’s right!” the men shouted. “The music’s started again! Let’s get -at the German pigs!” Not very polite, perhaps, but in this war a good -deal has been said on both sides about swine.</p> - -<p>We sprang out of our trench and went full swing for the second -trench—there were four trenches to storm and take before our object was -accomplished.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_298" id="page_298"></a>{298}</span> Very soon we were in amongst the Germans in the second -trench, and it was a fine sight to see them being put through the mill.</p> - -<p>Just in front of us, amongst the enemy, the shells from our own guns -were bursting—a wonderful instance of the accuracy of modern artillery -fire—and it was fascinating to see the shells sweeping every inch of -the ground, and marvellous that human beings could exist in such a -deadly area. Every now and then in would go one of the German parapets, -and the almost inevitable accompaniment was the blowing into the air of -limbs and mangled bodies. These things were not a laughing matter, yet -often enough, as we watched a shell burst and cause havoc we laughed -outright—which shows how soon even the most dreadful of happenings are -taken as matters of course.</p> - -<p>Now came the order for us to assault and away the infantry went, right -into the German trench, with such a rush and power that the enemy seemed -to have no chance of standing up against the onslaught.</p> - -<p>The men of the Leicestershire Regiment hurled themselves into the thick -of the bloody fray, not once, nor twice, but five times in succession -did they rush the Germans with the bayonet—and at the end of that -tremendous onslaught they had not a single German prisoner! Never while -a German lives who survived the charges of the Leicesters will he forget -what happened in the trenches at Neuve Chapelle—and what the Leicesters -did was done by the Irish Guards. No prisoners—and no man who has been -through the war from the start will blame them, for he knows what the -Germans have done to our own brave fellows, not in fair fight, but when -they have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_299" id="page_299"></a>{299}</span> been lying helpless on the roadside, especially in the -retreat from Mons.</p> - -<p>The long and thrilling day was ending, darkness was falling, and we -pulled ourselves together and prepared for a lively night. We fully -expected a counter attack, but no—it seemed to be the other way about, -for on our left we had our famous Gurkhas and Sikhs, and they were -getting ready for work.</p> - -<p>It was quite dark, about half-past nine, when suddenly there was a shout -in the German trenches, and as it rose in the night a pair of our -star-lights burst, like bright, beautiful fireworks in the sky, and -showed us what was happening. It was this—the Indians had moved swiftly -and silently in the night, they had crept and crawled up to the German -position, and before the enemy knew what was taking place the heavy -curved knife, which is the Gurkha’s pride, was at work, and that is a -weapon against which the German soldier, especially when in the -trenches, seems to have no chance whatever. It is almost impossible to -get over your surprise at the way in which these brave little Indians -cover the ground in attacking. They crawl out of their trenches at -night, lie flat on their stomachs, with the rifle and the bayonet in the -right hand, and wriggle over the ground like a snake and with amazing -speed. Having reached the enemy’s trenches they drop the rifle and -bayonet and out come the knives—and woe betide the Germans that are -within reach. The Gurkhas are born fighters, the love of battle is in -their very blood, and they fight all the more readily and gladly because -they believe that if they are slain they are sure to go to heaven. If a -German makes a lunge at him, the Gurkha seizes the bayonet with the left -hand and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_300" id="page_300"></a>{300}</span> gets to work with the knife. The plucky little chaps get their -hands badly ripped with the German bayonets, and many came into Neuve -Chapelle with half their left hands off.</p> - -<p>The Germans hate the sight of these Indians, and those who could do so -escaped from the trench. They lost no time in going—they fled, and no -wonder, for they had suffered terribly, not only from the Indians, but -also from the Black Watch, who had been at them with the bayonets. The -Highlanders took a large number of prisoners; but the German dead were -everywhere, and the trench was packed with them—indeed, all the -trenches at the end of the battle were filled with Germans.</p> - -<p>During the 10th and 11th we made such good progress that we had taken -three of the four trenches; then came the worst day of all, the 12th, -for on that we were ordered to take the fourth trench which the Germans -held. This was on the outskirts of the village and was strongly -fortified. There was a strong blockhouse at the back of the trench which -added greatly to the security of the position.</p> - -<p>We were up and ready early—at half-past six—and as soon as day had -broken the guns began their dreadful booming, and very solemn they -sounded in the cold grey light, which is always so cheerless. The guns -cleared the way again and did some excellent work in smashing away the -wire entanglements and blowing up German works; then came the order to -charge.</p> - -<p>I was not in at the actual taking of this last trench, but I was lucky -in being close enough to be able to see what was going on, and what I -saw was some of the most furious fighting in the whole of the battle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_301" id="page_301"></a>{301}</span> -The first charge was made with all the dash and courage of the infantry, -who had already done so well. Our men rushed gallantly at the Germans; -but so withering was the fire with which they were met and so hopeless -seemed the obstacles that they were repulsed with heavy loss, and I know -of nothing more heart-breaking to us who were watching than the sight of -these soldiers being sacrificed and suffering as they did without, -apparently, winning any success.</p> - -<p>Again the artillery shelled the German position, then, across the ground -which was littered with our dead and dying our brave fellows charged -again. They sprang up from the shelter of their trenches, and with even -greater fury than before threw themselves upon the enemy, only to be -beaten back for the second time, by the cross fire of the machine-guns. -In spite of all these losses and the awful odds against them our men -kept their spirits up and vowed that they would still drive the enemy -completely out of Neuve Chapelle, and get their own back for Mons and -the rest of it, and so, while our artillery took up its tune again the -men got a breather, and after a bombardment which lasted at least -three-quarters of an hour there were shouts of “Now, boys, again! Let -’em have it!” And up the infantry sprang once more and dashed across the -fatal ground. The men who were nearest to me were the 2nd Black Watch, -and it did one’s heart good to see the way the kilties swung towards the -enemy’s position. But it all seemed in vain, for at this point there was -the blockhouse to be reckoned with. It was right in the centre and was a -veritable little fortress which seemed a mass of flame and sent -machine-gun and rifle bullets like hail. No troops could live or stand -against such<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_302" id="page_302"></a>{302}</span> a fusillade, and so our men had to fall back even once -more to the protection of the trenches.</p> - -<p>By this time the position and danger of the blockhouse were known, and -our artillery got the range of it, and that having been done, the end -was merely a matter of time. A battery of British guns was trained on -the blockhouse and the fire was so accurate that the fourth shell went -through the left corner and the building was riddled with shrapnel and -put out of action.</p> - -<p>It was about this time that our fellows spotted an observation-post on -the church in the village. As you know, churches and houses are objects -that the British always avoid firing upon if they can, though the -Germans have wantonly destroyed large numbers of both. There was the -observation-post, plainly to be seen, and as the Germans were directing -their artillery fire from it and the post was a danger and a nuisance to -us and hindered our progress, a special effort was made to wipe it out. -And the effort succeeded, for the British gunners got on it a “Little -Harry,” a shell that puts to shame even the Jack Johnsons and the Black -Marias of the enemy. “Little Harry” settled the observation-post swiftly -and finally, and then the fourth and last charge for Neuve Chapelle was -made.</p> - -<p>And what a charge it was! It was magnificent. Every bit of strength and -courage that was left seemed to be put into it, and while the infantry -dashed on with the bayonet and put the finish to the stubborn German -resistance in the trenches and got the enemy fairly on the run, the -Gurkhas and the famous Sikhs and Bengal Lancers hurled themselves on the -flying regiments and cut them down with lance and sword.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_302fp_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_b_302fp_sml.jpg" width="355" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: [To face p. 302. - - -“THE INFANTRY DASHED ON WITH THE BAYONET.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 40%;">[To face p. 302.</span> -<br /> - -“THE INFANTRY DASHED ON WITH THE BAYONET.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_303" id="page_303"></a>{303}</span></p> - -<p>It was a wonderful swirl of fighting. This time the blockhouse was -stormed by the 2nd Middlesex and the Royal Irish Rifles.</p> - -<p>All at once the guns had finished, and with wild cheers the old -“Die-Hards” and the Irishmen rushed to the German trench and would not -be driven back. By about half-past three the blockhouse was taken, and -then it was seen that it had been defended by no fewer than half-a-dozen -machine-guns and two trench mortars, to say nothing of rifles. These -weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were captured and the -Germans who had not been killed were found hiding under cover as best -they could and they were thankful to surrender.</p> - -<p>While this splendid piece of work was being finished our Indians on the -left were doing heavy execution. The Bengal Lancers were driving the -fleeing enemy straight through the village, if that could be called a -village which was now an almost shapeless mass of burning and smoking -ruins. And spies and snipers had to be searched for in the shattered -buildings, while we had to leave the captured trenches for two reasons, -because they were filled with dead, and at any moment we might be blown -out of them by mines which the Germans had laid. So we had to set to -work, even while the fight was being finished, to construct new -trenches, and we worked hard on these so as to make ourselves secure in -case of a counter attack.</p> - -<p>It was not long before we saw the victorious Indian cavalry returning. -At about six o’clock we heard the thud of horses’ hoofs, and looking up -from the new trenches that we were making we saw the Bengal Lancers -coming back from their pursuit and rout of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_304" id="page_304"></a>{304}</span> the Germans. They had chased -the enemy right through the village and into a big wood on the other -side of Neuve Chapelle, and what they had done was shown by their -reddened lances and the helmets and caps that were stuck on the steel. -There were about six hundred of these fine horsemen and not one of them -had less than two trophies on his lance, while I saw one of them with no -fewer than eight skewered on, and he was smiling all over his dark -handsome face. So were the rest of them—they were all delighted with -the success that had crowned their work, and we cheered them mightily -and laughed too, for somehow we couldn’t help doing both.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile we were being shelled from a spot which we could not locate -for some time, then we learned that the firing came from a fort on the -left of the village which was known as Port Arthur. We were in the -direct line of fire from it, and our position became very uncomfortable. -The Germans who were in Port Arthur were a plucky and stubborn lot, for -they refused to surrender when they were asked to do so, and declared -that they would not cave in either for British or French or Russians. -That showed a fine and right spirit, but at last these chaps had to -stop, because our gunners got two or three “Little Harrys” into Port -Arthur, and it came tumbling down about the defenders’ ears.</p> - -<p>It was now dark, past nine o’clock, and it seemed that the enemy was a -long time making up his mind to attack us; but at about twenty minutes -past the hour they began firing with their artillery. The very first -shell they sent came right into my two sections of trenches, and killed -one man and wounded half-a-dozen of us, including myself. The poor -fellow who was killed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_305" id="page_305"></a>{305}</span> had his head completely taken off his shoulders. -I helped to bandage the other five before I troubled about myself. Then -I looked around again and found that the Germans were well into the -night attack; but they never got within fifty yards of our trenches.</p> - -<p>What happened after that I am not able to tell you. I was sent to the -field ambulance to have my wounds dressed, then I learned that I had got -two shrapnel bullets in me, one in the left thigh and one on the other -side, to keep it company.</p> - -<p>In the ambulance train I went to Béthune, then on to Boulogne, then, on -a Sunday afternoon—the 14th of March—I landed at an English Channel -port and once again had experience of the care and kindness of friends -and nurses in the hospitals at home.</p> - -<p>For the second time I had been sent home wounded from the front. I was -proud enough when I felt that I had tried to do my duty in the glorious -rearguard fighting after Mons and in the battles of the Marne and Aisne; -but I was prouder still to know that I had shared in the victory of -Neuve Chapelle, in which we got our own back, with a lot of interest, -from some of the finest troops of Germany.</p> - -<p class="c"> -THE END<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_306" id="page_306"></a>{306}</span><br /> -<br /><br /><small><span class="smcap">Printed in Great Britain by<br /> -Richard Clay & Sons, Limited,<br /> -brunswick st., stamford st., s.e.,<br /> -and bungay suffolk.</span></small><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_307" id="page_307"></a>{307}</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cblg">A SELECTION FROM<br /> -CHAPMAN & HALL’S NEW BOOKS</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="cb">J. L. GARVIN</p> - -<p class="cblg">THE COMING of the GREAT WAR</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">J. L. Garvin</span>, Editor of the <i>Pall Mall Gazette</i>. Demy 8vo. 7<i>s.</i> -6<i>d.</i> net.</p> - -<p class="cb">J. JOHNSTON ABRAHAM</p> - -<p class="cblg">THE RED CROSS IN SERBIA</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">J. Johnston Abraham</span>, Author of “The Surgeon’s Log.” Demy 8vo. -6<i>s.</i> net.</p> - -<p class="cb">CECIL CHESTERTON</p> - -<p class="cblg">THE PRUSSIAN HATH SAID IN HIS HEART</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">Cecil Chesterton</span>. Crown 8vo. 2<i>s.</i> net.</p> - -<p class="cb">W. L. COURTNEY, M.A., LL.D.</p> - -<p class="cblg">ARMAGEDDON—AND AFTER</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">W. L. Courtney</span>, M.A. Crown 8vo. 1<i>s.</i> net; cloth, 1<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> -net.</p> - -<p class="cb">EDWARD THOMAS</p> - -<p class="cblg">THE LIFE OF THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">Edward Thomas</span>, Author of “George Borrow,” “Richard Jefferies.” -Illustrated. Demy 8vo. 10<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> net.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_308" id="page_308"></a>{308}</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c">WINIFRED JAMES</p> - -<p class="cblg">A NEW WORK ON PANAMA</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">Winifred James</span>, Author of “The Mulberry Tree,” “Letters to My -Son,” etc. Illustrated. Demy 8vo. 7<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> net.</p> - -<p class="c">C. E. GOULDSBURY</p> - -<p class="cblg">TIGERSLAYER BY ORDER</p> - -<p class="c">(Digby Davies, late Bombay Police)</p> - -<p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">C. E. Gouldsbury</span>, Author of “Tigerland.” With numerous -Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 7<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> net.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="cblg">NEW 6/-NOVELS</p> - -<p class="hang"><b>THE PASSIONATE CRIME.</b> By <span class="smcap">E. Temple Thurston</span>.</p> - -<p class="hang"><b>THE SON OF HIS FATHER.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ridgwell Cullum</span>.</p> - -<p class="hang"><b>MR. BROOM AND HIS BROTHER.</b> By <span class="smcap">Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick</span>.</p> - -<p class="hang"><b>A SENTIMENTAL PILGRIM.</b> By <span class="smcap">Marion Ashworth</span>.</p> - -<p class="hang"><b>A NEW NOVEL</b> by <span class="smcap">Mrs. George Norman</span>.</p> - -<p class="hang"><b>THE SOUL OF A TEACHER.</b> By <span class="smcap">Roger Wray</span>.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="c">LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LTD.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="cb">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Colonel Gordon was twice reported killed; but it was -definitely ascertained, later, that he was a prisoner of war.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> I saw the “eighth” man not far from the spot where he and -his comrades were standing when the shell burst. He had been wounded by -shell splinters on the head, which, when I saw him, was bandaged. The -effect of the explosion, he said, was terrible. He declared that the -German warships were flying the British white ensign, and that he could -distinguish their flags quite clearly.—W. W.</p></div> - -</div> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Soldiers' Stories of the War, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOLDIERS' STORIES OF THE WAR *** - -***** This file should be named 52201-h.htm or 52201-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/2/0/52201/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -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. 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