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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/19857-8.txt b/19857-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5edf093 --- /dev/null +++ b/19857-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,13438 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Great War As I Saw It, by Frederick George Scott + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Great War As I Saw It + +Author: Frederick George Scott + +Release Date: November 18, 2006 [EBook #19857] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WAR AS I SAW IT *** + + + + +Produced by Sigal Alon, Christine P. Travers and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + +[Transcriber's note: +-Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. +-Variable spelling of hyphenated words has been made consistent. +-Missing page numbers correspond to blank pages. +-Punctuation conventions of the original have been retained. +-Inconsistent spelling of place names has been retained.] + + + + +[Illustration: Frontispiece] + + + + + The Great War as I Saw It + + + + +[Illustration: Frederick George Scott.] + + + + + The Great War as I Saw It + + by + + Canon Frederick George Scott, C.M.G., D.S.O. + _Late Senior Chaplain_ + _First Canadian Division, C.E.F._ + + Author of "Later Canadian Poems," and "Hymn of the Empire." + + + + F. D. GOODCHILD COMPANY + Publishers Toronto + + + + + Copyright, Canada, 1922 + by Frederick George Scott + + + + +CONTENTS (p. 005) + + PAGE +CHAPTER I. + How I got into the War--July to September, 1914 15 + +CHAPTER II. + The Voyage to England--September 29th to October 18th, 1914 25 + +CHAPTER III. + On Salisbury Plain--October 18th, 1914 to January 1st, 1915 30 + +CHAPTER IV. + Off to France--January to March, 1915 34 + +CHAPTER V. + Before the Storm--March and April, 1915 48 + +CHAPTER VI. + The Second Battle of Ypres--April 22nd, 1915 55 + +CHAPTER VII. + Festubert and Givenchy--May and June, 1915 74 + +CHAPTER VIII. + A Lull in Operations--Ploegsteert, July to December, 1915 93 + +CHAPTER IX. + Our First Christmas in France 118 + +CHAPTER X. + Spring, 1916 122 + +CHAPTER XI. + The Attack on Mount Sorrel--Summer, 1916 128 + +CHAPTER XII. + The Battle of the Somme--Autumn, 1916 134 + +CHAPTER XIII. + Our Home at Camblain l'Abbé--November, 1916 149 + +CHAPTER XIV. + My Search is Rewarded 154 + +CHAPTER XV. + A Time of Preparation--Christmas, 1916 to April, 1917 159 + +CHAPTER XVI. + The Capture of Vimy Ridge--April 9th, 1917 167 + +CHAPTER XVII. + A Month on the Ridge--April and May, 1917 173 + +CHAPTER XVIII. (p. 006) + A Well-earned Rest--May and June, 1917 179 + +CHAPTER XIX. + Paris Leave--June, 1917 186 + +CHAPTER XX. + We take Hill 70--July and August, 1917 192 + +CHAPTER XXI. + Every day Life--August and September, 1917 203 + +CHAPTER XXII. + A Tragedy of War 210 + +CHAPTER XXIII. + Visits to Rome and Paschendaele--Oct. and Nov., 1917 216 + +CHAPTER XXIV. + Our Last War Christmas 230 + +CHAPTER XXV. + Victory Year Opens--January and February, 1918 234 + +CHAPTER XXVI. + The German Offensive--March, 1918 240 + +CHAPTER XXVII. + In Front of Arras--April, 1918 248 + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + Sports and Pastimes--May and June, 1918 254 + +CHAPTER XXIX. + The Beginning of the End 267 + +CHAPTER XXX. + The Battle of Amiens--August 8th to August 16th, 1918 274 + +CHAPTER XXXI. + We Return to Arras--August, 1918 288 + +CHAPTER XXXII. + The Smashing of the Drocourt-Quéant Line--Sept. 2nd, 1918 292 + +CHAPTER XXXIII. + Preparing for the Final Blow--September, 1918 298 + +CHAPTER XXXIV. + The Crossing of the Canal du Nord--September 27th, 1918 307 + +CHAPTER XXXV. + VICTORY--November 11th, 1918 318 + +INDEX 321 + + + + + TO (p. 007) + THE OFFICERS AND MEN + OF THE + FIRST CANADIAN DIVISION, C.E.F. + + + + +"THE UNBROKEN LINE." + + We who have trod the borderlands of death, + Where courage high walks hand in hand with fear, + Shall we not hearken what the Spirit saith, + "All ye were brothers there, be brothers here?" + + We who have struggled through the baffling night, + Where men were men and every man divine, + While round us brave hearts perished for the right + By chaliced shell-holes stained with life's rich wine. + + Let us not lose the exalted love which came + From comradeship with danger and the joy + Of strong souls kindled into living flame + By one supreme desire, one high employ. + + Let us draw closer in these narrower years, + Before us still the eternal visions spread; + We who outmastered death and all its fears + Are one great army still, living and dead. + F. G. S. + + + + +FOREWORD (p. 009) + + +It is with great pleasure I accede to the request of Canon Scott to +write a foreword to his book. + +I first heard of my friend and comrade after the second battle of +Ypres when he accompanied his beloved Canadians to Bethune after their +glorious stand in that poisonous gap--which in my own mind he +immortalised in verse:-- + + O England of our fathers, and England of our sons, + Above the roar of battling hosts, the thunder of the guns, + A mother's voice was calling us, we heard it oversea, + The blood which thou didst give us, is the blood we spill for thee. + +Little did I think when I first saw him that he could possibly, at his +time of life, bear the rough and tumble of the heaviest fighting in +history, and come through with buoyancy of spirit younger men envied +and older men recognized as the sign and fruit of self-forgetfulness +and the inspiration and cheering of others. + +Always in the thick of the fighting, bearing almost a charmed life, +ignoring any suggestion that he should be posted to a softer job +"further back," he held on to the very end. + +The last time I saw him was in a hospital at Etaples badly wounded, +yet cheery as ever--having done his duty nobly. + +All the Canadians in France knew him, and his devotion and +fearlessness were known all along the line, and his poems will, I am +bold to prophesy, last longer in the ages to come than most of the +histories of the war. + +I feel sure that his book--if anything like himself--will interest and +inspire all who read it. + + LLEWELLYN H. GWYNNE. + _Bishop of Khartoum, + Deputy Chaplain General + to the C. of E. Chaplains + in France._ + + + + +PREFACE (p. 011) + + +It is with a feeling of great hesitation that I send out this account +of my personal experiences in the Great War. As I read it over, I am +dismayed at finding how feebly it suggests the bitterness and the +greatness of the sacrifice of our men. As the book is written from an +entirely personal point of view, the use of the first personal pronoun +is of course inevitable, but I trust that the narration of my +experience has been used only as a lens through which the great and +glorious deeds of our men may be seen by others. I have refrained, as +far as possible, except where circumstances seemed to demand it, from +mentioning the names of officers or the numbers of battalions. + +I cannot let the book go out without thanking, for many acts of +kindness, Lieut.-General Sir Edwin Alderson, K.C.B., Lieut.-General +Sir Arthur Currie, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., and Major-General Sir Archibald +Macdonell, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., who were each in turn Commanders of +the First Canadian Division. In all the efforts the chaplains made for +the welfare of the Division, they always had the backing of these true +Christian Knights. Their kindness and consideration at all times were +unbounded, and the degree of liberty which they allowed me was a +privilege for which I cannot be too thankful, and which I trust I did +not abuse. + +If, by these faulty and inadequate reminiscences, dug out of memories +which have blended together in emotions too deep and indefinable to be +expressed in words, I have reproduced something of the atmosphere in +which our glorious men played their part in the deliverance of the +world, I shall consider my task not in vain. + +May the ears of Canada never grow deaf to the plea of widows and +orphans and our crippled men for care and support. May the eyes of +Canada never be blind to that glorious light which shines upon our +young national life from the deeds of those "Who counted not their +lives dear unto themselves," and may the lips of Canada never be dumb +to tell to future generations the tales of heroism which will kindle +the imagination and fire the patriotism of children that are yet +unborn. + + + + + The Great War as I Saw It (p. 013) + + + + +CHAPTER I. (p. 015) + +HOW I GOT INTO THE WAR. + +_July to September, 1914._ + + +It happened on this wise. It was on the evening of the 31st of July, +1914, that I went down to a newspaper office in Quebec to stand amid +the crowd and watch the bulletins which were posted up every now and +then, and to hear the news of the war. One after another the reports +were given, and at last there flashed upon the board the words, +"General Hughes offers a force of twenty thousand men to England in +case war is declared against Germany." I turned to a friend and said, +"That means that I have got to go to the war." Cold shivers went up +and down my spine as I thought of it, and my friend replied, "Of +course it does not mean that you should go. You have a parish and +duties at home." I said, "No. I am a Chaplain of the 8th Royal Rifles. +I must volunteer, and if I am accepted, I will go." It was a queer +sensation, because I had never been to war before and I did not know +how I should be able to stand the shell fire. I had read in books of +people whose minds were keen and brave, but whose hind legs persisted +in running away under the sound of guns. Now I knew that an ordinary +officer on running away under fire would get the sympathy of a large +number of people, who would say, "The poor fellow has got shell +shock," and they would make allowance for him. But if a chaplain ran +away, about six hundred men would say at once, "We have no more use +for religion." So it was with very mingled feelings that I +contemplated an expedition to the battle-fields of France, and I +trusted that the difficulties of Europe would be settled without our +intervention. + +However, preparations for war went on. On Sunday, August 2nd, in the +afternoon, I telephoned to Militia Headquarters and gave in my name as +a volunteer for the Great War. When I went to church that evening and +told the wardens that I was off to France, they were much surprised +and disconcerted. When I was preaching at the service and looked down +at the congregation, I had a queer feeling that some mysterious power +was dragging me into a whirlpool, and the ordinary life around me and +the things that were so dear to me had already begun to fade away. + +On Tuesday, August the Fourth, war was declared, and the (p. 016) +Expeditionary Force began to be mobilized in earnest. It is like +recalling a horrible dream when I look back to those days of +apprehension and dread. The world seemed suddenly to have gone mad. +All civilization appeared to be tottering. The Japanese Prime +Minister, on the night war was declared, said, "This is the end of +Europe." In a sense his words were true. Already we see power shifted +from nations in Europe to that great Empire which is in its youth, +whose home is in Europe, but whose dominions are scattered over the +wide world, and also to that new Empire of America, which came in to +the war at the end with such determination and high resolve. The +destinies of mankind are now in the hands of the English-speaking +nations and France. + +In those hot August days, a camp at Valcartier was prepared in a +lovely valley surrounded by the old granite hills of the Laurentians, +the oldest range of mountains in the world. The Canadian units began +to collect, and the lines of white tents were laid out. On Saturday, +August 22nd, at seven in the morning, the detachment of volunteers +from Quebec marched off from the drill-shed to entrain for Valcartier. +Our friends came to see us off and the band played "The Girl I Left +Behind Me," in the traditional manner. On our arrival at Valcartier we +marched over to the ground assigned to us, and the men set to work to +put up the tents. I hope I am casting no slur upon the 8th Royal +Rifles of Quebec, when I say that I think we were all pretty green in +the matter of field experience. The South African veterans amongst us, +both officers and men, saved the situation. But I know that the +cooking arrangements rather "fell down", and I think a little bread +and cheese, very late at night, was all we had to eat. We were lucky +to get that. Little did we know then of the field kitchens, with their +pipes smoking and dinners cooking, which later on used to follow up +the battalions as they moved. + +The camp at Valcartier was really a wonderful place. Rapidly the roads +were laid out, the tents were run up, and from west and east and north +and south men poured in. There was activity everywhere. Water was laid +on, and the men got the privilege of taking shower-baths, beside the +dusty roads. Bands played; pipers retired to the woods and practised +unearthly music calculated to fire the breast of the Scotsman with a +lust for blood. We had rifle practice on the marvellous ranges. We had +sham battles in which the men engaged so intensely that on one (p. 017) +occasion, when the enemy met, one over-eager soldier belaboured his +opponent with the butt end of his rifle as though he were a real +German, and the poor victim, who had not been taught to say "Kamarad", +suffered grievous wounds and had to be taken away in an ambulance. +Though many gales and tempests had blown round those ancient +mountains, nothing had ever equalled the latent power in the hearts of +the stalwart young Canadians who had come so swiftly and eagerly at +the call of the Empire. It is astonishing how the war spirit grips +one. In Valcartier began that splendid comradeship which spread out to +all the divisions of the Canadian Corps, and which binds those who +went to the great adventure in a brotherhood stronger than has ever +been known before. + +Valcartier was to me a weird experience. The tents were cold. The +ground was very hard. I got it into my mind that a chaplain should +live the same life as the private soldier, and should avoid all +luxuries. So I tried to sleep at night under my blanket, making a +little hole in the ground for my thigh bone to rest in. After lying +awake for some nights under these conditions, I found that the +privates, especially the old soldiers, had learnt the art of making +themselves comfortable and were hunting for straw for beds. I saw the +wisdom of this and got a Wolesley sleeping bag, which I afterwards +lost when my billet was shelled at Ypres. Under this new arrangement I +was able to get a little rest. A kind friend in Quebec provided fifty +oil stoves for the use of the Quebec contingent and so we became quite +comfortable. + +The dominating spirit of the camp was General Hughes, who rode about +with his aides-de-camp in great splendour like Napoleon. To me it +seemed that his personality and his despotic rule hung like a dark +shadow over the camp. He was especially interesting and terrible to us +chaplains, because rumour had it that he did not believe in chaplains, +and no one could find out whether he was going to take us or not. The +chaplains in consequence were very polite when inadvertently they +found themselves in his august presence. I was clad in a private's +uniform, which was handed to me out of a box in the drill-shed the +night before the 8th Royal Rifles left Quebec, and I was most +punctilious in the matter of saluting General Hughes whenever we +chanced to meet. + +The day after we arrived at the camp was a Sunday. The weather looked +dark and showery, but we were to hold our first church parade, (p. 018) +and, as I was the senior chaplain in rank, I was ordered to take it +over. We assembled about three thousand strong, on a little rise in +the ground, and here the men were formed in a hollow square. Rain was +threatening, but perhaps might have held off had it not been for the +action of one of the members of my congregation, who in the rear ranks +was overheard by my son to utter the prayer--"O Lord, have mercy in +this hour, and send us now a gentle shower." The prayer of the young +saint was answered immediately, the rain came down in torrents, the +church parade was called off, and I went back to my tent to get dry. + +Day after day passed and more men poured in. They were a splendid lot, +full of life, energy and keen delight in the great enterprise. +Visitors from the city thronged the camp in the afternoons and +evenings. A cinema was opened, but was brought to a fiery end by the +men, who said that the old man in charge of it never changed his +films. + +One of the most gruesome experiences I had was taking the funeral of a +young fellow who had committed suicide. I shall never forget the +dismal service which was held, for some reason or other, at ten +o'clock at night. Rain was falling, and we marched off into the woods +by the light of two smoky lanterns to the place selected as a military +cemetery. To add to the weirdness of the scene two pipers played a +dirge. In the dim light of the lanterns, with the dropping rain over +head and the dripping trees around us, we laid the poor boy to rest. +The whole scene made a lasting impression on those who were present. + +Meanwhile the camp extended and improvements were made, and many +changes occurred in the disposition of the units. At one time the +Quebec men were joined with a Montreal unit, then they were taken and +joined with a New Brunswick detachment and formed into a battalion. Of +course we grew more military, and I had assigned to me a batman whom I +shall call Stephenson. I selected him because of his piety--he was a +theological student from Ontario. I found afterwards that it is unwise +to select batmen for their piety. Stephenson was a failure as a +batman. When some duty had been neglected by him and I was on the +point of giving vent to that spirit of turbulent anger, which I soon +found was one of the natural and necessary equipments of an officer, +he would say, "Would you like me to recite Browning's 'Prospice'?" +What could the enraged Saul do on such occasions but forgive, throw +down the javelin and listen to the music of the harping David? (p. 019) +Stephenson was with me till I left Salisbury Plain for France. He +nearly exterminated me once by setting a stone water-bottle to heat on +my stove without unscrewing the stopper. I arrived in my tent quite +late and seeing the thing on the stove quickly unscrewed it. The steam +blew out with terrific force and filled the tent. A moment or two more +and the bottle would have burst with disastrous consequences. When I +told Stephenson of the enormity of his offence and that he might have +been the cause of my death, and would have sent me to the grave +covered with dishonour for having been killed by the bursting of a hot +water-bottle--an unworthy end for one about to enter the greatest war +the world has ever known--he only smiled faintly and asked me if I +should like to hear him recite a poem. + +News from overseas continued to be bad. Day after day brought us +tidings of the German advance. The martial spirits amongst us were +always afraid to hear that the war would be over before we got to +England. I, but did not tell the people so, was afraid it wouldn't. I +must confess I did not see in those days how a British force composed +of men from farms, factories, offices and universities could get +together in time to meet and overthrow the trained legions of Germany. +It was certainly a period of anxious thought and deep foreboding, but +I felt that I belonged to a race that has never been conquered. Above +all, right and, therefore, God was on our side. + +The scenery around Valcartier is very beautiful. It was a joy now and +then to get a horse and ride away from the camp to where the Jacques +Cartier river comes down from the mountains, and to dream of the old +days when the world was at peace and we could enjoy the lovely +prospects of nature, without the anxious care that now gnawed at our +hearts. The place had been a favorite haunt of mine in the days gone +by, when I used to take a book of poems and spend the whole day beside +the river, reading and dozing and listening to the myriad small voices +of the woods. + +Still, the centre of interest now was the camp, with its turmoil and +bustle and indefinite longing to be up and doing. The officer +commanding my battalion had brought his own chaplain with him, and it +was plainly evident that I was not wanted. This made it, I must +confess, somewhat embarrassing. My tent, which was at the corner of +the front line, was furnished only with my bed-roll and a box or two, +and was not a particularly cheerful home. I used to feel rather (p. 020) +lonely at times. Now and then I would go to Quebec for the day. On one +occasion, when I had been feeling particularly seedy, I returned to +camp at eleven o'clock at night. It was cold and rainy. I made my way +from the station to my tent. In doing so I had to pass a Highland +Battalion from Vancouver. When I came to their lines, to my dismay I +was halted by a sentry with a fixed bayonet, who shouted in the +darkness, "Who goes there?" I gave the answer, but instead of being +satisfied with my reply, the wretched youth stood unmoved, with his +bayonet about six inches from my body, causing me a most unpleasant +sensation. He said I should have to come to the guardroom and be +identified. In the meantime, another sentry appeared, also with a +fixed bayonet, and said that I had to be identified. Little did I +think that the whole thing was a game of the young rascals, and that +they were beguiling the tedious moments of the sentry-go by pulling a +chaplain's leg. They confessed it to me months afterwards in France. +However, I was unsuspecting and had come submissive into the great +war. I said that if they would remove their bayonets from propinquity +to my person--because the sight of them was causing me a fresh attack +of the pains that had racked me all day--I would go with them to the +guardroom. At this they said, "Well, Sir, we'll let you pass. We'll +take your word and say no more about it." So off I went to my dripping +canvas home, hoping that the war would be brought to a speedy +termination. + +Every night I used to do what I called "parish visiting." I would go +round among the tents, and sitting on the ground have a talk with the +men. Very interesting and charming these talks were. I was much +impressed with the miscellaneous interests and life histories of the +men who had been so quickly drawn together. All were fast being shaken +down into their places, and I think the great lessons of unselfishness +and the duty of pulling together were being stamped upon the lives +that had hitherto been more or less at loose ends. I used to sit in +the tents talking long after lights were out, not wishing to break the +discussion of some interesting life problem. This frequently entailed +upon me great difficulty in finding my way back to my tent, for the +evenings were closing in rapidly and it was hard to thread one's way +among the various ropes and pegs which kept the tents in position. On +one occasion when going down the lines, I tripped over a rope. Up to +that moment the tent had been in perfect silence, but, as though I had +fired a magazine of high explosives, a torrent of profanity burst (p. 021) +forth from the inhabitants at my misadventure. Of course the men +inside did not know to whom they were talking, but I stood there with +my blood curdling, wondering how far I was personally responsible for +the language poured forth, and terrified lest anyone should look and +find out who had disturbed their slumbers. I stole off into the +darkness as quickly as I could, more than ever longing for a speedy +termination of the great war, and resolving to be more careful in +future about tripping over tent ropes. + +We had church parades regularly now on Sundays and early celebrations +of the Holy Communion for the various units. Several weeks had gone by +and as yet we had no definite information from General Hughes as to +which or how many chaplains would be accepted. It was very annoying. +Some of us could not make satisfactory arrangements for our parishes, +until there was a certainty in the matter. The question came to me as +to whether I ought to go, now that the Quebec men had been merged into +a battalion of which I was not to be the chaplain. One evening as I +was going to town, I put the matter before my friend Colonel, now +General, Turner. It was a lovely night. The moon was shining, and +stretching far off into the valley were the rows of white tents with +the dark mountains enclosing them around. We stood outside the +farmhouse used as headquarters, which overlooked the camp. When I +asked the Colonel whether, now that I was separated from my men, I +ought to leave my parish and go, he said to me, "Look at those lines +of tents and think of the men in them. How many of those men will ever +come back? The best expert opinion reckons that this war will last at +least two years. The wastage of human life in war is tremendous. The +battalions have to be filled and refilled again and again. Don't +decide in a hurry, but think over what I have told you." On the next +evening when I returned from Quebec, I went to the Colonel and said, +"I have thought the matter over and I am going." + +The time was now drawing near for our departure and at last word was +sent round that General Hughes wished to meet all the chaplains on the +verandah of his bungalow. The time set was the cheerful hour of five +a.m. I lay awake all night with a loud ticking alarm clock beside me, +till about half an hour before the wretched thing was to go off. With +great expedition I rose and shaved and making myself as smart as +possible in the private's uniform, hurried off to the General's camp +home. There the other chaplains were assembled, about twenty-five (p. 022) +or thirty in all. We all felt very sleepy and very chilly as we waited +with expectancy the utterance which was going to seal our fate. The +General soon appeared in all the magnificence and power of his +position. We rose and saluted. When he metaphorically told us to +"stand easy", we all sat down. I do not know what the feelings of the +others were, but I had an impression that we were rather an awkward +squad, neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. The General gave us a heart to +heart talk. He told us he was going to send us with "the boys." From +his manner I inferred that he looked upon us a kind of auxiliary and +quite dispensable sanitary section. I gathered that he did not want us +to be very exacting as to the performance of religious duties by the +men. Rather we were to go in and out amongst them, make friends of +them and cheer them on their way. Above all we were to remember that +because a man said "Damn", it did not mean necessarily that he was +going to hell. At the conclusion of the address, we were allowed to +ask questions, and one of our number unadvisedly asked if he would be +allowed to carry a revolver. "No," said Sam with great firmness, "take +a bottle of castor oil." We didn't dare to be amused at the incident +in the presence of the Chief, but we had a good laugh over it when we +got back to our tents. + +Two Sundays before we left, the most remarkable church parade in the +history of the division was held, at which fully fifteen thousand men +were present. The Senior Chaplain asked me to preach. A large platform +had been erected, on which the chaplains stood, and on the platform +also were two signallers, whose duty it was to signal to the +battalions and bands the numbers of the hymns. On the chairs in front +of the platform were seated the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the +Princess Patricia, Sir Robert Borden, and other notables. Beyond them +were gathered the men in battalions. At one side were the massed +bands. It was a wonderful sight. The sun was shining. Autumn tints +coloured the maple trees on the sides of the ancient mountains. Here +was Canada quickening into national life and girding on the sword to +take her place among the independent nations of the world. It had been +my privilege, fifteen years before, to preach at the farewell service +in Quebec Cathedral for the Canadian Contingent going to the South +African war. It seemed to me then that never again should I have such +an experience. Yet on that occasion there were only a thousand men +present, and here were fifteen times that number. At that time (p. 023) +the war was with a small and half-civilized nation in Africa, now the +war was with the foremost nations of Europe. On that occasion I used +the second personal pronoun "you", now I was privileged to use the +first personal pronoun "we". Almost to the last I did not know what +text to choose and trusted to the inspiration of the moment what to +say. My mind was confused with the vastness of the outlook. At last +the words came to me which are the very foundation stone of human +endeavour and human progress, "He that loseth his life for My sake +shall find it." I do not know exactly what I said, and I do not +suppose it mattered much, for it was hard to make oneself heard. I was +content if the words of the text alone were audible. We sang that +great hymn, "O God our help in ages past," which came into such +prominence as an imperial anthem during the war. As we sang the +words-- + + "Before the hills in order stood, + Or earth received her frame"-- + +I looked at the everlasting mountains around us, where the sound of +our worship died away, and thought how they had watched and waited for +this day to come, and how, in the ages that were to dawn upon Canadian +life and expansion, they would stand as monuments of the consecration +of Canada to the service of mankind. + +Things began to move rapidly now. People from town told us that +already a fleet of liners was waiting in the harbour, ready to carry +overseas the thirty-three thousand men of the Canadian contingent. + +At last the eventful day of our departure arrived. On September 28th, +with several other units, the 14th Battalion, to which I had been +attached, marched off to the entraining point. I took one last look at +the great camp which had now become a place of such absorbing interest +and I wondered if I should ever see again that huge amphitheatre with +its encompassing mountain witnesses. The men were in high spirits and +good humour prevailed. + +We saw the three companies of Engineers moving off, each followed by +those mysterious pontoons which followed them wherever they went and +suggested the bridging of the Rhine and our advance to Berlin. Someone +called out, "What are those boats?" and a voice replied, "That's the +Canadian Navy." We had a pleasant trip in the train to Quebec, +enlivened by jokes and songs. On our arrival at the docks, we were +taken to the custom-house wharf and marched on board the fine (p. 024) +Cunard liner "Andania", which now rests, her troubles over, at the +bottom of the Irish Sea. On the vessel, besides half of the 14th +Battalion, there was the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, chiefly +from Vancouver, and the Signal Company. Thus we had a ship full to +overflowing of some of the noblest young fellows to whom the world has +given birth. So ended our war experience in Valcartier Camp. + +Nearly five years passed before I saw that sacred spot again. It was +in August 1919. The war was ended, peace had been signed, and the +great force of brother knights had been dispersed. Little crosses by +the highways and byways of France and Belgium now marked the +resting-place of thousands of those whose eager hearts took flame +among these autumn hills. As I motored past the deserted camp after +sunset, my heart thrilled with strange memories and the sense of an +abiding presence of something weird and ghostly. Here were the old +roads, there were the vacant hutments. Here were the worn paths across +the fields where the men had gone. The evening breeze whispered +fitfully across the untrodden grass and one by one the strong +mountains, as though fixing themselves more firmly in iron resolve, +cast off the radiant hues of evening and stood out black and grim +against the starlit sky. + + + + +CHAPTER II. (p. 025) + +THE VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. + +_September 29th to October 18th, 1914._ + + +The "Andania" moved out to mid-stream and anchored off Cape Diamond. +The harbour was full of liners, crowded with men in khaki. It was a +great sensation to feel oneself at last merged into the great army +life and no longer free to come and go. I looked at the City and saw +the familiar outline of the Terrace and Château Frontenac and, over +all, the Citadel, one of my favourite haunts in times past. A great +gulf separated us now from the life we had known. We began to realize +that the individual was submerged in the great flood of corporate +life, and the words of the text came to me, "He that loseth his life +for My sake shall find it." + +The evening was spent in settling down to our new quarters in what +was, especially after the camp at Valcartier, a luxurious home. Dinner +at night became the regimental mess, and the saloon with its sumptuous +furnishings made a fine setting for the nightly gathering of officers. +We lay stationary all that night and on the next evening, Sept. the +29th, at six o'clock we weighed anchor and went at slow speed down the +stream. Several other vessels had preceded us, the orders to move +being sent by wireless. We passed the Terrace where cheer after cheer +went up from the black line of spectators crowded against the railing. +Our men climbed up into the rigging and their cheers went forth to the +land that they were leaving. It was a glorious evening. The sun had +set and the great golden light, fast deepening into crimson, burnt +behind the northern hills and lit up the windows of the houses on the +cliffs of Levis opposite. We moved down past the Custom House. We saw +the St. Charles Valley and the Beauport shore, but ever our eyes +turned to the grim outline of Cape Diamond and the city set upon the +hill. Beside me on the upper deck stood a young officer. We were +talking together and wondering if we should ever see that rock again. +He never did. He and his only brother were killed in the war. We +reached the end of the Island of Orleans, and looking back saw a +deeper crimson flood the sky, till the purple mists of evening hid +Quebec from our view. + +We had a lovely sail down the St. Lawrence in superb weather and (p. 026) +three days later entered the great harbour of Gaspé Basin. Here the +green arms of the hills encompassed us, as though Canada were +reluctant to let us go. Gaspé Basin has historical memories for +Canada, for it was there that Wolfe assembled his fleet on his voyage +to the capture of Quebec. We lay at anchor all day, and at night the +moon came up and flooded the great water with light, against which +stood out the black outline of thirty ships, so full of eager and +vigorous life. About midnight I went on deck to contemplate the scene. +The night was calm and still. The vessels lay dark and silent with all +lights screened. The effect was one of lonely grandeur. What was it +going to mean to us? What did fate hold in store? Among those hills, +the outline of which I could now but faintly see, were the lakes and +salmon rivers in the heart of the great forests which make our +Canadian wild life so fascinating. We were being torn from that life +and sent headlong into the seething militarism of a decadent European +feudalism. I was leaning on the rail looking at the track of +moonlight, when a young lad came up to me and said, "Excuse me, Sir, +but may I talk to you for a while? It is such a weird sight that it +has got on my nerves." He was a young boy of seventeen who had come +from Vancouver. Many times afterwards I met him in France and Belgium, +when big things were being done in the war, and we talked together +over that night in Gaspé Basin and the strange thoughts that crowded +upon us then. He was not the only one in that great fleet of +transports who felt the significance of the enterprise. + +On Saturday afternoon we resumed our journey and steamed out of the +narrows. Outside the bay the ships formed into a column of three abreast, +making a line nine miles in length. Several cruisers, and later a +battleship and battle cruiser, mounted guard over the expedition. Off +Cape Race, the steamship "Florizel" joined us, bringing the Newfoundland +troops. Our family party was now complete. + +It was indeed a family party. On every ship we had friends. It seemed +as if Canada herself were steaming across the ocean. Day after day, in +perfect weather, keeping our relative positions in absolute order, we +sped over the deep. There was none of the usual sense of loneliness +which characterizes the ocean voyage. We looked at the line of vessels +and we felt that one spirit and one determination quickened the whole +fleet into individual life. + +On board the "Andania" the spirit of the men was excellent. There (p. 027) +was physical drill daily to keep them fit. There was the gymnasium for +the officers. We had boxing matches for all, and sword dances also for +the Highlanders. In the early morning at five-thirty, the pipers used +to play reveille down the passages. Not being a Scotsman, the music +always woke me up. At such moments I considered it my duty to try to +understand the music of the pipes. But in the early hours of the +morning I made what I thought were discoveries. First I found out that +all pipe melodies have the same bass. Secondly I found out that all +pipe melodies have the same treble. On one occasion the pipers left +the security of the Highlanders' quarters and invaded the precincts of +the 14th Battalion, who retaliated by turning the hose on them. A +genuine battle between the contending factions was only averted by the +diplomacy of the O.C. + +I had made friends with the wireless operators on board the ship, and +every night I used to go up to their cabin on the upper deck and they +would give me reports of the news which had been flashed out to the +leading cruiser. They told me of the continued German successes and of +the fall of Antwerp. The news was not calculated to act as a soothing +nightcap before going to bed. I was sworn to secrecy and so I did not +let the men know what was happening at the front. I used to look round +at the bright faces of the young officers in the saloon and think of +all that those young fellows might have to endure before the world was +saved. It gave everyone on board a special sacredness in my eyes, and +one felt strangely inadequate and unworthy to be with them. + +The men lived below decks and some of them were packed in pretty +tightly. Had the weather been rough there would have been a good deal +of suffering. During the voyage our supply of flour gave out, but as +we had a lot of wheat on board, the men were set to grind it in a +coffee mill. More than fifty per cent of the men, I found, were +members of the Church of England, and so I determined to have a +celebration of Holy Communion, for all who cared to attend, at five +o'clock every morning. I always had a certain number present, and very +delightful were these services at that early hour. Outside on deck we +could hear the tramp and orders of those engaged in physical drill, +and inside the saloon where I had arranged the altar there knelt a +small gathering of young fellows from various parts of Canada, who +were pleased to find that the old Church was going with them on (p. 028) +their strange pilgrimage. The well-known hymn-- + + "Eternal Father strong to save, + Whose arm hath bound the restless wave" + +had never appealed to me much in the past, but it took on a new +meaning at our Sunday church parade, for we all felt that we were a +rather vulnerable body in any determined attack that might be made +upon us by the German navy. Now and then vessels would be sighted on +the horizon and there was always much excitement and speculation as to +what they might be. We could see the cruisers making off in the +direction of the strangers and taking a survey of the ocean at long +range. + +One day a man on the "Royal George" fell overboard, and a boat was +instantly lowered to pick him up. The whole fleet came to a +standstill and all our glasses were turned towards the scene of +rescue. Often in our battles when we saw the hideous slaughter of +human beings, I have thought of the care for the individual life which +stopped that great fleet in order to save one man. + +Our destination, of course, was not known to us. Some thought we might +go directly to France, others that we should land in England. When at +last, skirting the south coast of Ireland, we got into the English +Channel, we felt more than ever the reality of our adventure. I believe +we were destined for Southampton; but rumour had it that a German +submarine was waiting for us in the Channel, so we turned into the +harbour of Plymouth. It was night when we arrived. A low cloud and +mist hung over the dark choppy waves of the Channel. From the forts at +Plymouth and from vessels in the harbour, long searchlights moved like +the fingers of a great ghostly hand that longed to clutch at something. +We saw the small patrol boats darting about in all directions and we +felt with a secret thrill that we had got into that part of the world +which was at war. We arrived at Plymouth on the evening of October +14th, our voyage having lasted more than a fortnight. Surely no +expedition, ancient or modern, save that perhaps which Columbus led +towards the undiscovered continent of his dreams, was ever fraught +with greater significance to the world at large. We are still too +close to the event to be able to measure its true import. Its real +meaning was that the American continent with all its huge resources, +its potential value in the ages to come, had entered upon the sphere +of world politics, and ultimately would hold in its hands the sceptre +of world dominion. Even the British thought that we had come (p. 029) +merely to assist the Mother Country in her difficulties. Those who +were at the helm in Canada, however, knew that we were not fighting +for the security of the Mother Country only, but for the security of +Canadian nationalism itself. Whatever the ages hold in store for us in +this great and rich Dominion which stretches from sea to sea and from +the river unto the world's end, depended upon our coming out victors +in the great European struggle. + + + + +CHAPTER III. (p. 030) + +ON SALISBURY PLAIN. + +_October 18th, 1914, to January 1st, 1915._ + + +On Sunday the 18th, our men entrained and travelled to Patney, and +from thence marched to Westdown South, Salisbury Plain. There tents +had been prepared and we settled down to life in our new English home. +At first the situation was very pleasant. Around us on all sides +spread the lines of tents. The weather was delightful. A ride over the +mysterious plain was something never to be forgotten. The little +villages around were lovely and quaint. The old town of Salisbury, +with its wonderful Cathedral and memories of old England, threw the +glamour of romance and chivalry over the new soldiers in the new +crusade. But winter drew on, and such a winter it was. The rains +descended, the floods came and the storms beat upon our tents, and the +tents which were old and thin allowed a fine sprinkling of moisture to +fall upon our faces. The green sward was soon trampled into deep and +clinging mud. There was nothing for the men to do. Ammunition was +short, there was little rifle practice. The weather was so bad that a +route march meant a lot of wet soldiers with nowhere to dry their +clothes upon their return. In some places the mud went over my long +rubber boots. The gales of heaven swept over the plain unimpeded. +Tents were blown down. On one particularly gloomy night, I met a +chaplain friend of mine in the big Y.M.C.A. marquee. I said to him, +"For goodness sake let us do something for the men. Let us have a +sing-song." He agreed, and we stood in the middle of the marquee with +our backs to the pole and began to sing a hymn. I do not know what it +was. I started the air and was going on so beautifully that the men +were beginning to be attracted and were coming around us. Suddenly my +friend struck in with a high tenor note. Hardly had the sound gone +forth when, like the fall of the walls of Jericho at the sound of +Joshua's trumpets, a mighty gale struck the building, and with a +ripping sound the whole thing collapsed. In the rain and darkness we +rushed to the assistance of the attendants and extinguished the lamps, +which had been upset, while the men made their way to the counters and +put the cigarettes and other dainties into their pockets, lest they +should get wet. On another occasion, the Paymaster's tent blew (p. 031) +away as he was paying off the battalion. Five shilling notes flew +over the plain like white birds over the sea. The men quickly chased +them and gathered them up, and on finding them stained with mud +thought it unnecessary to return them. On another night the huge +marquee where Harrod's ran the mess for a large number of officers, +blew down just as we were going to dinner, and we had to forage in the +various canteens for tinned salmon and packages of biscuits. + +Still, in spite of all, the spirits of our men never failed. One night +when a heavy rain had turned every hollow into a lake, and every gully +into a rushing cataract, I went down to some tents on a lower level +than my own. I waded through water nearly a foot deep and came to a +tent from which I saw a faint light emerging. I looked inside and +there with their backs to the pole stood some stalwart young +Canadians. On an island in the tent, was a pile of blankets, on which +burnt a solitary candle. "Hello, boys, how are you getting on?" "Fine, +Sir, fine," was their ready response. "Well, boys, keep that spirit +up," I said, "and we'll win the war." + +At first we had no "wet" canteen where beer could be procured. The +inns in the villages around became sources of great attraction to the +men, and the publicans did their best to make what they could out of +the well-paid Canadian troops. The maintenance of discipline under +such circumstances was difficult. We were a civilian army, and our men +had come over to do a gigantic task. Everyone knew that, when the hour +for performance came, they would be ready, but till that hour came +they were intolerant of restraint. + +The English people did not understand us, and many of our men +certainly gave them good reason to be doubtful. Rumour had it at one +time that we were going to be taken out of the mud and quartered in +Exeter. Then the rumour was that the Exeter people said, "If the +Canadians are sent here, we'll all leave the town." I did not mind, I +told the men I would make my billet in the Bishop's Palace. + +The C.O. of one of the battalions was tempted to do what David did +with such disastrous results, namely number the people. He called the +roll of his battalion and found that four hundred and fifty men were +absent without leave. But as I have said, we all knew that when the +moment for big things came, every man would be at his post and would +do his bit. + +Just before Christmas the 3rd Brigade were moved into huts at Lark +Hill. They were certainly an improvement upon the tents, but they (p. 032) +were draughty and leaky. From my window I could see, on the few +occasions when the weather permitted it, the weird and ancient circles +of Stonehenge. + +The calm repose of those huge stones, which had watched unmoved the +passing of human epochs, brought peace to the mind. They called to +memory the lines;-- + + "Our little systems have their day, + They have their day and cease to be: + They are but broken lights of Thee, + And Thou, O Lord, art more than they." + +In order to give Christmas its religious significance, I asked +permission of the Rector of Amesbury to use his church for a midnight +Eucharist on Christmas Eve. He gladly gave his consent and notice of +the service was sent round to the units of the Brigade. In the thick +fog the men gathered and marched down the road to the village, where +the church windows threw a soft light into the mist that hung over the +ancient burial ground. The church inside was bright and beautiful. The +old arches and pillars and the little side chapels told of days gone +by, when the worship of the holy nuns, who had their convent there, +rose up to God day by day. The altar was vested in white and the +candles shone out bright and fair. The organist had kindly consented +to play the Christmas hymns, in which the men joined heartily. It was +a service never to be forgotten, and as I told the men, in the short +address I gave them, never before perhaps, in the history of that +venerable fane, had it witnessed a more striking assembly. From a +distance of nearly seven thousand miles some of them had come, and +this was to be our last Christmas before we entered the life and death +struggle of the nations. Row after row of men knelt to receive the +Bread of Life, and it was a rare privilege to administer it to them. +The fog was heavier on our return and some of us had great difficulty +in finding our lines. + +It seemed sometimes as if we had been forgotten by the War Office, but +this was not the case. We had visits from the King, Lord Roberts and +other high officials. All these were impressed with the physique and +high spirits of our men. + +The conditions under which we lived were certainly atrocious, and an +outbreak of meningitis cast a gloom over the camp. It was met bravely +and skilfully by our medical men, of whose self-sacrifice and devotion +no praise is too high. The same is true of their conduct all through +the war. + +Our life on the Plain was certainly a puzzle to us. Why were we (p. 033) +kept there? When were we going to leave? Were we not wanted in France? +These were the questions we asked one another. I met an Imperial +officer one day, who had just returned from the front. I asked him +when we were going to train for the trenches. "Why" he said, "what +better training could you have than you are getting here? If you can +stand the life here, you can stand the life in France." I think he was +right. That strange experience was just what we needed to inure us to +hardship, and it left a stamp of resolution and efficiency on the +First Division which it never lost. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. (p. 034) + +OFF TO FRANCE. + +_January To March, 1915._ + + +Towards the end of January, rumors became more frequent that our +departure was close at hand, and we could see signs of the coming +movement in many quarters. The disposition of the chaplains was still +a matter of uncertainty. At last we were informed that only five +chaplains were to proceed with the troops to France. This was the +original number which the War Office had told us to bring from Canada. +The news fell like a thunderbolt upon us, and we at once determined to +get the order changed. The Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain and myself, +by permission of the General, made a special journey to the War +Office. The Chaplain-General received us, if not coldly, at least +austerely. We told him that we had come from Canada to be with the men +and did not want to leave them. He replied by saying that the +Canadians had been ordered by Lord Kitchener to bring only five +chaplains with them, and they had brought thirty-one. He said, looking +at me, "That is not military discipline; we must obey orders." I +explained to him that since the Canadian Government was paying the +chaplains the people thought it did not matter how many we had. Even +this did not seem to convince him. "Besides", he said, "they tell me +that of all the troops in England the Canadians are the most +disorderly and undisciplined, and they have got thirty-one chaplains." +"But", I replied, "you ought to see what they would have been like, if +we had brought only five." We succeeded in our mission in so far that +he promised to speak to Lord Kitchener that afternoon and see if the +wild Canadians could not take more chaplains with them to France than +were allotted to British Divisions. The result was that eleven of our +chaplains were to be sent. + +Early in February we were told that our Division was to go in a few days. +In spite of the mud and discomfort we had taken root in Salisbury +Plain. I remember looking with affection one night at the Cathedral +bathed in moonlight, and at the quaint streets of the dear old town, +over which hung the shadow of war. Could it be possible that England +was about to be crushed under the heel of a foreign tyrant? If (p. 035) +such were to be her fate, death on the battlefield would be easy to bear. +What Briton could endure to live under the yoke or by the permission of +a vulgar German autocrat? + +On entering the mess one evening I was horrified to read in the orders +that Canon Scott was to report immediately for duty to No. 2 General +Hospital. It was a great blow to be torn from the men of the fighting +forces. I at once began to think out a plan of campaign. I went over +to the G.O.C. of my brigade, and told him that I was to report to No. +2 General Hospital. I said, with perfect truth, that I did not know +where No. 2 General Hospital was, but I had determined to begin the +hunt for it in France. I asked him if he would take me across with the +Headquarters Staff, so that I might begin my search at the front. He +had a twinkle in his eye as he told me that if I could get on board +the transport, he would make no objection. I was delighted with the +prospect of going over with the men. + +When the time came to pack up, I was overwhelmed by the number of things +that I had accumulated during the winter. I disposed of a lot of +useless camp furniture, such as folding tables and collapsible chairs, +and my faithful friend the oil stove. With a well-filled Wolseley +kit-bag and a number of haversacks bursting with their contents, I was +ready for the journey. On February 11th, on a lovely afternoon, I +started off with the Headquarters Staff. We arrived at Avonmouth and +made our way to the docks. It was delightful to think that I was going +with the men. I had no batman and no real standing with the unit with +which I was travelling. However, I did not let this worry me. I got a +friend to carry my kit-bag, and then covering myself with haversacks, +till I looked, as the men said, like a Christmas tree, I made my way +to the ship with a broad grin of satisfaction on my face. As I went up +the gangway so attired and looking exceedingly pleased with myself, my +appearance excited the suspicion of the officer in command of the ship, +who was watching the troops come on board. Mistaking the cause of my +good spirits, he called a captain to him and said, "There is an officer +coming on board who is drunk; go and ask him who he is." The captain +accordingly came over and greeting me pleasantly said, "How do you do, +Sir?" "Very well, thank you," I replied, smiling all the more. I was +afraid he had come up to send me back. Having been a teetotaler for +twenty-two years, I knew nothing of the horrible suspicion under (p. 036) +which I lay at the moment. The captain then said, "Who are you, Sir?" +and I, thinking of my happy escape from army red tape, answered quite +innocently, with a still broader grin, "I'm No. 2, General Hospital." +This, of course confirmed the captain's worst suspicions. He went back +to the O.C. of the ship. "Who does he say he is?" said the Colonel. +"He says he is No. 2 General Hospital," the Captain replied. "Let him +come on board" said the Colonel. He thought I was safer on board the +ship than left behind in that condition on the wharf. With great +delight I found all dangers had been passed and I was actually about +to sail for France. + +The boat which took us and the 3rd Artillery Brigade, was a small vessel +called "The City of Chester." We were horribly crowded, so my bed had +to be made on the table in the saloon. A doctor lay on the sofa at the +side and several young officers slept on the floor. We had not been out +many hours before a terrific gale blew up from the West, and we had to +point our bow towards Canada. I told the men there was some satisfaction +in that. We were exceedingly uncomfortable. My bed one night slid off +the table on to the sleeping doctor and nearly crushed him. I squeezed +out some wonderfully religious expressions from him in his state of +partial unconsciousness. I replaced myself on the table, and then slid +off on to the chairs on the other side. I finally found a happy and +safe haven on the floor. On some of the other transports they fared +even worse. My son, with a lot of other privates, was lying on the +floor of the lowest deck in his boat, when a voice shouted down the +gangway, "Lookout boys, there's a horse coming down." They cleared +away just in time for a horse to land safely in the hold, having +performed one of those miraculous feats which horses so often do +without damage to themselves. + +On the 15th of February we arrived off the west coast of France and +disembarked at St. Nazaire. Our life now took on fresh interest. +Everything about us was new and strange. As a Quebecer I felt quite at +home in a French town. A good sleep in a comfortable hotel was a great +refreshment after the voyage. In the afternoon of the following day we +entrained for the front. I spread out my Wolesley sleeping bag on the +straw in a box car in which there were several other officers. Our +progress was slow, but it was a great thing to feel that we were (p. 037) +travelling through France, that country of romance and chivalry. Our +journey took more than two days, and we arrived at Hazebrouck one week +after leaving Salisbury Plain. The town has since been badly wrecked, +but then it was undamaged. The Brigadier lent me a horse and I rode +with his staff over to Caestre where the brigade was to be billeted. +In the same town were the 15th and 16th Battalions and the 3rd Field +Ambulance. I had a room that night in the Château, a rather rambling +modern house. The next morning I went out to find a billet for myself. +I called on the Mayor and Mayoress, a nice old couple who not only gave +me a comfortable room in their house, but insisted upon my accepting +it free of charge. They also gave me breakfast in the kitchen downstairs. +I was delighted to be so well housed and was going on my way rejoicing +when I met an officer who told me that the Brigade Major wanted to see +me in a hurry. I went over to his office and was addressed by him in a +very military manner. He wanted to know why I was there and asked what +unit I was attached to. I told him No. 2 General Hospital. He said, +"Where is it?" "I don't know", I replied, "I came over to France to +look for it." He said, "It is at Lavington on Salisbury Plain," and +added, "You will have to report to General Alderson and get some +attachment till the hospital comes over." His manner was so cold and +businesslike that it was quite unnerving and I began to realize more +than ever that I was in the Army. Accordingly that afternoon I walked +over to the General's Headquarters, at Strazeele, some five miles +away, and he attached me to the Brigade until my unit should come to +France. I never knew when it did come to France, for I never asked. +"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" was my motto. I held on +to my job at the front. But the threat which the Brigadier held over +me, that if I went into the trenches or anywhere out of his immediate +ken I should be sent back to No. 2 General Hospital, was something +which weighed upon my spirits very heavily at times, and caused me to +acquire great adroitness in the art of dodging. In fact, I made up my +mind that three things had to be avoided if I wished to live through +the campaign--sentries, cesspools, and generals. They were all sources +of special danger, as everyone who has been at the front can testify. +Over and over again on my rambles in the dark, nothing has saved me +from being stuck by a sentry but the white gleam of my clerical (p. 038) +collar, which on this account I had frequently thought of painting +with luminous paint. One night I stepped into a cesspool and had to sit +on a chair while my batman pumped water over me almost as ill-savoured +as the pool itself. On another occasion, when, against orders, I was +going into the trenches in Ploegsteert, I saw the General and his +staff coming down the road. Quick as thought, I cantered my horse into +an orchard behind a farm house, where there was a battery of Imperials. +The men were surprised, not to say alarmed, at the sudden appearance +of a chaplain in their midst. When I told them, however, that I was +dodging a general, they received me with the utmost kindness and +sympathy. They had often done the same themselves, and offered me some +light refreshments. + +On the following Sunday we had our first church parade in the war +zone. We were delighted during the service to hear in the distance the +sound of guns and shells. As the war went on we preferred church +parades when we could not hear guns and shells. + +After a brief stay in Caestre the whole brigade marched off to +Armentieres. Near Flêtre, the Army Commander, General Smith-Dorrien, +stood by the roadside and took the salute as we passed. I went with +the 15th Battalion, and, as I told the men, being a Canon, marched +with the machine gun section. We went by the delightful old town of +Bailleul. The fields were green. The hedges were beginning to show +signs of spring life. The little villages were quaint and picturesque, +but the pavé road was rough and tiring. Bailleul made a delightful +break in the journey. The old Spanish town hall, with its tower, the +fine old church and spire and the houses around the Grande Place, will +always live in one's memory. The place is all a ruin now, but then it +formed a pleasant home and meeting place for friends from many parts. +We skirted the borders of Belgium and arrived at Armentieres in the +afternoon. The place had been shelled and was partly deserted, but was +still a populous town. I made my home with the Brigade transport in a +large school. In the courtyard our horses and mules were picketed. I +had never heard mules bray before and I had a good sample next morning +of what they can do, for with the buildings around them the sound had +an added force. The streets of Armentieres were well laid out and some +of the private residences were very fine. It is astonishing how our +camp life at Salisbury had made us love cities. Armentieres has (p. 039) +since been destroyed and its church ruined. Many of us have pleasant +memories of the town, and the cemetery there is the resting place of +numbers of brave Canadians. + +I ran across an imperial Chaplain there, whom I had met in England. He +told me he had a sad duty to perform that night. It was to prepare for +death three men who were to be shot at daybreak. He felt it very +keenly, and I afterwards found from experience how bitter the duty +was. + +We were brought to Armentieres in order to be put into the trenches +with some of the British units for instruction. On Wednesday evening, +February the 24th, the men were marched off to the trenches for the +first time and I went with a company of the 15th Battalion, who were +to be attached to the Durham Light Infantry. I was warned to keep +myself in the background as it was said that the chaplains were not +allowed in the front line. The trenches were at Houplines to the east +of Armentieres. We marched down the streets till we came to the edge +of the town and there a guide met us and we went in single file across +the field. We could see the German flare-lights and could hear the +crack of rifles. It was intensely interesting, and the mystery of the +war seemed to clear as we came nearer to the scene of action. The men +went down into the narrow trench and I followed. I was welcomed by a +very nice young captain whom I never heard of again till I saw the +cross that marked his grave in the Salient. The trenches in those days +were not what they afterwards became. Double rows of sandbags built +like a wall were considered an adequate protection. I do not think +there was any real parados. The dugouts were on a level with the +trench and were roofed with pieces of corrugated iron covered with two +layers of sandbags. They were a strange contrast to the dugouts thirty +feet deep, lined with wood, which we afterwards made for our trench +homes. + +I was immensely pleased at having at last got into the front line. +Even if I were sent out I had at least seen the trenches. The captain +brought me to his tiny dugout and told me that he and I could squeeze +in there together for the night. He then asked me if I should like to +see the trench, and took me with him on his rounds. By this time it +was dark and rainy and very muddy. As we were going along the trench a +tall officer, followed by another met us and exchanged a word with the +captain. They then came up to me and the first one peered at me in (p. 040) +the darkness and said in abrupt military fashion, "Who are you?" +I thought my last hour had come, or at least I was going to be sent +back. I told him I was a chaplain with the Canadians. "Did you come +over with the men?" "Yes", I said. "Capital", he replied, "Won't you +come and have lunch with me tomorrow?" "Where do you live?" I said. +The other officer came up to my rescue at this moment and said, "The +General's Headquarters are in such and such a place in Armentieres," +"Good Heavens", I whispered in a low tone to the officer, "Is he a +general?" "Yes" he said. "I hope my deportment was all that it ought +to have been in the presence of a general," I replied. "It was +excellent, Padré," he said, with a laugh. So I arranged to go and have +luncheon with him two days afterwards, for I was to spend forty-eight +hours in the trenches. The first officer turned out to be General +Congreve, V.C., a most gallant man. He told me at luncheon that if he +could press a button and blow the whole German nation into the air he +would do it. I felt a little bit shocked then, because I did not know +the Germans as I afterwards did. I spent nearly four years at the +front hunting for that button. + +The captain and I had very little room to move about in his dugout. I +was very much impressed with the unostentatious way in which he said, +"If you want to say your prayers, Padré, you can kneel over in that +corner first, because there is only room for one at a time. I will say +mine afterwards"--and he did. He was a Roman Catholic, and had lived +in India, and was a very fine type of man. When I read the words two +years afterwards on a cross in a cemetery near Poperinghe, "Of your +charity pray for the soul of Major Harter, M.C.," I did it gladly and +devoutly. + +I had brought with me in a small pyx, the Blessed Sacrament, and the +next morning I gave Communion to a number of the men. One young +officer, a boy of eighteen, who had just left school to come to the +front, asked me to have the service in his dugout. The men came in +three or four at a time and knelt on the muddy floor. Every now and +then we could hear the crack of a bullet overhead striking the +sandbags. The officer was afterwards killed, and the great promise of +his life was not fulfilled in this world. + +There was a great deal of rifle fire in the trenches in those days. +The captain told me the Canadians were adepts in getting rid of (p. 041) +their ammunition and kept firing all night long. Further down the +line were the "Queen's Own Westminsters." They were a splendid body of +young men and received us very kindly. On my way over to them the next +morning, I found in a lonely part of a trench a man who had taken off +his shirt and was examining the seams of it with interest. I knew he +was hunting for one of those insects which afterwards played no small +part in the general discomfort of the Great War, and I thought it +would be a good opportunity to learn privately what they looked like. +So I took a magnifying glass out of my pocket and said, "Well, my boy, +let me have a look for I too am interested in botany." He pointed to a +seam in his shirt and said, "There, Sir, there is one." I was just +going to examine it under the glass when, crack! a bullet hit the +sandbags near-by, and he told me the trench was enfiladed. I said, "My +dear boy, I think I will postpone this scientific research until we +get to safer quarters, for if I am knocked out, the first question my +congregation will ask will be, "What was our beloved pastor doing when +he was hit?" If they hear that I was hunting in a man's shirt for one +of these insects, they will not think it a worthy ending to my life." +He grinned, put on his shirt, and moved down the trench. + +That afternoon a good many shells passed over our heads and of course +the novelty of the thing made it most interesting. After a war +experience of nearly four years, one is almost ashamed to look back +upon those early days which were like war in a nursery. The hideous +thing was then only in its infancy. Poison gas, liquid fire, trench +mortars, hand grenades, machine guns, (except a very few) and tanks +were then unknown. The human mind had not then made, as it afterward +did, the sole object of its energy the destruction of human life. Yet +with a deepening knowledge of the instruments of death has come, I +trust, a more revolting sense of the horrors and futility of war. The +romance and chivalry of the profession of arms has gone forever. Let +us hope that in the years to come the human mind will bend all its +energies to right the wrongs and avert the contentions that result in +bloodshed. + +On the following Sunday, we had a church parade in the square in +Armentieres. Two or three men watched the sky with field glasses lest +an enemy plane should come up. We had now finished our instruction in +trench warfare and were going to take over part of the front line. (p. 042) +We were marched off one afternoon to the village of Bac St. Maur, +where we rested for the night. I had dinner with the officers of the +15th Battalion, and went out afterwards to a big factory at the end of +the straggling brick village to see my son, whose battalion was +quartered there. On returning I found the night was very dark, and +every door and window in the long rows of houses was tightly closed. +No lights were allowed in the town. Once more my faculty for losing my +way asserted itself, and I could not tell which was the house where I +had dined. It was to be my billet for the night. The whole place was +silent, and I wandered up and down the long street. I met a few +soldiers and when I asked if they could tell me where I had had dinner +they naturally began to eye me with suspicion. At the same time it was +no laughing matter. I had had a long walk in the afternoon and had the +prospect of another on the following day. I was separated from my +kit-bag and my safety razor, which always, at the front, constituted +my home, and the night was beginning to get cold. Besides it was more +or less damaging to one's character as a chaplain to be found +wandering aimlessly about the streets at night asking where you had +dined. My habits were not as well known to the men then as they were +after a few years of war. In despair I went down the road behind the +village, and there to my joy I saw a friendly light emerging from the +door of a coach house. I went up to it and entered and found to my +relief the guard of the 16th Battalion. They had a big fire in the +chimney-place, and were smoking and making tea. It was then about one +o'clock, and they were both surprised and amused at my plight, but +gave me a very glad welcome and offered me a bed and blankets on the +floor. I was just going to accept them when I asked if the blankets +were "crummy". The men burst out laughing. "You bet your life they +are, Sir," they cried. "Well, boys," I said, "I think that I prefer to +spend the night walking about the village and trying to compose a +poem." Once more I made my way down the dark street, examining closely +every door and window. At last I found a crack of light which came +from one of the houses. I knocked at the door and it was opened by an +officer from Quebec, who had been engaged with some others in a quiet +game of cards. He was amused at my homeless condition and kindly took +me in and gave me a comfortable bed in his own room. On the next (p. 043) +morning of course I was "ragged" tremendously on my disappearance during +the night. + +The next day we marched off to the village of Sailly-sur-Lys, which +was to become our rear headquarters during our occupation of the +trenches. The little place had been damaged by shells, but every +available house was occupied. Our battalion moved up the country road +and was dispersed among the farm houses and barns in the +neighbourhood. + +I made my home with some officers in a small and dirty farm house. The +novelty of the situation, however, gave it a certain charm for the +time. We were crowded into two or three little rooms and lay on piles +of straw. We were short of rations, but each officer contributed +something from his private store. I had a few articles of tinned food +with me and they proved to be of use. From that moment I determined +never to be without a tin of bully beef in my haversack, and I formed +the bully beef habit in the trenches which lasted till the end and +always amused the men. The general cesspool and manure heap of the +farm was, as usual, in the midst of the buildings, and was +particularly unsavoury. A cow waded through it and the family hens +fattened on it. Opposite our window in one of the buildings dwelt an +enormous sow with a large litter of young ones. When any of the ladies +of the family went to throw refuse on the manure heap, the old sow, +driven by the pangs of hunger, would stand on her hind legs and poke +her huge face out over the half door of her prison appealing in pig +language for some of the discarded dainties. Often nothing would stop +her squeals but a smart slap on her fat cheeks by the lady's tender +hand. In the hayloft of the barn the men were quartered. Their candles +made the place an exceedingly dangerous abode. There was only one +small hole down which they could escape in case of fire. It is a +wonder we did not have more fires in our billets than we did. + +The trenches assigned to our Brigade were to the right of Fleurbaix. +They were poorly constructed, but as the time went on were greatly +improved by the labours of our men. The Brigadier assigned to me for +my personal use a tiny mud-plastered cottage with thatched roof and a +little garden in front. It was in the Rue du Bois, a road which ran +parallel with the trenches about 800 yards behind them. I was very +proud to have a home all to myself, and chalked on the door the word +"Chaplain". In one room two piles of straw not only gave me a bed (p. 044) +for myself but enabled me to give hospitality to any officer who +needed a billet. Another room I fitted up as a chapel. An old box +covered with the silk Union Jack and white cloth and adorned with two +candles and cross served as an altar. There were no chairs to be had, +but the plain white walls were not unsuited to the purpose to which +the room was dedicated. + +In this chapel I held several services. It was a fine sight to see a +group of tall and stalwart young Highlanders present. Their heads +almost reached to the low ceiling, and when they sang, the little +building trembled with the sound. + +Every night when there were any men to be buried, I used to receive +notice from the front line, and after dark I would set out preceded by +my batman, Murdoch MacDonald, a proper young Highlander, carrying a +rifle with fixed bayonet on his shoulder. It made one feel very proud +to go off down the dark road so attended. When we got to the place of +burial I would hold a short service over the open graves in which the +bodies were laid to rest. Our casualties were light then, but in those +days we had not become accustomed to the loss of comrades and so we +felt the toll of death very bitterly. + +It made a great difference to me to have a house of my own. Previously +I had found it most difficult to get any place in which to lay my +head. On one occasion, I had obtained permission from a kind-hearted +farmer's wife to rent one corner of the kitchen in her two-roomed +house. It was on a Saturday night and when the family had retired to +their room I spread my sleeping bag in the corner and went to bed. I +got up when the family had gone to Mass in the morning. All through +the day the kitchen was crowded, and I saw that if I went to bed that +night I should not have the opportunity of getting up again until the +family went to Mass on the following Sunday. So I paid the woman five +francs for my lodging and started out in pursuit of another. I managed +to find a room in another little farmhouse, somewhat larger and +cleaner. My room was a small one and had an earth floor. The ceiling +was so low that I could touch the beams with my head when I stood on +my toes. But in it were two enormous double beds, a table and a chair. +What more could one want? A large cupboard full of straw furnished a +billet for Murdoch and he was allowed to do my simple cooking on the +family stove. + +Small as my billet was, I was able on one occasion to take in and (p. 045) +house three officers of the Leicesters, who arrived one night in +preparation for the battle of Neuve Chapelle. I also stowed away a +sergeant in the cupboard with Murdoch. My three guests were very +hungry and very tired and enjoyed a good sleep in the ponderous beds. +I saw a photo of one of the lads afterwards in the Roll of Honour page +of the "Graphic," and I remembered the delightful talk I had had with +him during his visit. + +At that time we were all very much interested in a large fifteen-inch +howitzer, which had been placed behind a farmhouse, fast crumbling +into ruins. It was distant two fields from my abode. To our simple +minds, it seemed that the war would soon come to an end when the +Germans heard that such weapons were being turned against them. We +were informed too, that three other guns of the same make and calibre +were being brought to France. The gun was the invention of a retired +admiral who lived in a farmhouse nearby and who, when it was loaded, +fired it off by pressing an electric button. The officer in charge of +the gun was very pleasant and several times took me in his car to +interesting places. I went with him to Laventie on the day of the +battle of Neuve Chapelle, and saw for the first time the effects of an +attack and the wounded being brought back in ambulances. + +There was one large barn not far off full of beautiful yellow straw +which held several hundred men. I had a service in it one night. The +atmosphere was smoky and mysterious, and the hundreds of little +candles propped up on mess-tins over the straw, looked like a special +illumination. A large heap of straw at the end of the barn served as a +platform, and in lieu of an organ I had a mandolin player to start the +hymns. The service went very well, the men joining in heartily. + +The night before the battle of Neuve Chapelle, I went over to see the +captain in charge of the big gun, and he showed me the orders for the +next day, issued by the British General. He told me that at seven +o'clock it would be "Hell let loose", all down the line. Next morning +I woke up before seven, and blocked up my ears so that I should not be +deafened by the noise of artillery. But for some reason or other the +plans had been changed and I was quite disappointed that the Germans +did not get the hammering it was intended to give them. We were on the +left of the British line during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, and +were not really in the fight. The British suffered very heavily (p. 046) +and did not meet with the success which they had hoped for. + +My son was wounded in this engagement and was sent out with the loss +of an eye. On returning from seeing him put into a hospital train at +Merville, I was held up for some hours in the darkness by the British +Cavalry streaming past in a long line. I was delighted to see them for +I thought we had broken through. On the next day to our great +disappointment we saw them going back again. + +Near Canadian Headquarters at Sailly there was a large steam laundry +which was used as a bath for our men. It was a godsend to them, for +the scarcity of water made cleanliness difficult. The laundry during +bath hours was a curious spectacle. Scores of large cauldrons of +steaming water covered the floor. In each sat a man with only his head +and shoulders showing, looking as if he were being boiled to death. In +the mists of the heated atmosphere and in the dim light of candles, +one was reminded of Doré's illustrations of Dante's Inferno. In one of +them he represents a certain type of sinner as being tormented forever +in boiling water. + +We had now finished our time in this part of the line and the Division +was ordered back for a rest. The General was troubled about my +transportation as I had no horse, but I quoted my favourite text, "The +Lord will provide." It made him quite angry when I quoted the text, +and he told me that we were engaged in a big war and could not take +things so casually. When, however, he had seen me on various occasions +picked up by stray motor cars and lorries and get to our destination +before he did, he began to think there was more in the text than he +had imagined. I was accused of helping Providence unduly by base +subterfuges such as standing in the middle of a road and compelling +the motor to stop until I got in. I considered that my being able to +stop the car was really a part of the providing. In fact I found that, +if one only had courage to stand long enough in the middle of the road +without moving, almost any car, were it that of a private or a general, +would come to a standstill. It was only a natural thing, when the car +had stopped, to go to the occupants and say, "I know the Lord has sent +you for the purpose of giving me a lift." It was quite a natural +consequence of this for me to be taken in. One day at Estaires I tried +to commandeer a fine car standing in the square, but desisted when I +was informed by the driver that it was the private property of the (p. 047) +Prince of Wales. I am sure that if the Prince had been there to hear the +text, he would have driven me anywhere I wanted to go. + +On the present occasion, I had not gone far down the road before a car +picked me up and took me on my way--an incident which I narrated to +the General afterwards with intense satisfaction. + + + + +CHAPTER V. (p. 048) + +BEFORE THE STORM. + +_March to April, 1915._ + + +Our rest-time at Estaires at the end of March was a delightful period +of good fellowship. The beautiful early spring was beginning to assert +its power over nature. The grass was green. The trees and hedgerows +were full of sap and the buds ready to burst into new life. As one +walked down the roads in the bright sunshine, and smelt the fresh +winds bearing the scent of springtime, an exquisite feeling of delight +filled the soul. Birds were singing in the sky, and it was pitiful to +think that any other thoughts but those of rapture at the joy of +living should ever cross the mind. + +A sergeant found me a comfortable billet in a house near the Church. A +dear old man and his two venerable daughters were the only occupants. +Like all the French people we met, their little home was to them a +source of endless joy. Everything was bright and clean, and they took +great pleasure in showing off its beauties. There was a large room +with glass roof and sides, like a conservatory. On the wall was the +fresco of a landscape, drawn by some strolling artist, which gave my +hosts infinite delight. There was a river flowing out of some very +green woods, with a brilliant blue sky overhead. We used to sit on +chairs opposite and discuss the woodland scene, and I must say it +brought back memories to me of many a Canadian brook and the charming +home life of Canadian woods, from which, as it seemed then, we were +likely to be cut off forever. + +The Bishop of London paid a visit to our men, and addressed them from +the steps of the Town Hall in the Grande Place. The officers and men +were charmed with his personality. + +It was a joy to me that we were to spend Easter at such a convenient +place. On Good Friday afternoon we had a voluntary service in front of +the Town Hall. It seemed very fitting that these men who had come in +the spirit of self-sacrifice, should be invited to contemplate, for at +least an hour, the great world sacrifice of Calvary. A table was +brought out from an estaminet nearby and placed in front of the steps. +I mounted on this and so was able to address the crowd which soon (p. 049) +assembled there. We sang some of the Good Friday hymns, "When I survey +the wondrous Cross", and "Jesu, Lover of my Soul." There must have +been several hundred present. I remember specially the faces of +several who were themselves called upon within a few weeks to make the +supreme sacrifice. Like almost all other religious services at the +front, this one had to struggle with the exigencies of war. A stream +of lorries at the side of the Grande Place and the noisy motor cycles +of despatch riders made an accompaniment to the address which rendered +both speaking and hearing difficult. + +Easter Day rose bright and clear. I had a hall situated down a narrow +lane, which had been used as a cinema. There was a platform at one end +and facing it, rows of benches. On the platform I arranged the altar, +with the silk Union Jack as a frontal and with cross and lighted +candles for ornaments. It looked bright and church-like amid the +sordid surroundings. We had several celebrations of the Holy +Communion, the first being at six a.m. A large number of officers and +men came to perform their Easter duties. A strange solemnity +prevailed. It was the first Easter spent away from home; it was the +last Easter that most of those gallant young souls spent on earth. The +other chaplains had equally large attendances. We sang the Easter hymn +at each service, and the music more than anything else carried us back +to the days that were. + +But our stay in Estaires was only for a time, and soon orders came +that we were to move. On April 7th, a bright and lovely spring morning, +the whole Division began its fateful journey to Ypres and marched off +to Cassel, about thirty miles behind the Salient. The men were in good +spirits, and by this time were becoming accustomed to the pavé roads. +We passed through Caestre, where I saw my old friends, the Mayor and +Mayoress. That afternoon I was taken by two British officers to the +little hotel in Cassel for luncheon. The extensive view over the +country from the windows reminded me of dear old Quebec. After luncheon +my friends motored me to Ypres. The city at that time had not been +heavily shelled, except the Cloth Hall and Cathedral. The shops around +the square were still carrying on their business and people there were +selling post-cards and other small articles. We went into the +Cathedral, which had been badly damaged. The roof was more or less +intact and the altar and pulpit in their places. I saw what an (p. 050) +impressive place it must have been. The Cloth Hall had been burnt, but +the beautiful stone façade was still undamaged. A fire engine and +horses were quartered under the central tower. There was a quiet air +of light and beauty in the quaint old buildings that suggested the +mediaeval prosperity of the city. Behind the better class of houses +there were the usual gardens, laid out with taste, and often containing +fountains and rustic bridges. The French and the Belgians delighted in +striving to make a landscape garden in the small area at their +command. + +I shall always be thankful that I had the opportunity of paying this +visit to Ypres while it still retained vestiges of its former beauty. +Dark and hideous dreams of drives on ambulances in the midnight hours +haunt me now when the name of Ypres is mentioned. I hear the rattle of +lorries and motorcycles and the tramp of horses on the cobblestones. +The grim ruins on either side of the road stand out hard and sombre in +the dim light of the starry sky. There is the passing of innumerable +men and the danger of the traffic-crowded streets. But Ypres, as I saw +it then, was full of beauty touched with the sadness of the coming +ruin. + +In the afternoon, I motored back to our brigade on the outskirts of +Cassel. After dinner I started off to find my new billet. As usual I +lost my way. I went off down the country roads. The farms were silent +and dark. There was no one to tell me where my battalion was. I must +have gone a long distance in the many detours I made. The country was +still a place of mystery to me, and "The little owls that hoot and +call" seemed to be the voice of the night itself. The roads were +winding and lonely and the air was full of the pleasant odours of the +spring fields. It was getting very late and I despaired of finding a +roof under which to spend the night. I determined to walk back to the +nearest village. As I had marched with the men that day all the way +from Estaires, a distance of about twenty miles, I was quite +reasonably tired and anxious to get a bed. I got back to the main road +which leads to St. Sylvestre. On approaching the little village I was +halted by a British sentry who was mounting guard over a line of Army +Service Corps lorries. I went on and encountered more sentries till I +stood in the town itself and made my difficulty known to a soldier who +was passing. I asked him if he knew where I could get a lodging (p. 051) +for the night. He told me that some officers had their headquarters in +the Curé's house, and that if I were to knock at the door, very +probably I could find a room in which to stay. I went to the house +which was pointed out to me and knocked. There was a light in a window +upstairs so I knew that my knocking would be heard. Presently a voice +called out from the hollow passage and asked me to open the door and +come in. I did so, and in the dim light saw at the end of the hall a +white figure which was barely distinguishable and which I took to be +the individual who had spoken to me. Consequently I addressed my +conversation to it. The shadowy form asked me what I wanted and I +explained that I had lost my way and asked where the headquarters of +my battalion were. The being replied that it did not know but invited +me to come in and spend the night. At that moment somebody from the +upstairs region came with an electric torch, and the light lit up the +empty hall. To my surprise I found that I had been addressing my +conversation to the life-sized statue of some saint which was standing +on a pedestal at the foot of the stairs. I rather mystified my host by +saying that I had been talking to the image in the hall. However, in +spite of this, he asked me to come upstairs where he would give me a +bed. By this time several of the British officers who occupied the +upper flat had become interested in the arrival of the midnight +visitor, and were looking over the bannisters. I can remember feeling +that my only chance of receiving hospitality depended on my presenting +a respectable appearance. I was on my best behaviour. It was greatly +to my confusion, therefore, as I walked upstairs under the inspection +of those of the upper flat, that I stumbled on the narrow steps. In +order to reassure my would-be friends, I called out, "Don't be +alarmed, I am a chaplain and a teetotaller". They burst out laughing +and on my arrival at the top greeted me very heartily. I was taken +into a long bedroom where there were five beds in a row, one of which +was assigned to me. Not only was I given a bed, but one of their +servants went and brought me a hot-cross bun and a glass of milk. In +return for such wholehearted and magnificent hospitality, I sat on the +edge of the bed and recited poems to my hosts, who at that hour of the +morning were not averse to anything which might be conducive to sleep. +On the next day I was made an honorary member of their mess. I should +like to bear testimony here to the extraordinary cordiality and (p. 052) +kind hospitality which was always shown to us by British officers. + +Later on in the day, I found the 13th Battalion just a few miles +outside Cassel at a place called Terdeghem. It was a quaint little +village with an interesting church. I got a billet in a farmhouse. It +was a curious building of brick and stood on the road where a little +gate opened into a delightful garden, full of old-fashioned flowers. +My room was reached by a flight of steps from the kitchen and was very +comfortable. I disliked, however, the heavy fluffy bed. Murdoch +MacDonald used to sleep in the kitchen. + +There were some charming walks around Terdeghem. One which I liked to +take led to a very old and picturesque chateau, surrounded by a moat. +I was immensely impressed with the rows of high trees on which the +rooks built their noisy cities. Sometimes a double line of these trees, +like an avenue, would stretch across a field. Often, as I have walked +home in the dark after parish visiting, I have stood between the long +rows of trees and listened to the wind sighing through their bare +branches and looked up at the stars that "were tangled in them". Then +the dread mystery of war and fate and destruction would come over me. +It was a relief to think how comfortable and unconcerned the rooks +were in their nests with their children about them in bed. They had +wings too wherewith to fly away and be at rest. + +Cassel was used at that time by the French Army, so we were excluded +from it unless we had a special permit. It was a delightful old town, +and from its commanding position on a rock has been used as a fortress +more or less since the days of Julius Caesar. The Grand Place is +delightful and quaint. From it, through various archways, one looks +down upon the rich verdure of the fields that stretch far off into the +distance. + +We had a parade of our four battalions one day, when General +Smith-Dorrien came to inspect us. The place chosen was a green slope +not far from the entrance to the town. The General reviewed the men, +and then gave a talk to the officers. As far as I can recollect, he +was most sanguine about the speedy termination of the war. He told us +that all we had to do was to keep worrying the Germans, and that the +final crushing stroke would be given on the east by the Russians. He +also told us that to us was assigned the place of honour on the extreme +left of the British line next to the French Colonial troops. I (p. 053) +overheard an irreverent officer near me say, "Damn the place of honour", +and I thought of Sam Hughes and his warning about not objecting to +swearing. The General, whom I had met before, asked me to walk with +him up to his car and then said, "I have had reports about the +Canadian Artillery, and I am delighted at their efficiency. I have +also heard the best accounts of the Infantry, but do you think, in the +event of a sudden onslaught by the Germans, that the Canadians will +hold their ground? They are untried troops." I told him that I was +sure that one thing the Canadians would do would be to hold on. Before +a fortnight had passed, in the awful struggle near Langemarcke, the +Canadians proved their ability to hold their ground. + +Shortly after the General's visit we were ordered to move, and by some +oversight on Murdoch MacDonald's part, my kit was not ready in time to +be taken by the Brigade transport. In consequence, to my dismay, I saw +the men march off from Terdeghem to parts unknown, and found myself +seated on my kit by the wayside with no apparent hope of following. I +administered a rebuke to Murdoch as sternly as was consistent with the +position of a chaplain, and then asked him to see if he could find any +sort of vehicle at all to carry my stuff off in the direction towards +which the battalion had marched. I must say I felt very lonely and a +"bit out of it", as I sat by the wayside wondering if I had lost the +Brigade for good. In the meantime, Murdoch scoured the village for a +horse and carriage. Suddenly, to my surprise, a despatch rider on a +motorcycle came down the road and stopped and asked me if I knew where +Canon Scott was. I said, "I'm the man", and he handed me a letter. It +turned out to be one from General Smith-Dorrien, asking me to allow +him to send a poem which I had written, called "On the Rue du Bois" to +"The Times." It was such a kind friendly letter that at once it +dispelled my sense of loneliness, and when Murdoch arrived and told me +that there was not a horse in the place at my disposal, I replied that +I did not mind so much now since I had the British General for a friend. +I left Murdoch to guard my goods and chattels and went off myself down +the road to the old Château and farmhouse. There I was lucky enough to +obtain a cart with three wheels. It was an extremely long and heavily +built vehicle and looked as if it dated from the 17th century. The +horse that was put into it looked as if it had been born about the +same period. The old man who held the solitary rein and sat over (p. 054) +the third wheel under the bow looked to be of almost equal antiquity. +It must have been about thirty feet from the tip of the old horse's +nose to the end of the cart. However I was glad to get any means of +transportation at all, so I followed the thing to the road where my +kit was waiting, Murdoch MacDonald put all my worldly possessions on +the equipage. They seemed to occupy very little room in the huge +structure. Murdoch, shouldering his rifle, followed it, and I, rather +ashamed of the grotesque appearance of my caravan, marched on as +quickly as I could in front, hoping to escape the ridicule which I +knew would be heaped upon me by all ranks of my beloved brigade. A man +we met told us that the battalion had gone to Steenvoorde, so thither +we made our way. On our arrival I was taken to the Château and kindly +treated by the laird and his family, who allowed me to spread out my +bed-roll on the dining room floor. + +On the following morning an Imperial officer very kindly took me and +my kit to Ypres. There at the end of Yser Canal, I found a pleasant +billet in a large house belonging to a Mr. Vandervyver, who, with his +mother, gave me a kind reception and a most comfortably furnished +room. Later on, the units of our brigade arrived and I marched up with +the 14th Battalion to the village of Wieltje. Over it, though we knew +it not, hung the gloom of impending tragedy. Around it now cluster +memories of the bitter price in blood and anguish which we were soon +called upon to pay for the overthrow of tyranny. It was a lovely +spring evening when we arrived, and the men were able to sit down on +the green grass and have their supper before going into the trenches +by St. Julien. I walked back down that memorable road which two years +later I travelled for the last time on my return from Paschendaele. +The great sunset lit the sky with beautiful colours. The rows of trees +along that fateful way were ready to burst into new life. The air was +fresh and invigorating. To the south, lay the hill which is known to +the world as Hill 60, afterwards the scene of such bitter fighting. +Before me in the distance, soft and mellow in the evening light, rose +the towers and spires of Ypres--Ypres! the very name sends a strange +thrill through the heart. For all time, the word will stand as a +symbol for brutal assaults and ruthless destruction on the one hand +and heroic resolve and dogged resistance on the other. On any grim +monument raised to the Demon of War, the sole word "YPRES" would be a +sufficient and fitting inscription. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. (p. 055) + +THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES. + +_April 22nd, 1915._ + + +Behind my house at Ypres there was an old-fashioned garden which was +attended to very carefully by my landlady. A summerhouse gave a fine +view of the waters of the Yser Canal, which was there quite wide. It +was nice to see again a good-sized body of water, for the little +streams often dignified by the name of rivers did not satisfy the +Canadian ideas as to what rivers should be. A battalion was quartered +in a large brick building several stories high on the east side of the +canal. There was consequently much stir of life at that point, and +from my summerhouse on the wall I could talk to the men passing by. My +billet was filled with a lot of heavy furniture which was prized very +highly by its owners. Madame told me that she had buried twelve +valuable clocks in the garden in case of a German advance. She also +told me that her grandfather had seen from the windows the British +going to the battle of Waterloo. She had both a piano and a harmonium, +and took great pleasure in playing some of the hymns in our Canadian +hymn book. I was so comfortable that I hoped our residence at Ypres +might be of long duration. At night, however, desultory shells fell +into the city. We could hear them ripping along with a sound like a +trolley on a track, and then there would be a fearful crash. One night +when returning from Brigade Headquarters near Wieltje, I saw a +magnificent display of fireworks to the South. I afterwards heard that +it was the night the British attacked Hill 60. + +On Sunday, the 18th of April, I had a service for the 15th Battalion +in one of the stories of the brick building beside the canal. +Something told me that big things were going to happen. I had a +feeling that we were resting on the top of a volcano. At the end of +the service I prepared for any sudden call to ministration on the +battlefield by reserving the Blessed Sacrament. + +On Monday some men had narrow escapes when a house was shelled and on +the following day I went to the centre of the town with two officers +to see the house which had been hit. They appeared to be in a hurry to +get to the Square, so I went up one of the side streets to look (p. 056) +at the damaged house. In a cellar near by I found an old woman making +lace. Her hunchback son was sitting beside her. While I was making a +few purchases, we heard the ripping sound of an approaching shell. It +grew louder, till at last a terrific crash told us that the monster +had fallen not far off. At that moment a number of people crowded into +an adjoining cellar, where they fell on their knees and began to say a +litany. I stood at the door looking at them. It was a pitiful sight. +There were one or two old men and some women, and some little children +and a young girl who was in hysterics. They seemed so helpless, so +defenceless against the rain of shells. + +I went off down the street towards the Square where the last shell had +fallen, and there on the corner I saw a large house absolutely crushed +in. It had formerly been a club, for there were billiard tables in the +upper room. The front wall had crashed down upon the pavement, and from +the debris some men were digging out the body of an officer who had +been standing there when the shell fell. His was the first terribly +mangled body that I had ever seen. He was laid face downwards on a +stretcher and borne away. At that moment a soldier came up and told me +that one of the officers with whom I had entered the town about half +an hour ago had been killed, and his body had been taken to a British +ambulance in the city. I walked across the Square, and there I saw the +stretcher-bearers carrying off some civilians who had been hit by +splinters of the shell. In the hospital were many dead bodies and +wounded men for there had been over one hundred casualties in the city +that day. We had hardly arrived when once again we heard the ripping +sound which had such a sinister meaning. Then followed a terrific +explosion. The final and dreadful bombardment of Ypres had begun. At +intervals of ten minutes the huge seventeen-inch shells fell, sounding +the death knell of the beautiful old town. + +On the next morning, the brother-in-law of the officer who had been +killed called on me and asked me to go and see the Town Major and +secure a piece of ground which might be used for the Canadian Cemetery. +The Town Major gave us permission to mark off a plot in the new +British cemetery. It was in an open field near the jail, known by the +name of the Plain d'Amour, and by it was a branch canal. Our Headquarters +ordered the Engineers to mark off the place, and that night we laid the +body to rest. + +The following morning was Thursday, the memorable 22nd of April. (p. 057) +The day was bright and beautiful. After burying another man in the +Canadian lot, I went off to have lunch and write some letters in my +billet. In the afternoon one of the 16th Battalion came in and asked +me to have a celebration of the Holy Communion on the following morning, +as some of the men would like to attend. I asked him to stay to tea +and amuse himself till I had finished my letters. While I was writing +I heard the ripping sound of an approaching shell, quickly followed by +a tremendous crash. Some building quite close by had evidently been +struck. I put on my cap and went out, when the landlady followed me +and said, "I hope you are not going into the town." "I am just going +to see where the shell has struck", I replied, "and will come back +immediately." I never saw her again. As I went up the street I saw the +shell had hit a large building which had been used as a hospital. The +smoke from the shell was still rolling up into the clear sky. Thinking +my services might be needed in helping to remove the patients, I started +off in the direction of the building. There I was joined by a +stretcher-bearer and we went through the gate into the large garden +where we saw the still smoking hole in the ground which the shell had +made. I remember that, as I looked into it, I had the same sort of +eerie feeling which I had experienced when looking down the crater of +Vesuvius. There was something uncanny about the arrival of shells out +of the clear sky. They seemed to be things supernatural. The holes +made by the seventeen inch shells with which Ypres was assailed were +monstrous in size. The engineers had measured one in a field; it was +no less than thirty-nine feet across and fifteen feet deep. The +stretcher-bearer who was with me said as he looked at this one, "You +could put three ambulances into it." We had not contemplated the scene +very long before once again there was the ripping sound and a huge +explosion, and we found ourselves lying on the ground. Whether we had +thrown ourselves down or had been blown down I could not make out. We +got up and the man went back to his ambulance and I went into the +building to see if I could help in getting out the wounded. The place +I entered was a large chapel and had been used as a ward. There were +rows of neat beds on each side, but not a living soul was to be seen. +It seemed so ghostly and mysterious that I called out, "Is anyone here?" +There was no reply. I went down to the end of the chapel and from (p. 058) +thence into a courtyard, where a Belgian told me that a number of +people were in a cellar at the other end of a glass passage. I walked +down the passage to go to the cellar, when once again there was the +ominous ripping sound and a shell burst and all the glass was blown +about my ears. An old man in a dazed condition came from the cellar at +the end of the passage and told me that all the people had gone. I was +helping him across the courtyard towards a gateway when a man came in +from the street and took the old fellow on his back and carried him +off. By the gateway was a room used as a guardroom. There I found a +sentry with three or four Imperials. One of the lads had lost his +nerve and was lying under a wooden bench. I tried to cheer them by +telling them it was very unlikely that any more shells would come in +our direction. I remembered reading in one of Marryatt's books that an +officer in the Navy declared he had saved his life by always sticking +his head into the hole in the ship which a cannon ball had made, as it +was a million chances to one against another cannon ball striking that +particular place. Still, at regular intervals, we heard the ripping +sound and the huge explosion of a shell. Later on, two members of the +14th Battalion came in, and a woman and a little boy carrying milk. We +did our best to restore the lady's courage and hoped that the +bombardment would soon cease. + +It was about seven p.m., when all of a sudden, we heard the roar of +transports and the shouting of people in the street, and I went out to +see what was the matter. To my horror I saw a battery of artillery +galloping into the town. Civilians were rushing down the pavements on +each side of the road, and had even filled the limbers. I called out +to one of the drivers and asked him what it meant. "It is a general +retreat", he shouted. "The Germans are on our heels." "Where are the +infantry?" I called out. "They have all gone." That was one of the +most awful moments in my life. I said to myself, "Has old England lost +the War after all?" My mouth became suddenly dry as though filled with +ashes. A young fellow on horseback stopped and, dismounting, very +gallantly said, "Here, Sir, take my horse." "No thank you," I said, +but I was grateful to him all the same for his self-sacrifice. I +returned to the guardroom and told the sentries what had happened. The +lady and the young boy disappeared and the men and I debated as to +what we should do. The words, "The Germans are on our heels", (p. 059) +were still ringing in my ears. I did not quite know what they signified. +Whether they meant in military language that the Germans were ten miles +away or were really round the next corner, I did not know, but I took +the precaution of looking up the street before entering the gateway. On +talking the matter over, the men and I thought it might be the part of +discretion to make our way down past the Railway Station to the +Vlamertinghe road, as none of us wanted to be taken prisoners. We +therefore went down some side streets and crossed the bridge on the +road that leads to Vlamertinghe. There I found an ammunition column +hurrying out of the town, and the man riding one of the horses on a +limber invited me to mount the other, which was saddled. It is so +long, however, since I left the circus ring that I cannot mount a +galloping horse unless I put my foot into the stirrup. So after two or +three ineffectual attempts at a running mount, I climbed up into the +limber and asked the driver if it was a general retreat. "No", he +said, "I don't think so, only the Germans are close at hand and we +were ordered to put the ammunition column further off." "Well", I +said, "If it isn't a general retreat, I must go back to my lines or I +shall be shot for desertion." I got off the limber and out of the +crowd of people, and was making my way back, when I saw a car with a +staff officer in it coming up in the direction of the City. I stopped +the car and asked the officer if he would give me a ride back to +Ypres. When I got in, I said to him quite innocently, "Is this a +general retreat?" His nerves were evidently on edge, and he turned on +me fiercely, saying, "Padré, never use such a word out here. That word +must never be mentioned at the front." I replied, in excuse, that I +had been told it was a retreat by a battery that was coming back from +the front. "Padré," he continued, "that word must never be used." I am +not sure that he did not enforce his commands by some strong +theological terms. "Padré, that word must never be used out here." +"Well," I said, "this is the first war I have ever been at, and if I +can arrange matters it is the last, but I promise you I will never use +it again." Not the least flicker of a smile passed over his face. Of +course, as time went on and I advanced in military knowledge, I came +to know the way in which my question ought to have been phrased. +Instead of saying, "Is this a general retreat?", I ought to have said, +"Are we straightening the line?" or "Are we pinching the Salient?" We +went on till we came to a general who was standing by the road (p. 060) +waiting to "straighten the line". I got out of the car and asked him +where I should go. He seemed to be in a great hurry and said gruffly, +"You had better go back to your lines." I did not know where they +were, but I determined to go in their direction. The general got into +the car which turned round and made off towards Vlamertinghe, and I, +after a long and envious look in his direction, continued my return to +Ypres. + +People were still pouring out of the City. I recrossed the bridge, and +making my way towards the cemetery, met two men of one of our +battalions who were going back. I handed them each a card with my +address on it and asked them, in case of my being taken prisoner, to +write and tell my family that I was in good health and that my kit was +at Mr. Vandervyver's on the Quai. The short cut to my billet led past +the quiet cemetery where our two comrades had been laid to rest. It +seemed so peaceful that I could not help envying them that their race +was won. + +It was dark now, but a bright moon was shining and lit up the waters +of the branch canal as I walked along the bank towards my home. The +sound of firing at the front was continuous and showed that a great +battle was raging. I went by the house where the C.O. of the 16th +Battalion had had his headquarters as I passed that afternoon. It was +now quite deserted and the windows in it and in the houses round the +square were all shattered. Not a living thing could I see. I walked +across to my billet and found the shutters of the house closed. On the +table where my letters were, a smoky oil lamp was burning. Not a human +being was there. I never felt so lonely in my life, and those words, +"The Germans are on our heels", still kept ringing in my ears. I took +the lamp and went upstairs to my room. I was determined that the +Germans should not get possession of the photographs of my family. I +put them in my pocket, and over my shoulder the pair of glasses which +the Bishop and clergy of Quebec had given me on my departure. I also +hung round my neck the pyx containing the Blessed Sacrament, then I +went out on the street, not knowing what way to take. To my infinite +delight, some men came marching up in the moonlight from the end of +the canal. I recognized them as the 16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish, +and I called out, "Where are you going, boys?" The reply came glad and +cheerful. "We are going to reinforce the line, Sir, the Germans have +broken through." "That's all right, boys", I said, "play the game. I +will go with you." Never before was I more glad to meet human (p. 061) +beings. The splendid battalion marched up through the streets towards +St. Jean. The men wore their overcoats and full kits. I passed up and +down the battalion talking to officers and men. As I was marching +beside them, a sergeant called out to me, "Where are we going, Sir?" +"That depends upon the lives you have led." A roar of laughter went up +from the men. If I had known how near the truth my words were, I +probably would not have said them. When we got to St. Jean, a sergeant +told me that the 14th Battalion was holding the line. The news was +received gladly, and the men were eager to go forward and share the +glory of their comrades. Later on, as I was marching in front of the +battalion a man of the 15th met us. He was in a state of great +excitement, and said, "The men are poisoned, Sir, the Germans have +turned on gas and our men are dying." I said to him very sternly, +"Now, my boy, not another word about that here." "But it's true, Sir." +"Well, that may be, but these men have got to go there all the same, +and the gas may have gone before they arrive, so promise me not +another word about the poison." He gave me his promise and when I met +him a month afterwards in Bailleul he told me he had never said a word +about the gas to any of the men that night. + +We passed through Weiltje where all was stir and commotion, and the +dressing stations were already full, and then we deployed into the +fields on a rise in the ground near St. Julien. By this time, our men +had become aware of the gas, because, although the German attack had +been made a good many hours before, the poisonous fumes still clung +about the fields and made us cough. Our men were halted along the +field and sat down waiting for orders. The crack of thousands of +rifles and the savage roar of artillery were incessant, and the German +flare-lights round the salient appeared to encircle us. There was a +hurried consultation of officers and then the orders were given to the +different companies. An officer who was killed that night came down +and told us that the Germans were in the wood which we could see +before us at some distance in the moonlight, and that a house from +which we saw gleams of light was held by German machine guns. The men +were told that they had to take the wood at the point of the bayonet +and were not to fire, as the 10th Battalion would be in front of them. +I passed down the line and told them that they had a chance to do a +bigger thing for Canada that night than had ever been done before. (p. 062) +"It's a great day for Canada, boys." I said. The words afterwards +became a watchword, for the men said that whenever I told them that, +it meant that half of them were going to be killed. The battalion rose +and fixed bayonets and stood ready for the command to charge. It was a +thrilling moment, for we were in the midst of one of the decisive +battles of the war. A shrapnel burst just as the men moved off and a +man dropped in the rear rank. I went over to him and found he was +bleeding in the neck. I bound him up and then taking his kit, which he +was loath to lose, was helping him to walk towards the dressing +station when I saw what I thought were sandbags in the moonlight. I +called out, "Is anybody there?" A voice replied, "Yes, Sir, there is a +dying man here." I went over and there I found two stretcher-bearers +beside a young fellow called Duffy, who was unconscious. He had been +struck by a piece of shrapnel in the head and his brain was protruding. +Duffy was a well-known athlete and had won the Marathon race. We tried +to lift him, but with his equipment on he was too heavy, so I sent off +the wounded man to Wieltje with one of the stretcher-bearers who was +to return with a bearer party. The other one and I watched by Duffy. +It was an awful and wonderful time. Our field batteries never slackened +their fire and the wood echoed back the crackling sound of the guns. +The flare lights all round gave a lurid background to the scene. At +the foot of the long slope, down which the brave lads had gone to the +attack, I saw the black outline of the trees. Over all fell the soft +light of the moon. A great storm of emotion swept through me and I +prayed for our men in their awful charge, for I knew that the Angel of +Death was passing down our lines that night. When the bearer party +arrived, we lifted Duffy on to the stretcher, and the men handed me +their rifles and we moved off. I hung the rifles on my shoulder, and I +thought if one of them goes off and blows my brains out, there will be +a little paragraph in the Canadian papers, "Canon Scott accidentally +killed by the discharge of a rifle," and my friends will say, "What a +fool he was to fuss about rifles, why didn't he stick to his own job?" +However, they were Ross rifles and had probably jammed. There were +many wounded being carried or making their way towards Wieltje. The +road was under shell fire all the way. When we got to the dressing +station which was a small red-brick estaminet, we were confronted by a +horrible sight. On the pavement before it were rows and rows of (p. 063) +stretcher cases, and inside the place, which was dimly lighted by +candles and lamps, I found the doctor and his staff working away like +Trojans. The operating room was a veritable shambles. The doctor had +his shirt sleeves rolled up and his hands and arms were covered with +blood. + +The wounded were brought in from outside and laid on the table, where +the doctor attended to them. Some ghastly sights were disclosed when +the stretcher-bearers ripped off the blood-stained clothes and laid +bare the hideous wounds. At the end of the room, an old woman, with a +face like the witch of Endor, apparently quite unmoved by anything +that was happening, was grinding coffee in a mill and making a black +concoction which she sold to the men. It was no doubt a good thing for +them to get a little stimulant. In another room the floor was covered +with wounded waiting to be evacuated. There were many Turcos present. +Some of them were suffering terribly from the effects of the gas. +Fresh cases were being brought down the road every moment, and laid +out on the cold pavement till they could be attended to. + +About two in the morning a despatch rider arrived and meeting me at +the door asked if I could speak French. He said, "Tell the Turcos and +every one else who can walk to clear off to Ypres as soon as they can; +the Germans are close at hand." Indeed it sounded so, because the rifle +fire was very close. I went into the room and delivered my message, in +French and English, to the wounded men. Immediately there was a general +stampede of all who could possibly drag themselves towards the city. +It was indeed a piteous procession which passed out of the door. +Turcos with heads bandaged, or arms bound up or one leg limping, and +our own men equally disabled, helped one another down that terrible +road towards the City. Soon all the people who could walk had gone. +But there in the room, and along the pavement outside, lay helpless +men. I went to the M.O. and asked him what we were to do with the +stretcher cases. "Well" he said, "I suppose we shall have to leave +them because all the ambulances have gone." "How can we desert them?" +I said. The Medical Officer was of course bound by orders to go back +with his men but I myself felt quite free in the matter, so I said, "I +will stay and be made prisoner." "Well," he said, "so will I. Possibly +I shall get into trouble for it, but I cannot leave them to the enemy +without any one to look after them." So we made a compact that we would +both stay behind and be made prisoners. I went over to another Field +Ambulance, where a former curate of mine was chaplain. They had (p. 064) +luckily been able to evacuate their wounded and were all going off. I +told him that I should probably be made a prisoner that night, but +asked him to cable home and tell my family that I was in good health +and that the Germans treated chaplains, when they took them prisoners, +very kindly. Then I made my way back. There was a tremendous noise of +guns now at the front. It was a horrible thought that our men were up +there bearing the brunt of German fury and hatred. Their faces passed +through my mind as individuals were recalled. The men whom I knew so +well, young, strong and full of hope and life, men from whom Canada +had so much to expect, men whose lives were so precious to dear ones +far away, were now up in that poisoned atmosphere and under the +hideous hail of bullets and shells. The thought almost drove a +chaplain to madness. One felt so powerless and longed to be up and +doing. Not once or twice in the Great War, have I longed to be a +combatant officer with enemy scalps to my credit. Our men had been +absolutely guiltless of war ambitions. It was not their fault that +they were over here. That the Kaiser's insatiable, mad lust for power +should be able to launch destruction upon Canadian hearts and homes +was intolerable. I looked down the Ypres road, and there, to my +horror, saw the lovely City lit up with flames. The smoke rolled up +into the moonlit sky, and behind the dull glow of the fires I saw the +Cloth Hall tower stand out in bold defiance. There was nothing for us +to do then and for nearly four years more but keep our heads cool, set +our teeth and deepen our resolve. + +The dressing station had received more stretcher cases, and still more +were coming in. The Medical Officer and his staff were working most +heroically. I told him I had given instructions about cabling home +should I be taken prisoner, and then I suddenly remembered that I had +a scathing poem on the Kaiser in my pocket. I had written it in the +quiet beauties of Beaupré, below Quebec, when the war first began. +When I wrote it, I was told that if I were ever taken prisoner in +Germany with that poem in my pocket, I should be shot or hanged. At +that time, the German front line seemed so far off that it was like +saying, "If you get to the moon the man there will eat you up." But +the changes and chances of war had suddenly brought me face to face +with the fact that I had resolved to be taken prisoner, and from what +I heard and saw the event was not unlikely. So I said to the M.O. "I +have just remembered that I have got in my pocket a printed copy (p. 065) +of a very terrible poem which I wrote about the Kaiser. Of course you +know I don't mind being shot or hanged by the Germans, but, if I am, +who will write the poems of the War?" The M.O. laughed and thinking it +unwise on general principles to wave a red rag in front of a mad bull, +advised me to tear up my verses. I did so with great reluctance, but +the precaution was unnecessary as the Germans never got through after +all. + +All along those terrible fields of death the battle raged. Young +Canadians, new to war, but old in the inheritance of the blood of +British freedom, were holding the line. The dressing station was soon +full again, and, later on, a despatch rider came from the 3rd Infantry +Brigade Headquarters in Shell-Trap Farm to tell us that more help was +needed there. One of the M.O.'s assistants and a sergeant started off +and I followed. We went down the road and then turned to the right up +to the moated farmhouse where the Brigade was. As we went forward +towards the battle front, the night air was sharp and bracing. +Gun-flashes lit up the horizon, but above us the moon and stars looked +quietly down. Wonderful deeds of heroism were being done by our men +along those shell-ploughed fields, under that placid sky. What they +endured, no living tongue can tell. Their Maker alone knows what they +suffered and how they died. The eloquent tribute which history will +give to their fame is that, in spite of the enemy's immense superiority +in numbers, and his brutal launching of poisonous gas, he did not get +through. + +In a ditch by the wayside, a battalion was waiting to follow up the +charge. Every man among the Canadians was "on the job" that night. We +crossed the field to the farmhouse which we found filled to overflowing. +Ambulances were waiting there to carry the wounded back to Ypres. I +saw many friends carried in, and men were lying on the pavement +outside. Bullets were cracking against the outer brick walls. One +Highlander mounted guard over a wounded German prisoner. He had +captured him and was filled with the hunter's pride in his game. "I +got him myself, Sir, and I was just going to run him through with my +bayonet when he told me he had five children. As I have five children +myself, I could not kill him. So I brought him out here." I looked +down at the big prostrate German who was watching us with interest +largely rooted in fear. "Funf kinder?" (five children) "Ja, ja." I +wasn't going to be beaten by a German, so I told him I had seven (p. 066) +children and his face fell. I found out afterwards that a great many +Germans, when they were captured, said they had five children. The +Germans I think used to be put through a sort of catechism before they +went into action, in case they should be taken prisoners. For example, +they always told us they were sure we were going to win the war. They +always said they were glad to be taken prisoners. When they were +married men, they said they had five children and so appealed to our +pity. People do not realize even yet how very thorough the Germans +were in everything that they thought was going to bring them the +mastership of the world. When a German soldier saw the game was up, he +surrendered at once and thus was preserved to fight for his country in +the next war. + +In the stable of the farm, I found many seriously wounded men lying on +the straw, and I took down messages which they were sending to their +relatives at home. On the other side of the wall, we could hear the +bullets striking. As I had the Blessed Sacrament with me I was able to +give communion to a number of the wounded. By this time the grey of +approaching day began to silver the eastern sky. It was indeed a +comfort to feel that the great clockwork of the universe went on just +as if nothing was happening. Over and over again in the war the +approach of dawn has put new life into one. It was such a tremendous +and glorious thing to think that the world rolled on through space and +turned on its axis, whatever turmoil foolish people were making upon +its surface. + +With the dawn came the orders to clear the wounded. The ambulances +were sent off and one of the doctors told me to come with him, as the +General had commanded the place to be cleared of all but the necessary +military staff. It was about four in the morning when we started. +There was a momentary quieting down in the firing as we crossed the +bridge over the moat, but shells were still crashing in the fields, +and through the air we heard every now and then the whistling of +bullets. We kept our heads low and were hurrying on when we encountered +a signaller with two horses, which he had to take back to the main +road. One of these he offered to me. I had not been wanting to mount +higher in the air, but I did not like the fellow to think I had got +"cold feet." So I accepted it graciously, but annoyed him very much by +insisting upon lengthening the stirrups before I mounted. He got +impatient at what he considered an unnecessary delay, but I told him I +would not ride with my knees up to my chin for all the Germans (p. 067) +in the world. When I was mounted, we started off at a good gallop +across the fields to the Ypres road. It was an exciting ride, and I +must confess, looking back upon it, a thoroughly enjoyable one, +reminding me of old stories of battles and the Indian escapes of my +boyhood's novels. When we arrived at the main road, I had to deliver +up my horse to its owner, and then I decided to walk to Ypres, as by +so doing I could speak to the many Imperial men that were marching up +to reinforce the line. I refused many kind offers of lifts on lorries +and waggons. The British battalions were coming up and I was sorry for +them. The young fellows looked so tired and hungry. They had been in +France, I think, only twenty-four hours. At any rate, they had had a +long march, and, as it turned out, were going up, most of them, to +their death, I took great pleasure in hailing them cheerfully and +telling them that it was all right, as the Canadians had held the +line, and that the Germans were not going to get through. One sergeant +said, "You put a lot of braces in my tunic when you talk like that, +Sir." Nothing is more wonderful than the way in which men under tense +anxiety will respond to the slightest note of cheer. This was the case +all through the war. The slightest word or suggestion would often turn +a man from a feeling of powerless dejection into one of defiant +determination. These young Britishers whom I met that morning were a +splendid type of men. Later on the machine-gun fire over the fields +mowed them down in pitiful and ruthless destruction. As I journeyed +towards Ypres I saw smoke rolling up from various parts of the city +and down the road, in the air, I saw the flashes of bursting shrapnel. +I passed St. Jean and made my way to my house by the canal. + +The shutters were still shut and the door was open. I entered and +found in the dining room that the lamp was still burning on the table. +It was now about seven o'clock and Mr. Vandervyver had returned and +was upstairs arranging his toilet. I went out into the garden and +called one of the sentries to tell Murdoch MacDonald to come to me. +While I was talking to the sentry, an officer came by and warned me to +get away from that corner because the Germans were likely to shell it +as it was the only road in the neighbourhood for the passage of troops +to and from the front. When Murdoch arrived, I told him I wanted to +have breakfast, for I had had nothing to eat since luncheon the day +before and had done a lot of walking. He looked surprised and (p. 068) +said, "Fancy having breakfast when the town is being shelled." "Well," +I said, "don't you know we always read in the papers, when a man is +hanged, that before he went out to the gallows he ate a hearty +breakfast? There must be some philosophy in it. At any rate, you might +as well die on a full stomach as an empty one." So Murdoch began to +get breakfast ready in the kitchen, where Mr. Vandervyver's maid was +already preparing a meal for her master. I shaved and had a good clean +up and was sitting in the dining room arranging the many letters and +messages which I had received from men who asked me to write to their +relatives. Breakfast had just been set on the table when I heard the +loudest bang I have ever heard in my life. A seventeen inch shell had +fallen in the corner of the garden where the sentry had been standing. +The windows of the house were blown in, the ceiling came down and soot +from the chimneys was scattered over everything. I suddenly found +myself, still in a sitting posture, some feet beyond the chair in +which I had been resting. Mr. Vandervyver ran downstairs and out into +the street with his toilet so disarranged that he looked as if he were +going to take a swim. Murdoch MacDonald disappeared and I did not see +him again for several days. A poor old woman in the street had been +hit in the head and was being taken off by a neighbour and a man was +lying in the road with a broken leg. All my papers were unfortunately +lost in the debris of the ceiling. I went upstairs and got a few more +of my remaining treasures and came back to the dining room. There I +scraped away the dust and found two boiled eggs. I got some biscuits +from the sideboard and went and filled my water-bottle with tea in the +damaged kitchen. I was just starting out of the door when another +shell hit the building on the opposite side of the street. It had been +used as a billet by some of our men. The sentry I had been talking to +had disappeared and all they could find of him were his boots with his +feet in them. In the building opposite, we found a Highlander badly +wounded and I got stretcher-bearers to come and carry him off to the +2nd Field Ambulance in the Square nearby. Their headquarters had been +moved to Vlamertinghe and they were evacuating that morning. The +civilians now had got out of the town. All sorts of carts and +wheelbarrows had been called into requisition. There were still some +wounded men in the dressing station and a sergeant was in charge. I +managed to commandeer a motor ambulance and stow them in it. Shells +were falling fast in that part of the town. It was perfectly (p. 069) +impossible to linger any longer. A certain old inhabitant, however, +would not leave. He said he would trust to the good God and stay in +the cellar of his house till the war was over. Poor man, if he did not +change his mind, his body must be in the cellar still, for the last +time I saw the place, which henceforth was known as "Hell Fire Corner," +there was not one stone left upon another. Only a little brick wall +remained to show where the garden and house of my landlord had been. I +collected the men of the Ambulance and started off with them to +Vlamertinghe. On the way we added to our numbers men who had either +lost their units or were being sent back from the line. + +As we passed through the Grande Place, which now wore a very much more +dilapidated appearance than it had three days before, we found a +soldier on the pavement completely intoxicated. He was quite unconscious +and could not walk. There was nothing to do but to make him as +comfortable as possible till he should awake next day to the horrors +of the real world. We carried him into a room of a house and laid him +on a heap of straw. I undid the collar of his shirt so that he might +have full scope for extra blood pressure and left him to his fate. I +heard afterwards that the house was struck and that he was wounded and +taken away to a place of safety. When we got down to the bridge on the +Vlamertinghe road, an Imperial Signal Officer met me in great +distress. His men had been putting up telegraph wires on the other +side of the canal and a shell had fallen and killed thirteen of them. +He asked our men to carry the bodies back over the bridge and lay them +side by side in an outhouse. The men did so, and the row of mutilated, +twisted and bleeding forms was pitiful to see. The officer was very +grateful to us, but the bodies were probably never buried because that +part of the city was soon a ruin. We went on down the road towards +Vlamertinghe, past the big asylum, so long known as a dressing +station, with its wonderful and commodious cellars. It had been hit +and the upstairs part was no longer used. + +The people along the road were leaving their homes as fast as they +could. One little procession will always stand out in my mind. In +front one small boy of about six years old was pulling a toy cart in +which two younger children were packed. Behind followed the mother +with a large bundle on her back. Then came the father with a still +bigger one. There they were trudging along, leaving their home (p. 070) +behind with its happy memories, to go forth as penniless refugees, +compelled to live on the charity of others. It was through no fault of +their own, but only through the monstrous greed and ambition of a +despot crazed with feudal dreams of a by-gone age. As I looked at that +little procession, and at many other similar ones, the words of the +Gospel kept ringing in my ears, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one +of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." These +words I felt sounded the doom of the Kaiser. Many and many a time when +the war from our point of view has been going badly, and men would ask +me, "How about the war, Sir?" or, "Are we winning the war, Sir?" I +would reply, "Boys, unless the devil has got into heaven we are going +to win. If he has, the German Emperor will have a good friend there. +But he hasn't, and any nation which tramples on the rights and +liberties of humanity, glories in it, makes it a matter of national +boasting, and casts medals to commemorate the sinking of unprotected +ships--any nation which does that is bound to lose the war, no matter +how badly things may look at the present time." It was nothing but +that unflinching faith in the power of right which kept our men so +steadfast. Right is after all only another name for the will of God. +Men who knew no theology, who professed no creed, who even pretended +to great indifference about the venture of eternity, were unalterably +fixed in their faith in the power of right. It gives one a great +opportunity of building the higher edifice of religion when one +discovers the rock foundation in a man's convictions. + +When we reached Vlamertinghe we found that a school house had been +taken over by the 2nd Field Ambulance. + +There was a terrible shortage of stretchers and blankets, as most of +the equipment had been lost at Ypres. All that day and night the +furious battle raged, and many fresh British battalions passed up to +reinforce the line. As soon as it was dark, the wounded began to come +in, and by midnight the school-house was filled to overflowing. The +men were lying out in rows on the cold stone floor with nothing under +them. Ambulances were coming and going as hour after hour passed by. I +went among the sufferers, many of whom I knew. The sergeant would come +to me and tell me where the worst cases were. He whispered to me once, +"There is a dying man over here." We trod softly between the prostrate +forms till we came to one poor fellow who looked up with white face +under the candle light. I saw he was dying. He belonged to one of (p. 071) +the British battalions that I had passed on the road. I asked him if +he would like to receive the Holy Communion. He was pleased when I +told him I could give it to him. He had been a chorister in England, +and he felt so far from the ministrations of his church now. He made +his confession and I pronounced the absolution. Then I gave him the +Blessed Sacrament. Like many severely wounded men, he was not suffering +much, but was dying of shock. We were now compelled to use the church +and it also soon became a scene of suffering. The building to-day is a +ruin, but then it had been untouched by shells and was large and +impressive. We had only a few candles with which to light it. The +wounded were laid out, some on the floor, some on chairs, and some sat +up waiting for the convoys of ambulances that were to take them to the +Base. It was a strange scene. In the distance we heard the roar of the +battle, and here, in the dim light of the hollow-sounding aisles, were +shadowy figures huddled up on chairs or lying on the floor. Once the +silence was broken by a loud voice shouting out with startling +suddenness, "O God! stop it." I went over to the man. He was a British +sergeant. He would not speak, but I think in his terrible suffering he +meant the exclamation as a kind of prayer. I thought it might help the +men to have a talk with them, so I told them what great things were +being done that night and what a noble part they had played in holding +back the German advance and how all the world would honour them in +after times. Then I said, "Boys, let us have a prayer for our comrades +up in that roar of battle at the front. When I say the Lord's Prayer +join in with me, but not too loudly as we don't want to disturb those +who are trying to sleep." I had a short service and they all joined in +the Lord's Prayer. It was most impressive in that large, dim church, +to hear the voices, not loudly, but quite distinctly, repeating the +words from different parts of the building, for some of the men had +gone over to corners where they might be by themselves. After the +Lord's Prayer I pronounced the Benediction, and then I said, "Boys, +the Curé won't mind your smoking in the church tonight, so I am going +to pass round some cigarettes." Luckily I had a box of five hundred +which had been sent to me by post. These I handed round and lit them. +Voices from different parts would say, "May I have one, Sir?" It was +really delightful to feel that a moment's comfort could be given (p. 072) +to men in their condition. A man arrived that night with both his eyes +gone, and even he asked for a cigarette. I had to put the cigarette +into his mouth and light it for him. "It's so dark, Sir," he said, "I +can't see." I was not going to tell him he would never see again, so I +said, "Your head is all bandaged up. Of course you can't." He was one +of the first to be taken off in the ambulance, and I do not know +whether he is alive or dead. Our Canadians still held on with grim +determination, and they deserved the tribute which Marshal Foch has +paid them of saving the day at Ypres. + +When they came out of the line, and I was living once again among +them, going from battalion to battalion, it was most amusing to hear +them tell of all their adventures during the great attack. The English +newspapers reached us and they were loud in their praise of "the +gallant Canadians." The King, General Joffre, and Sir Robert Borden, +sent messages to our troops. One man said, amid the laughter of his +comrades, "All I can remember, Sir, was that I was in a blooming old +funk for about three days and three nights and now I am told I am a +hero. Isn't that fine?" Certainly they deserved all the praise they +got. In a battle there is always the mixture of the serious and the +comic. One Turco, more gallant than his fellows, refused to leave the +line and joined the 16th Battalion. He fought so well that they decided +to reward him by turning him into a Highlander. He consented to don +the kilt, but would not give up his trousers as they concealed his +black legs. + +The Second Battle of Ypres was the making of what grew to be the +Canadian Corps. Up to that time, Canadians were looked upon, and +looked upon themselves, merely as troops that might be expected to +hold the line and do useful spade work, but from then onward the men +felt they could rise to any emergency, and the army knew they could be +depended upon. The pace then set was followed by the other divisions +and, at the end, the Corps did not disappoint the expectations of +General Foch. What higher praise could be desired? + +My billet in Vlamertinghe was in a neat little cottage owned by an old +maid, who took great pride in making everything shine. The paymaster +of one of our battalions and I had a cheerful home there when the poor +old lady fled. Her home however did not long survive her absence, for, +some days after she left, it was levelled by a shell. The church (p. 073) +too was struck and ruined. Beside it is the military cemetery within +which lie the mortal remains of many gallant men, amongst them the two +Grenfells, one of whom got the V.C. There I buried poor Duffy and many +more. The other chaplains laid to rest men under their care. + +One picture always comes to my mind when I think of Vlamertinghe. In +the road near the church was a Crucifix. The figure was life size and +hung on a cross planted upon a rocky mound. One night when the sun had +set and a great red glow burnt along the horizon, I saw the large black +cross silhouetted against the crimson sky, and before it knelt an aged +woman with grey hair falling from beneath the kerchief that was tied +about her head. It was dangerous at all times to stay at that place, +yet she knelt there silently in prayer. She seemed to be the +embodiment of the old life and quiet contented religious hope which +must have been the spirit of Vlamertinghe in the past. The village was +an absolute ruin a few days later, and even the Sisters had to flee +from their convent. The Crucifix, however, stood for a long time after +the place was destroyed, but I never passed by without thinking of the +poor old woman who knelt at its foot in the evening light and laid her +burden of cares upon the heart of Eternal Pity. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. (p. 074) + +FESTUBERT AND GIVENCHY. + +_May and June, 1915._ + + +When our men came out of the line, the 2nd Field Ambulance was ordered +back for rest and reorganization to a village called Ouderdom, three +miles to the Southwest, and their O.C. invited me to follow them. It +was late in the evening when I started to walk. The light was fading +and, as I had no map, I was not certain where Ouderdom was. I went down +the road, delighting in the sweet smells of nature. It was with a sense +of unusual freedom that I walked along with all my worldly possessions +in my haversack. I thought how convenient it was to lose one's kit. +Now I could lie down beside any haystack and feel quite at home. The +evening air grew chillier and I thought I had better get some roof +over my head for the night. I asked various men that I met where +Ouderdom was. None of them knew. I was forced once again to take my +solitary journey into the great unknown. It was therefore with much +satisfaction that, when quite dark, I came upon some wooden huts and +saw a number of men round a little fire in a field. I went up to one +of the huts and found in it a very kind and courteous middle-aged +lieutenant, who was in charge of a detachment of Indian troops. When +he heard I was looking for the Field Ambulance and going towards +Ouderdom, he told me it was much too late to continue my journey that +night. "You stay with me in my hut, Padré," he said, "and in the +morning I will give you a horse to take you to your men." He told me +that he had been living by himself and was only too delighted to have +a companion to talk to. He treated me as bounteously as circumstances +would permit, and after a good dinner, he gave me a blanket and straw +bed on the floor of his hut. It was very pleasant to come out of the +darkness and loneliness of the road and find such a kind host, and +such good hospitality. We discussed many things that night, and the +next day I was shown over the camp. Later on, the Lieutenant sent me +on horseback to Ouderdom. There I found the Ambulance encamped in a +pleasant field beside a large pond, which afforded us the luxury of a +bath. I shall never forget those two restful days I spent at Ouderdom. +I blamed the blankets, however, for causing an irritation of the (p. 075) +skin, which lasted till I was able to have another wash and change. + +Pleasant as my life was with the Ambulance, I felt I ought to go back +and join my Brigade. I got a ride to the transport at Brielen, and +there, under a waggon cover, had a very happy home. Near us an +Imperial battery fired almost incessantly all night long. While lying +awake one night thinking of the men that had gone, and wondering what +those ardent spirits were now doing, the lines came to me which were +afterwards published in "The Times": + + "REQUIESCANT" + + In lonely watches night by night, + Great visions burst upon my sight, + For down the stretches of the sky + The hosts of dead go marching by. + + Strange ghostly banners o'er them float, + Strange bugles sound an awful note, + And all their faces and their eyes + Are lit with starlight from the skies. + + The anguish and the pain have passed, + And peace hath come to them at last. + But in the stern looks linger still + The iron purpose and the will. + + Dear Christ, who reign'st above the flood + Of human tears and human blood, + A weary road these men have trod, + O house them in the home of God. + +The Quartermaster of the 3rd Brigade furnished me with a change of +underwear, for which I was most grateful. I felt quite proud of having +some extra clothes again. The battalions were moved at last out of the +area and we were ordered off to rest. Our first stop was near +Vlamertinghe. We reached it in the afternoon, and, chilly though it +was, I determined to have a bath. Murdoch MacDonald got a bucket of +water from a green and slimy pond and put it on the other side of a +hedge, and there I retired to have a wash and change. I was just in +the midst of the process when, to my confusion, the Germans began to +shell the adjoining field, and splinters of shell fell in the hedge +behind me. The transport men on the other side called out to me (p. 076) +to run and take cover with them under the waggons. "I can't, boys", +I replied, "I have got no clothes on." They roared with laughter at my +plight. Though clothes are not at all an impregnable armour, somehow +or other you feel safer when you are dressed. There was nothing for it +but to complete my ablutions, which I did so effectually in the cold +spring air that I got a chill. That night I was racked with pains as I +rode on the horse which the M.O. lent me, on our march to Bailleul. + +We arrived in the quaint old town about two in the morning, and I made +my way in the dark to the hotel in the Square. I was refused admission +on the reasonable plea that every bed was already occupied. I was just +turning away, wondering where I could go, for I was hardly able to +stand up, when an officer came out and said I might go up to a room on +the top storey and get into his bed as he would need it no more. It +was quite delightful, not only to find a bed, but one which had been +so nicely and wholesomely warmed. I spent a most uncomfortable night, +and in the morning I wondered if my batman would find out where I was +and come and look after me. About ten o'clock I heard a knock at the +door and called out "Come in." To my astonishment, a very smart staff +officer, with a brass hat and red badges, made his way into my room, +and startled me by saying, "I am the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General." +"Oh", I said, "I was hoping you were my batman." He laughed at that +and told me his business. There had been a report that one of our +Highlanders had been crucified on the door of a barn. The Roman Catholic +Chaplain of the 3rd Brigade and myself had tried to trace the story to +its origin. We found that the nearest we could get to it was, that +someone had told somebody else about it. One day I managed to discover +a Canadian soldier who said he had seen the crucifixion himself. I at +once took some paper out of my pocket and a New Testament and told +him, "I want you to make that statement on oath and put your signature +to it." He said, "It is not necessary." But he had been talking so +much about the matter to the men around him that he could not escape. +I had kept his sworn testimony in my pocket and it was to obtain this +that the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General had called upon me. I gave it +to him and told him that in spite of the oath, I thought the man was +not telling the truth. Weeks afterwards I got a letter from the +Deputy-Judge telling me he had found the man, who, when confronted (p. 077) +by a staff officer, weakened, and said he was mistaken in swearing +that he had seen the crucifixion he had only been told about it by +someone else. We have no right to charge the Germans with the crime. +They have done so many things equally bad, that we do not need to +bring charges against them of which we are not quite sure. + +The Brigade was quartered in the little village of Steenje. It was a +pretty place, and it was delightful to be back in the peaceful country +again. May was bringing out the spring flowers and the trees wore +fresh green leaves. There was something about the exhilarating life we +were leading which made one extremely sensitive to the beauties of +nature. I have never cared much for flowers, except in a general way. +But now I noticed a great change. A wild flower growing in a ditch by +the wayside seemed to me to be almost a living thing, and spoke in its +mute way of its life of peace and contentment, and mocked, by its very +humility, the world of men which was so full of noise and death. +Colour too made a most powerful appeal to the heart. The gleam of +sunlight on the moss that covered an old thatched roof gave one a +thrill of gladness. The world of nature putting on its fresh spring +dress had its message to hearts that were lonely and anxious, and it +was a message of calm courage and hope. In Julian Grenfell's beautiful +poem "Into Battle," he notes this message of the field and trees. +Everything in nature spoke to the fighting man and gave him its own +word of cheer. + +Of course all the men did not show they were conscious of these emotional +suggestions, but I think they felt them nevertheless. The green fields +and shining waters around Steenje had a very soothing effect upon minds +that had passed through the bitterest ordeal in their life's +experience. I remember one morning having a service of Holy Communion +in the open air. Everything was wonderful and beautiful. The golden +sunlight was streaming across the earth in full radiance. The trees +were fresh and green, and hedges marked out the field with walls of +living beauty. The grass in the meadow was soft and velvety, and, just +behind the spot where I had placed the altar, a silver stream wandered +slowly by. When one adds to such a scene, the faces of a group of +earnest, well-made and heroic young men, it is easily understood that +the beauty of the service was complete. When it was over, I reminded +them of the twenty-third Psalm, "He maketh me to lie down in green (p. 078) +pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters." There too was the table +prepared before us in the presence of our enemies. + +At Steenje, as no billet had been provided for me, the Engineers took +me in and treated me right royally. Not only did they give me a pile +of straw for a bed in the dormitory upstairs, but they also made me an +honorary member of their mess. Of the work of the "Sappers", in the +Great War, one cannot speak too highly. Brave and efficient, they were +always working and co-operating enthusiastically with the infantry. +Every week now that passed was deepening that sense of comradeship +which bound our force together. The mean people, the men who thought +only of themselves, were either being weeded out or taught that there +was no place for selfishness in the army. One great lesson was +impressed upon me in the war, and that is, how wonderfully the +official repression of wrong thoughts and jealousies tends to their +abolition. A man who lets his wild fancies free, and gives rein to his +anger and selfishness, is going to become the victim of his own mind. +If people at home could only be prevented, as men were in the war, +from saying all the bitter and angry things they feel, and from +criticising the actions of their neighbours, a different temper of +thought would prevail. The comradeship men experienced in the Great +War was due to the fact that everyone knew comradeship was essential +to our happiness and success. It would be well if all over Canada men +realized that the same is true of our happiness and success in times +of peace. What might we not accomplish if our national and industrial +life were full of mutual sympathy and love! + +Our rest at Steenje was not of long duration. Further South another +attack was to be made and so one evening, going in the direction +whither our troops were ordered, I was motored to the little village +of Robecq. There I managed to get a comfortable billet for myself in +the house of a carpenter. My bedroom was a tiny compartment which +looked out on the backyard. It was quite delightful to lie in a real +bed again and as I was enjoying the luxury late in the morning I +watched the carpenter making a baby's coffin. Robecq then was a very +charming place. The canal, on which was a hospital barge, gave the men +an opportunity for a swim, and the spring air and the sunshine put +them in high spirits. + +It was at Robecq, that I had my first sight of General Haig. I was +standing in the Square one afternoon when I saw the men on the (p. 079) +opposite side spring suddenly to attention. I felt that something +was going to happen. To my astonishment, I saw a man ride up carrying +a flag on a lance. He was followed by several other mounted men. It +was so like a pageant that I said to myself, "Hello, here comes Joan +of Arc." Then a general appeared with his brilliant staff. The General +advanced and we all saluted, but he, spying my chaplain's collar, rode +over to me and shook hands and asked if I had come over with the +Canadians. I told him I had. Then he said, "I am so glad you have all +come into my Army." I did not know who he was or what army we were in, +or in fact what the phrase meant, but I thought it was wise to say nice +things to a general, so I told him we were all very glad too. He seemed +gratified and rode off in all the pomp and circumstance of war. I heard +afterwards that he was General Haig, who at that time commanded the First +Army. He had from the start, the respect of all in the British +Expeditionary Force. + +A sudden call "to stand to", however, reminded us that the war was not +yet won. The Brigadier told me that we had to move the next morning at +five. Then he asked me how I was going and I quoted my favourite text, +"The Lord will provide." My breakfast at 3.30 next morning consisted +of a tin of green peas without bread or other adulterations and a cup +of coffee. At five a.m. I started to walk, but it was not long before I +was overtaken by the car of an artillery officer, and carried, in great +glory, past the General and his staff, whose horses we nearly pushed +into the ditch on the narrow road. The Brigadier waved his hand and +congratulated me upon the way in which Providence was looking after me. +That afternoon our brigade was settled in reserve trenches at +Lacouture. There were a number of Ghurka regiments in the neighbourhood, +as well as some Guards battalions. I had a service for the bomb-throwers +in a little orchard that evening, and I found a billet with the +officers of the unit in a particularly small and dirty house by the +wayside. + +Some of us lay on the floor and I made my bed on three chairs--a style +of bed which I said I would patent on my return to Canada. The chairs, +with the middle one facing in the opposite direction to prevent one +rolling off, were placed at certain distances where the body needed +special support, and made a very comfortable resting place, free from +those inhabitants which infested the ordinary places of repose. Of +course we did not sleep much, and somebody, amid roars of laughter (p. 080) +called for breakfast about two-thirty a.m. The cook who was sleeping +in the same room got up and prepared bacon and coffee, and we had +quite an enjoyable meal, which did not prevent our having a later one +about nine a.m., after which, I beguiled the time by reading aloud +Leacock's "Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich." Later in the day, +I marched off with our men who were going into the trenches, for the +battle of Festubert. We passed the place called Indian Village and +went to the trenches just beyond. + +We met a bearer-party bringing out a young German prisoner who was +badly wounded. I went over to him and offered him a cigarette. This he +declined, but asked for some water, putting out his dry tongue to show +how parched it was. I called to some of our men to know if they could +spare him a drink. Several gladly ran across and offered their +water-bottles. They were always kind to wounded prisoners. "If thine +enemy thirst give him drink." Just before the men went into the +trenches, I shook hands with one or two and then, as they passed up, +half the battalion shook hands with me. I was glad they did, but at +the same time I felt then that it was not wise for a chaplain to do +anything which looked as if he were taking matters too seriously. It +was the duty of everyone to forget private feelings in the one +absorbing desire to kill off the enemy. I saw the different battalions +going up and was returning towards headquarters when whom should I +meet but the dreaded Brigadier coming up the road with his staff. It +was impossible to dodge him; I could see already that he was making +towards me. When he came up to me, he asked me what I was doing there, +and ordered me back to Headquarters on pain of a speedy return to No. +2 General Hospital. "If you come east of my Headquarters," he said, +"you will be sent back absolutely certainly." That night I took my +revenge by sleeping in his deserted bed, and found it very +comfortable. + +Our Brigade Headquarters were at Le Touret in a large farm surrounded +by a moat. We were quite happy, but on the next day, which I spent in +censoring the letters of the 13th Battalion, I was told that the 2nd +Brigade were coming to occupy the billet and that I had to get out and +forage for myself. At half past six in the evening I saw from my window +the giant form of General Currie followed by his staff, riding across +the bridge over the moat. He looked very imposing, but I knew it meant +that the bed I had slept in was no longer mine. I called my friend (p. 081) +Murdoch MacDonald and I got him to pack my haversack. "Murdoch", I +said, "once more we have to face the big, black world alone, but--'the +Lord will provide'". The sun had set, the air was cool and scented +richly with the fermented manure spread upon the land. Many units were +scattered through the fields. We went from one place to another, but +alas there was no billet for us. It was tiring work, and both Murdoch +and I were getting very hungry and also very grumpy. The prospect of +sleeping under the stars in the chilly night was not pleasant. I am +ashamed to say my faith began to waver, and I said to Murdoch MacDonald, +"Murdoch, my friend, the Lord is a long time providing for us +tonight." We made our way back to the main road and there I saw an +Imperial Officer who was acting as a point man and directing traffic. +I told him my difficulty and implored him, as it was now getting on +towards eleven p.m., to tell me where I could get a lodging for the +night. He thought for a while and then said, "I think you may find a +bed for yourself and your man in the prison." The words had an ominous +sound, but I remembered how often people at home found refuge for the +night in the police station. He told me to go down the road to the +third farmhouse, where I should find the quarters of some Highland +officers and men. The farm was called the prison, because it was the +place in which captured Germans were to be held until they were sent +down the line. Followed by Murdoch, I made my way again down the busy +road now crowded with transports, troops and ambulances. It was hard +to dodge them in the mud and dark. I found the farmhouse, passed the +sentry, and was admitted to the presence of two young officers of the +Glasgow Highlanders. I told them who I was and how I had been bidden +by the patrol officer to seek refuge with them. They received me most +cordially and told me they had a spare heap of straw in the room. They +not only said they would arrange for me for the night, but they called +their servant and told him to get me some supper. They said I looked +worn out. A good dish of ham and eggs and a cup of strong tea at that +time were most refreshing and when I had finished eating, seeing a +copy of the Oxford Book of Verse on the table, I began to read it to +them, and finally, and quite naturally, found myself later on, about +one a.m., reciting my own poems. It was most interesting meeting +another set of men. The barn, which was kept as a prison for Germans +was large and commodious. As we took only five or six prisoners (p. 082) +at that time, it was more than sufficient for the purpose. The officers +told me that the reason why so few prisoners turned up was that the +Canadians got tired of their charges before they arrived at the +prison, and only handed over a few as souvenirs. I really think the +Scotsmen believed it. The Glasgow men moved away and were succeeded by +a company of Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. The tables were now +turned, for as I had kept on inhabiting the large room with the three +heaps of straw in it, the two officers who came "to take over" asked +my permission to make their billet in the prison. + +In the meantime, the fighting in the trenches was very fierce. I spent +my days in parish visiting and my nights at the various dressing +stations. The batteries of artillery were all round us in the fields +and orchards, and there was great concentration of British and +Canadian guns. In spite of the brigadier's orders, I often went east +of Headquarters. One lovely Sunday evening I had a late service for +men of the 16th Battalion in an orchard. They were going off later +into No Man's Land on a working party. The service, which was a +voluntary one, had therefore an underlying pathos in it. Shells were +falling in the fields on both sides of us. The great red sunset glowed +in the west and the trees overhead cast an artistic gray green light +upon the scene. The men were facing the sunset, and I told them as +usual that there lay Canada. The last hymn was "Abide with Me", and +the words, "Hold Thou Thy Cross before my closing eyes", were +peculiarly touching in view of the fact that the working party was to +start as soon as the service was ended. At Festubert our Cavalry +Brigade, now deprived of their horses, joined us, and I remember one +morning seeing Colonel, now General, Macdonell, coming out of the line +at the head of his men. They were few in number and were very tired, +for they had had a hard time and had lost many of their comrades. The +Colonel, however, told them to whistle and keep step to the tune, +which they were doing with a gallantry which showed that, in spite of +the loss of their horses, the spirit of the old squadron was still +undaunted. + +Our batteries round Le Touret were very heavily and systematically +shelled, and of course rumour had it that there were spies in the +neighbourhood. The French Police were searching for Germans in British +uniforms, and everyone felt that some of the inhabitants might be +housing emissaries from the German lines. Some said lights were (p. 083) +seen flashing from farmhouses; others averred that the French peasants +signalled to the enemy by the way they ploughed their fields and by +the colour of the horses used. In Belgium we were told that the +arrangement of the arms of windmills gave away the location of our +troops. At any rate everyone had a bad attack of spy-fever, and I did +not escape it. One night about half past ten I was going down a dark +road to get my letters from the post office, when an officer on a +bicycle came up to me and, dismounting, asked me where a certain +British Artillery Brigade was. I was not concerned with the number of +the brigade, but I was horrified to hear the officer pronounce his +"rs" in the back of his throat. Of course, when we are not at war with +Germany, a man may pronounce his "rs" however he pleases, but when we +are at war with the great guttural hordes of Teutons it is different. +The moment I heard the sepulchral "r" I said, "This man is a German". +He told me he had come from the Indian Army and had a message for the +artillery brigade. I took him by subtlety, thinking all was fair in +war, and I asked him to come with me. I made for the billet of our +signallers and told the sentry that the officer wanted a British +brigade. At the same time I whispered to the man to call out the +guard, because I thought the stranger was a spy. + +The sentry went into the house, and in a few seconds eager Canadians +with fixed bayonets came out of the building and surrounded the +unfortunate officer. Canadians were always ready for a bit of sport. +When I saw my man surrounded, I asked him for his pass. He appeared +very much confused and said he had none, but had come from the Indian +Army. What made us all the more suspicious was the fact that he +displayed a squared map as an evidence of his official character. I +told him that anybody could get a squared map. "Do you take me for a +spy?" he said. I replied gently that we did, and that he would have to +come to Headquarters and be identified. He had an ugly looking +revolver in his belt, but he submitted very tamely to his temporary +arrest. I was taking him off to our Headquarters, where strange +officers were often brought for purposes of identification, when a +young Highland Captain of diminutive stature, but unbounded dignity, +appeared on the scene with four patrol men. He told me that as he was +patrolling the roads for the capture of spies, he would take over the +custody of my victim. The Canadians were loath to lose their prey. So +we all followed down the road. After going a short distance, the +signallers had to return to their quarters, much to my regret, (p. 084) +for it seemed to me that the safety of the whole British Army depended +on our capturing the spy, and I knew I could depend upon the Canadians. +However I made up my mind that I would follow to the bitter end. + +The Highlander put the officer between us and, followed by the four +patrol men, we went off down a lonely road. The moon had now risen. +After walking about half a mile we came to a large barn, outside of +which stood a sentry. It was the billet of a battalion of Highlanders. +I told the man privately, that we had arrested the officer under +suspicion of his being a spy, and if the sentry on duty should see him +coming back along the road, he was to detain him and have him +identified. As we walked along, a number of men who had been concealed +in the ditches on each side of the road rose up and followed us. They +were men of the patrol commanded by the young Highlander on the other +side of our prisoner. It was a delightfully weird experience. There +was the long quiet moonlit road and the desolate fields all around us. +While I was talking to one of the men, the patrol officer, unknown to +me, allowed the spy to go off on his wheel, and to my astonishment +when I turned I saw him going off down the road as hard as he could. I +asked the officer why he had let him go. He said he thought it was all +right and the man would be looked after. Saying this, he called his +patrol about him and marched back again. The thing made me very angry. +It seemed to me that the whole war might depend on our capturing the +spy. At least, I owed it to the British Army to do my best to be +certain the man was all right before I let him go. So I continued to +follow him by myself down the road. The next farm I came to was about +a mile off. There I was halted by a sentry, and on telling my business +I was shown into a large barn, where the sergeant-major of a Scottish +battalion got out of the straw and came to talk to me. He told me that +an officer riding a wheel had passed sometime before, asking his way +to a certain artillery brigade. I told the sergeant-major my +suspicions and while we were talking, to our astonishment, the sentry +announced that the officer, accompanied by a Black Watch despatch +rider, had turned up again, having heard that the brigade he wanted +was in the other direction. + +The sergeant and I went out and challenged him and said that he had to +come to the colonel and be identified. The colonel was in the back +room of a little cottage on the other side of the road. I made my way +through the garden and entered the house. The colonel, an oldish (p. 085) +man, was sitting at a table. In front of him was an empty glass and an +empty whisky bottle. It struck me from a superficial glance that the +colonel was the only full thing in the room. He seemed surprised at +having so late a visitor. I told him my suspicions. "Show the man in, +Padré," he said, and I did. + +The spy seemed worried and excited and his "rs" were more guttural +than ever. The old Colonel, who had himself been in India, at once put +the suspect through his facings in Hindustani. Then the Colonel came +out to me, and taking me aside said, "It's all right, Padré, he can +talk Hindustani. I never met a German who could do that." Though still +not quite satisfied, I said "Good night," and went out into the garden +to return home. Immediately the young despatch rider came up to me and +said, "Who are you, who are stopping a British officer in the +performance of his duty? I arrest you. You must come in to the Colonel +and be identified." This was a turning of the tables with a vengeance, +and as I had recently laid stress on its being the duty of every +officer to prove his identity whenever called upon, I had nothing to +do but to go back into the presence of the Colonel and be questioned. +I noticed this time that a full bottle of whiskey and another tumbler +had been provided for the entertainment of the Indian Officer. The +despatch rider saluted the Colonel and said, "I have brought in this +officer, Sir, to be identified. He says he is a Canadian chaplain but +I should like to make sure on the point." I stood there feeling rather +disconcerted. The Colonel called to his adjutant who was sleeping in a +bed in the next room. He came out in a not very agreeable frame of +mind and began to ask me who I was. I immediately told my name, showed +my identification disc and engraved silver cigarette case and some +cablegrams that I had just received from home. The Colonel looked up +with bleary eyes and said, "Shall I put him in the guardroom?" but +the adjutant had been convinced by my papers that I was innocent and +he said, "I think we can let him go, Sir." It was a great relief to +me, because guard-rooms were not very clean. I was just making my way +from the garden when out came the young despatch rider. I bore him no +malice for his patriotic zeal. I felt that his heart was in the right +place, so I said to him, "You have taken the part of this unknown +officer, and now that you are sure I am all right, may I ask you what +you know about him?" "I don't know anything", he said, "only that I +met him and he asked me the way to the Brigade, and as I was going (p. 086) +there myself I told him I would act as his guide." "Well", I said, "we +are told that there are spies in the neighbourhood reporting the +location of our batteries to the Germans, so we ought to be very +careful how we give these locations away." "I tell you what, Sir," he +replied, "I'll go and examine his wheel and see what the make is; I +know a good deal about the wheels used in the army." We went over to +the wheel and by the aid of my flashlight he examined it thoroughly +and then said, "This is not an English wheel, I have never seen one +like it before. This wheel was never in use in our army." The despatch +rider now got an attack of spy-fever. It was decided that he should +ride on to the Brigade Headquarters and find out if an Indian officer +was expected there. He promised to come back as soon as possible and +meet me in the road. We trusted that the bottle of whiskey in the +Colonel's billet would cause sufficient delay for this to be +accomplished. The night was cool and beautiful and the sense of an +adventure added charm to the situation. I had not gone far down the +road when to my horror I heard a wheel coming behind me, and turning, +I saw my spy coming towards me as fast as he could. I was not of +course going to let him get past. The added information as to the +character of the wheel gave me even greater determination to see that +everything was done to protect the army from the machinations of a +German spy. + +I stood in the road and stopped the wheel. The poor man had to +dismount and walk beside me. I wished to delay him long enough for the +despatch rider to return with his message from the Brigade. Our +conversation was a trifle forced, and I remember thinking that if my +friend was really a British officer he would not have submitted quite +so tamely to the interference of a Padré. Then I looked at the +revolver in his belt, and I thought that, if, on the other hand, he +was a German spy he would probably use his weapon in that lonely road +and get rid of the man who was impeding his movements. We went on till +we came to the sentry whom I had warned at first. At once, we were +challenged, "Halt, who are you?" and the suspected spy replied "Indian +Army." But the sentry was not satisfied, and to my delight he said, +"You will both have to come in and be identified". We were taken into +the guardroom and told that we should have to stay there for the +night. My friend got very restless and said it was too bad to be held +up like this. I looked anxiously down the road to see if there were +any signs of the returning despatch rider. The sentries were (p. 087) +obdurate and said they wouldn't let us go till we could be identified +in the morning. Then the officer requested that he might be sent to +the Brigade under escort. The sergeant asked me if that would meet +with my approval. I said, "Certainly", and so, turning out three +members of the guard with fixed bayonets, they marched us off towards +the Brigade. The spy had a man with a fixed bayonet on each side of +him: they gave me only one. I felt that this was a slight upon my +manhood, and asked why they did not put a soldier on each side of me +too, as I was as good a man as the other. It was a queer procession in +the moonlight. At last we came to the orchard in which stood the +billet of the General commanding the Artillery Brigade. I was delighted +to find that some Canadian Batteries were there, and told the men what +my mission was. They instantly, as true Canadians, became fired with +interest and spy-fever. When we got to the house I asked to see the +General. He was asleep in a little room off the kitchen. I was shown +in, and he lit a candle and proceeded to get up. I had never seen a +general in bed before, so was much interested in discovering what he +looked like and how he was dressed. I found that a general in war time +goes to bed in his underclothes, like an ordinary private. The General +got up and went outside and put the spy through a series of questions, +but he did so in a very sleepy voice, and with a perfunctory manner +which seemed to me to indicate that he was more concerned about +getting back to bed than he was in saving the army from danger. He +told the officer that it was too late then to carry on the business +for which he had come, but that he would see about it in the morning. +The spy with a guttural voice then said, "I suppose I may go, Sir?" +and the General said, "Certainly." Quickly as possible, fearing a +further arrest, the stranger went out, took his wheel, and sped down +the road. When I went into the garden, I found a number of men from +one of our ambulances. They had turned up with stolen rifles and were +waiting with the keenest delight to join in "Canon Scott's spy hunt." +Imagine therefore, their disappointment when the officer came out a +free man, answered the sentry's challenge on the road, and disappeared +in the distance. + +On the following day, the French military police came to my billet and +asked for particulars about the Indian officer. They told Murdoch +MacDonald that they were on the lookout for a German spy who was (p. 088) +reported to be going about through our lines dressed in a British +uniform. He had been seen at an observation post, and was making +enquiries which aroused suspicions. This of course made me more sorry +than ever that I had allowed the spy to get through my fingers. Like +the man the French police were after, the officer was fair, had a +light moustache and was of good size and heavily built. + +My adventures with my friend did not end there. When we had left Festubert +and got to the neighbourhood of Bethune, I took two young privates one +day to have lunch with me in a French hotel near the Square. We were just +beginning our meal when to my astonishment the suspected spy, accompanied +by a French interpreter, sat down at an opposite table. He looked towards +me but made no sign of recognition--a circumstance which I regarded as +being decidedly suspicious. I naturally did not look for any demonstration +of affection from him, but I thought he might have shown, if he were +an honest man, that he remembered one who had caused him so much +inconvenience. Once more the call of duty came to my soul. I felt that +this man had dodged the British authorities and was now giving his +information to a French interpreter to transmit it at the earliest +possible moment to the Germans. I told my young friends to carry on as +if nothing had happened, and excusing myself, said I would come back +in a few minutes. I went out and inquired my way to the Town Major's +office. There, I stated the object of my journey and asked for two +policemen to come back with me and mount guard till I identified a +suspicious looking officer. I then returned and finished my lunch. +When the officer and the interpreter at the conclusion of their meal +went out into the passage, I followed them and asked for their +identification. The officer made no attempt to disguise or check his +temper. He said that there must be an end to this sort of work. But +the arrival of the two policemen in the passage showed that he had to +do what I asked him. This he did, and the interpreter also, and the +police took their names and addresses. Then I let my friends go, and +heard them depart into the street hurling denunciations and threats of +vengeance upon my devoted and loyal head. + +It was about a week or ten days afterwards that I was called into our +own Brigadier's office. He held a bundle of letters in his hand stamped +with all sorts of official seals. The gist of it all was that the G.O.C. +of the Indian Division in France had reported to General Alderson the +extraordinary and eccentric conduct of a Canadian Chaplain, who (p. 089) +persisted in arresting a certain British officer whenever they happened +to meet. He wound up with this cutting comment, "The conduct of this +chaplain seems to fit him rather for a lunatic asylum than for the +theatre of a great war." Of course explanations were sent back. It was +explained to the General that reports had reached us of the presence +in our lines of a German spy in British uniform, who from the description +given, resembled the Indian officer in all particulars. + +It is needless to say that every one was immensely amused at "the +Canon's spy story," and I mentally resolved that I would be more +careful in the future about being carried away by my suspicions. I +told people however that I would rather run the risk of being laughed +at over making a mistake than to let one real spy escape. + +Festubert made a heavy toll upon our numbers, and we were not sorry +when we were ordered out of the line and found ourselves quartered in +the neighbourhood of Bethune. Bethune at that time was a delightful +place. It was full of people. The shops were well provided with +articles for sale, and a restaurant in the quaint Grande Place, with +its Spanish tower and Spanish houses, was the common meeting ground of +friends. The gardens behind private residences brought back memories +of pre-war days. The church was a beautiful one, built in the 16th +century. The colours of the windows were especially rich. It was +always delightful to enter it and think how it had stood the shock and +turmoil of the centuries. + +One day when I was there the organ was being played most beautifully. +Sitting next to me in a pew, was a Canadian Highlander clad in a very +dirty uniform. He told me that a friend of his had been killed beside +him drenching him in blood. The Highlander was the grandson of a +British Prime Minister. We listened to the music till the recital was +over, and then I went up to the gallery and made myself known to the +organist. He was a delicate young fellow, quite blind, and was in a +state of nervous excitement over his recent efforts. I made a bargain +with him to give us a recital on the following evening. At the time +appointed, therefore, I brought some of our men with me. The young +organist met us at the church and I led him over to a monastery in +which a British ambulance was making its headquarters. There, in the +chapel, the blind man poured out his soul in the strains of a most +beautiful instrument. We sat entranced in the evening light. He +transported us into another world. We forgot the shells, the mud, (p. 090) +the darkness, the wounded men, the lonely graves, and the hideous fact +of war. We wandered free and unanxious down the avenues of thought and +emotion which were opened up before us by the genius of him whose eyes +were shut to this world. It was with deep regret that, when the concert +was over, we heard him close the keyboard. Three years later the +organist was killed by a shell while he was sitting at his post in the +church he loved so well and had never seen. + +When we were at Bethune a very important event in my military career +took place. In answer to repeated requests, Headquarters procured me a +horse. I am told that the one sent to me came by mistake and was not +that which they intended me to have. The one I was to have, I heard, +was the traditional padré's horse, heavy, slow, unemotional, and with +knees ready at all times to sink in prayer. The animal sent to me, +however, was a high-spirited chestnut thoroughbred, very pretty, very +lively and neck-reined. It had once belonged to an Indian general, and +was partly Arab. Poor Dandy was my constant companion to the end. +After the Armistice, to prevent his being sold to the Belgian army, he +was mercifully shot, by the orders of our A.D.V.S. Dandy certainly was +a beauty, and his lively disposition made him interesting to ride. I +was able now to do much more parish visiting, and I was rather amused +at the way in which my mount was inspected by the different grooms in +our units. I had to stand the fire of much criticism. Evil and +covetous eyes were set upon Dandy. I was told he was "gone" in the +knees. I was told he had a hump on the back--he had what is known as +the "Jumper's bump." Men tickled his back and, because he wriggled, +told me he was "gone" in the kidneys. I was told he was no proper +horse for a padré, but that a fair exchange was always open to me. I +was offered many an old transport hack for Dandy, and once was even +asked if I would change him for a pair of mules. I took all the +criticisms under consideration, and then when they were repeated I +told the men that really I loved to ride a horse with a hump on its +back. It was so biblical, just like riding a camel. As for bad +kidneys, both Dandy and I were teetotallers and we could arrest +disease by our temperance habits. The weakness of knees too was no +objection in my eyes. In fact, I had so long, as a parson, sat over +weak-kneed congregations that I felt quite at home sitting on a +weak-kneed horse. + +Poor dear old Dandy, many were the rides we had together. Many (p. 091) +were the jumps we took. Many were the ditches we tumbled into. Many +were the unseen barbed wires and overhanging telephone wires which we +broke, you with your chest and I with my nose and forehead. Many were +the risks we ran in front of batteries in action which neither of us +had observed till we found ourselves deafened with a hideous explosion +and wrapped in flame. I loved you dearly, Dandy, and I wish I could +pull down your soft face towards mine once again, and talk of the +times when you took me down Hill 63 and along Hyde Park corner at +Ploegsteert. Had I not been wounded and sent back to England at the +end of the war, I would have brought you home with me to show to my +family--a friend that not merely uncomplainingly but cheerfully, with +prancing feet and arching neck and well groomed skin, bore me safely +through dangers and darkness, on crowded roads and untracked fields. +What dances we have had together, Dandy, when I have got the bands to +play a waltz and you have gone through the twists and turns of a +performance in which you took an evident delight! I used to tell the +men that Dandy and I always came home together. Sometimes I was on his +back and sometimes he was on mine, but we always came home together. + +A few days later my establishment was increased by the purchase of a +well-bred little white fox-terrier. He rejoiced in the name of Philo +and became my inseparable companion. The men called him my curate. +Dandy, Philo and I made a family party which was bound together by very +close ties of affection. Though none of us could speak the language of +the others, yet the sympathy of each enabled us to understand and +appreciate one another's opinions. I always knew what Dandy thought +and what he would do. I always knew too what Philo was thinking about. +Philo had a great horror of shells. I put this down to the fact that +he was born at Beuvry, a place which had been long under shell-fire. +When he heard a shell coming in his direction, Philo used to go to the +door of the dugout and listen for the explosion, and then come back to +me in a state of whining terror. He could not even stand the sound of +our own guns. It made him run round and round barking and howling +furiously. + +It was while we were out in rest at Bethune that I was told I could go +on a week's leave to London. I was glad of this, not only for the +change of scene, but for the sake of getting new clothes. I awoke (p. 092) +in the early morning and listened to the French guns pounding away +wearily near Souchez. At noon I started with a staff officer in a +motor for Boulogne. It was a lovely day, and as we sped down the road +through little white unspoilt villages and saw peaceful fields once +again, it seemed as if I were waking from a hideous dream. That +evening we pulled in to Victoria Station, and heard the Westminster +chimes ringing out half past eight. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. (p. 093) + +PLOEGSTEERT--A LULL IN OPERATIONS. + +_July to December, 1915._ + + +Leave in London during the war never appealed to me. I always felt +like a fish out of water. When I went to concerts and theatres, all +the time amid the artistic gaiety of the scene I kept thinking of the +men in the trenches, their lonely vigils, their dangerous working +parties, and the cold rain and mud in which their lives were passed. +And I thought too of the wonderful patrol kept up on the dark seas, by +heroic and suffering men who guarded the life and liberty of Britain. +The gaiety seemed to be a hollow mockery. I was not sorry therefore +when my week's leave was over and I went back to the line. A staff +officer whom I met on the leave boat informed me that the Division had +changed its trenches, and my Brigade had left Bethune. We had a most +wonderful run in the staff car from Boulogne, and in two hours arrived +at the Brigade Headquarters at Steenje, near Bailleul. There, with my +haversacks, I was left by the staff car at midnight and had to find a +lodging place. The only light I saw was in the upper windows of the +Curé's house, the rest of the village was in complete darkness. I +knocked on the door and, after a few minutes, the head and shoulders +of a man in pyjamas looked out from the window and asked me who I was +and what I wanted. On my giving my name and requesting admission, he +very kindly came down and let me in and gave me a bed on the floor. On +a mattress beside me was a young officer of the Alberta Dragoons, only +nineteen years of age. He afterwards joined the Flying Corps and met +his death by jumping out of his machine at an altitude of six thousand +feet, when it was hit and burst into flames. The Alberta Dragoons +later on became the Canadian Light Horse, and were Corps Troops. At +that time, they were part of the 1st Division and were a magnificent +body. The practical elimination of cavalry in modern warfare has taken +all the romance and chivalry out of fighting. It is just as well +however for the world that the old feudal conception of war has passed +away. The army will be looked upon in the future as a class of citizens +who are performing the necessary and unpleasant task of policing the +world, in order that the rational occupations of human life may (p. 094) +be carried on without interruption. + +Brigade Headquarters now moved to a large farm behind the trenches at +Ploegsteert. I bid farewell to my friends of the Alberta Dragoons and +found a billet at La Crêche. From thence I moved to Romarin and made +my home in a very dirty little French farmhouse. The Roman Catholic +chaplain and I had each a heap of straw in an outhouse which was a +kind of general workroom. At one end stood a large churn, which was +operated, when necessary, by a trained dog, which was kept at other +times in a cage. The churn was the breeding place of innumerable +blue-bottles, who in spite of its savoury attractions annoyed us very +much by alighting on our food and on our faces. I used to say to my +friend, the chaplain, when at night we had retired to our straw beds +and were reading by the light of candles stuck on bully beef tins, +that the lion and the lamb were lying down together. We could never +agree as to which of the animals each of us represented. At the head +of my heap of straw there was an entrance to the cellar. The ladies of +the family, who were shod in wooden shoes, used to clatter round our +slumbers in the early morning getting provisions from below. Life +under such conditions was peculiarly unpleasant. It was quite impossible +too to have a bath. I announced to the family one day that I was going +to take one. Murdoch MacDonald provided some kind of large tub which +he filled with dishes of steaming water. Instead however of the fact +that I was about to have a bath acting as a deterrent to the visits of +the ladies, the announcement seemed to have the opposite effect. So +great were the activities of the family in the cellar and round the +churn that I had to abandon the idea of bathing altogether. I determined +therefore to get a tent of my own and plant it in the field. I wrote +to England and got a most wonderful little house. It was a small +portable tent. When it was set up it covered a piece of ground six +feet four inches square. The pole, made in two parts like a fishing +rod, was four feet six inches high. The tent itself was brown, and +made like a pyramid. One side had to be buttoned up when I had +retired. It looked very small as a place for human habitation. On one +side of the pole was my Wolseley sleeping bag, on the other a box in +which to put my clothes, and on which stood a lantern. When Philo and +I retired for the night we were really very comfortable, but we were +much annoyed by earwigs and the inquisitiveness of the cows, who (p. 095) +never could quite satisfy themselves as to what we were. Many is the +time we have been awakened out of sleep in the morning by the sniffings +and sighings of a cow, who poked round my tent until I thought she had +the intention of swallowing us up after the manner in which the cow +disposed of Tom Thumb. At such times I would turn Philo loose upon the +intruder. Philo used to suffer at night from the cold, and would wake +me up by insisting upon burrowing his way down into my tightly laced +valise. There he would sleep till he got so hot that he woke me up +again burrowing his way out. It would not be long before once again +the cold of the tent drove him to seek refuge in my bed. I hardly ever +had a night's complete rest. Once I rolled over on him, and, as he was +a very fiery tempered little dog, he got very displeased and began to +snap and bark in a most unpleasant manner. As the sleeping bag was +tightly laced it was difficult to extract him. Philo waged a kind of +submarine warfare there until grasping his snout, I pulled him out and +refused all his further appeals for readmission. + +My little tent gave me great comfort and a sense of independence. I +could go where I pleased and camp in the lines of the battalions when +they came out of the trenches. This enabled me to get into closer +touch with the men. One young western fellow said that my encampment +consisted of a caboose, my tent, a cayouse, which was Dandy, and a +papoose, which was my little dog, friend Philo. Now that I had a +comfortable billet of my own I determined that Romarin was too far +from the men, so I removed my settlement up to the Neuve Eglise road +and planted it near some trees in the field just below the row of huts +called Bulford Camp. At this time, Murdoch MacDonald went to the +transport lines, and his place was taken by my friend Private Ross, of +the 16th Battalion, the Canadian Scottish. He stayed with me to the +end. We were very comfortable in the field. Ross made himself a +bivouac of rubber sheets. Dandy was picketed not far off and, under +the trees, my little brown pyramid tent was erected, with a rude bench +outside for a toilet table, and a large tin pail for a bath-tub. When +the battalions came out of the line and inhabited Bulford Camp and the +huts of Court-o-Pyp, I used to arrange a Communion Service for the men +every morning. At Bulford Camp the early morning services were +specially delightful. Not far off, was the men's washing place, a +large ditch full of muddy water into which the men took headers. (p. 096) +Beside it were long rows of benches, in front of which the operation +of shaving was carried on. The box I used as an altar was placed under +the green trees, and covered with the dear old flag, which now hangs +in the chancel of my church in Quebec. On top was a white altar cloth, +two candles and a small crucifix. At these services only about ten or +a dozen men attended, but it was inspiring to minister to them. I used +to hear from time to time that so and so had been killed, and I knew +he had made his last Communion at one of such services. It was an +evidence of the changed attitude towards religion that the men in +general did not count it strange that soldiers should thus come to +Holy Communion in public. No one was ever laughed at or teased for +doing so. + +Neuve Eglise, at the top of the road, had been badly wrecked by German +shells. I went up there one night with an officer friend of mine, to +see the scene of desolation. We were halted by some of our cyclists +who were patrolling the road. Whenever they stopped me at night and +asked who I was I always said, "German spy", and they would reply, +"Pass, German spy, all's well." My friend and I went down the street +of the broken and deserted village, which, from its position on the +hill, was an easy mark for shell fire. Not a living thing was stirring +except a big black cat which ran across our path. The moonlight made +strange shadows in the roofless houses. Against the west wall of the +church stood a large crucifix still undamaged. The roof had gone, and +the moonlight flooded the ruins through the broken Gothic windows. To +the left, ploughed up with shells, were the tombs of the civilian +cemetery, and the whole place was ghostly and uncanny. + +Near the huts, on the hill at Bulford Camp was a hollow in the ground +which made a natural amphitheatre. Here at night concerts were given. +All the audience packed together very closely sat on the ground. +Before us, at the end of the hollow, the performers would appear, and +overhead the calm stars looked down. I always went to these +entertainments well provided with Players' cigarettes. A neat trick +was played upon me one night. I passed my silver cigarette case round +to the men and told them that all I wanted back was the case. In a +little while it was passed back to me. I looked into it to see if a +cigarette had been left for my use, when, to my astonishment, I found +that the case had been filled with De Reszke's, my favourite brand. I +thanked my unknown benefactor for his graceful generosity. + +The field behind the huts at Court-o-Pyp was another of my (p. 097) +favourite camping grounds. It was on the Neuve Eglise side of the +camp, and beyond us was some barbed wire. About two o'clock one night +I was aroused by an excited conversation which was being carried on +between my friend Ross in his bivouac, and a soldier who had been +dining late and had lost his way. The young fellow had got it into his +head that he had wandered into the German lines, and Ross had great +difficulty in convincing him that he was quite safe. He was just going +off with mind appeased when he caught sight of my pyramid tent on a +rise in the ground. "What's that?" he cried in terror, evidently +pointing towards my little house. "That's the Rev. Major Canon Scott's +billet" said Ross with great dignity from under his rubber sheets, and +the man went off in fear of his identity becoming known. He afterwards +became an officer and a very gallant one too, and finally lost a leg +in the service of his country. But many is the time I have chaffed him +about the night he thought he had wandered into the German lines. + +One day when I had ridden up to Court-o-Pyp I found that a canteen had +just been opened there, and being urged to make a purchase for good +luck I bought a large bottle of tomato catsup, which I put into my +saddle bag. I noticed that the action was under the observation of the +battalion, which had just returned from the trenches and was about to +be dismissed. I mounted my horse and went over to the C.O. and asked +if I might say a word to the men before he dismissed them. He told me +the men were tired, but I promised not to keep them long. He called +out, "Men, Canon Scott wants to say a word to you before you are +dismissed," and they stood to attention. "All I wanted to say to you, +Boys, was this; that was a bottle of tomato catsup which I put in my +saddle bag, and not, as you thought, a bottle of whiskey." A roar of +laughter went up from all ranks. + +It was about this time that our Brigadier was recalled to England to +take over the command of a Division. We were all sincerely sorry to +lose him from the 3rd Brigade. He was ever a good and true friend, and +took a deep interest in his men. But the immediate effect of his +departure, as far as I was concerned, was to remove out of my life the +hideous spectre of No. 2 General Hospital, and to give me absolute +liberty in wandering through the trenches. In fact, as I told him +sometime afterwards, I was beginning a little poem, the first line of +which was "I never knew what freedom meant until he went away." + +One day, General Seely invited me to go and stay with him at his (p. 098) +Headquarters in Westhof Farm where I had a most delightful time. +Not only was the General a most entertaining host, but his staff were +very charming. At dinner, we avoided war topics and shop, and talked +about things political and literary. The mess was in the farm building +and our sleeping quarters were on an island in the moat. My stay here +brought me into contact with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, and a fine +lot of men they were. + +But a change in my fortunes was awaiting me. The Senior Chaplain of +the Division had gone back to England, and General Alderson sent for +me one day to go to Nieppe. There he told me he wished me to be Senior +Chaplain. I was not altogether pleased at the appointment, because it +meant that I should be taken away from my beloved 3rd Brigade. I told +the General so, but he assured me I should not have to stay all the +time at Headquarters, and could go with the 3rd Brigade as much as I +pleased. + +This unexpected promotion, after what I had gone through, opened up a +life of almost dazzling splendour. I now had to go and live in the +village of Nieppe on the Bailleul-Armentieres road. Here were our +Headquarters. General Alderson had his house in the Square. Another +building was occupied by our officers, and a theatre was at my +disposal for Church Services and entertainments. The town was also the +Headquarters of a British Division, so we had plenty of men to look +after. I got an upper room in a house owned by an old lady. The front +room downstairs was my office, and I had a man as a clerk. Round my +bedroom window grew a grape vine, and at night when the moon was +shining, I could sit on my window-sill, listen to the sound of shells, +watch the flare lights behind Armentieres and eat the grapes which +hung down in large clusters. Poor Nieppe has shared the fate of Neuve +Eglise and Bailleul and is now a ruin. Everyone was exceedingly kind, +and I soon found that the added liberty which came to me from having a +definite position really increased my chances of getting amongst the +men. By leaving my clerk to do the work of Senior Chaplain, I could go +off and be lost at the front for a day and a night without ever being +missed. I knew that each brigade must now have an equal share of my +interest and I was very careful never to show any preference. A +chaplain had at all times to be very careful to avoid anything that +savoured of favouritism. I was now also formally inducted into the +membership of that august body known as "C" mess, where the heads (p. 099) +of non-combatant departments met for dining and wining. Somebody +asked me one day what "C" mess was. I told him it was a lot of +withered old boughs on the great tree of the Canadian Expeditionary +Force--a description which was naturally much resented by the other +members. I had no difficulty now in arranging for my billets, as that +was always done for me by our Camp Commandant. + +Life in Nieppe was very delightful and the presence of the British +Division gave it an added charm. We had very pleasant services in the +Hall, and every Sunday evening I had a choral Evensong. So many of the +men who attended had been choristers in England or Canada that the +responses were sung in harmony by the entire congregation. On week +days we had smoking concerts and entertainments of various kinds. I +sometimes had to take duty with the British units. On one occasion, I +was invited to hold a service for his men by a very staunch churchman, +a Colonel in the Army Service Corps. He told me, before the service, +that his unit had to move on the following day, and also that he was +accustomed to choose and read the lesson himself. I was delighted to +find a layman so full of zeal. But in the midst of the service I was +rather distressed at his choice of the lesson. It was hard enough to +get the interest of the men as it was, but the Colonel made it more +difficult by choosing a long chapter from Deuteronomy narrating the +wanderings of the children of Israel in the desert. Of course the C.O. +and I knew that the A.S.C. was to move on the following day, but the +congregation was not aware of the fact, and they must have been +puzzled by the application of the chapter to the religious needs of +the men at the front. However the reader was delighted with his choice +of subject, and at tea afterwards told me how singularly appropriate +the lesson was on this particular occasion. I thought it was wiser to +make no comment, but I wondered what spiritual fruit was gathered by +the mind of the ordinary British Tommy from a long account of Israel's +pitching their tents and perpetually moving to places with +extraordinary names. + +We had several meetings of chaplains, and I paid a visit to the Deputy +Chaplain General, Bishop Gwynne, at his headquarters in St. Omer. He +was exceedingly kind and full of human interest in the men. The whole +conception of the position of an army chaplain was undergoing a great +and beneficial change. The rules which hitherto had fenced off the +chaplains, as being officers, from easy intercourse with the men (p. 100) +were being relaxed. Chaplains were being looked upon more as parish +priests to their battalions. They could be visited freely by the men, +and could also have meals with the men when they saw fit. I am +convinced that it is a mistake to lay stress upon the chaplain's +office as a military one. The chaplain is not a soldier, and has no +men, as a doctor has, under his command. His office being a spiritual +one ought to be quite outside military rank. To both officers and men, +he holds a unique position, enabling him to become the friend and +companion of all. Bishop Gwynne upheld the spiritual side of the +chaplain's work, and by establishing conferences and religious +retreats for the chaplains, endeavoured to keep up the sacred +standards which army life tended so much to drag down. + +The Cathedral at St. Omer is a very beautiful one, and it was most +restful to sit in it and meditate, looking down the long aisles and +arches that had stood so many centuries the political changes of +Europe. One morning when the sun was flooding the building and casting +the colours of the windows in rich patterns on the floor, I sat under +the gallery at the west end and read Shelley's great elegy. I remember +those wonderful last lines and I thought how, like an unshattered +temple, the great works of literature survive the tempests of national +strife. My mind was carried far away, beyond the anxieties and sorrows +of the present, + + "To where the soul of Adonais like a star + Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are." + +In the square was a large building which had been used originally as +headquarters for the Intelligence Department. Later on, this building +was taken by the Bishop and used as the Chaplains' Rest-Home. There is +an amusing story told of a despatch rider who came to the place with a +message for its original occupants, but when he inquired for the +Intelligence Department the orderly answered, "This is the Chaplains' +Rest Home, there is no Intelligence here." At St. Omer also was the +office of the Principal Chaplain who had under his charge all the +Non-Conformist Chaplains at the front. The very best relations existed +between the various religious bodies, and it was the endeavour of all +the chaplains to see that every man got the religious privileges of +his own faith. + +We arrived in the Ploegsteert area at a good time for the digging and +repairing of the trenches. The clay in Belgium in fine weather (p. 101) +is easily worked; consequently a most elaborate and well made system +of trenches was established in front of Messines. The brown sides of +the trenches became dry and hard in the sun, and the bath-mats along +them made walking easy. The trenches were named, "Currie Avenue," +"McHarg Avenue," "Seely Avenue," and so forth. The men had their +cookers and primus stoves, and occupied their spare time in the line +by cooking all sorts of dainty dishes. Near the trenches on the other +side of Hill 63 were several ruined farm houses, known as "Le Perdu +Farm," "Ration Farm," and one, around which hovered a peculiarly +unsavoury atmosphere, as "Stinking Farm." Hill 63 was a hill which ran +immediately behind our trench area and was covered at its right end +with a delightful wood. Here were "Grand Moncque Farm," "Petit Moncque +Farm," "Kort Dreuve Farm" and the "Piggeries." All these farms were +used as billets by the battalions who were in reserve. In Ploegsteert +Wood, "Woodcote Farm," and "Red Lodge," were also used for the same +purpose. The wood in those days was a very pleasant place to wander +through. Anything that reminded us of the free life of nature acted as +a tonic to the nerves, and the little paths among the trees which +whispered overhead in the summer breezes made one imagine that one was +wandering through the forests in Canada. In the wood were several +cemeteries kept by different units, very neatly laid out and carefully +fenced in. I met an officer one day who told me he was going up to the +trenches one evening past a cemetery in the wood, when he heard the +sound of someone sobbing. He looked into the place and there saw a +young boy lying beside a newly made grave. He went in and spoke to him +and the boy seemed confused that he had been discovered in his sorrow. +"It's the grave of my brother, Sir," he said, "He was buried here this +afternoon and now I have got to go back to the line without him." The +lad dried his eyes, shouldered his rifle and went through the woodland +path up to the trenches. No one would know again the inner sorrow that +had darkened his life. The farms behind the wood made really very +pleasant homes for awhile. They have all now been levelled to the +ground, but at the time I speak of they were in good condition and had +many large and commodious buildings. At Kort Dreuve there was a very +good private chapel, which the proprietor gave me the use of for my +Communion Services. It was quite nice to have a little Gothic chapel +with fine altar, and the men who attended always enjoyed the (p. 102) +services there. Round the farm was a large moat full of good sized +gold-fish, which the men used to catch surreptitiously and fry for +their meals. "The Piggeries" was a large building in which the King of +the Belgians had kept a fine breed of pigs. It was very long and +furnished inside with two rows of styes built solidly of concrete. +These were full of straw, and in them the men slept. + +I was visiting one of the battalions there one evening, when I heard +that they had been ordered to go back to the trenches before Sunday. I +told some of the men that I thought that, as they would be in the +trenches on Sunday, it would be a good idea if we had a voluntary +service that evening. They seemed pleased, so I collected quite a +large congregation at one end of the Piggeries, and was leading up to +the service by a little overture in the shape of a talk about the war +outlook, when I became aware that there was a fight going on at the +other end of the low building, and that some of the men on the +outskirts of the congregation were beginning to get restive. I knew +that a voluntary service could not stand up against the rivalry of a +fight, so I thought I had better take the bull by the horns. I said, +"Boys, I think there is a fight going on at the ether end of the +Piggeries, and perhaps it would be well to postpone the service and go +and see the fight, and then return and carry on." The men were much +relieved and, amid great laughter, my congregation broke loose and ran +to the other end of the building, followed by myself. The fight was +soon settled by the intervention of a sergeant, and then I said, "Now, +Boys, let us go back to the other end and have the service." I thought +the change of location might have a good effect upon their minds and +souls. So back we went again to the other end of the building and +there had a really enthusiastic and devout service. When it was over, +I told the men that nothing helped so much to make a service bright +and hearty as the inclusion of a fight, and that when I returned to +Canada, if at any time my congregation was listless or sleepy, I would +arrange a fight on the other side of the street to which we could +adjourn and from which we should return with renewed spiritual +fervour. I have met many men at different times who look back upon +that service with pleasure. + +We had a feeling that Ploegsteert was to be our home for a good long +time, so we settled down to our life there. We had visits from Sir Sam +Hughes and Sir Robert Borden, and also Lord Kitchener. I was not +present when the latter inspected the men, but I asked one who (p. 103) +was there what it was like. "Oh Sir," he replied, "we stood to +attention, and Kitchener passed down the lines very quietly and +coldly. He merely looked at us with his steely grey eyes and said to +himself, "I wonder how many of these men will be in hell next week." +General Hughes' inspection of one of the battalions near Ploegsteert +Wood was interrupted by shells and the men were hastily dismissed. + +A visit to the trenches was now a delightful expedition. All the way +from Nieppe to Hill 63 one came upon the headquarters of some unit. At +a large farm called "Lampernise Farm" all the transports of the 3rd +Brigade were quartered. I used to have services for them in the open +on a Sunday evening. It was very difficult at first to collect a +congregation, so I adopted the plan of getting two or three men who +could sing, and then going over with them to an open place in the +field, and starting some well known hymn. One by one others would come +up and hymn-books were distributed. By the time the service was +finished, we generally had quite a good congregation, but it took a +certain amount of courage and faith to start the service. One felt +very much like a little band of Salvationists in a city square. + +In spite of having a horse to ride, it was sometimes difficult to +cover the ground between the services on Sunday. One afternoon, when I +had been to the Cavalry Brigade at Petit Moncque Farm, I had a great +scramble to get back in time to the transport lines. In a bag hanging +over the front of my saddle, I had five hundred hymn books. Having +taken a wrong turn in the road I lost some time which it was necessary +to make up, and, in my efforts to make haste, the string of the bag +broke and hymn books fluttered out and fell along the road. Dandy took +alarm, misunderstanding the nature of the fluttering white things, and +started to gallop. With two haversacks on my back it was difficult to +hold on to the bag of hymn books and at the same time to prevent their +loss. The more the hymn books fluttered out, the harder Dandy bolted, +and the harder Dandy bolted, the more the hymn books fluttered out. At +last I passed a soldier in the road and asked him to come to my +assistance. I managed to rein in the horse, and the man collected as +many of the hymn books as were not spoilt by the mud. Knowing how hard +it was and how long it took to get hymn books from the Base, it was +with regret that I left any behind. But then I reflected that it might +be really a scattering of the seed by the wayside. Some poor lone (p. 104) +soldier who had been wandering from the paths of rectitude might pick +up the hymns by chance and be converted. Indulging in such self +consolation I arrived just in time for the service. + +Services were never things you could be quite sure of until they came +off. Often I have gone to bed on Saturday night feeling that +everything had been done in the way of arranging for the following +day. Battalions had been notified, adjutants had put the hours of +service in orders, and places for the gatherings had been carefully +located. Then on the following day, to my intense disgust, I would +find that all my plans had been frustrated. Some general had taken it +into his head to order an inspection, or some paymaster had been asked +to come down and pay off the men. The Paymaster's Parade, in the eyes +of the men, took precedence of everything else. A Church Service was +nowhere in comparison. More often than I can recollect, all my +arrangements for services have been upset by a sudden order for the +men to go to a bathing parade. Every time this happened, the Adjutant +would smile and tell me, as if I had never heard it before, that +"cleanliness was next to godliness." A chaplain therefore had his +trials, but in spite of them it was the policy of wisdom not to show +resentment and to hold one's tongue. I used to look at the Adjutant, +and merely remark quietly, in the words of the Psalmist, "I held my +tongue with bit and bridle, while the ungodly was in my sight." + +People at Headquarters soon got accustomed to my absence and never +gave me a thought. I used to take comfort in remembering Poo Bah's +song in the Mikado, "He never will be missed, he never will be missed." +Sometimes when I have started off from home in the morning my sergeant +and Ross have asked me when I was going to return. I told them that if +they would go down on their knees and pray for illumination on the +subject, they might find out, but that I had not the slightest idea +myself. A visit to the trenches was most fascinating. I used to take +Philo with me. He found much amusement in hunting for rats, and would +often wander off into No Man's Land and come back covered with the +blood of his victims. One night I had missed him for some time, and +was whistling for him, when a sentry told me that a white dog had been +"captured" by one of the men with the thought that it was a German +police dog, and he had carried it off to company headquarters under +sentence of death. I hurried up the trench and was just in time (p. 105) +to save poor little Philo from a court martial. There had been a +warning in orders that day against the admission of dogs from the +German lines. + +The men were always glad of a visit, and I used to distribute little +bronze crucifixes as I went along. I had them sent to me from London, +and have given away hundreds of them. I told the men that if anyone +asked them why they were at the war, that little cross with the patient +figure of self-sacrifice upon it, would be the answer. The widow of an +officer who was killed at Albert told me the cross which I gave her +husband was taken from his dead body, and she now had it, and would +wear it to her dying day. I was much surprised and touched to see the +value which the men set upon these tokens of their faith. I told them +to try to never think, say or do anything which would make them want +to take off the cross from their necks. + +The dugouts in which the officers made their homes were quite +comfortable, and very merry parties we have had in the little earth +houses which were then on the surface of the ground. One night when +some new officers had arrived to take over the line, one of the +companies gave them a dinner, consisting of five or six courses, very +nicely cooked. We were never far however, from the presence of the +dark Angel, and our host on that occasion was killed the next night. +Our casualties at this time were not heavy, although every day there +were some men wounded or killed. The shells occasionally made direct +hits upon the trenches. I came upon a place once which was terribly +messed about, and two men were sitting by roaring with laughter. They +said their dinner was all prepared in their dugout, and they had gone +off to get some wood for the fire, when a shell landed and knocked +their home into ruins. They were preparing to dig for their kit and so +much of their dinner as would still be eatable. As they took the whole +matter as a joke, I joined with them in the laugh. One day as I was +going up the line, a young sapper was carried out on a sitting +stretcher. He was hit through the chest, and all the way along the +bath mats was the trail of the poor boy's blood. He was only nineteen +years of age, and had done splendid work and won the admiration of all +the men in his company. I had a short prayer with him, and then saw +him carried off to the dressing station, where not long after he died. +The sergeant who was with him was exceedingly kind, and looked after +the boy like a father. As the war went on, the men were being (p. 106) +united more and more closely in the bonds of a common sympathy and a +tender helpfulness. To the enemy, until he was captured, they were +flint and iron; to one another they were friends and brothers. + +It always took a long time to pass down the trenches. There were so +many men I knew and I could not pass them without a short +conversation. Time, in the line had really no meaning, except in the +matter of "standing to" or "changing guard". On fine days, the life +was not unpleasant. I remember, however, on one dark rainy night, +being in a trench in front of Wulverghem. The enemy trenches were at +that point only thirty-five yards away. I was squeezed into a little +muddy dugout with an officer, when the corporal came and asked for a +tot of rum for his men. They had been lying out on patrol duty in the +mud and rain in front of our trench for two hours. + +Dandy was still the envy of our men in the transport lines, and one +day I nearly lost him. I rode up to Hill 63. Just behind it was an +orchard, and in it there were two batteries of British Artillery, +which were attached to our Division. I was going up to the trenches +that afternoon, so I gave the horse some oats and tied him to a tree +near the officers' billet. I then went up over the hill down to Ration +Farm, and from thence into the line. It was quite late in the +afternoon, but walking through the trenches was easy when it was not +raining. I was returning about 10 o'clock, when the second in command +of the 16th Battalion asked me to wait for him and we would come out +together over the open. It must have been about midnight when I +started with the Major, and another officer. The night was dark and it +was rather a scramble, but the German flare lights would go up now and +then and show us our course. Suddenly a machine gun opened up, and we +had to lie on our faces listening to the swish of the flying bullets +just overhead. I turned to the officer next to me and asked him how +long he had been at the front. He said he had only arrived that +afternoon at four o' clock. I told him it wasn't always like this, and +we laughed over the curious life to which he had been so recently +introduced. We finally made our way to Ration Farm and as I had a long +ride before me, I determined to go back. I was very hungry, as I had +had nothing to eat since luncheon. I went into a cellar at Ration Farm +and there found one of the men reading by the light of a candle +supported on tins of bully-beef. I asked him for one of these and he +gladly gave it to me. As I started up the hill on the long (p. 107) +straight road with trees on either side, I tried to open the tin with +the key, but as usual it broke and left only a little crack through +which with my penknife I extracted strings of beef. I could not use my +flashlight, as the hill was in sight of the enemy, so I had to content +myself with what nourishment I was able to obtain. Half way up the +hill I noticed a tall figure standing by one of the trees. I thought +he might be a spy but I accosted him and found he was one of the +Strathcona Horse who had a working party in the trenches that night. I +told him my difficulty, and he got his knife and very kindly took off +the top of the tin. By this time a drizzling rain was falling and the +night was decidedly uncomfortable. I went over the hill and down to +the orchard, and made my way to the tree to which poor old Dandy had +been tied so many hours before. There, I found the tree just where I +had left it--it was of no use to me, as, like the barren fig tree, it +had no fruit upon it, but to my horror the horse, which was so +necessary, had disappeared. I scoured the orchard in vain looking for +my faithful friend, and then I went over to the Artillery officers' +house and told them my trouble. We all decided that it was too late to +search any longer, I was provided with a mackintosh, and determined to +make my way over to Petit Moncque Farm where the 3rd Infantry Brigade +Headquarters were. It was a long walk and the roads were sloppy. The +path I took led through a field of Indian corn. This, though not ripe +and not cooked, would remind me of Canada, so with my search-light I +hunted for two or three of the hardest ears, and then, fortified with +these, made my way over towards the farm. + +From past experience, I knew that a sentry was stationed somewhere in +the road. The sudden challenge of a sentry in the dark always gave me +a fright, so I determined this time to be on the watch and keep from +getting a surprise. However when I arrived at the place where the man +usually stood, no one challenged me. I thought that perhaps on account +of the night being rainy and uncomfortable he had retired to the guard +room, and I walked along with a free mind. I was just near the large +gateway, however, when a most stentorian voice shouted out, "Halt, who +goes there?" and at the same instant in the darkness I saw the sudden +flash of a bayonet flourished in my direction. Not expecting such an +event, I could not for the moment think of what I ought to say, but I +called out in equally stentorian tones, "For heaven's sake, my boy, +don't make such a row; its only Canon Scott and I have lost my (p. 108) +horse." A burst of laughter greeted my announcement, and the man +told me that, seeing somebody with a flashlight at that time of the +night wandering through the fields, and searching for something, he +had become convinced that a German spy was at work cutting the +telephone wires that led back to the guns, so he had got near the +guard room where he could obtain assistance, and awaited my approach +in the darkness. It was a great relief to get to headquarters, and the +officer on duty kindly lent me his comfortable sleeping bag. The next +morning I made my way back to Nieppe, and telegraphed to the various +units, searching for Dandy. Later on, in the afternoon, he was brought +in by a man of the Strathcona Horse. His story was that the +intelligent animal had untied himself from the tree and followed the +working party home from the orchard. It is most likely that he had +preceded them. Luckily for me, their quartermaster had recognized him +in the Strathcona lines, and, being an honest man, had sent him back. +The incident taught me a great and useful lesson, and in future I was +very careful to see that my horse was safely guarded whenever I had to +leave him. + +Our signallers had been active in setting up a wireless telegraph in a +field near Headquarters and were able to get the various communiqués +which were sent out during the night by the different nations. The +information was passed round Headquarters every morning on typewritten +sheets and made most interesting reading. We were able to anticipate +the news detailed to us in the papers. Later on, however, someone in +authority put an end to this and we were deprived of our Daily +Chronicle. + +About this time we heard that the 2nd Division was coming to France, +and that the two Divisions, which would be joined by a third, were to +be formed into the Canadian Corps. This meant a very radical change in +the status of the old 1st Division. Up to this time we were "the +Canadians"; now we were only to be one among several divisions. +General Alderson was to take command of the Corps, and the question +which was daily asked among the officers at headquarters was, "Are you +going to the Corps?" It was a sundering of ties amongst our friends, +and we felt sorry that our society would be broken up. One of the +staff officers asked me to write a poem on his departure. I did so. It +began-- + + "He left the war + And went to the Corps, + Our hearts were sore, (p. 109) + We could say no more." + +My friend was not at all pleased at the implication contained in the +first two lines. + +Bailleul was made Corps Headquarters, whither General Alderson moved. +His place at the division was taken by General Currie, who afterwards +commanded the Corps and led it to victory. The old town now became a +great Canadian centre. The General had comfortable quarters in a large +house, which was nicely furnished, and had an air of opulence about +it. The Grande Place was full of activity, and in the streets one met +many friends. The hotel offered an opportunity for afternoon tea and a +tolerable dinner. Besides this, there was the officers' tea room, kept +by some damsels who provided cakes and served tea on little tables, +like a restaurant in London. Here we could be sure of meeting many of +our friends and very pleasant such gatherings were. In a large hall a +concert took place every evening. We had a very special one attended +by several generals with their staffs. The proceeds were given to the +Canadian "Prisoners of War Fund". The concerts were most enjoyable and +the real, artistic ability of some of the performers, both Canadian +and British, was remarkable. It was always pleasant to live in the +neighbourhood of a town, and the moment the men came out of the +trenches they wanted to clean up and go into Bailleul. After a +residence in the muddy and shaky little shacks in and behind the front +lines, to enter a real house and sit on a real chair with a table in +front of you was a great luxury. + +There were several well-equipped hospitals in Bailleul. One large +British one had a nice chapel set aside for our use. In it one day we +had a Confirmation service which was very impressive, a number of +candidates being present. + +While Headquarters were at Nieppe the British attack upon Loos was to +take place, and it was arranged that the Canadians, in order to keep +the Germans busy in the North, were to make an attack. I happened to +be visiting "the Piggeries" in the afternoon previous. The 1st +Battalion was in the line. I heard the Colonel read out to the +officers the orders for the attack. We were not told that the whole +thing was what our soldiers call "a fake". As he read the orders for +the next morning, they sounded serious, and I was invited to be +present, which of course I gladly consented to. The guns were to open +fire at 4 a.m. I had been away from Headquarters for some time so (p. 110) +I determined to ride back and return later. At three o'clock a.m. my +servant woke me up and I had a cup of coffee, and started off on Dandy +to go up to "the Piggeries". I took a tin of bully-beef with me, and +so was prepared for any eventuality. It was just before dawn and the +morning air was fresh and delightful. Dandy had had a good feed of +oats and was full of life. He seemed to enjoy the sport as much as I +did. We rode up the well known roads, and round their curious curves +past the small white farm houses, till we came into the neighbourhood +of our batteries. All of a sudden these opened fire. It was a splendid +sound. Of all the music I have ever heard in my life, none comes near +the glorious organ sound of a barrage. I look back with the greatest +pleasure to that early morning ride through the twilight lit up by gun +flashes from batteries scattered along our whole front. One great +dread I always had, and that was the dread of being killed by our own +artillery. On this occasion, I had to ride down roads that looked +perilously near batteries in action. When I got to a corner near "the +Piggeries", I was just stopped in time from what might have been my +finish. There was a concealed battery among the trees by the wayside, +and I, not knowing it was there, was about to ride by unconcernedly, +when a gunner came out from the bushes and stopped me just in time, +telling me that in half a minute the battery was going to open up. +Dandy and I waited till the guns had fired and then went on. Along our +front line there was much stir and commotion. Bundles of lighted straw +making a hideous smoke were poked over the trenches, and the whole +night previous, all the limbers available had been driven up and down +the roads, making as much noise as possible. The Germans were +convinced we were preparing for an attack on a big scale, and that the +yellow smoke which they saw coming towards them was some new form of +frightfulness. Of course they returned our fire, but our men knew by +this time that the whole affair was only a pretence. Far off to the +South, however, there was a real battle raging, and the cemeteries +which we afterwards saw at Loos bore testimony to the bitter struggle +which the British forces endured. + +The village of Ploegsteert behind the wood was very much damaged. Like +the other villages at the front, it must at one time have been quite a +prosperous place. The church, before it was ruined, was well built and +capacious. There was a building on the main street which a (p. 111) +British chaplain had used as a clubhouse, and handed over to me when +his division moved south. It was well stocked with all things necessary +to make the men comfortable. It had a kitchen, reading rooms, and +upstairs a chapel. Two or three shells, however, had made their way +into it, and the holes were covered with canvas. The Mayor's house was +on the other side of the street, and he had a young girl there as a +servant, who kept the keys of the club. The chaplain who moved away +told me that this girl, when the town was being heavily shelled one +day, saved the lives of some men who were lying wounded in the house, +by carrying them on her back over to a place of safety in a farmhouse. +It was a deed that merited recognition, because she had to pass down +the road which was then under heavy shell fire. I brought her case +before the notice of the military authorities, and General Seely was +asked to take the matter up and make an application to the King for a +reward for the girl's bravery. There was a doubt as to what award +could be given to her. We got the sworn testimony of the Mayor and +other eye-witnesses, and the document was finally laid before the +King. It was decided that she should receive the bronze medal of the +Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Later on General Alderson sent for me +and took me to the Mayor's house in Romarin, where we had the ceremony +of conferring the medal. It was quite touching in its simplicity. The +girl, who had a fine open face, was on the verge of giving way to +tears. The Mayor and some other of the chief inhabitants were arrayed +in their best clothes, and a Highland regiment lent us their pipers. +One of the citizens presented the heroine with a large bouquet of +flowers. General Alderson made a nice speech, which was translated to +the townsfolk, and then he presented the medal. We were invited into +the house, and the girl's health was proposed and drunk by the General +in a glass of Romarin Champagne. We heard afterwards that the country +people were much impressed by the way the British Army had recognized +the gallantry of a poor Belgian maidservant. + +One day a German aeroplane was brought down behind our lines, near +Ration Farm. Of its two occupants one was killed. On the aeroplane was +found a Colt machine-gun, which had been taken by the Germans from the +14th Battalion several months before, in the Second Battle of Ypres. +It now came back to the brigade which had lost it. I buried the airman +near Ration Farm, in a grave, which the men did up neatly and over +which they erected a cross with his name upon it. + +Although our Headquarters were at Nieppe, the village was really (p. 112) +in the British Area, and so we were informed towards the end of +November that we had been ordered to move to St. Jans Cappel. On +Monday, November 22nd I started off by car via Bailleul to my new +billet. Although I had left Nieppe and its pleasant society with great +regret, I was quite pleased with my new home. It was a small house +belonging to a widow, on the road that led from St. Jans Cappel up to +Mount Kemmel. The house itself was brick and well built. The +landlady's rooms were on one side of the passage, and mine were on the +other. A large garret overhead gave a billet for Ross and my sergeant +clerk. In the yard there was a stable for the horse. So the whole +family was quite comfortably housed, and Ross undertook to do my +cooking. The room which I used as my office in the front of the house +had two large windows in it, and a neat tiled floor. The furniture was +ample. At the back, up some steps, was my bedroom, and the window from +it opened upon the yard. A former occupant of the house, a Major +Murray, of King Edward's Horse, had left a series of maps on the wall, +on which pins were stuck with a bit of red cord passing through them, +to show the position of our front line. These maps deeply impressed +visitors with my military exactness. In that little office I have +received many guests of all ranks. I always said that the chaplain's +house was like a church, and all men met there on equal terms. +Sometimes it was rather difficult however, to convince them that this +was the case. On one occasion two privates and I had just finished +luncheon, and were having a delightful smoke, when a certain general +was announced, and the men seized with panic, fled up the steps to my +bedroom and bolting through my window hurried back to their lines. + +The landlady was quite well to do, and was a woman well thought of in +the village. She both paid calls upon her neighbours and received +callers in her rooms. Sometimes I used to be invited in to join these +social gatherings and frequently she would bring me in a nice bowl of +soup for dinner. Philo, too, made himself quite at home, and carefully +inspected all visitors on their admission to the mansion. In front of +the house, there was a pleasant view of the valley through which the +road passed up towards Mont des Cats. Our Headquarters were down in +the village in a large building which was part of the convent. General +Currie and his staff lived in a charming chateau in pleasant grounds, +on the hillside. The chateau, although a modern one, was reputed (p. 113) +to be haunted, which gave it a more or less romantic interest in the +eyes of our men, though as far as I could hear no apparitions disturbed +the slumbers of the G.S.O. or the A.A. & Q.M.G. + +The road past my house, which was a favourite walk of mine, went over +the hill, and at the top a large windmill in a field commanded a fine +view of the country for several miles. My garden was very pleasant, +and in it was a summer house at the end of a moss-grown walk. One +plant which gave me great delight was a large bush of rosemary. The +smell of it always carried my mind back to peaceful times. It was like +the odour of the middle ages, with that elusive suggestion of incense +which reminded me of Gothic fanes and picturesque processions. Many +elm trees fringed the fields, and made a welcome shade along the sides +of the road. A little stream ran through the village and added its +touch of beauty to the landscape. We were only a mile and a half from +Bailleul, so we could easily get up to the town either for a concert +or for dinner at the hotel. The Camp Commandant allotted me the school +house, which I fitted up as a chapel. It was very small, and not +particularly clean, but it served its purpose very well. + +My only objection to St. Jans Cappel was that it was situated such a +long way from our men, for we still held the same front line near +Ploegsteert. It was now a ride of twelve miles to Hill 63 whither I +frequently had to go to take burial services, the round trip making a +journey of nearly twenty-four miles. The Bailleul road, which was my +best route, was a pavé road, and was hard on a horse. I did not want +poor willing Dandy to suffer from overwork, so I begged the loan of +another mount from Headquarters. It was a young horse, but big and +heavily built, and had no life in it. I was trotting down the road +with him one day when he tumbled down, and I injured my knee, causing +me to be laid up with water on the knee for about six weeks. The men +used to chaff me about falling off my horse, but I told them that I +could sit on a horse as long as he stood up, but I could not sit on +the air when the horse lay down. I was very much afraid that the +A.D.M.S. would send me off to a hospital, but I got private treatment +from a doctor friend, who was acting A.D.C. to General Currie. Luckily +for me, things were pretty quiet at the front at that time, and my +being confined to the house did not really make much difference. I had +a supper in my billet one night for a number of Bishop's College (p. 114) +men. Of those who attended, the majority have since made the supreme +sacrifice, but it was an evening which brought back many pleasant +memories of our Alma Mater. + +The roads round St. Jans Cappel were very pretty, and I had many a +pleasant ride in our staff cars, which I, as Senior Chaplain, was +permitted to use. It was always a great delight to me to pick up men +on the road and give them a ride. I used to pile them in and give them +as good a joy ride as the chauffeur, acting under orders, would allow. +One day, in a heavy snowstorm, I picked up two nuns, whose garments +were blowing about in the blizzard in a hopeless condition. The +sisters were glad of the chance of a ride to Bailleul, whither they +were going on foot through the snow. It was against orders to drive +ladies in our staff cars, but I thought the circumstances of the case +and the evident respectability of my guests would be a sufficient +excuse for a breach of the rule. The sisters chatted in French very +pleasantly, and I took them to their convent headquarters in Bailleul. +I could see, as I passed through the village, how amused our men were +at my use of the car. When I arrived at the convent door at Bailleul, +the good ladies alighted and then asked me to give them my blessing. +How could I refuse, or enter upon a discussion of the validity of +Anglican Orders? The nuns with their hands crossed on their bosoms +leaned forward, and I stood up and blessed them from the car, and +departed leaving them both grateful and gratified. + +The village of St. Jans Cappel had been captured by the Germans in +their advance in 1914, and we heard some unpleasant tales of the +rudeness of the German officers who took up their quarters in the +convent and compelled the nuns to wait upon them at the table. In +1918, when the Germans made their big push round Mont Kemmel, St. Jans +Cappel, along with Bailleul and Meteren, was captured once more by the +enemy, and the village is now in ruins and its inhabitants scattered. + +I do not look back with much pleasure to the cold rides which I always +used to have on my return from the line. In frosty weather the pavé +roads were very slippery, and I had to walk Dandy most of the distance, +while I got colder and colder, and beguiled the time by composing +poems or limericks on places at the front. Arriving at my billet in +the small hours of the morning, I would find my friend Ross not always +in the best of humors at being kept up so late. The ride back from +Wulverghem or Dranoutre, owing to the narrowness of the road and (p. 115) +the amount of transport and lorries upon it, was rather dangerous. It +was a matter of ten miles to come back from Wulverghem, and the roads +were very dark. One night in particular I had a narrow escape. I had +mounted Dandy at the back of a farmhouse, but for some reason or other +I seemed to have lost control over him and he was unusually lively. +Luckily for me a man offered to lead him out into the road, and just +before he let him go discovered that the bit was not in his mouth. + +The Alberta Dragoons had billets in a side road that led to Bailleul. +It was a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood, and they had good barns for +their horses. In the fields they had splendid opportunities for training +and exercise. I often took service for them. One Sunday afternoon I had +been speaking of the necessity of purifying the commercial life of +Canada on our return, and I said something uncomplimentary about land +speculators. I was told afterwards that I had caused much amusement in +all ranks, for every man in the troop from the officers downwards, or +upwards, was a land speculator, and had town lots to sell in the West. +In conversations with privates and non-coms., I often found they had +left good positions in Canada and not infrequently were men of means. +I have given mud-splashed soldiers a ride in the car, and they have +talked about their own cars at home. It was quite pathetic to see how +much men thought of some little courtesy or act of kindness. A young +fellow was brought in on a stretcher to the Red Château dressing +station one Sunday afternoon at Courcelette. He was terribly wounded +and gave me his father's address in Canada so that I might write to +him. He was carried away and I heard afterwards he died. Some months +later I had a letter from his father, a Presbyterian minister in +Ontario, thanking me for writing and telling me how pleased his son +had been by my giving him a ride one day in a Headquarters car. I +mention this so that people will realize how much the men had given up +when they considered such a trifling thing worth mentioning. + +The position of a chaplain as the war went on became very different +from what it had been at the beginning. The experience through which +the army had passed had showed to the military authorities that there +was something more subtle, more supernatural behind the life of the +men, than one might gather from the King's Regulations. Our chaplains +had done splendid work, and I think I may say that, with one or two +exceptions, they were idolized by their units. I could tell of one (p. 116) +of our chaplains who lived continually at the advanced dressing station +in great hardship and discomfort, sharing the danger and privation of +his men. The curious thing about a chaplain's popularity was that the +men never praised a chaplain whom they knew without adding "It is a +pity that all chaplains are not like him". On one occasion when I was +going through the Division, I was told by the men of one unit that +their chaplain was a prince, and it was a pity that all chaplains were +not like him. I went to another unit, and there again I was told that +their chaplain was a prince, and it was a pity that all chaplains were +not like him. It seems to be a deeply rooted principle in a soldier's +mind to beware of praising religion overmuch. But it amused me in a +general survey to find that ignorance of the work of other chaplains +led to their condemnation. I fancy the same spirit still manifests +itself in the British Army and in Canada. I find officers and men +eager enough to praise those who were their own chaplains but always +adding to it a condemnation of those who were not. An officer said to +me one day that the war had enabled chaplains to get to know men. I +told him that the war also had enabled men to get to know chaplains. +Large numbers of men in ordinary life are very seldom brought into +contact with religion. They have the crude notion of it which they +carried away as unfledged boys from Sunday School, and a sort of +formal bowing acquaintance through the conventions of later life. In +the war, when their minds and affections were put to a severe strain, +it was a revelation to them to find that there were principles and +relationships of divine origin which enabled the ordinary human will +easily to surmount difficulties moral and physical, and which gave a +quiet strength that nothing merely earthly could supply. Certainly the +war gave chaplains a splendid opportunity of bearing witness to the +power of Christ. A great deal has been written about the religion of +the men at the front. Some have spoken of it in terms of exaggerated +optimism, as though by the miracle of the war men had become beings of +angelic outlook and temper. Others have taken a despairing attitude, +and thought that religion has lost its real power over the world. The +truth is, I think, that there was a revelation to most men, in a broad +way, of a mysterious soul life within, and of a huge responsibility to +an infinite and eternal Being above. There was a revelation also, wide +and deep, to many individual men, of the living force and example of +Him who is both God and Brother-man. Where the associations of (p. 117) +church and home had been clean and helpful, men under the batterings +of war felt consciously the power of religion. In the life at the +front, no doubt there was much evil thinking, evil talking and evil +doing, but there was, underlying all this, the splendid manifestation +in human nature of that image of God in which man was made. As one +looks back upon it, the surface things of that life have drifted away, +and the great things that one remembers are the self-sacrifice, the +living comradeship, and the unquestioning faith in the eternal rightness +of right and duty which characterized those who were striving to the +death for the salvation of the world. This glorious vision of the +nobility of human nature sustained the chaplain through many +discouragements and difficulties. I have often sat on my horse on +rainy nights near Hill 63, and watched the battalions going up to the +line. With wet rubber sheets hanging over their huge packs and with +rifles on their shoulders, the men marched up through the mud and cold +and darkness, to face wounds and death. At such times, the sordid life +has been transfigured before me. The hill was no longer Hill 63, but +it was the hill of Calvary. The burden laid upon the men was no longer +the heavy soldier's pack, but it was the cross of Christ, and, as the +weary tramp of the men splashed in the mud, I said to myself "Each one +has fulfilled the law of life, and has taken up his cross and is +following Christ." + +I told the men this one day on church parade; and a corporal sometime +afterwards said that, when next their battalion was moving up into the +line, a young fellow beside him was swearing very hard over the amount +of stuff he had to carry. My friend went over to him and said, "Don't +you know that Canon Scott told us that this really isn't a pack, but +it's the Cross of Christ?" The lad stopped swearing at once, and took +up his burden without a word. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. (p. 118) + +OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE. + + +The 25th of December 1915, was to be our first Christmas in France, +and as the day approached there was much speculation among our men as +to which Battalions would be in the line. At last orders came out that +the 13th and 16th Battalions would relieve the 14th and 15th on +Christmas Eve. I determined, therefore, to spend my Christmas with the +former two. Our trenches at that time were in front of Ploegsteert. +The 16th was on the right and the 13th on the left. Taking my bag with +communion vessels and as many hymn books as I could carry, and with a +haversack over my shoulder containing requisities for the night, I was +motored over on Christmas Eve to the 3rd Brigade Headquarters at Petit +Moncque Farm. The day was rainy and so was not calculated to improve +the spirits and temper of the men who were going to spend their first +Christmas in the line. At dusk I walked up the road to Hill 63, and +then down on the other side to Le Plus Douve Farm. It was not a cheerful +Christmas Eve. The roads were flooded with water, and the transports +that were waiting for the relief were continually getting tangled up +with one another in the darkness. To make matters worse, I was met by +a Sergeant who told me he had some men to be buried, and a burial +party was waiting on the side of the road. We went into the field +which was used as a cemetery and there we laid the bodies to rest. + +The Germans had dammed the river Douve, and it had flooded some of the +fields and old Battalion Headquarters. It was hard to find one's way +in the dark, and I should never have done so without assistance. The +men had acquired the power of seeing in the dark, like cats. + +A Battalion was coming out and the men were wet and muddy. I stood by +the bridge watching them pass and, thinking it was the right and +conventional thing to do, wished them all a Merry Christmas. My +intentions were of the best, but I was afterwards told that it sounded +to the men like the voice of one mocking them in their misery. +However, as it turned out, the wish was fulfilled on the next day. + +As soon as I could cross the bridge, I made my way to the trenches +which the 16th Battalion were taking over. They were at a higher (p. 119) +level and were not in a bad condition. Further up the line there was a +barn known as St. Quentin's Farm, which for some reason or other, +although it was in sight of the enemy, had not been demolished and was +used as a billet. I determined therefore to have a service of Holy +Communion at midnight, when the men would all have come into the line +and settled down. About eleven o'clock I got things ready. The officers +and men had been notified of the service and began to assemble. The +barn was a fair size and had dark red brick walls. The roof was low +and supported by big rafters. The floor was covered with yellow straw +about two feet in depth. The men proceeded to search for a box which I +could use as an altar. All they could get were three large empty biscuit +tins. These we covered with my Union Jack and white linen cloth. A row +of candles was stuck against the wall, which I was careful to see were +prevented from setting fire to the straw. The dull red tint of the +brick walls, the clean yellow straw, and the bright radiance of our +glorious Union Jack made a splendid combination of colour. It would +have been a fitting setting for a tableau of the Nativity. + +The Highlanders assembled in two rows and I handed out hymn books. +There were many candles in the building so the men were able to read. +It was wonderful to hear in such a place and on such an occasion, the +beautiful old hymns, "While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night," +"Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "O Come All Ye Faithful." The men +sang them lustily and many and varied were the memories of past +Christmases that welled up in their thoughts at that time. + +I had a comfortable bunk in one of the dugouts that night, and was up +next morning early to spend the day among the men in the line. I was +delighted to find that the weather had changed and a most glorious day +was lighting up the face of nature. The sky overhead was blue and only +a few drifting clouds told of the rain that had gone. The sun was beating +down warm and strong, as if anxious to make up for his past neglect. +The men, of course, were in high spirits, and the glad handshake and +the words "A Merry Christmas" had got back their old-time meaning. + +The Colonel had given orders to the men not to fire on the enemy that +day unless they fired on us. The Germans had evidently come to the +same resolution. Early in the morning some of them had come over (p. 120) +to our wire and left two bottles of beer behind as a peace offering. +The men were allowed to go back to their trenches unmolested, but the +two bottles of beer quite naturally and without any difficulty continued +their journey to our lines. When I got up to the front trench, I found +our boys standing on the parapet and looking over at the enemy. I +climbed up, and there, to my astonishment, I saw the Germans moving +about in their trenches apparently quite indifferent to the fact that +we were gazing at them. One man was sawing wood. Between us and them +lay that mass of wire and iron posts which is known as the mysterious +"No Man's Land." Further down the hill we saw the trenches of the 13th +Battalion, where apparently intermittent "Straffing" was still going +on. Where we were, however, there was nothing to disturb our Christmas +peace and joy. I actually got out into "No Mans Land" and wandered +down it. Many Christmas parcels had arrived and the men were making +merry with their friends, and enjoying the soft spring-like air, and +the warm sunshine. When I got down to the 13th Battalion however, I +found that I had to take cover, as the German snipers and guns were +active. I did not have any service for that Battalion then, as I was +going to them on the following Sunday, but at evening I held another +midnight service for those of the 16th who were on duty the night +before. + +The only place available was the billet of the Machine Gun Officer in +the second trench. It was the cellar of a ruined building and the +entrance was down some broken steps. One of the sergeants had cleaned +up the place and a shelf on the wall illuminated by candles was +converted into an altar, and the dear old flag, the symbol of liberty, +equality and fraternity, was once again my altar cloth. The Machine +Gun Officer, owing to our close proximity to the enemy, was a little +doubtful as to the wisdom of our singing hymns, but finally allowed us +to do so. The tiny room and the passage outside were crowded with +stalwart young soldiers, whose voices sang out the old hymns as though +the Germans were miles away. Our quarters were so cramped that the men +had difficulty in squeezing into the room for communion and could not +kneel down. The service was rich and beautiful in the heartfelt +devotion of men to whom, in their great need, religion was a real and +vital thing. Not long after midnight, once again the pounding of the +old war was resumed, and as I went to bed in the dugout that night, I +felt from what a sublime height the world had dropped. We had two (p. 121) +more war Christmases in France, but I always look back upon that first +one as something unique in its beauty and simplicity. + +When I stood on the parapet that day looking over at the Germans in +their trenches, and thought how two great nations were held back for a +time in their fierce struggle for supremacy, by their devotion to a +little Child born in a stable in Bethlehem two thousand years before, +I felt that there was still promise of a regenerated world. The Angels +had not sung in vain their wonderful hymn "Glory to God in the Highest +and on Earth Peace, Good Will towards men." + + + + +CHAPTER X. (p. 122) + +SPRING, 1916. + + +At the end of March our Division was ordered back to the Salient, and +so Headquarters left St. Jans Cappel. It was with great regret that I +bid good-by to the little place which had been such a pleasant home +for several months. The tide of war since then has no doubt swept away +many of the pastoral charms of the scenery, but the green fields and +the hillsides will be reclothed in beauty as time goes on. We stopped +for a few days at Flêtre, and while there I made the acquaintance of +the Australians, and visited the battalions which were billeted in the +neighbourhood. + +It was always delightful to have the Division out in rest. As long as +the men were in the line one could not be completely happy. But when +they came out and one went amongst them, there was nothing to +overcloud the pleasure of our intercourse. One day I rode over to a +battalion and found a lot of men sitting round the cookhouse. We had a +long talk about the war, and they asked me to recite my war limericks. +I spent the evening with the O.C. of a battery and the night, on my +return, was very dark. One of the battalions had been paid off that +afternoon, and the men, who as usual had been celebrating the event in +an estaminet, were in boisterous spirits. It was so hard to make my +way through the crowd that Dandy got nervous and unmanageable. A young +fellow who recognized me in the dark came up and asked me if I should +like him to lead the horse down the road. I gratefully accepted his +offer. He walked beside me till we came to a bridge, and then he told +me that he had been very much interested in religion since he came to +the war, and was rather troubled over the fact that he had never been +baptised. He said he had listened to my limericks that day, and while +he was listening had determined to speak to me about his baptism. I +arranged to prepare him, and, before the battalion started north, I +baptised him in the C.O.'s. room in a farmhouse. The Adjutant acted as +his godfather. I do not know where the lad is now, or how he fared in +the war, but someday I hope I shall hear from him again. It was often +very difficult, owing to the numbers of men one was meeting, and the +many changes that were continually taking place, to keep track of the +lives of individuals. The revelations of the religious experiences (p. 123) +and the needs of the human soul, which came over and over again from +conversations with men, were always of the greatest help to a chaplain, +and made him feel that, in spite of many discouragements and much +indifference, there was always some soul asking for spiritual help. + +The Headquarters of our Division were now at a place called Hooggraaf. +It consisted of a few small houses and a large school kept by nuns. +Huts were run up for the officers and, at a little distance down the +road, a home was built for "C" mess. At one side were some Armstrong +canvas huts, one of which was mine. It was a pleasant place, and being +back from the road was free from dust. Green fields, rich in grain, +spread in all directions. It was at Hooggraaf that the Engineers built +me a church, and a big sign over the door proclaimed it to be "St. +George's Church." It was first used on Easter Day, which in 1916 fell +on the Festival of St. George, and we had very hearty services. + +Poperinghe, only two miles away, became our city of refuge. Many of +our units had their headquarters there, and the streets were filled +with our friends. We had many pleasant gatherings there in an estaminet +which became a meeting place for officers. The Guards Division, among +other troops, were stationed in Poperinghe, so there was much variety +of life and interest in the town. "Talbot House," for the men, and the +new Officer's Club, presided over by Neville Talbot, were centres of +interest. The gardens at the back made very pleasant places for an +after-dinner smoke. There were very good entertainments in a theatre +every evening, where "The Follies," a theatrical company of Imperial +soldiers, used to perform. Poperinghe was even at that time damaged by +shells, but since then it has suffered more severely. The graceful +spire, which stood up over the plain with its outline against the sky, +has luckily been preserved. We had some very good rest billets for the +men in the area around Hooggraaf. They consisted of collections of +large wooden huts situated in different places, and called by special +names. "Scottish Lines," "Connaught Lines," and "Patricia Lines," were +probably the most comfortable. In fact, all along the various roads +which ran through our area different units made their homes. + +Our military prison was in a barn about a mile from Headquarters. I +used to go there for service every Monday afternoon at six o'clock. By +that time, the men had come back from work. They slept on shelves, (p. 124) +one over another. The barn was poorly lighted, and got dark early in +the afternoon. The first time I took service there, I was particularly +anxious that everything should be done as nicely as possible, so that +the men would not think they had come under the ban of the church. +Most of their offences were military ones. The men therefore were not +criminals in the ordinary sense of the term. I brought my surplice, +scarf and hymn books, and I told the men that I wanted them to sing. +They lay on the shelves with only their heads and shoulders visible. I +told them that I wanted the service to be hearty, and asked them to +choose the first hymn. A voice from one of the shelves said-- + + "Here we suffer grief and pain." + +A roar of laughter went up from the prisoners, in which I joined +heartily. + +At the front, we held Hill 60 and the trenches to the south of it. In +a railway embankment, a series of dugouts furnished the Brigade that +was in the line with comfortable billets. The Brigadier's abode had a +fireplace in it. One of the dugouts was used as a morgue, in which +bodies were kept till they could be buried. A man told me that one +night when he had come down from the line very late, he found a dugout +full of men wrapped in their blankets, every one apparently asleep. +Without more ado, he crawled in amongst them and slept soundly till +morning. When he awoke, he found to his horror that he had slept all +night among the dead men in the morgue. There was a cemetery at +Railway Dugouts, which was carefully laid out. Beyond this there was +another line of sandbag homes on one side of a large pond called +"Zillebeke Lake." They were used by other divisions. + +From Railway Dugouts, by paths and then by communication trenches, one +made one's way up to Hill 60 and the other parts of the front line, +where the remains of a railway crossed the hill. Our dugouts were on +the east side of it, and the line itself was called "Lover's Lane". +The brick arch of a bridge which crossed the line was part of our +front. + +One day I was asked by a British chaplain, who was ordered south, to +accompany him on a trip he was making to his brother's grave at Hooge. +He wished to mark it by a cross. As the place was in full view of the +Germans, we had to visit it before dawn. I met my friend at 2.30 a.m. +in the large dugout under the Ramparts at Ypres. We started off with +two runners, but one managed most conveniently to lose us and (p. 125) +returned home. The other accompanied us all the way. It was a weird +expedition. The night was partly cloudy, and faint moonlight struggled +through the mist which shrouded us. The runner went first, and the +Padré, who was a tall man, followed, carrying the cross on his +shoulder. I brought up the rear. In the dim light, my friend looked +like some allegorical figure from "Pilgrim's Progress". Occasionally +we heard the hammering of a machine-gun, and we would lie down till +the danger was past. We skirted the grim borders of Sanctuary Wood, +and made our way to Hooge. There my friend got out his map to find, if +possible, the place where he had buried his brother. He sat down in a +large shell hole, and turned his flashlight upon the paper. It was +difficult to find the location, because the place had recently been +the scene of a hard struggle. The guide and I looked over the ground +and we found a line of graves marked by broken crosses. The night was +fast passing and in the grey of the eastern sky the stars were going +out one by one. At last my friend found the spot he was looking for +and there he set up the cross, and had a short memorial service for +the dead. On our return, we passed once more by Sanctuary Wood, and in +the daylight looked into the place torn and battered by shells and +reeking with the odours of unburied bodies. + +We parted at Zillebeke Bund, and I made my way to Railway Dugouts. It +was a lovely morning and the air was so fresh that although I had been +walking all night I did not feel tired. The 3rd Battalion was holding +the line just behind a piece of ground which was called the "Bean and +Pollock." It was supposed that the Germans had mined the place and +that an explosion might be expected at any minute. One company had +built a rustic arbour, which they used as their mess-room. The bright +sun shone through the green boughs overhead. There was intermittent +shelling, but nothing to cause us any worry. I stayed till late in the +afternoon, when I made my way towards the rear of Hill 60. There I +found the 14th Battalion which was in reserve. They told me that the +16th Battalion in the line was going to blow up a mine that night, and +offered to give me a dugout if I would stay for the festivities. I +gladly accepted, and just before midnight made my way to a dugout that +had just been completed. I was told that there was a bed in it with a +wire mattress. When I got into the dugout, I lit a candle, and found +to my astonishment that the place was full of men lying on the (p. 126) +bed and the floor. They offered to get out but I told them not to +think of it. So we lit another candle, and had a very pleasant time +until the mine went up. We heard a fearful explosion, and the ground +rocked as it does in an earthquake. It was not long before the Germans +retaliated, and we heard the shells falling round us. At daybreak I +went up to the line to see the result of the explosion. A large crater +had been made in No Man's Land, but for some reason or other the side +of our trench had been blown back upon our own men and there were many +casualties. + +I stayed in the trenches all afternoon, and on my way back went to an +artillery observation post on a hill which was crowned by the ruins of +an old mill. The place was called Verbranden Molen. Here I found a young +artillery officer on duty. The day was so clear that we were able to +spread out a map before us on the ground and with our glasses look up +every point named on the sheet. We looked far over to the North and saw +the ruins of Wieltje. Ypres lay to the left, and we could see Zillebeke, +Sanctuary Wood, High Wood, Square Wood, and Hooge. The light reflected +from our glasses must have been seen by some German sniper, for suddenly +we heard the crack of bullets in the hedge behind us and we hastily +withdrew to the dugout. As I walked back down the road I came to one of +the posts of the motor-machine-gunners who were there on guard. They were +just having tea outside and kindly invited me to join them. We had a +delightful conversation on poetry and literature, but were prepared to +beat a hasty retreat into the dugout in case the Germans took to +shelling the road, which they did every evening. + +Railway Dugouts was always a pleasant place to visit, there were so +many men there. As one passed up and down the wooden walk which ran +the length of the embankment there were many opportunities of meeting +one's friends. On the other side of it, however, which was exposed to +the German shells, the men frequently had a hard time in getting up to +the line. + +There were several interesting chateaus in the neighbourhood. That +nearest to the front was called Bedford House, and stood in what must +have been once very beautiful grounds. The upper part of the house was +in ruins, but the cellars were deep and capacious and formed a good +billet for the officers and men. At one side there was a dressing +station and in the garden were some huts protected by piles of sand +bags. + +A chateau that was well-known in the Salient lay a little to the (p. 127) +west of Bedford House. It was called Swan Château, from the fact +that a large white swan lived on the artificial lake in the grounds. I +never saw the swan myself, but the men said it had been wounded in the +wing and had lost an eye. It was long an object of interest to many +battalions that at different times were housed in the chateau. One day +the swan disappeared. It was rumoured that a hungry Canadian battalion +had killed it for food. On the other hand, it was said that it had +been taken to some place of safety to prevent its being killed. There +was something very poetical in the idea of this beautiful bird living +on through the scene of desolation, like the spirit of the world that +had passed away. It brought back memories of the life that had gone, +and the splendour of an age which had left Ypres forever. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. (p. 128) + +THE ATTACK ON MOUNT SORREL. + +_Summer, 1916._ + + +Easter Day, 1916, fell on the 23rd of April, and a great many +interesting facts were connected with it. The 23rd of April is St. +George's Day. It is also the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth and of +his death, and also of the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The day was a glorious +one. The air was sweet and fresh, the grass was the brightest green, +hedgerows and trees were in leaf, and everybody was in high spirits. +After services in St. George's church I rode over to Poperinghe and +attended a memorial service which the 1st Brigade were holding in the +Cinema. General Mercer, who himself was killed not long afterwards, +was one of the speakers. The building was crowded with men, and the +service was very solemn. + +Life at this time was very pleasant, except for the fact that we never +knew what might happen when we were in the Salient. We always felt +that it was a death-trap, and that the Germans would never give up +trying to capture Ypres. I was kept busy riding about, visiting the +different units. Round about Hooggraaf the spring roads were very +attractive, and the numerous short cuts through the fields and under +the overhanging trees reminded one of country life at home. + +One day Dandy bolted as I was mounting him, and I fell on some bath +mats breaking a bone in my hand and cutting my face in several places. +This necessitated my being sent up to the British C.C.S. at Mont des +Cats. Mont des Cats was a picturesque hill which overlooked the Flanders +Plain, and could be seen from all parts of the Salient. On the top +there was a Trappist monastery. The buildings were modern and covered +a large extent of ground. They were solidly built of brick and stone +and the chapel was a beautiful building with a high vaulted roof. From +the top of the hill, a magnificent view of the country could be +obtained, to the North as far as the sea, and to the East as far as +our trenches, where we could see the shells bursting. + +Mont des Cats hospital was a most delightful temporary home. There was +a large ward full of young officers, who were more or less ill (p. 129) +or damaged. In another part of the building were wards for the men. +From the O.C. downwards everyone in the C.C.S. was the soul of kindness, +and the beautiful buildings with their pleasant grounds gave a peculiar +charm to the life. My room was not far from the chapel, and every +night at two a.m. I could hear the old monks chanting their offices. +Most of the monks had been conscripted and were fighting in the French +army; only a few of the older ones remained. But by day and night at +stated intervals the volume of their prayer and praise rose up above +the noise of war, just as it had risen through the centuries of the +past. There were beautiful gardens which the monks tended carefully, +and also many grape vines on the walls. We used to watch the silent +old men doing their daily work and making signs to one another instead +of speaking. In the evening I would make my way up the spiral staircase +to the west-end gallery, which looked down upon the chapel. The red +altar lamp cast a dim light in the sacred building, and every now and +then in the stillness I could hear, like the roar of a distant sea, +the sound of shells falling at the front. The mysterious silence of +the lofty building, with the far off reverberations of war thrilling +it now and then, was a solace to the soul. + +A smaller chapel in the monastery, with a well-appointed altar, was +allotted by the monks to the chaplain for his services. While I was at +Mont des Cats we heard of the death of Lord Kitchener. The news came +to the Army with the force of a stunning blow; but thank God, the +British character is hardened and strengthened by adversity, and while +we all felt his loss keenly and looked forward to the future with +anxiety, the determination to go on to victory was made stronger by +the catastrophe. As the chaplain of the hospital was away at the time, +I held a memorial service in the large refectory. Following upon the +death of Lord Kitchener came another disaster. The Germans in the +beginning of June launched a fierce attack upon the 3rd Division, +causing many casualties and capturing many prisoners. General Mercer +was killed, and a brigadier was wounded and taken prisoner. To make +matters worse, we heard of the battle of Jutland, the first report of +which was certainly disconcerting. We gathered from it that our navy +had suffered a great reverse. The death of Lord Kitchener, the naval +reverse, and the fierce attack on our front, following one another in +such a short space of time, called for great steadiness of nerve and +coolness of head. I felt that the hospital was no place for me (p. 130) +when Canadians were meeting reverses at the front, especially as the +First Division was ordered to recapture the lost trenches. I telephoned +to my good friend, Colonel Brutenell, the C.O. of the Motor Machine-Gun +Brigade, and asked him to send me a side-car to take me forward. He +had always in the past shown me much kindness in supplying me with +means of locomotion. Colonel Brutenell was an old country Frenchman +with the most courteous manners. When I first discovered that he was +the possessor of side-cars, I used to obtain them by going over to him +and saying, "Colonel, if you will give me a side-car I will recite you +one of my poems." He was too polite at first to decline to enter into +the bargain, but, as time went on, I found that the price I offered +began to lose its value, and sometimes the side-cars were not +forthcoming. It then became necessary to change my plan of campaign, +so I hit upon another device. I used to walk into the orderly room and +say in a raucous voice, "Colonel, if you _don't_ give me a side-car I +will recite one of my poems." I found that in the long run this was +the most effectual method. On the present occasion, therefore, the +side-car was sent to me, and I made my way to Wippenhoek and from +thence up to the dressing station at Vlamertinghe. Here our wounded +were pouring in. Once again Canada was reddening the soil of the +Salient with her best blood. It was indeed an anxious time. That +evening, however, a telegram was received by the O.C. of the Ambulance +saying that the British fleet had sunk twenty or thirty German +vessels, and implying that what we had thought was a naval reverse was +really a magnificent naval victory. I do not know who sent the +telegram, or on what foundation in fact it was based. I think that +somebody in authority considered it would be well to cheer up our men +with a piece of good news. At any rate all who were at the dressing +station believed it, and I determined to carry a copy of the telegram +with me up to the men in the line. I started off on one of the +ambulances for Railway Dugouts. Those ambulance journeys through the +town of Ypres after midnight were things to be remembered. The desolate +ruins of the city stood up black and grim. The road was crowded with men, +lorries, ambulances, transports and motorcycles. Every now and then the +scene of desolation would be lit up by gun flashes. Occasionally the +crash of a shell would shake the already sorely smitten city. I can +never cease to admire the pluck of those ambulance drivers, who night +after night, backwards and forwards, threaded their way in the (p. 131) +darkness through the ghost-haunted streets. One night when the enemy's +guns were particularly active, I was being driven by a young boy only +eighteen years of age. Sitting beside him on the front seat, I told +him how much I admired his nerve and coolness. He turned to me quite +simply and said that he was not afraid. He just put himself in God's +hands and didn't worry. When he came afterwards to Headquarters and +drove our side-car he never minded where he went or how far towards +the front he took it. I do not know where he is in Canada, but I know +that Canada will be the better for having such a boy as one of her +citizens. + +When I arrived at Railway Dugouts, I found that there was great activity +on all sides, but my message about our naval victory had a most +stimulating effect and I had the courage to wake up no less than three +generals to tell them the good news. They said they didn't care how +often they were awakened for news like that. I then got a runner, and +was making my way up to the men in the front line when the Germans put +on an attack. The trench that I was in became very hot, and, as I had +my arm in a sling and could not walk very comfortably or do much in +the way of dodging, the runner and I thought it would be wiser to +return, especially as we could not expect the men, then so fully +occupied, to listen to our message of cheer. We made our way back as +best we could to Railway Dugouts, and telephoned the news to the +various battalion headquarters. The telegram was never confirmed, and +I was accused of having made it up myself. It certainly had a +wholesome effect upon our men at a critical and anxious moment. + +We had a hard time in retaking the lost ground. Gallant were the charges +which were made in broad daylight in the face of heavy machine-gun +fire. In preparation for the attack, our men had to lie under the +cover of broken hedges for twenty-four hours, living only on the iron +rations which they carried with them. I went up one morning when one +of our battalions had just come out after a hard fight. The men were +in a shallow trench, ankle deep in mud and water. As they had lost +very heavily, the Colonel put me in charge of a burial party. We +buried a number of bodies but were stopped at last at the entrance of +Armagh Wood, which the Germans were at the time heavily shelling, and +we had to postpone the performance of our sad duty till things were +quieter. + +Still in spite of reverses, the spirits of our men never declined. (p. 132) +They were full of rebound, and quickly recovered themselves. As one +looks back to that period of our experience, all sorts of pictures, +bright and sombre, crowd the mind--the Square at Poperinghe in the +evening, the Guards' fife and drum bands playing tattoo in the old +town while hundreds of men looked on; the dark station of Poperinghe +in the evening, and the battalions being sent up to the front in +railway trucks; the old mill at Vlamertinghe with the reception room +for the wounded, and the white tables on which the bleeding forms were +laid; the dark streets of Ypres, rank with the poisonous odours of +shell gas; the rickety horse-ambulances bearing their living freight +over the shell broken roads from Bedford House and Railway Dugouts; +the walking wounded, with bandaged arms and heads, making their way +slowly and painfully down the dangerous foot-paths; all these pictures +flash before the mind's eye, each with its own appeal, as one looks +back upon those awful days. The end was not in sight then. The war, we +were told, was going to be a war of attrition. It was to be a case of +"dogged does it." Under the wheels of the car of the great Juggernaut +our men had to throw themselves, till the progress of the car was +stayed. How peaceful were the little cemeteries where lay those +warriors who had entered into rest. But how stern was the voice from +the sleeping dead to carry on undismayed. + +The Canadian Corps seemed to have taken root in the Salient, and, +after the severe fighting had ended, things went on as if we were to +have a long residence round Ypres. In looking over the notes in my +diary for June and July, I see a great many records of visits to +different units. How well one remembers the keen active life which +made that region a second Canada. There was the small town of Abeele, +where our Corps Headquarters were, and where our new commander, +General Byng, had his house. Not far away, up the road, was the +grenade school where the troops were instructed in the gentle art of +bomb-throwing. We had our divisional rest-camp in a pleasant spot, +where our men were sent to recuperate. The following is a typical +Sunday's work at this time:--Celebration of Holy Communion at St. +George's Church at eight a.m., Parade Service for the Division at nine +fifteen a.m., followed by a second Celebration of Holy Communion at +ten a.m., Parade Service followed by Holy Communion for a Battalion at +Connaught lines at eleven a.m., service for the divisional rest-camp +at three p.m., service at the Grenade School at four p.m., service (p. 133) +outside St. George's Church for the Divisional Train six-thirty p.m., +service for the 3rd Field Ambulance and convalescent camp at +eight-forty-five p.m. On week-days too, we had to arrange many +services for units which had come out of the line. It was really a +life full of activity and interest. It filled one with a thrill of +delight to be able to get round among the men in the trenches, where +the familiar scenery of Sanctuary Wood, Armagh Wood, Maple Copse and +the Ravine will always remain impressed upon one's memory. Often when +I have returned to my hut at night, I have stood outside in the +darkness, looking over the fields towards the front, and as I saw the +German flares going up, I said to myself, "Those are the foot-lights +of the stage on which the world's greatest drama is being enacted." +One seemed to be taking part, however humbly, in the making of human +history. But it was a grievous thing to think of the toll of life that +the war forced upon us and the suffering that it involved. The brave +patient hearts of those at home were continually in our thoughts, and +we always felt that the hardest burden was laid upon them. They had no +excitement; they knew not the comradeship and the exaltation of +feeling which came to those who were in the thick of things at the +front. They had to go on day by day bearing their burden of anxiety, +quietly and patiently in faith and courage. To them our men were +always ready to give the palm of the victors. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. (p. 134) + +THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. + +_Autumn, 1916._ + + +It always happened that just when we were beginning to feel settled in +a place, orders came for us to move. At the end of July we heard of +the attack at the Somme. Rumours began to circulate that we were to go +South, and signs of the approaching pilgrimage began to manifest +themselves. On August 10th all my superfluous baggage was sent back to +England, and on the following day I bid good-bye to my comfortable +little hut at Hooggraaf and started to ride to our new Divisional +Headquarters which were to be for the time near St. Omer. After an +early breakfast with my friend General Thacker, I started off on Dandy +for the long ride. I passed through Abeele and Steenvoorde, where I +paid my respects at the Château, overtaking many of our units, either +on the march or in the fields by the wayside, and that night I arrived +at Cassel and put up at the hotel. The town never looked more +beautiful than at sunset on that lovely summer evening. It had about +it the spell of the old world, and the quiet life which had gone on +through the centuries in a kind of dream. One did hope that the attack +to the South would be the beginning of the end and that peace would be +restored to the shattered world. On that day, the King had arrived on +a flying visit to the front, and some of his staff were billeted at +the hotel. The following day I visited the Second Army Headquarters in +the Casino Building, and met some of our old friends who had gone +there from the Canadian Corps. In the afternoon I rode off to St. +Omer, little Philo running beside me full of life and spirits. It was +a hot and dusty ride. I put up at the Hotel du Commerce, where I met +several Canadian officers and many airmen. The next day was Sunday so +I attended the service in the military church. After it was over, I +went with a young flying officer into the old cathedral. + +The service had ended and we were alone in the building, but the +sunlight flooded it and brought out the richness of contrast in light +and shadow, and the air was still fragrant with the smell of incense. +My friend and I were talking, as we sat there, about the effect the +war had had upon religion. Turning to me he said, "The great thing (p. 135) +I find when I am in a tight place in the air is to pray to Jesus +Christ. Many and many a time when I have been in difficulties and +thought that I really must be brought down, I have prayed to Him and +He has preserved me." I looked at the boy as he spoke. He was very +young, but had a keen, earnest face, and I thought how often I had +seen fights in the air and how little I had imagined that the human +hearts in those little craft, which looked like tiny flies among the +clouds, were praying to God for help and protection. I told him how +glad I was to hear his testimony to the power of Christ. When we got +back to the hotel, one of the airmen came up to him and said, +"Congratulations, old chap, here's your telegram." The telegram was an +order for him to join a squadron which held what the airmen considered +to be, from it's exceeding danger, the post of honour at the Somme +front. I often wonder if the boy came through the fierce ordeal alive. + +It was pleasant to meet Bishop Gwynne and his staff once again. There +was always something spiritually bracing in visiting the Headquarters +of our Chaplain Service at St. Omer. On the Monday I rode off to our +Divisional Headquarters, which were in a fine old chateau at Tilques. +I had a pleasant billet in a comfortable house at the entrance to the +town, and the different units of the Division were encamped in the +quaint villages round about. After their experience in the Salient, +the men were glad to have a little peace and rest; although they knew +they were on their journey to bigger and harder things. The country +around St. Omer was so fresh and beautiful that the change of scene +did everyone good. The people too were exceedingly kind and wherever +we went we found that the Canadians were extremely popular. There were +many interesting old places near by which brought back memories of +French history. However, the day came when we had to move. From +various points the battalions entrained for the South. On Monday, +August 28th, I travelled by train with the 3rd Field Company of +Engineers and finally found myself in a billet at Canaples. After two +or three days we settled at a place called Rubempré. Here I had a +clean billet beside a very malodorous pond which the village cows used +as their drinking place. The country round us was quite different in +character from what it had been further north. Wide stretches of open +ground and rolling hills, with here and there patches of green woods, +made up a very pleasant landscape. I rode one day to Amiens and +visited the glorious cathedral which I had not seen since I came (p. 136) +there as a boy thirty-three years before. I attended the service of +Benediction that evening at six o'clock. The sunlight was streaming +through the glorious windows, and the whole place was filled with a +beauty that seemed to be not of earth. There was a large congregation +present and it was made up of a varied lot of people. There were women +in deep mourning, Sisters of Charity and young children. There were +soldiers and old men. But they were all one in their spirit of humble +adoration and intercession. The organ pealed out its noble strains +until the whole place was vibrant with devotion. I shall never forget +the impression that service made upon me. The next time I saw the +cathedral, Amiens was deserted of its inhabitants, four shells had +pierced the sacred fane itself, and the long aisles, covered with bits +of broken glass, were desolate and silent. + +From Rubempré we moved to Albert, where we were billeted in a small +house on a back street. Our Battle Headquarters were in the Bapaume +road in trenches and dugouts, on a rise in the ground which was called +Tara Hill. By the side of the road was a little cemetery which had +been laid out by the British, and was henceforth to be the last +resting place of many Canadians. Our battalions were billeted in +different places in the damaged town, and in the brick-fields near by. +Our chief dressing station was in an old school-house not far from the +Cathedral. Albert must have been a pleasant town in pre-war days, but +now the people had deserted it and every building had either been +shattered or damaged by shells. From the spire of the Cathedral hung +at right angles the beautiful bronze image of the Blessed Virgin, +holding up her child above her head for the adoration of the world. It +seemed to me as if there was something appropriate in the strange +position the statue now occupied, for, as the battalions marched past +the church, it looked as if they were receiving a parting benediction +from the Infant Saviour. + +The character of the war had now completely changed. For months and +months, we seemed to have reached a deadlock. Now we had broken +through and were to push on and on into the enemy's territory. As we +passed over the ground which had already been won from the Germans, we +were amazed at the wonderful dugouts which they had built, and the +huge craters made by the explosion of our mines. The dugouts were deep +in the ground, lined with wood and lighted by electric light. Bits of +handsome furniture, too, had found their way there from the (p. 137) +captured villages, which showed that the Germans must have lived in +great comfort. We were certainly glad of the homes they had made for +us, for our division was in the line three times during the battle of +the Somme, going back to Rubempré and Canaples when we came out for +the necessary rest between the attacks. + +Looking back to those terrible days of fierce fighting, the mind is so +crowded with memories and pictures that it is hard to disentangle +them. How well one remembers the trips up the Bapaume road to La +Boisselle and Pozières. The country rolled off into the distance in +vast billows, and bore marks of the fierce fighting which had occurred +here when the British made their great advance. When one rode out from +our rear headquarters at the end of the town one passed some brick +houses more or less damaged and went on to Tara Hill. There by the +wayside was a dressing station. On the hill itself there was the waste +of pale yellow mud, and the piles of white chalk which marked the side +of the trench in which were deep dugouts. There were many wooden huts, +too, which were used as offices. The road went on down the slope on +the other side of the hill to La Boisselle, where it forked into +two--one going to Contalmaison, the other on the left to Pozières and +finally to Bapaume. La Boisselle stood, or rather used to stand, on +the point of ground where the roads parted. When we saw it, it was +simply a mass of broken ground, which showed the ironwork round the +former church, some broken tombstones, and the red dust and bricks of +what had been houses. There were still some cellars left in which men +found shelter. A well there was used by the men for some time, until +cases of illness provoked an investigation and a dead German was +discovered at the bottom. The whole district was at all times the +scene of great activity. Men were marching to or from the line; +lorries, limbers, motorcycles, ambulances and staff cars were passing +or following one another on the muddy and broken way. Along the road +at various points batteries were concealed, and frequently, by a +sudden burst of fire, gave one an unpleasant surprise. If one took the +turn to the right, which led to Contalmaison, one passed up a gradual +rise in the ground and saw the long, dreary waste of landscape which +told the story, by shell-ploughed roads and blackened woods, of the +deadly presence of war. One of the depressions among the hills was +called Sausage Valley. In it were many batteries and some (p. 138) +cemeteries, and trenches where our brigade headquarters were. At the +corner of a branch road, just above the ruins of Contalmaison, our +engineers put up a little shack, and this was used by our Chaplains' +Service as a distributing place for coffee and biscuits. Some men were +kept there night and day boiling huge tins of water over a smoky fire +in the corner. A hundred and twenty-five gallons of coffee were given +away every twenty-four hours. Good strong coffee it was too, most +bracing in effect. The cups used were cigarette tins, and the troops +going up to the trenches or coming back from them, used to stop and +have some coffee and some biscuits to cheer them on their way. The +place in the road was called Casualty Corner, and was not supposed to +be a very "healthy" resting place, but we did not lose any men in +front of the little canteen. The work had been started by the Senior +Chaplain of the Australian Division which we had relieved, and he +handed it over to us. + +Under our Chaplains' Service the canteen became a most helpful +institution; not only was coffee given away, but many other things, +including cigarettes. Many a man has told me that that drink of coffee +saved his life when he was quite used up. + +In Contalmaison itself, there had once been a very fine chateau. It, +like the rest of the village, survived only as a heap of bricks and +rubbish, but the cellars, which the Germans had used as a dressing +station, were very large and from them branched off deep dugouts lined +with planed boards and lit by electric light. + +The road which turned to the left led down to a waste of weary ground +in a wide valley where many different units were stationed in dugouts +and holes in the ground. Towards the Pozières road there was a famous +chalk pit. In the hillside were large dugouts, used by battalions when +out of the line. There was also a light railway, and many huts and +shacks of various kinds. Pozières looked very much like La Boisselle. +Some heaps or rubbish and earth reddened by bricks and brick-dust +alone showed where the village had been. At Pozières the Y.M.C.A. had +another coffee-stall, where coffee was given away free. These +coffee-stalls were a great institution, and in addition to the bracing +effect of the drink provided, the rude shack with its cheery fire +always made a pleasant place for rest and conversation. + +After Courcelette was taken by the 2nd Division, our front line lay +beyond it past Death Valley on the slope leading down to Regina +Trench, and onward to the villages of Pys and Miraumont. Over all (p. 139) +this stretch of country, waste and dreary as it got to be towards +the end of September, our various fighting units were scattered, and +along that front line, as we pushed the enemy back, our men made the +bitter sacrifice of life and limb. It was a time of iron resolve and +hard work. There was no opportunity now for amusement and social +gatherings. When one spoke to staff officers, they answered in +monosyllables. When one rode in their cars, one had very fixed and +definite times at which to start and to return. The army had set its +teeth and was out to battle in grim earnest. It was a time, however, +of hope and encouragement. When, as we advanced, we saw what the +German defences had been, we were filled with admiration for the +splendid British attack in July which had forced the enemy to retreat. +If that had been done once it could be done again, and so we pressed +on. But the price we had to pay for victory was indeed costly and +one's heart ached for the poor men in their awful struggle in that +region of gloom and death. This was war indeed, and one wondered how +long it was to last. Gradually the sad consciousness came that our +advance was checked, but still the sacrifice was not in vain, for our +gallant men were using up the forces of the enemy. + +Ghastly were the stories which we heard from time to time. One man +told me that he had counted three hundred bodies hanging on the wire +which we had failed to cut in preparation for the attack. An officer +met me one day and told me how his company had had to hold on in a +trench, hour after hour, under terrific bombardment. He was sitting in +his dugout, expecting every moment to be blown up, when a young lad +came in and asked if he might stay with him. The boy was only eighteen +years of age and his nerve had utterly gone. He came into the dugout, +and, like a child clinging to his mother clasped the officer with his +arms. The latter could not be angry with the lad. There was nothing to +do at that point but to hold on and wait, so, as he said to me, "I +looked at the boy and thought of his mother, and just leaned down and +gave him a kiss. Not long afterwards a shell struck the dugout and the +boy was killed, and when we retired I had to leave his body there." +Wonderful deeds were done; some were known and received well merited +rewards, others were noted only by the Recording Angel. A piper won +the V.C. for his gallantry in marching up and down in front of the +wire playing his pipes while the men were struggling through it (p. 140) +in their attack upon Regina Trench. He was killed going back to +hunt for his pipes which he had left in helping a wounded man to a +place of safety. One cannot write of that awful time unmoved, for +there come up before the mind faces of friends that one will see no +more, faces of men who were strong, brave and even joyous in the midst +of that burning fiery furnace, from which their lives passed, we trust +into regions where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor +crying, and where the sound of war is hushed forever. + +One new feature which was introduced into the war at this time was the +"Tank." A large family of these curious and newly developed +instruments of battle was congregated in a wood on the outskirts of +the town, and awoke great interest on all sides. At that time we were +doubtful how far they would be able to fulfill the hopes that were +entertained of them. Some of them had already been knocked out near +Courcelette. One lay partly in the ditch by the road. It had been hit +by a shell, and the petrol had burst into flames burning up the crew +within, whose charred bones were taken out when an opportunity +offered, and were reverently buried. The tank was often visited by our +men, and for that reason the Germans made it a mark for their +shell-fire. It was wise to give it a wide berth. + +Our chaplains were working manfully and took their duties at the +different dressing-stations night and day in relays. The main +dressing-station was the school-house in Albert which I have already +described. It was a good sized building and there were several large +rooms in it. Many is the night that I have passed there, and I see it +now distinctly in my mind. In the largest room, there were the tables +neatly prepared, white and clean, for the hours of active work which +began towards midnight when the ambulances brought back the wounded +from the front. The orderlies would be lying about taking a rest until +their services were needed, and the doctors with their white aprons on +would be sitting in the room or in their mess near by. The windows +were entirely darkened, but in the building was the bright light and +the persistent smell of acetylene gas. Innumerable bandages and +various instruments were piled neatly on the white covered tables; and +in the outer room, which was used as the office, were the record books +and tags with which the wounded were labelled as they were sent off to +the Base. Far off we could hear the noise of the shells, and +occasionally one would fall in the town. When the ambulances (p. 141) +arrived everyone would be on the alert. I used to go out and stand in +the darkness, and see the stretchers carried in gently and tenderly by +the bearers, who laid them on the floor of the outer room. Torn and +broken forms, racked with suffering, cold and wet with rain and mud, +hidden under muddy blankets, lay there in rows upon the brick floor. +Sometimes the heads were entirely covered; sometimes the eyes were +bandaged; sometimes the pale faces, crowned with matted, muddy hair, +turned restlessly from side to side, and parched lips asked for a sip +of water. Then one by one the stretchers with their human burden would +be carried to the tables in the dressing room. Long before these cases +could be disposed of, other ambulances had arrived, and the floor of +the outer room once more became covered with stretchers. Now and then +the sufferers could not repress their groans. One night a man was +brought in who looked very pale and asked me piteously to get him some +water. I told him I could not do so until the doctor had seen his +wound. I got him taken into the dressing room, and turned away for a +moment to look after some fresh arrivals. Then I went back towards the +table whereon the poor fellow was lying. They had uncovered him and, +from the look on the faces of the attendants round about, I saw that +some specially ghastly wound was disclosed. I went over to the table, +and there I saw a sight too horrible to be described. A shell had +burst at his feet, and his body from the waist down was shattered. +Beyond this awful sight I saw the white face turning from side to +side, and the parched lips asking for water. The man, thank God, did +not suffer very acutely, as the shock had been so great, but he was +perfectly conscious. The case was hopeless, so they kindly and +tenderly covered him up, and he was carried out into the room set +apart for the dying. When he was left alone, I knelt down beside him +and talked to him. He was a French Canadian and a Roman Catholic, and, +as there happened to be no Roman Catholic Chaplain present at the +moment, I got him to repeat the "Lord's Prayer" and the "Hail Mary," +and gave him the benediction. He died about half an hour afterwards. +When the sergeant came in to have the body removed to the morgue, he +drew the man's paybook from his pocket, and there we found that for +some offence he had been given a long period of field punishment, and +his pay was cut down to seventy cents a day. For seventy cents a day +he had come as a voluntary soldier to fight in the great war, and for +seventy cents a day he had died this horrible death. I told the (p. 142) +sergeant that I felt like dipping that page of the man's paybook +in his blood to blot out the memory of the past. The doctor who +attended the case told me that that was the worst sight he had ever +seen. + +One night a young German was brought in. He was perfectly conscious, +but was reported to be seriously wounded. He was laid out on one of +the tables and when his torn uniform was ripped off, we found he had +been hit by shrapnel and had ten or twelve wounds in his body and +limbs. I never saw anyone more brave. He was a beautifully developed +man, with very white skin, and on the grey blanket looked like a +marble statue, marked here and there by red, bleeding wounds. He never +gave a sign by sound or movement of what he was suffering; but his +white face showed the approach of death. He was tended carefully, and +then carried over to a quiet corner in the room. I went over to him, +and pointing to my collar said, "Pasteur." I knelt beside him and +started the Lord's Prayer in German, which he finished adding some +other prayer. I gave him the benediction and made the sign of the +cross on his forehead, for the sign of the cross belongs to the +universal language of men. Then the dying, friendless enemy, who had +made expiation in his blood for the sins of his guilty nation, drew +his hand from under the blanket and taking mine said, "Thank you." +They carried him off to an ambulance, but I was told he would probably +die long before he got to his destination. + +On the 26th of September I spent the night in a dressing station in +the sunken road near Courcelette. I had walked from Pozières down to +the railway track, where in the dark I met a company of the Canadian +Cyclist Corps, who were being used as stretcher bearers. We went in +single file along the railway and then across the fields which were +being shelled. At last we came to the dressing station. Beside the +entrance, was a little shelter covered with corrugated iron, and there +were laid a number of wounded, while some were lying on stretchers in +the open road. Among these were several German prisoners and the +bodies of dead men. The dressing station had once been the dugout of +an enemy battery and its openings, therefore, were on the side of the +road facing the Germans, who knew its location exactly. When I went +down into it I found it crowded with men who were being tended by the +doctor and his staff. It had three openings to the road. One of them +had had a direct hit that night, and mid the debris which blocked it +were the fragments of a human body. The Germans gave the place no (p. 143) +rest, and all along the road shells were falling, and bits would +clatter upon the corrugated iron which roofed the shelter by the +wayside. There was no room in the dugout for any but those who were +being actually treated by the doctor, so the wounded had to wait up +above till they could be borne off by the bearer parties. It was a +trying experience for them, and it was hard to make them forget the +danger they were in. I found a young officer lying in the road, who +was badly hit in the leg. I had prayers with him and at his request I +gave him the Holy Communion. On the stretcher next to him, lay the +body of a dead man wrapped in a blanket. After I had finished the +service, the officer asked for some water. I went down and got him a +mouthful very strongly flavoured with petrol from the tin in which it +was carried. He took it gladly, but, just as I had finished giving him +the drink, a shell burst and there was a loud crack by his side. "Oh," +he cried, "they have got my other leg." I took my electric torch, and, +allowing only a small streak of light to shine through my fingers, I +made an examination of the stretcher, and there I found against it a +shattered rum jar which had just been hit by a large piece of shell. +The thing had saved him from another wound, and I told him that he +owed his salvation to a rum jar. He was quite relieved to find that +his good leg had not been hit. I got the bearer party to take him off +as soon as possible down the long path across the fields which led to +the light railway, where he could be put on a truck. Once while I was +talking to the men in the shelter, a shell burst by the side of the +road and ignited a pile of German ammunition. At once there were +explosions, a weird red light lit up the whole place, and volumes of +red smoke rolled off into the starlit sky. To my surprise, from a +ditch on the other side of the road, a company of Highlanders emerged +and ran further away from the danger of the exploding shells. It was +one of the most theatrical sights I have ever seen. With the lurid +light and the broken road in the foreground, and the hurrying figures +carrying their rifles, it was just like a scene on the stage. + +The stars were always a great comfort to me. Above the gun-flashes or +the bursting of shells and shrapnel, they would stand out calm and +clear, twinkling just as merrily as I have seen them do on many a +pleasant sleigh-drive in Canada. I had seen Orion for the first time +that year, rising over the broken Cathedral at Albert. I always (p. 144) +felt when he arrived for his winter visit to the sky, that he came as +an old friend, and was waiting like us for the wretched war to end. On +that September night, when the hours were beginning to draw towards +dawn, it gave me great pleasure to see him hanging in the East, while +Sirius with undiminished courage merrily twinkled above the smoke-fringed +horizon and told us of the eternal quietness of space. + +With dawn the enemy's artillery became less active and we sent off the +wounded. Those who could walk were compelled to follow the bearer +parties. One man, who was not badly hit, had lost his nerve and +refused to leave. The doctor had to tell him sharply that he need not +expect to be carried, as there were too many serious cases to be +attended to. I went over to him and offered him my arm. At first he +refused to come, and then I explained to him that he was in great +danger and the thing to do was to get back as quickly as possible, if +he did not wish to be wounded again. At last I got him going at a slow +pace, and I was afraid I should have to drag him along. Suddenly a +shell landed near us, and his movements were filled with alacrity. It +was a great relief to me. After a little while he found he could walk +quite well and whenever a whiz-bang came near us his limbs seemed to +get additional strength. I took him down to a place were a battalion +was camped, and there I had to stop and bury some men in a shell hole. +While I was taking the service however, my companion persuaded some +men to carry him, and I suppose finally reached a place of safety. + +There was a large dressing station in the cellars of the Red Château +in Courcelette, whither I made my way on a Sunday morning in +September. The fighting at the time was very heavy and I met many +ambulances bringing out the wounded. I passed Pozières and turned down +the sunken road towards Courcelette. + +Beside the road was a dugout and shelter, where the wounded, who were +carried in on stretchers from Courcelette, were kept until they could +be shipped off in the ambulances. A doctor and some men were in charge +of the post. The bearers, many of whom were German prisoners, were +bringing out the wounded over the fields and laying them by the +roadside. I went with some of the bearers past "Dead Man's Trench," +where were many German bodies. Every now and then we came upon a +trench where men were in reserve, and we saw also many machine gun +emplacements, for the rise in the ground gave the gun a fine sweep for +its activity. The whole neighbourhood, however, was decidedly (p. 145) +unhealthy, and it was risky work for the men to go over the open. When +we got to the ruins of Courcelette, we turned down a path which skirted +the old cemetery and what remained of the church. Several shells fell +near us, and one of the men got a bit nervous, so I repeated to him the +verse of the psalm: + + "A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at + thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee." + +We had hardly arrived at the heaps of rubbish which surrounded the +entrance to the dressing station, beside which lay the blackened body +of a dead man, when a shell burst, and one of the bits broke the leg +of the young fellow I was talking to. "What's the matter with your +text now, Canon?" he said. "The text is all right, old man, you have +only got a good Blighty and are lucky to get it," I replied. The +cellars below had been used as a dressing station by the enemy before +Courcelette was taken and consisted of several large rooms, which were +now being used by our two divisions in the line. Beyond the room used +for operations, there was one dark cellar fitted up with two long +shelves, whereon lay scores of stretcher bearers and cyclists, and at +the end of that, down some steps, there was another, in which more +bearers awaited their call. Only two candles lit up the darkness. As +there must have been between three and four hundred men in the Red +Château, the air was not particularly fresh. Our choice lay, however, +between foul air within and enemy shells without, for the Germans were +making direct hits upon the debris overhead. Naturally we preferred +the foul air. It showed how one had grown accustomed to the gruesome +sights of war, that I was able to eat my meals in a place where rags +saturated in human blood were lying on the floor in front of me. Two +years before it would have been impossible. The stretcher bearers were +doing noble work. When each case had been attended to, they were +called out of the back cellar and entrusted with their burden, which +they had to carry for more than a mile over those dangerous fields to +the ambulances waiting in the sunken road. Again and again a bearer +would be brought back on a stretcher himself, having been wounded +while on the errand of mercy. Once a party, on their return, told me +that one of their number had disappeared, blown to atoms by a shell. + +About four o'clock, though time had little meaning to us, because the +only light we had was from the candles and acetylene lamps, I went (p. 146) +into the cellar where the bearers lay, and, reminding them that it was +Sunday, asked if they would not like to have a service. One of them +handed me a candle, so we had prayers and a reading, and sang "Nearer +My God to Thee," and some other hymns. When the service was over, I +asked those who would like to make their Communion to come to the +lower cellar at the end, where there was more room. We appropriated +one of the corners and there I had seven or eight communicants. More +than a year afterwards, in London, I met a young soldier in the +Underground Railway, and he told me that he had made his communion on +that day, and that when he was lying on the ground wounded at midnight, +the shells falling round him, he thought what a comfort it was to know +that he had received the Sacrament. I did not leave the Red Château +till late the following afternoon, when I went back with a ration-party. + +The most unpleasant things at Albert were the air raids, which occurred +every fine night. One moonlight night I lay on my bed, which was in +the top storey of our house, and listened to some German planes +dropping bombs upon the town. The machines were flying low and trying +to get the roads. Crash would follow crash with great regularity. They +came nearer and nearer, and I was just waiting for the house to be +struck when, to my great relief, the planes went off in another +direction. Next day a sentry told me that he had heard a hundred bombs +burst, and, as far as he knew, not one of them had done any damage, +all having fallen among the ruined houses and gardens of the town. + +I had been asked to look up the grave of a young officer of a Scottish +battalion, who had been killed in the July advance. I rode over to +Mametz and saw all that historic fighting ground. The village was a +heap of ruins, but from out of a cellar came a smartly-dressed lieutenant, +who told me that he had the great privilege and honour of being the +Town Major of Mametz. We laughed as we surveyed his very smelly and +unattractive little kingdom. I found the grave, and near it were +several crosses over the last resting places of some of our Canadian +Dragoons, who had been in the great advance. All that region was one +of waste and lonely country-side, blown bare by the tempest of war. + +It was during our last visit to Albert that the 4th Division arrived +to take over the line from us. I had the great joy, therefore, of +having my second son near me for six days. His battalion, the (p. 147) +87th, was camped on a piece of high ground to the right of "Tara Hill," +and from my window I could see the officers and men walking about in +their lines. It was a great privilege to have his battalion so near +me, for I had many friends among all ranks. + +The Sunday before I left I had service for them and a celebration of +the Holy Communion, after which one of the sergeants came and was +baptized. Our Divisional Headquarters left Albert for good on October +17th. We made our way to our abode at Canaples. We only stayed there +two days and then went on to Bernaville and Frohen Le Grand, spending +a night in each place, and on Sunday arrived at the Château of Le +Cauroy, which we were afterwards to make our headquarters in the last +year of the war. I was billetted in a filthy little room in a sort of +farm building and passed one of the most dreary days I have ever +known. It was rainy and cold, and every one was tired and ill-humoured. +I had a strange feeling of gloom about me which I could not shake off, +so I went over to the Curé's house at the end of the avenue and asked +him if I might come in and sit beside the fire in his kitchen. He was +very kind, and it was quite nice to have someone to talk to who was +not in the war. We were able to understand each other pretty well, and +he gave me an insight into the feelings of the French. On the next +morning, the weather had cleared and the A.D.M.S. motored me to our +new halting place at Roellencourt, where I was given a billet in the +Curé's house. He was a dear old man and received me very kindly, and +gave me a comfortable room overlooking his garden. Downstairs his aged +and invalid mother sat in her chair, tended kindly by her son and +daughter. Roellencourt was a pleasant place on the St. Pol Road, and +quite a number of our men were billeted there. I went to St. Pol to +lunch at the hotel and spent the day buying some souvenirs. On my +return in the afternoon I made my way to the Curé's house, where I +found my room neatly arranged for me. Suddenly I heard a knock at the +door, and there stood the old man with a letter in his hand. I thought +he looked somewhat strange. He handed me the letter, and then taking +my hand, he said to me in French, "My brother, have courage, it is +very sad." At once the truth flashed upon me and I said, "My son is +dead." He shook my hand, and said again, "Have courage, my brother." I +went downstairs later on and found his old mother sitting in her chair +with the tears streaming down her cheeks. I shall never cease to be +grateful to those kind, simple people for their sympathy at that (p. 148) +time. The next morning the General sent me in his car to Albert, and +Colonel Ironside took me up to the chalk-pit where the 87th were +resting. They had suffered very heavy losses, and I heard the account +of my son's death. On the morning of October 21st, he was leading his +company and another to the attack on Regina Trench. They had advanced, +as the barrage lifted, and he was kneeling in a shell hole looking at +his watch waiting for the moment to charge again, when a machine gun +opened fire and he was hit in the head and killed instantly. As he +still kept kneeling looking at his watch, no one knew that anything +had happened. The barrage lifted again behind the German trench; still +he gave no sign. The Germans stood up and turned their machine-guns on +our men. Then the officer next in command went over to see what had +happened, and, finding my son dead, gave the order to advance. +Suffering heavy casualties, the men charged with determination and +took the trench, completely routing the enemy. When the battalion was +relieved the dead had to be left unburied, but several men volunteered +to go and get my son's body. This I would not hear of, for the +fighting was still severe, and I did not believe in living men risking +their lives to bring out the dead. I looked far over into the murky +distance, where I saw long ridges of brown land, now wet with a +drizzling rain, and thought how gloriously consecrated was that soil, +and how worthy to be the last resting place of those who had died for +their country. Resolving to come back later on when things were +quieter, and make my final search, I bid good-bye to the officers and +men of the battalion and was motored back to my Headquarters. + +In the little church of Roellencourt hangs a crucifix which I gave the +Curé in memory of my son. It is near the chancel-arch in the place +which the old man chose for it. Some day I hope I may re-visit my kind +friends at the Presbytère and talk over the sad events of the past in +the light of the peace that has come through victory. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. (p. 149) + +OUR HOME AT CAMBLAIN L'ABBÉ. + +_November and December, 1916._ + + +From Roellencourt we moved up to our new headquarters in the Château +at Camblain l'Abbé, which, after we left it in December, was long the +home of the Canadian Corps. I had an Armstrong hut under the trees in +the garden, and after it was lined with green canvas, and divided into +two by green canvas curtains, it was quite artistic and very +comfortable. Opposite the Château we had a large French hut which was +arranged as a cinema. The band of the 3rd Battalion was stationed in +town and gave us a concert every evening, also playing at our services +on Sundays. After the concert was over I used to announce a "rum +issue" at half-past nine in the building. The men knew what it meant, +and a good number would stay behind. Then I would give them a talk on +temperance, astronomy, literature or any subject about which I thought +my audience knew less than I. We generally finished up by singing some +well-known evening hymn. Very pleasant were the entertainments we had +in that old cinema. One night, before a battalion was going up to the +line, I proposed we should have a dance. The band furnished the music, +and the men had one of the most enjoyable evenings they had ever had. +Camblain l'Abbé was not a large place, so we were cramped for room, +and a Nissen hut had to be built for "C" mess. + +My little friend Philo had been stolen on our march, so his place was +taken now by a brindle bull terrier which had been born in Albert. I +called her "Alberta" and as time went on she became a well-known +figure in the First Division. She often accompanied me on my walks to +the trenches, and one day was out in No Man's Land when a minnenwerfer +burst. Alberta did not wait for the bits to come down, but made one +dive into the trench, to the amusement of the men, who said she knew +the use of the trenches. She was my constant companion till her +untimely end in 1918. + +The country round about Camblain l'Abbé was very peaceful and pretty, +and the road to the left from the Château gave one a fine view of the +towers of Mont St. Eloi, which were not then damaged by shells. The +two towers and the front wall of the old abbey were a striking (p. 150) +object against the horizon, and could be seen for miles around. They +made a beautiful picture in the distance when seen at sunset from the +trenches beyond Arras. Those two towers must stand out in the foreground +of all the memories which Canadians have of that region which was so +long their war-home. As far as I could learn, Mont St. Eloi had been +the site of an old monastery which had been destroyed in the French +Revolution, the towers and the walls of the church alone surviving. +The farms of the monastery had passed to secular ownership, but were +rich and well cultivated. A spiral stone staircase led up to an +observation post at the top of one of the towers. The place was visible +from the German lines, and till we had taken Vimy Ridge no one was +allowed to climb the tower unless on duty. + +Our trenches now were extremely quiet, and were a pleasant contrast to +those we had left on the Somme. The whole Corps had only a few +casualties each day. The spirits of the men, who had been under a +heavy strain, were now completely restored. Our Corps Headquarters at +this time were at the beautiful Château of Ranchicourt, where they +were very comfortably settled, the country round about being hilly, +richly wooded and well watered. We had church parades in the cinema, +and I often wished that the people at home could have heard the +singing of the men when we had some favourite hymn which the band +accompanied. Every morning I had a celebration of the Holy Communion +there, and sometimes had a good congregation. One night I was talking +to some men in a cookhouse on the opposite side of the village and I +announced the service. When I was leaving, one of the men followed me +and asked me if I would speak to his officer for him and get him sent +back to some quiet job. He told me that he had once had an attack of +nervous prostration, caused by the shock of his father's sudden death, +and that he could not stand life in the trenches. He seemed very much +upset, and I felt that perhaps it would be wise to get him out of the +line, but I could not avoid a sense of disappointment in the midst of +my pity. He told me that he had been confirmed, but had never made his +Communion and was coming to my service the next morning. I promised I +would speak to his officer and went off. + +The next morning, the man was at the service, and after the others +left, waited to speak to me. I thought he wanted to remind me of my +promise. But, instead of that, he came up and said to me, "I don't (p. 151) +want you to speak to my officer, Sir, God has given me strength to +carry on. I have determined to do so and go over the top with the +others." I was delighted to see the change in him. It meant everything +to him and was one of the turning points in his life. Whatever the +future had in store, it was the man's victory over himself, and I gave +him a glad handshake and told him how proud I was of him. Months +afterwards, after the taking of Vimy Ridge, I was passing down the +lines of his battalion, which was in tents near the La Targette road, +when the young fellow came running up to me, his face radiant with +smiles, and told me he had been through all the fighting and had gone +over the top with the boys, and that it wasn't half so bad as he had +thought. In the spring of 1919, I was going into the Beaver Hut in the +Strand one day, when a young fellow came up to me and thanked me for +what I had done for him in the war. I did not recognize him and asked +him what I had done for him, and he told me he was the man who had +been at that service in Camblain l'Abbé and had been through all the +fighting ever since and had come out without a scratch. I met similar +instances in which the human will, by the help of God, was able to +master itself and come out victorious. Once at Bracquemont a man came +to my billet and asked me to get him taken out of his battalion, and +sent to some work behind the lines. He told me his mother and sisters +knew his nerves were weak and had always taken special care of him. He +said that up to this time God had been very good to him in answering +his prayer that he might not have to go over the parapet. I asked him +what right he had to pray such a prayer. He was really asking God to +make another man do what he would not do himself. The prayer was +selfish and wrong, and he could not expect God to answer it. The right +prayer to pray was that, if he was called to go over the parapet God +would give him strength to do his duty. He seemed quite surprised at +the new light which was thus thrown upon the performance of what he +considered his religious duties. Then I told him that he had the +chance of his life to make himself a man. If in the past he had been +more or less a weakling, he could now, by the help of God, rise up in +the strength of his manhood and become a hero. His mother and sisters +no doubt had loved him and taken care of him in the past, but they +would love him far more if he did his duty now, "For", I said, "All +women love a brave man." I told him to take as his text, "I can do all +things through Christ which strengtheneth me," and I made him (p. 152) +repeat it after me several times. I saw that the young fellow was +pulling himself together, and he shook hands with me and told me he +would go up to the line and take his chance with the rest--and he did. +Later on, he was invalided to the Base with some organic disease. I do +not know where he is now, but he conquered; and like many another +soldier in the great crusade will be the better for all eternity for +his self-mastery. + +On the road which led to Ranchicourt there was an interesting old +chateau at a place called Ohlain, which is mentioned by Dumas in "The +Three Musketeers." The chateau is surrounded by a large moat, and was +built in medieval times. It has a very fine tower, and some other old +buildings surrounding a little courtyard with a garden. The place is +entered by a drawbridge which in olden days used to be raised up +against the massive gateway by chains. One night I had service in the +courtyard at sunset, with the 16th Battalion. One could hardly imagine +a more picturesque setting for a war service in dear old France. At +one point, however, we were disturbed by the arrival of three men who +had been dining in an estaminet in the village, and coming +unexpectedly upon a church service were a little too hearty in their +religious fervour. They had to be guided to some quiet spot where they +might work it off in solitude. Incidents of that kind during voluntary +services were always a little embarrassing, for officers and men felt, +as well as myself, that under the softening influences of religion we +could not be over-hard on the transgressions of frail mortality. +Nothing but the direst necessity would compel us at such times to +resort to the process of military discipline. + +Near Camblain l'Abbé, our ambulances were set up on an elevation of +the ground where two roads crossed. The place rejoiced in the name of +"The Four Winds", and anyone who has resided there for any length of +time feels that the title is an appropriate one. At times the wind +would sweep over the place, and, when rain was mingled with the gale, +it was rather an unpleasant corner. But the ambulances were +comfortable, and the patients were well looked after. Near by is the +little cemetery, where the bodies of many Canadians lie in peace. + +Our life at Camblain l'Abbé, after the hard fighting at the Somme, was +really very pleasant, and the battalions were filled up with new +drafts from the Base. We felt that as the winter was approaching (p. 153) +there would probably be no hard fighting for some months. Special +pains were taken to provide concert parties in the different +battalions, so that the men might have amusement in the evening. It +was wonderful what talent was discovered in the various units. As I +look back upon some of those entertainments at the front I think I +never enjoyed anything more. Not only were the performers clever and +resourceful, but the audience was one that it was thrilling to sit +amongst. In the cinema the stage was well appointed and lighted with +electric lights; the costumes of the men, especially those who took +the part of ladies, were good and well made. The music, vocal and +instrumental, was all that could be desired. But the audience, +composed of hundreds of strong, keen, young men who had endured hard +things, and perhaps, in a few hours after the show, would be once +again facing death in the front trenches, was a sight never to be +forgotten. Could any performer ask for a more sympathetic hearing? Not +a joke was lost upon the men, not a gesture was unobserved; and when +some song with a well-known chorus was started, through the murky +atmosphere of cigarette smoke would rise a volume of harmony which +would fairly shake the building. I have often stood at the back and +listened to a splendid burst of song, which to me had an added charm +from the deep unconscious pathos of it all. Some of those men that +were joining in the rollicking ragtime tune were dying men. Some of +the eyes kindling with laughter at the broad farce of the play, within +a few hours would be gazing upon the mysteries behind the screen of +mortal life. The pathetic chorus of "A Long, Long Trail" always moved +me, and I wondered how many of those brave young hearts in the crowded +hall, now on "the long, long trail," would ever see again the land of +their dreams. I took good care not to let the men know that I was ever +moved by such sentimentalism. We were out to fight the Germans, and on +that one object we had to concentrate all our thoughts to the +obliteration of private emotions. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. (p. 154) + +MY SEARCH IS REWARDED. + + +We had now reached the middle of November, and the 4th Division was +expected to come north very soon. My only chance of finding my son's +body lay in my making a journey to Albert before his battalion moved +away. I woke up one morning and determined that I would start that +day. I told Ross to get my trench clothes and long boots ready, for I +was going to Albert. At luncheon my friends asked me how I proposed to +travel, for Albert was nearly fifty miles away. I told them that the +Lord would provide, and sallied off down the road with my knapsack, +thoroughly confident that I should be able to achieve my purpose. An +ambulance picked me up and took me to the Four Winds cross-roads, and +then a lorry carried me to Aubigny. I went to the field canteen to get +some cigarettes, and while there I met a Canadian Engineer officer +whom I knew. We talked about many things, and as we were leaving I +told him that I was going forth in faith as I hoped to get to Albert +that evening. I said, "You know my motto is 'The Lord will provide'." +As we walked along we came to a turn in the road, where we saw at a +little distance a side-car with a driver all ready. I said to my +friend, "It is just the thing I want. I think I will go to the owner +of that car and say to him that the Lord has provided it for me." He +burst out laughing and said, "I am the owner of that car, and you may +have it." I thanked him and started off. It was a long ride, and at +the end a very wet and muddy one, but I got to Tara Hill that evening +and had dinner at General Thacker's Headquarters. I told the officers +there of the purpose of my visit, that I was going up to the front +line the next morning, and asked if they would telephone to one of the +batteries and tell the O.C. that I should arrive some time in the +middle of the night. The Brigade Major of course tried to dissuade me, +but I told him that I was going in any case, that he was not +responsible for my actions, but that if he liked to make thing easier +for me he could. He quite understood the point, and telephoned to the +11th Battery. I then went back to the reserve headquarters of the 4th +Division in the town, and prepared myself for the journey. When I had +to make an early start in the morning, I always shaved the night (p. 155) +before, because I thought that, of all the officers, the chaplain +should look the freshest and cleanest. I was in the middle of the +process of shaving, and some staff officers were making chocolate for +our supper, when a German plane came over and dropped a huge bomb in +the garden. It was about one a.m., and we could not help laughing at +the surprise the Germans would have felt if they could have seen our +occupation going on quite undisturbed by their attempt to murder us. + +About half-past one, I started up the street which led to the Bapaume +road. The moon was shining, and I could see every object distinctly. +Near our old Headquarters I got a lift in a lorry, which took me +almost to Pozières. There I got out and proceeded on my way alone. I +entered the Y.M.C.A. hut and had a good strong cup of coffee, and +started off afresh. That lonely region in the moonlight with the +ruined village to one side and the fields stretching far away on +either hand gave me an eerie feeling. I came upon four dead horses +which had been killed that evening. To add to the strangeness of the +situation, there was a strong scent of tear-gas in the air, which made +my eyes water. Not a living soul could I see in the long white road. + +Suddenly I heard behind me the sound of a troop of horses. I turned +and saw coming towards me one of the strangest sights I have ever +seen, and one which fitted in well with the ghostly character of the +surroundings. It was a troop of mounted men carrying ammunition. They +wore their gas masks, and as they came nearer, and I could see them +more distinctly in the moonlight, the long masks with their two big +glass eye-pieces gave the men a horse-like appearance. They looked +like horses upon horses, and did not seem to be like human beings at +all. I was quite glad when they had passed. I walked on till I came to +what was known as Centre Way. It was a path, sometimes with bath-mats +on it, which led across the fields down to the battery positions in +the valley. Huge shell holes, half filled with water, pitted the +fields in every direction, and on the slippery wood I had great +difficulty to keep from sliding into those which were skirted by the +path. Far off beyond Courcellette I saw the German flare-lights and +the bursting of shells. It was a scene of vast desolation, weird +beyond description. I had some difficulty when I got into the trench +at the end of Centre Way, in finding the 11th Battery. The ground had +been ploughed by shells and the trenches were heavy with soft and +clinging mud. At last I met a sentry who told me where the O.C.'s (p. 156) +dugout was. It was then about half-past three in the morning, but I +went down the steps, and there, having been kindly welcomed, was given +a blanket on the floor. I started at 6 a.m. with a young sergeant for +Death Valley, where I was to get a runner to take me to Regina Trench. +The sergeant was a splendid young fellow from Montreal who had won the +D.C.M., and was most highly thought of in the battery. He was +afterwards killed on Vimy Ridge, where I buried him in the cemetery +near Thélus. I had been warned that we were going to make a +bombardment of the enemy's lines that morning, and that I ought to be +out of the way before that began. I left the sergeant near +Courcellette and made my way over to the Brigade Headquarters which +were in a dugout in Death Valley. There with the permission of his +O.C., a runner volunteered to come with me. He brought a spade, and we +started down the trench to the front line. When I got into Regina +Trench, I found that it was impossible to pass along it, as one sank +down so deeply into the heavy mud. I had brought a little sketch with +me of the trenches, which showed the shell hole where it was supposed +that the body had been buried. The previous night a cross had been +placed there by a corporal of the battalion before it left the front +line. No one I spoke to, however, could tell me the exact map location +of the place where it stood. I looked over the trenches, and on all +sides spread a waste of brown mud, made more desolate by the morning +mist which clung over everything. I was determined, however, not to be +baffled in my search, and told the runner who was with me that, if I +stayed there six months, I was not going to leave till I had found +that grave. We walked back along the communication trench and turned +into one on the right, peering over the top every now and then to see +if we could recognize anything corresponding to the marks on our map. +Suddenly the runner, who was looking over the top, pointed far away to +a lonely white cross that stood at a point where the ground sloped +down through the mist towards Regina Trench. At once we climbed out of +the trench and made our way over the slippery ground and past the deep +shell holes to where the white cross stood out in the solitude. We +passed many bodies which were still unburied, and here and there were +bits of accoutrement which had been lost during the advance. When we +came up to the cross I read my son's name upon it, and knew that I had +reached the object I had in view. As the corporal who had placed (p. 157) +the cross there had not been quite sure that it was actually on the +place of burial, I got the runner to dig the ground in front of it. He +did so, but we discovered nothing but a large piece of a shell. Then I +got him to try in another place, and still we could find nothing. I +tried once again, and after he had dug a little while he came upon +something white. It was my son's left hand, with his signet ring upon +it. They had removed his identification disc, revolver and +pocket-book, so the signet ring was the only thing which could have +led to his identification. It was really quite miraculous that we +should have made the discovery. The mist was lifting now, and the sun +to the East was beginning to light up the ground. We heard the crack +of bullets, for the Germans were sniping us. I made the runner go down +into a shell hole, while I read the burial service, and then took off +the ring. I looked over the ground where the charge had been made. +There lay Regina Trench, and far beyond it, standing out against the +morning light, I saw the villages of Pys and Miraumont which were our +objective. It was a strange scene of desolation, for the November +rains had made the battle fields a dreary, sodden waste. How many of +our brave men had laid down their lives as the purchase price of that +consecrated soil! Through the centuries to come it must always remain +sacred to the hearts of Canadians. We made a small mound where the +body lay, and then by quick dashes from shell hole to shell hole we +got back at last to the communication trench, and I was indeed +thankful to feel that my mission had been successful. I have received +letters since I returned to Canada from the kind young fellow, who +accompanied me on the journey, and I shall never cease to be grateful +to him. I left him at his headquarters in Death Valley, and made my +way past Courcellette towards the road. As the trench was very muddy, +I got out of it, and was walking along the top when I came across +something red on the ground. It was a piece of a man's lung with the +windpipe attached. I suppose some poor lad had had a direct hit from a +shell and his body had been blown to pieces. The Germans were shelling +the road, so with some men I met we made a detour through the fields +and joined it further on, and finally got to the chalk-pit where the +87th Battalion was waiting to go in again to the final attack. I was +delighted to see my friends once more, and they were thankful that I +had been able to find the grave. Not many days afterwards, some of +those whom I then met were called themselves to make the supreme (p. 158) +sacrifice. I spent that night at the Rear Headquarters of the 4th +Division, and they kindly sent me back the next day to Camblain l'Abbé +in one of their cars. + +On November 24th I received a telegram saying that a working party of +one of the battalions of the 4th Division had brought my son's body +back, and so on the following day I motored once again to Albert and +laid my dear boy to rest in the little cemetery on Tara Hill, which he +and I had seen when he was encamped near it, and in which now were the +bodies of some of his friends whom I had met on my last visit. I was +thankful to have been able to have him buried in a place which is +known and can be visited, but I would say to the many parents whose +sons lie now in unknown graves, that, after all, the grave seems to be +a small and minor thing in view of the glorious victory and triumphant +life which is all that really matters. If I had not been successful in +my quest, I should not have vexed my soul with anxious thought as to +what had become of that which is merely the earthly house of the +immortal spirit which goes forth into the eternal. Let those whose +dear ones lie in unrecorded graves remember that the strong, glad +spirits--like Valiant for Truth in "Pilgrim's Progress"--have passed +through the turbulent waters of the river of death, and "all the +trumpets have sounded for them on the other side." + +In June of the following year, when the Germans had retired after our +victory at Vimy Ridge, I paid one more visit to Regina Trench. The +early summer had clothed the waste land in fresh and living green. +Larks were singing gaily in the sunny sky. No sound of shell or gun +disturbed the whisper of the breeze as it passed over the +sweet-smelling fields. Even the trenches were filling up and Mother +Nature was trying to hide the cruel wounds which the war had made upon +her loving breast. One could hardly recall the visions of gloom and +darkness which had once shrouded that scene of battle. In the healing +process of time all mortal agonies, thank God, will be finally +obliterated. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. (p. 159) + +A TIME OF PREPARATION. + +_Christmas, 1916, to April, 1917._ + + +It was certain now that all serious fighting was at an end till next +spring, so everyone settled down to his work with a sense of relief +and tried to make the best of things. A few days after my return from +Albert I went to England. + +On my return to France, I heard with some regret that our Divisional +Headquarters were going to move, and that the Corps would make +Camblain l'Abbé their headquarters. On December 20th we moved back to +the town of Bruay, where we were to stay till after the New Year. +Bruay in comparison with Camblain l'Abbé is a large and thriving town, +all the inhabitants being more or less connected with the mines in the +neighbourhood. Our Headquarters were in the administration building of +the Mining Company, in a square, and I had a billet in a street near +by. There was a good theatre in the place, which our 1st Divisional +Concert party took over, and where I had services on Sunday. In and +around the town were several of the battalions; the rest of the +division were in the villages near by. Bruay had not been shelled, and +the mines were being worked as in pre-war days. It was a comfort to +have the men out of the line once again, and the roads round about +were very pleasant, the country being hilly and unspoilt. Bethune was +within easy reach, and a visit to the quaint town made a pleasant +afternoon's ride. + +Rumours were abroad that with the opening of Spring we were to begin +an offensive, and it was generally believed that towards the close of +the next year we might hope for the end of hostilities. Our men were +being trained, when weather permitted, in open warfare, and the time +of so-called rest was really a period of constant activity. The chief +hotel in the place became an officers' club, and very pleasant were +the reunions we had there. I was glad we were going to spend Christmas +out of the line, and determined to take advantage of the theatre as a +place for Christmas services. The 8th and 14th Battalions were +quartered in the town, besides some smaller units, so we had a good +many men to draw upon for a congregation. On Christmas Eve, at +half-past eleven, I had a celebration of the Holy Communion. We (p. 160) +had a splendid band to play the Christmas hymns, and a large number +of men attended. The stage was made to look as much as possible like a +chancel, and the service was very hearty. Many made their communion. I +also had a watch-night service on New Year's Eve. The theatre was +almost filled with men--there were rows of them even in the gallery. +It was an inspiring sight, and we all felt we were beginning a year +that was to decide the destinies of the Empire. I told the men that +somewhere in the pages of the book which we were opening that night +lay hidden the tremendous secret of our success or failure. At ten +minutes to twelve we sat in silence, while the band played Chopin's +Funeral March. It was almost too moving, for once again the vision +came before us of the terrible battle-fields of the Somme and the +faces that had gone. Then we all rose, and there was a brief moment +for silent prayer. At midnight the buglers of the 14th Battalion +sounded the Last Post, and at the close the band struck up the hymn "O +God our help in ages past." A mighty chorus of voices joined in the +well-known strains. After the Benediction, I went down to the door and +shook hands with as many of the men as I could and wished them a happy +New Year. No one who was at that service will ever forget it. As we +found out, the trail before us was longer than we had expected, and +the next New Year's Eve found many of us, though, alas, not all, in +that theatre once more, still awaiting the issue of the conflict. + +In January, I paid a flying visit to the Canadian Cavalry Headquarters +at Tully near Abbeville, and saw many old friends. On my return, I had +a curious experience which throws a light upon railway travelling at +the Front. A friend had motored me to Abbeville that afternoon, just +in time to catch a leave-train full of men returning from England. I +only wanted to go as far as St. Pol, about thirty miles off, where I +hoped to get a car for Bruay. I got into a carriage with four +officers, one of whom was a chaplain who had just been decorated with +the D.S.O. I had crossed the Channel with him once before, so was glad +to renew our acquaintance. The train left Abbeville about four +o'clock. We found ourselves in a second-class compartment. The windows +were broken, the floor was dirty, and there was no lamp to lighten our +darkness. By pulling down the curtains we tried to keep out the cold +wind, but the draught was very unpleasant, and we had to trust to the +accumulated warmth of our bodies to keep from freezing. + +Instead of going directly to St. Pol, for some reason or other, (p. 161) +the train started off to the South. We travelled on and on at a +snail's pace, and had frequent and lengthy stops. When the light died +away, we should have been in complete darkness if one of the officers +had not brought a candle with him. Hour after hour passed by and we +began to get hungry. Somebody had some sandwiches and a piece of cake, +and this was shared by all the company. It served to stimulate rather +than soothe the appetite. About midnight to our astonishment we found +we had got to Canaples, where I had stayed when we were going to the +Somme. Someone said there had been a railway accident and we had to +travel by branch lines. In spite of the cold, we tried to sleep. I sat +between my parson friend, who was inclined to be stout, and another +officer who was remarkably angular. When I leaned upon my corpulent +friend, his frequent fits of coughing made my head bounce as though it +were resting on an air-cushion. When I got tired of this and leaned +against my angular friend on the other side, the jolting of the +carriage scraped my ear against his ribs. I spent the night by leaning +first on one companion, and then on the other. The morning found us +still travelling, and finally at half-past ten the train drew up once +more at our starting point in Abbeville station. Having been eighteen +hours without food or drink or the opportunity of a shave, I thought +it was about time to retire, and told my companions that life was too +short to spend it in railway journeys of that description. So, with a +feeling of superiority and independence which made the others green +with envy, I bid them good-bye. I never heard any more of my friends, +but, although the war has long since ended, I have a sort of dim +impression in my mind that they are still travelling round and round +and coming back to Abbeville again. I went over to the officers' club +and had a good wash and luncheon, and there meeting a very nice +engineer officer, I asked him if he could tell me where I could find +any lorries going North. I told him my railway experience, and it so +moved him that he very kindly sent me off in his own car to St. Pol, +where I was picked up by one of our staff cars and taken home in time +for dinner. Railway journeys in France were not things to remember +with pleasure, and if they were bad for the officers, what must they +have been for the poor men in the crowded third-class carriages? + +At the end of January, our pleasant life at Bruay came to an end, and +we moved off to Barlin which was to be our headquarters for a (p. 162) +month and a half. It was while we were there that I had an attack of +trench-fever, which, like being "crummy," is really part of a complete +war experience. Barlin was not a bad place of residence. There were +many men within easy reach, and I had an upper room in the Town Hall +for use as a chapel. The presence of a well equipped British hospital +also gave one opportunities of seeing our wounded men. We had come to +know by this time that the first task which lay before us in the +opening of spring was the taking of Vimy Ridge, and our life became +filled with fresh zest and interest in view of the coming attack. + +On the 15th of March our Division moved up to a place called Ecoivres, +where we were billeted in the old Château. The Count who owned the +Château kept some rooms downstairs for himself, but we occupied all +the rest of the building. In the hall upstairs we had a large model of +Vimy Ridge, which all the officers and men of the battalions visited +in turn, in order to study the character of the land over which they +had to charge. In the garden were numerous huts, and in a large +building in a street to the right of the Château was a billet which +held a great number of men. It was almost entirely filled up with +tiers upon tiers of wooden shelves, on which the men made their beds. +They were reached by wooden stairs. Nearly fifteen hundred men were +crowded into the building. On the ground floor beside the door, there +was a high platform which commanded a view of the whole interior. On +this, one of the bands lived and gave us music in the evening. Every +night after dinner, I used to go to the cinema, as we called the +place, and have either a service or a talk with the men on general +subjects. At such times outsiders would crowd in, and we have had very +hearty singing when the band struck up a hymn. I always tried to have +some piece of good news to announce, and would get the latest reports +from the signallers to read aloud. The men were in splendid spirits, +and we were all buoyed up with the hope that we were going to end the +war. I used to speak about the war outlook, and would tell the men +that there were only two issues before us: Victory or Slavery. When I +asked them one night "Which shall it be, Boys?" a loud shout of +"Victory!" went up. + +News was not always plentiful, and it was a little hard at times to +find anything particularly interesting to say, and so, one night I +determined to make a variation. I told the men that on the next +evening, if they would bring in questions to me on any subject which +had been troubling them, I should be very glad to try to give an (p. 163) +answer. I thought that an entertainment of that kind might be both +attractive and helpful. On the next evening, therefore, I ascended the +platform as usual and found the place crowded with men. I had my +acetylene lamp with me to furnish light for reading any questions that +might be sent up. I called the meeting to order, and then asked if any +men had any questions to ask. To my great delight, someone at the back +held an envelope above the crowd, and it was passed up to me. I tore +it open, and, holding my lamp in one hand, without first looking over +the letter, I read it aloud to the men, who were hushed in the silence +of anticipation. I give it just as it was written:-- + + "Somewhere in France, + 3/4/17. + Dear Sir:-- + + I am going to ask you a question which has been a load to my + little bit of mental capacity for a period of months. Often have I + woke up in the old dugout, my hair standing straight up and one + eye looking straight into the eyeball of the other, trying to + obtain an answer to this burning question. I have kept my weary + vigil over the parapet at night, with my rifle in one hand and a + couple of bombs in the other, and two or three in each pocket, and + still I am pondering over this burning question. I will now ask + you the question. When do you think this God dam war will be over, + eh?" + +I never was so completely taken aback in all my life. A roar of +laughter burst from the men, in which I joined heartily. From the +tiers of bunks and every part of the building, cheers went up, and we +had one of the pleasantest evenings in that old cinema that we had +ever experienced. I do not know who the man was who sent the letter, +or whether he is alive now. If he is, I wish he would write to me. I +want to thank him for giving us all a good, hearty laugh at that time +of preparation and anxiety. I keep the letter among my most treasured +war souvenirs. + +The winter rains had not improved the roads, but still day and night, +through mud and water, a constant stream of vehicles of all descriptions +passed up towards the front carrying ammunition. Ammunition was +everywhere. At certain places it was stacked along the roads. The +strain upon the horses was very great, and numbers of them died, (p. 164) +and their bodies lay by the wayside for many days, no one having time to +bury them. + +It was perfectly impossible to get any place in which to hold +Communion services, so, with the permission of the family who owned +it, I made use of a little Gothic shrine near the church, which stood +over a family vault. It was a miniature chapel, and had an altar in +it. The glass in the coloured windows had been broken, but we replaced +it by canvas. I hung upon the wall outside the board which I used as a +sign, with the words "St. George's Church" upon it. In this little +building every morning at eight o'clock I had a celebration of Holy +Communion, and I always had some men attending. + +Our trenches were tolerably quiet, and lay beyond the Arras-Bethune +Road. At a place called Maison Blanche there was a large cavern which +was used as a billet for one of the battalions in reserve. Some +strange stories were told about the fighting that had taken place in +it between the French and the Germans at the beginning of the war. I +went down into it one evening when the 16th Battalion was there. It +was a most picturesque place. The walls and roof were white chalk and +the place was cut up by passages and openings which led into other +caves. The atmosphere was smoky, and a multitude of candles lit up the +strange abode. The men were cooking in their mess tins, some were +playing cards, and some were examining the seams of their shirts. I +told them I was going to have a service at one end of the cavern and I +proceeded thither with a good number following. Some of the card +players seemed too interested in their game to care to attend, and so +I called out to the men in a loud voice not to make too much noise, +lest they should disturb the gamblers. One of the men who was playing +cards responded "If you will wait till we have finished this hand, +Sir, we will all come too." I made the announcement therefor that we +would not begin till the players were ready. The result of this was +that in a very little while all the men came and joined in the +service. + +The possession of the Ridge gave the Germans a great advantage, because +it commanded a view of a very large piece of country and several main +roads. Further up the road from Maison Blanche there was a place +called Arriane Dump, where the Engineers had stored material in +preparation for our attack. A long plank road connected it with the +Anzin-St. Eloi road. On a dark and rainy night that wooden track (p. 165) +was an unpleasant place for a walk. Lorries, wagons, limbers, transports, +horses and men crowded it, and the traffic every now and then would +get blocked. No flashlights could be used, and it was hard to escape +being run over. Yet to step off the boards meant to sink almost to +your knees in mud. The language that one heard at such times in the +darkness was not quite fit for ears polite. It is well that the horses +were not able to understand the uncomplimentary speeches that were +addressed to them. + +There was a tremendous concentration of artillery in the back area. +The town of Anzin, on the bank of the river Scarpe, was filled with +heavy batteries. To ride through it was to run the risk of many +unpleasant surprises from the sudden firing of big guns by the +wayside. Once, I was approaching an apparently harmless hole in a +brick wall, when all of a sudden Dandy and I found ourselves enveloped +in flame and almost stunned by a huge report. As we bounded past the +hole, I saw a large gun moving up and down under the force of its +recoil, and with smoke still curling out of its mouth. + +The siege battery in which my third son was a gunner had now arrived +and taken up its position in a field behind Anzin, where a 15-inch +howitzer sent forth its deadly missives to the Germans every fifteen +minutes and in return drew their fire. One day a shell burst in a hut +used by some Railway Troops. A large number of them were wounded and +eleven killed, whom I buried in a row on the hillside. + +On the 4th of April, we received news that America had declared war upon +Germany. I thanked God in my heart that at last the English-speaking +world had been drawn together, and I knew that the effect upon the +Germans would be disastrous. I rode out that afternoon to give the +good news to our men. I met a British Battalion coming out of the +line, looking very tired and hungry. They were resting by the +roadside, and I passed along and cheered them by telling them that the +United States had now come in definitely as one of our Allies, and +that I thought the effect would be the shortening of the war. +America's decision could not have come at a better time. The year was +opening out before us, and the initiative was coming into our hands +The prospect was bright and our men were keen for the encounter. + +April 6th was Good Friday. It was impossible to have service at (p. 166) +Ecoivres, as everyone was so busy, so I rode over to Anzin and had +service for the 7th Siege Battery in an empty Nissen hut. Most of the +men of the battery were present, and I had forty communicants. The +place was lit by candles which every now and then were extinguished by +the firing of the fifteen-inch gun nearby. Easter Day was originally +intended to be the day for our attack, but it had been postponed till +Monday. We could not do much in the way of observing the great feast. +Every room and shed in the town was filled, and men were lying out +under rubber sheets in the fields. I had two celebrations of the Holy +Communion in the Y.M.C.A. hut, the floor of which was covered with +sleeping men. I managed to clear a little space on the stage for the +altar. Of course, not many attended, but at one of the services was an +officer who had won the V.C. and the D.S.O. and had a foreign +Decoration as well. In the afternoon I visited and gave an address to +one of the battalions moving up the line. I also had a service in the +cinema that evening. + +It was a time of mingled anxiety and exhilaration. What did the next +twenty-four hours hold in store for us? Was it to be a true Easter for +the world, and a resurrection to a new and better life? If death +awaited us, what nobler passage could there be to Eternity than such a +death in such a cause? Never was the spirit of comradeship higher in +the Canadian Corps. Never was there a greater sense of unity. The task +laid upon us was a tremendous one, but in the heart of each man, from +private to general, was the determination that it should be performed. +On that Easter night, the battalions took their places in the line. +The men at the guns, which had hitherto been concealed and kept +silent, were ready to open fire at zero hour, and all along that front +the eager heart of Canada waited impatiently for the dawn. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. (p. 167) + +THE CAPTURE OF VIMY RIDGE. + +_April 9th, 1917._ + + +My alarm clock went off at four a.m. on the great day of April 9th, +which will always shine brightly in the annals of the war. I got up +and ate the breakfast which I had prepared the night before, and +taking with me my tin of bully-beef, I started off to see the opening +barrage. It was quite dark when I emerged from the door of the Château +and passed the sentry at the gate. I went through the village of +Ecoivres, past the Crucifix by the cemetery, and then turning to the +right went on to a path which led up to Bray Hill on the St. Eloi +road. I found some men of one of our battalions bent on the same +enterprise. We got into the field and climbed the hill, and there on +the top of it waited for the attack to begin. The sky was overcast, +but towards the east the grey light of approaching dawn was beginning +to appear. It was a thrilling moment. Human lives were at stake. The +honour of our country was at stake. The fate of civilization was at +stake. + +Far over the dark fields, I looked towards the German lines, and, now +and then, in the distance I saw a flare-light appear for a moment and +then die away. Now and again, along our nine-mile front, I saw the +flash of a gun and heard the distant report of a shell. It looked as +if the war had gone to sleep, but we knew that all along the line our +trenches were bristling with energy and filled with men animated with +one resolve, with one fierce determination. It is no wonder that to +those who have been in the war and passed through such moments, +ordinary life and literature seem very tame. The thrill of such a +moment is worth years of peace-time existence. To the watcher of a +spectacle so awful and sublime, even human companionship struck a +jarring note. I went over to a place by myself where I could not hear +the other men talking, and there I waited. I watched the luminous +hands of my watch get nearer and nearer to the fateful moment, for the +barrage was to open at five-thirty. At five-fifteen the sky was +getting lighter and already one could make out objects distinctly in +the fields below. The long hand of my watch was at five-twenty-five. +The fields, the roads, and the hedges were beginning to show the +difference of colour in the early light. Five-twenty-seven! In (p. 168) +three minutes the rain of death was to begin. In the awful silence +around it seemed as if Nature were holding her breath in expectation +of the staggering moment. Five-twenty-nine! God help our men! +Five-thirty! With crisp sharp reports the iron throats of a battery +nearby crashed forth their message of death to the Germans, and from +three thousand guns at that moment the tempest of death swept through +the air. It was a wonderful sound. The flashes of guns in all +directions made lightnings in the dawn. The swish of shells through +the air was continuous, and far over on the German trenches I saw the +bursts of flame and smoke in a long continuous line, and, above the +smoke, the white, red and green lights, which were the S.O.S. signals +from the terrified enemy. In an instant his artillery replied, and +against the morning clouds the bursting shrapnel flashed. Now and then +our shells would hit a German ammunition dump, and, for a moment, a +dull red light behind the clouds of smoke, added to the grandeur of +the scene. I knelt on the ground and prayed to the God of Battles to +guard our noble men in that awful line of death and destruction, and +to give them victory, and I am not ashamed to confess that it was with +the greatest difficulty I kept back my tears. There was so much human +suffering and sorrow, there were such tremendous issues involved in +that fierce attack, there was such splendour of human character being +manifested now in that "far flung line," where smoke and flame mocked +the calm of the morning sky, that the watcher felt he was gazing upon +eternal things. + +When it got thoroughly light I determined to go on up the road to the +3rd Artillery Brigade which was to press on after the infantry. I +found both officers and men very keen and preparing to advance. For +weeks at night, they had been making bridges over the trenches, so +that the guns could be moved forward rapidly on the day of the attack. +I had breakfast with the O.C. of one of the batteries, a young fellow +only twenty-three years of age who had left McGill to enter the war. +He was afterwards killed in front of Arras. After breakfast I went on +up the line till I came to the 3rd Artillery Brigade Headquarters, and +there asked for the latest reports of progress. They were feeling +anxious because the advancing battalions had given no signal for some +time, and it was thought that they might have been held up. Someone, +however looked at his watch and then at the schedule time of attack, +and found that at that particular moment the men were to rest for (p. 169) +ten minutes before pressing on. The instant the time for advance came, +rockets were sent up to show that our men were still going ahead. I +went up the road to Neuville St. Vaast, where there was an aid post, +and there I saw the wounded coming in, some walking, with bandaged +arms and heads, and some being brought in on stretchers. They were all +in high spirits and said that the attack had been a great success. Of +course, the walking wounded were the first to appear, the more serious +cases came afterwards, but still there was the note of triumph in all +the accounts of the fighting which I heard. I moved on to a track near +Maison Blanche, and then followed up the men. The ridge by this time +was secured and our front line was still pressing forward on the heels +of the retreating Germans. It was a glorious moment. The attack which +we had looked forward to and prepared for so long had been successful. +The Germans had been taken by surprise and the important strategic +point which guarded the rich coal fields of Northern France was in our +possession. + +The sight of the German trenches was something never to be forgotten. +They had been strongly held and had been fortified with an immense +maze of wire. But now they were ploughed and shattered by enormous +shell holes. The wire was twisted and torn and the whole of that +region looked as if a volcanic upheaval had broken the crust of the +earth. Hundreds of men were now walking over the open in all +directions. German prisoners were being hurried back in scores. +Wounded men, stretcher-bearers and men following up the advance were +seen on all sides, and on the ground lay the bodies of friends and +foes who had passed to the Great Beyond. I met a British staff officer +coming back from the front, who told me he belonged to Army +Headquarters. He asked me if I was a Canadian, and when I replied that +I was, he said, "I congratulate you upon it." I reminded him that +British artillery were also engaged in the attack and should share in +the glory. "That may be", he said, "but, never since the world began +have men made a charge with finer spirit. It was a magnificent +achievement." + +Our burial parties were hard at work collecting the bodies of those +who had fallen, and the chaplains were with them. I met some of the +battalions, who, having done their part in the fighting, were coming +back. Many of them had suffered heavily and the mingled feelings (p. 170) +of loss and gain chastened their exaltation and tempered their sorrow. +I made my way over to the ruins of the village of Thélus on our left, +and there I had my lunch in a shell hole with some men, who were +laughing over an incident of the attack. So sudden had been our +advance that a German artillery officer who had a comfortable dugout +in Thélus, had to run away before he was dressed. Two of our men had +gone down into the dugout and there they found the water in the +wash-basin still warm and many things scattered about in confusion. +They took possession of everything that might be of use including some +German war maps, and were just trying to get a very fine telephone +when two other of our men hearing voices in the dugout and thinking +the enemy might still be there, threw down a smoke bomb which set fire +to the place. The invaders had to relinquish their pursuit of the +telephone and beat a hasty retreat. Smoke was still rising from the +dugout when I saw it and continued to do so for a day or two. + +Our signallers were following up the infantry and laying wires over +the open. Everyone was in high spirits. By this time the retreating +Germans had got well beyond the crest of the Ridge and across the +valley. It was about six o'clock in the evening when I reached our +final objective, which was just below the edge of the hill. There our +men were digging themselves in. It was no pleasant task, because the +wind was cold and it was beginning to snow. The prospect of spending a +night there was not an attractive one, and every man was anxious to +make the best home for himself he could in the ground. It was +wonderful to look over the valley. I saw the villages of Willerval, +Arleux and Bailleul-sur-Berthouit. They looked so peaceful in the +green plain which had not been disturbed as yet by shells. The church +spires stood up undamaged like those of some quiet hamlet in England. +I thought, "If we could only follow up our advance and keep the +Germans on the move," but the day was at an end and the snow was +getting heavier. I saw far off in the valley, numbers of little grey +figures who seemed to be gradually gathering together, and I heard an +officer say he thought the Germans were preparing for a counter-attack. +Our men, however, paid little attention to them. The pressing question +of the moment was how to get a comfortable and advantageous position +for the night. Canadians never showed up better than at such times. +They were so quiet and determined and bore their hardships with a +spirit of good nature which rested on something sounder and more (p. 171) +fundamental than even pleasure in achieving victory. About half-past +six, when I started back, I met our Intelligence Officer, V.C., +D.S.O., coming up to look over the line. He was a man who did much but +said little and generally looked very solemn. I went up to him and +said, "Major, far be it from me, as a man of peace and a man of God, +to say anything suggestive of slaughter, but, if I were a combatant +officer, I would drop some shrapnel in that valley in front of our +lines." Just the faint flicker of a smile passed over his countenance +and he replied, "We are shelling the valley." "No," I said, "Our +shells are going over the valley into the villages beyond, and the +Germans in the plain are getting ready for a counter-attack. I could +see them with my naked eyes." "Well." he replied, "I will go and +look." + +Later on when I was down in a German dugout which had been turned into +the headquarters of our advanced artillery brigade, and was eating the +half tin of cold baked beans which my friend, the C.O. had failed to +consume, I had the satisfaction of hearing the message come through on +the wires, that our artillery had to concentrate its fire on the +valley, as the Germans were preparing for a counter-attack. When I +left the warm comfortable dugout, I found that it was quite dark and +still snowing. My flashlight was of little use for it only lit up the +snowflakes immediately in front of me, and threw no light upon my +path. I did not know how I should be able to get back in the darkness +through the maze of shell holes and broken wire. Luckily a signaller +came up to me and seeing my plight led me over to a light railway +track which had just been laid, and told me that if I kept on it I +should ultimately get back to the Arras-Bethune road. It was a hard +scramble, for the track was narrow and very slippery, and had to be +felt with the feet rather than seen with the eyes. I was terribly +tired, for I had had a long walk and the excitement of the day and +talking to such numbers of men had been very fatiguing. To add to my +difficulties, our batteries lay between me and the road and were now +in full action. My old dread of being killed by our own guns seemed to +be justified on the present occasion. Gun flashes came every few +seconds with a blinding effect, and I thought I should never get +behind those confounded batteries. I had several tumbles in the +snow-covered mud, but there was nothing to be done except to struggle +on and trust to good luck to get through. When at last I reached (p. 172) +the road I was devoutly thankful to be there and I made my way to the +dugout of the signallers, where I was most kindly received and hospitably +entertained, in spite of the fact that I kept dropping asleep in the +midst of the conversation. One of our signal officers, in the morning, +had gone over with some men in the first wave of the attack. He made +directly for the German signallers' dugout and went down with his +followers, and, finding about forty men there, told them they were his +prisoners. They were astonished at his appearance, but he took +possession of the switch-board and told them that the Canadians had +captured the Ridge. One of the Germans was sent up to find out, and +returned with the report that the Canadians held the ground. Our men +at once took possession of all the telegraph instruments and prevented +information being sent back to the enemy in the rear lines. Having +done this, our gallant Canadians ordered the prisoners out of the +dugout and then sat down and ate the breakfast which they had just +prepared. This was only one of many deeds of cool daring done that +day. On one occasion the Germans were running so fast in front of one +of our battalions that our men could not resist following them. They +were actually rushing into the zone of our own fire in order to get at +them. A gallant young lieutenant, who afterwards won the V.C., seeing +the danger, with great pluck, ran in front of the men and halted them +with the words, "Stop, Boys, give the barrage a chance." + +In spite of the numbers of wounded and dying men which I had seen, the +victory was such a complete and splendid one that April 9th, 1917, was +one of the happiest days in my life, and when I started out from the +signallers dugout on my way back to Ecoivres, and passed the hill +where I had seen the opening of the great drama in the early morning, +my heart was full of thankfulness to Almighty God for his blessing on +our arms. I arrived at my room in the Château at about half past two +a.m., very tired and very happy. I made myself a large cup of strong +coffee, on my primus stove, ate a whole tin of cold baked beans, and +then turned in to a sound slumber, filled with dreams of victory and +glory, and awoke well and fit in the morning, more than ever proud of +the grand old First Division which, as General Horne told us later, had +made a new record in British war annals by taking every objective on +the scheduled dot of the clock. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. (p. 173) + +A MONTH ON THE RIDGE. + +_April to May, 1917._ + + +The great drawback to a victory in a war of movement, which we were +told we were now engaged in, is that, after an advance, one has to +follow up the line, and consequently, comfortable billets have to be +exchanged for broken down shacks in the forward area. Not many days +after our men had taken Vimy Ridge, Divisional Headquarters had to +move up to the Arras-Bethune road and occupy a chalk cave which was +known as the Labyrinth. It had once been the scene of fierce fighting +between the French and the Germans. Deep down, in passages scooped out +of the chalk were the various offices of the division and the billets +for the staff. The place was very much crowded, and I quickly +perceived that the last person whose society was wanted there was the +Senior Chaplain. Having taken the situation in at a glance, I made my +way to my friend the Staff Captain of the Artillery, and he very +kindly invited me to share with him and another officer, the little +dugout he had chosen for himself. It was entered by a narrow passage +cut through the chalk in the side of the trench, and the roof +consisted of a large semi-circular piece of iron under the ground. We +had three beds and a table, and so were comfortable. When one stood on +the earth which covered our roof, it was impossible to see any +suggestion of a home underneath. Nothing was in sight but the wide +expanse of rolling country cut up on all sides by trenches and shell +holes, and wearing a sort of khaki uniform of light brown mud. To the +east of us, lay the road bordered with leafless and battered trees, +past which went an interminable line of lorries, guns and limbers. We +were very comfortable, and at night when the winds were blowing and +the rain was coming down in sheets, it was not half bad after dinner +to read aloud Tennyson's "Ulysses" or other of my favourite poems. I +am not sure that I did not at times, relying upon the inclemency of +the weather overhead, recite some of my own. I know that one morning, +when I had awakened at about four o'clock, I turned on the light of a +storage battery which I had found in a German dugout, and sitting up +wrote the verses which I called "The Silent Toast" and which my (p. 174) +artillery friends approved of when I recited them at breakfast. + +The aftermath of victory is of course very sad. Many were the gallant +men whose bodies were laid to rest in the little cemetery at Ecoivres. +The cemetery is well kept and very prettily situated. The relatives of +those who are buried there will be pleased to find the graves so +carefully preserved. The large crucifix which stands on a mound near +the gate is most picturesquely surrounded by trees. In the mound some +soldier, probably a Frenchman, had once made a dugout. The site was +evidently chosen with the idea that crucifixes were untouched by +shells, and therefore places of refuge from danger. I often thought, +as I looked at the crucifix with the human shelter beneath it, that it +might stand as a symbol of the hymn:-- + + "Rock of Ages cleft for me + Let me hide myself in Thee." + +The engineers had had a dump for their material near the Bethune-Arras +road, and when they moved it forward to a place called the "Nine +Elms," the engineer officer gave me his dugout, which was partly +beside the road and partly under it. It consisted of several rooms, +one of which contained a bed, and had steps going down to a deep +chamber whither one could retire in case of shelling. It was good to +have such a large and comfortable establishment, and when Alberta was +chained up in her corner and I had strapped myself into my kit bag at +night, we both felt very snug. The only trouble was that visitors kept +coming at all hours to ask for engineering materials, not knowing that +the character of the abode had changed. Early one morning, an officer +came in a great hurry, and waking me up, asked if there were any +winches there,--he pronounced the word like wenches. I sat up in bed +and looked at him sternly, and said, "Young man, this is a religious +establishment, I am the Senior Chaplain, and there are no wenches +here." He did not know quite what to make of the situation. "I mean +wooden ones," he said. I replied, "Young man, there are no wenches +here, either wooden or any other kind; the engineers have gone +forward." He apologized and left. On another occasion, in the darkness +of middle night, an Imperial soldier who had lost his way came down +the steps and put his head into my door and began to stammer and hiss +in such an extraordinary way that Alberta was roused and barked (p. 175) +furiously. I woke up with a start and asked what the matter was, but all +I could get from the poor man was a series of noises and hisses. I +turned on my flashlight, and a very muddy face covered with a shock of +red hair looked in at the door of my little room, and with many +contortions and winkings, emitted a series of incomprehensible noises. +What with the stammering man and the barking dog, I was at my wits end +to find out the trouble. At last by a process of synthesis, I pieced +the various sounds together and found that the man wanted the location +of a certain British battery. I gave him the best information I could. + +Not far from me, at Arriane Dump, the Chaplain's Service established a +coffee stall, and there men who were going up to or coming from the +line could get coffee, biscuits and cigarettes at all hours. The +neighbourhood had now become so safe that little huts were being run +up in various places. I asked our C.R.E. to build me a church, and, to +my great joy, an officer and some men were detailed to put up a little +structure of corrugated iron. At one end, over the entrance door, +there was a belfry in which was hung a good sized German gas bell +found in the trenches on our advance. Surmounting the belfry, was a +cross painted with luminous paint. Inside the church, I had an altar +with crucifix and candlesticks, and the Union Jack for a frontal. I +also had a lectern and portable organ. The oiled linen in the windows +let in a sufficient quantity of light, and the whole place was +thoroughly church-like. I shall never forget the first service we held +in it when the building was completed. It was in the evening and the +sun was just setting. The air was balmy and spring-like and there was +no shelling in the front line. The bell was rung and the congregation +began to collect. I went over to the church and there I found, lying +wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher beside the building, the body of a +poor lad of the 2nd Division. It could not be buried until word had +been received from his battalion. I got some of the men to carry the +stretcher in and lay it in the aisle. I put on my cassock and +surplice, lit the candles, and we had choral evensong, my organist +playing the responses. The little church was filled, and there, in the +midst of us, was one who had entered into his rest. It seemed to me +that the most suitable hymn was:-- + + "Let saints on earth in concert sing + With those whose work is done, + For all the servants of our King (p. 176) + In heaven and earth are one. + + One army of the living God + To His command we bow; + Part of the host have crossed the flood, + And part are crossing now." + +All present sang the hymn most heartily, and we felt its +appropriateness. I never hear it now without thinking of that evening +service in St. George's Church at Arriane Dump. To those at home, I +suppose, it will appear strange that an incident of that kind would +not be almost too moving. At the front, however, death did not seem to +be such a terrible thing--it was part of our life and something to be +expected and met uncomplainingly. Every morning, until we moved, I had +a Celebration of the Holy Communion in the church at eight o'clock, +and every evening I had Evensong at six. I was told long afterwards +that when General Horne paid his first visit to our Battle +Headquarters, he pointed to the little iron structure with its belfry +and white cross, and asked what it was. When they told him it was a +church, he said, "A church! Now I know why the Canadians won Vimy +Ridge." Unfortunately, the point of the observation was lost by the +fact that the church was built, not before, but after we had taken the +Ridge. + +When we left Arriane Dump, I handed over the church to the Senior +Chaplain of the British division which took our place, and he had the +building taken down, put in lorries, and re-erected in the village of +Roclincourt, where he adorned it with a painted window of St. George +and the Dragon. + +Along the Arras-Bethune road are various cemeteries where the men of +the different battalions are buried. The greatest care was taken in +collecting the dead and making their last resting place as neat and +comely as possible. A plank road was constructed to connect the +Bethune-Arras road with the Lens-Arras road further forward. It lay in +a straight line over the broken ground cut up by trenches and huge +craters, and brought one to the headquarters of the siege battery in +which my son was a gunner. On all sides stretched the plain which our +men had won. Far off, on clear days, one could see in the distance the +little hamlets behind the German lines. + +We had taken the Ridge, but there were villages in the plain which +were not yet in our hands. I heard there was to be an attack one (p. 177) +morning early. So the night before, I left my dugout at one a.m. +It was a strange, weird walk along the plank road and then down the +railway track to Farbus wood. The barrage was to open at four-thirty, +and at four-ten a.m. I walked into the dugout where the Headquarters +of the 3rd Artillery Brigade were. We waited till four twenty-five, +and then I went up to see the barrage. Before us lay the plain, and +all round us on the hillside, except in the space before us, were +trees of Farbus Wood. At four-thirty the barrage opened, and we had a +fine view of the line of bursting shells along the enemy's front. For +a time our fire was very intense, and when it eased off I started down +the hill to the town of Willerval, where in a dugout I found the +officers of one of our battalions regaling themselves with the bottles +of wine and mineral water which the Germans had left behind them in +their well-stocked cellars. Willerval was badly smashed, but enough +was left to show what a charming place it must have been in the days +before the war. In the shell-ploughed gardens, spring flowers were +putting up inquiring faces, and asking for the smiles and admiration +of the flower-lovers who would tread those broken paths no more. I sat +in a quiet place by a ruined brick wall and tried to disentangle the +curious sensations which passed through the mind, as I felt the breeze +lightly fanning my face, smelt the scent of flowers, heard the +skylarks singing, saw the broken houses and conservatories, and +listened to the shells which every now and then fell on the road to +the east of the village. That super-sensitiveness to the charms of +nature, which I have mentioned before, thrilled me with delight. The +warm spring sun beat down from a cloudless sky, and the glorious +romance of being out in the war-zone added to the charm. + +One of our ambulances had a dressing station in the cellars of the +Château, and there were a number of German prisoners there who were +waiting their turn as stretcher bearers. From Willerval I went to the +dressing station in the sunken road, where one of our chaplains was +hard at work rendering assistance to the wounded. We had taken Arleux, +but of course had to pay the price, and over the fields in different +directions one could see stretchers being carried, bearing their loads +of broken and suffering bodies. Our grand old Division never failed in +taking its objective, and later on, we advanced from Arleux to Fresnoy, +which completed for us our campaign on Vimy Ridge. The Divisions (p. 178) +on each side of us were held up, but when we left the Ridge we handed +over Fresnoy to our successors in the line. Later, they were obliged +to relinquish it. + +There is something splendid in the esprit-de-corps of a Division, and +none could be greater than that which animated all the units of the +1st Canadian Division, or as we were called, "the boys of the old red +patch," from the red patch which we wore as a distinguishing mark upon +our arms. + +On May 4th, orders came to us that we had to move, and at night I +walked over the old plank road to say good-bye to my son--for their +battery was to retain its position--and on the next day, followed by +little Alberta, I rode from Arriane Dump to my old billet in Bruay, +breaking the journey by a visit to the 87th Battalion at Château de la +Haie. We had returned to our old quarters covered with glory, and, on +all sides, the French people were sincere in their admiration for what +the Canadian Corps had done. It was certainly delightful to get back +to clean billets, and to be able to enjoy the charming spring weather +on roads that were not shelled and in fields that were rich in the +promise of summer. Our Headquarters once again made their home in the +Administration Building in the square, and the usual round of +entertaining went on. During the daytime, battalions practised the +noble art of open warfare. The sense of "Something accomplished, +something done," inspired our men with the ardour of military life, +and bound us all even closer together in the spirit of valiant +comradeship. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. (p. 179) + +A WELL-EARNED REST. + +_May and June, 1917._ + + +Three days after we had settled at Bruay I was invited by one of our +staff officers and the Colonel of one of our battalions to accompany +them on a visit to our old trenches on the Somme. We left in the +morning and went south, over the roads and past the little villages +which we knew so well, till we came to Albert. We went up the Bapaume +road, now deserted and lonely. Our front line was some miles to the +east, and so all that waste of country over which we had fought was +now without inhabitants. We left the motor near Courcellette and +walked over the fields to the old trenches where the First Brigade had +made their attack. It was a dreary day. Low clouds hung over the sky +and a cold wind blew from the east. Spring had made very little +advance in those wide fields of death, and the grass was hardly green, +where there was any grass. We walked over the well-known tracks +reviewing incidents of the great battle. We crossed Death Valley and +saw our old lines. The place was so solemn that by mutual agreement we +did not talk, but each went off by himself. I found a number of +Canadian and German bodies still unburied, and all over the fields +were rifles and mess tins, spades and bits of accoutrement. One could +hardly imagine a scene more desolate and forlorn. Every inch of that +ground had been fought over and bought with the price of human blood. +The moan of the wind over the fields seemed like the great lament of +Nature for her sons who had gone. It was impossible to identify the +bodies we found, but we knew that burial parties would soon set to +work to collect them. Over each poor brown and muddy form I held a +short service and used the form of committal from the burial office in +our prayer-book. + +It was with a sense of relief that we walked back up the road, past +the ruins of Courcelette, and rejoined the motor. The scene was too +painful, and made too great a pull upon the heart-strings. In the +great army of the slain that lay beneath that waste of mud were many +whom we had known and loved with that peculiar love which binds +comrades in the fighting line to one another-- + + "God rest you valiant Gentlemen (p. 180) + Who sleep beneath that ground." + +Once more, at the end of the month, I paid another visit to Regina +Trench, when I was on my way to place a cross over my son's grave in +the cemetery at Tara Hill. By this time, the grass was green, the +trenches were filling up and in the cloudless blue sky larks were +singing. The impression of dreariness was passing away, and the wounds +on the breast of nature were being healed. + +Our life at Bruay as usual was exceedingly pleasant, and the men +thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and the freshness of the country. Games +and sports were indulged in and the nightly entertainments in the +theatre given by our concert party were most enjoyable. + +I shall never forget the happy rides on Dandy down the roads and +across the fields to the various battalions and artillery brigades. At +every turn I would meet men whom I knew, and to shake hands with those +glorious lads who had done such great things for the world was an +honour and a privilege. In looking back to that time faces and places +come before me, and I feel once again the warm spring winds over the +fields of France, and see the quaint old villages of Houdain, Ruitz +and Hallicourt where our various battalions were billetted. Sometimes, +at exalted moments, I had meals with generals in their comfortable +quarters; sometimes with company officers; sometimes with the non-coms, +but I think the most enjoyable were those that I took with the men in +dirty cook-houses. With a dish-cloth they would wipe off some old box +for a chair, another for a table; then, getting contributions of +cutlery, they would cook me a special dinner and provide me with a +mess-tin of strong hot tea. When the meal was over and cigarettes had +been lighted, general conversation was indulged in, and there would be +talks of home, of war experiences, and many discussions of religion +and politics. One question which was asked me again and again in +trenches and dugouts and billets was--"Are we winning the war?" It may +be hard for people at home to realize how little our men knew of what +was happening. The majority of them never saw the newspapers, and of +course the monotony of our life and the apparent hopelessness of +making any great advance was a puzzle to them. I never failed to take +the question seriously and give them, as far as I was able, a general +idea of the aspect of the war on the various fronts. In order to be +able to do this I read "The Times" daily with great care. It was (p. 181) +really the only paper that one could depend on, and its marvellous +influence on the conduct of the campaign completely justified its +claim to be still the exponent of British policy, and its inherited +right to the title of "The Thunderer." + +Our artillery were still in the line along the Ridge, but our infantry +brigades were all at rest. It was proposed that we should have a +thanksgiving service for victory with each brigade. The Senior Chaplain +of the Corps took the matter in hand with the Senior Chaplain of the +Army. A form of service was printed on slips of paper, and on Sunday, +May 13th, we had services for the three infantry brigades. It was a +lovely warm day, and the services were held at the most convenient +points. The 2nd Brigade were assembled at Ruitz. It was a splendid +sight. The 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th Battalions were drawn up in a great +square, generals and staff officers were present; a band played the +hymns and the army chaplain gave us a most stirring address. The next +service was with the 1st Brigade in a field near Coupigny, where the +1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions were drawn up, making a magnificent +show of young, ardent and stalwart manhood. The moment it was over the +general and staff were motored over to the 3rd Brigade at +Château-de-la-Haie. Here were assembled the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th +Battalions. General Horne attended this Service, and, after the +religious ceremony was over, gave an address. His admiration for the +achievement of our men was evidently sincere, and he always showed the +deepest interest in everything connected with the welfare of the +Canadians. + +Near Bruay on the way to Houdain were some large aerodromes and the +headquarters of the squadron. I had met their chaplain before at +Armentieres when he was attached to the infantry. He very kindly +invited me up to his quarters, and several times I dined with him at +the officers' mess. He was the chaplain of several squadrons, and had +to fly from one to another to take services on Sundays after the manner +of a true "sky pilot." He told me some splendid tales of the gallantry +of the young men to whom he had to minister. On one occasion the order +was given that six German observation balloons along the front line +had to be brought down, for we were about to make an advance. Six men +were therefore, told off for this important but dangerous duty. The +chaplain told me that at once the question arose as to how they (p. 182) +were to dress for the encounter. Should they wear old clothes or should +they be arrayed in their best? They decided that if they were brought +down they would like, by their appearance, to do most credit to their +squadron, and so it was determined that they should wear their newest +uniforms. He told me that to him, who knew the dangers underlying the +enterprise, it was most pathetic to see the young fellows in the highest +spirits getting themselves polished up as if they were going to an +investiture at Buckingham Palace. He had thought of having a service +of Holy Communion for them, but there was no time, so he saw them +start off on their voyage telling them that he would follow them with +his prayers. The danger of such an undertaking was very great, as the +planes had to fly low over the German trenches and then rise up and +attack the balloons. That night six young airmen came to dinner in the +mess as usual, but there were six observation balloons less in the +German lines. + +One night when I went to dinner with the officers of the squadron I +was placed at the right hand of the O.C. He was late in arriving, and +I wondered what sort of man would come to fill the vacant chair. To my +surprise, when we were half way through dinner, a young officer, not +much more than a boy came and took the seat and welcomed me to the +mess. I asked him if he were the Major. He said he was, and on his +left breast were several decorations. I was just going to make some +remark about his youthful appearance when he said, "Now don't say it, +Padré, don't say I look young, I really can't help it." I had a long +and interesting talk with him about his work. He was full of enthusiasm, +and his knowledge of men impressed me deeply. There was a large number +of officers at the table all under his command. I thought it was +wonderful that a man so young should have such a knowledge of human +character. This war has certainly shown that mellowed age is not such +a necessary qualification for right judgment as we thought it was. Old +age has had its day, and the young world, that has just been born in +the anguish and travail of the old, must be "run" by young men who +unite in themselves the qualities of judgment and the love of adventure. +The hut used as a mess-room was most artistically decorated, and made +a fine setting for the noble young fellows, who sat round the table +chaffing one another and laughing as if they never had to face death +in the blinding mists of morning or the blazing sun of noon, with the +rain of shells and machine gun fire falling round them, as they (p. 183) +climbed higher and higher like skylarks into the wide vault of heaven. + +On the first of June, we were ordered back to the line, and our +Divisional Headquarters was to be divided. The General and staff were +to be at the advanced position in the huts and dugouts on the La +Targette road, and the non-combatant officers were to be billetted +near Villers au Bois in Château d'Acq, a comfortable modern house with +a large garden on one side and a pleasant tree-covered hill at the +back. Here, to my surprise and delight, I found myself in possession +of a large front room with furniture in it that appeared almost +gorgeous. I had one comfortable night's sleep in it, but alas only +one. On the next evening, when the full moon was shining with that +fateful power which she has of turning night into day and of guiding +the flight of hostile bombers, we were sitting smoking our cigars +after dinner at the artillery headquarters in the La Targette road, +when suddenly we heard the pulsating buzzing of a German plane. At +once someone called out, "A Boche plane, put out the lights." In an +instant the lights were out, but the fatal moonlight shone with clear +and cruel lustre. There was a huge crash, then another, then another, +then another, and someone said, "It has discharged its load." For a +few moments we waited in silence, then we heard the sound of voices +and men calling for help. I went across the open to the huts where the +staff officers and the clerks lived. The German plane kept buzzing +round and round at a low altitude, the observer evidently trying to +find out what mischief he had done. To my dismay, I found that sixteen +persons including the A.D.M.S. and the Assistant to the A.P.M., had +been wounded, two of them fatally. We could not use the lights in +attending to the wounded for the German airman was on the watch, and +it was not until he went away that we could get ambulances to carry +them off. + +The General did not think it was worth while to risk a second attack +by remaining at the place, so, in the middle of the night, with great +dispatch the headquarters was moved back to the Château, and instead +of my occupying the mahogany bed in the front room, I found myself on +the floor of one of the huts in the garden. The General quite rightly +and naturally taking to himself the bed which I had left. + +Château d'Acq was for many weeks and at different times our comfortable +and delightful home. There were many Nissen huts round the Château (p. 184) +and under the beautiful trees on the hillside. Here the different +branches of the service had their offices, and the engineers built for +me a little house of tar paper lined with green canvas, over the door +of which was painted the sign "St. George's Rectory." The C.R.E. also +built me a new St. George's Church on the other side of the road. It +was to be the chef d'oeuvre of his architectural skill, and to be made +as complete and perfect as possible. A compass was brought and the +true east and west found. The material of which the church was to be +built was tar paper and scantling. The roof was to be covered with +corrugated iron. The belfry was to be hung this time with two German +gas bells, which were dignified with the title of a chime of bells. +The windows, filled with oiled linen, were to be pointed after the +manner of Gothic architecture. The church was to be cruciform, with a +vestry on one side balanced by an organ chamber on the other. We had a +nice altar, with the legal ornaments, and an altar rail. We had a +lectern, and the proper number of benches for the congregation. We +even had a font, which was carved out of chalk by the C.R.E.'s batman +and given as an offering to the church. The C.R.E., a most devout and +staunch Presbyterian, was proud of his architectural achievement and +told me that now he had handed over to me a complete church he wished +every service which the Church of England could hold to be celebrated +in it. He said, "In addition to your usual services, I want men to be +baptised, to be married, and to be ordained in that church." When I +protested that possibly no men could be found desiring these offices, +he replied, "The matter is perfectly simple. Like the centurion in the +Bible, I am a man under authority. All I have to do is to call up ten +men and say 'Go and be baptised tomorrow morning in Canon Scott's +Church', and they will go. If they don't, they will be put in the +guard room. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be +married in Canon Scott's church.' If they don't, I will put them in +the guardroom. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be +ordained in Canon Scott's church'. If they don't, I will put them in +the guard room." All this was said with perfect solemnity. As a matter +of fact, when another division was occupying Château d'Acq, a man +really was baptised in the little church. It was used daily for a time +by the Roman Catholic Chaplain. + +A photograph of the building is preserved in the Canadian War Records +Office. The first morning I rang the chime of bells for the early (p. 185) +service, our A.D.M.S. avowed that he, mistaking the character of the +sound, and supposing that it was a warning of a gas attack, sat up in +his bed in the sweltering heat and put on his gas helmet. + +From Château d'Acq I used to go and take services for the siege +artillery on the Lens-Arras road, and also at the charmingly situated +rest camp at Fresnicourt. We knew however that a bombing raid might +occur at Château d'Acq on any clear night. Whenever we heard German +planes in the air we always felt how unprotected we were, and it gave +us a sense of relief when the buzzing sound grew fainter and fainter +and died off in the distance. + +The cool green shade of the trees made a pleasant roof over our heads +on the hot days of early summer, and at dawn in the woods opposite we +could hear the nightingales. Later on, the owner of the Château sold +some of the bigger trees, and we found on our return to it in the +following year that the beauty of the place had been destroyed, and +the hillside looked like the scene of a Canadian lumber camp. However, +the rose-trees in the garden with their breath of sweetest odour were +a continual joy and delight to the soul. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. (p. 186) + +PARIS LEAVE. + +_June 1917._ + + +My time for leave was due again, and as we were allowed to spend it in +France without interfering with the number of those who desired to see +their friends in England, I determined to go to Chamounix. I thought +that the sight of a great natural wonder like Mont Blanc would have an +uplifting effect upon the mind, at a time when everything human seemed +to be going to rack and ruin. The white peaks of the Alps in their +changeless purity against the blue of the infinite sky seemed to me a +vision which the soul needed. So I started off one lovely morning on +my way to Paris. I went by side-car to Amiens, where I took the train. +It was a delightful expedition, and I left with a good conscience, +because our men were not expected to attack, and were in a quiet +sector of the line. The driver of the car, with the prospect of a good +meal at Amiens and a good tip, was in the best of humours. The air was +sweet and fresh and the grass wore its brightest green. The sunshine +beat down from a cloudless sky, and when we paused for repairs, as we +had to do from time to time, birds' songs furnished us with a most +enjoyable concert. An expedition of this kind was made doubly charming +by having in it a touch of adventure. When we came to a village, at +once the map had to be studied and the turns in the road noted. A +conversation with some of the villagers as we journeyed, always broke +the sense of loneliness, and gave us an insight into the feelings of +the people. However, on this particular occasion, I was not able to +complete the journey to Amiens in the side-car. Either the car broke +down, or the driver preferred to go on by himself, for the thing came +to a dead stop just as a car from the Corps was about to pass us. The +occupants kindly invited me to go on to Amiens with them. It was a +swifter way of continuing the journey and much more comfortable, so I +said good-bye to my original driver and started off with my new +friends. + +Amiens was a bustling place then and very unlike the Amiens I saw a +little over a year later. I started by train at six-thirty p.m., and +at eight-thirty, after a pleasant journey, arrived at Paris, where I +went to the Hotel Westminster. On the next evening, I started off (p. 187) +with some friends for Evians-les-Bains. The train was very full, and +there were no berths in the wagon-lit, so we had to stay up all night +in a crowded first-class carriage. There was an old French Curé at one +end of the compartment, who, quite early in the evening, drew out a +silk handkerchief and covered his head and face therewith, leading us +to suppose that he had sunk into oblivion. We therefore carried on a +very pleasant and vivacious conversation, as the night was warm and we +were not inclined to sleep. Suddenly the old Curé pulled off the +handkerchief and said in a gruff voice, "It is the time for sleeps and +not for talks." and, having uttered this stinging rebuke, re-covered +his head and left us in penitent silence. We arrived at Evians-les-Bains +in good time, and went to a very charming hotel with a lovely view of +the Lake of Geneva in front. Unfortunately, I had hurt my foot some +time before and it looked as if it had got infected. Not wishing to be +laid up so far from medical assistance, I decided to return the same +evening, which I did, and once more found myself at the Hotel +Westminster. I now determined to spend my leave in Paris. There were +many of our men in the city at that time. They were all in a very +impecunious condition, for there was some difficulty in getting their +pay and, in Paris, money did not last long. I did my best to try and +help them, and later our system of payment was improved. It was +perhaps just as well for some of them that their money was short. + +Poor old Paris looked very shabby to one who remembered her in former +days with her clean streets and many-fountained parks. She wore the +air of shabby gentility. The streets were not clean; the people were +not well-dressed, the fountains no longer played. France had been hard +hit by the war, and the ruin and desolation of her eastern borders +were reflected in the metropolis. I spent most of my time in Paris +trying to keep men straight, with more or less success. I can imagine +nothing worse for a lonely young fellow, who had taken his leave after +weary months in the front line, than to find himself in the midst of +the heartless gaiety of the French capital. On all sides the minions +of vice, diseased in mind and body, lay in waiting for their prey. To +one who loved Canada and longed for the uplifting of the pure life of +Canadian homes, it was a spectacle which filled the heart with anxiety. +Before I left Paris, I wrote a letter to the Continental Daily Mail +advocating the taking over of some hotels which could be turned into +hostels or clubs for soldiers while on leave. This, I am happy to (p. 188) +say was afterwards done. + +I met many of our men at the soldiers' tea-rooms called "A corner of +Blighty" in the Place Vendome, and I organized several dinner and +theatre parties which went off very pleasantly. When the men had +companionship, they did not feel the lure of vice which came to them +in moments of loneliness. I met some interesting people in Paris, and +at a Sunday luncheon in the charming house of the Duchess de la M---- I +met Madame ----, the writer of a series of novels of rather lurid +reputation. The authoress was a large person with rich orange-coloured +hair, powdered cheeks, and darkened eyelashes. She wore a large black +hat, enormous solitaire pearl ear-rings, and, as a symbol of her +personal purity, was arrayed in white. She lamented the fact that +women writers were not allowed to visit the front. When I told her +that Mrs. Humphrey Ward had been there, she said, "Oh yes, they +allowed her to go because they said she could write good English, but +she cannot get the ear of the American people in the way _I_ can." + +There were two or three French officers present, one of whom was an +attaché at the Embassy in Madrid. I was much impressed by their quiet +dignified bearing, so typical of the chivalrous heroism of France, and +so unlike anything which we could look for in the officers of the +German Army. I could not help observing that the French were much +depressed and filled with anxiety as to the issue of the war. A French +lady said to me "How can we go on much longer; our man-power is nearly +exhausted?" It is a supreme delight to me to think that that wonderful +nation, which suffered and bled so deeply and bore its wrongs so +nobly, has now been avenged on the ruthless enemy, and that the +tricolour once more floats over Alsace and Lorraine. Profoundly +patriotic though we of the British Empire are, there is something in +the patriotism of the French which goes down into the deepest roots of +the human soul. I remember once in the private burying place of a +noble family who owned a chateau not far from our front line, seeing a +little child's grave. The child had died in Canada at the age of two +years, and its body had been brought back to its ancestral resting +place. On the tombstone, under the inscription were the words:-- + + "Petit ange + Priez pour + la France." + +I was very much struck by the prayer. That the sorrow for a (p. 189) +child's death should be coupled with the love of country seemed most +strange and pathetic. I venture to say that it would be impossible to +find a parallel instance of such a blending of emotions in any English +churchyard. The present owner of the Château, which was at least two +or three hundred years old, was away fighting for his country, and +long grass and weeds filled the uncared for corner by the side of the +old church. In past history, we have fought with the French again and +again, but we always felt that we were fighting with gentlemen, and +were sure that every courteous deed done by us would meet with an +equally courteous response. One of the saddest things in the war was +that, while we often admired the military efficiency of the Germans, +we had absolutely no respect for their officers or men, nor could we +regard them as anything but well-trained brutes. The ties which bind +us to France now are very intimate and personal, and it is a matter of +thankfulness to all who love human idealism and true culture, that the +reproach of the defeat of 1870 has been washed away in blood, and that +France will emerge from her fiery trial a purer and a loftier nation. + +I was not sorry when my Paris leave was over and I returned to my +Headquarters at Château d'Acq. It was always delightful to get back to +my war home and settle down again in the midst of those on whose +shoulders the fate of civilization rested. I arrived back on June +29th, just in time to prepare for the special services which were to +be held throughout the Corps on Sunday, July 1st, it being the jubilee +of the Dominion. I made arrangements with the band of the Royal +Canadian Regiment, as our Divisional band was away, to march over from +Villers au Bois and play for us at the service. We had special hymns +and prayers neatly printed on cards, which the men were to retain as +souvenirs. The parade was held just outside St. George's Church, our +new Divisional Commander, General Macdonell, and his staff attending. +The occasion was particularly interesting to me, because I was the +only man in the whole Canadian Corps at the front who could remember +the first Dominion Day. I could remember as a child being taken by my +father on the 1st of July, 1867, to hear the guns firing a salute on +the grounds of McGill College, Montreal. Canada had travelled a long +distance on the path of nationhood since that far-off time, and now, +after fifty years, I had the satisfaction of being with the great (p. 190) +Canadian Army Corps on European soil, engaged in the biggest war of +history. Such an experience is not often the privilege of a human +life, and the splendid body of men before me gave promise of Canada's +progress and national glory in the future. Everyone felt the peculiar +significance of the celebration. + +Owing to the fact that my foot was still troubling me, I was sent down +to the rest-camp at Fresnicourt, where I met many of the officers and +men in that delightful old Château. The country round about was very +pretty, and the views from the hills were charming. Every night I used +to have either a service, or a talk with the men, on the grass beside +a little stream. They were all enjoying the rest and refreshment that +came from being able to live in pleasant surroundings and away from +shells and work in the trenches. On July 18th, I went by side-car to +St. Omer where the Senior Chaplains of the Army were summoned to a +conference. We were billeted in the large building used as the Chaplains' +Rest Home, and there enjoyed the great privilege, not only of meeting +one another, but of listening to some splendid addresses and lectures +by those in charge. It was pleasant to re-visit St. Omer. The quaint +old French town, with its rambling streets and polite inhabitants, +took one away from the thoughts of war and gave one almost a feeling +of home. In the smoking-room at night, we had the opportunity of +discussing with one another the various moral and religious problems +with which the chaplain had to contend, and many were the interesting +experiences of those chaplains. On the last day of our meetings, at +the early Eucharist, we had an address from the Archbishop of York, +who had just come over to France. Later on, he gave an address at a +general meeting of the chaplains at Bethune. + +While at St. Omer I paid a visit to the Second Army School in their +magnificent buildings in Wisques, where I saw the room that my son had +occupied, and met some of the people who remembered him. The place was +used as a training school for officers and was most wonderfully equipped. +The building was a modern convent, and the large unfinished chapel, with +its high vaulted roof, was used as a dining-room. It was inspiring at +dinner to see the hundreds of young officers, all so keen and cheery, +sitting round the tables, while a good band played during the meal. It +was hard to realize that they were only having a momentary respite +from the war, and, in a week or two, would be once more up in the line +facing wounds and death. The Commandant took great pride in the (p. 191) +institution, and told me of the splendid records of the men who had +passed through his hands. + +Our Divisional Headquarters now moved to a place called Bracquemont, +near Noeux les Mines. Here I had a very fine room in the house of the +manager of one of the Mines, the offices of which were on the other +side of the road. The house was well built, and had a most charming +garden at the back. It was large and commodious, and I always feared +that my billet would attract the covetous desires of some high staff +officer and that I should be thrown out to make way for him. My room +was on the ground floor with two large windows opening on the street, +enabling me to get the Daily Mail from the newsboy in the morning. The +ceiling was high and the furniture most sumptuous. A large mirror +stood upon the marble mantel-piece. I had linen sheets on the bed and +an electric light at my side. It did not seem at all like war, but the +end of the mahogany bed and some of the chairs, also one corner of the +ceiling, had been perforated by bits of shrapnel. So in the midst of +luxury, there was the constant reminder that the war was still going +on--a death's head at the feast. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. (p. 192) + +WE TAKE HILL 70. + +_July and August, 1917._ + + +Bracquemont was a very charming home. There were many men about us, +the artillery horse lines were there as well as two battalions in +rest, and various other units. Behind the British C.C.S. there was a +large hall with a stage at one end. Here our concert party gave a +performance every night. Between us and the front line, were the +villages of Maroc, Le Brebis, Mazingarbe, and Bully-Grenay, which were +our billeting area while we occupied the trenches in advance of Loos. +I was thus in easy reach of all the units in the Division and could do +a great deal of parish visiting. + +In the country behind us, there were many Chinese Labour Companies and +one of Zulus. When not at work, they were encamped in large compounds +surrounded by barbed wire. Our band used to play occasionally for the +entertainment of the Chinese, who very much enjoyed both the music and +the compliment that was paid to them by its being provided. On one +occasion, I went with General Thacker to visit one of the Chinese +Labour Companies. The officer in charge wished us to see some of their +sports, and so we sat on chairs at the top of the field and the +Chinamen came up and gave us an exhibition of their skill in something +that looked like fencing. They used sticks for foils. We could not +quite see who won in the encounter, or what constituted the finishing +stroke, but, as soon as each pair of performers retired they turned +and bowed solemnly to the General and made way for two other +combatants. They were great powerful men, very different from the type +of Chinese one sees in this country. One of the performers we were +told by the O.C., could carry a weight of five hundred pounds on his +shoulders. After the gymnastic performance, we had a concert, and a +man sang, or rather made a hideous nasal sound, to the accompaniment +of something that looked like a three stringed fiddle. The song, which +greatly delighted the Chinese listeners, consisted of an interminable +number of verses; in fact we never heard the end of it, for the O.C. +stopped it and told the musicians that the officers had to leave. He +told us that the men were well behaved, and that only once had he had +occasion to hold a court-martial. + +The Zulus were encamped near Ranchicourt. They too were a stalwart (p. 193) +lot of men, but felt the cold of the winter very much. I was riding +past them in the road one day and spoke to the British sergeant in +charge of them. He pointed out one young man who, he said, was the son +of a chief, and, in his own country, was entitled to a body-guard of +fifteen men. In recognition, therefore, of his aristocratic birth, he +was allowed to wear three stripes. While we were talking, the boy +looked round and saw that we were speaking about him. The sergeant +called out something to him in Zulu language, and the boy smiled and +nodded to me. I asked the sergeant what he had said to him. He +replied: "I told him that you thought you had met him before, and it +pleased him." This accounted for the boy's smiling at me and the nod +of recognition. I suppose he thought that on some occasion in my +rambles through Africa we had met in the jungle. At any rate, I +admired the sergeant's tact and savoir faire. There was a great +mixture of races among the allied forces in France, and I always felt +sorry for the poor heathen that they should be dragged into the war of +the Christian nations. + +Our front trenches were not comfortable places. To reach them one had +to pass through Maroc and along a road on the outskirts of Loos. +Beside the road, in the cellars of a broken building, called Fort +Glatz, was a dressing station. The neighbourhood was frequently +shelled, for the road from Maroc to Loos was under observation from +the two mysterious iron towers in Wingles. Beyond Fort Glatz, the +engineers had a store of trench materials. The place was called +"Crucifix Dump," on account of the large crucifix which stood there on +a mound of earth. The figure on the crucifix was made of metal and it +had been struck by shrapnel. It looked so pathetic standing there amid +the ruin and desolation around, mutely saying to those who had ears to +hear, "Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by; behold and see if +there was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow?" From a shrapnel hole near +the heart of the figure, birds could be seen flying in and out, +getting food for their young. At the foot, there was the grave of a +German officer who had been killed when the Germans occupied Loos. + +I often used to go to Bully-Grenay to visit some of the siege batteries. +They had comfortable billets but the Germans soon found out their +location and sent over some very big shells. One large shell had a curious +experience. It fell in the road to the south of Bully-Grenay, (p. 194) +burrowing under the ground without exploding. Then it rose and went +through the side of a brick house, and finally reposed on the floor of +an upper room. We all went to see it lying there, like some gigantic +sea monster dead and stranded on the shore. The potential force of the +huge shell was enormous, but it lay there perfectly harmless after its +strange pilgrimage. + +I was passing one of the siege batteries one day, when I saw a number +of men working round a damaged gun-pit. I went over to it and found +that a shell had landed there that morning, just as they were changing +shifts on the guns. It had killed and buried a number of the men, at +the same time setting fire to our ammunition. The bodies of those who +were buried were burnt almost to ashes by the terrific heat, and only +charred bits of them were recovered. + +South of Loos there was the famous Double Crassier. It was a large +slag heap on which once ran a line of railway. The top, of course, was +in sight of the Germans, but down in the hollow on our side of it we +had a great number of battery positions. That little corner where our +guns were concentrated was an easy target for the German artillery, +and many were the high explosives and gas-shells which they dropped. +In the town of Maroc itself there was a large fosse or mine-head. The +buildings round it were capacious, and well made. They were of course +now much damaged, but the cellars were extraordinarily commodious and +extensive. They were lined with white tiles, and the largest one was +fitted up as a place of rest and amusement with a canteen where the +men could get coffee, cakes and cigarettes. I stationed one of our +chaplains there to look after the work and hold services in one of the +cellars which was fitted up as a chapel. In the large room there were +benches, and a stage afforded a good floor for boxing. I determined to +start boxing there as a sport for the artillerymen, who had few +opportunities of enjoying the entertainments which were given behind +the line. I had a great friend in one of the Highland battalions, who +had been wounded three times in the war, and was heavy-weight champion +of the 1st Division. I got his O.C. to attach him to me, and I placed +him in the cellar at Maroc where he began to instruct the men in the +noble art of self defence. People used to wonder why I had a +prize-fighter attached to me, and I told them that if the Junior +Chaplains were insubordinate, I wanted to be able to call in some one +in an emergency to administer discipline. I always said, with (p. 195) +perfect truth, that since my prize-fighter was attached to me I had +had no trouble with any of the chaplains. It is wonderful what things +one can do in the Army which are not according to the King's Regulations. +By right, as Senior Chaplain of a Division, I was entitled only to one +man who was to act in the dual capacity of batman and groom, but later +on I managed to get a man to act as secretary, who was given sergeant's +stripes and looked after the office when I went on my wanderings +through the Division. Then I got a man who knew something about music +to be appointed as my organist. He used to travel with me in the staff +car with my portable organ when I went to take church parades on +Sunday. He was afterwards gassed and I lost him, but he did useful +work while he was with me in helping the singing. The prize-fighter +made another addition to what I called the Senior Chaplain's battalion. +Then, as time went on, I was able to get a man to take over the duties +of a batman, and I finally obtained a chauffeur to run my side-car. +This large army of assistants was a sore puzzle to our Camp Commandant, +who had to arrange for their rations and discipline. I was always being +asked how many men I had on my staff. However, to use a soldier's +expression "I got away with it." + +The road through Maroc was not a pleasant one to travel. It was liable +to be shelled at any moment. On one side of the street was a large +brick wall which had been perforated by a shell and the place was +called "The Hole in the Wall." The Germans knew that we had many +batteries concealed in the ruined town, so they never left it alone +for very long. I was going up to the front one day, when I met in the +street an artillery officer coming back. We had not seen each other +for some time, and he gave me such a warm greeting that I at once +determined to reward him by reciting to him one of my poems. I got +about half way through when the enemy, not knowing, of course, what +was going on, began to shell the place, and some bits of mud and brick +fell in the road not far off. In spite of the beauty of the poem, my +friend began to get restless, and I was faced with the problem of +either hurrying the recitation and thereby spoiling the effect of the +rhythm, or of trusting to his artistic temperament and going on as if +nothing was happening. I did the latter, and went on unmoved by the +exploding shells. I thought the Major would see that the climax of the +poem had not yet been reached and was worth waiting for. I was +mistaken. He became more and more restless, till at last he said, (p. 196) +"Excuse me, Canon, but I think I must be hurrying on." He left me +standing in the road with the last part of the poem and its magnificent +climax still in my throat. I looked after him for a moment or two, +then turned sorrowfully, lamenting the depravity of human nature, and +pursued my journey. I had not gone far in the street before I came to +a large pool of blood, where a man had just been killed. There was +some excuse, therefore, for my friend's conduct, for he must have +passed that pool of blood before he met me, and his nerves were +probably not in their normal condition. He went back to his battery +and told his friends there that I had actually buttonholed him in +Maroc and insisted upon his listening to a miserable poem of mine +while shells were falling in the place. + +In order to avoid the danger of passing through the town, we generally +used a path across the fields. I was returning from the trenches with +some men one night along this path, when we saw from Maroc flashes of +a light which was apparently being used as a signal. At once we were +seized with an attack of spy-fever, and I said to the men, "There is +someone signalling to the Germans." The night was so dark that +signalling could have been seen at a considerable distance. +Immediately we started off towards the light, which went out when we +approached, but we discovered an officer in a mackintosh, and I at +once asked him who he was. Tired as our men were, for they were coming +out after being several days in the trenches, they followed me and +were so keen on the adventure that one of them had drawn his revolver. +The officer became very rude and he used some blasphemous words +towards me in the dark, which naturally provoked a stern rebuke. I +told him I was a Lieut.-Colonel, and that I should report him to his +commanding officer. Then we asked him to give proof of his identity. I +could see by his manner that he was becoming exceedingly uncomfortable, +so I insisted upon his leading us to his headquarters. He did, and we +stumbled on over telephone wires and piles of bricks till he brought +us into the yard of a broken down house, in the cellars of which we +found the officers of his battery. The O.C. was very polite and, when +I pointed out to him the danger of flashing a light in the neighbourhood +of the track which was used by our infantry battalions at night when +going to or coming from the trenches, he said his unit would be more +careful in the future. After a little conversation we left. A day (p. 197) +or two afterwards I met one of the officers of the battery, and we +had a good laugh over the incident, but he told me that it was even +more amusing than I had thought, for the young officer had a dugout in +the field and was making his way thither with nothing on but his +pyjamas and his mackintosh. When we asked him for some proofs of his +identity, he was terrified lest we should search him and find him in +this peculiarly unmilitary costume, which might have made us still +more suspicious. + +Ever since our moving to Bracquemont, we had been preparing to complete +the work of our advance towards Lens by an attack on Hill 70, the high +ground to the north-west of that city. Compared with the taking of +Vimy Ridge, the exploit was of course a minor one, but, for many +reasons, it was felt to be an exceedingly dangerous task and one which +would cost us dearly. The Germans had had time to concentrate their +forces in front of us, and they knew the value of the commanding +position which they held. Everyone felt anxious as to the result of +the enterprise, and we had learnt from recent experiences on the Ridge +and at Fresnoy how powerful the enemy was. Although, of course, I did +not let the men see it, I was always worried when we had an attack in +view. When I held services for them on parade, or addressed them at +their entertainments, or met them by the roadside, I used to look into +their eyes and wonder if those eyes would soon be viewing the eternal +mysteries "in the land that is very far off." I tried to make it a +point never to pass anyone without a handshake or a word of cheer and +encouragement. How their faces used to brighten up at some trifling +kindness or some funny story! + +I was fond of visiting the men who acted as the road control on the +east side of Maroc. One of their number was of course on guard day and +night, so I was always sure of meeting a friend whenever I passed. I +never went down to their cellar without being offered a cup of tea and +other dainties. They used to sleep on shelves, and often invited me to +rest my weary limbs there. I would thank them for their kindness, but +thought it prudent, for reasons of personal cleanliness, not to accept +it. It always gave me great pleasure to come upon friends in out of +the way places. I remember meeting an officer late one night near the +front at Loos. It was very dark, and, as soon as he recognized me, he +exclaimed, "Here's old Canon Scott, I'll be d--d!" "My friend," I said +solemnly, "I hope you will not allow that sad truth to get abroad. (p. 198) +The Canadian Government is paying me a large salary to try and keep +you from that awful fate, and if they hear that your meeting me has +had such a result, I shall lose my job." He apologized for the expression, +and said it was only meant as an exclamation of surprise. + +By the beginning of August, everything was ready for the attack, and +on the 14th, carrying my rations with me, I made my way to the 7th +Siege Battery; for I had arranged to go to their observation post and +watch the barrage from there. I started off in the evening, with one +of the gunners. We skirted Maroc and reached the O.P., which was called +St. Pat's. It was a long walk over the open and through the trenches +before we got into the place. From it we looked down the slope towards +our front line, and beyond this we saw the rise in the ground called +Hill 70, held by the Germans. The barrage was to begin at four +twenty-five in the morning; so the gunner and I went down into a +dugout and tried to get a little rest. Before we got to sleep, +however, we became aware of the smell of gas, and, hearing the +tramping of feet in the trench at the top of the stairs, I went up and +found the men of the 14th Battalion with their helmets on going +forward in preparation for the advance. They recognized me because I +did not put on my mask, and as they passed they shook hands with me +and I wished them "good luck in the name of the Lord." Such cheery +souls they were, going forth in their stifling helmets to the unknown +dangers which awaited them. + +I found that sleep was impossible, so I went up to the O.P. and waited +for the barrage. It was a lovely night; the stars were shining +beautifully, and the constellation of Orion hung on the horizon in the +eastern sky, with the pale moon above. A great silence, stirred only +by the morning breeze, brooded over the wide expanse of darkness. +Then, at four-twenty-five, the guns burst forth in all their fury, and +all along the German line I saw not only exploding shells, but the +bursting oil drums with their pillars of liquid fire, whose smoke rose +high in the air with a peculiar turn at the top which looked like the +neck of a huge giraffe. At once the Germans sent up rockets of various +colours, signalling for aid from their guns, and the artillery duel of +the two great armies waxed loud and furious. I stood on the hill with +some of our men, and watched the magnificent scene. Nothing but the +thought of what it meant to human beings took away from our (p. 199) +enjoyment of the mighty spectacle. When day dawned, we could see, +silhouetted against the morning sky, men walking over the hilltop, and +now and then jumping down into the captured trenches. Once again our +Division had got its objective. At various points difficulties had +been encountered, and in a place called the "Chalk Pit", which afterwards +became our front line, the Germans had made a determined stand. They +had a wonderful dugout there, like a rabbit-warren, with many passages +and entrances, from which they were bombed out with great difficulty. +One of our western battalions suffered heavily in taking the +stronghold. + +I went on to Fort Glatz and to some of the other advanced aid-posts. +We had many casualties, but we felt that the worst was not yet over, +for we knew that, although we had taken the hill, the Germans would +make a desperate fight to get it back again. All day long our artillery +pounded away and our infantry consolidated the line. Our Pioneer +Battalion did splendid work in digging trenches under heavy fire, in +order to connect our advanced positions. When the sun set and the +night once more cast its shade over the earth, there was no cessation +in the sound of battle. + +The next morning I visited the wounded in the C.C.S., and in the +afternoon went by car once more to the 7th Siege Battery and thence +made my way through Maroc to the front, as I had heard from the General +that the artillery were having a hard time. Their guns had been firing +incessantly since the barrage started. I met many men on the journey +who gave me accounts of their experiences during the battle, and, by +the time I reached the Y.M.C.A. coffee-stall in a ruined building on +the Maroc-Loos road it was quite late. Here in a cellar I found some +men making coffee for the walking wounded, who were coming back very +tired and glad of a shelter and a hot drink. I went on down the road +to the well concealed trenches which led to the 1st and 2nd Artillery +Brigade Headquarters. In the deep dugout, I found the O.C.s of the two +brigades and their staffs hard at work. It was an anxious time, because +ammunition was short, and every available man was employed in carrying +it up to the guns. The Senior Colonel asked me if I would go round to +some of the gun pits and talk to the men. They were tired out, he +said, with the constant firing, and there was still no prospect of a +rest. I told him that if he would give me a runner to act as guide, I +would visit all the gun-pits of the two Brigades. Accordingly a (p. 200) +runner was sent for, and he and I started off at midnight. It was very +dark, and when we emerged from the trench and turned to the right on +the Lens-Bethune road we met parties of wounded men coming back, and +the batteries in the fields beside us were firing over our heads. We +visited first the cellar of a building by the way, where there was an +aid post. Here were many men being attended to by the doctors. They +were all worn out, and did not look forward with much pleasure to +their journey back to Maroc along the dark and dangerous road. + +From the dressing station, my guide and I went into a trench and along +this to the gun positions. As we came to each, we visited the officers +and men. We got a glad welcome from the faithful, true-hearted fellows +who were working with might and main to save the lives of their comrades +in the front line. Some of the guns were fearfully heated and were +hard to handle. Yet the S.O.S. signals from the front trenches would +go up every now and then, telling our gunners that the Germans were +making another counter-attack, and asking for artillery support to +save the situation. We made our way through the trench towards the +batteries at the foot of the Loos Crassier. In doing so, we had to +pass under the road. I was going on ahead, and when I stooped down to +pass under the bridge, to my surprise I could dimly descry in the +darkness a row of silent men sitting on each side of the passage +facing one another. I said, "Good-night, boys," but there was no +answer. The figures in the darkness remained motionless and still. I +could not quite make out what the matter was, for our men always +responded to my greeting. Suddenly, an enemy flare-light went up in +the distance, and I saw, to my horror, that the two rows of men +sitting so silently were Germans. I was wondering if I had run my neck +into a noose, when a voice from the other end of the passage called +out, "They are prisoners, Sir. I am taking them back with me and +giving them a few minutes rest." I must say that I was greatly +relieved. I went on to the gun-pits just in front of the crassier, and +here the men were working hard. It was splendid to see their absolute +disregard of everything but their duty. I felt myself to be such a +slacker beside them, but I told them how gloriously they were carrying +on, and how their work was appreciated by the infantry. The night +began to wear away, and when I reached the gun-pits that were further +back it was broad daylight. In fact, I visited the last one at six +a.m. Some of the batteries had by this time ceased firing, and the (p. 201) +men had fallen asleep in all sorts of curious positions, ready to be +roused in an instant. Altogether, my guide and I visited forty-eight +gun-pits that night, and it was about seven o'clock when we returned +to Brigade Headquarters. + +The next night the Germans sent over a rain of gas-shells on the +batteries, and the men at the guns found it impossible to see the +sights through the eye-pieces of their gas-helmets, and so chose to +face the poison unprotected rather than run the risk of injuring our +infantry by bad firing. There were of course heavy casualties among +the gunners as a result of this. Some died and many were badly gassed, +but the line was held. + +As I was returning after spending the night at the gun-pits, I felt +terribly tired. The morning sun rose higher and higher, and beat down +with summer heat on my steel helmet as I made my way along the path +which skirted the town of Maroc. I sat down by the side of a trench to +have some breakfast, and opened a tin of milk and my tin of bully beef +and was just preparing to have a meal, when I must have fallen asleep +instantaneously. How long I slumbered I do not know, but when I woke +up I found, standing in front of me, three amused and puzzled Australian +tunnellers. When I fell asleep, I must have upset my breakfast, which +was lying at my feet, and the tunnellers were evidently enjoying what +they considered to be the discovery of a padré a little the worse for +wear. They were somewhat surprised, not to say disappointed, when I +woke up, and they said, "You seem to be very tired, Sir." I told them +that I had had very little sleep for several nights, and had been +walking all night long, winding up my story (for the honour of the +cloth) with the statement that I was a teetotaller. Whether they +believed it or not I do not know, but we had a long talk together and +they told me of the work they were doing in digging a tunnel from Loos +to the front line. + +The next day I went to the advanced dressing station and saw the men +that were gassed being brought in. So strongly were their clothes +saturated with the poison that, as they were being cut off, in order +that the bodies of the men might be washed with the liquid used for +counteracting the burning effects of the gas, our eyes and throats +smarted from the fumes. There was nothing more horrible than to see +men dying from gas. Nothing could be done to relieve their suffering. +The body, as well as the throat and lungs, was burned and blistered by +the poison. + +The German counter-attack had now spent itself, and Hill 70 was (p. 202) +ours. One more splendid deed had been achieved by the Canadian Corps, +and we now held in our hands the commanding position which threatened +the town of Lens. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. (p. 203) + +EVERY DAY LIFE. + +_August to October 1917._ + + +Hill 70 being now in our grip the Division came out of the line on +August 21st, and moved back to our old billets in Bruay. + +Every night, as usual, our concert party gave a performance in the +theatre. We were very proud of them. The men's costumes were well made +and very tasteful. "Babs," our leading lady, was most charming and +engaging, in spite of the fact that her hands looked decidedly masculine. +The townspeople enjoyed the entertainments as much as we did, and the +battalions were given their own special nights. Occasionally, some of +the jokes appeared to me a trifle too broad. At such times I would pay +a visit to the Green-room, as Senior Chaplain, and mildly suggest +their withdrawal. I must say that the men took my interference in good +part and kept their exuberance of spirits well in check. Our Divisional +band was up to high-water mark, and their rendering of the hymns and +chants on Sundays made our services in the theatre extraordinarily +hearty. + +One afternoon I motored over to Quatre Vents to take a funeral service +in the cemetery there. Instead of returning, I went down to Cambligneul +to see the men of the 7th Battalion. They were enjoying a rest in the +quaint old town. In the evening, I went down to the Y.M.C.A. hut which +was in charge of the British. Here I found our men crowded into the +building, not knowing what to do with themselves. The officer in charge +of the hut was a quiet man, who was doing his best in superintending +the work at the counter. It struck me, however, that he felt a little +embarrassed by the situation, and did not know how to provide amusement +for the wild Canadians. I asked him if he would object to our having a +stag-dance. He said, "Certainly not, you may do anything you like." At +once we got several dozen candles and illuminated the place. Then we +sent out for a pianist and some violinists, and got up a scratch +orchestra. We then cleared away the tables and benches and turned the +place into a dance-hall. The orchestra struck up a lively two-step, +and great burly chaps chose their equally burly partners, and (p. 204) +started off in the dance with such gusto that the place was filled +with the sounds of dissipation. This attracted more men from outside, +and finally we had the liveliest scene imaginable. I actually found +myself joining in the mazes of the waltz, and amid roars of laughter +the dancing went on fast and furious. So delighted was the Y.M.C.A. +officer, that he mounted the platform at the end of a dance, and in +spite of my protest, called for three cheers for the man who had +suggested the entertainment. At the close of the evening, we had cups +of hot coffee and biscuits, and parted in the best of humours. I was +then confronted by a problem that had not presented itself to me +before, and that was, how I was to get back to my home in Bruay, which +was about ten miles off. Once more my favourite text came to my mind, +"The Lord will provide." So I bid good-bye to my friends in the hut +and went off, trusting that a car or lorry would pick me up on the +road. This time I found that the Lord did not provide, so I started at +about half-past ten on my homeward journey on foot. As I passed +through the sleeping village of Estrée-Cauchie, I came upon some men +of another Division who had been imbibing very freely in an estaminet, +and who were about to wind up a heated argument with a free fight. It +was very dark, and it was hard for me to convince them that I was a +chaplain with the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, until I turned my flashlight +upon my white collar. Happily, my efforts as peacemaker were not in +vain. I poured oil on the troubled waters till I saw them subside, and +the men went off to their billets. One young fellow, however, was +experiencing that interest in spiritual problems, which was sometimes +aroused in the most unexpected quarters by free libations of spirituous +liquors. He caught hold of my arm and implored me to enlighten him on +the theological differences which separated Anglicans and Presbyterians. +I forget which he was himself, but at the time the problem was a +matter of extraordinary interest to him. While I always considered it +my duty to impart enlightenment to darkened souls whenever I could, +the recollection that I had about seven miles to walk to my home that +night rather tempered my missionary zeal, and by a promise to discuss +the whole matter on our next meeting I managed to tear myself away and +proceed on my journey. + +It was a long tramp down the silent road in the darkness. The houses +in the little villages through which I passed were tightly shut. Not a +light could be seen, and Providence supplied no car or lorry (p. 205) +for my conveyance. On a hill in the distance, I saw the revolving +light which acted as a signal to the aeroplanes. It would shine out +for a few seconds and then die away. The air was fresh and cool, and I +had time to meditate on the curious events of the intense life which I +lived. It was still day in Canada, and the sun was shining over our +cities, the great lakes, the prairies, and the jagged peaks in the +mountain province on the Pacific coast. When was this life going to +end? Were we really making any progress? Overhead, my beloved friends +the stars, kept up their silent twinkling, which gave them an appearance +of life. In the valley lay the old medieval Château of Ohlain. I +thought of the historical figures from the pages of French history who +had walked along that road centuries before, filled with the anxieties +and problems of their own age. Now and then, some bird of the night +would break the silence with its cry or twitter, and still I plodded +on. At last, long after midnight, I reached the outskirts of Bruay, +and entering the High Street, made my way to my billet, where Alberta +was waiting to give me a warm welcome. + +It was the privilege of the British Army to have as its commanders, +good and devout men. One always felt that, in any appeal, the cause of +religion would be upheld. General Horne, who commanded the First Army, +of which we formed a part, was a man of sincere religious life, and +never failed to show his appreciation of the chaplains and their work. +One day he invited all the Chaplains of the First Army to have tea +with him at his headquarters in the beautiful Château of Ranchicourt. +It was a lovely afternoon, and we motored over to the meeting in +busses. Tables were set for tea and refreshments on the lawn, and the +Count and his charming daughter were there, giving a touch of home +life to the gathering. All the chaplains who could be off duty were +present. After tea, while we sat on the grass, the General gave us a +very helpful talk on religious work among the men from a soldier's +point of view. The old Château, with its beautiful gardens in front of +the huge elms gave a fine setting to the scene. + +On August 31st I was driven over to a field at the back of Villers-Chatel, +where the 2nd Brigade was to hold a memorial service for those who had +been killed at the taking of Hill 70. I had been asked to give the +address. The place chosen was a wide and green field which sloped +gradually towards the line of rich forest trees. On the highest part +of the ground facing the woods, a small platform had been erected (p. 206) +and was decorated with flags. On this the chaplains stood, the Corps +Commander and the Brigadier and staff being at one side. Before us, +forming three sides of a square, were the four battalions of the +Brigade. The scene when viewed from the platform was magnificent. The +sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the glorious trees guarded the +green mysteries of the forest behind. The troops were in splendid +form, and the bright red patches on their arms gave a touch of colour +which set off the khaki uniforms. Every one of the men had been +through the battle and was a hero. The service went well, and the +hymns, to the accompaniment of the band, were sung heartily. At the +close, the Corps Commander and staff went round to each battalion, and +those who had won honours came forward to receive them. As the +officers and men stood in turn before the General, the A.D.C. read out +a short account of what each had done to win the decoration. It was +deeply moving to hear the acts of gallantry that had been performed. +Fixed and motionless each man would stand, while we were told how his +courage had saved his company or platoon at some critical moment. I +remember particularly hearing how one sergeant who got the D.C.M., had +carried his Lewis gun, after all the other members of the crew had +been wounded or killed, and, placing it at a point of vantage, had, by +his steady fire, covered the advance of a company going forward to +attack. Little do people at home know by what supreme self-sacrifice +and dauntless courage those strips of bright-coloured ribbon on the +breasts of soldiers have been won. After the decorations had been +presented, the men fell back to their battalions. The band struck up +the strains of "D'ye ken John Peel?", and the whole Brigade marched +past the General, the masses of men moving with machine-like +precision. Even the rain which had begun to fall did not mar the fine +effect. + +Our stay at Bruay was not to be of long duration. In the early hours +of September 5th a bomb dropped in the garden behind the administration +building where our Headquarters were, waking us from sleep with a +sudden start. It did no harm, but on the next day we were informed +that we were all to move back to our old quarters in Barlin. I always +said that I regarded a bomb dropped on Headquarters as a portent sent +from heaven, telling us we were going to move. Accordingly on +September 6th we all made our way to Barlin, where I was given a +billet in an upper room in an estaminet. The propriety of housing (p. 207) +a Senior Chaplain in an estaminet might be questioned, but this +particular one was called the estaminet of St. Joseph. An estaminet +with such a title, and carried on under such high patronage, was one +in which I could make myself at home. So on the door was hung my sign, +"Canon Scott, Senior Chaplain," which provoked many smiles and much +comment from the men of the battalions as they passed by. I was +looking out of my window in the upper storey one day when the 2nd +Battalion was marching past, and, to the breach of all good discipline, +I called out to the men and asked them if they did not envy me my +billet. A roar of laughter went up, and they asked me how I got there +and if I could take them in as well. I told them that it was the +reward of virtue, and only those who could be trusted were allowed to +be housed in estaminets. + +Near me, at Barlin, the motor machine-gun brigade was encamped. It had +been there for some time, and I was glad to meet old friends and renew +acquaintance with the unit that had such a distinguished career at the +front. I had not seen them much since the old days at Poperinghe, but +wherever they went they covered themselves with glory. To spend an +evening in the hut used as the sergeants' mess was a delight. The +rollicking good humour that prevailed was most contagious, and I shall +always treasure the memory of it which has now been made sacred +through the death of so many whom I met there. I used to visit the +tents, too, and sitting on a box in their midst have a smoke and talk +with the men. Heavy indeed has been the toll of casualties which that +noble brigade has suffered since those happy days. + +Word was sent to the Division one day by the British troops holding +our trenches on Hill 70, that some bodies of our men were lying +unburied in No Man's Land. One of our battalions was ordered to +provide a burial party and I decided to accompany them. I was to meet +the men at a certain place near Loos on the Lens-Arras road in the +evening, and go with them. The burial officer turned up on time, but +the party did not. At last the men arrived and we went through the +well-known trenches till we came to the front line. Here I had to go +down and see some officers of the British battalions, and try to find +out where the bodies were. Apparently the officers could give us +little information, so we decided to divide up into small parties and +go into No Man's Land and search for the dead ourselves. As we were in +sight of the enemy, we could not use our electric torches, and (p. 208) +only by the assistance of German flare-lights were we able to pick +our steps over the broken ground. We found a few bodies which had not +been buried, but it was impossible to do more than cover them with +earth, for the position was an exposed one. We did the best we could +under the circumstances, and were glad to find that the number of +unburied had been greatly exaggerated. On another occasion I took a +burial party out one night, and found that the officers and men sent +were a new draft that had never been in the line before. They were +much interested in the novel and somewhat hazardous nature of the +expedition. On this occasion when we returned to Bully-Grenay, the +morning sun was shining brightly overhead, and it began to get quite +warm. The men were very tired with their night's work, and when we +halted they lay down on the pavement by the road and went to sleep. +One poor fellow actually collapsed, and we had to send off to a +dressing station for a stretcher on which he was taken away for +medical treatment. A burial party, from the nature of the case, was +not a pleasant expedition, and Canada ought to be grateful for the way +in which our Corps burial officers and the men under them carried out +their gruesome and often dangerous duty. One of our burial officers, a +fine young fellow, told me how much he disliked the work. He said, +"There is no glory in it, and people think that we have an easy time, +but two of my predecessors have been killed and I expect to get +knocked out myself some day." A year later he was killed near Cambrai, +after he had faithfully done his duty in caring for the bodies of the +slain. + +Our front trenches were now to the right of Hill 70, in advance of +Liéven, and it seemed as if we were going to be stationed in the +neighbourhood for some time, for the rumour was that the Canadians had +to complete their work at Vimy by the capture of Lens. Barlin, +therefore, and the area around it was a great centre of Canadian life +and activity. We had our large Canadian tent-hospitals, our brigade +schools, and various Y.M.C.A. places of entertainment, besides our +officers' clubs. + +In an open field near my billet were stationed the horse lines of our +Divisional Train, and it used to give me great pleasure to pass the +long rows of wagons which by the constant labour of the men were kept +in prime condition. The paint was always fresh, and all the chains +were polished as if they were merely for show. It would be hard (p. 209) +for people at home to realize that the wagons which had been used +for years under such rough conditions always looked as if they had +just come out of the shop, but that was the case. The constant +attention to detail in the army, the smartness of the men, and the +good turn-out of the horses and limbers, have a great moral effect +upon every department of the service. The men were always grumbling +about polishing buttons and chains, but I told them that the +impression of efficiency it gave one made it quite worth while. A +Division that could turn out such a fine looking Train as we had could +always be depended upon to do its duty. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. (p. 210) + +A TRAGEDY OF WAR. + + +There is nothing which brings home to the heart with such force the +iron discipline of war as the execution of men who desert from the +front line. It was my painful duty on one occasion to have to witness +the carrying out of the death sentence. One evening I was informed by +the A.P.M. that a man in one of our brigades was to be shot the next +morning, and I was asked to go and see him and prepare him for death. +The sentence had already been read to him at six o'clock, and the +brigade chaplain was present, but the A.P.M., wished me to take the +case in hand. We motored over to the village where the prisoner was +and stopped at a brick building which was entered through a courtyard. +There were men on guard in the outer room and also in a second room +from which a door led into a large brick chamber used as the condemned +cell. Here I found the man who was to pay the penalty of his +cowardice. He had a table before him and on it a glass of brandy and +water and writing materials. He was sitting back in his chair and his +face wore a dazed expression. The guards kindly left us alone. He rose +and shook hands with me, and we began to talk about his sentence. He +was evidently steeling himself and trying to fortify his mind by the +sense of great injustice done to him. I allowed him to talk freely and +say just what he pleased. Gradually, I succeeded in getting at the +heart of the true man which I knew was hidden under the hard exterior, +and the poor fellow began to tell me about his life. From the age of +eleven, when he became an orphan, he had to get his own living and +make his way in a world that is often cold and cruel to those who have +no friends. Then by degrees he began to talk about religion and his +whole manner changed. All the time I kept feeling that every moment +the dreaded event was coming nearer and nearer and that no time was to +be lost. He had never been baptised, but wished now to try and make up +for the past and begin to prepare in a real way to meet his God. + +I had brought my bag with the communion vessels in it, and so he and I +arranged the table together, taking away the glass of brandy and water +and the books and papers, and putting in their place the white (p. 211) +linen altar cloth. When everything was prepared, he knelt down +and I baptised him and gave him his first communion. The man's mind +was completely changed. The hard, steely indifference and the sense of +wrong and injustice had passed away, and he was perfectly natural. I +was so much impressed by it that while I was talking to him, I kept +wondering if I could not even then, at that late hour, do something to +avert the carrying out of the sentence. Making some excuse and saying +I would be back in a little while, I left him, and the guard went into +the room accompanied by one of the officers of the man's company. When +I got outside, I told the brigade chaplain that I was going to walk +over to Army Headquarters and ask the Army Commander to have the death +sentence commuted to imprisonment. + +It was then about one a.m. and I started off in the rain down the dark +road. The Château in which the General lived was two miles off, and +when I came to it, I found it wrapped in darkness. I went to the +sentry on guard, and told him that I wished to see the General on +important business. Turning my flashlight upon my face, I showed who I +was. He told me that the General's room was in the second storey at +the head of a flight of stairs in a tower at the end of the building. +I went over there, and finding the door unlocked, I mounted the wooden +steps, my flashlight lighting up the place. I knocked at a door on the +right and a voice asked me who I was. When I told my name, I was +invited to enter, and an electric light was turned on and I found I +was in the room of the A.D.C., who was sitting up in bed. Luckily, I +had met him before and he was most sympathetic. I apologized for +disturbing him but told him my mission and asked if I might see the +General. He got up and went into the General's room. In a few moments +he returned, and told me that the General would see me. Instead of +being angry at my extraordinary intrusion, he discussed the matter +with me. Before a death sentence could be passed on any man, his case +had to come up first in his Battalion orderly room, and, if he was +found guilty there, it would be sent to the Brigade. From the Brigade +it was sent to the Division, from the Division to Corps, from Corps to +Army, and from Army to General Headquarters. If each of these courts +confirmed the sentence, and the British Commander-in-Chief signed the +warrant, there was no appeal, unless some new facts came to light. Of +all the men found guilty of desertion from the front trenches, only a +small percentage were executed. It was considered absolutely (p. 212) +necessary for the safety of the Army that the death sentence should +not be entirely abolished. The failure of one man to do his duty might +spoil the morale of his platoon, and spread the contagion of fear from +the platoon to the company and from the company to the battalion, +endangering the fate of the whole line. The General told me, however, +that if any new facts came to light, suggesting mental weakness or +insanity in the prisoner, it might be possible for the execution to be +stayed, and a new trial instituted. This seemed to give hope that +something might yet be done, so I thanked the General for his kindness +and left. + +When I got back to the prison, I made my way to the cell, not of +course, letting the condemned man know anything that had happened. By +degrees, in our conversation, I found that on both sides of his family +there were cases of mental weakness. When I had all the information +that was possible, I went out and accompanied by the brigade chaplain, +made my way once again to Army Headquarters. The chances of averting +the doom seemed to be faint, but still a human life was at stake, and +we could not rest till every effort had been made. I went to the room +of the A.D.C., and was again admitted to the presence of the Army +Commander. He told me now that the only person who could stop the +execution was the Divisional Commander, if he thought it right to do +so. At the same time, he held out very little hope that anything could +be done to commute the sentence. Once more I thanked him and went off. +The brigade chaplain was waiting for me outside and we talked the +matter over, and decided that, although the case seemed very hopeless +and it was now half-past three, one last effort should be made. We +walked back through the rain to the village, and there awoke the +A.P.M. and the Colonel of the battalion. Each of them was most +sympathetic and most anxious, if possible, that the man's life should +be spared. The A.P.M. warned me that if we had to go to Divisional +Headquarters, some seven miles away, and return, we had no time to +lose, because the hour fixed for the execution was in the early dawn. + +The question now was to find a car. The only person in the place who +had one was the Town Major. So the Colonel and I started off to find +him, which we did with a great deal of difficulty, as no one knew +where he lived. He too, was most anxious to help us. Then we had to +find the chauffeur. We managed to get him roused up, and told him (p. 213) +that he had to go to Divisional Headquarters on a matter of life and +death. It was not long before we were in the car and speeding down the +dark, muddy roads at a tremendous rate, whirling round corners in a +way that seemed likely to end in disaster. We got to the Divisional +Commander's Headquarters and then made our way to his room and laid +the matter before him. He talked over the question very kindly, but +told us that the courts had gone into the case so carefully that he +considered it quite impossible to alter the final decision. If the +action of the prisoner had given any indication of his desertion being +the result of insanity, something might be done, but there was nothing +to suggest such was the case. To delay the execution for twenty-four +hours and then to have to carry it out would mean subjecting a human +being to unspeakable torture. He felt he could not take it upon +himself to run the chance of inflicting such misery upon the man. The +Colonel and I saw at once that the case was utterly hopeless and that +we could do no more. The question then was to get back in time for the +carrying out of the sentence. Once more the car dashed along the +roads. The night was passing away, and through the drizzling rain the +gray dawn was struggling. + +By the time we arrived at the prison, we could see objects quite +distinctly. I went in to the prisoner, who was walking up and down in +his cell. He stopped and turned to me and said, "I know what you have +been trying to do for me, Sir, is there any hope?" I said, "No, I am +afraid there is not. Everyone is longing just as much as I am to save +you, but the matter has been gone into so carefully and has gone so +far, and so much depends upon every man doing his duty to the +uttermost, that the sentence must be carried out." He took the matter +very quietly, and I told him to try to look beyond the present to the +great hope which lay before us in another life. I pointed out that he +had just one chance left to prove his courage and set himself right +before the world. I urged him to go out and meet death bravely with +senses unclouded, and advised him not to take any brandy. He shook +hands with me and said, "I will do it." Then he called the guard and +asked him to bring me a cup of tea. While I was drinking it, he looked +at his watch, which was lying on the table and asked me if I knew what +time "IT" was to take place. I told him I did not. He said, "I think +my watch is a little bit fast." The big hand was pointing to ten +minutes to six. A few moments later the guards entered and put a (p. 214) +gas helmet over his head with the two eye-pieces behind so that he was +completely blindfolded. Then they handcuffed him behind his back, and +we started off in an ambulance to a crossroad which went up the side +of a hill. There we got out, and the prisoner was led over to a box +behind which a post had been driven into the ground. Beyond this a +piece of canvas was stretched as a screen. The firing party stood at a +little distance in front with their backs towards us. It was just +daylight. A drizzling rain was falling and the country looked chilly +and drear. The prisoner was seated on the box and his hands were +handcuffed behind the post. He asked the A.P.M. if the helmet could be +taken off, but this was mercifully refused him. A round piece of white +paper was pinned over his heart by the doctor as a guide for the men's +aim. I went over and pronounced the Benediction. He added, "And may +God have mercy upon my soul." The doctor and I then went into the road +on the other side of the hedge and blocked up our ears, but of course +we heard the shots fired. It was sickening. We went back to the +prisoner who was leaning forward and the doctor felt his pulse and +pronounced him dead. The spirit had left the dreary hillside and, I +trust, had entered the ranks of his heroic comrades in Paradise. + +The effect of the scene was something quite unutterable. The firing +party marched off and drew up in the courtyard of the prison. I told +them how deeply all ranks felt the occasion, and that nothing but the +dire necessity of guarding the lives of the men in the front line from +the panic and rout that might result, through the failure of one +individual, compelled the taking of such measures of punishment. A +young lad in the firing party utterly broke down, but, as one rifle on +such occasions is always loaded with a blank cartridge, no man can be +absolutely sure that he has had a part in the shooting. The body was +then placed in a coffin and taken in the ambulance to the military +cemetery, where I held the service. The usual cross was erected with +no mention upon it of the manner of the death. That was now forgotten. +The man had mastered himself and had died bravely. + +I have seen many ghastly sights in the war, and hideous forms of +death. I have heard heart-rending tales of what men have suffered, but +nothing ever brought home to me so deeply, and with such cutting +force, the hideous nature of war and the iron hand of discipline, as +did that lonely death on the misty hillside in the early morning. (p. 215) +Even now, as I write this brief account of it, a dark nightmare +seems to rise out of the past and almost makes me shrink from facing +once again memories that were so painful. It is well, however, that +people should know what our men had to endure. Before them were the +German shells, the machine-guns and the floods of gas. Behind them, if +their courage failed, was the court-martial, always administered with +great compassion and strict justice, but still bound by inexorable +laws of war to put into execution, when duty compelled, a grim and +hideous sentence of death. + +If this book should fall into the hands of any man who, from +cowardice, shirked his duty in the war, and stayed at home, let him +reflect that, but for the frustration of justice, he ought to have +been sitting that morning, blindfolded and handcuffed, beside the +prisoner on the box. HE was one of the originals and a volunteer. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. (p. 216) + +VISITS TO ROME AND PASCHENDAELE. + +_October and November, 1917._ + + +It was a good thing, after the bitter experience which I had just +passed through, that permission was granted me at this time to take +some men on a leave trip to Rome. My visit to Paris had convinced me +that it was no proper place for men to spend their leave in, so when +my next leave was nearly due I wrote to Division and asked permission +to take a party to Italy in order that some of our men might have the +benefit of seeing the great monuments of European history and art. +Weeks passed away and I heard nothing about the matter, until at last +a telegram came through granting my request. I had only asked +permission to take twelve men with me whose names had to be sent in +beforehand. But the telegram which granted permission was couched in +such vague terms, merely referring to a certain file-number, that I, +knowing that nobody would take the trouble to turn up the original +document, said nothing about it, and by a stroke of good luck +succeeded in taking with me forty-six men, including two chaplains, +two young officers and one of the staff of the Y.M.C.A. Two of the +men, alas, became casualties in the Paris barrage on the first night, +and were reported "missing, believed dead," but were found two days +afterwards by the police and sent back. The rest of us had a glorious +time and travelled to Rome via Marseilles, Nice--which included a +visit to Monte Carlo--Genoa and Pisa. I shall never forget the +delightful trip across France by daylight, and the moonlight night at +Marseilles, where we put up at the Hotel Regina. The men were in fine +form and presented a splendid soldierlike appearance. Their new +uniforms were set off by the bright red patch upon their sleeves, and +their buttons were kept well polished. I told them, before we started, +that I did not wish to be either a detective or a nursery-maid, but I +asked them to play the game and they did. We were going into the +country of an ally and I knew that such a large party would be under +very critical observation wherever we went. I had really no authority +over the men beyond that which they were willing that I should +exercise. The individuals of the party were not specially selected, +but I felt perfect confidence that we should have no trouble, +although I was naturally very much teased by members of "C" mess (p. 217) +who prophesied that I should lose some men in Paris, some in +Marseilles and some in Rome, and my friends even went so far as to +declare that they doubted whether I should ever come back myself. We +were favoured with glorious weather, and travelled by daylight the +whole length of the Riviera. The utmost good humour prevailed, and the +glorious view of the blue Mediterranean on one side, with that of the +romantic mountains on the other, drove from our minds all +uncomfortable memories of the war. In fact we seemed to get into +another world. + +The train arrived at Pisa at about nine o'clock p.m. and was to wait +there for three hours, so we all got out and had some supper and +started off to see the famous leaning tower by moonlight. The sudden +appearance of British troops in the quaint old town caused quite a +sensation, and the people came out of the cafes to see us and a mob +followed us wherever we went. We were of course pounced upon by the +vendors of souvenirs, and a number of the men came back to the station +carrying alabaster leaning towers under their arms. I warned the party +about the danger of loading themselves with such heavy and brittle +mementos, for we had still a long journey before us. The wisdom of my +warning was apparent later on, for on leaving Rome the alabaster +towers had begun to lean so much that they could no longer stand up. A +shelf full of leaning towers propped up one against another, looking +as if they had just partaken of an issue of rum, was left in the +hotel. We journeyed all night, some of the men sleeping on the seats, +some on the floor, and some in the hatracks overhead, and in the +morning amid intense excitement we arrived at the station in Rome. I +had been able to get a shave and clean up in the train, so on arrival +was ready to go and hunt for a hotel. I told the men, however, to find +their way to the Leave Club and make themselves presentable and that I +would return for them as soon as possible. After securing billets in +the Hotel Bristol, I went back for the party. Although I knew the men +would want to go about the city by themselves, I felt it would be a +good thing for our esprit-de-corps, that we should march to the hotel +in a body. So, not knowing how to give military orders myself, and +remembering what real colonels always did in similar predicaments, I +turned to the senior sergeant and said, "Sergeant, make the men fall +in, and when they are ready I will take over the parade." When the +sergeant came up to me and saluting said the parade was ready, (p. 218) +I found to my dismay that the men were facing the wrong way and if I +said "Quick march", they would walk into the brick wall opposite. I +went up close to the sergeant and whispered to him, "Turn the men +round." This he did, and placing myself at their head I shouted, +"Quick March." I think that moment, as I started off to march through +Rome at the head of that fine body of men who followed two abreast, +was the proudest of my life. I had always been interested in history, +and have read Gibbon from cover to cover, so the thought suddenly +flashed upon me, "Julius Caesar once led his forces through Rome. +Later on, Augustus Caesar led his forces through Rome. In the middle +ages, Rienzi led his forces through Rome, and now, (here my head began +to swell till it grew too big for my cap) Canon Scott is leading his +forces through Rome." We marched through the streets at "attention" +and looked not to the right nor to the left, in spite of the fact that +we passed many groups of admiring onlookers. When we arrived at the +hotel, I called out, "Halt", in proper military tones and the men +halted, but I did not know the usual formula for telling them to +disperse, and I did not want such a proper beginning to have a +miserable end. I thought of saying, "Now I will dismiss the +congregation," but that sounded too religious. I knew that if I said, +"Now we will take up the collection," my army would fly off quickly +enough. However, while I was debating with myself, the men took the +law into their own hands and, breaking off, went into the hotel. + +We happened to arrive in Rome just at the time of the great Italian +disaster in the North, and we found the populace plunged into great +anxiety. English and French newspapers were banned by the censor, so +it was difficult to find out what was happening, but I was told +privately that matters were very critical, and there might be a +revolution in Rome at any moment. I was also advised to see that our +men behaved with great circumspection, for German agents were secretly +trying to make trouble between the British and Italians. I told our +men to remember we had to help on the cause of the Allies and to be +very careful about details, such as saluting every Italian officer. I +think they saluted every Italian private as well. I also told them, in +case they were questioned on the subject, to say they were quite +pleased with the war, in fact that they rather enjoyed it and were not +a bit afraid of the Germans, and were determined to fight until a +decisive victory gave us a chance of lasting peace. + +Wherever we went on the journey, we stayed at the best hotels, for (p. 219) +I had told each man to bring with him a thousand francs. It was a +great puzzle to the Italians that Canadian soldiers were able to stay +at the most select hotel in Rome, and also that the officers and men +were able to mix together in real comradeship. The Highlanders in our +party of course attracted the greatest attention, and were frequently +followed by an admiring crowd as they passed through the streets. +Colonel Lamb, the military attaché at the Embassy, was very kind to us +and secured us many privileges, not the least acceptable of which was +free transportation. We split up into small parties, and visited the +sights of the Eternal City as we pleased. On the first night after +dinner, we paid a visit to the Coliseum by moonlight, which is +something to remember. Wherever we went we met with the kindest +treatment. The ladies of the Leave Club gave us an entertainment one +evening, which was attended by the military and naval attachés at the +British and American Embassies, and by some of the English residents. +I was proud of the appearance of the men. Before we left the hotel at +Nice, an English lady, the wife of a British General at the front, +came up and congratulated me upon the men, and said they were the most +gentlemanly young fellows she had ever seen. I think it was a help to +them to feel that their appearance in Rome at that critical time was +something which gave our party a kind of political significance, and +the phrase, "to help on the cause of the Allies," became a watchword +among us. + +One night an Italian Colonel asked some of our men to dine with him at +his hotel and took them to the theatre afterwards. On another occasion, +five of our men were sitting in the front row of one of the theatres +when an actor gave an impersonation of the different sovereigns of +Europe. When he appeared as King George, the orchestra struck up our +National Anthem, and at once our men rose up and stood to attention. +One of them told me afterwards that he felt cold shivers going down +his back as he did so, because he was in full view of everybody. For a +moment there was a pause, then the audience, understanding what the +action meant, rose en masse and stood till the music was over and then +clapped their hands and shouted "Viva l'Inghilterra!" + +Many of our men were very anxious to see the Pope, and so it was +arranged that we should have an audience. Colonel Lamb informed the +1st Italian Division that we would march in a body through (p. 220) +their district. We started off in the morning, our young Highland +officer being in command. As we passed through the streets, the people +greeted us very cordially. Many of them raised their hats. The traffic, +too, would stop to let us pass. We went over the bridge of Hadrian and +arrived at the entrance of the Vatican beside St. Peter's in good +time. There we were met by an Irish priest, who remembered me from my +previous visit. I asked him if the men should break ranks but he told +me to let them come in formation. So, two by two, we mounted the +glorious Royal Staircase, the splendid surroundings being a good +setting for the fine looking soldiers. At the various landings, the +Swiss Guards in their picturesque uniforms presented arms, and we +found ourselves at last in a wonderful hall with richly frescoed walls +and ceiling. Here the men were halted and passed in single file into +the audience chamber. We had to wait for quite a long time, and at +last the Pope entered, clothed in white and looking much older and +more worn than when I had seen him only a year and a half before. He +was very guarded in what he said to us, because we were the first +soldiers whom he had received in a body, and any expression he might +make with reference to the war would be liable to various +interpretations. He spoke to some of our men in French and then wished +us health and protection and a safe return to Canada. Then, giving his +blessing he left us, and we made our way to the outer room where we +reformed and marched off as we had come. + +That afternoon we were photographed in the Coliseum, and I visited the +interesting old church of St. Clement afterwards. Every evening, after +a day spent in rambling among antiquities, we used to attend the opera +in the Grand Opera House. It acted as a sort of relaxation after the +serious business of sight-seeing. Rumours now reached us of the attack +that our Division was making up in the Salient, and one night when I +was having tea in the Grand Hotel I went over and asked a young +British staff officer whom I saw there, if he had any news. He said to +me that the Canadian Corps were making an attack at Passchendaele +under the most appalling conditions of mud and rain and had covered +themselves with glory. I asked him if it were true that Sir William +Robertson had come to Rome. "Yes," he said, "I am his son. He has +brought me with him and we are all very proud of the Canadians." At +another table I saw M. Venezelos. It was understood now that (p. 221) +Britain and France were to come to the assistance of Italy, but still +Venice was in imminent peril, and the Italians were heart-broken at +the way the 3rd Italian Army had behaved. Refugees from the North +began to pour into Rome and affairs were very serious. I told our men +of the gravity of the situation and the increased importance of +helping on the cause of the Allies in every possible way. + +It is the custom at Rome on All Soul's day, November 2nd, to place +flowers and wreaths on the marble steps in front of the equestrian +statue of Victor Emmanuel. This year, I was told, the people were +going to make a special demonstration. It occurred to me that it might +not be a bad idea if we, too, placed a wreath to the memory of our +comrades. I put the matter before Colonel Lamb and he said it was a +very good idea indeed, but asked us to put on the card which would be +attached to our wreath, the words, "To the brave Italian dead, from +their comrades in the British Empire," rather than, "To the brave +Italian dead from their Canadian comrades." He said he was anxious to +emphasize the connection between the British and the Italians. An +Italian major made the arrangements with me for carrying out the +project. Poor man, he was so moved at the thought of the disgraceful +surrender of the 3rd Italian Army that his eyes filled with tears as +he talked about it, and he said, "What will our Allies think of Italy +when her men behave like that?" I told him it was only a small part of +their army that had failed and that the rest had behaved very +gallantly. That afternoon, preceded by two of our sergeants carrying a +large wreath of laurel tied with purple ribbon, to which we attached +two cards with the inscription, one in English and one in Italian, we +marched through the crowds of onlookers, who took off their hats as we +passed, until we reached the great marble steps which lead up to the +gilded statue of the late King. Here there was a magnificent display +of flowers made up in all sorts of designs. The crowd gave away before +us, and one of the officials, who had been directed by the Italian +major, took the wreath from us and gave it a place of honour in front +of the statue. We stood in a long line on the marble steps and saluted +and then turned and left. The people clapped their hands and shouted, +"Viva l'Inghilterra!" We were pleased at the impression the simple act +of courtesy made, and felt that it was helping on the cause of the +Allies. + +Our men were always very much amused by the moving picture shows, (p. 222) +the characters of these entertainments being so different from that of +similar exhibitions at the front. They were so tragic and so sentimental +that they did not appeal strongly to the wholesome minds of Canadian +soldiers. It was always very interesting to hear their criticisms of +the customs and outlook of the people with whom we were sojourning. +There is no doubt that the army mind is the sanest and most wholesome +in the whole community. It may not express itself in the most artistic +terms or the most religious language, but its judgments are absolutely +sound and worthy of the most careful consideration. I am sure that +Canadian political life, unless other influences nullify it, will be +immeasurably bettered by the soldiers' vote. + +I had the great privilege of a visit to Cardinal Gasquet in the home +of the Dominicans not far from St. Peter's. The interview had been +arranged for me by an English priest whom I met at the hospital of the +Blue Nuns, where I had taken two of our men who were ill with +pneumonia. The Cardinal is engaged in the stupendous task of revising +the text of the Latin Vulgate. He showed me photographs of the ancient +manuscripts with the various readings noted. It will be years before +the great task is completed, but when it is, it will remain untouched +for centuries to come. He told me that news had just been received of +the consecration of the first Roman Catholic Bishop in Russia. This +had been made possible by the overthrow of the reigning dynasty. He +was most kind, and told me many interesting things about life in Rome +during the war, and before I left asked me to write my name in his +visitor's book, pointing out to me on the upper part of the page the +recent signature of the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne. + +Altogether we had been absent by this time for nearly two weeks, and +had still a long return journey ahead of us. I thought, however, that +the valuable service our men were rendering the great cause justified +our over-staying our leave. In fact, when I went to say good-bye to +Colonel Lamb, he and his staff told me that the presence of our men in +the City at that time had been worth any amount of printed propaganda. +I hinted that some statement of that kind to General Currie might be a +good thing. To my great delight, soon after we had returned, General +Currie received the following letter, which has an official stamp +which I never expected:-- + + BRITISH EMBASSY, (p. 223) + ROME. + 9th November, 1917. + "Dear General, + + "With reference to the recent visit to Rome of a party of Canadian + officers and soldiers, I am requested by H. E. Sir Rennel Rodd to + inform you of the excellent impression produced among the + inhabitants of this city, by the soldierlike turnout, and + excellent and courteous behaviour of all ranks belonging to the + party. + + "Their visit has helped to inspire Italians with a feeling of + confidence in their allies at a time of great anxiety and trial. + "Believe me, + Yours very truly, + (Sgd.) CHARLES A. LAMB, + Colonel, + Military Attaché. + Rome." + +We left for Florence on Saturday November 3rd. The ladies of the Leave +Club came to see us off, and after a delightful trip in brilliant +sunshine, we arrived at our destination at seven in the evening. On +our journey we passed many trains filled with refugees, who were +crowded together in third-class carriages. As the Austrian and German +armies advanced in the North the people in the villages were given a +quarter of an hour in which to decide whether they would stay or go. +They were warned, however, that if they stayed and the Italians ever +tried to retake the towns they would all be put to death. I was told +by some officers of a British hospital in Turin, who had had to leave +the Italian front in a hurry, that it was a sad sight to see the +inhabitants of the towns fleeing down the roads from the advancing +enemy. Old and infirm people dragged themselves along. Parents lost +their children and children lost their parents in the crowd, and the +people took with them only the things which they could carry on their +persons. Florence was crowded with these unfortunates, who were lying +out at night in the squares and being tended by the citizens. There +was a great crowd at the station when we arrived, and a number of +Italian soldiers who spoke English gathered round our party and told +us that the war was over and that the soldiers would not fight any +more. Our men, however, were equal to the occasion, and told them (p. 224) +that _we_ were going to keep on fighting no matter what the Italians did, +and that there could be no peace until we had a decisive victory. The +whole city was astir, and many Italian regiments were quartered there. +I told the men before we sought for accommodation in the crowded town, +how important it was that we should show a determined face at this +time. + +On the following afternoon, which was Sunday, I had a curious +experience. The Y.M.C.A. officer and I were going off to see the great +church of Santa Croce, which is the Italian Westminster Abbey, many +great Italians having been buried there. As we passed down the street +my friend went into a shop to buy some chocolates. While I was +waiting, I heard the stirring notes of the Marseillaise, and looking +round saw a band coming up the street followed by three Italian flags, +a number of soldiers, and a rabble of men, women and children. I +called to my companion to come out quickly and salute the Italian +colours. As they passed, we stood on the curb and saluted with strict +military precision. In fact we saluted so well that the delighted +members of the procession grabbed us by the hand and finally dragged +us into their midst, others clapping their hands and shouting "Viva +l'Inghilterra!" I was separated from my companion in the rabble and +called over to him and asked him what it was. He said, "I think it is +a Socialist demonstration." This rather dismayed me, but I turned to +one of the people by my side and asked him in French what the crowd +was. He told me it was the society for finishing the war, so I called +out to my friend, "It's all right Captain, it is the society for +finishing the war. I have wanted to join that society for some time." +I saw at once that the procession was an attempt to pull the Italians +together and rouse them to a supreme effort to resist the enemy and +save Italy. The crowd was so enthusiastic about the presence of +representatives of the British Army, that they finally caught us by +our legs and carried us on their shoulders through the streets. It was +a most amusing incident. I could not help thinking that the crowd were +the descendants of the men who had burnt Savonarola at the stake. My +friend, whose sense of humour had failed him, shouted over to me, "I +hate being made a fool of like this." I told him not to be rude as we +were helping on the cause of the Allies. Finally, overcome by our +struggles, the men let us down, and we were pushed along in the crowd +to the square in front of the Hotel Minerva. Here the leaders of the +procession invited us into the hotel and we were taken upstairs to (p. 225) +the front room, out of which opened a balcony overlooking the square. +A young Italian officer, who had been a lawyer before the war and had +lost both his eyes, went on to the balcony and made a most impassioned +appeal to his countrymen. The crowd in the square was now very dense, +and received his speech with great enthusiasm. When it was over, one +of the officers of "The society for finishing the war," came and urged +me to address the crowd. I was so pleased to find that my French was +better understood in Italy than in any place except England, that I +asked my friend if I should speak to them in French. He looked at me +very sourly, for he had not quite got back his equanimity, and said +curtly, "You had better not." Then I said, "I will talk to them in +Italian." I shall never forget the look of dismay which passed over +his countenance, but I told him it was helping on the cause of the +Allies. I went out on the balcony, and the people seeing the British +uniform and probably mistaking me for a general, at once began to +cheer. I took off my cap, waved it in the air and shouted at the top +of my voice "Viva l'Italia." It was the only speech they wanted. It +was neither too long nor too short. The crowd repeated the words, and +then shouted, "Viva l'Inghilterra!" and the band actually struck up +"God save the King" and followed it by "Rule Britannia, Britannia +rules the waves" (I wished at the time she had ruled under the waves +as well.) I went back to the room and the Italians were so delighted +with my short and pithy speech, that they invited me to dine with them +that night and bring two officers with me. When we got down to the +square, the mob crowded round us and shook hands with us, and I was +afraid that some of the ladies were going to embrace us. I think +people thought we were part of the advance guard that had been sent +from France to the assistance of Italy. + +That night three of us attended the dinner given by the officers of +"The society for finishing the war," in a very fine restaurant. The +Deputy for Florence, who had been one of the members of the government +which had declared war on Austria, was present and I sat by the side +of an alderman of the city. Opposite to me was an English lady who +acted as an interpreter. At the close of the dinner the Deputy rose +and made a very eloquent speech, welcoming us to Italy and saying how +much Italians appreciated the fact that England was one of her Allies. +I replied in English, which was translated by our fair interpreter, +and told them how glad we were to be with them and that we had come, +some of our men seven thousand miles, as a voluntary army to fight (p. 226) +not only for the British Empire, but for something even bigger than +that, for our common civilization, and that the war had made the +Allies one family. I said that our men were determined to fight to the +bitter end, for we could have no true peace until we had a decisive +victory. Then I added that, if our Division were sent to Italy, we +should all come with great pleasure, knowing that the Italians were +our comrades and warm friends. I thought too, during my speech, that a +dugout in Florence would be worth two in Bully-Grenay. The party +seemed very pleased with my remarks and we all exchanged visiting +cards and separated good friends. The whole affair was very amusing, +and when the Italians pushed back the enemy in 1918, I used to tell +the men, amid roars of laughter, that nothing but my modesty prevented +my saying who it was that had saved Italy, that no one would ever hear +from my lips the name of the man who, when Italy was lying prostrate +at the feet of the advancing foe, shouted into her dying ear the +startling words "Viva l'Italia" and set her on her feet. + +Two days afterwards, accompanied to the station by an admiring crowd +and three ladies carrying Italian flags, we bade farewell to Florence +and started on our return journey. We spent the afternoon in Pisa, +and, after a night's journey, arrived at Turin in the morning. Our men +got out of the train and were making their way to the station when +they were met by the British R.T.O. a very large officer who wore an +eyeglass. He brought them quickly to attention by calling out, "Who +are you?" They told him they were Canadians on leave, and I, fearing +bloodshed, went up to the officer and explained who they were and why +they had come. He told me that there had been a mutiny in Turin that +summer and relations between the British and Italians were very much +strained, owing to the action of German agents. He said he had been +living on the top of a volcano for the past three months, and was +afraid to allow any large body of troops to go about the town lest +there might be trouble. I assured him that our men would behave with +great circumspection. He then told me that they would have to be back +in rest-billets, near the station, not later than ten o'clock. I asked +if he could not make it eleven, because I knew that the men wanted to +go to the theatre. He agreed to this and asked me to tell them that +roll would be called in the rest-billets at eleven o'clock. I halted +the men and said, "Boys, roll will be called in the rest-billets +tonight at eleven o'clock sharp." Whether it was or not we never (p. 227) +knew, for none of us was there to hear. The men went to the theatres +and to the various hotels afterwards. No trouble ensued, and when we +left on the following afternoon the R.T.O. was most friendly and gave +us a hearty send-off, no doubt feeling too relieved at our departure +to make any inquiries. + +Although we had had a most delightful trip I was really thankful we +were at last setting our faces towards the North. We arrived in Paris +the next morning, and before we left the station I told the men that +every one of them had to be at the train that evening. I had taken it +upon myself to extend their leave, as I thought their presence in +Italy was beneficial to the cause, but I asked them to show their +gratitude by not failing to return all together. That night, to my +intense satisfaction, they all turned up at the station at seven +o'clock, and we started for Calais. We arrived there the next morning, +and in the afternoon left for the front. + +We arrived at Poperinghe that night at six o'clock. It was dark, a +drizzling rain was falling, and the mud was thick. We could hear the +big guns firing, and the men were coming and going in all directions. +We took a hasty farewell of one another and then parted. No one we met +cared whether we had come from Italy or were going to Jericho. The men +did not know where their headquarters were, and I was particularly +anxious not to find mine. I went over to the Officer's Club and +secured a shake-down in the garret, but, as I heard that our Division +had made an attack that day, I determined to go up to the line. I +started off after dinner in an ambulance to the old mill at +Vlamertinghe, where there was a repetition of the sights and sounds +which I had experienced there on two previous occasions. Later on, I +went forward in another ambulance through Ypres to an advanced +dressing station. Then I started to walk up the terrible, muddy roads +till I came to the different German pill-boxes which had been +converted into headquarters for the battalions. Finally, after wading +through water and mud nearly up to my knees, I found myself the next +afternoon wandering through the mud and by the shell holes and +miserable trenches near Goudberg Copse, with a clear view of the ruins +of Paschendaele, which was held by another division on our right. The +whole region was unspeakably horrible. Rain was falling, the dreary +waste of shell-ploughed mud, yellow and clinging, stretched off into +the distance as far as the eye could see. Bearer parties, tired (p. 228) +and pale, were carrying out the wounded on stretchers, making a +journey of several miles in doing so. The bodies of dead men lay here +and there where they had fallen in the advance. I came across one poor +boy who had been killed that morning. His body was covered with a +shiny coating of yellow mud, and looked like a statue made of bronze. +He had a beautiful face, with finely shaped head covered with close +curling hair, and looked more like some work of art than a human +being. The huge shell holes were half full of water often reddened +with human blood and many of the wounded had rolled down into the +pools and been drowned. As I went on, some one I met told me that +there was a wounded man in the trenches ahead of me. I made my way in +the direction indicated and shouted out asking if anybody was there. +Suddenly I heard a faint voice replying, and I hurried to the place +from which the sound came. There I found sitting up in the mud of the +trench, his legs almost covered with water, a lad who told me that he +had been there for many hours. I never saw anything like the wonderful +expression on his face. He was smiling most cheerfully, and made no +complaint about what he had suffered. I told him I would get a +stretcher, so I went to some trenches not far away and got a bearer +party and a stretcher and went over to rescue him. The men jumped down +into the trench and moved him very gently, but his legs were so numb +that although they were hit he felt no pain. One of the men asked him +if he was only hit in the legs. He said, "Yes," but the man looked up +at me and pulling up the boy's tunic showed me a hideous wound in his +back. They carried him off happy and cheerful. Whether he ever +recovered or not I do not know. If he did and ever sees this book, I +wish he would write and tell me how he is. + +That was our last attack at Paschendaele. Our Division had taken its +final objective. The next morning, the infantry were to come out of +the line, so in the late afternoon I returned with some stretcher +bearers. Several times shells came near enough to splatter us with +mud, and here and there I turned aside to bury those for whom graves +had just been prepared. + +At the front that day, a runner and I had joined in a brief burial +service over the body of a gallant young officer lying where he fell +on the side of a large shell-hole. As I uttered the words--"I am the +Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord," it seemed to me that the +lonely wind bore them over that region of gloom and death as (p. 229) +if it longed to carry the message of hope far away to the many sad +hearts in Canada whose loved ones will lie, until the end, in unknown +graves at Paschendaele. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. (p. 230) + +OUR LAST WAR CHRISTMAS. + + +Our Division moved back to Barlin and I was once more established in +my old billet. As our artillery were still at Ypres, I determined to +go back on the following day to the Salient. I started in a car the +next morning at six, and arrived at Talbot House, Poperinghe, in time +to have breakfast with Padré Clayton, who was in charge of that +splendid institution. Then I made my way to Ypres and found my son at +his battery headquarters under the Cloth Hall Tower. It was a most +romantic billet, for the debris of the ruins made a splendid +protection from shells, and the stone-vaulted chambers were airy and +commodious, much better than the underground cellars in which most of +the men were quartered. The guns of the battery were forward in a very +"unhealthy" neighbourhood. The officers and men used to take turns in +going on duty there for twenty-four hours at a time. They found that +quite long enough, as the forward area was continually exposed to +shells and aeroplane attacks. I went on to visit our own field +batteries, and found them distributed in a most desolate region. The +mud was so deep that to step off the bath-mats meant sinking almost to +the knees. In order to move the guns, planks had to be laid in front +of them for a track, and the guns were roped and dragged along by the +men. It was hard physical labour but they bore it, as they did other +difficulties and dangers, with the utmost good humour. It was tiring +enough merely to walk out to see them, without having anything else to +do. What those men went through at that time no one can imagine. Just +to watch them laying the planks and hauling on the ropes which drew +the heavy mud-covered guns made me weary. When I meet some of my +gunner friends in Montreal and Toronto looking so clean and happy, I +think of what they did behind Passchendaele Ridge, and I take off my +hat to them. + +I spent three days at Ypres, and then, by jumping lorries, made my way +back to St. Venant and Robecq, where I spent the night. The next +morning I left for Bethune, and thence by the assistance of lorries +and a car continued my journey to our new Divisional Headquarters, +which had found a home at Château de la Haie. Here I had a billet (p. 231) +in an upstairs room over what had been part of a stable. The room was +neither beautiful nor clean, but served as an abode for me and Alberta +and her newly-arrived family. The Château was a large house of no +distinction, but it stood in delightful grounds, and at the back of it +was a pond whose clear waters reflected the tall, leafless trees which +bordered it. One fact made the Château popular and that was, that, up +to that time, no shell or bomb had fallen in the neighbourhood. It was +said that the location of the Château was not to be found on the +enemy's maps. Round about were huts with accommodation sufficient to +house a whole brigade. The charm of the place was completed by our 4th +Division having erected there a large and most artistic theatre, which +would seat on benches nearly one thousand men. It had a good stage and +a pit for the orchestra in front. This theatre, when our concert party +was in full swing, was a source of infinite delight to us all. It was +built on the slope of a hill, the stage being at the lower end and a +good view of the play therefore, could be had from all parts. The +scenery was beautifully painted and the electric lights and +foot-lights well arranged. + +Near us was the village of Gouy-Servins, where many men were billeted, +and in huts at Souchez and other places along the valley the various +units found their homes. The year's campaign was now over and we could +look forward to a quiet time during the winter. "C" mess had a very +comfortable hut, with an open fireplace. We were supposed to have the +liveliest entertainments of any mess at Headquarters, and had +therefore many visitors. I shall never forget the jolly face of our +president, the D.A.D.M.S., nor the irrepressible spirit of our A.P.M., +son of a distinguished father who commanded an Army, nor the dry +common-sense humour of our Field Cashier. What delight they took in +ragging the Senior Chaplain, whose automatic ears, as he averred, +prevented his hearing the things he should not. Nor must we forget the +Camp Commandant, often perplexed like Martha with much serving. It was +a goodly company and one much addicted to bridge and other diversions. +I shall not forget the continual appeals of a gallant staff officer +with two or three ribbons, who asked me penitently every morning for a +moral uplift, which I noticed completely evaporated before evening. +There was a freedom about our gatherings that was quite unique and has +left pleasant memories in the mind, in spite of the fact that I told +my fellow members they were the most godless crowd in Christendom. +One day when we were at Ecoivres, a shell fell by the house, while (p. 232) +we were having dinner. Someone asked me afterwards if it had "put my +wind up?" "Not a bit", I replied, "I knew that the Devil was not going +to destroy one of his favourite machine-gun emplacements." + +There was much excitement at this time over the question of +conscription. The soldiers were to have votes and much depended upon +their being given in the right way. It was a critical time, as our +man-power was being exhausted. Recruiting under the voluntary system +had become inadequate to meet our needs. Beyond this, however, one +felt that the moral effect of Canada's refusing conscription would be +very harmful. The Germans would at once see in it an indication that +Canada was growing weary of fighting and they would consequently take +heart. It was most essential then that our men should cast a solid +vote for the coalition government. I felt it my duty therefore to do +as much electioneering work as I could. At night I used to address the +men in the theatre between the acts of the play, and tell them that if +we threw out the conscription bill, it would go a long way to undo the +good of all they had done and destroy the value of the sacrifice our +dead comrades had made. Once I was invited to speak to a battalion of +the 4th Division during an entertainment which they were holding. When +I closed my address I told them that the last thing I wanted to do was +to influence their vote. All I asked of them when they went to the +polls was to make a cross in front of Borden's name. From the laughter +and cheers with which this statement was received, I think they +probably did. A few of the men told me that the thing which made them +hesitate about voting for conscription was that they could not bring +themselves to do anything which would force others to come and endure +the hellish life at the front. The great unionist victory at the polls +in Canada, which we heard of on December 18th, showed us that the +heart of the young country was sound, and this no doubt was noted by +the Germans. + +One more, (and this was the last,) St. George's church was built for +me near the Château. Thus I was enabled to have a daily celebration of +the Holy Communion. + +The arrival of one of the battalions of the 4th Division gave us the +first indication that we were to move. On December 20th we left once +more for Bruay. Here I found that my old billet was no longer +available, but I managed to find a home in a clean little cottage (p. 233) +in the same street, where I had a room downstairs for an office, +cheered by an open fire, and a large bare room upstairs in which I put +my bed. On the garden-gate I hung out my sign "St. George's Rectory." +Once again I found myself in the familiar neighbourhood with all the +beloved battalions round us as before. The theatre was filled night +after night, and there were the old gatherings of officers in the +hotel. We regarded it as a great stroke of luck that once more we were +going to spend Christmas out of the line. + +On Christmas Eve, when I was preparing to go up to the midnight +Communion Service in the theatre, a new C. of E. Chaplain arrived and +came with me to assist. On the stage the altar was set as before, and +the dear old flag which now for three long years had been devoted to +the sacred purpose shone out as the frontal. The band played the +Christmas hymns and a large number of men attended. Some of them, but +not many, had been there the year before. It was very beautiful and +solemn. At midnight on New Year's Eve we repeated the service. Again +there was a large congregation, and to me as I looked back to the +gathering held in that place just one year ago it was quite +overpowering. How many of those who had been with us at the dawn of +1917 had passed away? The seats where they had sat were filled with +other men. The hymns they had joined in were sung by other lips. In my +heart went up the cry, "How long, O Lord, how long?" Once more the +hands of the weary world clock had passed over the weeks and months of +another year, and still the end was not in sight. As we stood in +silence, while the buglers sounded the Last Post for the dying year, a +wild and strange vision swept before me: I saw again the weary waste +of mud and the shell ploughed ridge at Vimy; the fierce attacks at +Arleux and Fresnoy; the grim assault on Hill 70 and the hellish agony +of Paschendaele. Surely the ceaseless chiselling of pain and death had +graven deeply into the inmost heart of Canada, the figures 1917. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. (p. 234) + +VICTORY YEAR OPENS. + +_January and February, 1918._ + + +Victory Year, though we did not know it by that name then, opened with +fine bracing weather, and there was the usual round of dinners and +entertainments with which we always greeted the birth of a new +twelve-month. We had several Canadian-like snow storms. In the midst +of one, I met a forlorn despatch rider coming up the main street on +his wheel with the blinding snow in his face. I stopped him and asked +him if he wouldn't like to have some dinner, and I took him into the +hotel. He had been to Bethune to buy some V.C. ribbon for one of the +men of his battalion who was going to be presented with it on the +following day, and was so proud of his mission that he made no +complaint about the long and tiring journey through the snowstorm. The +country behind Bruay is broken up into pleasant valleys, and there are +plenty of trees on the hills, so the winter aspect of the district +made us feel quite at home. I used to give many talks to the men on +what I called "The war outlook", I thought it helped to encourage +them, and I was perfectly sincere in my belief, which grew stronger as +time went on, in spite of notable set-backs, that we should have +victory before the end of the year. + +We had a visit at this time from Bishop du Pencier, who came to hold a +confirmation for us at Divion. There were forty candidates, nearly all +of them being presented by chaplains of the 1st Brigade. It was a +solemn service and made a deep impression upon the men. The hymns were +sung very heartily, and the Bishop gave a most helpful address. I +remember specially one young fellow called Vaughan Groves, who came to +me for the preparation. He was a small, rather delicate young lad +about nineteen years of age, and was a runner for the 2nd Brigade. He +had a fine open face and had the distinction of having won the M.M. +and bar. To have won these honours as a Brigade runner was a mark of +rare courage. I felt the deepest admiration for the boy, who was the +only son of a widowed mother in Canada. He never touched liquor and +had lived a perfectly straight life, and his was just the type of +character which found scope for great deeds in the war. After the (p. 235) +confirmation I lost sight of him, until some months afterwards when, +as I was going through Arras one night, I looked into a cellar near +the 2nd Brigade Headquarters, and seeing a number of men in there, +went down to have a talk. I found they were the Brigade runners, and +so I at once asked for my young friend. They told me that he had been +wounded in the arm and when he came to the dressing station, finding +there a man who was dying from loss of blood, had at once offered his +own blood for transfusion into the veins of the sufferer. So much had +to be taken from him that the boy got very weak and had to be sent +back to England to recuperate. The men added that it was just the +thing that little Vaughan would do. He was the finest, cleanest little +chap, they said, that they had ever met. It was always delightful to +hear such testimony from men to the innate power of human goodness. I +have never seen or heard of Vaughan Groves since, but I hope that some +one may read this book who will be able to tell me how and where he +is. + +I was not sorry when our rest was over. There was more time to get +home-sick when we were out of the line. If we had to be in the war at +all, the happiest place was at the front. So when on January 23rd I +left Bruay for Bracquemont, I did so with little regret. My billet at +Bracquemont was the same which I had occupied in the previous +September, and it seemed quite like home. Once more our men held the +trenches on Hill 70 and the battalions in the back area were billeted +in Mazingarbe, Le Brebris, and Sains-en-Gohelle. + +The day after I arrived, I determined to do some parish visiting in +the slums--as I called the front line. I started off in my old trench +uniform and long habitant boots, carrying with me a supply of bully-beef, +tinned milk and hardtack. I went through Bully-Grenay and then out +through Maroc to Loos. Here once again the dressing station at Fort +Glatz was occupied by a doctor and staff from one of our ambulances. I +spent a little while there and then continued my journey up the road +past Crucifix Corner to the trenches. The 7th and 8th Battalions were +in the line. The day was fine and the warm sunshine was hardening the +mud, so things did not look too unpleasant. I went to the 7th Battalion +first and found the gallant men carrying on in the usual way. Hugo +Trench was very quiet, and from it one could obtain a good view of the +German lines and of Lens beyond. It was great fun to go into the saps +and surprise the two or three men who were on guard in them. The (p. 236) +dugouts were curious places. The entrance steps were steep, and +protected by blankets to keep out gas. At the bottom would be a long +timber-lined passage, dark and smelly, out of which two or three +little rooms would open. The men off duty would be lying about on the +floor sound asleep, and it was often hard to make one's way among the +prostrate bodies. The officers' mess would have a table in it and +boxes for seats. On a shelf were generally some old newspapers or +magazines and a pack of cards. In the passage, making it narrower than +ever, were a few shelves used as bunks. At the end of the passage +would be the kitchen, supplied with a rude stove which sent its smoke +up a narrow pipe through a small opening. In the trenches the cooks +were always busy, and how they served up the meals they did was a +mystery to me. Water was brought in tins from a tap in one of the +trenches to the rear, and therefore was not very abundant. I have +occasionally, and against my will, seen the process of dish-washing in +the trenches. I could never make out from the appearance of the water +whether the cook and his assistant were washing the plates or making +the soup, the liquid in the tin dish was so thick with grease. +However, it was part of the war, and the men were doing their best +under most unpropitious circumstances. + +I had come prepared to spend a night in the trenches, and had decided +to do so in the large German-made dugout in the chalk-pit which was +held by "D" Company of the 8th Battalion. The officer on duty with the +7th Battalion kindly acted as my guide. The day had worn away, and the +bright moon was lighting up the maze of yellow trenches. We passed +along, exchanging many greetings at different places, until we came to +the outpost of the 8th Battalion at the top of the path which leads +down to the chalk-pit. Here four men were sitting keeping guard. They +gave me a warm greeting, and I told them that if I were not in a hurry +to let my guide go back to his lines, I would stop and recite some of +my poems in the moonlight. It struck me that they seemed more amused +than disappointed. So wishing them good-luck, we started onward down +the slippery path which led into the pit, where many shells had torn +up the ground and where were remains not only of uniforms and mess-tins +and rifles but also of German bodies. We had hardly reached the +entrance to the dugout when two or three of those shells which the men +called "pineapples" arrived in quick succession. They sounded so (p. 237) +close that we dived into the place of refuge. We found the O.C. of the +company inside, and he kindly arranged to give me a large bed all to +myself in one of the chambers of the dugout. Suddenly a runner +appeared and told us that the pineapples had hit the outpost, killing +not only some of the men to whom I had just been talking but also the +Adjutant of the battalion. I at once got up and went back to the +place. The line was quiet now, and the whole scene was brightly +lighted by the moon and looked so peaceful that one could hardly +imagine that we were in the midst of war, but, lying in the deep +shadow at the bottom of the trench, with its face downwards, was the +body of the Adjutant. He had been killed instantly. In the outpost +beside the trench, were the bodies of the men who had been on duty +when I passed a few minutes before. + +I stayed with the sentry guarding the bodies until a stretcher party +arrived and carried them away. Then I went back to the dugout and +visited the men who were crowded into its most extraordinary labyrinth +of passages and recesses. In the very centre of the place, which must +have been deep underground, there was a kitchen, and the cooks were +preparing a hot meal for the men to eat before "stand to" at dawn. The +men of course were excessively crowded and many were heating their own +food in mess-tins over smoking wicks steeped in melted candle grease. +All were bright and cheerful as ever, in spite of the stifling +atmosphere, which must have been breathed by human lungs over and over +again. It was quite late when I stretched myself on my wire mattress +with my steel helmet for a pillow. Only a piece of canvas separated me +from the room where a lot of men were supposed to be sleeping. They +were not only not asleep but kept me awake by the roars of laughter +which greeted the stories they were telling. However, I managed to +doze off in time, and was rudely wakened early in the morning by the +metallic thud of pineapples on the ground overhead. I was wondering +what it meant when a man came down to the O.C.'s room, next to mine, +and aroused him with the somewhat exciting news, "Major, the Germans +are making an attack." It was not long before the Major was hurrying +up the steps to the passage above, and it was not long before I +followed, because I always had a horror of being bombed in a dugout. +In the passage upstairs all the men were "standing to" with fixed +bayonets, and plenty of Mills bombs in their pockets. They were a most +cheerful crowd, and really I think that we all felt quite pleased at +the excitement. A man came up to me and asked me what weapon I (p. 238) +had. I told him I had a fixed bayonet on the end of my walking stick. +This did not seem to satisfy him, so he went over to a cupboard and +brought me two bombs. I told him to take them away because they might +be prematures. He laughed at this and said, "How will you protect +yourself, Sir, if the enemy should get into the trench?" I told him I +would recite one of my poems. They always put my friends to flight and +would probably have the same effect upon my foes. + +By this time the rain of pineapples overhead was very heavy, and I +went to the door of the dugout where the Major was looking out. It was +a curious scene. Day had just dawned, and we could see the heaps of +broken rubbish and ripped up ground in front of us, while directly +opposite at the top of the chalk-pit was our front line. Pacing up and +down this was a corporal, his form silhouetted against the gray +morning sky. He had his rifle with fixed bayonet on his shoulder, and +as he walked to and fro he sang at the top of his voice the old song, +"Oh my, I don't want to die, I want to go home." The accompaniment to +the song was the "swish" of the shells overhead and the bursting of +them in the trenches behind. I told the Major that if we could only +get a moving picture of the corporal and a gramophone record of his +song with its accompaniment we could make thousands of dollars by an +exhibition of it in Canada. + +The next night I stayed at Cité St. Pierre. Who will ever forget the +road up to it, and the corner near the ruined fosse, which was always +liable to be shelled unexpectedly? In cellars beneath the unwholesome +and dilapidated town our men found billets. They were really quite +comfortable, but at night when the place was as black as pitch, and +one had to grope one's way in the darkness along debris-covered +streets, shaken every now and then by the German missiles from the +sky, one longed for Canada and the well-lighted pavements of Montreal +and Toronto. + +On February 14th, at the officers' club at Corps Headquarters in +Camblain l'Abbé, we had a great gathering of all the officers who had +landed in France three years before. The one hundred and fifty who sat +down to dinner were only a small part of the original number, and, +before the anniversary came round again, many of those present were +called to join the unseen host to whose memory that night we drank in +silence. It was strange to look back over three years and think that +the war, which in February 1915 we thought was going to be a (p. 239) +matter of months, had now been protracted for three years and was +still going on. What experiences each of those present had had! What a +strange unnatural life we had been called upon to live, and how +extraordinarily efficient in the great war game had each become! It +was a most interesting gathering of strong and resolute men filled +with sublime ideals of duty and patriotism, who nevertheless were +absolutely free from all posing and self-consciousness. They had +learnt how to play the game; they had learnt both how to command and +how to obey; they had learnt how to sink selfish interests and aims, +and to work only and unitedly for the great cause. + +On February 19th I held the dedication service at the unveiling of the +artillery monument at Les Tilleuls. Owing to its exposed position no +concourse of men was allowed, but there was a large gathering of the +Staff, including the Army Commander, and of course a number of +officers from the artillery. The lines of the monument are very +severe. A plain white cross surmounts a large mass of solid masonry on +which is the tablet, which General Currie unveiled. It stands in a +commanding position on Vimy Ridge, and can be seen for miles around. +Many generations of Canadians in future ages will visit that lonely +tribute to the heroism of those, who, leaving home and loved ones, +voluntarily came and laid down their lives in order that our country +might be free. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. (p. 240) + +THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE. + +_March, 1918._ + + +Over four months had passed away since my return from Rome, so leave +was again due. Immediately after the unveiling of the Artillery +monument I started off in a car for Boulogne, and the next afternoon +arrived in London. Conditions there were worse than they had been the +year before. The streets were darker and food was scarcer. I went as +far north as Edinburgh, but when I arrived at that city I found it +cold and wintry and wrapped in mists. There were many naval men there, +and I paid an interesting visit to a damaged submarine which was being +repaired in the dry-dock. It was of course nice to meet friends again, +but, beyond that, my last leave was not a pleasant one. It was a time +of great anxiety. The Americans had come into the war, but they were +not yet ready. Another campaign was before us, and the issue of it +none could foresee. I was haunted perpetually by the dread of meeting +with some accident, and so being sent back from the front. Several +times I had a vivid dream, that I had got back to Canada and found +that the war was still going on and I could not return to it. I shall +never forget the joy of waking on such occasions and looking with +dawning consciousness upon my surroundings and feeling that I was +still at the front. It was a happy day for me, therefore, when on +March 8th I arrived once more at Bracquemont, in the midst of my +beloved war-family, and able to re-visit Liévin, Loos, and Hill 70. + +My favorite home in the trenches was the dugout in the chalk-pit, +which I have just described, and I often wish I could be suddenly +transported there and revive old memories. We were planning at this +time to make a big gas-attack along the Canadian Corps front. Three +thousand gas-cylinders were to be fired by electricity upon the enemy. +As I wanted to see this, I made my way to the chalk-pit. The time +fixed for the event was five minutes to eleven at night. If the attack +was to come off, the word "Japan" was to come through on the wires; +if, owing to the wind being in the wrong direction, the attack had to +be postponed, the word "Russia" would be sent. At 10.45 I climbed up +the steps to the observation post at the back of the chalk-pit (p. 241) +and waited. From this point I had a good view of the line towards +Lens. I watched the luminous hands of my watch, and they passed the +hour of eleven without anything occurring, as the breeze came from the +East. I knew the word "Russia," the name of the country that failed +us, must have been sent over the wires. It was a queer sensation to +sit up there in the dark with no sound but the soft murmur of the +night wind in our ears, and the crash of an occasional shell. In those +long dark stretches of waste land around me, thousands of human beings +on both sides of the line were awake and active, either burrowing like +ants in the ground or bringing up rations and war material along the +communication trenches. + +I spent four nights that week in the chalk-pit waiting for the attack, +and on March 21st, the night of the day on which the Germans launched +their fierce attack against our Fifth Army, my patience was rewarded +and the wind was propitious. I mounted the observation post and once +more peered over the black stretches of country under the starlit sky. +Suddenly, at five minutes to eleven, there was a burst of artillery +fire, and over our heads with the usual swishing sound the +gas-cylinders sped forth. The German lines were lit with bursting +shells. Up went their rockets calling to their artillery for +retaliation. I could hear their gas bells ringing to warn their men of +the poison that was being poured upon them. It must have been a +drenching rain of death. I heard gruesome tales afterwards of desolate +enemy trenches and batteries denuded of men. The display of fireworks +was magnificent, and the German artillery in the rear were not slow in +replying. A great artillery duel like that in the darkness of the +night over a waste of ground on which no human habitation could be +seen had a very weird effect, and was wonderful to behold. I climbed +down into the dugout and made my way through it to the chalk-pit, and +then up to an outpost beyond. Here were four men, and I found that +three of them had just come up from the base and that this was their +first night in the line. They did not seem to be enjoying it as much +as I thought they should, so I remarked that it was a beautiful night +and pointed out to them the extraordinary romance of being actually +out in the front line during such a bombardment. They seemed to get +more enthusiastic later on, but the next morning I was wakened in my +room by the laughter of men on the other side of the canvas wall, and +I heard one old soldier telling, to the amusement of his fellows, (p. 242) +of my visit on the previous evening. He said "We were out there with +the shells falling round us, and who should come up but the Canon, and +the first thing the old beggar said was, 'Boys, what a lovely night it +is.'" The men roared at the idea. It was always illuminating to get a +chance of seeing yourself as others saw you. + +That day, before I had gone to the chalk-pit, I heard from a staff +officer at Corps of the German attack in the South, and I gathered +from his manner that things were not going well. On March 29th we +suddenly shifted our headquarters to Château de la Haie. Here we were +told that we had to be ready to move again at a moment's notice. Very +bad news had come from the South, for the Germans were advancing, and +our Fifth Army had been pushed back. The enemy had now got the +initiative into his hands, and things were exceedingly serious. The +Americans would not be ready for some time, and the question was how +to stay the onrush of the fresh divisions which the Germans were +hurling against us. An order from General Currie, couched in beautiful +language, told us that there was to be no retreat for Canadians, and +that, if need be, we should fall where we stood. There was no panic, +only firmer resolve and greater activity in every department. Though I +made it a point of never questioning our staff about war secrets, I +soon became aware that our Division was to be sent South to try and +stem the oncoming tide. + +Every night the 4th Divisional concert party gave an entertainment in +the theatre, which was crowded with men. A stranger could not have +told from the roars of laughter that shook the audience from time to +time that we were about to face the fiercest ordeal of the war. The +2nd Brigade was quartered round us first, and one night in the theatre +an officer appeared in front of the stage between the acts and ordered +all the officers and men of the 5th Battalion, who were present, to +report at once to their headquarters. Instantly the men got up and +left, the rows of vacant seats looking quite tragic. The play went on. +Again, another battalion, and another, was called off. The audience +dwindled. It reminded one of the description in the "Tale of Two +Cities" of the condemned men in prison waiting for the call of the +executioner. Before the close of the performance the theatre was +almost empty. The 2nd Brigade moved away that night and the 3rd took +their places the next day. I knew that they, too, would have to move +suddenly, so I arranged that at night we should have a service (p. 243) +followed by a Celebration of the Holy Communion in the theatre after +the play was over. Once again the building was crowded with an +enthusiastic audience, and, after the play was ended, I announced the +service. To my astonishment, most of the men stayed and others crowded +in, so we must have had nearly a thousand men present. The concert +party had received orders to pack up their scenery immediately and +move off. While I was on the stage getting the altar ready the scene +shifters were hard at work behind me. In spite of this disturbance, we +had a wonderful service. I gave them a short address, and spoke about +the high call which had come to Canadians to do big things, and how +the eyes of the world were upon us. We were the champions of right, +and I asked them to go forth in the power of God and do their duty. +Then I began the Communion Service. The colours of the flag which hung +over the altar glowed like an inspiration. The two altar lights shone +like stars above it. At the back of the stage (but we heeded them not) +were the busy men packing up the scenery. We sang the hymn "O God our +help in ages past," and at the time of communion about two hundred +officers and men mounted the stage in turn and knelt in rows to +receive the Bread of Life. It was a thrilling moment, and it showed +how, underlying the superficial thoughtlessness of the soldier's life, +there was the deep and abiding sense of the reality and need of God. +The service ended about eleven p.m. + +After shaking hands with some of the men I went back to my billet and +there found that we had to start that night for parts unknown. All our +surplus baggage had been sent off and only what was absolutely +necessary was retained. The members of "C" mess were sitting round the +table having a little liquid refreshment and waiting for the bus which +was to take them off. Our A.D.M.S., who was starting at once, kindly +offered to take me with him in an ambulance. Alberta and I, with two +or three men, got into the vehicle, and I bid farewell for the last +time to Château de la Haie. It was a bright moonlight night and the +air was cold, but the roads were dry and dusty. The A.D.M.S., who was +the only person who knew our destination, sat in front with the driver +and told him the various turns to take. Clouds of dust blew back into +the ambulance as we sped onward. It was a curious expedition. The war +seemed to be more real than ever. One felt that a new page in its +history was being turned. I wondered what was in store for us and +what our experiences were going to be. I was also surprised that (p. 244) +one was able to go forth without any emotion upon an adventure of such +magnitude. On and on we rattled down the moonlit roads, past sleeping +villages, and round sharp curves which jolted us in the car, until at +last, at half-past two, we pulled up suddenly in front of some large +iron gates which gave entrance to the grounds of a chateau standing +back some distance from the road. The A.D.M.S. and his staff got out +and hunted for a cottage which they could use as an office. + +I thought I had better go off and find a place where I could spend the +rest of the night. With my haversack over my shoulder and followed by +Alberta, I entered the gate, and made my way up the avenue till I came +to the Château. It was a large and picturesque building, and stood out +nobly against the outline of the trees in the park. The moon lit up +the gray stone front, which was made all the richer by the variegated +light and shade. The mansion, however, showed no inclination to be +hospitable. All the windows were tightly closed with shutters, and +there was no appearance of life anywhere. I knew we were not far from +the advancing Germans, and I supposed that the inhabitants had all +fled. I was so cold and tired that I determined to force an entrance +and spend the night inside. I walked round to the back, where I saw a +great park richly wooded. A large door in the centre of the building, +reached by a broad flight of stone steps, seemed to offer me a chance +of getting inside. I went up and tried the handle, when, to my surprise, +the door opened and I found myself in a beautiful hall richly +furnished and lighted by a lamp. Antlers hung on the wall, and the +place had the appearance of an English country-house. After my long +ride, and at that hour of the night, I felt as if I were in a dream. I +saw a door to the right, and opening it was admitted to a modern +drawing-room luxuriously furnished. A grate fire was burning on the +hearth, and on a centre-table stood silver candelabra with lighted +candles. There were also plates of bread and butter, some very nice +cups and saucers, and a silver coffee-pot. At once I said to myself, +"I am evidently expected." It was like a story from the Arabian +Nights. I looked about the place and not a soul appeared, Alberta +tucked herself up on a rug and was soon fast asleep. I was just +preparing to partake of the refreshments which, it seemed, some fairy +godmother had provided, when in came one of our A.D.Cs. He was as much +surprised to see me as I was to see him. He told me that our (p. 245) +Divisional Commander had arrived there about an hour or two before and +had gone to bed, and that we were in the home of a certain count whose +servants had all fled. He also told me that there was a bedroom that I +could have upstairs, and which would not be occupied by our staff +until the next evening. I had a cup of coffee, and then, calling +Alberta and taking a candle, I climbed a very rambling staircase till +I reached the top storey, where I found an empty room with a very +dirty bed in it. However, I was glad to get a place in which to rest, +and so, with my rain-coat for a covering, I went to sleep. The next +morning, having foraged for some water in which I had a good wash, I +went off to the village to get some food. I met many of our units +coming up in busses. Some were halted by the wayside, and nobody knew +what we were going to do or why we were there. The Imperial transport +officer in charge had either acted under wrong orders or else the +drivers did not know the roads. Some of our battalions had lost their +way, one even entered a village at the other end of which were the +Germans, and two of our Engineer Companies disappeared completely for +two days. + +The country people were hurrying off in carts, taking their household +goods with them. I found a primitive farmhouse where I was able to buy +some eggs and bread, and I invited a number of stragglers in to have +something to eat. By noon, however, we got orders from the Army to +move back to a place called Fosseaux. There we occupied an empty +chateau which before the war must have been a very fine place. A wide +grassy road nearly a mile in length, bordered on each side by fine old +trees, stretched off into the distance in front of the central door. +The entrance to the road was guarded by an exquisitely wrought iron +gate, flanked on each side by stone pillars surmounted by carved +heraldic figures. It was now cold and rainy, and our two Artillery +Brigades were halted in a field opposite and were awaiting orders. +Before nightfall they had left, and the forward section of our +Division made their headquarters in a hut at Warlus; the members of +"C" mess remaining at Fosseaux. + +March the 29th was Good Friday, and a strange one it was. There was +much stir and commotion everywhere, and we were so unsettled, that all +I could do was to have a service in the cinema in the evening, and on +Easter Day two Celebrations of Holy Communion at which I had only +twenty-eight communicants. Our men had gone in to the line to the (p. 246) +southeast of Arras, round Telegraph Hill, where an attack by the +Germans was expected, as their advance to the south had been checked. +I made my way to Arras, and spent the night in one of the mysterious +caves which lie under that city. It was called St. Sauveur Cave, and +was entered from a street behind the station. The 1st Brigade was +quartered there. In the morning I walked down the long dark passage +till I came to an opening which led me to some high ground where there +had evidently been a good deal of fighting. From there I made my way +over to the front line, where the 1st Battalion was entrenched. I +passed numbers of wooden huts broken by shells. Many men must have +been quartered there at one time. It was sad to go into them and see +the waste and desolation, and the lost war material scattered in all +directions. On my way I came to a deep trench which some Imperial +machine-gunners were holding. They had had an anxious time, and were +glad to have a visitor. Several of them regretted that they had not +been able to attend any Easter service. I told them we would have one +there and then, as I was carrying the Blessed Sacrament with me. So we +cleaned a corner of the trench, and there I had a short service and +gave the men communion. + +Our trenches were not satisfactory, as we did not know accurately +where those of the Germans were. That night, instead of going back to +the 1st Brigade I made my way to the huge Rouville Caves under Arras, +where the whole of the 3rd Brigade were quartered. It was a most +curious abode. No one knows when the caves were dug. They were +probably extended from time to time as the chalk was quarried for the +purpose of building the town. Long passages stretched in different +directions, and from them opened out huge vaulted chambers where the +battalions were billeted. I spent the night with the 14th Battalion, +and the next day held services in turn for each of the four units of +the Brigade. The 16th Battalion occupied a huge cavern with others +branching off from it. I could hardly imagine more picturesque +surroundings for a military service. The candle flames twinkled like +stars in all directions in the murky atmosphere, and the singing of +the men resounded through the cave. Overhead was the town which the +enemy was shelling. In one of the caves we found the foundation of +what had been an old prison, with a date upon it of the 18th century. +It was very pleasant wandering down the passages, with a candle (p. 247) +stuck on the top of my steel helmet, and meeting everywhere old +friends who were glad of the temporary rest. Life there, however, was +very strange. One could not tell whether outside it was day or night. +I made my way back that afternoon by a passage which led out to one of +the Arras sewers, by the side of which there was a stone pavement +enabling one with a good flashlight to walk safely. The exit from the +sewer, which now consisted of a shallow stream of perfectly clear +water, led me up to a house in one of the streets, and thence by a car +I made my way to Warlus, and home to Fosseaux. + +A few days afterwards our headquarters were moved up to Etrun, and +there we found ourselves crowded into the quaint little town. The +Château was our headquarters, and a tar-paper house which the +Engineers built for me under a spreading hawthorn tree became my home. +Etrun was a most interesting place historically. It had been the site +of a Roman camp where Valentinian had his headquarters in the 4th +century. The large mound, or vallum, which the Romans had thrown up to +protect themselves from the attacks of the German tribes, is now a +thickly wooded hill, pierced by the road which connects the village +with the Arras highway. The grounds of the Château were most +delightful, and before the French Revolution the house had been a +convent. In the garden was the recumbent stone effigy, overgrown with +moss, of one of the sisters. The most beautiful thing about the place +is the clear stream, wide and deep, which comes from underground and +flows over sparkling white pebbles through the green meadows to the +river Scarpe. This stream was evidently the source of attraction to +the Romans, who always made their camps where there was a plentiful +supply of running water. The garden on one side was built up in stone +terraces along which were gravel walks, where, no doubt, the nuns of +old enjoyed their holy meditations. In the stream, as it wandered +through the meadows, there was a plentiful supply of water-cress, +which looked exquisitely green against the pebbles at the bottom. How +one did long for the war to end, so that we might be able to lie down +in the grass, free from anxiety, and enjoy the drenching sunlight and +the spring song of the birds. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. (p. 248) + +IN FRONT OF ARRAS. + +_April, 1918._ + + +Etrun was a convenient place for a headquarters. My hut was +comfortable, and the tree that grew beside it stretched its +thickly-leaved boughs over it, as though wishing to protect it from +the sight of enemy planes. Visitors were always welcome. In the garden +were many other huts, and a path led to the churchyard in which stood +the old church. It was strongly built, but very crudely furnished, and +spoke of many generations of humble worshippers to whom it was the +gate of heaven. On one side of the garden was a stream, which turned a +quaint mill-wheel, and an island in the stream, connected with the +banks by a bridge, made a pleasant resort. A little nest of beauty, +such as Etrun was, in the midst of the war, most restful to the soul, +especially after a visit to the line. Of course, we had to be careful +about screening all lights, for a shell landed one night in a hut +opposite mine. Luckily the shell was a "dud". Had it not been, my +sergeant, groom, and batman would have been no more, for it burrowed +its way into the ground under the floor of their abode, as they were +having supper. + +On one occasion about one in the morning, we were awakened from sleep +by three terrific explosions. They sounded close, so I thought that +some of our men might have been hit. I got up and went off to see +where the shells had landed. The quaint old hamlet lay silent in the +moonlight, and not a soul was stirring. I went down one of the narrow +streets, and met a tall figure in black coming towards me. It was the +Curé, who was bent on a similar mission, fearing that some of his +people had been wounded. We went round the place together until we met +a man coming up the road, who told us that a bomb had struck the +railway bridge and exploded two mines which we had in readiness in +case the Germans were to make an advance. The bridge had been +completely shattered, but luckily our sentries there had escaped. The +Curé and I then parted and went back to our beds. + +It was a great treat for our men who were billeted in villages in (p. 249) +the Scarpe Valley to have plenty of water, and in the various +mill-ponds they found swimming-places. Our front line at this time +extended for quite a long distance north and south of the Scarpe. In +fact the river acted for a short distance as No Man's Land. On the +north of the Scarpe were the ruins of the village of Fampoux, and on +the south those of Feuchy. How well our men will remember the towns of +Maroeil, Anzin, St. Nicholas and St. Aubin. I used to go off across +the meadow lands, now bright and fresh with spring verdure, till I got +to the St. Eloi road, and then by jumping lorries would make my way to +St. Nicholas and on to Cam Valley. On the east side of the valley were +quaint dugouts which were occupied by the battalion in reserve. A path +up the valley led to the communication trench, and finally down +Pudding Lane to Pudding Trench. The ground was elevated, so that from +one of the trenches which led down towards Fampoux I was able to see +with my glasses the country behind the German lines. I saw quite +distinctly one day the spires of Douai, and in another direction on a +hillside I could make out a railway train which must have been +carrying German troops. I had many interesting walks through the +trenches, and slept there several times. On one occasion I took +Alberta with me, but she would persist in going off into No Man's Land +hunting for rats. The arrival of a minnenwerfer, however, gave her a +great fright and made her jump back into the trench with alacrity, +much to the amusement of the men, who said that she knew the use of +trenches. + +One day I went down the trench which led into Fampoux. Whizzbangs were +falling every now and then, so the men were keeping low. At one place +there was a good view of the German lines. An officer and a sergeant +stood there looking through their glasses and pointed out to me a spot +in the hillside opposite where we could see a number of the enemy. +They came out of one trench, crossed the road, and went down into +another. The officer told me that he had counted over a hundred that +day. I asked him why he did not telephone to Battalion Headquarters to +inform the artillery. He told me he had no telephone. Then I said, +"Why don't you send a runner?" He explained that Fampoux was occupied +as an outpost, and that no runners were allowed to be sent from there +during the daytime; orders to this effect being very strict. "I am not +a runner," I said, "and I am not in your Battalion. If you will give +me the map-location of the place where you think the Germans are (p. 250) +congregating, I will take it back with me to the liaison officer at +Battalion Headquarters." He was very pleased with my offer, because at +this time we were daily expecting a big attack upon our lines. To get +back we had to crawl down a steep place in the trench, which was in +view of the Germans, until at last we reached the cellar of a ruined +house which the O.C. of the company used as a billet. He got out his +maps and gave me the exact location of the road and trenches where the +Germans had been seen to pass, and where apparently they were massing. +I got him to write down the map-location carefully on a piece of +paper, and then, armed with this and feeling very important, I started +back, this time avoiding the trench and going up the Fampoux road on +the side of which there was some torn and broken camouflage. I came +across a steel helmet by the wayside with part of a man's head in it, +and the road had been pretty well battered by shells, but I felt +exceedingly proud at being able to do something which might possibly +avert an attack upon our men. I went on till at last I saw in the +hillside the beginning of a trench, and made my way up this to Pudding +lane and found Battalion Headquarters. The Artillery officer had been +having a quiet time and was delighted at the prospect of ordering a +"shoot." At once he telephoned back to the brigade, and not long +after, when the quiet sun was setting in the West, a most terrific +bombardment of artillery, both field and heavy, smashed the German +trenches on the hill opposite. The headquarters men and I looked over +the valley and saw the line of bursting shells. Much to their +amusement, I told them that this was my music, that I had ordered the +shoot. I felt like the fly on the axle of a cart, who said to his +companion fly, "Look at the dust we are making." + +On another occasion, I was filled with almost equal pride, when, +meeting on the roadside a company of men who were going into the +trenches for the first time and were waiting for a guide, I offered my +services and actually led the company of young heroes into the +trenches myself. The humour of the situation was so palpable that the +men felt as if they were going to a picnic. + +The trenches on the Feuchy side of the Scarpe were well made, and led +up to the higher ground to the east of Arras, where they joined the +lines of a Scots Division. At one point we saw in No Man's Land a +lonely tent, which I was told had been occupied by a British chaplain +before we had been driven back. I paid a most enjoyable visit to (p. 251) +the engineers in Arras and stayed at Battalion Headquarters. They were +in a large and comfortable house in the Place St. Croix. In the dining +room we had a grate fire, a rug on the floor, and several easy chairs. +A most sumptuous dinner was served, and one could scarcely believe +that we were in a war. + +The men of the battalion were billeted in the deep cellars under a row +of houses at the end of the Grande Place. Some of these houses dated +back to the time of the Spanish occupation, so the cellars must have +been very ancient. They were vaulted in stone and were connected +together by passages, so they were not only quite safe from shells but +were exceedingly interesting and picturesque. We had several services +for the men and one for a field ambulance which made its home in the +Deaf and Dumb Asylum. In a large room in the Asylum there was a good +piano, so it enabled us to use the place at one time as a church and +at another as a ballroom. There was a strange charm about dear old +Arras which is quite indescribable. In spite of the ruined buildings +and the damaged grass-grown streets, there was the haunting beauty of +a quiet medievalism about the city. The narrow streets, the pleasant +gardens hidden behind the houses, spoke of an age that had passed. +Arras has been the centre of interest in many wars, and Julius Caesar +made his headquarters there in B.C. 65. The river Scarpe has carried +to the sea many memories of hostile hosts that have fought along its +banks. To walk back from the dressing station in the small hours of +the morning, when the moon was shining on the silent and half-ruined +streets and squares, was a weird experience. Surely, if ghosts ever +haunt the scenes of their earthly life, I must have had many unseen +companions with me on such occasions. There were still two or three +shops in the place where souvenirs and other small articles were sold +to the men, and there were hoards of champagne and other wines in some +of the cellars, but only a few of the inhabitants remained and they +lived hidden lives in the underground retreats. + +Our Division, however, was soon moved from Etrun to Château d'Acq, +where I arrived at four one morning after a visit to the trenches. I +found my billet in an Armstrong hut. The people who had occupied the +Château since we were there must have experienced an air raid, because +extraordinary precautions had been taken to guard against bombs. I lit +my lamp and found that the bed was surrounded on all sides by a (p. 252) +wall composed of two thicknesses of sandbags. When I got down Into it +I felt as if I were in a grave. In the morning I got my batman to +remove the fortification, as I thought there was no occasion to +anticipate the sensations of being buried. However, at night I often +heard German aeroplanes overhead, and it was a relief when their +intermittent buzzing died off into the distance. + +We were now a long way from the front line, but by jumping lorries I +was still able to go forward and visit the slums. On returning from +such a visit one afternoon I suffered a great loss. The order had gone +out some time before that all stray dogs were to be shot, and many +poor little four-footed souls were sent into whatever happy land is +reserved for the race which has been the earliest and best friend of +man. I had kept a sharp lookout on Alberta, but I never dreamt that +anyone would shoot her. However, that evening while I was getting +ready to go off to Ecoivres, and Alberta was playing in front of my +hut, the sergeant of the police, carried her off, unknown to me, and +ordered a man to shoot her. When I came out from my hut, and whistled +for my faithful friend, I was told that she had been condemned to +death. I could hardly believe it; but to my dismay I found that it was +only too true, and the poor little dog, who was known all over the +Division and had paid many visits to the trenches, was not only shot +but buried. Filled with righteous anger, I had the body disinterred +and a proper grave dug for it in front of a high tree which stands on +a hill at the back of the grounds. There, surrounded by stones, is the +turf-covered mound, and on the tree is nailed a white board with this +epitaph neatly painted in black:-- + + HERE LIES ALBERTA + of Albert + Shot April 24th, 1918. + + The dog that by a cruel end + Now sleeps beneath this tree, + Was just the little dog and friend + God wanted her to be. + +Alberta, much respected in life, was honoured in death, for nearly all +the men at Headquarters were present when she was buried, and one of +them told me that at a word from me they would lay out the police. (p. 253) +I should have liked to have given the word, but I told them that we +had a war on with the Germans, and that we had better not start +another till it was finished. On the following day the board with the +epitaph was placed in position in the presence of a Brigadier-General +and our kind-hearted and sympathetic C.R.E. I was so filled with +indignation at the loss of my companion, who, wherever I tied up +Dandy, would always mount guard over him and allow no one to approach +him, that I determined to seek a billet away from Headquarters, and +near the front. However, this intention was frustrated a day or two +later by an order which came through for our Division to go into rest +at a place called Le Cauroy, not far from the town of Frevent, and +about 15 kilometres to the southwest of Château d'Acq. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. (p. 254) + +SPORTS AND PASTIMES. + +_May and June, 1918._ + + +It was late in the evening when I reached the Château at Le Cauroy, +and I found that I was to be billeted in the house of the Curé, on one +side of the fine avenue of lime trees. Ross was waiting for me and +took the horse, and I went inside to my room. A curious sensation came +over me of having seen the place before. It seemed as if I had been +there in one of my dreams, but the mystery was cleared up on the +following day by my finding out from the Vicaire that this was the +place where I had spent such a gloomy Sunday on the 22nd of October, +1916, during our return from the Somme. The count who owned the +Château was naval attaché to the French Embassy in London, but his +wife and children, with the servants, occupied apartments on the right +wing of the building. The presence of a lady gave a special charm to +the place, and tennis on a good court under the trees in the park was +most enjoyable. On several occasions some of our Canadian Sisters from +the C.C.S. at Frevent honoured us with their presence at dinner, which +was followed by a dance. Under the trees in the avenue, a most +picturesque open theatre was erected by the engineers, and here our +concert party gave us nightly performances of their new play, which +was called "The Marriage Market." Hundreds of men from the battalions +around would sit on the soft grass under the overhanging trees through +which we could see the stars, and on the brightly lighted stage, with +the orchestra in front, we had an exhibition of real talent. The +weather was delightful and the men enjoyed a holiday in the country. +At a little distance behind the Château there was a clear stream +blocked by an ancient mill-dam. Here we could get a swim and bask in +the sun in the long cool grass. Altogether we were very happy at Le +Cauroy. + +A great change had come over the war at this time, for Foch had +assumed the supreme command. While we had had excellent leaders all +through the campaign, one always felt that there was a need for some +electrifying personality at the head of things. In a mysterious (p. 255) +way the knowledge that Foch had taken the conduct of the war in hand +gave us just that touch of magnetism which we needed. As matters +stood, the German attacks had been successful up to a certain point, +but we were still waiting for their main offensive. When or where this +was to begin we did not know, but we were convinced that it would be, +for us, a life or death struggle. The fact that Foch was in command +and that he was keeping his head gave us confidence. He seemed like a +surgeon who shows his greatness by the very coolness with which he +performs some critical operation. The men were always asking if we +were losing the war, and I always told them that it was like this--the +Germans were advancing and losing and we were retreating and winning. +We practised daily the art of open warfare for which the country round +us offered splendid opportunities. We knew that we had been taken out +of the line in order to prepare to become "shock troops", and the +knowledge of this gave our life a great inspiration. + +It was the right policy, in view of what was before us, to give the +men all the amusement possible, so football and baseball were indulged +in freely by officers and men. We were too well trained now to worry +much about the future. In fact, although I had often preached on the +text, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," I never fully +acted upon the principle until I had been in the war for three years. +It is certainly the true secret of happiness and I hope that the +softer life of peace time will not rob one of it. When Mrs. Carlyle +was asked what caused her most suffering in life, she replied, "The +things which never happened," It would have surprised the people at +home if they could have seen the cheeriness and lightheartedness of +men who were being trained day by day to deliver the hammer strokes +which were to smash the huge war machine of Imperial Germany. + +The 2nd Brigade one day gave us a most successful circus in a large +field near our Headquarters. The arrangements and weather were +perfect, and the spectators were delighted with a performance that +surpassed Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Afternoon tea and dancing +followed at a chateau, and aeroplanes gave us a fine exhibition of the +skill of the new branch of the service by flying low and dropping +messages and red smoke bombs. I met one of the young airmen, and in a +fit of enthusiasm asked him if he would take me up with him some day. +He was quite keen about it, and asked me to let him know when to (p. 256) +send for me. Our plans, however, were upset a day or two afterwards by +the Headquarters of the Division moving off to the beautiful Château +at Villers Chatel. They left in the morning, and as usual I followed +leisurely on Dandy. I went through some pretty villages. No soldiers +were to be seen, and the quiet ordinary life of the people was +undisturbed by the war. The world was bathed in sunshine and the +fields were brilliant with new crops. Every little hamlet was +embowered in trees, and the small white houses with their red tiled +roofs spoke of peace. In the solemn light of evening I came to the +entrance gate of my new home. + +The Château of Villers Chatel was a fine modern building with an old +round tower at one end. This tower is all that remains of the original +structure, but it was kept in good condition and the interior was most +artistically arranged. My room was in the garret and was approached by +a spiral staircase, very narrow and steep. The Château was enlivened +by the presence of two Countesses; both very pleasant ladies who had +their own apartments and who kindly entertained us at night in their +cheery drawing-room. On the wide lawn in front of the Château a huge +chestnut tree stood, rich in leaves, with low boughs branching in all +directions and covering a wide radius, and with their tips almost +touching the grass. The tree furnished a green shelter for a large +number of persons. The sun could not penetrate the foliage, and the +giant trunk was covered with rugged bark beautifully coloured. Here, +on Sunday mornings, I placed my flag-covered altar, and Church Parade +was held under the tree. The men, over a hundred in number, stood in a +semi-circle in front of me, and the bright sunlight beyond the rim of +overhanging boughs lit up the green grass around. It was one of the +most beautiful places imaginable for a church service, and the +branches made a vaulted roof overhead. On one side of the garden was a +large and elaborate cement grotto, and a statue of the Blessed Virgin +stood in a niche at the back. Seats for worshippers were placed in +front. The Countesses were moved by piety to keep a number of candles +blazing in the grotto all night, invoking thereby the protection of +Our Lady. Our staff, who walked not by faith but by sight, were much +worried by the strong light which could easily be seen from a German +aeroplane. However, no one could muster up courage enough to interfere +with the devotion of our hostesses, and as a matter of fact we never +had any bombing raids at Villers Chatel. It was a question among (p. 257) +the officers as to whether our immunity should be attributed to the +power of prayer or to extraordinary good-luck. + +At the end of the lawn facing the Château was a forest of magnificent +trees. It was in the fields at the back of this wood that we had held +the memorial service for the 2nd Brigade, which I have already +described. One of the forest paths was in the form of a pergola. The +trees had been trimmed so that the boughs overhead were interlaced and +it went for about half a mile into the forest, like the vaulted aisle +of a church. The sunlight through the green leaves overhead cast on +the pathway a mysterious light suggestive of fairyland. + +Our battalions were once more in their old billets in the +neighbourhood, and as we were still at rest I had many opportunities +of visiting them. How well I remember going about and delivering my +lecture on our leave trip to Rome. As I look back upon my +war-memories, I think that those talks were the most delightful +experiences I have ever had. I really had nothing to say, but I knew +that anything which could occupy and amuse the minds of those brave +lads, who were daily preparing to hurl themselves against the enemy, +was worth while. I would go to the C.O. of a battalion and say, +"Colonel, I would like to come and give your men a talk on our leave +trip to Rome." He would always take the matter very seriously, +thinking I had some learned discourse on architecture, or some other +absolutely futile subject to give the men. But being too polite to +tell me to go to Jericho, or somewhere else, he would say, "Yes, I am +sure it would be very interesting. How long will the lecture last?" On +my replying, "About two hours and a half," his countenance would fall. +He was struggling between his fear of offending me and his fear of +doing something which would bore the men. Sometimes colonels would +say, "That's a long lecture." But I urged them to take my word for it +and to let the thing go ahead, and if I saw I was boring the men I +would stop. So the lecture would be announced. I suppose I must have +given it to something like twenty thousand men. I would arrive at the +battalion headquarters in the afternoon, have dinner with the C.O. and +Adjutant in their billet, and then walk over to some pleasant field on +which a thousand men were drawn up in line, presenting a most proper +military appearance. The sun would be setting behind the trees which +skirted the parade ground, and, after telling the Colonel and (p. 258) +other officers to keep in the background, I would go over in front +of the battalion and tell them that the Colonel had handed the parade +over to me, and that they were to break ranks and sit on the ground as +close as possible. At once military stiffness was dispelled, and amid +much laughter the men would crowd around and squat on the ground +tightly packed together. Imagine what a picture that was. Splendid +stalwart young men they were, hundreds and hundreds of them, with +healthy merry faces, and behind them in the distance the green trees +and the sunset. Of course smoking was allowed, and I generally had +some boxes of cigarettes to pass round. Then I would tell them of our +trip to Rome and of my following out the injunction of making the most +of a fortnight's leave by turning it into three weeks; of my puzzling +the R.T.O. in Paris by asking for transportation to Rome via +Marseilles, as we had abandoned the idea of travelling via Calcutta on +account of the submarine menace; of my being unable to enter the +Casino at Monte Carlo because officers were not admitted in uniform, +and the only mufti I had brought with me was my pyjamas which I had +left at the hotel; of the two casualties in the Paris barrage; of the +time I gave C.B. to "Yorky" when I saw he had partaken too freely of +coffee, and of the delightful memories of Italy which we had brought +back with us. The talk was not all humorous. I managed to get in many +little sermons between the lines, or as I put it, "the lecture was +impregnated with the poison of morality." Men assimilated that poison +more readily when handed out to them in such doses. Then the sun would +set and the evening shadows lengthen, and finally the stars would come +out over the scene and the mass of men before me would merge into one +great blur, which sent up, nevertheless, roars of merry laughter. What +appealed to them most was the way a padré and forty-four wild +Canadians, in the biggest war the world has ever known, were able to +break through the Hindenburg line of army red tape. + +Our machine gun battalion was quartered south of the St. Pol road at a +place called Averdoignt. It was a lovely little village, very quiet +and well away from the line, with pretty orchards and a stream at the +back. When it was only possible to have a voluntary service in the +evening, I would get a group of men as a body-guard and start off down +the village to the quaint old church, halting at every farmyard on the +way and calling out to those billeted there, "Come on, you heathen, +come to the voluntary church parade." In the most good-natured (p. 259) +way, dragging their reluctant pals with them, men would come out and +swell our ranks until, by the time we reached the church, there was a +good congregation. There against the wall of the building I would +plant a table borrowed from the Curé's house, make it into an altar, +distribute hymn books, and start the service, while the evening lights +in the sky tinged the scene with a soft beauty. + +When we were in the line the machine-gunners were always split up into +small sections over the front, their guns of course being very +carefully concealed. In consequence, just when I thought I had reached +an area which was quite uninhabited, I would stumble on some queer +little hole, and, on calling down it to see if there were any men +there, the answer would be, "The machine-gun battalion," and I would +find myself among friends. At Averdoignt they had one of the best rest +billets they ever had, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. + +Owing to the great distance which I had to cover in doing my parish +visiting among the battalions, the difficulty of transportation, which +had been serious from the beginning, became even more pressing, and +some good friend suggested to me on the quiet that I should try to get +a Clino, (that is a machine-gun side-car) from the Motor Machine-Gun +Brigade. With great trepidation, I made an excursion one day to their +headquarters at Verdrel. The O.C. was most kind and sympathetic. I +shall never cease to invoke blessings upon his head. He took me over +to the machine-shop and there presented to me, for my use until it +should be recalled, a new Clino which had just come up from the base. +The officer in charge uttered a protest by saying that they only had +six Clinos for the Brigade, but the major remarked dryly, "And after +Canon Scott has got his we shall only have five." Surely once again +the Lord had provided for me. I was driven back to the Château in the +new machine, but then had to find a driver. One was provided by the +signallers. He was a graduate in science of McGill, so I used to lay +stress upon my personal greatness from the fact that I had a university +graduate for my chauffeur. Many and varied were the drives which Lyons +and I had together, and many and varied were our adventures. Had the +Clino not been both exceedingly strong and very new it would have come +to grief long before it did. To go rattling down the St. Pol road at +forty-five kilometres an hour was a frequent occurrence. All I had to +sit upon was a seat without arms, while my foot rested on a bar in (p. 260) +front. People asked me how it was I did not tumble off. I told them +that I tied myself to the back of the seat with my spinal cord. I got +the sappers to make me a large box which fitted on the back of the +vehicle and had a padlock. In it I used to carry my bag of a thousand +hymn books and other necessaries for church parades, and on the top of +the box, as a protection to my car, I had the words "Canon Scott" +painted in large white letters. The dust as we threaded our way +through the streams of lorries almost choked us, but we could cover +the ground in a short space of time which was a great thing. Lyons +never managed the lights very successfully, and one rainy night after +midnight, when I was returning from saying good-bye to the artillery +who were moving South, in a lonely part of the road he ran the machine +into some bushes on a bank by the wayside, and we found ourselves +sitting in the mud without our hats. We did not know where we were and +the rain was heavy, but we managed to disentangle the car and finally +got home, resolving that further night excursions were out of the +question. About a fortnight afterwards I received an order to return +the Clino, but before I did so I journeyed to Corps Headquarters and +made a passionate appeal to General Currie for its retention. As a +result I received a private intimation to keep the car and say nothing +about it. Of course I was the envy of everyone, and when they asked me +how I got the Clino I said I did not exactly know. Whether it was sent +to me from heaven with the assistance of General Currie, or whether it +was sent to me from General Currie with the assistance of heaven, was +a theological question which I had no time to go into during the war. +When our Division was marching into Germany, after I was knocked out +of the campaign, the dear old signallers used to patch up the Clino, +even making new parts for it, in order that Canon Scott's car might +get into Germany. Alas! the poor thing, like the one-horse shay, went +to pieces finally one day and had to be left at Mons. During those +last busy months, I do not know how I could have got on without it. + +As I was a bit under the weather at this time my friend, General +Thacker, invited me to go and stay with him at his headquarters in the +Château at Berles, where I was given a charming room looking out on +the garden. I found myself in the midst of the artillery brigades who +were now at rest, and very pleasant it was to see them away from the +unwholesome gun-pits where they were usually to be found. I could (p. 261) +lie on the grass in the garden, read one of Trollope's novels and +listen to the birds overhead. A walk through the wood led to a huge +field of scarlet poppies, which, when the sun shone upon it, made a +blaze of colour which I have never seen equalled. As one approached +it, one could see the red glow light up the stems of the trees as +though they were aflame. + +We had many boxing and baseball contests, which roused great excitement, +but the crowning glory of the time was the Divisional sports which +were held in a large field at a place called Tincques on the St. Pol +road. A grandstand and many marquees had been erected, and the various +events gave great delight to the thousands of spectators. In the +evening our concert party gave a performance on the stage in the open +air, which was witnessed by a large and enthusiastic audience. After +it was all over, I unexpectedly met my airman friend, Johnny Johnson, +who told me that he had been waiting a long time to take me up in his +machine. I explained to him that, owing to our headquarters having +moved away to Le Cauroy, I thought it was too far off to get in touch +with him. In my secret heart, I had looked upon my removal as a +special intervention of Providence on my behalf, but Johnny was not +disposed, however, to allow any difficulty to stand in the way, so it +was arranged that he should send for me at Berles the following day +and take me to the headquarters of the 13th Squadron at +Izel-les-Hameaux. There was nothing for it but to jump with alacrity +at such a noble offer, so on the following morning I started off in +the Squadron's car for their headquarters. + +My pilot had gone off to bring up the new machine which was to take me +on my first aerial voyage. The Squadron had most comfortable billets +in huts, and were a most charming lot of young men. A Canadian amongst +them, taking pity upon a fellow-countryman, gave me a kind introduction +to his fellow officers. Johnny Johnson returned in the afternoon, and +during tea I heard him explaining to the other men that he had had his +choice of two machines, an old machine with a new engine and the other +a new machine with an old engine. Although I was engaged in conversation +at the other end of the table, I listened with great interest to this +discussion, and felt much relieved when I heard that Johnny's choice +of an old machine with a new engine was approved of by his hearers. He +told me that the air was very bumpy and that he would not take me up +until the sun was lower in the sky. Having arrived at that happy (p. 262) +state of inward peace which a man experiences when he goes off to the +dentist to have a tooth pulled, I did not mind when I was to be taken +up. At six o'clock, however, Johnny said we must get ready, so I was +provided with a fur-lined leather coat, leather helmet, goggles and a +large pair of fur gauntlets. We went over to the aerodrome where our +fiery steed was champing its bit as though longing to spring into the +"vast inane." Two or three attendants were getting it ready. It was an +R.E.8 plane and a machine gun was fixed on one side. Johnny climbed +into his position and I took a seat behind him. An attendant came up +and asked my name and address. It sounded as if I were making my last +will and testament. I had a letter with me addressed to my son which I +was to drop over his battery lines in Liévin, and also a red smoke +bomb but declined an invitation to take any more formidable weapon. +Then I told my pilot not to be anxious about me whatever happened. I +always expected to be killed at the front so never worried how or when +the event was to occur. The engine was then started. For a time the +machine meandered about the field without showing any disposition to +mount into the air and I was beginning to think, like the Irishman who +was taken for a ride one day in a sedan chair that had no bottom in +it, that, "If it were not for the honour and glory of the thing I +might as lief walk," when, all of a sudden, we began to plunge, left +the ground, and, mid a fearful buzzing, mounted higher and higher. We +rose over the huts and above the village trees and then by a corkscrew +motion which necessitated the machine going almost on its edge, we +made our way heavenwards. I did not feel the least bit seasick but it +was a curious sensation to look down and see absolutely nothing +between me and the church of Izel-les-Hameaux crowned by its sharp +pointed spire with no cork on it. I looked at my young friend in front +of me, who was busy with the handles and cranks of his machine. He was +only a boy of nineteen and my fate was literally in his hands, but his +head was well set on his shoulders and he seemed completely +self-possessed and confident. After we had mounted to six thousand +feet, we struck out in the direction of the front. + +It was a lovely afternoon and a most wonderful panorama spread below +us. The great plain beneath us was marked off like a chessboard in +squares of various shades of yellow and green, dotted here and there +with little villages surrounded by the billowy crests of trees. We saw +straight white roads going off in all directions, and beyond, (p. 263) +towards the east, low murky clouds behind the German lines. We flew on +and on till we reached the war zone and here the fields were marked by +horse-tracks and the villages had been hit with shells. Before us in +the distance I saw the line of our observation balloons and thought, +if anything happened to the machine, I would get out into one of them, +but when we passed over them they looked like specks on the ground +below. I could see the blue ribbon of the Scarpe winding off into the +great mists to the east, and then beneath us lay the old city of +Arras. I could see the ruined Cathedral, the mass of crooked streets +and the tiny, dusty roads. Further on was the railway triangle, where +one night later on I got a good dose of gas, and then I saw the +trenches at Fampoux and Feuchy. Still onward we sailed, till at last +Johnny Johnson shouted back, at the same time pointing downwards, "The +German trenches." I saw the enemy lines beneath us, and then Johnny +shouted, "Now I am going to dip." It was not the thing I specially +wanted to do at that particular moment, but I supposed it was all +right. The plane took a dive, and then Johnny leaned over and fired +off some rounds of the machine gun into the German lines. We turned to +come back and rose in the air, when, in the roar of the wind I heard a +bang behind me, and looking round saw, hanging in the air, a ball of +thick black smoke. Then there was another beneath us and some more at +one side. In all, the Germans followed us with six shells. Johnny +turned round and shouted, asking me how I felt. "Splendid", I said, +for I really did enjoy the novelty of the experience. Many times have +I looked up into the clouds and seen a machine followed by "Archies" +and wondered what it felt like to be up there, and now I knew. One +phrase however, which I had often read in the newspapers kept ringing +in my ears--"Struck the petrol tank and the machine came down in +flames." And the last verse of "Nearer my God to Thee," also ran +through my head, "Or if on joyful wing upwards I fly." We turned now +to the right and flew over Vimy Ridge, and then made two or three +turns round Liévin where, above his battery, I dropped the letter for +my son. It was delivered to him two weeks afterwards in a hospital in +London. We flew out over Lens and crossed the German lines again, +skirting the district which the Germans had flooded and then turned +our faces homewards. Above the Château at Villers Chatel, I dropped +the red smoke bomb. We circled round in the air at a great height +while I wrote on a piece of paper, "Canon Scott drops his blessing +from the clouds on 1st Canadian Divisional Headquarters," and put (p. 264) +it in the little pocket of leaded streamers. Alas, it was lost in a +wheat field and so did not do them any more good than the other blessings +I have dropped upon them. We then turned to Berles where I could see +beneath me the old house and the tiny beings in white playing tennis +on the court. We reached the aerodrome at Izel-les-Hameaux and landed +safely after being in the air for fifty-five minutes. It was a most +delightful experience for a non-combatant. The next day the engine of +the machine gave out and Johnny Johnson was compelled to make a forced +landing. Luckily it was behind our lines. I went several times again +to try to have another flight, but from the excuses made I inferred +that joy-rides of this description had been banned. The following year +in London I heard by accident that poor Johnny Johnson had been killed +a few weeks after our trip. He was a splendid young fellow and +absolutely without fear. May his brave soul rest in peace. + +Nearly two months had passed since we had been in the line, and the +Germans had made no attack. We wondered what had happened to them. I +thought that perhaps influenza had laid them low. At any rate we were +not anxious to end the happy time we were having. The climax of our +glory was reached on the 1st of July when we celebrated the birthday +of the Dominion by Corps sports on the field at Tincques. It was a +most wonderful occasion. + +Dominion Day fell on a Monday, and on the previous afternoon, knowing +that large bodies of men, including the contestants, were congregated +at Tincques, I determined to go over and pay them a visit. I found the +village full of troops and all very keen about the next day's show. In +a little lane, were some 1st Division men, and they were enjoying the +excitement of a game which was very popular at the front, called +"Crown and Anchor." It is played with special dice on a board or +square of green canvas. On the canvas were painted an anchor and crown +and I think a heart and spade. The game was banned by the army on +account of its unfairness. The banker had, I think, sixty-four chances +to one in his favour. The consequence of this was that very soon he +became possessed of all the money which green youths, unsuspecting +their disadvantage, chose to lay on the board. This game, in the hands +of a sharper, was often the means of robbing a battalion of very large +sums of money; sometimes forty thousand francs were made by the banker. +The police had orders to arrest anyone playing it and I used to (p. 265) +do my best to stamp it out. Though I do not play for money myself, +I never could see any great harm in those poor boys out there getting +a little relaxation from their terrible nervous strain by a game of +bridge or poker for a few francs. But a game which was founded wholly +on dishonesty was something which I felt was unworthy of our men. +Whenever I saw them crowding round a little spot on the grass I knew +there was a game of crown and anchor going on, and I would shout, +"Look out, boys, I am going to put the horse on the old mud hook"--a +phrase I had heard the men use--and then canter Dandy into their midst +scattering them in all directions. Over and over again I have gone +into a ring of men and given the banker five minutes to decide whether +he would hand over his board and dice to me or have his name reported +to the police. He never failed to do the former, although sometimes he +looked rather surly at losing a very fruitful source of revenue. I +have brought home with me enough crown and anchor dice to make the +mouth of an old soldier water. On this occasion I became possessed of +the crown and anchor board and the dice in the usual way. But, as the +men said they wanted to have some amusement, I went to an officer's +billet and got a pack of cards for them, and they settled down to a +game of poker. + +Some pious souls proposed that I should have a service that evening in +the field where the sports were to be held. I thought that it would be +a good idea, but was not sure how large a congregation I should have. +I got together a little body-guard in the village and we went off +collecting stragglers by the way. When we came to the corner of the +field where I proposed to hold my service, we found to my dismay that +it was full of masses of men crowding around what I knew were crown +and anchor boards on the ground. I did not mind doing police work in +my own Division, where I was known by the men, but I did not feel +called upon to act as A.P.M. for the Corps, so I had to start another +line of campaign. I marched on at the head of my congregation straight +into the midst of the gamblers. The men on the outskirts saw me coming +and I could see them warning the players. Those sitting on the ground +stood up and wondered what was going to happen. Looking very serious, +I went right through the crowd, without saying anything, to a distance +on the other side, and then the curiosity of the men was aroused and +they all followed. When I stood still I found myself surrounded by +hundreds of men who were waiting to see what I was going to do. (p. 266) +Without a smile, I pulled out the crown and anchor board from my pocket +and, to the astonishment of all, laid it on the ground and called out, +in the gamblers' language, "Who is for the old sergeant-major?" Never +before have I seen such an expression of surprise on people's faces. +Among the crowd were some Imperial soldiers and they could not make +out what sort of padré I was. For a moment, in spite of the grinning +countenances of the 1st Division men, there was a pause of silent +horror. Then they all burst into a roar of laughter, and I told them I +had come out there that evening, as it was Sunday, to hold a service +and did not know what text to take for a sermon. Now they had given me +one. I held up the crown and anchor board and said I was going to +preach about that, and I delivered a discourse on honesty. When it was +over, they asked me to give my lecture on our leave trip to Rome. I +thought it might be a good diversion for the time. My side-car was +brought up, and sitting on it, in the midst of the men, who crowded +about me on the ground, I gave them a long talk which lasted until it +was too dark for any more crown and anchor. + +The next day brought us glorious weather, and from early in the +morning battalions were pouring into Tincques. The grounds were +splendidly laid out and bordered with many stands and marquees. There +must have been nearly forty-thousand spectators present. The Duke of +Connaught, Sir Robert Borden, and all sorts of great people attended, +and the playing of "O Canada" by the massed bands was something which, +as a British General told me, made a big lump come in one's throat. It +was the last Dominion Day we were to spend in France. We were on the +eve of tremendous events, and it was a splendid manifestation of +Canada's glory at the front. There was such a gathering of old friends +who had not met for years, that one really could not attend to the +various events and sports that were taking place. We met for a moment, +and the old days would be talked over, and then we parted, some, alas, +never to meet again in this world. That vast crowd which fringed the +huge expanse of ground was quite the most thrilling spectacle that +Canadians had ever seen. Tincques must be a quiet place now, and +perhaps only a few marks in the great field still remain to show where +the sports were held. But there were gathered there that day the vast +host of noble gentlemen who saved the honour and freedom of our young +country. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. (p. 267) + +THE BEGINNING OF THE END. + +_July to August 7th, 1918._ + + +The possession of a side-car gave me the opportunity of getting much +further afield in my visits. Our 1st Divisional wing, where the new +drafts were received and trained for the front line, was at this time +back in a place called Loison, in the quiet and beautiful country +between St. Pol and General Headquarters. I had done a great deal of +parish visiting among our battalions in rest and given the story of my +leave trip to Rome many times, so I thought I would make an excursion +to the Base. We had a delightful trip down the St. Pol road through +little villages and towns which looked as they did in pre-war days. +The country where the Divisional wing was stationed was very charming. +It was well watered by many pretty rivers, and hills covered with +trees gave diversity to the landscape. I told the men they were living +in a land flowing with milk and honey. I stayed at the headquarters of +the wing in a delightful old house on a hill surrounded with fine +trees. Each Brigade had its own reserve, so there were many men in the +village, and an old mill pond enabled me to have two or three good +swims. In a Y.M.C.A. tent, courses of lectures in connection with the +Khaki University were being given on various subjects. One evening, +naturally I gave them a talk on our leave trip to Rome. On another, in +a corner of the field, I gave them an informal lecture on English +literature. Having got so far from home, I determined to go a little +further, and so we made a trip to Boulogne, where my son who had been +gassed was still in a C.C.S., and that afternoon on our return we went +to Montreuil to see what G.H.Q. looked like. I was told that Montreuil +was a very picturesque old walled city, but that we should not be +allowed to enter. However, I had been able to do so many forbidden +things in the war that I thought it would be worth trying, so the old +Clino sped over the hard macadamized roads from Boulogne till we came +to the valley on the opposite side of which the town is situated. We +saw many cars coming and going, and many troops by the way, and +finally we sped up the hill which leads to the entrance gate. A sentry +was standing there, who saluted most properly, and we passed into (p. 268) +the sacred city without molestation. It was a delightful old French +town, full of historical interest. The narrow streets and quaint old +buildings carried one back in thought to the days of chivalry and +battles waged by knights in shining armour. We saw some of the +churches, and then went to the officers' club for tea. The waitresses +at the club were English girls who had taken the place of the men +needed at the front. I got them to provide for my friend Lyons in +their sitting-room, and I went in to have tea with the officers. A +great many were there sitting at small tables. It was interesting to +see the badges of so many different regiments. Most of the officers +had a good supply of ribbons, and a few of them had lost an eye or a +limb, or bore other marks of wounds. I think that almost all of them +were staff officers and that some of them were generals. It struck me +that the atmosphere to a stranger was rather chilly. The demeanour of +the people was much less free than that which we had been accustomed +to at the front. Of course Montreuil held the brains of the army, and +it was quite right that the directing intelligences there should feel +the loftiness of their position. I made up two lines as I was having +tea, which I thought hit off the mental attitude of some of the +officers present, when they saw a stranger and looked him up and down +through their monocles, + + "I'm on the staff of the G.H.Q., + And I'd like to know who the devil are you?" + +There had been such a democratic upsetting of traditions and customs +in the Service, owing to the obliteration of the original British +Army, that it was quite refreshing to find that a remnant of Israel +had been saved. + +I paid two visits to the Divisional wing within a few days of each +other, and on one occasion, on a baking July day, addressed a +battalion of draftees who were about to be sent up to the front. They +were a fine looking lot of men and knew their drill. Poor boys, they +little knew what was in store for them in those last hundred days of +the war. + +Rumours were current now that the time for our great attack had come, +so there were no more joy-rides for me to the pleasant fields and +society of Loison. On my return on July 14th I found our Headquarters +once again at Etrun, and our Division were holding their old (p. 269) +trenches to the north and south of the Scarpe. Once more I had the +pleasure of sleeping in Pudding trench and doing what I called +"consolidating the line." I did a good deal of parish visiting in the +trenches at this time. I felt that big changes might occur at any +moment, and I wanted to be with the men in any ordeal through which +they might have to pass. Very strange scenes come before me as I look +back upon those days before our great attack. One night I stayed with +the gallant Colonel of the Canadian Scottish at Tilloy. His +headquarters were in No Man's Land, and the front trench ran in a +semi-circle to the rear. The Colonel, having found a good German +dugout in the cellars of the ruined chateau, preferred to make his +headquarters there. We did not know where the enemy's front line was, +and our men were doing outpost duty in shell-holes further forward. +They had to be visited every two hours when it was dark, to see that +all was well. That night I asked the Colonel if I might go out with +the patrol. He demurred at first, and then gave his consent only on +condition that I should take off my white collar, and promise not to +make any jokes with the men on duty for fear they should laugh and +give away our position. I made my promise and started with the patrol +officer and his runner. It was a curious sensation wandering off in +the darkness as silently as possible, tripping now and then on bits of +wire and almost slipping into the trenches. We came to the different +shell-holes and whispered conversations were held. The sentries seemed +surprised when I spoke to them, as they could not recognize me in the +darkness. I whispered that I had promised the Colonel not to tell any +funny stories for fear they should laugh, so I merely gave them the +benediction, in return for which spiritual function I got a very warm +handshake. To do outpost duty in a place like that must have been more +interesting than pleasant, for at all times the sentries had to keep +straining their eyes in the darkness to see if a patrol of the enemy +was coming to surprise them. On our return we saw some shells falling +to the right in the shadowy desolation of what was called Bully-beef +Wood. + +On another occasion, I was coming out near Feuchy along the railway +triangle when the Germans dropped some gas shells in the cutting. Two +of the men and I were talking together, and we had just time to dive +into Battalion Headquarters and pull down the gas blankets. We put on +our helmets, but not before we had got a dose of the poison. As I sat +there with my throat burning, I was filled with alarm lest I (p. 270) +should lose my voice and be unable in the future to recite my poems. +It was hard enough, as it was, to keep my friends long enough to hear +my verses, but I thought that if I had to spell them out in deaf-and-dumb +language no one would ever have patience to wait till the end. +However, after a few days my throat got better, and my friends were +once again forced to lend me their ears. + +The railway triangle was a well-known place, and any men who may have +lived in some of the dugouts along the banks are not likely to forget +it. In the valley there was a large artificial lake in which I had +some of the most pleasant swims I have ever enjoyed, although the +waters were sometimes stirred up by the advent of a shell. + +It was part of our strategy to let our men get the impression that we +were going to stay in the trenches before Arras for a long time. We +had several raiding parties with a view to finding out the position +and strength of the enemy, and our C.C.S.'s were well equipped and +looked as if they were going to remain there forever. Our Corps +Headquarters, too, were not far from Etrun, and the concentration of +Canadians in the neighbourhood gave us the impression that we had +found a more than temporary resting place. An American Chaplain was +sent up to stay with me for a visit in order to see what conditions +were like at the front. He was a Lutheran, although not of German +extraction. I took him up to Arras one night, where we had dinner with +the engineers, and afterwards saw the 10th Battalion start off for the +trenches. He was much impressed with the spirit and appearance of the +men. It was late when we got back to my quarters, and to my surprise +on the next morning an order came through that the American Chaplain +had to return immediately. Neither he nor I could understand it. I +began to think he must have got into some scrape, as no explanation +was given. The real reason came out afterwards. + +On August 1st our Division suddenly packed up and started once more +for Le Cauroy. We knew now that big things were in store for us and +that the Canadian Corps were going to attack. We heard rumours of the +preparations the French and Americans had made in the South, and we +felt that at last the Allies were going to get the initiative into +their hands. Whither we were going, however, we did not know, but we +all devoutly hoped that it would not be the Salient. The secret of our +destination was kept most profoundly. We were told that everything (p. 271) +depended upon our holding our tongues and exciting as little curiosity +as possible among the inhabitants. Once again, as before Vimy, but to +even a greater extent, we felt the electric thrill which kindles the +imagination of an army going into battle. The rapid move which the +Canadian Corps now made was the most sporting thing we ever did, and +it appealed strongly to the hearts of young men who were keen on games +and had been inured to a hardy life in Canada. Swiftly and secretly +the battalions entrained at various points and left for parts unknown. +I went in my side-car to the machine-gun headquarters at Liencourt, +and on the next day to the Curé's house at Le Cauroy. I found out from +Headquarters that our Division was going south within a day or so, but +that I was not to tell the men. The brigades were billeted in the +neighbouring villages, but were soon to move. I was only one day at Le +Cauroy, and on the 3rd of August, after a rainy morning, started off +in my side-car for Hornoy, a little village not far from Amiens. We +left Le Cauroy in the afternoon, and soon the sun came out making the +freshly washed country more beautiful than ever. It was very interesting +finding our way by the map, and as we neared our destination I met +many friends in the other divisions who were stationed in the villages +through which we passed. By the time we reached Hornoy, the sun had +set. My billet was to be with the Curé. I went over to the neat white +Presbytère which was approached by a large gate leading into the +garden. The old man came to meet me at the door of his house, and put +me through a lot of questions in what I thought was a needlessly gruff +manner. I found out afterwards that he was very kind, and that his +gruffness was only assumed. He gave me a room upstairs comfortably +furnished, and invited me to come into his office whenever I pleased. +The church, which could be entered from the garden, was in good order, +and parts of it were very old. The day after we arrived at Hornoy was +Sunday, August 4th. It was the fourth anniversary of our declaration +of war, and I had hoped to hold a big service for the men. Unfortunately, +we were all scattered and, as our hymn books did not turn up, having +been confiscated as a reprisal by some of the crown and anchor men, my +plans were frustrated. In the afternoon I went by side-car to Amiens +and found the city looking very different from its appearance on my +last visit. The streets were absolutely deserted. Many of the houses +had been damaged by shells. The Cathedral roof itself had been (p. 272) +pierced in some places and the noble interior looked very dreary, the +floor of the nave being covered with bits of broken stone and glass. +It was sad to think that it might share the fate of Rheims. Some +Canadians were wandering about the streets rather disconsolately. The +empty city gave one a terrible sense of loneliness. On the following +evening about midnight the 16th Battalion and the 3rd Battalion of +Engineers passed through Hornoy in trains, going forward. + +Our own orders to move came two days later, on August 7th, and I left +for St. Feuchien. I went off in my side-car to the quaint old village. +It is situated on the top of a low hill, and consists of a few streets +and some large buildings standing in their own grounds. One of these +was the country home of the Archbishop of Amiens, and this was to be +our billet. I entered the grounds by a broken-down gate and drew up in +front of a large brick building, one wing of which was a chapel and +kept locked up. In front of the building was a well full of empty tins +and other refuse. The interior of the place had once been quite fine, +but was now absolutely filthy, having been used as billets. The +billiard tables, however, could still be used. The room assigned to me +was on the ground floor at the back. The dirt on the floor was thick, +and a sofa and two red plush chairs were covered with dust. A bed in +the corner did not look inviting, and through the broken windows +innumerable swarms of blue-bottle flies came from the rubbish heaps in +the yard. The weather was very hot and there was apparently no water +for washing. I made an inspection of the building upstairs, but all +the rooms had been assigned to different officers. The Archbishop's +room was very large with a huge bed in it, but wore an air of soiled +magnificence. + +Everybody was in a great rush and, although I did not know when our +attack was to take place, I felt that it might happen at any moment; +and so, not worrying about my billet, I started off in my side-car to +see General Thacker at Château Longeau. I found, as I passed through +Boves and other villages, that the whole Canadian Corps was +concentrated in the neighbourhood. The dusty roads were crowded with +lorries, tanks, whippets and limbers, besides numbers of men. When I +got to Château Longeau I found, to my surprise, that the General had +gone to Battle Headquarters in Gentelles Wood, and an officer whom I +met on the road told me that zero hour was on the following morning. I +determined therefore not to return to the archiepiscopal palace (p. 273) +at St. Feuchien, but to go off to the attack. I returned to Boves, +where, having washed and shaved, I had dinner in a damaged house with +some officers of a light trench mortar battery, and after dinner +started on my way to Gentelles Wood. It was a time of intense +excitement. Less than a week ago we had been in the line at Arras, and +now we were about to make our great attack at Amiens. The warm summer +evening was well-advanced when I reached our Battle Headquarters +behind the wood. All the staff officers were so busy that to ask one a +question was like putting a spark to a powder magazine, so I kept out +of their way and journeyed up the road to the barrier beyond which no +vehicle was allowed to pass. I said good-bye to Lyons and then started +off to find the trenches from which the 16th Battalion was going to +lead the charge. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX. (p. 274) + +THE BATTLE OF AMIENS. + +_August 8th to 16th, 1918._ + + +It was strange and exhilarating to go off on an expedition of that +kind in the cool air and fading light of the evening. Something told +us that at last the hour of victory was drawing near. The moving of +the Corps had been so splendidly conducted and the preparation had +been so secret that success seemed assured. This was an achievement +which was completely different from all our past experience. The only +question was, had we taken the Germans by surprise, or were they +waiting with massed forces to resist our attack? As I left the outskirts +of the wood behind me, and made my way over the green plain, now +fading into the twilight, I passed a battalion of the 3rd Division +manning a line of trenches. I had a talk with some of the men and told +them that I had heard from a tank officer that nearly one thousand +tanks were to be engaged in the attack on the following morning. Far +over to the left, on a rise in the ground I saw the remains of a +village, and was told that a mud road across the fields would lead me +in the direction of the 1st Division front. I met as usual many men +whom I knew, and finally some officers of the 15th Battalion in a +dugout. The light began to fade and I had difficulty in seeing far +ahead of me, but the track at last brought me to a sunken road which +turned to the right. Here on the hillside more men were waiting in +dugouts, and I was directed to a quarry, on the top of which I was to +take a path that would lead me to a group of trees, where I should +find the Headquarters of the 16th Battalion. When I got to the quarry +I found many roads there, and whether it was that the information I +had received was incorrect, or that I was more than usually stupid, I +do not know. I wandered up and down for a long time, tripping over +bits of wire and slipping into holes, before I was able to get to the +top of the hill and look over in the direction of the German lines. At +last I found a track which had evidently been used by men going up to +the front. I went along it for a considerable distance and found +myself on what appeared to be a plateau, but as far as I could see, no +object stood out against the starry sky-line. Shells were falling in +the fields to the left, and at different points on the eastern (p. 275) +horizon the bright light of a German flare would tell us the position +of the enemy's lines. I went on for some distance, straining my eyes +in the darkness to see if I could discover any trees. I thought I had +lost my way again. Suddenly the dim figure of a man approached, and +when he came up to me, I found he belonged to one of the Imperial +Battalions from whom we were taking over the line. He asked me the way +to the quarry, and I was able to tell him. Then he gave me the +direction I had to take to reach my destination. I resumed my walk +along the narrow path and at last, to my great delight, I saw a black +object in the distance. When I came up to it I found it was the group +of trees for which I had been looking. The trees were growing out of a +curious round hole in the ground. Here, a signaller of the 16th +Battalion happened to turn up and acted as my guide. He led me down a +path to the bottom of the hole where were several dugouts. In one of +these I found more men of the Battalion. They were intensely keen over +the prospect of a great victory on the morrow. I was told that the +battalion and the companies which were going over in the first wave +were in advanced trenches to the left. So, after bidding the men +good-bye and good luck, I started off. At last I reached the trench, +and getting down into it found the Headquarters of the Battalion had +arrived there not long before. On asking where the Colonel was, I was +taken to a place where a piece of canvas hung down the side of the +trench. When this was lifted, I looked down into a little hole in the +ground and there saw the C.O., the Adjutant and another officer +studying a map by the light of a candle. The place was so tiny that I +had to crawl in backwards, and finding that there was no room for a +visitor, I soon took my departure. The Colonel ordered me to stay in +the trench, but I had made up my mind to go forward and see the +companies which were going over in the first wave. They lay along the +side of a road some distance down the slope in front of us. In making +my way there I passed a trench where the 5th Battalion was waiting to +follow up the advance. A German machine-gun was playing freely upon +the spot, but no one got hit. When I came to the advanced companies of +the 16th Battalion, I passed along their line and gave them my +blessing. It was splendid to meet and shake hands with those gallant +lads, so soon to make the attack. They were in high spirits in spite +of the seriousness of their enterprise. + +The barrage was to start at 4.20, so I left them about 4.10 to go (p. 276) +back to Battalion Headquarters in the trench, as I intended to follow +up the advance with the stretcher-bearers. On my way back I met the +Colonel, his orderly, and his piper, who a few minutes later was +killed in the attack. I shook hands with them, and the Colonel said, +"Now, Canon, if anything happens to me don't make any fuss over me; +just say a few words over me in a shell-hole." I said, "You will come +out all right, Colonel, there will be no shell-hole for you." Then, as +my senior officer, he ordered me back to the trench. I told him I +would go over the top with him if he wanted me to do so, but he would +not hear of it. When I got to the trenches only a few minutes remained +till the barrage was to start. I climbed up on the parapet and waited, +looking off into the darkness. It was a wonderful moment. When the +German flare-lights went up we could see that there was a wood on the +other side of the valley in front of us, and its outline began to grow +more distinct against the grey of the morning sky. I could see to +right and left a great stretch of country sloping gradually into the +darkness. Shells still fell behind our lines at intervals. Our own +guns were perfectly silent. What did the enemy's quietness portend? +Were the Germans aware of our contemplated assault? Were they lying in +full strength like a crouching lion ready to burst upon us in fury at +the first warning of our approach? Had all our precautions been in +vain? Or were we on the eve of a victory which was going to shatter +the iron dominion of the feudal monster? This was one of those +magnificent moments in the war which filled the soul with a strange +and wild delight. For months we had been preparing for this event, and +now it was upon us. The sky was growing lighter, and the constellation +of the Pleiades was beginning to fade in the sky above the outline of +the distant trees. I looked at my watch. Nearer and nearer the hands +crept to zero hour, but they move slowly at such times. Then at 4.20 +the long barrage burst in all its fury. The hissing rain of shells +through the air on a twenty mile front made a continuous accompaniment +to the savage roar of the thousands of guns along the line. Those guns +sent their wild music round the globe, and sounded that note of +victory which only ceased when the bells of the churches in all the +civilized world rang out their joyful peals at the signing of the +Armistice. + +Up went the German rockets and coloured lights calling for help, (p. 277) +and ever and anon a red glow in the sky told us that we had blown up +an ammunition dump. The noise was earth-shaking, and was even more +exhilarating than that of the barrage at Vimy. I was so carried away +by my feelings that I could not help shouting out, "Glory be to God +for this barrage!" The German reply came, but, to our delight, it was +feeble, and we knew we had taken them by surprise and the day was +ours. + +A strange sound behind us made us look around, and we saw the advancing +tanks creeping down the slope like huge grey beetles. Our men were +just in time to divert the course of one which threatened to cut our +telephone wires. Then the 5th Battalion got out of their trenches, and +the stretcher-bearers and I went off with them down the slope. The +wood through which the German lines ran was called Hangard Wood and +lay on the opposite side of the valley. Here and there lying in the +ripe grain which covered the fields were bodies of the wounded and +dead of the 13th and 16th Battalions. The stretcher-bearers set to +work to carry off those who had been hit. A sergeant followed me and +we skirted the wood looking for wounded, while he was able to become +possessor of a machine-gun and several German revolvers. The wheat had +been trampled down by the men in their charge, but was still high +enough in places to conceal a prostrate form. By this time the attack +had passed through the wood and the enemy were running before it. The +German artillery now concentrated their fire on the valley, which +soon, in the still morning air, became thick with smoke. It was +impossible to see more than a few yards in front of one. We heard the +crash of shells around us, but could not see where they burst. The sun +had not risen and we soon lost our way in the mist. We could not tell +from the direction of the sound which was the German barrage and which +was ours. + +I was going on ahead when I came to a large shell-hole that had been +made in some previous battle. At the bottom of it lay three apparently +dead Huns. I was looking down at them wondering how they had been +killed, as they were not messed about. I thought that they must have +died of shell-shock, until one of them moved his hand. At once I +shouted, "Kamarad", and to my intense amusement the three men lying on +their backs put up their hands and said, "Kamarad! mercy! mercy!" It +was most humorous to think that three human beings should appeal to me +to spare their lives. I told them in my best French to get up and +follow me, and I called out to the sergeant, "Sergeant, I have got (p. 278) +three prisoners." My desire to take a prisoner had been a standing +joke among our men. Whenever they were going into action I used to +offer them $25.00 to bring out a little German whom I might capture +all by myself. I used to tell them not to bring out a big one, as it +might look boastful for a chaplain. Here were three ready to hand for +which I had to pay nothing. We moved on through the smoke, a most +comical procession. The sergeant went ahead and I brought up the rear. +Between us went the three terror-stricken prisoners, crouching every +now and then when shells fell near us. At last we stumbled on a +company of the 2nd Battalion coming forward, and I called out to them, +"Boys, I got seventy-five dollars worth of Huns in one shell-hole." +Our gallant Canadians at once took the three unfortunate men, who +looked as if they expected to have their throats cut, and having +relieved them of the contents of their pockets and removed their +buttons and shoulder-straps, gave me one of the latter as a souvenir. + +When the prisoners were disposed of and sent back with others under +escort, I started forward again and seeing a tank coming down the hill +got on it and so went back into the battle. We passed quite easily +over some wide trenches, then when the machine came to a stop I got +off and made my way to the end of the valley and climbed to the higher +ground beyond. There I found myself in a wide expanse of country +covered by yellow grain and rolling off in hills to the distance. Here +and there I met wounded men walking back, and many German prisoners. +In the fields in different directions I could see rifles stuck, +bayonet downwards, in the ground, which showed that there lay wounded +men. I found that these were chiefly Germans, and all of them had +received hideous wounds and were clamouring for water. Poor men, I was +sorry for them, for I knew it would be long before they could be +carried out or receive medical attention, owing to the rapidity of our +advance. I made my way to each in turn and gave him a drink from some +of the water bottles which I carried round my belt. I think all the +Germans I saw that morning were dying, having been wounded in the +stomach. After attending, as far as it was possible, to their bodily +needs, I endeavoured to minister to their spiritual. As they happened +to be Roman Catholics, I took off the crucifix which I wore round my +neck and gave it to them. They would put up their trembling hands and +clasp it lovingly, and kiss it, while I began the Lord's Prayer (p. 279) +in German. This happened many times that day. One man who had a +hideous wound in the abdomen was most grateful, and when he handed me +back the crucifix he took my hand and kissed it. It was strange to +think that an hour before, had we met, we should have been deadly +enemies. At a crossroad further on the Germans must have concentrated +their fire when our men advanced, for many dead and wounded were lying +about. + +The sun was now high in the heavens and it became very hot, but the +autumn fields looked beautiful, and, as there were no hedges or +fences, the low rolling hills gave one the sense of great expanse, and +were an ideal ground for a battle on a large scale. While I was +looking after the wounded I heard the cheering of the 16th Battalion +who had reached their objective and were settling down to rest and to +have some food. I made my way to them and found the Colonel in high +glee over what his men had done. It had been a splendid routing of the +enemy. The Battalions of the 1st and 2nd Brigades followed up the +attack and were now moving forward, so I followed after them. It was a +delightful feeling to be walking through the golden harvest fields +with the blue sky overhead, and to know that we were advancing into +the enemy's land. It seemed as if by our own labours we had suddenly +become possessed of a vast property and that everything we found was +lawfully ours. It is no doubt that feeling which fills men with the +desire to loot in a conquered country. + +I had a magnificent view from the hill of the British Cavalry going into +action. Thousands of little horses in the distance on the vast plain +were galloping in a long line across the yellow fields, which reminded +one of the great battles of old, when mounted men, and not machine-guns +and gas-shells, were the determining factor. The store of water that I +had brought with me was now exhausted, but I was able to get a fresh +supply from the water-bottle of a dead man. The road that leads from +Gentelles to Caix winds through the valley to the right of the line of +our attack and follows a little stream. It is very narrow, and on that +day was so crowded with cavalry, ambulances and artillery moving +forward that every now and then it would become blocked. In a mill, +which the Germans had used partly as artillery headquarters and partly +as a depot for military stores, our men found a quantity of blankets, +coats and other useful articles. Our doctors established an aid-post +in the out-buildings, and made use of the materials which the enemy +had left behind in his flight. A section of our machine-gunners (p. 280) +was resting there, and it was a great refreshment to stop for a while +and have a good clean-up and a shave with a borrowed razor. We were so +parched with thirst that we drank out of the stream, in spite of the +fact that many shells had fallen into it. Our final objective was +still some miles away, so I started up the road, following after the +1st Brigade. + +The Germans, finding the game was up, had left many guns behind them +and blown up a large quantity of ammunition. One great heap of it lay +beside the river. Very pretty hamlets lay along the valley; we passed +one called Ignacourt, where there was a damaged church. We afterwards +established an ambulance there. I was very tired with my long walk, +not having had any sleep the night before, so was glad to get a lift +on an ambulance and go forward in the afternoon to the village of +Caix, which was the final objective of the 2nd Brigade. One of our +ambulances had taken over a building in the Square, but was shelled +out of it that night. The 10th Battalion had gone forward and taken +possession of trenches beyond the village. I went out to them and +there found the men in high spirits over the way the battle had gone. +The old red patch Division had advanced 14,000 yards, and so had +beaten the record of any division, British or enemy, during the War. +It was now late in the afternoon and no further attack that day was +contemplated. Before us on a slight rise in the ground lay the village +of Rosières, through which the road ran parallel to the trenches which +we held. Between us and the village was a slight dip in the ground, +and with glasses we could see lorries full of fresh German troops, +amid clouds of dust, making their way to a point in the village. There +they would stop and the men would get out and hurry down the fields +into the trenches. It looked as if they were going to make a +counter-attack. The situation was very disquieting. I was told by one +of the sergeants in our front line that we were in need of fresh +ammunition, and he asked me if I would let the Colonel know. I passed +through the trenches on my return and told the men how glorious it was +to think that we had pushed the Germans back and were now so many +miles from where we had started. I went back to Battalion Headquarters +and found that they were in a cottage on the eastern extremity of the +village. Across the road was a cavalry observation-post, where some +officers were watching Rosières and the arrival of German troops. (p. 281) +Luckily for us the Germans had no guns to turn upon us, although the +village of Caix was shelled constantly all night. Later on, some +batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery and our field guns, which had +come up, sealed the fate of the Germans and prevented a counter-attack. +A glorious sunset over the newly conquered territory made a fitting +close to a day of great deeds and high significance. When darkness +fell and the stars looked out of the quiet sky, I said good-night to +my cavalry friends, whose billets were down in a hollow to the right, +and started off to find some place to sleep. + +The cellars of the cottage occupied by the Colonel were crowded, so I +went to the village and seeing some men entering a gateway followed +them. It was the courtyard of a large building, presumably a brewery. +The runners of the battalion had found a deep cellar where they had +taken up their abode. I asked if I might sleep with them for the +night. The cellar was not particularly inviting, but it was well below +the ground and vaulted in brick. The floor was simply earth and very +damp. Two candles were burning in a box where a corporal was making +out the ration-list for the men. I got two empty sandbags to put on +the floor to keep me from getting rheumatism, and lying on them and +using my steel helmet as a pillow I prepared to sleep. The runners, +except those on duty, did the same. Our feet met in the centre of the +room and our bodies branched off like the spokes of a wheel. When +anyone turned and put his feet on one side we all had to turn and put +our feet in the same direction. We heard a good many shells bursting +in the Square that night, but we were safe and comparatively comfortable. +Before I got to sleep, I watched with great admiration the two young +non-coms who were sitting at the table arranging and discussing in a +low tone the duties of the various men for the following day. The two +lads could not have been more than twenty years of age, but their +sense of responsibility and justice was well-developed. I thought what +a fine thing it was that men were being trained like that to become +useful citizens of Canada. We were up early in the morning and I made +my way to Battalion Headquarters, where I heard that there was to be +another attack in the forenoon. + +We were now to change places with the 2nd Division. They were to shift +from our right flank to our left and take over the attack on (p. 282) +Rosières while we advanced towards Warvillers. From the cavalry +observation-post, I could see with a glass the 5th Battalion going up +to the front in single file along a hedge. I had breakfast with the +7th Battalion officers in their dugout by the roadside near the +cavalry billets, and then started off to join the 8th Battalion which +was going to attack that morning. Machine-guns from Rosières were +playing on the road near the end of the wood. I determined therefore +not to go round the wood but through it and so reached the other side +in safety. I was sitting on a fallen tree eating some lunch and +wondering whether I should be able to get up in time for the attack, +when, to my great joy, over the hill to my right, I saw some troops +approaching in extended order. Hardly had they appeared on the crest +when the Germans at Rosières opened fire upon them and shells fell on +the hill. The men kept very steady and nobody, as far as I could see, +was hit. When they got down to the wood I went forward and spoke to +them and found they were the 22nd Battalion, and I met several +Quebecers whom I knew. + +I saw the Battalion go off in the direction of Rosières and I renewed +my journey to our own line. I passed the 24th Battalion who were going +up on the left of the 22nd, and they told me that the 2nd Brigade were +on their right. There were many trenches along the way which the +Germans had abandoned on the previous day. I passed a poor horse which +was badly wounded and still alive. It was attached to a broken German +cart. I got one of our men to shoot the animal, and went on till I +came to a railway in the hollow and followed it. There were many +wooden buildings here and there which had been built by the Germans. +These structures had been badly knocked about by shrapnel, and the +litter of articles within showed how rapid the German flight had been. +At a little distance on the east side of the track, there was a green +wood, which was called, as I afterwards found out, Beaufort or Hatchet +Wood. Every now and then as I walked, little puffs of dust would rise +from the road in front of me, showing that machine-gun bullets were +falling about. A cavalry patrol of three men, returning down the track +from the direction of the wood, came towards me, and, taking me for a +combatant officer, the corporal saluted and said, "That wood is very +heavily held by machine-guns, Sir, we have just made a reconnaissance." +"That's all right," I said, "I do not intend to take it just yet." I +was going up the track, wondering where I had got to, when I saw (p. 283) +a young officer of the 8th Battalion, followed by his men, coming +towards me. I went to him and told him that I had heard the wood was +very heavily held by machine-guns. He said he knew it and was going to +attack from the side, so I went with them and, as they lay on the +ground and got their Lewis guns in position, I pronounced the +benediction over them and then continued my journey up the railroad. +On the west side of the track at the top of the bank was a hedge. Here +I found the 14th Battalion waiting to follow up the 8th. A young +officer of the latter battalion was lying on the ground dying. He +dictated a farewell letter to his wife, which I afterwards gave to the +Adjutant. On the slope of ground down which the 8th had charged +towards the railway I saw many bodies of dead and wounded men, so I +went up to them to see what I could do. Several were dying, and I +found one poor fellow who had never been baptised; so I took some +water from my bottle and baptised him as he lay there. They would be +carried off when the stretcher-bearers could begin their work. + +While I was attending to the wounded, I looked towards the wood at the +other side of the track. I was on a higher level, and so had a view of +the open country beyond, and there, to my astonishment, I saw the +Germans leaving their ambush and running away. I hurried down the hill +to the hedge and shouted out to the 14th Battalion that the Germans +were running away, and an officer came up to make sure. Then orders +were given to the men to charge and they crossed the track and took +possession of the wood. As soon as I had seen the wounded carried off +I followed after the troops, and there once more had the joy of +advancing over newly-won territory. + +At a farmhouse a number of our men were gathered for a temporary rest, +and there I learned that the colonel of the 8th Battalion and a large +number of officers and men had been killed that morning. The battalion +had to charge down the hill in the face of heavy machine-gun fire. +Some tanks were standing by the farm and one of the officers offered +to take me with him in the machine, but as it was to go into the 2nd +Divisional area I had to decline the invitation and follow up our men +on foot. I passed a number of German wounded. One of them, a young +lad, was terribly alarmed when he saw me approaching, thinking I was +going to murder him. He held up his hands and shouted, "Kamarad!" I +think the Germans had heard wild stories of the ferocity of (p. 284) +Canadians. The boy then began to implore me to send him to an ambulance. +He was wounded in the leg, and had bound up his wounds very neatly and +skilfully. I tried to make him understand that the stretcher-bearers +would come up in time, and I stuck his rifle in the ground with his +helmet on the top of it, as a signal to the bearer party. + +Before me at the end of the road, I saw amid trees the village of +Warvillers. Many men were going towards it from all directions; and I +saw our artillery brigades taking up battery positions to the left. I +met two men of the 5th Battalion and we started off to the village +together. The place was now in our hands, as the Germans had evacuated +it some hours before. The houses were quite intact and offered +prospects of pleasant billets. My companions and I, finding it was +quite late in the afternoon, determined to go and have our meal in a +garden near the Château. We sat down on the grass and opened our +bully-beef tins, and seeing onions growing in the garden thought it +would be a good thing to have that savoury vegetable as a relish. It +added to the enjoyment of our simple meal to think that we were eating +something which the Germans had intended for themselves. We managed to +get some fresh water too from a well nearby, which looked quite clean. +On the other side of a wall we could see the roof of the Château. One +of the men thought he would like to go and explore and find out who +was there. He came back a few minutes afterwards and said it was full +of Germans. So, taking their rifles, the two men went off to attack +it, thinking they had found a stronghold of the enemy. I was just +having a smoke after my meal when the lads came back and said that the +Germans whom they had seen were our prisoners and that the Château had +been taken over by us as a dressing station. We made our way to it and +found that it was a very beautiful place situated in lovely grounds. A +card on a door upstairs bore the inscription, "His Excellency General," +and then followed a German name. The place had been the headquarters +of some enemy corps or division on the previous day. At the back of +the Château was a very strong concrete dugout divided off into rooms, +which were soon filled by our officers and men. All that night the +wounded were being brought to the Château, and German prisoners also +found their way there. Nobody was paying much attention to the latter, +and, thinking it was unwise to let them wander about, and perhaps go +back to their lines with information about our location, with (p. 285) +the permission of the C.O. of the ambulance, who was up to his eyes in +work, I had them all put into one large room over which I placed a +guard. They were sent back to the corps cage in the morning. The +Germans evidently expected that we would use the Château because they +dropped some heavy shells in the garden during the night, and we had +to get the wounded down in to the cellars in quick time. + +I had about three hours sleep that night, and in the morning I +determined to follow up our men of the 1st Brigade who had now +established themselves at a village ahead of us called Rouvroy. As I +was starting off, a signaller came up to me and told me he had +captured a stray horse with a saddle on it and that he would lend it +to me to take me to my destination. I mounted the animal and went down +the avenue in great pride and comfort, but after I got into the road a +man came up and stopped me and told me, to my horror, that I was +riding his horse which he had lost the night before. It requires great +strength of mind and self-mastery to give up a mount to a pedestrian +when you are once in the saddle. But the war had not entirely +extinguished the light of conscience in my soul, so, tired as I was, I +dismounted and gave up the steed. But as I saw the man ride back to +the Château I began to wonder within myself whether he was the real +owner or not. One thief does not like to be out-witted by another. +However, there was nothing to do now but to go straight ahead. The +road before me led directly to Rouvroy. Some German planes were +hovering overhead, and in the fields to my left our artillery were +going into action. As shells were dropping on the road I took a short +cut over the fields. Here I found some of our machine-gunners, and the +body of a poor fellow who had just been killed. I got to the village +of Rouvroy about noon and made my way to a dugout under the main +road, where the colonel and some of the officers of the 3rd Battalion +were having lunch. They gave me a cup of tea, but I told them I had +taken my food on the journey, so did not want anything to eat. They +looked much relieved at this, because rations were short. Their +chaplain was there and gave me a warm reception. I was feeling rather +used up, so lay down on a wire mattress and had an hour's sleep. When +lunch was over the chaplain and I went to see the sights of the town. +The ruined church was being used for a dressing station and it seemed +to me it was rather a dangerous place, as the Germans would be (p. 286) +likely to shell it. We found an old bookshop which was filled with +German literature and writing paper, some of which proved very useful. + +We had a good rest in a dugout, but I felt so seedy that I told him, +if he heard that I had gone out of the line, not to think it was +because I was suffering from "cold feet". We went back to the village, +and there we found shells dropping in the main street not far from the +church. In fact, one came so close that we had to dive into a cellar +and wait till the "straffing" was over. Then I bid my companion +good-bye and started off over the fields back to Warvillers. By this +time I felt so unwell that it was hard to resist the temptation to +crawl into some little hole in which I might die quietly. However, +with my usual luck, I found a motor car waiting near the road for an +air-officer who had gone off on a tour of inspection and was expected +to return soon. The driver said I could get in and rest. When the +officer came back he kindly consented to give me a ride to my +Divisional Headquarters. We did not know where they were and I landed +in the wrong place, but finally with the assistance of another car I +made my way to Beaufort. There I found our Division had established +themselves in huts and dugouts at the back of an ancient chateau. With +great difficulty I made my way over to General Thacker's mess and +asked for some dinner. + +During the meal, the General sent off his A.D.C. on a message, and he +soon returned with no less a person than the A.D.M.S., who, to my +dismay, proceeded to feel my pulse and put a clinical thermometer in +my mouth. My temperature being 103-1/2, he ordered me at once to go +off to a rest camp, under threat of all sorts of penalties if I did +not. I lay on the floor of his office till three in the morning, when +an ambulance arrived and took me off to some place in a field, where +they were collecting casualties. From thence I was despatched to the +large asylum at Amiens which was operated by an Imperial C.C.S. The +major who examined me ordered me to go to the Base by the next train, +as they had no time to attend to cases of influenza. For a while I was +left on the stretcher in a ward among wounded heroes. I felt myself +out of place, but could do nothing to mend matters. Two sisters came +over to me, and apparently took great interest in me till one of them +looked at the tag which was pinned on my shoulder. With a look of +disgust she turned and said to her companion, "He isn't wounded at +all, he has only got the 'flu'". At once they lost all interest (p. 287) +in me, and went off leaving me to my fate. Stung by this humiliation, +I called two orderlies and asked them to carry me out into the garden +and hide me under the bushes. This they did, and there I found many +friends who had been wounded lying about the place. My batman had come +with me and had brought my kit, so a box of good cigars which I handed +round was most acceptable to the poor chaps who were waiting to be +sent off. By a stroke of good luck, an accident on the railway +prevented my being evacuated that evening. I knew that if they once +got me down to the Base my war days would be over. + +On the following morning, feeling better, I got up, shaved, put on my +best tunic, and, with a cigar in my mouth, wandered into the reception +room, where I found the major who had ordered me off on the previous +day. Puffing the smoke in front of my face to conceal my paleness, I +asked him when he was going to send me down to the Base. He looked a +little surprised at finding me recovered, and then said, "Well, Padré, +I think I will let you go back to your lines after all." It was a +great relief to me. The chaplain of the hospital very kindly took me +in charge and allowed me to spend the night in his room. The next day +I got a ride in a Canadian ambulance and made my way back to Beaufort. +There, to my horror, I found that the Division, thinking they had got +rid of me for good, had appointed another padré in my place. Through +the glass door of my room, I could see him giving instructions to the +chaplain of the artillery. I felt like Enoch Arden, but I had not +Enoch's unselfishness so, throwing the door wide open, I strode into +the room, and to the ill-concealed consternation of both my friends +who had looked upon me in a military sense as dead, informed them that +I had come back to take over my duties. Of course, everyone said they +were glad to see me, except General Thacker, who remarked dryly that +my return had upset all the cherished plans of well-ordered minds. The +A.D.M.S. had told them that he had thought I was in for an attack of +pneumonia. It was really a very amusing situation, but I was +determined to avoid the Base, especially now that we felt the great +and glorious end of our long campaign was coming nearer every day. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. (p. 288) + +WE RETURN TO ARRAS. + +_August, 1918._ + + +On Friday the 16th of August our Division left Beaufort and moved back +to billets at Le Quesnel. Here there was a good sized chateau which +was at once used for office purposes. The General and his staff made +their billets in a deep cave which was entered from the road. It was +of considerable extent, lit by electric light, and rooms opened out on +both sides of the central passage. I had one assigned to me, but as I +did not feel well enough to stand the dampness I gave it to the clerks +of the A.D.M.S., and made my home with the veterinary officer in the +cellar of the school-house which stood beside the church. The latter, +which had been used by the Germans as a C.C.S., was a modern building +and of good proportions. The spire had been used as an observation-post. +One or two shells had hit the building and the interior, though still +intact, was in great disorder. The altar ornaments, vestments, and +prayer books were thrown about in confusion. The school-house where I +was lodged must have been also the Curé's residence. A good-sized room +downstairs served as a chapel for my Sunday services. The cellar, +where the A.D.V.S. and I slept was quite comfortable, though by no +means shell-proof. As the only alternative abode was the cave, he and +I, deciding we would rather die of a shell than of rheumatism, chose +the cellar. The Corps ambulances were all together in a valley not far +away, and in trenches to the east, near the cemetery where the 8th +Battalion officers and men had been buried, there were some reserves +of the 3rd Brigade. + +Things were quiet now in the front line, so I determined to make a +trip to Albert to see my son's grave. It was a long and dusty journey +and the roads were rough. We passed back through the district over +which we had advanced, and saw everywhere gruesome traces of the +fighting. When we came to Albert, however, we found it was still in +the possession of the enemy. The Americans were holding the line, and +an American sentry stopped us at a barrier in the road and said that +no motorcycles were allowed to go any further in that direction. (p. 289) +It was strange to hear the American accent again, and I told the lad +that we were Canadians. "Well", he said, with a drawl, "that's good +enough for me." We shook hands and had a short talk about the peaceful +continent that lay across the ocean. There was nothing for us to do +then but to return. + +On the following Sunday, the Germans having evacuated Albert a day and +a half before, I once more paid a visit to the old town. I left my +side-car on the outskirts of the place and was taken by Mr. Bean, the +Australian War Correspondent, into his car. He was going up to take +some photographs. The day was intensely hot, and the dust of the now +ruined town was literally ankle-deep and so finely powdered that it +splattered when one walked as though it had been water. I saw the +ruins of the school-house which our ambulances had used, and noticed +that the image of the Virgin had been knocked down from the tower of +the Cathedral. I passed the house where our Headquarters had been. The +building was still standing but the front wall had gone, leaving the +interior exposed. I made my way up the Bapaume road to Tara Hill, and +there to my great delight I found the little cemetery still intact. +Shells had fallen in it and some of the crosses had been broken, but +the place had been wonderfully preserved. A battery on one side of it +had just ceased firing and was to advance on the following day. While +I was putting up some of the crosses that had fallen, Mr. Bean came up +in his car and kindly took a photograph of my son's grave. He also +took a photograph of the large Australian cross which stands at one +corner of the cemetery. Tara Hill had been for six months between the +German front and reserve lines, and I never expected that any trace of +the cemetery would have been found. I shall probably never see the +place again, but it stands out in my memory now as clear and distinct +as though once more I stood above the dusty road and saw before me the +rows of little crosses, and behind them the waste land battered by war +and burnt beneath the hot August sun. Over that very ground my son and +I had ridden together, and within a stone's throw from it two years +before we had said good-bye to one another for the last time. + +Our Division had now come out of the line and were hurrying north. On +August 26th Lyons and I started off in the car, and after a tedious +and dusty journey, enlivened by several break-downs, arrived (p. 290) +in Arras very late at night and found a billet with the Engineers in +the Place de la Croix. Once more our men were scattered about the old +city and its environs as if we had never left it. Our Battle Headquarters +were in the forward area and rear Headquarters in a large house in Rue +du Pasteur. It was a picturesque abode. The building itself was modern, +but it was erected on what had been an old Augustinian Monastery of +the 11th century. Underneath the house there was a large vaulted hall +with pillars in it which reminded one of the cloisters of Westminster +Abbey. It was below the level of the ground and was lit by narrow +windows opening on the street. It was a most interesting place and had +been decorated with heraldic designs painted on canvas shields by a +British Division that had once made its headquarters there. We used +the hall as our mess and from it passages led to several vault-like +chambers and to cellars at the back, one of which was my bedroom. A +flight of steps led down to stone chambers below these and then down a +long sloping passage to a broken wall which barred the entrance into +the mysterious caves beneath the city. The exhalations which came up +to my bedroom from these subterranean passages were not as fresh or +wholesome as one could have wished, but, as it was a choice between +foul air and running the chance of being shelled, I naturally chose +the former. + +We moved into this billet in the evening, and early the following +morning I was lying awake, thinking of all the strange places I had +lived in during the war, when close by I heard a fearful crash. I +waited for a moment, and then, hearing the sound of voices calling for +help, I rushed up in my pyjamas and found that a huge shell had struck +a house three doors away, crushing it in and killing and wounding some +of our Headquarters staff. Though Arras was then continually being +shelled, some of the inhabitants remained. Opposite our house was a +convent, and in cellars below the ground several nuns lived all +through the war. They absolutely refused to leave their home in spite +of the fact that the upper part of the building had been ruined by +shells. Our nearness to the railway station, which was a favourite +target for the German guns, made our home always a precarious one. + +One day the Paymaster was going into our Headquarters, when a shell +burst in the Square and some fragments landed in our street taking off +the fingers of his right hand. I was away at the time, but when I +returned in the evening the signallers showed me a lonely (p. 291) +forefinger resting on a window sill. They had reverently preserved it, +as it was the finger which used to count out five-franc notes to them +when they were going on leave. + +Our Corps dressing-station was in the big Asylum in Arras. The nuns +still occupied part of the building. The Mother Superior was a fine +old lady, intensely loyal to France and very kind to all of us. When +the Germans occupied Arras in the beginning of the war, the Crown +Prince paid an official visit to the Asylum, and, when leaving, +congratulated the Mother Superior on her management of the institution. +She took his praises with becoming dignity, but when he held out his +hand to her she excused herself from taking it and put hers behind her +back. + +The dressing-station was excellently run and the system carried out +was perfect. The wounded were brought in, attended to, and sent off to +the C.C.S. with the least possible delay. The dead were buried in the +large military cemetery near the Dainville road where rest the bodies +of many noble comrades, both British and Canadian. A ward was set +apart for wounded Germans and it was looked after by their own doctors +and orderlies. + +Meanwhile our Division was preparing for the great attack upon the +Drocourt-Quéant line. The 2nd Division were in the trenches and had +taken Monchy. We were to relieve them and push on to the Canal du Nord +and, if possible, beyond it. Movements were now very rapid. All the +staff were kept intensely busy. The old days of St. Jans Cappel and +Ploegsteert, with their quiet country life, seemed very far away. This +was real war, and we were advancing daily. We heard too of the victories +of the French and Americans to the South. It was glorious to think +that after the bitter experience of the previous March the tables had +been turned, and we had got the initiative once more. Our Battle +Headquarters, where the General and his staff were, lay beyond +Neuville Vitasse. They were in a deep, wide trench, on each side of +which were dugouts and little huts well sandbagged. Over the top was +spread a quantity of camouflage netting, so that the place was +invisible to German aeroplanes. The country round about was cut up by +trenches, and in many of these our battalions were stationed. All the +villages in the neighbourhood were hopeless ruins. I tried to get a +billet in the forward area, as Arras was so far back, but every +available place was crowded and it was so difficult to get up rations +that nobody was anxious to have me. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII. (p. 292) + +THE SMASHING OF THE DROCOURT-QUÉANT LINE. + +_September 2nd, 1918._ + + +On Saturday, August 31st, I paid a visit to our Battle Headquarters, +and the General asked me to have a Celebration of the Holy Communion +there the next morning at eight. I knew that the attack was almost +due, so I prepared for it and took my iron rations with me. We had the +Communion Service in a tent at the General's Headquarters. There were +only three present, but the General was one of them. I had breakfast +in a quaint little hut in the side of the trench, and then started off +to the forward area. The great stretch of country was burnt dry by the +summer heat and the roads were broken up and dusty. I was taken by car +to the Headquarters of the 2nd Brigade which were in a trench, and +from thence I started on foot to Cherisy. Here the 8th Battalion were +quartered, the 5th being in the line. Zero hour, I was told, was early +the next morning. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades were to make the attack. +The 5th Battalion was to have advanced that day and taken possession +of a certain trench which was to be the jumping off line on the +following morning. I heard that they had had a hard time. They had +driven out the Germans, but had been seriously counter-attacked and +had lost a large number of men. I determined therefore to go out and +take them some cigarettes and biscuits which the Y.M.C.A. generously +provided. I started off in the afternoon to go to the front line, +wherever it might be. I went down the road from Cherisy past the +chalk-pit, where we had a little cemetery, and then turning into the +fields on the left walked in the direction in which I was told the 5th +Battalion lay. It was a long, hot journey, and as I had not quite +recovered from my attack of influenza I found it very fatiguing. On +all sides I saw gruesome traces of the recent fighting. I came across +the body of a young artillery officer of the 2nd Division, but, as all +his papers had been taken away, I could not discover his name. My way +passed through the remains of what had been an enemy camp. There were +a number of well-built huts there, containing much German war-material, +but they had been damaged by our shells. The Germans had (p. 293) +evidently been obliged to get out of the place as quickly as possible. +I was just leaving the camp when I met several of our men bringing up +a number of prisoners. While we were talking, some shells fell, and we +all had to dive into two trenches. The Huns took one; we Canadians +took the other. We had no desire, in case a shell landed in our midst +to have our bits mingled with those of the Germans. When the +"straffing" was over, the others went back, and I continued my way to +the front. It must have been about six or seven o'clock when I arrived +at the 5th Battalion Headquarters, which were in a deep German dugout. +The Colonel was absent at a conference, so the Adjutant was in +command. I told him that I had come provided with cigarettes and other +comforts for the men, and asked him to give me a runner to take me to +the front line. He absolutely refused to do anything of the kind, as +he told me he did not know where it was himself. The situation was +most obscure. Our men had attacked and had been driven back and then +they had attacked again, but he thought they were now in shell holes +and would be hard to find. In fact, he was most anxious about the +condition of affairs and was hoping the Colonel would soon return. I +asked him if he would like me to spend the night there. He said he +would, so I determined to settle down and wait for an opportunity of +getting up to the men. + +I went over to a trench a little way off, passing two dead Germans as +I did so, and saw the little white flag with the red cross on it which +showed that a dugout there was used as the regimental aid post. I went +down into the place, which had two openings, and found the M.O. and +his staff and a number of machine-gunners. Being Sunday, I told them +that I would have service for them. We all sat on the floor of the +long dugout. Two or three candles gave us all the light we had, and +the cigarettes which I had brought with me were soon turned into +smoke. In the meantime a young stretcher-bearer, unknown to me, made a +cup of tea and brought that and some buttered toast for my supper. +When I had finished and we were just going to begin the service, a +voice suddenly shouted down the steps in excited tones. "We've all got +to retreat; the Germans are coming." At once a corporal shouted up to +him, "Shut up, none of that talk out here." Of course, I had not said +a word to any of the men about the condition of our front line, but +remembering what the Adjutant had told me about it, I thought now that +there might be some reason for the alarm. As I have said on a former +occasion, I had a great objection to being bombed in a dugout, so (p. 294) +I said to the men, "Well, boys, perhaps we had better take it seriously +and go up and see what the matter is." We climbed up to the trench, +and there on looking over the parapet we saw an exciting scene. It was +not yet dark, and in the twilight we could see objects at a certain +distance, but it was just light enough and dark enough to confuse +one's vision. Along the line to the right of our front trenches, +rockets and S.O.S. signals were going up, showing that the Germans +were attacking. Our reserve battalions were far back at Cherisy, and +our artillery had not yet come up. At any rate, somewhere in the +glimmering darkness in front of us the Germans were advancing. They +actually did get between us and our front line. The machine-gunners at +once went to their posts, and the M.O. wanted orders as to what he and +his staff were to do. I went back down the trenches past the dead +Germans to Battalion Headquarters, and asked the Adjutant what orders +he had for the M.O. He said we were all to congregate at Headquarters; +so I went back and gave the message. I remember looking over the waste +of ground and wondering if I could see the Germans. For a time it was +really very exciting, especially for me, because I did not know +exactly what I should do if the Germans came. I could not fight, nor +could I run away, and to fold one's arms and be taken captive seemed +too idiotic. All the time I kept saying to myself, "I am an old fool +to be out here." Still, we got as much fun out of the situation as we +could, and, to our intense relief, the arrival of some of our shells +and the sudden appearance of a Highland Battalion of the 4th Division +on our left, frightened the Germans and they retired, leaving us to +settle down once more in our trench home. + +On the return of the Colonel, we learned that, on account of the heavy +losses which the 5th Battalion had suffered that day, the 7th Battalion +would attack on the following morning. Later on in the evening, I saw +some machine-gunners coming up, who told us that they had left some +wounded and a dead man in a trench near the road. I determined to go +back and see them. The trench was very crowded, and as it was dark it +was hard to find one's way. I nearly stepped on a man who appeared to +be sleeping, leaning against the parapet. I said to one of the men, +"Is this a sleeping hero?" "No, Sir," he replied, "It's a Hun stiff." +When I got down to the road, I met two men and we hunted for the place +where the wounded had been left, but found they had been carried (p. 295) +off to Cherisy. So I started back again for Battalion Headquarters, +and as numbers of men were going forward I had no difficulty in +finding it. + +The dugout was now absolutely crowded. Every available space, +including the steps down from the opening, was filled with men. I +managed to secure a little shelf in the small hours of the morning, +and had two or three hours sleep. The atmosphere was so thick that I +think we were all overcome by it and sank into profound slumber. At +last, one of the men suddenly woke up and said to me, "It's ten +minutes to five, Sir." The barrage was going to start at five. As far +as I could see, everyone in the dugout but ourselves, was sound +asleep. I climbed up the steps, waking the men on them and telling +them that the barrage would start in ten minutes. The sentries in the +trench said that the 7th Battalion had gone forward during the night +with a number of 4th Division men. The morning air was sweet and fresh +after that of the dugout, but was rather chilly. A beautiful dawn was +beginning, and only a few of the larger stars were visible. The +constellation of Orion could be seen distinctly against the grey-blue +of the sky. At five o'clock the barrage started, and there was the +usual glorious roar of the opening attack. Very quickly the Germans +replied, and shells fell so unpleasantly near, that once again we +crowded into the dugout. After a hasty breakfast of bacon and tea the +battalions moved off, and I made my way to the front. I saw an officer +of the 7th Battalion being carried to the M.O.'s dugout. He was not +badly hit, and told me he was just back from leave and had been +married only a fortnight ago. I shook hands with him and congratulated +him on being able to get back to Blighty and have a wife to look after +him. He was being carried by some Germans and had two of our bearers +with him. I went down into a communication trench and the next instant +a shell burst. I did not know then that anybody had been hit by it, +but I learned afterwards that the officer, the stretcher-bearers and +the Germans had all been killed. + +I made my way to a mud road, where to my infinite delight I saw large +numbers of German prisoners being marched back. By the corner of a +wood the 8th Battalion were waiting their turn to advance. To the left +was the hill called The Crow's Nest, which our 3rd Brigade had taken +that day. I crossed the Hendecourt-Dury road, which had trees on (p. 296) +both sides of it, and then meeting the 2nd Battalion went forward with +them. There were some deep trenches and dugouts on the way, which our +units at once appropriated and which became the headquarters of two of +our Brigades. Our artillery had also come up and their chaplain was with +them. The C.O. of the 7th Battalion was having breakfast in the corner of +a field, and feeling very happy over the result of the morning's work. +Far off we could see the wood of Cagnicourt, and beyond that in the +distance we could see other woods. I went off in the direction of +Cagnicourt and came to some German huts, where there was a collection +of military supplies. Among them was a large anti-tank rifle. As it +had begun to rain, I was very glad to find some German water proof +sheets which I put over my shoulders as I was eating my bully-beef. +Cagnicourt lay in a valley to the right and, when I got there, I found +a battery of artillery had just arrived and were taking up their +positions by a road which led on to Villers-Cagnicourt. We were all in +high spirits over our fresh achievement. In some dugouts on the way, I +found the headquarters of the 13th and 14th Battalions, and learned of +the very gallant deed of the Rev. E. E. Graham, the Methodist chaplain +attached to the 13th Battalion. He had carried out, under the barrage, +five wounded men of the 2nd Division, who had been left in No Man's +Land. He was recommended for the Victoria Cross, but unfortunately, +for some reason or other, only got the D.S.O. In a trench near +Villers-Cagnicourt I found the 4th Battalion, who told me that they +thought our advance was checked. I sat talking to them for some time, +but was so tired that I absolutely could not keep awake. The men were +much amused to see me falling asleep in the midst of a conversation. I +managed, however, to pull myself together, and went over to the main +Cherisy road, on the side of which one of our ambulances had taken up +its position and was being attended by one of our military chaplains. +I was feeling so seedy by this time that I got a seat by the side of +the driver on a horse ambulance, and made my way back to Cherisy. The +road was narrow and crowded with traffic, and had been broken in +places by shells. Quite a number of bodies were lying by the wayside. +I arrived back at my billet in Arras in the evening feeling very +tired. At the Corps dressing station that night I saw large numbers of +our men brought in, among them the C.O. of the 2nd Battalion, who had +especially distinguished himself that day, but was very badly +wounded. + +In spite of the fact that we had not been able to go as far as we (p. 297) +had intended, another glorious victory was to our credit, and we had +broken the far-famed Drocourt-Quéant line with its wire entanglements +which the Germans had thought to be impregnable. Two days afterwards, +on September 4th, our Division was taken out of the line and sent back +for rest and reorganization. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII. (p. 298) + +PREPARING FOR THE FINAL BLOW. + +_September, 1918._ + + +Our Divisional Headquarters were now established in the delightful old +chateau at Warlus. In Nissen huts near-by, were the machine-gun +battalion and the signallers, and, as I had one end of a Nissen hut +all to myself, I was very comfortable. The three infantry brigades +were quartered in the villages round about. The engineers and +artillery were still at the front. As usual our men soon cleaned +themselves up and settled down to ordinary life, as if they had never +been through a battle in their lives. The weather was very pleasant, +and we were all glad at the prospect of a little quiet after the +strenuous month through which we had passed. Our concert party at once +opened up one of the large huts as a theatre, and night after night +their performances were witnessed by crowded and enthusiastic +audiences. Just across a field towards Bernaville the 15th Battalion +was quartered in a long line of huts and in the village itself were +the 14th and 16th Battalions. I was therefore quite near the men of my +old 3rd Brigade. The 16th Battalion concert party gave a fine +performance there one evening, which was attended by some Canadian +Sisters who came up from one of our C.C.S's. The play was called, "A +Little Bit of Shamrock," and was composed by members of the concert +party. It was exceedingly pretty and very clever, and evoked thunders +of applause. The Colonel was called upon for a speech, and, although +his words were few, the rousing cheers he got from his men told him +what they thought of their commanding officer, who soon afterwards was +to be awarded the Victoria Cross. As one sat there in the midst of the +men and thought of what they had gone through, and how the flames in +the fiery furnace of war had left their cheery souls unscathed, one's +heart was filled with an admiration for them which will never die. + +On looking over my diary during those delightful days while we were +waiting to make the great attack, I see records of many journeys to +our various battalions and artillery brigades. Wanquetin, Wailly, +Dainville, Bernaville, Hautes Avesnes--what memories these names (p. 299) +recall! I would rattle over the dusty roads in my side-car and pull up +at Battalion Headquarters and get an invitation to dinner. On such +occasions I used to visit the cooks first and ask them if they had +enough food on hand for me in case the officers invited me to dine +with them, and in case they didn't, if they (the cooks) would feed me +later on in the kitchen. When the invitation had been given, I used to +go back to the cooks and say, "It's all right, boys, you won't be +bothered with my society, the officers have asked me to dinner." In +the evening, before I rode off, I used to go round to the men's +billets, or to the Y.M.C.A. tent, if there was one, and have a talk +with the men on the war outlook or any other topic that was perplexing +them at the time. Often I was followed to my car by some man who had +deeper matters to discuss, or perhaps some worry about things at home, +and who wanted to unburden himself to a chaplain. On the way back, +when darkness had fallen and my feeble headlight warned us against +speeding, I would meet or overtake men and have a talk, or tell them +to mount up on the box at the back of the car and I would give them a +ride. The rows of tall trees along the road would stand out black +against the starlit sky, and in the evening air the sweet smells of +nature would fill us with delight. We felt too, that nearer and nearer +the hour of the great victory was approaching. Who amongst us would be +spared to see it? How would it be brought about? What great and fierce +battle would lay the Germans low? The supreme idea in the mind was +consecration to a sublime sacrifice, which dwarfed into insignificance +all previous events in life. We had our fun, we had our jokes, we met +our friends, we saw battalions go on a route march, we watched men +play their games in the fields; but to me it seemed that a new and +mysterious light that was born of heaven hid behind the sunshine, and +cast a glory upon men and even nature. To dine at the rude board table +with the young officers of one of the companies of a battalion, +perhaps in a bare hut, on the floor of which lay the lads' beds, was +something sacred and sacramental. Their apologies for the plainness of +the repast were to me extremely pathetic. Was there a table in the +whole world at which it was a greater honour to sit? Where could one +find a nobler, knightlier body of young men? + +In the garden round the Château at Warlus were many winding paths, +where old trees gave a delightful shade. Here at odd moments one (p. 300) +could get away for a time into the leafy solitude and think quietly +and wonder. Although we were in rest there was of course no remission +of warlike activity and preparation. We knew that the next thing that +lay before us was the crossing of the Canal du Nord and the push to +Cambrai. That was a deed which would not only tax our strength and +courage, but depended for its success upon the care and diligence of +our preparation. + +On the two Sundays that we were at Warlus I had splendid church +parades with the Machine-Gun Battalion. Part of their billets were in +huts beside the road to Dainville. In one of them one night I found +some Imperial officers who were in charge of the wireless telegraph +station. They told me some interesting facts about their work. The +night was divided into different periods when the communiqués of the +various countries would be sent out. These, of course, were for all +the world to read. The most wonderful thing they told me, however, was +that they could pick up the code messages sent from the German +Admiralty Headquarters at Kiel to their submarines under the sea. Of +course not knowing the code, our officers could not translate these +despatches. + +I received a great blow at this time, for my friend Lyons, who acted +as the chauffeur of my side-car, was sent off to the 3rd Division to +replace one of the despatch riders whom they had lost in the attack. +Our own signallers could not give me another man. As I could not run +the car myself, a sudden move might compel me to leave it behind. +Someone, too, might appropriate it, for the honesty of the army was, +as I knew from experience, a grace on which one could not place much +reliance. The only person to whom I could apply was my good and kind +friend, the builder of my churches and huts, Colonel Macphail, our +C.R.E. He was always my refuge in distress. He looked upon the +building of churches at the front as an act of such piety that it +would guarantee to him at any time the certain admission into heaven. +He attributed his piety to the claim which his clan made to be the +descendants of St. Paul. Apparently in Gaelic, Macphail means "the son +of Paul." The Colonel was always fond of insisting upon his high +lineage. He came to see me once when I was ill at Bruay, and after +stating the historical claims of his ancestors, asked me if I had not +observed some traits in his character which were like those of St. +Paul. I told him that the only resemblance to the Apostle which I had +discovered in him was that his bodily presence was weak and his (p. 301) +speech contemptible. In spite of those unkind thrusts, however, the +colonel manifested the Apostle's quality of forgiveness, and was +always ready to try and make me comfortable. I wrote to him now and +asked if he could send me a driver for my car. He did not fail me. A +few days afterwards, a young sapper appeared, saluted most properly, +and told me that he had been ordered by the C.R.E. to report to me for +duty as chauffeur. I was so delighted that I at once despatched the +following letter to my friend:-- + + "Dear Colonel Macphail, + If I had but a tail + I would wag it this morning with joy, + At your having provided + My car that's one-sided + With a good and intelligent boy. + + May your blessings from heaven + Abound in this war, + And be seven times seven + More than ever before." + +The possession of a new driver for my car enabled me to pay a last +visit to Le Cauroy, where I had left some of my possessions on our +trip to Amiens. I found the Curé in high good humor over the way the +war was going. The outlook was very different now from what it had +been when I was there before. I also visited Arras and the forward +area, where I dined one night in a tent with Major Price, who was then +in command of my original battalion, the 14th. The men were billeted +in trenches and as usual were making the best of things. It was +strange to look back to the early days of the war and talk about old +times. As I returned in the twilight and gazed far away over the waste +land towards the bank of low clouds in the eastern sky, my heart grew +sick at the thought of all which those fine young men might have to +endure before the crowning victory came. The thought of the near +presence of the Angel of Death was always coming up in the mind, +changing and transfiguring into something nobler and better our +earthly converse. + +In the war, the Bible statement, "We have here no continuing city," +was certainly true. Our happy life in Warlus and its neighbourhood +came to an end. On Friday, September 20th, the Division moved to (p. 302) +Achicourt near Arras. I took the opportunity to visit some friends in +the 3rd Division who were taking our places. Among them was "Charlie" +Stewart, of the P.P.C.L.I. I had taught him as a boy at school when I +was curate of St. John's, Montreal. We talked over old times, and the +great changes that had taken place in Canada and the world since we +were young. He was killed not long afterwards before Cambrai. I went +on through Dainville, where I met the 42nd Battalion, and reached +Achicourt in the evening. My billet was in a very dirty room over a +little shop. One corner of the house had been hit by a shell, and a +great store of possessions belonging to the people was piled up on one +side of my room. We knew we were not going to be there long, so we did +not worry about making ourselves comfortable. I had a view out of my +window of green fields and a peaceful country, but the town itself had +been badly knocked about. + +On Sunday morning, I got the use of a small Protestant church which +stood by a stream in the middle of the town. It was a quaint place, +and, instead of an altar, against the east wall there was a high +pulpit entered by steps on both sides. When I stood up in it I felt +like a jack-in-the-box. I had a queer feeling that I was getting to +the end of things, and a note in my prayer-book, with the place and +date, gives evidence of this. We had not many communicants, but that +was the last Celebration of Holy Communion that I held in France. On +the following Sunday I was to leave the war for good. I remember +walking away from the church that day with my sergeant and talking +over the different places where we had held services. Now we were on +the eve of great events, and the old war days had gone forever. After +the service, I started off in my side-car on a missionary journey to +the battalions that had now gone forward. I went off up the road to +the ruined town of Beaurains. Here I found the Headquarters of the +16th Battalion in the cellar of a broken house. The officers' mess was +a little shack by the roadside, and among those present was the +second-in-command, Major Bell-Irving, who had crossed with me on the +"Andania." Alas, this was the last time I was to see him. He was +killed in the battle of Cambrai. + +After lunch I continued up the long pavé road which leads to Croisilles. +On the way I saw the 8th Battalion in an open field. Near them were a +number of Imperial officers and men of the British Division which (p. 303) +was on our right. We made our way through Bullecourt to Hendecourt, +near which in trenches were the battalions of the 1st Brigade, and +there too Colonel Macphail had his headquarters. There was a great +concentration of men in this area, and the roads were crowded with +lorries and limbers as well as troops. I stayed that night with the +engineers, as the weather looked threatening. The sky grew black and +rain began to fall. When one stood in the open and looked all round at +the inky darkness everywhere, with the rain pelting down, and knew +that our men had to carry on as usual, one realized the bitterness of +the cup which they had to drink to the very dregs. Rain and darkness +all round them, hardly a moment's respite from some irksome task, the +ache in the heart for home and the loved ones there, the iron +discipline of the war-machine of which they formed a part, the chance +of wounds and that mysterious crisis called death--these were the +elements which made up the blurred vision in their souls. + +The next morning the weather had cleared, and I went on towards Cagnicourt. +On the journey I was delayed by a lorry which had gone into the ditch +and completely blocked the road. Here in a field the 1st Field Ambulance +had established themselves. Later on I managed to get to Cagnicourt +and found my son's battery in the cellars of the Château. They were +getting their guns forward by night in preparation for the attack. +They gave me a very pressing invitation to sleep there and I accepted +it. We had a pleasant evening, listening to some remarkably good +violin records on the gramophone. Good music at such times had a +special charm about it. It reminded one of the old days of concerts +and entertainments, but, at the same time, as in the background of a +dream, one seemed to hear beneath the melodies the tramp of mighty +battalions marching forward into battle, and the struggles of strong +men in the fierce contests of war. + +On the following day I went on to the quarry which was to be our +Battle Headquarters near Inchy Station, from which the 2nd Division +were moving. I had a view of the smiling country over which we were to +charge. Between us and that promised land lay the Canal, the crossing +of which was necessarily a matter of great anxiety. It was late at +night before I got back to my home at Achicourt, where I had my last +war dinner with my friend General Thacker, who, with his staff, was up +to his eyes in work. The next day was taken up with arranging for (p. 304) +the disposition of our chaplains during the engagement, and about six +o'clock I told Ross to saddle Dandy, and on the dear old horse, who +was fresh and lively as ever, I galloped off into the fields. The sun +had set and the fresh air of the evening was like a draught of +champagne. Dandy seemed to enjoy the ride as much as I did, and +cleared some trenches in good style. For nearly three years and a half +we had been companions. He had always been full of life and very +willing, the envy of those who knew a good horse when they saw him. +When I returned in the twilight and gave him back to Ross, I said, +"You know, Ross, I am going into this battle and may lose my leg in +it, and so I wanted to have my last ride on dear old Dandy." It was my +last ride on him, and he was never ridden by anyone again. After I was +wounded, he was kept at Headquarters until, in order to avoid his +being sold with other horses to the Belgians, our kind A.D.V.S. +ordered him to be shot. He was one of the best friends I had in the +war, and I am glad he entered the horses' heaven as a soldier, without +the humiliation of a purgatory in some civilian drudgery. + +That night some bombs were dropped near the station at Arras on units +of the 3rd Division, which passed through Achicourt in the afternoon, +causing many casualties, and we felt that the Germans knew another +attack was at hand. It was the last night I had a billet in France. On +the next morning we moved forward to some trenches on the way to +Inchy, and I parted from Headquarters there. This was really the most +primitive home that the Division had ever had. We had in fact no home +at all. We found our stuff dumped out in a field, and had to hunt for +our possessions in the general pile. A few tents were pitched and the +clerks got to work. In a wide trench little shacks were being run up, +and I was to be quartered in the same hut as the field cashier, which +was thus to be a kind of union temple for the service of God and the +service of Mammon. I looked down into the clay pit and saw the men +working at my home, but I knew that I should probably not occupy it. I +determined to go forward to our Battle Headquarters, prepared for a +missionary journey, and find out when the attack was going to be made. +I put into my pack some bully-beef, hardtack, tinned milk and other +forms of nourishment, as well as a razor, a towel and various toilet +necessaries. On the other side of the road, the signallers had their +horse-lines, and our transports were near-by. I got my side-car (p. 305) +and, bidding good-bye to my friends, left for Inchy. We passed down +the road to Quéant, where we saw the wounded in the field ambulance, +and from there started off through Pronville to Inchy Station. The +roads as usual were crowded, and the dust from passing lorries was +very unpleasant. We were going through the valley by Inchy Copse when +we suddenly heard a loud crash behind us which made my driver stop. I +asked him what he was about, and said, "That was one of our guns, +there is nothing to be alarmed at." "Guns!" he said, "I know the sound +of a shell when I hear it. You may like shells but I don't. I'm going +back." I said, "You go ahead, if I had a revolver with me, I would +shoot you for desertion from the front line. That was only one of our +guns." He looked round and said, "You call that a gun? Look there." I +turned and sure enough, about a hundred feet away in the middle of the +road was the smoke of an exploded shell. "Well," I said, "you had +better go on or there will be another one pretty soon, and it may get +us." With extraordinary speed we hurried to our destination, where I +left the car, taking my pack with me. I told the driver, much to his +relief, that he could go home, and that when I wanted the car again I +would send for it. + +The quarry was, as I have said, our Battle Headquarters, and here in +the deep dugouts which I had visited previously I found our staff hard +at work. They told me that this was "Y" day, and that zero hour when +the barrage would start was at 5.20 the next morning. At that hour we +were to cross the Canal and then press on into the country beyond. We +had a two battalion front. The 4th and 14th Battalions were to make +the attack, and be followed up by the other battalions in the 1st and +3rd Brigades. When these had reached their objective the 2nd Brigade +was to "leap frog" them and push on to Haynecourt and beyond. I was +glad that I had come provided for the expedition, and bidding good-bye +to General Thacker, whose parting injunction was not to do anything +foolish, I got out of the quarry and made my way down the hill towards +Inchy. A railway bridge which crossed the road near me was a constant +mark for German shells, and it was well to avoid it. An officer met me +and asked where I was going. I said, "I don't know, but I think the +Spirit is leading me to the old 14th Battalion in Buissy Switch Trench." +He told me the direction to take, which was to cross the road and +follow the line of railway. The tins of milk and bully-beef cut (p. 306) +into my back so I stopped by a culvert and taking off my pack and +tunic, sat on the ground and cooled off. There was no sign of Buissy +Switch anywhere, but I got up and went on. The evening was closing in +by this time, and, as I am never good at seeing in the dark, it began +to be difficult to keep from tripping over things. At last the road +brought me to a trench in which I found the 14th Battalion. They were +getting ready to move off at midnight and wait in the wood by the edge +of the Canal until the barrage opened. It made one proud to be with +those young men that evening and think what they were called upon to +do. What difficulties they would encounter in the Canal they did not +know. They said they might have to swim. We hoped, however, that there +was not much water, as the canal was still unfinished. + +I said good-bye to them and wished them all good-luck. Crossing the +road I entered another trench, where I found the 13th Battalion, and +beyond them came to the 1st Battalion. By this time, it was dark and +rainy, and the ground was very slippery. I had to feel my way along +the trench. A company of the 4th Battalion who were to be in the first +wave of the attack, passed on their way forward to take up their +position for the following morning. Probably never in the war had we +experienced a moment of deeper anxiety. The men would have to climb +down one side of the canal, rush across it, and climb up the other. It +seemed inevitable that the slaughter would be frightful. At home in +the cities of Canada things were going on as usual. Profiteers were +heaping up their piles of gold. Politicians were carrying on the +government, or working in opposition, in the interests of their +parties, while here, in mud and rain, weary and drenched to the skin, +young Canadians were waiting to go through the valley of the shadow of +death in order that Canada might live. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV. (p. 307) + +THE CROSSING OF THE CANAL DU NORD. + +_September 27th, 1918._ + + +When I got to the sunken road above Inchy I found that No. 1 Company +of the Machine-Gun Battalion had a little sandbag house there, and +were waiting for the attack. I went in and the young officers and men +made me at home at once. I divested myself of my pack, coat and steel +helmet, and determined to settle down for the night. Suddenly a shell +burst in the road, and I went out to see if anyone was hit. Two or +three men were wounded but not severely. We got them in and the young +O.C. of the company bound up their wounds and sent them off. There was +a row of these sandbag-huts against the bank, and at one end of them +was the entrance to a dugout in which the 1st Battalion and the +General of the 1st Brigade had made their headquarters. I went down +the steep steps into a long dark passage, lit here and there by the +light which came from the rooms on either side. The whole place was +crowded with men and the atmosphere was more than usually thick. I +made my way down to the end where there was a pump which had been put +there by the Germans. Here the men were filling their water-bottles, +and I got a fresh supply for mine. Not far from the pump a few steps +led down into a room where I found the C.O. and a number of the +officers of the 1st Battalion. It was about two a.m., and they were +having a breakfast of tea and bacon and invited me to join them. After +the meal was finished, the Colonel, who was lying on a rough bed, said +to me, "Sit down, Canon, and give us some of your nature poems to take +our minds off this beastly business." It was very seldom that I was +invited to recite my own poems, so such an opportunity could not be +lost. I sat down on the steps and repeated a poem which I wrote among +the Laurentian mountains, in the happy days before we ever thought of +war. It is called, "The Unnamed Lake." + + "It sleeps among the thousand hills + Where no man ever trod, + And only nature's music fills + The silences of God. + + Great mountains tower above its shore, (p. 308) + Green rushes fringe its brim, + And o'er its breast for evermore + The wanton breezes skim. + + Dark clouds that intercept the sun + Go there in Spring to weep, + And there, when Autumn days are done, + White mists lie down to sleep. + + Sunrise and sunset crown with gold + The peaks of ageless stone, + Where winds have thundered from of old + And storms have set their throne. + + No echoes of the world afar + Disturb it night or day, + But sun and shadow, moon and star + Pass and repass for aye. + + 'Twas in the grey of early dawn, + When first the lake we spied, + And fragments of a cloud were drawn + Half down the mountain side. + + Along the shore a heron flew, + And from a speck on high, + That hovered in the deepening blue, + We heard the fish-hawk's cry. + + Among the cloud-capt solitudes, + No sound the silence broke, + Save when, in whispers down the woods, + The guardian mountains spoke. + + Through tangled brush and dewy brake, + Returning whence we came, + We passed in silence, and the lake + We left without a name." + +There is not much in the poem, but, like a gramophone record, it +carried our minds away into another world. For myself, who remembered +the scenery that surrounded me when I wrote it and who now, in that +filthy hole, looked at the faces of young men who in two or three +hours were to brave death in one of the biggest tasks that had been +laid upon us, the words stirred up all sorts of conflicting emotions. +The recitation seemed to be so well received that I ventured on +another--in fact several more--and then I noticed a curious thing. It +was the preternatural silence of my audience. Generally speaking, when +I recited my poems, one of the officers would suddenly remember he had +to dictate a letter, or a despatch rider would come in with orders. +Now, no one stirred. I paused in the middle of a poem and looked round +to see what was the matter, and there to my astonishment, I found (p. 309) +that everyone, except the young Intelligence Officer, was sound asleep. +It was the best thing that could have happened and I secretly consoled +myself with the reflection that the one who was unable to sleep was +the officer who specialized in intelligence. We both laughed quietly, +and then I whispered to him, "We had better go and find some place +where we, too, can get a little rest." He climbed over the prostrate +forms and followed me down the passage to a little excavation where +the Germans had started to make a new passage. We lay down side by +side on the wooden floor, and I was just beginning to succumb to the +soothing influences of my own poetry, when I thought I felt little +things crawling over my face. It was too much for me. I got up and +said, "I think I am getting crummy, so I'm going off." I looked in on +the General and the Brigade Major, and then climbed up the steps and +went to the machine-gun hut. + +The night was now well advanced so it was time to shave and get ready +for zero hour. A little after five we had some breakfast, and about a +quarter past I went up to the top of the bank above the road and +waited for the barrage. At 5.20 the savage roar burst forth. It was a +stupendous attack. Field guns, heavy guns, and siege batteries sent +forth their fury, and machine-guns poured millions of rounds into the +country beyond the Canal. So many things were flying about and landing +near us, that we went back under cover till the first burst of the +storm should subside. At that moment I knew our men were crossing the +huge ditch, and I prayed that God would give them victory. When the +barrage had lifted I started down towards the Canal, passing through a +field on my way where I found, lying about, dead and wounded men. Four +or five were in a straight line, one behind another, where a German +machine-gun must have caught them as they advanced. A young officer of +the 2nd Battalion was dying from wounds. Two or three decorations on +his breast told his past record in the war. While I was attending to +the sufferers, a sergeant came up to me from the direction of the +Canal and asked the way to the dressing station. He had a frightful +wound in his face. A bit of a shell had dug into his cheek, carrying +off his nose. He did not know at the time how badly he had been hit. I +asked him if he wanted me to walk back with him, but he said he was +all right as the dressing station was not far off. I often wondered +what became of him, and I never heard till the following year when a +man came up to me in the military hospital at St. Anne's, with a (p. 310) +new nose growing comfortably on his face and his cheek marked with a +scar that was not unsightly. "The last time I met you, Sir," he said, +"was near the Canal du Nord when you showed me the way to the dressing +station." I was indeed glad to find him alive and well, and to see +what surgical science had done to restore his beauty. + +I went on to the Canal, and found that at that point it was quite dry. +I climbed down to the bottom of it in which men were walking and the +sappers were at work. Some ladders enabled me to get up on the other +side and I had the joy of feeling that the Canadians had crossed the +great Canal du Nord. Our battalions were now moving up and I joined +them, avoiding a part of a field which the men told me was under the +fire of a machine-gun from the mill in Marquion. The country was open +and green. The day was fine, and once more we experienced the +satisfaction of taking possession of the enemy's territory. Before us +the ground rose in a gradual slope, and we did not know what might +meet us when we arrived at the top, but it was delightful to go with +the men feeling that every step was a gain. When we got to the top of +the rise, we had a splendid view of the country beyond. Before us, in +the distance running from right to left, lay the straight Arras-Cambrai +road with its rows of tall trees. Where we stood, there were a number +of deserted German trenches. Here the M.O. of the 3rd Battalion opened +up an aid post, and the chaplain went about looking for the wounded. +Our men went on down into the valley and got into some forward +trenches. I stayed on the hill looking at the wonderful scene through +my German glasses. On the left in a quarry beside the village of +Marquion, I saw two Germans manning a machine-gun. Our 3rd Brigade had +taken the place, and some Highlanders were walking on the edge of the +quarry just above the Huns, of whose presence they were unaware. I saw +the enemy suddenly hide themselves, having noticed the approach of the +Highlanders, but when the latter had passed the two Boches reappeared +and went on firing as before. It was not long before the German +artillery turned their guns on our hill and I told some men of the 2nd +Brigade, who were now coming forward, to take cover in the trench or +go in extended order. I had hardly uttered the words when a shell +burst, killing one man and wounding in the thigh the one to whom I was +talking. I went over to him and found that no artery had been cut, and +the chaplain of the 3rd Battalion got him carried off. Down in the (p. 311) +valley our advance had evidently been checked for a time. While I was +trying to see what the trouble was, a young officer, called Cope, of +the 8th Battalion came up to me. He was a splendid young fellow, and +looked so fresh and clean. He had lost a brother in the Battalion in +the early part of the war. I said, "How old are you, Cope?" He replied, +"I am twenty." I said, "What a glorious thing it is to be out here at +twenty." "Yes," he said, looking towards the valley, "it is a glorious +thing to be out here at twenty, but I should like to know what is +holding them up." He had hardly spoken when there was a sharp crack of +a machine-gun bullet and he dropped at my side. The bullet had pierced +his steel helmet and entered his brain. He never recovered +consciousness, and died on the way to the aid post. + +The 2nd Brigade was now moving forward, so I went down the hill past a +dugout which had been used as a German dressing station. There I +secured a bottle of morphine tablets, and spoke to our wounded waiting +to be carried off. Just before I reached the Arras-Cambrai road, I +came to the trench where the C.O. of the 3rd Battalion had established +himself. The chaplain and I were talking when an officer of the 2nd +Battalion came back with a bad wound in the throat. He could not +speak, but made signs that he wanted to write a message. We got him +some paper and he wrote, "The situation on our right is very bad." The +4th Division were on our right, and they had been tied up in Bourlon +Wood. So now our advancing 2nd Brigade had their right flank in the +air. As a matter of fact their left flank was also exposed, because +the British Division there had also been checked in their advance. I +crossed the road into the field, where I found the 5th and 10th +Battalions resting for a moment before going on to their objective. In +front of us, looking very peaceful among its trees, was the village of +Haynecourt which the 5th Battalion had to take. The 10th Battalion was +to pass it on the left and go still further forward. We all started +off, and as we were nearing the village I looked over to the fields on +the right, and there, to my dismay, I saw in the distance numbers of +little figures in grey which I knew must be Germans. I pointed them +out to a sergeant, but he said he thought they were French troops who +were in the line with us. The 5th Battalion went through Haynecourt +and found the village absolutely deserted and the houses stripped of +everything that might be of any value. Their C.O. made his headquarters +in a trench to the north of the village, and the 10th disappeared (p. 312) +going forward to the Douai-Cambrai road. + +It was now quite late in the afternoon. The sun was setting, and I feared +that if I did not go back in time I might find myself stuck out there for +the night without any food or cover. I thought it was wise therefore +to go to Deligny's Mill, where I understood the machine-gunners were +established. In the road at the entrance of Haynecourt, I found a +young German wounded in the foot and very sorry for himself. I think +he was asking me to carry him, but I saw he could walk and so showed +him the direction in which to make his way back to our aid posts. I +was just going back over the fields when I met a company of our light +trench mortar batteries. The men halted for a rest and sat down by the +road, and an officer came and said to me, "Come and cheer up the men, +Canon, they have dragged two guns eight kilometres in the dust and +heat and they are all fed up." I went over to them, and, luckily +having a tin of fifty cigarettes in my pocket, managed to make them go +round. I asked the O.C. if he would like me to spend the night with +them. He said he would, so I determined not to go back. Some of the +men asked me if I knew where they could get water. I told them they +might get some in the village, so off we started. It makes a curious +feeling go through one to enter a place which has just been evacuated +by the enemy. In the evening light, the little brick village looked +quite ghostly with its silent streets and empty houses. We turned into +a large farmyard, at the end of which we saw a well with a pump. One +of the men went down into the cellar of the house hunting for +souvenirs, and soon returned with a German who had been hiding there. +We were just about to fill our water-bottles, when I suggested that +perhaps the well had been poisoned. I asked the German, "Gutt wasser?" +"Ja, ja," Then I said, "Gutt drinken?" "Nein, nein," he replied, +shaking his head. "Well, Sir," the men said, "we are going to drink it +anyway." "But if the well is poisoned," I replied, "it won't do you +much good." "How can you find out?" they said. A brilliant idea +flashed upon me. "I tell you what, boys," I said, "we will make the +German drink it himself and see the effect." The men roared with +laughter, and we filled a bottle with the suspected liquid and made +the unfortunate prisoner drink every drop of it. When he had finished, +we waited for a few minutes (like the people who watched St. Paul on +the Island of Melita after he had shaken off the viper into the (p. 313) +fire) to see if he would swell up or die, but as nothing of that kind +happened we all began to fill our water-bottles. Just as the last man +was about to fill his, a big shell landed in the garden next to us, +and he, catching up his empty bottle, ran off saying, "I'm not thirsty +any longer, I don't want any water." + +After their rest and refreshment, the company went over to a sunken +road on the east side of the village. It was now getting very chilly +and the daylight was dying rapidly. From the ground above the road one +could see in the distance the spires of Cambrai, and in some fields to +the southeast of us, with my glasses I could distinctly see numbers of +little grey figures going into trenches, apparently with the idea of +getting round to the south of our village on our exposed flank. I met +a young officer of the machine-gun battalion, and lending him my +glasses pointed out where the Germans were massing. He got the men of +his section and took up a forward position along a ditch which ran at +right angles to the sunken road. Here too were some of the companies +of the 5th Battalion. They had hardly got into position when the +Germans shelled the road we had been on, most unmercifully. I took +refuge with a number of the men of the 5th Battalion in a garden, +beside a brick building which had been used by the German troops as a +wash-house and which was particularly malodorous. Two or three shells +dropped in the orchard, breaking the trees, and we had to keep down on +the ground while the shelling lasted. I could not help thinking of the +warning the 2nd Battalion officer had given us about the situation on +our right. It did seem pretty bad, because, until the arrival of the +7th and 8th Battalions, our right flank was exposed, and the enemy +might have gone round to the southeast of the village and attacked us +in the rear. When things settled down, I went back up the sunken road, +and, as I did so, thought I saw some men going into a gateway in the +main street of the village. I made my way to the open trenches where +the Colonel of the 5th Battalion had his headquarters, and I determined +to spend the night there, so they kindly provided me with a German +overcoat. I was just settling down to sleep when a runner came up and +reported that some men were wounded and were asking the way to the +dressing station. Someone said they thought the M.O. had made his +headquarters in the village. Then I remembered having seen some men +enter a gateway in the street as I passed, so two of us started off +to find out if this was the regimental aid post. The night was (p. 314) +absolutely black, and my companion and I had to feel our way along +the street not knowing who or what we might bump into, and expecting +every moment that the Germans would begin to shell the place as soon +as they thought we had had time to find billets there. At last to our +great relief, we came to a large gateway in a brick wall and found +some of our men, who told us that the M.O. had made his dressing +station in the cellar of a building to the right. We went down into it +and came upon a place well lighted with candles, where the devoted +M.O. and his staff were looking after a number of men on stretchers. + +The Germans were determined that we should not have a quiet night and +very soon, as we had expected, they began to shell the village. The +dressing station was in a building which they themselves had used for +the same purpose, so they knew its location, and shells began to fall +in the yard. We got all the men we could down to the cellar; but still +there were some stretcher cases which had to be left in the rooms +upstairs. It was hard to convince them that there was no danger. +However the "straffing" stopped in time, and I went down to the end of +the cellar and slept in a big cane-seated chair which the Germans had +left behind them. In the morning I went back again to our men in the +line. The 10th Battalion had established themselves partly in a ditch +along the Cambrai road not far from Epinoy, and partly in outposts +behind the German wire. The country was undulating, and in places +afforded an extensive view of the forward area. German machine-gun +emplacements were in all directions, and our men suffered very +severely. I was in an outpost with one of the companies when I saw in +the distance one of our men crawling on his hands and knees up to a +German machine-gun emplacement. The helmets of the enemy could be +distinctly seen above the parapet. It was very exciting watching the +plucky fellow approach the place of danger with the intention of +bombing it. Unfortunately just as he had reached the side of the +trench the Germans must have become aware of his presence, for they +opened fire, and he had to crawl back again as fast as he could. + +Though many wounded were brought in, we knew that some were still +lying out on the other side of the wire in full view of the enemy. As +soon as it was dark enough, a bearer party, which I accompanied, +started off to try and collect these men. With my cane I managed to +lead the party through a gap in the wire. I came to a poor fellow (p. 315) +who had been lying there since the previous night with a smashed arm +and leg. He was in great pain, but the men got him in safely, and the +next time I saw him was in a Toronto hospital where he was walking +about with a wooden leg, and his arm in a sling. I went down to an +outpost where I saw some men. We could only talk in whispers, as we +knew the Germans were close at hand. They told me they were one of the +companies of the 10th Battalion. I asked, "Where are your officers?" +They said, "They are all gone." "Who is in command?" They replied, "A +Lance-Corporal." I rejoined the bearers and we had great difficulty in +getting back, as we could not find the gap in the wire, which seemed +to go in all directions. + +The 10th Battalion was relieved that night by the 8th, the C.O. of +which made his headquarters with the C.O. of the 5th Battalion in a +large dugout by the sunken road. There, late at night, I shared a +bunk with a young machine-gun officer and had a few hours of somewhat +disturbed sleep. The next morning, Sunday, September the 29th, the +fourth anniversary of our sailing from Quebec, our men were having a +hard time. The German defence at Cambrai was most determined, and they +had a large quantity of artillery in the neighbourhood. I went back to +the road and into the trench beyond the wire and found a lot of men +there. The parapet was so low that the men had dug what they called, +"Funk holes" in the clay, where they put as much of their bodies as +they could. Sitting in a bend of the trench where I got a good view of +the men, I had a service for them, and, as it was that festival, I +read out the epistle for St. Michael and All Angel's Day, and spoke of +the guardianship of men which God had committed to the Heavenly Hosts. +Going down the trench later on, I came to a place from which I could +see, with my glasses, a German machine-gun emplacement and its crew. I +went back and asked for a sniper. A man who said he was one came up to +me and I showed him the enemy and then directed his fire. I could see +from little puffs of dust where his bullets were landing. He was a +good shot and I think must have done some damage, for all of a sudden +the machine-gun opened fire on us and we had to dive into the trench +pretty quickly. I told him that I thought we had better give up the +game as they had the advantage over us. To snipe at the enemy seemed +to be a curious way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it was a temptation +too hard to resist. I crawled back through the trench to the road, and +there finding a man who had just lost his hand, directed him to (p. 316) +the aid post near Battalion Headquarters. I accompanied him part of +the way and had reached the edge of the sunken road, when a major of +the Engineers came up to me and said, "I have got a better pair of +German glasses than you have." It was an interesting challenge, so we +stood there on a little rise looking at the spires of Cambrai and +comparing the strength of the lenses. Very distinctly we saw the town, +looking peaceful and attractive. Suddenly there was a tremendous crash +in front of us, a lot of earth was blown into our faces, and we both +fell down. My eyes were full of dirt but I managed to get up again. I +had been wounded in both legs, and from one I saw blood streaming down +through my puttees. My right foot had been hit and the artery in the +calf of my leg was cut. I fell down again with a feeling of exasperation +that I had been knocked out of the war. The poor major was lying on +the ground with one leg smashed. The same shell had wounded in the +chest the young machine-gun officer who had shared his bunk with me +the night before. I believe an Imperial officer also was hit in the +abdomen and that he died. The chaplain of the 10th Battalion who +happened to be standing in the sunken road, got some men together +quickly and came to our help. I found myself being carried off in a +German sheet by four prisoners. They had forgotten to give me my +glasses, and were very much amused when I called for them, but I got +them and have them now. The major not only lost his leg but lost his +glasses as well. The enemy had evidently been watching us from some +observation post in Cambrai, for they followed us up with another +shell on the other side of the road, which caused the bearers to drop +me quickly. The chaplain walked beside me till we came to the aid post +where there were some stretchers. I was placed on one and carried into +the dressing station at Haynecourt. They had been having a hard time +that day, for the village was heavily shelled. One of their men had +been killed and several wounded. I felt a great pain in my heart which +made it hard to breathe, so when I was brought into the dressing +station I said, "Boys, I am going to call for my first and last tot of +rum." I was immensely teased about this later on by my friends, who +knew I was a teetotaller. They said I had drunk up all the men's rum +issue. A General wrote to me later on to say he had been terribly +shocked to hear I was wounded, but that it was nothing in comparison +with the shock he felt when he heard that I had taken to drinking rum. +Everyone in the dressing station was as usual most kind. The (p. 317) +bitter thought to me was that I was going to be separated from the old +1st Division. The nightmare that had haunted me for so long had at +last come true, and I was going to leave the men before the war was +over. For four years they had been my beloved companions and my +constant care. I had been led by the example of their noble courage +and their unhesitating performance of the most arduous duties, in the +face of danger and death, to a grander conception of manhood, and a +longing to follow them, if God would give me grace to do so, in their +path of utter self-sacrifice. I had been with them continuously in +their joys and sorrows, and it did not seem to be possible that I +could now go and desert them in that bitter fight. When the doctors +had finished binding up my wounds, I was carried off immediately to an +ambulance in the road, and placed in it with four others, one of whom +was dying. It was a long journey of four hours and a half to No. 1 +C.C.S. at Agnez-les-Duisans, and we had to stop at Quéant on the way. +Our journey lay through the area over which we had just made the great +advance. Strange thoughts and memories ran through my mind. Faces of +men that had gone and incidents that I had forgotten came back to me +with great vividness. Should I ever again see the splendid battalions +and the glad and eager lives pressing on continuously to Victory? +Partly from shell holes, and partly from the wear of heavy traffic, +the road was very bumpy. The man above me was in terrible agony, and +every fresh jolt made him groan. The light of the autumn afternoon was +wearing away rapidly. Through the open door at the end of the +ambulance, as we sped onward, I could see the brown colourless stretch +of country fade in the twilight, and then vanish into complete +darkness, and I knew that the great adventure of my life among the +most glorious men that the world has ever produced was over. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXV. (p. 318) + +VICTORY. + +_November 11th, 1918._ + + +They took me to the X-ray room and then to the operating-tent that +night, and sent me off on the following afternoon to the Base with a +parting injunction that I should be well advised to have my foot taken +off; which, thank God, was not found necessary. From the C.C.S. at +Camiers, two days later I was sent to London to the Endsleigh Palace +Hospital near Euston Station, where I arrived with another wounded +officer at 2.30 a.m. I was put in a little room on the seventh storey, +and there through long nights I thought of our men still at the front +and wondered how the war was going. The horror of great darkness fell +upon me. The hideous sights and sounds of war, the heart-rending +sorrows, the burden of agony, the pale dead faces and blood-stained +bodies lying on muddy wastes, all these came before me as I lay awake +counting the slow hours and listening to the hoarse tooting of lorries +rattling through the dark streets below. That concourse of ghosts from +the sub-conscious mind was too hideous to contemplate and yet one +could not escape them. The days went by and intimations at last +reached us that the German power was crumbling. Swiftly and surely the +Divine Judge was wreaking vengeance upon the nation that, by its +over-weaning ambition, had drenched the world in blood. + +On November 11th at eleven in the morning the bells of London rang out +their joyous peals, for the armistice had been signed and the war was +over. There was wild rejoicing in the city and the crowds went crazy +with delight. But it seemed to me that behind the ringing of those +peals of joy there was the tolling of spectral bells for those who +would return no more. The monstrous futility of war as a test of +national greatness, the wound in the world's heart, the empty homes, +those were the thoughts which in me overmastered all feelings of +rejoicing. + +On Sunday morning, the 4th of May, 1919, on the Empress of Britain, +after an absence of four years and seven months, I returned to Quebec. +On board were the 16th Battalion with whom I had sailed away in 1914, +the 8th Battalion, the Machine Gun Battalion, the 3rd Field (p. 319) +Ambulance and some of the Engineers. Like those awaking from a dream, +we saw once more the old rock city standing out in the great river. +There was the landing and the greeting of loving friends on the wharf +within a stone's throw from the place whence we had sailed away. While +I was shaking hands with my friends, an officer told me I had to +inspect the Guard of Honour which the kind O.C. of the vessel had +furnished. I did not know how to do this properly but I walked through +the rows of stalwart, bronzed men and looked into their faces which +were fixed and immovable. Each man was an original, and every unit in +the old 1st Division was represented. For four years and seven months, +they had been away from home, fighting for liberty and civilization. +Many of them wore decorations; many had been wounded. No General +returning victor from a war could have had a finer Guard of Honour. + +The troops had to wait on board the ship till the train was ready. All +along the decks of the great vessel, crowded against the railings in +long lines of khaki, were two thousand seven hundred men. Their bright +faces were ruddy in the keen morning air. On their young shoulders the +burden of Empire had rested. By their willing sacrifice Canada had +been saved. It made a great lump come in my throat to look at them and +think of what they had gone through. + +I went back to the gangway for a last farewell. In one way I knew it +must be a last farewell, for though some of us will meet again as +individuals it will be under altered conditions. Never again but in +dreams will one see the great battalions marching on the +battle-ploughed roads of France and Flanders. Never again will one see +them pouring single file into the muddy front trenches. All that is +over. Along the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific, among our cities, +by the shores of lakes and rivers and in the vast expanse of prairies +and mountain passes the warrior hosts have melted away. But there on +the vessel that day the fighting men had come home in all their +strength and comradeship. I stood on the gangway full of conflicting +emotions. + +The men called out "Speech," "Speech," as they used often to do, half +in jest and half in earnest, when we met in concert tents and +estaminets in France. + +I told them what they had done for Canada and what Canada owed them +and how proud I was to have been with them. I asked them to continue +to play the game out here as they had played it in France. Then, (p. 320) +telling them to remove their caps, as this was our last church parade, +I pronounced the Benediction, said, "Good-bye, boys", and turned +homewards. + + + + +INDEX (p. 321) + + +A + +Abbeville, 160, 161. + +Abeele, 132, 134. + +Achicourt, 302, 303, 304. + +Aeroplane, first ride in, 261, 264. + +Agnez-les-Duisans, 317. + +Albert, 136, 140, 146, 147, 148, 154, 158, 179, 288, 289. + +"Alberta," 149, 174, 178, 205, 231, 243, 244, 245, 249, 252. + +Alberta Dragoons, 93, 115. + +Alderson, Gen. 89, 98, 108, 109, 111. + +Ambulance drivers, 130. + +Americans, 240, 242, 288. + +American declaration of war, 165. + +Amesbury, 32. + +Amiens, 135, 186, 271, 273. + +"Andania," 24, 25, 27, 302. + +Anzin, 165, 166, 249. + +Anzin-St. Eloi. rd., 164. + +Archbishop of York, 190. + +Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders, 82. + +Arleux, 170, 177, 253. + +Armagh Wood, 131, 133. + +Armentieres, 38, 41, 98, 181. + +Armistice, 318. + +Army, 1st, 205. + " 5th, 242. + " Hqrs., 211. + " " 2nd, 134. + " Service Corps, 50, 99. + " Mind, the, 222. + +Arras, 150, 235, 246, 247, 251, 270, 290, 296, 301, 304. + +Arras-Bethune rd., 164, 171, 173, 174, 176. + +Arras-Cambrai, 310, 311. + +Arriane Dump, 164, 175, 176, 178. + +Artillery, Canadian, 285. + " Monument, 239. + +Attention to detail, effect of, 209. + +Aubigny, 154. + +August 4th, 271. + +Australians, 122. + +Australian Tunnellers, 201. + +Averdoignt, 258, 259. + +Avonmouth, 35. + + +B + +Bac St. Maur, 42. + +Bailleul, 38, 76, 98, 109, 112, 113, 114. + +Bailleul-sur-Berthouit, 170. + +Bailly-sur-Lys, 43, 46. + +Bapaume, 136, 137. + +Baptism at the Front, a, 122. + +Barlin, 161, 162, 206, 207, 230. + +Barrage, 168, 172, 198, 276, 309. + +Base, 267. + +Battalion, British, 165. + " Guards, 79. + " Headqrs., 249, 250, 251, 252, 269, 276, 280, 281, 294, 295. + " Machine Gun, 258, 298, 300, 307, 313, 318. + " of Engineers, 3rd, 272. + " Pioneer, 199. + " 1st, 109, 181, 246, 306, 307. + " 2nd, 181, 207, 278, 296, 309, 311. + " 3rd., 125, 149, 181, 285, 311. + " 4th., 181, 296, 305, 306. + " 5th., 181, 242, 275, 277, 282, 284, 292, 294, 311, 313. + " 5th., Headqrs., 293. + " 7th., 181, 203, 235, 236, 282, 294, 295, 296, 313. + " 8th., 159, 181, 235, 236, 282, 283, 288, 292, 295, 302, 311, + 313, 314, 318. + " 10th., 61, 181, 270, 280, 311, 312, 314, 315, 316. + " 13th., 52, 80, 118, 120, 181, 277, 296, 306. + " 14th., 23, 24, 27, 54, 58, 61, 111, 118, 125, 159, 160, 181, + 246, 282, 295, 298, 301, 305, 306. + " 15th., 37, 38, 39, 42, 55, 118, 181, 274, 298. + " 16th., 37, 42, 57, 60, 72, 82, 106, 118, 119, 120, 125, 152, + 164, 181, 246, 272, 273, 274, 275, 277, 279, 298, 302, + 318. + " 22nd., 282. + " 24th., 282. + " 42nd., 302. + " 87th., 147, 148, 157, 178. + +Battery, my son's, 303. + " Siege, 193. + " " 7th., 166, 198, 199. + " " 11th., 154, 155. + +Battle Headqrs., 136, 176, 272, 273, 290, 291, 292, 303, 304, 305. + +Bean, C. W. E. Mr., 289. + +Beaufort, 282, 286, 288. + +Beaurains, 303. + +Bedford House, 126, 132. + +Bed of Chairs, 79. + +Bell-Irving, Major, 302. + +Berles, 260, 261, 264. + +Bernaville, 147, 298. + +Bethune, 88, 89, 90, 159, 190, 230, 234. + +Bishop du Pencier, 234. + " of London, 48. + +Bishop's College men, 114. + +Blind Organist, 89. + +Borden, Sir Robert, 22, 72, 102, 266. + +Boulogne, 240, 267. + +Bourlon Wood, 311. + +Boves, 272, 273. + +Bracquemont, 151, 191, 192, 197, 235, 240. + +Bray Hill, 167. + +Brielen, 75. + +Brigade, 206. + " Artillery, 171, 245, 260. + " " 1st., Hqrs., 199. + " " 2nd., " 199. + " " 3rd., " 177. + " " 3rd., 36, 53, 75, 76, 77, 87, 97, 103, 168, 181. + " Cavalry, 82, 98, 103. + " Headqrs., 93, 156, 201. + " Infantry, 65, 98. + " " 3rd., Headqrs., 107, 118. + " Machine Gun, 207. + " Motor Machine Gun, 130. + " Schools, 208. + " 1st, 128, 179, 234, 246, 279, 280, 285, 303, 305, 307. + " 2nd., 80, 181, 205, 234, 242, 255, 257, 279, 280, 282, 292, + 305, 310, 311. + " 2nd., Hqrs., 235. + " 3rd., 31, 43, 75, 76, 77, 93, 97, 98, 242, 246, 292, 295, 298, + 305, 310. + +British Artillery, 106. + " Cavalry, 46. + " Tribute, 169. + +Bruay, 159, 161, 178, 179, 180, 181, 203, 204, 205, 206, 232, 234, 235, + 300. + +Brutenell, Col., 130. + +Buissy Switch Trench, 305. + +Bulford Camp, 95, 96. + +Bullecourt, 303. + +Bully-Beef Wood, 269. + +Bully-Grenay, 192, 193, 194, 208. + +Byng, Gen., 132. + + +C + +"C" Mess, 99, 149, 217, 231, 243, 245. + +C.C.S., 267, 270, 286, 291, 317, 318. + " British, 128, 129. + +Caestre, 38, 49. + +Cagnicourt, 296, 303. + +Caix, 279, 280, 281. + +Calais, 227. + +Camblain l'Abbé, 149, 151, 152, 158, 159, 238. + +Cambligneul, 203. + +Cambrai, 302, 315. + +Camiers, 318. + +Cam Valley, 249. + +Canadian Cavalry, Hqrs., 160. + " Corps, 72, 108, 132, 149, 150, 178, 189, 190, 220, 240, 265, + 270, 271, 272, 274. + " Corps Headqrs., 109, 132, 150, 238, 260, 270. + " Cyclist Corps, 142. + " Light Horse, 93. + " Prisoners of War Fund, 109. + " Sisters, 254. + " War Records Office, 184. + +Canal du Nord, 291, 305. + +Canaples, 135, 137, 147, 161. + +Canteen, 138. + +Cassel, 49, 50, 52, 134. + +Caves, 246. + +Cemetery, 152, 158, 176, 180, 291. + Canadian, 56, 136, 138. + at Ecoivres, 174. + Military, 214. + near Thélus, 156. + +Centre Way, 155. + +Chalk Pit, 199. + +Chamounix, 186. + +Chaplain, American, 270. + " British, 111. + " General, 34. + " Junior, 194. + " Praise of, 116. + " Rest Home, 190. + " Roman Catholic, 184. + " Senior, 98, 173, 181, 190, 203, 207, 231. + " Senior of Australian Div., 138. + " Senior Roman Catholic, 34, 76. + " 1st. Army, 205. + " Service Headqrs., 135. + +Château d'Acq., 183, 184, 185, 189, 251. + " de la Haie, 178, 181, 230, 242, 243. + " Longeau, 272. + " of Le Cauroy, 147. + " of Ranchicourt, 150. + +Cheerfulness of Men, 255. + +Cheery word, effect of, 67. + +Cherisy, 292, 294, 295, 296. + +Chinese Labour Companies, 192. + +Christmas, 32, 118, 159, 233. + +Church Parade, 18, 21, 22, 38, 320. + " Service, 315. + " under Chestnut Tree, 256. + +Cité St. Pierre, 238. + +"City of Chester," 36. + +Clayton, 230. + +Clino, 259, 260, 267. + +Comradeship, effect of, 78. + +Concert Party, 180, 192, 203, 231, 242, 243, 254, 261, 298. + " " 1st Divisional, 159. + +Concerts, 153. + +Confirmation Service, 109. + +Congreve, General, 40. + +Connaught, Duke & Duchess, 22, 266. + +Consecration, the Supreme Idea, 299. + +Contalmaison, 137. + +Cope, 311. + +Convalescent Camp, 133. + +Coupigny, 181. + +Courcelette, 115, 138, 140, 142, 144, 145, 155, 157, 179. + +Court-o-Pyp, 96, 97. + +Croisilles, 302. + +"Crown & Anchor," 264. + +Crow's Nest, The, 295. + +Crucifix Corner, 235. + Dump, 193. + +Crucifixes, 105. + +Crucifixion of Canadian Soldier, 76. + +Currie, Gen., 80, 109, 112, 222, 239, 242, 260. + + +D + +Dainville, 291, 298, 300, 302. + +"Daily Mail," 187, 191. + +"Dandy," 90, 91, 95, 103, 107, 108, 110, 113, 122, 128, 134, 165, 180, + 253, 256, 265, 304. + +Day of Young Men, the, 182. + +Death Valley, 138, 156, 157, 179. + +Deligny's Mill, 312. + +Desertion, procedure for death penalty, 211. + " death penalty inflicted, 214. + +Dish washing in the trenches, 236. + +Divion, 234. + +Division, 106, 122, 132, 162, 177, 192, 199, 203, 207, 209, 216, 220, + 226, 227, 228, 242, 251, 253, 260, 265, 268, 280, 287, 288, + 289, 291. + " 1st., 33, 46, 93, 108, 130, 149, 172, 178, 194, 264, 266, 274, + 317, 319. + " 2nd., 108, 138, 175, 281, 291, 296, 303. + " 3rd., 129, 274, 300, 302, 304. + " 4th., 146, 154, 158, 231, 232, 242, 294, 295, 311. + " Guards, 123, 132. + " Scots, 250. + +Divisional Area, 2nd., 282. + " 1st. Wing, 267, 268. + " Headqrs., 123, 134, 135, 147, 159, 173, 183, 191, 213, 230, + 256, 271. + " " 1st. Can., 264, 286. + " Rest Camp, 132. + " Sports, 261. + " Train, 133, 208, 209. + +Dominion Day, 189. + " " Sports, 266. + +Douai, 249. + +Douai-Cambrai, 312. + +Double-Crassier, 194. + +Douve, 118. + +Dregs of the Cup, 303. + +Dressing Station, 140, 142, 144, 177, 200, 201, 227, 235, 284, 285, 291, + 296, 309, 314, 316. + +Drocourt-Quéant Line, 291, 297. + +Duffy, 62, 73. + +Durham Light Infantry, 39. + +Duty as a guide, 250. + " " " runner, 250. + + +E + +Easter Day, 48, 123, 245. + " " 1916, 128. + +Ecoivres, 162, 166, 167, 172, 232, 252. + +Edinburgh, 240. + +"Empress of Britain," 318. + +Endsleigh Palace Hospital, 318. + +Engineer Companies, 245. + +English Channel, 28. + +Epinoy, 314. + +Estaires, 46, 48, 49. + +Etrun, 247, 248, 251, 268, 270. + +Estrée-Cauchie, 204. + +Evians-les-Bains, 187. + + +F + +Fampoux, 249, 250, 263. + +Farbus, 177. + +Festubert, 80, 82, 89. + +Feuchy, 249, 250, 263, 269. + +Field Ambulance, 1st., 303. + " " 2nd., 68, 69, 70, 74. + " " 3rd., 37, 133, 319. + " Co. Engineers, 3rd., 135. + +Fight in a Church Service, 102. + +Flêtre, 38, 122. + +Fleurbaix, 43. + +Florence, 223, 226. + +"Florizel," 26. + +Foch, Marshal, 254, 255. + +"Follies, The," 123. + +Fort Glatz, 193, 199, 235. + +Fosseaux, 245, 247. + +"Four Winds, The," 152, 154. + +France, Patriotism of, 188. + +Fresnicourt, 185, 190. + +Fresnoy, 177, 178, 233. + +Frevent, 253, 254. + +Frohen Le Grand, 147. + + +G + +Gas Attack, 240, 241. + +Gas Poisoning, 201. + +Gas Shells, 269. + +Gaspé Basin, 26. + +Gasquet, Cardinal, 222. + +General Hospital, No. 2, 35, 36, 37, 80, 97. + +Gentelles Wood, 272, 273, 279. + +German Aeroplane, 111. + " Dugouts, 136. + " Prisoners, 65, 80, 82, 142, 144, 200, 278, 283, 284, 295, 312, 316. + " Spy, 83, 89, 96, 108. + " Thoroughness, 66. + +Ghurkas, 79. + +Glasgow Highlanders, 81. + +Good Friday, 48, 165, 245. + +Gouldberg Copse, 227. + +Gouy-Servins, 231. + +Graham, Rev. E. E., 296. + +Graves, Unrecorded, 158. + +Great Memories of the War, 117. + +Grenade School, 132, 133. + +Grenay, 235. + +Groves, Vaughan, 234, 235. + +Gwynne, Bishop, 99, 100, 135. + + +H + +Haig, Gen., 78, 79. + +Hallicourt, 180. + +Hangard Wood, 277. + +Harter, Major, M.C., 40. + +Hatchet Wood, 282. + +Hautes Avesnes, 298. + +Haynecourt, 305, 311, 312, 316. + +Headquarters, 112, 122, 178, 206, 211, 267, 268. + +Hell Fire Corner, 69. + +Hendecourt, 303. + +Hendecourt Dury, 295. + +Hill 60-54, 55, 124. + +Hill 63-91, 101, 106, 113, 117, 118. + +Hill 70-197, 198, 202, 203, 205, 207, 208, 233, 235, 240. + +"Hole in the Wall, The," 195. + +Holy Communion, 21, 27, 32, 40, 49, 66, 71, 77, 95, 96, 101, 119, 120, + 132, 143, 146, 147, 150, 160, 163, 164, 166, 176, 190, + 211, 232, 243, 245, 246, 292, 302. + +Honor to a Belgian Maid, 111. + +Hooge, 124. + +Hooggraaf, 123, 128, 134. + +Horne, Gen., 172, 176, 181, 205. + +Hornoy, 271, 272. + +Houdain, 180, 181. + +Houplines, 39. + +Hughes, Gen., 15, 17, 21, 22, 53, 102, 103. + +Hugo Trench, 235. + + +I + +Ignacourt, 280. + +Inchy Station, 303, 304, 305. + +Indian Troops, 74. + " Village, 80. + +Ironside, Col., 148. + +Italian, 1st. Div., 218. + " 3rd Army, 221. + +Izel-les-Hameaux, 261, 262, 264. + + +J + +Joffre, Gen., 72. + +Johnson, Johnny, 261, 264. + +Jutland, 129, 130. + + +K + +Khaki University, 267. + +King, The, 32, 72, 134. + +"King Edward's Horse," 112. + +Kitchener, Earl, 102, 103, 129. + +Kort Dreuve, 101. + + +L + +La Boisselle, 137. + +Labyrinth, 173. + +Lacouture, 79. + +La Crêche, 94. + +Lake of Geneva, 187. + +Lamb, Col., 219, 221, 223. + +Lark Hill, 31. + +La Targette Rd., 183. + +Laventie, 45. + +Le Brebis, 192, 235. + +Le Cauroy, 253, 254, 261, 270, 271, 301. + +Lectures on Leave Trip to Rome, 257, 258. + +Leicesters, 45. + +Lens, 197, 202, 235, 241, 263. + +Lens-Arras, 176, 185, 207. + +Lens-Bethune Rd., 200. + +Les Tilleuls, 239. + +Le Touret, 80, 82. + +Liencourt, 271. + +Liéven, 208, 240, 262, 263. + +Loison, 267, 268. + +London, 91, 93, 240, 318. + +Loos, 109, 110, 192, 193, 197, 201, 207, 235, 240. + +Loos Crassier, 200. + +Lord's Prayer, 71, 142. + +Lyons, 259, 260, 273, 289, 300. + + +M + +MacDonald, Murdoch, 44, 52, 53, 54, 67, 68, 75, 81, 87, 94, 95. + +Macdonell, Gen., 82, 189. + +Macphail, Col., 300, 303. + +Maison Blanche, 164, 169. + +Mametz, 146. + +Maple Copse, 133. + +Maroc, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 235. + +Maroeil, 249. + +Marquion, 310. + +Marseilles, 216. + +Mazingarbe, 192, 235. + +Memorial Service for Hill 70 Attack, 206. + +Memories of the War, 132. + +Mercer, Gen., 128, 129. + +Merville, 46. + +Messines, 101. + +Military Prison, 123. + +Ministering to German Prisoners, 278. + +Miraumont, 139, 157. + +Moment Before Attack, 276. + +Mons, 260. + +Mont des Cats, 112, 128, 129. + +Montreuil, 267. + +Mont St. Eloi, 149, 150. + +Morgue, 124. + +Mount Kemmel, 112. + +Murray, Major, 112. + + +N + +Nazebrouck, 37. + +Neuve Chapelle, 45. + +Neuve Eglise Rd., 95, 96. + +Neuville St. Vaast, 169. + +Neuville Vitasse, 291. + +New Year, 160, 233. + +Nieppe, 98, 99, 108, 109, 112. + +"Nine Elms," 174. + +Noeux les Mines, 191. + +"No Man's Land," 120, 126, 149, 207, 249, 269. + + +O + +Observation Balloons, 181, 182. + " Post, 280. + +Ohlain, 152, 205. + +Ouderdom, 74. + + +P + +Paris, 186, 187, 227. + +Parish Visiting, 20, 192, 235, 267, 269. + +Passchendale 220, 227, 228, 229, 230, 233. + +Patricia, Princess, 22. + +Petit Moncque Farm, 103, 107, 118. + +"Philo," 91, 94, 95, 104, 134, 149. + +"Pineapples," 236, 237, 238. + +Pisa, 217, 226. + +Place St. Croix, 251. + +Ploegsteert, 38, 91, 94, 100, 102, 103, 110, 113, 118. + +Plymouth, 28. + +Poems: "The Unnamed Lake," 307. + "Requiescant," 75. + +Pope, The, 220. + +Poperinghe, 123, 128, 132, 207, 227, 230. + +Poppies, 261. + +Pozières, 137, 138, 142, 144, 155. + +Price, Major, 301. + +Pronville, 305. + +Pudding Lane, 249. + " Trench, 249, 269. + +Puzzling Question, A, 163. + +Pys., 139, 157. + + +Q + +Quatre Vents, 203. + +Quéant, 305, 317. + +Quebec, 318. + +Queen's Own Westminsters, 41. + +Quesnel, 288. + + +R + +Railway Dugouts, 124, 126, 130, 131, 132. + " Triangle, 270. + +Ranchicourt, 152, 193. + +Ravine, 133. + +Recitation of Poem Under Difficulties, 195. + +Record Attack, A, 172. + +Record-beating Advance, 280. + +Refugees, 69. + +Regina Trench, 138, 148, 156, 157, 158, 180. + +Religion of Men at Front, 116, 134. + +Rest Camp, 185, 190. + +Riviera, 217. + +Robecq, 78, 230. + +Roberts, Lord, 32. + +Robertson, Sir Wm., 220. + +Roclincourt, 176. + +Roellencourt, 147, 148, 149. + +Romarin, 94, 111. + +Rome, 216, 217. + +Rome, March Through the Streets, 218. + +Rosières, 280, 282. + +Ross, Pte., 95, 104, 112, 114, 154, 254, 304. + +Rouville, 246. + +Rouvroy, 285. + +Royal Canadian Regiment, 189. + +Royal Horse Artillery, 281. + +Royal Rifles, 8th, 15, 16. + +Rubempré, 135, 136, 137. + +Ruitz, 180, 181. + + +S + +Sad stories, 139, 141. + +Sains-en-Gohelle, 235. + +Salient, 122, 128, 130, 132, 230, 270. + +Salisbury Plain, 30, 34. + +Sanctuary Wood, 125, 133. + +Sappers, 78. + +Sausage Valley, 137. + +Scarpe, 165, 247, 250, 251, 269. + +Scarpe Valley, 249. + +Second Army School, 190. + +Seely, Gen., 98, 111. + +Shells, 17 inch, 57. + +Shell Trap Farm, 65. + +"Shock Troops," 255. + +"Silent Toast, The," 174. + +"Sky Pilot," 181. + +Smith-Dorrien, Gen., 38, 52, 53. + +Somme, 134, 137, 179. + +Sons, My, 46, 146, 147, 148, 165, 176, 178, 190, 230, 262, 267, 289. + +Son's Grave, 157, 158, 180, 288. + +Souchez, 231. + +Spy Fever, 196. + +Squadron, 13th, 261. + +St. Aubin, 249. + +St. Eloi Rd., 167, 249. + +St. Feuchien, 272, 273. + +St. George's Church, 123, 175, 176, 189. + " " " No. 2, 184. + " " " No. 3, 232. + " " Rectory, 184, 233. + +St. Jans Cappel, 112, 113, 114, 122. + +St. Jean, 61, 67. + +St. Julien, 54, 61. + +St. Lawrence, 26. + +St. Nazaire, 36. + +St. Nicholas, 249. + +St. Omer, 99, 100, 134, 135, 190. + +St. Pol Rd., 147, 160, 161, 258, 259, 261, 267. + +St. Sauveur Cave, 246. + +St. Sylvestre, 50. + +St. Venant, 230. + +Steenje, 77, 78, 93. + +Steenvoorde, 54, 134. + +Stewart, Charles, 302. + +Stonehenge, 32. + +Strand, 151. + +Strathcona Horse, 107. + +Strazeele, 37. + +Stretcher Bearers, 145. + +Sunday Program, 132. + +Swan Château, 127. + + +T + +Talbot House, 123, 230. + +Talbot, Neville, 123. + +"Tanks," 140, 274, 277, 282. + +Tara Hill, 136, 137, 147, 154, 158, 180, 289. + +Telegraph Hill, 246. + +Tent Hospitals, Canadian, 208. + +Terdeghem, 52, 53. + +Thacker, Gen., 134, 192, 260, 272, 287, 303, 305. + +Thélus, 170. + +"The Times," 180. + +Tilloy, 269. + +Tilques, 135. + +Tincques, 264, 266. + +Training for Final Attack, 255. + +Tully, 160. + +Turcos, 63, 72. + +Turin, 226. + + +U + +"Unbroken Line, The," 7. + + +V + +Valcartier, 16, 17, 19, 24. + " Departure, 23. + +Vandervyver, M., 54, 60, 67, 68. + +Venezelos, M., 221. + +Verbranden Molen, 126. + +Verdrel, 259. + +Victory Year, 234. + +Villers au Bois, 183, 189. + +Villers-Cagnicourt, 296. + +Villers-Chatel, 205, 256, 257, 263. + +Vimy Ridge, 150, 151, 162, 164, 167, 169, 178, 181, 233, 239, 263. + +Vlamertinghe, 59, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 130, 132, 227. + + +W + +Wailly, 298. + +Wanquetin, 298. + +Warlus, 245, 247, 299, 300, 301. + +Warvilliers, 282, 284, 286. + +Westhof Farm, 98. + +Wieltje, 54, 55, 61, 62. + +Willerval, 170, 177. + +Wingles, 193. + +Wippenhock, 130. + +Wisques, 190. + +Wounded, 316. + +Wreath on Victor Emmanuel Statue, 221. + +Wulverghem, 106, 115. + + +Y + +Y.M.C.A., 30, 138, 155, 166, 203, 204, 208, 267, 292, 298. + +Ypres, 49, 50, 54, 55, 124, 128, 130, 132, 227, 230. + +Yser Canal, 54, 55. + + +Z + +Zillebeke Bund, 125. + +Zulus, 192, 193. + + + _Warwick Bros. & Rutter, Limited_ + _Printers and Bookbinders_ + _Toronto_ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Great War As I Saw It, by +Frederick George Scott + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WAR AS I SAW IT *** + +***** This file should be named 19857-8.txt or 19857-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/8/5/19857/ + +Produced by Sigal Alon, 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G. Scott</title> + + +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {font-size: 1em; text-align: justify; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} + +h1 {font-size: 1.4em; text-align: center; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h2 {font-size: 1.2em; text-align: center; margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h3 {font-size: 1.2em; text-align: center; margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 1em;} +h4 {text-align: center; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h5 {font-size: 1em; text-align: center; margin-top: 3em;} +h6 {font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center;} + +.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} + +.pagenum {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; right:0; font-size: smaller; +text-align: right; color: #C0C0C0; background-color: inherit;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.left05 {margin-left: 05%;} +.left10 {margin-left: 10%;} +.left20 {margin-left: 20%;} +.left30 {margin-left: 30%;} +.left40 {margin-left: 40%;} +.left50 {margin-left: 50%;} +.left55 {margin-left: 55%;} +.left60 {margin-left: 60%;} +.left65 {margin-left: 65%;} +.left70 {margin-left: 70%;} +.left75 {margin-left: 75%;} + +.poem05 {margin-left: 05%; font-size: 0.9em;} +.poem {margin-left: 15%; font-size: 0.9em;} +.poem1 {margin-left: 2em;} + +.quotedr {position: absolute; right: 5%; text-align: right;} + +a {text-decoration: none;} +table {margin: auto;} +table p {margin-top: 1em;} + +.figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + +.align-right {text-align: right;} + +--> +</style> + +</head> + +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Great War As I Saw It, by Frederick George Scott + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Great War As I Saw It + +Author: Frederick George Scott + +Release Date: November 18, 2006 [EBook #19857] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WAR AS I SAW IT *** + + + + +Produced by Sigal Alon, Christine P. Travers and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<p>[Transcriber's note:<br> +-Obvious printer's errors have been corrected.<br> +-Variable spelling of hyphenated words has been made consistent.<br> +-Missing page numbers correspond to blank pages.<br> +-Punctuation conventions of the original have been retained.<br> +-Inconsistent spelling of place names has been retained.]</p> + +<a id="img001" name="img001"></a> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/img001.jpg" width="600" height="331" +alt="Frontispiece" title=""> +</div> + + + +<h2>The Great War as I Saw It</h2> + + +<a id="img002" name="img002"></a> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/img002.jpg" width="500" height="786" +alt="F. G. Scott" title=""> +</div> + + +<h1>The Great War as I Saw It</h1> + +<h2>by<br> + +Canon Frederick George Scott, C.M.G., D.S.O.</h2> + +<h5><i>Late Senior Chaplain</i><br> +<i>First Canadian Division, C.E.F.</i></h5> + +<p class="p2"> + +<h5>Author of "Later Canadian Poems," and "Hymn of the Empire."</h5> + +<p class="p2"> + +<h5>F. D. GOODCHILD COMPANY<br> +Publishers - - - Toronto</h5> + + +<h6>Copyright, Canada, 1922<br> +by Frederick George Scott</h6> + + + + + +<h2>CONTENTS +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page005" name="page005">(p. 005)</a></span></h2> + + + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter I.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page015">How I got into the +War—July to September, 1914</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter II.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page025">The Voyage to +England—September 29th to October 18th, 1914</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter III.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page030">On Salisbury +Plain—October 18th, 1914 to January 1st, 1915</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter IV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page034">Off to +France—January to March, 1915</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter V.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page048">Before the +Storm—March and April, 1915</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter VI.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page055">The Second Battle of +Ypres—April 22nd, 1915</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter VII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page074">Festubert and +Givenchy—May and June, 1915</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter VIII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page093">A Lull in +Operations—Ploegsteert, July to December, 1915</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter IX.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page118">Our First Christmas +in France</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter X.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page122">Spring, 1916</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XI.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page128">The Attack on Mount +Sorrel—Summer, 1916</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page134">The Battle of the +Somme—Autumn, 1916</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XIII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page149">Our Home at Camblain +l'Abbé—November, 1916</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XIV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page154">My Search is +Rewarded</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page159">A Time of +Preparation—Christmas, 1916 to April, 1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XVI.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page167">The Capture of Vimy +Ridge—April 9th, 1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XVII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page173">A Month on the +Ridge—April and May, 1917</a></span> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page006" name="page006">(p. 006)</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XVIII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page179">A Well-earned Rest—May and +June, 1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XIX.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page186">Paris Leave—June, +1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XX.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page192">We take Hill 70—July and +August, 1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXI.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page203">Every day Life—August and +September, 1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page210">A Tragedy of War</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXIII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page216">Visits to Rome and +Paschendaele—Oct. and Nov., 1917</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXIV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page230">Our Last War +Christmas</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page234">Victory Year Opens—January and +February, 1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXVI.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page240">The German Offensive—March, +1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXVII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page248">In Front of Arras—April, +1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXVIII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page254">Sports and Pastimes—May and +June, 1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXIX.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page267">The Beginning of the +End</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXX.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page274">The Battle of Amiens—August 8th +to August 16th, 1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXXI.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page288">We Return to Arras—August, +1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXXII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page292">The Smashing of the +Drocourt-Quéant Line—Sept. 2nd, 1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXXIII.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page298">Preparing for the Final +Blow—September, 1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXXIV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page307">The Crossing of the Canal du +Nord—September 27th, 1918</a></span></p> + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Chapter XXXV.</span><br> +<span class="left10"><a href="#page318">VICTORY—November 11th, +1918</a></span></p> + +<p><span class="smcap"><a href="#page321">Index</a></span></p> + + + +<h2> +TO <span class="pagenum"><a id="page007" name="page007">(p. 007)</a></span><br> +THE OFFICERS AND MEN<br> +OF THE<br> +FIRST CANADIAN DIVISION, C.E.F.</h2> + + +<p class="p2"> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<table summary=''> + +<tr> + <td class="figcenter">"THE UNBROKEN LINE."</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td> + <p class="poem">We who have trod the borderlands of death,<br> + <span class="poem1">Where courage high walks hand in hand with fear,</span><br> + Shall we not hearken what the Spirit saith,<br> + + <span class="poem1">"All ye were brothers there, be brothers here?"</span></p> + + <p class="poem">We who have struggled through the baffling night,<br> + <span class="poem1">Where men were men and every man divine,</span><br> + While round us brave hearts perished for the right<br> + <span class="poem1">By chaliced shell-holes stained with life's rich wine.</span></p> + + <p class="poem">Let us not lose the exalted love which came<br> + + <span class="poem1">From comradeship with danger and the joy</span><br> + Of strong souls kindled into living flame<br> + <span class="poem1">By one supreme desire, one high employ.</span></p> + + <p class="poem">Let us draw closer in these narrower years,<br> + <span class="poem1">Before us still the eternal visions spread;</span><br> + We who outmastered death and all its fears<br> + + <span class="poem1">Are one great army still, living and dead.</span></p> + + <p class="align-right">F. G. S.</p> + </td> +</tr> +</table> +</div> + + + + + + + +<h2>FOREWORD +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page009" name="page009">(p. 009)</a></span></h2> + + +<p>It is with great pleasure I accede to the request of Canon Scott to +write a foreword to his book.</p> + +<p>I first heard of my friend and comrade after the second battle of +Ypres when he accompanied his beloved Canadians to Bethune after their +glorious stand in that poisonous gap—which in my own mind he +immortalised in verse:—</p> + +<div class="poem05"> +O England of our fathers, and England of our sons,<br> +Above the roar of battling hosts, the thunder of the guns,<br> +A mother's voice was calling us, we heard it oversea,<br> +The blood which thou didst give us, is the blood we spill for thee. +</div> + +<p>Little did I think when I first saw him that he could possibly, at his +time of life, bear the rough and tumble of the heaviest fighting in +history, and come through with buoyancy of spirit younger men envied +and older men recognized as the sign and fruit of self-forgetfulness +and the inspiration and cheering of others.</p> + +<p>Always in the thick of the fighting, bearing almost a charmed life, +ignoring any suggestion that he should be posted to a softer job +"further back," he held on to the very end.</p> + +<p>The last time I saw him was in a hospital at Etaples badly wounded, +yet cheery as ever—having done his duty nobly.</p> + +<p>All the Canadians in France knew him, and his devotion and +fearlessness were known all along the line, and his poems will, I am +bold to prophesy, last longer in the ages to come than most of the +histories of the war.</p> + +<p>I feel sure that his book—if anything like himself—will interest and +inspire all who read it.</p> + +<div> +<p class="left50">LLEWELLYN H. GWYNNE.</p> + +<span class="quotedr"><i>Bishop of Khartoum,</i></span><br> +<span class="quotedr"><i>Deputy Chaplain General</i></span><br> +<span class="quotedr"><i>to the C. of E. Chaplains</i></span><br> +<span class="quotedr"><i>in France.</i></span> +</div> + + + + + +<h2>PREFACE +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page011" name="page011">(p. 011)</a></span></h2> + + +<p>It is with a feeling of great hesitation that I send out this account +of my personal experiences in the Great War. As I read it over, I am +dismayed at finding how feebly it suggests the bitterness and the +greatness of the sacrifice of our men. As the book is written from an +entirely personal point of view, the use of the first personal pronoun +is of course inevitable, but I trust that the narration of my +experience has been used only as a lens through which the great and +glorious deeds of our men may be seen by others. I have refrained, as +far as possible, except where circumstances seemed to demand it, from +mentioning the names of officers or the numbers of battalions.</p> + +<p>I cannot let the book go out without thanking, for many acts of +kindness, Lieut.-General Sir Edwin Alderson, K.C.B., Lieut.-General +Sir Arthur Currie, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., and Major-General Sir Archibald +Macdonell, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., who were each in turn Commanders of +the First Canadian Division. In all the efforts the chaplains made for +the welfare of the Division, they always had the backing of these true +Christian Knights. Their kindness and consideration at all times were +unbounded, and the degree of liberty which they allowed me was a +privilege for which I cannot be too thankful, and which I trust I did +not abuse.</p> + +<p>If, by these faulty and inadequate reminiscences, dug out of memories +which have blended together in emotions too deep and indefinable to be +expressed in words, I have reproduced something of the atmosphere in +which our glorious men played their part in the deliverance of the +world, I shall consider my task not in vain.</p> + +<p>May the ears of Canada never grow deaf to the plea of widows and +orphans and our crippled men for care and support. May the eyes of +Canada never be blind to that glorious light which shines upon our +young national life from the deeds of those "Who counted not their +lives dear unto themselves," and may the lips of Canada never be dumb +to tell to future generations the tales of heroism which will kindle +the imagination and fire the patriotism of children that are yet +unborn.</p> + + + + + +<h2>The Great War as I Saw It</h2> + + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER I. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page015" name="page015">(p. 015)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">How I Got Into The War.</span><br> + +<i>July to September, 1914.</i></h4> + + +<p>It happened on this wise. It was on the evening of the 31st of July, +1914, that I went down to a newspaper office in Quebec to stand amid +the crowd and watch the bulletins which were posted up every now and +then, and to hear the news of the war. One after another the reports +were given, and at last there flashed upon the board the words, +"General Hughes offers a force of twenty thousand men to England in +case war is declared against Germany." I turned to a friend and said, +"That means that I have got to go to the war." Cold shivers went up +and down my spine as I thought of it, and my friend replied, "Of +course it does not mean that you should go. You have a parish and +duties at home." I said, "No. I am a Chaplain of the 8th Royal Rifles. +I must volunteer, and if I am accepted, I will go." It was a queer +sensation, because I had never been to war before and I did not know +how I should be able to stand the shell fire. I had read in books of +people whose minds were keen and brave, but whose hind legs persisted +in running away under the sound of guns. Now I knew that an ordinary +officer on running away under fire would get the sympathy of a large +number of people, who would say, "The poor fellow has got shell +shock," and they would make allowance for him. But if a chaplain ran +away, about six hundred men would say at once, "We have no more use +for religion." So it was with very mingled feelings that I +contemplated an expedition to the battle-fields of France, and I +trusted that the difficulties of Europe would be settled without our +intervention.</p> + +<p>However, preparations for war went on. On Sunday, August 2nd, in the +afternoon, I telephoned to Militia Headquarters and gave in my name as +a volunteer for the Great War. When I went to church that evening and +told the wardens that I was off to France, they were much surprised +and disconcerted. When I was preaching at the service and looked down +at the congregation, I had a queer feeling that some mysterious power +was dragging me into a whirlpool, and the ordinary life around me and +the things that were so dear to me had already begun to fade away.</p> + +<p>On +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page016" name="page016">(p. 016)</a></span> +Tuesday, August the Fourth, war was declared, and the +Expeditionary Force began to be mobilized in earnest. It is like +recalling a horrible dream when I look back to those days of +apprehension and dread. The world seemed suddenly to have gone mad. +All civilization appeared to be tottering. The Japanese Prime +Minister, on the night war was declared, said, "This is the end of +Europe." In a sense his words were true. Already we see power shifted +from nations in Europe to that great Empire which is in its youth, +whose home is in Europe, but whose dominions are scattered over the +wide world, and also to that new Empire of America, which came in to +the war at the end with such determination and high resolve. The +destinies of mankind are now in the hands of the English-speaking +nations and France.</p> + +<p>In those hot August days, a camp at Valcartier was prepared in a +lovely valley surrounded by the old granite hills of the Laurentians, +the oldest range of mountains in the world. The Canadian units began +to collect, and the lines of white tents were laid out. On Saturday, +August 22nd, at seven in the morning, the detachment of volunteers +from Quebec marched off from the drill-shed to entrain for Valcartier. +Our friends came to see us off and the band played "The Girl I Left +Behind Me," in the traditional manner. On our arrival at Valcartier we +marched over to the ground assigned to us, and the men set to work to +put up the tents. I hope I am casting no slur upon the 8th Royal +Rifles of Quebec, when I say that I think we were all pretty green in +the matter of field experience. The South African veterans amongst us, +both officers and men, saved the situation. But I know that the +cooking arrangements rather "fell down", and I think a little bread +and cheese, very late at night, was all we had to eat. We were lucky +to get that. Little did we know then of the field kitchens, with their +pipes smoking and dinners cooking, which later on used to follow up +the battalions as they moved.</p> + +<p>The camp at Valcartier was really a wonderful place. Rapidly the roads +were laid out, the tents were run up, and from west and east and north +and south men poured in. There was activity everywhere. Water was laid +on, and the men got the privilege of taking shower-baths, beside the +dusty roads. Bands played; pipers retired to the woods and practised +unearthly music calculated to fire the breast of the Scotsman with a +lust for blood. We had rifle practice on the marvellous ranges. We had +sham battles in which the men engaged +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page017" name="page017">(p. 017)</a></span> +so intensely that on +one occasion, when the enemy met, one over-eager soldier belaboured +his opponent with the butt end of his rifle as though he were a real +German, and the poor victim, who had not been taught to say "Kamarad", +suffered grievous wounds and had to be taken away in an ambulance. +Though many gales and tempests had blown round those ancient +mountains, nothing had ever equalled the latent power in the hearts of +the stalwart young Canadians who had come so swiftly and eagerly at +the call of the Empire. It is astonishing how the war spirit grips +one. In Valcartier began that splendid comradeship which spread out to +all the divisions of the Canadian Corps, and which binds those who +went to the great adventure in a brotherhood stronger than has ever +been known before.</p> + +<p>Valcartier was to me a weird experience. The tents were cold. The +ground was very hard. I got it into my mind that a chaplain should +live the same life as the private soldier, and should avoid all +luxuries. So I tried to sleep at night under my blanket, making a +little hole in the ground for my thigh bone to rest in. After lying +awake for some nights under these conditions, I found that the +privates, especially the old soldiers, had learnt the art of making +themselves comfortable and were hunting for straw for beds. I saw the +wisdom of this and got a Wolesley sleeping bag, which I afterwards +lost when my billet was shelled at Ypres. Under this new arrangement I +was able to get a little rest. A kind friend in Quebec provided fifty +oil stoves for the use of the Quebec contingent and so we became quite +comfortable.</p> + +<p>The dominating spirit of the camp was General Hughes, who rode about +with his aides-de-camp in great splendour like Napoleon. To me it +seemed that his personality and his despotic rule hung like a dark +shadow over the camp. He was especially interesting and terrible to us +chaplains, because rumour had it that he did not believe in chaplains, +and no one could find out whether he was going to take us or not. The +chaplains in consequence were very polite when inadvertently they +found themselves in his august presence. I was clad in a private's +uniform, which was handed to me out of a box in the drill-shed the +night before the 8th Royal Rifles left Quebec, and I was most +punctilious in the matter of saluting General Hughes whenever we +chanced to meet.</p> + +<p>The day after we arrived at the camp was a Sunday. The weather looked +dark and showery, but we were to hold our first church +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page018" name="page018">(p. 018)</a></span> +parade, and, as I was the senior chaplain in rank, I was ordered to +take it over. We assembled about three thousand strong, on a little +rise in the ground, and here the men were formed in a hollow square. +Rain was threatening, but perhaps might have held off had it not been +for the action of one of the members of my congregation, who in the +rear ranks was overheard by my son to utter the prayer—"O Lord, have +mercy in this hour, and send us now a gentle shower." The prayer of +the young saint was answered immediately, the rain came down in +torrents, the church parade was called off, and I went back to my tent +to get dry.</p> + +<p>Day after day passed and more men poured in. They were a splendid lot, +full of life, energy and keen delight in the great enterprise. +Visitors from the city thronged the camp in the afternoons and +evenings. A cinema was opened, but was brought to a fiery end by the +men, who said that the old man in charge of it never changed his +films.</p> + +<p>One of the most gruesome experiences I had was taking the funeral of a +young fellow who had committed suicide. I shall never forget the +dismal service which was held, for some reason or other, at ten +o'clock at night. Rain was falling, and we marched off into the woods +by the light of two smoky lanterns to the place selected as a military +cemetery. To add to the weirdness of the scene two pipers played a +dirge. In the dim light of the lanterns, with the dropping rain over +head and the dripping trees around us, we laid the poor boy to rest. +The whole scene made a lasting impression on those who were present.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the camp extended and improvements were made, and many +changes occurred in the disposition of the units. At one time the +Quebec men were joined with a Montreal unit, then they were taken and +joined with a New Brunswick detachment and formed into a battalion. Of +course we grew more military, and I had assigned to me a batman whom I +shall call Stephenson. I selected him because of his piety—he was a +theological student from Ontario. I found afterwards that it is unwise +to select batmen for their piety. Stephenson was a failure as a +batman. When some duty had been neglected by him and I was on the +point of giving vent to that spirit of turbulent anger, which I soon +found was one of the natural and necessary equipments of an officer, +he would say, "Would you like me to recite Browning's 'Prospice'?" +What could the enraged Saul do on such occasions but forgive, throw +down the javelin and listen to +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page019" name="page019">(p. 019)</a></span> +the music of the harping +David? Stephenson was with me till I left Salisbury Plain for France. +He nearly exterminated me once by setting a stone waterbottle to heat +on my stove without unscrewing the stopper. I arrived in my tent quite +late and seeing the thing on the stove quickly unscrewed it. The steam +blew out with terrific force and filled the tent. A moment or two more +and the bottle would have burst with disastrous consequences. When I +told Stephenson of the enormity of his offence and that he might have +been the cause of my death, and would have sent me to the grave +covered with dishonour for having been killed by the bursting of a hot +waterbottle—an unworthy end for one about to enter the greatest war +the world has ever known—he only smiled faintly and asked me if I +should like to hear him recite a poem.</p> + +<p>News from overseas continued to be bad. Day after day brought us +tidings of the German advance. The martial spirits amongst us were +always afraid to hear that the war would be over before we got to +England. I, but did not tell the people so, was afraid it wouldn't. I +must confess I did not see in those days how a British force composed +of men from farms, factories, offices and universities could get +together in time to meet and overthrow the trained legions of Germany. +It was certainly a period of anxious thought and deep foreboding, but +I felt that I belonged to a race that has never been conquered. Above +all, right and, therefore, God was on our side.</p> + +<p>The scenery around Valcartier is very beautiful. It was a joy now and +then to get a horse and ride away from the camp to where the Jacques +Cartier river comes down from the mountains, and to dream of the old +days when the world was at peace and we could enjoy the lovely +prospects of nature, without the anxious care that now gnawed at our +hearts. The place had been a favorite haunt of mine in the days gone +by, when I used to take a book of poems and spend the whole day beside +the river, reading and dozing and listening to the myriad small voices +of the woods.</p> + +<p>Still, the centre of interest now was the camp, with its turmoil and +bustle and indefinite longing to be up and doing. The officer +commanding my battalion had brought his own chaplain with him, and it +was plainly evident that I was not wanted. This made it, I must +confess, somewhat embarrassing. My tent, which was at the corner of +the front line, was furnished only with my bed-roll and a box or two, +and was not a particularly cheerful home. I used to feel +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page020" name="page020">(p. 020)</a></span> +rather lonely at times. Now and then I would go to Quebec for the day. +On one occasion, when I had been feeling particularly seedy, I +returned to camp at eleven o'clock at night. It was cold and rainy. I +made my way from the station to my tent. In doing so I had to pass a +Highland Battalion from Vancouver. When I came to their lines, to my +dismay I was halted by a sentry with a fixed bayonet, who shouted in +the darkness, "Who goes there?" I gave the answer, but instead of +being satisfied with my reply, the wretched youth stood unmoved, with +his bayonet about six inches from my body, causing me a most +unpleasant sensation. He said I should have to come to the guardroom +and be identified. In the meantime, another sentry appeared, also with +a fixed bayonet, and said that I had to be identified. Little did I +think that the whole thing was a game of the young rascals, and that +they were beguiling the tedious moments of the sentry-go by pulling a +chaplain's leg. They confessed it to me months afterwards in France. +However, I was unsuspecting and had come submissive into the great +war. I said that if they would remove their bayonets from propinquity +to my person—because the sight of them was causing me a fresh attack +of the pains that had racked me all day—I would go with them to the +guardroom. At this they said, "Well, Sir, we'll let you pass. We'll +take your word and say no more about it." So off I went to my dripping +canvas home, hoping that the war would be brought to a speedy +termination.</p> + +<p>Every night I used to do what I called "parish visiting." I would go +round among the tents, and sitting on the ground have a talk with the +men. Very interesting and charming these talks were. I was much +impressed with the miscellaneous interests and life histories of the +men who had been so quickly drawn together. All were fast being shaken +down into their places, and I think the great lessons of unselfishness +and the duty of pulling together were being stamped upon the lives +that had hitherto been more or less at loose ends. I used to sit in +the tents talking long after lights were out, not wishing to break the +discussion of some interesting life problem. This frequently entailed +upon me great difficulty in finding my way back to my tent, for the +evenings were closing in rapidly and it was hard to thread one's way +among the various ropes and pegs which kept the tents in position. On +one occasion when going down the lines, I tripped over a rope. Up to +that moment the tent had been in perfect silence, but, as though I had +fired a magazine of high explosives, a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page021" name="page021">(p. 021)</a></span> +torrent of profanity +burst forth from the inhabitants at my misadventure. Of course the men +inside did not know to whom they were talking, but I stood there with +my blood curdling, wondering how far I was personally responsible for +the language poured forth, and terrified lest anyone should look and +find out who had disturbed their slumbers. I stole off into the +darkness as quickly as I could, more than ever longing for a speedy +termination of the great war, and resolving to be more careful in +future about tripping over tent ropes.</p> + +<p>We had church parades regularly now on Sundays and early celebrations +of the Holy Communion for the various units. Several weeks had gone by +and as yet we had no definite information from General Hughes as to +which or how many chaplains would be accepted. It was very annoying. +Some of us could not make satisfactory arrangements for our parishes, +until there was a certainty in the matter. The question came to me as +to whether I ought to go, now that the Quebec men had been merged into +a battalion of which I was not to be the chaplain. One evening as I +was going to town, I put the matter before my friend Colonel, now +General, Turner. It was a lovely night. The moon was shining, and +stretching far off into the valley were the rows of white tents with +the dark mountains enclosing them around. We stood outside the +farmhouse used as headquarters, which overlooked the camp. When I +asked the Colonel whether, now that I was separated from my men, I +ought to leave my parish and go, he said to me, "Look at those lines +of tents and think of the men in them. How many of those men will ever +come back? The best expert opinion reckons that this war will last at +least two years. The wastage of human life in war is tremendous. The +battalions have to be filled and refilled again and again. Don't +decide in a hurry, but think over what I have told you." On the next +evening when I returned from Quebec, I went to the Colonel and said, +"I have thought the matter over and I am going."</p> + +<p>The time was now drawing near for our departure and at last word was +sent round that General Hughes wished to meet all the chaplains on the +verandah of his bungalow. The time set was the cheerful hour of five +a.m. I lay awake all night with a loud ticking alarm clock beside me, +till about half an hour before the wretched thing was to go off. With +great expedition I rose and shaved and making myself as smart as +possible in the private's uniform, hurried off to the General's camp +home. There the other chaplains were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page022" name="page022">(p. 022)</a></span> +assembled, about +twenty-five or thirty in all. We all felt very sleepy and very chilly +as we waited with expectancy the utterance which was going to seal our +fate. The General soon appeared in all the magnificence and power of +his position. We rose and saluted. When he metaphorically told us to +"stand easy", we all sat down. I do not know what the feelings of the +others were, but I had an impression that we were rather an awkward +squad, neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. The General gave us a heart to +heart talk. He told us he was going to send us with "the boys." From +his manner I inferred that he looked upon us a kind of auxiliary and +quite dispensable sanitary section. I gathered that he did not want us +to be very exacting as to the performance of religious duties by the +men. Rather we were to go in and out amongst them, make friends of +them and cheer them on their way. Above all we were to remember that +because a man said "Damn", it did not mean necessarily that he was +going to hell. At the conclusion of the address, we were allowed to +ask questions, and one of our number unadvisedly asked if he would be +allowed to carry a revolver. "No," said Sam with great firmness, "take +a bottle of castor oil." We didn't dare to be amused at the incident +in the presence of the Chief, but we had a good laugh over it when we +got back to our tents.</p> + +<p>Two Sundays before we left, the most remarkable church parade in the +history of the division was held, at which fully fifteen thousand men +were present. The Senior Chaplain asked me to preach. A large platform +had been erected, on which the chaplains stood, and on the platform +also were two signallers, whose duty it was to signal to the +battalions and bands the numbers of the hymns. On the chairs in front +of the platform were seated the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the +Princess Patricia, Sir Robert Borden, and other notables. Beyond them +were gathered the men in battalions. At one side were the massed +bands. It was a wonderful sight. The sun was shining. Autumn tints +coloured the maple trees on the sides of the ancient mountains. Here +was Canada quickening into national life and girding on the sword to +take her place among the independent nations of the world. It had been +my privilege, fifteen years before, to preach at the farewell service +in Quebec Cathedral for the Canadian Contingent going to the South +African war. It seemed to me then that never again should I have such +an experience. Yet on that occasion there were only a thousand men +present, and here were fifteen times that number. At +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page023" name="page023">(p. 023)</a></span> +that +time the war was with a small and half-civilized nation in Africa, now +the war was with the foremost nations of Europe. On that occasion I +used the second personal pronoun "you", now I was privileged to use +the first personal pronoun "we". Almost to the last I did not know +what text to choose and trusted to the inspiration of the moment what +to say. My mind was confused with the vastness of the outlook. At last +the words came to me which are the very foundation stone of human +endeavour and human progress, "He that loseth his life for My sake +shall find it." I do not know exactly what I said, and I do not +suppose it mattered much, for it was hard to make oneself heard. I was +content if the words of the text alone were audible. We sang that +great hymn, "O God our help in ages past," which came into such +prominence as an imperial anthem during the war. As we sang the +words—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Before the hills in order stood,<br> +Or earth received her frame"— +</div> + +<p>I looked at the everlasting mountains around us, where the sound of +our worship died away, and thought how they had watched and waited for +this day to come, and how, in the ages that were to dawn upon Canadian +life and expansion, they would stand as monuments of the consecration +of Canada to the service of mankind.</p> + +<p>Things began to move rapidly now. People from town told us that +already a fleet of liners was waiting in the harbour, ready to carry +overseas the thirty-three thousand men of the Canadian contingent.</p> + +<p>At last the eventful day of our departure arrived. On September 28th, +with several other units, the 14th Battalion, to which I had been +attached, marched off to the entraining point. I took one last look at +the great camp which had now become a place of such absorbing interest +and I wondered if I should ever see again that huge amphitheatre with +its encompassing mountain witnesses. The men were in high spirits and +good humour prevailed.</p> + +<p>We saw the three companies of Engineers moving off, each followed by +those mysterious pontoons which followed them wherever they went and +suggested the bridging of the Rhine and our advance to Berlin. Someone +called out, "What are those boats?" and a voice replied, "That's the +Canadian Navy." We had a pleasant trip in the train to Quebec, +enlivened by jokes and songs. On our arrival at the docks, we were +taken to the custom-house wharf +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page024" name="page024">(p. 024)</a></span> +and marched on board the +fine Cunard liner "Andania", which now rests, her troubles over, at +the bottom of the Irish Sea. On the vessel, besides half of the 14th +Battalion, there was the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, chiefly +from Vancouver, and the Signal Company. Thus we had a ship full to +overflowing of some of the noblest young fellows to whom the world has +given birth. So ended our war experience in Valcartier Camp.</p> + +<p>Nearly five years passed before I saw that sacred spot again. It was +in August 1919. The war was ended, peace had been signed, and the +great force of brother knights had been dispersed. Little crosses by +the highways and byways of France and Belgium now marked the +resting-place of thousands of those whose eager hearts took flame +among these autumn hills. As I motored past the deserted camp after +sunset, my heart thrilled with strange memories and the sense of an +abiding presence of something weird and ghostly. Here were the old +roads, there were the vacant hutments. Here were the worn paths across +the fields where the men had gone. The evening breeze whispered +fitfully across the untrodden grass and one by one the strong +mountains, as though fixing themselves more firmly in iron resolve, +cast off the radiant hues of evening and stood out black and grim +against the starlit sky.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER II. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page025" name="page025">(p. 025)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Voyage To England.</span><br> + +<i>September 29th to October 18th, 1914.</i></h4> + + +<p>The "Andania" moved out to mid-stream and anchored off Cape Diamond. +The harbour was full of liners, crowded with men in khaki. It was a +great sensation to feel oneself at last merged into the great army +life and no longer free to come and go. I looked at the City and saw +the familiar outline of the Terrace and Château Frontenac and, over +all, the Citadel, one of my favourite haunts in times past. A great +gulf separated us now from the life we had known. We began to realize +that the individual was submerged in the great flood of corporate +life, and the words of the text came to me, "He that loseth his life +for My sake shall find it."</p> + +<p>The evening was spent in settling down to our new quarters in what +was, especially after the camp at Valcartier, a luxurious home. Dinner +at night became the regimental mess, and the saloon with its sumptuous +furnishings made a fine setting for the nightly gathering of officers. +We lay stationary all that night and on the next evening, Sept. the +29th, at six o'clock we weighed anchor and went at slow speed down the +stream. Several other vessels had preceded us, the orders to move +being sent by wireless. We passed the Terrace where cheer after cheer +went up from the black line of spectators crowded against the railing. +Our men climbed up into the rigging and their cheers went forth to the +land that they were leaving. It was a glorious evening. The sun had +set and the great golden light, fast deepening into crimson, burnt +behind the northern hills and lit up the windows of the houses on the +cliffs of Levis opposite. We moved down past the Custom House. We saw +the St. Charles Valley and the Beauport shore, but ever our eyes +turned to the grim outline of Cape Diamond and the city set upon the +hill. Beside me on the upper deck stood a young officer. We were +talking together and wondering if we should ever see that rock again. +He never did. He and his only brother were killed in the war. We +reached the end of the Island of Orleans, and looking back saw a +deeper crimson flood the sky, till the purple mists of evening hid +Quebec from our view.</p> + +<p>We +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page026" name="page026">(p. 026)</a></span> +had a lovely sail down the St. Lawrence in superb weather +and three days later entered the great harbour of Gaspé Basin. Here +the green arms of the hills encompassed us, as though Canada were +reluctant to let us go. Gaspé Basin has historical memories for +Canada, for it was there that Wolfe assembled his fleet on his voyage +to the capture of Quebec. We lay at anchor all day, and at night the +moon came up and flooded the great water with light, against which +stood out the black outline of thirty ships, so full of eager and +vigorous life. About midnight I went on deck to contemplate the scene. +The night was calm and still. The vessels lay dark and silent with all +lights screened. The effect was one of lonely grandeur. What was it +going to mean to us? What did fate hold in store? Among those hills, +the outline of which I could now but faintly see, were the lakes and +salmon rivers in the heart of the great forests which make our +Canadian wild life so fascinating. We were being torn from that life +and sent headlong into the seething militarism of a decadent European +feudalism. I was leaning on the rail looking at the track of +moonlight, when a young lad came up to me and said, "Excuse me, Sir, +but may I talk to you for a while? It is such a weird sight that it +has got on my nerves." He was a young boy of seventeen who had come +from Vancouver. Many times afterwards I met him in France and Belgium, +when big things were being done in the war, and we talked together +over that night in Gaspé Basin and the strange thoughts that crowded +upon us then. He was not the only one in that great fleet of +transports who felt the significance of the enterprise.</p> + +<p>On Saturday afternoon we resumed our journey and steamed out of the +narrows. Outside the bay the ships formed into a column of three +abreast, making a line nine miles in length. Several cruisers, and +later a battleship and battle cruiser, mounted guard over the +expedition. Off Cape Race, the steamship "Florizel" joined us, +bringing the Newfoundland troops. Our family party was now complete.</p> + +<p>It was indeed a family party. On every ship we had friends. It seemed +as if Canada herself were steaming across the ocean. Day after day, in +perfect weather, keeping our relative positions in absolute order, we +sped over the deep. There was none of the usual sense of loneliness +which characterizes the ocean voyage. We looked at the line of vessels +and we felt that one spirit and one determination quickened the whole +fleet into individual life.</p> + +<p>On +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page027" name="page027">(p. 027)</a></span> +board the "Andania" the spirit of the men was excellent. +There was physical drill daily to keep them fit. There was the +gymnasium for the officers. We had boxing matches for all, and sword +dances also for the Highlanders. In the early morning at five-thirty, +the pipers used to play reveille down the passages. Not being a +Scotsman, the music always woke me up. At such moments I considered it +my duty to try to understand the music of the pipes. But in the early +hours of the morning I made what I thought were discoveries. First I +found out that all pipe melodies have the same bass. Secondly I found +out that all pipe melodies have the same treble. On one occasion the +pipers left the security of the Highlanders' quarters and invaded the +precincts of the 14th Battalion, who retaliated by turning the hose on +them. A genuine battle between the contending factions was only +averted by the diplomacy of the O.C.</p> + +<p>I had made friends with the wireless operators on board the ship, and +every night I used to go up to their cabin on the upper deck and they +would give me reports of the news which had been flashed out to the +leading cruiser. They told me of the continued German successes and of +the fall of Antwerp. The news was not calculated to act as a soothing +nightcap before going to bed. I was sworn to secrecy and so I did not +let the men know what was happening at the front. I used to look round +at the bright faces of the young officers in the saloon and think of +all that those young fellows might have to endure before the world was +saved. It gave everyone on board a special sacredness in my eyes, and +one felt strangely inadequate and unworthy to be with them.</p> + +<p>The men lived below decks and some of them were packed in pretty +tightly. Had the weather been rough there would have been a good deal +of suffering. During the voyage our supply of flour gave out, but as +we had a lot of wheat on board, the men were set to grind it in a +coffee mill. More than fifty per cent of the men, I found, were +members of the Church of England, and so I determined to have a +celebration of Holy Communion, for all who cared to attend, at five +o'clock every morning. I always had a certain number present, and very +delightful were these services at that early hour. Outside on deck we +could hear the tramp and orders of those engaged in physical drill, +and inside the saloon where I had arranged the altar there knelt a +small gathering of young fellows from various parts of Canada, who +were pleased to find that the old Church +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page028" name="page028">(p. 028)</a></span> +was going with them +on their strange pilgrimage. The well-known hymn—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Eternal Father strong to save,<br> +Whose arm hath bound the restless wave" +</div> + +<p>had never appealed to me much in the past, but it took on a new +meaning at our Sunday church parade, for we all felt that we were a +rather vulnerable body in any determined attack that might be made +upon us by the German navy. Now and then vessels would be sighted on +the horizon and there was always much excitement and speculation as to +what they might be. We could see the cruisers making off in the +direction of the strangers and taking a survey of the ocean at long +range.</p> + +<p>One day a man on the "Royal George" fell overboard, and a boat was +instantly lowered to pick him up. The whole fleet came to a +standstill and all our glasses were turned towards the scene of +rescue. Often in our battles when we saw the hideous slaughter of +human beings, I have thought of the care for the individual life which +stopped that great fleet in order to save one man.</p> + +<p>Our destination, of course, was not known to us. Some thought we might +go directly to France, others that we should land in England. When at +last, skirting the south coast of Ireland, we got into the English +Channel, we felt more than ever the reality of our adventure. I +believe we were destined for Southampton; but rumour had it that a +German submarine was waiting for us in the Channel, so we turned into +the harbour of Plymouth. It was night when we arrived. A low cloud and +mist hung over the dark choppy waves of the Channel. From the forts at +Plymouth and from vessels in the harbour, long searchlights moved like +the fingers of a great ghostly hand that longed to clutch at +something. We saw the small patrol boats darting about in all +directions and we felt with a secret thrill that we had got into that +part of the world which was at war. We arrived at Plymouth on the +evening of October 14th, our voyage having lasted more than a +fortnight. Surely no expedition, ancient or modern, save that perhaps +which Columbus led towards the undiscovered continent of his dreams, +was ever fraught with greater significance to the world at large. We +are still too close to the event to be able to measure its true +import. Its real meaning was that the American continent with all its +huge resources, its potential value in the ages to come, had entered +upon the sphere of world politics, and ultimately would hold in its +hands the sceptre of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page029" name="page029">(p. 029)</a></span> +world dominion. Even the British +thought that we had come merely to assist the Mother Country in her +difficulties. Those who were at the helm in Canada, however, knew that +we were not fighting for the security of the Mother Country only, but +for the security of Canadian nationalism itself. Whatever the ages +hold in store for us in this great and rich Dominion which stretches +from sea to sea and from the river unto the world's end, depended upon +our coming out victors in the great European struggle.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER III. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page030" name="page030">(p. 030)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">On Salisbury Plain.</span><br> + +<i>October 18th, 1914, to January 1st, 1915.</i></h4> + + +<p>On Sunday the 18th, our men entrained and travelled to Patney, and +from thence marched to Westdown South, Salisbury Plain. There tents +had been prepared and we settled down to life in our new English home. +At first the situation was very pleasant. Around us on all sides +spread the lines of tents. The weather was delightful. A ride over the +mysterious plain was something never to be forgotten. The little +villages around were lovely and quaint. The old town of Salisbury, +with its wonderful Cathedral and memories of old England, threw the +glamour of romance and chivalry over the new soldiers in the new +crusade. But winter drew on, and such a winter it was. The rains +descended, the floods came and the storms beat upon our tents, and the +tents which were old and thin allowed a fine sprinkling of moisture to +fall upon our faces. The green sward was soon trampled into deep and +clinging mud. There was nothing for the men to do. Ammunition was +short, there was little rifle practice. The weather was so bad that a +route march meant a lot of wet soldiers with nowhere to dry their +clothes upon their return. In some places the mud went over my long +rubber boots. The gales of heaven swept over the plain unimpeded. +Tents were blown down. On one particularly gloomy night, I met a +chaplain friend of mine in the big Y.M.C.A. marquee. I said to him, +"For goodness sake let us do something for the men. Let us have a +sing-song." He agreed, and we stood in the middle of the marquee with +our backs to the pole and began to sing a hymn. I do not know what it +was. I started the air and was going on so beautifully that the men +were beginning to be attracted and were coming around us. Suddenly my +friend struck in with a high tenor note. Hardly had the sound gone +forth when, like the fall of the walls of Jericho at the sound of +Joshua's trumpets, a mighty gale struck the building, and with a +ripping sound the whole thing collapsed. In the rain and darkness we +rushed to the assistance of the attendants and extinguished the lamps, +which had been upset, while the men made their way to the counters and +put the cigarettes and other dainties into their pockets, lest they +should get wet. On another +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page031" name="page031">(p. 031)</a></span> +occasion, the Paymaster's tent +blew away as he was paying off the battalion. Five shilling notes flew +over the plain like white birds over the sea. The men quickly chased +them and gathered them up, and on finding them stained with mud +thought it unnecessary to return them. On another night the huge +marquee where Harrod's ran the mess for a large number of officers, +blew down just as we were going to dinner, and we had to forage in the +various canteens for tinned salmon and packages of biscuits.</p> + +<p>Still, in spite of all, the spirits of our men never failed. One night +when a heavy rain had turned every hollow into a lake, and every gully +into a rushing cataract, I went down to some tents on a lower level +than my own. I waded through water nearly a foot deep and came to a +tent from which I saw a faint light emerging. I looked inside and +there with their backs to the pole stood some stalwart young +Canadians. On an island in the tent, was a pile of blankets, on which +burnt a solitary candle. "Hello, boys, how are you getting on?" "Fine, +Sir, fine," was their ready response. "Well, boys, keep that spirit +up," I said, "and we'll win the war."</p> + +<p>At first we had no "wet" canteen where beer could be procured. The +inns in the villages around became sources of great attraction to the +men, and the publicans did their best to make what they could out of +the well-paid Canadian troops. The maintenance of discipline under +such circumstances was difficult. We were a civilian army, and our men +had come over to do a gigantic task. Everyone knew that, when the hour +for performance came, they would be ready, but till that hour came +they were intolerant of restraint.</p> + +<p>The English people did not understand us, and many of our men +certainly gave them good reason to be doubtful. Rumour had it at one +time that we were going to be taken out of the mud and quartered in +Exeter. Then the rumour was that the Exeter people said, "If the +Canadians are sent here, we'll all leave the town." I did not mind, I +told the men I would make my billet in the Bishop's Palace.</p> + +<p>The C.O. of one of the battalions was tempted to do what David did +with such disastrous results, namely number the people. He called the +roll of his battalion and found that four hundred and fifty men were +absent without leave. But as I have said, we all knew that when the +moment for big things came, every man would be at his post and would +do his bit.</p> + +<p>Just before Christmas the 3rd Brigade were moved into huts at Lark +Hill. They were certainly an improvement upon the tents, but +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page032" name="page032">(p. 032)</a></span> +they were draughty and leaky. From my window I could see, on the few +occasions when the weather permitted it, the weird and ancient circles +of Stonehenge.</p> + +<p>The calm repose of those huge stones, which had watched unmoved the +passing of human epochs, brought peace to the mind. They called to +memory the lines;—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Our little systems have their day,<br> +<span class="poem1">They have their day and cease to be:</span><br> +<span class="poem1">They are but broken lights of Thee,</span><br> +And Thou, O Lord, art more than they." +</div> + +<p>In order to give Christmas its religious significance, I asked +permission of the Rector of Amesbury to use his church for a midnight +Eucharist on Christmas Eve. He gladly gave his consent and notice of +the service was sent round to the units of the Brigade. In the thick +fog the men gathered and marched down the road to the village, where +the church windows threw a soft light into the mist that hung over the +ancient burial ground. The church inside was bright and beautiful. The +old arches and pillars and the little side chapels told of days gone +by, when the worship of the holy nuns, who had their convent there, +rose up to God day by day. The altar was vested in white and the +candles shone out bright and fair. The organist had kindly consented +to play the Christmas hymns, in which the men joined heartily. It was +a service never to be forgotten, and as I told the men, in the short +address I gave them, never before perhaps, in the history of that +venerable fane, had it witnessed a more striking assembly. From a +distance of nearly seven thousand miles some of them had come, and +this was to be our last Christmas before we entered the life and death +struggle of the nations. Row after row of men knelt to receive the +Bread of Life, and it was a rare privilege to administer it to them. +The fog was heavier on our return and some of us had great difficulty +in finding our lines.</p> + +<p>It seemed sometimes as if we had been forgotten by the War Office, but +this was not the case. We had visits from the King, Lord Roberts and +other high officials. All these were impressed with the physique and +high spirits of our men.</p> + +<p>The conditions under which we lived were certainly atrocious, and an +outbreak of meningitis cast a gloom over the camp. It was met bravely +and skilfully by our medical men, of whose self-sacrifice and devotion +no praise is too high. The same is true of their conduct all through +the war.</p> + +<p>Our +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page033" name="page033">(p. 033)</a></span> +life on the Plain was certainly a puzzle to us. Why were +we kept there? When were we going to leave? Were we not wanted in +France? These were the questions we asked one another. I met an +Imperial officer one day, who had just returned from the front. I +asked him when we were going to train for the trenches. "Why" he said, +"what better training could you have than you are getting here? If you +can stand the life here, you can stand the life in France." I think he +was right. That strange experience was just what we needed to inure us +to hardship, and it left a stamp of resolution and efficiency on the +First Division which it never lost.</p> + + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER IV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page034" name="page034">(p. 034)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Off To France.</span><br> + +<i>January To March, 1915.</i></h4> + + +<p>Towards the end of January, rumors became more frequent that our +departure was close at hand, and we could see signs of the coming +movement in many quarters. The disposition of the chaplains was still +a matter of uncertainty. At last we were informed that only five +chaplains were to proceed with the troops to France. This was the +original number which the War Office had told us to bring from Canada. +The news fell like a thunderbolt upon us, and we at once determined to +get the order changed. The Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain and myself, +by permission of the General, made a special journey to the War +Office. The Chaplain-General received us, if not coldly, at least +austerely. We told him that we had come from Canada to be with the men +and did not want to leave them. He replied by saying that the +Canadians had been ordered by Lord Kitchener to bring only five +chaplains with them, and they had brought thirty-one. He said, looking +at me, "That is not military discipline; we must obey orders." I +explained to him that since the Canadian Government was paying the +chaplains the people thought it did not matter how many we had. Even +this did not seem to convince him. "Besides", he said, "they tell me +that of all the troops in England the Canadians are the most +disorderly and undisciplined, and they have got thirty-one chaplains." +"But", I replied, "you ought to see what they would have been like, if +we had brought only five." We succeeded in our mission in so far that +he promised to speak to Lord Kitchener that afternoon and see if the +wild Canadians could not take more chaplains with them to France than +were allotted to British Divisions. The result was that eleven of our +chaplains were to be sent.</p> + +<p>Early in February we were told that our Division was to go in a few +days. In spite of the mud and discomfort we had taken root in +Salisbury Plain. I remember looking with affection one night at the +Cathedral bathed in moonlight, and at the quaint streets of the dear +old town, over which hung the shadow of war. Could it be possible that +England was about to be crushed under the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page035" name="page035">(p. 035)</a></span> +heel of a foreign +tyrant? If such were to be her fate, death on the battlefield would be +easy to bear. What Briton could endure to live under the yoke or by +the permission of a vulgar German autocrat?</p> + +<p>On entering the mess one evening I was horrified to read in the orders +that Canon Scott was to report immediately for duty to No. 2 General +Hospital. It was a great blow to be torn from the men of the fighting +forces. I at once began to think out a plan of campaign. I went over +to the G.O.C. of my brigade, and told him that I was to report to No. +2 General Hospital. I said, with perfect truth, that I did not know +where No. 2 General Hospital was, but I had determined to begin the +hunt for it in France. I asked him if he would take me across with the +Headquarters Staff, so that I might begin my search at the front. He +had a twinkle in his eye as he told me that if I could get on board +the transport, he would make no objection. I was delighted with the +prospect of going over with the men.</p> + +<p>When the time came to pack up, I was overwhelmed by the number of +things that I had accumulated during the winter. I disposed of a lot +of useless camp furniture, such as folding tables and collapsible +chairs, and my faithful friend the oil stove. With a well-filled +Wolseley kit-bag and a number of haversacks bursting with their +contents, I was ready for the journey. On February 11th, on a lovely +afternoon, I started off with the Headquarters Staff. We arrived at +Avonmouth and made our way to the docks. It was delightful to think +that I was going with the men. I had no batman and no real standing +with the unit with which I was travelling. However, I did not let this +worry me. I got a friend to carry my kit-bag, and then covering myself +with haversacks, till I looked, as the men said, like a Christmas +tree, I made my way to the ship with a broad grin of satisfaction on +my face. As I went up the gangway so attired and looking exceedingly +pleased with myself, my appearance excited the suspicion of the +officer in command of the ship, who was watching the troops come on +board. Mistaking the cause of my good spirits, he called a captain to +him and said, "There is an officer coming on board who is drunk; go +and ask him who he is." The captain accordingly came over and greeting +me pleasantly said, "How do you do, Sir?" "Very well, thank you," I +replied, smiling all the more. I was afraid he had come up to send me +back. Having been a teetotaler for +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page036" name="page036">(p. 036)</a></span> +twenty-two years, I knew +nothing of the horrible suspicion under which I lay at the moment. The +captain then said, "Who are you, Sir?" and I, thinking of my happy +escape from army red tape, answered quite innocently, with a still +broader grin, "I'm No. 2, General Hospital." This, of course confirmed +the captain's worst suspicions. He went back to the O.C. of the ship. +"Who does he say he is?" said the Colonel. "He says he is No. 2 +General Hospital," the Captain replied. "Let him come on board" said +the Colonel. He thought I was safer on board the ship than left behind +in that condition on the wharf. With great delight I found all dangers +had been passed and I was actually about to sail for France.</p> + +<p>The boat which took us and the 3rd Artillery Brigade, was a small +vessel called "The City of Chester." We were horribly crowded, so my +bed had to be made on the table in the saloon. A doctor lay on the +sofa at the side and several young officers slept on the floor. We had +not been out many hours before a terrific gale blew up from the West, +and we had to point our bow towards Canada. I told the men there was +some satisfaction in that. We were exceedingly uncomfortable. My bed +one night slid off the table on to the sleeping doctor and nearly +crushed him. I squeezed out some wonderfully religious expressions +from him in his state of partial unconsciousness. I replaced myself on +the table, and then slid off on to the chairs on the other side. I +finally found a happy and safe haven on the floor. On some of the +other transports they fared even worse. My son, with a lot of other +privates, was lying on the floor of the lowest deck in his boat, when +a voice shouted down the gangway, "Lookout boys, there's a horse +coming down." They cleared away just in time for a horse to land +safely in the hold, having performed one of those miraculous feats +which horses so often do without damage to themselves.</p> + +<p>On the 15th of February we arrived off the west coast of France and +disembarked at St. Nazaire. Our life now took on fresh interest. +Everything about us was new and strange. As a Quebecer I felt quite at +home in a French town. A good sleep in a comfortable hotel was a great +refreshment after the voyage. In the afternoon of the following day we +entrained for the front. I spread out my Wolesley sleeping bag on the +straw in a box car in which there were several other officers. Our +progress was slow, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page037" name="page037">(p. 037)</a></span> +but it was a great thing to feel that we +were travelling through France, that country of romance and chivalry. +Our journey took more than two days, and we arrived at Hazebrouck one +week after leaving Salisbury Plain. The town has since been badly +wrecked, but then it was undamaged. The Brigadier lent me a horse and +I rode with his staff over to Caestre where the brigade was to be +billeted. In the same town were the 15th and 16th Battalions and the +3rd Field Ambulance. I had a room that night in the Château, a rather +rambling modern house. The next morning I went out to find a billet +for myself. I called on the Mayor and Mayoress, a nice old couple who +not only gave me a comfortable room in their house, but insisted upon +my accepting it free of charge. They also gave me breakfast in the +kitchen downstairs. I was delighted to be so well housed and was going +on my way rejoicing when I met an officer who told me that the Brigade +Major wanted to see me in a hurry. I went over to his office and was +addressed by him in a very military manner. He wanted to know why I +was there and asked what unit I was attached to. I told him No. 2 +General Hospital. He said, "Where is it?" "I don't know", I replied, +"I came over to France to look for it." He said, "It is at Lavington +on Salisbury Plain," and added, "You will have to report to General +Alderson and get some attachment till the hospital comes over." His +manner was so cold and businesslike that it was quite unnerving and I +began to realize more than ever that I was in the Army. Accordingly +that afternoon I walked over to the General's Headquarters, at +Strazeele, some five miles away, and he attached me to the Brigade +until my unit should come to France. I never knew when it did come to +France, for I never asked. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil +thereof" was my motto. I held on to my job at the front. But the +threat which the Brigadier held over me, that if I went into the +trenches or anywhere out of his immediate ken I should be sent back to +No. 2 General Hospital, was something which weighed upon my spirits +very heavily at times, and caused me to acquire great adroitness in +the art of dodging. In fact, I made up my mind that three things had +to be avoided if I wished to live through the campaign—sentries, +cesspools, and generals. They were all sources of special danger, as +everyone who has been at the front can testify. Over and over again on +my rambles in the dark, nothing has saved me from being stuck by a +sentry but +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page038" name="page038">(p. 038)</a></span> +the white gleam of my clerical collar, which on +this account I had frequently thought of painting with luminous paint. +One night I stepped into a cesspool and had to sit on a chair while my +batman pumped water over me almost as ill-savoured as the pool itself. +On another occasion, when, against orders, I was going into the +trenches in Ploegsteert, I saw the General and his staff coming down +the road. Quick as thought, I cantered my horse into an orchard behind +a farm house, where there was a battery of Imperials. The men were +surprised, not to say alarmed, at the sudden appearance of a chaplain +in their midst. When I told them, however, that I was dodging a +general, they received me with the utmost kindness and sympathy. They +had often done the same themselves, and offered me some light +refreshments.</p> + +<p>On the following Sunday we had our first church parade in the war +zone. We were delighted during the service to hear in the distance the +sound of guns and shells. As the war went on we preferred church +parades when we could not hear guns and shells.</p> + +<p>After a brief stay in Caestre the whole brigade marched off to +Armentieres. Near Flêtre, the Army Commander, General Smith-Dorrien, +stood by the roadside and took the salute as we passed. I went with +the 15th Battalion, and, as I told the men, being a Canon, marched +with the machine gun section. We went by the delightful old town of +Bailleul. The fields were green. The hedges were beginning to show +signs of spring life. The little villages were quaint and picturesque, +but the pavé road was rough and tiring. Bailleul made a delightful +break in the journey. The old Spanish town hall, with its tower, the +fine old church and spire and the houses around the Grande Place, will +always live in one's memory. The place is all a ruin now, but then it +formed a pleasant home and meeting place for friends from many parts. +We skirted the borders of Belgium and arrived at Armentieres in the +afternoon. The place had been shelled and was partly deserted, but was +still a populous town. I made my home with the Brigade transport in a +large school. In the courtyard our horses and mules were picketed. I +had never heard mules bray before and I had a good sample next morning +of what they can do, for with the buildings around them the sound had +an added force. The streets of Armentieres were well laid out and some +of the private residences were very fine. It is astonishing how our +camp life +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page039" name="page039">(p. 039)</a></span> +at Salisbury had made us love cities. Armentieres +has since been destroyed and its church ruined. Many of us have +pleasant memories of the town, and the cemetery there is the resting +place of numbers of brave Canadians.</p> + +<p>I ran across an imperial Chaplain there, whom I had met in England. He +told me he had a sad duty to perform that night. It was to prepare for +death three men who were to be shot at daybreak. He felt it very +keenly, and I afterwards found from experience how bitter the duty +was.</p> + +<p>We were brought to Armentieres in order to be put into the trenches +with some of the British units for instruction. On Wednesday evening, +February the 24th, the men were marched off to the trenches for the +first time and I went with a company of the 15th Battalion, who were +to be attached to the Durham Light Infantry. I was warned to keep +myself in the background as it was said that the chaplains were not +allowed in the front line. The trenches were at Houplines to the east +of Armentieres. We marched down the streets till we came to the edge +of the town and there a guide met us and we went in single file across +the field. We could see the German flare-lights and could hear the +crack of rifles. It was intensely interesting, and the mystery of the +war seemed to clear as we came nearer to the scene of action. The men +went down into the narrow trench and I followed. I was welcomed by a +very nice young captain whom I never heard of again till I saw the +cross that marked his grave in the Salient. The trenches in those days +were not what they afterwards became. Double rows of sandbags built +like a wall were considered an adequate protection. I do not think +there was any real parados. The dugouts were on a level with the +trench and were roofed with pieces of corrugated iron covered with two +layers of sandbags. They were a strange contrast to the dugouts thirty +feet deep, lined with wood, which we afterwards made for our trench +homes.</p> + +<p>I was immensely pleased at having at last got into the front line. +Even if I were sent out I had at least seen the trenches. The captain +brought me to his tiny dugout and told me that he and I could squeeze +in there together for the night. He then asked me if I should like to +see the trench, and took me with him on his rounds. By this time it +was dark and rainy and very muddy. As we were going along the trench a +tall officer, followed by another met us and exchanged a word with the +captain. They then came +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page040" name="page040">(p. 040)</a></span> +up to me and the first one peered at +me in the darkness and said in abrupt military fashion, "Who are you?" +I thought my last hour had come, or at least I was going to be sent +back. I told him I was a chaplain with the Canadians. "Did you come +over with the men?" "Yes", I said. "Capital", he replied, "Won't you +come and have lunch with me tomorrow?" "Where do you live?" I said. +The other officer came up to my rescue at this moment and said, "The +General's Headquarters are in such and such a place in Armentieres," +"Good Heavens", I whispered in a low tone to the officer, "Is he a +general?" "Yes" he said. "I hope my deportment was all that it ought +to have been in the presence of a general," I replied. "It was +excellent, Padré," he said, with a laugh. So I arranged to go and have +luncheon with him two days afterwards, for I was to spend forty-eight +hours in the trenches. The first officer turned out to be General +Congreve, V.C., a most gallant man. He told me at luncheon that if he +could press a button and blow the whole German nation into the air he +would do it. I felt a little bit shocked then, because I did not know +the Germans as I afterwards did. I spent nearly four years at the +front hunting for that button.</p> + +<p>The captain and I had very little room to move about in his dugout. I +was very much impressed with the unostentatious way in which he said, +"If you want to say your prayers, Padré, you can kneel over in that +corner first, because there is only room for one at a time. I will say +mine afterwards"—and he did. He was a Roman Catholic, and had lived +in India, and was a very fine type of man. When I read the words two +years afterwards on a cross in a cemetery near Poperinghe, "Of your +charity pray for the soul of Major Harter, M.C.," I did it gladly and +devoutly.</p> + +<p>I had brought with me in a small pyx, the Blessed Sacrament, and the +next morning I gave Communion to a number of the men. One young +officer, a boy of eighteen, who had just left school to come to the +front, asked me to have the service in his dugout. The men came in +three or four at a time and knelt on the muddy floor. Every now and +then we could hear the crack of a bullet overhead striking the +sandbags. The officer was afterwards killed, and the great promise of +his life was not fulfilled in this world.</p> + +<p>There was a great deal of rifle fire in the trenches in those days. +The captain told me the Canadians were adepts in getting rid of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page041" name="page041">(p. 041)</a></span> +their ammunition and kept firing all night long. Further down the +line were the "Queen's Own Westminsters." They were a splendid body of +young men and received us very kindly. On my way over to them the next +morning, I found in a lonely part of a trench a man who had taken off +his shirt and was examining the seams of it with interest. I knew he +was hunting for one of those insects which afterwards played no small +part in the general discomfort of the Great War, and I thought it +would be a good opportunity to learn privately what they looked like. +So I took a magnifying glass out of my pocket and said, "Well, my boy, +let me have a look for I too am interested in botany." He pointed to a +seam in his shirt and said, "There, Sir, there is one." I was just +going to examine it under the glass when, crack! a bullet hit the +sandbags near-by, and he told me the trench was enfiladed. I said, "My +dear boy, I think I will postpone this scientific research until we +get to safer quarters, for if I am knocked out, the first question my +congregation will ask will be, "What was our beloved pastor doing when +he was hit?" If they hear that I was hunting in a man's shirt for one +of these insects, they will not think it a worthy ending to my life." +He grinned, put on his shirt, and moved down the trench.</p> + +<p>That afternoon a good many shells passed over our heads and of course +the novelty of the thing made it most interesting. After a war +experience of nearly four years, one is almost ashamed to look back +upon those early days which were like war in a nursery. The hideous +thing was then only in its infancy. Poison gas, liquid fire, trench +mortars, hand grenades, machine guns, (except a very few) and tanks +were then unknown. The human mind had not then made, as it afterward +did, the sole object of its energy the destruction of human life. Yet +with a deepening knowledge of the instruments of death has come, I +trust, a more revolting sense of the horrors and futility of war. The +romance and chivalry of the profession of arms has gone forever. Let +us hope that in the years to come the human mind will bend all its +energies to right the wrongs and avert the contentions that result in +bloodshed.</p> + +<p>On the following Sunday, we had a church parade in the square in +Armentieres. Two or three men watched the sky with field glasses lest +an enemy plane should come up. We had now finished our instruction in +trench warfare and were going to take over part +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page042" name="page042">(p. 042)</a></span> +of the front +line. We were marched off one afternoon to the village of Bac St. +Maur, where we rested for the night. I had dinner with the officers of +the 15th Battalion, and went out afterwards to a big factory at the +end of the straggling brick village to see my son, whose battalion was +quartered there. On returning I found the night was very dark, and +every door and window in the long rows of houses was tightly closed. +No lights were allowed in the town. Once more my faculty for losing my +way asserted itself, and I could not tell which was the house where I +had dined. It was to be my billet for the night. The whole place was +silent, and I wandered up and down the long street. I met a few +soldiers and when I asked if they could tell me where I had had dinner +they naturally began to eye me with suspicion. At the same time it was +no laughing matter. I had had a long walk in the afternoon and had the +prospect of another on the following day. I was separated from my +kit-bag and my safety razor, which always, at the front, constituted +my home, and the night was beginning to get cold. Besides it was more +or less damaging to one's character as a chaplain to be found +wandering aimlessly about the streets at night asking where you had +dined. My habits were not as well known to the men then as they were +after a few years of war. In despair I went down the road behind the +village, and there to my joy I saw a friendly light emerging from the +door of a coach house. I went up to it and entered and found to my +relief the guard of the 16th Battalion. They had a big fire in the +chimney-place, and were smoking and making tea. It was then about one +o'clock, and they were both surprised and amused at my plight, but +gave me a very glad welcome and offered me a bed and blankets on the +floor. I was just going to accept them when I asked if the blankets +were "crummy". The men burst out laughing. "You bet your life they +are, Sir," they cried. "Well, boys," I said, "I think that I prefer to +spend the night walking about the village and trying to compose a +poem." Once more I made my way down the dark street, examining closely +every door and window. At last I found a crack of light which came +from one of the houses. I knocked at the door and it was opened by an +officer from Quebec, who had been engaged with some others in a quiet +game of cards. He was amused at my homeless condition and kindly took +me in and gave me a comfortable bed in his own room. On the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page043" name="page043">(p. 043)</a></span> +next morning of course I was "ragged" tremendously on my disappearance +during the night.</p> + +<p>The next day we marched off to the village of Sailly-sur-Lys, which +was to become our rear headquarters during our occupation of the +trenches. The little place had been damaged by shells, but every +available house was occupied. Our battalion moved up the country road +and was dispersed among the farm houses and barns in the +neighbourhood.</p> + +<p>I made my home with some officers in a small and dirty farm house. The +novelty of the situation, however, gave it a certain charm for the +time. We were crowded into two or three little rooms and lay on piles +of straw. We were short of rations, but each officer contributed +something from his private store. I had a few articles of tinned food +with me and they proved to be of use. From that moment I determined +never to be without a tin of bully beef in my haversack, and I formed +the bully beef habit in the trenches which lasted till the end and +always amused the men. The general cesspool and manure heap of the +farm was, as usual, in the midst of the buildings, and was +particularly unsavoury. A cow waded through it and the family hens +fattened on it. Opposite our window in one of the buildings dwelt an +enormous sow with a large litter of young ones. When any of the ladies +of the family went to throw refuse on the manure heap, the old sow, +driven by the pangs of hunger, would stand on her hind legs and poke +her huge face out over the half door of her prison appealing in pig +language for some of the discarded dainties. Often nothing would stop +her squeals but a smart slap on her fat cheeks by the lady's tender +hand. In the hayloft of the barn the men were quartered. Their candles +made the place an exceedingly dangerous abode. There was only one +small hole down which they could escape in case of fire. It is a +wonder we did not have more fires in our billets than we did.</p> + +<p>The trenches assigned to our Brigade were to the right of Fleurbaix. +They were poorly constructed, but as the time went on were greatly +improved by the labours of our men. The Brigadier assigned to me for +my personal use a tiny mud-plastered cottage with thatched roof and a +little garden in front. It was in the Rue du Bois, a road which ran +parallel with the trenches about 800 yards behind them. I was very +proud to have a home all to myself, and chalked on the door the word +"Chaplain". In one +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page044" name="page044">(p. 044)</a></span> +room two piles of straw not only gave me +a bed for myself but enabled me to give hospitality to any officer who +needed a billet. Another room I fitted up as a chapel. An old box +covered with the silk Union Jack and white cloth and adorned with two +candles and cross served as an altar. There were no chairs to be had, +but the plain white walls were not unsuited to the purpose to which +the room was dedicated.</p> + +<p>In this chapel I held several services. It was a fine sight to see a +group of tall and stalwart young Highlanders present. Their heads +almost reached to the low ceiling, and when they sang, the little +building trembled with the sound.</p> + +<p>Every night when there were any men to be buried, I used to receive +notice from the front line, and after dark I would set out preceded by +my batman, Murdoch MacDonald, a proper young Highlander, carrying a +rifle with fixed bayonet on his shoulder. It made one feel very proud +to go off down the dark road so attended. When we got to the place of +burial I would hold a short service over the open graves in which the +bodies were laid to rest. Our casualties were light then, but in those +days we had not become accustomed to the loss of comrades and so we +felt the toll of death very bitterly.</p> + +<p>It made a great difference to me to have a house of my own. Previously +I had found it most difficult to get any place in which to lay my +head. On one occasion, I had obtained permission from a kind-hearted +farmer's wife to rent one corner of the kitchen in her two-roomed +house. It was on a Saturday night and when the family had retired to +their room I spread my sleeping bag in the corner and went to bed. I +got up when the family had gone to Mass in the morning. All through +the day the kitchen was crowded, and I saw that if I went to bed that +night I should not have the opportunity of getting up again until the +family went to Mass on the following Sunday. So I paid the woman five +francs for my lodging and started out in pursuit of another. I managed +to find a room in another little farmhouse, somewhat larger and +cleaner. My room was a small one and had an earth floor. The ceiling +was so low that I could touch the beams with my head when I stood on +my toes. But in it were two enormous double beds, a table and a chair. +What more could one want? A large cupboard full of straw furnished a +billet for Murdoch and he was allowed to do my simple cooking on the +family stove.</p> + +<p>Small +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page045" name="page045">(p. 045)</a></span> +as my billet was, I was able on one occasion to take in +and house three officers of the Leicesters, who arrived one night in +preparation for the battle of Neuve Chapelle. I also stowed away a +sergeant in the cupboard with Murdoch. My three guests were very +hungry and very tired and enjoyed a good sleep in the ponderous beds. +I saw a photo of one of the lads afterwards in the Roll of Honour page +of the "Graphic," and I remembered the delightful talk I had had with +him during his visit.</p> + +<p>At that time we were all very much interested in a large fifteen-inch +howitzer, which had been placed behind a farmhouse, fast crumbling +into ruins. It was distant two fields from my abode. To our simple +minds, it seemed that the war would soon come to an end when the +Germans heard that such weapons were being turned against them. We +were informed too, that three other guns of the same make and calibre +were being brought to France. The gun was the invention of a retired +admiral who lived in a farmhouse nearby and who, when it was loaded, +fired it off by pressing an electric button. The officer in charge of +the gun was very pleasant and several times took me in his car to +interesting places. I went with him to Laventie on the day of the +battle of Neuve Chapelle, and saw for the first time the effects of an +attack and the wounded being brought back in ambulances.</p> + +<p>There was one large barn not far off full of beautiful yellow straw +which held several hundred men. I had a service in it one night. The +atmosphere was smoky and mysterious, and the hundreds of little +candles propped up on mess-tins over the straw, looked like a special +illumination. A large heap of straw at the end of the barn served as a +platform, and in lieu of an organ I had a mandolin player to start the +hymns. The service went very well, the men joining in heartily.</p> + +<p>The night before the battle of Neuve Chapelle, I went over to see the +captain in charge of the big gun, and he showed me the orders for the +next day, issued by the British General. He told me that at seven +o'clock it would be "Hell let loose", all down the line. Next morning +I woke up before seven, and blocked up my ears so that I should not be +deafened by the noise of artillery. But for some reason or other the +plans had been changed and I was quite disappointed that the Germans +did not get the hammering it was intended to give them. We were on the +left of the British line during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, and +were not +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page046" name="page046">(p. 046)</a></span> +really in the fight. The British suffered very +heavily and did not meet with the success which they had hoped for.</p> + +<p>My son was wounded in this engagement and was sent out with the loss +of an eye. On returning from seeing him put into a hospital train at +Merville, I was held up for some hours in the darkness by the British +Cavalry streaming past in a long line. I was delighted to see them for +I thought we had broken through. On the next day to our great +disappointment we saw them going back again.</p> + +<p>Near Canadian Headquarters at Sailly there was a large steam laundry +which was used as a bath for our men. It was a godsend to them, for +the scarcity of water made cleanliness difficult. The laundry during +bath hours was a curious spectacle. Scores of large cauldrons of +steaming water covered the floor. In each sat a man with only his head +and shoulders showing, looking as if he were being boiled to death. In +the mists of the heated atmosphere and in the dim light of candles, +one was reminded of Doré's illustrations of Dante's Inferno. In one of +them he represents a certain type of sinner as being tormented forever +in boiling water.</p> + +<p>We had now finished our time in this part of the line and the Division +was ordered back for a rest. The General was troubled about my +transportation as I had no horse, but I quoted my favourite text, "The +Lord will provide." It made him quite angry when I quoted the text, +and he told me that we were engaged in a big war and could not take +things so casually. When, however, he had seen me on various occasions +picked up by stray motor cars and lorries and get to our destination +before he did, he began to think there was more in the text than he +had imagined. I was accused of helping Providence unduly by base +subterfuges such as standing in the middle of a road and compelling +the motor to stop until I got in. I considered that my being able to +stop the car was really a part of the providing. In fact I found that, +if one only had courage to stand long enough in the middle of the road +without moving, almost any car, were it that of a private or a +general, would come to a standstill. It was only a natural thing, when +the car had stopped, to go to the occupants and say, "I know the Lord +has sent you for the purpose of giving me a lift." It was quite a +natural consequence of this for me to be taken in. One day at Estaires +I tried to commandeer a fine car standing in the square, but desisted +when I was informed by the driver +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page047" name="page047">(p. 047)</a></span> +that it was the private +property of the Prince of Wales. I am sure that if the Prince had been +there to hear the text, he would have driven me anywhere I wanted to +go.</p> + +<p>On the present occasion, I had not gone far down the road before a car +picked me up and took me on my way—an incident which I narrated to +the General afterwards with intense satisfaction.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER V. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page048" name="page048">(p. 048)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Before The Storm.</span><br> + +<i>March to April, 1915.</i></h4> + + +<p>Our rest-time at Estaires at the end of March was a delightful period +of good fellowship. The beautiful early spring was beginning to assert +its power over nature. The grass was green. The trees and hedgerows +were full of sap and the buds ready to burst into new life. As one +walked down the roads in the bright sunshine, and smelt the fresh +winds bearing the scent of springtime, an exquisite feeling of delight +filled the soul. Birds were singing in the sky, and it was pitiful to +think that any other thoughts but those of rapture at the joy of +living should ever cross the mind.</p> + +<p>A sergeant found me a comfortable billet in a house near the Church. A +dear old man and his two venerable daughters were the only occupants. +Like all the French people we met, their little home was to them a +source of endless joy. Everything was bright and clean, and they took +great pleasure in showing off its beauties. There was a large room +with glass roof and sides, like a conservatory. On the wall was the +fresco of a landscape, drawn by some strolling artist, which gave my +hosts infinite delight. There was a river flowing out of some very +green woods, with a brilliant blue sky overhead. We used to sit on +chairs opposite and discuss the woodland scene, and I must say it +brought back memories to me of many a Canadian brook and the charming +home life of Canadian woods, from which, as it seemed then, we were +likely to be cut off forever.</p> + +<p>The Bishop of London paid a visit to our men, and addressed them from +the steps of the Town Hall in the Grande Place. The officers and men +were charmed with his personality.</p> + +<p>It was a joy to me that we were to spend Easter at such a convenient +place. On Good Friday afternoon we had a voluntary service in front of +the Town Hall. It seemed very fitting that these men who had come in +the spirit of self-sacrifice, should be invited to contemplate, for at +least an hour, the great world sacrifice of Calvary. A table was +brought out from an estaminet nearby and placed in front of the steps. +I mounted on this and so was able +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page049" name="page049">(p. 049)</a></span> +to address the crowd which +soon assembled there. We sang some of the Good Friday hymns, "When I +survey the wondrous Cross", and "Jesu, Lover of my Soul." There must +have been several hundred present. I remember specially the faces of +several who were themselves called upon within a few weeks to make the +supreme sacrifice. Like almost all other religious services at the +front, this one had to struggle with the exigencies of war. A stream +of lorries at the side of the Grande Place and the noisy motor cycles +of despatch riders made an accompaniment to the address which rendered +both speaking and hearing difficult.</p> + +<p>Easter Day rose bright and clear. I had a hall situated down a narrow +lane, which had been used as a cinema. There was a platform at one end +and facing it, rows of benches. On the platform I arranged the altar, +with the silk Union Jack as a frontal and with cross and lighted +candles for ornaments. It looked bright and church-like amid the +sordid surroundings. We had several celebrations of the Holy +Communion, the first being at six a.m. A large number of officers and +men came to perform their Easter duties. A strange solemnity +prevailed. It was the first Easter spent away from home; it was the +last Easter that most of those gallant young souls spent on earth. The +other chaplains had equally large attendances. We sang the Easter hymn +at each service, and the music more than anything else carried us back +to the days that were.</p> + +<p>But our stay in Estaires was only for a time, and soon orders came +that we were to move. On April 7th, a bright and lovely spring +morning, the whole Division began its fateful journey to Ypres and +marched off to Cassel, about thirty miles behind the Salient. The men +were in good spirits, and by this time were becoming accustomed to the +pavé roads. We passed through Caestre, where I saw my old friends, the +Mayor and Mayoress. That afternoon I was taken by two British officers +to the little hotel in Cassel for luncheon. The extensive view over +the country from the windows reminded me of dear old Quebec. After +luncheon my friends motored me to Ypres. The city at that time had not +been heavily shelled, except the Cloth Hall and Cathedral. The shops +around the square were still carrying on their business and people +there were selling post-cards and other small articles. We went into +the Cathedral, which had been badly damaged. The roof was more or less +intact and the altar and pulpit in their places. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page050" name="page050">(p. 050)</a></span> +I saw what +an impressive place it must have been. The Cloth Hall had been burnt, +but the beautiful stone façade was still undamaged. A fire engine and +horses were quartered under the central tower. There was a quiet air +of light and beauty in the quaint old buildings that suggested the +mediaeval prosperity of the city. Behind the better class of houses +there were the usual gardens, laid out with taste, and often +containing fountains and rustic bridges. The French and the Belgians +delighted in striving to make a landscape garden in the small area at +their command.</p> + +<p>I shall always be thankful that I had the opportunity of paying this +visit to Ypres while it still retained vestiges of its former beauty. +Dark and hideous dreams of drives on ambulances in the midnight hours +haunt me now when the name of Ypres is mentioned. I hear the rattle of +lorries and motorcycles and the tramp of horses on the cobblestones. +The grim ruins on either side of the road stand out hard and sombre in +the dim light of the starry sky. There is the passing of innumerable +men and the danger of the traffic-crowded streets. But Ypres, as I saw +it then, was full of beauty touched with the sadness of the coming +ruin.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon, I motored back to our brigade on the outskirts of +Cassel. After dinner I started off to find my new billet. As usual I +lost my way. I went off down the country roads. The farms were silent +and dark. There was no one to tell me where my battalion was. I must +have gone a long distance in the many detours I made. The country was +still a place of mystery to me, and "The little owls that hoot and +call" seemed to be the voice of the night itself. The roads were +winding and lonely and the air was full of the pleasant odours of the +spring fields. It was getting very late and I despaired of finding a +roof under which to spend the night. I determined to walk back to the +nearest village. As I had marched with the men that day all the way +from Estaires, a distance of about twenty miles, I was quite +reasonably tired and anxious to get a bed. I got back to the main road +which leads to St. Sylvestre. On approaching the little village I was +halted by a British sentry who was mounting guard over a line of Army +Service Corps lorries. I went on and encountered more sentries till I +stood in the town itself and made my difficulty known to a soldier who +was passing. I asked him if he knew where +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page051" name="page051">(p. 051)</a></span> +I could get a +lodging for the night. He told me that some officers had their +headquarters in the Curé's house, and that if I were to knock at the +door, very probably I could find a room in which to stay. I went to +the house which was pointed out to me and knocked. There was a light +in a window upstairs so I knew that my knocking would be heard. +Presently a voice called out from the hollow passage and asked me to +open the door and come in. I did so, and in the dim light saw at the +end of the hall a white figure which was barely distinguishable and +which I took to be the individual who had spoken to me. Consequently I +addressed my conversation to it. The shadowy form asked me what I +wanted and I explained that I had lost my way and asked where the +headquarters of my battalion were. The being replied that it did not +know but invited me to come in and spend the night. At that moment +somebody from the upstairs region came with an electric torch, and the +light lit up the empty hall. To my surprise I found that I had been +addressing my conversation to the life-sized statue of some saint +which was standing on a pedestal at the foot of the stairs. I rather +mystified my host by saying that I had been talking to the image in +the hall. However, in spite of this, he asked me to come upstairs +where he would give me a bed. By this time several of the British +officers who occupied the upper flat had become interested in the +arrival of the midnight visitor, and were looking over the bannisters. +I can remember feeling that my only chance of receiving hospitality +depended on my presenting a respectable appearance. I was on my best +behaviour. It was greatly to my confusion, therefore, as I walked +upstairs under the inspection of those of the upper flat, that I +stumbled on the narrow steps. In order to reassure my would-be +friends, I called out, "Don't be alarmed, I am a chaplain and a +teetotaller". They burst out laughing and on my arrival at the top +greeted me very heartily. I was taken into a long bedroom where there +were five beds in a row, one of which was assigned to me. Not only was +I given a bed, but one of their servants went and brought me a +hot-cross bun and a glass of milk. In return for such wholehearted and +magnificent hospitality, I sat on the edge of the bed and recited +poems to my hosts, who at that hour of the morning were not averse to +anything which might be conducive to sleep. On the next day I was made +an honorary member of their mess. I should like to bear testimony here +to the extraordinary cordiality +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page052" name="page052">(p. 052)</a></span> +and kind hospitality which +was always shown to us by British officers.</p> + +<p>Later on in the day, I found the 13th Battalion just a few miles +outside Cassel at a place called Terdeghem. It was a quaint little +village with an interesting church. I got a billet in a farmhouse. It +was a curious building of brick and stood on the road where a little +gate opened into a delightful garden, full of old-fashioned flowers. +My room was reached by a flight of steps from the kitchen and was very +comfortable. I disliked, however, the heavy fluffy bed. Murdoch +MacDonald used to sleep in the kitchen.</p> + +<p>There were some charming walks around Terdeghem. One which I liked to +take led to a very old and picturesque chateau, surrounded by a moat. +I was immensely impressed with the rows of high trees on which the +rooks built their noisy cities. Sometimes a double line of these +trees, like an avenue, would stretch across a field. Often, as I have +walked home in the dark after parish visiting, I have stood between +the long rows of trees and listened to the wind sighing through their +bare branches and looked up at the stars that "were tangled in them". +Then the dread mystery of war and fate and destruction would come over +me. It was a relief to think how comfortable and unconcerned the rooks +were in their nests with their children about them in bed. They had +wings too wherewith to fly away and be at rest.</p> + +<p>Cassel was used at that time by the French Army, so we were excluded +from it unless we had a special permit. It was a delightful old town, +and from its commanding position on a rock has been used as a fortress +more or less since the days of Julius Caesar. The Grand Place is +delightful and quaint. From it, through various archways, one looks +down upon the rich verdure of the fields that stretch far off into the +distance.</p> + +<p>We had a parade of our four battalions one day, when General +Smith-Dorrien came to inspect us. The place chosen was a green slope +not far from the entrance to the town. The General reviewed the men, +and then gave a talk to the officers. As far as I can recollect, he +was most sanguine about the speedy termination of the war. He told us +that all we had to do was to keep worrying the Germans, and that the +final crushing stroke would be given on the east by the Russians. He +also told us that to us was assigned the place of honour on the +extreme left of the British line next to the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page053" name="page053">(p. 053)</a></span> +French Colonial +troops. I overheard an irreverent officer near me say, "Damn the place +of honour", and I thought of Sam Hughes and his warning about not +objecting to swearing. The General, whom I had met before, asked me to +walk with him up to his car and then said, "I have had reports about +the Canadian Artillery, and I am delighted at their efficiency. I have +also heard the best accounts of the Infantry, but do you think, in the +event of a sudden onslaught by the Germans, that the Canadians will +hold their ground? They are untried troops." I told him that I was +sure that one thing the Canadians would do would be to hold on. Before +a fortnight had passed, in the awful struggle near Langemarcke, the +Canadians proved their ability to hold their ground.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the General's visit we were ordered to move, and by some +oversight on Murdoch MacDonald's part, my kit was not ready in time to +be taken by the Brigade transport. In consequence, to my dismay, I saw +the men march off from Terdeghem to parts unknown, and found myself +seated on my kit by the wayside with no apparent hope of following. I +administered a rebuke to Murdoch as sternly as was consistent with the +position of a chaplain, and then asked him to see if he could find any +sort of vehicle at all to carry my stuff off in the direction towards +which the battalion had marched. I must say I felt very lonely and a +"bit out of it", as I sat by the wayside wondering if I had lost the +Brigade for good. In the meantime, Murdoch scoured the village for a +horse and carriage. Suddenly, to my surprise, a despatch rider on a +motorcycle came down the road and stopped and asked me if I knew where +Canon Scott was. I said, "I'm the man", and he handed me a letter. It +turned out to be one from General Smith-Dorrien, asking me to allow +him to send a poem which I had written, called "On the Rue du Bois" to +"The Times." It was such a kind friendly letter that at once it +dispelled my sense of loneliness, and when Murdoch arrived and told me +that there was not a horse in the place at my disposal, I replied that +I did not mind so much now since I had the British General for a +friend. I left Murdoch to guard my goods and chattels and went off +myself down the road to the old Château and farmhouse. There I was +lucky enough to obtain a cart with three wheels. It was an extremely +long and heavily built vehicle and looked as if it dated from the 17th +century. The horse that was put into it looked as if it had been born +about the same period. The old man who held +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page054" name="page054">(p. 054)</a></span> +the solitary +rein and sat over the third wheel under the bow looked to be of almost +equal antiquity. It must have been about thirty feet from the tip of +the old horse's nose to the end of the cart. However I was glad to get +any means of transportation at all, so I followed the thing to the +road where my kit was waiting, Murdoch MacDonald put all my worldly +possessions on the equipage. They seemed to occupy very little room in +the huge structure. Murdoch, shouldering his rifle, followed it, and +I, rather ashamed of the grotesque appearance of my caravan, marched +on as quickly as I could in front, hoping to escape the ridicule which +I knew would be heaped upon me by all ranks of my beloved brigade. A +man we met told us that the battalion had gone to Steenvoorde, so +thither we made our way. On our arrival I was taken to the Château and +kindly treated by the laird and his family, who allowed me to spread +out my bed-roll on the dining room floor.</p> + +<p>On the following morning an Imperial officer very kindly took me and +my kit to Ypres. There at the end of Yser Canal, I found a pleasant +billet in a large house belonging to a Mr. Vandervyver, who, with his +mother, gave me a kind reception and a most comfortably furnished +room. Later on, the units of our brigade arrived and I marched up with +the 14th Battalion to the village of Wieltje. Over it, though we knew +it not, hung the gloom of impending tragedy. Around it now cluster +memories of the bitter price in blood and anguish which we were soon +called upon to pay for the overthrow of tyranny. It was a lovely +spring evening when we arrived, and the men were able to sit down on +the green grass and have their supper before going into the trenches +by St. Julien. I walked back down that memorable road which two years +later I travelled for the last time on my return from Paschendaele. +The great sunset lit the sky with beautiful colours. The rows of trees +along that fateful way were ready to burst into new life. The air was +fresh and invigorating. To the south, lay the hill which is known to +the world as Hill 60, afterwards the scene of such bitter fighting. +Before me in the distance, soft and mellow in the evening light, rose +the towers and spires of Ypres—Ypres! the very name sends a strange +thrill through the heart. For all time, the word will stand as a +symbol for brutal assaults and ruthless destruction on the one hand +and heroic resolve and dogged resistance on the other. On any grim +monument raised to the Demon of War, the sole word "YPRES" would be a +sufficient and fitting inscription.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER VI. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page055" name="page055">(p. 055)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Second Battle of Ypres.</span><br> + +<i>April 22nd, 1915.</i></h4> + + +<p>Behind my house at Ypres there was an old-fashioned garden which was +attended to very carefully by my landlady. A summerhouse gave a fine +view of the waters of the Yser Canal, which was there quite wide. It +was nice to see again a good-sized body of water, for the little +streams often dignified by the name of rivers did not satisfy the +Canadian ideas as to what rivers should be. A battalion was quartered +in a large brick building several stories high on the east side of the +canal. There was consequently much stir of life at that point, and +from my summerhouse on the wall I could talk to the men passing by. My +billet was filled with a lot of heavy furniture which was prized very +highly by its owners. Madame told me that she had buried twelve +valuable clocks in the garden in case of a German advance. She also +told me that her grandfather had seen from the windows the British +going to the battle of Waterloo. She had both a piano and a harmonium, +and took great pleasure in playing some of the hymns in our Canadian +hymn book. I was so comfortable that I hoped our residence at Ypres +might be of long duration. At night, however, desultory shells fell +into the city. We could hear them ripping along with a sound like a +trolley on a track, and then there would be a fearful crash. One night +when returning from Brigade Headquarters near Wieltje, I saw a +magnificent display of fireworks to the South. I afterwards heard that +it was the night the British attacked Hill 60.</p> + +<p>On Sunday, the 18th of April, I had a service for the 15th Battalion +in one of the stories of the brick building beside the canal. +Something told me that big things were going to happen. I had a +feeling that we were resting on the top of a volcano. At the end of +the service I prepared for any sudden call to ministration on the +battlefield by reserving the Blessed Sacrament.</p> + +<p>On Monday some men had narrow escapes when a house was shelled and on +the following day I went to the centre of the town with two officers +to see the house which had been hit. They appeared to be in a hurry to +get to the Square, so I went up one of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page056" name="page056">(p. 056)</a></span> +the side streets to +look at the damaged house. In a cellar near by I found an old woman +making lace. Her hunchback son was sitting beside her. While I was +making a few purchases, we heard the ripping sound of an approaching +shell. It grew louder, till at last a terrific crash told us that the +monster had fallen not far off. At that moment a number of people +crowded into an adjoining cellar, where they fell on their knees and +began to say a litany. I stood at the door looking at them. It was a +pitiful sight. There were one or two old men and some women, and some +little children and a young girl who was in hysterics. They seemed so +helpless, so defenceless against the rain of shells.</p> + +<p>I went off down the street towards the Square where the last shell had +fallen, and there on the corner I saw a large house absolutely crushed +in. It had formerly been a club, for there were billiard tables in the +upper room. The front wall had crashed down upon the pavement, and +from the debris some men were digging out the body of an officer who +had been standing there when the shell fell. His was the first +terribly mangled body that I had ever seen. He was laid face downwards +on a stretcher and borne away. At that moment a soldier came up and +told me that one of the officers with whom I had entered the town +about half an hour ago had been killed, and his body had been taken to +a British ambulance in the city. I walked across the Square, and there +I saw the stretcher-bearers carrying off some civilians who had been +hit by splinters of the shell. In the hospital were many dead bodies +and wounded men for there had been over one hundred casualties in the +city that day. We had hardly arrived when once again we heard the +ripping sound which had such a sinister meaning. Then followed a +terrific explosion. The final and dreadful bombardment of Ypres had +begun. At intervals of ten minutes the huge seventeen-inch shells +fell, sounding the death knell of the beautiful old town.</p> + +<p>On the next morning, the brother-in-law of the officer who had been +killed called on me and asked me to go and see the Town Major and +secure a piece of ground which might be used for the Canadian +Cemetery. The Town Major gave us permission to mark off a plot in the +new British cemetery. It was in an open field near the jail, known by +the name of the Plain d'Amour, and by it was a branch canal. Our +Headquarters ordered the Engineers to mark off the place, and that +night we laid the body to rest.</p> + +<p>The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page057" name="page057">(p. 057)</a></span> +following morning was Thursday, the memorable 22nd of +April. The day was bright and beautiful. After burying another man in +the Canadian lot, I went off to have lunch and write some letters in +my billet. In the afternoon one of the 16th Battalion came in and +asked me to have a celebration of the Holy Communion on the following +morning, as some of the men would like to attend. I asked him to stay +to tea and amuse himself till I had finished my letters. While I was +writing I heard the ripping sound of an approaching shell, quickly +followed by a tremendous crash. Some building quite close by had +evidently been struck. I put on my cap and went out, when the landlady +followed me and said, "I hope you are not going into the town." "I am +just going to see where the shell has struck", I replied, "and will +come back immediately." I never saw her again. As I went up the street +I saw the shell had hit a large building which had been used as a +hospital. The smoke from the shell was still rolling up into the clear +sky. Thinking my services might be needed in helping to remove the +patients, I started off in the direction of the building. There I was +joined by a stretcher-bearer and we went through the gate into the +large garden where we saw the still smoking hole in the ground which +the shell had made. I remember that, as I looked into it, I had the +same sort of eerie feeling which I had experienced when looking down +the crater of Vesuvius. There was something uncanny about the arrival +of shells out of the clear sky. They seemed to be things supernatural. +The holes made by the seventeen inch shells with which Ypres was +assailed were monstrous in size. The engineers had measured one in a +field; it was no less than thirty-nine feet across and fifteen feet +deep. The stretcher-bearer who was with me said as he looked at this +one, "You could put three ambulances into it." We had not contemplated +the scene very long before once again there was the ripping sound and +a huge explosion, and we found ourselves lying on the ground. Whether +we had thrown ourselves down or had been blown down I could not make +out. We got up and the man went back to his ambulance and I went into +the building to see if I could help in getting out the wounded. The +place I entered was a large chapel and had been used as a ward. There +were rows of neat beds on each side, but not a living soul was to be +seen. It seemed so ghostly and mysterious that I called out, "Is +anyone here?" There was no reply. I went down to the end of the +chapel and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page058" name="page058">(p. 058)</a></span> +from thence into a courtyard, where a Belgian +told me that a number of people were in a cellar at the other end of a +glass passage. I walked down the passage to go to the cellar, when +once again there was the ominous ripping sound and a shell burst and +all the glass was blown about my ears. An old man in a dazed condition +came from the cellar at the end of the passage and told me that all +the people had gone. I was helping him across the courtyard towards a +gateway when a man came in from the street and took the old fellow on +his back and carried him off. By the gateway was a room used as a +guardroom. There I found a sentry with three or four Imperials. One of +the lads had lost his nerve and was lying under a wooden bench. I +tried to cheer them by telling them it was very unlikely that any more +shells would come in our direction. I remembered reading in one of +Marryatt's books that an officer in the Navy declared he had saved his +life by always sticking his head into the hole in the ship which a +cannon ball had made, as it was a million chances to one against +another cannon ball striking that particular place. Still, at regular +intervals, we heard the ripping sound and the huge explosion of a +shell. Later on, two members of the 14th Battalion came in, and a +woman and a little boy carrying milk. We did our best to restore the +lady's courage and hoped that the bombardment would soon cease.</p> + +<p>It was about seven p.m., when all of a sudden, we heard the roar of +transports and the shouting of people in the street, and I went out to +see what was the matter. To my horror I saw a battery of artillery +galloping into the town. Civilians were rushing down the pavements on +each side of the road, and had even filled the limbers. I called out +to one of the drivers and asked him what it meant. "It is a general +retreat", he shouted. "The Germans are on our heels." "Where are the +infantry?" I called out. "They have all gone." That was one of the +most awful moments in my life. I said to myself, "Has old England lost +the War after all?" My mouth became suddenly dry as though filled with +ashes. A young fellow on horseback stopped and, dismounting, very +gallantly said, "Here, Sir, take my horse." "No thank you," I said, +but I was grateful to him all the same for his self-sacrifice. I +returned to the guardroom and told the sentries what had happened. The +lady and the young boy disappeared and the men and I debated as to +what we should do. The words, "The Germans are on our +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page059" name="page059">(p. 059)</a></span> +heels", were still ringing in my ears. I did not quite know what they +signified. Whether they meant in military language that the Germans +were ten miles away or were really round the next corner, I did not +know, but I took the precaution of looking up the street before +entering the gateway. On talking the matter over, the men and I +thought it might be the part of discretion to make our way down past +the Railway Station to the Vlamertinghe road, as none of us wanted to +be taken prisoners. We therefore went down some side streets and +crossed the bridge on the road that leads to Vlamertinghe. There I +found an ammunition column hurrying out of the town, and the man +riding one of the horses on a limber invited me to mount the other, +which was saddled. It is so long, however, since I left the circus +ring that I cannot mount a galloping horse unless I put my foot into +the stirrup. So after two or three ineffectual attempts at a running +mount, I climbed up into the limber and asked the driver if it was a +general retreat. "No", he said, "I don't think so, only the Germans +are close at hand and we were ordered to put the ammunition column +further off." "Well", I said, "If it isn't a general retreat, I must +go back to my lines or I shall be shot for desertion." I got off the +limber and out of the crowd of people, and was making my way back, +when I saw a car with a staff officer in it coming up in the direction +of the City. I stopped the car and asked the officer if he would give +me a ride back to Ypres. When I got in, I said to him quite +innocently, "Is this a general retreat?" His nerves were evidently on +edge, and he turned on me fiercely, saying, "Padré, never use such a +word out here. That word must never be mentioned at the front." I +replied, in excuse, that I had been told it was a retreat by a battery +that was coming back from the front. "Padré," he continued, "that word +must never be used." I am not sure that he did not enforce his +commands by some strong theological terms. "Padré, that word must +never be used out here." "Well," I said, "this is the first war I have +ever been at, and if I can arrange matters it is the last, but I +promise you I will never use it again." Not the least flicker of a +smile passed over his face. Of course, as time went on and I advanced +in military knowledge, I came to know the way in which my question +ought to have been phrased. Instead of saying, "Is this a general +retreat?", I ought to have said, "Are we straightening the line?" or +"Are we pinching the Salient?" We went on till we came to a general +who was standing by +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page060" name="page060">(p. 060)</a></span> +the road waiting to "straighten the +line". I got out of the car and asked him where I should go. He seemed +to be in a great hurry and said gruffly, "You had better go back to +your lines." I did not know where they were, but I determined to go in +their direction. The general got into the car which turned round and +made off towards Vlamertinghe, and I, after a long and envious look in +his direction, continued my return to Ypres.</p> + +<p>People were still pouring out of the City. I recrossed the bridge, and +making my way towards the cemetery, met two men of one of our +battalions who were going back. I handed them each a card with my +address on it and asked them, in case of my being taken prisoner, to +write and tell my family that I was in good health and that my kit was +at Mr. Vandervyver's on the Quai. The short cut to my billet led past +the quiet cemetery where our two comrades had been laid to rest. It +seemed so peaceful that I could not help envying them that their race +was won.</p> + +<p>It was dark now, but a bright moon was shining and lit up the waters +of the branch canal as I walked along the bank towards my home. The +sound of firing at the front was continuous and showed that a great +battle was raging. I went by the house where the C.O. of the 16th +Battalion had had his headquarters as I passed that afternoon. It was +now quite deserted and the windows in it and in the houses round the +square were all shattered. Not a living thing could I see. I walked +across to my billet and found the shutters of the house closed. On the +table where my letters were, a smoky oil lamp was burning. Not a human +being was there. I never felt so lonely in my life, and those words, +"The Germans are on our heels", still kept ringing in my ears. I took +the lamp and went upstairs to my room. I was determined that the +Germans should not get possession of the photographs of my family. I +put them in my pocket, and over my shoulder the pair of glasses which +the Bishop and clergy of Quebec had given me on my departure. I also +hung round my neck the pyx containing the Blessed Sacrament, then I +went out on the street, not knowing what way to take. To my infinite +delight, some men came marching up in the moonlight from the end of +the canal. I recognized them as the 16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish, +and I called out, "Where are you going, boys?" The reply came glad and +cheerful. "We are going to reinforce the line, Sir, the Germans have +broken through." "That's all right, boys", I said, "play the game. I +will go with you." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page061" name="page061">(p. 061)</a></span> +Never before was I more glad to meet +human beings. The splendid battalion marched up through the streets +towards St. Jean. The men wore their overcoats and full kits. I passed +up and down the battalion talking to officers and men. As I was +marching beside them, a sergeant called out to me, "Where are we +going, Sir?" "That depends upon the lives you have led." A roar of +laughter went up from the men. If I had known how near the truth my +words were, I probably would not have said them. When we got to St. +Jean, a sergeant told me that the 14th Battalion was holding the line. +The news was received gladly, and the men were eager to go forward and +share the glory of their comrades. Later on, as I was marching in +front of the battalion a man of the 15th met us. He was in a state of +great excitement, and said, "The men are poisoned, Sir, the Germans +have turned on gas and our men are dying." I said to him very sternly, +"Now, my boy, not another word about that here." "But it's true, Sir." +"Well, that may be, but these men have got to go there all the same, +and the gas may have gone before they arrive, so promise me not +another word about the poison." He gave me his promise and when I met +him a month afterwards in Bailleul he told me he had never said a word +about the gas to any of the men that night.</p> + +<p>We passed through Weiltje where all was stir and commotion, and the +dressing stations were already full, and then we deployed into the +fields on a rise in the ground near St. Julien. By this time, our men +had become aware of the gas, because, although the German attack had +been made a good many hours before, the poisonous fumes still clung +about the fields and made us cough. Our men were halted along the +field and sat down waiting for orders. The crack of thousands of +rifles and the savage roar of artillery were incessant, and the German +flare-lights round the salient appeared to encircle us. There was a +hurried consultation of officers and then the orders were given to the +different companies. An officer who was killed that night came down +and told us that the Germans were in the wood which we could see +before us at some distance in the moonlight, and that a house from +which we saw gleams of light was held by German machine guns. The men +were told that they had to take the wood at the point of the bayonet +and were not to fire, as the 10th Battalion would be in front of them. +I passed down the line and told them that they had a chance to do a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page062" name="page062">(p. 062)</a></span> +bigger thing for Canada that night than had ever been done +before. "It's a great day for Canada, boys." I said. The words +afterwards became a watchword, for the men said that whenever I told +them that, it meant that half of them were going to be killed. The +battalion rose and fixed bayonets and stood ready for the command to +charge. It was a thrilling moment, for we were in the midst of one of +the decisive battles of the war. A shrapnel burst just as the men +moved off and a man dropped in the rear rank. I went over to him and +found he was bleeding in the neck. I bound him up and then taking his +kit, which he was loath to lose, was helping him to walk towards the +dressing station when I saw what I thought were sandbags in the +moonlight. I called out, "Is anybody there?" A voice replied, "Yes, +Sir, there is a dying man here." I went over and there I found two +stretcher-bearers beside a young fellow called Duffy, who was +unconscious. He had been struck by a piece of shrapnel in the head and +his brain was protruding. Duffy was a well-known athlete and had won +the Marathon race. We tried to lift him, but with his equipment on he +was too heavy, so I sent off the wounded man to Wieltje with one of +the stretcher-bearers who was to return with a bearer party. The other +one and I watched by Duffy. It was an awful and wonderful time. Our +field batteries never slackened their fire and the wood echoed back +the crackling sound of the guns. The flare lights all round gave a +lurid background to the scene. At the foot of the long slope, down +which the brave lads had gone to the attack, I saw the black outline +of the trees. Over all fell the soft light of the moon. A great storm +of emotion swept through me and I prayed for our men in their awful +charge, for I knew that the Angel of Death was passing down our lines +that night. When the bearer party arrived, we lifted Duffy on to the +stretcher, and the men handed me their rifles and we moved off. I hung +the rifles on my shoulder, and I thought if one of them goes off and +blows my brains out, there will be a little paragraph in the Canadian +papers, "Canon Scott accidentally killed by the discharge of a rifle," +and my friends will say, "What a fool he was to fuss about rifles, why +didn't he stick to his own job?" However, they were Ross rifles and +had probably jammed. There were many wounded being carried or making +their way towards Wieltje. The road was under shell fire all the way. +When we got to the dressing station which was a small red-brick +estaminet, we were confronted by a horrible sight. On the pavement +before it were rows +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page063" name="page063">(p. 063)</a></span> +and rows of stretcher cases, and inside +the place, which was dimly lighted by candles and lamps, I found the +doctor and his staff working away like Trojans. The operating room was +a veritable shambles. The doctor had his shirt sleeves rolled up and +his hands and arms were covered with blood.</p> + +<p>The wounded were brought in from outside and laid on the table, where +the doctor attended to them. Some ghastly sights were disclosed when +the stretcher-bearers ripped off the blood-stained clothes and laid +bare the hideous wounds. At the end of the room, an old woman, with a +face like the witch of Endor, apparently quite unmoved by anything +that was happening, was grinding coffee in a mill and making a black +concoction which she sold to the men. It was no doubt a good thing for +them to get a little stimulant. In another room the floor was covered +with wounded waiting to be evacuated. There were many Turcos present. +Some of them were suffering terribly from the effects of the gas. +Fresh cases were being brought down the road every moment, and laid +out on the cold pavement till they could be attended to.</p> + +<p>About two in the morning a despatch rider arrived and meeting me at +the door asked if I could speak French. He said, "Tell the Turcos and +every one else who can walk to clear off to Ypres as soon as they can; +the Germans are close at hand." Indeed it sounded so, because the +rifle fire was very close. I went into the room and delivered my +message, in French and English, to the wounded men. Immediately there +was a general stampede of all who could possibly drag themselves +towards the city. It was indeed a piteous procession which passed out +of the door. Turcos with heads bandaged, or arms bound up or one leg +limping, and our own men equally disabled, helped one another down +that terrible road towards the City. Soon all the people who could +walk had gone. But there in the room, and along the pavement outside, +lay helpless men. I went to the M.O. and asked him what we were to do +with the stretcher cases. "Well" he said, "I suppose we shall have to +leave them because all the ambulances have gone." "How can we desert +them?" I said. The Medical Officer was of course bound by orders to go +back with his men but I myself felt quite free in the matter, so I +said, "I will stay and be made prisoner." "Well," he said, "so will I. +Possibly I shall get into trouble for it, but I cannot leave them to +the enemy without any one to look after them." So we made a compact +that we would both stay behind and be made prisoners. I went over to +another +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page064" name="page064">(p. 064)</a></span> +Field Ambulance, where a former curate of mine was +chaplain. They had luckily been able to evacuate their wounded and +were all going off. I told him that I should probably be made a +prisoner that night, but asked him to cable home and tell my family +that I was in good health and that the Germans treated chaplains, when +they took them prisoners, very kindly. Then I made my way back. There +was a tremendous noise of guns now at the front. It was a horrible +thought that our men were up there bearing the brunt of German fury +and hatred. Their faces passed through my mind as individuals were +recalled. The men whom I knew so well, young, strong and full of hope +and life, men from whom Canada had so much to expect, men whose lives +were so precious to dear ones far away, were now up in that poisoned +atmosphere and under the hideous hail of bullets and shells. The +thought almost drove a chaplain to madness. One felt so powerless and +longed to be up and doing. Not once or twice in the Great War, have I +longed to be a combatant officer with enemy scalps to my credit. Our +men had been absolutely guiltless of war ambitions. It was not their +fault that they were over here. That the Kaiser's insatiable, mad lust +for power should be able to launch destruction upon Canadian hearts +and homes was intolerable. I looked down the Ypres road, and there, to +my horror, saw the lovely City lit up with flames. The smoke rolled up +into the moonlit sky, and behind the dull glow of the fires I saw the +Cloth Hall tower stand out in bold defiance. There was nothing for us +to do then and for nearly four years more but keep our heads cool, set +our teeth and deepen our resolve.</p> + +<p>The dressing station had received more stretcher cases, and still more +were coming in. The Medical Officer and his staff were working most +heroically. I told him I had given instructions about cabling home +should I be taken prisoner, and then I suddenly remembered that I had +a scathing poem on the Kaiser in my pocket. I had written it in the +quiet beauties of Beaupré, below Quebec, when the war first began. +When I wrote it, I was told that if I were ever taken prisoner in +Germany with that poem in my pocket, I should be shot or hanged. At +that time, the German front line seemed so far off that it was like +saying, "If you get to the moon the man there will eat you up." But +the changes and chances of war had suddenly brought me face to face +with the fact that I had resolved to be taken prisoner, and from what +I heard and saw the event was not unlikely. So I said to the M.O. "I +have just remembered that +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page065" name="page065">(p. 065)</a></span> +I have got in my pocket a printed +copy of a very terrible poem which I wrote about the Kaiser. Of course +you know I don't mind being shot or hanged by the Germans, but, if I +am, who will write the poems of the War?" The M.O. laughed and +thinking it unwise on general principles to wave a red rag in front of +a mad bull, advised me to tear up my verses. I did so with great +reluctance, but the precaution was unnecessary as the Germans never +got through after all.</p> + +<p>All along those terrible fields of death the battle raged. Young +Canadians, new to war, but old in the inheritance of the blood of +British freedom, were holding the line. The dressing station was soon +full again, and, later on, a despatch rider came from the 3rd Infantry +Brigade Headquarters in Shell-Trap Farm to tell us that more help was +needed there. One of the M.O.'s assistants and a sergeant started off +and I followed. We went down the road and then turned to the right up +to the moated farmhouse where the Brigade was. As we went forward +towards the battle front, the night air was sharp and bracing. +Gun-flashes lit up the horizon, but above us the moon and stars looked +quietly down. Wonderful deeds of heroism were being done by our men +along those shell-ploughed fields, under that placid sky. What they +endured, no living tongue can tell. Their Maker alone knows what they +suffered and how they died. The eloquent tribute which history will +give to their fame is that, in spite of the enemy's immense +superiority in numbers, and his brutal launching of poisonous gas, he +did not get through.</p> + +<p>In a ditch by the wayside, a battalion was waiting to follow up the +charge. Every man among the Canadians was "on the job" that night. We +crossed the field to the farmhouse which we found filled to +overflowing. Ambulances were waiting there to carry the wounded back +to Ypres. I saw many friends carried in, and men were lying on the +pavement outside. Bullets were cracking against the outer brick walls. +One Highlander mounted guard over a wounded German prisoner. He had +captured him and was filled with the hunter's pride in his game. "I +got him myself, Sir, and I was just going to run him through with my +bayonet when he told me he had five children. As I have five children +myself, I could not kill him. So I brought him out here." I looked +down at the big prostrate German who was watching us with interest +largely rooted in fear. "Funf kinder?" (five children) "Ja, ja." I +wasn't going to be beaten +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page066" name="page066">(p. 066)</a></span> +by a German, so I told him I had +seven children and his face fell. I found out afterwards that a great +many Germans, when they were captured, said they had five children. +The Germans I think used to be put through a sort of catechism before +they went into action, in case they should be taken prisoners. For +example, they always told us they were sure we were going to win the +war. They always said they were glad to be taken prisoners. When they +were married men, they said they had five children and so appealed to +our pity. People do not realize even yet how very thorough the Germans +were in everything that they thought was going to bring them the +mastership of the world. When a German soldier saw the game was up, he +surrendered at once and thus was preserved to fight for his country in +the next war.</p> + +<p>In the stable of the farm, I found many seriously wounded men lying on +the straw, and I took down messages which they were sending to their +relatives at home. On the other side of the wall, we could hear the +bullets striking. As I had the Blessed Sacrament with me I was able to +give communion to a number of the wounded. By this time the grey of +approaching day began to silver the eastern sky. It was indeed a +comfort to feel that the great clockwork of the universe went on just +as if nothing was happening. Over and over again in the war the +approach of dawn has put new life into one. It was such a tremendous +and glorious thing to think that the world rolled on through space and +turned on its axis, whatever turmoil foolish people were making upon +its surface.</p> + +<p>With the dawn came the orders to clear the wounded. The ambulances +were sent off and one of the doctors told me to come with him, as the +General had commanded the place to be cleared of all but the necessary +military staff. It was about four in the morning when we started. +There was a momentary quieting down in the firing as we crossed the +bridge over the moat, but shells were still crashing in the fields, +and through the air we heard every now and then the whistling of +bullets. We kept our heads low and were hurrying on when we +encountered a signaller with two horses, which he had to take back to +the main road. One of these he offered to me. I had not been wanting +to mount higher in the air, but I did not like the fellow to think I +had got "cold feet." So I accepted it graciously, but annoyed him very +much by insisting upon lengthening the stirrups before I mounted. He +got impatient at what he considered an unnecessary delay, but I told +him I would not +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page067" name="page067">(p. 067)</a></span> +ride with my knees up to my chin for all the +Germans in the world. When I was mounted, we started off at a good +gallop across the fields to the Ypres road. It was an exciting ride, +and I must confess, looking back upon it, a thoroughly enjoyable one, +reminding me of old stories of battles and the Indian escapes of my +boyhood's novels. When we arrived at the main road, I had to deliver +up my horse to its owner, and then I decided to walk to Ypres, as by +so doing I could speak to the many Imperial men that were marching up +to reinforce the line. I refused many kind offers of lifts on lorries +and waggons. The British battalions were coming up and I was sorry for +them. The young fellows looked so tired and hungry. They had been in +France, I think, only twenty-four hours. At any rate, they had had a +long march, and, as it turned out, were going up, most of them, to +their death, I took great pleasure in hailing them cheerfully and +telling them that it was all right, as the Canadians had held the +line, and that the Germans were not going to get through. One sergeant +said, "You put a lot of braces in my tunic when you talk like that, +Sir." Nothing is more wonderful than the way in which men under tense +anxiety will respond to the slightest note of cheer. This was the case +all through the war. The slightest word or suggestion would often turn +a man from a feeling of powerless dejection into one of defiant +determination. These young Britishers whom I met that morning were a +splendid type of men. Later on the machine-gun fire over the fields +mowed them down in pitiful and ruthless destruction. As I journeyed +towards Ypres I saw smoke rolling up from various parts of the city +and down the road, in the air, I saw the flashes of bursting shrapnel. +I passed St. Jean and made my way to my house by the canal.</p> + +<p>The shutters were still shut and the door was open. I entered and +found in the dining room that the lamp was still burning on the table. +It was now about seven o'clock and Mr. Vandervyver had returned and +was upstairs arranging his toilet. I went out into the garden and +called one of the sentries to tell Murdoch MacDonald to come to me. +While I was talking to the sentry, an officer came by and warned me to +get away from that corner because the Germans were likely to shell it +as it was the only road in the neighbourhood for the passage of troops +to and from the front. When Murdoch arrived, I told him I wanted to +have breakfast, for I had had nothing to eat since luncheon the day +before and had done a lot of walking. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page068" name="page068">(p. 068)</a></span> +He looked surprised +and said, "Fancy having breakfast when the town is being shelled." +"Well," I said, "don't you know we always read in the papers, when a +man is hanged, that before he went out to the gallows he ate a hearty +breakfast? There must be some philosophy in it. At any rate, you might +as well die on a full stomach as an empty one." So Murdoch began to +get breakfast ready in the kitchen, where Mr. Vandervyver's maid was +already preparing a meal for her master. I shaved and had a good clean +up and was sitting in the dining room arranging the many letters and +messages which I had received from men who asked me to write to their +relatives. Breakfast had just been set on the table when I heard the +loudest bang I have ever heard in my life. A seventeen inch shell had +fallen in the corner of the garden where the sentry had been standing. +The windows of the house were blown in, the ceiling came down and soot +from the chimneys was scattered over everything. I suddenly found +myself, still in a sitting posture, some feet beyond the chair in +which I had been resting. Mr. Vandervyver ran downstairs and out into +the street with his toilet so disarranged that he looked as if he were +going to take a swim. Murdoch MacDonald disappeared and I did not see +him again for several days. A poor old woman in the street had been +hit in the head and was being taken off by a neighbour and a man was +lying in the road with a broken leg. All my papers were unfortunately +lost in the debris of the ceiling. I went upstairs and got a few more +of my remaining treasures and came back to the dining room. There I +scraped away the dust and found two boiled eggs. I got some biscuits +from the sideboard and went and filled my waterbottle with tea in the +damaged kitchen. I was just starting out of the door when another +shell hit the building on the opposite side of the street. It had been +used as a billet by some of our men. The sentry I had been talking to +had disappeared and all they could find of him were his boots with his +feet in them. In the building opposite, we found a Highlander badly +wounded and I got stretcher-bearers to come and carry him off to the +2nd Field Ambulance in the Square nearby. Their headquarters had been +moved to Vlamertinghe and they were evacuating that morning. The +civilians now had got out of the town. All sorts of carts and +wheelbarrows had been called into requisition. There were still some +wounded men in the dressing station and a sergeant was in charge. I +managed to commandeer a motor ambulance and stow them in it. Shells +were falling fast +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page069" name="page069">(p. 069)</a></span> +in that part of the town. It was perfectly +impossible to linger any longer. A certain old inhabitant, however, +would not leave. He said he would trust to the good God and stay in +the cellar of his house till the war was over. Poor man, if he did not +change his mind, his body must be in the cellar still, for the last +time I saw the place, which henceforth was known as "Hell Fire +Corner," there was not one stone left upon another. Only a little +brick wall remained to show where the garden and house of my landlord +had been. I collected the men of the Ambulance and started off with +them to Vlamertinghe. On the way we added to our numbers men who had +either lost their units or were being sent back from the line.</p> + +<p>As we passed through the Grande Place, which now wore a very much more +dilapidated appearance than it had three days before, we found a +soldier on the pavement completely intoxicated. He was quite +unconscious and could not walk. There was nothing to do but to make +him as comfortable as possible till he should awake next day to the +horrors of the real world. We carried him into a room of a house and +laid him on a heap of straw. I undid the collar of his shirt so that +he might have full scope for extra blood pressure and left him to his +fate. I heard afterwards that the house was struck and that he was +wounded and taken away to a place of safety. When we got down to the +bridge on the Vlamertinghe road, an Imperial Signal Officer met me in +great distress. His men had been putting up telegraph wires on the +other side of the canal and a shell had fallen and killed thirteen of +them. He asked our men to carry the bodies back over the bridge and +lay them side by side in an outhouse. The men did so, and the row of +mutilated, twisted and bleeding forms was pitiful to see. The officer +was very grateful to us, but the bodies were probably never buried +because that part of the city was soon a ruin. We went on down the +road towards Vlamertinghe, past the big asylum, so long known as a +dressing station, with its wonderful and commodious cellars. It had +been hit and the upstairs part was no longer used.</p> + +<p>The people along the road were leaving their homes as fast as they +could. One little procession will always stand out in my mind. In +front one small boy of about six years old was pulling a toy cart in +which two younger children were packed. Behind followed the mother +with a large bundle on her back. Then came the father with a still +bigger one. There they were trudging along, leaving their +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page070" name="page070">(p. 070)</a></span> +home behind with its happy memories, to go forth as penniless +refugees, compelled to live on the charity of others. It was through +no fault of their own, but only through the monstrous greed and +ambition of a despot crazed with feudal dreams of a by-gone age. As I +looked at that little procession, and at many other similar ones, the +words of the Gospel kept ringing in my ears, "Inasmuch as ye have done +it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto +me." These words I felt sounded the doom of the Kaiser. Many and many +a time when the war from our point of view has been going badly, and +men would ask me, "How about the war, Sir?" or, "Are we winning the +war, Sir?" I would reply, "Boys, unless the devil has got into heaven +we are going to win. If he has, the German Emperor will have a good +friend there. But he hasn't, and any nation which tramples on the +rights and liberties of humanity, glories in it, makes it a matter of +national boasting, and casts medals to commemorate the sinking of +unprotected ships—any nation which does that is bound to lose the +war, no matter how badly things may look at the present time." It was +nothing but that unflinching faith in the power of right which kept +our men so steadfast. Right is after all only another name for the +will of God. Men who knew no theology, who professed no creed, who +even pretended to great indifference about the venture of eternity, +were unalterably fixed in their faith in the power of right. It gives +one a great opportunity of building the higher edifice of religion +when one discovers the rock foundation in a man's convictions.</p> + +<p>When we reached Vlamertinghe we found that a school house had been +taken over by the 2nd Field Ambulance.</p> + +<p>There was a terrible shortage of stretchers and blankets, as most of +the equipment had been lost at Ypres. All that day and night the +furious battle raged, and many fresh British battalions passed up to +reinforce the line. As soon as it was dark, the wounded began to come +in, and by midnight the school-house was filled to overflowing. The +men were lying out in rows on the cold stone floor with nothing under +them. Ambulances were coming and going as hour after hour passed by. I +went among the sufferers, many of whom I knew. The sergeant would come +to me and tell me where the worst cases were. He whispered to me once, +"There is a dying man over here." We trod softly between the prostrate +forms till we came to one poor fellow who looked up with white face +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page071" name="page071">(p. 071)</a></span> +under the candle light. I saw he was dying. He belonged to +one of the British battalions that I had passed on the road. I asked +him if he would like to receive the Holy Communion. He was pleased +when I told him I could give it to him. He had been a chorister in +England, and he felt so far from the ministrations of his church now. +He made his confession and I pronounced the absolution. Then I gave +him the Blessed Sacrament. Like many severely wounded men, he was not +suffering much, but was dying of shock. We were now compelled to use +the church and it also soon became a scene of suffering. The building +to-day is a ruin, but then it had been untouched by shells and was +large and impressive. We had only a few candles with which to light +it. The wounded were laid out, some on the floor, some on chairs, and +some sat up waiting for the convoys of ambulances that were to take +them to the Base. It was a strange scene. In the distance we heard the +roar of the battle, and here, in the dim light of the hollow-sounding +aisles, were shadowy figures huddled up on chairs or lying on the +floor. Once the silence was broken by a loud voice shouting out with +startling suddenness, "O God! stop it." I went over to the man. He was +a British sergeant. He would not speak, but I think in his terrible +suffering he meant the exclamation as a kind of prayer. I thought it +might help the men to have a talk with them, so I told them what great +things were being done that night and what a noble part they had +played in holding back the German advance and how all the world would +honour them in after times. Then I said, "Boys, let us have a prayer +for our comrades up in that roar of battle at the front. When I say +the Lord's Prayer join in with me, but not too loudly as we don't want +to disturb those who are trying to sleep." I had a short service and +they all joined in the Lord's Prayer. It was most impressive in that +large, dim church, to hear the voices, not loudly, but quite +distinctly, repeating the words from different parts of the building, +for some of the men had gone over to corners where they might be by +themselves. After the Lord's Prayer I pronounced the Benediction, and +then I said, "Boys, the Curé won't mind your smoking in the church +tonight, so I am going to pass round some cigarettes." Luckily I had a +box of five hundred which had been sent to me by post. These I handed +round and lit them. Voices from different parts would say, "May I have +one, Sir?" It was really delightful to feel that a moment's comfort +could +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page072" name="page072">(p. 072)</a></span> +be given to men in their condition. A man arrived that +night with both his eyes gone, and even he asked for a cigarette. I +had to put the cigarette into his mouth and light it for him. "It's so +dark, Sir," he said, "I can't see." I was not going to tell him he +would never see again, so I said, "Your head is all bandaged up. Of +course you can't." He was one of the first to be taken off in the +ambulance, and I do not know whether he is alive or dead. Our +Canadians still held on with grim determination, and they deserved the +tribute which Marshal Foch has paid them of saving the day at Ypres.</p> + +<p>When they came out of the line, and I was living once again among +them, going from battalion to battalion, it was most amusing to hear +them tell of all their adventures during the great attack. The English +newspapers reached us and they were loud in their praise of "the +gallant Canadians." The King, General Joffre, and Sir Robert Borden, +sent messages to our troops. One man said, amid the laughter of his +comrades, "All I can remember, Sir, was that I was in a blooming old +funk for about three days and three nights and now I am told I am a +hero. Isn't that fine?" Certainly they deserved all the praise they +got. In a battle there is always the mixture of the serious and the +comic. One Turco, more gallant than his fellows, refused to leave the +line and joined the 16th Battalion. He fought so well that they +decided to reward him by turning him into a Highlander. He consented +to don the kilt, but would not give up his trousers as they concealed +his black legs.</p> + +<p>The Second Battle of Ypres was the making of what grew to be the +Canadian Corps. Up to that time, Canadians were looked upon, and +looked upon themselves, merely as troops that might be expected to +hold the line and do useful spade work, but from then onward the men +felt they could rise to any emergency, and the army knew they could be +depended upon. The pace then set was followed by the other divisions +and, at the end, the Corps did not disappoint the expectations of +General Foch. What higher praise could be desired?</p> + +<p>My billet in Vlamertinghe was in a neat little cottage owned by an old +maid, who took great pride in making everything shine. The paymaster +of one of our battalions and I had a cheerful home there when the poor +old lady fled. Her home however did not long survive her absence, for, +some days after she left, it was levelled by +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page073" name="page073">(p. 073)</a></span> +a shell. The +church too was struck and ruined. Beside it is the military cemetery +within which lie the mortal remains of many gallant men, amongst them +the two Grenfells, one of whom got the V.C. There I buried poor Duffy +and many more. The other chaplains laid to rest men under their care.</p> + +<p>One picture always comes to my mind when I think of Vlamertinghe. In +the road near the church was a Crucifix. The figure was life size and +hung on a cross planted upon a rocky mound. One night when the sun had +set and a great red glow burnt along the horizon, I saw the large +black cross silhouetted against the crimson sky, and before it knelt +an aged woman with grey hair falling from beneath the kerchief that +was tied about her head. It was dangerous at all times to stay at that +place, yet she knelt there silently in prayer. She seemed to be the +embodiment of the old life and quiet contented religious hope which +must have been the spirit of Vlamertinghe in the past. The village was +an absolute ruin a few days later, and even the Sisters had to flee +from their convent. The Crucifix, however, stood for a long time after +the place was destroyed, but I never passed by without thinking of the +poor old woman who knelt at its foot in the evening light and laid her +burden of cares upon the heart of Eternal Pity.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER VII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page074" name="page074">(p. 074)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Festubert and Givenchy.</span><br> + +<i>May and June, 1915.</i></h4> + + +<p>When our men came out of the line, the 2nd Field Ambulance was ordered +back for rest and reorganization to a village called Ouderdom, three +miles to the Southwest, and their O.C. invited me to follow them. It +was late in the evening when I started to walk. The light was fading +and, as I had no map, I was not certain where Ouderdom was. I went +down the road, delighting in the sweet smells of nature. It was with a +sense of unusual freedom that I walked along with all my worldly +possessions in my haversack. I thought how convenient it was to lose +one's kit. Now I could lie down beside any haystack and feel quite at +home. The evening air grew chillier and I thought I had better get +some roof over my head for the night. I asked various men that I met +where Ouderdom was. None of them knew. I was forced once again to take +my solitary journey into the great unknown. It was therefore with much +satisfaction that, when quite dark, I came upon some wooden huts and +saw a number of men round a little fire in a field. I went up to one +of the huts and found in it a very kind and courteous middle-aged +lieutenant, who was in charge of a detachment of Indian troops. When +he heard I was looking for the Field Ambulance and going towards +Ouderdom, he told me it was much too late to continue my journey that +night. "You stay with me in my hut, Padré," he said, "and in the +morning I will give you a horse to take you to your men." He told me +that he had been living by himself and was only too delighted to have +a companion to talk to. He treated me as bounteously as circumstances +would permit, and after a good dinner, he gave me a blanket and straw +bed on the floor of his hut. It was very pleasant to come out of the +darkness and loneliness of the road and find such a kind host, and +such good hospitality. We discussed many things that night, and the +next day I was shown over the camp. Later on, the Lieutenant sent me +on horseback to Ouderdom. There I found the Ambulance encamped in a +pleasant field beside a large pond, which afforded us the luxury of a +bath. I shall never forget those two restful days I spent at +Ouderdom. I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page075" name="page075">(p. 075)</a></span> +blamed the blankets, however, for causing an +irritation of the skin, which lasted till I was able to have another +wash and change.</p> + +<p>Pleasant as my life was with the Ambulance, I felt I ought to go back +and join my Brigade. I got a ride to the transport at Brielen, and +there, under a waggon cover, had a very happy home. Near us an +Imperial battery fired almost incessantly all night long. While lying +awake one night thinking of the men that had gone, and wondering what +those ardent spirits were now doing, the lines came to me which were +afterwards published in "The Times":</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<table summary=''> + +<tr> + <td class="figcenter">"REQUIESCANT"</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td> +<p>In lonely watches night by night,<br> +Great visions burst upon my sight,<br> +For down the stretches of the sky<br> +The hosts of dead go marching by.</p> + +<p>Strange ghostly banners o'er them float,<br> +Strange bugles sound an awful note,<br> +And all their faces and their eyes<br> +Are lit with starlight from the skies.</p> + +<p>The anguish and the pain have passed,<br> +And peace hath come to them at last.<br> +But in the stern looks linger still<br> +The iron purpose and the will.</p> + +<p>Dear Christ, who reign'st above the flood<br> +Of human tears and human blood,<br> +A weary road these men have trod,<br> +O house them in the home of God.</p> +</td> +</tr> +</table> +</div> + +<p>The Quartermaster of the 3rd Brigade furnished me with a change of +underwear, for which I was most grateful. I felt quite proud of having +some extra clothes again. The battalions were moved at last out of the +area and we were ordered off to rest. Our first stop was near +Vlamertinghe. We reached it in the afternoon, and, chilly though it +was, I determined to have a bath. Murdoch MacDonald got a bucket of +water from a green and slimy pond and put it on the other side of a +hedge, and there I retired to have a wash and change. I was just in +the midst of the process when, to my confusion, the Germans began to +shell the adjoining field, and splinters of shell fell in the hedge +behind me. The transport men +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page076" name="page076">(p. 076)</a></span> +on the other side called out to +me to run and take cover with them under the waggons. "I can't, boys", +I replied, "I have got no clothes on." They roared with laughter at my +plight. Though clothes are not at all an impregnable armour, somehow +or other you feel safer when you are dressed. There was nothing for it +but to complete my ablutions, which I did so effectually in the cold +spring air that I got a chill. That night I was racked with pains as I +rode on the horse which the M.O. lent me, on our march to Bailleul.</p> + +<p>We arrived in the quaint old town about two in the morning, and I made +my way in the dark to the hotel in the Square. I was refused admission +on the reasonable plea that every bed was already occupied. I was just +turning away, wondering where I could go, for I was hardly able to +stand up, when an officer came out and said I might go up to a room on +the top storey and get into his bed as he would need it no more. It +was quite delightful, not only to find a bed, but one which had been +so nicely and wholesomely warmed. I spent a most uncomfortable night, +and in the morning I wondered if my batman would find out where I was +and come and look after me. About ten o'clock I heard a knock at the +door and called out "Come in." To my astonishment, a very smart staff +officer, with a brass hat and red badges, made his way into my room, +and startled me by saying, "I am the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General." +"Oh", I said, "I was hoping you were my batman." He laughed at that +and told me his business. There had been a report that one of our +Highlanders had been crucified on the door of a barn. The Roman +Catholic Chaplain of the 3rd Brigade and myself had tried to trace the +story to its origin. We found that the nearest we could get to it was, +that someone had told somebody else about it. One day I managed to +discover a Canadian soldier who said he had seen the crucifixion +himself. I at once took some paper out of my pocket and a New +Testament and told him, "I want you to make that statement on oath and +put your signature to it." He said, "It is not necessary." But he had +been talking so much about the matter to the men around him that he +could not escape. I had kept his sworn testimony in my pocket and it +was to obtain this that the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General had called +upon me. I gave it to him and told him that in spite of the oath, I +thought the man was not telling the truth. Weeks afterwards I got a +letter from the Deputy-Judge telling me he had found +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page077" name="page077">(p. 077)</a></span> +the +man, who, when confronted by a staff officer, weakened, and said he +was mistaken in swearing that he had seen the crucifixion he had only +been told about it by someone else. We have no right to charge the +Germans with the crime. They have done so many things equally bad, +that we do not need to bring charges against them of which we are not +quite sure.</p> + +<p>The Brigade was quartered in the little village of Steenje. It was a +pretty place, and it was delightful to be back in the peaceful country +again. May was bringing out the spring flowers and the trees wore +fresh green leaves. There was something about the exhilarating life we +were leading which made one extremely sensitive to the beauties of +nature. I have never cared much for flowers, except in a general way. +But now I noticed a great change. A wild flower growing in a ditch by +the wayside seemed to me to be almost a living thing, and spoke in its +mute way of its life of peace and contentment, and mocked, by its very +humility, the world of men which was so full of noise and death. +Colour too made a most powerful appeal to the heart. The gleam of +sunlight on the moss that covered an old thatched roof gave one a +thrill of gladness. The world of nature putting on its fresh spring +dress had its message to hearts that were lonely and anxious, and it +was a message of calm courage and hope. In Julian Grenfell's beautiful +poem "Into Battle," he notes this message of the field and trees. +Everything in nature spoke to the fighting man and gave him its own +word of cheer.</p> + +<p>Of course all the men did not show they were conscious of these +emotional suggestions, but I think they felt them nevertheless. The +green fields and shining waters around Steenje had a very soothing +effect upon minds that had passed through the bitterest ordeal in +their life's experience. I remember one morning having a service of +Holy Communion in the open air. Everything was wonderful and +beautiful. The golden sunlight was streaming across the earth in full +radiance. The trees were fresh and green, and hedges marked out the +field with walls of living beauty. The grass in the meadow was soft +and velvety, and, just behind the spot where I had placed the altar, a +silver stream wandered slowly by. When one adds to such a scene, the +faces of a group of earnest, well-made and heroic young men, it is +easily understood that the beauty of the service was complete. When it +was over, I reminded them of the twenty-third Psalm, "He maketh me to +lie down +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page078" name="page078">(p. 078)</a></span> +in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still +waters." There too was the table prepared before us in the presence of +our enemies.</p> + +<p>At Steenje, as no billet had been provided for me, the Engineers took +me in and treated me right royally. Not only did they give me a pile +of straw for a bed in the dormitory upstairs, but they also made me an +honorary member of their mess. Of the work of the "Sappers", in the +Great War, one cannot speak too highly. Brave and efficient, they were +always working and co-operating enthusiastically with the infantry. +Every week now that passed was deepening that sense of comradeship +which bound our force together. The mean people, the men who thought +only of themselves, were either being weeded out or taught that there +was no place for selfishness in the army. One great lesson was +impressed upon me in the war, and that is, how wonderfully the +official repression of wrong thoughts and jealousies tends to their +abolition. A man who lets his wild fancies free, and gives rein to his +anger and selfishness, is going to become the victim of his own mind. +If people at home could only be prevented, as men were in the war, +from saying all the bitter and angry things they feel, and from +criticising the actions of their neighbours, a different temper of +thought would prevail. The comradeship men experienced in the Great +War was due to the fact that everyone knew comradeship was essential +to our happiness and success. It would be well if all over Canada men +realized that the same is true of our happiness and success in times +of peace. What might we not accomplish if our national and industrial +life were full of mutual sympathy and love!</p> + +<p>Our rest at Steenje was not of long duration. Further South another +attack was to be made and so one evening, going in the direction +whither our troops were ordered, I was motored to the little village +of Robecq. There I managed to get a comfortable billet for myself in +the house of a carpenter. My bedroom was a tiny compartment which +looked out on the backyard. It was quite delightful to lie in a real +bed again and as I was enjoying the luxury late in the morning I +watched the carpenter making a baby's coffin. Robecq then was a very +charming place. The canal, on which was a hospital barge, gave the men +an opportunity for a swim, and the spring air and the sunshine put +them in high spirits.</p> + +<p>It was at Robecq, that I had my first sight of General Haig. I was +standing in the Square one afternoon when I saw the men on the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page079" name="page079">(p. 079)</a></span> +opposite side spring suddenly to attention. I felt that something +was going to happen. To my astonishment, I saw a man ride up carrying +a flag on a lance. He was followed by several other mounted men. It +was so like a pageant that I said to myself, "Hello, here comes Joan +of Arc." Then a general appeared with his brilliant staff. The General +advanced and we all saluted, but he, spying my chaplain's collar, rode +over to me and shook hands and asked if I had come over with the +Canadians. I told him I had. Then he said, "I am so glad you have all +come into my Army." I did not know who he was or what army we were in, +or in fact what the phrase meant, but I thought it was wise to say +nice things to a general, so I told him we were all very glad too. He +seemed gratified and rode off in all the pomp and circumstance of war. +I heard afterwards that he was General Haig, who at that time +commanded the First Army. He had from the start, the respect of all in +the British Expeditionary Force.</p> + +<p>A sudden call "to stand to", however, reminded us that the war was not +yet won. The Brigadier told me that we had to move the next morning at +five. Then he asked me how I was going and I quoted my favourite text, +"The Lord will provide." My breakfast at 3.30 next morning consisted +of a tin of green peas without bread or other adulterations and a cup +of coffee. At five a.m. I started to walk, but it was not long before +I was overtaken by the car of an artillery officer, and carried, in +great glory, past the General and his staff, whose horses we nearly +pushed into the ditch on the narrow road. The Brigadier waved his hand +and congratulated me upon the way in which Providence was looking +after me. That afternoon our brigade was settled in reserve trenches +at Lacouture. There were a number of Ghurka regiments in the +neighbourhood, as well as some Guards battalions. I had a service for +the bomb-throwers in a little orchard that evening, and I found a +billet with the officers of the unit in a particularly small and dirty +house by the wayside.</p> + +<p>Some of us lay on the floor and I made my bed on three chairs—a style +of bed which I said I would patent on my return to Canada. The chairs, +with the middle one facing in the opposite direction to prevent one +rolling off, were placed at certain distances where the body needed +special support, and made a very comfortable resting place, free from +those inhabitants which infested the ordinary places of repose. Of +course we did not sleep much, and somebody, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page080" name="page080">(p. 080)</a></span> +amid roars of +laughter called for breakfast about two-thirty a.m. The cook who was +sleeping in the same room got up and prepared bacon and coffee, and we +had quite an enjoyable meal, which did not prevent our having a later +one about nine a.m., after which, I beguiled the time by reading aloud +Leacock's "Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich." Later in the day, +I marched off with our men who were going into the trenches, for the +battle of Festubert. We passed the place called Indian Village and +went to the trenches just beyond.</p> + +<p>We met a bearer-party bringing out a young German prisoner who was +badly wounded. I went over to him and offered him a cigarette. This he +declined, but asked for some water, putting out his dry tongue to show +how parched it was. I called to some of our men to know if they could +spare him a drink. Several gladly ran across and offered their +water-bottles. They were always kind to wounded prisoners. "If thine +enemy thirst give him drink." Just before the men went into the +trenches, I shook hands with one or two and then, as they passed up, +half the battalion shook hands with me. I was glad they did, but at +the same time I felt then that it was not wise for a chaplain to do +anything which looked as if he were taking matters too seriously. It +was the duty of everyone to forget private feelings in the one +absorbing desire to kill off the enemy. I saw the different battalions +going up and was returning towards headquarters when whom should I +meet but the dreaded Brigadier coming up the road with his staff. It +was impossible to dodge him; I could see already that he was making +towards me. When he came up to me, he asked me what I was doing there, +and ordered me back to Headquarters on pain of a speedy return to No. +2 General Hospital. "If you come east of my Headquarters," he said, +"you will be sent back absolutely certainly." That night I took my +revenge by sleeping in his deserted bed, and found it very +comfortable.</p> + +<p>Our Brigade Headquarters were at Le Touret in a large farm surrounded +by a moat. We were quite happy, but on the next day, which I spent in +censoring the letters of the 13th Battalion, I was told that the 2nd +Brigade were coming to occupy the billet and that I had to get out and +forage for myself. At half past six in the evening I saw from my +window the giant form of General Currie followed by his staff, riding +across the bridge over the moat. He looked very imposing, but I knew +it meant that the bed I had slept in +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page081" name="page081">(p. 081)</a></span> +was no longer mine. I +called my friend Murdoch MacDonald and I got him to pack my haversack. +"Murdoch", I said, "once more we have to face the big, black world +alone, but—'the Lord will provide'". The sun had set, the air was +cool and scented richly with the fermented manure spread upon the +land. Many units were scattered through the fields. We went from one +place to another, but alas there was no billet for us. It was tiring +work, and both Murdoch and I were getting very hungry and also very +grumpy. The prospect of sleeping under the stars in the chilly night +was not pleasant. I am ashamed to say my faith began to waver, and I +said to Murdoch MacDonald, "Murdoch, my friend, the Lord is a long +time providing for us tonight." We made our way back to the main road +and there I saw an Imperial Officer who was acting as a point man and +directing traffic. I told him my difficulty and implored him, as it +was now getting on towards eleven p.m., to tell me where I could get a +lodging for the night. He thought for a while and then said, "I think +you may find a bed for yourself and your man in the prison." The words +had an ominous sound, but I remembered how often people at home found +refuge for the night in the police station. He told me to go down the +road to the third farmhouse, where I should find the quarters of some +Highland officers and men. The farm was called the prison, because it +was the place in which captured Germans were to be held until they +were sent down the line. Followed by Murdoch, I made my way again down +the busy road now crowded with transports, troops and ambulances. It +was hard to dodge them in the mud and dark. I found the farmhouse, +passed the sentry, and was admitted to the presence of two young +officers of the Glasgow Highlanders. I told them who I was and how I +had been bidden by the patrol officer to seek refuge with them. They +received me most cordially and told me they had a spare heap of straw +in the room. They not only said they would arrange for me for the +night, but they called their servant and told him to get me some +supper. They said I looked worn out. A good dish of ham and eggs and a +cup of strong tea at that time were most refreshing and when I had +finished eating, seeing a copy of the Oxford Book of Verse on the +table, I began to read it to them, and finally, and quite naturally, +found myself later on, about one a.m., reciting my own poems. It was +most interesting meeting another set of men. The barn, which was kept +as a prison for Germans was large and commodious. As +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page082" name="page082">(p. 082)</a></span> +we took +only five or six prisoners at that time, it was more than sufficient +for the purpose. The officers told me that the reason why so few +prisoners turned up was that the Canadians got tired of their charges +before they arrived at the prison, and only handed over a few as +souvenirs. I really think the Scotsmen believed it. The Glasgow men +moved away and were succeeded by a company of Argyle and Sutherland +Highlanders. The tables were now turned, for as I had kept on +inhabiting the large room with the three heaps of straw in it, the two +officers who came "to take over" asked my permission to make their +billet in the prison.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, the fighting in the trenches was very fierce. I spent +my days in parish visiting and my nights at the various dressing +stations. The batteries of artillery were all round us in the fields +and orchards, and there was great concentration of British and +Canadian guns. In spite of the brigadier's orders, I often went east +of Headquarters. One lovely Sunday evening I had a late service for +men of the 16th Battalion in an orchard. They were going off later +into No Man's Land on a working party. The service, which was a +voluntary one, had therefore an underlying pathos in it. Shells were +falling in the fields on both sides of us. The great red sunset glowed +in the west and the trees overhead cast an artistic gray green light +upon the scene. The men were facing the sunset, and I told them as +usual that there lay Canada. The last hymn was "Abide with Me", and +the words, "Hold Thou Thy Cross before my closing eyes", were +peculiarly touching in view of the fact that the working party was to +start as soon as the service was ended. At Festubert our Cavalry +Brigade, now deprived of their horses, joined us, and I remember one +morning seeing Colonel, now General, Macdonell, coming out of the line +at the head of his men. They were few in number and were very tired, +for they had had a hard time and had lost many of their comrades. The +Colonel, however, told them to whistle and keep step to the tune, +which they were doing with a gallantry which showed that, in spite of +the loss of their horses, the spirit of the old squadron was still +undaunted.</p> + +<p>Our batteries round Le Touret were very heavily and systematically +shelled, and of course rumour had it that there were spies in the +neighbourhood. The French Police were searching for Germans in British +uniforms, and everyone felt that some of the inhabitants might be +housing emissaries from the German lines. Some +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page083" name="page083">(p. 083)</a></span> +said lights +were seen flashing from farmhouses; others averred that the French +peasants signalled to the enemy by the way they ploughed their fields +and by the colour of the horses used. In Belgium we were told that the +arrangement of the arms of windmills gave away the location of our +troops. At any rate everyone had a bad attack of spy-fever, and I did +not escape it. One night about half past ten I was going down a dark +road to get my letters from the post office, when an officer on a +bicycle came up to me and, dismounting, asked me where a certain +British Artillery Brigade was. I was not concerned with the number of +the brigade, but I was horrified to hear the officer pronounce his +"rs" in the back of his throat. Of course, when we are not at war with +Germany, a man may pronounce his "rs" however he pleases, but when we +are at war with the great guttural hordes of Teutons it is different. +The moment I heard the sepulchral "r" I said, "This man is a German". +He told me he had come from the Indian Army and had a message for the +artillery brigade. I took him by subtlety, thinking all was fair in +war, and I asked him to come with me. I made for the billet of our +signallers and told the sentry that the officer wanted a British +brigade. At the same time I whispered to the man to call out the +guard, because I thought the stranger was a spy.</p> + +<p>The sentry went into the house, and in a few seconds eager Canadians +with fixed bayonets came out of the building and surrounded the +unfortunate officer. Canadians were always ready for a bit of sport. +When I saw my man surrounded, I asked him for his pass. He appeared +very much confused and said he had none, but had come from the Indian +Army. What made us all the more suspicious was the fact that he +displayed a squared map as an evidence of his official character. I +told him that anybody could get a squared map. "Do you take me for a +spy?" he said. I replied gently that we did, and that he would have to +come to Headquarters and be identified. He had an ugly looking +revolver in his belt, but he submitted very tamely to his temporary +arrest. I was taking him off to our Headquarters, where strange +officers were often brought for purposes of identification, when a +young Highland Captain of diminutive stature, but unbounded dignity, +appeared on the scene with four patrol men. He told me that as he was +patrolling the roads for the capture of spies, he would take over the +custody of my victim. The Canadians were loath to lose their prey. So +we all followed down the road. After going a short distance, the +signallers had +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page084" name="page084">(p. 084)</a></span> +to return to their quarters, much to my +regret, for it seemed to me that the safety of the whole British Army +depended on our capturing the spy, and I knew I could depend upon the +Canadians. However I made up my mind that I would follow to the bitter +end.</p> + +<p>The Highlander put the officer between us and, followed by the four +patrol men, we went off down a lonely road. The moon had now risen. +After walking about half a mile we came to a large barn, outside of +which stood a sentry. It was the billet of a battalion of Highlanders. +I told the man privately, that we had arrested the officer under +suspicion of his being a spy, and if the sentry on duty should see him +coming back along the road, he was to detain him and have him +identified. As we walked along, a number of men who had been concealed +in the ditches on each side of the road rose up and followed us. They +were men of the patrol commanded by the young Highlander on the other +side of our prisoner. It was a delightfully weird experience. There +was the long quiet moonlit road and the desolate fields all around us. +While I was talking to one of the men, the patrol officer, unknown to +me, allowed the spy to go off on his wheel, and to my astonishment +when I turned I saw him going off down the road as hard as he could. I +asked the officer why he had let him go. He said he thought it was all +right and the man would be looked after. Saying this, he called his +patrol about him and marched back again. The thing made me very angry. +It seemed to me that the whole war might depend on our capturing the +spy. At least, I owed it to the British Army to do my best to be +certain the man was all right before I let him go. So I continued to +follow him by myself down the road. The next farm I came to was about +a mile off. There I was halted by a sentry, and on telling my business +I was shown into a large barn, where the sergeant-major of a Scottish +battalion got out of the straw and came to talk to me. He told me that +an officer riding a wheel had passed sometime before, asking his way +to a certain artillery brigade. I told the sergeant-major my +suspicions and while we were talking, to our astonishment, the sentry +announced that the officer, accompanied by a Black Watch despatch +rider, had turned up again, having heard that the brigade he wanted +was in the other direction.</p> + +<p>The sergeant and I went out and challenged him and said that he had to +come to the colonel and be identified. The colonel was in the back +room of a little cottage on the other side of the road. I made my way +through the garden and entered the house. The colonel, an +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page085" name="page085">(p. 085)</a></span> +oldish man, was sitting at a table. In front of him was an empty glass +and an empty whisky bottle. It struck me from a superficial glance +that the colonel was the only full thing in the room. He seemed +surprised at having so late a visitor. I told him my suspicions. "Show +the man in, Padré," he said, and I did.</p> + +<p>The spy seemed worried and excited and his "rs" were more guttural +than ever. The old Colonel, who had himself been in India, at once put +the suspect through his facings in Hindustani. Then the Colonel came +out to me, and taking me aside said, "It's all right, Padré, he can +talk Hindustani. I never met a German who could do that." Though still +not quite satisfied, I said "Good night," and went out into the garden +to return home. Immediately the young despatch rider came up to me and +said, "Who are you, who are stopping a British officer in the +performance of his duty? I arrest you. You must come in to the Colonel +and be identified." This was a turning of the tables with a vengeance, +and as I had recently laid stress on its being the duty of every +officer to prove his identity whenever called upon, I had nothing to +do but to go back into the presence of the Colonel and be questioned. +I noticed this time that a full bottle of whiskey and another tumbler +had been provided for the entertainment of the Indian Officer. The +despatch rider saluted the Colonel and said, "I have brought in this +officer, Sir, to be identified. He says he is a Canadian chaplain but +I should like to make sure on the point." I stood there feeling rather +disconcerted. The Colonel called to his adjutant who was sleeping in a +bed in the next room. He came out in a not very agreeable frame of +mind and began to ask me who I was. I immediately told my name, showed +my identification disc and engraved silver cigarette case and some +cablegrams that I had just received from home. The Colonel looked up +with bleary eyes and said, "Shall I put him in the guardroom?" but +the adjutant had been convinced by my papers that I was innocent and +he said, "I think we can let him go, Sir." It was a great relief to +me, because guard-rooms were not very clean. I was just making my way +from the garden when out came the young despatch rider. I bore him no +malice for his patriotic zeal. I felt that his heart was in the right +place, so I said to him, "You have taken the part of this unknown +officer, and now that you are sure I am all right, may I ask you what +you know about him?" "I don't know anything", he said, "only that I +met him and he asked me the way to the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page086" name="page086">(p. 086)</a></span> +Brigade, and as I was +going there myself I told him I would act as his guide." "Well", I +said, "we are told that there are spies in the neighbourhood reporting +the location of our batteries to the Germans, so we ought to be very +careful how we give these locations away." "I tell you what, Sir," he +replied, "I'll go and examine his wheel and see what the make is; I +know a good deal about the wheels used in the army." We went over to +the wheel and by the aid of my flashlight he examined it thoroughly +and then said, "This is not an English wheel, I have never seen one +like it before. This wheel was never in use in our army." The despatch +rider now got an attack of spy-fever. It was decided that he should +ride on to the Brigade Headquarters and find out if an Indian officer +was expected there. He promised to come back as soon as possible and +meet me in the road. We trusted that the bottle of whiskey in the +Colonel's billet would cause sufficient delay for this to be +accomplished. The night was cool and beautiful and the sense of an +adventure added charm to the situation. I had not gone far down the +road when to my horror I heard a wheel coming behind me, and turning, +I saw my spy coming towards me as fast as he could. I was not of +course going to let him get past. The added information as to the +character of the wheel gave me even greater determination to see that +everything was done to protect the army from the machinations of a +German spy.</p> + +<p>I stood in the road and stopped the wheel. The poor man had to +dismount and walk beside me. I wished to delay him long enough for the +despatch rider to return with his message from the Brigade. Our +conversation was a trifle forced, and I remember thinking that if my +friend was really a British officer he would not have submitted quite +so tamely to the interference of a Padré. Then I looked at the +revolver in his belt, and I thought that, if, on the other hand, he +was a German spy he would probably use his weapon in that lonely road +and get rid of the man who was impeding his movements. We went on till +we came to the sentry whom I had warned at first. At once, we were +challenged, "Halt, who are you?" and the suspected spy replied "Indian +Army." But the sentry was not satisfied, and to my delight he said, +"You will both have to come in and be identified". We were taken into +the guardroom and told that we should have to stay there for the +night. My friend got very restless and said it was too bad to be held +up like this. I looked anxiously down the road to see if there were +any signs of the returning +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page087" name="page087">(p. 087)</a></span> +despatch rider. The sentries were +obdurate and said they wouldn't let us go till we could be identified +in the morning. Then the officer requested that he might be sent to +the Brigade under escort. The sergeant asked me if that would meet +with my approval. I said, "Certainly", and so, turning out three +members of the guard with fixed bayonets, they marched us off towards +the Brigade. The spy had a man with a fixed bayonet on each side of +him: they gave me only one. I felt that this was a slight upon my +manhood, and asked why they did not put a soldier on each side of me +too, as I was as good a man as the other. It was a queer procession in +the moonlight. At last we came to the orchard in which stood the +billet of the General commanding the Artillery Brigade. I was +delighted to find that some Canadian Batteries were there, and told +the men what my mission was. They instantly, as true Canadians, became +fired with interest and spy-fever. When we got to the house I asked to +see the General. He was asleep in a little room off the kitchen. I was +shown in, and he lit a candle and proceeded to get up. I had never +seen a general in bed before, so was much interested in discovering +what he looked like and how he was dressed. I found that a general in +war time goes to bed in his underclothes, like an ordinary private. +The General got up and went outside and put the spy through a series +of questions, but he did so in a very sleepy voice, and with a +perfunctory manner which seemed to me to indicate that he was more +concerned about getting back to bed than he was in saving the army +from danger. He told the officer that it was too late then to carry on +the business for which he had come, but that he would see about it in +the morning. The spy with a guttural voice then said, "I suppose I may +go, Sir?" and the General said, "Certainly." Quickly as possible, +fearing a further arrest, the stranger went out, took his wheel, and +sped down the road. When I went into the garden, I found a number of +men from one of our ambulances. They had turned up with stolen rifles +and were waiting with the keenest delight to join in "Canon Scott's +spy hunt." Imagine therefore, their disappointment when the officer +came out a free man, answered the sentry's challenge on the road, and +disappeared in the distance.</p> + +<p>On the following day, the French military police came to my billet and +asked for particulars about the Indian officer. They told Murdoch +MacDonald that they were on the lookout for a German spy +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page088" name="page088">(p. 088)</a></span> +who +was reported to be going about through our lines dressed in a British +uniform. He had been seen at an observation post, and was making +enquiries which aroused suspicions. This of course made me more sorry +than ever that I had allowed the spy to get through my fingers. Like +the man the French police were after, the officer was fair, had a +light moustache and was of good size and heavily built.</p> + +<p>My adventures with my friend did not end there. When we had left +Festubert and got to the neighbourhood of Bethune, I took two young +privates one day to have lunch with me in a French hotel near the +Square. We were just beginning our meal when to my astonishment the +suspected spy, accompanied by a French interpreter, sat down at an +opposite table. He looked towards me but made no sign of +recognition—a circumstance which I regarded as being decidedly +suspicious. I naturally did not look for any demonstration of +affection from him, but I thought he might have shown, if he were an +honest man, that he remembered one who had caused him so much +inconvenience. Once more the call of duty came to my soul. I felt that +this man had dodged the British authorities and was now giving his +information to a French interpreter to transmit it at the earliest +possible moment to the Germans. I told my young friends to carry on as +if nothing had happened, and excusing myself, said I would come back +in a few minutes. I went out and inquired my way to the Town Major's +office. There, I stated the object of my journey and asked for two +policemen to come back with me and mount guard till I identified a +suspicious looking officer. I then returned and finished my lunch. +When the officer and the interpreter at the conclusion of their meal +went out into the passage, I followed them and asked for their +identification. The officer made no attempt to disguise or check his +temper. He said that there must be an end to this sort of work. But +the arrival of the two policemen in the passage showed that he had to +do what I asked him. This he did, and the interpreter also, and the +police took their names and addresses. Then I let my friends go, and +heard them depart into the street hurling denunciations and threats of +vengeance upon my devoted and loyal head.</p> + +<p>It was about a week or ten days afterwards that I was called into our +own Brigadier's office. He held a bundle of letters in his hand +stamped with all sorts of official seals. The gist of it all was that +the G.O.C. of the Indian Division in France had reported to General +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page089" name="page089">(p. 089)</a></span> +Alderson the extraordinary and eccentric conduct of a +Canadian Chaplain, who persisted in arresting a certain British +officer whenever they happened to meet. He wound up with this cutting +comment, "The conduct of this chaplain seems to fit him rather for a +lunatic asylum than for the theatre of a great war." Of course +explanations were sent back. It was explained to the General that +reports had reached us of the presence in our lines of a German spy in +British uniform, who from the description given, resembled the Indian +officer in all particulars.</p> + +<p>It is needless to say that every one was immensely amused at "the +Canon's spy story," and I mentally resolved that I would be more +careful in the future about being carried away by my suspicions. I +told people however that I would rather run the risk of being laughed +at over making a mistake than to let one real spy escape.</p> + +<p>Festubert made a heavy toll upon our numbers, and we were not sorry +when we were ordered out of the line and found ourselves quartered in +the neighbourhood of Bethune. Bethune at that time was a delightful +place. It was full of people. The shops were well provided with +articles for sale, and a restaurant in the quaint Grande Place, with +its Spanish tower and Spanish houses, was the common meeting ground of +friends. The gardens behind private residences brought back memories +of pre-war days. The church was a beautiful one, built in the 16th +century. The colours of the windows were especially rich. It was +always delightful to enter it and think how it had stood the shock and +turmoil of the centuries.</p> + +<p>One day when I was there the organ was being played most beautifully. +Sitting next to me in a pew, was a Canadian Highlander clad in a very +dirty uniform. He told me that a friend of his had been killed beside +him drenching him in blood. The Highlander was the grandson of a +British Prime Minister. We listened to the music till the recital was +over, and then I went up to the gallery and made myself known to the +organist. He was a delicate young fellow, quite blind, and was in a +state of nervous excitement over his recent efforts. I made a bargain +with him to give us a recital on the following evening. At the time +appointed, therefore, I brought some of our men with me. The young +organist met us at the church and I led him over to a monastery in +which a British ambulance was making its headquarters. There, in the +chapel, the blind man poured out his soul in the strains of a most +beautiful instrument. We sat entranced in the evening light. He +transported +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page090" name="page090">(p. 090)</a></span> +us into another world. We forgot the shells, the +mud, the darkness, the wounded men, the lonely graves, and the hideous +fact of war. We wandered free and unanxious down the avenues of +thought and emotion which were opened up before us by the genius of +him whose eyes were shut to this world. It was with deep regret that, +when the concert was over, we heard him close the keyboard. Three +years later the organist was killed by a shell while he was sitting at +his post in the church he loved so well and had never seen.</p> + +<p>When we were at Bethune a very important event in my military career +took place. In answer to repeated requests, Headquarters procured me a +horse. I am told that the one sent to me came by mistake and was not +that which they intended me to have. The one I was to have, I heard, +was the traditional padré's horse, heavy, slow, unemotional, and with +knees ready at all times to sink in prayer. The animal sent to me, +however, was a high-spirited chestnut thoroughbred, very pretty, very +lively and neck-reined. It had once belonged to an Indian general, and +was partly Arab. Poor Dandy was my constant companion to the end. +After the Armistice, to prevent his being sold to the Belgian army, he +was mercifully shot, by the orders of our A.D.V.S. Dandy certainly was +a beauty, and his lively disposition made him interesting to ride. I +was able now to do much more parish visiting, and I was rather amused +at the way in which my mount was inspected by the different grooms in +our units. I had to stand the fire of much criticism. Evil and +covetous eyes were set upon Dandy. I was told he was "gone" in the +knees. I was told he had a hump on the back—he had what is known as +the "Jumper's bump." Men tickled his back and, because he wriggled, +told me he was "gone" in the kidneys. I was told he was no proper +horse for a padré, but that a fair exchange was always open to me. I +was offered many an old transport hack for Dandy, and once was even +asked if I would change him for a pair of mules. I took all the +criticisms under consideration, and then when they were repeated I +told the men that really I loved to ride a horse with a hump on its +back. It was so biblical, just like riding a camel. As for bad +kidneys, both Dandy and I were teetotallers and we could arrest +disease by our temperance habits. The weakness of knees too was no +objection in my eyes. In fact, I had so long, as a parson, sat over +weak-kneed congregations that I felt quite at home sitting on a +weak-kneed horse.</p> + +<p>Poor +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page091" name="page091">(p. 091)</a></span> +dear old Dandy, many were the rides we had together. +Many were the jumps we took. Many were the ditches we tumbled into. +Many were the unseen barbed wires and overhanging telephone wires +which we broke, you with your chest and I with my nose and forehead. +Many were the risks we ran in front of batteries in action which +neither of us had observed till we found ourselves deafened with a +hideous explosion and wrapped in flame. I loved you dearly, Dandy, and +I wish I could pull down your soft face towards mine once again, and +talk of the times when you took me down Hill 63 and along Hyde Park +corner at Ploegsteert. Had I not been wounded and sent back to England +at the end of the war, I would have brought you home with me to show +to my family—a friend that not merely uncomplainingly but cheerfully, +with prancing feet and arching neck and well groomed skin, bore me +safely through dangers and darkness, on crowded roads and untracked +fields. What dances we have had together, Dandy, when I have got the +bands to play a waltz and you have gone through the twists and turns +of a performance in which you took an evident delight! I used to tell +the men that Dandy and I always came home together. Sometimes I was on +his back and sometimes he was on mine, but we always came home +together.</p> + +<p>A few days later my establishment was increased by the purchase of a +well-bred little white fox-terrier. He rejoiced in the name of Philo +and became my inseparable companion. The men called him my curate. +Dandy, Philo and I made a family party which was bound together by +very close ties of affection. Though none of us could speak the +language of the others, yet the sympathy of each enabled us to +understand and appreciate one another's opinions. I always knew what +Dandy thought and what he would do. I always knew too what Philo was +thinking about. Philo had a great horror of shells. I put this down to +the fact that he was born at Beuvry, a place which had been long under +shell-fire. When he heard a shell coming in his direction, Philo used +to go to the door of the dugout and listen for the explosion, and then +come back to me in a state of whining terror. He could not even stand +the sound of our own guns. It made him run round and round barking and +howling furiously.</p> + +<p>It was while we were out in rest at Bethune that I was told I could go +on a week's leave to London. I was glad of this, not only for the +change of scene, but for the sake of getting new clothes. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page092" name="page092">(p. 092)</a></span> +I +awoke in the early morning and listened to the French guns pounding +away wearily near Souchez. At noon I started with a staff officer in a +motor for Boulogne. It was a lovely day, and as we sped down the road +through little white unspoilt villages and saw peaceful fields once +again, it seemed as if I were waking from a hideous dream. That +evening we pulled in to Victoria Station, and heard the Westminster +chimes ringing out half past eight.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page093" name="page093">(p. 093)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Ploegsteert—A Lull in Operations.</span><br> + +<i>July to December, 1915.</i></h4> + + +<p>Leave in London during the war never appealed to me. I always felt +like a fish out of water. When I went to concerts and theatres, all +the time amid the artistic gaiety of the scene I kept thinking of the +men in the trenches, their lonely vigils, their dangerous working +parties, and the cold rain and mud in which their lives were passed. +And I thought too of the wonderful patrol kept up on the dark seas, by +heroic and suffering men who guarded the life and liberty of Britain. +The gaiety seemed to be a hollow mockery. I was not sorry therefore +when my week's leave was over and I went back to the line. A staff +officer whom I met on the leave boat informed me that the Division had +changed its trenches, and my Brigade had left Bethune. We had a most +wonderful run in the staff car from Boulogne, and in two hours arrived +at the Brigade Headquarters at Steenje, near Bailleul. There, with my +haversacks, I was left by the staff car at midnight and had to find a +lodging place. The only light I saw was in the upper windows of the +Curé's house, the rest of the village was in complete darkness. I +knocked on the door and, after a few minutes, the head and shoulders +of a man in pyjamas looked out from the window and asked me who I was +and what I wanted. On my giving my name and requesting admission, he +very kindly came down and let me in and gave me a bed on the floor. On +a mattress beside me was a young officer of the Alberta Dragoons, only +nineteen years of age. He afterwards joined the Flying Corps and met +his death by jumping out of his machine at an altitude of six thousand +feet, when it was hit and burst into flames. The Alberta Dragoons +later on became the Canadian Light Horse, and were Corps Troops. At +that time, they were part of the 1st Division and were a magnificent +body. The practical elimination of cavalry in modern warfare has taken +all the romance and chivalry out of fighting. It is just as well +however for the world that the old feudal conception of war has passed +away. The army will be looked upon in the future as a class of +citizens who are performing the necessary and unpleasant task of +policing the world, in order that the rational occupations +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page094" name="page094">(p. 094)</a></span> +of human life may be carried on without interruption.</p> + +<p>Brigade Headquarters now moved to a large farm behind the trenches at +Ploegsteert. I bid farewell to my friends of the Alberta Dragoons and +found a billet at La Crêche. From thence I moved to Romarin and made +my home in a very dirty little French farmhouse. The Roman Catholic +chaplain and I had each a heap of straw in an outhouse which was a +kind of general workroom. At one end stood a large churn, which was +operated, when necessary, by a trained dog, which was kept at other +times in a cage. The churn was the breeding place of innumerable +blue-bottles, who in spite of its savoury attractions annoyed us very +much by alighting on our food and on our faces. I used to say to my +friend, the chaplain, when at night we had retired to our straw beds +and were reading by the light of candles stuck on bully beef tins, +that the lion and the lamb were lying down together. We could never +agree as to which of the animals each of us represented. At the head +of my heap of straw there was an entrance to the cellar. The ladies of +the family, who were shod in wooden shoes, used to clatter round our +slumbers in the early morning getting provisions from below. Life +under such conditions was peculiarly unpleasant. It was quite +impossible too to have a bath. I announced to the family one day that +I was going to take one. Murdoch MacDonald provided some kind of large +tub which he filled with dishes of steaming water. Instead however of +the fact that I was about to have a bath acting as a deterrent to the +visits of the ladies, the announcement seemed to have the opposite +effect. So great were the activities of the family in the cellar and +round the churn that I had to abandon the idea of bathing altogether. +I determined therefore to get a tent of my own and plant it in the +field. I wrote to England and got a most wonderful little house. It +was a small portable tent. When it was set up it covered a piece of +ground six feet four inches square. The pole, made in two parts like a +fishing rod, was four feet six inches high. The tent itself was brown, +and made like a pyramid. One side had to be buttoned up when I had +retired. It looked very small as a place for human habitation. On one +side of the pole was my Wolseley sleeping bag, on the other a box in +which to put my clothes, and on which stood a lantern. When Philo and +I retired for the night we were really very comfortable, but we were +much annoyed by earwigs +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page095" name="page095">(p. 095)</a></span> +and the inquisitiveness of the cows, +who never could quite satisfy themselves as to what we were. Many is +the time we have been awakened out of sleep in the morning by the +sniffings and sighings of a cow, who poked round my tent until I +thought she had the intention of swallowing us up after the manner in +which the cow disposed of Tom Thumb. At such times I would turn Philo +loose upon the intruder. Philo used to suffer at night from the cold, +and would wake me up by insisting upon burrowing his way down into my +tightly laced valise. There he would sleep till he got so hot that he +woke me up again burrowing his way out. It would not be long before +once again the cold of the tent drove him to seek refuge in my bed. I +hardly ever had a night's complete rest. Once I rolled over on him, +and, as he was a very fiery tempered little dog, he got very +displeased and began to snap and bark in a most unpleasant manner. As +the sleeping bag was tightly laced it was difficult to extract him. +Philo waged a kind of submarine warfare there until grasping his +snout, I pulled him out and refused all his further appeals for +readmission.</p> + +<p>My little tent gave me great comfort and a sense of independence. I +could go where I pleased and camp in the lines of the battalions when +they came out of the trenches. This enabled me to get into closer +touch with the men. One young western fellow said that my encampment +consisted of a caboose, my tent, a cayouse, which was Dandy, and a +papoose, which was my little dog, friend Philo. Now that I had a +comfortable billet of my own I determined that Romarin was too far +from the men, so I removed my settlement up to the Neuve Eglise road +and planted it near some trees in the field just below the row of huts +called Bulford Camp. At this time, Murdoch MacDonald went to the +transport lines, and his place was taken by my friend Private Ross, of +the 16th Battalion, the Canadian Scottish. He stayed with me to the +end. We were very comfortable in the field. Ross made himself a +bivouac of rubber sheets. Dandy was picketed not far off and, under +the trees, my little brown pyramid tent was erected, with a rude bench +outside for a toilet table, and a large tin pail for a bath-tub. When +the battalions came out of the line and inhabited Bulford Camp and the +huts of Court-o-Pyp, I used to arrange a Communion Service for the men +every morning. At Bulford Camp the early morning services were +specially delightful. Not far off, was the men's washing place, a +large ditch full of muddy water into which +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page096" name="page096">(p. 096)</a></span> +the men took +headers. Beside it were long rows of benches, in front of which the +operation of shaving was carried on. The box I used as an altar was +placed under the green trees, and covered with the dear old flag, +which now hangs in the chancel of my church in Quebec. On top was a +white altar cloth, two candles and a small crucifix. At these services +only about ten or a dozen men attended, but it was inspiring to +minister to them. I used to hear from time to time that so and so had +been killed, and I knew he had made his last Communion at one of such +services. It was an evidence of the changed attitude towards religion +that the men in general did not count it strange that soldiers should +thus come to Holy Communion in public. No one was ever laughed at or +teased for doing so.</p> + +<p>Neuve Eglise, at the top of the road, had been badly wrecked by German +shells. I went up there one night with an officer friend of mine, to +see the scene of desolation. We were halted by some of our cyclists +who were patrolling the road. Whenever they stopped me at night and +asked who I was I always said, "German spy", and they would reply, +"Pass, German spy, all's well." My friend and I went down the street +of the broken and deserted village, which, from its position on the +hill, was an easy mark for shell fire. Not a living thing was stirring +except a big black cat which ran across our path. The moonlight made +strange shadows in the roofless houses. Against the west wall of the +church stood a large crucifix still undamaged. The roof had gone, and +the moonlight flooded the ruins through the broken Gothic windows. To +the left, ploughed up with shells, were the tombs of the civilian +cemetery, and the whole place was ghostly and uncanny.</p> + +<p>Near the huts, on the hill at Bulford Camp was a hollow in the ground +which made a natural amphitheatre. Here at night concerts were given. +All the audience packed together very closely sat on the ground. +Before us, at the end of the hollow, the performers would appear, and +overhead the calm stars looked down. I always went to these +entertainments well provided with Players' cigarettes. A neat trick +was played upon me one night. I passed my silver cigarette case round +to the men and told them that all I wanted back was the case. In a +little while it was passed back to me. I looked into it to see if a +cigarette had been left for my use, when, to my astonishment, I found +that the case had been filled with De Reszke's, my favourite brand. I +thanked my unknown benefactor for his graceful generosity.</p> + +<p>The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page097" name="page097">(p. 097)</a></span> +field behind the huts at Court-o-Pyp was another of my +favourite camping grounds. It was on the Neuve Eglise side of the +camp, and beyond us was some barbed wire. About two o'clock one night +I was aroused by an excited conversation which was being carried on +between my friend Ross in his bivouac, and a soldier who had been +dining late and had lost his way. The young fellow had got it into his +head that he had wandered into the German lines, and Ross had great +difficulty in convincing him that he was quite safe. He was just going +off with mind appeased when he caught sight of my pyramid tent on a +rise in the ground. "What's that?" he cried in terror, evidently +pointing towards my little house. "That's the Rev. Major Canon Scott's +billet" said Ross with great dignity from under his rubber sheets, and +the man went off in fear of his identity becoming known. He afterwards +became an officer and a very gallant one too, and finally lost a leg +in the service of his country. But many is the time I have chaffed him +about the night he thought he had wandered into the German lines.</p> + +<p>One day when I had ridden up to Court-o-Pyp I found that a canteen had +just been opened there, and being urged to make a purchase for good +luck I bought a large bottle of tomato catsup, which I put into my +saddle bag. I noticed that the action was under the observation of the +battalion, which had just returned from the trenches and was about to +be dismissed. I mounted my horse and went over to the C.O. and asked +if I might say a word to the men before he dismissed them. He told me +the men were tired, but I promised not to keep them long. He called +out, "Men, Canon Scott wants to say a word to you before you are +dismissed," and they stood to attention. "All I wanted to say to you, +Boys, was this; that was a bottle of tomato catsup which I put in my +saddle bag, and not, as you thought, a bottle of whiskey." A roar of +laughter went up from all ranks.</p> + +<p>It was about this time that our Brigadier was recalled to England to +take over the command of a Division. We were all sincerely sorry to +lose him from the 3rd Brigade. He was ever a good and true friend, and +took a deep interest in his men. But the immediate effect of his +departure, as far as I was concerned, was to remove out of my life the +hideous spectre of No. 2 General Hospital, and to give me absolute +liberty in wandering through the trenches. In fact, as I told him +sometime afterwards, I was beginning a little poem, the first line of +which was "I never knew what freedom meant until he went away."</p> + +<p>One +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page098" name="page098">(p. 098)</a></span> +day, General Seely invited me to go and stay with him at +his Headquarters in Westhof Farm where I had a most delightful time. +Not only was the General a most entertaining host, but his staff were +very charming. At dinner, we avoided war topics and shop, and talked +about things political and literary. The mess was in the farm building +and our sleeping quarters were on an island in the moat. My stay here +brought me into contact with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, and a fine +lot of men they were.</p> + +<p>But a change in my fortunes was awaiting me. The Senior Chaplain of +the Division had gone back to England, and General Alderson sent for +me one day to go to Nieppe. There he told me he wished me to be Senior +Chaplain. I was not altogether pleased at the appointment, because it +meant that I should be taken away from my beloved 3rd Brigade. I told +the General so, but he assured me I should not have to stay all the +time at Headquarters, and could go with the 3rd Brigade as much as I +pleased.</p> + +<p>This unexpected promotion, after what I had gone through, opened up a +life of almost dazzling splendour. I now had to go and live in the +village of Nieppe on the Bailleul-Armentieres road. Here were our +Headquarters. General Alderson had his house in the Square. Another +building was occupied by our officers, and a theatre was at my +disposal for Church Services and entertainments. The town was also the +Headquarters of a British Division, so we had plenty of men to look +after. I got an upper room in a house owned by an old lady. The front +room downstairs was my office, and I had a man as a clerk. Round my +bedroom window grew a grape vine, and at night when the moon was +shining, I could sit on my window-sill, listen to the sound of shells, +watch the flare lights behind Armentieres and eat the grapes which +hung down in large clusters. Poor Nieppe has shared the fate of Neuve +Eglise and Bailleul and is now a ruin. Everyone was exceedingly kind, +and I soon found that the added liberty which came to me from having a +definite position really increased my chances of getting amongst the +men. By leaving my clerk to do the work of Senior Chaplain, I could go +off and be lost at the front for a day and a night without ever being +missed. I knew that each brigade must now have an equal share of my +interest and I was very careful never to show any preference. A +chaplain had at all times to be very careful to avoid anything that +savoured of favouritism. I was now also formally inducted into the +membership of that august body known as "C" mess, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page099" name="page099">(p. 099)</a></span> +where the +heads of non-combatant departments met for dining and wining. Somebody +asked me one day what "C" mess was. I told him it was a lot of +withered old boughs on the great tree of the Canadian Expeditionary +Force—a description which was naturally much resented by the other +members. I had no difficulty now in arranging for my billets, as that +was always done for me by our Camp Commandant.</p> + +<p>Life in Nieppe was very delightful and the presence of the British +Division gave it an added charm. We had very pleasant services in the +Hall, and every Sunday evening I had a choral Evensong. So many of the +men who attended had been choristers in England or Canada that the +responses were sung in harmony by the entire congregation. On week +days we had smoking concerts and entertainments of various kinds. I +sometimes had to take duty with the British units. On one occasion, I +was invited to hold a service for his men by a very staunch churchman, +a Colonel in the Army Service Corps. He told me, before the service, +that his unit had to move on the following day, and also that he was +accustomed to choose and read the lesson himself. I was delighted to +find a layman so full of zeal. But in the midst of the service I was +rather distressed at his choice of the lesson. It was hard enough to +get the interest of the men as it was, but the Colonel made it more +difficult by choosing a long chapter from Deuteronomy narrating the +wanderings of the children of Israel in the desert. Of course the C.O. +and I knew that the A.S.C. was to move on the following day, but the +congregation was not aware of the fact, and they must have been +puzzled by the application of the chapter to the religious needs of +the men at the front. However the reader was delighted with his choice +of subject, and at tea afterwards told me how singularly appropriate +the lesson was on this particular occasion. I thought it was wiser to +make no comment, but I wondered what spiritual fruit was gathered by +the mind of the ordinary British Tommy from a long account of Israel's +pitching their tents and perpetually moving to places with +extraordinary names.</p> + +<p>We had several meetings of chaplains, and I paid a visit to the Deputy +Chaplain General, Bishop Gwynne, at his headquarters in St. Omer. He +was exceedingly kind and full of human interest in the men. The whole +conception of the position of an army chaplain was undergoing a great +and beneficial change. The rules which hitherto had fenced off the +chaplains, as being officers, from easy intercourse +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page100" name="page100">(p. 100)</a></span> +with the +men were being relaxed. Chaplains were being looked upon more as +parish priests to their battalions. They could be visited freely by +the men, and could also have meals with the men when they saw fit. I +am convinced that it is a mistake to lay stress upon the chaplain's +office as a military one. The chaplain is not a soldier, and has no +men, as a doctor has, under his command. His office being a spiritual +one ought to be quite outside military rank. To both officers and men, +he holds a unique position, enabling him to become the friend and +companion of all. Bishop Gwynne upheld the spiritual side of the +chaplain's work, and by establishing conferences and religious +retreats for the chaplains, endeavoured to keep up the sacred +standards which army life tended so much to drag down.</p> + +<p>The Cathedral at St. Omer is a very beautiful one, and it was most +restful to sit in it and meditate, looking down the long aisles and +arches that had stood so many centuries the political changes of +Europe. One morning when the sun was flooding the building and casting +the colours of the windows in rich patterns on the floor, I sat under +the gallery at the west end and read Shelley's great elegy. I remember +those wonderful last lines and I thought how, like an unshattered +temple, the great works of literature survive the tempests of national +strife. My mind was carried far away, beyond the anxieties and sorrows +of the present,</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"To where the soul of Adonais like a star<br> + Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are." +</div> + +<p>In the square was a large building which had been used originally as +headquarters for the Intelligence Department. Later on, this building +was taken by the Bishop and used as the Chaplains' Rest-Home. There is +an amusing story told of a despatch rider who came to the place with a +message for its original occupants, but when he inquired for the +Intelligence Department the orderly answered, "This is the Chaplains' +Rest Home, there is no Intelligence here." At St. Omer also was the +office of the Principal Chaplain who had under his charge all the +Non-Conformist Chaplains at the front. The very best relations existed +between the various religious bodies, and it was the endeavour of all +the chaplains to see that every man got the religious privileges of +his own faith.</p> + +<p>We arrived in the Ploegsteert area at a good time for the digging and +repairing of the trenches. The clay in Belgium in fine weather +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page101" name="page101">(p. 101)</a></span> +is easily worked; consequently a most elaborate and well made +system of trenches was established in front of Messines. The brown +sides of the trenches became dry and hard in the sun, and the +bath-mats along them made walking easy. The trenches were named, +"Currie Avenue," "McHarg Avenue," "Seely Avenue," and so forth. The +men had their cookers and primus stoves, and occupied their spare time +in the line by cooking all sorts of dainty dishes. Near the trenches +on the other side of Hill 63 were several ruined farm houses, known as +"Le Perdu Farm," "Ration Farm," and one, around which hovered a +peculiarly unsavoury atmosphere, as "Stinking Farm." Hill 63 was a +hill which ran immediately behind our trench area and was covered at +its right end with a delightful wood. Here were "Grand Moncque Farm," +"Petit Moncque Farm," "Kort Dreuve Farm" and the "Piggeries." All +these farms were used as billets by the battalions who were in +reserve. In Ploegsteert Wood, "Woodcote Farm," and "Red Lodge," were +also used for the same purpose. The wood in those days was a very +pleasant place to wander through. Anything that reminded us of the +free life of nature acted as a tonic to the nerves, and the little +paths among the trees which whispered overhead in the summer breezes +made one imagine that one was wandering through the forests in Canada. +In the wood were several cemeteries kept by different units, very +neatly laid out and carefully fenced in. I met an officer one day who +told me he was going up to the trenches one evening past a cemetery in +the wood, when he heard the sound of someone sobbing. He looked into +the place and there saw a young boy lying beside a newly made grave. +He went in and spoke to him and the boy seemed confused that he had +been discovered in his sorrow. "It's the grave of my brother, Sir," he +said, "He was buried here this afternoon and now I have got to go back +to the line without him." The lad dried his eyes, shouldered his rifle +and went through the woodland path up to the trenches. No one would +know again the inner sorrow that had darkened his life. The farms +behind the wood made really very pleasant homes for awhile. They have +all now been levelled to the ground, but at the time I speak of they +were in good condition and had many large and commodious buildings. At +Kort Dreuve there was a very good private chapel, which the proprietor +gave me the use of for my Communion Services. It was quite nice to +have a little Gothic chapel with fine altar, and the men who attended +always enjoyed the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page102" name="page102">(p. 102)</a></span> +services there. Round the farm was a +large moat full of good sized gold-fish, which the men used to catch +surreptitiously and fry for their meals. "The Piggeries" was a large +building in which the King of the Belgians had kept a fine breed of +pigs. It was very long and furnished inside with two rows of styes +built solidly of concrete. These were full of straw, and in them the +men slept.</p> + +<p>I was visiting one of the battalions there one evening, when I heard +that they had been ordered to go back to the trenches before Sunday. I +told some of the men that I thought that, as they would be in the +trenches on Sunday, it would be a good idea if we had a voluntary +service that evening. They seemed pleased, so I collected quite a +large congregation at one end of the Piggeries, and was leading up to +the service by a little overture in the shape of a talk about the war +outlook, when I became aware that there was a fight going on at the +other end of the low building, and that some of the men on the +outskirts of the congregation were beginning to get restive. I knew +that a voluntary service could not stand up against the rivalry of a +fight, so I thought I had better take the bull by the horns. I said, +"Boys, I think there is a fight going on at the ether end of the +Piggeries, and perhaps it would be well to postpone the service and go +and see the fight, and then return and carry on." The men were much +relieved and, amid great laughter, my congregation broke loose and ran +to the other end of the building, followed by myself. The fight was +soon settled by the intervention of a sergeant, and then I said, "Now, +Boys, let us go back to the other end and have the service." I thought +the change of location might have a good effect upon their minds and +souls. So back we went again to the other end of the building and +there had a really enthusiastic and devout service. When it was over, +I told the men that nothing helped so much to make a service bright +and hearty as the inclusion of a fight, and that when I returned to +Canada, if at any time my congregation was listless or sleepy, I would +arrange a fight on the other side of the street to which we could +adjourn and from which we should return with renewed spiritual +fervour. I have met many men at different times who look back upon +that service with pleasure.</p> + +<p>We had a feeling that Ploegsteert was to be our home for a good long +time, so we settled down to our life there. We had visits from Sir Sam +Hughes and Sir Robert Borden, and also Lord Kitchener. I was not +present when the latter inspected the men, but I asked one +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page103" name="page103">(p. 103)</a></span> +who was there what it was like. "Oh Sir," he replied, "we stood to +attention, and Kitchener passed down the lines very quietly and +coldly. He merely looked at us with his steely grey eyes and said to +himself, "I wonder how many of these men will be in hell next week." +General Hughes' inspection of one of the battalions near Ploegsteert +Wood was interrupted by shells and the men were hastily dismissed.</p> + +<p>A visit to the trenches was now a delightful expedition. All the way +from Nieppe to Hill 63 one came upon the headquarters of some unit. At +a large farm called "Lampernise Farm" all the transports of the 3rd +Brigade were quartered. I used to have services for them in the open +on a Sunday evening. It was very difficult at first to collect a +congregation, so I adopted the plan of getting two or three men who +could sing, and then going over with them to an open place in the +field, and starting some well known hymn. One by one others would come +up and hymn-books were distributed. By the time the service was +finished, we generally had quite a good congregation, but it took a +certain amount of courage and faith to start the service. One felt +very much like a little band of Salvationists in a city square.</p> + +<p>In spite of having a horse to ride, it was sometimes difficult to +cover the ground between the services on Sunday. One afternoon, when I +had been to the Cavalry Brigade at Petit Moncque Farm, I had a great +scramble to get back in time to the transport lines. In a bag hanging +over the front of my saddle, I had five hundred hymn books. Having +taken a wrong turn in the road I lost some time which it was necessary +to make up, and, in my efforts to make haste, the string of the bag +broke and hymn books fluttered out and fell along the road. Dandy took +alarm, misunderstanding the nature of the fluttering white things, and +started to gallop. With two haversacks on my back it was difficult to +hold on to the bag of hymn books and at the same time to prevent their +loss. The more the hymn books fluttered out, the harder Dandy bolted, +and the harder Dandy bolted, the more the hymn books fluttered out. At +last I passed a soldier in the road and asked him to come to my +assistance. I managed to rein in the horse, and the man collected as +many of the hymn books as were not spoilt by the mud. Knowing how hard +it was and how long it took to get hymn books from the Base, it was +with regret that I left any behind. But then I reflected that it might +be really a scattering of the seed by the wayside. Some +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page104" name="page104">(p. 104)</a></span> +poor lone soldier who had been wandering from the paths of rectitude +might pick up the hymns by chance and be converted. Indulging in such +self consolation I arrived just in time for the service.</p> + +<p>Services were never things you could be quite sure of until they came +off. Often I have gone to bed on Saturday night feeling that +everything had been done in the way of arranging for the following +day. Battalions had been notified, adjutants had put the hours of +service in orders, and places for the gatherings had been carefully +located. Then on the following day, to my intense disgust, I would +find that all my plans had been frustrated. Some general had taken it +into his head to order an inspection, or some paymaster had been asked +to come down and pay off the men. The Paymaster's Parade, in the eyes +of the men, took precedence of everything else. A Church Service was +nowhere in comparison. More often than I can recollect, all my +arrangements for services have been upset by a sudden order for the +men to go to a bathing parade. Every time this happened, the Adjutant +would smile and tell me, as if I had never heard it before, that +"cleanliness was next to godliness." A chaplain therefore had his +trials, but in spite of them it was the policy of wisdom not to show +resentment and to hold one's tongue. I used to look at the Adjutant, +and merely remark quietly, in the words of the Psalmist, "I held my +tongue with bit and bridle, while the ungodly was in my sight."</p> + +<p>People at Headquarters soon got accustomed to my absence and never +gave me a thought. I used to take comfort in remembering Poo Bah's +song in the Mikado, "He never will be missed, he never will be +missed." Sometimes when I have started off from home in the morning my +sergeant and Ross have asked me when I was going to return. I told +them that if they would go down on their knees and pray for +illumination on the subject, they might find out, but that I had not +the slightest idea myself. A visit to the trenches was most +fascinating. I used to take Philo with me. He found much amusement in +hunting for rats, and would often wander off into No Man's Land and +come back covered with the blood of his victims. One night I had +missed him for some time, and was whistling for +him, when a sentry told me that a white dog had been "captured" by one +of the men with the thought that it was a German police dog, and he +had carried it off to company headquarters under sentence of death. I +hurried up the trench and was just in time +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page105" name="page105">(p. 105)</a></span> +to save poor +little Philo from a court martial. There had been a warning in orders +that day against the admission of dogs from the German lines.</p> + +<p>The men were always glad of a visit, and I used to distribute little +bronze crucifixes as I went along. I had them sent to me from London, +and have given away hundreds of them. I told the men that if anyone +asked them why they were at the war, that little cross with the +patient figure of self-sacrifice upon it, would be the answer. The +widow of an officer who was killed at Albert told me the cross which I +gave her husband was taken from his dead body, and she now had it, and +would wear it to her dying day. I was much surprised and touched to +see the value which the men set upon these tokens of their faith. I +told them to try to never think, say or do anything which would make +them want to take off the cross from their necks.</p> + +<p>The dugouts in which the officers made their homes were quite +comfortable, and very merry parties we have had in the little earth +houses which were then on the surface of the ground. One night when +some new officers had arrived to take over the line, one of the +companies gave them a dinner, consisting of five or six courses, very +nicely cooked. We were never far however, from the presence of the +dark Angel, and our host on that occasion was killed the next night. +Our casualties at this time were not heavy, although every day there +were some men wounded or killed. The shells occasionally made direct +hits upon the trenches. I came upon a place once which was terribly +messed about, and two men were sitting by roaring with laughter. They +said their dinner was all prepared in their dugout, and they had gone +off to get some wood for the fire, when a shell landed and knocked +their home into ruins. They were preparing to dig for their kit and so +much of their dinner as would still be eatable. As they took the whole +matter as a joke, I joined with them in the laugh. One day as I was +going up the line, a young sapper was carried out on a sitting +stretcher. He was hit through the chest, and all the way along the +bath mats was the trail of the poor boy's blood. He was only nineteen +years of age, and had done splendid work and won the admiration of all +the men in his company. I had a short prayer with him, and then saw +him carried off to the dressing station, where not long after he died. +The sergeant who was with him was exceedingly kind, and looked after +the boy like a father. As the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page106" name="page106">(p. 106)</a></span> +war went on, the men were +being united more and more closely in the bonds of a common sympathy +and a tender helpfulness. To the enemy, until he was captured, they +were flint and iron; to one another they were friends and brothers.</p> + +<p>It always took a long time to pass down the trenches. There were so +many men I knew and I could not pass them without a short +conversation. Time, in the line had really no meaning, except in the +matter of "standing to" or "changing guard". On fine days, the life +was not unpleasant. I remember, however, on one dark rainy night, +being in a trench in front of Wulverghem. The enemy trenches were at +that point only thirty-five yards away. I was squeezed into a little +muddy dugout with an officer, when the corporal came and asked for a +tot of rum for his men. They had been lying out on patrol duty in the +mud and rain in front of our trench for two hours.</p> + +<p>Dandy was still the envy of our men in the transport lines, and one +day I nearly lost him. I rode up to Hill 63. Just behind it was an +orchard, and in it there were two batteries of British Artillery, +which were attached to our Division. I was going up to the trenches +that afternoon, so I gave the horse some oats and tied him to a tree +near the officers' billet. I then went up over the hill down to Ration +Farm, and from thence into the line. It was quite late in the +afternoon, but walking through the trenches was easy when it was not +raining. I was returning about 10 o'clock, when the second in command +of the 16th Battalion asked me to wait for him and we would come out +together over the open. It must have been about midnight when I +started with the Major, and another officer. The night was dark and it +was rather a scramble, but the German flare lights would go up now and +then and show us our course. Suddenly a machine gun opened up, and we +had to lie on our faces listening to the swish of the flying bullets +just overhead. I turned to the officer next to me and asked him how +long he had been at the front. He said he had only arrived that +afternoon at four o' clock. I told him it wasn't always like this, and +we laughed over the curious life to which he had been so recently +introduced. We finally made our way to Ration Farm and as I had a long +ride before me, I determined to go back. I was very hungry, as I had +had nothing to eat since luncheon. I went into a cellar at Ration Farm +and there found one of the men reading by the light of a candle +supported on tins of bully-beef. I asked him for one of these and he +gladly +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page107" name="page107">(p. 107)</a></span> +gave it to me. As I started up the hill on the long +straight road with trees on either side, I tried to open the tin with +the key, but as usual it broke and left only a little crack through +which with my penknife I extracted strings of beef. I could not use my +flashlight, as the hill was in sight of the enemy, so I had to content +myself with what nourishment I was able to obtain. Half way up the +hill I noticed a tall figure standing by one of the trees. I thought +he might be a spy but I accosted him and found he was one of the +Strathcona Horse who had a working party in the trenches that night. I +told him my difficulty, and he got his knife and very kindly took off +the top of the tin. By this time a drizzling rain was falling and the +night was decidedly uncomfortable. I went over the hill and down to +the orchard, and made my way to the tree to which poor old Dandy had +been tied so many hours before. There, I found the tree just where I +had left it—it was of no use to me, as, like the barren fig tree, it +had no fruit upon it, but to my horror the horse, which was so +necessary, had disappeared. I scoured the orchard in vain looking for +my faithful friend, and then I went over to the Artillery officers' +house and told them my trouble. We all decided that it was too late to +search any longer, I was provided with a mackintosh, and determined to +make my way over to Petit Moncque Farm where the 3rd Infantry Brigade +Headquarters were. It was a long walk and the roads were sloppy. The +path I took led through a field of Indian corn. This, though not ripe +and not cooked, would remind me of Canada, so with my search-light I +hunted for two or three of the hardest ears, and then, fortified with +these, made my way over towards the farm.</p> + +<p>From past experience, I knew that a sentry was stationed somewhere in +the road. The sudden challenge of a sentry in the dark always gave me +a fright, so I determined this time to be on the watch and keep from +getting a surprise. However when I arrived at the place where the man +usually stood, no one challenged me. I thought that perhaps on account +of the night being rainy and uncomfortable he had retired to the guard +room, and I walked along with a free mind. I was just near the large +gateway, however, when a most stentorian voice shouted out, "Halt, who +goes there?" and at the same instant in the darkness I saw the sudden +flash of a bayonet flourished in my direction. Not expecting such an +event, I could not for the moment think of what I ought to say, but I +called out in equally stentorian tones, "For heaven's sake, my boy, +don't +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page108" name="page108">(p. 108)</a></span> +make such a row; its only Canon Scott and I have lost +my horse." A burst of laughter greeted my announcement, and the man +told me that, seeing somebody with a flashlight at that time of the +night wandering through the fields, and searching for something, he +had become convinced that a German spy was at work cutting the +telephone wires that led back to the guns, so he had got near the +guard room where he could obtain assistance, and awaited my approach +in the darkness. It was a great relief to get to headquarters, and the +officer on duty kindly lent me his comfortable sleeping bag. The next +morning I made my way back to Nieppe, and telegraphed to the various +units, searching for Dandy. Later on, in the afternoon, he was brought +in by a man of the Strathcona Horse. His story was that the +intelligent animal had untied himself from the tree and followed the +working party home from the orchard. It is most likely that he had +preceded them. Luckily for me, their quartermaster had recognized him +in the Strathcona lines, and, being an honest man, had sent him back. +The incident taught me a great and useful lesson, and in future I was +very careful to see that my horse was safely guarded whenever I had to +leave him.</p> + +<p>Our signallers had been active in setting up a wireless telegraph in a +field near Headquarters and were able to get the various communiqués +which were sent out during the night by the different nations. The +information was passed round Headquarters every morning on typewritten +sheets and made most interesting reading. We were able to anticipate +the news detailed to us in the papers. Later on, however, someone in +authority put an end to this and we were deprived of our Daily +Chronicle.</p> + +<p>About this time we heard that the 2nd Division was coming to France, +and that the two Divisions, which would be joined by a third, were to +be formed into the Canadian Corps. This meant a very radical change in +the status of the old 1st Division. Up to this time we were "the +Canadians"; now we were only to be one among several divisions. +General Alderson was to take command of the Corps, and the question +which was daily asked among the officers at headquarters was, "Are you +going to the Corps?" It was a sundering of ties amongst our friends, +and we felt sorry that our society would be broken up. One of the +staff officers asked me to write a poem on his departure. I did so. It +began—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"He left the war<br> + And went to the Corps,<br> + Our +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page109" name="page109">(p. 109)</a></span> + hearts were sore,<br> + We could say no more." +</div> + +<p>My friend was not at all pleased at the implication contained in the +first two lines.</p> + +<p>Bailleul was made Corps Headquarters, whither General Alderson moved. +His place at the division was taken by General Currie, who afterwards +commanded the Corps and led it to victory. The old town now became a +great Canadian centre. The General had comfortable quarters in a large +house, which was nicely furnished, and had an air of opulence about +it. The Grande Place was full of activity, and in the streets one met +many friends. The hotel offered an opportunity for afternoon tea and a +tolerable dinner. Besides this, there was the officers' tea room, kept +by some damsels who provided cakes and served tea on little tables, +like a restaurant in London. Here we could be sure of meeting many of +our friends and very pleasant such gatherings were. In a large hall a +concert took place every evening. We had a very special one attended +by several generals with their staffs. The proceeds were given to the +Canadian "Prisoners of War Fund". The concerts were most enjoyable and +the real, artistic ability of some of the performers, both Canadian +and British, was remarkable. It was always pleasant to live in the +neighbourhood of a town, and the moment the men came out of the +trenches they wanted to clean up and go into Bailleul. After a +residence in the muddy and shaky little shacks in and behind the front +lines, to enter a real house and sit on a real chair with a table in +front of you was a great luxury.</p> + +<p>There were several well-equipped hospitals in Bailleul. One large +British one had a nice chapel set aside for our use. In it one day we +had a Confirmation service which was very impressive, a number of +candidates being present.</p> + +<p>While Headquarters were at Nieppe the British attack upon Loos was to +take place, and it was arranged that the Canadians, in order to keep +the Germans busy in the North, were to make an attack. I happened to +be visiting "the Piggeries" in the afternoon previous. The 1st +Battalion was in the line. I heard the Colonel read out to the +officers the orders for the attack. We were not told that the whole +thing was what our soldiers call "a fake". As he read the orders for +the next morning, they sounded serious, and I was invited to be +present, which of course I gladly consented to. The guns were to open +fire at 4 a.m. I had been away +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page110" name="page110">(p. 110)</a></span> +from Headquarters for some +time so I determined to ride back and return later. At three o'clock +a.m. my servant woke me up and I had a cup of coffee, and started off +on Dandy to go up to "the Piggeries". I took a tin of bully-beef with +me, and so was prepared for any eventuality. It was just before dawn +and the morning air was fresh and delightful. Dandy had had a good +feed of oats and was full of life. He seemed to enjoy the sport as +much as I did. We rode up the well known roads, and round their +curious curves past the small white farm houses, till we came into the +neighbourhood of our batteries. All of a sudden these opened fire. It +was a splendid sound. Of all the music I have ever heard in my life, +none comes near the glorious organ sound of a barrage. I look back +with the greatest pleasure to that early morning ride through the +twilight lit up by gun flashes from batteries scattered along our +whole front. One great dread I always had, and that was the dread of +being killed by our own artillery. On this occasion, I had to ride +down roads that looked perilously near batteries in action. When I got +to a corner near "the Piggeries", I was just stopped in time from what +might have been my finish. There was a concealed battery among the +trees by the wayside, and I, not knowing it was there, was about to +ride by unconcernedly, when a gunner came out from the bushes and +stopped me just in time, telling me that in half a minute the battery +was going to open up. Dandy and I waited till the guns had fired and +then went on. Along our front line there was much stir and commotion. +Bundles of lighted straw making a hideous smoke were poked over the +trenches, and the whole night previous, all the limbers available had +been driven up and down the roads, making as much noise as possible. +The Germans were convinced we were preparing for an attack on a big +scale, and that the yellow smoke which they saw coming towards them +was some new form of frightfulness. Of course they returned our fire, +but our men knew by this time that the whole affair was only a +pretence. Far off to the South, however, there was a real battle +raging, and the cemeteries which we afterwards saw at Loos bore +testimony to the bitter struggle which the British forces endured.</p> + +<p>The village of Ploegsteert behind the wood was very much damaged. Like +the other villages at the front, it must at one time have been quite a +prosperous place. The church, before it was ruined, was well built and +capacious. There was a building on the main street +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page111" name="page111">(p. 111)</a></span> +which a +British chaplain had used as a clubhouse, and handed over to me when +his division moved south. It was well stocked with all things +necessary to make the men comfortable. It had a kitchen, reading +rooms, and upstairs a chapel. Two or three shells, however, had made +their way into it, and the holes were covered with canvas. The Mayor's +house was on the other side of the street, and he had a young girl +there as a servant, who kept the keys of the club. The chaplain who +moved away told me that this girl, when the town was being heavily +shelled one day, saved the lives of some men who were lying wounded in +the house, by carrying them on her back over to a place of safety in a +farmhouse. It was a deed that merited recognition, because she had to +pass down the road which was then under heavy shell fire. I brought +her case before the notice of the military authorities, and General +Seely was asked to take the matter up and make an application to the +King for a reward for the girl's bravery. There was a doubt as to what +award could be given to her. We got the sworn testimony of the Mayor +and other eye-witnesses, and the document was finally laid before the +King. It was decided that she should receive the bronze medal of the +Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Later on General Alderson sent for me +and took me to the Mayor's house in Romarin, where we had the ceremony +of conferring the medal. It was quite touching in its simplicity. The +girl, who had a fine open face, was on the verge of giving way to +tears. The Mayor and some other of the chief inhabitants were arrayed +in their best clothes, and a Highland regiment lent us their pipers. +One of the citizens presented the heroine with a large bouquet of +flowers. General Alderson made a nice speech, which was translated to +the townsfolk, and then he presented the medal. We were invited into +the house, and the girl's health was proposed and drunk by the General +in a glass of Romarin Champagne. We heard afterwards that the country +people were much impressed by the way the British Army had recognized +the gallantry of a poor Belgian maidservant.</p> + +<p>One day a German aeroplane was brought down behind our lines, near +Ration Farm. Of its two occupants one was killed. On the aeroplane was +found a Colt machine-gun, which had been taken by the Germans from the +14th Battalion several months before, in the Second Battle of Ypres. +It now came back to the brigade which had lost it. I buried the airman +near Ration Farm, in a grave, which the men did up neatly and over +which they erected a cross with his name upon it.</p> + +<p>Although +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page112" name="page112">(p. 112)</a></span> +our Headquarters were at Nieppe, the village was +really in the British Area, and so we were informed towards the end of +November that we had been ordered to move to St. Jans Cappel. On +Monday, November 22nd I started off by car via Bailleul to my new +billet. Although I had left Nieppe and its pleasant society with great +regret, I was quite pleased with my new home. It was a small house +belonging to a widow, on the road that led from St. Jans Cappel up to +Mount Kemmel. The house itself was brick and well built. The +landlady's rooms were on one side of the passage, and mine were on the +other. A large garret overhead gave a billet for Ross and my sergeant +clerk. In the yard there was a stable for the horse. So the whole +family was quite comfortably housed, and Ross undertook to do my +cooking. The room which I used as my office in the front of the house +had two large windows in it, and a neat tiled floor. The furniture was +ample. At the back, up some steps, was my bedroom, and the window from +it opened upon the yard. A former occupant of the house, a Major +Murray, of King Edward's Horse, had left a series of maps on the wall, +on which pins were stuck with a bit of red cord passing through them, +to show the position of our front line. These maps deeply impressed +visitors with my military exactness. In that little office I have +received many guests of all ranks. I always said that the chaplain's +house was like a church, and all men met there on equal terms. +Sometimes it was rather difficult however, to convince them that this +was the case. On one occasion two privates and I had just finished +luncheon, and were having a delightful smoke, when a certain general +was announced, and the men seized with panic, fled up the steps to my +bedroom and bolting through my window hurried back to their lines.</p> + +<p>The landlady was quite well to do, and was a woman well thought of in +the village. She both paid calls upon her neighbours and received +callers in her rooms. Sometimes I used to be invited in to join these +social gatherings and frequently she would bring me in a nice bowl of +soup for dinner. Philo, too, made himself quite at home, and carefully +inspected all visitors on their admission to the mansion. In front of +the house, there was a pleasant view of the valley through which the +road passed up towards Mont des Cats. Our Headquarters were down in +the village in a large building which was part of the convent. General +Currie and his staff lived in a charming chateau in pleasant grounds, +on the hillside. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page113" name="page113">(p. 113)</a></span> +The chateau, although a modern one, was +reputed to be haunted, which gave it a more or less romantic interest +in the eyes of our men, though as far as I could hear no apparitions +disturbed the slumbers of the G.S.O. or the A.A. & Q.M.G.</p> + +<p>The road past my house, which was a favourite walk of mine, went over +the hill, and at the top a large windmill in a field commanded a fine +view of the country for several miles. My garden was very pleasant, +and in it was a summer house at the end of a moss-grown walk. One +plant which gave me great delight was a large bush of rosemary. The +smell of it always carried my mind back to peaceful times. It was like +the odour of the middle ages, with that elusive suggestion of incense +which reminded me of Gothic fanes and picturesque processions. Many +elm trees fringed the fields, and made a welcome shade along the sides +of the road. A little stream ran through the village and added its +touch of beauty to the landscape. We were only a mile and a half from +Bailleul, so we could easily get up to the town either for a concert +or for dinner at the hotel. The Camp Commandant allotted me the school +house, which I fitted up as a chapel. It was very small, and not +particularly clean, but it served its purpose very well.</p> + +<p>My only objection to St. Jans Cappel was that it was situated such a +long way from our men, for we still held the same front line near +Ploegsteert. It was now a ride of twelve miles to Hill 63 whither I +frequently had to go to take burial services, the round trip making a +journey of nearly twenty-four miles. The Bailleul road, which was my +best route, was a pavé road, and was hard on a horse. I did not want +poor willing Dandy to suffer from overwork, so I begged the loan of +another mount from Headquarters. It was a young horse, but big and +heavily built, and had no life in it. I was trotting down the road +with him one day when he tumbled down, and I injured my knee, causing +me to be laid up with water on the knee for about six weeks. The men +used to chaff me about falling off my horse, but I told them that I +could sit on a horse as long as he stood up, but I could not sit on +the air when the horse lay down. I was very much afraid that the +A.D.M.S. would send me off to a hospital, but I got private treatment +from a doctor friend, who was acting A.D.C. to General Currie. Luckily +for me, things were pretty quiet at the front at that time, and my +being confined to the house did not really make much difference. I had +a supper in my billet one night for a number of Bishop's College +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page114" name="page114">(p. 114)</a></span> men. +Of those who attended, the majority have since made the +supreme sacrifice, but it was an evening which brought back many +pleasant memories of our Alma Mater.</p> + +<p>The roads round St. Jans Cappel were very pretty, and I had many a +pleasant ride in our staff cars, which I, as Senior Chaplain, was +permitted to use. It was always a great delight to me to pick up men +on the road and give them a ride. I used to pile them in and give them +as good a joy ride as the chauffeur, acting under orders, would allow. +One day, in a heavy snowstorm, I picked up two nuns, whose garments +were blowing about in the blizzard in a hopeless condition. The +sisters were glad of the chance of a ride to Bailleul, whither they +were going on foot through the snow. It was against orders to drive +ladies in our staff cars, but I thought the circumstances of the case +and the evident respectability of my guests would be a sufficient +excuse for a breach of the rule. The sisters chatted in French very +pleasantly, and I took them to their convent headquarters in Bailleul. +I could see, as I passed through the village, how amused our men were +at my use of the car. When I arrived at the convent door at Bailleul, +the good ladies alighted and then asked me to give them my blessing. +How could I refuse, or enter upon a discussion of the validity of +Anglican Orders? The nuns with their hands crossed on their bosoms +leaned forward, and I stood up and blessed them from the car, and +departed leaving them both grateful and gratified.</p> + +<p>The village of St. Jans Cappel had been captured by the Germans in +their advance in 1914, and we heard some unpleasant tales of the +rudeness of the German officers who took up their quarters in the +convent and compelled the nuns to wait upon them at the table. In +1918, when the Germans made their big push round Mont Kemmel, St. Jans +Cappel, along with Bailleul and Meteren, was captured once more by the +enemy, and the village is now in ruins and its inhabitants scattered.</p> + +<p>I do not look back with much pleasure to the cold rides which I always +used to have on my return from the line. In frosty weather the pavé +roads were very slippery, and I had to walk Dandy most of the +distance, while I got colder and colder, and beguiled the time by +composing poems or limericks on places at the front. Arriving at my +billet in the small hours of the morning, I would find my friend Ross +not always in the best of humors at being kept up so late. The ride +back from Wulverghem or Dranoutre, owing to the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page115" name="page115">(p. 115)</a></span> +narrowness +of the road and the amount of transport and lorries upon it, was +rather dangerous. It was a matter of ten miles to come back from +Wulverghem, and the roads were very dark. One night in particular I +had a narrow escape. I had mounted Dandy at the back of a farmhouse, +but for some reason or other I seemed to have lost control over him +and he was unusually lively. Luckily for me a man offered to lead him +out into the road, and just before he let him go discovered that the +bit was not in his mouth.</p> + +<p>The Alberta Dragoons had billets in a side road that led to Bailleul. +It was a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood, and they had good barns for +their horses. In the fields they had splendid opportunities for +training and exercise. I often took service for them. One Sunday +afternoon I had been speaking of the necessity of purifying the +commercial life of Canada on our return, and I said something +uncomplimentary about land speculators. I was told afterwards that I +had caused much amusement in all ranks, for every man in the troop +from the officers downwards, or upwards, was a land speculator, and +had town lots to sell in the West. In conversations with privates and +non-coms., I often found they had left good positions in Canada and +not infrequently were men of means. I have given mud-splashed soldiers +a ride in the car, and they have talked about their own cars at home. +It was quite pathetic to see how much men thought of some little +courtesy or act of kindness. A young fellow was brought in on a +stretcher to the Red Château dressing station one Sunday afternoon at +Courcelette. He was terribly wounded and gave me his father's address +in Canada so that I might write to him. He was carried away and I +heard afterwards he died. Some months later I had a letter from his +father, a Presbyterian minister in Ontario, thanking me for writing +and telling me how pleased his son had been by my giving him a ride +one day in a Headquarters car. I mention this so that people will +realize how much the men had given up when they considered such a +trifling thing worth mentioning.</p> + +<p>The position of a chaplain as the war went on became very different +from what it had been at the beginning. The experience through which +the army had passed had showed to the military authorities that there +was something more subtle, more supernatural behind the life of the +men, than one might gather from the King's Regulations. Our chaplains +had done splendid work, and I think I may say that, with one or two +exceptions, they were idolized by their +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page116" name="page116">(p. 116)</a></span> +units. I could tell +of one of our chaplains who lived continually at the advanced dressing +station in great hardship and discomfort, sharing the danger and +privation of his men. The curious thing about a chaplain's popularity +was that the men never praised a chaplain whom they knew without +adding "It is a pity that all chaplains are not like him". On one +occasion when I was going through the Division, I was told by the men +of one unit that their chaplain was a prince, and it was a pity that +all chaplains were not like him. I went to another unit, and there +again I was told that their chaplain was a prince, and it was a pity +that all chaplains were not like him. It seems to be a deeply rooted +principle in a soldier's mind to beware of praising religion overmuch. +But it amused me in a general survey to find that ignorance of the +work of other chaplains led to their condemnation. I fancy the same +spirit still manifests itself in the British Army and in Canada. I +find officers and men eager enough to praise those who were their own +chaplains but always adding to it a condemnation of those who were +not. An officer said to me one day that the war had enabled chaplains +to get to know men. I told him that the war also had enabled men to +get to know chaplains. Large numbers of men in ordinary life are very +seldom brought into contact with religion. They have the crude notion +of it which they carried away as unfledged boys from Sunday School, +and a sort of formal bowing acquaintance through the conventions of +later life. In the war, when their minds and affections were put to a +severe strain, it was a revelation to them to find that there were +principles and relationships of divine origin which enabled the +ordinary human will easily to surmount difficulties moral and +physical, and which gave a quiet strength that nothing merely earthly +could supply. Certainly the war gave chaplains a splendid opportunity +of bearing witness to the power of Christ. A great deal has been +written about the religion of the men at the front. Some have spoken +of it in terms of exaggerated optimism, as though by the miracle of +the war men had become beings of angelic outlook and temper. Others +have taken a despairing attitude, and thought that religion has lost +its real power over the world. The truth is, I think, that there was a +revelation to most men, in a broad way, of a mysterious soul life +within, and of a huge responsibility to an infinite and eternal Being +above. There was a revelation also, wide and deep, to many individual +men, of the living force and example of Him who is both God +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page117" name="page117">(p. 117)</a></span> +and Brother-man. Where the associations of church and home had been +clean and helpful, men under the batterings of war felt consciously +the power of religion. In the life at the front, no doubt there was +much evil thinking, evil talking and evil doing, but there was, +underlying all this, the splendid manifestation in human nature of +that image of God in which man was made. As one looks back upon it, +the surface things of that life have drifted away, and the great +things that one remembers are the self-sacrifice, the living +comradeship, and the unquestioning faith in the eternal rightness of +right and duty which characterized those who were striving to the +death for the salvation of the world. This glorious vision of the +nobility of human nature sustained the chaplain through many +discouragements and difficulties. I have often sat on my horse on +rainy nights near Hill 63, and watched the battalions going up to the +line. With wet rubber sheets hanging over their huge packs and with +rifles on their shoulders, the men marched up through the mud and cold +and darkness, to face wounds and death. At such times, the sordid life +has been transfigured before me. The hill was no longer Hill 63, but +it was the hill of Calvary. The burden laid upon the men was no longer +the heavy soldier's pack, but it was the cross of Christ, and, as the +weary tramp of the men splashed in the mud, I said to myself "Each one +has fulfilled the law of life, and has taken up his cross and is +following Christ."</p> + +<p>I told the men this one day on church parade; and a corporal sometime +afterwards said that, when next their battalion was moving up into the +line, a young fellow beside him was swearing very hard over the amount +of stuff he had to carry. My friend went over to him and said, "Don't +you know that Canon Scott told us that this really isn't a pack, but +it's the Cross of Christ?" The lad stopped swearing at once, and took +up his burden without a word.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER IX. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page118" name="page118">(p. 118)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Our First Christmas in France.</span></h4> + + +<p>The 25th of December 1915, was to be our first Christmas in France, +and as the day approached there was much speculation among our men as +to which Battalions would be in the line. At last orders came out that +the 13th and 16th Battalions would relieve the 14th and 15th on +Christmas Eve. I determined, therefore, to spend my Christmas with the +former two. Our trenches at that time were in front of Ploegsteert. +The 16th was on the right and the 13th on the left. Taking my bag with +communion vessels and as many hymn books as I could carry, and with a +haversack over my shoulder containing requisities for the night, I was +motored over on Christmas Eve to the 3rd Brigade Headquarters at Petit +Moncque Farm. The day was rainy and so was not calculated to improve +the spirits and temper of the men who were going to spend their first +Christmas in the line. At dusk I walked up the road to Hill 63, and +then down on the other side to Le Plus Douve Farm. It was not a +cheerful Christmas Eve. The roads were flooded with water, and the +transports that were waiting for the relief were continually getting +tangled up with one another in the darkness. To make matters worse, I +was met by a Sergeant who told me he had some men to be buried, and a +burial party was waiting on the side of the road. We went into the +field which was used as a cemetery and there we laid the bodies to +rest.</p> + +<p>The Germans had dammed the river Douve, and it had flooded some of the +fields and old Battalion Headquarters. It was hard to find one's way +in the dark, and I should never have done so without assistance. The +men had acquired the power of seeing in the dark, like cats.</p> + +<p>A Battalion was coming out and the men were wet and muddy. I stood by +the bridge watching them pass and, thinking it was the right and +conventional thing to do, wished them all a Merry Christmas. My +intentions were of the best, but I was afterwards told that it sounded +to the men like the voice of one mocking them in their misery. +However, as it turned out, the wish was fulfilled on the next day.</p> + +<p>As soon as I could cross the bridge, I made my way to the trenches +which +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page119" name="page119">(p. 119)</a></span> +the 16th Battalion were taking over. They were at a +higher level and were not in a bad condition. Further up the line +there was a barn known as St. Quentin's Farm, which for some reason or +other, although it was in sight of the enemy, had not been demolished +and was used as a billet. I determined therefore to have a service of +Holy Communion at midnight, when the men would all have come into the +line and settled down. About eleven o'clock I got things ready. The +officers and men had been notified of the service and began to +assemble. The barn was a fair size and had dark red brick walls. The +roof was low and supported by big rafters. The floor was covered with +yellow straw about two feet in depth. The men proceeded to search for +a box which I could use as an altar. All they could get were three +large empty biscuit tins. These we covered with my Union Jack and +white linen cloth. A row of candles was stuck against the wall, which +I was careful to see were prevented from setting fire to the straw. +The dull red tint of the brick walls, the clean yellow straw, and the +bright radiance of our glorious Union Jack made a splendid combination +of colour. It would have been a fitting setting for a tableau of the +Nativity.</p> + +<p>The Highlanders assembled in two rows and I handed out hymn books. +There were many candles in the building so the men were able to read. +It was wonderful to hear in such a place and on such an occasion, the +beautiful old hymns, "While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night," +"Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "O Come All Ye Faithful." The men +sang them lustily and many and varied were the memories of past +Christmases that welled up in their thoughts at that time.</p> + +<p>I had a comfortable bunk in one of the dugouts that night, and was up +next morning early to spend the day among the men in the line. I was +delighted to find that the weather had changed and a most glorious day +was lighting up the face of nature. The sky overhead was blue and only +a few drifting clouds told of the rain that had gone. The sun was +beating down warm and strong, as if anxious to make up for his past +neglect. The men, of course, were in high spirits, and the glad +handshake and the words "A Merry Christmas" had got back their +old-time meaning.</p> + +<p>The Colonel had given orders to the men not to fire on the enemy that +day unless they fired on us. The Germans had evidently come to the +same resolution. Early in the morning some of them had come +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page120" name="page120">(p. 120)</a></span> +over to our wire and left two bottles of beer behind as a peace +offering. The men were allowed to go back to their trenches +unmolested, but the two bottles of beer quite naturally and without +any difficulty continued their journey to our lines. When I got up to +the front trench, I found our boys standing on the parapet and looking +over at the enemy. I climbed up, and there, to my astonishment, I saw +the Germans moving about in their trenches apparently quite +indifferent to the fact that we were gazing at them. One man was +sawing wood. Between us and them lay that mass of wire and iron posts +which is known as the mysterious "No Man's Land." Further down the +hill we saw the trenches of the 13th Battalion, where apparently +intermittent "Straffing" was still going on. Where we were, however, +there was nothing to disturb our Christmas peace and joy. I actually +got out into "No Mans Land" and wandered down it. Many Christmas +parcels had arrived and the men were making merry with their friends, +and enjoying the soft spring-like air, and the warm sunshine. When I +got down to the 13th Battalion however, I found that I had to take +cover, as the German snipers and guns were active. I did not have any +service for that Battalion then, as I was going to them on the +following Sunday, but at evening I held another midnight service for +those of the 16th who were on duty the night before.</p> + +<p>The only place available was the billet of the Machine Gun Officer in +the second trench. It was the cellar of a ruined building and the +entrance was down some broken steps. One of the sergeants had cleaned +up the place and a shelf on the wall illuminated by candles was +converted into an altar, and the dear old flag, the symbol of liberty, +equality and fraternity, was once again my altar cloth. The Machine +Gun Officer, owing to our close proximity to the enemy, was a little +doubtful as to the wisdom of our singing hymns, but finally allowed us +to do so. The tiny room and the passage outside were crowded with +stalwart young soldiers, whose voices sang out the old hymns as though +the Germans were miles away. Our quarters were so cramped that the men +had difficulty in squeezing into the room for communion and could not +kneel down. The service was rich and beautiful in the heartfelt +devotion of men to whom, in their great need, religion was a real and +vital thing. Not long after midnight, once again the pounding of the +old war was resumed, and as I went to bed in the dugout that night, I +felt from what a sublime height the world had dropped. We +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page121" name="page121">(p. 121)</a></span> +had two more war Christmases in France, but I always look back upon +that first one as something unique in its beauty and simplicity.</p> + +<p>When I stood on the parapet that day looking over at the Germans in +their trenches, and thought how two great nations were held back for a +time in their fierce struggle for supremacy, by their devotion to a +little Child born in a stable in Bethlehem two thousand years before, +I felt that there was still promise of a regenerated world. The Angels +had not sung in vain their wonderful hymn "Glory to God in the Highest +and on Earth Peace, Good Will towards men."</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER X. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page122" name="page122">(p. 122)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Spring, 1916.</span></h4> + + +<p>At the end of March our Division was ordered back to the Salient, and +so Headquarters left St. Jans Cappel. It was with great regret that I +bid good-by to the little place which had been such a pleasant home +for several months. The tide of war since then has no doubt swept away +many of the pastoral charms of the scenery, but the green fields and +the hillsides will be reclothed in beauty as time goes on. We stopped +for a few days at Flêtre, and while there I made the acquaintance of +the Australians, and visited the battalions which were billeted in the +neighbourhood.</p> + +<p>It was always delightful to have the Division out in rest. As long as +the men were in the line one could not be completely happy. But when +they came out and one went amongst them, there was nothing to +overcloud the pleasure of our intercourse. One day I rode over to a +battalion and found a lot of men sitting round the cookhouse. We had a +long talk about the war, and they asked me to recite my war limericks. +I spent the evening with the O.C. of a battery and the night, on my +return, was very dark. One of the battalions had been paid off that +afternoon, and the men, who as usual had been celebrating the event in +an estaminet, were in boisterous spirits. It was so hard to make my +way through the crowd that Dandy got nervous and unmanageable. A young +fellow who recognized me in the dark came up and asked me if I should +like him to lead the horse down the road. I gratefully accepted his +offer. He walked beside me till we came to a bridge, and then he told +me that he had been very much interested in religion since he came to +the war, and was rather troubled over the fact that he had never been +baptised. He said he had listened to my limericks that day, and while +he was listening had determined to speak to me about his baptism. I +arranged to prepare him, and, before the battalion started north, I +baptised him in the C.O.'s. room in a farmhouse. The Adjutant acted as +his godfather. I do not know where the lad is now, or how he fared in +the war, but someday I hope I shall hear from him again. It was often +very difficult, owing to the numbers of men one was meeting, and the +many changes that were continually taking place, to keep track of the +lives of individuals. The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page123" name="page123">(p. 123)</a></span> +revelations of the religious +experiences and the needs of the human soul, which came over and over +again from conversations with men, were always of the greatest help to +a chaplain, and made him feel that, in spite of many discouragements +and much indifference, there was always some soul asking for spiritual +help.</p> + +<p>The Headquarters of our Division were now at a place called Hooggraaf. +It consisted of a few small houses and a large school kept by nuns. +Huts were run up for the officers and, at a little distance down the +road, a home was built for "C" mess. At one side were some Armstrong +canvas huts, one of which was mine. It was a pleasant place, and being +back from the road was free from dust. Green fields, rich in grain, +spread in all directions. It was at Hooggraaf that the Engineers built +me a church, and a big sign over the door proclaimed it to be "St. +George's Church." It was first used on Easter Day, which in 1916 fell +on the Festival of St. George, and we had very hearty services.</p> + +<p>Poperinghe, only two miles away, became our city of refuge. Many of +our units had their headquarters there, and the streets were filled +with our friends. We had many pleasant gatherings there in an +estaminet which became a meeting place for officers. The Guards +Division, among other troops, were stationed in Poperinghe, so there +was much variety of life and interest in the town. "Talbot House," for +the men, and the new Officer's Club, presided over by Neville Talbot, +were centres of interest. The gardens at the back made very pleasant +places for an after-dinner smoke. There were very good entertainments +in a theatre every evening, where "The Follies," a theatrical company +of Imperial soldiers, used to perform. Poperinghe was even at that +time damaged by shells, but since then it has suffered more severely. +The graceful spire, which stood up over the plain with its outline +against the sky, has luckily been preserved. We had some very good +rest billets for the men in the area around Hooggraaf. They consisted +of collections of large wooden huts situated in different places, and +called by special names. "Scottish Lines," "Connaught Lines," and +"Patricia Lines," were probably the most comfortable. In fact, all +along the various roads which ran through our area different units +made their homes.</p> + +<p>Our military prison was in a barn about a mile from Headquarters. I +used to go there for service every Monday afternoon at six o'clock. By +that time, the men had come back from work. They +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page124" name="page124">(p. 124)</a></span> +slept on +shelves, one over another. The barn was poorly lighted, and got dark +early in the afternoon. The first time I took service there, I was +particularly anxious that everything should be done as nicely as +possible, so that the men would not think they had come under the ban +of the church. Most of their offences were military ones. The men +therefore were not criminals in the ordinary sense of the term. I +brought my surplice, scarf and hymn books, and I told the men that I +wanted them to sing. They lay on the shelves with only their heads and +shoulders visible. I told them that I wanted the service to be hearty, +and asked them to choose the first hymn. A voice from one of the +shelves said—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Here we suffer grief and pain." +</div> + +<p>A roar of laughter went up from the prisoners, in which I joined +heartily.</p> + +<p>At the front, we held Hill 60 and the trenches to the south of it. In +a railway embankment, a series of dugouts furnished the Brigade that +was in the line with comfortable billets. The Brigadier's abode had a +fireplace in it. One of the dugouts was used as a morgue, in which +bodies were kept till they could be buried. A man told me that one +night when he had come down from the line very late, he found a dugout +full of men wrapped in their blankets, every one apparently asleep. +Without more ado, he crawled in amongst them and slept soundly till +morning. When he awoke, he found to his horror that he had slept all +night among the dead men in the morgue. There was a cemetery at +Railway Dugouts, which was carefully laid out. Beyond this there was +another line of sandbag homes on one side of a large pond called +"Zillebeke Lake." They were used by other divisions.</p> + +<p>From Railway Dugouts, by paths and then by communication trenches, one +made one's way up to Hill 60 and the other parts of the front line, +where the remains of a railway crossed the hill. Our dugouts were on +the east side of it, and the line itself was called "Lover's Lane". +The brick arch of a bridge which crossed the line was part of our +front.</p> + +<p>One day I was asked by a British chaplain, who was ordered south, to +accompany him on a trip he was making to his brother's grave at Hooge. +He wished to mark it by a cross. As the place was in full view of the +Germans, we had to visit it before dawn. I met my friend at 2.30 a.m. +in the large dugout under the Ramparts at Ypres. We started off with +two runners, but one managed most +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page125" name="page125">(p. 125)</a></span> +conveniently to lose us +and returned home. The other accompanied us all the way. It was a +weird expedition. The night was partly cloudy, and faint moonlight +struggled through the mist which shrouded us. The runner went first, +and the Padré, who was a tall man, followed, carrying the cross on his +shoulder. I brought up the rear. In the dim light, my friend looked +like some allegorical figure from "Pilgrim's Progress". Occasionally +we heard the hammering of a machine-gun, and we would lie down till +the danger was past. We skirted the grim borders of Sanctuary Wood, +and made our way to Hooge. There my friend got out his map to find, if +possible, the place where he had buried his brother. He sat down in a +large shell hole, and turned his flashlight upon the paper. It was +difficult to find the location, because the place had recently been +the scene of a hard struggle. The guide and I looked over the ground +and we found a line of graves marked by broken crosses. The night was +fast passing and in the grey of the eastern sky the stars were going +out one by one. At last my friend found the spot he was looking for +and there he set up the cross, and had a short memorial service for +the dead. On our return, we passed once more by Sanctuary Wood, and in +the daylight looked into the place torn and battered by shells and +reeking with the odours of unburied bodies.</p> + +<p>We parted at Zillebeke Bund, and I made my way to Railway Dugouts. It +was a lovely morning and the air was so fresh that although I had been +walking all night I did not feel tired. The 3rd Battalion was holding +the line just behind a piece of ground which was called the "Bean and +Pollock." It was supposed that the Germans had mined the place and +that an explosion might be expected at any minute. One company had +built a rustic arbour, which they used as their mess-room. The bright +sun shone through the green boughs overhead. There was intermittent +shelling, but nothing to cause us any worry. I stayed till late in the +afternoon, when I made my way towards the rear of Hill 60. There I +found the 14th Battalion which was in reserve. They told me that the +16th Battalion in the line was going to blow up a mine that night, and +offered to give me a dugout if I would stay for the festivities. I +gladly accepted, and just before midnight made my way to a dugout that +had just been completed. I was told that there was a bed in it with a +wire mattress. When I got into the dugout, I lit a candle, and found +to my astonishment that the place +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page126" name="page126">(p. 126)</a></span> +was full of men lying on +the bed and the floor. They offered to get out but I told them not to +think of it. So we lit another candle, and had a very pleasant time +until the mine went up. We heard a fearful explosion, and the ground +rocked as it does in an earthquake. It was not long before the Germans +retaliated, and we heard the shells falling round us. At daybreak I +went up to the line to see the result of the explosion. A large crater +had been made in No Man's Land, but for some reason or other the side +of our trench had been blown back upon our own men and there were many +casualties.</p> + +<p>I stayed in the trenches all afternoon, and on my way back went to an +artillery observation post on a hill which was crowned by the ruins of +an old mill. The place was called Verbranden Molen. Here I found a +young artillery officer on duty. The day was so clear that we were +able to spread out a map before us on the ground and with our glasses +look up every point named on the sheet. We looked far over to the +North and saw the ruins of Wieltje. Ypres lay to the left, and we +could see Zillebeke, Sanctuary Wood, High Wood, Square Wood, and +Hooge. The light reflected from our glasses must have been seen by +some German sniper, for suddenly we heard the crack of bullets in the +hedge behind us and we hastily withdrew to the dugout. As I walked +back down the road I came to one of the posts of the +motor-machine-gunners who were there on guard. They were just having +tea outside and kindly invited me to join them. We had a delightful +conversation on poetry and literature, but were prepared to beat a +hasty retreat into the dugout in case the Germans took to shelling the +road, which they did every evening.</p> + +<p>Railway Dugouts was always a pleasant place to visit, there were so +many men there. As one passed up and down the wooden walk which ran +the length of the embankment there were many opportunities of meeting +one's friends. On the other side of it, however, which was exposed to +the German shells, the men frequently had a hard time in getting up to +the line.</p> + +<p>There were several interesting chateaus in the neighbourhood. That +nearest to the front was called Bedford House, and stood in what must +have been once very beautiful grounds. The upper part of the house was +in ruins, but the cellars were deep and capacious and formed a good +billet for the officers and men. At one side there was a dressing +station and in the garden were some huts protected by piles of sand +bags.</p> + +<p>A <span class="pagenum"><a id="page127" name="page127">(p. 127)</a></span> +chateau that was well-known in the Salient lay a little to +the west of Bedford House. It was called Swan Château, from the fact +that a large white swan lived on the artificial lake in the grounds. I +never saw the swan myself, but the men said it had been wounded in the +wing and had lost an eye. It was long an object of interest to many +battalions that at different times were housed in the chateau. One day +the swan disappeared. It was rumoured that a hungry Canadian battalion +had killed it for food. On the other hand, it was said that it had +been taken to some place of safety to prevent its being killed. There +was something very poetical in the idea of this beautiful bird living +on through the scene of desolation, like the spirit of the world that +had passed away. It brought back memories of the life that had gone, +and the splendour of an age which had left Ypres forever.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XI. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page128" name="page128">(p. 128)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Attack on Mount Sorrel.</span><br> + +<i>Summer, 1916.</i></h4> + + +<p>Easter Day, 1916, fell on the 23rd of April, and a great many +interesting facts were connected with it. The 23rd of April is St. +George's Day. It is also the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth and of +his death, and also of the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The day was a glorious +one. The air was sweet and fresh, the grass was the brightest green, +hedgerows and trees were in leaf, and everybody was in high spirits. +After services in St. George's church I rode over to Poperinghe and +attended a memorial service which the 1st Brigade were holding in the +Cinema. General Mercer, who himself was killed not long afterwards, +was one of the speakers. The building was crowded with men, and the +service was very solemn.</p> + +<p>Life at this time was very pleasant, except for the fact that we never +knew what might happen when we were in the Salient. We always felt +that it was a death-trap, and that the Germans would never give up +trying to capture Ypres. I was kept busy riding about, visiting the +different units. Round about Hooggraaf the spring roads were very +attractive, and the numerous short cuts through the fields and under +the overhanging trees reminded one of country life at home.</p> + +<p>One day Dandy bolted as I was mounting him, and I fell on some bath +mats breaking a bone in my hand and cutting my face in several places. +This necessitated my being sent up to the British C.C.S. at Mont des +Cats. Mont des Cats was a picturesque hill which overlooked the +Flanders Plain, and could be seen from all parts of the Salient. On +the top there was a Trappist monastery. The buildings were modern and +covered a large extent of ground. They were solidly built of brick and +stone and the chapel was a beautiful building with a high vaulted +roof. From the top of the hill, a magnificent view of the country +could be obtained, to the North as far as the sea, and to the East as +far as our trenches, where we could see the shells bursting.</p> + +<p>Mont des Cats hospital was a most delightful temporary home. There was +a large ward full of young officers, who were more or less +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page129" name="page129">(p. 129)</a></span> +ill or damaged. In another part of the building were wards for the +men. From the O.C. downwards everyone in the C.C.S. was the soul of +kindness, and the beautiful buildings with their pleasant grounds gave +a peculiar charm to the life. My room was not far from the chapel, and +every night at two a.m. I could hear the old monks chanting their +offices. Most of the monks had been conscripted and were fighting in +the French army; only a few of the older ones remained. But by day and +night at stated intervals the volume of their prayer and praise rose +up above the noise of war, just as it had risen through the centuries +of the past. There were beautiful gardens which the monks tended +carefully, and also many grape vines on the walls. We used to watch +the silent old men doing their daily work and making signs to one +another instead of speaking. In the evening I would make my way up the +spiral staircase to the west-end gallery, which looked down upon the +chapel. The red altar lamp cast a dim light in the sacred building, +and every now and then in the stillness I could hear, like the roar of +a distant sea, the sound of shells falling at the front. The +mysterious silence of the lofty building, with the far off +reverberations of war thrilling it now and then, was a solace to the +soul.</p> + +<p>A smaller chapel in the monastery, with a well-appointed altar, was +allotted by the monks to the chaplain for his services. While I was at +Mont des Cats we heard of the death of Lord Kitchener. The news came +to the Army with the force of a stunning blow; but thank God, the +British character is hardened and strengthened by adversity, and while +we all felt his loss keenly and looked forward to the future with +anxiety, the determination to go on to victory was made stronger by +the catastrophe. As the chaplain of the hospital was away at the time, +I held a memorial service in the large refectory. Following upon the +death of Lord Kitchener came another disaster. The Germans in the +beginning of June launched a fierce attack upon the 3rd Division, +causing many casualties and capturing many prisoners. General Mercer +was killed, and a brigadier was wounded and taken prisoner. To make +matters worse, we heard of the battle of Jutland, the first report of +which was certainly disconcerting. We gathered from it that our navy +had suffered a great reverse. The death of Lord Kitchener, the naval +reverse, and the fierce attack on our front, following one another in +such a short space of time, called for great steadiness of nerve and +coolness of head. I felt that the hospital was no place for +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page130" name="page130">(p. 130)</a></span> +me when Canadians were meeting reverses at the front, especially as +the First Division was ordered to recapture the lost trenches. I +telephoned to my good friend, Colonel Brutenell, the C.O. of the Motor +Machine-Gun Brigade, and asked him to send me a side-car to take me +forward. He had always in the past shown me much kindness in supplying +me with means of locomotion. Colonel Brutenell was an old country +Frenchman with the most courteous manners. When I first discovered +that he was the possessor of side-cars, I used to obtain them by going +over to him and saying, "Colonel, if you will give me a side-car I +will recite you one of my poems." He was too polite at first to +decline to enter into the bargain, but, as time went on, I found that +the price I offered began to lose its value, and sometimes the +side-cars were not forthcoming. It then became necessary to change my +plan of campaign, so I hit upon another device. I used to walk into +the orderly room and say in a raucous voice, "Colonel, if you <i>don't</i> +give me a side-car I will recite one of my poems." I found that in the +long run this was the most effectual method. On the present occasion, +therefore, the side-car was sent to me, and I made my way to +Wippenhoek and from thence up to the dressing station at Vlamertinghe. +Here our wounded were pouring in. Once again Canada was reddening the +soil of the Salient with her best blood. It was indeed an anxious +time. That evening, however, a telegram was received by the O.C. of +the Ambulance saying that the British fleet had sunk twenty or thirty +German vessels, and implying that what we had thought was a naval +reverse was really a magnificent naval victory. I do not know who sent +the telegram, or on what foundation in fact it was based. I think that +somebody in authority considered it would be well to cheer up our men +with a piece of good news. At any rate all who were at the dressing +station believed it, and I determined to carry a copy of the telegram +with me up to the men in the line. I started off on one of the +ambulances for Railway Dugouts. Those ambulance journeys through the +town of Ypres after midnight were things to be remembered. The +desolate ruins of the city stood up black and grim. The road was +crowded with men, lorries, ambulances, transports and motorcycles. +Every now and then the scene of desolation would be lit up by gun +flashes. Occasionally the crash of a shell would shake the already +sorely smitten city. I can never cease to admire the pluck of those +ambulance drivers, who night after night, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page131" name="page131">(p. 131)</a></span> +backwards and +forwards, threaded their way in the darkness through the ghost-haunted +streets. One night when the enemy's guns were particularly active, I +was being driven by a young boy only eighteen years of age. Sitting +beside him on the front seat, I told him how much I admired his nerve +and coolness. He turned to me quite simply and said that he was not +afraid. He just put himself in God's hands and didn't worry. When he +came afterwards to Headquarters and drove our side-car he never minded +where he went or how far towards the front he took it. I do not know +where he is in Canada, but I know that Canada will be the better for +having such a boy as one of her citizens.</p> + +<p>When I arrived at Railway Dugouts, I found that there was great +activity on all sides, but my message about our naval victory had a +most stimulating effect and I had the courage to wake up no less than +three generals to tell them the good news. They said they didn't care +how often they were awakened for news like that. I then got a runner, +and was making my way up to the men in the front line when the Germans +put on an attack. The trench that I was in became very hot, and, as I +had my arm in a sling and could not walk very comfortably or do much +in the way of dodging, the runner and I thought it would be wiser to +return, especially as we could not expect the men, then so fully +occupied, to listen to our message of cheer. We made our way back as +best we could to Railway Dugouts, and telephoned the news to the +various battalion headquarters. The telegram was never confirmed, and +I was accused of having made it up myself. It certainly had a +wholesome effect upon our men at a critical and anxious moment.</p> + +<p>We had a hard time in retaking the lost ground. Gallant were the +charges which were made in broad daylight in the face of heavy +machine-gun fire. In preparation for the attack, our men had to lie +under the cover of broken hedges for twenty-four hours, living only on +the iron rations which they carried with them. I went up one morning +when one of our battalions had just come out after a hard fight. The +men were in a shallow trench, ankle deep in mud and water. As they had +lost very heavily, the Colonel put me in charge of a burial party. We +buried a number of bodies but were stopped at last at the entrance of +Armagh Wood, which the Germans were at the time heavily shelling, and +we had to postpone the performance of our sad duty till things were +quieter.</p> + +<p>Still +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page132" name="page132">(p. 132)</a></span> +in spite of reverses, the spirits of our men never +declined. They were full of rebound, and quickly recovered themselves. +As one looks back to that period of our experience, all sorts of +pictures, bright and sombre, crowd the mind—the Square at Poperinghe +in the evening, the Guards' fife and drum bands playing tattoo in the +old town while hundreds of men looked on; the dark station of +Poperinghe in the evening, and the battalions being sent up to the +front in railway trucks; the old mill at Vlamertinghe with the +reception room for the wounded, and the white tables on which the +bleeding forms were laid; the dark streets of Ypres, rank with the +poisonous odours of shell gas; the rickety horse-ambulances bearing +their living freight over the shell broken roads from Bedford House +and Railway Dugouts; the walking wounded, with bandaged arms and +heads, making their way slowly and painfully down the dangerous +foot-paths; all these pictures flash before the mind's eye, each with +its own appeal, as one looks back upon those awful days. The end was +not in sight then. The war, we were told, was going to be a war of +attrition. It was to be a case of "dogged does it." Under the wheels +of the car of the great Juggernaut our men had to throw themselves, +till the progress of the car was stayed. How peaceful were the little +cemeteries where lay those warriors who had entered into rest. But how +stern was the voice from the sleeping dead to carry on undismayed.</p> + +<p>The Canadian Corps seemed to have taken root in the Salient, and, +after the severe fighting had ended, things went on as if we were to +have a long residence round Ypres. In looking over the notes in my +diary for June and July, I see a great many records of visits to +different units. How well one remembers the keen active life which +made that region a second Canada. There was the small town of Abeele, +where our Corps Headquarters were, and where our new commander, +General Byng, had his house. Not far away, up the road, was the +grenade school where the troops were instructed in the gentle art of +bomb-throwing. We had our divisional rest-camp in a pleasant spot, +where our men were sent to recuperate. The following is a typical +Sunday's work at this time:—Celebration of Holy Communion at St. +George's Church at eight a.m., Parade Service for the Division at nine +fifteen a.m., followed by a second Celebration of Holy Communion at +ten a.m., Parade Service followed by Holy Communion for a Battalion at +Connaught lines at eleven a.m., service for the divisional rest-camp +at +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page133" name="page133">(p. 133)</a></span> +three p.m., service at the Grenade School at four p.m., +service outside St. George's Church for the Divisional Train +six-thirty p.m., service for the 3rd Field Ambulance and convalescent +camp at eight-forty-five p.m. On week-days too, we had to arrange many +services for units which had come out of the line. It was really a +life full of activity and interest. It filled one with a thrill of +delight to be able to get round among the men in the trenches, where +the familiar scenery of Sanctuary Wood, Armagh Wood, Maple Copse and +the Ravine will always remain impressed upon one's memory. Often when +I have returned to my hut at night, I have stood outside in the +darkness, looking over the fields towards the front, and as I saw the +German flares going up, I said to myself, "Those are the foot-lights +of the stage on which the world's greatest drama is being enacted." +One seemed to be taking part, however humbly, in the making of human +history. But it was a grievous thing to think of the toll of life that +the war forced upon us and the suffering that it involved. The brave +patient hearts of those at home were continually in our thoughts, and +we always felt that the hardest burden was laid upon them. They had no +excitement; they knew not the comradeship and the exaltation of +feeling which came to those who were in the thick of things at the +front. They had to go on day by day bearing their burden of anxiety, +quietly and patiently in faith and courage. To them our men were +always ready to give the palm of the victors.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page134" name="page134">(p. 134)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Battle of the Somme.</span><br> + +<i>Autumn, 1916.</i></h4> + + +<p>It always happened that just when we were beginning to feel settled in +a place, orders came for us to move. At the end of July we heard of +the attack at the Somme. Rumours began to circulate that we were to go +South, and signs of the approaching pilgrimage began to manifest +themselves. On August 10th all my superfluous baggage was sent back to +England, and on the following day I bid good-bye to my comfortable +little hut at Hooggraaf and started to ride to our new Divisional +Headquarters which were to be for the time near St. Omer. After an +early breakfast with my friend General Thacker, I started off on Dandy +for the long ride. I passed through Abeele and Steenvoorde, where I +paid my respects at the Château, overtaking many of our units, either +on the march or in the fields by the wayside, and that night I arrived +at Cassel and put up at the hotel. The town never looked more +beautiful than at sunset on that lovely summer evening. It had about +it the spell of the old world, and the quiet life which had gone on +through the centuries in a kind of dream. One did hope that the attack +to the South would be the beginning of the end and that peace would be +restored to the shattered world. On that day, the King had arrived on +a flying visit to the front, and some of his staff were billeted at +the hotel. The following day I visited the Second Army Headquarters in +the Casino Building, and met some of our old friends who had gone +there from the Canadian Corps. In the afternoon I rode off to St. +Omer, little Philo running beside me full of life and spirits. It was +a hot and dusty ride. I put up at the Hotel du Commerce, where I met +several Canadian officers and many airmen. The next day was Sunday so +I attended the service in the military church. After it was over, I +went with a young flying officer into the old cathedral.</p> + +<p>The service had ended and we were alone in the building, but the +sunlight flooded it and brought out the richness of contrast in light +and shadow, and the air was still fragrant with the smell of incense. +My friend and I were talking, as we sat there, about the effect the +war had had upon religion. Turning to me he said, "The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page135" name="page135">(p. 135)</a></span> +great +thing I find when I am in a tight place in the air is to pray to Jesus +Christ. Many and many a time when I have been in difficulties and +thought that I really must be brought down, I have prayed to Him and +He has preserved me." I looked at the boy as he spoke. He was very +young, but had a keen, earnest face, and I thought how often I had +seen fights in the air and how little I had imagined that the human +hearts in those little craft, which looked like tiny flies among the +clouds, were praying to God for help and protection. I told him how +glad I was to hear his testimony to the power of Christ. When we got +back to the hotel, one of the airmen came up to him and said, +"Congratulations, old chap, here's your telegram." The telegram was an +order for him to join a squadron which held what the airmen considered +to be, from it's exceeding danger, the post of honour at the Somme +front. I often wonder if the boy came through the fierce ordeal alive.</p> + +<p>It was pleasant to meet Bishop Gwynne and his staff once again. There +was always something spiritually bracing in visiting the Headquarters +of our Chaplain Service at St. Omer. On the Monday I rode off to our +Divisional Headquarters, which were in a fine old chateau at Tilques. +I had a pleasant billet in a comfortable house at the entrance to the +town, and the different units of the Division were encamped in the +quaint villages round about. After their experience in the Salient, +the men were glad to have a little peace and rest; although they knew +they were on their journey to bigger and harder things. The country +around St. Omer was so fresh and beautiful that the change of scene +did everyone good. The people too were exceedingly kind and wherever +we went we found that the Canadians were extremely popular. There were +many interesting old places near by which brought back memories of +French history. However, the day came when we had to move. From +various points the battalions entrained for the South. On Monday, +August 28th, I travelled by train with the 3rd Field Company of +Engineers and finally found myself in a billet at Canaples. After two +or three days we settled at a place called Rubempré. Here I had a +clean billet beside a very malodorous pond which the village cows used +as their drinking place. The country round us was quite different in +character from what it had been further north. Wide stretches of open +ground and rolling hills, with here and there patches of green woods, +made up a very pleasant landscape. I rode one day to Amiens and +visited the glorious cathedral which +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page136" name="page136">(p. 136)</a></span> +I had not seen since I +came there as a boy thirty-three years before. I attended the service +of Benediction that evening at six o'clock. The sunlight was streaming +through the glorious windows, and the whole place was filled with a +beauty that seemed to be not of earth. There was a large congregation +present and it was made up of a varied lot of people. There were women +in deep mourning, Sisters of Charity and young children. There were +soldiers and old men. But they were all one in their spirit of humble +adoration and intercession. The organ pealed out its noble strains +until the whole place was vibrant with devotion. I shall never forget +the impression that service made upon me. The next time I saw the +cathedral, Amiens was deserted of its inhabitants, four shells had +pierced the sacred fane itself, and the long aisles, covered with bits +of broken glass, were desolate and silent.</p> + +<p>From Rubempré we moved to Albert, where we were billeted in a small +house on a back street. Our Battle Headquarters were in the Bapaume +road in trenches and dugouts, on a rise in the ground which was called +Tara Hill. By the side of the road was a little cemetery which had +been laid out by the British, and was henceforth to be the last +resting place of many Canadians. Our battalions were billeted in +different places in the damaged town, and in the brick-fields near by. +Our chief dressing station was in an old school-house not far from the +Cathedral. Albert must have been a pleasant town in pre-war days, but +now the people had deserted it and every building had either been +shattered or damaged by shells. From the spire of the Cathedral hung +at right angles the beautiful bronze image of the Blessed Virgin, +holding up her child above her head for the adoration of the world. It +seemed to me as if there was something appropriate in the strange +position the statue now occupied, for, as the battalions marched past +the church, it looked as if they were receiving a parting benediction +from the Infant Saviour.</p> + +<p>The character of the war had now completely changed. For months and +months, we seemed to have reached a deadlock. Now we had broken +through and were to push on and on into the enemy's territory. As we +passed over the ground which had already been won from the Germans, we +were amazed at the wonderful dugouts which they had built, and the +huge craters made by the explosion of our mines. The dugouts were deep +in the ground, lined with wood and lighted by electric light. Bits of +handsome furniture, too, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page137" name="page137">(p. 137)</a></span> +had found their way there from the +captured villages, which showed that the Germans must have lived in +great comfort. We were certainly glad of the homes they had made for +us, for our division was in the line three times during the battle of +the Somme, going back to Rubempré and Canaples when we came out for +the necessary rest between the attacks.</p> + +<p>Looking back to those terrible days of fierce fighting, the mind is so +crowded with memories and pictures that it is hard to disentangle +them. How well one remembers the trips up the Bapaume road to La +Boisselle and Pozières. The country rolled off into the distance in +vast billows, and bore marks of the fierce fighting which had occurred +here when the British made their great advance. When one rode out from +our rear headquarters at the end of the town one passed some brick +houses more or less damaged and went on to Tara Hill. There by the +wayside was a dressing station. On the hill itself there was the waste +of pale yellow mud, and the piles of white chalk which marked the side +of the trench in which were deep dugouts. There were many wooden huts, +too, which were used as offices. The road went on down the slope on +the other side of the hill to La Boisselle, where it forked into +two—one going to Contalmaison, the other on the left to Pozières and +finally to Bapaume. La Boisselle stood, or rather used to stand, on +the point of ground where the roads parted. When we saw it, it was +simply a mass of broken ground, which showed the ironwork round the +former church, some broken tombstones, and the red dust and bricks of +what had been houses. There were still some cellars left in which men +found shelter. A well there was used by the men for some time, until +cases of illness provoked an investigation and a dead German was +discovered at the bottom. The whole district was at all times the +scene of great activity. Men were marching to or from the line; +lorries, limbers, motorcycles, ambulances and staff cars were passing +or following one another on the muddy and broken way. Along the road +at various points batteries were concealed, and frequently, by a +sudden burst of fire, gave one an unpleasant surprise. If one took the +turn to the right, which led to Contalmaison, one passed up a gradual +rise in the ground and saw the long, dreary waste of landscape which +told the story, by shell-ploughed roads and blackened woods, of the +deadly presence of war. One of the depressions among the hills was +called Sausage Valley. In it were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page138" name="page138">(p. 138)</a></span> +many batteries and some +cemeteries, and trenches where our brigade headquarters were. At the +corner of a branch road, just above the ruins of Contalmaison, our +engineers put up a little shack, and this was used by our Chaplains' +Service as a distributing place for coffee and biscuits. Some men were +kept there night and day boiling huge tins of water over a smoky fire +in the corner. A hundred and twenty-five gallons of coffee were given +away every twenty-four hours. Good strong coffee it was too, most +bracing in effect. The cups used were cigarette tins, and the troops +going up to the trenches or coming back from them, used to stop and +have some coffee and some biscuits to cheer them on their way. The +place in the road was called Casualty Corner, and was not supposed to +be a very "healthy" resting place, but we did not lose any men in +front of the little canteen. The work had been started by the Senior +Chaplain of the Australian Division which we had relieved, and he +handed it over to us.</p> + +<p>Under our Chaplains' Service the canteen became a most helpful +institution; not only was coffee given away, but many other things, +including cigarettes. Many a man has told me that that drink of coffee +saved his life when he was quite used up.</p> + +<p>In Contalmaison itself, there had once been a very fine chateau. It, +like the rest of the village, survived only as a heap of bricks and +rubbish, but the cellars, which the Germans had used as a dressing +station, were very large and from them branched off deep dugouts lined +with planed boards and lit by electric light.</p> + +<p>The road which turned to the left led down to a waste of weary ground +in a wide valley where many different units were stationed in dugouts +and holes in the ground. Towards the Pozières road there was a famous +chalk pit. In the hillside were large dugouts, used by battalions when +out of the line. There was also a light railway, and many huts and +shacks of various kinds. Pozières looked very much like La Boisselle. +Some heaps or rubbish and earth reddened by bricks and brick-dust +alone showed where the village had been. At Pozières the Y.M.C.A. had +another coffee-stall, where coffee was given away free. These +coffee-stalls were a great institution, and in addition to the bracing +effect of the drink provided, the rude shack with its cheery fire +always made a pleasant place for rest and conversation.</p> + +<p>After Courcelette was taken by the 2nd Division, our front line lay +beyond it past Death Valley on the slope leading down to Regina +Trench, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page139" name="page139">(p. 139)</a></span> +and onward to the villages of Pys and Miraumont. Over +all this stretch of country, waste and dreary as it got to be towards +the end of September, our various fighting units were scattered, and +along that front line, as we pushed the enemy back, our men made the +bitter sacrifice of life and limb. It was a time of iron resolve and +hard work. There was no opportunity now for amusement and social +gatherings. When one spoke to staff officers, they answered in +monosyllables. When one rode in their cars, one had very fixed and +definite times at which to start and to return. The army had set its +teeth and was out to battle in grim earnest. It was a time, however, +of hope and encouragement. When, as we advanced, we saw what the +German defences had been, we were filled with admiration for the +splendid British attack in July which had forced the enemy to retreat. +If that had been done once it could be done again, and so we pressed +on. But the price we had to pay for victory was indeed costly and +one's heart ached for the poor men in their awful struggle in that +region of gloom and death. This was war indeed, and one wondered how +long it was to last. Gradually the sad consciousness came that our +advance was checked, but still the sacrifice was not in vain, for our +gallant men were using up the forces of the enemy.</p> + +<p>Ghastly were the stories which we heard from time to time. One man +told me that he had counted three hundred bodies hanging on the wire +which we had failed to cut in preparation for the attack. An officer +met me one day and told me how his company had had to hold on in a +trench, hour after hour, under terrific bombardment. He was sitting in +his dugout, expecting every moment to be blown up, when a young lad +came in and asked if he might stay with him. The boy was only eighteen +years of age and his nerve had utterly gone. He came into the dugout, +and, like a child clinging to his mother clasped the officer with his +arms. The latter could not be angry with the lad. There was nothing to +do at that point but to hold on and wait, so, as he said to me, "I +looked at the boy and thought of his mother, and just leaned down and +gave him a kiss. Not long afterwards a shell struck the dugout and the +boy was killed, and when we retired I had to leave his body there." +Wonderful deeds were done; some were known and received well merited +rewards, others were noted only by the Recording Angel. A piper won +the V.C. for his gallantry in marching up and down in front of the +wire playing his pipes while the men were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page140" name="page140">(p. 140)</a></span> +struggling through +it in their attack upon Regina Trench. He was killed going back to +hunt for his pipes which he had left in helping a wounded man to a +place of safety. One cannot write of that awful time unmoved, for +there come up before the mind faces of friends that one will see no +more, faces of men who were strong, brave and even joyous in the midst +of that burning fiery furnace, from which their lives passed, we trust +into regions where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor +crying, and where the sound of war is hushed forever.</p> + +<p>One new feature which was introduced into the war at this time was the +"Tank." A large family of these curious and newly developed +instruments of battle was congregated in a wood on the outskirts of +the town, and awoke great interest on all sides. At that time we were +doubtful how far they would be able to fulfill the hopes that were +entertained of them. Some of them had already been knocked out near +Courcelette. One lay partly in the ditch by the road. It had been hit +by a shell, and the petrol had burst into flames burning up the crew +within, whose charred bones were taken out when an opportunity +offered, and were reverently buried. The tank was often visited by our +men, and for that reason the Germans made it a mark for their +shell-fire. It was wise to give it a wide berth.</p> + +<p>Our chaplains were working manfully and took their duties at the +different dressing-stations night and day in relays. The main +dressing-station was the school-house in Albert which I have already +described. It was a good sized building and there were several large +rooms in it. Many is the night that I have passed there, and I see it +now distinctly in my mind. In the largest room, there were the tables +neatly prepared, white and clean, for the hours of active work which +began towards midnight when the ambulances brought back the wounded +from the front. The orderlies would be lying about taking a rest until +their services were needed, and the doctors with their white aprons on +would be sitting in the room or in their mess near by. The windows +were entirely darkened, but in the building was the bright light and +the persistent smell of acetylene gas. Innumerable bandages and +various instruments were piled neatly on the white covered tables; and +in the outer room, which was used as the office, were the record books +and tags with which the wounded were labelled as they were sent off to +the Base. Far off we could hear the noise of the shells, and +occasionally one would fall +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page141" name="page141">(p. 141)</a></span> +in the town. When the ambulances +arrived everyone would be on the alert. I used to go out and stand in +the darkness, and see the stretchers carried in gently and tenderly by +the bearers, who laid them on the floor of the outer room. Torn and +broken forms, racked with suffering, cold and wet with rain and mud, +hidden under muddy blankets, lay there in rows upon the brick floor. +Sometimes the heads were entirely covered; sometimes the eyes were +bandaged; sometimes the pale faces, crowned with matted, muddy hair, +turned restlessly from side to side, and parched lips asked for a sip +of water. Then one by one the stretchers with their human burden would +be carried to the tables in the dressing room. Long before these cases +could be disposed of, other ambulances had arrived, and the floor of +the outer room once more became covered with stretchers. Now and then +the sufferers could not repress their groans. One night a man was +brought in who looked very pale and asked me piteously to get him some +water. I told him I could not do so until the doctor had seen his +wound. I got him taken into the dressing room, and turned away for a +moment to look after some fresh arrivals. Then I went back towards the +table whereon the poor fellow was lying. They had uncovered him and, +from the look on the faces of the attendants round about, I saw that +some specially ghastly wound was disclosed. I went over to the table, +and there I saw a sight too horrible to be described. A shell had +burst at his feet, and his body from the waist down was shattered. +Beyond this awful sight I saw the white face turning from side to +side, and the parched lips asking for water. The man, thank God, did +not suffer very acutely, as the shock had been so great, but he was +perfectly conscious. The case was hopeless, so they kindly and +tenderly covered him up, and he was carried out into the room set +apart for the dying. When he was left alone, I knelt down beside him +and talked to him. He was a French Canadian and a Roman Catholic, and, +as there happened to be no Roman Catholic Chaplain present at the +moment, I got him to repeat the "Lord's Prayer" and the "Hail Mary," +and gave him the benediction. He died about half an hour afterwards. +When the sergeant came in to have the body removed to the morgue, he +drew the man's paybook from his pocket, and there we found that for +some offence he had been given a long period of field punishment, and +his pay was cut down to seventy cents a day. For seventy cents a day +he had come as a voluntary soldier to fight in the great war, and for +seventy cents a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page142" name="page142">(p. 142)</a></span> +day he had died this horrible death. I told +the sergeant that I felt like dipping that page of the man's paybook +in his blood to blot out the memory of the past. The doctor who +attended the case told me that that was the worst sight he had ever +seen.</p> + +<p>One night a young German was brought in. He was perfectly conscious, +but was reported to be seriously wounded. He was laid out on one of +the tables and when his torn uniform was ripped off, we found he had +been hit by shrapnel and had ten or twelve wounds in his body and +limbs. I never saw anyone more brave. He was a beautifully developed +man, with very white skin, and on the grey blanket looked like a +marble statue, marked here and there by red, bleeding wounds. He never +gave a sign by sound or movement of what he was suffering; but his +white face showed the approach of death. He was tended carefully, and +then carried over to a quiet corner in the room. I went over to him, +and pointing to my collar said, "Pasteur." I knelt beside him and +started the Lord's Prayer in German, which he finished adding some +other prayer. I gave him the benediction and made the sign of the +cross on his forehead, for the sign of the cross belongs to the +universal language of men. Then the dying, friendless enemy, who had +made expiation in his blood for the sins of his guilty nation, drew +his hand from under the blanket and taking mine said, "Thank you." +They carried him off to an ambulance, but I was told he would probably +die long before he got to his destination.</p> + +<p>On the 26th of September I spent the night in a dressing station in +the sunken road near Courcelette. I had walked from Pozières down to +the railway track, where in the dark I met a company of the Canadian +Cyclist Corps, who were being used as stretcher bearers. We went in +single file along the railway and then across the fields which were +being shelled. At last we came to the dressing station. Beside the +entrance, was a little shelter covered with corrugated iron, and there +were laid a number of wounded, while some were lying on stretchers in +the open road. Among these were several German prisoners and the +bodies of dead men. The dressing station had once been the dugout of +an enemy battery and its openings, therefore, were on the side of the +road facing the Germans, who knew its location exactly. When I went +down into it I found it crowded with men who were being tended by the +doctor and his staff. It had three openings to the road. One of them +had had a direct hit that night, and mid the debris which blocked it +were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page143" name="page143">(p. 143)</a></span> +the fragments of a human body. The Germans gave the +place no rest, and all along the road shells were falling, and bits +would clatter upon the corrugated iron which roofed the shelter by the +wayside. There was no room in the dugout for any but those who were +being actually treated by the doctor, so the wounded had to wait up +above till they could be borne off by the bearer parties. It was a +trying experience for them, and it was hard to make them forget the +danger they were in. I found a young officer lying in the road, who +was badly hit in the leg. I had prayers with him and at his request I +gave him the Holy Communion. On the stretcher next to him, lay the +body of a dead man wrapped in a blanket. After I had finished the +service, the officer asked for some water. I went down and got him a +mouthful very strongly flavoured with petrol from the tin in which it +was carried. He took it gladly, but, just as I had finished giving him +the drink, a shell burst and there was a loud crack by his side. "Oh," +he cried, "they have got my other leg." I took my electric torch, and, +allowing only a small streak of light to shine through my fingers, I +made an examination of the stretcher, and there I found against it a +shattered rum jar which had just been hit by a large piece of shell. +The thing had saved him from another wound, and I told him that he +owed his salvation to a rum jar. He was quite relieved to find that +his good leg had not been hit. I got the bearer party to take him off +as soon as possible down the long path across the fields which led to +the light railway, where he could be put on a truck. Once while I was +talking to the men in the shelter, a shell burst by the side of the +road and ignited a pile of German ammunition. At once there were +explosions, a weird red light lit up the whole place, and volumes of +red smoke rolled off into the starlit sky. To my surprise, from a +ditch on the other side of the road, a company of Highlanders emerged +and ran further away from the danger of the exploding shells. It was +one of the most theatrical sights I have ever seen. With the lurid +light and the broken road in the foreground, and the hurrying figures +carrying their rifles, it was just like a scene on the stage.</p> + +<p>The stars were always a great comfort to me. Above the gun-flashes or +the bursting of shells and shrapnel, they would stand out calm and +clear, twinkling just as merrily as I have seen them do on many a +pleasant sleigh-drive in Canada. I had seen Orion for the first time +that year, rising over the broken Cathedral at Albert. I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page144" name="page144">(p. 144)</a></span> +always felt when he arrived for his winter visit to the sky, that he +came as an old friend, and was waiting like us for the wretched war to +end. On that September night, when the hours were beginning to draw +towards dawn, it gave me great pleasure to see him hanging in the +East, while Sirius with undiminished courage merrily twinkled above +the smoke-fringed horizon and told us of the eternal quietness of +space.</p> + +<p>With dawn the enemy's artillery became less active and we sent off the +wounded. Those who could walk were compelled to follow the bearer +parties. One man, who was not badly hit, had lost his nerve and +refused to leave. The doctor had to tell him sharply that he need not +expect to be carried, as there were too many serious cases to be +attended to. I went over to him and offered him my arm. At first he +refused to come, and then I explained to him that he was in great +danger and the thing to do was to get back as quickly as possible, if +he did not wish to be wounded again. At last I got him going at a slow +pace, and I was afraid I should have to drag him along. Suddenly a +shell landed near us, and his movements were filled with alacrity. It +was a great relief to me. After a little while he found he could walk +quite well and whenever a whiz-bang came near us his limbs seemed to +get additional strength. I took him down to a place were a battalion +was camped, and there I had to stop and bury some men in a shell hole. +While I was taking the service however, my companion persuaded some +men to carry him, and I suppose finally reached a place of safety.</p> + +<p>There was a large dressing station in the cellars of the Red Château +in Courcelette, whither I made my way on a Sunday morning in +September. The fighting at the time was very heavy and I met many +ambulances bringing out the wounded. I passed Pozières and turned down +the sunken road towards Courcelette.</p> + +<p>Beside the road was a dugout and shelter, where the wounded, who were +carried in on stretchers from Courcelette, were kept until they could +be shipped off in the ambulances. A doctor and some men were in charge +of the post. The bearers, many of whom were German prisoners, were +bringing out the wounded over the fields and laying them by the +roadside. I went with some of the bearers past "Dead Man's Trench," +where were many German bodies. Every now and then we came upon a +trench where men were in reserve, and we saw also many machine gun +emplacements, for the rise in the ground gave the gun a fine sweep for +its activity. The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page145" name="page145">(p. 145)</a></span> +whole neighbourhood, however, was +decidedly unhealthy, and it was risky work for the men to go over the +open. When we got to the ruins of Courcelette, we turned down a path +which skirted the old cemetery and what remained of the church. +Several shells fell near us, and one of the men got a bit nervous, so +I repeated to him the verse of the psalm:</p> + +<div class="poem05"> +"A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at +thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee." +</div> + +<p>We had hardly arrived at the heaps of rubbish which surrounded the +entrance to the dressing station, beside which lay the blackened body +of a dead man, when a shell burst, and one of the bits broke the leg +of the young fellow I was talking to. "What's the matter with your +text now, Canon?" he said. "The text is all right, old man, you have +only got a good Blighty and are lucky to get it," I replied. The +cellars below had been used as a dressing station by the enemy before +Courcelette was taken and consisted of several large rooms, which were +now being used by our two divisions in the line. Beyond the room used +for operations, there was one dark cellar fitted up with two long +shelves, whereon lay scores of stretcher bearers and cyclists, and at +the end of that, down some steps, there was another, in which more +bearers awaited their call. Only two candles lit up the darkness. As +there must have been between three and four hundred men in the Red +Château, the air was not particularly fresh. Our choice lay, however, +between foul air within and enemy shells without, for the Germans were +making direct hits upon the debris overhead. Naturally we preferred +the foul air. It showed how one had grown accustomed to the gruesome +sights of war, that I was able to eat my meals in a place where rags +saturated in human blood were lying on the floor in front of me. Two +years before it would have been impossible. The stretcher bearers were +doing noble work. When each case had been attended to, they were +called out of the back cellar and entrusted with their burden, which +they had to carry for more than a mile over those dangerous fields to +the ambulances waiting in the sunken road. Again and again a bearer +would be brought back on a stretcher himself, having been wounded +while on the errand of mercy. Once a party, on their return, told me +that one of their number had disappeared, blown to atoms by a shell.</p> + +<p>About four o'clock, though time had little meaning to us, because the +only light we had was from the candles and acetylene lamps, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page146" name="page146">(p. 146)</a></span> +I went into the cellar where the bearers lay, and, reminding them that +it was Sunday, asked if they would not like to have a service. One of +them handed me a candle, so we had prayers and a reading, and sang +"Nearer My God to Thee," and some other hymns. When the service was +over, I asked those who would like to make their Communion to come to +the lower cellar at the end, where there was more room. We +appropriated one of the corners and there I had seven or eight +communicants. More than a year afterwards, in London, I met a young +soldier in the Underground Railway, and he told me that he had made +his communion on that day, and that when he was lying on the ground +wounded at midnight, the shells falling round him, he thought what a +comfort it was to know that he had received the Sacrament. I did not +leave the Red Château till late the following afternoon, when I went +back with a ration-party.</p> + +<p>The most unpleasant things at Albert were the air raids, which +occurred every fine night. One moonlight night I lay on my bed, which +was in the top storey of our house, and listened to some German planes +dropping bombs upon the town. The machines were flying low and trying +to get the roads. Crash would follow crash with great regularity. They +came nearer and nearer, and I was just waiting for the house to be +struck when, to my great relief, the planes went off in another +direction. Next day a sentry told me that he had heard a hundred bombs +burst, and, as far as he knew, not one of them had done any damage, +all having fallen among the ruined houses and gardens of the town.</p> + +<p>I had been asked to look up the grave of a young officer of a Scottish +battalion, who had been killed in the July advance. I rode over to +Mametz and saw all that historic fighting ground. The village was a +heap of ruins, but from out of a cellar came a smartly-dressed +lieutenant, who told me that he had the great privilege and honour of +being the Town Major of Mametz. We laughed as we surveyed his very +smelly and unattractive little kingdom. I found the grave, and near it +were several crosses over the last resting places of some of our +Canadian Dragoons, who had been in the great advance. All that region +was one of waste and lonely country-side, blown bare by the tempest of +war.</p> + +<p>It was during our last visit to Albert that the 4th Division arrived +to take over the line from us. I had the great joy, therefore, of +having my second son near me for six days. His battalion, the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page147" name="page147">(p. 147)</a></span> +87th, was camped on a piece of high ground to the right of "Tara +Hill," and from my window I could see the officers and men walking +about in their lines. It was a great privilege to have his battalion +so near me, for I had many friends among all ranks.</p> + +<p>The Sunday before I left I had service for them and a celebration of +the Holy Communion, after which one of the sergeants came and was +baptized. Our Divisional Headquarters left Albert for good on October +17th. We made our way to our abode at Canaples. We only stayed there +two days and then went on to Bernaville and Frohen Le Grand, spending +a night in each place, and on Sunday arrived at the Château of Le +Cauroy, which we were afterwards to make our headquarters in the last +year of the war. I was billetted in a filthy little room in a sort of +farm building and passed one of the most dreary days I have ever +known. It was rainy and cold, and every one was tired and +ill-humoured. I had a strange feeling of gloom about me which I could +not shake off, so I went over to the Curé's house at the end of the +avenue and asked him if I might come in and sit beside the fire in his +kitchen. He was very kind, and it was quite nice to have someone to +talk to who was not in the war. We were able to understand each other +pretty well, and he gave me an insight into the feelings of the +French. On the next morning, the weather had cleared and the A.D.M.S. +motored me to our new halting place at Roellencourt, where I was given +a billet in the Curé's house. He was a dear old man and received me +very kindly, and gave me a comfortable room overlooking his garden. +Downstairs his aged and invalid mother sat in her chair, tended kindly +by her son and daughter. Roellencourt was a pleasant place on the St. +Pol Road, and quite a number of our men were billeted there. I went to +St. Pol to lunch at the hotel and spent the day buying some souvenirs. +On my return in the afternoon I made my way to the Curé's house, where +I found my room neatly arranged for me. Suddenly I heard a knock at +the door, and there stood the old man with a letter in his hand. I +thought he looked somewhat strange. He handed me the letter, and then +taking my hand, he said to me in French, "My brother, have courage, it +is very sad." At once the truth flashed upon me and I said, "My son is +dead." He shook my hand, and said again, "Have courage, my brother." I +went downstairs later on and found his old mother sitting in her chair +with the tears streaming down her cheeks. I shall never cease to be +grateful to those kind, simple people +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page148" name="page148">(p. 148)</a></span> +for their sympathy at +that time. The next morning the General sent me in his car to Albert, +and Colonel Ironside took me up to the chalk-pit where the 87th were +resting. They had suffered very heavy losses, and I heard the account +of my son's death. On the morning of October 21st, he was leading his +company and another to the attack on Regina Trench. They had advanced, +as the barrage lifted, and he was kneeling in a shell hole looking at +his watch waiting for the moment to charge again, when a machine gun +opened fire and he was hit in the head and killed instantly. As he +still kept kneeling looking at his watch, no one knew that anything +had happened. The barrage lifted again behind the German trench; still +he gave no sign. The Germans stood up and turned their machine-guns on +our men. Then the officer next in command went over to see what had +happened, and, finding my son dead, gave the order to advance. +Suffering heavy casualties, the men charged with determination and +took the trench, completely routing the enemy. When the battalion was +relieved the dead had to be left unburied, but several men volunteered +to go and get my son's body. This I would not hear of, for the +fighting was still severe, and I did not believe in living men risking +their lives to bring out the dead. I looked far over into the murky +distance, where I saw long ridges of brown land, now wet with a +drizzling rain, and thought how gloriously consecrated was that soil, +and how worthy to be the last resting place of those who had died for +their country. Resolving to come back later on when things were +quieter, and make my final search, I bid good-bye to the officers and +men of the battalion and was motored back to my Headquarters.</p> + +<p>In the little church of Roellencourt hangs a crucifix which I gave the +Curé in memory of my son. It is near the chancel-arch in the place +which the old man chose for it. Some day I hope I may re-visit my kind +friends at the Presbytère and talk over the sad events of the past in +the light of the peace that has come through victory.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XIII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page149" name="page149">(p. 149)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Our Home at Camblain l'Abbé.</span><br> + +<i>November and December, 1916.</i></h4> + + +<p>From Roellencourt we moved up to our new headquarters in the Château +at Camblain l'Abbé, which, after we left it in December, was long the +home of the Canadian Corps. I had an Armstrong hut under the trees in +the garden, and after it was lined with green canvas, and divided into +two by green canvas curtains, it was quite artistic and very +comfortable. Opposite the Château we had a large French hut which was +arranged as a cinema. The band of the 3rd Battalion was stationed in +town and gave us a concert every evening, also playing at our services +on Sundays. After the concert was over I used to announce a "rum +issue" at half-past nine in the building. The men knew what it meant, +and a good number would stay behind. Then I would give them a talk on +temperance, astronomy, literature or any subject about which I thought +my audience knew less than I. We generally finished up by singing some +well-known evening hymn. Very pleasant were the entertainments we had +in that old cinema. One night, before a battalion was going up to the +line, I proposed we should have a dance. The band furnished the music, +and the men had one of the most enjoyable evenings they had ever had. +Camblain l'Abbé was not a large place, so we were cramped for room, +and a Nissen hut had to be built for "C" mess.</p> + +<p>My little friend Philo had been stolen on our march, so his place was +taken now by a brindle bull terrier which had been born in Albert. I +called her "Alberta" and as time went on she became a well-known +figure in the First Division. She often accompanied me on my walks to +the trenches, and one day was out in No Man's Land when a minnenwerfer +burst. Alberta did not wait for the bits to come down, but made one +dive into the trench, to the amusement of the men, who said she knew +the use of the trenches. She was my constant companion till her +untimely end in 1918.</p> + +<p>The country round about Camblain l'Abbé was very peaceful and pretty, +and the road to the left from the Château gave one a fine view of the +towers of Mont St. Eloi, which were not then damaged by shells. The +two towers and the front wall of the old abbey were a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page150" name="page150">(p. 150)</a></span> +striking object against the horizon, and could be seen for miles +around. They made a beautiful picture in the distance when seen at +sunset from the trenches beyond Arras. Those two towers must stand out +in the foreground of all the memories which Canadians have of that +region which was so long their war-home. As far as I could learn, Mont +St. Eloi had been the site of an old monastery which had been +destroyed in the French Revolution, the towers and the walls of the +church alone surviving. The farms of the monastery had passed to +secular ownership, but were rich and well cultivated. A spiral stone +staircase led up to an observation post at the top of one of the +towers. The place was visible from the German lines, and till we had +taken Vimy Ridge no one was allowed to climb the tower unless on duty.</p> + +<p>Our trenches now were extremely quiet, and were a pleasant contrast to +those we had left on the Somme. The whole Corps had only a few +casualties each day. The spirits of the men, who had been under a +heavy strain, were now completely restored. Our Corps Headquarters at +this time were at the beautiful Château of Ranchicourt, where they +were very comfortably settled, the country round about being hilly, +richly wooded and well watered. We had church parades in the cinema, +and I often wished that the people at home could have heard the +singing of the men when we had some favourite hymn which the band +accompanied. Every morning I had a celebration of the Holy Communion +there, and sometimes had a good congregation. One night I was talking +to some men in a cookhouse on the opposite side of the village and I +announced the service. When I was leaving, one of the men followed me +and asked me if I would speak to his officer for him and get him sent +back to some quiet job. He told me that he had once had an attack of +nervous prostration, caused by the shock of his father's sudden death, +and that he could not stand life in the trenches. He seemed very much +upset, and I felt that perhaps it would be wise to get him out of the +line, but I could not avoid a sense of disappointment in the midst of +my pity. He told me that he had been confirmed, but had never made his +Communion and was coming to my service the next morning. I promised I +would speak to his officer and went off.</p> + +<p>The next morning, the man was at the service, and after the others +left, waited to speak to me. I thought he wanted to remind me of my +promise. But, instead of that, he came up and said to me, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page151" name="page151">(p. 151)</a></span> +"I +don't want you to speak to my officer, Sir, God has given me strength +to carry on. I have determined to do so and go over the top with the +others." I was delighted to see the change in him. It meant everything +to him and was one of the turning points in his life. Whatever the +future had in store, it was the man's victory over himself, and I gave +him a glad handshake and told him how proud I was of him. Months +afterwards, after the taking of Vimy Ridge, I was passing down the +lines of his battalion, which was in tents near the La Targette road, +when the young fellow came running up to me, his face radiant with +smiles, and told me he had been through all the fighting and had gone +over the top with the boys, and that it wasn't half so bad as he had +thought. In the spring of 1919, I was going into the Beaver Hut in the +Strand one day, when a young fellow came up to me and thanked me for +what I had done for him in the war. I did not recognize him and asked +him what I had done for him, and he told me he was the man who had +been at that service in Camblain l'Abbé and had been through all the +fighting ever since and had come out without a scratch. I met similar +instances in which the human will, by the help of God, was able to +master itself and come out victorious. Once at Bracquemont a man came +to my billet and asked me to get him taken out of his battalion, and +sent to some work behind the lines. He told me his mother and sisters +knew his nerves were weak and had always taken special care of him. He +said that up to this time God had been very good to him in answering +his prayer that he might not have to go over the parapet. I asked him +what right he had to pray such a prayer. He was really asking God to +make another man do what he would not do himself. The prayer was +selfish and wrong, and he could not expect God to answer it. The right +prayer to pray was that, if he was called to go over the parapet God +would give him strength to do his duty. He seemed quite surprised at +the new light which was thus thrown upon the performance of what he +considered his religious duties. Then I told him that he had the +chance of his life to make himself a man. If in the past he had been +more or less a weakling, he could now, by the help of God, rise up in +the strength of his manhood and become a hero. His mother and sisters +no doubt had loved him and taken care of him in the past, but they +would love him far more if he did his duty now, "For", I said, "All +women love a brave man." I told him to take as his text, "I can do all +things through Christ which strengtheneth +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page152" name="page152">(p. 152)</a></span> +me," and I made +him repeat it after me several times. I saw that the young fellow was +pulling himself together, and he shook hands with me and told me he +would go up to the line and take his chance with the rest—and he did. +Later on, he was invalided to the Base with some organic disease. I do +not know where he is now, but he conquered; and like many another +soldier in the great crusade will be the better for all eternity for +his self-mastery.</p> + +<p>On the road which led to Ranchicourt there was an interesting old +chateau at a place called Ohlain, which is mentioned by Dumas in "The +Three Musketeers." The chateau is surrounded by a large moat, and was +built in medieval times. It has a very fine tower, and some other old +buildings surrounding a little courtyard with a garden. The place is +entered by a drawbridge which in olden days used to be raised up +against the massive gateway by chains. One night I had service in the +courtyard at sunset, with the 16th Battalion. One could hardly imagine +a more picturesque setting for a war service in dear old France. At +one point, however, we were disturbed by the arrival of three men who +had been dining in an estaminet in the village, and coming +unexpectedly upon a church service were a little too hearty in their +religious fervour. They had to be guided to some quiet spot where they +might work it off in solitude. Incidents of that kind during voluntary +services were always a little embarrassing, for officers and men felt, +as well as myself, that under the softening influences of religion we +could not be over-hard on the transgressions of frail mortality. +Nothing but the direst necessity would compel us at such times to +resort to the process of military discipline.</p> + +<p>Near Camblain l'Abbé, our ambulances were set up on an elevation of +the ground where two roads crossed. The place rejoiced in the name of +"The Four Winds", and anyone who has resided there for any length of +time feels that the title is an appropriate one. At times the wind +would sweep over the place, and, when rain was mingled with the gale, +it was rather an unpleasant corner. But the ambulances were +comfortable, and the patients were well looked after. Near by is the +little cemetery, where the bodies of many Canadians lie in peace.</p> + +<p>Our life at Camblain l'Abbé, after the hard fighting at the Somme, was +really very pleasant, and the battalions were filled up with new +drafts from the Base. We felt that as the winter was approaching +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page153" name="page153">(p. 153)</a></span> +there would probably be no hard fighting for some months. Special +pains were taken to provide concert parties in the different +battalions, so that the men might have amusement in the evening. It +was wonderful what talent was discovered in the various units. As I +look back upon some of those entertainments at the front I think I +never enjoyed anything more. Not only were the performers clever and +resourceful, but the audience was one that it was thrilling to sit +amongst. In the cinema the stage was well appointed and lighted with +electric lights; the costumes of the men, especially those who took +the part of ladies, were good and well made. The music, vocal and +instrumental, was all that could be desired. But the audience, +composed of hundreds of strong, keen, young men who had endured hard +things, and perhaps, in a few hours after the show, would be once +again facing death in the front trenches, was a sight never to be +forgotten. Could any performer ask for a more sympathetic hearing? Not +a joke was lost upon the men, not a gesture was unobserved; and when +some song with a well-known chorus was started, through the murky +atmosphere of cigarette smoke would rise a volume of harmony which +would fairly shake the building. I have often stood at the back and +listened to a splendid burst of song, which to me had an added charm +from the deep unconscious pathos of it all. Some of those men that +were joining in the rollicking ragtime tune were dying men. Some of +the eyes kindling with laughter at the broad farce of the play, within +a few hours would be gazing upon the mysteries behind the screen of +mortal life. The pathetic chorus of "A Long, Long Trail" always moved +me, and I wondered how many of those brave young hearts in the crowded +hall, now on "the long, long trail," would ever see again the land of +their dreams. I took good care not to let the men know that I was ever +moved by such sentimentalism. We were out to fight the Germans, and on +that one object we had to concentrate all our thoughts to the +obliteration of private emotions.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XIV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page154" name="page154">(p. 154)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">My Search is Rewarded.</span></h4> + + +<p>We had now reached the middle of November, and the 4th Division was +expected to come north very soon. My only chance of finding my son's +body lay in my making a journey to Albert before his battalion moved +away. I woke up one morning and determined that I would start that +day. I told Ross to get my trench clothes and long boots ready, for I +was going to Albert. At luncheon my friends asked me how I proposed to +travel, for Albert was nearly fifty miles away. I told them that the +Lord would provide, and sallied off down the road with my knapsack, +thoroughly confident that I should be able to achieve my purpose. An +ambulance picked me up and took me to the Four Winds cross-roads, and +then a lorry carried me to Aubigny. I went to the field canteen to get +some cigarettes, and while there I met a Canadian Engineer officer +whom I knew. We talked about many things, and as we were leaving I +told him that I was going forth in faith as I hoped to get to Albert +that evening. I said, "You know my motto is 'The Lord will provide'." +As we walked along we came to a turn in the road, where we saw at a +little distance a side-car with a driver all ready. I said to my +friend, "It is just the thing I want. I think I will go to the owner +of that car and say to him that the Lord has provided it for me." He +burst out laughing and said, "I am the owner of that car, and you may +have it." I thanked him and started off. It was a long ride, and at +the end a very wet and muddy one, but I got to Tara Hill that evening +and had dinner at General Thacker's Headquarters. I told the officers +there of the purpose of my visit, that I was going up to the front +line the next morning, and asked if they would telephone to one of the +batteries and tell the O.C. that I should arrive some time in the +middle of the night. The Brigade Major of course tried to dissuade me, +but I told him that I was going in any case, that he was not +responsible for my actions, but that if he liked to make thing easier +for me he could. He quite understood the point, and telephoned to the +11th Battery. I then went back to the reserve headquarters of the 4th +Division in the town, and prepared myself for the journey. When I had +to make an early start +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page155" name="page155">(p. 155)</a></span> +in the morning, I always shaved the +night before, because I thought that, of all the officers, the +chaplain should look the freshest and cleanest. I was in the middle of +the process of shaving, and some staff officers were making chocolate +for our supper, when a German plane came over and dropped a huge bomb +in the garden. It was about one a.m., and we could not help laughing +at the surprise the Germans would have felt if they could have seen +our occupation going on quite undisturbed by their attempt to murder +us.</p> + +<p>About half-past one, I started up the street which led to the Bapaume +road. The moon was shining, and I could see every object distinctly. +Near our old Headquarters I got a lift in a lorry, which took me +almost to Pozières. There I got out and proceeded on my way alone. I +entered the Y.M.C.A. hut and had a good strong cup of coffee, and +started off afresh. That lonely region in the moonlight with the +ruined village to one side and the fields stretching far away on +either hand gave me an eerie feeling. I came upon four dead horses +which had been killed that evening. To add to the strangeness of the +situation, there was a strong scent of tear-gas in the air, which made +my eyes water. Not a living soul could I see in the long white road.</p> + +<p>Suddenly I heard behind me the sound of a troop of horses. I turned +and saw coming towards me one of the strangest sights I have ever +seen, and one which fitted in well with the ghostly character of the +surroundings. It was a troop of mounted men carrying ammunition. They +wore their gas masks, and as they came nearer, and I could see them +more distinctly in the moonlight, the long masks with their two big +glass eye-pieces gave the men a horse-like appearance. They looked +like horses upon horses, and did not seem to be like human beings at +all. I was quite glad when they had passed. I walked on till I came to +what was known as Centre Way. It was a path, sometimes with bath-mats +on it, which led across the fields down to the battery positions in +the valley. Huge shell holes, half filled with water, pitted the +fields in every direction, and on the slippery wood I had great +difficulty to keep from sliding into those which were skirted by the +path. Far off beyond Courcellette I saw the German flare-lights and +the bursting of shells. It was a scene of vast desolation, weird +beyond description. I had some difficulty when I got into the trench +at the end of Centre Way, in finding the 11th Battery. The ground had +been ploughed by shells and the trenches were heavy with soft and +clinging mud. At +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page156" name="page156">(p. 156)</a></span> +last I met a sentry who told me where the +O.C.'s dugout was. It was then about half-past three in the morning, +but I went down the steps, and there, having been kindly welcomed, was +given a blanket on the floor. I started at 6 a.m. with a young +sergeant for Death Valley, where I was to get a runner to take me to +Regina Trench. The sergeant was a splendid young fellow from Montreal +who had won the D.C.M., and was most highly thought of in the battery. +He was afterwards killed on Vimy Ridge, where I buried him in the +cemetery near Thélus. I had been warned that we were going to make a +bombardment of the enemy's lines that morning, and that I ought to be +out of the way before that began. I left the sergeant near +Courcellette and made my way over to the Brigade Headquarters which +were in a dugout in Death Valley. There with the permission of his +O.C., a runner volunteered to come with me. He brought a spade, and we +started down the trench to the front line. When I got into Regina +Trench, I found that it was impossible to pass along it, as one sank +down so deeply into the heavy mud. I had brought a little sketch with +me of the trenches, which showed the shell hole where it was supposed +that the body had been buried. The previous night a cross had been +placed there by a corporal of the battalion before it left the front +line. No one I spoke to, however, could tell me the exact map location +of the place where it stood. I looked over the trenches, and on all +sides spread a waste of brown mud, made more desolate by the morning +mist which clung over everything. I was determined, however, not to be +baffled in my search, and told the runner who was with me that, if I +stayed there six months, I was not going to leave till I had found +that grave. We walked back along the communication trench and turned +into one on the right, peering over the top every now and then to see +if we could recognize anything corresponding to the marks on our map. +Suddenly the runner, who was looking over the top, pointed far away to +a lonely white cross that stood at a point where the ground sloped +down through the mist towards Regina Trench. At once we climbed out of +the trench and made our way over the slippery ground and past the deep +shell holes to where the white cross stood out in the solitude. We +passed many bodies which were still unburied, and here and there were +bits of accoutrement which had been lost during the advance. When we +came up to the cross I read my son's name upon it, and knew that I had +reached the object I had in view. As the corporal who had placed +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page157" name="page157">(p. 157)</a></span> +the cross there had not been quite sure that it was actually on +the place of burial, I got the runner to dig the ground in front of +it. He did so, but we discovered nothing but a large piece of a shell. +Then I got him to try in another place, and still we could find +nothing. I tried once again, and after he had dug a little while he +came upon something white. It was my son's left hand, with his signet +ring upon it. They had removed his identification disc, revolver and +pocket-book, so the signet ring was the only thing which could have +led to his identification. It was really quite miraculous that we +should have made the discovery. The mist was lifting now, and the sun +to the East was beginning to light up the ground. We heard the crack +of bullets, for the Germans were sniping us. I made the runner go down +into a shell hole, while I read the burial service, and then took off +the ring. I looked over the ground where the charge had been made. +There lay Regina Trench, and far beyond it, standing out against the +morning light, I saw the villages of Pys and Miraumont which were our +objective. It was a strange scene of desolation, for the November +rains had made the battle fields a dreary, sodden waste. How many of +our brave men had laid down their lives as the purchase price of that +consecrated soil! Through the centuries to come it must always remain +sacred to the hearts of Canadians. We made a small mound where the +body lay, and then by quick dashes from shell hole to shell hole we +got back at last to the communication trench, and I was indeed +thankful to feel that my mission had been successful. I have received +letters since I returned to Canada from the kind young fellow, who +accompanied me on the journey, and I shall never cease to be grateful +to him. I left him at his headquarters in Death Valley, and made my +way past Courcellette towards the road. As the trench was very muddy, +I got out of it, and was walking along the top when I came across +something red on the ground. It was a piece of a man's lung with the +windpipe attached. I suppose some poor lad had had a direct hit from a +shell and his body had been blown to pieces. The Germans were shelling +the road, so with some men I met we made a detour through the fields +and joined it further on, and finally got to the chalk-pit where the +87th Battalion was waiting to go in again to the final attack. I was +delighted to see my friends once more, and they were thankful that I +had been able to find the grave. Not many days afterwards, some of +those whom I then met were called themselves to +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page158" name="page158">(p. 158)</a></span> +make the +supreme sacrifice. I spent that night at the Rear Headquarters of the +4th Division, and they kindly sent me back the next day to Camblain +l'Abbé in one of their cars.</p> + +<p>On November 24th I received a telegram saying that a working party of +one of the battalions of the 4th Division had brought my son's body +back, and so on the following day I motored once again to Albert and +laid my dear boy to rest in the little cemetery on Tara Hill, which he +and I had seen when he was encamped near it, and in which now were the +bodies of some of his friends whom I had met on my last visit. I was +thankful to have been able to have him buried in a place which is +known and can be visited, but I would say to the many parents whose +sons lie now in unknown graves, that, after all, the grave seems to be +a small and minor thing in view of the glorious victory and triumphant +life which is all that really matters. If I had not been successful in +my quest, I should not have vexed my soul with anxious thought as to +what had become of that which is merely the earthly house of the +immortal spirit which goes forth into the eternal. Let those whose +dear ones lie in unrecorded graves remember that the strong, glad +spirits—like Valiant for Truth in "Pilgrim's Progress"—have passed +through the turbulent waters of the river of death, and "all the +trumpets have sounded for them on the other side."</p> + +<p>In June of the following year, when the Germans had retired after our +victory at Vimy Ridge, I paid one more visit to Regina Trench. The +early summer had clothed the waste land in fresh and living green. +Larks were singing gaily in the sunny sky. No sound of shell or gun +disturbed the whisper of the breeze as it passed over the +sweet-smelling fields. Even the trenches were filling up and Mother +Nature was trying to hide the cruel wounds which the war had made upon +her loving breast. One could hardly recall the visions of gloom and +darkness which had once shrouded that scene of battle. In the healing +process of time all mortal agonies, thank God, will be finally +obliterated.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page159" name="page159">(p. 159)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">A Time of Preparation.</span><br> + +<i>Christmas, 1916, to April, 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>It was certain now that all serious fighting was at an end till next +spring, so everyone settled down to his work with a sense of relief +and tried to make the best of things. A few days after my return from +Albert I went to England.</p> + +<p>On my return to France, I heard with some regret that our Divisional +Headquarters were going to move, and that the Corps would make +Camblain l'Abbé their headquarters. On December 20th we moved back to +the town of Bruay, where we were to stay till after the New Year. +Bruay in comparison with Camblain l'Abbé is a large and thriving town, +all the inhabitants being more or less connected with the mines in the +neighbourhood. Our Headquarters were in the administration building of +the Mining Company, in a square, and I had a billet in a street near +by. There was a good theatre in the place, which our 1st Divisional +Concert party took over, and where I had services on Sunday. In and +around the town were several of the battalions; the rest of the +division were in the villages near by. Bruay had not been shelled, and +the mines were being worked as in pre-war days. It was a comfort to +have the men out of the line once again, and the roads round about +were very pleasant, the country being hilly and unspoilt. Bethune was +within easy reach, and a visit to the quaint town made a pleasant +afternoon's ride.</p> + +<p>Rumours were abroad that with the opening of Spring we were to begin +an offensive, and it was generally believed that towards the close of +the next year we might hope for the end of hostilities. Our men were +being trained, when weather permitted, in open warfare, and the time +of so-called rest was really a period of constant activity. The chief +hotel in the place became an officers' club, and very pleasant were +the reunions we had there. I was glad we were going to spend Christmas +out of the line, and determined to take advantage of the theatre as a +place for Christmas services. The 8th and 14th Battalions were +quartered in the town, besides some smaller units, so we had a good +many men to draw upon for a congregation. On Christmas Eve, at +half-past eleven, I had a celebration of the Holy +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page160" name="page160">(p. 160)</a></span> +Communion. +We had a splendid band to play the Christmas hymns, and a large number +of men attended. The stage was made to look as much as possible like a +chancel, and the service was very hearty. Many made their communion. I +also had a watch-night service on New Year's Eve. The theatre was +almost filled with men—there were rows of them even in the gallery. +It was an inspiring sight, and we all felt we were beginning a year +that was to decide the destinies of the Empire. I told the men that +somewhere in the pages of the book which we were opening that night +lay hidden the tremendous secret of our success or failure. At ten +minutes to twelve we sat in silence, while the band played Chopin's +Funeral March. It was almost too moving, for once again the vision +came before us of the terrible battle-fields of the Somme and the +faces that had gone. Then we all rose, and there was a brief moment +for silent prayer. At midnight the buglers of the 14th Battalion +sounded the Last Post, and at the close the band struck up the hymn "O +God our help in ages past." A mighty chorus of voices joined in the +well-known strains. After the Benediction, I went down to the door and +shook hands with as many of the men as I could and wished them a happy +New Year. No one who was at that service will ever forget it. As we +found out, the trail before us was longer than we had expected, and +the next New Year's Eve found many of us, though, alas, not all, in +that theatre once more, still awaiting the issue of the conflict.</p> + +<p>In January, I paid a flying visit to the Canadian Cavalry Headquarters +at Tully near Abbeville, and saw many old friends. On my return, I had +a curious experience which throws a light upon railway travelling at +the Front. A friend had motored me to Abbeville that afternoon, just +in time to catch a leave-train full of men returning from England. I +only wanted to go as far as St. Pol, about thirty miles off, where I +hoped to get a car for Bruay. I got into a carriage with four +officers, one of whom was a chaplain who had just been decorated with +the D.S.O. I had crossed the Channel with him once before, so was glad +to renew our acquaintance. The train left Abbeville about four +o'clock. We found ourselves in a second-class compartment. The windows +were broken, the floor was dirty, and there was no lamp to lighten our +darkness. By pulling down the curtains we tried to keep out the cold +wind, but the draught was very unpleasant, and we had to trust to the +accumulated warmth of our bodies to keep from freezing.</p> + +<p>Instead +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page161" name="page161">(p. 161)</a></span> +of going directly to St. Pol, for some reason or +other, the train started off to the South. We travelled on and on at a +snail's pace, and had frequent and lengthy stops. When the light died +away, we should have been in complete darkness if one of the officers +had not brought a candle with him. Hour after hour passed by and we +began to get hungry. Somebody had some sandwiches and a piece of cake, +and this was shared by all the company. It served to stimulate rather +than soothe the appetite. About midnight to our astonishment we found +we had got to Canaples, where I had stayed when we were going to the +Somme. Someone said there had been a railway accident and we had to +travel by branch lines. In spite of the cold, we tried to sleep. I sat +between my parson friend, who was inclined to be stout, and another +officer who was remarkably angular. When I leaned upon my corpulent +friend, his frequent fits of coughing made my head bounce as though it +were resting on an air-cushion. When I got tired of this and leaned +against my angular friend on the other side, the jolting of the +carriage scraped my ear against his ribs. I spent the night by leaning +first on one companion, and then on the other. The morning found us +still travelling, and finally at half-past ten the train drew up once +more at our starting point in Abbeville station. Having been eighteen +hours without food or drink or the opportunity of a shave, I thought +it was about time to retire, and told my companions that life was too +short to spend it in railway journeys of that description. So, with a +feeling of superiority and independence which made the others green +with envy, I bid them good-bye. I never heard any more of my friends, +but, although the war has long since ended, I have a sort of dim +impression in my mind that they are still travelling round and round +and coming back to Abbeville again. I went over to the officers' club +and had a good wash and luncheon, and there meeting a very nice +engineer officer, I asked him if he could tell me where I could find +any lorries going North. I told him my railway experience, and it so +moved him that he very kindly sent me off in his own car to St. Pol, +where I was picked up by one of our staff cars and taken home in time +for dinner. Railway journeys in France were not things to remember +with pleasure, and if they were bad for the officers, what must they +have been for the poor men in the crowded third-class carriages?</p> + +<p>At the end of January, our pleasant life at Bruay came to an end, and +we moved off to Barlin which was to be our headquarters for +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page162" name="page162">(p. 162)</a></span> +a month and a half. It was while we were there that I had an attack of +trench-fever, which, like being "crummy," is really part of a complete +war experience. Barlin was not a bad place of residence. There were +many men within easy reach, and I had an upper room in the Town Hall +for use as a chapel. The presence of a well equipped British hospital +also gave one opportunities of seeing our wounded men. We had come to +know by this time that the first task which lay before us in the +opening of spring was the taking of Vimy Ridge, and our life became +filled with fresh zest and interest in view of the coming attack.</p> + +<p>On the 15th of March our Division moved up to a place called Ecoivres, +where we were billeted in the old Château. The Count who owned the +Château kept some rooms downstairs for himself, but we occupied all +the rest of the building. In the hall upstairs we had a large model of +Vimy Ridge, which all the officers and men of the battalions visited +in turn, in order to study the character of the land over which they +had to charge. In the garden were numerous huts, and in a large +building in a street to the right of the Château was a billet which +held a great number of men. It was almost entirely filled up with +tiers upon tiers of wooden shelves, on which the men made their beds. +They were reached by wooden stairs. Nearly fifteen hundred men were +crowded into the building. On the ground floor beside the door, there +was a high platform which commanded a view of the whole interior. On +this, one of the bands lived and gave us music in the evening. Every +night after dinner, I used to go to the cinema, as we called the +place, and have either a service or a talk with the men on general +subjects. At such times outsiders would crowd in, and we have had very +hearty singing when the band struck up a hymn. I always tried to have +some piece of good news to announce, and would get the latest reports +from the signallers to read aloud. The men were in splendid spirits, +and we were all buoyed up with the hope that we were going to end the +war. I used to speak about the war outlook, and would tell the men +that there were only two issues before us: Victory or Slavery. When I +asked them one night "Which shall it be, Boys?" a loud shout of +"Victory!" went up.</p> + +<p>News was not always plentiful, and it was a little hard at times to +find anything particularly interesting to say, and so, one night I +determined to make a variation. I told the men that on the next +evening, if they would bring in questions to me on any subject which +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page163" name="page163">(p. 163)</a></span> +had been troubling them, I should be very glad to try to give +an answer. I thought that an entertainment of that kind might be both +attractive and helpful. On the next evening, therefore, I ascended the +platform as usual and found the place crowded with men. I had my +acetylene lamp with me to furnish light for reading any questions that +might be sent up. I called the meeting to order, and then asked if any +men had any questions to ask. To my great delight, someone at the back +held an envelope above the crowd, and it was passed up to me. I tore +it open, and, holding my lamp in one hand, without first looking over +the letter, I read it aloud to the men, who were hushed in the silence +of anticipation. I give it just as it was written:—</p> + + +<p> +<span class="quotedr">"Somewhere in France,</span><br> +<span class="quotedr">3/4/17.</span></p> + +<div class="left05"> +<p>Dear Sir:—</p> + +<p>I am going to ask you a question which has been a load to my +little bit of mental capacity for a period of months. Often have +I woke up in the old dugout, my hair standing straight up and +one eye looking straight into the eyeball of the other, trying to +obtain an answer to this burning question. I have kept my weary +vigil over the parapet at night, with my rifle in one hand and a +couple of bombs in the other, and two or three in each pocket, and +still I am pondering over this burning question. I will now ask you +the question. When do you think this God dam war will be over, +eh?"</p> +</div> + +<p>I never was so completely taken aback in all my life. A roar of +laughter burst from the men, in which I joined heartily. From the +tiers of bunks and every part of the building, cheers went up, and we +had one of the pleasantest evenings in that old cinema that we had +ever experienced. I do not know who the man was who sent the letter, +or whether he is alive now. If he is, I wish he would write to me. I +want to thank him for giving us all a good, hearty laugh at that time +of preparation and anxiety. I keep the letter among my most treasured +war souvenirs.</p> + +<p>The winter rains had not improved the roads, but still day and night, +through mud and water, a constant stream of vehicles of all +descriptions passed up towards the front carrying ammunition. +Ammunition was everywhere. At certain places it was stacked along the +roads. The strain upon the horses was very great, and numbers +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page164" name="page164">(p. 164)</a></span> +of them died, and their bodies lay by the wayside for many days, +no one having time to bury them.</p> + +<p>It was perfectly impossible to get any place in which to hold +Communion services, so, with the permission of the family who owned +it, I made use of a little Gothic shrine near the church, which stood +over a family vault. It was a miniature chapel, and had an altar in +it. The glass in the coloured windows had been broken, but we replaced +it by canvas. I hung upon the wall outside the board which I used as a +sign, with the words "St. George's Church" upon it. In this little +building every morning at eight o'clock I had a celebration of Holy +Communion, and I always had some men attending.</p> + +<p>Our trenches were tolerably quiet, and lay beyond the Arras-Bethune +Road. At a place called Maison Blanche there was a large cavern which +was used as a billet for one of the battalions in reserve. Some +strange stories were told about the fighting that had taken place in +it between the French and the Germans at the beginning of the war. I +went down into it one evening when the 16th Battalion was there. It +was a most picturesque place. The walls and roof were white chalk and +the place was cut up by passages and openings which led into other +caves. The atmosphere was smoky, and a multitude of candles lit up the +strange abode. The men were cooking in their mess tins, some were +playing cards, and some were examining the seams of their shirts. I +told them I was going to have a service at one end of the cavern and I +proceeded thither with a good number following. Some of the card +players seemed too interested in their game to care to attend, and so +I called out to the men in a loud voice not to make too much noise, +lest they should disturb the gamblers. One of the men who was playing +cards responded "If you will wait till we have finished this hand, +Sir, we will all come too." I made the announcement therefor that we +would not begin till the players were ready. The result of this was +that in a very little while all the men came and joined in the +service.</p> + +<p>The possession of the Ridge gave the Germans a great advantage, +because it commanded a view of a very large piece of country and +several main roads. Further up the road from Maison Blanche there was +a place called Arriane Dump, where the Engineers had stored material +in preparation for our attack. A long plank road connected it with the +Anzin-St. Eloi road. On a dark and rainy +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page165" name="page165">(p. 165)</a></span> +night that wooden +track was an unpleasant place for a walk. Lorries, wagons, limbers, +transports, horses and men crowded it, and the traffic every now and +then would get blocked. No flashlights could be used, and it was +hard to escape being run over. Yet to step off the boards meant to +sink almost to your knees in mud. The language that one heard at such +times in the darkness was not quite fit for ears polite. It is well +that the horses were not able to understand the uncomplimentary +speeches that were addressed to them.</p> + +<p>There was a tremendous concentration of artillery in the back area. +The town of Anzin, on the bank of the river Scarpe, was filled with +heavy batteries. To ride through it was to run the risk of many +unpleasant surprises from the sudden firing of big guns by the +wayside. Once, I was approaching an apparently harmless hole in a +brick wall, when all of a sudden Dandy and I found ourselves enveloped +in flame and almost stunned by a huge report. As we bounded past the +hole, I saw a large gun moving up and down under the force of its +recoil, and with smoke still curling out of its mouth.</p> + +<p>The siege battery in which my third son was a gunner had now arrived +and taken up its position in a field behind Anzin, where a 15-inch +howitzer sent forth its deadly missives to the Germans every fifteen +minutes and in return drew their fire. One day a shell burst in a hut +used by some Railway Troops. A large number of them were wounded and +eleven killed, whom I buried in a row on the hillside.</p> + +<p>On the 4th of April, we received news that America had declared war +upon Germany. I thanked God in my heart that at last the +English-speaking world had been drawn together, and I knew that the +effect upon the Germans would be disastrous. I rode out that afternoon +to give the good news to our men. I met a British Battalion coming out +of the line, looking very tired and hungry. They were resting by the +roadside, and I passed along and cheered them by telling them that the +United States had now come in definitely as one of our Allies, and +that I thought the effect would be the shortening of the war. +America's decision could not have come at a better time. The year was +opening out before us, and the initiative was coming into our hands +The prospect was bright and our men were keen for the encounter.</p> + +<p>April 6th was Good Friday. It was impossible to have service at +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page166" name="page166">(p. 166)</a></span> +Ecoivres, as everyone was so busy, so I rode over to Anzin and +had service for the 7th Siege Battery in an empty Nissen hut. Most of +the men of the battery were present, and I had forty communicants. The +place was lit by candles which every now and then were extinguished by +the firing of the fifteen-inch gun nearby. Easter Day was originally +intended to be the day for our attack, but it had been postponed till +Monday. We could not do much in the way of observing the great feast. +Every room and shed in the town was filled, and men were lying out +under rubber sheets in the fields. I had two celebrations of the Holy +Communion in the Y.M.C.A. hut, the floor of which was covered with +sleeping men. I managed to clear a little space on the stage for the +altar. Of course, not many attended, but at one of the services was an +officer who had won the V.C. and the D.S.O. and had a foreign +Decoration as well. In the afternoon I visited and gave an address to +one of the battalions moving up the line. I also had a service in the +cinema that evening.</p> + +<p>It was a time of mingled anxiety and exhilaration. What did the next +twenty-four hours hold in store for us? Was it to be a true Easter for +the world, and a resurrection to a new and better life? If death +awaited us, what nobler passage could there be to Eternity than such a +death in such a cause? Never was the spirit of comradeship higher in +the Canadian Corps. Never was there a greater sense of unity. The task +laid upon us was a tremendous one, but in the heart of each man, from +private to general, was the determination that it should be performed. +On that Easter night, the battalions took their places in the line. +The men at the guns, which had hitherto been concealed and kept +silent, were ready to open fire at zero hour, and all along that front +the eager heart of Canada waited impatiently for the dawn.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XVI. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page167" name="page167">(p. 167)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Capture of Vimy Ridge.</span><br> + +<i>April 9th, 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>My alarm clock went off at four a.m. on the great day of April 9th, +which will always shine brightly in the annals of the war. I got up +and ate the breakfast which I had prepared the night before, and +taking with me my tin of bully-beef, I started off to see the opening +barrage. It was quite dark when I emerged from the door of the Château +and passed the sentry at the gate. I went through the village of +Ecoivres, past the Crucifix by the cemetery, and then turning to the +right went on to a path which led up to Bray Hill on the St. Eloi +road. I found some men of one of our battalions bent on the same +enterprise. We got into the field and climbed the hill, and there on +the top of it waited for the attack to begin. The sky was overcast, +but towards the east the grey light of approaching dawn was beginning +to appear. It was a thrilling moment. Human lives were at stake. The +honour of our country was at stake. The fate of civilization was at +stake.</p> + +<p>Far over the dark fields, I looked towards the German lines, and, now +and then, in the distance I saw a flare-light appear for a moment and +then die away. Now and again, along our nine-mile front, I saw the +flash of a gun and heard the distant report of a shell. It looked as +if the war had gone to sleep, but we knew that all along the line our +trenches were bristling with energy and filled with men animated with +one resolve, with one fierce determination. It is no wonder that to +those who have been in the war and passed through such moments, +ordinary life and literature seem very tame. The thrill of such a +moment is worth years of peace-time existence. To the watcher of a +spectacle so awful and sublime, even human companionship struck a +jarring note. I went over to a place by myself where I could not hear +the other men talking, and there I waited. I watched the luminous +hands of my watch get nearer and nearer to the fateful moment, for the +barrage was to open at five-thirty. At five-fifteen the sky was +getting lighter and already one could make out objects distinctly in +the fields below. The long hand of my watch was at five-twenty-five. +The fields, the roads, and the hedges were beginning to show the +difference of colour in the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page168" name="page168">(p. 168)</a></span> +early light. Five-twenty-seven! +In three minutes the rain of death was to begin. In the awful silence +around it seemed as if Nature were holding her breath in expectation +of the staggering moment. Five-twenty-nine! God help our men! +Five-thirty! With crisp sharp reports the iron throats of a battery +nearby crashed forth their message of death to the Germans, and from +three thousand guns at that moment the tempest of death swept through +the air. It was a wonderful sound. The flashes of guns in all +directions made lightnings in the dawn. The swish of shells through +the air was continuous, and far over on the German trenches I saw the +bursts of flame and smoke in a long continuous line, and, above the +smoke, the white, red and green lights, which were the S.O.S. signals +from the terrified enemy. In an instant his artillery replied, and +against the morning clouds the bursting shrapnel flashed. Now and then +our shells would hit a German ammunition dump, and, for a moment, a +dull red light behind the clouds of smoke, added to the grandeur of +the scene. I knelt on the ground and prayed to the God of Battles to +guard our noble men in that awful line of death and destruction, and +to give them victory, and I am not ashamed to confess that it was with +the greatest difficulty I kept back my tears. There was so much human +suffering and sorrow, there were such tremendous issues involved in +that fierce attack, there was such splendour of human character being +manifested now in that "far flung line," where smoke and flame mocked +the calm of the morning sky, that the watcher felt he was gazing upon +eternal things.</p> + +<p>When it got thoroughly light I determined to go on up the road to the +3rd Artillery Brigade which was to press on after the infantry. I +found both officers and men very keen and preparing to advance. For +weeks at night, they had been making bridges over the trenches, so +that the guns could be moved forward rapidly on the day of the attack. +I had breakfast with the O.C. of one of the batteries, a young fellow +only twenty-three years of age who had left McGill to enter the war. +He was afterwards killed in front of Arras. After breakfast I went on +up the line till I came to the 3rd Artillery Brigade Headquarters, and +there asked for the latest reports of progress. They were feeling +anxious because the advancing battalions had given no signal for some +time, and it was thought that they might have been held up. Someone, +however looked at his watch and then at the schedule time of attack, +and found that at that +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page169" name="page169">(p. 169)</a></span> +particular moment the men were to +rest for ten minutes before pressing on. The instant the time for +advance came, rockets were sent up to show that our men were still +going ahead. I went up the road to Neuville St. Vaast, where there was +an aid post, and there I saw the wounded coming in, some walking, with +bandaged arms and heads, and some being brought in on stretchers. They +were all in high spirits and said that the attack had been a great +success. Of course, the walking wounded were the first to appear, the +more serious cases came afterwards, but still there was the note of +triumph in all the accounts of the fighting which I heard. I moved on +to a track near Maison Blanche, and then followed up the men. The +ridge by this time was secured and our front line was still pressing +forward on the heels of the retreating Germans. It was a glorious +moment. The attack which we had looked forward to and prepared for so +long had been successful. The Germans had been taken by surprise and +the important strategic point which guarded the rich coal fields of +Northern France was in our possession.</p> + +<p>The sight of the German trenches was something never to be forgotten. +They had been strongly held and had been fortified with an immense +maze of wire. But now they were ploughed and shattered by enormous +shell holes. The wire was twisted and torn and the whole of that +region looked as if a volcanic upheaval had broken the crust of the +earth. Hundreds of men were now walking over the open in all +directions. German prisoners were being hurried back in scores. +Wounded men, stretcher-bearers and men following up the advance were +seen on all sides, and on the ground lay the bodies of friends and +foes who had passed to the Great Beyond. I met a British staff officer +coming back from the front, who told me he belonged to Army +Headquarters. He asked me if I was a Canadian, and when I replied that +I was, he said, "I congratulate you upon it." I reminded him that +British artillery were also engaged in the attack and should share in +the glory. "That may be", he said, "but, never since the world began +have men made a charge with finer spirit. It was a magnificent +achievement."</p> + +<p>Our burial parties were hard at work collecting the bodies of those +who had fallen, and the chaplains were with them. I met some of the +battalions, who, having done their part in the fighting, were coming +back. Many of them had suffered heavily and the mingled +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page170" name="page170">(p. 170)</a></span> +feelings of loss and gain chastened their exaltation and tempered +their sorrow. I made my way over to the ruins of the village of Thélus +on our left, and there I had my lunch in a shell hole with some men, +who were laughing over an incident of the attack. So sudden had been +our advance that a German artillery officer who had a comfortable +dugout in Thélus, had to run away before he was dressed. Two of our +men had gone down into the dugout and there they found the water in +the wash-basin still warm and many things scattered about in +confusion. They took possession of everything that might be of use +including some German war maps, and were just trying to get a very +fine telephone when two other of our men hearing voices in the dugout +and thinking the enemy might still be there, threw down a smoke bomb +which set fire to the place. The invaders had to relinquish their +pursuit of the telephone and beat a hasty retreat. Smoke was still +rising from the dugout when I saw it and continued to do so for a day +or two.</p> + +<p>Our signallers were following up the infantry and laying wires over +the open. Everyone was in high spirits. By this time the retreating +Germans had got well beyond the crest of the Ridge and across the +valley. It was about six o'clock in the evening when I reached our +final objective, which was just below the edge of the hill. There our +men were digging themselves in. It was no pleasant task, because the +wind was cold and it was beginning to snow. The prospect of spending a +night there was not an attractive one, and every man was anxious to +make the best home for himself he could in the ground. It was +wonderful to look over the valley. I saw the villages of Willerval, +Arleux and Bailleul-sur-Berthouit. They looked so peaceful in the +green plain which had not been disturbed as yet by shells. The church +spires stood up undamaged like those of some quiet hamlet in England. +I thought, "If we could only follow up our advance and keep the +Germans on the move," but the day was at an end and the snow was +getting heavier. I saw far off in the valley, numbers of little grey +figures who seemed to be gradually gathering together, and I heard an +officer say he thought the Germans were preparing for a +counter-attack. Our men, however, paid little attention to them. The +pressing question of the moment was how to get a comfortable and +advantageous position for the night. Canadians never showed up better +than at such times. They were so quiet and determined and bore their +hardships with a spirit of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page171" name="page171">(p. 171)</a></span> +good nature which rested on +something sounder and more fundamental than even pleasure in achieving +victory. About half-past six, when I started back, I met our +Intelligence Officer, V.C., D.S.O., coming up to look over the line. +He was a man who did much but said little and generally looked very +solemn. I went up to him and said, "Major, far be it from me, as a man +of peace and a man of God, to say anything suggestive of slaughter, +but, if I were a combatant officer, I would drop some shrapnel in that +valley in front of our lines." Just the faint flicker of a smile +passed over his countenance and he replied, "We are shelling the +valley." "No," I said, "Our shells are going over the valley into the +villages beyond, and the Germans in the plain are getting ready for a +counter-attack. I could see them with my naked eyes." "Well." he +replied, "I will go and look."</p> + +<p>Later on when I was down in a German dugout which had been turned into +the headquarters of our advanced artillery brigade, and was eating the +half tin of cold baked beans which my friend, the C.O. had failed to +consume, I had the satisfaction of hearing the message come through on +the wires, that our artillery had to concentrate its fire on the +valley, as the Germans were preparing for a counter-attack. When I +left the warm comfortable dugout, I found that it was quite dark and +still snowing. My flashlight was of little use for it only lit up the +snowflakes immediately in front of me, and threw no light upon my +path. I did not know how I should be able to get back in the darkness +through the maze of shell holes and broken wire. Luckily a signaller +came up to me and seeing my plight led me over to a light railway +track which had just been laid, and told me that if I kept on it I +should ultimately get back to the Arras-Bethune road. It was a hard +scramble, for the track was narrow and very slippery, and had to be +felt with the feet rather than seen with the eyes. I was terribly +tired, for I had had a long walk and the excitement of the day and +talking to such numbers of men had been very fatiguing. To add to my +difficulties, our batteries lay between me and the road and were now +in full action. My old dread of being killed by our own guns seemed to +be justified on the present occasion. Gun flashes came every few +seconds with a blinding effect, and I thought I should never get +behind those confounded batteries. I had several tumbles in the +snow-covered mud, but there was nothing to be done except to struggle +on and trust to good +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page172" name="page172">(p. 172)</a></span> +luck to get through. When at last I +reached the road I was devoutly thankful to be there and I made my way +to the dugout of the signallers, where I was most kindly received and +hospitably entertained, in spite of the fact that I kept dropping +asleep in the midst of the conversation. One of our signal officers, +in the morning, had gone over with some men in the first wave of the +attack. He made directly for the German signallers' dugout and went +down with his followers, and, finding about forty men there, told them +they were his prisoners. They were astonished at his appearance, but +he took possession of the switch-board and told them that the +Canadians had captured the Ridge. One of the Germans was sent up to +find out, and returned with the report that the Canadians held the +ground. Our men at once took possession of all the telegraph +instruments and prevented information being sent back to the enemy in +the rear lines. Having done this, our gallant Canadians ordered the +prisoners out of the dugout and then sat down and ate the breakfast +which they had just prepared. This was only one of many deeds of cool +daring done that day. On one occasion the Germans were running so fast +in front of one of our battalions that our men could not resist +following them. They were actually rushing into the zone of our own +fire in order to get at them. A gallant young lieutenant, who +afterwards won the V.C., seeing the danger, with great pluck, ran in +front of the men and halted them with the words, "Stop, Boys, give the +barrage a chance."</p> + +<p>In spite of the numbers of wounded and dying men which I had seen, the +victory was such a complete and splendid one that April 9th, 1917, was +one of the happiest days in my life, and when I started out from the +signallers dugout on my way back to Ecoivres, and passed the hill +where I had seen the opening of the great drama in the early morning, +my heart was full of thankfulness to Almighty God for his blessing on +our arms. I arrived at my room in the Château at about half past two +a.m., very tired and very happy. I made myself a large cup of strong +coffee, on my primus stove, ate a whole tin of cold baked beans, and +then turned in to a sound slumber, filled with dreams of victory and +glory, and awoke well and fit in the morning, more than ever proud of +the grand old First Division which, as General Horne told us later, had +made a new record in British war annals by taking every objective on +the scheduled dot of the clock.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XVII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page173" name="page173">(p. 173)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">A Month on the Ridge.</span><br> + +<i>April to May, 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>The great drawback to a victory in a war of movement, which we were +told we were now engaged in, is that, after an advance, one has to +follow up the line, and consequently, comfortable billets have to be +exchanged for broken down shacks in the forward area. Not many days +after our men had taken Vimy Ridge, Divisional Headquarters had to +move up to the Arras-Bethune road and occupy a chalk cave which was +known as the Labyrinth. It had once been the scene of fierce fighting +between the French and the Germans. Deep down, in passages scooped out +of the chalk were the various offices of the division and the billets +for the staff. The place was very much crowded, and I quickly +perceived that the last person whose society was wanted there was the +Senior Chaplain. Having taken the situation in at a glance, I made my +way to my friend the Staff Captain of the Artillery, and he very +kindly invited me to share with him and another officer, the little +dugout he had chosen for himself. It was entered by a narrow passage +cut through the chalk in the side of the trench, and the roof +consisted of a large semi-circular piece of iron under the ground. We +had three beds and a table, and so were comfortable. When one stood on +the earth which covered our roof, it was impossible to see any +suggestion of a home underneath. Nothing was in sight but the wide +expanse of rolling country cut up on all sides by trenches and shell +holes, and wearing a sort of khaki uniform of light brown mud. To the +east of us, lay the road bordered with leafless and battered trees, +past which went an interminable line of lorries, guns and limbers. We +were very comfortable, and at night when the winds were blowing and +the rain was coming down in sheets, it was not half bad after dinner +to read aloud Tennyson's "Ulysses" or other of my favourite poems. I +am not sure that I did not at times, relying upon the inclemency of +the weather overhead, recite some of my own. I know that one morning, +when I had awakened at about four o'clock, I turned on the light of a +storage battery which I had found in a German dugout, and sitting up +wrote the verses which I called +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page174" name="page174">(p. 174)</a></span> +"The Silent Toast" and which +my artillery friends approved of when I recited them at breakfast.</p> + +<p>The aftermath of victory is of course very sad. Many were the gallant +men whose bodies were laid to rest in the little cemetery at Ecoivres. +The cemetery is well kept and very prettily situated. The relatives of +those who are buried there will be pleased to find the graves so +carefully preserved. The large crucifix which stands on a mound near +the gate is most picturesquely surrounded by trees. In the mound some +soldier, probably a Frenchman, had once made a dugout. The site was +evidently chosen with the idea that crucifixes were untouched by +shells, and therefore places of refuge from danger. I often thought, +as I looked at the crucifix with the human shelter beneath it, that it +might stand as a symbol of the hymn:—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Rock of Ages cleft for me<br> + Let me hide myself in Thee." +</div> + +<p>The engineers had had a dump for their material near the Bethune-Arras +road, and when they moved it forward to a place called the "Nine +Elms," the engineer officer gave me his dugout, which was partly +beside the road and partly under it. It consisted of several rooms, +one of which contained a bed, and had steps going down to a deep +chamber whither one could retire in case of shelling. It was good to +have such a large and comfortable establishment, and when Alberta was +chained up in her corner and I had strapped myself into my kit bag at +night, we both felt very snug. The only trouble was that visitors kept +coming at all hours to ask for engineering materials, not knowing that +the character of the abode had changed. Early one morning, an officer +came in a great hurry, and waking me up, asked if there were any +winches there,—he pronounced the word like wenches. I sat up in bed +and looked at him sternly, and said, "Young man, this is a religious +establishment, I am the Senior Chaplain, and there are no wenches +here." He did not know quite what to make of the situation. "I mean +wooden ones," he said. I replied, "Young man, there are no wenches +here, either wooden or any other kind; the engineers have gone +forward." He apologized and left. On another occasion, in the darkness +of middle night, an Imperial soldier who had lost his way came down +the steps and put his head into my door and began to stammer and hiss +in such an extraordinary way that Alberta was roused +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page175" name="page175">(p. 175)</a></span> +and +barked furiously. I woke up with a start and asked what the matter +was, but all I could get from the poor man was a series of noises and +hisses. I turned on my flashlight, and a very muddy face covered with +a shock of red hair looked in at the door of my little room, and with +many contortions and winkings, emitted a series of incomprehensible +noises. What with the stammering man and the barking dog, I was at my +wits end to find out the trouble. At last by a process of synthesis, I +pieced the various sounds together and found that the man wanted the +location of a certain British battery. I gave him the best information +I could.</p> + +<p>Not far from me, at Arriane Dump, the Chaplain's Service established a +coffee stall, and there men who were going up to or coming from the +line could get coffee, biscuits and cigarettes at all hours. The +neighbourhood had now become so safe that little huts were being run +up in various places. I asked our C.R.E. to build me a church, and, to +my great joy, an officer and some men were detailed to put up a little +structure of corrugated iron. At one end, over the entrance door, +there was a belfry in which was hung a good sized German gas bell +found in the trenches on our advance. Surmounting the belfry, was a +cross painted with luminous paint. Inside the church, I had an altar +with crucifix and candlesticks, and the Union Jack for a frontal. I +also had a lectern and portable organ. The oiled linen in the windows +let in a sufficient quantity of light, and the whole place was +thoroughly church-like. I shall never forget the first service we held +in it when the building was completed. It was in the evening and the +sun was just setting. The air was balmy and spring-like and there was +no shelling in the front line. The bell was rung and the congregation +began to collect. I went over to the church and there I found, lying +wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher beside the building, the body of a +poor lad of the 2nd Division. It could not be buried until word had +been received from his battalion. I got some of the men to carry the +stretcher in and lay it in the aisle. I put on my cassock and +surplice, lit the candles, and we had choral evensong, my organist +playing the responses. The little church was filled, and there, in the +midst of us, was one who had entered into his rest. It seemed to me +that the most suitable hymn was:—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<p>"Let saints on earth in concert sing<br> +<span class="poem1">With those whose work is done,</span><br> +For +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page176" name="page176">(p. 176)</a></span> + all the servants of our King<br> +<span class="poem1">In heaven and earth are one.</span></p> + +<p>One army of the living God<br> +<span class="poem1">To His command we bow;</span><br> +Part of the host have crossed the flood,<br> +<span class="poem1">And part are crossing now."</span></p> +</div> + +<p>All present sang the hymn most heartily, and we felt its +appropriateness. I never hear it now without thinking of that evening +service in St. George's Church at Arriane Dump. To those at home, I +suppose, it will appear strange that an incident of that kind would +not be almost too moving. At the front, however, death did not seem to +be such a terrible thing—it was part of our life and something to be +expected and met uncomplainingly. Every morning, until we moved, I had +a Celebration of the Holy Communion in the church at eight o'clock, +and every evening I had Evensong at six. I was told long afterwards +that when General Horne paid his first visit to our Battle +Headquarters, he pointed to the little iron structure with its belfry +and white cross, and asked what it was. When they told him it was a +church, he said, "A church! Now I know why the Canadians won Vimy +Ridge." Unfortunately, the point of the observation was lost by the +fact that the church was built, not before, but after we had taken the +Ridge.</p> + +<p>When we left Arriane Dump, I handed over the church to the Senior +Chaplain of the British division which took our place, and he had the +building taken down, put in lorries, and re-erected in the village of +Roclincourt, where he adorned it with a painted window of St. George +and the Dragon.</p> + +<p>Along the Arras-Bethune road are various cemeteries where the men of +the different battalions are buried. The greatest care was taken in +collecting the dead and making their last resting place as neat and +comely as possible. A plank road was constructed to connect the +Bethune-Arras road with the Lens-Arras road further forward. It lay in +a straight line over the broken ground cut up by trenches and huge +craters, and brought one to the headquarters of the siege battery in +which my son was a gunner. On all sides stretched the plain which our +men had won. Far off, on clear days, one could see in the distance the +little hamlets behind the German lines.</p> + +<p>We had taken the Ridge, but there were villages in the plain which +were not yet in our hands. I heard there was to be an attack one +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page177" name="page177">(p. 177)</a></span> +morning early. So the night before, I left my dugout at one a.m. +It was a strange, weird walk along the plank road and then down the +railway track to Farbus wood. The barrage was to open at four-thirty, +and at four-ten a.m. I walked into the dugout where the Headquarters +of the 3rd Artillery Brigade were. We waited till four twenty-five, +and then I went up to see the barrage. Before us lay the plain, and +all round us on the hillside, except in the space before us, were +trees of Farbus Wood. At four-thirty the barrage opened, and we had a +fine view of the line of bursting shells along the enemy's front. For +a time our fire was very intense, and when it eased off I started down +the hill to the town of Willerval, where in a dugout I found the +officers of one of our battalions regaling themselves with the bottles +of wine and mineral water which the Germans had left behind them in +their well-stocked cellars. Willerval was badly smashed, but enough +was left to show what a charming place it must have been in the days +before the war. In the shell-ploughed gardens, spring flowers were +putting up inquiring faces, and asking for the smiles and admiration +of the flower-lovers who would tread those broken paths no more. I sat +in a quiet place by a ruined brick wall and tried to disentangle the +curious sensations which passed through the mind, as I felt the breeze +lightly fanning my face, smelt the scent of flowers, heard the +skylarks singing, saw the broken houses and conservatories, and +listened to the shells which every now and then fell on the road to +the east of the village. That super-sensitiveness to the charms of +nature, which I have mentioned before, thrilled me with delight. The +warm spring sun beat down from a cloudless sky, and the glorious +romance of being out in the war-zone added to the charm.</p> + +<p>One of our ambulances had a dressing station in the cellars of the +Château, and there were a number of German prisoners there who were +waiting their turn as stretcher bearers. From Willerval I went to the +dressing station in the sunken road, where one of our chaplains was +hard at work rendering assistance to the wounded. We had taken Arleux, +but of course had to pay the price, and over the fields in different +directions one could see stretchers being carried, bearing their loads +of broken and suffering bodies. Our grand old Division never failed in +taking its objective, and later on, we advanced from Arleux to +Fresnoy, which completed for +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page178" name="page178">(p. 178)</a></span> +us our campaign on Vimy Ridge. +The Divisions on each side of us were held up, but when we left the +Ridge we handed over Fresnoy to our successors in the line. Later, +they were obliged to relinquish it.</p> + +<p>There is something splendid in the esprit-de-corps of a Division, and +none could be greater than that which animated all the units of the +1st Canadian Division, or as we were called, "the boys of the old red +patch," from the red patch which we wore as a distinguishing mark upon +our arms.</p> + +<p>On May 4th, orders came to us that we had to move, and at night I +walked over the old plank road to say good-bye to my son—for their +battery was to retain its position—and on the next day, followed by +little Alberta, I rode from Arriane Dump to my old billet in Bruay, +breaking the journey by a visit to the 87th Battalion at Château de la +Haie. We had returned to our old quarters covered with glory, and, on +all sides, the French people were sincere in their admiration for what +the Canadian Corps had done. It was certainly delightful to get back +to clean billets, and to be able to enjoy the charming spring weather +on roads that were not shelled and in fields that were rich in the +promise of summer. Our Headquarters once again made their home in the +Administration Building in the square, and the usual round of +entertaining went on. During the daytime, battalions practised the +noble art of open warfare. The sense of "Something accomplished, +something done," inspired our men with the ardour of military life, +and bound us all even closer together in the spirit of valiant +comradeship.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XVIII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page179" name="page179">(p. 179)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">A Well-Earned Rest.</span><br> + +<i>May and June, 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>Three days after we had settled at Bruay I was invited by one of our +staff officers and the Colonel of one of our battalions to accompany +them on a visit to our old trenches on the Somme. We left in the +morning and went south, over the roads and past the little villages +which we knew so well, till we came to Albert. We went up the Bapaume +road, now deserted and lonely. Our front line was some miles to the +east, and so all that waste of country over which we had fought was +now without inhabitants. We left the motor near Courcellette and +walked over the fields to the old trenches where the First Brigade had +made their attack. It was a dreary day. Low clouds hung over the sky +and a cold wind blew from the east. Spring had made very little +advance in those wide fields of death, and the grass was hardly green, +where there was any grass. We walked over the well-known tracks +reviewing incidents of the great battle. We crossed Death Valley and +saw our old lines. The place was so solemn that by mutual agreement we +did not talk, but each went off by himself. I found a number of +Canadian and German bodies still unburied, and all over the fields +were rifles and mess tins, spades and bits of accoutrement. One could +hardly imagine a scene more desolate and forlorn. Every inch of that +ground had been fought over and bought with the price of human blood. +The moan of the wind over the fields seemed like the great lament of +Nature for her sons who had gone. It was impossible to identify the +bodies we found, but we knew that burial parties would soon set to +work to collect them. Over each poor brown and muddy form I held a +short service and used the form of committal from the burial office in +our prayer-book.</p> + +<p>It was with a sense of relief that we walked back up the road, past +the ruins of Courcelette, and rejoined the motor. The scene was too +painful, and made too great a pull upon the heart-strings. In the +great army of the slain that lay beneath that waste of mud were many +whom we had known and loved with that peculiar love which binds +comrades in the fighting line to one another—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"God +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page180" name="page180">(p. 180)</a></span> + rest you valiant Gentlemen<br> + Who sleep beneath that ground." +</div> + +<p>Once more, at the end of the month, I paid another visit to Regina +Trench, when I was on my way to place a cross over my son's grave in +the cemetery at Tara Hill. By this time, the grass was green, the +trenches were filling up and in the cloudless blue sky larks were +singing. The impression of dreariness was passing away, and the wounds +on the breast of nature were being healed.</p> + +<p>Our life at Bruay as usual was exceedingly pleasant, and the men +thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and the freshness of the country. Games +and sports were indulged in and the nightly entertainments in the +theatre given by our concert party were most enjoyable.</p> + +<p>I shall never forget the happy rides on Dandy down the roads and +across the fields to the various battalions and artillery brigades. At +every turn I would meet men whom I knew, and to shake hands with those +glorious lads who had done such great things for the world was an +honour and a privilege. In looking back to that time faces and places +come before me, and I feel once again the warm spring winds over the +fields of France, and see the quaint old villages of Houdain, Ruitz +and Hallicourt where our various battalions were billetted. Sometimes, +at exalted moments, I had meals with generals in their comfortable +quarters; sometimes with company officers; sometimes with the +non-coms, but I think the most enjoyable were those that I took with +the men in dirty cook-houses. With a dish-cloth they would wipe off +some old box for a chair, another for a table; then, getting +contributions of cutlery, they would cook me a special dinner and +provide me with a mess-tin of strong hot tea. When the meal was over +and cigarettes had been lighted, general conversation was indulged in, +and there would be talks of home, of war experiences, and many +discussions of religion and politics. One question which was asked me +again and again in trenches and dugouts and billets was—"Are we +winning the war?" It may be hard for people at home to realize how +little our men knew of what was happening. The majority of them never +saw the newspapers, and of course the monotony of our life and the +apparent hopelessness of making any great advance was a puzzle to +them. I never failed to take the question seriously and give them, as +far as I was able, a general idea of the aspect of the war on the +various fronts. In order to be able to do this I read "The Times" +daily +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page181" name="page181">(p. 181)</a></span> +with great care. It was really the only paper that one +could depend on, and its marvellous influence on the conduct of the +campaign completely justified its claim to be still the exponent of +British policy, and its inherited right to the title of "The +Thunderer."</p> + +<p>Our artillery were still in the line along the Ridge, but our infantry +brigades were all at rest. It was proposed that we should have a +thanksgiving service for victory with each brigade. The Senior +Chaplain of the Corps took the matter in hand with the Senior Chaplain +of the Army. A form of service was printed on slips of paper, and on +Sunday, May 13th, we had services for the three infantry brigades. It +was a lovely warm day, and the services were held at the most +convenient points. The 2nd Brigade were assembled at Ruitz. It was a +splendid sight. The 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th Battalions were drawn up in +a great square, generals and staff officers were present; a band +played the hymns and the army chaplain gave us a most stirring +address. The next service was with the 1st Brigade in a field near +Coupigny, where the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions were drawn up, +making a magnificent show of young, ardent and stalwart manhood. The +moment it was over the general and staff were motored over to the 3rd +Brigade at Château-de-la-Haie. Here were assembled the 13th, 14th, +15th and 16th Battalions. General Horne attended this Service, and, +after the religious ceremony was over, gave an address. His admiration +for the achievement of our men was evidently sincere, and he always +showed the deepest interest in everything connected with the welfare +of the Canadians.</p> + +<p>Near Bruay on the way to Houdain were some large aerodromes and the +headquarters of the squadron. I had met their chaplain before at +Armentieres when he was attached to the infantry. He very kindly +invited me up to his quarters, and several times I dined with him at +the officers' mess. He was the chaplain of several squadrons, and had +to fly from one to another to take services on Sundays after the +manner of a true "sky pilot." He told me some splendid tales of the +gallantry of the young men to whom he had to minister. On one occasion +the order was given that six German observation balloons along the +front line had to be brought down, for we were about to make an +advance. Six men were therefore, told off for this important but +dangerous duty. The chaplain told me that at once the question arose +as to how they +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page182" name="page182">(p. 182)</a></span> +were to dress for the encounter. Should they +wear old clothes or should they be arrayed in their best? They decided +that if they were brought down they would like, by their appearance, +to do most credit to their squadron, and so it was determined that +they should wear their newest uniforms. He told me that to him, who +knew the dangers underlying the enterprise, it was most pathetic to +see the young fellows in the highest spirits getting themselves +polished up as if they were going to an investiture at Buckingham +Palace. He had thought of having a service of Holy Communion for them, +but there was no time, so he saw them start off on their voyage +telling them that he would follow them with his prayers. The danger of +such an undertaking was very great, as the planes had to fly low over +the German trenches and then rise up and attack the balloons. That +night six young airmen came to dinner in the mess as usual, but there +were six observation balloons less in the German lines.</p> + +<p>One night when I went to dinner with the officers of the squadron I +was placed at the right hand of the O.C. He was late in arriving, and +I wondered what sort of man would come to fill the vacant chair. To my +surprise, when we were half way through dinner, a young officer, not +much more than a boy came and took the seat and welcomed me to the +mess. I asked him if he were the Major. He said he was, and on his +left breast were several decorations. I was just going to make some +remark about his youthful appearance when he said, "Now don't say it, +Padré, don't say I look young, I really can't help it." I had a long +and interesting talk with him about his work. He was full of +enthusiasm, and his knowledge of men impressed me deeply. There was a +large number of officers at the table all under his command. I thought +it was wonderful that a man so young should have such a knowledge of +human character. This war has certainly shown that mellowed age is not +such a necessary qualification for right judgment as we thought it +was. Old age has had its day, and the young world, that has just been +born in the anguish and travail of the old, must be "run" by young men +who unite in themselves the qualities of judgment and the love of +adventure. The hut used as a mess-room was most artistically +decorated, and made a fine setting for the noble young fellows, who +sat round the table chaffing one another and laughing as if they never +had to face death in the blinding mists of morning or the blazing sun +of noon, with the rain of shells +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page183" name="page183">(p. 183)</a></span> +and machine gun fire +falling round them, as they climbed higher and higher like skylarks +into the wide vault of heaven.</p> + +<p>On the first of June, we were ordered back to the line, and our +Divisional Headquarters was to be divided. The General and staff were +to be at the advanced position in the huts and dugouts on the La +Targette road, and the non-combatant officers were to be billetted +near Villers au Bois in Château d'Acq, a comfortable modern house with +a large garden on one side and a pleasant tree-covered hill at the +back. Here, to my surprise and delight, I found myself in possession +of a large front room with furniture in it that appeared almost +gorgeous. I had one comfortable night's sleep in it, but alas only +one. On the next evening, when the full moon was shining with that +fateful power which she has of turning night into day and of guiding +the flight of hostile bombers, we were sitting smoking our cigars +after dinner at the artillery headquarters in the La Targette road, +when suddenly we heard the pulsating buzzing of a German plane. At +once someone called out, "A Boche plane, put out the lights." In an +instant the lights were out, but the fatal moonlight shone with clear +and cruel lustre. There was a huge crash, then another, then another, +then another, and someone said, "It has discharged its load." For a +few moments we waited in silence, then we heard the sound of voices +and men calling for help. I went across the open to the huts where the +staff officers and the clerks lived. The German plane kept buzzing +round and round at a low altitude, the observer evidently trying to +find out what mischief he had done. To my dismay, I found that sixteen +persons including the A.D.M.S. and the Assistant to the A.P.M., had +been wounded, two of them fatally. We could not use the lights in +attending to the wounded for the German airman was on the watch, and +it was not until he went away that we could get ambulances to carry +them off.</p> + +<p>The General did not think it was worth while to risk a second attack +by remaining at the place, so, in the middle of the night, with great +dispatch the headquarters was moved back to the Château, and instead +of my occupying the mahogany bed in the front room, I found myself on +the floor of one of the huts in the garden. The General quite rightly +and naturally taking to himself the bed which I had left.</p> + +<p>Château d'Acq was for many weeks and at different times our +comfortable and delightful home. There were many Nissen huts round +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page184" name="page184">(p. 184)</a></span> +the Château and under the beautiful trees on the hillside. +Here the different branches of the service had their offices, and the +engineers built for me a little house of tar paper lined with green +canvas, over the door of which was painted the sign "St. George's +Rectory." The C.R.E. also built me a new St. George's Church on the +other side of the road. It was to be the chef d'oeuvre of his +architectural skill, and to be made as complete and perfect as +possible. A compass was brought and the true east and west found. The +material of which the church was to be built was tar paper and +scantling. The roof was to be covered with corrugated iron. The belfry +was to be hung this time with two German gas bells, which were +dignified with the title of a chime of bells. The windows, filled with +oiled linen, were to be pointed after the manner of Gothic +architecture. The church was to be cruciform, with a vestry on one +side balanced by an organ chamber on the other. We had a nice altar, +with the legal ornaments, and an altar rail. We had a lectern, and the +proper number of benches for the congregation. We even had a font, +which was carved out of chalk by the C.R.E.'s batman and given as an +offering to the church. The C.R.E., a most devout and staunch +Presbyterian, was proud of his architectural achievement and told me +that now he had handed over to me a complete church he wished every +service which the Church of England could hold to be celebrated in it. +He said, "In addition to your usual services, I want men to be +baptised, to be married, and to be ordained in that church." When I +protested that possibly no men could be found desiring these offices, +he replied, "The matter is perfectly simple. Like the centurion in the +Bible, I am a man under authority. All I have to do is to call up ten +men and say 'Go and be baptised tomorrow morning in Canon Scott's +Church', and they will go. If they don't, they will be put in the +guard room. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be +married in Canon Scott's church.' If they don't, I will put them in +the guardroom. +Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be ordained in Canon +Scott's church'. If they don't, I will put them in the guard room." +All this was said with perfect solemnity. As a matter of fact, when +another division was occupying Château d'Acq, a man really was +baptised in the little church. It was used daily for a time by the +Roman Catholic Chaplain.</p> + +<p>A photograph of the building is preserved in the Canadian War Records +Office. The first morning I rang the chime of bells for the early +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page185" name="page185">(p. 185)</a></span> +service, our A.D.M.S. avowed that he, mistaking the character of +the sound, and supposing that it was a warning of a gas attack, sat up +in his bed in the sweltering heat and put on his gas helmet.</p> + +<p>From Château d'Acq I used to go and take services for the siege +artillery on the Lens-Arras road, and also at the charmingly situated +rest camp at Fresnicourt. We knew however that a bombing raid might +occur at Château d'Acq on any clear night. Whenever we heard German +planes in the air we always felt how unprotected we were, and it gave +us a sense of relief when the buzzing sound grew fainter and fainter +and died off in the distance.</p> + +<p>The cool green shade of the trees made a pleasant roof over our heads +on the hot days of early summer, and at dawn in the woods opposite we +could hear the nightingales. Later on, the owner of the Château sold +some of the bigger trees, and we found on our return to it in the +following year that the beauty of the place had been destroyed, and +the hillside looked like the scene of a Canadian lumber camp. However, +the rose-trees in the garden with their breath of sweetest odour were +a continual joy and delight to the soul.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XIX. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page186" name="page186">(p. 186)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Paris Leave.</span><br> + +<i>June 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>My time for leave was due again, and as we were allowed to spend it in +France without interfering with the number of those who desired to see +their friends in England, I determined to go to Chamounix. I thought +that the sight of a great natural wonder like Mont Blanc would have an +uplifting effect upon the mind, at a time when everything human seemed +to be going to rack and ruin. The white peaks of the Alps in their +changeless purity against the blue of the infinite sky seemed to me a +vision which the soul needed. So I started off one lovely morning on +my way to Paris. I went by side-car to Amiens, where I took the train. +It was a delightful expedition, and I left with a good conscience, +because our men were not expected to attack, and were in a quiet +sector of the line. The driver of the car, with the prospect of a good +meal at Amiens and a good tip, was in the best of humours. The air was +sweet and fresh and the grass wore its brightest green. The sunshine +beat down from a cloudless sky, and when we paused for repairs, as we +had to do from time to time, birds' songs furnished us with a most +enjoyable concert. An expedition of this kind was made doubly charming +by having in it a touch of adventure. When we came to a village, at +once the map had to be studied and the turns in the road noted. A +conversation with some of the villagers as we journeyed, always broke +the sense of loneliness, and gave us an insight into the feelings of +the people. However, on this particular occasion, I was not able to +complete the journey to Amiens in the side-car. Either the car broke +down, or the driver preferred to go on by himself, for the thing came +to a dead stop just as a car from the Corps was about to pass us. The +occupants kindly invited me to go on to Amiens with them. It was a +swifter way of continuing the journey and much more comfortable, so I +said good-bye to my original driver and started off with my new +friends.</p> + +<p>Amiens was a bustling place then and very unlike the Amiens I saw a +little over a year later. I started by train at six-thirty p.m., and +at eight-thirty, after a pleasant journey, arrived at Paris, where I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page187" name="page187">(p. 187)</a></span> +went to the Hotel Westminster. On the next evening, I started +off with some friends for Evians-les-Bains. The train was very full, +and there were no berths in the wagon-lit, so we had to stay up all +night in a crowded first-class carriage. There was an old French Curé +at one end of the compartment, who, quite early in the evening, drew +out a silk handkerchief and covered his head and face therewith, +leading us to suppose that he had sunk into oblivion. We therefore +carried on a very pleasant and vivacious conversation, as the night +was warm and we were not inclined to sleep. Suddenly the old Curé +pulled off the handkerchief and said in a gruff voice, "It is the time +for sleeps and not for talks." and, having uttered this stinging +rebuke, re-covered his head and left us in penitent silence. We +arrived at Evians-les-Bains in good time, and went to a very charming +hotel with a lovely view of the Lake of Geneva in front. +Unfortunately, I had hurt my foot some time before and it looked as if +it had got infected. Not wishing to be laid up so far from medical +assistance, I decided to return the same evening, which I did, and +once more found myself at the Hotel Westminster. I now determined to +spend my leave in Paris. There were many of our men in the city at +that time. They were all in a very impecunious condition, for there +was some difficulty in getting their pay and, in Paris, money did not +last long. I did my best to try and help them, and later our system of +payment was improved. It was perhaps just as well for some of them +that their money was short.</p> + +<p>Poor old Paris looked very shabby to one who remembered her in former +days with her clean streets and many-fountained parks. She wore the +air of shabby gentility. The streets were not clean; the people were +not well-dressed, the fountains no longer played. France had been hard +hit by the war, and the ruin and desolation of her eastern borders +were reflected in the metropolis. I spent most of my time in Paris +trying to keep men straight, with more or less success. I can imagine +nothing worse for a lonely young fellow, who had taken his leave after +weary months in the front line, than to find himself in the midst of +the heartless gaiety of the French capital. On all sides the minions +of vice, diseased in mind and body, lay in waiting for their prey. To +one who loved Canada and longed for the uplifting of the pure life of +Canadian homes, it was a spectacle which filled the heart with +anxiety. Before I left Paris, I wrote a letter to the Continental +Daily Mail advocating the taking over of some hotels which could be +turned into +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page188" name="page188">(p. 188)</a></span> +hostels or clubs for soldiers while on leave. +This, I am happy to say was afterwards done.</p> + +<p>I met many of our men at the soldiers' tea-rooms called "A corner of +Blighty" in the Place Vendome, and I organized several dinner and +theatre parties which went off very pleasantly. When the men had +companionship, they did not feel the lure of vice which came to them +in moments of loneliness. I met some interesting people in Paris, and +at a Sunday luncheon in the charming house of the Duchess de la M—— I +met Madame ——, the writer of a series of novels of rather lurid +reputation. The authoress was a large person with rich orange-coloured +hair, powdered cheeks, and darkened eyelashes. She wore a large black +hat, enormous solitaire pearl ear-rings, and, as a symbol of her +personal purity, was arrayed in white. She lamented the fact that +women writers were not allowed to visit the front. When I told her +that Mrs. Humphrey Ward had been there, she said, "Oh yes, they +allowed her to go because they said she could write good English, but +she cannot get the ear of the American people in the way <i>I</i> can."</p> + +<p>There were two or three French officers present, one of whom was an +attaché at the Embassy in Madrid. I was much impressed by their quiet +dignified bearing, so typical of the chivalrous heroism of France, and +so unlike anything which we could look for in the officers of the +German Army. I could not help observing that the French were much +depressed and filled with anxiety as to the issue of the war. A French +lady said to me "How can we go on much longer; our man-power is nearly +exhausted?" It is a supreme delight to me to think that that wonderful +nation, which suffered and bled so deeply and bore its wrongs so +nobly, has now been avenged on the ruthless enemy, and that the +tricolour once more floats over Alsace and Lorraine. Profoundly +patriotic though we of the British Empire are, there is something in +the patriotism of the French which goes down into the deepest roots of +the human soul. I remember once in the private burying place of a +noble family who owned a chateau not far from our front line, seeing a +little child's grave. The child had died in Canada at the age of two +years, and its body had been brought back to its ancestral resting +place. On the tombstone, under the inscription were the words:—</p> + +<div class="left40"> +"Petit ange<br> +Priez pour<br> +la France." +</div> + +<p>I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page189" name="page189">(p. 189)</a></span> +was very much struck by the prayer. That the sorrow for a +child's death should be coupled with the love of country seemed most +strange and pathetic. I venture to say that it would be impossible to +find a parallel instance of such a blending of emotions in any English +churchyard. The present owner of the Château, which was at least two +or three hundred years old, was away fighting for his country, and +long grass and weeds filled the uncared for corner by the side of the +old church. In past history, we have fought with the French again and +again, but we always felt that we were fighting with gentlemen, and +were sure that every courteous deed done by us would meet with an +equally courteous response. One of the saddest things in the war was +that, while we often admired the military efficiency of the Germans, +we had absolutely no respect for their officers or men, nor could we +regard them as anything but well-trained brutes. The ties which bind +us to France now are very intimate and personal, and it is a matter of +thankfulness to all who love human idealism and true culture, that the +reproach of the defeat of 1870 has been washed away in blood, and that +France will emerge from her fiery trial a purer and a loftier nation.</p> + +<p>I was not sorry when my Paris leave was over and I returned to my +Headquarters at Château d'Acq. It was always delightful to get back to +my war home and settle down again in the midst of those on whose +shoulders the fate of civilization rested. I arrived back on June +29th, just in time to prepare for the special services which were to +be held throughout the Corps on Sunday, July 1st, it being the jubilee +of the Dominion. I made arrangements with the band of the Royal +Canadian Regiment, as our Divisional band was away, to march over from +Villers au Bois and play for us at the service. We had special hymns +and prayers neatly printed on cards, which the men were to retain as +souvenirs. The parade was held just outside St. George's Church, our +new Divisional Commander, General Macdonell, and his staff attending. +The occasion was particularly interesting to me, because I was the +only man in the whole Canadian Corps at the front who could remember +the first Dominion Day. I could remember as a child being taken by my +father on the 1st of July, 1867, to hear the guns firing a salute on +the grounds of McGill College, Montreal. Canada had travelled a long +distance on the path of nationhood since that far-off time, and now, +after fifty years, I had the satisfaction of being with +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page190" name="page190">(p. 190)</a></span> +the +great Canadian Army Corps on European soil, engaged in the biggest war +of history. Such an experience is not often the privilege of a human +life, and the splendid body of men before me gave promise of Canada's +progress and national glory in the future. Everyone felt the peculiar +significance of the celebration.</p> + +<p>Owing to the fact that my foot was still troubling me, I was sent down +to the rest-camp at Fresnicourt, where I met many of the officers and +men in that delightful old Château. The country round about was very +pretty, and the views from the hills were charming. Every night I used +to have either a service, or a talk with the men, on the grass beside +a little stream. They were all enjoying the rest and refreshment that +came from being able to live in pleasant surroundings and away from +shells and work in the trenches. On July 18th, I went by side-car to +St. Omer where the Senior Chaplains of the Army were summoned to a +conference. We were billeted in the large building used as the +Chaplains' Rest Home, and there enjoyed the great privilege, not only +of meeting one another, but of listening to some splendid addresses +and lectures by those in charge. It was pleasant to re-visit St. Omer. +The quaint old French town, with its rambling streets and polite +inhabitants, took one away from the thoughts of war and gave one +almost a feeling of home. In the smoking-room at night, we had the +opportunity of discussing with one another the various moral and +religious problems with which the chaplain had to contend, and many +were the interesting experiences of those chaplains. On the last day +of our meetings, at the early Eucharist, we had an address from the +Archbishop of York, who had just come over to France. Later on, he +gave an address at a general meeting of the chaplains at Bethune.</p> + +<p>While at St. Omer I paid a visit to the Second Army School in their +magnificent buildings in Wisques, where I saw the room that my son had +occupied, and met some of the people who remembered him. The place was +used as a training school for officers and was most wonderfully +equipped. The building was a modern convent, and the large unfinished +chapel, with its high vaulted roof, was used as a dining-room. It was +inspiring at dinner to see the hundreds of young officers, all so keen +and cheery, sitting round the tables, while a good band played during +the meal. It was hard to realize that they were only having a +momentary respite from the war, and, in a week or two, would be once +more up in the line facing wounds +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page191" name="page191">(p. 191)</a></span> +and death. The Commandant +took great pride in the institution, and told me of the splendid +records of the men who had passed through his hands.</p> + +<p>Our Divisional Headquarters now moved to a place called Bracquemont, +near Noeux les Mines. Here I had a very fine room in the house of the +manager of one of the Mines, the offices of which were on the other +side of the road. The house was well built, and had a most charming +garden at the back. It was large and commodious, and I always feared +that my billet would attract the covetous desires of some high staff +officer and that I should be thrown out to make way for him. My room +was on the ground floor with two large windows opening on the street, +enabling me to get the Daily Mail from the newsboy in the morning. The +ceiling was high and the furniture most sumptuous. A large mirror +stood upon the marble mantel-piece. I had linen sheets on the bed and +an electric light at my side. It did not seem at all like war, but the +end of the mahogany bed and some of the chairs, also one corner of the +ceiling, had been perforated by bits of shrapnel. So in the midst of +luxury, there was the constant reminder that the war was still going +on—a death's head at the feast.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XX. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page192" name="page192">(p. 192)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">We Take Hill 70.</span><br> + +<i>July and August, 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>Bracquemont was a very charming home. There were many men about us, +the artillery horse lines were there as well as two battalions in +rest, and various other units. Behind the British C.C.S. there was a +large hall with a stage at one end. Here our concert party gave a +performance every night. Between us and the front line, were the +villages of Maroc, Le Brebis, Mazingarbe, and Bully-Grenay, which were +our billeting area while we occupied the trenches in advance of Loos. +I was thus in easy reach of all the units in the Division and could do +a great deal of parish visiting.</p> + +<p>In the country behind us, there were many Chinese Labour Companies and +one of Zulus. When not at work, they were encamped in large compounds +surrounded by barbed wire. Our band used to play occasionally for the +entertainment of the Chinese, who very much enjoyed both the music and +the compliment that was paid to them by its being provided. On one +occasion, I went with General Thacker to visit one of the Chinese +Labour Companies. The officer in charge wished us to see some of their +sports, and so we sat on chairs at the top of the field and the +Chinamen came up and gave us an exhibition of their skill in something +that looked like fencing. They used sticks for foils. We could not +quite see who won in the encounter, or what constituted the finishing +stroke, but, as soon as each pair of performers retired they turned +and bowed solemnly to the General and made way for two other +combatants. They were great powerful men, very different from the type +of Chinese one sees in this country. One of the performers we were +told by the O.C., could carry a weight of five hundred pounds on his +shoulders. After the gymnastic performance, we had a concert, and a +man sang, or rather made a hideous nasal sound, to the accompaniment +of something that looked like a three stringed fiddle. The song, which +greatly delighted the Chinese listeners, consisted of an interminable +number of verses; in fact we never heard the end of it, for the O.C. +stopped it and told the musicians that the officers had to leave. He +told us that the men were well behaved, and that only once had he had +occasion to hold a court-martial.</p> + +<p>The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page193" name="page193">(p. 193)</a></span> +Zulus were encamped near Ranchicourt. They too were a +stalwart lot of men, but felt the cold of the winter very much. I was +riding past them in the road one day and spoke to the British sergeant +in charge of them. He pointed out one young man who, he said, was the +son of a chief, and, in his own country, was entitled to a body-guard +of fifteen men. In recognition, therefore, of his aristocratic birth, +he was allowed to wear three stripes. While we were talking, the boy +looked round and saw that we were speaking about him. The sergeant +called out something to him in Zulu language, and the boy smiled and +nodded to me. I asked the sergeant what he had said to him. He +replied: "I told him that you thought you had met him before, and it +pleased him." This accounted for the boy's smiling at me and the nod +of recognition. I suppose he thought that on some occasion in my +rambles through Africa we had met in the jungle. At any rate, I +admired the sergeant's tact and savoir faire. There was a great +mixture of races among the allied forces in France, and I always felt +sorry for the poor heathen that they should be dragged into the war of +the Christian nations.</p> + +<p>Our front trenches were not comfortable places. To reach them one had +to pass through Maroc and along a road on the outskirts of Loos. +Beside the road, in the cellars of a broken building, called Fort +Glatz, was a dressing station. The neighbourhood was frequently +shelled, for the road from Maroc to Loos was under observation from +the two mysterious iron towers in Wingles. Beyond Fort Glatz, the +engineers had a store of trench materials. The place was called +"Crucifix Dump," on account of the large crucifix which stood there on +a mound of earth. The figure on the crucifix was made of metal and it +had been struck by shrapnel. It looked so pathetic standing there amid +the ruin and desolation around, mutely saying to those who had ears to +hear, "Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by; behold and see if +there was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow?" From a shrapnel hole near +the heart of the figure, birds could be seen flying in and out, +getting food for their young. At the foot, there was the grave of a +German officer who had been killed when the Germans occupied Loos.</p> + +<p>I often used to go to Bully-Grenay to visit some of the siege +batteries. They had comfortable billets but the Germans soon found out +their location and sent over some very big shells. One large shell had +a curious experience. It fell in the road to the south +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page194" name="page194">(p. 194)</a></span> +of +Bully-Grenay, burrowing under the ground without exploding. Then it +rose and went through the side of a brick house, and finally reposed +on the floor of an upper room. We all went to see it lying there, like +some gigantic sea monster dead and stranded on the shore. The +potential force of the huge shell was enormous, but it lay there +perfectly harmless after its strange pilgrimage.</p> + +<p>I was passing one of the siege batteries one day, when I saw a number +of men working round a damaged gun-pit. I went over to it and found +that a shell had landed there that morning, just as they were changing +shifts on the guns. It had killed and buried a number of the men, at +the same time setting fire to our ammunition. The bodies of those who +were buried were burnt almost to ashes by the terrific heat, and only +charred bits of them were recovered.</p> + +<p>South of Loos there was the famous Double Crassier. It was a large +slag heap on which once ran a line of railway. The top, of course, was +in sight of the Germans, but down in the hollow on our side of it we +had a great number of battery positions. That little corner where our +guns were concentrated was an easy target for the German artillery, +and many were the high explosives and gas-shells which they dropped. +In the town of Maroc itself there was a large fosse or mine-head. The +buildings round it were capacious, and well made. They were of course +now much damaged, but the cellars were extraordinarily commodious and +extensive. They were lined with white tiles, and the largest one was +fitted up as a place of rest and amusement with a canteen where the +men could get coffee, cakes and cigarettes. I stationed one of our +chaplains there to look after the work and hold services in one of the +cellars which was fitted up as a chapel. In the large room there were +benches, and a stage afforded a good floor for boxing. I determined to +start boxing there as a sport for the artillerymen, who had few +opportunities of enjoying the entertainments which were given behind +the line. I had a great friend in one of the Highland battalions, who +had been wounded three times in the war, and was heavy-weight champion +of the 1st Division. I got his O.C. to attach him to me, and I placed +him in the cellar at Maroc where he began to instruct the men in the +noble art of self defence. People used to wonder why I had a +prize-fighter attached to me, and I told them that if the Junior +Chaplains were insubordinate, I wanted to be able to call in some one +in an emergency to administer discipline. I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page195" name="page195">(p. 195)</a></span> +always said, +with perfect truth, that since my prize-fighter was attached to me I +had had no trouble with any of the chaplains. It is wonderful what +things one can do in the Army which are not according to the King's +Regulations. By right, as Senior Chaplain of a Division, I was +entitled only to one man who was to act in the dual capacity of batman +and groom, but later on I managed to get a man to act as secretary, +who was given sergeant's stripes and looked after the office when I +went on my wanderings through the Division. Then I got a man who knew +something about music to be appointed as my organist. He used to +travel with me in the staff car with my portable organ when I went to +take church parades on Sunday. He was afterwards gassed and I lost +him, but he did useful work while he was with me in helping the +singing. The prize-fighter made another addition to what I called the +Senior Chaplain's battalion. Then, as time went on, I was able to get +a man to take over the duties of a batman, and I finally obtained a +chauffeur to run my side-car. This large army of assistants was a sore +puzzle to our Camp Commandant, who had to arrange for their rations +and discipline. I was always being asked how many men I had on my +staff. However, to use a soldier's expression "I got away with it."</p> + +<p>The road through Maroc was not a pleasant one to travel. It was liable +to be shelled at any moment. On one side of the street was a large +brick wall which had been perforated by a shell and the place was +called "The Hole in the Wall." The Germans knew that we had many +batteries concealed in the ruined town, so they never left it alone +for very long. I was going up to the front one day, when I met in the +street an artillery officer coming back. We had not seen each other +for some time, and he gave me such a warm greeting that I at once +determined to reward him by reciting to him one of my poems. I got +about half way through when the enemy, not knowing, of course, what +was going on, began to shell the place, and some bits of mud and brick +fell in the road not far off. In spite of the beauty of the poem, my +friend began to get restless, and I was faced with the problem of +either hurrying the recitation and thereby spoiling the effect of the +rhythm, or of trusting to his artistic temperament and going on as if +nothing was happening. I did the latter, and went on unmoved by the +exploding shells. I thought the Major would see that the climax of the +poem had not yet been reached and was worth waiting for. I was +mistaken. He +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page196" name="page196">(p. 196)</a></span> +became more and more restless, till at last he +said, "Excuse me, Canon, but I think I must be hurrying on." He left +me standing in the road with the last part of the poem and its +magnificent climax still in my throat. I looked after him for a moment +or two, then turned sorrowfully, lamenting the depravity of human +nature, and pursued my journey. I had not gone far in the street +before I came to a large pool of blood, where a man had just been +killed. There was some excuse, therefore, for my friend's conduct, for +he must have passed that pool of blood before he met me, and his +nerves were probably not in their normal condition. He went back to +his battery and told his friends there that I had actually buttonholed +him in Maroc and insisted upon his listening to a miserable poem of +mine while shells were falling in the place.</p> + +<p>In order to avoid the danger of passing through the town, we generally +used a path across the fields. I was returning from the trenches with +some men one night along this path, when we saw from Maroc flashes of +a light which was apparently being used as a signal. At once we were +seized with an attack of spy-fever, and I said to the men, "There is +someone signalling to the Germans." The night was so dark that +signalling could have been seen at a considerable distance. +Immediately we started off towards the light, which went out when we +approached, but we discovered an officer in a mackintosh, and I at +once asked him who he was. Tired as our men were, for they were coming +out after being several days in the trenches, they followed me and +were so keen on the adventure that one of them had drawn his revolver. +The officer became very rude and he used some blasphemous words +towards me in the dark, which naturally provoked a stern rebuke. I +told him I was a Lieut.-Colonel, and that I should report him to his +commanding officer. Then we asked him to give proof of his identity. I +could see by his manner that he was becoming exceedingly +uncomfortable, so I insisted upon his leading us to his headquarters. +He did, and we stumbled on over telephone wires and piles of bricks +till he brought us into the yard of a broken down house, in the +cellars of which we found the officers of his battery. The O.C. was +very polite and, when I pointed out to him the danger of flashing a +light in the neighbourhood of the track which was used by our infantry +battalions at night when going to or coming from the trenches, he said +his unit would be more +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page197" name="page197">(p. 197)</a></span> +careful in the future. After a little +conversation we left. A day or two afterwards I met one of the +officers of the battery, and we had a good laugh over the incident, +but he told me that it was even more amusing than I had thought, for +the young officer had a dugout in the field and was making his way +thither with nothing on but his pyjamas and his mackintosh. When we +asked him for some proofs of his identity, he was terrified lest we +should search him and find him in this peculiarly unmilitary costume, +which might have made us still more suspicious.</p> + +<p>Ever since our moving to Bracquemont, we had been preparing to +complete the work of our advance towards Lens by an attack on Hill 70, +the high ground to the north-west of that city. Compared with the +taking of Vimy Ridge, the exploit was of course a minor one, but, for +many reasons, it was felt to be an exceedingly dangerous task and one +which would cost us dearly. The Germans had had time to concentrate +their forces in front of us, and they knew the value of the commanding +position which they held. Everyone felt anxious as to the result of +the enterprise, and we had learnt from recent experiences on the Ridge +and at Fresnoy how powerful the enemy was. Although, of course, I did +not let the men see it, I was always worried when we had an attack in +view. When I held services for them on parade, or addressed them at +their entertainments, or met them by the roadside, I used to look into +their eyes and wonder if those eyes would soon be viewing the eternal +mysteries "in the land that is very far off." I tried to make it a +point never to pass anyone without a handshake or a word of cheer and +encouragement. How their faces used to brighten up at some trifling +kindness or some funny story!</p> + +<p>I was fond of visiting the men who acted as the road control on the +east side of Maroc. One of their number was of course on guard day and +night, so I was always sure of meeting a friend whenever I passed. I +never went down to their cellar without being offered a cup of tea and +other dainties. They used to sleep on shelves, and often invited me to +rest my weary limbs there. I would thank them for their kindness, but +thought it prudent, for reasons of personal cleanliness, not to accept +it. It always gave me great pleasure to come upon friends in out of +the way places. I remember meeting an officer late one night near the +front at Loos. It was very dark, and, as soon as he recognized me, he +exclaimed, "Here's old Canon Scott, I'll be d—d!" "My friend," I said +solemnly, "I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page198" name="page198">(p. 198)</a></span> +hope you will not allow that sad truth to get +abroad. The Canadian Government is paying me a large salary to try and +keep you from that awful fate, and if they hear that your meeting me +has had such a result, I shall lose my job." He apologized for the +expression, and said it was only meant as an exclamation of surprise.</p> + +<p>By the beginning of August, everything was ready for the attack, and +on the 14th, carrying my rations with me, I made my way to the 7th +Siege Battery; for I had arranged to go to their observation post and +watch the barrage from there. I started off in the evening, with one +of the gunners. We skirted Maroc and reached the O.P., which was +called St. Pat's. It was a long walk over the open and through the +trenches before we got into the place. From it we looked down the +slope towards our front line, and beyond this we saw the rise in the +ground called Hill 70, held by the Germans. The barrage was to begin +at four twenty-five in the morning; so the gunner and I went down into +a dugout and tried to get a little rest. Before we got to sleep, +however, we became aware of the smell of gas, and, hearing the +tramping of feet in the trench at the top of the stairs, I went up and +found the men of the 14th Battalion with their helmets on going +forward in preparation for the advance. They recognized me because I +did not put on my mask, and as they passed they shook hands with me +and I wished them "good luck in the name of the Lord." Such cheery +souls they were, going forth in their stifling helmets to the unknown +dangers which awaited them.</p> + +<p>I found that sleep was impossible, so I went up to the O.P. and waited +for the barrage. It was a lovely night; the stars were shining +beautifully, and the constellation of Orion hung on the horizon in the +eastern sky, with the pale moon above. A great silence, stirred only +by the morning breeze, brooded over the wide expanse of darkness. +Then, at four-twenty-five, the guns burst forth in all their fury, and +all along the German line I saw not only exploding shells, but the +bursting oil drums with their pillars of liquid fire, whose smoke rose +high in the air with a peculiar turn at the top which looked like the +neck of a huge giraffe. At once the Germans sent up rockets of various +colours, signalling for aid from their guns, and the artillery duel of +the two great armies waxed loud and furious. I stood on the hill with +some of our men, and watched the magnificent scene. Nothing but the +thought +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page199" name="page199">(p. 199)</a></span> +of what it meant to human beings took away from our +enjoyment of the mighty spectacle. When day dawned, we could see, +silhouetted against the morning sky, men walking over the hilltop, and +now and then jumping down into the captured trenches. Once again our +Division had got its objective. At various points difficulties had +been encountered, and in a place called the "Chalk Pit", which +afterwards became our front line, the Germans had made a determined +stand. They had a wonderful dugout there, like a rabbit-warren, with +many passages and entrances, from which they were bombed out with +great difficulty. One of our western battalions suffered heavily in +taking the stronghold.</p> + +<p>I went on to Fort Glatz and to some of the other advanced +aid-posts. We had many casualties, but we felt that the +worst was not yet over, for we knew that, although we had taken the +hill, the Germans would make a desperate fight to get it back again. +All day long our artillery pounded away and our infantry consolidated +the line. Our Pioneer Battalion did splendid work in digging trenches +under heavy fire, in order to connect our advanced positions. When the +sun set and the night once more cast its shade over the earth, there +was no cessation in the sound of battle.</p> + +<p>The next morning I visited the wounded in the C.C.S., and in the +afternoon went by car once more to the 7th Siege Battery and thence +made my way through Maroc to the front, as I had heard from the +General that the artillery were having a hard time. Their guns had +been firing incessantly since the barrage started. I met many men on +the journey who gave me accounts of their experiences during the +battle, and, by the time I reached the Y.M.C.A. coffee-stall in a +ruined building on the Maroc-Loos road it was quite late. Here in a +cellar I found some men making coffee for the walking wounded, who +were coming back very tired and glad of a shelter and a hot drink. I +went on down the road to the well concealed trenches which led to the +1st and 2nd Artillery Brigade Headquarters. In the deep dugout, I +found the O.C.s of the two brigades and their staffs hard at work. It +was an anxious time, because ammunition was short, and every available +man was employed in carrying it up to the guns. The Senior Colonel +asked me if I would go round to some of the gun pits and talk to the +men. They were tired out, he said, with the constant firing, and there +was still no prospect of a rest. I told him that if he would give me a +runner to act as guide, I would visit all the gun-pits of the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page200" name="page200">(p. 200)</a></span> +two Brigades. Accordingly a runner was sent for, and he and I +started off at midnight. It was very dark, and when we emerged from +the trench and turned to the right on the Lens-Bethune road we met +parties of wounded men coming back, and the batteries in the fields +beside us were firing over our heads. We visited first the cellar of a +building by the way, where there was an aid post. Here were many men +being attended to by the doctors. They were all worn out, and did not +look forward with much pleasure to their journey back to Maroc along +the dark and dangerous road.</p> + +<p>From the dressing station, my guide and I went into a trench and along +this to the gun positions. As we came to each, we visited the officers +and men. We got a glad welcome from the faithful, true-hearted fellows +who were working with might and main to save the lives of their +comrades in the front line. Some of the guns were fearfully heated and +were hard to handle. Yet the S.O.S. signals from the front trenches +would go up every now and then, telling our gunners that the Germans +were making another counter-attack, and asking for artillery support +to save the situation. We made our way through the trench towards the +batteries at the foot of the Loos Crassier. In doing so, we had to +pass under the road. I was going on ahead, and when I stooped down to +pass under the bridge, to my surprise I could dimly descry in the +darkness a row of silent men sitting on each side of the passage +facing one another. I said, "Good-night, boys," but there was no +answer. The figures in the darkness remained motionless and still. I +could not quite make out what the matter was, for our men always +responded to my greeting. Suddenly, an enemy flare-light went up in the +distance, and I saw, to my horror, that the two rows of men sitting so +silently were Germans. I was wondering if I had run my neck into a +noose, when a voice from the other end of the passage called out, +"They are prisoners, Sir. I am taking them back with me and giving +them a few minutes rest." I must say that I was greatly relieved. I +went on to the gun-pits just in front of the crassier, and here the +men were working hard. It was splendid to see their absolute disregard +of everything but their duty. I felt myself to be such a slacker +beside them, but I told them how gloriously they were carrying on, and +how their work was appreciated by the infantry. The night began to +wear away, and when I reached the gun-pits that were further back it +was broad daylight. In fact, I visited the last one at six a.m. Some +of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page201" name="page201">(p. 201)</a></span> +the batteries had by this time ceased firing, and the men +had fallen asleep in all sorts of curious positions, ready to be +roused in an instant. Altogether, my guide and I visited forty-eight +gun-pits that night, and it was about seven o'clock when we returned +to Brigade Headquarters.</p> + +<p>The next night the Germans sent over a rain of gas-shells on the +batteries, and the men at the guns found it impossible to see the +sights through the eye-pieces of their gas-helmets, and so chose to +face the poison unprotected rather than run the risk of injuring our +infantry by bad firing. There were of course heavy casualties among +the gunners as a result of this. Some died and many were badly gassed, +but the line was held.</p> + +<p>As I was returning after spending the night at the gun-pits, I felt +terribly tired. The morning sun rose higher and higher, and beat down +with summer heat on my steel helmet as I made my way along the path +which skirted the town of Maroc. I sat down by the side of a trench to +have some breakfast, and opened a tin of milk and my tin of bully beef +and was just preparing to have a meal, when I must have fallen asleep +instantaneously. How long I slumbered I do not know, but when I woke +up I found, standing in front of me, three amused and puzzled +Australian tunnellers. When I fell asleep, I must have upset my +breakfast, which was lying at my feet, and the tunnellers were +evidently enjoying what they considered to be the discovery of a padré +a little the worse for wear. They were somewhat surprised, not to say +disappointed, when I woke up, and they said, "You seem to be very +tired, Sir." I told them that I had had very little sleep for several +nights, and had been walking all night long, winding up my story (for +the honour of the cloth) with the statement that I was a teetotaller. +Whether they believed it or not I do not know, but we had a long talk +together and they told me of the work they were doing in digging a +tunnel from Loos to the front line.</p> + +<p>The next day I went to the advanced dressing station and saw the men +that were gassed being brought in. So strongly were their clothes +saturated with the poison that, as they were being cut off, in order +that the bodies of the men might be washed with the liquid used for +counteracting the burning effects of the gas, our eyes and throats +smarted from the fumes. There was nothing more horrible than to see +men dying from gas. Nothing could be done to relieve their suffering. +The body, as well as the throat and lungs, was burned and blistered by +the poison.</p> + +<p>The <span class="pagenum"><a id="page202" name="page202">(p. 202)</a></span> +German counter-attack had now spent itself, and Hill 70 +was ours. One more splendid deed had been achieved by the Canadian +Corps, and we now held in our hands the commanding position which +threatened the town of Lens.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXI. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page203" name="page203">(p. 203)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Every Day Life.</span><br> + +<i>August to October 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>Hill 70 being now in our grip the Division came out of the line on +August 21st, and moved back to our old billets in Bruay.</p> + +<p>Every night, as usual, our concert party gave a performance in the +theatre. We were very proud of them. The men's costumes were well made +and very tasteful. "Babs," our leading lady, was most charming and +engaging, in spite of the fact that her hands looked decidedly +masculine. The townspeople enjoyed the entertainments as much as we +did, and the battalions were given their own special nights. +Occasionally, some of the jokes appeared to me a trifle too broad. At +such times I would pay a visit to the Green-room, +as Senior Chaplain, and mildly suggest their withdrawal. I +must say that the men took my interference in good part and kept their +exuberance of spirits well in check. Our Divisional band was up to +high-water mark, and their rendering of the hymns and chants on +Sundays made our services in the theatre extraordinarily hearty.</p> + +<p>One afternoon I motored over to Quatre Vents to take a funeral service +in the cemetery there. Instead of returning, I went down to +Cambligneul to see the men of the 7th Battalion. They were enjoying a +rest in the quaint old town. In the evening, I went down to the +Y.M.C.A. hut which was in charge of the British. Here I found our men +crowded into the building, not knowing what to do with themselves. The +officer in charge of the hut was a quiet man, who was doing his best +in superintending the work at the counter. It struck me, however, that +he felt a little embarrassed by the situation, and did not know how to +provide amusement for the wild Canadians. I asked him if he would +object to our having a stag-dance. He said, "Certainly not, you may do +anything you like." At once we got several dozen candles and +illuminated the place. Then we sent out for a pianist and some +violinists, and got up a scratch orchestra. We then cleared away the +tables and benches and turned the place into a dance-hall. The +orchestra struck up a lively two-step, and great burly chaps chose +their equally burly +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page204" name="page204">(p. 204)</a></span> +partners, and started off in the dance +with such gusto that the place was filled with the sounds of +dissipation. This attracted more men from outside, and finally we had +the liveliest scene imaginable. I actually found myself joining in the +mazes of the waltz, and amid roars of laughter the dancing went on +fast and furious. So delighted was the Y.M.C.A. officer, that he +mounted the platform at the end of a dance, and in spite of my +protest, called for three cheers for the man who had suggested the +entertainment. At the close of the evening, we had cups of hot coffee +and biscuits, and parted in the best of humours. I was then confronted +by a problem that had not presented itself to me before, and that was, +how I was to get back to my home in Bruay, which was about ten miles +off. Once more my favourite text came to my mind, "The Lord will +provide." So I bid good-bye to my friends in the hut and went off, +trusting that a car or lorry would pick me up on the road. This time I +found that the Lord did not provide, so I started at about half-past +ten on my homeward journey on foot. As I passed through the sleeping +village of Estrée-Cauchie, I came upon some men of another Division +who had been imbibing very freely in an estaminet, and who were about +to wind up a heated argument with a free fight. It was very dark, and +it was hard for me to convince them that I was a chaplain with the +rank of Lieut.-Colonel, until I turned my flashlight upon my white +collar. Happily, my efforts as peacemaker were not in vain. I poured +oil on the troubled waters till I saw them subside, and the men went +off to their billets. One young fellow, however, was experiencing that +interest in spiritual problems, which was sometimes aroused in the +most unexpected quarters by free libations of spirituous liquors. He +caught hold of my arm and implored me to enlighten him on the +theological differences which separated Anglicans and Presbyterians. I +forget which he was himself, but at the time the problem was a matter +of extraordinary interest to him. While I always considered it my duty +to impart enlightenment to darkened souls whenever I could, the +recollection that I had about seven miles to walk to my home that +night rather tempered my missionary zeal, and by a promise to discuss +the whole matter on our next meeting I managed to tear myself away and +proceed on my journey.</p> + +<p>It was a long tramp down the silent road in the darkness. The houses +in the little villages through which I passed were tightly shut. Not a +light could be seen, and Providence supplied no car or lorry +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page205" name="page205">(p. 205)</a></span> +for my conveyance. On a hill in the distance, I saw the revolving +light which acted as a signal to the aeroplanes. It would shine out +for a few seconds and then die away. The air was fresh and cool, and I +had time to meditate on the curious events of the intense life which I +lived. It was still day in Canada, and the sun was shining over our +cities, the great lakes, the prairies, and the jagged peaks in the +mountain province on the Pacific coast. When was this life going to +end? Were we really making any progress? Overhead, my beloved friends +the stars, kept up their silent twinkling, which gave them an +appearance of life. In the valley lay the old medieval Château of +Ohlain. I thought of the historical figures from the pages of French +history who had walked along that road centuries before, filled with +the anxieties and problems of their own age. Now and then, some bird +of the night would break the silence with its cry or twitter, and +still I plodded on. At last, long after midnight, I reached the +outskirts of Bruay, and entering the High Street, made my way to my +billet, where Alberta was waiting to give me a warm welcome.</p> + +<p>It was the privilege of the British Army to have as its commanders, +good and devout men. One always felt that, in any appeal, the cause of +religion would be upheld. General Horne, who commanded the First Army, +of which we formed a part, was a man of sincere religious life, and +never failed to show his appreciation of the chaplains and their work. +One day he invited all the Chaplains of the First Army to have tea +with him at his headquarters in the beautiful Château of Ranchicourt. +It was a lovely afternoon, and we motored over to the meeting in +busses. Tables were set for tea and refreshments on the lawn, and the +Count and his charming daughter were there, giving a touch of home +life to the gathering. All the chaplains who could be off duty were +present. After tea, while we sat on the grass, the General gave us a +very helpful talk on religious work among the men from a soldier's +point of view. The old Château, with its beautiful gardens in front of +the huge elms gave a fine setting to the scene.</p> + +<p>On August 31st I was driven over to a field at the back of +Villers-Chatel, where the 2nd Brigade was to hold a memorial service +for those who had been killed at the taking of Hill 70. I had been +asked to give the address. The place chosen was a wide and green field +which sloped gradually towards the line of rich forest trees. On the +highest part of the ground facing the woods, a small platform +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page206" name="page206">(p. 206)</a></span> +had been erected and was decorated with flags. On this the +chaplains stood, the Corps Commander and the Brigadier and staff being +at one side. Before us, forming three sides of a square, were the four +battalions of the Brigade. The scene when viewed from the platform was +magnificent. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the glorious +trees guarded the green mysteries of the forest behind. The troops +were in splendid form, and the bright red patches on their arms gave a +touch of colour which set off the khaki uniforms. Every one of the men +had been through the battle and was a hero. The service went well, and +the hymns, to the accompaniment of the band, were sung heartily. At +the close, the Corps Commander and staff went round to each battalion, +and those who had won honours came forward to receive them. As the +officers and men stood in turn before the General, the A.D.C. read out +a short account of what each had done to win the decoration. It was +deeply moving to hear the acts of gallantry that had been performed. +Fixed and motionless each man would stand, while we were told how his +courage had saved his company or platoon at some critical moment. I +remember particularly hearing how one sergeant who got the D.C.M., had +carried his Lewis gun, after all the other members of the crew had +been wounded or killed, and, placing it at a point of vantage, had, by +his steady fire, covered the advance of a company going forward to +attack. Little do people at home know by what supreme self-sacrifice +and dauntless courage those strips of bright-coloured ribbon on the +breasts of soldiers have been won. After the decorations had been +presented, the men fell back to their battalions. The band struck up +the strains of "D'ye ken John Peel?", and the whole Brigade marched +past the General, the masses of men moving with machine-like +precision. Even the rain which had begun to fall did not mar the fine +effect.</p> + +<p>Our stay at Bruay was not to be of long duration. In the early hours +of September 5th a bomb dropped in the garden behind the +administration building where our Headquarters were, waking us from +sleep with a sudden start. It did no harm, but on the next day we were +informed that we were all to move back to our old quarters in Barlin. +I always said that I regarded a bomb dropped on Headquarters as a +portent sent from heaven, telling us we were going to move. +Accordingly on September 6th we all made our way to Barlin, where I +was given a billet in an upper room +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page207" name="page207">(p. 207)</a></span> +in an estaminet. The +propriety of housing a Senior Chaplain in an estaminet might be +questioned, but this particular one was called the estaminet of St. +Joseph. An estaminet with such a title, and carried on under such high +patronage, was one in which I could make myself at home. So on the +door was hung my sign, "Canon Scott, Senior Chaplain," which provoked +many smiles and much comment from the men of the battalions as they +passed by. I was looking out of my window in the upper storey one day +when the 2nd Battalion was marching past, and, to the breach of all +good discipline, I called out to the men and asked them if they did +not envy me my billet. A roar of laughter went up, and they asked me +how I got there and if I could take them in as well. I told them that +it was the reward of virtue, and only those who could be trusted were +allowed to be housed in estaminets.</p> + +<p>Near me, at Barlin, the motor machine-gun brigade was encamped. It had +been there for some time, and I was glad to meet old friends and renew +acquaintance with the unit that had such a distinguished career at the +front. I had not seen them much since the old days at Poperinghe, but +wherever they went they covered themselves with glory. To spend an +evening in the hut used as the sergeants' mess was a delight. The +rollicking good humour that prevailed was most contagious, and I shall +always treasure the memory of it which has now been made sacred +through the death of so many whom I met there. I used to visit the +tents, too, and sitting on a box in their midst have a smoke and talk +with the men. Heavy indeed has been the toll of casualties which that +noble brigade has suffered since those happy days.</p> + +<p>Word was sent to the Division one day by the British troops holding +our trenches on Hill 70, that some bodies of our men were lying +unburied in No Man's Land. One of our battalions was ordered to +provide a burial party and I decided to accompany them. I was to meet +the men at a certain place near Loos on the Lens-Arras road in the +evening, and go with them. The burial officer turned up on time, but +the party did not. At last the men arrived and we went through the +well-known trenches till we came to the front line. Here I had to go +down and see some officers of the British battalions, and try to find +out where the bodies were. Apparently the officers could give us +little information, so we decided to divide up into small parties and +go into No Man's Land and search for the dead ourselves. As we were in +sight of the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page208" name="page208">(p. 208)</a></span> +enemy, we could not use our electric torches, +and only by the assistance of German flare-lights were we able to pick +our steps over the broken ground. We found a few bodies which had not +been buried, but it was impossible to do more than cover them with +earth, for the position was an exposed one. We did the best we could +under the circumstances, and were glad to find that the number of +unburied had been greatly exaggerated. On another occasion I took a +burial party out one night, and found that the officers and men sent +were a new draft that had never been in the line before. They were +much interested in the novel and somewhat hazardous nature of the +expedition. On this occasion when we returned to Bully-Grenay, the +morning sun was shining brightly overhead, and it began to get quite +warm. The men were very tired with their night's work, and when we +halted they lay down on the pavement by the road and went to sleep. +One poor fellow actually collapsed, and we had to send off to a +dressing station for a stretcher on which he was taken away for +medical treatment. A burial party, from the nature of the case, was +not a pleasant expedition, and Canada ought to be grateful for the way +in which our Corps burial officers and the men under them carried out +their gruesome and often dangerous duty. One of our burial officers, a +fine young fellow, told me how much he disliked the work. He said, +"There is no glory in it, and people think that we have an easy time, +but two of my predecessors have been killed and I expect to get +knocked out myself some day." A year later he was killed near Cambrai, +after he had faithfully done his duty in caring for the bodies of the +slain.</p> + +<p>Our front trenches were now to the right of Hill 70, in advance of +Liéven, and it seemed as if we were going to be stationed in the +neighbourhood for some time, for the rumour was that the Canadians had +to complete their work at Vimy by the capture of Lens. Barlin, +therefore, and the area around it was a great centre of Canadian life +and activity. We had our large Canadian tent-hospitals, our brigade +schools, and various Y.M.C.A. places of entertainment, besides our +officers' clubs.</p> + +<p>In an open field near my billet were stationed the horse lines of our +Divisional Train, and it used to give me great pleasure to pass the +long rows of wagons which by the constant labour of the men were kept +in prime condition. The paint was always fresh, and all the chains +were polished as if they were merely for show. It +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page209" name="page209">(p. 209)</a></span> +would be +hard for people at home to realize that the wagons which had been used +for years under such rough conditions always looked as if they had +just come out of the shop, but that was the case. The constant +attention to detail in the army, the smartness of the men, and the +good turn-out of the horses and limbers, have a great moral effect +upon every department of the service. The men were always grumbling +about polishing buttons and chains, but I told them that the +impression of efficiency it gave one made it quite worth while. A +Division that could turn out such a fine looking Train as we had could +always be depended upon to do its duty.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page210" name="page210">(p. 210)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">A Tragedy of War.</span></h4> + + +<p>There is nothing which brings home to the heart with such force the +iron discipline of war as the execution of men who desert from the +front line. It was my painful duty on one occasion to have to witness +the carrying out of the death sentence. One evening I was informed by +the A.P.M. that a man in one of our brigades was to be shot the next +morning, and I was asked to go and see him and prepare him for death. +The sentence had already been read to him at six o'clock, and the +brigade chaplain was present, but the A.P.M., wished me to take the +case in hand. We motored over to the village where the prisoner was +and stopped at a brick building which was entered through a courtyard. +There were men on guard in the outer room and also in a second room +from which a door led into a large brick chamber used as the condemned +cell. Here I found the man who was to pay the penalty of his +cowardice. He had a table before him and on it a glass of brandy and +water and writing materials. He was sitting back in his chair and his +face wore a dazed expression. The guards kindly left us alone. He rose +and shook hands with me, and we began to talk about his sentence. He +was evidently steeling himself and trying to fortify his mind by the +sense of great injustice done to him. I allowed him to talk freely and +say just what he pleased. Gradually, I succeeded in getting at the +heart of the true man which I knew was hidden under the hard exterior, +and the poor fellow began to tell me about his life. From the age of +eleven, when he became an orphan, he had to get his own living and +make his way in a world that is often cold and cruel to those who have +no friends. Then by degrees he began to talk about religion and his +whole manner changed. All the time I kept feeling that every moment +the dreaded event was coming nearer and nearer and that no time was to +be lost. He had never been baptised, but wished now to try and make up +for the past and begin to prepare in a real way to meet his God.</p> + +<p>I had brought my bag with the communion vessels in it, and so he and I +arranged the table together, taking away the glass of brandy and water +and the books and papers, and putting in their place the white +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page211" name="page211">(p. 211)</a></span> +linen altar cloth. When everything was prepared, he knelt down +and I baptised him and gave him his first communion. The man's mind +was completely changed. The hard, steely indifference and the sense of +wrong and injustice had passed away, and he was perfectly natural. I +was so much impressed by it that while I was talking to him, I kept +wondering if I could not even then, at that late hour, do something to +avert the carrying out of the sentence. Making some excuse and saying +I would be back in a little while, I left him, and the guard went into +the room accompanied by one of the officers of the man's company. When +I got outside, I told the brigade chaplain that I was going to walk +over to Army Headquarters and ask the Army Commander to have the death +sentence commuted to imprisonment.</p> + +<p>It was then about one a.m. and I started off in the rain down the dark +road. The Château in which the General lived was two miles off, and +when I came to it, I found it wrapped in darkness. I went to the +sentry on guard, and told him that I wished to see the General on +important business. Turning my flashlight upon my face, I showed who I +was. He told me that the General's room was in the second storey at +the head of a flight of stairs in a tower at the end of the building. +I went over there, and finding the door unlocked, I mounted the wooden +steps, my flashlight lighting up the place. I knocked at a door on the +right and a voice asked me who I was. When I told my name, I was +invited to enter, and an electric light was turned on and I found I +was in the room of the A.D.C., who was sitting up in bed. Luckily, I +had met him before and he was most sympathetic. I apologized for +disturbing him but told him my mission and asked if I might see the +General. He got up and went into the General's room. In a few moments +he returned, and told me that the General would see me. Instead of +being angry at my extraordinary intrusion, he discussed the matter +with me. Before a death sentence could be passed on any man, his case +had to come up first in his Battalion orderly room, and, if he was +found guilty there, it would be sent to the Brigade. From the Brigade +it was sent to the Division, from the Division to Corps, from Corps to +Army, and from Army to General Headquarters. If each of these courts +confirmed the sentence, and the British Commander-in-Chief signed the +warrant, there was no appeal, unless some new facts came to light. Of +all the men found guilty of desertion from the front trenches, only a +small percentage were executed. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page212" name="page212">(p. 212)</a></span> +It was considered absolutely +necessary for the safety of the Army that the death sentence should +not be entirely abolished. The failure of one man to do his duty might +spoil the morale of his platoon, and spread the contagion of fear from +the platoon to the company and from the company to the battalion, +endangering the fate of the whole line. The General told me, however, +that if any new facts came to light, suggesting mental weakness or +insanity in the prisoner, it might be possible for the execution to be +stayed, and a new trial instituted. This seemed to give hope that +something might yet be done, so I thanked the General for his kindness +and left.</p> + +<p>When I got back to the prison, I made my way to the cell, not of +course, letting the condemned man know anything that had happened. By +degrees, in our conversation, I found that on both sides of his family +there were cases of mental weakness. When I had all the information +that was possible, I went out and accompanied by the brigade chaplain, +made my way once again to Army Headquarters. The chances of averting +the doom seemed to be faint, but still a human life was at stake, and +we could not rest till every effort had been made. I went to the room +of the A.D.C., and was again admitted to the presence of the Army +Commander. He told me now that the only person who could stop the +execution was the Divisional Commander, if he thought it right to do +so. At the same time, he held out very little hope that anything could +be done to commute the sentence. Once more I thanked him and went off. +The brigade chaplain was waiting for me outside and we talked the +matter over, and decided that, although the case seemed very hopeless +and it was now half-past three, one last effort should be made. We +walked back through the rain to the village, and there awoke the +A.P.M. and the Colonel of the battalion. Each of them was most +sympathetic and most anxious, if possible, that the man's life should +be spared. The A.P.M. warned me that if we had to go to Divisional +Headquarters, some seven miles away, and return, we had no time to +lose, because the hour fixed for the execution was in the early dawn.</p> + +<p>The question now was to find a car. The only person in the place who +had one was the Town Major. So the Colonel and I started off to find +him, which we did with a great deal of difficulty, as no one knew +where he lived. He too, was most anxious to help us. Then we had to +find the chauffeur. We managed to get him roused +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page213" name="page213">(p. 213)</a></span> +up, and +told him that he had to go to Divisional Headquarters on a matter of +life and death. It was not long before we were in the car and speeding +down the dark, muddy roads at a tremendous rate, whirling round +corners in a way that seemed likely to end in disaster. We got to the +Divisional Commander's Headquarters and then made our way to his room +and laid the matter before him. He talked over the question very +kindly, but told us that the courts had gone into the case so +carefully that he considered it quite impossible to alter the final +decision. If the action of the prisoner had given any indication of +his desertion being the result of insanity, something might be done, +but there was nothing to suggest such was the case. To delay the +execution for twenty-four hours and then to have to carry it out would +mean subjecting a human being to unspeakable torture. He felt he could +not take it upon himself to run the chance of inflicting such misery +upon the man. The Colonel and I saw at once that the case was utterly +hopeless and that we could do no more. The question then was to get +back in time for the carrying out of the sentence. Once more the car +dashed along the roads. The night was passing away, and through the +drizzling rain the gray dawn was struggling.</p> + +<p>By the time we arrived at the prison, we could see objects quite +distinctly. I went in to the prisoner, who was walking up and down in +his cell. He stopped and turned to me and said, "I know what you have +been trying to do for me, Sir, is there any hope?" I said, "No, I am +afraid there is not. Everyone is longing just as much as I am to save +you, but the matter has been gone into so carefully and has gone so +far, and so much depends upon every man doing his duty to the +uttermost, that the sentence must be carried out." He took the matter +very quietly, and I told him to try to look beyond the present to the +great hope which lay before us in another life. I pointed out that he +had just one chance left to prove his courage and set himself right +before the world. I urged him to go out and meet death bravely with +senses unclouded, and advised him not to take any brandy. He shook +hands with me and said, "I will do it." Then he called the guard and +asked him to bring me a cup of tea. While I was drinking it, he looked +at his watch, which was lying on the table and asked me if I knew what +time "IT" was to take place. I told him I did not. He said, "I think +my watch is a little bit fast." The big hand was pointing to ten +minutes to six. A few moments later the guards entered and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page214" name="page214">(p. 214)</a></span> +put a gas helmet over his head with the two eye-pieces behind so that +he was completely blindfolded. Then they handcuffed him behind his +back, and we started off in an ambulance to a crossroad which went up +the side of a hill. There we got out, and the prisoner was led over to +a box behind which a post had been driven into the ground. Beyond this +a piece of canvas was stretched as a screen. The firing party stood at +a little distance in front with their backs towards us. It was just +daylight. A drizzling rain was falling and the country looked chilly +and drear. The prisoner was seated on the box and his hands were +handcuffed behind the post. He asked the A.P.M. if the helmet could be +taken off, but this was mercifully refused him. A round piece of white +paper was pinned over his heart by the doctor as a guide for the men's +aim. I went over and pronounced the Benediction. He added, "And may +God have mercy upon my soul." The doctor and I then went into the road +on the other side of the hedge and blocked up our ears, but of course +we heard the shots fired. It was sickening. We went back to the +prisoner who was leaning forward and the doctor felt his pulse and +pronounced him dead. The spirit had left the dreary hillside and, I +trust, had entered the ranks of his heroic comrades in Paradise.</p> + +<p>The effect of the scene was something quite unutterable. The firing +party marched off and drew up in the courtyard of the prison. I told +them how deeply all ranks felt the occasion, and that nothing but the +dire necessity of guarding the lives of the men in the front line from +the panic and rout that might result, through the failure of one +individual, compelled the taking of such measures of punishment. A +young lad in the firing party utterly broke down, but, as one rifle on +such occasions is always loaded with a blank cartridge, no man can be +absolutely sure that he has had a part in the shooting. The body was +then placed in a coffin and taken in the ambulance to the military +cemetery, where I held the service. The usual cross was erected with +no mention upon it of the manner of the death. That was now forgotten. +The man had mastered himself and had died bravely.</p> + +<p>I have seen many ghastly sights in the war, and hideous forms of +death. I have heard heart-rending tales of what men have suffered, but +nothing ever brought home to me so deeply, and with such cutting +force, the hideous nature of war and the iron hand of discipline, as +did that lonely death on the misty hillside in the early morning. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page215" name="page215">(p. 215)</a></span> +Even now, as I write this brief account of it, a dark nightmare +seems to rise out of the past and almost makes me shrink from facing +once again memories that were so painful. It is well, however, that +people should know what our men had to endure. Before them were the +German shells, the machine-guns and the floods of gas. Behind them, if +their courage failed, was the court-martial, always administered with +great compassion and strict justice, but still bound by inexorable +laws of war to put into execution, when duty compelled, a grim and +hideous sentence of death.</p> + +<p>If this book should fall into the hands of any man who, from +cowardice, shirked his duty in the war, and stayed at home, let him +reflect that, but for the frustration of justice, he ought to have +been sitting that morning, blindfolded and handcuffed, beside the +prisoner on the box. HE was one of the originals and a volunteer.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXIII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page216" name="page216">(p. 216)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Visits To Rome and Paschendaele.</span><br> + +<i>October and November, 1917.</i></h4> + + +<p>It was a good thing, after the bitter experience which I had just +passed through, that permission was granted me at this time to take +some men on a leave trip to Rome. My visit to Paris had convinced me +that it was no proper place for men to spend their leave in, so when +my next leave was nearly due I wrote to Division and asked permission +to take a party to Italy in order that some of our men might have the +benefit of seeing the great monuments of European history and art. +Weeks passed away and I heard nothing about the matter, until at last +a telegram came through granting my request. I had only asked +permission to take twelve men with me whose names had to be sent in +beforehand. But the telegram which granted permission was couched in +such vague terms, merely referring to a certain file-number, that I, +knowing that nobody would take the trouble to turn up the original +document, said nothing about it, and by a stroke of good luck +succeeded in taking with me forty-six men, including two chaplains, +two young officers and one of the staff of the Y.M.C.A. Two of the +men, alas, became casualties in the Paris barrage on the first night, +and were reported "missing, believed dead," but were found two days +afterwards by the police and sent back. The rest of us had a glorious +time and travelled to Rome via Marseilles, Nice—which included a +visit to Monte Carlo—Genoa and Pisa. I shall never forget the +delightful trip across France by daylight, and the moonlight night at +Marseilles, where we put up at the Hotel Regina. The men were in fine +form and presented a splendid soldierlike appearance. Their new +uniforms were set off by the bright red patch upon their sleeves, and +their buttons were kept well polished. I told them, before we started, +that I did not wish to be either a detective or a nursery-maid, but I +asked them to play the game and they did. We were going into the +country of an ally and I knew that such a large party would be under +very critical observation wherever we went. I had really no authority +over the men beyond that which they were willing that I should +exercise. The individuals of the party were not specially selected, +but I felt perfect confidence that we should have no trouble, +although +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page217" name="page217">(p. 217)</a></span> +I was naturally very much teased by members of "C" +mess who prophesied that I should lose some men in Paris, some in +Marseilles and some in Rome, and my friends even went so far as to +declare that they doubted whether I should ever come back myself. We +were favoured with glorious weather, and travelled by daylight the +whole length of the Riviera. The utmost good humour prevailed, and the +glorious view of the blue Mediterranean on one side, with that of the +romantic mountains on the other, drove from our minds all +uncomfortable memories of the war. In fact we seemed to get into +another world.</p> + +<p>The train arrived at Pisa at about nine o'clock p.m. and was to wait +there for three hours, so we all got out and had some supper and +started off to see the famous leaning tower by moonlight. The sudden +appearance of British troops in the quaint old town caused quite a +sensation, and the people came out of the cafes to see us and a mob +followed us wherever we went. We were of course pounced upon by the +vendors of souvenirs, and a number of the men came back to the station +carrying alabaster leaning towers under their arms. I warned the party +about the danger of loading themselves with such heavy and brittle +mementos, for we had still a long journey before us. The wisdom of my +warning was apparent later on, for on leaving Rome the alabaster +towers had begun to lean so much that they could no longer stand up. A +shelf full of leaning towers propped up one against another, looking +as if they had just partaken of an issue of rum, was left in the +hotel. We journeyed all night, some of the men sleeping on the seats, +some on the floor, and some in the hatracks overhead, and in the +morning amid intense excitement we arrived at the station in Rome. I +had been able to get a shave and clean up in the train, so on arrival +was ready to go and hunt for a hotel. I told the men, however, to find +their way to the Leave Club and make themselves presentable and that I +would return for them as soon as possible. After securing billets in +the Hotel Bristol, I went back for the party. Although I knew the men +would want to go about the city by themselves, I felt it would be a +good thing for our esprit-de-corps, that we should march to the hotel +in a body. So, not knowing how to give military orders myself, and +remembering what real colonels always did in similar predicaments, I +turned to the senior sergeant and said, "Sergeant, make the men fall +in, and when they are ready I will take over the parade." When the +sergeant came up to me and saluting said the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page218" name="page218">(p. 218)</a></span> +parade was +ready, I found to my dismay that the men were facing the wrong way and +if I said "Quick march", they would walk into the brick wall opposite. +I went up close to the sergeant and whispered to him, "Turn the men +round." This he did, and placing myself at their head I shouted, +"Quick March." I think that moment, as I started off to march through +Rome at the head of that fine body of men who followed two abreast, +was the proudest of my life. I had always been interested in history, +and have read Gibbon from cover to cover, so the thought suddenly +flashed upon me, "Julius Caesar once led his forces through Rome. +Later on, Augustus Caesar led his forces through Rome. In the middle +ages, Rienzi led his forces through Rome, and now, (here my head began +to swell till it grew too big for my cap) Canon Scott is leading his +forces through Rome." We marched through the streets at "attention" +and looked not to the right nor to the left, in spite of the fact that +we passed many groups of admiring onlookers. When we arrived at the +hotel, I called out, "Halt", in proper military tones and the men +halted, but I did not know the usual formula for telling them to +disperse, and I did not want such a proper beginning to have a +miserable end. I thought of saying, "Now I will dismiss the +congregation," but that sounded too religious. I knew that if I said, +"Now we will take up the collection," my army would fly off quickly +enough. However, while I was debating with myself, the men took the +law into their own hands and, breaking off, went into the hotel.</p> + +<p>We happened to arrive in Rome just at the time of the great Italian +disaster in the North, and we found the populace plunged into great +anxiety. English and French newspapers were banned by the censor, so +it was difficult to find out what was happening, but I was told +privately that matters were very critical, and there might be a +revolution in Rome at any moment. I was also advised to see that our +men behaved with great circumspection, for German agents were secretly +trying to make trouble between the British and Italians. I told our +men to remember we had to help on the cause of the Allies and to be +very careful about details, such as saluting every Italian officer. I +think they saluted every Italian private as well. I also told them, in +case they were questioned on the subject, to say they were quite +pleased with the war, in fact that they rather enjoyed it and were not +a bit afraid of the Germans, and were determined to fight until a +decisive victory gave us a chance of lasting peace.</p> + +<p>Wherever +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page219" name="page219">(p. 219)</a></span> +we went on the journey, we stayed at the best +hotels, for I had told each man to bring with him a thousand francs. +It was a great puzzle to the Italians that Canadian soldiers were able +to stay at the most select hotel in Rome, and also that the officers +and men were able to mix together in real comradeship. The Highlanders +in our party of course attracted the greatest attention, and were +frequently followed by an admiring crowd as they passed through the +streets. Colonel Lamb, the military attaché at the Embassy, was very +kind to us and secured us many privileges, not the least acceptable of +which was free transportation. We split up into small parties, and +visited the sights of the Eternal City as we pleased. On the first +night after dinner, we paid a visit to the Coliseum by moonlight, +which is something to remember. Wherever we went we met with the +kindest treatment. The ladies of the Leave Club gave us an +entertainment one evening, which was attended by the military and +naval attachés at the British and American Embassies, and by some of +the English residents. I was proud of the appearance of the men. +Before we left the hotel at Nice, an English lady, the wife of a +British General at the front, came up and congratulated me upon the +men, and said they were the most gentlemanly young fellows she had +ever seen. I think it was a help to them to feel that their appearance +in Rome at that critical time was something which gave our party a +kind of political significance, and the phrase, "to help on the cause +of the Allies," became a watchword among us.</p> + +<p>One night an Italian Colonel asked some of our men to dine with him at +his hotel and took them to the theatre afterwards. On another +occasion, five of our men were sitting in the front row of one of the +theatres when an actor gave an impersonation of the different +sovereigns of Europe. When he appeared as King George, the orchestra +struck up our National Anthem, and at once our men rose up and stood +to attention. One of them told me afterwards that he felt cold shivers +going down his back as he did so, because he was in full view of +everybody. For a moment there was a pause, then the audience, +understanding what the action meant, rose en masse and stood till the +music was over and then clapped their hands and shouted "Viva +l'Inghilterra!"</p> + +<p>Many of our men were very anxious to see the Pope, and so it was +arranged that we should have an audience. Colonel Lamb informed the +1st Italian Division that we would march in a body through +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page220" name="page220">(p. 220)</a></span> +their district. We started off in the morning, our young Highland +officer being in command. As we passed through the streets, the people +greeted us very cordially. Many of them raised their hats. The +traffic, too, would stop to let us pass. We went over the bridge of +Hadrian and arrived at the entrance of the Vatican beside St. Peter's +in good time. There we were met by an Irish priest, who remembered me +from my previous visit. I asked him if the men should break ranks but +he told me to let them come in formation. So, two by two, we mounted +the glorious Royal Staircase, the splendid surroundings being a good +setting for the fine looking soldiers. At the various landings, the +Swiss Guards in their picturesque uniforms presented arms, and we +found ourselves at last in a wonderful hall with richly frescoed walls +and ceiling. Here the men were halted and passed in single file into +the audience chamber. We had to wait for quite a long time, and at +last the Pope entered, clothed in white and looking much older and +more worn than when I had seen him only a year and a half before. He +was very guarded in what he said to us, because we were the first +soldiers whom he had received in a body, and any expression he might +make with reference to the war would be liable to various +interpretations. He spoke to some of our men in French and then wished +us health and protection and a safe return to Canada. Then, giving his +blessing he left us, and we made our way to the outer room where we +reformed and marched off as we had come.</p> + +<p>That afternoon we were photographed in the Coliseum, and I visited the +interesting old church of St. Clement afterwards. Every evening, after +a day spent in rambling among antiquities, we used to attend the opera +in the Grand Opera House. It acted as a sort of relaxation after the +serious business of sight-seeing. Rumours now reached us of the attack +that our Division was making up in the Salient, and one night when I +was having tea in the Grand Hotel I went over and asked a young +British staff officer whom I saw there, if he had any news. He said to +me that the Canadian Corps were making an attack at Passchendaele +under the most appalling conditions of mud and rain and had covered +themselves with glory. I asked him if it were true that Sir William +Robertson had come to Rome. "Yes," he said, "I am his son. He has +brought me with him and we are all very proud of the Canadians." At +another table +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page221" name="page221">(p. 221)</a></span> +I saw M. Venezelos. It was understood now that +Britain and France were to come to the assistance of Italy, but still +Venice was in imminent peril, and the Italians were heart-broken at +the way the 3rd Italian Army had behaved. Refugees from the North +began to pour into Rome and affairs were very serious. I told our men +of the gravity of the situation and the increased importance of +helping on the cause of the Allies in every possible way.</p> + +<p>It is the custom at Rome on All Soul's day, November 2nd, to place +flowers and wreaths on the marble steps in front of the equestrian +statue of Victor Emmanuel. This year, I was told, the people were +going to make a special demonstration. It occurred to me that it might +not be a bad idea if we, too, placed a wreath to the memory of our +comrades. I put the matter before Colonel Lamb and he said it was a +very good idea indeed, but asked us to put on the card which would be +attached to our wreath, the words, "To the brave Italian dead, from +their comrades in the British Empire," rather than, "To the brave +Italian dead from their Canadian comrades." He said he was anxious to +emphasize the connection between the British and the Italians. An +Italian major made the arrangements with me for carrying out the +project. Poor man, he was so moved at the thought of the disgraceful +surrender of the 3rd Italian Army that his eyes filled with tears as +he talked about it, and he said, "What will our Allies think of Italy +when her men behave like that?" I told him it was only a small part of +their army that had failed and that the rest had behaved very +gallantly. That afternoon, preceded by two of our sergeants carrying a +large wreath of laurel tied with purple ribbon, to which we attached +two cards with the inscription, one in English and one in Italian, we +marched through the crowds of onlookers, who took off their hats as we +passed, until we reached the great marble steps which lead up to the +gilded statue of the late King. Here there was a magnificent display +of flowers made up in all sorts of designs. The crowd gave away before +us, and one of the officials, who had been directed by the Italian +major, took the wreath from us and gave it a place of honour in front +of the statue. We stood in a long line on the marble steps and saluted +and then turned and left. The people clapped their hands and shouted, +"Viva l'Inghilterra!" We were pleased at the impression the simple act +of courtesy made, and felt that it was helping on the cause of the +Allies.</p> + +<p>Our +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page222" name="page222">(p. 222)</a></span> +men were always very much amused by the moving picture +shows, the characters of these entertainments being so different from +that of similar exhibitions at the front. They were so tragic and so +sentimental that they did not appeal strongly to the wholesome minds +of Canadian soldiers. It was always very interesting to hear their +criticisms of the customs and outlook of the people with whom we were +sojourning. There is no doubt that the army mind is the sanest and +most wholesome in the whole community. It may not express itself in +the most artistic terms or the most religious language, but its +judgments are absolutely sound and worthy of the most careful +consideration. I am sure that Canadian political life, unless other +influences nullify it, will be immeasurably bettered by the soldiers' +vote.</p> + +<p>I had the great privilege of a visit to Cardinal Gasquet in the home +of the Dominicans not far from St. Peter's. The interview had been +arranged for me by an English priest whom I met at the hospital of the +Blue Nuns, where I had taken two of our men who were ill with +pneumonia. The Cardinal is engaged in the stupendous task of revising +the text of the Latin Vulgate. He showed me photographs of the ancient +manuscripts with the various readings noted. It will be years before +the great task is completed, but when it is, it will remain untouched +for centuries to come. He told me that news had just been received of +the consecration of the first Roman Catholic Bishop in Russia. This +had been made possible by the overthrow of the reigning dynasty. He +was most kind, and told me many interesting things about life in Rome +during the war, and before I left asked me to write my name in his +visitor's book, pointing out to me on the upper part of the page the +recent signature of the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne.</p> + +<p>Altogether we had been absent by this time for nearly two weeks, and +had still a long return journey ahead of us. I thought, however, that +the valuable service our men were rendering the great cause justified +our over-staying our leave. In fact, when I went to say good-bye to +Colonel Lamb, he and his staff told me that the presence of our men in +the City at that time had been worth any amount of printed propaganda. +I hinted that some statement of that kind to General Currie might be a +good thing. To my great delight, soon after we had returned, General +Currie received the following letter, which has an official stamp +which I never expected:—</p> + + +<p class="figcenter"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page223" name="page223">(p. 223)</a></span> +BRITISH EMBASSY,<br> +ROME.</p> + +<p class="quotedr">9th November, 1917.</p> + +<p class="left05">"Dear General,</p> + +<p class="left05">"With reference to the recent visit to Rome of a party of Canadian +officers and soldiers, I am requested by H. E. Sir Rennel Rodd to +inform you of the excellent impression produced among the inhabitants +of this city, by the soldierlike turnout, and excellent and courteous +behaviour of all ranks belonging to the party.</p> + +<p class="left05">"Their visit has helped to inspire Italians with a feeling of +confidence in their allies at a time of great anxiety and trial.<br> + +<span class="left50">"Believe me,</span><br> +<span class="left55">Yours very truly,</span><br> +<span class="quotedr">(Sgd.) CHARLES A. LAMB,</span><br> +<span class="left65">Colonel,</span><br> +<span class="left70">Military Attaché.</span><br> +<span class="left75">Rome."</span> +</p> + + + +<p>We left for Florence on Saturday November 3rd. The ladies of the Leave +Club came to see us off, and after a delightful trip in brilliant +sunshine, we arrived at our destination at seven in the evening. On +our journey we passed many trains filled with refugees, who were +crowded together in third-class carriages. As the Austrian and German +armies advanced in the North the people in the villages were given a +quarter of an hour in which to decide whether they would stay or go. +They were warned, however, that if they stayed and the Italians ever +tried to retake the towns they would all be put to death. I was told +by some officers of a British hospital in Turin, who had had to leave +the Italian front in a hurry, that it was a sad sight to see the +inhabitants of the towns fleeing down the roads from the advancing +enemy. Old and infirm people dragged themselves along. Parents lost +their children and children lost their parents in the crowd, and the +people took with them only the things which they could carry on their +persons. Florence was crowded with these unfortunates, who were lying +out at night in the squares and being tended by the citizens. There +was a great crowd at the station when we arrived, and a number of +Italian soldiers who spoke English gathered round our party and told +us that the war was over and that the soldiers would not fight any +more. Our men, however, were equal to the occasion, and told them +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page224" name="page224">(p. 224)</a></span> +that <i>we</i> were going to keep on fighting no matter what the +Italians did, and that there could be no peace until we had a decisive +victory. The whole city was astir, and many Italian regiments were +quartered there. I told the men before we sought for accommodation in +the crowded town, how important it was that we should show a +determined face at this time.</p> + +<p>On the following afternoon, which was Sunday, I had a curious +experience. The Y.M.C.A. officer and I were going off to see the great +church of Santa Croce, which is the Italian Westminster Abbey, many +great Italians having been buried there. As we passed down the street +my friend went into a shop to buy some chocolates. While I was +waiting, I heard the stirring notes of the Marseillaise, and looking +round saw a band coming up the street followed by three Italian flags, +a number of soldiers, and a rabble of men, women and children. I +called to my companion to come out quickly and salute the Italian +colours. As they passed, we stood on the curb and saluted with strict +military precision. In fact we saluted so well that the delighted +members of the procession grabbed us by the hand and finally dragged +us into their midst, others clapping their hands and shouting "Viva +l'Inghilterra!" I was separated from my companion in the rabble and +called over to him and asked him what it was. He said, "I think it is +a Socialist demonstration." This rather dismayed me, but I turned to +one of the people by my side and asked him in French what the crowd +was. He told me it was the society for finishing the war, so I called +out to my friend, "It's all right Captain, it is the society for +finishing the war. I have wanted to join that society for some time." +I saw at once that the procession was an attempt to pull the Italians +together and rouse them to a supreme effort to resist the enemy and +save Italy. The crowd was so enthusiastic about the presence of +representatives of the British Army, that they finally caught us by +our legs and carried us on their shoulders through the streets. It was +a most amusing incident. I could not help thinking that the crowd were +the descendants of the men who had burnt Savonarola at the stake. My +friend, whose sense of humour had failed him, shouted over to me, "I +hate being made a fool of like this." I told him not to be rude as we +were helping on the cause of the Allies. Finally, overcome by our +struggles, the men let us down, and we were pushed along in the crowd +to the square in front of the Hotel Minerva. Here the leaders of the +procession invited us into the hotel and we were taken upstairs +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page225" name="page225">(p. 225)</a></span> +to the front room, out of which opened a balcony overlooking the +square. A young Italian officer, who had been a lawyer before the war +and had lost both his eyes, went on to the balcony and made a most +impassioned appeal to his countrymen. The crowd in the square was now +very dense, and received his speech with great enthusiasm. When it was +over, one of the officers of "The society for finishing the war," came +and urged me to address the crowd. I was so pleased to find that my +French was better understood in Italy than in any place except +England, that I asked my friend if I should speak to them in French. +He looked at me very sourly, for he had not quite got back his +equanimity, and said curtly, "You had better not." Then I said, "I +will talk to them in Italian." I shall never forget the look of dismay +which passed over his countenance, but I told him it was helping on +the cause of the Allies. I went out on the balcony, and the people +seeing the British uniform and probably mistaking me for a general, at +once began to cheer. I took off my cap, waved it in the air and +shouted at the top of my voice "Viva l'Italia." It was the only speech +they wanted. It was neither too long nor too short. The crowd repeated +the words, and then shouted, "Viva l'Inghilterra!" and the band +actually struck up "God save the King" and followed it by "Rule +Britannia, Britannia rules the waves" (I wished at the time she had +ruled under the waves as well.) I went back to the room and the +Italians were so delighted with my short and pithy speech, that they +invited me to dine with them that night and bring two officers with +me. When we got down to the square, the mob crowded round us and shook +hands with us, and I was afraid that some of the ladies were going to +embrace us. I think people thought we were part of the advance guard +that had been sent from France to the assistance of Italy.</p> + +<p>That night three of us attended the dinner given by the officers of +"The society for finishing the war," in a very fine restaurant. The +Deputy for Florence, who had been one of the members of the government +which had declared war on Austria, was present and I sat by the side +of an alderman of the city. Opposite to me was an English lady who +acted as an interpreter. At the close of the dinner the Deputy rose +and made a very eloquent speech, welcoming us to Italy and saying how +much Italians appreciated the fact that England was one of her Allies. +I replied in English, which was translated by our fair interpreter, +and told them how glad we were to be with them and that we had come, +some of our men +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page226" name="page226">(p. 226)</a></span> +seven thousand miles, as a voluntary army to +fight not only for the British Empire, but for something even bigger +than that, for our common civilization, and that the war had made the +Allies one family. I said that our men were determined to fight to the +bitter end, for we could have no true peace until we had a decisive +victory. Then I added that, if our Division were sent to Italy, we +should all come with great pleasure, knowing that the Italians were +our comrades and warm friends. I thought too, during my speech, that a +dugout in Florence would be worth two in Bully-Grenay. The party +seemed very pleased with my remarks and we all exchanged visiting +cards and separated good friends. The whole affair was very amusing, +and when the Italians pushed back the enemy in 1918, I used to tell +the men, amid roars of laughter, that nothing but my modesty prevented +my saying who it was that had saved Italy, that no one would ever hear +from my lips the name of the man who, when Italy was lying prostrate +at the feet of the advancing foe, shouted into her dying ear the +startling words "Viva l'Italia" and set her on her feet.</p> + +<p>Two days afterwards, accompanied to the station by an admiring crowd +and three ladies carrying Italian flags, we bade farewell to Florence +and started on our return journey. We spent the afternoon in Pisa, +and, after a night's journey, arrived at Turin in the morning. Our men +got out of the train and were making their way to the station when +they were met by the British R.T.O. a very large officer who wore an +eyeglass. He brought them quickly to attention by calling out, "Who +are you?" They told him they were Canadians on leave, and I, fearing +bloodshed, went up to the officer and explained who they were and why +they had come. He told me that there had been a mutiny in Turin that +summer and relations between the British and Italians were very much +strained, owing to the action of German agents. He said he had been +living on the top of a volcano for the past three months, and was +afraid to allow any large body of troops to go about the town lest +there might be trouble. I assured him that our men would behave with +great circumspection. He then told me that they would have to be back +in rest-billets, near the station, not later than ten o'clock. I asked +if he could not make it eleven, because I knew that the men wanted to +go to the theatre. He agreed to this and asked me to tell them that +roll would be called in the rest-billets at eleven o'clock. I halted +the men and said, "Boys, roll will be called in the rest-billets +tonight +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page227" name="page227">(p. 227)</a></span> +at eleven o'clock sharp." Whether it was or not we +never knew, for none of us was there to hear. The men went to the +theatres and to the various hotels afterwards. No trouble ensued, and +when we left on the following afternoon the R.T.O. was most friendly +and gave us a hearty send-off, no doubt feeling too relieved at our +departure to make any inquiries.</p> + +<p>Although we had had a most delightful trip I was really thankful we +were at last setting our faces towards the North. We arrived in Paris +the next morning, and before we left the station I told the men that +every one of them had to be at the train that evening. I had taken it +upon myself to extend their leave, as I thought their presence in +Italy was beneficial to the cause, but I asked them to show their +gratitude by not failing to return all together. That night, to my +intense satisfaction, they all turned up at the station at seven +o'clock, and we started for Calais. We arrived there the next morning, +and in the afternoon left for the front.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Poperinghe that night at six o'clock. It was dark, a +drizzling rain was falling, and the mud was thick. We could hear the +big guns firing, and the men were coming and going in all directions. +We took a hasty farewell of one another and then parted. No one we met +cared whether we had come from Italy or were going to Jericho. The men +did not know where their headquarters were, and I was particularly +anxious not to find mine. I went over to the Officer's Club and +secured a shake-down in the garret, but, as I heard that our Division +had made an attack that day, I determined to go up to the line. I +started off after dinner in an ambulance to the old mill at +Vlamertinghe, where there was a repetition of the sights and sounds +which I had experienced there on two previous occasions. Later on, I +went forward in another ambulance through Ypres to an advanced +dressing station. Then I started to walk up the terrible, muddy roads +till I came to the different German pill-boxes which had been +converted into headquarters for the battalions. Finally, after wading +through water and mud nearly up to my knees, I found myself the next +afternoon wandering through the mud and by the shell holes and +miserable trenches near Goudberg Copse, with a clear view of the ruins +of Paschendaele, which was held by another division on our right. The +whole region was unspeakably horrible. Rain was falling, the dreary +waste of shell-ploughed mud, yellow and clinging, stretched off into +the distance as far as the eye could see. Bearer parties, tired +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page228" name="page228">(p. 228)</a></span> +and pale, were carrying out the wounded on stretchers, making a +journey of several miles in doing so. The bodies of dead men lay here +and there where they had fallen in the advance. I came across one poor +boy who had been killed that morning. His body was covered with a +shiny coating of yellow mud, and looked like a statue made of bronze. +He had a beautiful face, with finely shaped head covered with close +curling hair, and looked more like some work of art than a human +being. The huge shell holes were half full of water often reddened +with human blood and many of the wounded had rolled down into the +pools and been drowned. As I went on, some one I met told me that +there was a wounded man in the trenches ahead of me. I made my way in +the direction indicated and shouted out asking if anybody was there. +Suddenly I heard a faint voice replying, and I hurried to the place +from which the sound came. There I found sitting up in the mud of the +trench, his legs almost covered with water, a lad who told me that he +had been there for many hours. I never saw anything like the wonderful +expression on his face. He was smiling most cheerfully, and made no +complaint about what he had suffered. I told him I would get a +stretcher, so I went to some trenches not far away and got a bearer +party and a stretcher and went over to rescue him. The men jumped down +into the trench and moved him very gently, but his legs were so numb +that although they were hit he felt no pain. One of the men asked him +if he was only hit in the legs. He said, "Yes," but the man looked up +at me and pulling up the boy's tunic showed me a hideous wound in his +back. They carried him off happy and cheerful. Whether he ever +recovered or not I do not know. If he did and ever sees this book, I +wish he would write and tell me how he is.</p> + +<p>That was our last attack at Paschendaele. Our Division had taken its +final objective. The next morning, the infantry were to come out of +the line, so in the late afternoon I returned with some stretcher +bearers. Several times shells came near enough to splatter us with +mud, and here and there I turned aside to bury those for whom graves +had just been prepared.</p> + +<p>At the front that day, a runner and I had joined in a brief burial +service over the body of a gallant young officer lying where he fell +on the side of a large shell-hole. As I uttered the words—"I am the +Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord," it seemed to me that the +lonely wind bore them over that region of gloom and death as +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page229" name="page229">(p. 229)</a></span> +if it longed to carry the message of hope far away to the many sad +hearts in Canada whose loved ones will lie, until the end, in unknown +graves at Paschendaele.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXIV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page230" name="page230">(p. 230)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Our Last War Christmas.</span></h4> + + +<p>Our Division moved back to Barlin and I was once more established in +my old billet. As our artillery were still at Ypres, I determined to +go back on the following day to the Salient. I started in a car the +next morning at six, and arrived at Talbot House, Poperinghe, in time +to have breakfast with Padré Clayton, who was in charge of that +splendid institution. Then I made my way to Ypres and found my son at +his battery headquarters under the Cloth Hall Tower. It was a most +romantic billet, for the debris of the ruins made a splendid +protection from shells, and the stone-vaulted chambers were airy and +commodious, much better than the underground cellars in which most of +the men were quartered. The guns of the battery were forward in a very +"unhealthy" neighbourhood. The officers and men used to take turns in +going on duty there for twenty-four hours at a time. They found that +quite long enough, as the forward area was continually exposed to +shells and aeroplane attacks. I went on to visit our own field +batteries, and found them distributed in a most desolate region. The +mud was so deep that to step off the bath-mats meant sinking almost to +the knees. In order to move the guns, planks had to be laid in front +of them for a track, and the guns were roped and dragged along by the +men. It was hard physical labour but they bore it, as they did other +difficulties and dangers, with the utmost good humour. It was tiring +enough merely to walk out to see them, without having anything else to +do. What those men went through at that time no one can imagine. Just +to watch them laying the planks and hauling on the ropes which drew +the heavy mud-covered guns made me weary. When I meet some of my +gunner friends in Montreal and Toronto looking so clean and happy, I +think of what they did behind Passchendaele Ridge, and I take off my +hat to them.</p> + +<p>I spent three days at Ypres, and then, by jumping lorries, made my way +back to St. Venant and Robecq, where I spent the night. The next +morning I left for Bethune, and thence by the assistance of lorries +and a car continued my journey to our new Divisional Headquarters, +which had found a home at Château de la Haie. Here +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page231" name="page231">(p. 231)</a></span> +I had a +billet in an upstairs room over what had been part of a stable. The +room was neither beautiful nor clean, but served as an abode for me +and Alberta and her newly-arrived family. The Château was a large +house of no distinction, but it stood in delightful grounds, and at +the back of it was a pond whose clear waters reflected the tall, +leafless trees which bordered it. One fact made the Château popular +and that was, that, up to that time, no shell or bomb had fallen in +the neighbourhood. It was said that the location of the Château was +not to be found on the enemy's maps. Round about were huts with +accommodation sufficient to house a whole brigade. The charm of the +place was completed by our 4th Division having erected there a large +and most artistic theatre, which would seat on benches nearly one +thousand men. It had a good stage and a pit for the orchestra in +front. This theatre, when our concert party was in full swing, was a +source of infinite delight to us all. It was built on the slope of a +hill, the stage being at the lower end and a good view of the play +therefore, could be had from all parts. The scenery was beautifully +painted and the electric lights and foot-lights well arranged.</p> + +<p>Near us was the village of Gouy-Servins, where many men were billeted, +and in huts at Souchez and other places along the valley the various +units found their homes. The year's campaign was now over and we could +look forward to a quiet time during the winter. "C" mess had a very +comfortable hut, with an open fireplace. We were supposed to have the +liveliest entertainments of any mess at Headquarters, and had +therefore many visitors. I shall never forget the jolly face of our +president, the D.A.D.M.S., nor the irrepressible spirit of our A.P.M., +son of a distinguished father who commanded an Army, nor the dry +common-sense humour of our Field Cashier. What delight they took in +ragging the Senior Chaplain, whose automatic ears, as he averred, +prevented his hearing the things he should not. Nor must we forget the +Camp Commandant, often perplexed like Martha with much serving. It was +a goodly company and one much addicted to bridge and other diversions. +I shall not forget the continual appeals of a gallant staff officer +with two or three ribbons, who asked me penitently every morning for a +moral uplift, which I noticed completely evaporated before evening. +There was a freedom about our gatherings that was quite unique and has +left pleasant memories in the mind, in spite of the fact that I told +my fellow members they were the most godless crowd in Christendom. +One +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page232" name="page232">(p. 232)</a></span> +day when we were at Ecoivres, a shell fell by the house, +while we were having dinner. Someone asked me afterwards if it had +"put my wind up?" "Not a bit", I replied, "I knew that the Devil was +not going to destroy one of his favourite machine-gun emplacements."</p> + +<p>There was much excitement at this time over the question of +conscription. The soldiers were to have votes and much depended upon +their being given in the right way. It was a critical time, as our +man-power was being exhausted. Recruiting under the voluntary system +had become inadequate to meet our needs. Beyond this, however, one +felt that the moral effect of Canada's refusing conscription would be +very harmful. The Germans would at once see in it an indication that +Canada was growing weary of fighting and they would consequently take +heart. It was most essential then that our men should cast a solid +vote for the coalition government. I felt it my duty therefore to do +as much electioneering work as I could. At night I used to address the +men in the theatre between the acts of the play, and tell them that if +we threw out the conscription bill, it would go a long way to undo the +good of all they had done and destroy the value of the sacrifice our +dead comrades had made. Once I was invited to speak to a battalion of +the 4th Division during an entertainment which they were holding. When +I closed my address I told them that the last thing I wanted to do was +to influence their vote. All I asked of them when they went to the +polls was to make a cross in front of Borden's name. From the laughter +and cheers with which this statement was received, I think they +probably did. A few of the men told me that the thing which made them +hesitate about voting for conscription was that they could not bring +themselves to do anything which would force others to come and endure +the hellish life at the front. The great unionist victory at the polls +in Canada, which we heard of on December 18th, showed us that the +heart of the young country was sound, and this no doubt was noted by +the Germans.</p> + +<p>One more, (and this was the last,) St. George's church was built for +me near the Château. Thus I was enabled to have a daily celebration of +the Holy Communion.</p> + +<p>The arrival of one of the battalions of the 4th Division gave us the +first indication that we were to move. On December 20th we left once +more for Bruay. Here I found that my old billet was no longer +available, but I managed to find a home in a clean little cottage +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page233" name="page233">(p. 233)</a></span> +in the same street, where I had a room downstairs for an office, +cheered by an open fire, and a large bare room upstairs in which I put +my bed. On the garden-gate I hung out my sign "St. George's Rectory." +Once again I found myself in the familiar neighbourhood with all the +beloved battalions round us as before. The theatre was filled night +after night, and there were the old gatherings of officers in the +hotel. We regarded it as a great stroke of luck that once more we were +going to spend Christmas out of the line.</p> + +<p>On Christmas Eve, when I was preparing to go up to the midnight +Communion Service in the theatre, a new C. of E. Chaplain arrived and +came with me to assist. On the stage the altar was set as before, and +the dear old flag which now for three long years had been devoted to +the sacred purpose shone out as the frontal. The band played the +Christmas hymns and a large number of men attended. Some of them, but +not many, had been there the year before. It was very beautiful and +solemn. At midnight on New Year's Eve we repeated the service. Again +there was a large congregation, and to me as I looked back to the +gathering held in that place just one year ago it was quite +overpowering. How many of those who had been with us at the dawn of +1917 had passed away? The seats where they had sat were filled with +other men. The hymns they had joined in were sung by other lips. In my +heart went up the cry, "How long, O Lord, how long?" Once more the +hands of the weary world clock had passed over the weeks and months of +another year, and still the end was not in sight. As we stood in +silence, while the buglers sounded the Last Post for the dying year, a +wild and strange vision swept before me: I saw again the weary waste +of mud and the shell ploughed ridge at Vimy; the fierce attacks at +Arleux and Fresnoy; the grim assault on Hill 70 and the hellish agony +of Paschendaele. Surely the ceaseless chiselling of pain and death had +graven deeply into the inmost heart of Canada, the figures 1917.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page234" name="page234">(p. 234)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Victory Year Opens.</span><br> + +<i>January and February, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>Victory Year, though we did not know it by that name then, opened with +fine bracing weather, and there was the usual round of dinners and +entertainments with which we always greeted the birth of a new +twelve-month. We had several Canadian-like snow storms. In the midst +of one, I met a forlorn despatch rider coming up the main street on +his wheel with the blinding snow in his face. I stopped him and asked +him if he wouldn't like to have some dinner, and I took him into the +hotel. He had been to Bethune to buy some V.C. ribbon for one of the +men of his battalion who was going to be presented with it on the +following day, and was so proud of his mission that he made no +complaint about the long and tiring journey through the snowstorm. The +country behind Bruay is broken up into pleasant valleys, and there are +plenty of trees on the hills, so the winter aspect of the district +made us feel quite at home. I used to give many talks to the men on +what I called "The war outlook", I thought it helped to encourage +them, and I was perfectly sincere in my belief, which grew stronger as +time went on, in spite of notable set-backs, that we should have +victory before the end of the year.</p> + +<p>We had a visit at this time from Bishop du Pencier, who came to hold a +confirmation for us at Divion. There were forty candidates, nearly all +of them being presented by chaplains of the 1st Brigade. It was a +solemn service and made a deep impression upon the men. The hymns were +sung very heartily, and the Bishop gave a most helpful address. I +remember specially one young fellow called Vaughan Groves, who came to +me for the preparation. He was a small, rather delicate young lad +about nineteen years of age, and was a runner for the 2nd Brigade. He +had a fine open face and had the distinction of having won the M.M. +and bar. To have won these honours as a Brigade runner was a mark of +rare courage. I felt the deepest admiration for the boy, who was the +only son of a widowed mother in Canada. He never touched liquor and +had lived a perfectly straight life, and his was just the type of +character which found scope for great deeds in the war. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page235" name="page235">(p. 235)</a></span> +After the confirmation I lost sight of him, until some months +afterwards when, as I was going through Arras one night, I looked into +a cellar near the 2nd Brigade Headquarters, and seeing a number of men +in there, went down to have a talk. I found they were the Brigade +runners, and so I at once asked for my young friend. They told me that +he had been wounded in the arm and when he came to the dressing +station, finding there a man who was dying from loss of blood, had at +once offered his own blood for transfusion into the veins of the +sufferer. So much had to be taken from him that the boy got very weak +and had to be sent back to England to recuperate. The men added that +it was just the thing that little Vaughan would do. He was the finest, +cleanest little chap, they said, that they had ever met. It was always +delightful to hear such testimony from men to the innate power of +human goodness. I have never seen or heard of Vaughan Groves since, +but I hope that some one may read this book who will be able to tell +me how and where he is.</p> + +<p>I was not sorry when our rest was over. There was more time to get +home-sick when we were out of the line. If we had to be in the war at +all, the happiest place was at the front. So when on January 23rd I +left Bruay for Bracquemont, I did so with little regret. My billet at +Bracquemont was the same which I had occupied in the previous +September, and it seemed quite like home. Once more our men held the +trenches on Hill 70 and the battalions in the back area were billeted +in Mazingarbe, Le Brebris, and Sains-en-Gohelle.</p> + +<p>The day after I arrived, I determined to do some parish visiting in +the slums—as I called the front line. I started off in my old trench +uniform and long habitant boots, carrying with me a supply of +bully-beef, tinned milk and hardtack. I went through Bully-Grenay and +then out through Maroc to Loos. Here once again the dressing station +at Fort Glatz was occupied by a doctor and staff from one of our +ambulances. I spent a little while there and then continued my journey +up the road past Crucifix Corner to the trenches. The 7th and 8th +Battalions were in the line. The day was fine and the warm sunshine +was hardening the mud, so things did not look too unpleasant. I went +to the 7th Battalion first and found the gallant men carrying on in +the usual way. Hugo Trench was very quiet, and from it one could +obtain a good view of the German lines and of Lens beyond. It was +great fun to go into the saps and surprise the two or three men who +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page236" name="page236">(p. 236)</a></span> +were on guard in them. The dugouts were curious places. The +entrance steps were steep, and protected by blankets to keep out gas. +At the bottom would be a long timber-lined passage, dark and smelly, +out of which two or three little rooms would open. The men off duty +would be lying about on the floor sound asleep, and it was often hard +to make one's way among the prostrate bodies. The officers' mess would +have a table in it and boxes for seats. On a shelf were generally some +old newspapers or magazines and a pack of cards. In the passage, +making it narrower than ever, were a few shelves used as bunks. At the +end of the passage would be the kitchen, supplied with a rude stove +which sent its smoke up a narrow pipe through a small opening. In the +trenches the cooks were always busy, and how they served up the meals +they did was a mystery to me. Water was brought in tins from a tap in +one of the trenches to the rear, and therefore was not very abundant. +I have occasionally, and against my will, seen the process of +dish-washing in the trenches. I could never make out from the +appearance of the water whether the cook and his assistant were +washing the plates or making the soup, the liquid in the tin dish was +so thick with grease. However, it was part of the war, and the men +were doing their best under most unpropitious circumstances.</p> + +<p>I had come prepared to spend a night in the trenches, and had decided +to do so in the large German-made dugout in the chalk-pit which was +held by "D" Company of the 8th Battalion. The officer on duty with the +7th Battalion kindly acted as my guide. The day had worn away, and the +bright moon was lighting up the maze of yellow trenches. We passed +along, exchanging many greetings at different places, until we came to +the outpost of the 8th Battalion at the top of the path which leads +down to the chalk-pit. Here four men were sitting keeping guard. They +gave me a warm greeting, and I told them that if I were not in a hurry +to let my guide go back to his lines, I would stop and recite some of +my poems in the moonlight. It struck me that they seemed more amused +than disappointed. So wishing them good-luck, we started onward down +the slippery path which led into the pit, where many shells had torn +up the ground and where were remains not only of uniforms and +mess-tins and rifles but also of German bodies. We had hardly reached +the entrance to the dugout when two or three of those shells which the +men called "pineapples" arrived in quick succession. They sounded so +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page237" name="page237">(p. 237)</a></span> +close that we dived into the place of refuge. We found the +O.C. of the company inside, and he kindly arranged to give me a large +bed all to myself in one of the chambers of the dugout. Suddenly a +runner appeared and told us that the pineapples had hit the outpost, +killing not only some of the men to whom I had just been talking but +also the Adjutant of the battalion. I at once got up and went back to +the place. The line was quiet now, and the whole scene was brightly +lighted by the moon and looked so peaceful that one could hardly +imagine that we were in the midst of war, but, lying in the deep +shadow at the bottom of the trench, with its face downwards, was the +body of the Adjutant. He had been killed instantly. In the outpost +beside the trench, were the bodies of the men who had been on duty +when I passed a few minutes before.</p> + +<p>I stayed with the sentry guarding the bodies until a stretcher party +arrived and carried them away. Then I went back to the dugout and +visited the men who were crowded into its most extraordinary labyrinth +of passages and recesses. In the very centre of the place, which must +have been deep underground, there was a kitchen, and the cooks were +preparing a hot meal for the men to eat before "stand to" at dawn. The +men of course were excessively crowded and many were heating their own +food in mess-tins over smoking wicks steeped in melted candle grease. +All were bright and cheerful as ever, in spite of the stifling +atmosphere, which must have been breathed by human lungs over and over +again. It was quite late when I stretched myself on my wire mattress +with my steel helmet for a pillow. Only a piece of canvas separated me +from the room where a lot of men were supposed to be sleeping. They +were not only not asleep but kept me awake by the roars of laughter +which greeted the stories they were telling. However, I managed to +doze off in time, and was rudely wakened early in the morning by the +metallic thud of pineapples on the ground overhead. I was wondering +what it meant when a man came down to the O.C.'s room, next to mine, +and aroused him with the somewhat exciting news, "Major, the Germans +are making an attack." It was not long before the Major was hurrying +up the steps to the passage above, and it was not long before I +followed, because I always had a horror of being bombed in a dugout. +In the passage upstairs all the men were "standing to" with fixed +bayonets, and plenty of Mills bombs in their pockets. They were a most +cheerful crowd, and really I think that we all felt quite pleased at +the excitement. A man came up to me and asked +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page238" name="page238">(p. 238)</a></span> +me what weapon +I had. I told him I had a fixed bayonet on the end of my walking +stick. This did not seem to satisfy him, so he went over to a cupboard +and brought me two bombs. I told him to take them away because they +might be prematures. He laughed at this and said, "How will you +protect yourself, Sir, if the enemy should get into the trench?" I +told him I would recite one of my poems. They always put my friends to +flight and would probably have the same effect upon my foes.</p> + +<p>By this time the rain of pineapples overhead was very heavy, and I +went to the door of the dugout where the Major was looking out. It was +a curious scene. Day had just dawned, and we could see the heaps of +broken rubbish and ripped up ground in front of us, while directly +opposite at the top of the chalk-pit was our front line. Pacing up and +down this was a corporal, his form silhouetted against the gray +morning sky. He had his rifle with fixed bayonet on his shoulder, and +as he walked to and fro he sang at the top of his voice the old song, +"Oh my, I don't want to die, I want to go home." The accompaniment to +the song was the "swish" of the shells overhead and the bursting of +them in the trenches behind. I told the Major that if we could only +get a moving picture of the corporal and a gramophone +record of his song with its accompaniment we could make +thousands of dollars by an exhibition of it in Canada.</p> + +<p>The next night I stayed at Cité St. Pierre. Who will ever forget the +road up to it, and the corner near the ruined fosse, which was always +liable to be shelled unexpectedly? In cellars beneath the unwholesome +and dilapidated town our men found billets. They were really quite +comfortable, but at night when the place was as black as pitch, and +one had to grope one's way in the darkness along debris-covered +streets, shaken every now and then by the German missiles from the +sky, one longed for Canada and the well-lighted pavements of Montreal +and Toronto.</p> + +<p>On February 14th, at the officers' club at Corps Headquarters in +Camblain l'Abbé, we had a great gathering of all the officers who had +landed in France three years before. The one hundred and fifty who sat +down to dinner were only a small part of the original number, and, +before the anniversary came round again, many of those present were +called to join the unseen host to whose memory that night we drank in +silence. It was strange to look back over three years and think that +the war, which in February +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page239" name="page239">(p. 239)</a></span> +1915 we thought was going to be a +matter of months, had now been protracted for three years and was +still going on. What experiences each of those present had had! What a +strange unnatural life we had been called upon to live, and how +extraordinarily efficient in the great war game had each become! It +was a most interesting gathering of strong and resolute men filled +with sublime ideals of duty and patriotism, who nevertheless were +absolutely free from all posing and self-consciousness. They had +learnt how to play the game; they had learnt both how to command and +how to obey; they had learnt how to sink selfish interests and aims, +and to work only and unitedly for the great cause.</p> + +<p>On February 19th I held the dedication service at the unveiling of the +artillery monument at Les Tilleuls. Owing to its exposed position no +concourse of men was allowed, but there was a large gathering of the +Staff, including the Army Commander, and of course a number of +officers from the artillery. The lines of the monument are very +severe. A plain white cross surmounts a large mass of solid masonry on +which is the tablet, which General Currie unveiled. It stands in a +commanding position on Vimy Ridge, and can be seen for miles around. +Many generations of Canadians in future ages will visit that lonely +tribute to the heroism of those, who, leaving home and loved ones, +voluntarily came and laid down their lives in order that our country +might be free.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXVI. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page240" name="page240">(p. 240)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The German Offensive.</span><br> + +<i>March, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>Over four months had passed away since my return from Rome, so leave +was again due. Immediately after the unveiling of the Artillery +monument I started off in a car for Boulogne, and the next afternoon +arrived in London. Conditions there were worse than they had been the +year before. The streets were darker and food was scarcer. I went as +far north as Edinburgh, but when I arrived at that city I found it +cold and wintry and wrapped in mists. There were many naval men there, +and I paid an interesting visit to a damaged submarine which was being +repaired in the dry-dock. It was of course nice to meet friends again, +but, beyond that, my last leave was not a pleasant one. It was a time +of great anxiety. The Americans had come into the war, but they were +not yet ready. Another campaign was before us, and the issue of it +none could foresee. I was haunted perpetually by the dread of meeting +with some accident, and so being sent back from the front. Several +times I had a vivid dream, that I had got back to Canada and found +that the war was still going on and I could not return to it. I shall +never forget the joy of waking on such occasions and looking with +dawning consciousness upon my surroundings and feeling that I was +still at the front. It was a happy day for me, therefore, when on +March 8th I arrived once more at Bracquemont, in the midst of my +beloved war-family, and able to re-visit Liévin, Loos, and Hill 70.</p> + +<p>My favorite home in the trenches was the dugout in the chalk-pit, +which I have just described, and I often wish I could be suddenly +transported there and revive old memories. We were planning at this +time to make a big gas-attack along the Canadian Corps front. Three +thousand gas-cylinders were to be fired by electricity upon the enemy. +As I wanted to see this, I made my way to the chalk-pit. The time +fixed for the event was five minutes to eleven at night. If the attack +was to come off, the word "Japan" was to come through on the wires; +if, owing to the wind being in the wrong direction, the attack had to +be postponed, the word "Russia" would be sent. At 10.45 I climbed up +the steps to the observation post at +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page241" name="page241">(p. 241)</a></span> +the back of the +chalk-pit and waited. From this point I had a good view of the line +towards Lens. I watched the luminous hands of my watch, and they +passed the hour of eleven without anything occurring, as the breeze +came from the East. I knew the word "Russia," the name of the country +that failed us, must have been sent over the wires. It was a queer +sensation to sit up there in the dark with no sound but the soft +murmur of the night wind in our ears, and the crash of an occasional +shell. In those long dark stretches of waste land around me, thousands +of human beings on both sides of the line were awake and active, +either burrowing like ants in the ground or bringing up rations and +war material along the communication trenches.</p> + +<p>I spent four nights that week in the chalk-pit waiting for the attack, +and on March 21st, the night of the day on which the Germans launched +their fierce attack against our Fifth Army, my patience was rewarded +and the wind was propitious. I mounted the observation post and once +more peered over the black stretches of country under the starlit sky. +Suddenly, at five minutes to eleven, there was a burst of artillery +fire, and over our heads with the usual swishing sound the +gas-cylinders sped forth. The German lines were lit with bursting +shells. Up went their rockets calling to their artillery for +retaliation. I could hear their gas bells ringing to warn their men of +the poison that was being poured upon them. It must have been a +drenching rain of death. I heard gruesome tales afterwards of desolate +enemy trenches and batteries denuded of men. The display of fireworks +was magnificent, and the German artillery in the rear were not slow in +replying. A great artillery duel like that in the darkness of the +night over a waste of ground on which no human habitation could be +seen had a very weird effect, and was wonderful to behold. I climbed +down into the dugout and made my way through it to the chalk-pit, and +then up to an outpost beyond. Here were four men, and I found that +three of them had just come up from the base and that this was their +first night in the line. They did not seem to be enjoying it as much +as I thought they should, so I remarked that it was a beautiful night +and pointed out to them the extraordinary romance of being actually +out in the front line during such a bombardment. They seemed to get +more enthusiastic later on, but the next morning I was wakened in my +room by the laughter of men on the other side of the canvas wall, and +I heard one old soldier telling, to the amusement of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page242" name="page242">(p. 242)</a></span> +his +fellows, of my visit on the previous evening. He said "We were out +there with the shells falling round us, and who should come up but the +Canon, and the first thing the old beggar said was, 'Boys, what a +lovely night it is.'" The men roared at the idea. It was always +illuminating to get a chance of seeing yourself as others saw you.</p> + +<p>That day, before I had gone to the chalk-pit, I heard from a staff +officer at Corps of the German attack in the South, and I gathered +from his manner that things were not going well. On March 29th we +suddenly shifted our headquarters to Château de la Haie. Here we were +told that we had to be ready to move again at a moment's notice. Very +bad news had come from the South, for the Germans were advancing, and +our Fifth Army had been pushed back. The enemy had now got the +initiative into his hands, and things were exceedingly serious. The +Americans would not be ready for some time, and the question was how +to stay the onrush of the fresh divisions which the Germans were +hurling against us. An order from General Currie, couched in beautiful +language, told us that there was to be no retreat for Canadians, and +that, if need be, we should fall where we stood. There was no panic, +only firmer resolve and greater activity in every department. Though I +made it a point of never questioning our staff about war secrets, I +soon became aware that our Division was to be sent South to try and +stem the oncoming tide.</p> + +<p>Every night the 4th Divisional concert party gave an entertainment in +the theatre, which was crowded with men. A stranger could not have +told from the roars of laughter that shook the audience from time to +time that we were about to face the fiercest ordeal of the war. The +2nd Brigade was quartered round us first, and one night in the theatre +an officer appeared in front of the stage between the acts and ordered +all the officers and men of the 5th Battalion, who were present, to +report at once to their headquarters. Instantly the men got up and +left, the rows of vacant seats looking quite tragic. The play went on. +Again, another battalion, and another, was called off. The audience +dwindled. It reminded one of the description in the "Tale of Two +Cities" of the condemned men in prison waiting for the call of the +executioner. Before the close of the performance the theatre was +almost empty. The 2nd Brigade moved away that night and the 3rd took +their places the next day. I knew that they, too, would have to move +suddenly, so +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page243" name="page243">(p. 243)</a></span> +I arranged that at night we should have a +service followed by a Celebration of the Holy Communion in the theatre +after the play was over. Once again the building was crowded with an +enthusiastic audience, and, after the play was ended, I announced the +service. To my astonishment, most of the men stayed and others crowded +in, so we must have had nearly a thousand men present. The concert +party had received orders to pack up their scenery immediately and +move off. While I was on the stage getting the altar ready the scene +shifters were hard at work behind me. In spite of this disturbance, we +had a wonderful service. I gave them a short address, and spoke about +the high call which had come to Canadians to do big things, and how +the eyes of the world were upon us. We were the champions of right, +and I asked them to go forth in the power of God and do their duty. +Then I began the Communion Service. The colours of the flag which hung +over the altar glowed like an inspiration. The two altar lights shone +like stars above it. At the back of the stage (but we heeded them not) +were the busy men packing up the scenery. We sang the hymn "O God our +help in ages past," and at the time of communion about two hundred +officers and men mounted the stage in turn and knelt in rows to +receive the Bread of Life. It was a thrilling moment, and it showed +how, underlying the superficial thoughtlessness of the soldier's life, +there was the deep and abiding sense of the reality and need of God. +The service ended about eleven p.m.</p> + +<p>After shaking hands with some of the men I went back to my billet and +there found that we had to start that night for parts unknown. All our +surplus baggage had been sent off and only what was absolutely +necessary was retained. The members of "C" mess were sitting round the +table having a little liquid refreshment and waiting for the bus which +was to take them off. Our A.D.M.S., who was starting at once, kindly +offered to take me with him in an ambulance. Alberta and I, with two +or three men, got into the vehicle, and I bid farewell for the last +time to Château de la Haie. It was a bright moonlight night and the +air was cold, but the roads were dry and dusty. The A.D.M.S., who was +the only person who knew our destination, sat in front with the driver +and told him the various turns to take. Clouds of dust blew back into +the ambulance as we sped onward. It was a curious expedition. The war +seemed to be more real than ever. One felt that a new page in its +history was being turned. I wondered what was in store for us and +what our +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page244" name="page244">(p. 244)</a></span> +experiences were going to be. I was also surprised +that one was able to go forth without any emotion upon an adventure of +such magnitude. On and on we rattled down the moonlit roads, past +sleeping villages, and round sharp curves which jolted us in the car, +until at last, at half-past two, we pulled up suddenly in front of +some large iron gates which gave entrance to the grounds of a château +standing back some distance from the road. The A.D.M.S. and his staff +got out and hunted for a cottage which they could use as an office.</p> + +<p>I thought I had better go off and find a place where I could spend the +rest of the night. With my haversack over my shoulder and followed by +Alberta, I entered the gate, and made my way up the avenue till I came +to the Château. It was a large and picturesque building, and stood out +nobly against the outline of the trees in the park. The moon lit up +the gray stone front, which was made all the richer by the variegated +light and shade. The mansion, however, showed no inclination to be +hospitable. All the windows were tightly closed with shutters, and +there was no appearance of life anywhere. I knew we were not far from +the advancing Germans, and I supposed that the inhabitants had all +fled. I was so cold and tired that I determined to force an entrance +and spend the night inside. I walked round to the back, where I saw a +great park richly wooded. A large door in the centre of the building, +reached by a broad flight of stone steps, seemed to offer me a chance +of getting inside. I went up and tried the handle, when, to my +surprise, the door opened and I found myself in a beautiful hall +richly furnished and lighted by a lamp. Antlers hung on the wall, and +the place had the appearance of an English country-house. After my +long ride, and at that hour of the night, I felt as if I were in a +dream. I saw a door to the right, and opening it was admitted to a +modern drawing-room luxuriously furnished. A grate fire was burning on +the hearth, and on a centre-table stood silver candelabra with lighted +candles. There were also plates of bread and butter, some very nice +cups and saucers, and a silver coffee-pot. At once I said to myself, +"I am evidently expected." It was like a story from the Arabian +Nights. I looked about the place and not a soul appeared, Alberta +tucked herself up on a rug and was soon fast asleep. I was just +preparing to partake of the refreshments which, it seemed, some fairy +godmother had provided, when in came one of our A.D.Cs. He was as much +surprised to see +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page245" name="page245">(p. 245)</a></span> +me as I was to see him. He told me that our +Divisional Commander had arrived there about an hour or two before and +had gone to bed, and that we were in the home of a certain count whose +servants had all fled. He also told me that there was a bedroom that I +could have upstairs, and which would not be occupied by our staff +until the next evening. I had a cup of coffee, and then, calling +Alberta and taking a candle, I climbed a very rambling staircase till +I reached the top storey, where I found an empty room with a very +dirty bed in it. However, I was glad to get a place in which to rest, +and so, with my rain-coat for a covering, I went to sleep. The next +morning, having foraged for some water in which I had a good wash, I +went off to the village to get some food. I met many of our units +coming up in busses. Some were halted by the wayside, and nobody knew +what we were going to do or why we were there. The Imperial transport +officer in charge had either acted under wrong orders or else the +drivers did not know the roads. Some of our battalions had lost their +way, one even entered a village at the other end of which were the +Germans, and two of our Engineer Companies disappeared completely for +two days.</p> + +<p>The country people were hurrying off in carts, taking their household +goods with them. I found a primitive farmhouse where I was able to buy +some eggs and bread, and I invited a number of stragglers in to have +something to eat. By noon, however, we got orders from the Army to +move back to a place called Fosseaux. There we occupied an empty +château which before the war must have been a very fine place. A wide +grassy road nearly a mile in length, bordered on each side by fine old +trees, stretched off into the distance in front of the central door. +The entrance to the road was guarded by an exquisitely wrought iron +gate, flanked on each side by stone pillars surmounted by carved +heraldic figures. It was now cold and rainy, and our two Artillery +Brigades were halted in a field opposite and were awaiting orders. +Before nightfall they had left, and the forward section of our +Division made their headquarters in a hut at Warlus; the members of +"C" mess remaining at Fosseaux.</p> + +<p>March the 29th was Good Friday, and a strange one it was. There was +much stir and commotion everywhere, and we were so unsettled, that all +I could do was to have a service in the cinema in the evening, and on +Easter Day two Celebrations of Holy Communion at which I had only +twenty-eight communicants. Our men +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page246" name="page246">(p. 246)</a></span> +had gone in to the line +to the southeast of Arras, round Telegraph Hill, where an attack by +the Germans was expected, as their advance to the south had been +checked. I made my way to Arras, and spent the night in one of the +mysterious caves which lie under that city. It was called St. Sauveur +Cave, and was entered from a street behind the station. The 1st +Brigade was quartered there. In the morning I walked down the long +dark passage till I came to an opening which led me to some high +ground where there had evidently been a good deal of fighting. From +there I made my way over to the front line, where the 1st Battalion +was entrenched. I passed numbers of wooden huts broken by shells. Many +men must have been quartered there at one time. It was sad to go into +them and see the waste and desolation, and the lost war material +scattered in all directions. On my way I came to a deep trench which +some Imperial machine-gunners were holding. They had had an anxious +time, and were glad to have a visitor. Several of them regretted that +they had not been able to attend any Easter service. I told them we +would have one there and then, as I was carrying the Blessed Sacrament +with me. So we cleaned a corner of the trench, and there I had a short +service and gave the men communion.</p> + +<p>Our trenches were not satisfactory, as we did not know accurately +where those of the Germans were. That night, instead of going back to +the 1st Brigade I made my way to the huge Rouville Caves under Arras, +where the whole of the 3rd Brigade were quartered. It was a most +curious abode. No one knows when the caves were dug. They were +probably extended from time to time as the chalk was quarried for the +purpose of building the town. Long passages stretched in different +directions, and from them opened out huge vaulted chambers where the +battalions were billeted. I spent the night with the 14th Battalion, +and the next day held services in turn for each of the four units of +the Brigade. The 16th Battalion occupied a huge cavern with others +branching off from it. I could hardly imagine more picturesque +surroundings for a military service. The candle flames twinkled like +stars in all directions in the murky atmosphere, and the singing of +the men resounded through the cave. Overhead was the town which the +enemy was shelling. In one of the caves we found the foundation of +what had been an old prison, with a date upon it of the 18th century. +It was very pleasant wandering down the passages, with a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page247" name="page247">(p. 247)</a></span> +candle stuck on the top of my steel helmet, and meeting everywhere old +friends who were glad of the temporary rest. Life there, however, was +very strange. One could not tell whether outside it was day or night. +I made my way back that afternoon by a passage which led out to one of +the Arras sewers, by the side of which there was a stone pavement +enabling one with a good flashlight to walk safely. The exit from the +sewer, which now consisted of a shallow stream of perfectly clear +water, led me up to a house in one of the streets, and thence by a car +I made my way to Warlus, and home to Fosseaux.</p> + +<p>A few days afterwards our headquarters were moved up to Etrun, and +there we found ourselves crowded into the quaint little town. The +Château was our headquarters, and a tar-paper house which the +Engineers built for me under a spreading hawthorn tree became my home. +Etrun was a most interesting place historically. It had been the site +of a Roman camp where Valentinian had his headquarters in the 4th +century. The large mound, or vallum, which the Romans had thrown up to +protect themselves from the attacks of the German tribes, is now a +thickly wooded hill, pierced by the road which connects the village +with the Arras highway. The grounds of the Château were most +delightful, and before the French Revolution the house had been a +convent. In the garden was the recumbent stone effigy, overgrown with +moss, of one of the sisters. The most beautiful thing about the place +is the clear stream, wide and deep, which comes from underground and +flows over sparkling white pebbles through the green meadows to the +river Scarpe. This stream was evidently the source of attraction to +the Romans, who always made their camps where there was a plentiful +supply of running water. The garden on one side was built up in stone +terraces along which were gravel walks, where, no doubt, the nuns of +old enjoyed their holy meditations. In the stream, as it wandered +through the meadows, there was a plentiful supply of water-cress, +which looked exquisitely green against the pebbles at the bottom. How +one did long for the war to end, so that we might be able to lie down +in the grass, free from anxiety, and enjoy the drenching sunlight and +the spring song of the birds.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXVII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page248" name="page248">(p. 248)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">In Front of Arras.</span><br> + +<i>April, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>Etrun was a convenient place for a headquarters. My hut was +comfortable, and the tree that grew beside it stretched its +thickly-leaved boughs over it, as though wishing to protect it from +the sight of enemy planes. Visitors were always welcome. In the garden +were many other huts, and a path led to the churchyard in which stood +the old church. It was strongly built, but very crudely furnished, and +spoke of many generations of humble worshippers to whom it was the +gate of heaven. On one side of the garden was a stream, which turned a +quaint mill-wheel, and an island in the stream, connected with the +banks by a bridge, made a pleasant resort. A little nest of beauty, +such as Etrun was, in the midst of the war, most restful to the soul, +especially after a visit to the line. Of course, we had to be careful +about screening all lights, for a shell landed one night in a hut +opposite mine. Luckily the shell was a "dud". Had it not been, my +sergeant, groom, and batman would have been no more, for it burrowed +its way into the ground under the floor of their abode, as they were +having supper.</p> + +<p>On one occasion about one in the morning, we were awakened from sleep +by three terrific explosions. They sounded close, so I thought that +some of our men might have been hit. I got up and went off to see +where the shells had landed. The quaint old hamlet lay silent in the +moonlight, and not a soul was stirring. I went down one of the narrow +streets, and met a tall figure in black coming towards me. It was the +Curé, who was bent on a similar mission, fearing that some of his +people had been wounded. We went round the place together until we met +a man coming up the road, who told us that a bomb had struck the +railway bridge and exploded two mines which we had in readiness in +case the Germans were to make an advance. The bridge had been +completely shattered, but luckily our sentries there had escaped. The +Curé and I then parted and went back to our beds.</p> + +<p>It was a great treat for our men who were billeted in villages in +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page249" name="page249">(p. 249)</a></span> +the Scarpe Valley to have plenty of water, and in the various +mill-ponds they found swimming-places. Our front line at this time +extended for quite a long distance north and south of the Scarpe. In +fact the river acted for a short distance as No Man's Land. On the +north of the Scarpe were the ruins of the village of Fampoux, and on +the south those of Feuchy. How well our men will remember the towns of +Maroeil, Anzin, St. Nicholas and St. Aubin. I used to go off across +the meadow lands, now bright and fresh with spring verdure, till I got +to the St. Eloi road, and then by jumping lorries would make my way to +St. Nicholas and on to Cam Valley. On the east side of the valley were +quaint dugouts which were occupied by the battalion in reserve. A path +up the valley led to the communication trench, and finally down +Pudding Lane to Pudding Trench. The ground was elevated, so that from +one of the trenches which led down towards Fampoux I was able to see +with my glasses the country behind the German lines. I saw quite +distinctly one day the spires of Douai, and in another direction on a +hillside I could make out a railway train which must have been +carrying German troops. I had many interesting walks through the +trenches, and slept there several times. On one occasion I took +Alberta with me, but she would persist in going off into No Man's Land +hunting for rats. The arrival of a minnenwerfer, however, gave her a +great fright and made her jump back into the trench with alacrity, +much to the amusement of the men, who said that she knew the use of +trenches.</p> + +<p>One day I went down the trench which led into Fampoux. Whizzbangs were +falling every now and then, so the men were keeping low. At one place +there was a good view of the German lines. An officer and a sergeant +stood there looking through their glasses and pointed out to me a spot +in the hillside opposite where we could see a number of the enemy. +They came out of one trench, crossed the road, and went down into +another. The officer told me that he had counted over a hundred that +day. I asked him why he did not telephone to Battalion Headquarters to +inform the artillery. He told me he had no telephone. Then I said, +"Why don't you send a runner?" He explained that Fampoux was occupied +as an outpost, and that no runners were allowed to be sent from there +during the daytime; orders to this effect being very strict. "I am not +a runner," I said, "and I am not in your Battalion. If you will give +me the map-location of the place where you think +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page250" name="page250">(p. 250)</a></span> +the Germans +are congregating, I will take it back with me to the liaison officer +at Battalion Headquarters." He was very pleased with my offer, because +at this time we were daily expecting a big attack upon our lines. To +get back we had to crawl down a steep place in the trench, which was +in view of the Germans, until at last we reached the cellar of a +ruined house which the O.C. of the company used as a billet. He got +out his maps and gave me the exact location of the road and trenches +where the Germans had been seen to pass, and where apparently they +were massing. I got him to write down the map-location carefully on a +piece of paper, and then, armed with this and feeling very important, +I started back, this time avoiding the trench and going up the Fampoux +road on the side of which there was some torn and broken camouflage. I +came across a steel helmet by the wayside with part of a man's head in +it, and the road had been pretty well battered by shells, but I felt +exceedingly proud at being able to do something which might possibly +avert an attack upon our men. I went on till at last I saw in the +hillside the beginning of a trench, and made my way up this to Pudding +lane and found Battalion Headquarters. The Artillery officer had been +having a quiet time and was delighted at the prospect of ordering a +"shoot." At once he telephoned back to the brigade, and not long +after, when the quiet sun was setting in the West, a most terrific +bombardment of artillery, both field and heavy, smashed the German +trenches on the hill opposite. The headquarters men and I looked over +the valley and saw the line of bursting shells. Much to their +amusement, I told them that this was my music, that I had ordered the +shoot. I felt like the fly on the axle of a cart, who said to his +companion fly, "Look at the dust we are making."</p> + +<p>On another occasion, I was filled with almost equal pride, when, +meeting on the roadside a company of men who were going into the +trenches for the first time and were waiting for a guide, I offered my +services and actually led the company of young heroes into the +trenches myself. The humour of the situation was so palpable that the +men felt as if they were going to a picnic.</p> + +<p>The trenches on the Feuchy side of the Scarpe were well made, and led +up to the higher ground to the east of Arras, where they joined the +lines of a Scots Division. At one point we saw in No Man's Land a +lonely tent, which I was told had been occupied by a British chaplain +before we had been driven back. I paid a most +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page251" name="page251">(p. 251)</a></span> +enjoyable +visit to the engineers in Arras and stayed at Battalion Headquarters. +They were in a large and comfortable house in the Place St. Croix. In +the dining room we had a grate fire, a rug on the floor, and several +easy chairs. A most sumptuous dinner was served, and one could +scarcely believe that we were in a war.</p> + +<p>The men of the battalion were billeted in the deep cellars under a row +of houses at the end of the Grande Place. Some of these houses dated +back to the time of the Spanish occupation, so the cellars must have +been very ancient. They were vaulted in stone and were connected +together by passages, so they were not only quite safe from shells but +were exceedingly interesting and picturesque. We had several services +for the men and one for a field ambulance which made its home in the +Deaf and Dumb Asylum. In a large room in the Asylum there was a good +piano, so it enabled us to use the place at one time as a church and +at another as a ballroom. There was a strange charm about dear old +Arras which is quite indescribable. In spite of the ruined buildings +and the damaged grass-grown streets, there was the haunting beauty of +a quiet medievalism about the city. The narrow streets, the pleasant +gardens hidden behind the houses, spoke of an age that had passed. +Arras has been the centre of interest in many wars, and Julius Caesar +made his headquarters there in B.C. 65. The river Scarpe has carried +to the sea many memories of hostile hosts that have fought along its +banks. To walk back from the dressing station in the small hours of +the morning, when the moon was shining on the silent and half-ruined +streets and squares, was a weird experience. Surely, if ghosts ever +haunt the scenes of their earthly life, I must have had many unseen +companions with me on such occasions. There were still two or three +shops in the place where souvenirs and other small articles were sold +to the men, and there were hoards of champagne and other wines in some +of the cellars, but only a few of the inhabitants remained and they +lived hidden lives in the underground retreats.</p> + +<p>Our Division, however, was soon moved from Etrun to Château d'Acq, +where I arrived at four one morning after a visit to the trenches. I +found my billet in an Armstrong hut. The people who had occupied the +Château since we were there must have experienced an air raid, because +extraordinary precautions had been taken to guard against bombs. I lit +my lamp and found that the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page252" name="page252">(p. 252)</a></span> +bed was surrounded on all sides +by a wall composed of two thicknesses of sandbags. When I got down +Into it I felt as if I were in a grave. In the morning I got my batman +to remove the fortification, as I thought there was no occasion to +anticipate the sensations of being buried. However, at night I often +heard German aeroplanes overhead, and it was a relief when their +intermittent buzzing died off into the distance.</p> + +<p>We were now a long way from the front line, but by jumping lorries I +was still able to go forward and visit the slums. On returning from +such a visit one afternoon I suffered a great loss. The order had gone +out some time before that all stray dogs were to be shot, and many +poor little four-footed souls were sent into whatever happy land is +reserved for the race which has been the earliest and best friend of +man. I had kept a sharp lookout on Alberta, but I never dreamt that +anyone would shoot her. However, that evening while I was getting +ready to go off to Ecoivres, and Alberta was playing in front of my +hut, the sergeant of the police, carried her off, unknown to me, and +ordered a man to shoot her. When I came out from my hut, and whistled +for my faithful friend, I was told that she had been condemned to +death. I could hardly believe it; but to my dismay I found that it was +only too true, and the poor little dog, who was known all over the +Division and had paid many visits to the trenches, was not only shot +but buried. Filled with righteous anger, I had the body disinterred +and a proper grave dug for it in front of a high tree which stands on +a hill at the back of the grounds. There, surrounded by stones, is the +turf-covered mound, and on the tree is nailed a white board with this +epitaph neatly painted in black:—</p> + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<table summary=''> + +<tr> + <td class="figcenter"> +HERE LIES ALBERTA<br> +of Albert<br> +Shot April 24th, 1918. +</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td><p class="poem">The dog that by a cruel end<br> +<span class="poem1">Now sleeps beneath this tree,</span><br> +Was just the little dog and friend<br> +<span class="poem1">God wanted her to be.</span></p><tr><td> +</table> +</div> + +<p>Alberta, much respected in life, was honoured in death, for nearly all +the men at Headquarters were present when she was buried, and one of +them told me that at a word from me they would lay out the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page253" name="page253">(p. 253)</a></span> +police. I should have liked to have given the word, but I told them +that we had a war on with the Germans, and that we had better not +start another till it was finished. On the following day the board +with the epitaph was placed in position in the presence of a +Brigadier-General and our kind-hearted and sympathetic C.R.E. I was so +filled with indignation at the loss of my companion, who, wherever I +tied up Dandy, would always mount guard over him and allow no one to +approach him, that I determined to seek a billet away from +Headquarters, and near the front. However, this intention was +frustrated a day or two later by an order which came through for our +Division to go into rest at a place called Le Cauroy, not far from the +town of Frevent, and about 15 kilometres to the southwest of Château +d'Acq.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXVIII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page254" name="page254">(p. 254)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Sports and Pastimes.</span><br> + +<i>May and June, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>It was late in the evening when I reached the Château at Le Cauroy, +and I found that I was to be billeted in the house of the Curé, on one +side of the fine avenue of lime trees. Ross was waiting for me and +took the horse, and I went inside to my room. A curious sensation came +over me of having seen the place before. It seemed as if I had been +there in one of my dreams, but the mystery was cleared up on the +following day by my finding out from the Vicaire that this was the +place where I had spent such a gloomy Sunday on the 22nd of October, +1916, during our return from the Somme. The count who owned the +Château was naval attaché to the French Embassy in London, but his +wife and children, with the servants, occupied apartments on the right +wing of the building. The presence of a lady gave a special charm to +the place, and tennis on a good court under the trees in the park was +most enjoyable. On several occasions some of our Canadian Sisters from +the C.C.S. at Frevent honoured us with their presence at dinner, which +was followed by a dance. Under the trees in the avenue, a most +picturesque open theatre was erected by the engineers, and here our +concert party gave us nightly performances of their new play, which +was called "The Marriage Market." Hundreds of men from the battalions +around would sit on the soft grass under the overhanging trees through +which we could see the stars, and on the brightly lighted stage, with +the orchestra in front, we had an exhibition of real talent. The +weather was delightful and the men enjoyed a holiday in the country. +At a little distance behind the Château there was a clear stream +blocked by an ancient mill-dam. Here we could get a swim and bask in +the sun in the long cool grass. Altogether we were very happy at Le +Cauroy.</p> + +<p>A great change had come over the war at this time, for Foch had +assumed the supreme command. While we had had excellent leaders all +through the campaign, one always felt that there was a need for some +electrifying personality at the head of things. In a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page255" name="page255">(p. 255)</a></span> +mysterious way the knowledge that Foch had taken the conduct of the +war in hand gave us just that touch of magnetism which we needed. As +matters stood, the German attacks had been successful up to a certain +point, but we were still waiting for their main offensive. When or +where this was to begin we did not know, but we were convinced that it +would be, for us, a life or death struggle. The fact that Foch was in +command and that he was keeping his head gave us confidence. He seemed +like a surgeon who shows his greatness by the very coolness with which +he performs some critical operation. The men were always asking if we +were losing the war, and I always told them that it was like this—the +Germans were advancing and losing and we were retreating and winning. +We practised daily the art of open warfare for which the country round +us offered splendid opportunities. We knew that we had been taken out +of the line in order to prepare to become "shock troops", and the +knowledge of this gave our life a great inspiration.</p> + +<p>It was the right policy, in view of what was before us, to give the +men all the amusement possible, so football and baseball were indulged +in freely by officers and men. We were too well trained now to worry +much about the future. In fact, although I had often preached on the +text, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," I never fully +acted upon the principle until I had been in the war for three years. +It is certainly the true secret of happiness and I hope that the +softer life of peace time will not rob one of it. When Mrs. Carlyle +was asked what caused her most suffering in life, she replied, "The +things which never happened," It would have surprised the people at +home if they could have seen the cheeriness and lightheartedness of +men who were being trained day by day to deliver the hammer strokes +which were to smash the huge war machine of Imperial Germany.</p> + +<p>The 2nd Brigade one day gave us a most successful circus in a large +field near our Headquarters. The arrangements and weather were +perfect, and the spectators were delighted with a performance that +surpassed Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Afternoon tea and dancing +followed at a chateau, and aeroplanes gave us a fine exhibition of the +skill of the new branch of the service by flying low and dropping +messages and red smoke bombs. I met one of the young airmen, and in a +fit of enthusiasm asked him if he would take me up with him some day. +He was quite keen about it, and asked +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page256" name="page256">(p. 256)</a></span> +me to let him know +when to send for me. Our plans, however, were upset a day or two +afterwards by the Headquarters of the Division moving off to the +beautiful Château at Villers Chatel. They left in the morning, and as +usual I followed leisurely on Dandy. I went through some pretty +villages. No soldiers were to be seen, and the quiet ordinary life of +the people was undisturbed by the war. The world was bathed in +sunshine and the fields were brilliant with new crops. Every little +hamlet was embowered in trees, and the small white houses with their +red tiled roofs spoke of peace. In the solemn light of evening I came +to the entrance gate of my new home.</p> + +<p>The Château of Villers Chatel was a fine modern building with an old +round tower at one end. This tower is all that remains of the original +structure, but it was kept in good condition and the interior was most +artistically arranged. My room was in the garret and was approached by +a spiral staircase, very narrow and steep. The Château was enlivened +by the presence of two Countesses; both very pleasant ladies who had +their own apartments and who kindly entertained us at night in their +cheery drawing-room. On the wide lawn in front of the Château a huge +chestnut tree stood, rich in leaves, with low boughs branching in all +directions and covering a wide radius, and with their tips almost +touching the grass. The tree furnished a green shelter for a large +number of persons. The sun could not penetrate the foliage, and the +giant trunk was covered with rugged bark beautifully coloured. Here, +on Sunday mornings, I placed my flag-covered altar, and Church Parade +was held under the tree. The men, over a hundred in number, stood in a +semi-circle in front of me, and the bright sunlight beyond the rim of +overhanging boughs lit up the green grass around. It was one of the +most beautiful places imaginable for a church service, and the +branches made a vaulted roof overhead. On one side of the garden was a +large and elaborate cement grotto, and a statue of the Blessed Virgin +stood in a niche at the back. Seats for worshippers were placed in +front. The Countesses were moved by piety to keep a number of candles +blazing in the grotto all night, invoking thereby the protection of +Our Lady. Our staff, who walked not by faith but by sight, were much +worried by the strong light which could easily be seen from a German +aeroplane. However, no one could muster up courage enough to interfere +with the devotion of our hostesses, and as a matter of fact we never +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page257" name="page257">(p. 257)</a></span> +had any bombing raids at Villers Chatel. It was a question +among the officers as to whether our immunity should be attributed to +the power of prayer or to extraordinary good-luck.</p> + +<p>At the end of the lawn facing the Château was a forest of magnificent +trees. It was in the fields at the back of this wood that we had held +the memorial service for the 2nd Brigade, which I have already +described. One of the forest paths was in the form of a pergola. The +trees had been trimmed so that the boughs overhead were interlaced and +it went for about half a mile into the forest, like the vaulted aisle +of a church. The sunlight through the green leaves overhead cast on +the pathway a mysterious light suggestive of fairyland.</p> + +<p>Our battalions were once more in their old billets in the +neighbourhood, and as we were still at rest I had many opportunities +of visiting them. How well I remember going about and delivering my +lecture on our leave trip to Rome. As I look back upon my +war-memories, I think that those talks were the most delightful +experiences I have ever had. I really had nothing to say, but I knew +that anything which could occupy and amuse the minds of those brave +lads, who were daily preparing to hurl themselves against the enemy, +was worth while. I would go to the C.O. of a battalion and say, +"Colonel, I would like to come and give your men a talk on our leave +trip to Rome." He would always take the matter very seriously, +thinking I had some learned discourse on architecture, or some other +absolutely futile subject to give the men. But being too polite to +tell me to go to Jericho, or somewhere else, he would say, "Yes, I am +sure it would be very interesting. How long will the lecture last?" On +my replying, "About two hours and a half," his countenance would fall. +He was struggling between his fear of offending me and his fear of +doing something which would bore the men. Sometimes colonels would +say, "That's a long lecture." But I urged them to take my word for it +and to let the thing go ahead, and if I saw I was boring the men I +would stop. So the lecture would be announced. I suppose I must have +given it to something like twenty thousand men. I would arrive at the +battalion headquarters in the afternoon, have dinner with the C.O. and +Adjutant in their billet, and then walk over to some pleasant field on +which a thousand men were drawn up in line, presenting a most proper +military appearance. The sun would be setting behind the trees which +skirted the parade ground, and, after +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page258" name="page258">(p. 258)</a></span> +telling the Colonel +and other officers to keep in the background, I would go over in front +of the battalion and tell them that the Colonel had handed the parade +over to me, and that they were to break ranks and sit on the ground as +close as possible. At once military stiffness was dispelled, and amid +much laughter the men would crowd around and squat on the ground +tightly packed together. Imagine what a picture that was. Splendid +stalwart young men they were, hundreds and hundreds of them, with +healthy merry faces, and behind them in the distance the green trees +and the sunset. Of course smoking was allowed, and I generally had +some boxes of cigarettes to pass round. Then I would tell them of our +trip to Rome and of my following out the injunction of making the most +of a fortnight's leave by turning it into three weeks; of my puzzling +the R.T.O. in Paris by asking for transportation to Rome via +Marseilles, as we had abandoned the idea of travelling via Calcutta on +account of the submarine menace; of my being unable to enter the +Casino at Monte Carlo because officers were not admitted in uniform, +and the only mufti I had brought with me was my pyjamas which I had +left at the hotel; of the two casualties in the Paris barrage; of the +time I gave C.B. to "Yorky" when I saw he had partaken too freely of +coffee, and of the delightful memories of Italy which we had brought +back with us. The talk was not all humorous. I managed to get in many +little sermons between the lines, or as I put it, "the lecture was +impregnated with the poison of morality." Men assimilated that poison +more readily when handed out to them in such doses. Then the sun would +set and the evening shadows lengthen, and finally the stars would come +out over the scene and the mass of men before me would merge into one +great blur, which sent up, nevertheless, roars of merry laughter. What +appealed to them most was the way a padré and forty-four wild +Canadians, in the biggest war the world has ever known, were able to +break through the Hindenburg line of army red tape.</p> + +<p>Our machine gun battalion was quartered south of the St. Pol road at a +place called Averdoignt. It was a lovely little village, very quiet +and well away from the line, with pretty orchards and a stream at the +back. When it was only possible to have a voluntary service in the +evening, I would get a group of men as a body-guard and start off down +the village to the quaint old church, halting at every farmyard on the +way and calling out to those billeted there, "Come on, you heathen, +come to the voluntary church parade." In the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page259" name="page259">(p. 259)</a></span> +most +good-natured way, dragging their reluctant pals with them, men would +come out and swell our ranks until, by the time we reached the church, +there was a good congregation. There against the wall of the building +I would plant a table borrowed from the Curé's house, make it into an +altar, distribute hymn books, and start the service, while the evening +lights in the sky tinged the scene with a soft beauty.</p> + +<p>When we were in the line the machine-gunners were always split up into +small sections over the front, their guns of course being very +carefully concealed. In consequence, just when I thought I had reached +an area which was quite uninhabited, I would stumble on some queer +little hole, and, on calling down it to see if there were any men +there, the answer would be, "The machine-gun battalion," and I would +find myself among friends. At Averdoignt they had one of the best rest +billets they ever had, and they enjoyed it thoroughly.</p> + +<p>Owing to the great distance which I had to cover in doing my parish +visiting among the battalions, the difficulty of transportation, which +had been serious from the beginning, became even more pressing, and +some good friend suggested to me on the quiet that I should try to get +a Clino, (that is a machine-gun side-car) from the Motor Machine-Gun +Brigade. With great trepidation, I made an excursion one day to their +headquarters at Verdrel. The O.C. was most kind and sympathetic. I +shall never cease to invoke blessings upon his head. He took me over +to the machine-shop and there presented to me, for my use until it +should be recalled, a new Clino which had just come up from the base. +The officer in charge uttered a protest by saying that they only had +six Clinos for the Brigade, but the major remarked dryly, "And after +Canon Scott has got his we shall only have five." Surely once again +the Lord had provided for me. I was driven back to the Château in the +new machine, but then had to find a driver. One was provided by the +signallers. He was a graduate in science of McGill, so I used to lay +stress upon my personal greatness from the fact that I had a +university graduate for my chauffeur. Many and varied were the drives +which Lyons and I had together, and many and varied were our +adventures. Had the Clino not been both exceedingly strong and very +new it would have come to grief long before it did. To go rattling +down the St. Pol road at forty-five kilometres an hour was a frequent +occurrence. All I had to sit upon was a seat without arms, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page260" name="page260">(p. 260)</a></span> +while my foot rested on a bar in front. People asked me how it was I +did not tumble off. I told them that I tied myself to the back of the +seat with my spinal cord. I got the sappers to make me a large box +which fitted on the back of the vehicle and had a padlock. In it I +used to carry my bag of a thousand hymn books and other necessaries +for church parades, and on the top of the box, as a protection to my +car, I had the words "Canon Scott" painted in large white letters. The +dust as we threaded our way through the streams of lorries almost +choked us, but we could cover the ground in a short space of time +which was a great thing. Lyons never managed the lights very +successfully, and one rainy night after midnight, when I was returning +from saying good-bye to the artillery who were moving South, in a +lonely part of the road he ran the machine into some bushes on a bank +by the wayside, and we found ourselves sitting in the mud without our +hats. We did not know where we were and the rain was heavy, but we +managed to disentangle the car and finally got home, resolving that +further night excursions were out of the question. About a fortnight +afterwards I received an order to return the Clino, but before I did +so I journeyed to Corps Headquarters and made a passionate appeal to +General Currie for its retention. As a result I received a private +intimation to keep the car and say nothing about it. Of course I was +the envy of everyone, and when they asked me how I got the Clino I +said I did not exactly know. Whether it was sent to me from heaven +with the assistance of General Currie, or whether it was sent to me +from General Currie with the assistance of heaven, was a theological +question which I had no time to go into during the war. When our +Division was marching into Germany, after I was knocked out of the +campaign, the dear old signallers used to patch up the Clino, even +making new parts for it, in order that Canon Scott's car might get +into Germany. Alas! the poor thing, like the one-horse shay, went to +pieces finally one day and had to be left at Mons. During those last +busy months, I do not know how I could have got on without it.</p> + +<p>As I was a bit under the weather at this time my friend, General +Thacker, invited me to go and stay with him at his headquarters in the +Château at Berles, where I was given a charming room looking out on +the garden. I found myself in the midst of the artillery brigades who +were now at rest, and very pleasant it was to see them away from the +unwholesome gun-pits where they were usually to be +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page261" name="page261">(p. 261)</a></span> +found. I +could lie on the grass in the garden, read one of Trollope's novels +and listen to the birds overhead. A walk through the wood led to a +huge field of scarlet poppies, which, when the sun shone upon it, made +a blaze of colour which I have never seen equalled. As one approached +it, one could see the red glow light up the stems of the trees as +though they were aflame.</p> + +<p>We had many boxing and baseball contests, which roused great +excitement, but the crowning glory of the time was the Divisional +sports which were held in a large field at a place called Tincques on +the St. Pol road. A grandstand and many marquees had been erected, and +the various events gave great delight to the thousands of spectators. +In the evening our concert party gave a performance on the stage in +the open air, which was witnessed by a large and enthusiastic +audience. After it was all over, I unexpectedly met my airman friend, +Johnny Johnson, who told me that he had been waiting a long time to +take me up in his machine. I explained to him that, owing to our +headquarters having moved away to Le Cauroy, I thought it was too far +off to get in touch with him. In my secret heart, I had looked upon my +removal as a special intervention of Providence on my behalf, but +Johnny was not disposed, however, to allow any difficulty to stand in +the way, so it was arranged that he should send for me at Berles the +following day and take me to the headquarters of the 13th Squadron at +Izel-les-Hameaux. There was nothing for it but to jump with alacrity +at such a noble offer, so on the following morning I started off in +the Squadron's car for their headquarters.</p> + +<p>My pilot had gone off to bring up the new machine which was to take me +on my first aerial voyage. The Squadron had most comfortable billets +in huts, and were a most charming lot of young men. A Canadian amongst +them, taking pity upon a fellow-countryman, gave me a kind +introduction to his fellow officers. Johnny Johnson returned in the +afternoon, and during tea I heard him explaining to the other men that +he had had his choice of two machines, an old machine with a new +engine and the other a new machine with an old engine. Although I was +engaged in conversation at the other end of the table, I listened with +great interest to this discussion, and felt much relieved when I heard +that Johnny's choice of an old machine with a new engine was approved +of by his hearers. He told me that the air was very bumpy and that he +would not take me up until the sun was lower in the sky. Having +arrived at +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page262" name="page262">(p. 262)</a></span> +that happy state of inward peace which a man +experiences when he goes off to the dentist to have a tooth pulled, I +did not mind when I was to be taken up. At six o'clock, however, +Johnny said we must get ready, so I was provided with a fur-lined +leather coat, leather helmet, goggles and a large pair of fur +gauntlets. We went over to the aerodrome where our fiery steed was +champing its bit as though longing to spring into the "vast inane." +Two or three attendants were getting it ready. It was an R.E.8 plane +and a machine gun was fixed on one side. Johnny climbed into his +position and I took a seat behind him. An attendant came up and asked +my name and address. It sounded as if I were making my last will and +testament. I had a letter with me addressed to my son which I was to +drop over his battery lines in Liévin, and also a red smoke bomb but +declined an invitation to take any more formidable weapon. Then I told +my pilot not to be anxious about me whatever happened. I always +expected to be killed at the front so never worried how or when the +event was to occur. The engine was then started. For a time the +machine meandered about the field without showing any disposition to +mount into the air and I was beginning to think, like the Irishman who +was taken for a ride one day in a sedan chair that had no bottom in +it, that, "If it were not for the honour and glory of the thing I +might as lief walk," when, all of a sudden, we began to plunge, left +the ground, and, mid a fearful buzzing, mounted higher and higher. We +rose over the huts and above the village trees and then by a corkscrew +motion which necessitated the machine going almost on its edge, we +made our way heavenwards. I did not feel the least bit seasick but it +was a curious sensation to look down and see absolutely nothing +between me and the church of Izel-les-Hameaux crowned by its sharp +pointed spire with no cork on it. I looked at my young friend in front +of me, who was busy with the handles and cranks of his machine. He was +only a boy of nineteen and my fate was literally in his hands, but his +head was well set on his shoulders and he seemed completely +self-possessed and confident. After we had mounted to six thousand +feet, we struck out in the direction of the front.</p> + +<p>It was a lovely afternoon and a most wonderful panorama spread below +us. The great plain beneath us was marked off like a chessboard in +squares of various shades of yellow and green, dotted here and there +with little villages surrounded by the billowy crests of trees. We saw +straight white roads going off in all directions, and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page263" name="page263">(p. 263)</a></span> +beyond, towards the east, low murky clouds behind the German lines. We +flew on and on till we reached the war zone and here the fields were +marked by horse-tracks and the villages had been hit with shells. +Before us in the distance I saw the line of our observation balloons +and thought, if anything happened to the machine, I would get out into +one of them, but when we passed over them they looked like specks on +the ground below. I could see the blue ribbon of the Scarpe winding +off into the great mists to the east, and then beneath us lay the old +city of Arras. I could see the ruined Cathedral, the mass of crooked +streets and the tiny, dusty roads. Further on was the railway +triangle, where one night later on I got a good dose of gas, and then +I saw the trenches at Fampoux and Feuchy. Still onward we sailed, till +at last Johnny Johnson shouted back, at the same time pointing +downwards, "The German trenches." I saw the enemy lines beneath us, +and then Johnny shouted, "Now I am going to dip." It was not the thing +I specially wanted to do at that particular moment, but I supposed it +was all right. The plane took a dive, and then Johnny leaned over and +fired off some rounds of the machine gun into the German lines. We +turned to come back and rose in the air, when, in the roar of the wind +I heard a bang behind me, and looking round saw, hanging in the air, a +ball of thick black smoke. Then there was another beneath us and some +more at one side. In all, the Germans followed us with six shells. +Johnny turned round and shouted, asking me how I felt. "Splendid", I +said, for I really did enjoy the novelty of the experience. Many times +have I looked up into the clouds and seen a machine followed by +"Archies" and wondered what it felt like to be up there, and now I +knew. One phrase however, which I had often read in the newspapers +kept ringing in my ears—"Struck the petrol tank and the machine came +down in flames." And the last verse of "Nearer my God to Thee," also +ran through my head, "Or if on joyful wing upwards I fly." We turned +now to the right and flew over Vimy Ridge, and then made two or three +turns round Liévin where, above his battery, I dropped the letter for +my son. It was delivered to him two weeks afterwards in a hospital in +London. We flew out over Lens and crossed the German lines again, +skirting the district which the Germans had flooded and then turned +our faces homewards. Above the Château at Villers Chatel, I dropped +the red smoke bomb. We circled round in the air at a great height +while I wrote on a piece of paper, "Canon Scott drops his blessing +from +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page264" name="page264">(p. 264)</a></span> +the clouds on 1st Canadian Divisional Headquarters," and +put it in the little pocket of leaded streamers. Alas, it was lost in +a wheat field and so did not do them any more good than the other +blessings I have dropped upon them. We then turned to Berles where I +could see beneath me the old house and the tiny beings in white +playing tennis on the court. We reached the aerodrome at +Izel-les-Hameaux and landed safely after being in the air for +fifty-five minutes. It was a most delightful experience for a +non-combatant. The next day the engine of the machine gave out and +Johnny Johnson was compelled to make a forced landing. Luckily it was +behind our lines. I went several times again to try to have another +flight, but from the excuses made I inferred that joy-rides of this +description had been banned. The following year in London I heard by +accident that poor Johnny Johnson had been killed a few weeks after +our trip. He was a splendid young fellow and absolutely without fear. +May his brave soul rest in peace.</p> + +<p>Nearly two months had passed since we had been in the line, and the +Germans had made no attack. We wondered what had happened to them. I +thought that perhaps influenza had laid them low. At any rate we were +not anxious to end the happy time we were having. The climax of our +glory was reached on the 1st of July when we celebrated the birthday +of the Dominion by Corps sports on the field at Tincques. It was a +most wonderful occasion.</p> + +<p>Dominion Day fell on a Monday, and on the previous afternoon, knowing +that large bodies of men, including the contestants, were congregated +at Tincques, I determined to go over and pay them a visit. I found the +village full of troops and all very keen about the next day's show. In +a little lane, were some 1st Division men, and they were enjoying the +excitement of a game which was very popular at the front, called +"Crown and Anchor." It is played with special dice on a board or +square of green canvas. On the canvas were painted an anchor and crown +and I think a heart and spade. The game was banned by the army on +account of its unfairness. The banker had, I think, sixty-four chances +to one in his favour. The consequence of this was that very soon he +became possessed of all the money which green youths, unsuspecting +their disadvantage, chose to lay on the board. This game, in the hands +of a sharper, was often the means of robbing a battalion of very large +sums of money; sometimes forty thousand francs were made by the +banker. The police had orders to arrest anyone playing it +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page265" name="page265">(p. 265)</a></span> +and I used to do my best to stamp it out. Though I do not play for +money myself, I never could see any great harm in those poor boys out +there getting a little relaxation from their terrible nervous strain +by a game of bridge or poker for a few francs. But a game which was +founded wholly on dishonesty was something which I felt was unworthy +of our men. Whenever I saw them crowding round a little spot on the +grass I knew there was a game of crown and anchor going on, and I +would shout, "Look out, boys, I am going to put the horse on the old +mud hook"—a phrase I had heard the men use—and then canter Dandy +into their midst scattering them in all directions. Over and over +again I have gone into a ring of men and given the banker five minutes +to decide whether he would hand over his board and dice to me or have +his name reported to the police. He never failed to do the former, +although sometimes he looked rather surly at losing a very fruitful +source of revenue. I have brought home with me enough crown and anchor +dice to make the mouth of an old soldier water. On this occasion I +became possessed of the crown and anchor board and the dice in the +usual way. But, as the men said they wanted to have some amusement, I +went to an officer's billet and got a pack of cards for them, and they +settled down to a game of poker.</p> + +<p>Some pious souls proposed that I should have a service that evening in +the field where the sports were to be held. I thought that it would be +a good idea, but was not sure how large a congregation I should have. +I got together a little body-guard in the village and we went off +collecting stragglers by the way. When we came to the corner of the +field where I proposed to hold my service, we found to my dismay that +it was full of masses of men crowding around what I knew were crown +and anchor boards on the ground. I did not mind doing police work in +my own Division, where I was known by the men, but I did not feel +called upon to act as A.P.M. for the Corps, so I had to start another +line of campaign. I marched on at the head of my congregation straight +into the midst of the gamblers. The men on the outskirts saw me coming +and I could see them warning the players. Those sitting on the ground +stood up and wondered what was going to happen. Looking very serious, +I went right through the crowd, without saying anything, to a distance +on the other side, and then the curiosity of the men was aroused and +they all followed. When I stood still I found myself surrounded by +hundreds of men who were waiting to see +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page266" name="page266">(p. 266)</a></span> +what I was going to +do. Without a smile, I pulled out the crown and anchor board from my +pocket and, to the astonishment of all, laid it on the ground and +called out, in the gamblers' language, "Who is for the old +sergeant-major?" Never before have I seen such an expression of +surprise on people's faces. Among the crowd were some Imperial +soldiers and they could not make out what sort of padré I was. For a +moment, in spite of the grinning countenances of the 1st Division men, +there was a pause of silent horror. Then they all burst into a roar of +laughter, and I told them I had come out there that evening, as it was +Sunday, to hold a service and did not know what text to take for a +sermon. Now they had given me one. I held up the crown and anchor +board and said I was going to preach about that, and I delivered a +discourse on honesty. When it was over, they asked me to give my +lecture on our leave trip to Rome. I thought it might be a good +diversion for the time. My side-car was brought up, and sitting on it, +in the midst of the men, who crowded about me on the ground, I gave +them a long talk which lasted until it was too dark for any more crown +and anchor.</p> + +<p>The next day brought us glorious weather, and from early in the +morning battalions were pouring into Tincques. The grounds were +splendidly laid out and bordered with many stands and marquees. There +must have been nearly forty-thousand spectators present. The Duke of +Connaught, Sir Robert Borden, and all sorts of great people attended, +and the playing of "O Canada" by the massed bands was something which, +as a British General told me, made a big lump come in one's throat. It +was the last Dominion Day we were to spend in France. We were on the +eve of tremendous events, and it was a splendid manifestation of +Canada's glory at the front. There was such a gathering of old friends +who had not met for years, that one really could not attend to the +various events and sports that were taking place. We met for a moment, +and the old days would be talked over, and then we parted, some, alas, +never to meet again in this world. That vast crowd which fringed the +huge expanse of ground was quite the most thrilling spectacle that +Canadians had ever seen. Tincques must be a quiet place now, and +perhaps only a few marks in the great field still remain to show where +the sports were held. But there were gathered there that day the vast +host of noble gentlemen who saved the honour and freedom of our young +country.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXIX. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page267" name="page267">(p. 267)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Beginning of the End.</span><br> + +<i>July to August 7th, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>The possession of a side-car gave me the opportunity of getting much +further afield in my visits. Our 1st Divisional wing, where the new +drafts were received and trained for the front line, was at this time +back in a place called Loison, in the quiet and beautiful country +between St. Pol and General Headquarters. I had done a great deal of +parish visiting among our battalions in rest and given the story of my +leave trip to Rome many times, so I thought I would make an excursion +to the Base. We had a delightful trip down the St. Pol road through +little villages and towns which looked as they did in pre-war days. +The country where the Divisional wing was stationed was very charming. +It was well watered by many pretty rivers, and hills covered with +trees gave diversity to the landscape. I told the men they were living +in a land flowing with milk and honey. I stayed at the headquarters of +the wing in a delightful old house on a hill surrounded with fine +trees. Each Brigade had its own reserve, so there were many men in the +village, and an old mill pond enabled me to have two or three good +swims. In a Y.M.C.A. tent, courses of lectures in connection with the +Khaki University were being given on various subjects. One evening, +naturally I gave them a talk on our leave trip to Rome. On another, in +a corner of the field, I gave them an informal lecture on English +literature. Having got so far from home, I determined to go a little +further, and so we made a trip to Boulogne, where my son who had been +gassed was still in a C.C.S., and that afternoon on our return we went +to Montreuil to see what G.H.Q. looked like. I was told that Montreuil +was a very picturesque old walled city, but that we should not be +allowed to enter. However, I had been able to do so many forbidden +things in the war that I thought it would be worth trying, so the old +Clino sped over the hard macadamized roads from Boulogne till we came +to the valley on the opposite side of which the town is situated. We +saw many cars coming and going, and many troops by the way, and +finally we sped up the hill which leads to the entrance gate. A sentry +was standing +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page268" name="page268">(p. 268)</a></span> +there, who saluted most properly, and we passed +into the sacred city without molestation. It was a delightful old +French town, full of historical interest. The narrow streets and +quaint old buildings carried one back in thought to the days of +chivalry and battles waged by knights in shining armour. We saw some +of the churches, and then went to the officers' club for tea. The +waitresses at the club were English girls who had taken the place of +the men needed at the front. I got them to provide for my friend Lyons +in their sitting-room, and I went in to have tea with the officers. A +great many were there sitting at small tables. It was interesting to +see the badges of so many different regiments. Most of the officers +had a good supply of ribbons, and a few of them had lost an eye or a +limb, or bore other marks of wounds. I think that almost all of them +were staff officers and that some of them were generals. It struck me +that the atmosphere to a stranger was rather chilly. The demeanour of +the people was much less free than that which we had been accustomed +to at the front. Of course Montreuil held the brains of the army, and +it was quite right that the directing intelligences there should feel +the loftiness of their position. I made up two lines as I was having +tea, which I thought hit off the mental attitude of some of the +officers present, when they saw a stranger and looked him up and down +through their monocles,</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"I'm on the staff of the G.H.Q.,<br> + And I'd like to know who the devil are you?" +</div> + +<p>There had been such a democratic upsetting of traditions and customs +in the Service, owing to the obliteration of the original British +Army, that it was quite refreshing to find that a remnant of Israel +had been saved.</p> + +<p>I paid two visits to the Divisional wing within a few days of each +other, and on one occasion, on a baking July day, addressed a +battalion of draftees who were about to be sent up to the front. They +were a fine looking lot of men and knew their drill. Poor boys, they +little knew what was in store for them in those last hundred days of +the war.</p> + +<p>Rumours were current now that the time for our great attack had come, +so there were no more joy-rides for me to the pleasant fields and +society of Loison. On my return on July 14th I found our Headquarters +once again at Etrun, and our Division were holding their +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page269" name="page269">(p. 269)</a></span> +old +trenches to the north and south of the Scarpe. Once more I had the +pleasure of sleeping in Pudding trench and doing what I called +"consolidating the line." I did a good deal of parish visiting in the +trenches at this time. I felt that big changes might occur at any +moment, and I wanted to be with the men in any ordeal through which +they might have to pass. Very strange scenes come before me as I look +back upon those days before our great attack. One night I stayed with +the gallant Colonel of the Canadian Scottish at Tilloy. His +headquarters were in No Man's Land, and the front trench ran in a +semi-circle to the rear. The Colonel, having found a good German +dugout in the cellars of the ruined château, preferred to make his +headquarters there. We did not know where the enemy's front line was, +and our men were doing outpost duty in shell-holes further forward. +They had to be visited every two hours when it was dark, to see that +all was well. That night I asked the Colonel if I might go out with +the patrol. He demurred at first, and then gave his consent only on +condition that I should take off my white collar, and promise not to +make any jokes with the men on duty for fear they should laugh and +give away our position. I made my promise and started with the patrol +officer and his runner. It was a curious sensation wandering off in +the darkness as silently as possible, tripping now and then on bits of +wire and almost slipping into the trenches. We came to the different +shell-holes and whispered conversations were held. The sentries seemed +surprised when I spoke to them, as they could not recognize me in the +darkness. I whispered that I had promised the Colonel not to tell any +funny stories for fear they should laugh, so I merely gave them the +benediction, in return for which spiritual function I got a very warm +handshake. To do outpost duty in a place like that must have been more +interesting than pleasant, for at all times the sentries had to keep +straining their eyes in the darkness to see if a patrol of the enemy +was coming to surprise them. On our return we saw some shells falling +to the right in the shadowy desolation of what was called Bully-beef +Wood.</p> + +<p>On another occasion, I was coming out near Feuchy along the railway +triangle when the Germans dropped some gas shells in the cutting. Two +of the men and I were talking together, and we had just time to dive +into Battalion Headquarters and pull down the gas blankets. We put on +our helmets, but not before we had got a dose of the poison. As I sat +there with my throat burning, I was filled +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page270" name="page270">(p. 270)</a></span> +with alarm lest I +should lose my voice and be unable in the future to recite my poems. +It was hard enough, as it was, to keep my friends long enough to hear +my verses, but I thought that if I had to spell them out in +deaf-and-dumb language no one would ever have patience to wait till +the end. However, after a few days my throat got better, and my +friends were once again forced to lend me their ears.</p> + +<p>The railway triangle was a well-known place, and any men who may have +lived in some of the dugouts along the banks are not likely to forget +it. In the valley there was a large artificial lake in which I had +some of the most pleasant swims I have ever enjoyed, although the +waters were sometimes stirred up by the advent of a shell.</p> + +<p>It was part of our strategy to let our men get the impression that we +were going to stay in the trenches before Arras for a long time. We +had several raiding parties with a view to finding out the position +and strength of the enemy, and our C.C.S.'s were well equipped and +looked as if they were going to remain there forever. Our Corps +Headquarters, too, were not far from Etrun, and the concentration of +Canadians in the neighbourhood gave us the impression that we had +found a more than temporary resting place. An American Chaplain was +sent up to stay with me for a visit in order to see what conditions +were like at the front. He was a Lutheran, although not of German +extraction. I took him up to Arras one night, where we had dinner with +the engineers, and afterwards saw the 10th Battalion start off for the +trenches. He was much impressed with the spirit and appearance of the +men. It was late when we got back to my quarters, and to my surprise +on the next morning an order came through that the American Chaplain +had to return immediately. Neither he nor I could understand it. I +began to think he must have got into some scrape, as no explanation +was given. The real reason came out afterwards.</p> + +<p>On August 1st our Division suddenly packed up and started once more +for Le Cauroy. We knew now that big things were in store for us and +that the Canadian Corps were going to attack. We heard rumours of the +preparations the French and Americans had made in the South, and we +felt that at last the Allies were going to get the initiative into +their hands. Whither we were going, however, we did not know, but we +all devoutly hoped that it would not be the Salient. The secret of our +destination was kept most profoundly. We were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page271" name="page271">(p. 271)</a></span> +told that +everything depended upon our holding our tongues and exciting as +little curiosity as possible among the inhabitants. Once again, as +before Vimy, but to even a greater extent, we felt the electric thrill +which kindles the imagination of an army going into battle. The rapid +move which the Canadian Corps now made was the most sporting thing we +ever did, and it appealed strongly to the hearts of young men who were +keen on games and had been inured to a hardy life in Canada. Swiftly +and secretly the battalions entrained at various points and left for +parts unknown. I went in my side-car to the machine-gun headquarters +at Liencourt, and on the next day to the Curé's house at Le Cauroy. I +found out from Headquarters that our Division was going south within a +day or so, but that I was not to tell the men. The brigades were +billeted in the neighbouring villages, but were soon to move. I was +only one day at Le Cauroy, and on the 3rd of August, after a rainy +morning, started off in my side-car for Hornoy, a little village not +far from Amiens. We left Le Cauroy in the afternoon, and soon the sun +came out making the freshly washed country more beautiful than ever. +It was very interesting finding our way by the map, and as we neared +our destination I met many friends in the other divisions who were +stationed in the villages through which we passed. By the time we +reached Hornoy, the sun had set. My billet was to be with the Curé. I +went over to the neat white Presbytère which was approached by a large +gate leading into the garden. The old man came to meet me at the door +of his house, and put me through a lot of questions in what I thought +was a needlessly gruff manner. I found out afterwards that he was very +kind, and that his gruffness was only assumed. He gave me a room +upstairs comfortably furnished, and invited me to come into his office +whenever I pleased. The church, which could be entered from the +garden, was in good order, and parts of it were very old. The day +after we arrived at Hornoy was Sunday, August 4th. It was the fourth +anniversary of our declaration of war, and I had hoped to hold a big +service for the men. Unfortunately, we were all scattered and, as our +hymn books did not turn up, having been confiscated as a reprisal by +some of the crown and anchor men, my plans were frustrated. In the +afternoon I went by side-car to Amiens and found the city looking very +different from its appearance on my last visit. The streets were +absolutely deserted. Many of the houses had been damaged by shells. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page272" name="page272">(p. 272)</a></span> +The Cathedral roof itself had been pierced in some places and +the noble interior looked very dreary, the floor of the nave being +covered with bits of broken stone and glass. It was sad to think that +it might share the fate of Rheims. Some Canadians were wandering about +the streets rather disconsolately. The empty city gave one a terrible +sense of loneliness. On the following evening about midnight the 16th +Battalion and the 3rd Battalion of Engineers passed through Hornoy in +trains, going forward.</p> + +<p>Our own orders to move came two days later, on August 7th, and I left +for St. Feuchien. I went off in my side-car to the quaint old village. +It is situated on the top of a low hill, and consists of a few streets +and some large buildings standing in their own grounds. One of these +was the country home of the Archbishop of Amiens, and this was to be +our billet. I entered the grounds by a broken-down gate and drew up in +front of a large brick building, one wing of which was a chapel and +kept locked up. In front of the building was a well full of empty tins +and other refuse. The interior of the place had once been quite fine, +but was now absolutely filthy, having been used as billets. The +billiard tables, however, could still be used. The room assigned to me +was on the ground floor at the back. The dirt on the floor was thick, +and a sofa and two red plush chairs were covered with dust. A bed in +the corner did not look inviting, and through the broken windows +innumerable swarms of blue-bottle flies came from the rubbish heaps in +the yard. The weather was very hot and there was apparently no water +for washing. I made an inspection of the building upstairs, but all +the rooms had been assigned to different officers. The Archbishop's +room was very large with a huge bed in it, but wore an air of soiled +magnificence.</p> + +<p>Everybody was in a great rush and, although I did not know when our +attack was to take place, I felt that it might happen at any moment; +and so, not worrying about my billet, I started off in my side-car to +see General Thacker at Château Longeau. I found, as I passed through +Boves and other villages, that the whole Canadian Corps was +concentrated in the neighbourhood. The dusty roads were crowded with +lorries, tanks, whippets and limbers, besides numbers of men. When I +got to Château Longeau I found, to my surprise, that the General had +gone to Battle Headquarters in Gentelles Wood, and an officer whom I +met on the road told me that zero hour was on the following morning. I +determined therefore not to return to +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page273" name="page273">(p. 273)</a></span> +the archiepiscopal +palace at St. Feuchien, but to go off to the attack. I returned to +Boves, where, having washed and shaved, I had dinner in a damaged +house with some officers of a light trench mortar battery, and after +dinner started on my way to Gentelles Wood. It was a time of intense +excitement. Less than a week ago we had been in the line at Arras, and +now we were about to make our great attack at Amiens. The warm summer +evening was well-advanced when I reached our Battle Headquarters +behind the wood. All the staff officers were so busy that to ask one a +question was like putting a spark to a powder magazine, so I kept out +of their way and journeyed up the road to the barrier beyond which no +vehicle was allowed to pass. I said good-bye to Lyons and then started +off to find the trenches from which the 16th Battalion was going to +lead the charge.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXX. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page274" name="page274">(p. 274)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Battle of Amiens.</span><br> + +<i>August 8th to 16th, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>It was strange and exhilarating to go off on an expedition of that +kind in the cool air and fading light of the evening. Something told +us that at last the hour of victory was drawing near. The moving of +the Corps had been so splendidly conducted and the preparation had +been so secret that success seemed assured. This was an achievement +which was completely different from all our past experience. The only +question was, had we taken the Germans by surprise, or were they +waiting with massed forces to resist our attack? As I left the +outskirts of the wood behind me, and made my way over the green plain, +now fading into the twilight, I passed a battalion of the 3rd Division +manning a line of trenches. I had a talk with some of the men and told +them that I had heard from a tank officer that nearly one thousand +tanks were to be engaged in the attack on the following morning. Far +over to the left, on a rise in the ground I saw the remains of a +village, and was told that a mud road across the fields would lead me +in the direction of the 1st Division front. I met as usual many men +whom I knew, and finally some officers of the 15th Battalion in a +dugout. The light began to fade and I had difficulty in seeing far +ahead of me, but the track at last brought me to a sunken road which +turned to the right. Here on the hillside more men were waiting in +dugouts, and I was directed to a quarry, on the top of which I was to +take a path that would lead me to a group of trees, where I should +find the Headquarters of the 16th Battalion. When I got to the quarry +I found many roads there, and whether it was that the information I +had received was incorrect, or that I was more than usually stupid, I +do not know. I wandered up and down for a long time, tripping over +bits of wire and slipping into holes, before I was able to get to the +top of the hill and look over in the direction of the German lines. At +last I found a track which had evidently been used by men going up to +the front. I went along it for a considerable distance and found +myself on what appeared to be a plateau, but as far as I could see, no +object stood out against the starry sky-line. Shells were falling in +the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page275" name="page275">(p. 275)</a></span> +fields to the left, and at different points on the +eastern horizon the bright light of a German flare would tell us the +position of the enemy's lines. I went on for some distance, straining +my eyes in the darkness to see if I could discover any trees. I +thought I had lost my way again. Suddenly the dim figure of a man +approached, and when he came up to me, I found he belonged to one of +the Imperial Battalions from whom we were taking over the line. He +asked me the way to the quarry, and I was able to tell him. Then he +gave me the direction I had to take to reach my destination. I resumed +my walk along the narrow path and at last, to my great delight, I saw +a black object in the distance. When I came up to it I found it was +the group of trees for which I had been looking. The trees were +growing out of a curious round hole in the ground. Here, a signaller +of the 16th Battalion happened to turn up and acted as my guide. He +led me down a path to the bottom of the hole where were several +dugouts. In one of these I found more men of the Battalion. They were +intensely keen over the prospect of a great victory on the morrow. I +was told that the battalion and the companies which were going over in +the first wave were in advanced trenches to the left. So, after +bidding the men good-bye and good luck, I started off. At last I +reached the trench, and getting down into it found the Headquarters of +the Battalion had arrived there not long before. On asking where the +Colonel was, I was taken to a place where a piece of canvas hung down +the side of the trench. When this was lifted, I looked down into a +little hole in the ground and there saw the C.O., the Adjutant and +another officer studying a map by the light of a candle. The place was +so tiny that I had to crawl in backwards, and finding that there was +no room for a visitor, I soon took my departure. The Colonel ordered +me to stay in the trench, but I had made up my mind to go forward and +see the companies which were going over in the first wave. They lay +along the side of a road some distance down the slope in front of us. +In making my way there I passed a trench where the 5th Battalion was +waiting to follow up the advance. A German machine-gun was playing +freely upon the spot, but no one got hit. When I came to the advanced +companies of the 16th Battalion, I passed along their line and gave +them my blessing. It was splendid to meet and shake hands with those +gallant lads, so soon to make the attack. They were in high spirits in +spite of the seriousness of their enterprise.</p> + +<p>The +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page276" name="page276">(p. 276)</a></span> +barrage was to start at 4.20, so I left them about 4.10 +to go back to Battalion Headquarters in the trench, as I intended to +follow up the advance with the stretcher-bearers. On my way back I met +the Colonel, his orderly, and his piper, who a few minutes later was +killed in the attack. I shook hands with them, and the Colonel said, +"Now, Canon, if anything happens to me don't make any fuss over me; +just say a few words over me in a shell-hole." I said, "You will come +out all right, Colonel, there will be no shell-hole for you." Then, as +my senior officer, he ordered me back to the trench. I told him I +would go over the top with him if he wanted me to do so, but he would +not hear of it. When I got to the trenches only a few minutes remained +till the barrage was to start. I climbed up on the parapet and waited, +looking off into the darkness. It was a wonderful moment. When the +German flare-lights went up we could see that there was a wood on the +other side of the valley in front of us, and its outline began to grow +more distinct against the grey of the morning sky. I could see to +right and left a great stretch of country sloping gradually into the +darkness. Shells still fell behind our lines at intervals. Our own +guns were perfectly silent. What did the enemy's quietness portend? +Were the Germans aware of our contemplated assault? Were they lying in +full strength like a crouching lion ready to burst upon us in fury at +the first warning of our approach? Had all our precautions been in +vain? Or were we on the eve of a victory which was going to shatter +the iron dominion of the feudal monster? This was one of those +magnificent moments in the war which filled the soul with a strange +and wild delight. For months we had been preparing for this event, and +now it was upon us. The sky was growing lighter, and the constellation +of the Pleiades was beginning to fade in the sky above the outline of +the distant trees. I looked at my watch. Nearer and nearer the hands +crept to zero hour, but they move slowly at such times. Then at 4.20 +the long barrage burst in all its fury. The hissing rain of shells +through the air on a twenty mile front made a continuous accompaniment +to the savage roar of the thousands of guns along the line. Those guns +sent their wild music round the globe, and sounded that note of +victory which only ceased when the bells of the churches in all the +civilized world rang out their joyful peals at the signing of the +Armistice.</p> + +<p>Up went the German rockets and coloured lights calling for help, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page277" name="page277">(p. 277)</a></span> +and ever and anon a red glow in the sky told us that we had blown +up an ammunition dump. The noise was earth-shaking, and was even more +exhilarating than that of the barrage at Vimy. I was so carried away +by my feelings that I could not help shouting out, "Glory be to God +for this barrage!" The German reply came, but, to our delight, it was +feeble, and we knew we had taken them by surprise and the day was +ours.</p> + +<p>A strange sound behind us made us look around, and we saw the +advancing tanks creeping down the slope like huge grey beetles. Our +men were just in time to divert the course of one which threatened to +cut our telephone wires. Then the 5th Battalion got out of their +trenches, and the stretcher-bearers and I went off with them down the +slope. The wood through which the German lines ran was called Hangard +Wood and lay on the opposite side of the valley. Here and there lying +in the ripe grain which covered the fields were bodies of the wounded +and dead of the 13th and 16th Battalions. The stretcher-bearers set to +work to carry off those who had been hit. A sergeant followed me and +we skirted the wood looking for wounded, while he was able to become +possessor of a machine-gun and several German revolvers. The wheat had +been trampled down by the men in their charge, but was still high +enough in places to conceal a prostrate form. By this time the attack +had passed through the wood and the enemy were running before it. The +German artillery now concentrated their fire on the valley, which +soon, in the still morning air, became thick with smoke. It was +impossible to see more than a few yards in front of one. We heard the +crash of shells around us, but could not see where they burst. The sun +had not risen and we soon lost our way in the mist. We could not tell +from the direction of the sound which was the German barrage and which +was ours.</p> + +<p>I was going on ahead when I came to a large shell-hole that had been +made in some previous battle. At the bottom of it lay three apparently +dead Huns. I was looking down at them wondering how they had been +killed, as they were not messed about. I thought that they must have +died of shell-shock, until one of them moved his hand. At once I +shouted, "Kamarad", and to my intense amusement the three men lying on +their backs put up their hands and said, "Kamarad! mercy! mercy!" It +was most humorous to think that three human beings should appeal to me +to spare their lives. I told them in my best French to get up and +follow me, and I called out to the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page278" name="page278">(p. 278)</a></span> +sergeant, "Sergeant, I +have got three prisoners." My desire to take a prisoner had been a +standing joke among our men. Whenever they were going into action I +used to offer them $25.00 to bring out a little German whom I might +capture all by myself. I used to tell them not to bring out a big one, +as it might look boastful for a chaplain. Here were three ready to +hand for which I had to pay nothing. We moved on through the smoke, a +most comical procession. The sergeant went ahead and I brought up the +rear. Between us went the three terror-stricken prisoners, crouching +every now and then when shells fell near us. At last we stumbled on a +company of the 2nd Battalion coming forward, and I called out to them, +"Boys, I got seventy-five dollars worth of Huns in one shell-hole." +Our gallant Canadians at once took the three unfortunate men, who +looked as if they expected to have their throats cut, and having +relieved them of the contents of their pockets and removed their +buttons and shoulder-straps, gave me one of the latter as a souvenir.</p> + +<p>When the prisoners were disposed of and sent back with others under +escort, I started forward again and seeing a tank coming down the hill +got on it and so went back into the battle. We passed quite easily +over some wide trenches, then when the machine came to a stop I got +off and made my way to the end of the valley and climbed to the higher +ground beyond. There I found myself in a wide expanse of country +covered by yellow grain and rolling off in hills to the distance. Here +and there I met wounded men walking back, and many German prisoners. +In the fields in different directions I could see rifles stuck, +bayonet downwards, in the ground, which showed that there lay wounded +men. I found that these were chiefly Germans, and all of them had +received hideous wounds and were clamouring for water. Poor men, I was +sorry for them, for I knew it would be long before they could be +carried out or receive medical attention, owing to the rapidity of our +advance. I made my way to each in turn and gave him a drink from some +of the water bottles which I carried round my belt. I think all the +Germans I saw that morning were dying, having been wounded in the +stomach. After attending, as far as it was possible, to their bodily +needs, I endeavoured to minister to their spiritual. As they happened +to be Roman Catholics, I took off the crucifix which I wore round my +neck and gave it to them. They would put up their trembling hands and +clasp it lovingly, and kiss it, while I began the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page279" name="page279">(p. 279)</a></span> +Lord's +Prayer in German. This happened many times that day. One man who had a +hideous wound in the abdomen was most grateful, and when he handed me +back the crucifix he took my hand and kissed it. It was strange to +think that an hour before, had we met, we should have been deadly +enemies. At a crossroad further on the Germans must have concentrated +their fire when our men advanced, for many dead and wounded were lying +about.</p> + +<p>The sun was now high in the heavens and it became very hot, but the +autumn fields looked beautiful, and, as there were no hedges or +fences, the low rolling hills gave one the sense of great expanse, and +were an ideal ground for a battle on a large scale. While I was +looking after the wounded I heard the cheering of the 16th Battalion +who had reached their objective and were settling down to rest and to +have some food. I made my way to them and found the Colonel in high +glee over what his men had done. It had been a splendid routing of the +enemy. The Battalions of the 1st and 2nd Brigades followed up the +attack and were now moving forward, so I followed after them. It was a +delightful feeling to be walking through the golden harvest fields +with the blue sky overhead, and to know that we were advancing into +the enemy's land. It seemed as if by our own labours we had suddenly +become possessed of a vast property and that everything we found was +lawfully ours. It is no doubt that feeling which fills men with the +desire to loot in a conquered country.</p> + +<p>I had a magnificent view from the hill of the British Cavalry going +into action. Thousands of little horses in the distance on the vast +plain were galloping in a long line across the yellow fields, which +reminded one of the great battles of old, when mounted men, and not +machine-guns and gas-shells, were the determining factor. The store of +water that I had brought with me was now exhausted, but I was able to +get a fresh supply from the waterbottle of a dead man. The road that +leads from Gentelles to Caix winds through the valley to the right of +the line of our attack and follows a little stream. It is very narrow, +and on that day was so crowded with cavalry, ambulances and artillery +moving forward that every now and then it would become blocked. In a +mill, which the Germans had used partly as artillery headquarters and +partly as a depot for military stores, our men found a quantity of +blankets, coats and other useful articles. Our doctors established an +aid-post in the out-buildings, and made use of the materials which the +enemy had left behind in +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page280" name="page280">(p. 280)</a></span> +his flight. A section of our +machine-gunners was resting there, and it was a great refreshment to +stop for a while and have a good clean-up and a shave with a borrowed +razor. We were so parched with thirst that we drank out of the stream, +in spite of the fact that many shells had fallen into it. Our final +objective was still some miles away, so I started up the road, +following after the 1st Brigade.</p> + +<p>The Germans, finding the game was up, had left many guns behind them +and blown up a large quantity of ammunition. One great heap of it lay +beside the river. Very pretty hamlets lay along the valley; we passed +one called Ignacourt, where there was a damaged church. We afterwards +established an ambulance there. I was very tired with my long walk, +not having had any sleep the night before, so was glad to get a lift +on an ambulance and go forward in the afternoon to the village of +Caix, which was the final objective of the 2nd Brigade. One of our +ambulances had taken over a building in the Square, but was shelled +out of it that night. The 10th Battalion had gone forward and taken +possession of trenches beyond the village. I went out to them and +there found the men in high spirits over the way the battle had gone. +The old red patch Division had advanced 14,000 yards, and so had +beaten the record of any division, British or enemy, during the War. +It was now late in the afternoon and no further attack that day was +contemplated. Before us on a slight rise in the ground lay the village +of Rosières, through which the road ran parallel to the trenches which +we held. Between us and the village was a slight dip in the ground, +and with glasses we could see lorries full of fresh German troops, +amid clouds of dust, making their way to a point in the village. There +they would stop and the men would get out and hurry down the fields +into the trenches. It looked as if they were going to make a +counter-attack. The situation was very disquieting. I was told by one +of the sergeants in our front line that we were in need of fresh +ammunition, and he asked me if I would let the Colonel know. I passed +through the trenches on my return and told the men how glorious it was +to think that we had pushed the Germans back and were now so many +miles from where we had started. I went back to Battalion Headquarters +and found that they were in a cottage on the eastern extremity of the +village. Across the road was a cavalry observation-post, where some +officers were watching Rosières and the arrival of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page281" name="page281">(p. 281)</a></span> +German +troops. Luckily for us the Germans had no guns to turn upon us, +although the village of Caix was shelled constantly all night. Later +on, some batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery and our field guns, +which had come up, sealed the fate of the Germans and prevented a +counter-attack. A glorious sunset over the newly conquered territory +made a fitting close to a day of great deeds and high significance. +When darkness fell and the stars looked out of the quiet sky, I said +good-night to my cavalry friends, whose billets were down in a hollow +to the right, and started off to find some place to sleep.</p> + +<p>The cellars of the cottage occupied by the Colonel were crowded, so I +went to the village and seeing some men entering a gateway followed +them. It was the courtyard of a large building, presumably a brewery. +The runners of the battalion had found a deep cellar where they had +taken up their abode. I asked if I might sleep with them for the +night. The cellar was not particularly inviting, but it was well below +the ground and vaulted in brick. The floor was simply earth and very +damp. Two candles were burning in a box where a corporal was making +out the ration-list for the men. I got two empty sandbags to put on +the floor to keep me from getting rheumatism, and lying on them and +using my steel helmet as a pillow I prepared to sleep. The runners, +except those on duty, did the same. Our feet met in the centre of the +room and our bodies branched off like the spokes of a wheel. When +anyone turned and put his feet on one side we all had to turn and put +our feet in the same direction. We heard a good many shells bursting +in the Square that night, but we were safe and comparatively +comfortable. Before I got to sleep, I watched with great admiration +the two young non-coms who were sitting at the table arranging and +discussing in a low tone the duties of the various men for the +following day. The two lads could not have been more than twenty years +of age, but their sense of responsibility and justice was +well-developed. I thought what a fine thing it was that men were being +trained like that to become useful citizens of Canada. We were up +early in the morning and I made my way to Battalion Headquarters, +where I heard that there was to be another attack in the forenoon.</p> + +<p>We were now to change places with the 2nd Division. They were to shift +from our right flank to our left and take over the attack +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page282" name="page282">(p. 282)</a></span> +on +Rosières while we advanced towards Warvillers. From the cavalry +observation-post, I could see with a glass the 5th Battalion going up +to the front in single file along a hedge. I had breakfast with the +7th Battalion officers in their dugout by the roadside near the +cavalry billets, and then started off to join the 8th Battalion which +was going to attack that morning. Machine-guns from Rosières were +playing on the road near the end of the wood. I determined therefore +not to go round the wood but through it and so reached the other side +in safety. I was sitting on a fallen tree eating some lunch and +wondering whether I should be able to get up in time for the attack, +when, to my great joy, over the hill to my right, I saw some troops +approaching in extended order. Hardly had they appeared on the crest +when the Germans at Rosières opened fire upon them and shells fell on +the hill. The men kept very steady and nobody, as far as I could see, +was hit. When they got down to the wood I went forward and spoke to +them and found they were the 22nd Battalion, and I met several +Quebecers whom I knew.</p> + +<p>I saw the Battalion go off in the direction of Rosières and I renewed +my journey to our own line. I passed the 24th Battalion who were going +up on the left of the 22nd, and they told me that the 2nd Brigade were +on their right. There were many trenches along the way which the +Germans had abandoned on the previous day. I passed a poor horse which +was badly wounded and still alive. It was attached to a broken German +cart. I got one of our men to shoot the animal, and went on till I +came to a railway in the hollow and followed it. There were many +wooden buildings here and there which had been built by the Germans. +These structures had been badly knocked about by shrapnel, and the +litter of articles within showed how rapid the German flight had been. +At a little distance on the east side of the track, there was a green +wood, which was called, as I afterwards found out, Beaufort or Hatchet +Wood. Every now and then as I walked, little puffs of dust would rise +from the road in front of me, showing that machine-gun bullets were +falling about. A cavalry patrol of three men, returning down the track +from the direction of the wood, came towards me, and, taking me for a +combatant officer, the corporal saluted and said, "That wood is very +heavily held by machine-guns, Sir, we have just made a +reconnaissance." "That's all right," I said, "I do not intend to take +it just yet." I was going up the track, wondering where +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page283" name="page283">(p. 283)</a></span> +I +had got to, when I saw a young officer of the 8th Battalion, followed +by his men, coming towards me. I went to him and told him that I had +heard the wood was very heavily held by machine-guns. He said he knew +it and was going to attack from the side, so I went with them and, as +they lay on the ground and got their Lewis guns in position, I +pronounced the benediction over them and then continued my journey up +the railroad. On the west side of the track at the top of the bank was +a hedge. Here I found the 14th Battalion waiting to follow up the 8th. +A young officer of the latter battalion was lying on the ground dying. +He dictated a farewell letter to his wife, which I afterwards gave to +the Adjutant. On the slope of ground down which the 8th had charged +towards the railway I saw many bodies of dead and wounded men, so I +went up to them to see what I could do. Several were dying, and I +found one poor fellow who had never been baptised; so I took some +water from my bottle and baptised him as he lay there. They would be +carried off when the stretcher-bearers could begin their work.</p> + +<p>While I was attending to the wounded, I looked towards the wood at the +other side of the track. I was on a higher level, and so had a view of +the open country beyond, and there, to my astonishment, I saw the +Germans leaving their ambush and running away. I hurried down the hill +to the hedge and shouted out to the 14th Battalion that the Germans +were running away, and an officer came up to make sure. Then orders +were given to the men to charge and they crossed the track and took +possession of the wood. As soon as I had seen the wounded carried off +I followed after the troops, and there once more had the joy of +advancing over newly-won territory.</p> + +<p>At a farmhouse a number of our men were gathered for a temporary rest, +and there I learned that the colonel of the 8th Battalion and a large +number of officers and men had been killed that morning. The battalion +had to charge down the hill in the face of heavy machine-gun fire. +Some tanks were standing by the farm and one of the officers offered +to take me with him in the machine, but as it was to go into the 2nd +Divisional area I had to decline the invitation and follow up our men +on foot. I passed a number of German wounded. One of them, a young +lad, was terribly alarmed when he saw me approaching, thinking I was +going to murder him. He held up his hands and shouted, "Kamarad!" I +think the Germans +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page284" name="page284">(p. 284)</a></span> +had heard wild stories of the ferocity of +Canadians. The boy then began to implore me to send him to an +ambulance. He was wounded in the leg, and had bound up his wounds very +neatly and skilfully. I tried to make him understand that the +stretcher-bearers would come up in time, and I stuck his rifle in the +ground with his helmet on the top of it, as a signal to the bearer +party.</p> + +<p>Before me at the end of the road, I saw amid trees the village of +Warvillers. Many men were going towards it from all directions; and I +saw our artillery brigades taking up battery positions to the left. I +met two men of the 5th Battalion and we started off to the village +together. The place was now in our hands, as the Germans had evacuated +it some hours before. The houses were quite intact and offered +prospects of pleasant billets. My companions and I, finding it was +quite late in the afternoon, determined to go and have our meal in a +garden near the Château. We sat down on the grass and opened our +bully-beef tins, and seeing onions growing in the garden thought it +would be a good thing to have that savoury vegetable as a relish. It +added to the enjoyment of our simple meal to think that we were eating +something which the Germans had intended for themselves. We managed to +get some fresh water too from a well nearby, which looked quite clean. +On the other side of a wall we could see the roof of the Château. One +of the men thought he would like to go and explore and find out who +was there. He came back a few minutes afterwards and said it was full +of Germans. So, taking their rifles, the two men went off to attack +it, thinking they had found a stronghold of the enemy. I was just +having a smoke after my meal when the lads came back and said that the +Germans whom they had seen were our prisoners and that the Château had +been taken over by us as a dressing station. We made our way to it and +found that it was a very beautiful place situated in lovely grounds. A +card on a door upstairs bore the inscription, "His Excellency +General," and then followed a German name. The place had been the +headquarters of some enemy corps or division on the previous day. At +the back of the Château was a very strong concrete dugout divided off +into rooms, which were soon filled by our officers and men. All that +night the wounded were being brought to the Château, and German +prisoners also found their way there. Nobody was paying much attention +to the latter, and, thinking it was unwise to let them wander about, +and perhaps go back to their +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page285" name="page285">(p. 285)</a></span> +lines with information about +our location, with the permission of the C.O. of the ambulance, who +was up to his eyes in work, I had them all put into one large room +over which I placed a guard. They were sent back to the corps cage in +the morning. The Germans evidently expected that we would use the +Château because they dropped some heavy shells in the garden during +the night, and we had to get the wounded down in to the cellars in +quick time.</p> + +<p>I had about three hours sleep that night, and in the morning I +determined to follow up our men of the 1st Brigade who had now +established themselves at a village ahead of us called Rouvroy. As I +was starting off, a signaller came up to me and told me he had +captured a stray horse with a saddle on it and that he would lend it +to me to take me to my destination. I mounted the animal and went down +the avenue in great pride and comfort, but after I got into the road a +man came up and stopped me and told me, to my horror, that I was +riding his horse which he had lost the night before. It requires great +strength of mind and self-mastery to give up a mount to a pedestrian +when you are once in the saddle. But the war had not entirely +extinguished the light of conscience in my soul, so, tired as I was, I +dismounted and gave up the steed. But as I saw the man ride back to +the Château I began to wonder within myself whether he was the real +owner or not. One thief does not like to be out-witted by another. +However, there was nothing to do now but to go straight ahead. The +road before me led directly to Rouvroy. Some German planes were +hovering overhead, and in the fields to my left our artillery were +going into action. As shells were dropping on the road I took a short +cut over the fields. Here I found some of our machine-gunners, and the +body of a poor fellow who had just been killed. I got to the village +of Rouvroy about noon and made my way to a dugout under the main +road, where the colonel and some of the officers of the 3rd Battalion +were having lunch. They gave me a cup of tea, but I told them I had +taken my food on the journey, so did not want anything to eat. They +looked much relieved at this, because rations were short. Their +chaplain was there and gave me a warm reception. I was feeling rather +used up, so lay down on a wire mattress and had an hour's sleep. When +lunch was over the chaplain and I went to see the sights of the town. +The ruined church was being used for a dressing station and it seemed +to me it +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page286" name="page286">(p. 286)</a></span> +was rather a dangerous place, as the Germans would +be likely to shell it. We found an old bookshop which was filled with +German literature and writing paper, some of which proved very useful.</p> + +<p>We had a good rest in a dugout, but I felt so seedy that I told him, +if he heard that I had gone out of the line, not to think it was +because I was suffering from "cold feet". We went back to the village, +and there we found shells dropping in the main street not far from the +church. In fact, one came so close that we had to dive into a cellar +and wait till the "straffing" was over. Then I bid my companion +good-bye and started off over the fields back to Warvillers. By this +time I felt so unwell that it was hard to resist the temptation to +crawl into some little hole in which I might die quietly. However, +with my usual luck, I found a motor car waiting near the road for an +air-officer who had gone off on a tour of inspection and was expected +to return soon. The driver said I could get in and rest. When the +officer came back he kindly consented to give me a ride to my +Divisional Headquarters. We did not know where they were and I landed +in the wrong place, but finally with the assistance of another car I +made my way to Beaufort. There I found our Division had established +themselves in huts and dugouts at the back of an ancient château. With +great difficulty I made my way over to General Thacker's mess and +asked for some dinner.</p> + +<p>During the meal, the General sent off his A.D.C. on a message, and he +soon returned with no less a person than the A.D.M.S., who, to my +dismay, proceeded to feel my pulse and put a clinical thermometer in +my mouth. My temperature being 103-1/2, he ordered me at once to go +off to a rest camp, under threat of all sorts of penalties if I did +not. I lay on the floor of his office till three in the morning, when +an ambulance arrived and took me off to some place in a field, where +they were collecting casualties. From thence I was despatched to the +large asylum at Amiens which was operated by an Imperial C.C.S. The +major who examined me ordered me to go to the Base by the next train, +as they had no time to attend to cases of influenza. For a while I was +left on the stretcher in a ward among wounded heroes. I felt myself +out of place, but could do nothing to mend matters. Two sisters came +over to me, and apparently took great interest in me till one of them +looked at the tag which was pinned on my shoulder. With a look of +disgust she turned and said to her companion, "He isn't wounded at +all, he has only got the 'flu'". At once they lost all interest +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page287" name="page287">(p. 287)</a></span> +in me, and went off leaving me to my fate. Stung by this +humiliation, I called two orderlies and asked them to carry me out +into the garden and hide me under the bushes. This they did, and there +I found many friends who had been wounded lying about the place. My +batman had come with me and had brought my kit, so a box of good +cigars which I handed round was most acceptable to the poor chaps who +were waiting to be sent off. By a stroke of good luck, an accident on +the railway prevented my being evacuated that evening. I knew that if +they once got me down to the Base my war days would be over.</p> + +<p>On the following morning, feeling better, I got up, shaved, put on my +best tunic, and, with a cigar in my mouth, wandered into the reception +room, where I found the major who had ordered me off on the previous +day. Puffing the smoke in front of my face to conceal my paleness, I +asked him when he was going to send me down to the Base. He looked a +little surprised at finding me recovered, and then said, "Well, Padré, +I think I will let you go back to your lines after all." It was a +great relief to me. The chaplain of the hospital very kindly took me +in charge and allowed me to spend the night in his room. The next day +I got a ride in a Canadian ambulance and made my way back to Beaufort. +There, to my horror, I found that the Division, thinking they had got +rid of me for good, had appointed another padré in my place. Through +the glass door of my room, I could see him giving instructions to the +chaplain of the artillery. I felt like Enoch Arden, but I had not +Enoch's unselfishness so, throwing the door wide open, I strode into +the room, and to the ill-concealed consternation of both my friends +who had looked upon me in a military sense as dead, informed them that +I had come back to take over my duties. Of course, everyone said they +were glad to see me, except General Thacker, who remarked dryly that +my return had upset all the cherished plans of well-ordered minds. The +A.D.M.S. had told them that he had thought I was in for an attack of +pneumonia. It was really a very amusing situation, but I was +determined to avoid the Base, especially now that we felt the great +and glorious end of our long campaign was coming nearer every day.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXXI. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page288" name="page288">(p. 288)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">We Return to Arras.</span><br> + +<i>August, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>On Friday the 16th of August our Division left Beaufort and moved back +to billets at Le Quesnel. Here there was a good sized château which +was at once used for office purposes. The General and his staff made +their billets in a deep cave which was entered from the road. It was +of considerable extent, lit by electric light, and rooms opened out on +both sides of the central passage. I had one assigned to me, but as I +did not feel well enough to stand the dampness I gave it to the clerks +of the A.D.M.S., and made my home with the veterinary officer in the +cellar of the school-house which stood beside the church. The latter, +which had been used by the Germans as a C.C.S., was a modern building +and of good proportions. The spire had been used as an +observation-post. One or two shells had hit the building and the +interior, though still intact, was in great disorder. The altar +ornaments, vestments, and prayer books were thrown about in confusion. +The school-house where I was lodged must have been also the Curé's +residence. A good-sized room downstairs served as a chapel for my +Sunday services. The cellar, where the A.D.V.S. and I slept was quite +comfortable, though by no means shell-proof. As the only alternative +abode was the cave, he and I, deciding we would rather die of a shell +than of rheumatism, chose the cellar. The Corps ambulances were all +together in a valley not far away, and in trenches to the east, near +the cemetery where the 8th Battalion officers and men had been buried, +there were some reserves of the 3rd Brigade.</p> + +<p>Things were quiet now in the front line, so I determined to make a +trip to Albert to see my son's grave. It was a long and dusty journey +and the roads were rough. We passed back through the district over +which we had advanced, and saw everywhere gruesome traces of the +fighting. When we came to Albert, however, we found it was still in +the possession of the enemy. The Americans were holding the line, and +an American sentry stopped us at a barrier in the road and said that +no motorcycles were allowed to +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page289" name="page289">(p. 289)</a></span> +go any further in that +direction. It was strange to hear the American accent again, and I +told the lad that we were Canadians. "Well", he said, with a drawl, +"that's good enough for me." We shook hands and had a short talk about +the peaceful continent that lay across the ocean. There was nothing +for us to do then but to return.</p> + +<p>On the following Sunday, the Germans having evacuated Albert a day and +a half before, I once more paid a visit to the old town. I left my +side-car on the outskirts of the place and was taken by Mr. Bean, the +Australian War Correspondent, into his car. He was going up to take +some photographs. The day was intensely hot, and the dust of the now +ruined town was literally ankle-deep and so finely powdered that it +splattered when one walked as though it had been water. I saw the +ruins of the school-house which our ambulances had used, and noticed +that the image of the Virgin had been knocked down from the tower of +the Cathedral. I passed the house where our Headquarters had been. The +building was still standing but the front wall had gone, leaving the +interior exposed. I made my way up the Bapaume road to Tara Hill, and +there to my great delight I found the little cemetery still intact. +Shells had fallen in it and some of the crosses had been broken, but +the place had been wonderfully preserved. A battery on one side of it +had just ceased firing and was to advance on the following day. While +I was putting up some of the crosses that had fallen, Mr. Bean came up +in his car and kindly took a photograph of my son's grave. He also +took a photograph of the large Australian cross which stands at one +corner of the cemetery. Tara Hill had been for six months between the +German front and reserve lines, and I never expected that any trace of +the cemetery would have been found. I shall probably never see the +place again, but it stands out in my memory now as clear and distinct +as though once more I stood above the dusty road and saw before me the +rows of little crosses, and behind them the waste land battered by war +and burnt beneath the hot August sun. Over that very ground my son and +I had ridden together, and within a stone's throw from it two years +before we had said good-bye to one another for the last time.</p> + +<p>Our Division had now come out of the line and were hurrying north. On +August 26th Lyons and I started off in the car, and after a tedious +and dusty journey, enlivened by several break-downs, arrived +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page290" name="page290">(p. 290)</a></span> +in Arras very late at night and found a billet with the Engineers in +the Place de la Croix. Once more our men were scattered about the old +city and its environs as if we had never left it. Our Battle +Headquarters were in the forward area and rear Headquarters in a large +house in Rue du Pasteur. It was a picturesque abode. The building +itself was modern, but it was erected on what had been an old +Augustinian Monastery of the 11th century. Underneath the house there +was a large vaulted hall with pillars in it which reminded one of the +cloisters of Westminster Abbey. It was below the level of the ground +and was lit by narrow windows opening on the street. It was a most +interesting place and had been decorated with heraldic designs painted +on canvas shields by a British Division that had once made its +headquarters there. We used the hall as our mess and from it passages +led to several vault-like chambers and to cellars at the back, one of +which was my bedroom. A flight of steps led down to stone chambers +below these and then down a long sloping passage to a broken wall +which barred the entrance into the mysterious caves beneath the city. +The exhalations which came up to my bedroom from these subterranean +passages were not as fresh or wholesome as one could have wished, but, +as it was a choice between foul air and running the chance of being +shelled, I naturally chose the former.</p> + +<p>We moved into this billet in the evening, and early the following +morning I was lying awake, thinking of all the strange places I had +lived in during the war, when close by I heard a fearful crash. I +waited for a moment, and then, hearing the sound of voices calling for +help, I rushed up in my pyjamas and found that a huge shell had struck +a house three doors away, crushing it in and killing and wounding some +of our Headquarters staff. Though Arras was then continually being +shelled, some of the inhabitants remained. Opposite our house was a +convent, and in cellars below the ground several nuns lived all +through the war. They absolutely refused to leave their home in spite +of the fact that the upper part of the building had been ruined by +shells. Our nearness to the railway station, which was a favourite +target for the German guns, made our home always a precarious one.</p> + +<p>One day the Paymaster was going into our Headquarters, when a shell +burst in the Square and some fragments landed in our street taking off +the fingers of his right hand. I was away at the time, but when I +returned in the evening the signallers showed me a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page291" name="page291">(p. 291)</a></span> +lonely +forefinger resting on a window sill. They had reverently preserved it, +as it was the finger which used to count out five-franc notes to them +when they were going on leave.</p> + +<p>Our Corps dressing-station was in the big Asylum in Arras. The nuns +still occupied part of the building. The Mother Superior was a fine +old lady, intensely loyal to France and very kind to all of us. When +the Germans occupied Arras in the beginning of the war, the Crown +Prince paid an official visit to the Asylum, and, when leaving, +congratulated the Mother Superior on her management of the +institution. She took his praises with becoming dignity, but when he +held out his hand to her she excused herself from taking it and put +hers behind her back.</p> + +<p>The dressing-station was excellently run and the system carried out +was perfect. The wounded were brought in, attended to, and sent off to +the C.C.S. with the least possible delay. The dead were buried in the +large military cemetery near the Dainville road where rest the bodies +of many noble comrades, both British and Canadian. A ward was set +apart for wounded Germans and it was looked after by their own doctors +and orderlies.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile our Division was preparing for the great attack upon the +Drocourt-Quéant line. The 2nd Division were in the trenches and had +taken Monchy. We were to relieve them and push on to the Canal du Nord +and, if possible, beyond it. Movements were now very rapid. All the +staff were kept intensely busy. The old days of St. Jans Cappel and +Ploegsteert, with their quiet country life, seemed very far away. This +was real war, and we were advancing daily. We heard too of the +victories of the French and Americans to the South. It was glorious to +think that after the bitter experience of the previous March the +tables had been turned, and we had got the initiative once more. Our +Battle Headquarters, where the General and his staff were, lay beyond +Neuville Vitasse. They were in a deep, wide trench, on each side of +which were dugouts and little huts well sandbagged. Over the top was +spread a quantity of camouflage netting, so that the place was +invisible to German aeroplanes. The country round about was cut up by +trenches, and in many of these our battalions were stationed. All the +villages in the neighbourhood were hopeless ruins. I tried to get a +billet in the forward area, as Arras was so far back, but every +available place was crowded and it was so difficult to get up rations +that nobody was anxious to have me.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXXII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page292" name="page292">(p. 292)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Smashing of the Drocourt-Quéant Line.</span><br> + +<i>September 2nd, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>On Saturday, August 31st, I paid a visit to our Battle Headquarters, +and the General asked me to have a Celebration of the Holy Communion +there the next morning at eight. I knew that the attack was almost +due, so I prepared for it and took my iron rations with me. We had the +Communion Service in a tent at the General's Headquarters. There were +only three present, but the General was one of them. I had breakfast +in a quaint little hut in the side of the trench, and then started off +to the forward area. The great stretch of country was burnt dry by the +summer heat and the roads were broken up and dusty. I was taken by car +to the Headquarters of the 2nd Brigade which were in a trench, and +from thence I started on foot to Cherisy. Here the 8th Battalion were +quartered, the 5th being in the line. Zero hour, I was told, was early +the next morning. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades were to make the attack. +The 5th Battalion was to have advanced that day and taken possession +of a certain trench which was to be the jumping off line on the +following morning. I heard that they had had a hard time. They had +driven out the Germans, but had been seriously counter-attacked and +had lost a large number of men. I determined therefore to go out and +take them some cigarettes and biscuits which the Y.M.C.A. generously +provided. I started off in the afternoon to go to the front line, +wherever it might be. I went down the road from Cherisy past the +chalk-pit, where we had a little cemetery, and then turning into the +fields on the left walked in the direction in which I was told the 5th +Battalion lay. It was a long, hot journey, and as I had not quite +recovered from my attack of influenza I found it very fatiguing. On +all sides I saw gruesome traces of the recent fighting. I came across +the body of a young artillery officer of the 2nd Division, but, as all +his papers had been taken away, I could not discover his name. My way +passed through the remains of what had been an enemy camp. There were +a number of well-built huts there, containing much German +war-material, but they had been damaged by our shells. The Germans +had +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page293" name="page293">(p. 293)</a></span> +evidently been obliged to get out of the place as quickly +as possible. I was just leaving the camp when I met several of our men +bringing up a number of prisoners. While we were talking, some shells +fell, and we all had to dive into two trenches. The Huns took one; we +Canadians took the other. We had no desire, in case a shell landed in +our midst to have our bits mingled with those of the Germans. When the +"straffing" was over, the others went back, and I continued my way to +the front. It must have been about six or seven o'clock when I arrived +at the 5th Battalion Headquarters, which were in a deep German dugout. +The Colonel was absent at a conference, so the Adjutant was in +command. I told him that I had come provided with cigarettes and other +comforts for the men, and asked him to give me a runner to take me to +the front line. He absolutely refused to do anything of the kind, as +he told me he did not know where it was himself. The situation was +most obscure. Our men had attacked and had been driven back and then +they had attacked again, but he thought they were now in shell holes +and would be hard to find. In fact, he was most anxious about the +condition of affairs and was hoping the Colonel would soon return. I +asked him if he would like me to spend the night there. He said he +would, so I determined to settle down and wait for an opportunity of +getting up to the men.</p> + +<p>I went over to a trench a little way off, passing two dead Germans as +I did so, and saw the little white flag with the red cross on it which +showed that a dugout there was used as the regimental aid post. I went +down into the place, which had two openings, and found the M.O. and +his staff and a number of machine-gunners. Being Sunday, I told them +that I would have service for them. We all sat on the floor of the +long dugout. Two or three candles gave us all the light we had, and +the cigarettes which I had brought with me were soon turned into +smoke. In the meantime a young stretcher-bearer, unknown to me, made a +cup of tea and brought that and some buttered toast for my supper. +When I had finished and we were just going to begin the service, a +voice suddenly shouted down the steps in excited tones. "We've all got +to retreat; the Germans are coming." At once a corporal shouted up to +him, "Shut up, none of that talk out here." Of course, I had not said +a word to any of the men about the condition of our front line, but +remembering what the Adjutant had told me about it, I thought now that +there might be some reason for the alarm. As I have said on a former +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page294" name="page294">(p. 294)</a></span> +occasion, I had a great objection to being bombed in a +dugout, so I said to the men, "Well, boys, perhaps we had better take +it seriously and go up and see what the matter is." We climbed up to +the trench, and there on looking over the parapet we saw an exciting +scene. It was not yet dark, and in the twilight we could see objects +at a certain distance, but it was just light enough and dark enough to +confuse one's vision. Along the line to the right of our front +trenches, rockets and S.O.S. signals were going up, showing that the +Germans were attacking. Our reserve battalions were far back at +Cherisy, and our artillery had not yet come up. At any rate, somewhere +in the glimmering darkness in front of us the Germans were advancing. +They actually did get between us and our front line. The +machine-gunners at once went to their posts, and the M.O. wanted +orders as to what he and his staff were to do. I went back down the +trenches past the dead Germans to Battalion Headquarters, and asked +the Adjutant what orders he had for the M.O. He said we were all to +congregate at Headquarters; so I went back and gave the message. I +remember looking over the waste of ground and wondering if I could see +the Germans. For a time it was really very exciting, especially for +me, because I did not know exactly what I should do if the Germans +came. I could not fight, nor could I run away, and to fold one's arms +and be taken captive seemed too idiotic. All the time I kept saying to +myself, "I am an old fool to be out here." Still, we got as much fun +out of the situation as we could, and, to our intense relief, the +arrival of some of our shells and the sudden appearance of a Highland +Battalion of the 4th Division on our left, frightened the Germans and +they retired, leaving us to settle down once more in our trench home.</p> + +<p>On the return of the Colonel, we learned that, on account of the heavy +losses which the 5th Battalion had suffered that day, the 7th +Battalion would attack on the following morning. Later on in the +evening, I saw some machine-gunners coming up, who told us that they +had left some wounded and a dead man in a trench near the road. I +determined to go back and see them. The trench was very crowded, and +as it was dark it was hard to find one's way. I nearly stepped on a +man who appeared to be sleeping, leaning against the parapet. I said +to one of the men, "Is this a sleeping hero?" "No, Sir," he replied, +"It's a Hun stiff." When I got down to the road, I met two men and we +hunted for the place where the wounded +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page295" name="page295">(p. 295)</a></span> +had been left, but +found they had been carried off to Cherisy. So I started back again +for Battalion Headquarters, and as numbers of men were going forward I +had no difficulty in finding it.</p> + +<p>The dugout was now absolutely crowded. Every available space, +including the steps down from the opening, was filled with men. I +managed to secure a little shelf in the small hours of the morning, +and had two or three hours sleep. The atmosphere was so thick that I +think we were all overcome by it and sank into profound slumber. At +last, one of the men suddenly woke up and said to me, "It's ten +minutes to five, Sir." The barrage was going to start at five. As far +as I could see, everyone in the dugout but ourselves, was sound +asleep. I climbed up the steps, waking the men on them and telling +them that the barrage would start in ten minutes. The sentries in the +trench said that the 7th Battalion had gone forward during the night +with a number of 4th Division men. The morning air was sweet and fresh +after that of the dugout, but was rather chilly. A beautiful dawn was +beginning, and only a few of the larger stars were visible. The +constellation of Orion could be seen distinctly against the grey-blue +of the sky. At five o'clock the barrage started, and there was the +usual glorious roar of the opening attack. Very quickly the Germans +replied, and shells fell so unpleasantly near, that once again we +crowded into the dugout. After a hasty breakfast of bacon and tea the +battalions moved off, and I made my way to the front. I saw an officer +of the 7th Battalion being carried to the M.O.'s dugout. He was not +badly hit, and told me he was just back from leave and had been +married only a fortnight ago. I shook hands with him and congratulated +him on being able to get back to Blighty and have a wife to look after +him. He was being carried by some Germans and had two of our bearers +with him. I went down into a communication trench and the next instant +a shell burst. I did not know then that anybody had been hit by it, +but I learned afterwards that the officer, the stretcher-bearers and +the Germans had all been killed.</p> + +<p>I made my way to a mud road, where to my infinite delight I saw large +numbers of German prisoners being marched back. By the corner of a +wood the 8th Battalion were waiting their turn to advance. To the left +was the hill called The Crow's Nest, which our 3rd Brigade had taken +that day. I crossed the Hendecourt-Dury road, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page296" name="page296">(p. 296)</a></span> +which had +trees on both sides of it, and then meeting the 2nd Battalion went +forward with them. There were some deep trenches and dugouts on the +way, which our units at once appropriated and which became the +headquarters of two of our Brigades. Our artillery had also come up +and their chaplain was with them. The C.O. of the 7th Battalion was +having breakfast in the corner of a field, and feeling very happy over +the result of the morning's work. Far off we could see the wood of +Cagnicourt, and beyond that in the distance we could see other woods. +I went off in the direction of Cagnicourt and came to some German +huts, where there was a collection of military supplies. Among them +was a large anti-tank rifle. As it had begun to rain, I was very glad +to find some German water proof sheets which I put over my shoulders +as I was eating my bully-beef. Cagnicourt lay in a valley to the right +and, when I got there, I found a battery of artillery had just arrived +and were taking up their positions by a road which led on to +Villers-Cagnicourt. We were all in high spirits over our fresh +achievement. In some dugouts on the way, I found the headquarters of +the 13th and 14th Battalions, and learned of the very gallant deed of +the Rev. E. E. Graham, the Methodist chaplain attached to the 13th +Battalion. He had carried out, under the barrage, five wounded men of +the 2nd Division, who had been left in No Man's Land. He was +recommended for the Victoria Cross, but unfortunately, for some reason +or other, only got the D.S.O. In a trench near Villers-Cagnicourt I +found the 4th Battalion, who told me that they thought our advance was +checked. I sat talking to them for some time, but was so tired that I +absolutely could not keep awake. The men were much amused to see me +falling asleep in the midst of a conversation. I managed, however, to +pull myself together, and went over to the main Cherisy road, on the +side of which one of our ambulances had taken up its position and was +being attended by one of our military chaplains. I was feeling so +seedy by this time that I got a seat by the side of the driver on a +horse ambulance, and made my way back to Cherisy. The road was narrow +and crowded with traffic, and had been broken in places by shells. +Quite a number of bodies were lying by the wayside. I arrived back at +my billet in Arras in the evening feeling very tired. At the Corps +dressing station that night I saw large numbers of our men brought in, +among them the C.O. of the 2nd Battalion, who had especially +distinguished himself that day, but was very badly wounded.</p> + +<p>In +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page297" name="page297">(p. 297)</a></span> +spite of the fact that we had not been able to go as far +as we had intended, another glorious victory was to our credit, and we +had broken the far-famed Drocourt-Quéant line with its wire +entanglements which the Germans had thought to be impregnable. Two +days afterwards, on September 4th, our Division was taken out of the +line and sent back for rest and reorganization.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXXIII. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page298" name="page298">(p. 298)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Preparing for the Final Blow.</span><br> + +<i>September, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>Our Divisional Headquarters were now established in the delightful old +château at Warlus. In Nissen huts near-by, were the machine-gun +battalion and the signallers, and, as I had one end of a Nissen hut +all to myself, I was very comfortable. The three infantry brigades +were quartered in the villages round about. The engineers and +artillery were still at the front. As usual our men soon cleaned +themselves up and settled down to ordinary life, as if they had never +been through a battle in their lives. The weather was very pleasant, +and we were all glad at the prospect of a little quiet after the +strenuous month through which we had passed. Our concert party at once +opened up one of the large huts as a theatre, and night after night +their performances were witnessed by crowded and enthusiastic +audiences. Just across a field towards Bernaville the 15th Battalion +was quartered in a long line of huts and in the village itself were +the 14th and 16th Battalions. I was therefore quite near the men of my +old 3rd Brigade. The 16th Battalion concert party gave a fine +performance there one evening, which was attended by some Canadian +Sisters who came up from one of our C.C.S's. The play was called, "A +Little Bit of Shamrock," and was composed by members of the concert +party. It was exceedingly pretty and very clever, and evoked thunders +of applause. The Colonel was called upon for a speech, and, although +his words were few, the rousing cheers he got from his men told him +what they thought of their commanding officer, who soon afterwards was +to be awarded the Victoria Cross. As one sat there in the midst of the +men and thought of what they had gone through, and how the flames in +the fiery furnace of war had left their cheery souls unscathed, one's +heart was filled with an admiration for them which will never die.</p> + +<p>On looking over my diary during those delightful days while we were +waiting to make the great attack, I see records of many journeys to +our various battalions and artillery brigades. Wanquetin, Wailly, +Dainville, Bernaville, Hautes Avesnes—what memories these +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page299" name="page299">(p. 299)</a></span> +names recall! I would rattle over the dusty roads in my side-car and +pull up at Battalion Headquarters and get an invitation to dinner. On +such occasions I used to visit the cooks first and ask them if they +had enough food on hand for me in case the officers invited me to dine +with them, and in case they didn't, if they (the cooks) would feed me +later on in the kitchen. When the invitation had been given, I used to +go back to the cooks and say, "It's all right, boys, you won't be +bothered with my society, the officers have asked me to dinner." In +the evening, before I rode off, I used to go round to the men's +billets, or to the Y.M.C.A. tent, if there was one, and have a talk +with the men on the war outlook or any other topic that was perplexing +them at the time. Often I was followed to my car by some man who had +deeper matters to discuss, or perhaps some worry about things at home, +and who wanted to unburden himself to a chaplain. On the way back, +when darkness had fallen and my feeble headlight warned us against +speeding, I would meet or overtake men and have a talk, or tell them +to mount up on the box at the back of the car and I would give them a +ride. The rows of tall trees along the road would stand out black +against the starlit sky, and in the evening air the sweet smells of +nature would fill us with delight. We felt too, that nearer and nearer +the hour of the great victory was approaching. Who amongst us would be +spared to see it? How would it be brought about? What great and fierce +battle would lay the Germans low? The supreme idea in the mind was +consecration to a sublime sacrifice, which dwarfed into insignificance +all previous events in life. We had our fun, we had our jokes, we met +our friends, we saw battalions go on a route march, we watched men +play their games in the fields; but to me it seemed that a new and +mysterious light that was born of heaven hid behind the sunshine, and +cast a glory upon men and even nature. To dine at the rude board table +with the young officers of one of the companies of a battalion, +perhaps in a bare hut, on the floor of which lay the lads' beds, was +something sacred and sacramental. Their apologies for the plainness of +the repast were to me extremely pathetic. Was there a table in the +whole world at which it was a greater honour to sit? Where could one +find a nobler, knightlier body of young men?</p> + +<p>In the garden round the Château at Warlus were many winding paths, +where old trees gave a delightful shade. Here at odd moments one +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page300" name="page300">(p. 300)</a></span> +could get away for a time into the leafy solitude and think +quietly and wonder. Although we were in rest there was of course no +remission of warlike activity and preparation. We knew that the next +thing that lay before us was the crossing of the Canal du Nord and the +push to Cambrai. That was a deed which would not only tax our strength +and courage, but depended for its success upon the care and diligence +of our preparation.</p> + +<p>On the two Sundays that we were at Warlus I had splendid church +parades with the Machine-Gun Battalion. Part of their billets were in +huts beside the road to Dainville. In one of them one night I found +some Imperial officers who were in charge of the wireless telegraph +station. They told me some interesting facts about their work. The +night was divided into different periods when the communiqués of the +various countries would be sent out. These, of course, were for all +the world to read. The most wonderful thing they told me, however, was +that they could pick up the code messages sent from the German +Admiralty Headquarters at Kiel to their submarines under the sea. Of +course not knowing the code, our officers could not translate these +despatches.</p> + +<p>I received a great blow at this time, for my friend Lyons, who acted +as the chauffeur of my side-car, was sent off to the 3rd Division to +replace one of the despatch riders whom they had lost in the attack. +Our own signallers could not give me another man. As I could not run +the car myself, a sudden move might compel me to leave it behind. +Someone, too, might appropriate it, for the honesty of the army was, +as I knew from experience, a grace on which one could not place much +reliance. The only person to whom I could apply was my good and kind +friend, the builder of my churches and huts, Colonel Macphail, our +C.R.E. He was always my refuge in distress. He looked upon the +building of churches at the front as an act of such piety that it +would guarantee to him at any time the certain admission into heaven. +He attributed his piety to the claim which his clan made to be the +descendants of St. Paul. Apparently in Gaelic, Macphail means "the son +of Paul." The Colonel was always fond of insisting upon his high +lineage. He came to see me once when I was ill at Bruay, and after +stating the historical claims of his ancestors, asked me if I had not +observed some traits in his character which were like those of St. +Paul. I told him that the only resemblance to the Apostle which I had +discovered in him was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page301" name="page301">(p. 301)</a></span> +that his bodily presence was weak and +his speech contemptible. In spite of those unkind thrusts, however, +the colonel manifested the Apostle's quality of forgiveness, and was +always ready to try and make me comfortable. I wrote to him now and +asked if he could send me a driver for my car. He did not fail me. A +few days afterwards, a young sapper appeared, saluted most properly, +and told me that he had been ordered by the C.R.E. to report to me for +duty as chauffeur. I was so delighted that I at once despatched the +following letter to my friend:—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<p>"Dear Colonel Macphail,<br> +If I had but a tail<br> +<span class="poem1">I would wag it this morning with joy,</span><br> +At your having provided<br> +My car that's one-sided<br> +<span class="poem1">With a good and intelligent boy.</span></p> + +<p>May your blessings from heaven<br> +<span class="poem1">Abound in this war,</span><br> +And be seven times seven<br> +<span class="poem1">More than ever before."</span></p> +</div> + +<p>The possession of a new driver for my car enabled me to pay a last +visit to Le Cauroy, where I had left some of my possessions on our +trip to Amiens. I found the Curé in high good humor over the way the +war was going. The outlook was very different now from what it had +been when I was there before. I also visited Arras and the forward +area, where I dined one night in a tent with Major Price, who was then +in command of my original battalion, the 14th. The men were billeted +in trenches and as usual were making the best of things. It was +strange to look back to the early days of the war and talk about old +times. As I returned in the twilight and gazed far away over the waste +land towards the bank of low clouds in the eastern sky, my heart grew +sick at the thought of all which those fine young men might have to +endure before the crowning victory came. The thought of the near +presence of the Angel of Death was always coming up in the mind, +changing and transfiguring into something nobler and better our +earthly converse.</p> + +<p>In the war, the Bible statement, "We have here no continuing city," +was certainly true. Our happy life in Warlus and its neighbourhood +came <span class="pagenum"><a id="page302" name="page302">(p. 302)</a></span> +to an end. On Friday, September 20th, the Division moved +to Achicourt near Arras. I took the opportunity to visit some friends +in the 3rd Division who were taking our places. Among them was +"Charlie" Stewart, of the P.P.C.L.I. I had taught him as a boy at +school when I was curate of St. John's, Montreal. We talked over old +times, and the great changes that had taken place in Canada and the +world since we were young. He was killed not long afterwards before +Cambrai. I went on through Dainville, where I met the 42nd Battalion, +and reached Achicourt in the evening. My billet was in a very dirty +room over a little shop. One corner of the house had been hit by a +shell, and a great store of possessions belonging to the people was +piled up on one side of my room. We knew we were not going to be there +long, so we did not worry about making ourselves comfortable. I had a +view out of my window of green fields and a peaceful country, but the +town itself had been badly knocked about.</p> + +<p>On Sunday morning, I got the use of a small Protestant church which +stood by a stream in the middle of the town. It was a quaint place, +and, instead of an altar, against the east wall there was a high +pulpit entered by steps on both sides. When I stood up in it I felt +like a jack-in-the-box. I had a queer feeling that I was getting to +the end of things, and a note in my prayer-book, with the place and +date, gives evidence of this. We had not many communicants, but that +was the last Celebration of Holy Communion that I held in France. On +the following Sunday I was to leave the war for good. I remember +walking away from the church that day with my sergeant and talking +over the different places where we had held services. Now we were on +the eve of great events, and the old war days had gone forever. After +the service, I started off in my side-car on a missionary journey to +the battalions that had now gone forward. I went off up the road to +the ruined town of Beaurains. Here I found the Headquarters of the +16th Battalion in the cellar of a broken house. The officers' mess was +a little shack by the roadside, and among those present was the +second-in-command, Major Bell-Irving, who had crossed with me on the +"Andania." Alas, this was the last time I was to see him. He was +killed in the battle of Cambrai.</p> + +<p>After lunch I continued up the long pavé road which leads to +Croisilles. On the way I saw the 8th Battalion in an open field. Near +them were a number of Imperial officers and men of the British +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page303" name="page303">(p. 303)</a></span> +Division which was on our right. We made our way through +Bullecourt to Hendecourt, near which in trenches were the battalions +of the 1st Brigade, and there too Colonel Macphail had his +headquarters. There was a great concentration of men in this area, and +the roads were crowded with lorries and limbers as well as troops. I +stayed that night with the engineers, as the weather looked +threatening. The sky grew black and rain began to fall. When one stood +in the open and looked all round at the inky darkness everywhere, with +the rain pelting down, and knew that our men had to carry on as usual, +one realized the bitterness of the cup which they had to drink to the +very dregs. Rain and darkness all round them, hardly a moment's +respite from some irksome task, the ache in the heart for home and the +loved ones there, the iron discipline of the war-machine of which they +formed a part, the chance of wounds and that mysterious crisis called +death—these were the elements which made up the blurred vision in +their souls.</p> + +<p>The next morning the weather had cleared, and I went on towards +Cagnicourt. On the journey I was delayed by a lorry which had gone +into the ditch and completely blocked the road. Here in a field the +1st Field Ambulance had established themselves. Later on I managed to +get to Cagnicourt and found my son's battery in the cellars of the +Château. They were getting their guns forward by night in preparation +for the attack. They gave me a very pressing invitation to sleep there +and I accepted it. We had a pleasant evening, listening to some +remarkably good violin records on the gramophone. Good music at such +times had a special charm about it. It reminded one of the old days of +concerts and entertainments, but, at the same time, as in the +background of a dream, one seemed to hear beneath the melodies the +tramp of mighty battalions marching forward into battle, and the +struggles of strong men in the fierce contests of war.</p> + +<p>On the following day I went on to the quarry which was to be our +Battle Headquarters near Inchy Station, from which the 2nd Division +were moving. I had a view of the smiling country over which we were to +charge. Between us and that promised land lay the Canal, the crossing +of which was necessarily a matter of great anxiety. It was late at +night before I got back to my home at Achicourt, where I had my last +war dinner with my friend General Thacker, who, with his staff, was up +to his eyes in work. The next +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page304" name="page304">(p. 304)</a></span> +day was taken up with +arranging for the disposition of our chaplains during the engagement, +and about six o'clock I told Ross to saddle Dandy, and on the dear old +horse, who was fresh and lively as ever, I galloped off into the +fields. The sun had set and the fresh air of the evening was like a +draught of champagne. Dandy seemed to enjoy the ride as much as I did, +and cleared some trenches in good style. For nearly three years and a +half we had been companions. He had always been full of life and very +willing, the envy of those who knew a good horse when they saw him. +When I returned in the twilight and gave him back to Ross, I said, +"You know, Ross, I am going into this battle and may lose my leg in +it, and so I wanted to have my last ride on dear old Dandy." It was my +last ride on him, and he was never ridden by anyone again. After I was +wounded, he was kept at Headquarters until, in order to avoid his +being sold with other horses to the Belgians, our kind A.D.V.S. +ordered him to be shot. He was one of the best friends I had in the +war, and I am glad he entered the horses' heaven as a soldier, without +the humiliation of a purgatory in some civilian drudgery.</p> + +<p>That night some bombs were dropped near the station at Arras on units +of the 3rd Division, which passed through Achicourt in the afternoon, +causing many casualties, and we felt that the Germans knew another +attack was at hand. It was the last night I had a billet in France. On +the next morning we moved forward to some trenches on the way to +Inchy, and I parted from Headquarters there. This was really the most +primitive home that the Division had ever had. We had in fact no home +at all. We found our stuff dumped out in a field, and had to hunt for +our possessions in the general pile. A few tents were pitched and the +clerks got to work. In a wide trench little shacks were being run up, +and I was to be quartered in the same hut as the field cashier, which +was thus to be a kind of union temple for the service of God and the +service of Mammon. I looked down into the clay pit and saw the men +working at my home, but I knew that I should probably not occupy it. I +determined to go forward to our Battle Headquarters, prepared for a +missionary journey, and find out when the attack was going to be made. +I put into my pack some bully-beef, hardtack, tinned milk and other +forms of nourishment, as well as a razor, a towel and various toilet +necessaries. On the other side of the road, the signallers had their +horse-lines, and our transports +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page305" name="page305">(p. 305)</a></span> +were near-by. I got my +side-car and, bidding good-bye to my friends, left for Inchy. We +passed down the road to Quéant, where we saw the wounded in the field +ambulance, and from there started off through Pronville to Inchy +Station. The roads as usual were crowded, and the dust from passing +lorries was very unpleasant. We were going through the valley by Inchy +Copse when we suddenly heard a loud crash behind us which made my +driver stop. I asked him what he was about, and said, "That was one of +our guns, there is nothing to be alarmed at." "Guns!" he said, "I know +the sound of a shell when I hear it. You may like shells but I don't. +I'm going back." I said, "You go ahead, if I had a revolver with me, I +would shoot you for desertion from the front line. That was only one +of our guns." He looked round and said, "You call that a gun? Look +there." I turned and sure enough, about a hundred feet away in the +middle of the road was the smoke of an exploded shell. "Well," I said, +"you had better go on or there will be another one pretty soon, and it +may get us." With extraordinary speed we hurried to our destination, +where I left the car, taking my pack with me. I told the driver, much +to his relief, that he could go home, and that when I wanted the car +again I would send for it.</p> + +<p>The quarry was, as I have said, our Battle Headquarters, and here in +the deep dugouts which I had visited previously I found our staff hard +at work. They told me that this was "Y" day, and that zero hour when +the barrage would start was at 5.20 the next morning. At that hour we +were to cross the Canal and then press on into the country beyond. We +had a two battalion front. The 4th and 14th Battalions were to make +the attack, and be followed up by the other battalions in the 1st and +3rd Brigades. When these had reached their objective the 2nd Brigade +was to "leap frog" them and push on to Haynecourt and beyond. I was +glad that I had come provided for the expedition, and bidding good-bye +to General Thacker, whose parting injunction was not to do anything +foolish, I got out of the quarry and made my way down the hill towards +Inchy. A railway bridge which crossed the road near me was a constant +mark for German shells, and it was well to avoid it. An officer met me +and asked where I was going. I said, "I don't know, but I think the +Spirit is leading me to the old 14th Battalion in Buissy Switch +Trench." He told me the direction to take, which was to cross the road +and follow the line of railway. The tins of milk +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page306" name="page306">(p. 306)</a></span> +and +bully-beef cut into my back so I stopped by a culvert and taking off +my pack and tunic, sat on the ground and cooled off. There was no sign +of Buissy Switch anywhere, but I got up and went on. The evening was +closing in by this time, and, as I am never good at seeing in the +dark, it began to be difficult to keep from tripping over things. At +last the road brought me to a trench in which I found the 14th +Battalion. They were getting ready to move off at midnight and wait in +the wood by the edge of the Canal until the barrage opened. It made +one proud to be with those young men that evening and think what they +were called upon to do. What difficulties they would encounter in the +Canal they did not know. They said they might have to swim. We hoped, +however, that there was not much water, as the canal was still +unfinished.</p> + +<p>I said good-bye to them and wished them all good-luck. Crossing the +road I entered another trench, where I found the 13th Battalion, and +beyond them came to the 1st Battalion. By this time, it was dark and +rainy, and the ground was very slippery. I had to feel my way along +the trench. A company of the 4th Battalion who were to be in the first +wave of the attack, passed on their way forward to take up their +position for the following morning. Probably never in the war had we +experienced a moment of deeper anxiety. The men would have to climb +down one side of the canal, rush across it, and climb up the other. It +seemed inevitable that the slaughter would be frightful. At home in +the cities of Canada things were going on as usual. Profiteers were +heaping up their piles of gold. Politicians were carrying on the +government, or working in opposition, in the interests of their +parties, while here, in mud and rain, weary and drenched to the skin, +young Canadians were waiting to go through the valley of the shadow of +death in order that Canada might live.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXXIV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page307" name="page307">(p. 307)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">The Crossing of the Canal Du Nord.</span><br> + +<i>September 27th, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>When I got to the sunken road above Inchy I found that No. 1 Company +of the Machine-Gun Battalion had a little sandbag house there, and +were waiting for the attack. I went in and the young officers and men +made me at home at once. I divested myself of my pack, coat and steel +helmet, and determined to settle down for the night. Suddenly a shell +burst in the road, and I went out to see if anyone was hit. Two or +three men were wounded but not severely. We got them in and the young +O.C. of the company bound up their wounds and sent them off. There was +a row of these sandbag-huts against the bank, and at one end of them +was the entrance to a dugout in which the 1st Battalion and the +General of the 1st Brigade had made their headquarters. I went down +the steep steps into a long dark passage, lit here and there by the +light which came from the rooms on either side. The whole place was +crowded with men and the atmosphere was more than usually thick. I +made my way down to the end where there was a pump which had been put +there by the Germans. Here the men were filling their water-bottles, +and I got a fresh supply for mine. Not far from the pump a few steps +led down into a room where I found the C.O. and a number of the +officers of the 1st Battalion. It was about two a.m., and they were +having a breakfast of tea and bacon and invited me to join them. After +the meal was finished, the Colonel, who was lying on a rough bed, said +to me, "Sit down, Canon, and give us some of your nature poems to take +our minds off this beastly business." It was very seldom that I was +invited to recite my own poems, so such an opportunity could not be +lost. I sat down on the steps and repeated a poem which I wrote among +the Laurentian mountains, in the happy days before we ever thought of +war. It is called, "The Unnamed Lake."</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<p>"It sleeps among the thousand hills<br> +<span class="poem1">Where no man ever trod,</span><br> +And only nature's music fills<br> +<span class="poem1">The silences of God.</span></p> + +<p>Great +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page308" name="page308">(p. 308)</a></span> + mountains tower above its shore,<br> +<span class="poem1">Green rushes fringe its brim,</span><br> +And o'er its breast for evermore<br> +<span class="poem1">The wanton breezes skim.</span></p> + +<p>Dark clouds that intercept the sun<br> +<span class="poem1">Go there in Spring to weep,</span><br> +And there, when Autumn days are done,<br> +<span class="poem1">White mists lie down to sleep.</span></p> + +<p>Sunrise and sunset crown with gold<br> +<span class="poem1">The peaks of ageless stone,</span><br> +Where winds have thundered from of old<br> +<span class="poem1">And storms have set their throne.</span></p> + +<p>No echoes of the world afar<br> +<span class="poem1">Disturb it night or day,</span><br> +But sun and shadow, moon and star<br> +<span class="poem1">Pass and repass for aye.</span></p> + +<p>'Twas in the grey of early dawn,<br> +<span class="poem1">When first the lake we spied,</span><br> +And fragments of a cloud were drawn<br> +<span class="poem1">Half down the mountain side.</span></p> + +<p>Along the shore a heron flew,<br> +<span class="poem1">And from a speck on high,</span><br> +That hovered in the deepening blue,<br> +<span class="poem1">We heard the fish-hawk's cry.</span></p> + +<p>Among the cloud-capt solitudes,<br> +<span class="poem1">No sound the silence broke,</span><br> +Save when, in whispers down the woods,<br> +<span class="poem1">The guardian mountains spoke.</span></p> + +<p>Through tangled brush and dewy brake,<br> +<span class="poem1">Returning whence we came,</span><br> +We passed in silence, and the lake<br> +<span class="poem1">We left without a name."</span></p> +</div> + +<p>There is not much in the poem, but, like a gramophone record, it +carried our minds away into another world. For myself, who remembered +the scenery that surrounded me when I wrote it and who now, in that +filthy hole, looked at the faces of young men who in two or three +hours were to brave death in one of the biggest tasks that had been +laid upon us, the words stirred up all sorts of conflicting emotions. +The recitation seemed to be so well received that I ventured on +another—in fact several more—and then I noticed a curious thing. It +was the preternatural silence of my audience. Generally speaking, when +I recited my poems, one of the officers would suddenly remember he had +to dictate a letter, or a despatch rider would come in with orders. +Now, no one stirred. I paused in the middle of a poem and looked round +to see what was the matter, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page309" name="page309">(p. 309)</a></span> +and there to my astonishment, I +found that everyone, except the young Intelligence Officer, was sound +asleep. It was the best thing that could have happened and I secretly +consoled myself with the reflection that the one who was unable to +sleep was the officer who specialized in intelligence. We both laughed +quietly, and then I whispered to him, "We had better go and find some +place where we, too, can get a little rest." He climbed over the +prostrate forms and followed me down the passage to a little +excavation where the Germans had started to make a new passage. We lay +down side by side on the wooden floor, and I was just beginning to +succumb to the soothing influences of my own poetry, when I thought I +felt little things crawling over my face. It was too much for me. I +got up and said, "I think I am getting crummy, so I'm going off." I +looked in on the General and the Brigade Major, and then climbed up +the steps and went to the machine-gun hut.</p> + +<p>The night was now well advanced so it was time to shave and get ready +for zero hour. A little after five we had some breakfast, and about a +quarter past I went up to the top of the bank above the road and +waited for the barrage. At 5.20 the savage roar burst forth. It was a +stupendous attack. Field guns, heavy guns, and siege batteries sent +forth their fury, and machine-guns poured millions of rounds into the +country beyond the Canal. So many things were flying about and landing +near us, that we went back under cover till the first burst of the +storm should subside. At that moment I knew our men were crossing the +huge ditch, and I prayed that God would give them victory. When the +barrage had lifted I started down towards the Canal, passing through a +field on my way where I found, lying about, dead and wounded men. Four +or five were in a straight line, one behind another, where a German +machine-gun must have caught them as they advanced. A young officer of +the 2nd Battalion was dying from wounds. Two or three decorations on +his breast told his past record in the war. While I was attending to +the sufferers, a sergeant came up to me from the direction of the +Canal and asked the way to the dressing station. He had a frightful +wound in his face. A bit of a shell had dug into his cheek, carrying +off his nose. He did not know at the time how badly he had been hit. I +asked him if he wanted me to walk back with him, but he said he was +all right as the dressing station was not far off. I often wondered +what became of him, and I never heard till the following year when a +man came up to me in the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page310" name="page310">(p. 310)</a></span> +military hospital at St. Anne's, +with a new nose growing comfortably on his face and his cheek marked +with a scar that was not unsightly. "The last time I met you, Sir," he +said, "was near the Canal du Nord when you showed me the way to the +dressing station." I was indeed glad to find him alive and well, and +to see what surgical science had done to restore his beauty.</p> + +<p>I went on to the Canal, and found that at that point it was quite dry. +I climbed down to the bottom of it in which men were walking and the +sappers were at work. Some ladders enabled me to get up on the other +side and I had the joy of feeling that the Canadians had crossed the +great Canal du Nord. Our battalions were now moving up and I joined +them, avoiding a part of a field which the men told me was under the +fire of a machine-gun from the mill in Marquion. The country was open +and green. The day was fine, and once more we experienced the +satisfaction of taking possession of the enemy's territory. Before us +the ground rose in a gradual slope, and we did not know what might +meet us when we arrived at the top, but it was delightful to go with +the men feeling that every step was a gain. When we got to the top of +the rise, we had a splendid view of the country beyond. Before us, in +the distance running from right to left, lay the straight +Arras-Cambrai road with its rows of tall trees. Where we stood, there +were a number of deserted German trenches. Here the M.O. of the 3rd +Battalion opened up an aid post, and the chaplain went about looking +for the wounded. Our men went on down into the valley and got into +some forward trenches. I stayed on the hill looking at the wonderful +scene through my German glasses. On the left in a quarry beside the +village of Marquion, I saw two Germans manning a machine-gun. Our 3rd +Brigade had taken the place, and some Highlanders were walking on the +edge of the quarry just above the Huns, of whose presence they were +unaware. I saw the enemy suddenly hide themselves, having noticed the +approach of the Highlanders, but when the latter had passed the two +Boches reappeared and went on firing as before. It was not long before +the German artillery turned their guns on our hill and I told some men +of the 2nd Brigade, who were now coming forward, to take cover in the +trench or go in extended order. I had hardly uttered the words when a +shell burst, killing one man and wounding in the thigh the one to whom +I was talking. I went over to him and found that no artery had been +cut, and the chaplain of the 3rd Battalion got +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page311" name="page311">(p. 311)</a></span> +him carried +off. Down in the valley our advance had evidently been checked for a +time. While I was trying to see what the trouble was, a young officer, +called Cope, of the 8th Battalion came up to me. He was a splendid +young fellow, and looked so fresh and clean. He had lost a brother in +the Battalion in the early part of the war. I said, "How old are you, +Cope?" He replied, "I am twenty." I said, "What a glorious thing it is +to be out here at twenty." "Yes," he said, looking towards the valley, +"it is a glorious thing to be out here at twenty, but I should like to +know what is holding them up." He had hardly spoken when there was a +sharp crack of a machine-gun bullet and he dropped at my side. The +bullet had pierced his steel helmet and entered his brain. He never +recovered consciousness, and died on the way to the aid post.</p> + +<p>The 2nd Brigade was now moving forward, so I went down the hill past a +dugout which had been used as a German dressing station. There I +secured a bottle of morphine tablets, and spoke to our wounded waiting +to be carried off. Just before I reached the Arras-Cambrai road, I +came to the trench where the C.O. of the 3rd Battalion had established +himself. The chaplain and I were talking when an officer of the 2nd +Battalion came back with a bad wound in the throat. He could not +speak, but made signs that he wanted to write a message. We got him +some paper and he wrote, "The situation on our right is very bad." The +4th Division were on our right, and they had been tied up in Bourlon +Wood. So now our advancing 2nd Brigade had their right flank in the +air. As a matter of fact their left flank was also exposed, because +the British Division there had also been checked in their advance. I +crossed the road into the field, where I found the 5th and 10th +Battalions resting for a moment before going on to their objective. In +front of us, looking very peaceful among its trees, was the village of +Haynecourt which the 5th Battalion had to take. The 10th Battalion was +to pass it on the left and go still further forward. We all started +off, and as we were nearing the village I looked over to the fields on +the right, and there, to my dismay, I saw in the distance numbers of +little figures in grey which I knew must be Germans. I pointed them +out to a sergeant, but he said he thought they were French troops who +were in the line with us. The 5th Battalion went through Haynecourt +and found the village absolutely deserted and the houses stripped of +everything that might be of any value. Their C.O. made his +headquarters in a trench to the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page312" name="page312">(p. 312)</a></span> +north of the village, and +the 10th disappeared going forward to the Douai-Cambrai road.</p> + +<p>It was now quite late in the afternoon. The sun was setting, and I +feared that if I did not go back in time I might find myself stuck out +there for the night without any food or cover. I thought it was wise +therefore to go to Deligny's Mill, where I understood the +machine-gunners were established. In the road at the entrance of +Haynecourt, I found a young German wounded in the foot and very sorry +for himself. I think he was asking me to carry him, but I saw he could +walk and so showed him the direction in which to make his way back to +our aid posts. I was just going back over the fields when I met a +company of our light trench mortar batteries. The men halted for a +rest and sat down by the road, and an officer came and said to me, +"Come and cheer up the men, Canon, they have dragged two guns eight +kilometres in the dust and heat and they are all fed up." I went over +to them, and, luckily having a tin of fifty cigarettes in my pocket, +managed to make them go round. I asked the O.C. if he would like me to +spend the night with them. He said he would, so I determined not to go +back. Some of the men asked me if I knew where they could get water. I +told them they might get some in the village, so off we started. It +makes a curious feeling go through one to enter a place which has just +been evacuated by the enemy. In the evening light, the little brick +village looked quite ghostly with its silent streets and empty houses. +We turned into a large farmyard, at the end of which we saw a well +with a pump. One of the men went down into the cellar of the house +hunting for souvenirs, and soon returned with a German who had been +hiding there. We were just about to fill our water-bottles, when I +suggested that perhaps the well had been poisoned. I asked the German, +"Gutt wasser?" "Ja, ja," Then I said, "Gutt drinken?" "Nein, nein," he +replied, shaking his head. "Well, Sir," the men said, "we are going to +drink it anyway." "But if the well is poisoned," I replied, "it won't +do you much good." "How can you find out?" they said. A brilliant idea +flashed upon me. "I tell you what, boys," I said, "we will make the +German drink it himself and see the effect." The men roared with +laughter, and we filled a bottle with the suspected liquid and made +the unfortunate prisoner drink every drop of it. When he had finished, +we waited for a few minutes (like the people who watched St. Paul on +the Island +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page313" name="page313">(p. 313)</a></span> +of Melita after he had shaken off the viper into +the fire) to see if he would swell up or die, but as nothing of that +kind happened we all began to fill our water-bottles. Just as the last +man was about to fill his, a big shell landed in the garden next to +us, and he, catching up his empty bottle, ran off saying, "I'm not +thirsty any longer, I don't want any water."</p> + +<p>After their rest and refreshment, the company went over to a sunken +road on the east side of the village. It was now getting very chilly +and the daylight was dying rapidly. From the ground above the road one +could see in the distance the spires of Cambrai, and in some fields to +the southeast of us, with my glasses I could distinctly see numbers of +little grey figures going into trenches, apparently with the idea of +getting round to the south of our village on our exposed flank. I met +a young officer of the machine-gun battalion, and lending him my +glasses pointed out where the Germans were massing. He got the men of +his section and took up a forward position along a ditch which ran at +right angles to the sunken road. Here too were some of the companies +of the 5th Battalion. They had hardly got into position when the +Germans shelled the road we had been on, most unmercifully. I took +refuge with a number of the men of the 5th Battalion in a garden, +beside a brick building which had been used by the German troops as a +wash-house and which was particularly malodorous. Two or three shells +dropped in the orchard, breaking the trees, and we had to keep down on +the ground while the shelling lasted. I could not help thinking of the +warning the 2nd Battalion officer had given us about the situation on +our right. It did seem pretty bad, because, until the arrival of the +7th and 8th Battalions, our right flank was exposed, and the enemy +might have gone round to the southeast of the village and attacked us +in the rear. When things settled down, I went back up the sunken road, +and, as I did so, thought I saw some men going into a gateway in the +main street of the village. I made my way to the open trenches where +the Colonel of the 5th Battalion had his headquarters, and I +determined to spend the night there, so they kindly provided me with a +German overcoat. I was just settling down to sleep when a runner came +up and reported that some men were wounded and were asking the way to +the dressing station. Someone said they thought the M.O. had made his +headquarters in the village. Then I remembered having seen some men +enter a gateway in the street as I passed, so two of us started off +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page314" name="page314">(p. 314)</a></span> +to find out if this was the regimental aid post. The night +was absolutely black, and my companion and I had to feel our way along +the street not knowing who or what we might bump into, and expecting +every moment that the Germans would begin to shell the place as soon +as they thought we had had time to find billets there. At last to our +great relief, we came to a large gateway in a brick wall and found +some of our men, who told us that the M.O. had made his dressing +station in the cellar of a building to the right. We went down into it +and came upon a place well lighted with candles, where the devoted +M.O. and his staff were looking after a number of men on stretchers.</p> + +<p>The Germans were determined that we should not have a quiet night and +very soon, as we had expected, they began to shell the village. The +dressing station was in a building which they themselves had used for +the same purpose, so they knew its location, and shells began to fall +in the yard. We got all the men we could down to the cellar; but still +there were some stretcher cases which had to be left in the rooms +upstairs. It was hard to convince them that there was no danger. +However the "straffing" stopped in time, and I went down to the end of +the cellar and slept in a big cane-seated chair which the Germans had +left behind them. In the morning I went back again to our men in the +line. The 10th Battalion had established themselves partly in a ditch +along the Cambrai road not far from Epinoy, and partly in outposts +behind the German wire. The country was undulating, and in places +afforded an extensive view of the forward area. German machine-gun +emplacements were in all directions, and our men suffered very +severely. I was in an outpost with one of the companies when I saw in +the distance one of our men crawling on his hands and knees up to a +German machine-gun emplacement. The helmets of the enemy could be +distinctly seen above the parapet. It was very exciting watching the +plucky fellow approach the place of danger with the intention of +bombing it. Unfortunately just as he had reached the side of the +trench the Germans must have become aware of his presence, for they +opened fire, and he had to crawl back again as fast as he could.</p> + +<p>Though many wounded were brought in, we knew that some were still +lying out on the other side of the wire in full view of the enemy. As +soon as it was dark enough, a bearer party, which I accompanied, +started off to try and collect these men. With my cane I managed to +lead the party through a gap in the wire. I came to +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page315" name="page315">(p. 315)</a></span> +a poor +fellow who had been lying there since the previous night with a +smashed arm and leg. He was in great pain, but the men got him in +safely, and the next time I saw him was in a Toronto hospital where he +was walking about with a wooden leg, and his arm in a sling. I went +down to an outpost where I saw some men. We could only talk in +whispers, as we knew the Germans were close at hand. They told me they +were one of the companies of the 10th Battalion. I asked, "Where are +your officers?" They said, "They are all gone." "Who is in command?" +They replied, "A Lance-Corporal." I rejoined the bearers and we had +great difficulty in getting back, as we could not find the gap in the +wire, which seemed to go in all directions.</p> + +<p>The 10th Battalion was relieved that night by the 8th, the C.O. of +which made his headquarters with the C.O. of the 5th Battalion in a +large dugout by the sunken road. There, late at night, I shared a +bunk with a young machine-gun officer and had a few hours of somewhat +disturbed sleep. The next morning, Sunday, September the 29th, the +fourth anniversary of our sailing from Quebec, our men were having a +hard time. The German defence at Cambrai was most determined, and they +had a large quantity of artillery in the neighbourhood. I went back to +the road and into the trench beyond the wire and found a lot of men +there. The parapet was so low that the men had dug what they called, +"Funk holes" in the clay, where they put as much of their bodies as +they could. Sitting in a bend of the trench where I got a good view of +the men, I had a service for them, and, as it was that festival, I +read out the epistle for St. Michael and All Angel's Day, and spoke of +the guardianship of men which God had committed to the Heavenly Hosts. +Going down the trench later on, I came to a place from which I could +see, with my glasses, a German machine-gun emplacement and its crew. I +went back and asked for a sniper. A man who said he was one came up to +me and I showed him the enemy and then directed his fire. I could see +from little puffs of dust where his bullets were landing. He was a +good shot and I think must have done some damage, for all of a sudden +the machine-gun opened fire on us and we had to dive into the trench +pretty quickly. I told him that I thought we had better give up the +game as they had the advantage over us. To snipe at the enemy seemed +to be a curious way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it was a +temptation too hard to resist. I crawled back through the trench to +the road, and there finding a man who had +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page316" name="page316">(p. 316)</a></span> +just lost his +hand, directed him to the aid post near Battalion Headquarters. I +accompanied him part of the way and had reached the edge of the sunken +road, when a major of the Engineers came up to me and said, "I have +got a better pair of German glasses than you have." It was an +interesting challenge, so we stood there on a little rise looking at +the spires of Cambrai and comparing the strength of the lenses. Very +distinctly we saw the town, looking peaceful and attractive. Suddenly +there was a tremendous crash in front of us, a lot of earth was blown +into our faces, and we both fell down. My eyes were full of dirt but I +managed to get up again. I had been wounded in both legs, and from one +I saw blood streaming down through my puttees. My right foot had been +hit and the artery in the calf of my leg was cut. I fell down again +with a feeling of exasperation that I had been knocked out of the war. +The poor major was lying on the ground with one leg smashed. The same +shell had wounded in the chest the young machine-gun officer who had +shared his bunk with me the night before. I believe an Imperial +officer also was hit in the abdomen and that he died. The chaplain of +the 10th Battalion who happened to be standing in the sunken road, got +some men together quickly and came to our help. I found myself being +carried off in a German sheet by four prisoners. They had forgotten to +give me my glasses, and were very much amused when I called for them, +but I got them and have them now. The major not only lost his leg but +lost his glasses as well. The enemy had evidently been watching us +from some observation post in Cambrai, for they followed us up with +another shell on the other side of the road, which caused the bearers +to drop me quickly. The chaplain walked beside me till we came to the +aid post where there were some stretchers. I was placed on one and +carried into the dressing station at Haynecourt. They had been having +a hard time that day, for the village was heavily shelled. One of +their men had been killed and several wounded. I felt a great pain in +my heart which made it hard to breathe, so when I was brought into the +dressing station I said, "Boys, I am going to call for my first and +last tot of rum." I was immensely teased about this later on by my +friends, who knew I was a teetotaller. They said I had drunk up all +the men's rum issue. A General wrote to me later on to say he had been +terribly shocked to hear I was wounded, but that it was nothing in +comparison with the shock he felt when he heard that I had taken to +drinking rum. Everyone in the dressing station was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page317" name="page317">(p. 317)</a></span> +as usual +most kind. The bitter thought to me was that I was going to be +separated from the old 1st Division. The nightmare that had haunted me +for so long had at last come true, and I was going to leave the men +before the war was over. For four years they had been my beloved +companions and my constant care. I had been led by the example of +their noble courage and their unhesitating performance of the most +arduous duties, in the face of danger and death, to a grander +conception of manhood, and a longing to follow them, if God would give +me grace to do so, in their path of utter self-sacrifice. I had been +with them continuously in their joys and sorrows, and it did not seem +to be possible that I could now go and desert them in that bitter +fight. When the doctors had finished binding up my wounds, I was +carried off immediately to an ambulance in the road, and placed in it +with four others, one of whom was dying. It was a long journey of four +hours and a half to No. 1 C.C.S. at Agnez-les-Duisans, and we had to +stop at Quéant on the way. Our journey lay through the area over which +we had just made the great advance. Strange thoughts and memories ran +through my mind. Faces of men that had gone and incidents that I had +forgotten came back to me with great vividness. Should I ever again +see the splendid battalions and the glad and eager lives pressing on +continuously to Victory? Partly from shell holes, and partly from the +wear of heavy traffic, the road was very bumpy. The man above me was +in terrible agony, and every fresh jolt made him groan. The light of +the autumn afternoon was wearing away rapidly. Through the open door +at the end of the ambulance, as we sped onward, I could see the brown +colourless stretch of country fade in the twilight, and then vanish +into complete darkness, and I knew that the great adventure of my life +among the most glorious men that the world has ever produced was +over.</p> + + + + +<h3>CHAPTER XXXV. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page318" name="page318">(p. 318)</a></span></h3> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Victory.</span><br> + +<i>November 11th, 1918.</i></h4> + + +<p>They took me to the X-ray room and then to the operating-tent that +night, and sent me off on the following afternoon to the Base with a +parting injunction that I should be well advised to have my foot taken +off; which, thank God, was not found necessary. From the C.C.S. at +Camiers, two days later I was sent to London to the Endsleigh Palace +Hospital near Euston Station, where I arrived with another wounded +officer at 2.30 a.m. I was put in a little room on the seventh storey, +and there through long nights I thought of our men still at the front +and wondered how the war was going. The horror of great darkness fell +upon me. The hideous sights and sounds of war, the heart-rending +sorrows, the burden of agony, the pale dead faces and blood-stained +bodies lying on muddy wastes, all these came before me as I lay awake +counting the slow hours and listening to the hoarse tooting of lorries +rattling through the dark streets below. That concourse of ghosts from +the sub-conscious mind was too hideous to contemplate and yet one +could not escape them. The days went by and intimations at last +reached us that the German power was crumbling. Swiftly and surely the +Divine Judge was wreaking vengeance upon the nation that, by its +over-weaning ambition, had drenched the world in blood.</p> + +<p>On November 11th at eleven in the morning the bells of London rang out +their joyous peals, for the armistice had been signed and the war was +over. There was wild rejoicing in the city and the crowds went crazy +with delight. But it seemed to me that behind the ringing of those +peals of joy there was the tolling of spectral bells for those who +would return no more. The monstrous futility of war as a test of +national greatness, the wound in the world's heart, the empty homes, +those were the thoughts which in me overmastered all feelings of +rejoicing.</p> + +<p>On Sunday morning, the 4th of May, 1919, on the Empress of Britain, +after an absence of four years and seven months, I returned to Quebec. +On board were the 16th Battalion with whom I had sailed away in 1914, +the 8th Battalion, the Machine Gun Battalion, the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page319" name="page319">(p. 319)</a></span> +3rd Field +Ambulance and some of the Engineers. Like those awaking from a dream, +we saw once more the old rock city standing out in the great river. +There was the landing and the greeting of loving friends on the wharf +within a stone's throw from the place whence we had sailed away. While +I was shaking hands with my friends, an officer told me I had to +inspect the Guard of Honour which the kind O.C. of the vessel had +furnished. I did not know how to do this properly but I walked through +the rows of stalwart, bronzed men and looked into their faces which +were fixed and immovable. Each man was an original, and every unit in +the old 1st Division was represented. For four years and seven months, +they had been away from home, fighting for liberty and civilization. +Many of them wore decorations; many had been wounded. No General +returning victor from a war could have had a finer Guard of Honour.</p> + +<p>The troops had to wait on board the ship till the train was ready. All +along the decks of the great vessel, crowded against the railings in +long lines of khaki, were two thousand seven hundred men. Their bright +faces were ruddy in the keen morning air. On their young shoulders the +burden of Empire had rested. By their willing sacrifice Canada had +been saved. It made a great lump come in my throat to look at them and +think of what they had gone through.</p> + +<p>I went back to the gangway for a last farewell. In one way I knew it +must be a last farewell, for though some of us will meet again as +individuals it will be under altered conditions. Never again but in +dreams will one see the great battalions marching on the +battle-ploughed roads of France and Flanders. Never again will one see +them pouring single file into the muddy front trenches. All that is +over. Along the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific, among our cities, +by the shores of lakes and rivers and in the vast expanse of prairies +and mountain passes the warrior hosts have melted away. But there on +the vessel that day the fighting men had come home in all their +strength and comradeship. I stood on the gangway full of conflicting +emotions.</p> + +<p>The men called out "Speech," "Speech," as they used often to do, half +in jest and half in earnest, when we met in concert tents and +estaminets in France.</p> + +<p>I told them what they had done for Canada and what Canada owed them +and how proud I was to have been with them. I asked them to continue +to play the game out here as they had played it in France. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page320" name="page320">(p. 320)</a></span> +Then, telling them to remove their caps, as this was our last church +parade, I pronounced the Benediction, said, "Good-bye, boys", and +turned homewards.</p> + + + + +<h3>INDEX +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page321" name="page321">(p. 321)</a></span></h3> + + +<p>A</p> + +<p class="p2">Abbeville, +<a href="#page160">160</a>, +<a href="#page161">161</a>.<br> + +Abeele, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> + +Achicourt, +<a href="#page302">302</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>.<br> + +Aeroplane, first ride in, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page264">264</a>.<br> + +Agnez-les-Duisans, +<a href="#page317">317</a>.<br> + +Albert, +<a href="#page136">136</a>, +<a href="#page140">140</a>, +<a href="#page146">146</a>, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page148">148</a>, +<a href="#page154">154</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page179">179</a>, +<a href="#page288">288</a>, +<a href="#page289">289</a>.<br> + +"Alberta," +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page174">174</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page205">205</a>, +<a href="#page231">231</a>, +<a href="#page243">243</a>, +<a href="#page244">244</a>, +<a href="#page245">245</a>, +<a href="#page249">249</a>, +<a href="#page252">252</a>.<br> + +Alberta Dragoons, +<a href="#page093">93</a>, +<a href="#page115">115</a>.<br> + +Alderson, Gen. +<a href="#page089">89</a>, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page108">108</a>, +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page111">111</a>.<br> + +Ambulance drivers, +<a href="#page130">130</a>.<br> + +Americans, +<a href="#page240">240</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page288">288</a>.<br> + +American declaration of war, +<a href="#page165">165</a>.<br> + +Amesbury, +<a href="#page032">32</a>.<br> + +Amiens, +<a href="#page135">135</a>, +<a href="#page186">186</a>, +<a href="#page271">271</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>.<br> + +"Andania," +<a href="#page024">24</a>, +<a href="#page025">25</a>, +<a href="#page027">27</a>, +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> + +Anzin, +<a href="#page165">165</a>, +<a href="#page166">166</a>, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +Anzin-St. Eloi. rd., +<a href="#page164">164</a>.<br> + +Archbishop of York, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> + +Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders, +<a href="#page082">82</a>.<br> + +Arleux, +<a href="#page170">170</a>, +<a href="#page177">177</a>, +<a href="#page253">253</a>.<br> + +Armagh Wood, +<a href="#page131">131</a>, +<a href="#page133">133</a>.<br> + +Armentieres, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page041">41</a>, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>.<br> + +Armistice, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> + +Army, 1st, <a href="#page205">205</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>5th, <a href="#page242">242</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Hqrs., <a href="#page211">211</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd, <a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Service Corps, +<a href="#page050">50</a>, +<a href="#page099">99</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Mind, the, +<a href="#page222">222</a>.<br> + +Arras, +<a href="#page150">150</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page247">247</a>, +<a href="#page251">251</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>, +<a href="#page290">290</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page301">301</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>.<br> + +Arras-Bethune rd., +<a href="#page164">164</a>, +<a href="#page171">171</a>, +<a href="#page173">173</a>, +<a href="#page174">174</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>.<br> + +Arras-Cambrai, +<a href="#page310">310</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> + +Arriane Dump, +<a href="#page164">164</a>, +<a href="#page175">175</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>.<br> + +Artillery, Canadian, <a href="#page285">285</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Monument, <a href="#page239">239</a>.<br> + +Attention to detail, effect of, +<a href="#page209">209</a>.<br> + +Aubigny, +<a href="#page154">154</a>.<br> + +August 4th, +<a href="#page271">271</a>.<br> + +Australians, +<a href="#page122">122</a>.<br> + +Australian Tunnellers, +<a href="#page201">201</a>.<br> + +Averdoignt, +<a href="#page258">258</a>, +<a href="#page259">259</a>.<br> + +Avonmouth, +<a href="#page035">35</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">B</p> + +<p class="p2">Bac St. Maur, +<a href="#page042">42</a>.<br> + +Bailleul, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page076">76</a>, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page112">112</a>, +<a href="#page113">113</a>, +<a href="#page114">114</a>.<br> + +Bailleul-sur-Berthouit, +<a href="#page170">170</a>.<br> + +Bailly-sur-Lys, +<a href="#page043">43</a>, +<a href="#page046">46</a>.<br> + +Bapaume, +<a href="#page136">136</a>, +<a href="#page137">137</a>.<br> + +Baptism at the Front, a, +<a href="#page122">122</a>.<br> + +Barlin, +<a href="#page161">161</a>, +<a href="#page162">162</a>, +<a href="#page206">206</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Barrage, +<a href="#page168">168</a>, +<a href="#page172">172</a>, +<a href="#page198">198</a>, +<a href="#page276">276</a>, +<a href="#page309">309</a>.<br> + +Base, +<a href="#page267">267</a>.<br> + +Battalion, British, +<a href="#page165">165</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Guards, +<a href="#page079">79</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Headqrs., +<a href="#page249">249</a>, +<a href="#page250">250</a>, +<a href="#page251">251</a>, +<a href="#page252">252</a>, +<a href="#page269">269</a>, +<a href="#page276">276</a>, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page281">281</a>, +<a href="#page294">294</a>, +<a href="#page168">295</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Machine Gun, +<a href="#page258">258</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>, +<a href="#page300">300</a>, +<a href="#page307">307</a>, +<a href="#page313">313</a>, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>of Engineers, 3rd, +<a href="#page272">272</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Pioneer, +<a href="#page199">199</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st, +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page306">306</a>, +<a href="#page307">307</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page278">278</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page309">309</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>3rd., +<a href="#page125">125</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page285">285</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>4th., +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page306">306</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>5th., +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page275">275</a>, +<a href="#page277">277</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page284">284</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page294">294</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>, +<a href="#page313">313</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>5th., Headqrs., +<a href="#page293">293</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>7th., +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page236">236</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page294">294</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page313">313</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>8th., +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page236">236</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page283">283</a>, +<a href="#page288">288</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page302">302</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>, +<a href="#page313">313</a>, +<a href="#page314">314</a>, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>10th., +<a href="#page061">61</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>, +<a href="#page312">312</a>, +<a href="#page314">314</a>, +<a href="#page315">315</a>, +<a href="#page316">316</a>.<br> + +Battalion, 13th., +<a href="#page052">52</a>, +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>, +<a href="#page120">120</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page277">277</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page306">306</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>14th., +<a href="#page023">23</a>, +<a href="#page024">24</a>, +<a href="#page027">27</a>, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page058">58</a>, +<a href="#page061">61</a>, +<a href="#page111">111</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>, +<a href="#page125">125</a>, +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page160">160</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>, +<a href="#page301">301</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page306">306</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>15th., +<a href="#page037">37</a>, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page039">39</a>, +<a href="#page042">42</a>, +<a href="#page055">55</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page274">274</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>16th., +<a href="#page037">37</a>, +<a href="#page042">42</a>, +<a href="#page057">57</a>, +<a href="#page060">60</a>, +<a href="#page072">72</a>, +<a href="#page082">82</a>, +<a href="#page106">106</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>, +<a href="#page119">119</a>, +<a href="#page120">120</a>, +<a href="#page125">125</a>, +<a href="#page152">152</a>, +<a href="#page164">164</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>, +<a href="#page274">274</a>, +<a href="#page275">275</a>, +<a href="#page277">277</a>, +<a href="#page279">279</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>, +<a href="#page302">302</a>, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>22nd., +<a href="#page282">282</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>24th., +<a href="#page282">282</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>42nd., +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>87th., +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page148">148</a>, +<a href="#page157">157</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>.<br> + +Battery, my son's, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Siege, +<a href="#page193">193</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>7th., +<a href="#page166">166</a>, +<a href="#page198">198</a>, +<a href="#page199">199</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>11th., +<a href="#page154">154</a>, +<a href="#page155">155</a>.<br> + +Battle Headqrs., +<a href="#page136">136</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>, +<a href="#page290">290</a>, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>.<br> + +Bean, C. W. E. Mr., +<a href="#page289">289</a>.<br> + +Beaufort, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page286">286</a>, +<a href="#page288">288</a>.<br> + +Beaurains, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> + +Bedford House, +<a href="#page126">126</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>.<br> + +Bed of Chairs, +<a href="#page079">79</a>.<br> + +Bell-Irving, Major, +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> + +Berles, +<a href="#page260">260</a>, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page264">264</a>.<br> + +Bernaville, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> + +Bethune, +<a href="#page088">88</a>, +<a href="#page089">89</a>, +<a href="#page090">90</a>, +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>, +<a href="#page234">234</a>.<br> + +Bishop du Pencier, +<a href="#page234">234</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>of London, +<a href="#page048">48</a>.<br> + +Bishop's College men, +<a href="#page111">114</a>.<br> + +Blind Organist, +<a href="#page089">89</a>.<br> + +Borden, Sir Robert, +<a href="#page022">22</a>, +<a href="#page072">72</a>, +<a href="#page102">102</a>, +<a href="#page266">266</a>.<br> + +Boulogne, +<a href="#page240">240</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>.<br> + +Bourlon Wood, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> + +Boves, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>.<br> + +Bracquemont, +<a href="#page151">151</a>, +<a href="#page191">191</a>, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page197">197</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page240">240</a>.<br> + +Bray Hill, +<a href="#page167">167</a>.<br> + +Brielen, +<a href="#page075">75</a>.<br> + +Brigade, +<a href="#page206">206</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Artillery, +<a href="#page171">171</a>, +<a href="#page245">245</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st., Hqrs., +<a href="#page199">199</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd., " +<a href="#page199">199</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>3rd., " +<a href="#page177">177</a>.<br> + +Brigade, Artillery, 3rd., +<a href="#page036">36</a>, +<a href="#page053">53</a>, +<a href="#page075">75</a>, +<a href="#page076">76</a>, +<a href="#page077">77</a>, +<a href="#page087">87</a>, +<a href="#page097">97</a>, +<a href="#page103">103</a>, +<a href="#page168">168</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Cavalry, +<a href="#page085">82</a>, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page103">103</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Headqrs., +<a href="#page093">93</a>, +<a href="#page156">156</a>, +<a href="#page201">201</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Infantry, +<a href="#page065">65</a>, +<a href="#page098">98</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span> 3rd., Headqrs., +<a href="#page107">107</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Machine Gun, +<a href="#page207">207</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Motor Machine Gun, +<a href="#page130">130</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Schools, +<a href="#page208">208</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page179">179</a>, +<a href="#page234">234</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page279">279</a>, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page285">285</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page307">307</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd., +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page205">205</a>, +<a href="#page234">234</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page255">255</a>, +<a href="#page257">257</a>, +<a href="#page279">279</a>, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page310">310</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd., Hqrs., +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>3rd., +<a href="#page031">31</a>, +<a href="#page043">43</a>, +<a href="#page075">75</a>, +<a href="#page076">76</a>, +<a href="#page077">77</a>, +<a href="#page093">93</a>, +<a href="#page097">97</a>, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page310">310</a>.<br> + +British Artillery, +<a href="#page106">106</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Cavalry, +<a href="#page046">46</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Tribute, +<a href="#page169">169</a>.<br> + +Bruay, +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page161">161</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page179">179</a>, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page204">204</a>, +<a href="#page205">205</a>, +<a href="#page206">206</a>, +<a href="#page232">232</a>, +<a href="#page234">234</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page300">300</a>.<br> + +Brutenell, Col., +<a href="#page130">130</a>.<br> + +Buissy Switch Trench, +<a href="#page305">305</a>.<br> + +Bulford Camp, +<a href="#page095">95</a>, +<a href="#page096">96</a>.<br> + +Bullecourt, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> + +Bully-Beef Wood, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Bully-Grenay, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page193">193</a>, +<a href="#page194">194</a>, +<a href="#page208">208</a>.<br> + +Byng, Gen., +<a href="#page132">132</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">C</p> + +<p class="p2">"C" Mess, +<a href="#page099">99</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page217">217</a>, +<a href="#page231">231</a>, +<a href="#page243">243</a>, +<a href="#page245">245</a>.<br> + +C.C.S., +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>, +<a href="#page286">286</a>, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page317">317</a>, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>British, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page129">129</a>.<br> + +Caestre, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page049">49</a>.<br> + +Cagnicourt, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> + +Caix, +<a href="#page279">279</a>, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page281">281</a>.<br> + +Calais, +<a href="#page227">227</a>.<br> + +Camblain l'Abbé, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page151">151</a>, +<a href="#page152">152</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page238">238</a>.<br> + +Cambligneul, +<a href="#page203">203</a>.<br> + +Cambrai, +<a href="#page302">302</a>, +<a href="#page315">315</a>.<br> + +Camiers, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> + +Cam Valley, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +Canadian Cavalry, Hqrs., +<a href="#page160">160</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Corps, +<a href="#page072">72</a>, +<a href="#page108">108</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page150">150</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page189">189</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>, +<a href="#page220">220</a>, +<a href="#page240">240</a>, +<a href="#page265">265</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>, +<a href="#page271">271</a>, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page274">274</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Corps Headqrs., +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page150">150</a>, +<a href="#page238">238</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Cyclist Corps, +<a href="#page142">142</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Light Horse, +<a href="#page093">93</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Prisoners of War Fund, +<a href="#page109">109</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Sisters, +<a href="#page254">254</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>War Records Office, +<a href="#page184">184</a>.<br> + +Canal du Nord, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>.<br> + +Canaples, +<a href="#page135">135</a>, +<a href="#page137">137</a>, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page161">161</a>.<br> + +Canteen, +<a href="#page138">138</a>.<br> + +Cassel, +<a href="#page049">49</a>, +<a href="#page050">50</a>, +<a href="#page052">52</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> + +Caves, +<a href="#page246">246</a>.<br> + +Cemetery, +<a href="#page152">152</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page291">291</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Canadian, +<a href="#page056">56</a>, +<a href="#page136">136</a>, +<a href="#page138">138</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>at Ecoivres, +<a href="#page174">174</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Military, +<a href="#page214">214</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>near Thélus, +<a href="#page156">156</a>.<br> + +Centre Way, +<a href="#page155">155</a>.<br> + +Chalk Pit, +<a href="#page199">199</a>.<br> + +Chamounix, +<a href="#page186">186</a>.<br> + +Chaplain, American, +<a href="#page270">270</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>British, +<a href="#page111">111</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>General, +<a href="#page034">34</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Junior, +<a href="#page194">194</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Praise of, +<a href="#page116">116</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Rest Home, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Roman Catholic, +<a href="#page184">184</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Senior, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page173">173</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page138">207</a>, +<a href="#page138">231</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Senior of Australian Div., +<a href="#page138">138</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Senior Roman Catholic, +<a href="#page034">34</a>, +<a href="#page076">76</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st. Army, +<a href="#page205">205</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Service Headqrs., +<a href="#page135">135</a>.<br> + +Château d'Acq., +<a href="#page183">183</a>, +<a href="#page184">184</a>, +<a href="#page185">185</a>, +<a href="#page189">189</a>, +<a href="#page251">251</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>de la Haie, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page243">243</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Longeau, +<a href="#page272">272</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>of Le Cauroy, +<a href="#page147">147</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>of Ranchicourt, +<a href="#page150">150</a>.<br> + +Cheerfulness of Men, +<a href="#page255">255</a>.<br> + +Cheery word, effect of, +<a href="#page067">67</a>.<br> + +Cherisy, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page294">294</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>.<br> + +Chinese Labour Companies, +<a href="#page192">192</a>.<br> + +Christmas, +<a href="#page032">32</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>, +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>.<br> + +Church Parade, +<a href="#page018">18</a>, +<a href="#page021">21</a>, +<a href="#page022">22</a>, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page320">320</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Service, +<a href="#page315">315</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>under Chestnut Tree, +<a href="#page256">256</a>.<br> + +Cité St. Pierre, +<a href="#page238">238</a>.<br> + +"City of Chester," +<a href="#page036">36</a>.<br> + +Clayton, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Clino, +<a href="#page259">259</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>.<br> + +Comradeship, effect of, +<a href="#page078">78</a>.<br> + +Concert Party, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page231">231</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page243">243</a>, +<a href="#page254">254</a>, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st Divisional, +<a href="#page159">159</a>.<br> + +Concerts, +<a href="#page153">153</a>.<br> + +Confirmation Service, +<a href="#page109">109</a>.<br> + +Congreve, General, +<a href="#page040">40</a>.<br> + +Connaught, Duke & Duchess, +<a href="#page022">22</a>, +<a href="#page266">266</a>.<br> + +Consecration, the Supreme Idea, +<a href="#page299">299</a>.<br> + +Contalmaison, +<a href="#page137">137</a>.<br> + +Cope, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> + +Convalescent Camp, +<a href="#page133">133</a>.<br> + +Coupigny, +<a href="#page181">181</a>.<br> + +Courcelette, +<a href="#page115">115</a>, +<a href="#page138">138</a>, +<a href="#page140">140</a>, +<a href="#page142">142</a>, +<a href="#page144">144</a>, +<a href="#page145">145</a>, +<a href="#page155">155</a>, +<a href="#page157">157</a>, +<a href="#page179">179</a>.<br> + +Court-o-Pyp, +<a href="#page096">96</a>, +<a href="#page097">97</a>.<br> + +Croisilles, +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> + +"Crown & Anchor," +<a href="#page264">264</a>.<br> + +Crow's Nest, The, +<a href="#page295">295</a>.<br> + +Crucifix Corner, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Dump, +<a href="#page193">193</a>.<br> + +Crucifixes, +<a href="#page105">105</a>.<br> + +Crucifixion of Canadian Soldier, +<a href="#page076">76</a>.<br> + +Currie, Gen., +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page112">112</a>, +<a href="#page222">222</a>, +<a href="#page239">239</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">D</p> + +<p class="p2">Dainville, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>, +<a href="#page300">300</a>, +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> + +"Daily Mail," +<a href="#page187">187</a>, +<a href="#page191">191</a>.<br> + +"Dandy," +<a href="#page090">90</a>, +<a href="#page091">91</a>, +<a href="#page095">95</a>, +<a href="#page103">103</a>, +<a href="#page107">107</a>, +<a href="#page108">108</a>, +<a href="#page110">110</a>, +<a href="#page113">113</a>, +<a href="#page122">122</a>, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>, +<a href="#page165">165</a>, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page253">253</a>, +<a href="#page256">256</a>, +<a href="#page265">265</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>.<br> + +Day of Young Men, the, +<a href="#page182">182</a>.<br> + +Death Valley, +<a href="#page138">138</a>, +<a href="#page156">156</a>, +<a href="#page157">157</a>, +<a href="#page179">179</a>.<br> + +Deligny's Mill, +<a href="#page312">312</a>.<br> + +Desertion, procedure for death penalty, +<a href="#page211">211</a>.<br> + +Desertion, death penalty inflicted, +<a href="#page214">214</a>.<br> + +Dish washing in the trenches, +<a href="#page236">236</a>.<br> + +Divion, +<a href="#page234">234</a>.<br> + +Division, +<a href="#page106">106</a>, +<a href="#page122">122</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page162">162</a>, +<a href="#page177">177</a>, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page199">199</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page209">209</a>, +<a href="#page216">216</a>, +<a href="#page220">220</a>, +<a href="#page226">226</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>, +<a href="#page228">228</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page251">251</a>, +<a href="#page253">253</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>, +<a href="#page265">265</a>, +<a href="#page268">268</a>, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page287">287</a>, +<a href="#page288">288</a>, +<a href="#page289">289</a>, +<a href="#page291">291</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st., +<a href="#page033">33</a>, +<a href="#page046">46</a>, +<a href="#page093">93</a>, +<a href="#page108">108</a>, +<a href="#page130">130</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page172">172</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page194">194</a>, +<a href="#page264">264</a>, +<a href="#page266">266</a>, +<a href="#page274">274</a>, +<a href="#page317">317</a>, +<a href="#page319">319</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd., +<a href="#page108">108</a>, +<a href="#page138">138</a>, +<a href="#page175">175</a>, +<a href="#page281">281</a>, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>3rd., +<a href="#page129">129</a>, +<a href="#page274">274</a>, +<a href="#page300">300</a>, +<a href="#page302">302</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>4th., +<a href="#page146">146</a>, +<a href="#page154">154</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page231">231</a>, +<a href="#page232">232</a>, +<a href="#page242">242</a>, +<a href="#page294">294</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Guards, +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Scots, +<a href="#page250">250</a>.<br> + +Divisional Area, 2nd., +<a href="#page282">282</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1st. Wing, +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page268">268</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Headqrs., +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>, +<a href="#page135">135</a>, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page159">159</a>, +<a href="#page173">173</a>, +<a href="#page193">183</a>, +<a href="#page191">191</a>, +<a href="#page213">213</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>, +<a href="#page256">256</a>, +<a href="#page271">271</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Headqrs., 1st. Can., +<a href="#page264">264</a>, +<a href="#page286">286</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Rest Camp, +<a href="#page132">132</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Sports, +<a href="#page261">261</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Train, +<a href="#page133">133</a>, +<a href="#page208">208</a>, +<a href="#page209">209</a>.<br> + +Dominion Day, +<a href="#page189">189</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Sports, +<a href="#page266">266</a>.<br> + +Douai, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +Douai-Cambrai, +<a href="#page312">312</a>.<br> + +Double-Crassier, +<a href="#page194">194</a>.<br> + +Douve, +<a href="#page118">118</a>.<br> + +Dregs of the Cup, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> + +Dressing Station, +<a href="#page140">140</a>, +<a href="#page142">142</a>, +<a href="#page144">144</a>, +<a href="#page177">177</a>, +<a href="#page200">200</a>, +<a href="#page201">201</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page284">284</a>, +<a href="#page285">285</a>, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page296">296</a>, +<a href="#page309">309</a>, +<a href="#page314">314</a>, +<a href="#page316">316</a>.<br> + +Drocourt-Quéant Line, +<a href="#page291">291</a>, +<a href="#page297">297</a>.<br> + +Duffy, +<a href="#page062">62</a>, +<a href="#page073">73</a>.<br> + +Durham Light Infantry, +<a href="#page039">39</a>.<br> + +Duty as a guide, +<a href="#page250">250</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>runner, +<a href="#page250">250</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">E</p> + +<p class="p2">Easter Day, +<a href="#page048">48</a>, +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page245">245</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>1916, +<a href="#page128">128</a>.<br> + +Ecoivres, +<a href="#page162">162</a>, +<a href="#page166">166</a>, +<a href="#page167">167</a>, +<a href="#page172">172</a>, +<a href="#page232">232</a>, +<a href="#page252">252</a>.<br> + +Edinburgh, +<a href="#page240">240</a>.<br> + +"Empress of Britain," +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> + +Endsleigh Palace Hospital, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> + +Engineer Companies, +<a href="#page245">245</a>.<br> + +English Channel, +<a href="#page028">28</a>.<br> + +Epinoy, +<a href="#page314">314</a>.<br> + +Estaires, +<a href="#page046">46</a>, +<a href="#page048">48</a>, +<a href="#page049">49</a>.<br> + +Etrun, +<a href="#page247">247</a>, +<a href="#page248">248</a>, +<a href="#page251">251</a>, +<a href="#page268">268</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>.<br> + +Estrée-Cauchie, +<a href="#page204">204</a>.<br> + +Evians-les-Bains, +<a href="#page187">187</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">F</p> + +<p class="p2">Fampoux, +<a href="#page249">249</a>, +<a href="#page250">250</a>, +<a href="#page263">263</a>.<br> + +Farbus, +<a href="#page177">177</a>.<br> + +Festubert, +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page082">82</a>, +<a href="#page089">89</a>.<br> + +Feuchy, +<a href="#page249">249</a>, +<a href="#page250">250</a>, +<a href="#page263">263</a>, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Field Ambulance, 1st., +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>2nd., +<a href="#page068">68</a>, +<a href="#page069">69</a>, +<a href="#page070">70</a>, +<a href="#page074">74</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>3rd., +<a href="#page037">37</a>, +<a href="#page133">133</a>, +<a href="#page319">319</a>.<br> + +Field Co. Engineers, 3rd., +<a href="#page135">135</a>.<br> + +Fight in a Church Service, +<a href="#page102">102</a>.<br> + +Flêtre, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page122">122</a>.<br> + +Fleurbaix, +<a href="#page043">43</a>.<br> + +Florence, +<a href="#page223">223</a>, +<a href="#page226">226</a>.<br> + +"Florizel," +<a href="#page026">26</a>.<br> + +Foch, Marshal, +<a href="#page254">254</a>, +<a href="#page255">255</a>.<br> + +"Follies, The," +<a href="#page123">123</a>.<br> + +Fort Glatz, +<a href="#page193">193</a>, +<a href="#page199">199</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Fosseaux, +<a href="#page245">245</a>, +<a href="#page247">247</a>.<br> + +"Four Winds, The," +<a href="#page152">152</a>, +<a href="#page154">154</a>.<br> + +France, Patriotism of, +<a href="#page188">188</a>.<br> + +Fresnicourt, +<a href="#page185">185</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> + +Fresnoy, +<a href="#page177">177</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>.<br> + +Frevent, +<a href="#page253">253</a>, +<a href="#page254">254</a>.<br> + +Frohen Le Grand, +<a href="#page147">147</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">G</p> + +<p class="p2">Gas Attack, +<a href="#page240">240</a>, +<a href="#page241">241</a>.<br> + +Gas Poisoning, +<a href="#page201">201</a>.<br> + +Gas Shells, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Gaspé Basin, +<a href="#page026">26</a>.<br> + +Gasquet, Cardinal, +<a href="#page222">222</a>.<br> + +General Hospital, No. 2, +<a href="#page035">35</a>, +<a href="#page036">36</a>, +<a href="#page037">37</a>, +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page097">97</a>.<br> + +Gentelles Wood, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>, +<a href="#page279">279</a>.<br> + +German Aeroplane, +<a href="#page111">111</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Dugouts, +<a href="#page136">136</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Prisoners, +<a href="#page065">65</a>, +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page082">82</a>, +<a href="#page142">142</a>, +<a href="#page144">144</a>, +<a href="#page200">200</a>, +<a href="#page278">278</a>, +<a href="#page283">283</a>, +<a href="#page284">284</a>, +<a href="#page295">295</a>, +<a href="#page312">312</a>, +<a href="#page316">316</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Spy, +<a href="#page083">83</a>, +<a href="#page089">89</a>, +<a href="#page096">96</a>, +<a href="#page108">108</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Thoroughness, +<a href="#page066">66</a>.<br> + +Ghurkas, +<a href="#page079">79</a>.<br> + +Glasgow Highlanders, +<a href="#page081">81</a>.<br> + +Good Friday, +<a href="#page048">48</a>, +<a href="#page165">165</a>, +<a href="#page245">245</a>.<br> + +Gouldberg Copse, +<a href="#page227">227</a>.<br> + +Gouy-Servins, +<a href="#page231">231</a>.<br> + +Graham, Rev. E. E., +<a href="#page296">296</a>.<br> + +Graves, Unrecorded, +<a href="#page158">158</a>.<br> + +Great Memories of the War, +<a href="#page117">117</a>.<br> + +Grenade School, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page133">133</a>.<br> + +Grenay, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Groves, Vaughan, +<a href="#page234">234</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Gwynne, Bishop, +<a href="#page099">99</a>, +<a href="#page100">100</a>, +<a href="#page135">135</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">H</p> + +<p class="p2">Haig, Gen., +<a href="#page078">78</a>, +<a href="#page079">79</a>.<br> + +Hallicourt, +<a href="#page180">180</a>.<br> + +Hangard Wood, +<a href="#page277">277</a>.<br> + +Harter, Major, M.C., +<a href="#page040">40</a>.<br> + +Hatchet Wood, +<a href="#page282">282</a>.<br> + +Hautes Avesnes, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> + +Haynecourt, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page311">311</a>, +<a href="#page312">312</a>, +<a href="#page316">316</a>.<br> + +Headquarters, +<a href="#page112">112</a>, +<a href="#page122">122</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page206">206</a>, +<a href="#page211">211</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page268">268</a>.<br> + +Hell Fire Corner, +<a href="#page069">69</a>.<br> + +Hendecourt, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> + +Hendecourt Dury, +<a href="#page295">295</a>.<br> + +Hill 60-54, +<a href="#page055">55</a>, +<a href="#page124">124</a>.<br> + +Hill 63-91, +<a href="#page101">101</a>, +<a href="#page106">106</a>, +<a href="#page113">113</a>, +<a href="#page117">117</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>.<br> + +Hill 70-197, +<a href="#page198">198</a>, +<a href="#page202">202</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page205">205</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page208">208</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page240">240</a>.<br> + +"Hole in the Wall, The," +<a href="#page195">195</a>.<br> + +Holy Communion, +<a href="#page021">21</a>, +<a href="#page027">27</a>, +<a href="#page032">32</a>, +<a href="#page040">40</a>, +<a href="#page049">49</a>, +<a href="#page066">66</a>, +<a href="#page071">71</a>, +<a href="#page077">77</a>, +<a href="#page095">95</a>, +<a href="#page096">96</a>, +<a href="#page101">101</a>, +<a href="#page119">119</a>, +<a href="#page120">120</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page143">143</a>, +<a href="#page146">146</a>, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page150">150</a>, +<a href="#page160">160</a>, +<a href="#page163">163</a>, +<a href="#page164">164</a>, +<a href="#page166">166</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>, +<a href="#page211">211</a>, +<a href="#page232">232</a>, +<a href="#page243">243</a>, +<a href="#page245">245</a>, +<a href="#page246">246</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> + +Honor to a Belgian Maid, +<a href="#page111">111</a>.<br> + +Hooge, +<a href="#page124">124</a>.<br> + +Hooggraaf, +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> + +Horne, Gen., +<a href="#page172">172</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page205">205</a>.<br> + +Hornoy, +<a href="#page271">271</a>, +<a href="#page272">272</a>.<br> + +Houdain, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>.<br> + +Houplines, +<a href="#page039">39</a>.<br> + +Hughes, Gen., +<a href="#page015">15</a>, +<a href="#page017">17</a>, +<a href="#page021">21</a>, +<a href="#page022">22</a>, +<a href="#page053">53</a>, +<a href="#page102">102</a>, +<a href="#page103">103</a>.<br> + +Hugo Trench, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">I</p> + +<p class="p2">Ignacourt, +<a href="#page280">280</a>.<br> + +Inchy Station, +<a href="#page303">303</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>.<br> + +Indian Troops, +<a href="#page074">74</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Village, +<a href="#page080">80</a>.<br> + +Ironside, Col., +<a href="#page148">148</a>.<br> + +Italian, 1st. Div., +<a href="#page218">218</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>3rd Army, +<a href="#page221">221</a>.<br> + +Izel-les-Hameaux, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page262">262</a>, +<a href="#page264">264</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">J</p> + +<p class="p2">Joffre, Gen., +<a href="#page072">72</a>.<br> + +Johnson, Johnny, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page264">264</a>.<br> + +Jutland, +<a href="#page129">129</a>, +<a href="#page130">130</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">K</p> + +<p class="p2">Khaki University, +<a href="#page267">267</a>.<br> + +King, The, +<a href="#page032">32</a>, +<a href="#page072">72</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> + +"King Edward's Horse," +<a href="#page112">112</a>.<br> + +Kitchener, Earl, +<a href="#page102">102</a>, +<a href="#page103">103</a>, +<a href="#page129">129</a>.<br> + +Kort Dreuve, +<a href="#page101">101</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">L</p> + +<p class="p2">La Boisselle, +<a href="#page137">137</a>.<br> + +Labyrinth, +<a href="#page173">173</a>.<br> + +Lacouture, +<a href="#page079">79</a>.<br> + +La Crêche, +<a href="#page094">94</a>.<br> + +Lake of Geneva, +<a href="#page187">187</a>.<br> + +Lamb, Col., +<a href="#page219">219</a>, +<a href="#page221">221</a>, +<a href="#page223">223</a>.<br> + +Lark Hill, +<a href="#page031">31</a>.<br> + +La Targette Rd., +<a href="#page183">183</a>.<br> + +Laventie, +<a href="#page045">45</a>.<br> + +Le Brebis, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Le Cauroy, +<a href="#page253">253</a>, +<a href="#page254">254</a>, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>, +<a href="#page271">271</a>, +<a href="#page301">301</a>.<br> + +Lectures on Leave Trip to Rome, +<a href="#page257">257</a>, +<a href="#page258">258</a>.<br> + +Leicesters, +<a href="#page045">45</a>.<br> + +Lens, +<a href="#page197">197</a>, +<a href="#page202">202</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page241">241</a>, +<a href="#page263">263</a>.<br> + +Lens-Arras, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page185">185</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>.<br> + +Lens-Bethune Rd., +<a href="#page200">200</a>.<br> + +Les Tilleuls, +<a href="#page239">239</a>.<br> + +Le Touret, +<a href="#page080">80</a>, +<a href="#page082">82</a>.<br> + +Liencourt, +<a href="#page271">271</a>.<br> + +Liéven, +<a href="#page208">208</a>, +<a href="#page240">240</a>, +<a href="#page262">262</a>, +<a href="#page263">263</a>.<br> + +Loison, +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page268">268</a>.<br> + +London, +<a href="#page091">91</a>, +<a href="#page093">93</a>, +<a href="#page240">240</a>, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> + +Loos, +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page110">110</a>, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page193">193</a>, +<a href="#page197">197</a>, +<a href="#page201">201</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page240">240</a>.<br> + +Loos Crassier, +<a href="#page200">200</a>.<br> + +Lord's Prayer, +<a href="#page071">71</a>, +<a href="#page142">142</a>.<br> + +Lyons, +<a href="#page259">259</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>, +<a href="#page289">289</a>, +<a href="#page300">300</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">M</p> + +<p class="p2">MacDonald, Murdoch, +<a href="#page044">44</a>, +<a href="#page052">52</a>, +<a href="#page053">53</a>, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page067">67</a>, +<a href="#page068">68</a>, +<a href="#page075">75</a>, +<a href="#page081">81</a>, +<a href="#page087">87</a>, +<a href="#page094">94</a>, +<a href="#page095">95</a>.<br> + +Macdonell, Gen., +<a href="#page082">82</a>, +<a href="#page189">189</a>.<br> + +Macphail, Col., +<a href="#page300">300</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>.<br> + +Maison Blanche, +<a href="#page164">164</a>, +<a href="#page169">169</a>.<br> + +Mametz, +<a href="#page146">146</a>.<br> + +Maple Copse, +<a href="#page133">133</a>.<br> + +Maroc, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page193">193</a>, +<a href="#page194">194</a>, +<a href="#page195">195</a>, +<a href="#page196">196</a>, +<a href="#page197">197</a>, +<a href="#page198">198</a>, +<a href="#page199">199</a>, +<a href="#page200">200</a>, +<a href="#page201">201</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Maroeil, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +Marquion, +<a href="#page310">310</a>.<br> + +Marseilles, +<a href="#page216">216</a>.<br> + +Mazingarbe, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Memorial Service for Hill 70 Attack, +<a href="#page206">206</a>.<br> + +Memories of the War, +<a href="#page132">132</a>.<br> + +Mercer, Gen., +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page129">129</a>.<br> + +Merville, +<a href="#page046">46</a>.<br> + +Messines, +<a href="#page101">101</a>.<br> + +Military Prison, +<a href="#page123">123</a>.<br> + +Ministering to German Prisoners, +<a href="#page278">278</a>.<br> + +Miraumont, +<a href="#page139">139</a>, +<a href="#page157">157</a>.<br> + +Moment Before Attack, +<a href="#page276">276</a>.<br> + +Mons, +<a href="#page260">260</a>.<br> + +Mont des Cats, +<a href="#page112">112</a>, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page129">129</a>.<br> + +Montreuil, +<a href="#page267">267</a>.<br> + +Mont St. Eloi, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page150">150</a>.<br> + +Morgue, +<a href="#page124">124</a>.<br> + +Mount Kemmel, +<a href="#page112">112</a>.<br> + +Murray, Major, +<a href="#page112">112</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">N</p> + +<p class="p2">Nazebrouck, +<a href="#page037">37</a>.<br> + +Neuve Chapelle, +<a href="#page045">45</a>.<br> + +Neuve Eglise Rd., +<a href="#page095">95</a>, +<a href="#page096">96</a>.<br> + +Neuville St. Vaast, +<a href="#page169">169</a>.<br> + +Neuville Vitasse, +<a href="#page291">291</a>.<br> + +New Year, +<a href="#page160">160</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>.<br> + +Nieppe, +<a href="#page098">98</a>, +<a href="#page099">99</a>, +<a href="#page108">108</a>, +<a href="#page109">109</a>, +<a href="#page112">112</a>.<br> + +"Nine Elms," +<a href="#page174">174</a>.<br> + +Noeux les Mines, +<a href="#page191">191</a>.<br> + +"No Man's Land," +<a href="#page120">120</a>, +<a href="#page126">126</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page279">279</a>, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">O</p> + +<p class="p2">Observation Balloons, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page182">182</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Post, +<a href="#page280">280</a>.<br> + +Ohlain, +<a href="#page152">152</a>, +<a href="#page205">205</a>.<br> + +Ouderdom, +<a href="#page074">74</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">P</p> + +<p class="p2">Paris, +<a href="#page186">186</a>, +<a href="#page187">187</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>.<br> + +Parish Visiting, +<a href="#page020">20</a>, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page235">235</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Passchendale +<a href="#page220">220</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>, +<a href="#page228">228</a>, +<a href="#page229">229</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>.<br> + +Patricia, Princess, +<a href="#page022">22</a>.<br> + +Petit Moncque Farm, +<a href="#page103">103</a>, +<a href="#page107">107</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>.<br> + +"Philo," +<a href="#page091">91</a>, +<a href="#page094">94</a>, +<a href="#page095">95</a>, +<a href="#page104">104</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>.<br> + +"Pineapples," +<a href="#page236">236</a>, +<a href="#page237">237</a>, +<a href="#page238">238</a>.<br> + +Pisa, +<a href="#page217">217</a>, +<a href="#page226">226</a>.<br> + +Place St. Croix, +<a href="#page251">251</a>.<br> + +Ploegsteert, +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page091">91</a>, +<a href="#page094">94</a>, +<a href="#page100">100</a>, +<a href="#page102">102</a>, +<a href="#page103">103</a>, +<a href="#page110">110</a>, +<a href="#page113">113</a>, +<a href="#page118">118</a>.<br> + +Plymouth, +<a href="#page028">28</a>.<br> + +Poems: "The Unnamed Lake," +<a href="#page307">307</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>"Requiescant," +<a href="#page075">75</a>.<br> + +Pope, The, +<a href="#page220">220</a>.<br> + +Poperinghe, +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page207">207</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Poppies, +<a href="#page261">261</a>.<br> + +Pozières, +<a href="#page137">137</a>, +<a href="#page138">138</a>, +<a href="#page142">142</a>, +<a href="#page144">144</a>, +<a href="#page155">155</a>.<br> + +Price, Major, +<a href="#page301">301</a>.<br> + +Pronville, +<a href="#page305">305</a>.<br> + +Pudding Lane, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Trench, +<a href="#page249">249</a>, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Puzzling Question, A, +<a href="#page163">163</a>.<br> + +Pys., +<a href="#page139">139</a>, +<a href="#page157">157</a>.</p> + + + +<p class="p2">Q</p> + +<p class="p2">Quatre Vents, +<a href="#page203">203</a>.<br> + +Quéant, +<a href="#page305">305</a>, +<a href="#page317">317</a>.<br> + +Quebec, +<a href="#page318">318</a>.<br> + +Queen's Own Westminsters, +<a href="#page041">41</a>.<br> + +Quesnel, +<a href="#page288">288</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">R</p> + +<p class="p2">Railway Dugouts, +<a href="#page124">124</a>, +<a href="#page126">126</a>, +<a href="#page130">130</a>, +<a href="#page131">131</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Triangle, +<a href="#page270">270</a>.<br> + +Ranchicourt, +<a href="#page152">152</a>, +<a href="#page193">193</a>.<br> + +Ravine, +<a href="#page133">133</a>.<br> + +Recitation of Poem Under Difficulties, +<a href="#page195">195</a>.<br> + +Record Attack, A, +<a href="#page172">172</a>.<br> + +Record-beating Advance, +<a href="#page280">280</a>.<br> + +Refugees, +<a href="#page069">69</a>.<br> + +Regina Trench, +<a href="#page138">138</a>, +<a href="#page148">148</a>, +<a href="#page156">156</a>, +<a href="#page157">157</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page180">180</a>.<br> + +Religion of Men at Front, +<a href="#page116">116</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> + +Rest Camp, +<a href="#page185">185</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> + +Riviera, +<a href="#page217">217</a>.<br> + +Robecq, +<a href="#page078">78</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Roberts, Lord, +<a href="#page032">32</a>.<br> + +Robertson, Sir Wm., +<a href="#page220">220</a>.<br> + +Roclincourt, +<a href="#page176">176</a>.<br> + +Roellencourt, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page148">148</a>, +<a href="#page149">149</a>.<br> + +Romarin, +<a href="#page094">94</a>, +<a href="#page111">111</a>.<br> + +Rome, +<a href="#page216">216</a>, +<a href="#page217">217</a>.<br> + +Rome, March Through the Streets, +<a href="#page218">218</a>.<br> + +Rosières, +<a href="#page280">280</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>.<br> + +Ross, Pte., +<a href="#page095">95</a>, +<a href="#page104">104</a>, +<a href="#page112">112</a>, +<a href="#page114">114</a>, +<a href="#page154">154</a>, +<a href="#page254">254</a>, +<a href="#page304">304</a>.<br> + +Rouville, +<a href="#page246">246</a>.<br> + +Rouvroy, +<a href="#page285">285</a>.<br> + +Royal Canadian Regiment, +<a href="#page189">189</a>.<br> + +Royal Horse Artillery, +<a href="#page281">281</a>.<br> + +Royal Rifles, 8th, +<a href="#page015">15</a>, +<a href="#page016">16</a>.<br> + +Rubempré, +<a href="#page135">135</a>, +<a href="#page136">136</a>, +<a href="#page137">137</a>.<br> + +Ruitz, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">S</p> + +<p class="p2">Sad stories, +<a href="#page139">139</a>, +<a href="#page141">141</a>.<br> + +Sains-en-Gohelle, +<a href="#page235">235</a>.<br> + +Salient, +<a href="#page122">122</a>, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page130">130</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>, +<a href="#page270">270</a>.<br> + +Salisbury Plain, +<a href="#page030">30</a>, +<a href="#page034">34</a>.<br> + +Sanctuary Wood, +<a href="#page125">125</a>, +<a href="#page133">133</a>.<br> + +Sappers, +<a href="#page078">78</a>.<br> + +Sausage Valley, +<a href="#page137">137</a>.<br> + +Scarpe, +<a href="#page165">165</a>, +<a href="#page247">247</a>, +<a href="#page250">250</a>, +<a href="#page251">251</a>, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Scarpe Valley, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +Second Army School, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> + +Seely, Gen., 98, +<a href="#page111">111</a>.<br> + +Shells, 17 inch, +<a href="#page057">57</a>.<br> + +Shell Trap Farm, +<a href="#page065">65</a>.<br> + +"Shock Troops," +<a href="#page255">255</a>.<br> + +"Silent Toast, The," +<a href="#page174">174</a>.<br> + +"Sky Pilot," +<a href="#page181">181</a>.<br> + +Smith-Dorrien, Gen., +<a href="#page038">38</a>, +<a href="#page052">52</a>, +<a href="#page053">53</a>.<br> + +Somme, +<a href="#page134">134</a>, +<a href="#page137">137</a>, +<a href="#page179">179</a>.<br> + +Sons, My, +<a href="#page046">46</a>, +<a href="#page146">146</a>, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page148">148</a>, +<a href="#page165">165</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>, +<a href="#page262">262</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page289">289</a>.<br> + +Son's Grave, +<a href="#page157">157</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page288">288</a>.<br> + +Souchez, +<a href="#page231">231</a>.<br> + +Spy Fever, +<a href="#page196">196</a>.<br> + +Squadron, 13th, +<a href="#page261">261</a>.<br> + +St. Aubin, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +St. Eloi Rd., +<a href="#page167">167</a>, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +St. Feuchien, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page273">273</a>.<br> + +St. George's Church, +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page175">175</a>, +<a href="#page176">176</a>, +<a href="#page189">189</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>No. 2, +<a href="#page184">184</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>No. 3, +<a href="#page232">232</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Rectory, +<a href="#page184">184</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>.<br> + +St. Jans Cappel, +<a href="#page112">112</a>, +<a href="#page113">113</a>, +<a href="#page114">114</a>, +<a href="#page122">122</a>.<br> + +St. Jean, +<a href="#page061">61</a>, +<a href="#page067">67</a>.<br> + +St. Julien, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page061">61</a>.<br> + +St. Lawrence, +<a href="#page026">26</a>.<br> + +St. Nazaire, +<a href="#page036">36</a>.<br> + +St. Nicholas, +<a href="#page249">249</a>.<br> + +St. Omer, +<a href="#page099">99</a>, +<a href="#page100">100</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>, +<a href="#page135">135</a>, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> + +St. Pol Rd., +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page160">160</a>, +<a href="#page161">161</a>, +<a href="#page258">258</a>, +<a href="#page259">259</a>, +<a href="#page261">261</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>.<br> + +St. Sauveur Cave, +<a href="#page246">246</a>.<br> + +St. Sylvestre, +<a href="#page050">50</a>.<br> + +St. Venant, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Steenje, +<a href="#page077">77</a>, +<a href="#page078">78</a>, +<a href="#page093">93</a>.<br> + +Steenvoorde, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page134">134</a>.<br> + +Stewart, Charles, +<a href="#page302">302</a>.<br> + +Stonehenge, +<a href="#page032">32</a>.<br> + +Strand, +<a href="#page151">151</a>.<br> + +Strathcona Horse, +<a href="#page107">107</a>.<br> + +Strazeele, +<a href="#page037">37</a>.<br> + +Stretcher Bearers, +<a href="#page145">145</a>.<br> + +Sunday Program, +<a href="#page132">132</a>.<br> + +Swan Château, +<a href="#page127">127</a>.<br> + + +<p class="p2">T</p> + +<p class="p2">Talbot House, +<a href="#page123">123</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Talbot, Neville, +<a href="#page123">123</a>.<br> + +"Tanks," +<a href="#page140">140</a>, +<a href="#page274">274</a>, +<a href="#page277">277</a>, +<a href="#page282">282</a>.<br> + +Tara Hill, +<a href="#page136">136</a>, +<a href="#page137">137</a>, +<a href="#page147">147</a>, +<a href="#page154">154</a>, +<a href="#page158">158</a>, +<a href="#page180">180</a>, +<a href="#page289">289</a>.<br> + +Telegraph Hill, +<a href="#page246">246</a>.<br> + +Tent Hospitals, Canadian, +<a href="#page208">208</a>.<br> + +Terdeghem, +<a href="#page052">52</a>, +<a href="#page053">53</a>.<br> + +Thacker, Gen., +<a href="#page134">134</a>, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page260">260</a>, +<a href="#page272">272</a>, +<a href="#page287">287</a>, +<a href="#page303">303</a>, +<a href="#page305">305</a>.<br> + +Thélus, +<a href="#page170">170</a>.<br> + +"The Times," +<a href="#page180">180</a>.<br> + +Tilloy, +<a href="#page269">269</a>.<br> + +Tilques, +<a href="#page135">135</a>.<br> + +Tincques, +<a href="#page264">264</a>, +<a href="#page266">266</a>.<br> + +Training for Final Attack, +<a href="#page255">255</a>.<br> + +Tully, +<a href="#page160">160</a>.<br> + +Turcos, +<a href="#page063">63</a>, +<a href="#page072">72</a>.<br> + +Turin, +<a href="#page226">226</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">U</p> + +<p class="p2">"Unbroken Line, The," +<a href="#page007">7</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">V</p> + +<p class="p2">Valcartier, +<a href="#page016">16</a>, +<a href="#page017">17</a>, +<a href="#page019">19</a>, +<a href="#page024">24</a>.<br> +<span class="poem1"> " </span>Departure, +<a href="#page023">23</a>.<br> + +Vandervyver, M., +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page060">60</a>, +<a href="#page067">67</a>, +<a href="#page068">68</a>.<br> + +Venezelos, M., +<a href="#page221">221</a>.<br> + +Verbranden Molen, +<a href="#page126">126</a>.<br> + +Verdrel, +<a href="#page259">259</a>.<br> + +Victory Year, +<a href="#page234">234</a>.<br> + +Villers au Bois, +<a href="#page183">183</a>, +<a href="#page189">189</a>.<br> + +Villers-Cagnicourt, +<a href="#page296">296</a>.<br> + +Villers-Chatel, +<a href="#page205">205</a>, +<a href="#page256">256</a>, +<a href="#page257">257</a>, +<a href="#page263">263</a>.<br> + +Vimy Ridge, +<a href="#page150">150</a>, +<a href="#page151">151</a>, +<a href="#page162">162</a>, +<a href="#page164">164</a>, +<a href="#page167">167</a>, +<a href="#page169">169</a>, +<a href="#page178">178</a>, +<a href="#page181">181</a>, +<a href="#page233">233</a>, +<a href="#page239">239</a>, +<a href="#page263">263</a>.<br> + +Vlamertinghe, +<a href="#page059">59</a>, +<a href="#page068">68</a>, +<a href="#page069">69</a>, +<a href="#page070">70</a>, +<a href="#page072">72</a>, +<a href="#page073">73</a>, +<a href="#page130">130</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">W</p> + +<p class="p2">Wailly, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> + +Wanquetin, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> + +Warlus, +<a href="#page245">245</a>, +<a href="#page247">247</a>, +<a href="#page299">299</a>, +<a href="#page300">300</a>, +<a href="#page301">301</a>.<br> + +Warvilliers, +<a href="#page282">282</a>, +<a href="#page284">284</a>, +<a href="#page286">286</a>.<br> + +Westhof Farm, +<a href="#page098">98</a>.<br> + +Wieltje, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page055">55</a>, +<a href="#page061">61</a>, +<a href="#page062">62</a>.<br> + +Willerval, +<a href="#page170">170</a>, +<a href="#page177">177</a>.<br> + +Wingles, +<a href="#page193">193</a>.<br> + +Wippenhock, +<a href="#page130">130</a>.<br> + +Wisques, +<a href="#page190">190</a>.<br> + +Wounded, +<a href="#page316">316</a>.<br> + +Wreath on Victor Emmanuel Statue, +<a href="#page221">221</a>.<br> + +Wulverghem, +<a href="#page106">106</a>, +<a href="#page115">115</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">Y</p> + +<p class="p2">Y.M.C.A., +<a href="#page030">30</a>, +<a href="#page138">138</a>, +<a href="#page155">155</a>, +<a href="#page166">166</a>, +<a href="#page203">203</a>, +<a href="#page204">204</a>, +<a href="#page208">208</a>, +<a href="#page267">267</a>, +<a href="#page292">292</a>, +<a href="#page298">298</a>.<br> + +Ypres, +<a href="#page049">49</a>, +<a href="#page050">50</a>, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page055">55</a>, +<a href="#page124">124</a>, +<a href="#page128">128</a>, +<a href="#page130">130</a>, +<a href="#page132">132</a>, +<a href="#page227">227</a>, +<a href="#page230">230</a>.<br> + +Yser Canal, +<a href="#page054">54</a>, +<a href="#page055">55</a>.</p> + + +<p class="p2">Z</p> + +<p class="p2">Zillebeke Bund, +<a href="#page125">125</a>.<br> + +Zulus, +<a href="#page192">192</a>, +<a href="#page193">193</a>.</p> + + +<h5> +<i>Warwick Bros. & Rutter, Limited</i><br> +<i>Printers and Bookbinders</i><br> +<i>Toronto</i></h5> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Great War As I Saw It, by +Frederick George Scott + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WAR AS I SAW IT *** + +***** This file should be named 19857-h.htm or 19857-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/8/5/19857/ + +Produced by Sigal Alon, Christine P. 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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 + + +Title: The Great War As I Saw It + +Author: Frederick George Scott + +Release Date: November 18, 2006 [EBook #19857] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WAR AS I SAW IT *** + + + + +Produced by Sigal Alon, Christine P. Travers and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + +[Transcriber's note: +-Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. +-Variable spelling of hyphenated words has been made consistent. +-Missing page numbers correspond to blank pages. +-Punctuation conventions of the original have been retained. +-Inconsistent spelling of place names has been retained.] + + + + +[Illustration: Frontispiece] + + + + + The Great War as I Saw It + + + + +[Illustration: Frederick George Scott.] + + + + + The Great War as I Saw It + + by + + Canon Frederick George Scott, C.M.G., D.S.O. + _Late Senior Chaplain_ + _First Canadian Division, C.E.F._ + + Author of "Later Canadian Poems," and "Hymn of the Empire." + + + + F. D. GOODCHILD COMPANY + Publishers Toronto + + + + + Copyright, Canada, 1922 + by Frederick George Scott + + + + +CONTENTS (p. 005) + + PAGE +CHAPTER I. + How I got into the War--July to September, 1914 15 + +CHAPTER II. + The Voyage to England--September 29th to October 18th, 1914 25 + +CHAPTER III. + On Salisbury Plain--October 18th, 1914 to January 1st, 1915 30 + +CHAPTER IV. + Off to France--January to March, 1915 34 + +CHAPTER V. + Before the Storm--March and April, 1915 48 + +CHAPTER VI. + The Second Battle of Ypres--April 22nd, 1915 55 + +CHAPTER VII. + Festubert and Givenchy--May and June, 1915 74 + +CHAPTER VIII. + A Lull in Operations--Ploegsteert, July to December, 1915 93 + +CHAPTER IX. + Our First Christmas in France 118 + +CHAPTER X. + Spring, 1916 122 + +CHAPTER XI. + The Attack on Mount Sorrel--Summer, 1916 128 + +CHAPTER XII. + The Battle of the Somme--Autumn, 1916 134 + +CHAPTER XIII. + Our Home at Camblain l'Abbe--November, 1916 149 + +CHAPTER XIV. + My Search is Rewarded 154 + +CHAPTER XV. + A Time of Preparation--Christmas, 1916 to April, 1917 159 + +CHAPTER XVI. + The Capture of Vimy Ridge--April 9th, 1917 167 + +CHAPTER XVII. + A Month on the Ridge--April and May, 1917 173 + +CHAPTER XVIII. (p. 006) + A Well-earned Rest--May and June, 1917 179 + +CHAPTER XIX. + Paris Leave--June, 1917 186 + +CHAPTER XX. + We take Hill 70--July and August, 1917 192 + +CHAPTER XXI. + Every day Life--August and September, 1917 203 + +CHAPTER XXII. + A Tragedy of War 210 + +CHAPTER XXIII. + Visits to Rome and Paschendaele--Oct. and Nov., 1917 216 + +CHAPTER XXIV. + Our Last War Christmas 230 + +CHAPTER XXV. + Victory Year Opens--January and February, 1918 234 + +CHAPTER XXVI. + The German Offensive--March, 1918 240 + +CHAPTER XXVII. + In Front of Arras--April, 1918 248 + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + Sports and Pastimes--May and June, 1918 254 + +CHAPTER XXIX. + The Beginning of the End 267 + +CHAPTER XXX. + The Battle of Amiens--August 8th to August 16th, 1918 274 + +CHAPTER XXXI. + We Return to Arras--August, 1918 288 + +CHAPTER XXXII. + The Smashing of the Drocourt-Queant Line--Sept. 2nd, 1918 292 + +CHAPTER XXXIII. + Preparing for the Final Blow--September, 1918 298 + +CHAPTER XXXIV. + The Crossing of the Canal du Nord--September 27th, 1918 307 + +CHAPTER XXXV. + VICTORY--November 11th, 1918 318 + +INDEX 321 + + + + + TO (p. 007) + THE OFFICERS AND MEN + OF THE + FIRST CANADIAN DIVISION, C.E.F. + + + + +"THE UNBROKEN LINE." + + We who have trod the borderlands of death, + Where courage high walks hand in hand with fear, + Shall we not hearken what the Spirit saith, + "All ye were brothers there, be brothers here?" + + We who have struggled through the baffling night, + Where men were men and every man divine, + While round us brave hearts perished for the right + By chaliced shell-holes stained with life's rich wine. + + Let us not lose the exalted love which came + From comradeship with danger and the joy + Of strong souls kindled into living flame + By one supreme desire, one high employ. + + Let us draw closer in these narrower years, + Before us still the eternal visions spread; + We who outmastered death and all its fears + Are one great army still, living and dead. + F. G. S. + + + + +FOREWORD (p. 009) + + +It is with great pleasure I accede to the request of Canon Scott to +write a foreword to his book. + +I first heard of my friend and comrade after the second battle of +Ypres when he accompanied his beloved Canadians to Bethune after their +glorious stand in that poisonous gap--which in my own mind he +immortalised in verse:-- + + O England of our fathers, and England of our sons, + Above the roar of battling hosts, the thunder of the guns, + A mother's voice was calling us, we heard it oversea, + The blood which thou didst give us, is the blood we spill for thee. + +Little did I think when I first saw him that he could possibly, at his +time of life, bear the rough and tumble of the heaviest fighting in +history, and come through with buoyancy of spirit younger men envied +and older men recognized as the sign and fruit of self-forgetfulness +and the inspiration and cheering of others. + +Always in the thick of the fighting, bearing almost a charmed life, +ignoring any suggestion that he should be posted to a softer job +"further back," he held on to the very end. + +The last time I saw him was in a hospital at Etaples badly wounded, +yet cheery as ever--having done his duty nobly. + +All the Canadians in France knew him, and his devotion and +fearlessness were known all along the line, and his poems will, I am +bold to prophesy, last longer in the ages to come than most of the +histories of the war. + +I feel sure that his book--if anything like himself--will interest and +inspire all who read it. + + LLEWELLYN H. GWYNNE. + _Bishop of Khartoum, + Deputy Chaplain General + to the C. of E. Chaplains + in France._ + + + + +PREFACE (p. 011) + + +It is with a feeling of great hesitation that I send out this account +of my personal experiences in the Great War. As I read it over, I am +dismayed at finding how feebly it suggests the bitterness and the +greatness of the sacrifice of our men. As the book is written from an +entirely personal point of view, the use of the first personal pronoun +is of course inevitable, but I trust that the narration of my +experience has been used only as a lens through which the great and +glorious deeds of our men may be seen by others. I have refrained, as +far as possible, except where circumstances seemed to demand it, from +mentioning the names of officers or the numbers of battalions. + +I cannot let the book go out without thanking, for many acts of +kindness, Lieut.-General Sir Edwin Alderson, K.C.B., Lieut.-General +Sir Arthur Currie, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., and Major-General Sir Archibald +Macdonell, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., who were each in turn Commanders of +the First Canadian Division. In all the efforts the chaplains made for +the welfare of the Division, they always had the backing of these true +Christian Knights. Their kindness and consideration at all times were +unbounded, and the degree of liberty which they allowed me was a +privilege for which I cannot be too thankful, and which I trust I did +not abuse. + +If, by these faulty and inadequate reminiscences, dug out of memories +which have blended together in emotions too deep and indefinable to be +expressed in words, I have reproduced something of the atmosphere in +which our glorious men played their part in the deliverance of the +world, I shall consider my task not in vain. + +May the ears of Canada never grow deaf to the plea of widows and +orphans and our crippled men for care and support. May the eyes of +Canada never be blind to that glorious light which shines upon our +young national life from the deeds of those "Who counted not their +lives dear unto themselves," and may the lips of Canada never be dumb +to tell to future generations the tales of heroism which will kindle +the imagination and fire the patriotism of children that are yet +unborn. + + + + + The Great War as I Saw It (p. 013) + + + + +CHAPTER I. (p. 015) + +HOW I GOT INTO THE WAR. + +_July to September, 1914._ + + +It happened on this wise. It was on the evening of the 31st of July, +1914, that I went down to a newspaper office in Quebec to stand amid +the crowd and watch the bulletins which were posted up every now and +then, and to hear the news of the war. One after another the reports +were given, and at last there flashed upon the board the words, +"General Hughes offers a force of twenty thousand men to England in +case war is declared against Germany." I turned to a friend and said, +"That means that I have got to go to the war." Cold shivers went up +and down my spine as I thought of it, and my friend replied, "Of +course it does not mean that you should go. You have a parish and +duties at home." I said, "No. I am a Chaplain of the 8th Royal Rifles. +I must volunteer, and if I am accepted, I will go." It was a queer +sensation, because I had never been to war before and I did not know +how I should be able to stand the shell fire. I had read in books of +people whose minds were keen and brave, but whose hind legs persisted +in running away under the sound of guns. Now I knew that an ordinary +officer on running away under fire would get the sympathy of a large +number of people, who would say, "The poor fellow has got shell +shock," and they would make allowance for him. But if a chaplain ran +away, about six hundred men would say at once, "We have no more use +for religion." So it was with very mingled feelings that I +contemplated an expedition to the battle-fields of France, and I +trusted that the difficulties of Europe would be settled without our +intervention. + +However, preparations for war went on. On Sunday, August 2nd, in the +afternoon, I telephoned to Militia Headquarters and gave in my name as +a volunteer for the Great War. When I went to church that evening and +told the wardens that I was off to France, they were much surprised +and disconcerted. When I was preaching at the service and looked down +at the congregation, I had a queer feeling that some mysterious power +was dragging me into a whirlpool, and the ordinary life around me and +the things that were so dear to me had already begun to fade away. + +On Tuesday, August the Fourth, war was declared, and the (p. 016) +Expeditionary Force began to be mobilized in earnest. It is like +recalling a horrible dream when I look back to those days of +apprehension and dread. The world seemed suddenly to have gone mad. +All civilization appeared to be tottering. The Japanese Prime +Minister, on the night war was declared, said, "This is the end of +Europe." In a sense his words were true. Already we see power shifted +from nations in Europe to that great Empire which is in its youth, +whose home is in Europe, but whose dominions are scattered over the +wide world, and also to that new Empire of America, which came in to +the war at the end with such determination and high resolve. The +destinies of mankind are now in the hands of the English-speaking +nations and France. + +In those hot August days, a camp at Valcartier was prepared in a +lovely valley surrounded by the old granite hills of the Laurentians, +the oldest range of mountains in the world. The Canadian units began +to collect, and the lines of white tents were laid out. On Saturday, +August 22nd, at seven in the morning, the detachment of volunteers +from Quebec marched off from the drill-shed to entrain for Valcartier. +Our friends came to see us off and the band played "The Girl I Left +Behind Me," in the traditional manner. On our arrival at Valcartier we +marched over to the ground assigned to us, and the men set to work to +put up the tents. I hope I am casting no slur upon the 8th Royal +Rifles of Quebec, when I say that I think we were all pretty green in +the matter of field experience. The South African veterans amongst us, +both officers and men, saved the situation. But I know that the +cooking arrangements rather "fell down", and I think a little bread +and cheese, very late at night, was all we had to eat. We were lucky +to get that. Little did we know then of the field kitchens, with their +pipes smoking and dinners cooking, which later on used to follow up +the battalions as they moved. + +The camp at Valcartier was really a wonderful place. Rapidly the roads +were laid out, the tents were run up, and from west and east and north +and south men poured in. There was activity everywhere. Water was laid +on, and the men got the privilege of taking shower-baths, beside the +dusty roads. Bands played; pipers retired to the woods and practised +unearthly music calculated to fire the breast of the Scotsman with a +lust for blood. We had rifle practice on the marvellous ranges. We had +sham battles in which the men engaged so intensely that on one (p. 017) +occasion, when the enemy met, one over-eager soldier belaboured his +opponent with the butt end of his rifle as though he were a real +German, and the poor victim, who had not been taught to say "Kamarad", +suffered grievous wounds and had to be taken away in an ambulance. +Though many gales and tempests had blown round those ancient +mountains, nothing had ever equalled the latent power in the hearts of +the stalwart young Canadians who had come so swiftly and eagerly at +the call of the Empire. It is astonishing how the war spirit grips +one. In Valcartier began that splendid comradeship which spread out to +all the divisions of the Canadian Corps, and which binds those who +went to the great adventure in a brotherhood stronger than has ever +been known before. + +Valcartier was to me a weird experience. The tents were cold. The +ground was very hard. I got it into my mind that a chaplain should +live the same life as the private soldier, and should avoid all +luxuries. So I tried to sleep at night under my blanket, making a +little hole in the ground for my thigh bone to rest in. After lying +awake for some nights under these conditions, I found that the +privates, especially the old soldiers, had learnt the art of making +themselves comfortable and were hunting for straw for beds. I saw the +wisdom of this and got a Wolesley sleeping bag, which I afterwards +lost when my billet was shelled at Ypres. Under this new arrangement I +was able to get a little rest. A kind friend in Quebec provided fifty +oil stoves for the use of the Quebec contingent and so we became quite +comfortable. + +The dominating spirit of the camp was General Hughes, who rode about +with his aides-de-camp in great splendour like Napoleon. To me it +seemed that his personality and his despotic rule hung like a dark +shadow over the camp. He was especially interesting and terrible to us +chaplains, because rumour had it that he did not believe in chaplains, +and no one could find out whether he was going to take us or not. The +chaplains in consequence were very polite when inadvertently they +found themselves in his august presence. I was clad in a private's +uniform, which was handed to me out of a box in the drill-shed the +night before the 8th Royal Rifles left Quebec, and I was most +punctilious in the matter of saluting General Hughes whenever we +chanced to meet. + +The day after we arrived at the camp was a Sunday. The weather looked +dark and showery, but we were to hold our first church parade, (p. 018) +and, as I was the senior chaplain in rank, I was ordered to take it +over. We assembled about three thousand strong, on a little rise in +the ground, and here the men were formed in a hollow square. Rain was +threatening, but perhaps might have held off had it not been for the +action of one of the members of my congregation, who in the rear ranks +was overheard by my son to utter the prayer--"O Lord, have mercy in +this hour, and send us now a gentle shower." The prayer of the young +saint was answered immediately, the rain came down in torrents, the +church parade was called off, and I went back to my tent to get dry. + +Day after day passed and more men poured in. They were a splendid lot, +full of life, energy and keen delight in the great enterprise. +Visitors from the city thronged the camp in the afternoons and +evenings. A cinema was opened, but was brought to a fiery end by the +men, who said that the old man in charge of it never changed his +films. + +One of the most gruesome experiences I had was taking the funeral of a +young fellow who had committed suicide. I shall never forget the +dismal service which was held, for some reason or other, at ten +o'clock at night. Rain was falling, and we marched off into the woods +by the light of two smoky lanterns to the place selected as a military +cemetery. To add to the weirdness of the scene two pipers played a +dirge. In the dim light of the lanterns, with the dropping rain over +head and the dripping trees around us, we laid the poor boy to rest. +The whole scene made a lasting impression on those who were present. + +Meanwhile the camp extended and improvements were made, and many +changes occurred in the disposition of the units. At one time the +Quebec men were joined with a Montreal unit, then they were taken and +joined with a New Brunswick detachment and formed into a battalion. Of +course we grew more military, and I had assigned to me a batman whom I +shall call Stephenson. I selected him because of his piety--he was a +theological student from Ontario. I found afterwards that it is unwise +to select batmen for their piety. Stephenson was a failure as a +batman. When some duty had been neglected by him and I was on the +point of giving vent to that spirit of turbulent anger, which I soon +found was one of the natural and necessary equipments of an officer, +he would say, "Would you like me to recite Browning's 'Prospice'?" +What could the enraged Saul do on such occasions but forgive, throw +down the javelin and listen to the music of the harping David? (p. 019) +Stephenson was with me till I left Salisbury Plain for France. He +nearly exterminated me once by setting a stone water-bottle to heat on +my stove without unscrewing the stopper. I arrived in my tent quite +late and seeing the thing on the stove quickly unscrewed it. The steam +blew out with terrific force and filled the tent. A moment or two more +and the bottle would have burst with disastrous consequences. When I +told Stephenson of the enormity of his offence and that he might have +been the cause of my death, and would have sent me to the grave +covered with dishonour for having been killed by the bursting of a hot +water-bottle--an unworthy end for one about to enter the greatest war +the world has ever known--he only smiled faintly and asked me if I +should like to hear him recite a poem. + +News from overseas continued to be bad. Day after day brought us +tidings of the German advance. The martial spirits amongst us were +always afraid to hear that the war would be over before we got to +England. I, but did not tell the people so, was afraid it wouldn't. I +must confess I did not see in those days how a British force composed +of men from farms, factories, offices and universities could get +together in time to meet and overthrow the trained legions of Germany. +It was certainly a period of anxious thought and deep foreboding, but +I felt that I belonged to a race that has never been conquered. Above +all, right and, therefore, God was on our side. + +The scenery around Valcartier is very beautiful. It was a joy now and +then to get a horse and ride away from the camp to where the Jacques +Cartier river comes down from the mountains, and to dream of the old +days when the world was at peace and we could enjoy the lovely +prospects of nature, without the anxious care that now gnawed at our +hearts. The place had been a favorite haunt of mine in the days gone +by, when I used to take a book of poems and spend the whole day beside +the river, reading and dozing and listening to the myriad small voices +of the woods. + +Still, the centre of interest now was the camp, with its turmoil and +bustle and indefinite longing to be up and doing. The officer +commanding my battalion had brought his own chaplain with him, and it +was plainly evident that I was not wanted. This made it, I must +confess, somewhat embarrassing. My tent, which was at the corner of +the front line, was furnished only with my bed-roll and a box or two, +and was not a particularly cheerful home. I used to feel rather (p. 020) +lonely at times. Now and then I would go to Quebec for the day. On one +occasion, when I had been feeling particularly seedy, I returned to +camp at eleven o'clock at night. It was cold and rainy. I made my way +from the station to my tent. In doing so I had to pass a Highland +Battalion from Vancouver. When I came to their lines, to my dismay I +was halted by a sentry with a fixed bayonet, who shouted in the +darkness, "Who goes there?" I gave the answer, but instead of being +satisfied with my reply, the wretched youth stood unmoved, with his +bayonet about six inches from my body, causing me a most unpleasant +sensation. He said I should have to come to the guardroom and be +identified. In the meantime, another sentry appeared, also with a +fixed bayonet, and said that I had to be identified. Little did I +think that the whole thing was a game of the young rascals, and that +they were beguiling the tedious moments of the sentry-go by pulling a +chaplain's leg. They confessed it to me months afterwards in France. +However, I was unsuspecting and had come submissive into the great +war. I said that if they would remove their bayonets from propinquity +to my person--because the sight of them was causing me a fresh attack +of the pains that had racked me all day--I would go with them to the +guardroom. At this they said, "Well, Sir, we'll let you pass. We'll +take your word and say no more about it." So off I went to my dripping +canvas home, hoping that the war would be brought to a speedy +termination. + +Every night I used to do what I called "parish visiting." I would go +round among the tents, and sitting on the ground have a talk with the +men. Very interesting and charming these talks were. I was much +impressed with the miscellaneous interests and life histories of the +men who had been so quickly drawn together. All were fast being shaken +down into their places, and I think the great lessons of unselfishness +and the duty of pulling together were being stamped upon the lives +that had hitherto been more or less at loose ends. I used to sit in +the tents talking long after lights were out, not wishing to break the +discussion of some interesting life problem. This frequently entailed +upon me great difficulty in finding my way back to my tent, for the +evenings were closing in rapidly and it was hard to thread one's way +among the various ropes and pegs which kept the tents in position. On +one occasion when going down the lines, I tripped over a rope. Up to +that moment the tent had been in perfect silence, but, as though I had +fired a magazine of high explosives, a torrent of profanity burst (p. 021) +forth from the inhabitants at my misadventure. Of course the men +inside did not know to whom they were talking, but I stood there with +my blood curdling, wondering how far I was personally responsible for +the language poured forth, and terrified lest anyone should look and +find out who had disturbed their slumbers. I stole off into the +darkness as quickly as I could, more than ever longing for a speedy +termination of the great war, and resolving to be more careful in +future about tripping over tent ropes. + +We had church parades regularly now on Sundays and early celebrations +of the Holy Communion for the various units. Several weeks had gone by +and as yet we had no definite information from General Hughes as to +which or how many chaplains would be accepted. It was very annoying. +Some of us could not make satisfactory arrangements for our parishes, +until there was a certainty in the matter. The question came to me as +to whether I ought to go, now that the Quebec men had been merged into +a battalion of which I was not to be the chaplain. One evening as I +was going to town, I put the matter before my friend Colonel, now +General, Turner. It was a lovely night. The moon was shining, and +stretching far off into the valley were the rows of white tents with +the dark mountains enclosing them around. We stood outside the +farmhouse used as headquarters, which overlooked the camp. When I +asked the Colonel whether, now that I was separated from my men, I +ought to leave my parish and go, he said to me, "Look at those lines +of tents and think of the men in them. How many of those men will ever +come back? The best expert opinion reckons that this war will last at +least two years. The wastage of human life in war is tremendous. The +battalions have to be filled and refilled again and again. Don't +decide in a hurry, but think over what I have told you." On the next +evening when I returned from Quebec, I went to the Colonel and said, +"I have thought the matter over and I am going." + +The time was now drawing near for our departure and at last word was +sent round that General Hughes wished to meet all the chaplains on the +verandah of his bungalow. The time set was the cheerful hour of five +a.m. I lay awake all night with a loud ticking alarm clock beside me, +till about half an hour before the wretched thing was to go off. With +great expedition I rose and shaved and making myself as smart as +possible in the private's uniform, hurried off to the General's camp +home. There the other chaplains were assembled, about twenty-five (p. 022) +or thirty in all. We all felt very sleepy and very chilly as we waited +with expectancy the utterance which was going to seal our fate. The +General soon appeared in all the magnificence and power of his +position. We rose and saluted. When he metaphorically told us to +"stand easy", we all sat down. I do not know what the feelings of the +others were, but I had an impression that we were rather an awkward +squad, neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. The General gave us a heart to +heart talk. He told us he was going to send us with "the boys." From +his manner I inferred that he looked upon us a kind of auxiliary and +quite dispensable sanitary section. I gathered that he did not want us +to be very exacting as to the performance of religious duties by the +men. Rather we were to go in and out amongst them, make friends of +them and cheer them on their way. Above all we were to remember that +because a man said "Damn", it did not mean necessarily that he was +going to hell. At the conclusion of the address, we were allowed to +ask questions, and one of our number unadvisedly asked if he would be +allowed to carry a revolver. "No," said Sam with great firmness, "take +a bottle of castor oil." We didn't dare to be amused at the incident +in the presence of the Chief, but we had a good laugh over it when we +got back to our tents. + +Two Sundays before we left, the most remarkable church parade in the +history of the division was held, at which fully fifteen thousand men +were present. The Senior Chaplain asked me to preach. A large platform +had been erected, on which the chaplains stood, and on the platform +also were two signallers, whose duty it was to signal to the +battalions and bands the numbers of the hymns. On the chairs in front +of the platform were seated the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the +Princess Patricia, Sir Robert Borden, and other notables. Beyond them +were gathered the men in battalions. At one side were the massed +bands. It was a wonderful sight. The sun was shining. Autumn tints +coloured the maple trees on the sides of the ancient mountains. Here +was Canada quickening into national life and girding on the sword to +take her place among the independent nations of the world. It had been +my privilege, fifteen years before, to preach at the farewell service +in Quebec Cathedral for the Canadian Contingent going to the South +African war. It seemed to me then that never again should I have such +an experience. Yet on that occasion there were only a thousand men +present, and here were fifteen times that number. At that time (p. 023) +the war was with a small and half-civilized nation in Africa, now the +war was with the foremost nations of Europe. On that occasion I used +the second personal pronoun "you", now I was privileged to use the +first personal pronoun "we". Almost to the last I did not know what +text to choose and trusted to the inspiration of the moment what to +say. My mind was confused with the vastness of the outlook. At last +the words came to me which are the very foundation stone of human +endeavour and human progress, "He that loseth his life for My sake +shall find it." I do not know exactly what I said, and I do not +suppose it mattered much, for it was hard to make oneself heard. I was +content if the words of the text alone were audible. We sang that +great hymn, "O God our help in ages past," which came into such +prominence as an imperial anthem during the war. As we sang the +words-- + + "Before the hills in order stood, + Or earth received her frame"-- + +I looked at the everlasting mountains around us, where the sound of +our worship died away, and thought how they had watched and waited for +this day to come, and how, in the ages that were to dawn upon Canadian +life and expansion, they would stand as monuments of the consecration +of Canada to the service of mankind. + +Things began to move rapidly now. People from town told us that +already a fleet of liners was waiting in the harbour, ready to carry +overseas the thirty-three thousand men of the Canadian contingent. + +At last the eventful day of our departure arrived. On September 28th, +with several other units, the 14th Battalion, to which I had been +attached, marched off to the entraining point. I took one last look at +the great camp which had now become a place of such absorbing interest +and I wondered if I should ever see again that huge amphitheatre with +its encompassing mountain witnesses. The men were in high spirits and +good humour prevailed. + +We saw the three companies of Engineers moving off, each followed by +those mysterious pontoons which followed them wherever they went and +suggested the bridging of the Rhine and our advance to Berlin. Someone +called out, "What are those boats?" and a voice replied, "That's the +Canadian Navy." We had a pleasant trip in the train to Quebec, +enlivened by jokes and songs. On our arrival at the docks, we were +taken to the custom-house wharf and marched on board the fine (p. 024) +Cunard liner "Andania", which now rests, her troubles over, at the +bottom of the Irish Sea. On the vessel, besides half of the 14th +Battalion, there was the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, chiefly +from Vancouver, and the Signal Company. Thus we had a ship full to +overflowing of some of the noblest young fellows to whom the world has +given birth. So ended our war experience in Valcartier Camp. + +Nearly five years passed before I saw that sacred spot again. It was +in August 1919. The war was ended, peace had been signed, and the +great force of brother knights had been dispersed. Little crosses by +the highways and byways of France and Belgium now marked the +resting-place of thousands of those whose eager hearts took flame +among these autumn hills. As I motored past the deserted camp after +sunset, my heart thrilled with strange memories and the sense of an +abiding presence of something weird and ghostly. Here were the old +roads, there were the vacant hutments. Here were the worn paths across +the fields where the men had gone. The evening breeze whispered +fitfully across the untrodden grass and one by one the strong +mountains, as though fixing themselves more firmly in iron resolve, +cast off the radiant hues of evening and stood out black and grim +against the starlit sky. + + + + +CHAPTER II. (p. 025) + +THE VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. + +_September 29th to October 18th, 1914._ + + +The "Andania" moved out to mid-stream and anchored off Cape Diamond. +The harbour was full of liners, crowded with men in khaki. It was a +great sensation to feel oneself at last merged into the great army +life and no longer free to come and go. I looked at the City and saw +the familiar outline of the Terrace and Chateau Frontenac and, over +all, the Citadel, one of my favourite haunts in times past. A great +gulf separated us now from the life we had known. We began to realize +that the individual was submerged in the great flood of corporate +life, and the words of the text came to me, "He that loseth his life +for My sake shall find it." + +The evening was spent in settling down to our new quarters in what +was, especially after the camp at Valcartier, a luxurious home. Dinner +at night became the regimental mess, and the saloon with its sumptuous +furnishings made a fine setting for the nightly gathering of officers. +We lay stationary all that night and on the next evening, Sept. the +29th, at six o'clock we weighed anchor and went at slow speed down the +stream. Several other vessels had preceded us, the orders to move +being sent by wireless. We passed the Terrace where cheer after cheer +went up from the black line of spectators crowded against the railing. +Our men climbed up into the rigging and their cheers went forth to the +land that they were leaving. It was a glorious evening. The sun had +set and the great golden light, fast deepening into crimson, burnt +behind the northern hills and lit up the windows of the houses on the +cliffs of Levis opposite. We moved down past the Custom House. We saw +the St. Charles Valley and the Beauport shore, but ever our eyes +turned to the grim outline of Cape Diamond and the city set upon the +hill. Beside me on the upper deck stood a young officer. We were +talking together and wondering if we should ever see that rock again. +He never did. He and his only brother were killed in the war. We +reached the end of the Island of Orleans, and looking back saw a +deeper crimson flood the sky, till the purple mists of evening hid +Quebec from our view. + +We had a lovely sail down the St. Lawrence in superb weather and (p. 026) +three days later entered the great harbour of Gaspe Basin. Here the +green arms of the hills encompassed us, as though Canada were +reluctant to let us go. Gaspe Basin has historical memories for +Canada, for it was there that Wolfe assembled his fleet on his voyage +to the capture of Quebec. We lay at anchor all day, and at night the +moon came up and flooded the great water with light, against which +stood out the black outline of thirty ships, so full of eager and +vigorous life. About midnight I went on deck to contemplate the scene. +The night was calm and still. The vessels lay dark and silent with all +lights screened. The effect was one of lonely grandeur. What was it +going to mean to us? What did fate hold in store? Among those hills, +the outline of which I could now but faintly see, were the lakes and +salmon rivers in the heart of the great forests which make our +Canadian wild life so fascinating. We were being torn from that life +and sent headlong into the seething militarism of a decadent European +feudalism. I was leaning on the rail looking at the track of +moonlight, when a young lad came up to me and said, "Excuse me, Sir, +but may I talk to you for a while? It is such a weird sight that it +has got on my nerves." He was a young boy of seventeen who had come +from Vancouver. Many times afterwards I met him in France and Belgium, +when big things were being done in the war, and we talked together +over that night in Gaspe Basin and the strange thoughts that crowded +upon us then. He was not the only one in that great fleet of +transports who felt the significance of the enterprise. + +On Saturday afternoon we resumed our journey and steamed out of the +narrows. Outside the bay the ships formed into a column of three abreast, +making a line nine miles in length. Several cruisers, and later a +battleship and battle cruiser, mounted guard over the expedition. Off +Cape Race, the steamship "Florizel" joined us, bringing the Newfoundland +troops. Our family party was now complete. + +It was indeed a family party. On every ship we had friends. It seemed +as if Canada herself were steaming across the ocean. Day after day, in +perfect weather, keeping our relative positions in absolute order, we +sped over the deep. There was none of the usual sense of loneliness +which characterizes the ocean voyage. We looked at the line of vessels +and we felt that one spirit and one determination quickened the whole +fleet into individual life. + +On board the "Andania" the spirit of the men was excellent. There (p. 027) +was physical drill daily to keep them fit. There was the gymnasium for +the officers. We had boxing matches for all, and sword dances also for +the Highlanders. In the early morning at five-thirty, the pipers used +to play reveille down the passages. Not being a Scotsman, the music +always woke me up. At such moments I considered it my duty to try to +understand the music of the pipes. But in the early hours of the +morning I made what I thought were discoveries. First I found out that +all pipe melodies have the same bass. Secondly I found out that all +pipe melodies have the same treble. On one occasion the pipers left +the security of the Highlanders' quarters and invaded the precincts of +the 14th Battalion, who retaliated by turning the hose on them. A +genuine battle between the contending factions was only averted by the +diplomacy of the O.C. + +I had made friends with the wireless operators on board the ship, and +every night I used to go up to their cabin on the upper deck and they +would give me reports of the news which had been flashed out to the +leading cruiser. They told me of the continued German successes and of +the fall of Antwerp. The news was not calculated to act as a soothing +nightcap before going to bed. I was sworn to secrecy and so I did not +let the men know what was happening at the front. I used to look round +at the bright faces of the young officers in the saloon and think of +all that those young fellows might have to endure before the world was +saved. It gave everyone on board a special sacredness in my eyes, and +one felt strangely inadequate and unworthy to be with them. + +The men lived below decks and some of them were packed in pretty +tightly. Had the weather been rough there would have been a good deal +of suffering. During the voyage our supply of flour gave out, but as +we had a lot of wheat on board, the men were set to grind it in a +coffee mill. More than fifty per cent of the men, I found, were +members of the Church of England, and so I determined to have a +celebration of Holy Communion, for all who cared to attend, at five +o'clock every morning. I always had a certain number present, and very +delightful were these services at that early hour. Outside on deck we +could hear the tramp and orders of those engaged in physical drill, +and inside the saloon where I had arranged the altar there knelt a +small gathering of young fellows from various parts of Canada, who +were pleased to find that the old Church was going with them on (p. 028) +their strange pilgrimage. The well-known hymn-- + + "Eternal Father strong to save, + Whose arm hath bound the restless wave" + +had never appealed to me much in the past, but it took on a new +meaning at our Sunday church parade, for we all felt that we were a +rather vulnerable body in any determined attack that might be made +upon us by the German navy. Now and then vessels would be sighted on +the horizon and there was always much excitement and speculation as to +what they might be. We could see the cruisers making off in the +direction of the strangers and taking a survey of the ocean at long +range. + +One day a man on the "Royal George" fell overboard, and a boat was +instantly lowered to pick him up. The whole fleet came to a +standstill and all our glasses were turned towards the scene of +rescue. Often in our battles when we saw the hideous slaughter of +human beings, I have thought of the care for the individual life which +stopped that great fleet in order to save one man. + +Our destination, of course, was not known to us. Some thought we might +go directly to France, others that we should land in England. When at +last, skirting the south coast of Ireland, we got into the English +Channel, we felt more than ever the reality of our adventure. I believe +we were destined for Southampton; but rumour had it that a German +submarine was waiting for us in the Channel, so we turned into the +harbour of Plymouth. It was night when we arrived. A low cloud and +mist hung over the dark choppy waves of the Channel. From the forts at +Plymouth and from vessels in the harbour, long searchlights moved like +the fingers of a great ghostly hand that longed to clutch at something. +We saw the small patrol boats darting about in all directions and we +felt with a secret thrill that we had got into that part of the world +which was at war. We arrived at Plymouth on the evening of October +14th, our voyage having lasted more than a fortnight. Surely no +expedition, ancient or modern, save that perhaps which Columbus led +towards the undiscovered continent of his dreams, was ever fraught +with greater significance to the world at large. We are still too +close to the event to be able to measure its true import. Its real +meaning was that the American continent with all its huge resources, +its potential value in the ages to come, had entered upon the sphere +of world politics, and ultimately would hold in its hands the sceptre +of world dominion. Even the British thought that we had come (p. 029) +merely to assist the Mother Country in her difficulties. Those who +were at the helm in Canada, however, knew that we were not fighting +for the security of the Mother Country only, but for the security of +Canadian nationalism itself. Whatever the ages hold in store for us in +this great and rich Dominion which stretches from sea to sea and from +the river unto the world's end, depended upon our coming out victors +in the great European struggle. + + + + +CHAPTER III. (p. 030) + +ON SALISBURY PLAIN. + +_October 18th, 1914, to January 1st, 1915._ + + +On Sunday the 18th, our men entrained and travelled to Patney, and +from thence marched to Westdown South, Salisbury Plain. There tents +had been prepared and we settled down to life in our new English home. +At first the situation was very pleasant. Around us on all sides +spread the lines of tents. The weather was delightful. A ride over the +mysterious plain was something never to be forgotten. The little +villages around were lovely and quaint. The old town of Salisbury, +with its wonderful Cathedral and memories of old England, threw the +glamour of romance and chivalry over the new soldiers in the new +crusade. But winter drew on, and such a winter it was. The rains +descended, the floods came and the storms beat upon our tents, and the +tents which were old and thin allowed a fine sprinkling of moisture to +fall upon our faces. The green sward was soon trampled into deep and +clinging mud. There was nothing for the men to do. Ammunition was +short, there was little rifle practice. The weather was so bad that a +route march meant a lot of wet soldiers with nowhere to dry their +clothes upon their return. In some places the mud went over my long +rubber boots. The gales of heaven swept over the plain unimpeded. +Tents were blown down. On one particularly gloomy night, I met a +chaplain friend of mine in the big Y.M.C.A. marquee. I said to him, +"For goodness sake let us do something for the men. Let us have a +sing-song." He agreed, and we stood in the middle of the marquee with +our backs to the pole and began to sing a hymn. I do not know what it +was. I started the air and was going on so beautifully that the men +were beginning to be attracted and were coming around us. Suddenly my +friend struck in with a high tenor note. Hardly had the sound gone +forth when, like the fall of the walls of Jericho at the sound of +Joshua's trumpets, a mighty gale struck the building, and with a +ripping sound the whole thing collapsed. In the rain and darkness we +rushed to the assistance of the attendants and extinguished the lamps, +which had been upset, while the men made their way to the counters and +put the cigarettes and other dainties into their pockets, lest they +should get wet. On another occasion, the Paymaster's tent blew (p. 031) +away as he was paying off the battalion. Five shilling notes flew +over the plain like white birds over the sea. The men quickly chased +them and gathered them up, and on finding them stained with mud +thought it unnecessary to return them. On another night the huge +marquee where Harrod's ran the mess for a large number of officers, +blew down just as we were going to dinner, and we had to forage in the +various canteens for tinned salmon and packages of biscuits. + +Still, in spite of all, the spirits of our men never failed. One night +when a heavy rain had turned every hollow into a lake, and every gully +into a rushing cataract, I went down to some tents on a lower level +than my own. I waded through water nearly a foot deep and came to a +tent from which I saw a faint light emerging. I looked inside and +there with their backs to the pole stood some stalwart young +Canadians. On an island in the tent, was a pile of blankets, on which +burnt a solitary candle. "Hello, boys, how are you getting on?" "Fine, +Sir, fine," was their ready response. "Well, boys, keep that spirit +up," I said, "and we'll win the war." + +At first we had no "wet" canteen where beer could be procured. The +inns in the villages around became sources of great attraction to the +men, and the publicans did their best to make what they could out of +the well-paid Canadian troops. The maintenance of discipline under +such circumstances was difficult. We were a civilian army, and our men +had come over to do a gigantic task. Everyone knew that, when the hour +for performance came, they would be ready, but till that hour came +they were intolerant of restraint. + +The English people did not understand us, and many of our men +certainly gave them good reason to be doubtful. Rumour had it at one +time that we were going to be taken out of the mud and quartered in +Exeter. Then the rumour was that the Exeter people said, "If the +Canadians are sent here, we'll all leave the town." I did not mind, I +told the men I would make my billet in the Bishop's Palace. + +The C.O. of one of the battalions was tempted to do what David did +with such disastrous results, namely number the people. He called the +roll of his battalion and found that four hundred and fifty men were +absent without leave. But as I have said, we all knew that when the +moment for big things came, every man would be at his post and would +do his bit. + +Just before Christmas the 3rd Brigade were moved into huts at Lark +Hill. They were certainly an improvement upon the tents, but they (p. 032) +were draughty and leaky. From my window I could see, on the few +occasions when the weather permitted it, the weird and ancient circles +of Stonehenge. + +The calm repose of those huge stones, which had watched unmoved the +passing of human epochs, brought peace to the mind. They called to +memory the lines;-- + + "Our little systems have their day, + They have their day and cease to be: + They are but broken lights of Thee, + And Thou, O Lord, art more than they." + +In order to give Christmas its religious significance, I asked +permission of the Rector of Amesbury to use his church for a midnight +Eucharist on Christmas Eve. He gladly gave his consent and notice of +the service was sent round to the units of the Brigade. In the thick +fog the men gathered and marched down the road to the village, where +the church windows threw a soft light into the mist that hung over the +ancient burial ground. The church inside was bright and beautiful. The +old arches and pillars and the little side chapels told of days gone +by, when the worship of the holy nuns, who had their convent there, +rose up to God day by day. The altar was vested in white and the +candles shone out bright and fair. The organist had kindly consented +to play the Christmas hymns, in which the men joined heartily. It was +a service never to be forgotten, and as I told the men, in the short +address I gave them, never before perhaps, in the history of that +venerable fane, had it witnessed a more striking assembly. From a +distance of nearly seven thousand miles some of them had come, and +this was to be our last Christmas before we entered the life and death +struggle of the nations. Row after row of men knelt to receive the +Bread of Life, and it was a rare privilege to administer it to them. +The fog was heavier on our return and some of us had great difficulty +in finding our lines. + +It seemed sometimes as if we had been forgotten by the War Office, but +this was not the case. We had visits from the King, Lord Roberts and +other high officials. All these were impressed with the physique and +high spirits of our men. + +The conditions under which we lived were certainly atrocious, and an +outbreak of meningitis cast a gloom over the camp. It was met bravely +and skilfully by our medical men, of whose self-sacrifice and devotion +no praise is too high. The same is true of their conduct all through +the war. + +Our life on the Plain was certainly a puzzle to us. Why were we (p. 033) +kept there? When were we going to leave? Were we not wanted in France? +These were the questions we asked one another. I met an Imperial +officer one day, who had just returned from the front. I asked him +when we were going to train for the trenches. "Why" he said, "what +better training could you have than you are getting here? If you can +stand the life here, you can stand the life in France." I think he was +right. That strange experience was just what we needed to inure us to +hardship, and it left a stamp of resolution and efficiency on the +First Division which it never lost. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. (p. 034) + +OFF TO FRANCE. + +_January To March, 1915._ + + +Towards the end of January, rumors became more frequent that our +departure was close at hand, and we could see signs of the coming +movement in many quarters. The disposition of the chaplains was still +a matter of uncertainty. At last we were informed that only five +chaplains were to proceed with the troops to France. This was the +original number which the War Office had told us to bring from Canada. +The news fell like a thunderbolt upon us, and we at once determined to +get the order changed. The Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain and myself, +by permission of the General, made a special journey to the War +Office. The Chaplain-General received us, if not coldly, at least +austerely. We told him that we had come from Canada to be with the men +and did not want to leave them. He replied by saying that the +Canadians had been ordered by Lord Kitchener to bring only five +chaplains with them, and they had brought thirty-one. He said, looking +at me, "That is not military discipline; we must obey orders." I +explained to him that since the Canadian Government was paying the +chaplains the people thought it did not matter how many we had. Even +this did not seem to convince him. "Besides", he said, "they tell me +that of all the troops in England the Canadians are the most +disorderly and undisciplined, and they have got thirty-one chaplains." +"But", I replied, "you ought to see what they would have been like, if +we had brought only five." We succeeded in our mission in so far that +he promised to speak to Lord Kitchener that afternoon and see if the +wild Canadians could not take more chaplains with them to France than +were allotted to British Divisions. The result was that eleven of our +chaplains were to be sent. + +Early in February we were told that our Division was to go in a few days. +In spite of the mud and discomfort we had taken root in Salisbury +Plain. I remember looking with affection one night at the Cathedral +bathed in moonlight, and at the quaint streets of the dear old town, +over which hung the shadow of war. Could it be possible that England +was about to be crushed under the heel of a foreign tyrant? If (p. 035) +such were to be her fate, death on the battlefield would be easy to bear. +What Briton could endure to live under the yoke or by the permission of +a vulgar German autocrat? + +On entering the mess one evening I was horrified to read in the orders +that Canon Scott was to report immediately for duty to No. 2 General +Hospital. It was a great blow to be torn from the men of the fighting +forces. I at once began to think out a plan of campaign. I went over +to the G.O.C. of my brigade, and told him that I was to report to No. +2 General Hospital. I said, with perfect truth, that I did not know +where No. 2 General Hospital was, but I had determined to begin the +hunt for it in France. I asked him if he would take me across with the +Headquarters Staff, so that I might begin my search at the front. He +had a twinkle in his eye as he told me that if I could get on board +the transport, he would make no objection. I was delighted with the +prospect of going over with the men. + +When the time came to pack up, I was overwhelmed by the number of things +that I had accumulated during the winter. I disposed of a lot of +useless camp furniture, such as folding tables and collapsible chairs, +and my faithful friend the oil stove. With a well-filled Wolseley +kit-bag and a number of haversacks bursting with their contents, I was +ready for the journey. On February 11th, on a lovely afternoon, I +started off with the Headquarters Staff. We arrived at Avonmouth and +made our way to the docks. It was delightful to think that I was going +with the men. I had no batman and no real standing with the unit with +which I was travelling. However, I did not let this worry me. I got a +friend to carry my kit-bag, and then covering myself with haversacks, +till I looked, as the men said, like a Christmas tree, I made my way +to the ship with a broad grin of satisfaction on my face. As I went up +the gangway so attired and looking exceedingly pleased with myself, my +appearance excited the suspicion of the officer in command of the ship, +who was watching the troops come on board. Mistaking the cause of my +good spirits, he called a captain to him and said, "There is an officer +coming on board who is drunk; go and ask him who he is." The captain +accordingly came over and greeting me pleasantly said, "How do you do, +Sir?" "Very well, thank you," I replied, smiling all the more. I was +afraid he had come up to send me back. Having been a teetotaler for +twenty-two years, I knew nothing of the horrible suspicion under (p. 036) +which I lay at the moment. The captain then said, "Who are you, Sir?" +and I, thinking of my happy escape from army red tape, answered quite +innocently, with a still broader grin, "I'm No. 2, General Hospital." +This, of course confirmed the captain's worst suspicions. He went back +to the O.C. of the ship. "Who does he say he is?" said the Colonel. +"He says he is No. 2 General Hospital," the Captain replied. "Let him +come on board" said the Colonel. He thought I was safer on board the +ship than left behind in that condition on the wharf. With great +delight I found all dangers had been passed and I was actually about +to sail for France. + +The boat which took us and the 3rd Artillery Brigade, was a small vessel +called "The City of Chester." We were horribly crowded, so my bed had +to be made on the table in the saloon. A doctor lay on the sofa at the +side and several young officers slept on the floor. We had not been out +many hours before a terrific gale blew up from the West, and we had to +point our bow towards Canada. I told the men there was some satisfaction +in that. We were exceedingly uncomfortable. My bed one night slid off +the table on to the sleeping doctor and nearly crushed him. I squeezed +out some wonderfully religious expressions from him in his state of +partial unconsciousness. I replaced myself on the table, and then slid +off on to the chairs on the other side. I finally found a happy and +safe haven on the floor. On some of the other transports they fared +even worse. My son, with a lot of other privates, was lying on the +floor of the lowest deck in his boat, when a voice shouted down the +gangway, "Lookout boys, there's a horse coming down." They cleared +away just in time for a horse to land safely in the hold, having +performed one of those miraculous feats which horses so often do +without damage to themselves. + +On the 15th of February we arrived off the west coast of France and +disembarked at St. Nazaire. Our life now took on fresh interest. +Everything about us was new and strange. As a Quebecer I felt quite at +home in a French town. A good sleep in a comfortable hotel was a great +refreshment after the voyage. In the afternoon of the following day we +entrained for the front. I spread out my Wolesley sleeping bag on the +straw in a box car in which there were several other officers. Our +progress was slow, but it was a great thing to feel that we were (p. 037) +travelling through France, that country of romance and chivalry. Our +journey took more than two days, and we arrived at Hazebrouck one week +after leaving Salisbury Plain. The town has since been badly wrecked, +but then it was undamaged. The Brigadier lent me a horse and I rode +with his staff over to Caestre where the brigade was to be billeted. +In the same town were the 15th and 16th Battalions and the 3rd Field +Ambulance. I had a room that night in the Chateau, a rather rambling +modern house. The next morning I went out to find a billet for myself. +I called on the Mayor and Mayoress, a nice old couple who not only gave +me a comfortable room in their house, but insisted upon my accepting +it free of charge. They also gave me breakfast in the kitchen downstairs. +I was delighted to be so well housed and was going on my way rejoicing +when I met an officer who told me that the Brigade Major wanted to see +me in a hurry. I went over to his office and was addressed by him in a +very military manner. He wanted to know why I was there and asked what +unit I was attached to. I told him No. 2 General Hospital. He said, +"Where is it?" "I don't know", I replied, "I came over to France to +look for it." He said, "It is at Lavington on Salisbury Plain," and +added, "You will have to report to General Alderson and get some +attachment till the hospital comes over." His manner was so cold and +businesslike that it was quite unnerving and I began to realize more +than ever that I was in the Army. Accordingly that afternoon I walked +over to the General's Headquarters, at Strazeele, some five miles +away, and he attached me to the Brigade until my unit should come to +France. I never knew when it did come to France, for I never asked. +"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" was my motto. I held on +to my job at the front. But the threat which the Brigadier held over +me, that if I went into the trenches or anywhere out of his immediate +ken I should be sent back to No. 2 General Hospital, was something +which weighed upon my spirits very heavily at times, and caused me to +acquire great adroitness in the art of dodging. In fact, I made up my +mind that three things had to be avoided if I wished to live through +the campaign--sentries, cesspools, and generals. They were all sources +of special danger, as everyone who has been at the front can testify. +Over and over again on my rambles in the dark, nothing has saved me +from being stuck by a sentry but the white gleam of my clerical (p. 038) +collar, which on this account I had frequently thought of painting +with luminous paint. One night I stepped into a cesspool and had to sit +on a chair while my batman pumped water over me almost as ill-savoured +as the pool itself. On another occasion, when, against orders, I was +going into the trenches in Ploegsteert, I saw the General and his +staff coming down the road. Quick as thought, I cantered my horse into +an orchard behind a farm house, where there was a battery of Imperials. +The men were surprised, not to say alarmed, at the sudden appearance +of a chaplain in their midst. When I told them, however, that I was +dodging a general, they received me with the utmost kindness and +sympathy. They had often done the same themselves, and offered me some +light refreshments. + +On the following Sunday we had our first church parade in the war +zone. We were delighted during the service to hear in the distance the +sound of guns and shells. As the war went on we preferred church +parades when we could not hear guns and shells. + +After a brief stay in Caestre the whole brigade marched off to +Armentieres. Near Fletre, the Army Commander, General Smith-Dorrien, +stood by the roadside and took the salute as we passed. I went with +the 15th Battalion, and, as I told the men, being a Canon, marched +with the machine gun section. We went by the delightful old town of +Bailleul. The fields were green. The hedges were beginning to show +signs of spring life. The little villages were quaint and picturesque, +but the pave road was rough and tiring. Bailleul made a delightful +break in the journey. The old Spanish town hall, with its tower, the +fine old church and spire and the houses around the Grande Place, will +always live in one's memory. The place is all a ruin now, but then it +formed a pleasant home and meeting place for friends from many parts. +We skirted the borders of Belgium and arrived at Armentieres in the +afternoon. The place had been shelled and was partly deserted, but was +still a populous town. I made my home with the Brigade transport in a +large school. In the courtyard our horses and mules were picketed. I +had never heard mules bray before and I had a good sample next morning +of what they can do, for with the buildings around them the sound had +an added force. The streets of Armentieres were well laid out and some +of the private residences were very fine. It is astonishing how our +camp life at Salisbury had made us love cities. Armentieres has (p. 039) +since been destroyed and its church ruined. Many of us have pleasant +memories of the town, and the cemetery there is the resting place of +numbers of brave Canadians. + +I ran across an imperial Chaplain there, whom I had met in England. He +told me he had a sad duty to perform that night. It was to prepare for +death three men who were to be shot at daybreak. He felt it very +keenly, and I afterwards found from experience how bitter the duty +was. + +We were brought to Armentieres in order to be put into the trenches +with some of the British units for instruction. On Wednesday evening, +February the 24th, the men were marched off to the trenches for the +first time and I went with a company of the 15th Battalion, who were +to be attached to the Durham Light Infantry. I was warned to keep +myself in the background as it was said that the chaplains were not +allowed in the front line. The trenches were at Houplines to the east +of Armentieres. We marched down the streets till we came to the edge +of the town and there a guide met us and we went in single file across +the field. We could see the German flare-lights and could hear the +crack of rifles. It was intensely interesting, and the mystery of the +war seemed to clear as we came nearer to the scene of action. The men +went down into the narrow trench and I followed. I was welcomed by a +very nice young captain whom I never heard of again till I saw the +cross that marked his grave in the Salient. The trenches in those days +were not what they afterwards became. Double rows of sandbags built +like a wall were considered an adequate protection. I do not think +there was any real parados. The dugouts were on a level with the +trench and were roofed with pieces of corrugated iron covered with two +layers of sandbags. They were a strange contrast to the dugouts thirty +feet deep, lined with wood, which we afterwards made for our trench +homes. + +I was immensely pleased at having at last got into the front line. +Even if I were sent out I had at least seen the trenches. The captain +brought me to his tiny dugout and told me that he and I could squeeze +in there together for the night. He then asked me if I should like to +see the trench, and took me with him on his rounds. By this time it +was dark and rainy and very muddy. As we were going along the trench a +tall officer, followed by another met us and exchanged a word with the +captain. They then came up to me and the first one peered at me in (p. 040) +the darkness and said in abrupt military fashion, "Who are you?" +I thought my last hour had come, or at least I was going to be sent +back. I told him I was a chaplain with the Canadians. "Did you come +over with the men?" "Yes", I said. "Capital", he replied, "Won't you +come and have lunch with me tomorrow?" "Where do you live?" I said. +The other officer came up to my rescue at this moment and said, "The +General's Headquarters are in such and such a place in Armentieres," +"Good Heavens", I whispered in a low tone to the officer, "Is he a +general?" "Yes" he said. "I hope my deportment was all that it ought +to have been in the presence of a general," I replied. "It was +excellent, Padre," he said, with a laugh. So I arranged to go and have +luncheon with him two days afterwards, for I was to spend forty-eight +hours in the trenches. The first officer turned out to be General +Congreve, V.C., a most gallant man. He told me at luncheon that if he +could press a button and blow the whole German nation into the air he +would do it. I felt a little bit shocked then, because I did not know +the Germans as I afterwards did. I spent nearly four years at the +front hunting for that button. + +The captain and I had very little room to move about in his dugout. I +was very much impressed with the unostentatious way in which he said, +"If you want to say your prayers, Padre, you can kneel over in that +corner first, because there is only room for one at a time. I will say +mine afterwards"--and he did. He was a Roman Catholic, and had lived +in India, and was a very fine type of man. When I read the words two +years afterwards on a cross in a cemetery near Poperinghe, "Of your +charity pray for the soul of Major Harter, M.C.," I did it gladly and +devoutly. + +I had brought with me in a small pyx, the Blessed Sacrament, and the +next morning I gave Communion to a number of the men. One young +officer, a boy of eighteen, who had just left school to come to the +front, asked me to have the service in his dugout. The men came in +three or four at a time and knelt on the muddy floor. Every now and +then we could hear the crack of a bullet overhead striking the +sandbags. The officer was afterwards killed, and the great promise of +his life was not fulfilled in this world. + +There was a great deal of rifle fire in the trenches in those days. +The captain told me the Canadians were adepts in getting rid of (p. 041) +their ammunition and kept firing all night long. Further down the +line were the "Queen's Own Westminsters." They were a splendid body of +young men and received us very kindly. On my way over to them the next +morning, I found in a lonely part of a trench a man who had taken off +his shirt and was examining the seams of it with interest. I knew he +was hunting for one of those insects which afterwards played no small +part in the general discomfort of the Great War, and I thought it +would be a good opportunity to learn privately what they looked like. +So I took a magnifying glass out of my pocket and said, "Well, my boy, +let me have a look for I too am interested in botany." He pointed to a +seam in his shirt and said, "There, Sir, there is one." I was just +going to examine it under the glass when, crack! a bullet hit the +sandbags near-by, and he told me the trench was enfiladed. I said, "My +dear boy, I think I will postpone this scientific research until we +get to safer quarters, for if I am knocked out, the first question my +congregation will ask will be, "What was our beloved pastor doing when +he was hit?" If they hear that I was hunting in a man's shirt for one +of these insects, they will not think it a worthy ending to my life." +He grinned, put on his shirt, and moved down the trench. + +That afternoon a good many shells passed over our heads and of course +the novelty of the thing made it most interesting. After a war +experience of nearly four years, one is almost ashamed to look back +upon those early days which were like war in a nursery. The hideous +thing was then only in its infancy. Poison gas, liquid fire, trench +mortars, hand grenades, machine guns, (except a very few) and tanks +were then unknown. The human mind had not then made, as it afterward +did, the sole object of its energy the destruction of human life. Yet +with a deepening knowledge of the instruments of death has come, I +trust, a more revolting sense of the horrors and futility of war. The +romance and chivalry of the profession of arms has gone forever. Let +us hope that in the years to come the human mind will bend all its +energies to right the wrongs and avert the contentions that result in +bloodshed. + +On the following Sunday, we had a church parade in the square in +Armentieres. Two or three men watched the sky with field glasses lest +an enemy plane should come up. We had now finished our instruction in +trench warfare and were going to take over part of the front line. (p. 042) +We were marched off one afternoon to the village of Bac St. Maur, +where we rested for the night. I had dinner with the officers of the +15th Battalion, and went out afterwards to a big factory at the end of +the straggling brick village to see my son, whose battalion was +quartered there. On returning I found the night was very dark, and +every door and window in the long rows of houses was tightly closed. +No lights were allowed in the town. Once more my faculty for losing my +way asserted itself, and I could not tell which was the house where I +had dined. It was to be my billet for the night. The whole place was +silent, and I wandered up and down the long street. I met a few +soldiers and when I asked if they could tell me where I had had dinner +they naturally began to eye me with suspicion. At the same time it was +no laughing matter. I had had a long walk in the afternoon and had the +prospect of another on the following day. I was separated from my +kit-bag and my safety razor, which always, at the front, constituted +my home, and the night was beginning to get cold. Besides it was more +or less damaging to one's character as a chaplain to be found +wandering aimlessly about the streets at night asking where you had +dined. My habits were not as well known to the men then as they were +after a few years of war. In despair I went down the road behind the +village, and there to my joy I saw a friendly light emerging from the +door of a coach house. I went up to it and entered and found to my +relief the guard of the 16th Battalion. They had a big fire in the +chimney-place, and were smoking and making tea. It was then about one +o'clock, and they were both surprised and amused at my plight, but +gave me a very glad welcome and offered me a bed and blankets on the +floor. I was just going to accept them when I asked if the blankets +were "crummy". The men burst out laughing. "You bet your life they +are, Sir," they cried. "Well, boys," I said, "I think that I prefer to +spend the night walking about the village and trying to compose a +poem." Once more I made my way down the dark street, examining closely +every door and window. At last I found a crack of light which came +from one of the houses. I knocked at the door and it was opened by an +officer from Quebec, who had been engaged with some others in a quiet +game of cards. He was amused at my homeless condition and kindly took +me in and gave me a comfortable bed in his own room. On the next (p. 043) +morning of course I was "ragged" tremendously on my disappearance during +the night. + +The next day we marched off to the village of Sailly-sur-Lys, which +was to become our rear headquarters during our occupation of the +trenches. The little place had been damaged by shells, but every +available house was occupied. Our battalion moved up the country road +and was dispersed among the farm houses and barns in the +neighbourhood. + +I made my home with some officers in a small and dirty farm house. The +novelty of the situation, however, gave it a certain charm for the +time. We were crowded into two or three little rooms and lay on piles +of straw. We were short of rations, but each officer contributed +something from his private store. I had a few articles of tinned food +with me and they proved to be of use. From that moment I determined +never to be without a tin of bully beef in my haversack, and I formed +the bully beef habit in the trenches which lasted till the end and +always amused the men. The general cesspool and manure heap of the +farm was, as usual, in the midst of the buildings, and was +particularly unsavoury. A cow waded through it and the family hens +fattened on it. Opposite our window in one of the buildings dwelt an +enormous sow with a large litter of young ones. When any of the ladies +of the family went to throw refuse on the manure heap, the old sow, +driven by the pangs of hunger, would stand on her hind legs and poke +her huge face out over the half door of her prison appealing in pig +language for some of the discarded dainties. Often nothing would stop +her squeals but a smart slap on her fat cheeks by the lady's tender +hand. In the hayloft of the barn the men were quartered. Their candles +made the place an exceedingly dangerous abode. There was only one +small hole down which they could escape in case of fire. It is a +wonder we did not have more fires in our billets than we did. + +The trenches assigned to our Brigade were to the right of Fleurbaix. +They were poorly constructed, but as the time went on were greatly +improved by the labours of our men. The Brigadier assigned to me for +my personal use a tiny mud-plastered cottage with thatched roof and a +little garden in front. It was in the Rue du Bois, a road which ran +parallel with the trenches about 800 yards behind them. I was very +proud to have a home all to myself, and chalked on the door the word +"Chaplain". In one room two piles of straw not only gave me a bed (p. 044) +for myself but enabled me to give hospitality to any officer who +needed a billet. Another room I fitted up as a chapel. An old box +covered with the silk Union Jack and white cloth and adorned with two +candles and cross served as an altar. There were no chairs to be had, +but the plain white walls were not unsuited to the purpose to which +the room was dedicated. + +In this chapel I held several services. It was a fine sight to see a +group of tall and stalwart young Highlanders present. Their heads +almost reached to the low ceiling, and when they sang, the little +building trembled with the sound. + +Every night when there were any men to be buried, I used to receive +notice from the front line, and after dark I would set out preceded by +my batman, Murdoch MacDonald, a proper young Highlander, carrying a +rifle with fixed bayonet on his shoulder. It made one feel very proud +to go off down the dark road so attended. When we got to the place of +burial I would hold a short service over the open graves in which the +bodies were laid to rest. Our casualties were light then, but in those +days we had not become accustomed to the loss of comrades and so we +felt the toll of death very bitterly. + +It made a great difference to me to have a house of my own. Previously +I had found it most difficult to get any place in which to lay my +head. On one occasion, I had obtained permission from a kind-hearted +farmer's wife to rent one corner of the kitchen in her two-roomed +house. It was on a Saturday night and when the family had retired to +their room I spread my sleeping bag in the corner and went to bed. I +got up when the family had gone to Mass in the morning. All through +the day the kitchen was crowded, and I saw that if I went to bed that +night I should not have the opportunity of getting up again until the +family went to Mass on the following Sunday. So I paid the woman five +francs for my lodging and started out in pursuit of another. I managed +to find a room in another little farmhouse, somewhat larger and +cleaner. My room was a small one and had an earth floor. The ceiling +was so low that I could touch the beams with my head when I stood on +my toes. But in it were two enormous double beds, a table and a chair. +What more could one want? A large cupboard full of straw furnished a +billet for Murdoch and he was allowed to do my simple cooking on the +family stove. + +Small as my billet was, I was able on one occasion to take in and (p. 045) +house three officers of the Leicesters, who arrived one night in +preparation for the battle of Neuve Chapelle. I also stowed away a +sergeant in the cupboard with Murdoch. My three guests were very +hungry and very tired and enjoyed a good sleep in the ponderous beds. +I saw a photo of one of the lads afterwards in the Roll of Honour page +of the "Graphic," and I remembered the delightful talk I had had with +him during his visit. + +At that time we were all very much interested in a large fifteen-inch +howitzer, which had been placed behind a farmhouse, fast crumbling +into ruins. It was distant two fields from my abode. To our simple +minds, it seemed that the war would soon come to an end when the +Germans heard that such weapons were being turned against them. We +were informed too, that three other guns of the same make and calibre +were being brought to France. The gun was the invention of a retired +admiral who lived in a farmhouse nearby and who, when it was loaded, +fired it off by pressing an electric button. The officer in charge of +the gun was very pleasant and several times took me in his car to +interesting places. I went with him to Laventie on the day of the +battle of Neuve Chapelle, and saw for the first time the effects of an +attack and the wounded being brought back in ambulances. + +There was one large barn not far off full of beautiful yellow straw +which held several hundred men. I had a service in it one night. The +atmosphere was smoky and mysterious, and the hundreds of little +candles propped up on mess-tins over the straw, looked like a special +illumination. A large heap of straw at the end of the barn served as a +platform, and in lieu of an organ I had a mandolin player to start the +hymns. The service went very well, the men joining in heartily. + +The night before the battle of Neuve Chapelle, I went over to see the +captain in charge of the big gun, and he showed me the orders for the +next day, issued by the British General. He told me that at seven +o'clock it would be "Hell let loose", all down the line. Next morning +I woke up before seven, and blocked up my ears so that I should not be +deafened by the noise of artillery. But for some reason or other the +plans had been changed and I was quite disappointed that the Germans +did not get the hammering it was intended to give them. We were on the +left of the British line during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, and +were not really in the fight. The British suffered very heavily (p. 046) +and did not meet with the success which they had hoped for. + +My son was wounded in this engagement and was sent out with the loss +of an eye. On returning from seeing him put into a hospital train at +Merville, I was held up for some hours in the darkness by the British +Cavalry streaming past in a long line. I was delighted to see them for +I thought we had broken through. On the next day to our great +disappointment we saw them going back again. + +Near Canadian Headquarters at Sailly there was a large steam laundry +which was used as a bath for our men. It was a godsend to them, for +the scarcity of water made cleanliness difficult. The laundry during +bath hours was a curious spectacle. Scores of large cauldrons of +steaming water covered the floor. In each sat a man with only his head +and shoulders showing, looking as if he were being boiled to death. In +the mists of the heated atmosphere and in the dim light of candles, +one was reminded of Dore's illustrations of Dante's Inferno. In one of +them he represents a certain type of sinner as being tormented forever +in boiling water. + +We had now finished our time in this part of the line and the Division +was ordered back for a rest. The General was troubled about my +transportation as I had no horse, but I quoted my favourite text, "The +Lord will provide." It made him quite angry when I quoted the text, +and he told me that we were engaged in a big war and could not take +things so casually. When, however, he had seen me on various occasions +picked up by stray motor cars and lorries and get to our destination +before he did, he began to think there was more in the text than he +had imagined. I was accused of helping Providence unduly by base +subterfuges such as standing in the middle of a road and compelling +the motor to stop until I got in. I considered that my being able to +stop the car was really a part of the providing. In fact I found that, +if one only had courage to stand long enough in the middle of the road +without moving, almost any car, were it that of a private or a general, +would come to a standstill. It was only a natural thing, when the car +had stopped, to go to the occupants and say, "I know the Lord has sent +you for the purpose of giving me a lift." It was quite a natural +consequence of this for me to be taken in. One day at Estaires I tried +to commandeer a fine car standing in the square, but desisted when I +was informed by the driver that it was the private property of the (p. 047) +Prince of Wales. I am sure that if the Prince had been there to hear the +text, he would have driven me anywhere I wanted to go. + +On the present occasion, I had not gone far down the road before a car +picked me up and took me on my way--an incident which I narrated to +the General afterwards with intense satisfaction. + + + + +CHAPTER V. (p. 048) + +BEFORE THE STORM. + +_March to April, 1915._ + + +Our rest-time at Estaires at the end of March was a delightful period +of good fellowship. The beautiful early spring was beginning to assert +its power over nature. The grass was green. The trees and hedgerows +were full of sap and the buds ready to burst into new life. As one +walked down the roads in the bright sunshine, and smelt the fresh +winds bearing the scent of springtime, an exquisite feeling of delight +filled the soul. Birds were singing in the sky, and it was pitiful to +think that any other thoughts but those of rapture at the joy of +living should ever cross the mind. + +A sergeant found me a comfortable billet in a house near the Church. A +dear old man and his two venerable daughters were the only occupants. +Like all the French people we met, their little home was to them a +source of endless joy. Everything was bright and clean, and they took +great pleasure in showing off its beauties. There was a large room +with glass roof and sides, like a conservatory. On the wall was the +fresco of a landscape, drawn by some strolling artist, which gave my +hosts infinite delight. There was a river flowing out of some very +green woods, with a brilliant blue sky overhead. We used to sit on +chairs opposite and discuss the woodland scene, and I must say it +brought back memories to me of many a Canadian brook and the charming +home life of Canadian woods, from which, as it seemed then, we were +likely to be cut off forever. + +The Bishop of London paid a visit to our men, and addressed them from +the steps of the Town Hall in the Grande Place. The officers and men +were charmed with his personality. + +It was a joy to me that we were to spend Easter at such a convenient +place. On Good Friday afternoon we had a voluntary service in front of +the Town Hall. It seemed very fitting that these men who had come in +the spirit of self-sacrifice, should be invited to contemplate, for at +least an hour, the great world sacrifice of Calvary. A table was +brought out from an estaminet nearby and placed in front of the steps. +I mounted on this and so was able to address the crowd which soon (p. 049) +assembled there. We sang some of the Good Friday hymns, "When I survey +the wondrous Cross", and "Jesu, Lover of my Soul." There must have +been several hundred present. I remember specially the faces of +several who were themselves called upon within a few weeks to make the +supreme sacrifice. Like almost all other religious services at the +front, this one had to struggle with the exigencies of war. A stream +of lorries at the side of the Grande Place and the noisy motor cycles +of despatch riders made an accompaniment to the address which rendered +both speaking and hearing difficult. + +Easter Day rose bright and clear. I had a hall situated down a narrow +lane, which had been used as a cinema. There was a platform at one end +and facing it, rows of benches. On the platform I arranged the altar, +with the silk Union Jack as a frontal and with cross and lighted +candles for ornaments. It looked bright and church-like amid the +sordid surroundings. We had several celebrations of the Holy +Communion, the first being at six a.m. A large number of officers and +men came to perform their Easter duties. A strange solemnity +prevailed. It was the first Easter spent away from home; it was the +last Easter that most of those gallant young souls spent on earth. The +other chaplains had equally large attendances. We sang the Easter hymn +at each service, and the music more than anything else carried us back +to the days that were. + +But our stay in Estaires was only for a time, and soon orders came +that we were to move. On April 7th, a bright and lovely spring morning, +the whole Division began its fateful journey to Ypres and marched off +to Cassel, about thirty miles behind the Salient. The men were in good +spirits, and by this time were becoming accustomed to the pave roads. +We passed through Caestre, where I saw my old friends, the Mayor and +Mayoress. That afternoon I was taken by two British officers to the +little hotel in Cassel for luncheon. The extensive view over the +country from the windows reminded me of dear old Quebec. After luncheon +my friends motored me to Ypres. The city at that time had not been +heavily shelled, except the Cloth Hall and Cathedral. The shops around +the square were still carrying on their business and people there were +selling post-cards and other small articles. We went into the +Cathedral, which had been badly damaged. The roof was more or less +intact and the altar and pulpit in their places. I saw what an (p. 050) +impressive place it must have been. The Cloth Hall had been burnt, but +the beautiful stone facade was still undamaged. A fire engine and +horses were quartered under the central tower. There was a quiet air +of light and beauty in the quaint old buildings that suggested the +mediaeval prosperity of the city. Behind the better class of houses +there were the usual gardens, laid out with taste, and often containing +fountains and rustic bridges. The French and the Belgians delighted in +striving to make a landscape garden in the small area at their +command. + +I shall always be thankful that I had the opportunity of paying this +visit to Ypres while it still retained vestiges of its former beauty. +Dark and hideous dreams of drives on ambulances in the midnight hours +haunt me now when the name of Ypres is mentioned. I hear the rattle of +lorries and motorcycles and the tramp of horses on the cobblestones. +The grim ruins on either side of the road stand out hard and sombre in +the dim light of the starry sky. There is the passing of innumerable +men and the danger of the traffic-crowded streets. But Ypres, as I saw +it then, was full of beauty touched with the sadness of the coming +ruin. + +In the afternoon, I motored back to our brigade on the outskirts of +Cassel. After dinner I started off to find my new billet. As usual I +lost my way. I went off down the country roads. The farms were silent +and dark. There was no one to tell me where my battalion was. I must +have gone a long distance in the many detours I made. The country was +still a place of mystery to me, and "The little owls that hoot and +call" seemed to be the voice of the night itself. The roads were +winding and lonely and the air was full of the pleasant odours of the +spring fields. It was getting very late and I despaired of finding a +roof under which to spend the night. I determined to walk back to the +nearest village. As I had marched with the men that day all the way +from Estaires, a distance of about twenty miles, I was quite +reasonably tired and anxious to get a bed. I got back to the main road +which leads to St. Sylvestre. On approaching the little village I was +halted by a British sentry who was mounting guard over a line of Army +Service Corps lorries. I went on and encountered more sentries till I +stood in the town itself and made my difficulty known to a soldier who +was passing. I asked him if he knew where I could get a lodging (p. 051) +for the night. He told me that some officers had their headquarters in +the Cure's house, and that if I were to knock at the door, very +probably I could find a room in which to stay. I went to the house +which was pointed out to me and knocked. There was a light in a window +upstairs so I knew that my knocking would be heard. Presently a voice +called out from the hollow passage and asked me to open the door and +come in. I did so, and in the dim light saw at the end of the hall a +white figure which was barely distinguishable and which I took to be +the individual who had spoken to me. Consequently I addressed my +conversation to it. The shadowy form asked me what I wanted and I +explained that I had lost my way and asked where the headquarters of +my battalion were. The being replied that it did not know but invited +me to come in and spend the night. At that moment somebody from the +upstairs region came with an electric torch, and the light lit up the +empty hall. To my surprise I found that I had been addressing my +conversation to the life-sized statue of some saint which was standing +on a pedestal at the foot of the stairs. I rather mystified my host by +saying that I had been talking to the image in the hall. However, in +spite of this, he asked me to come upstairs where he would give me a +bed. By this time several of the British officers who occupied the +upper flat had become interested in the arrival of the midnight +visitor, and were looking over the bannisters. I can remember feeling +that my only chance of receiving hospitality depended on my presenting +a respectable appearance. I was on my best behaviour. It was greatly +to my confusion, therefore, as I walked upstairs under the inspection +of those of the upper flat, that I stumbled on the narrow steps. In +order to reassure my would-be friends, I called out, "Don't be +alarmed, I am a chaplain and a teetotaller". They burst out laughing +and on my arrival at the top greeted me very heartily. I was taken +into a long bedroom where there were five beds in a row, one of which +was assigned to me. Not only was I given a bed, but one of their +servants went and brought me a hot-cross bun and a glass of milk. In +return for such wholehearted and magnificent hospitality, I sat on the +edge of the bed and recited poems to my hosts, who at that hour of the +morning were not averse to anything which might be conducive to sleep. +On the next day I was made an honorary member of their mess. I should +like to bear testimony here to the extraordinary cordiality and (p. 052) +kind hospitality which was always shown to us by British officers. + +Later on in the day, I found the 13th Battalion just a few miles +outside Cassel at a place called Terdeghem. It was a quaint little +village with an interesting church. I got a billet in a farmhouse. It +was a curious building of brick and stood on the road where a little +gate opened into a delightful garden, full of old-fashioned flowers. +My room was reached by a flight of steps from the kitchen and was very +comfortable. I disliked, however, the heavy fluffy bed. Murdoch +MacDonald used to sleep in the kitchen. + +There were some charming walks around Terdeghem. One which I liked to +take led to a very old and picturesque chateau, surrounded by a moat. +I was immensely impressed with the rows of high trees on which the +rooks built their noisy cities. Sometimes a double line of these trees, +like an avenue, would stretch across a field. Often, as I have walked +home in the dark after parish visiting, I have stood between the long +rows of trees and listened to the wind sighing through their bare +branches and looked up at the stars that "were tangled in them". Then +the dread mystery of war and fate and destruction would come over me. +It was a relief to think how comfortable and unconcerned the rooks +were in their nests with their children about them in bed. They had +wings too wherewith to fly away and be at rest. + +Cassel was used at that time by the French Army, so we were excluded +from it unless we had a special permit. It was a delightful old town, +and from its commanding position on a rock has been used as a fortress +more or less since the days of Julius Caesar. The Grand Place is +delightful and quaint. From it, through various archways, one looks +down upon the rich verdure of the fields that stretch far off into the +distance. + +We had a parade of our four battalions one day, when General +Smith-Dorrien came to inspect us. The place chosen was a green slope +not far from the entrance to the town. The General reviewed the men, +and then gave a talk to the officers. As far as I can recollect, he +was most sanguine about the speedy termination of the war. He told us +that all we had to do was to keep worrying the Germans, and that the +final crushing stroke would be given on the east by the Russians. He +also told us that to us was assigned the place of honour on the extreme +left of the British line next to the French Colonial troops. I (p. 053) +overheard an irreverent officer near me say, "Damn the place of honour", +and I thought of Sam Hughes and his warning about not objecting to +swearing. The General, whom I had met before, asked me to walk with +him up to his car and then said, "I have had reports about the +Canadian Artillery, and I am delighted at their efficiency. I have +also heard the best accounts of the Infantry, but do you think, in the +event of a sudden onslaught by the Germans, that the Canadians will +hold their ground? They are untried troops." I told him that I was +sure that one thing the Canadians would do would be to hold on. Before +a fortnight had passed, in the awful struggle near Langemarcke, the +Canadians proved their ability to hold their ground. + +Shortly after the General's visit we were ordered to move, and by some +oversight on Murdoch MacDonald's part, my kit was not ready in time to +be taken by the Brigade transport. In consequence, to my dismay, I saw +the men march off from Terdeghem to parts unknown, and found myself +seated on my kit by the wayside with no apparent hope of following. I +administered a rebuke to Murdoch as sternly as was consistent with the +position of a chaplain, and then asked him to see if he could find any +sort of vehicle at all to carry my stuff off in the direction towards +which the battalion had marched. I must say I felt very lonely and a +"bit out of it", as I sat by the wayside wondering if I had lost the +Brigade for good. In the meantime, Murdoch scoured the village for a +horse and carriage. Suddenly, to my surprise, a despatch rider on a +motorcycle came down the road and stopped and asked me if I knew where +Canon Scott was. I said, "I'm the man", and he handed me a letter. It +turned out to be one from General Smith-Dorrien, asking me to allow +him to send a poem which I had written, called "On the Rue du Bois" to +"The Times." It was such a kind friendly letter that at once it +dispelled my sense of loneliness, and when Murdoch arrived and told me +that there was not a horse in the place at my disposal, I replied that +I did not mind so much now since I had the British General for a friend. +I left Murdoch to guard my goods and chattels and went off myself down +the road to the old Chateau and farmhouse. There I was lucky enough to +obtain a cart with three wheels. It was an extremely long and heavily +built vehicle and looked as if it dated from the 17th century. The +horse that was put into it looked as if it had been born about the +same period. The old man who held the solitary rein and sat over (p. 054) +the third wheel under the bow looked to be of almost equal antiquity. +It must have been about thirty feet from the tip of the old horse's +nose to the end of the cart. However I was glad to get any means of +transportation at all, so I followed the thing to the road where my +kit was waiting, Murdoch MacDonald put all my worldly possessions on +the equipage. They seemed to occupy very little room in the huge +structure. Murdoch, shouldering his rifle, followed it, and I, rather +ashamed of the grotesque appearance of my caravan, marched on as +quickly as I could in front, hoping to escape the ridicule which I +knew would be heaped upon me by all ranks of my beloved brigade. A man +we met told us that the battalion had gone to Steenvoorde, so thither +we made our way. On our arrival I was taken to the Chateau and kindly +treated by the laird and his family, who allowed me to spread out my +bed-roll on the dining room floor. + +On the following morning an Imperial officer very kindly took me and +my kit to Ypres. There at the end of Yser Canal, I found a pleasant +billet in a large house belonging to a Mr. Vandervyver, who, with his +mother, gave me a kind reception and a most comfortably furnished +room. Later on, the units of our brigade arrived and I marched up with +the 14th Battalion to the village of Wieltje. Over it, though we knew +it not, hung the gloom of impending tragedy. Around it now cluster +memories of the bitter price in blood and anguish which we were soon +called upon to pay for the overthrow of tyranny. It was a lovely +spring evening when we arrived, and the men were able to sit down on +the green grass and have their supper before going into the trenches +by St. Julien. I walked back down that memorable road which two years +later I travelled for the last time on my return from Paschendaele. +The great sunset lit the sky with beautiful colours. The rows of trees +along that fateful way were ready to burst into new life. The air was +fresh and invigorating. To the south, lay the hill which is known to +the world as Hill 60, afterwards the scene of such bitter fighting. +Before me in the distance, soft and mellow in the evening light, rose +the towers and spires of Ypres--Ypres! the very name sends a strange +thrill through the heart. For all time, the word will stand as a +symbol for brutal assaults and ruthless destruction on the one hand +and heroic resolve and dogged resistance on the other. On any grim +monument raised to the Demon of War, the sole word "YPRES" would be a +sufficient and fitting inscription. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. (p. 055) + +THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES. + +_April 22nd, 1915._ + + +Behind my house at Ypres there was an old-fashioned garden which was +attended to very carefully by my landlady. A summerhouse gave a fine +view of the waters of the Yser Canal, which was there quite wide. It +was nice to see again a good-sized body of water, for the little +streams often dignified by the name of rivers did not satisfy the +Canadian ideas as to what rivers should be. A battalion was quartered +in a large brick building several stories high on the east side of the +canal. There was consequently much stir of life at that point, and +from my summerhouse on the wall I could talk to the men passing by. My +billet was filled with a lot of heavy furniture which was prized very +highly by its owners. Madame told me that she had buried twelve +valuable clocks in the garden in case of a German advance. She also +told me that her grandfather had seen from the windows the British +going to the battle of Waterloo. She had both a piano and a harmonium, +and took great pleasure in playing some of the hymns in our Canadian +hymn book. I was so comfortable that I hoped our residence at Ypres +might be of long duration. At night, however, desultory shells fell +into the city. We could hear them ripping along with a sound like a +trolley on a track, and then there would be a fearful crash. One night +when returning from Brigade Headquarters near Wieltje, I saw a +magnificent display of fireworks to the South. I afterwards heard that +it was the night the British attacked Hill 60. + +On Sunday, the 18th of April, I had a service for the 15th Battalion +in one of the stories of the brick building beside the canal. +Something told me that big things were going to happen. I had a +feeling that we were resting on the top of a volcano. At the end of +the service I prepared for any sudden call to ministration on the +battlefield by reserving the Blessed Sacrament. + +On Monday some men had narrow escapes when a house was shelled and on +the following day I went to the centre of the town with two officers +to see the house which had been hit. They appeared to be in a hurry to +get to the Square, so I went up one of the side streets to look (p. 056) +at the damaged house. In a cellar near by I found an old woman making +lace. Her hunchback son was sitting beside her. While I was making a +few purchases, we heard the ripping sound of an approaching shell. It +grew louder, till at last a terrific crash told us that the monster +had fallen not far off. At that moment a number of people crowded into +an adjoining cellar, where they fell on their knees and began to say a +litany. I stood at the door looking at them. It was a pitiful sight. +There were one or two old men and some women, and some little children +and a young girl who was in hysterics. They seemed so helpless, so +defenceless against the rain of shells. + +I went off down the street towards the Square where the last shell had +fallen, and there on the corner I saw a large house absolutely crushed +in. It had formerly been a club, for there were billiard tables in the +upper room. The front wall had crashed down upon the pavement, and from +the debris some men were digging out the body of an officer who had +been standing there when the shell fell. His was the first terribly +mangled body that I had ever seen. He was laid face downwards on a +stretcher and borne away. At that moment a soldier came up and told me +that one of the officers with whom I had entered the town about half +an hour ago had been killed, and his body had been taken to a British +ambulance in the city. I walked across the Square, and there I saw the +stretcher-bearers carrying off some civilians who had been hit by +splinters of the shell. In the hospital were many dead bodies and +wounded men for there had been over one hundred casualties in the city +that day. We had hardly arrived when once again we heard the ripping +sound which had such a sinister meaning. Then followed a terrific +explosion. The final and dreadful bombardment of Ypres had begun. At +intervals of ten minutes the huge seventeen-inch shells fell, sounding +the death knell of the beautiful old town. + +On the next morning, the brother-in-law of the officer who had been +killed called on me and asked me to go and see the Town Major and +secure a piece of ground which might be used for the Canadian Cemetery. +The Town Major gave us permission to mark off a plot in the new +British cemetery. It was in an open field near the jail, known by the +name of the Plain d'Amour, and by it was a branch canal. Our Headquarters +ordered the Engineers to mark off the place, and that night we laid the +body to rest. + +The following morning was Thursday, the memorable 22nd of April. (p. 057) +The day was bright and beautiful. After burying another man in the +Canadian lot, I went off to have lunch and write some letters in my +billet. In the afternoon one of the 16th Battalion came in and asked +me to have a celebration of the Holy Communion on the following morning, +as some of the men would like to attend. I asked him to stay to tea +and amuse himself till I had finished my letters. While I was writing +I heard the ripping sound of an approaching shell, quickly followed by +a tremendous crash. Some building quite close by had evidently been +struck. I put on my cap and went out, when the landlady followed me +and said, "I hope you are not going into the town." "I am just going +to see where the shell has struck", I replied, "and will come back +immediately." I never saw her again. As I went up the street I saw the +shell had hit a large building which had been used as a hospital. The +smoke from the shell was still rolling up into the clear sky. Thinking +my services might be needed in helping to remove the patients, I started +off in the direction of the building. There I was joined by a +stretcher-bearer and we went through the gate into the large garden +where we saw the still smoking hole in the ground which the shell had +made. I remember that, as I looked into it, I had the same sort of +eerie feeling which I had experienced when looking down the crater of +Vesuvius. There was something uncanny about the arrival of shells out +of the clear sky. They seemed to be things supernatural. The holes +made by the seventeen inch shells with which Ypres was assailed were +monstrous in size. The engineers had measured one in a field; it was +no less than thirty-nine feet across and fifteen feet deep. The +stretcher-bearer who was with me said as he looked at this one, "You +could put three ambulances into it." We had not contemplated the scene +very long before once again there was the ripping sound and a huge +explosion, and we found ourselves lying on the ground. Whether we had +thrown ourselves down or had been blown down I could not make out. We +got up and the man went back to his ambulance and I went into the +building to see if I could help in getting out the wounded. The place +I entered was a large chapel and had been used as a ward. There were +rows of neat beds on each side, but not a living soul was to be seen. +It seemed so ghostly and mysterious that I called out, "Is anyone here?" +There was no reply. I went down to the end of the chapel and from (p. 058) +thence into a courtyard, where a Belgian told me that a number of +people were in a cellar at the other end of a glass passage. I walked +down the passage to go to the cellar, when once again there was the +ominous ripping sound and a shell burst and all the glass was blown +about my ears. An old man in a dazed condition came from the cellar at +the end of the passage and told me that all the people had gone. I was +helping him across the courtyard towards a gateway when a man came in +from the street and took the old fellow on his back and carried him +off. By the gateway was a room used as a guardroom. There I found a +sentry with three or four Imperials. One of the lads had lost his +nerve and was lying under a wooden bench. I tried to cheer them by +telling them it was very unlikely that any more shells would come in +our direction. I remembered reading in one of Marryatt's books that an +officer in the Navy declared he had saved his life by always sticking +his head into the hole in the ship which a cannon ball had made, as it +was a million chances to one against another cannon ball striking that +particular place. Still, at regular intervals, we heard the ripping +sound and the huge explosion of a shell. Later on, two members of the +14th Battalion came in, and a woman and a little boy carrying milk. We +did our best to restore the lady's courage and hoped that the +bombardment would soon cease. + +It was about seven p.m., when all of a sudden, we heard the roar of +transports and the shouting of people in the street, and I went out to +see what was the matter. To my horror I saw a battery of artillery +galloping into the town. Civilians were rushing down the pavements on +each side of the road, and had even filled the limbers. I called out +to one of the drivers and asked him what it meant. "It is a general +retreat", he shouted. "The Germans are on our heels." "Where are the +infantry?" I called out. "They have all gone." That was one of the +most awful moments in my life. I said to myself, "Has old England lost +the War after all?" My mouth became suddenly dry as though filled with +ashes. A young fellow on horseback stopped and, dismounting, very +gallantly said, "Here, Sir, take my horse." "No thank you," I said, +but I was grateful to him all the same for his self-sacrifice. I +returned to the guardroom and told the sentries what had happened. The +lady and the young boy disappeared and the men and I debated as to +what we should do. The words, "The Germans are on our heels", (p. 059) +were still ringing in my ears. I did not quite know what they signified. +Whether they meant in military language that the Germans were ten miles +away or were really round the next corner, I did not know, but I took +the precaution of looking up the street before entering the gateway. On +talking the matter over, the men and I thought it might be the part of +discretion to make our way down past the Railway Station to the +Vlamertinghe road, as none of us wanted to be taken prisoners. We +therefore went down some side streets and crossed the bridge on the +road that leads to Vlamertinghe. There I found an ammunition column +hurrying out of the town, and the man riding one of the horses on a +limber invited me to mount the other, which was saddled. It is so +long, however, since I left the circus ring that I cannot mount a +galloping horse unless I put my foot into the stirrup. So after two or +three ineffectual attempts at a running mount, I climbed up into the +limber and asked the driver if it was a general retreat. "No", he +said, "I don't think so, only the Germans are close at hand and we +were ordered to put the ammunition column further off." "Well", I +said, "If it isn't a general retreat, I must go back to my lines or I +shall be shot for desertion." I got off the limber and out of the +crowd of people, and was making my way back, when I saw a car with a +staff officer in it coming up in the direction of the City. I stopped +the car and asked the officer if he would give me a ride back to +Ypres. When I got in, I said to him quite innocently, "Is this a +general retreat?" His nerves were evidently on edge, and he turned on +me fiercely, saying, "Padre, never use such a word out here. That word +must never be mentioned at the front." I replied, in excuse, that I +had been told it was a retreat by a battery that was coming back from +the front. "Padre," he continued, "that word must never be used." I am +not sure that he did not enforce his commands by some strong +theological terms. "Padre, that word must never be used out here." +"Well," I said, "this is the first war I have ever been at, and if I +can arrange matters it is the last, but I promise you I will never use +it again." Not the least flicker of a smile passed over his face. Of +course, as time went on and I advanced in military knowledge, I came +to know the way in which my question ought to have been phrased. +Instead of saying, "Is this a general retreat?", I ought to have said, +"Are we straightening the line?" or "Are we pinching the Salient?" We +went on till we came to a general who was standing by the road (p. 060) +waiting to "straighten the line". I got out of the car and asked him +where I should go. He seemed to be in a great hurry and said gruffly, +"You had better go back to your lines." I did not know where they +were, but I determined to go in their direction. The general got into +the car which turned round and made off towards Vlamertinghe, and I, +after a long and envious look in his direction, continued my return to +Ypres. + +People were still pouring out of the City. I recrossed the bridge, and +making my way towards the cemetery, met two men of one of our +battalions who were going back. I handed them each a card with my +address on it and asked them, in case of my being taken prisoner, to +write and tell my family that I was in good health and that my kit was +at Mr. Vandervyver's on the Quai. The short cut to my billet led past +the quiet cemetery where our two comrades had been laid to rest. It +seemed so peaceful that I could not help envying them that their race +was won. + +It was dark now, but a bright moon was shining and lit up the waters +of the branch canal as I walked along the bank towards my home. The +sound of firing at the front was continuous and showed that a great +battle was raging. I went by the house where the C.O. of the 16th +Battalion had had his headquarters as I passed that afternoon. It was +now quite deserted and the windows in it and in the houses round the +square were all shattered. Not a living thing could I see. I walked +across to my billet and found the shutters of the house closed. On the +table where my letters were, a smoky oil lamp was burning. Not a human +being was there. I never felt so lonely in my life, and those words, +"The Germans are on our heels", still kept ringing in my ears. I took +the lamp and went upstairs to my room. I was determined that the +Germans should not get possession of the photographs of my family. I +put them in my pocket, and over my shoulder the pair of glasses which +the Bishop and clergy of Quebec had given me on my departure. I also +hung round my neck the pyx containing the Blessed Sacrament, then I +went out on the street, not knowing what way to take. To my infinite +delight, some men came marching up in the moonlight from the end of +the canal. I recognized them as the 16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish, +and I called out, "Where are you going, boys?" The reply came glad and +cheerful. "We are going to reinforce the line, Sir, the Germans have +broken through." "That's all right, boys", I said, "play the game. I +will go with you." Never before was I more glad to meet human (p. 061) +beings. The splendid battalion marched up through the streets towards +St. Jean. The men wore their overcoats and full kits. I passed up and +down the battalion talking to officers and men. As I was marching +beside them, a sergeant called out to me, "Where are we going, Sir?" +"That depends upon the lives you have led." A roar of laughter went up +from the men. If I had known how near the truth my words were, I +probably would not have said them. When we got to St. Jean, a sergeant +told me that the 14th Battalion was holding the line. The news was +received gladly, and the men were eager to go forward and share the +glory of their comrades. Later on, as I was marching in front of the +battalion a man of the 15th met us. He was in a state of great +excitement, and said, "The men are poisoned, Sir, the Germans have +turned on gas and our men are dying." I said to him very sternly, +"Now, my boy, not another word about that here." "But it's true, Sir." +"Well, that may be, but these men have got to go there all the same, +and the gas may have gone before they arrive, so promise me not +another word about the poison." He gave me his promise and when I met +him a month afterwards in Bailleul he told me he had never said a word +about the gas to any of the men that night. + +We passed through Weiltje where all was stir and commotion, and the +dressing stations were already full, and then we deployed into the +fields on a rise in the ground near St. Julien. By this time, our men +had become aware of the gas, because, although the German attack had +been made a good many hours before, the poisonous fumes still clung +about the fields and made us cough. Our men were halted along the +field and sat down waiting for orders. The crack of thousands of +rifles and the savage roar of artillery were incessant, and the German +flare-lights round the salient appeared to encircle us. There was a +hurried consultation of officers and then the orders were given to the +different companies. An officer who was killed that night came down +and told us that the Germans were in the wood which we could see +before us at some distance in the moonlight, and that a house from +which we saw gleams of light was held by German machine guns. The men +were told that they had to take the wood at the point of the bayonet +and were not to fire, as the 10th Battalion would be in front of them. +I passed down the line and told them that they had a chance to do a +bigger thing for Canada that night than had ever been done before. (p. 062) +"It's a great day for Canada, boys." I said. The words afterwards +became a watchword, for the men said that whenever I told them that, +it meant that half of them were going to be killed. The battalion rose +and fixed bayonets and stood ready for the command to charge. It was a +thrilling moment, for we were in the midst of one of the decisive +battles of the war. A shrapnel burst just as the men moved off and a +man dropped in the rear rank. I went over to him and found he was +bleeding in the neck. I bound him up and then taking his kit, which he +was loath to lose, was helping him to walk towards the dressing +station when I saw what I thought were sandbags in the moonlight. I +called out, "Is anybody there?" A voice replied, "Yes, Sir, there is a +dying man here." I went over and there I found two stretcher-bearers +beside a young fellow called Duffy, who was unconscious. He had been +struck by a piece of shrapnel in the head and his brain was protruding. +Duffy was a well-known athlete and had won the Marathon race. We tried +to lift him, but with his equipment on he was too heavy, so I sent off +the wounded man to Wieltje with one of the stretcher-bearers who was +to return with a bearer party. The other one and I watched by Duffy. +It was an awful and wonderful time. Our field batteries never slackened +their fire and the wood echoed back the crackling sound of the guns. +The flare lights all round gave a lurid background to the scene. At +the foot of the long slope, down which the brave lads had gone to the +attack, I saw the black outline of the trees. Over all fell the soft +light of the moon. A great storm of emotion swept through me and I +prayed for our men in their awful charge, for I knew that the Angel of +Death was passing down our lines that night. When the bearer party +arrived, we lifted Duffy on to the stretcher, and the men handed me +their rifles and we moved off. I hung the rifles on my shoulder, and I +thought if one of them goes off and blows my brains out, there will be +a little paragraph in the Canadian papers, "Canon Scott accidentally +killed by the discharge of a rifle," and my friends will say, "What a +fool he was to fuss about rifles, why didn't he stick to his own job?" +However, they were Ross rifles and had probably jammed. There were +many wounded being carried or making their way towards Wieltje. The +road was under shell fire all the way. When we got to the dressing +station which was a small red-brick estaminet, we were confronted by a +horrible sight. On the pavement before it were rows and rows of (p. 063) +stretcher cases, and inside the place, which was dimly lighted by +candles and lamps, I found the doctor and his staff working away like +Trojans. The operating room was a veritable shambles. The doctor had +his shirt sleeves rolled up and his hands and arms were covered with +blood. + +The wounded were brought in from outside and laid on the table, where +the doctor attended to them. Some ghastly sights were disclosed when +the stretcher-bearers ripped off the blood-stained clothes and laid +bare the hideous wounds. At the end of the room, an old woman, with a +face like the witch of Endor, apparently quite unmoved by anything +that was happening, was grinding coffee in a mill and making a black +concoction which she sold to the men. It was no doubt a good thing for +them to get a little stimulant. In another room the floor was covered +with wounded waiting to be evacuated. There were many Turcos present. +Some of them were suffering terribly from the effects of the gas. +Fresh cases were being brought down the road every moment, and laid +out on the cold pavement till they could be attended to. + +About two in the morning a despatch rider arrived and meeting me at +the door asked if I could speak French. He said, "Tell the Turcos and +every one else who can walk to clear off to Ypres as soon as they can; +the Germans are close at hand." Indeed it sounded so, because the rifle +fire was very close. I went into the room and delivered my message, in +French and English, to the wounded men. Immediately there was a general +stampede of all who could possibly drag themselves towards the city. +It was indeed a piteous procession which passed out of the door. +Turcos with heads bandaged, or arms bound up or one leg limping, and +our own men equally disabled, helped one another down that terrible +road towards the City. Soon all the people who could walk had gone. +But there in the room, and along the pavement outside, lay helpless +men. I went to the M.O. and asked him what we were to do with the +stretcher cases. "Well" he said, "I suppose we shall have to leave +them because all the ambulances have gone." "How can we desert them?" +I said. The Medical Officer was of course bound by orders to go back +with his men but I myself felt quite free in the matter, so I said, "I +will stay and be made prisoner." "Well," he said, "so will I. Possibly +I shall get into trouble for it, but I cannot leave them to the enemy +without any one to look after them." So we made a compact that we would +both stay behind and be made prisoners. I went over to another Field +Ambulance, where a former curate of mine was chaplain. They had (p. 064) +luckily been able to evacuate their wounded and were all going off. I +told him that I should probably be made a prisoner that night, but +asked him to cable home and tell my family that I was in good health +and that the Germans treated chaplains, when they took them prisoners, +very kindly. Then I made my way back. There was a tremendous noise of +guns now at the front. It was a horrible thought that our men were up +there bearing the brunt of German fury and hatred. Their faces passed +through my mind as individuals were recalled. The men whom I knew so +well, young, strong and full of hope and life, men from whom Canada +had so much to expect, men whose lives were so precious to dear ones +far away, were now up in that poisoned atmosphere and under the +hideous hail of bullets and shells. The thought almost drove a +chaplain to madness. One felt so powerless and longed to be up and +doing. Not once or twice in the Great War, have I longed to be a +combatant officer with enemy scalps to my credit. Our men had been +absolutely guiltless of war ambitions. It was not their fault that +they were over here. That the Kaiser's insatiable, mad lust for power +should be able to launch destruction upon Canadian hearts and homes +was intolerable. I looked down the Ypres road, and there, to my +horror, saw the lovely City lit up with flames. The smoke rolled up +into the moonlit sky, and behind the dull glow of the fires I saw the +Cloth Hall tower stand out in bold defiance. There was nothing for us +to do then and for nearly four years more but keep our heads cool, set +our teeth and deepen our resolve. + +The dressing station had received more stretcher cases, and still more +were coming in. The Medical Officer and his staff were working most +heroically. I told him I had given instructions about cabling home +should I be taken prisoner, and then I suddenly remembered that I had +a scathing poem on the Kaiser in my pocket. I had written it in the +quiet beauties of Beaupre, below Quebec, when the war first began. +When I wrote it, I was told that if I were ever taken prisoner in +Germany with that poem in my pocket, I should be shot or hanged. At +that time, the German front line seemed so far off that it was like +saying, "If you get to the moon the man there will eat you up." But +the changes and chances of war had suddenly brought me face to face +with the fact that I had resolved to be taken prisoner, and from what +I heard and saw the event was not unlikely. So I said to the M.O. "I +have just remembered that I have got in my pocket a printed copy (p. 065) +of a very terrible poem which I wrote about the Kaiser. Of course you +know I don't mind being shot or hanged by the Germans, but, if I am, +who will write the poems of the War?" The M.O. laughed and thinking it +unwise on general principles to wave a red rag in front of a mad bull, +advised me to tear up my verses. I did so with great reluctance, but +the precaution was unnecessary as the Germans never got through after +all. + +All along those terrible fields of death the battle raged. Young +Canadians, new to war, but old in the inheritance of the blood of +British freedom, were holding the line. The dressing station was soon +full again, and, later on, a despatch rider came from the 3rd Infantry +Brigade Headquarters in Shell-Trap Farm to tell us that more help was +needed there. One of the M.O.'s assistants and a sergeant started off +and I followed. We went down the road and then turned to the right up +to the moated farmhouse where the Brigade was. As we went forward +towards the battle front, the night air was sharp and bracing. +Gun-flashes lit up the horizon, but above us the moon and stars looked +quietly down. Wonderful deeds of heroism were being done by our men +along those shell-ploughed fields, under that placid sky. What they +endured, no living tongue can tell. Their Maker alone knows what they +suffered and how they died. The eloquent tribute which history will +give to their fame is that, in spite of the enemy's immense superiority +in numbers, and his brutal launching of poisonous gas, he did not get +through. + +In a ditch by the wayside, a battalion was waiting to follow up the +charge. Every man among the Canadians was "on the job" that night. We +crossed the field to the farmhouse which we found filled to overflowing. +Ambulances were waiting there to carry the wounded back to Ypres. I +saw many friends carried in, and men were lying on the pavement +outside. Bullets were cracking against the outer brick walls. One +Highlander mounted guard over a wounded German prisoner. He had +captured him and was filled with the hunter's pride in his game. "I +got him myself, Sir, and I was just going to run him through with my +bayonet when he told me he had five children. As I have five children +myself, I could not kill him. So I brought him out here." I looked +down at the big prostrate German who was watching us with interest +largely rooted in fear. "Funf kinder?" (five children) "Ja, ja." I +wasn't going to be beaten by a German, so I told him I had seven (p. 066) +children and his face fell. I found out afterwards that a great many +Germans, when they were captured, said they had five children. The +Germans I think used to be put through a sort of catechism before they +went into action, in case they should be taken prisoners. For example, +they always told us they were sure we were going to win the war. They +always said they were glad to be taken prisoners. When they were +married men, they said they had five children and so appealed to our +pity. People do not realize even yet how very thorough the Germans +were in everything that they thought was going to bring them the +mastership of the world. When a German soldier saw the game was up, he +surrendered at once and thus was preserved to fight for his country in +the next war. + +In the stable of the farm, I found many seriously wounded men lying on +the straw, and I took down messages which they were sending to their +relatives at home. On the other side of the wall, we could hear the +bullets striking. As I had the Blessed Sacrament with me I was able to +give communion to a number of the wounded. By this time the grey of +approaching day began to silver the eastern sky. It was indeed a +comfort to feel that the great clockwork of the universe went on just +as if nothing was happening. Over and over again in the war the +approach of dawn has put new life into one. It was such a tremendous +and glorious thing to think that the world rolled on through space and +turned on its axis, whatever turmoil foolish people were making upon +its surface. + +With the dawn came the orders to clear the wounded. The ambulances +were sent off and one of the doctors told me to come with him, as the +General had commanded the place to be cleared of all but the necessary +military staff. It was about four in the morning when we started. +There was a momentary quieting down in the firing as we crossed the +bridge over the moat, but shells were still crashing in the fields, +and through the air we heard every now and then the whistling of +bullets. We kept our heads low and were hurrying on when we encountered +a signaller with two horses, which he had to take back to the main +road. One of these he offered to me. I had not been wanting to mount +higher in the air, but I did not like the fellow to think I had got +"cold feet." So I accepted it graciously, but annoyed him very much by +insisting upon lengthening the stirrups before I mounted. He got +impatient at what he considered an unnecessary delay, but I told him I +would not ride with my knees up to my chin for all the Germans (p. 067) +in the world. When I was mounted, we started off at a good gallop +across the fields to the Ypres road. It was an exciting ride, and I +must confess, looking back upon it, a thoroughly enjoyable one, +reminding me of old stories of battles and the Indian escapes of my +boyhood's novels. When we arrived at the main road, I had to deliver +up my horse to its owner, and then I decided to walk to Ypres, as by +so doing I could speak to the many Imperial men that were marching up +to reinforce the line. I refused many kind offers of lifts on lorries +and waggons. The British battalions were coming up and I was sorry for +them. The young fellows looked so tired and hungry. They had been in +France, I think, only twenty-four hours. At any rate, they had had a +long march, and, as it turned out, were going up, most of them, to +their death, I took great pleasure in hailing them cheerfully and +telling them that it was all right, as the Canadians had held the +line, and that the Germans were not going to get through. One sergeant +said, "You put a lot of braces in my tunic when you talk like that, +Sir." Nothing is more wonderful than the way in which men under tense +anxiety will respond to the slightest note of cheer. This was the case +all through the war. The slightest word or suggestion would often turn +a man from a feeling of powerless dejection into one of defiant +determination. These young Britishers whom I met that morning were a +splendid type of men. Later on the machine-gun fire over the fields +mowed them down in pitiful and ruthless destruction. As I journeyed +towards Ypres I saw smoke rolling up from various parts of the city +and down the road, in the air, I saw the flashes of bursting shrapnel. +I passed St. Jean and made my way to my house by the canal. + +The shutters were still shut and the door was open. I entered and +found in the dining room that the lamp was still burning on the table. +It was now about seven o'clock and Mr. Vandervyver had returned and +was upstairs arranging his toilet. I went out into the garden and +called one of the sentries to tell Murdoch MacDonald to come to me. +While I was talking to the sentry, an officer came by and warned me to +get away from that corner because the Germans were likely to shell it +as it was the only road in the neighbourhood for the passage of troops +to and from the front. When Murdoch arrived, I told him I wanted to +have breakfast, for I had had nothing to eat since luncheon the day +before and had done a lot of walking. He looked surprised and (p. 068) +said, "Fancy having breakfast when the town is being shelled." "Well," +I said, "don't you know we always read in the papers, when a man is +hanged, that before he went out to the gallows he ate a hearty +breakfast? There must be some philosophy in it. At any rate, you might +as well die on a full stomach as an empty one." So Murdoch began to +get breakfast ready in the kitchen, where Mr. Vandervyver's maid was +already preparing a meal for her master. I shaved and had a good clean +up and was sitting in the dining room arranging the many letters and +messages which I had received from men who asked me to write to their +relatives. Breakfast had just been set on the table when I heard the +loudest bang I have ever heard in my life. A seventeen inch shell had +fallen in the corner of the garden where the sentry had been standing. +The windows of the house were blown in, the ceiling came down and soot +from the chimneys was scattered over everything. I suddenly found +myself, still in a sitting posture, some feet beyond the chair in +which I had been resting. Mr. Vandervyver ran downstairs and out into +the street with his toilet so disarranged that he looked as if he were +going to take a swim. Murdoch MacDonald disappeared and I did not see +him again for several days. A poor old woman in the street had been +hit in the head and was being taken off by a neighbour and a man was +lying in the road with a broken leg. All my papers were unfortunately +lost in the debris of the ceiling. I went upstairs and got a few more +of my remaining treasures and came back to the dining room. There I +scraped away the dust and found two boiled eggs. I got some biscuits +from the sideboard and went and filled my water-bottle with tea in the +damaged kitchen. I was just starting out of the door when another +shell hit the building on the opposite side of the street. It had been +used as a billet by some of our men. The sentry I had been talking to +had disappeared and all they could find of him were his boots with his +feet in them. In the building opposite, we found a Highlander badly +wounded and I got stretcher-bearers to come and carry him off to the +2nd Field Ambulance in the Square nearby. Their headquarters had been +moved to Vlamertinghe and they were evacuating that morning. The +civilians now had got out of the town. All sorts of carts and +wheelbarrows had been called into requisition. There were still some +wounded men in the dressing station and a sergeant was in charge. I +managed to commandeer a motor ambulance and stow them in it. Shells +were falling fast in that part of the town. It was perfectly (p. 069) +impossible to linger any longer. A certain old inhabitant, however, +would not leave. He said he would trust to the good God and stay in +the cellar of his house till the war was over. Poor man, if he did not +change his mind, his body must be in the cellar still, for the last +time I saw the place, which henceforth was known as "Hell Fire Corner," +there was not one stone left upon another. Only a little brick wall +remained to show where the garden and house of my landlord had been. I +collected the men of the Ambulance and started off with them to +Vlamertinghe. On the way we added to our numbers men who had either +lost their units or were being sent back from the line. + +As we passed through the Grande Place, which now wore a very much more +dilapidated appearance than it had three days before, we found a +soldier on the pavement completely intoxicated. He was quite unconscious +and could not walk. There was nothing to do but to make him as +comfortable as possible till he should awake next day to the horrors +of the real world. We carried him into a room of a house and laid him +on a heap of straw. I undid the collar of his shirt so that he might +have full scope for extra blood pressure and left him to his fate. I +heard afterwards that the house was struck and that he was wounded and +taken away to a place of safety. When we got down to the bridge on the +Vlamertinghe road, an Imperial Signal Officer met me in great +distress. His men had been putting up telegraph wires on the other +side of the canal and a shell had fallen and killed thirteen of them. +He asked our men to carry the bodies back over the bridge and lay them +side by side in an outhouse. The men did so, and the row of mutilated, +twisted and bleeding forms was pitiful to see. The officer was very +grateful to us, but the bodies were probably never buried because that +part of the city was soon a ruin. We went on down the road towards +Vlamertinghe, past the big asylum, so long known as a dressing +station, with its wonderful and commodious cellars. It had been hit +and the upstairs part was no longer used. + +The people along the road were leaving their homes as fast as they +could. One little procession will always stand out in my mind. In +front one small boy of about six years old was pulling a toy cart in +which two younger children were packed. Behind followed the mother +with a large bundle on her back. Then came the father with a still +bigger one. There they were trudging along, leaving their home (p. 070) +behind with its happy memories, to go forth as penniless refugees, +compelled to live on the charity of others. It was through no fault of +their own, but only through the monstrous greed and ambition of a +despot crazed with feudal dreams of a by-gone age. As I looked at that +little procession, and at many other similar ones, the words of the +Gospel kept ringing in my ears, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one +of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." These +words I felt sounded the doom of the Kaiser. Many and many a time when +the war from our point of view has been going badly, and men would ask +me, "How about the war, Sir?" or, "Are we winning the war, Sir?" I +would reply, "Boys, unless the devil has got into heaven we are going +to win. If he has, the German Emperor will have a good friend there. +But he hasn't, and any nation which tramples on the rights and +liberties of humanity, glories in it, makes it a matter of national +boasting, and casts medals to commemorate the sinking of unprotected +ships--any nation which does that is bound to lose the war, no matter +how badly things may look at the present time." It was nothing but +that unflinching faith in the power of right which kept our men so +steadfast. Right is after all only another name for the will of God. +Men who knew no theology, who professed no creed, who even pretended +to great indifference about the venture of eternity, were unalterably +fixed in their faith in the power of right. It gives one a great +opportunity of building the higher edifice of religion when one +discovers the rock foundation in a man's convictions. + +When we reached Vlamertinghe we found that a school house had been +taken over by the 2nd Field Ambulance. + +There was a terrible shortage of stretchers and blankets, as most of +the equipment had been lost at Ypres. All that day and night the +furious battle raged, and many fresh British battalions passed up to +reinforce the line. As soon as it was dark, the wounded began to come +in, and by midnight the school-house was filled to overflowing. The +men were lying out in rows on the cold stone floor with nothing under +them. Ambulances were coming and going as hour after hour passed by. I +went among the sufferers, many of whom I knew. The sergeant would come +to me and tell me where the worst cases were. He whispered to me once, +"There is a dying man over here." We trod softly between the prostrate +forms till we came to one poor fellow who looked up with white face +under the candle light. I saw he was dying. He belonged to one of (p. 071) +the British battalions that I had passed on the road. I asked him if +he would like to receive the Holy Communion. He was pleased when I +told him I could give it to him. He had been a chorister in England, +and he felt so far from the ministrations of his church now. He made +his confession and I pronounced the absolution. Then I gave him the +Blessed Sacrament. Like many severely wounded men, he was not suffering +much, but was dying of shock. We were now compelled to use the church +and it also soon became a scene of suffering. The building to-day is a +ruin, but then it had been untouched by shells and was large and +impressive. We had only a few candles with which to light it. The +wounded were laid out, some on the floor, some on chairs, and some sat +up waiting for the convoys of ambulances that were to take them to the +Base. It was a strange scene. In the distance we heard the roar of the +battle, and here, in the dim light of the hollow-sounding aisles, were +shadowy figures huddled up on chairs or lying on the floor. Once the +silence was broken by a loud voice shouting out with startling +suddenness, "O God! stop it." I went over to the man. He was a British +sergeant. He would not speak, but I think in his terrible suffering he +meant the exclamation as a kind of prayer. I thought it might help the +men to have a talk with them, so I told them what great things were +being done that night and what a noble part they had played in holding +back the German advance and how all the world would honour them in +after times. Then I said, "Boys, let us have a prayer for our comrades +up in that roar of battle at the front. When I say the Lord's Prayer +join in with me, but not too loudly as we don't want to disturb those +who are trying to sleep." I had a short service and they all joined in +the Lord's Prayer. It was most impressive in that large, dim church, +to hear the voices, not loudly, but quite distinctly, repeating the +words from different parts of the building, for some of the men had +gone over to corners where they might be by themselves. After the +Lord's Prayer I pronounced the Benediction, and then I said, "Boys, +the Cure won't mind your smoking in the church tonight, so I am going +to pass round some cigarettes." Luckily I had a box of five hundred +which had been sent to me by post. These I handed round and lit them. +Voices from different parts would say, "May I have one, Sir?" It was +really delightful to feel that a moment's comfort could be given (p. 072) +to men in their condition. A man arrived that night with both his eyes +gone, and even he asked for a cigarette. I had to put the cigarette +into his mouth and light it for him. "It's so dark, Sir," he said, "I +can't see." I was not going to tell him he would never see again, so I +said, "Your head is all bandaged up. Of course you can't." He was one +of the first to be taken off in the ambulance, and I do not know +whether he is alive or dead. Our Canadians still held on with grim +determination, and they deserved the tribute which Marshal Foch has +paid them of saving the day at Ypres. + +When they came out of the line, and I was living once again among +them, going from battalion to battalion, it was most amusing to hear +them tell of all their adventures during the great attack. The English +newspapers reached us and they were loud in their praise of "the +gallant Canadians." The King, General Joffre, and Sir Robert Borden, +sent messages to our troops. One man said, amid the laughter of his +comrades, "All I can remember, Sir, was that I was in a blooming old +funk for about three days and three nights and now I am told I am a +hero. Isn't that fine?" Certainly they deserved all the praise they +got. In a battle there is always the mixture of the serious and the +comic. One Turco, more gallant than his fellows, refused to leave the +line and joined the 16th Battalion. He fought so well that they decided +to reward him by turning him into a Highlander. He consented to don +the kilt, but would not give up his trousers as they concealed his +black legs. + +The Second Battle of Ypres was the making of what grew to be the +Canadian Corps. Up to that time, Canadians were looked upon, and +looked upon themselves, merely as troops that might be expected to +hold the line and do useful spade work, but from then onward the men +felt they could rise to any emergency, and the army knew they could be +depended upon. The pace then set was followed by the other divisions +and, at the end, the Corps did not disappoint the expectations of +General Foch. What higher praise could be desired? + +My billet in Vlamertinghe was in a neat little cottage owned by an old +maid, who took great pride in making everything shine. The paymaster +of one of our battalions and I had a cheerful home there when the poor +old lady fled. Her home however did not long survive her absence, for, +some days after she left, it was levelled by a shell. The church (p. 073) +too was struck and ruined. Beside it is the military cemetery within +which lie the mortal remains of many gallant men, amongst them the two +Grenfells, one of whom got the V.C. There I buried poor Duffy and many +more. The other chaplains laid to rest men under their care. + +One picture always comes to my mind when I think of Vlamertinghe. In +the road near the church was a Crucifix. The figure was life size and +hung on a cross planted upon a rocky mound. One night when the sun had +set and a great red glow burnt along the horizon, I saw the large black +cross silhouetted against the crimson sky, and before it knelt an aged +woman with grey hair falling from beneath the kerchief that was tied +about her head. It was dangerous at all times to stay at that place, +yet she knelt there silently in prayer. She seemed to be the +embodiment of the old life and quiet contented religious hope which +must have been the spirit of Vlamertinghe in the past. The village was +an absolute ruin a few days later, and even the Sisters had to flee +from their convent. The Crucifix, however, stood for a long time after +the place was destroyed, but I never passed by without thinking of the +poor old woman who knelt at its foot in the evening light and laid her +burden of cares upon the heart of Eternal Pity. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. (p. 074) + +FESTUBERT AND GIVENCHY. + +_May and June, 1915._ + + +When our men came out of the line, the 2nd Field Ambulance was ordered +back for rest and reorganization to a village called Ouderdom, three +miles to the Southwest, and their O.C. invited me to follow them. It +was late in the evening when I started to walk. The light was fading +and, as I had no map, I was not certain where Ouderdom was. I went down +the road, delighting in the sweet smells of nature. It was with a sense +of unusual freedom that I walked along with all my worldly possessions +in my haversack. I thought how convenient it was to lose one's kit. +Now I could lie down beside any haystack and feel quite at home. The +evening air grew chillier and I thought I had better get some roof +over my head for the night. I asked various men that I met where +Ouderdom was. None of them knew. I was forced once again to take my +solitary journey into the great unknown. It was therefore with much +satisfaction that, when quite dark, I came upon some wooden huts and +saw a number of men round a little fire in a field. I went up to one +of the huts and found in it a very kind and courteous middle-aged +lieutenant, who was in charge of a detachment of Indian troops. When +he heard I was looking for the Field Ambulance and going towards +Ouderdom, he told me it was much too late to continue my journey that +night. "You stay with me in my hut, Padre," he said, "and in the +morning I will give you a horse to take you to your men." He told me +that he had been living by himself and was only too delighted to have +a companion to talk to. He treated me as bounteously as circumstances +would permit, and after a good dinner, he gave me a blanket and straw +bed on the floor of his hut. It was very pleasant to come out of the +darkness and loneliness of the road and find such a kind host, and +such good hospitality. We discussed many things that night, and the +next day I was shown over the camp. Later on, the Lieutenant sent me +on horseback to Ouderdom. There I found the Ambulance encamped in a +pleasant field beside a large pond, which afforded us the luxury of a +bath. I shall never forget those two restful days I spent at Ouderdom. +I blamed the blankets, however, for causing an irritation of the (p. 075) +skin, which lasted till I was able to have another wash and change. + +Pleasant as my life was with the Ambulance, I felt I ought to go back +and join my Brigade. I got a ride to the transport at Brielen, and +there, under a waggon cover, had a very happy home. Near us an +Imperial battery fired almost incessantly all night long. While lying +awake one night thinking of the men that had gone, and wondering what +those ardent spirits were now doing, the lines came to me which were +afterwards published in "The Times": + + "REQUIESCANT" + + In lonely watches night by night, + Great visions burst upon my sight, + For down the stretches of the sky + The hosts of dead go marching by. + + Strange ghostly banners o'er them float, + Strange bugles sound an awful note, + And all their faces and their eyes + Are lit with starlight from the skies. + + The anguish and the pain have passed, + And peace hath come to them at last. + But in the stern looks linger still + The iron purpose and the will. + + Dear Christ, who reign'st above the flood + Of human tears and human blood, + A weary road these men have trod, + O house them in the home of God. + +The Quartermaster of the 3rd Brigade furnished me with a change of +underwear, for which I was most grateful. I felt quite proud of having +some extra clothes again. The battalions were moved at last out of the +area and we were ordered off to rest. Our first stop was near +Vlamertinghe. We reached it in the afternoon, and, chilly though it +was, I determined to have a bath. Murdoch MacDonald got a bucket of +water from a green and slimy pond and put it on the other side of a +hedge, and there I retired to have a wash and change. I was just in +the midst of the process when, to my confusion, the Germans began to +shell the adjoining field, and splinters of shell fell in the hedge +behind me. The transport men on the other side called out to me (p. 076) +to run and take cover with them under the waggons. "I can't, boys", +I replied, "I have got no clothes on." They roared with laughter at my +plight. Though clothes are not at all an impregnable armour, somehow +or other you feel safer when you are dressed. There was nothing for it +but to complete my ablutions, which I did so effectually in the cold +spring air that I got a chill. That night I was racked with pains as I +rode on the horse which the M.O. lent me, on our march to Bailleul. + +We arrived in the quaint old town about two in the morning, and I made +my way in the dark to the hotel in the Square. I was refused admission +on the reasonable plea that every bed was already occupied. I was just +turning away, wondering where I could go, for I was hardly able to +stand up, when an officer came out and said I might go up to a room on +the top storey and get into his bed as he would need it no more. It +was quite delightful, not only to find a bed, but one which had been +so nicely and wholesomely warmed. I spent a most uncomfortable night, +and in the morning I wondered if my batman would find out where I was +and come and look after me. About ten o'clock I heard a knock at the +door and called out "Come in." To my astonishment, a very smart staff +officer, with a brass hat and red badges, made his way into my room, +and startled me by saying, "I am the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General." +"Oh", I said, "I was hoping you were my batman." He laughed at that +and told me his business. There had been a report that one of our +Highlanders had been crucified on the door of a barn. The Roman Catholic +Chaplain of the 3rd Brigade and myself had tried to trace the story to +its origin. We found that the nearest we could get to it was, that +someone had told somebody else about it. One day I managed to discover +a Canadian soldier who said he had seen the crucifixion himself. I at +once took some paper out of my pocket and a New Testament and told +him, "I want you to make that statement on oath and put your signature +to it." He said, "It is not necessary." But he had been talking so +much about the matter to the men around him that he could not escape. +I had kept his sworn testimony in my pocket and it was to obtain this +that the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General had called upon me. I gave it +to him and told him that in spite of the oath, I thought the man was +not telling the truth. Weeks afterwards I got a letter from the +Deputy-Judge telling me he had found the man, who, when confronted (p. 077) +by a staff officer, weakened, and said he was mistaken in swearing +that he had seen the crucifixion he had only been told about it by +someone else. We have no right to charge the Germans with the crime. +They have done so many things equally bad, that we do not need to +bring charges against them of which we are not quite sure. + +The Brigade was quartered in the little village of Steenje. It was a +pretty place, and it was delightful to be back in the peaceful country +again. May was bringing out the spring flowers and the trees wore +fresh green leaves. There was something about the exhilarating life we +were leading which made one extremely sensitive to the beauties of +nature. I have never cared much for flowers, except in a general way. +But now I noticed a great change. A wild flower growing in a ditch by +the wayside seemed to me to be almost a living thing, and spoke in its +mute way of its life of peace and contentment, and mocked, by its very +humility, the world of men which was so full of noise and death. +Colour too made a most powerful appeal to the heart. The gleam of +sunlight on the moss that covered an old thatched roof gave one a +thrill of gladness. The world of nature putting on its fresh spring +dress had its message to hearts that were lonely and anxious, and it +was a message of calm courage and hope. In Julian Grenfell's beautiful +poem "Into Battle," he notes this message of the field and trees. +Everything in nature spoke to the fighting man and gave him its own +word of cheer. + +Of course all the men did not show they were conscious of these emotional +suggestions, but I think they felt them nevertheless. The green fields +and shining waters around Steenje had a very soothing effect upon minds +that had passed through the bitterest ordeal in their life's +experience. I remember one morning having a service of Holy Communion +in the open air. Everything was wonderful and beautiful. The golden +sunlight was streaming across the earth in full radiance. The trees +were fresh and green, and hedges marked out the field with walls of +living beauty. The grass in the meadow was soft and velvety, and, just +behind the spot where I had placed the altar, a silver stream wandered +slowly by. When one adds to such a scene, the faces of a group of +earnest, well-made and heroic young men, it is easily understood that +the beauty of the service was complete. When it was over, I reminded +them of the twenty-third Psalm, "He maketh me to lie down in green (p. 078) +pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters." There too was the table +prepared before us in the presence of our enemies. + +At Steenje, as no billet had been provided for me, the Engineers took +me in and treated me right royally. Not only did they give me a pile +of straw for a bed in the dormitory upstairs, but they also made me an +honorary member of their mess. Of the work of the "Sappers", in the +Great War, one cannot speak too highly. Brave and efficient, they were +always working and co-operating enthusiastically with the infantry. +Every week now that passed was deepening that sense of comradeship +which bound our force together. The mean people, the men who thought +only of themselves, were either being weeded out or taught that there +was no place for selfishness in the army. One great lesson was +impressed upon me in the war, and that is, how wonderfully the +official repression of wrong thoughts and jealousies tends to their +abolition. A man who lets his wild fancies free, and gives rein to his +anger and selfishness, is going to become the victim of his own mind. +If people at home could only be prevented, as men were in the war, +from saying all the bitter and angry things they feel, and from +criticising the actions of their neighbours, a different temper of +thought would prevail. The comradeship men experienced in the Great +War was due to the fact that everyone knew comradeship was essential +to our happiness and success. It would be well if all over Canada men +realized that the same is true of our happiness and success in times +of peace. What might we not accomplish if our national and industrial +life were full of mutual sympathy and love! + +Our rest at Steenje was not of long duration. Further South another +attack was to be made and so one evening, going in the direction +whither our troops were ordered, I was motored to the little village +of Robecq. There I managed to get a comfortable billet for myself in +the house of a carpenter. My bedroom was a tiny compartment which +looked out on the backyard. It was quite delightful to lie in a real +bed again and as I was enjoying the luxury late in the morning I +watched the carpenter making a baby's coffin. Robecq then was a very +charming place. The canal, on which was a hospital barge, gave the men +an opportunity for a swim, and the spring air and the sunshine put +them in high spirits. + +It was at Robecq, that I had my first sight of General Haig. I was +standing in the Square one afternoon when I saw the men on the (p. 079) +opposite side spring suddenly to attention. I felt that something +was going to happen. To my astonishment, I saw a man ride up carrying +a flag on a lance. He was followed by several other mounted men. It +was so like a pageant that I said to myself, "Hello, here comes Joan +of Arc." Then a general appeared with his brilliant staff. The General +advanced and we all saluted, but he, spying my chaplain's collar, rode +over to me and shook hands and asked if I had come over with the +Canadians. I told him I had. Then he said, "I am so glad you have all +come into my Army." I did not know who he was or what army we were in, +or in fact what the phrase meant, but I thought it was wise to say nice +things to a general, so I told him we were all very glad too. He seemed +gratified and rode off in all the pomp and circumstance of war. I heard +afterwards that he was General Haig, who at that time commanded the First +Army. He had from the start, the respect of all in the British +Expeditionary Force. + +A sudden call "to stand to", however, reminded us that the war was not +yet won. The Brigadier told me that we had to move the next morning at +five. Then he asked me how I was going and I quoted my favourite text, +"The Lord will provide." My breakfast at 3.30 next morning consisted +of a tin of green peas without bread or other adulterations and a cup +of coffee. At five a.m. I started to walk, but it was not long before I +was overtaken by the car of an artillery officer, and carried, in great +glory, past the General and his staff, whose horses we nearly pushed +into the ditch on the narrow road. The Brigadier waved his hand and +congratulated me upon the way in which Providence was looking after me. +That afternoon our brigade was settled in reserve trenches at +Lacouture. There were a number of Ghurka regiments in the neighbourhood, +as well as some Guards battalions. I had a service for the bomb-throwers +in a little orchard that evening, and I found a billet with the +officers of the unit in a particularly small and dirty house by the +wayside. + +Some of us lay on the floor and I made my bed on three chairs--a style +of bed which I said I would patent on my return to Canada. The chairs, +with the middle one facing in the opposite direction to prevent one +rolling off, were placed at certain distances where the body needed +special support, and made a very comfortable resting place, free from +those inhabitants which infested the ordinary places of repose. Of +course we did not sleep much, and somebody, amid roars of laughter (p. 080) +called for breakfast about two-thirty a.m. The cook who was sleeping +in the same room got up and prepared bacon and coffee, and we had +quite an enjoyable meal, which did not prevent our having a later one +about nine a.m., after which, I beguiled the time by reading aloud +Leacock's "Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich." Later in the day, +I marched off with our men who were going into the trenches, for the +battle of Festubert. We passed the place called Indian Village and +went to the trenches just beyond. + +We met a bearer-party bringing out a young German prisoner who was +badly wounded. I went over to him and offered him a cigarette. This he +declined, but asked for some water, putting out his dry tongue to show +how parched it was. I called to some of our men to know if they could +spare him a drink. Several gladly ran across and offered their +water-bottles. They were always kind to wounded prisoners. "If thine +enemy thirst give him drink." Just before the men went into the +trenches, I shook hands with one or two and then, as they passed up, +half the battalion shook hands with me. I was glad they did, but at +the same time I felt then that it was not wise for a chaplain to do +anything which looked as if he were taking matters too seriously. It +was the duty of everyone to forget private feelings in the one +absorbing desire to kill off the enemy. I saw the different battalions +going up and was returning towards headquarters when whom should I +meet but the dreaded Brigadier coming up the road with his staff. It +was impossible to dodge him; I could see already that he was making +towards me. When he came up to me, he asked me what I was doing there, +and ordered me back to Headquarters on pain of a speedy return to No. +2 General Hospital. "If you come east of my Headquarters," he said, +"you will be sent back absolutely certainly." That night I took my +revenge by sleeping in his deserted bed, and found it very +comfortable. + +Our Brigade Headquarters were at Le Touret in a large farm surrounded +by a moat. We were quite happy, but on the next day, which I spent in +censoring the letters of the 13th Battalion, I was told that the 2nd +Brigade were coming to occupy the billet and that I had to get out and +forage for myself. At half past six in the evening I saw from my window +the giant form of General Currie followed by his staff, riding across +the bridge over the moat. He looked very imposing, but I knew it meant +that the bed I had slept in was no longer mine. I called my friend (p. 081) +Murdoch MacDonald and I got him to pack my haversack. "Murdoch", I +said, "once more we have to face the big, black world alone, but--'the +Lord will provide'". The sun had set, the air was cool and scented +richly with the fermented manure spread upon the land. Many units were +scattered through the fields. We went from one place to another, but +alas there was no billet for us. It was tiring work, and both Murdoch +and I were getting very hungry and also very grumpy. The prospect of +sleeping under the stars in the chilly night was not pleasant. I am +ashamed to say my faith began to waver, and I said to Murdoch MacDonald, +"Murdoch, my friend, the Lord is a long time providing for us +tonight." We made our way back to the main road and there I saw an +Imperial Officer who was acting as a point man and directing traffic. +I told him my difficulty and implored him, as it was now getting on +towards eleven p.m., to tell me where I could get a lodging for the +night. He thought for a while and then said, "I think you may find a +bed for yourself and your man in the prison." The words had an ominous +sound, but I remembered how often people at home found refuge for the +night in the police station. He told me to go down the road to the +third farmhouse, where I should find the quarters of some Highland +officers and men. The farm was called the prison, because it was the +place in which captured Germans were to be held until they were sent +down the line. Followed by Murdoch, I made my way again down the busy +road now crowded with transports, troops and ambulances. It was hard +to dodge them in the mud and dark. I found the farmhouse, passed the +sentry, and was admitted to the presence of two young officers of the +Glasgow Highlanders. I told them who I was and how I had been bidden +by the patrol officer to seek refuge with them. They received me most +cordially and told me they had a spare heap of straw in the room. They +not only said they would arrange for me for the night, but they called +their servant and told him to get me some supper. They said I looked +worn out. A good dish of ham and eggs and a cup of strong tea at that +time were most refreshing and when I had finished eating, seeing a +copy of the Oxford Book of Verse on the table, I began to read it to +them, and finally, and quite naturally, found myself later on, about +one a.m., reciting my own poems. It was most interesting meeting +another set of men. The barn, which was kept as a prison for Germans +was large and commodious. As we took only five or six prisoners (p. 082) +at that time, it was more than sufficient for the purpose. The officers +told me that the reason why so few prisoners turned up was that the +Canadians got tired of their charges before they arrived at the +prison, and only handed over a few as souvenirs. I really think the +Scotsmen believed it. The Glasgow men moved away and were succeeded by +a company of Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. The tables were now +turned, for as I had kept on inhabiting the large room with the three +heaps of straw in it, the two officers who came "to take over" asked +my permission to make their billet in the prison. + +In the meantime, the fighting in the trenches was very fierce. I spent +my days in parish visiting and my nights at the various dressing +stations. The batteries of artillery were all round us in the fields +and orchards, and there was great concentration of British and +Canadian guns. In spite of the brigadier's orders, I often went east +of Headquarters. One lovely Sunday evening I had a late service for +men of the 16th Battalion in an orchard. They were going off later +into No Man's Land on a working party. The service, which was a +voluntary one, had therefore an underlying pathos in it. Shells were +falling in the fields on both sides of us. The great red sunset glowed +in the west and the trees overhead cast an artistic gray green light +upon the scene. The men were facing the sunset, and I told them as +usual that there lay Canada. The last hymn was "Abide with Me", and +the words, "Hold Thou Thy Cross before my closing eyes", were +peculiarly touching in view of the fact that the working party was to +start as soon as the service was ended. At Festubert our Cavalry +Brigade, now deprived of their horses, joined us, and I remember one +morning seeing Colonel, now General, Macdonell, coming out of the line +at the head of his men. They were few in number and were very tired, +for they had had a hard time and had lost many of their comrades. The +Colonel, however, told them to whistle and keep step to the tune, +which they were doing with a gallantry which showed that, in spite of +the loss of their horses, the spirit of the old squadron was still +undaunted. + +Our batteries round Le Touret were very heavily and systematically +shelled, and of course rumour had it that there were spies in the +neighbourhood. The French Police were searching for Germans in British +uniforms, and everyone felt that some of the inhabitants might be +housing emissaries from the German lines. Some said lights were (p. 083) +seen flashing from farmhouses; others averred that the French peasants +signalled to the enemy by the way they ploughed their fields and by +the colour of the horses used. In Belgium we were told that the +arrangement of the arms of windmills gave away the location of our +troops. At any rate everyone had a bad attack of spy-fever, and I did +not escape it. One night about half past ten I was going down a dark +road to get my letters from the post office, when an officer on a +bicycle came up to me and, dismounting, asked me where a certain +British Artillery Brigade was. I was not concerned with the number of +the brigade, but I was horrified to hear the officer pronounce his +"rs" in the back of his throat. Of course, when we are not at war with +Germany, a man may pronounce his "rs" however he pleases, but when we +are at war with the great guttural hordes of Teutons it is different. +The moment I heard the sepulchral "r" I said, "This man is a German". +He told me he had come from the Indian Army and had a message for the +artillery brigade. I took him by subtlety, thinking all was fair in +war, and I asked him to come with me. I made for the billet of our +signallers and told the sentry that the officer wanted a British +brigade. At the same time I whispered to the man to call out the +guard, because I thought the stranger was a spy. + +The sentry went into the house, and in a few seconds eager Canadians +with fixed bayonets came out of the building and surrounded the +unfortunate officer. Canadians were always ready for a bit of sport. +When I saw my man surrounded, I asked him for his pass. He appeared +very much confused and said he had none, but had come from the Indian +Army. What made us all the more suspicious was the fact that he +displayed a squared map as an evidence of his official character. I +told him that anybody could get a squared map. "Do you take me for a +spy?" he said. I replied gently that we did, and that he would have to +come to Headquarters and be identified. He had an ugly looking +revolver in his belt, but he submitted very tamely to his temporary +arrest. I was taking him off to our Headquarters, where strange +officers were often brought for purposes of identification, when a +young Highland Captain of diminutive stature, but unbounded dignity, +appeared on the scene with four patrol men. He told me that as he was +patrolling the roads for the capture of spies, he would take over the +custody of my victim. The Canadians were loath to lose their prey. So +we all followed down the road. After going a short distance, the +signallers had to return to their quarters, much to my regret, (p. 084) +for it seemed to me that the safety of the whole British Army depended +on our capturing the spy, and I knew I could depend upon the Canadians. +However I made up my mind that I would follow to the bitter end. + +The Highlander put the officer between us and, followed by the four +patrol men, we went off down a lonely road. The moon had now risen. +After walking about half a mile we came to a large barn, outside of +which stood a sentry. It was the billet of a battalion of Highlanders. +I told the man privately, that we had arrested the officer under +suspicion of his being a spy, and if the sentry on duty should see him +coming back along the road, he was to detain him and have him +identified. As we walked along, a number of men who had been concealed +in the ditches on each side of the road rose up and followed us. They +were men of the patrol commanded by the young Highlander on the other +side of our prisoner. It was a delightfully weird experience. There +was the long quiet moonlit road and the desolate fields all around us. +While I was talking to one of the men, the patrol officer, unknown to +me, allowed the spy to go off on his wheel, and to my astonishment +when I turned I saw him going off down the road as hard as he could. I +asked the officer why he had let him go. He said he thought it was all +right and the man would be looked after. Saying this, he called his +patrol about him and marched back again. The thing made me very angry. +It seemed to me that the whole war might depend on our capturing the +spy. At least, I owed it to the British Army to do my best to be +certain the man was all right before I let him go. So I continued to +follow him by myself down the road. The next farm I came to was about +a mile off. There I was halted by a sentry, and on telling my business +I was shown into a large barn, where the sergeant-major of a Scottish +battalion got out of the straw and came to talk to me. He told me that +an officer riding a wheel had passed sometime before, asking his way +to a certain artillery brigade. I told the sergeant-major my +suspicions and while we were talking, to our astonishment, the sentry +announced that the officer, accompanied by a Black Watch despatch +rider, had turned up again, having heard that the brigade he wanted +was in the other direction. + +The sergeant and I went out and challenged him and said that he had to +come to the colonel and be identified. The colonel was in the back +room of a little cottage on the other side of the road. I made my way +through the garden and entered the house. The colonel, an oldish (p. 085) +man, was sitting at a table. In front of him was an empty glass and an +empty whisky bottle. It struck me from a superficial glance that the +colonel was the only full thing in the room. He seemed surprised at +having so late a visitor. I told him my suspicions. "Show the man in, +Padre," he said, and I did. + +The spy seemed worried and excited and his "rs" were more guttural +than ever. The old Colonel, who had himself been in India, at once put +the suspect through his facings in Hindustani. Then the Colonel came +out to me, and taking me aside said, "It's all right, Padre, he can +talk Hindustani. I never met a German who could do that." Though still +not quite satisfied, I said "Good night," and went out into the garden +to return home. Immediately the young despatch rider came up to me and +said, "Who are you, who are stopping a British officer in the +performance of his duty? I arrest you. You must come in to the Colonel +and be identified." This was a turning of the tables with a vengeance, +and as I had recently laid stress on its being the duty of every +officer to prove his identity whenever called upon, I had nothing to +do but to go back into the presence of the Colonel and be questioned. +I noticed this time that a full bottle of whiskey and another tumbler +had been provided for the entertainment of the Indian Officer. The +despatch rider saluted the Colonel and said, "I have brought in this +officer, Sir, to be identified. He says he is a Canadian chaplain but +I should like to make sure on the point." I stood there feeling rather +disconcerted. The Colonel called to his adjutant who was sleeping in a +bed in the next room. He came out in a not very agreeable frame of +mind and began to ask me who I was. I immediately told my name, showed +my identification disc and engraved silver cigarette case and some +cablegrams that I had just received from home. The Colonel looked up +with bleary eyes and said, "Shall I put him in the guardroom?" but +the adjutant had been convinced by my papers that I was innocent and +he said, "I think we can let him go, Sir." It was a great relief to +me, because guard-rooms were not very clean. I was just making my way +from the garden when out came the young despatch rider. I bore him no +malice for his patriotic zeal. I felt that his heart was in the right +place, so I said to him, "You have taken the part of this unknown +officer, and now that you are sure I am all right, may I ask you what +you know about him?" "I don't know anything", he said, "only that I +met him and he asked me the way to the Brigade, and as I was going (p. 086) +there myself I told him I would act as his guide." "Well", I said, "we +are told that there are spies in the neighbourhood reporting the +location of our batteries to the Germans, so we ought to be very +careful how we give these locations away." "I tell you what, Sir," he +replied, "I'll go and examine his wheel and see what the make is; I +know a good deal about the wheels used in the army." We went over to +the wheel and by the aid of my flashlight he examined it thoroughly +and then said, "This is not an English wheel, I have never seen one +like it before. This wheel was never in use in our army." The despatch +rider now got an attack of spy-fever. It was decided that he should +ride on to the Brigade Headquarters and find out if an Indian officer +was expected there. He promised to come back as soon as possible and +meet me in the road. We trusted that the bottle of whiskey in the +Colonel's billet would cause sufficient delay for this to be +accomplished. The night was cool and beautiful and the sense of an +adventure added charm to the situation. I had not gone far down the +road when to my horror I heard a wheel coming behind me, and turning, +I saw my spy coming towards me as fast as he could. I was not of +course going to let him get past. The added information as to the +character of the wheel gave me even greater determination to see that +everything was done to protect the army from the machinations of a +German spy. + +I stood in the road and stopped the wheel. The poor man had to +dismount and walk beside me. I wished to delay him long enough for the +despatch rider to return with his message from the Brigade. Our +conversation was a trifle forced, and I remember thinking that if my +friend was really a British officer he would not have submitted quite +so tamely to the interference of a Padre. Then I looked at the +revolver in his belt, and I thought that, if, on the other hand, he +was a German spy he would probably use his weapon in that lonely road +and get rid of the man who was impeding his movements. We went on till +we came to the sentry whom I had warned at first. At once, we were +challenged, "Halt, who are you?" and the suspected spy replied "Indian +Army." But the sentry was not satisfied, and to my delight he said, +"You will both have to come in and be identified". We were taken into +the guardroom and told that we should have to stay there for the +night. My friend got very restless and said it was too bad to be held +up like this. I looked anxiously down the road to see if there were +any signs of the returning despatch rider. The sentries were (p. 087) +obdurate and said they wouldn't let us go till we could be identified +in the morning. Then the officer requested that he might be sent to +the Brigade under escort. The sergeant asked me if that would meet +with my approval. I said, "Certainly", and so, turning out three +members of the guard with fixed bayonets, they marched us off towards +the Brigade. The spy had a man with a fixed bayonet on each side of +him: they gave me only one. I felt that this was a slight upon my +manhood, and asked why they did not put a soldier on each side of me +too, as I was as good a man as the other. It was a queer procession in +the moonlight. At last we came to the orchard in which stood the +billet of the General commanding the Artillery Brigade. I was delighted +to find that some Canadian Batteries were there, and told the men what +my mission was. They instantly, as true Canadians, became fired with +interest and spy-fever. When we got to the house I asked to see the +General. He was asleep in a little room off the kitchen. I was shown +in, and he lit a candle and proceeded to get up. I had never seen a +general in bed before, so was much interested in discovering what he +looked like and how he was dressed. I found that a general in war time +goes to bed in his underclothes, like an ordinary private. The General +got up and went outside and put the spy through a series of questions, +but he did so in a very sleepy voice, and with a perfunctory manner +which seemed to me to indicate that he was more concerned about +getting back to bed than he was in saving the army from danger. He +told the officer that it was too late then to carry on the business +for which he had come, but that he would see about it in the morning. +The spy with a guttural voice then said, "I suppose I may go, Sir?" +and the General said, "Certainly." Quickly as possible, fearing a +further arrest, the stranger went out, took his wheel, and sped down +the road. When I went into the garden, I found a number of men from +one of our ambulances. They had turned up with stolen rifles and were +waiting with the keenest delight to join in "Canon Scott's spy hunt." +Imagine therefore, their disappointment when the officer came out a +free man, answered the sentry's challenge on the road, and disappeared +in the distance. + +On the following day, the French military police came to my billet and +asked for particulars about the Indian officer. They told Murdoch +MacDonald that they were on the lookout for a German spy who was (p. 088) +reported to be going about through our lines dressed in a British +uniform. He had been seen at an observation post, and was making +enquiries which aroused suspicions. This of course made me more sorry +than ever that I had allowed the spy to get through my fingers. Like +the man the French police were after, the officer was fair, had a +light moustache and was of good size and heavily built. + +My adventures with my friend did not end there. When we had left Festubert +and got to the neighbourhood of Bethune, I took two young privates one +day to have lunch with me in a French hotel near the Square. We were just +beginning our meal when to my astonishment the suspected spy, accompanied +by a French interpreter, sat down at an opposite table. He looked towards +me but made no sign of recognition--a circumstance which I regarded as +being decidedly suspicious. I naturally did not look for any demonstration +of affection from him, but I thought he might have shown, if he were +an honest man, that he remembered one who had caused him so much +inconvenience. Once more the call of duty came to my soul. I felt that +this man had dodged the British authorities and was now giving his +information to a French interpreter to transmit it at the earliest +possible moment to the Germans. I told my young friends to carry on as +if nothing had happened, and excusing myself, said I would come back +in a few minutes. I went out and inquired my way to the Town Major's +office. There, I stated the object of my journey and asked for two +policemen to come back with me and mount guard till I identified a +suspicious looking officer. I then returned and finished my lunch. +When the officer and the interpreter at the conclusion of their meal +went out into the passage, I followed them and asked for their +identification. The officer made no attempt to disguise or check his +temper. He said that there must be an end to this sort of work. But +the arrival of the two policemen in the passage showed that he had to +do what I asked him. This he did, and the interpreter also, and the +police took their names and addresses. Then I let my friends go, and +heard them depart into the street hurling denunciations and threats of +vengeance upon my devoted and loyal head. + +It was about a week or ten days afterwards that I was called into our +own Brigadier's office. He held a bundle of letters in his hand stamped +with all sorts of official seals. The gist of it all was that the G.O.C. +of the Indian Division in France had reported to General Alderson the +extraordinary and eccentric conduct of a Canadian Chaplain, who (p. 089) +persisted in arresting a certain British officer whenever they happened +to meet. He wound up with this cutting comment, "The conduct of this +chaplain seems to fit him rather for a lunatic asylum than for the +theatre of a great war." Of course explanations were sent back. It was +explained to the General that reports had reached us of the presence +in our lines of a German spy in British uniform, who from the description +given, resembled the Indian officer in all particulars. + +It is needless to say that every one was immensely amused at "the +Canon's spy story," and I mentally resolved that I would be more +careful in the future about being carried away by my suspicions. I +told people however that I would rather run the risk of being laughed +at over making a mistake than to let one real spy escape. + +Festubert made a heavy toll upon our numbers, and we were not sorry +when we were ordered out of the line and found ourselves quartered in +the neighbourhood of Bethune. Bethune at that time was a delightful +place. It was full of people. The shops were well provided with +articles for sale, and a restaurant in the quaint Grande Place, with +its Spanish tower and Spanish houses, was the common meeting ground of +friends. The gardens behind private residences brought back memories +of pre-war days. The church was a beautiful one, built in the 16th +century. The colours of the windows were especially rich. It was +always delightful to enter it and think how it had stood the shock and +turmoil of the centuries. + +One day when I was there the organ was being played most beautifully. +Sitting next to me in a pew, was a Canadian Highlander clad in a very +dirty uniform. He told me that a friend of his had been killed beside +him drenching him in blood. The Highlander was the grandson of a +British Prime Minister. We listened to the music till the recital was +over, and then I went up to the gallery and made myself known to the +organist. He was a delicate young fellow, quite blind, and was in a +state of nervous excitement over his recent efforts. I made a bargain +with him to give us a recital on the following evening. At the time +appointed, therefore, I brought some of our men with me. The young +organist met us at the church and I led him over to a monastery in +which a British ambulance was making its headquarters. There, in the +chapel, the blind man poured out his soul in the strains of a most +beautiful instrument. We sat entranced in the evening light. He +transported us into another world. We forgot the shells, the mud, (p. 090) +the darkness, the wounded men, the lonely graves, and the hideous fact +of war. We wandered free and unanxious down the avenues of thought and +emotion which were opened up before us by the genius of him whose eyes +were shut to this world. It was with deep regret that, when the concert +was over, we heard him close the keyboard. Three years later the +organist was killed by a shell while he was sitting at his post in the +church he loved so well and had never seen. + +When we were at Bethune a very important event in my military career +took place. In answer to repeated requests, Headquarters procured me a +horse. I am told that the one sent to me came by mistake and was not +that which they intended me to have. The one I was to have, I heard, +was the traditional padre's horse, heavy, slow, unemotional, and with +knees ready at all times to sink in prayer. The animal sent to me, +however, was a high-spirited chestnut thoroughbred, very pretty, very +lively and neck-reined. It had once belonged to an Indian general, and +was partly Arab. Poor Dandy was my constant companion to the end. +After the Armistice, to prevent his being sold to the Belgian army, he +was mercifully shot, by the orders of our A.D.V.S. Dandy certainly was +a beauty, and his lively disposition made him interesting to ride. I +was able now to do much more parish visiting, and I was rather amused +at the way in which my mount was inspected by the different grooms in +our units. I had to stand the fire of much criticism. Evil and +covetous eyes were set upon Dandy. I was told he was "gone" in the +knees. I was told he had a hump on the back--he had what is known as +the "Jumper's bump." Men tickled his back and, because he wriggled, +told me he was "gone" in the kidneys. I was told he was no proper +horse for a padre, but that a fair exchange was always open to me. I +was offered many an old transport hack for Dandy, and once was even +asked if I would change him for a pair of mules. I took all the +criticisms under consideration, and then when they were repeated I +told the men that really I loved to ride a horse with a hump on its +back. It was so biblical, just like riding a camel. As for bad +kidneys, both Dandy and I were teetotallers and we could arrest +disease by our temperance habits. The weakness of knees too was no +objection in my eyes. In fact, I had so long, as a parson, sat over +weak-kneed congregations that I felt quite at home sitting on a +weak-kneed horse. + +Poor dear old Dandy, many were the rides we had together. Many (p. 091) +were the jumps we took. Many were the ditches we tumbled into. Many +were the unseen barbed wires and overhanging telephone wires which we +broke, you with your chest and I with my nose and forehead. Many were +the risks we ran in front of batteries in action which neither of us +had observed till we found ourselves deafened with a hideous explosion +and wrapped in flame. I loved you dearly, Dandy, and I wish I could +pull down your soft face towards mine once again, and talk of the +times when you took me down Hill 63 and along Hyde Park corner at +Ploegsteert. Had I not been wounded and sent back to England at the +end of the war, I would have brought you home with me to show to my +family--a friend that not merely uncomplainingly but cheerfully, with +prancing feet and arching neck and well groomed skin, bore me safely +through dangers and darkness, on crowded roads and untracked fields. +What dances we have had together, Dandy, when I have got the bands to +play a waltz and you have gone through the twists and turns of a +performance in which you took an evident delight! I used to tell the +men that Dandy and I always came home together. Sometimes I was on his +back and sometimes he was on mine, but we always came home together. + +A few days later my establishment was increased by the purchase of a +well-bred little white fox-terrier. He rejoiced in the name of Philo +and became my inseparable companion. The men called him my curate. +Dandy, Philo and I made a family party which was bound together by very +close ties of affection. Though none of us could speak the language of +the others, yet the sympathy of each enabled us to understand and +appreciate one another's opinions. I always knew what Dandy thought +and what he would do. I always knew too what Philo was thinking about. +Philo had a great horror of shells. I put this down to the fact that +he was born at Beuvry, a place which had been long under shell-fire. +When he heard a shell coming in his direction, Philo used to go to the +door of the dugout and listen for the explosion, and then come back to +me in a state of whining terror. He could not even stand the sound of +our own guns. It made him run round and round barking and howling +furiously. + +It was while we were out in rest at Bethune that I was told I could go +on a week's leave to London. I was glad of this, not only for the +change of scene, but for the sake of getting new clothes. I awoke (p. 092) +in the early morning and listened to the French guns pounding away +wearily near Souchez. At noon I started with a staff officer in a +motor for Boulogne. It was a lovely day, and as we sped down the road +through little white unspoilt villages and saw peaceful fields once +again, it seemed as if I were waking from a hideous dream. That +evening we pulled in to Victoria Station, and heard the Westminster +chimes ringing out half past eight. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. (p. 093) + +PLOEGSTEERT--A LULL IN OPERATIONS. + +_July to December, 1915._ + + +Leave in London during the war never appealed to me. I always felt +like a fish out of water. When I went to concerts and theatres, all +the time amid the artistic gaiety of the scene I kept thinking of the +men in the trenches, their lonely vigils, their dangerous working +parties, and the cold rain and mud in which their lives were passed. +And I thought too of the wonderful patrol kept up on the dark seas, by +heroic and suffering men who guarded the life and liberty of Britain. +The gaiety seemed to be a hollow mockery. I was not sorry therefore +when my week's leave was over and I went back to the line. A staff +officer whom I met on the leave boat informed me that the Division had +changed its trenches, and my Brigade had left Bethune. We had a most +wonderful run in the staff car from Boulogne, and in two hours arrived +at the Brigade Headquarters at Steenje, near Bailleul. There, with my +haversacks, I was left by the staff car at midnight and had to find a +lodging place. The only light I saw was in the upper windows of the +Cure's house, the rest of the village was in complete darkness. I +knocked on the door and, after a few minutes, the head and shoulders +of a man in pyjamas looked out from the window and asked me who I was +and what I wanted. On my giving my name and requesting admission, he +very kindly came down and let me in and gave me a bed on the floor. On +a mattress beside me was a young officer of the Alberta Dragoons, only +nineteen years of age. He afterwards joined the Flying Corps and met +his death by jumping out of his machine at an altitude of six thousand +feet, when it was hit and burst into flames. The Alberta Dragoons +later on became the Canadian Light Horse, and were Corps Troops. At +that time, they were part of the 1st Division and were a magnificent +body. The practical elimination of cavalry in modern warfare has taken +all the romance and chivalry out of fighting. It is just as well +however for the world that the old feudal conception of war has passed +away. The army will be looked upon in the future as a class of citizens +who are performing the necessary and unpleasant task of policing the +world, in order that the rational occupations of human life may (p. 094) +be carried on without interruption. + +Brigade Headquarters now moved to a large farm behind the trenches at +Ploegsteert. I bid farewell to my friends of the Alberta Dragoons and +found a billet at La Creche. From thence I moved to Romarin and made +my home in a very dirty little French farmhouse. The Roman Catholic +chaplain and I had each a heap of straw in an outhouse which was a +kind of general workroom. At one end stood a large churn, which was +operated, when necessary, by a trained dog, which was kept at other +times in a cage. The churn was the breeding place of innumerable +blue-bottles, who in spite of its savoury attractions annoyed us very +much by alighting on our food and on our faces. I used to say to my +friend, the chaplain, when at night we had retired to our straw beds +and were reading by the light of candles stuck on bully beef tins, +that the lion and the lamb were lying down together. We could never +agree as to which of the animals each of us represented. At the head +of my heap of straw there was an entrance to the cellar. The ladies of +the family, who were shod in wooden shoes, used to clatter round our +slumbers in the early morning getting provisions from below. Life +under such conditions was peculiarly unpleasant. It was quite impossible +too to have a bath. I announced to the family one day that I was going +to take one. Murdoch MacDonald provided some kind of large tub which +he filled with dishes of steaming water. Instead however of the fact +that I was about to have a bath acting as a deterrent to the visits of +the ladies, the announcement seemed to have the opposite effect. So +great were the activities of the family in the cellar and round the +churn that I had to abandon the idea of bathing altogether. I determined +therefore to get a tent of my own and plant it in the field. I wrote +to England and got a most wonderful little house. It was a small +portable tent. When it was set up it covered a piece of ground six +feet four inches square. The pole, made in two parts like a fishing +rod, was four feet six inches high. The tent itself was brown, and +made like a pyramid. One side had to be buttoned up when I had +retired. It looked very small as a place for human habitation. On one +side of the pole was my Wolseley sleeping bag, on the other a box in +which to put my clothes, and on which stood a lantern. When Philo and +I retired for the night we were really very comfortable, but we were +much annoyed by earwigs and the inquisitiveness of the cows, who (p. 095) +never could quite satisfy themselves as to what we were. Many is the +time we have been awakened out of sleep in the morning by the sniffings +and sighings of a cow, who poked round my tent until I thought she had +the intention of swallowing us up after the manner in which the cow +disposed of Tom Thumb. At such times I would turn Philo loose upon the +intruder. Philo used to suffer at night from the cold, and would wake +me up by insisting upon burrowing his way down into my tightly laced +valise. There he would sleep till he got so hot that he woke me up +again burrowing his way out. It would not be long before once again +the cold of the tent drove him to seek refuge in my bed. I hardly ever +had a night's complete rest. Once I rolled over on him, and, as he was +a very fiery tempered little dog, he got very displeased and began to +snap and bark in a most unpleasant manner. As the sleeping bag was +tightly laced it was difficult to extract him. Philo waged a kind of +submarine warfare there until grasping his snout, I pulled him out and +refused all his further appeals for readmission. + +My little tent gave me great comfort and a sense of independence. I +could go where I pleased and camp in the lines of the battalions when +they came out of the trenches. This enabled me to get into closer +touch with the men. One young western fellow said that my encampment +consisted of a caboose, my tent, a cayouse, which was Dandy, and a +papoose, which was my little dog, friend Philo. Now that I had a +comfortable billet of my own I determined that Romarin was too far +from the men, so I removed my settlement up to the Neuve Eglise road +and planted it near some trees in the field just below the row of huts +called Bulford Camp. At this time, Murdoch MacDonald went to the +transport lines, and his place was taken by my friend Private Ross, of +the 16th Battalion, the Canadian Scottish. He stayed with me to the +end. We were very comfortable in the field. Ross made himself a +bivouac of rubber sheets. Dandy was picketed not far off and, under +the trees, my little brown pyramid tent was erected, with a rude bench +outside for a toilet table, and a large tin pail for a bath-tub. When +the battalions came out of the line and inhabited Bulford Camp and the +huts of Court-o-Pyp, I used to arrange a Communion Service for the men +every morning. At Bulford Camp the early morning services were +specially delightful. Not far off, was the men's washing place, a +large ditch full of muddy water into which the men took headers. (p. 096) +Beside it were long rows of benches, in front of which the operation +of shaving was carried on. The box I used as an altar was placed under +the green trees, and covered with the dear old flag, which now hangs +in the chancel of my church in Quebec. On top was a white altar cloth, +two candles and a small crucifix. At these services only about ten or +a dozen men attended, but it was inspiring to minister to them. I used +to hear from time to time that so and so had been killed, and I knew +he had made his last Communion at one of such services. It was an +evidence of the changed attitude towards religion that the men in +general did not count it strange that soldiers should thus come to +Holy Communion in public. No one was ever laughed at or teased for +doing so. + +Neuve Eglise, at the top of the road, had been badly wrecked by German +shells. I went up there one night with an officer friend of mine, to +see the scene of desolation. We were halted by some of our cyclists +who were patrolling the road. Whenever they stopped me at night and +asked who I was I always said, "German spy", and they would reply, +"Pass, German spy, all's well." My friend and I went down the street +of the broken and deserted village, which, from its position on the +hill, was an easy mark for shell fire. Not a living thing was stirring +except a big black cat which ran across our path. The moonlight made +strange shadows in the roofless houses. Against the west wall of the +church stood a large crucifix still undamaged. The roof had gone, and +the moonlight flooded the ruins through the broken Gothic windows. To +the left, ploughed up with shells, were the tombs of the civilian +cemetery, and the whole place was ghostly and uncanny. + +Near the huts, on the hill at Bulford Camp was a hollow in the ground +which made a natural amphitheatre. Here at night concerts were given. +All the audience packed together very closely sat on the ground. +Before us, at the end of the hollow, the performers would appear, and +overhead the calm stars looked down. I always went to these +entertainments well provided with Players' cigarettes. A neat trick +was played upon me one night. I passed my silver cigarette case round +to the men and told them that all I wanted back was the case. In a +little while it was passed back to me. I looked into it to see if a +cigarette had been left for my use, when, to my astonishment, I found +that the case had been filled with De Reszke's, my favourite brand. I +thanked my unknown benefactor for his graceful generosity. + +The field behind the huts at Court-o-Pyp was another of my (p. 097) +favourite camping grounds. It was on the Neuve Eglise side of the +camp, and beyond us was some barbed wire. About two o'clock one night +I was aroused by an excited conversation which was being carried on +between my friend Ross in his bivouac, and a soldier who had been +dining late and had lost his way. The young fellow had got it into his +head that he had wandered into the German lines, and Ross had great +difficulty in convincing him that he was quite safe. He was just going +off with mind appeased when he caught sight of my pyramid tent on a +rise in the ground. "What's that?" he cried in terror, evidently +pointing towards my little house. "That's the Rev. Major Canon Scott's +billet" said Ross with great dignity from under his rubber sheets, and +the man went off in fear of his identity becoming known. He afterwards +became an officer and a very gallant one too, and finally lost a leg +in the service of his country. But many is the time I have chaffed him +about the night he thought he had wandered into the German lines. + +One day when I had ridden up to Court-o-Pyp I found that a canteen had +just been opened there, and being urged to make a purchase for good +luck I bought a large bottle of tomato catsup, which I put into my +saddle bag. I noticed that the action was under the observation of the +battalion, which had just returned from the trenches and was about to +be dismissed. I mounted my horse and went over to the C.O. and asked +if I might say a word to the men before he dismissed them. He told me +the men were tired, but I promised not to keep them long. He called +out, "Men, Canon Scott wants to say a word to you before you are +dismissed," and they stood to attention. "All I wanted to say to you, +Boys, was this; that was a bottle of tomato catsup which I put in my +saddle bag, and not, as you thought, a bottle of whiskey." A roar of +laughter went up from all ranks. + +It was about this time that our Brigadier was recalled to England to +take over the command of a Division. We were all sincerely sorry to +lose him from the 3rd Brigade. He was ever a good and true friend, and +took a deep interest in his men. But the immediate effect of his +departure, as far as I was concerned, was to remove out of my life the +hideous spectre of No. 2 General Hospital, and to give me absolute +liberty in wandering through the trenches. In fact, as I told him +sometime afterwards, I was beginning a little poem, the first line of +which was "I never knew what freedom meant until he went away." + +One day, General Seely invited me to go and stay with him at his (p. 098) +Headquarters in Westhof Farm where I had a most delightful time. +Not only was the General a most entertaining host, but his staff were +very charming. At dinner, we avoided war topics and shop, and talked +about things political and literary. The mess was in the farm building +and our sleeping quarters were on an island in the moat. My stay here +brought me into contact with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, and a fine +lot of men they were. + +But a change in my fortunes was awaiting me. The Senior Chaplain of +the Division had gone back to England, and General Alderson sent for +me one day to go to Nieppe. There he told me he wished me to be Senior +Chaplain. I was not altogether pleased at the appointment, because it +meant that I should be taken away from my beloved 3rd Brigade. I told +the General so, but he assured me I should not have to stay all the +time at Headquarters, and could go with the 3rd Brigade as much as I +pleased. + +This unexpected promotion, after what I had gone through, opened up a +life of almost dazzling splendour. I now had to go and live in the +village of Nieppe on the Bailleul-Armentieres road. Here were our +Headquarters. General Alderson had his house in the Square. Another +building was occupied by our officers, and a theatre was at my +disposal for Church Services and entertainments. The town was also the +Headquarters of a British Division, so we had plenty of men to look +after. I got an upper room in a house owned by an old lady. The front +room downstairs was my office, and I had a man as a clerk. Round my +bedroom window grew a grape vine, and at night when the moon was +shining, I could sit on my window-sill, listen to the sound of shells, +watch the flare lights behind Armentieres and eat the grapes which +hung down in large clusters. Poor Nieppe has shared the fate of Neuve +Eglise and Bailleul and is now a ruin. Everyone was exceedingly kind, +and I soon found that the added liberty which came to me from having a +definite position really increased my chances of getting amongst the +men. By leaving my clerk to do the work of Senior Chaplain, I could go +off and be lost at the front for a day and a night without ever being +missed. I knew that each brigade must now have an equal share of my +interest and I was very careful never to show any preference. A +chaplain had at all times to be very careful to avoid anything that +savoured of favouritism. I was now also formally inducted into the +membership of that august body known as "C" mess, where the heads (p. 099) +of non-combatant departments met for dining and wining. Somebody +asked me one day what "C" mess was. I told him it was a lot of +withered old boughs on the great tree of the Canadian Expeditionary +Force--a description which was naturally much resented by the other +members. I had no difficulty now in arranging for my billets, as that +was always done for me by our Camp Commandant. + +Life in Nieppe was very delightful and the presence of the British +Division gave it an added charm. We had very pleasant services in the +Hall, and every Sunday evening I had a choral Evensong. So many of the +men who attended had been choristers in England or Canada that the +responses were sung in harmony by the entire congregation. On week +days we had smoking concerts and entertainments of various kinds. I +sometimes had to take duty with the British units. On one occasion, I +was invited to hold a service for his men by a very staunch churchman, +a Colonel in the Army Service Corps. He told me, before the service, +that his unit had to move on the following day, and also that he was +accustomed to choose and read the lesson himself. I was delighted to +find a layman so full of zeal. But in the midst of the service I was +rather distressed at his choice of the lesson. It was hard enough to +get the interest of the men as it was, but the Colonel made it more +difficult by choosing a long chapter from Deuteronomy narrating the +wanderings of the children of Israel in the desert. Of course the C.O. +and I knew that the A.S.C. was to move on the following day, but the +congregation was not aware of the fact, and they must have been +puzzled by the application of the chapter to the religious needs of +the men at the front. However the reader was delighted with his choice +of subject, and at tea afterwards told me how singularly appropriate +the lesson was on this particular occasion. I thought it was wiser to +make no comment, but I wondered what spiritual fruit was gathered by +the mind of the ordinary British Tommy from a long account of Israel's +pitching their tents and perpetually moving to places with +extraordinary names. + +We had several meetings of chaplains, and I paid a visit to the Deputy +Chaplain General, Bishop Gwynne, at his headquarters in St. Omer. He +was exceedingly kind and full of human interest in the men. The whole +conception of the position of an army chaplain was undergoing a great +and beneficial change. The rules which hitherto had fenced off the +chaplains, as being officers, from easy intercourse with the men (p. 100) +were being relaxed. Chaplains were being looked upon more as parish +priests to their battalions. They could be visited freely by the men, +and could also have meals with the men when they saw fit. I am +convinced that it is a mistake to lay stress upon the chaplain's +office as a military one. The chaplain is not a soldier, and has no +men, as a doctor has, under his command. His office being a spiritual +one ought to be quite outside military rank. To both officers and men, +he holds a unique position, enabling him to become the friend and +companion of all. Bishop Gwynne upheld the spiritual side of the +chaplain's work, and by establishing conferences and religious +retreats for the chaplains, endeavoured to keep up the sacred +standards which army life tended so much to drag down. + +The Cathedral at St. Omer is a very beautiful one, and it was most +restful to sit in it and meditate, looking down the long aisles and +arches that had stood so many centuries the political changes of +Europe. One morning when the sun was flooding the building and casting +the colours of the windows in rich patterns on the floor, I sat under +the gallery at the west end and read Shelley's great elegy. I remember +those wonderful last lines and I thought how, like an unshattered +temple, the great works of literature survive the tempests of national +strife. My mind was carried far away, beyond the anxieties and sorrows +of the present, + + "To where the soul of Adonais like a star + Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are." + +In the square was a large building which had been used originally as +headquarters for the Intelligence Department. Later on, this building +was taken by the Bishop and used as the Chaplains' Rest-Home. There is +an amusing story told of a despatch rider who came to the place with a +message for its original occupants, but when he inquired for the +Intelligence Department the orderly answered, "This is the Chaplains' +Rest Home, there is no Intelligence here." At St. Omer also was the +office of the Principal Chaplain who had under his charge all the +Non-Conformist Chaplains at the front. The very best relations existed +between the various religious bodies, and it was the endeavour of all +the chaplains to see that every man got the religious privileges of +his own faith. + +We arrived in the Ploegsteert area at a good time for the digging and +repairing of the trenches. The clay in Belgium in fine weather (p. 101) +is easily worked; consequently a most elaborate and well made system +of trenches was established in front of Messines. The brown sides of +the trenches became dry and hard in the sun, and the bath-mats along +them made walking easy. The trenches were named, "Currie Avenue," +"McHarg Avenue," "Seely Avenue," and so forth. The men had their +cookers and primus stoves, and occupied their spare time in the line +by cooking all sorts of dainty dishes. Near the trenches on the other +side of Hill 63 were several ruined farm houses, known as "Le Perdu +Farm," "Ration Farm," and one, around which hovered a peculiarly +unsavoury atmosphere, as "Stinking Farm." Hill 63 was a hill which ran +immediately behind our trench area and was covered at its right end +with a delightful wood. Here were "Grand Moncque Farm," "Petit Moncque +Farm," "Kort Dreuve Farm" and the "Piggeries." All these farms were +used as billets by the battalions who were in reserve. In Ploegsteert +Wood, "Woodcote Farm," and "Red Lodge," were also used for the same +purpose. The wood in those days was a very pleasant place to wander +through. Anything that reminded us of the free life of nature acted as +a tonic to the nerves, and the little paths among the trees which +whispered overhead in the summer breezes made one imagine that one was +wandering through the forests in Canada. In the wood were several +cemeteries kept by different units, very neatly laid out and carefully +fenced in. I met an officer one day who told me he was going up to the +trenches one evening past a cemetery in the wood, when he heard the +sound of someone sobbing. He looked into the place and there saw a +young boy lying beside a newly made grave. He went in and spoke to him +and the boy seemed confused that he had been discovered in his sorrow. +"It's the grave of my brother, Sir," he said, "He was buried here this +afternoon and now I have got to go back to the line without him." The +lad dried his eyes, shouldered his rifle and went through the woodland +path up to the trenches. No one would know again the inner sorrow that +had darkened his life. The farms behind the wood made really very +pleasant homes for awhile. They have all now been levelled to the +ground, but at the time I speak of they were in good condition and had +many large and commodious buildings. At Kort Dreuve there was a very +good private chapel, which the proprietor gave me the use of for my +Communion Services. It was quite nice to have a little Gothic chapel +with fine altar, and the men who attended always enjoyed the (p. 102) +services there. Round the farm was a large moat full of good sized +gold-fish, which the men used to catch surreptitiously and fry for +their meals. "The Piggeries" was a large building in which the King of +the Belgians had kept a fine breed of pigs. It was very long and +furnished inside with two rows of styes built solidly of concrete. +These were full of straw, and in them the men slept. + +I was visiting one of the battalions there one evening, when I heard +that they had been ordered to go back to the trenches before Sunday. I +told some of the men that I thought that, as they would be in the +trenches on Sunday, it would be a good idea if we had a voluntary +service that evening. They seemed pleased, so I collected quite a +large congregation at one end of the Piggeries, and was leading up to +the service by a little overture in the shape of a talk about the war +outlook, when I became aware that there was a fight going on at the +other end of the low building, and that some of the men on the +outskirts of the congregation were beginning to get restive. I knew +that a voluntary service could not stand up against the rivalry of a +fight, so I thought I had better take the bull by the horns. I said, +"Boys, I think there is a fight going on at the ether end of the +Piggeries, and perhaps it would be well to postpone the service and go +and see the fight, and then return and carry on." The men were much +relieved and, amid great laughter, my congregation broke loose and ran +to the other end of the building, followed by myself. The fight was +soon settled by the intervention of a sergeant, and then I said, "Now, +Boys, let us go back to the other end and have the service." I thought +the change of location might have a good effect upon their minds and +souls. So back we went again to the other end of the building and +there had a really enthusiastic and devout service. When it was over, +I told the men that nothing helped so much to make a service bright +and hearty as the inclusion of a fight, and that when I returned to +Canada, if at any time my congregation was listless or sleepy, I would +arrange a fight on the other side of the street to which we could +adjourn and from which we should return with renewed spiritual +fervour. I have met many men at different times who look back upon +that service with pleasure. + +We had a feeling that Ploegsteert was to be our home for a good long +time, so we settled down to our life there. We had visits from Sir Sam +Hughes and Sir Robert Borden, and also Lord Kitchener. I was not +present when the latter inspected the men, but I asked one who (p. 103) +was there what it was like. "Oh Sir," he replied, "we stood to +attention, and Kitchener passed down the lines very quietly and +coldly. He merely looked at us with his steely grey eyes and said to +himself, "I wonder how many of these men will be in hell next week." +General Hughes' inspection of one of the battalions near Ploegsteert +Wood was interrupted by shells and the men were hastily dismissed. + +A visit to the trenches was now a delightful expedition. All the way +from Nieppe to Hill 63 one came upon the headquarters of some unit. At +a large farm called "Lampernise Farm" all the transports of the 3rd +Brigade were quartered. I used to have services for them in the open +on a Sunday evening. It was very difficult at first to collect a +congregation, so I adopted the plan of getting two or three men who +could sing, and then going over with them to an open place in the +field, and starting some well known hymn. One by one others would come +up and hymn-books were distributed. By the time the service was +finished, we generally had quite a good congregation, but it took a +certain amount of courage and faith to start the service. One felt +very much like a little band of Salvationists in a city square. + +In spite of having a horse to ride, it was sometimes difficult to +cover the ground between the services on Sunday. One afternoon, when I +had been to the Cavalry Brigade at Petit Moncque Farm, I had a great +scramble to get back in time to the transport lines. In a bag hanging +over the front of my saddle, I had five hundred hymn books. Having +taken a wrong turn in the road I lost some time which it was necessary +to make up, and, in my efforts to make haste, the string of the bag +broke and hymn books fluttered out and fell along the road. Dandy took +alarm, misunderstanding the nature of the fluttering white things, and +started to gallop. With two haversacks on my back it was difficult to +hold on to the bag of hymn books and at the same time to prevent their +loss. The more the hymn books fluttered out, the harder Dandy bolted, +and the harder Dandy bolted, the more the hymn books fluttered out. At +last I passed a soldier in the road and asked him to come to my +assistance. I managed to rein in the horse, and the man collected as +many of the hymn books as were not spoilt by the mud. Knowing how hard +it was and how long it took to get hymn books from the Base, it was +with regret that I left any behind. But then I reflected that it might +be really a scattering of the seed by the wayside. Some poor lone (p. 104) +soldier who had been wandering from the paths of rectitude might pick +up the hymns by chance and be converted. Indulging in such self +consolation I arrived just in time for the service. + +Services were never things you could be quite sure of until they came +off. Often I have gone to bed on Saturday night feeling that +everything had been done in the way of arranging for the following +day. Battalions had been notified, adjutants had put the hours of +service in orders, and places for the gatherings had been carefully +located. Then on the following day, to my intense disgust, I would +find that all my plans had been frustrated. Some general had taken it +into his head to order an inspection, or some paymaster had been asked +to come down and pay off the men. The Paymaster's Parade, in the eyes +of the men, took precedence of everything else. A Church Service was +nowhere in comparison. More often than I can recollect, all my +arrangements for services have been upset by a sudden order for the +men to go to a bathing parade. Every time this happened, the Adjutant +would smile and tell me, as if I had never heard it before, that +"cleanliness was next to godliness." A chaplain therefore had his +trials, but in spite of them it was the policy of wisdom not to show +resentment and to hold one's tongue. I used to look at the Adjutant, +and merely remark quietly, in the words of the Psalmist, "I held my +tongue with bit and bridle, while the ungodly was in my sight." + +People at Headquarters soon got accustomed to my absence and never +gave me a thought. I used to take comfort in remembering Poo Bah's +song in the Mikado, "He never will be missed, he never will be missed." +Sometimes when I have started off from home in the morning my sergeant +and Ross have asked me when I was going to return. I told them that if +they would go down on their knees and pray for illumination on the +subject, they might find out, but that I had not the slightest idea +myself. A visit to the trenches was most fascinating. I used to take +Philo with me. He found much amusement in hunting for rats, and would +often wander off into No Man's Land and come back covered with the +blood of his victims. One night I had missed him for some time, and +was whistling for him, when a sentry told me that a white dog had been +"captured" by one of the men with the thought that it was a German +police dog, and he had carried it off to company headquarters under +sentence of death. I hurried up the trench and was just in time (p. 105) +to save poor little Philo from a court martial. There had been a +warning in orders that day against the admission of dogs from the +German lines. + +The men were always glad of a visit, and I used to distribute little +bronze crucifixes as I went along. I had them sent to me from London, +and have given away hundreds of them. I told the men that if anyone +asked them why they were at the war, that little cross with the patient +figure of self-sacrifice upon it, would be the answer. The widow of an +officer who was killed at Albert told me the cross which I gave her +husband was taken from his dead body, and she now had it, and would +wear it to her dying day. I was much surprised and touched to see the +value which the men set upon these tokens of their faith. I told them +to try to never think, say or do anything which would make them want +to take off the cross from their necks. + +The dugouts in which the officers made their homes were quite +comfortable, and very merry parties we have had in the little earth +houses which were then on the surface of the ground. One night when +some new officers had arrived to take over the line, one of the +companies gave them a dinner, consisting of five or six courses, very +nicely cooked. We were never far however, from the presence of the +dark Angel, and our host on that occasion was killed the next night. +Our casualties at this time were not heavy, although every day there +were some men wounded or killed. The shells occasionally made direct +hits upon the trenches. I came upon a place once which was terribly +messed about, and two men were sitting by roaring with laughter. They +said their dinner was all prepared in their dugout, and they had gone +off to get some wood for the fire, when a shell landed and knocked +their home into ruins. They were preparing to dig for their kit and so +much of their dinner as would still be eatable. As they took the whole +matter as a joke, I joined with them in the laugh. One day as I was +going up the line, a young sapper was carried out on a sitting +stretcher. He was hit through the chest, and all the way along the +bath mats was the trail of the poor boy's blood. He was only nineteen +years of age, and had done splendid work and won the admiration of all +the men in his company. I had a short prayer with him, and then saw +him carried off to the dressing station, where not long after he died. +The sergeant who was with him was exceedingly kind, and looked after +the boy like a father. As the war went on, the men were being (p. 106) +united more and more closely in the bonds of a common sympathy and a +tender helpfulness. To the enemy, until he was captured, they were +flint and iron; to one another they were friends and brothers. + +It always took a long time to pass down the trenches. There were so +many men I knew and I could not pass them without a short +conversation. Time, in the line had really no meaning, except in the +matter of "standing to" or "changing guard". On fine days, the life +was not unpleasant. I remember, however, on one dark rainy night, +being in a trench in front of Wulverghem. The enemy trenches were at +that point only thirty-five yards away. I was squeezed into a little +muddy dugout with an officer, when the corporal came and asked for a +tot of rum for his men. They had been lying out on patrol duty in the +mud and rain in front of our trench for two hours. + +Dandy was still the envy of our men in the transport lines, and one +day I nearly lost him. I rode up to Hill 63. Just behind it was an +orchard, and in it there were two batteries of British Artillery, +which were attached to our Division. I was going up to the trenches +that afternoon, so I gave the horse some oats and tied him to a tree +near the officers' billet. I then went up over the hill down to Ration +Farm, and from thence into the line. It was quite late in the +afternoon, but walking through the trenches was easy when it was not +raining. I was returning about 10 o'clock, when the second in command +of the 16th Battalion asked me to wait for him and we would come out +together over the open. It must have been about midnight when I +started with the Major, and another officer. The night was dark and it +was rather a scramble, but the German flare lights would go up now and +then and show us our course. Suddenly a machine gun opened up, and we +had to lie on our faces listening to the swish of the flying bullets +just overhead. I turned to the officer next to me and asked him how +long he had been at the front. He said he had only arrived that +afternoon at four o' clock. I told him it wasn't always like this, and +we laughed over the curious life to which he had been so recently +introduced. We finally made our way to Ration Farm and as I had a long +ride before me, I determined to go back. I was very hungry, as I had +had nothing to eat since luncheon. I went into a cellar at Ration Farm +and there found one of the men reading by the light of a candle +supported on tins of bully-beef. I asked him for one of these and he +gladly gave it to me. As I started up the hill on the long (p. 107) +straight road with trees on either side, I tried to open the tin with +the key, but as usual it broke and left only a little crack through +which with my penknife I extracted strings of beef. I could not use my +flashlight, as the hill was in sight of the enemy, so I had to content +myself with what nourishment I was able to obtain. Half way up the +hill I noticed a tall figure standing by one of the trees. I thought +he might be a spy but I accosted him and found he was one of the +Strathcona Horse who had a working party in the trenches that night. I +told him my difficulty, and he got his knife and very kindly took off +the top of the tin. By this time a drizzling rain was falling and the +night was decidedly uncomfortable. I went over the hill and down to +the orchard, and made my way to the tree to which poor old Dandy had +been tied so many hours before. There, I found the tree just where I +had left it--it was of no use to me, as, like the barren fig tree, it +had no fruit upon it, but to my horror the horse, which was so +necessary, had disappeared. I scoured the orchard in vain looking for +my faithful friend, and then I went over to the Artillery officers' +house and told them my trouble. We all decided that it was too late to +search any longer, I was provided with a mackintosh, and determined to +make my way over to Petit Moncque Farm where the 3rd Infantry Brigade +Headquarters were. It was a long walk and the roads were sloppy. The +path I took led through a field of Indian corn. This, though not ripe +and not cooked, would remind me of Canada, so with my search-light I +hunted for two or three of the hardest ears, and then, fortified with +these, made my way over towards the farm. + +From past experience, I knew that a sentry was stationed somewhere in +the road. The sudden challenge of a sentry in the dark always gave me +a fright, so I determined this time to be on the watch and keep from +getting a surprise. However when I arrived at the place where the man +usually stood, no one challenged me. I thought that perhaps on account +of the night being rainy and uncomfortable he had retired to the guard +room, and I walked along with a free mind. I was just near the large +gateway, however, when a most stentorian voice shouted out, "Halt, who +goes there?" and at the same instant in the darkness I saw the sudden +flash of a bayonet flourished in my direction. Not expecting such an +event, I could not for the moment think of what I ought to say, but I +called out in equally stentorian tones, "For heaven's sake, my boy, +don't make such a row; its only Canon Scott and I have lost my (p. 108) +horse." A burst of laughter greeted my announcement, and the man +told me that, seeing somebody with a flashlight at that time of the +night wandering through the fields, and searching for something, he +had become convinced that a German spy was at work cutting the +telephone wires that led back to the guns, so he had got near the +guard room where he could obtain assistance, and awaited my approach +in the darkness. It was a great relief to get to headquarters, and the +officer on duty kindly lent me his comfortable sleeping bag. The next +morning I made my way back to Nieppe, and telegraphed to the various +units, searching for Dandy. Later on, in the afternoon, he was brought +in by a man of the Strathcona Horse. His story was that the +intelligent animal had untied himself from the tree and followed the +working party home from the orchard. It is most likely that he had +preceded them. Luckily for me, their quartermaster had recognized him +in the Strathcona lines, and, being an honest man, had sent him back. +The incident taught me a great and useful lesson, and in future I was +very careful to see that my horse was safely guarded whenever I had to +leave him. + +Our signallers had been active in setting up a wireless telegraph in a +field near Headquarters and were able to get the various communiques +which were sent out during the night by the different nations. The +information was passed round Headquarters every morning on typewritten +sheets and made most interesting reading. We were able to anticipate +the news detailed to us in the papers. Later on, however, someone in +authority put an end to this and we were deprived of our Daily +Chronicle. + +About this time we heard that the 2nd Division was coming to France, +and that the two Divisions, which would be joined by a third, were to +be formed into the Canadian Corps. This meant a very radical change in +the status of the old 1st Division. Up to this time we were "the +Canadians"; now we were only to be one among several divisions. +General Alderson was to take command of the Corps, and the question +which was daily asked among the officers at headquarters was, "Are you +going to the Corps?" It was a sundering of ties amongst our friends, +and we felt sorry that our society would be broken up. One of the +staff officers asked me to write a poem on his departure. I did so. It +began-- + + "He left the war + And went to the Corps, + Our hearts were sore, (p. 109) + We could say no more." + +My friend was not at all pleased at the implication contained in the +first two lines. + +Bailleul was made Corps Headquarters, whither General Alderson moved. +His place at the division was taken by General Currie, who afterwards +commanded the Corps and led it to victory. The old town now became a +great Canadian centre. The General had comfortable quarters in a large +house, which was nicely furnished, and had an air of opulence about +it. The Grande Place was full of activity, and in the streets one met +many friends. The hotel offered an opportunity for afternoon tea and a +tolerable dinner. Besides this, there was the officers' tea room, kept +by some damsels who provided cakes and served tea on little tables, +like a restaurant in London. Here we could be sure of meeting many of +our friends and very pleasant such gatherings were. In a large hall a +concert took place every evening. We had a very special one attended +by several generals with their staffs. The proceeds were given to the +Canadian "Prisoners of War Fund". The concerts were most enjoyable and +the real, artistic ability of some of the performers, both Canadian +and British, was remarkable. It was always pleasant to live in the +neighbourhood of a town, and the moment the men came out of the +trenches they wanted to clean up and go into Bailleul. After a +residence in the muddy and shaky little shacks in and behind the front +lines, to enter a real house and sit on a real chair with a table in +front of you was a great luxury. + +There were several well-equipped hospitals in Bailleul. One large +British one had a nice chapel set aside for our use. In it one day we +had a Confirmation service which was very impressive, a number of +candidates being present. + +While Headquarters were at Nieppe the British attack upon Loos was to +take place, and it was arranged that the Canadians, in order to keep +the Germans busy in the North, were to make an attack. I happened to +be visiting "the Piggeries" in the afternoon previous. The 1st +Battalion was in the line. I heard the Colonel read out to the +officers the orders for the attack. We were not told that the whole +thing was what our soldiers call "a fake". As he read the orders for +the next morning, they sounded serious, and I was invited to be +present, which of course I gladly consented to. The guns were to open +fire at 4 a.m. I had been away from Headquarters for some time so (p. 110) +I determined to ride back and return later. At three o'clock a.m. my +servant woke me up and I had a cup of coffee, and started off on Dandy +to go up to "the Piggeries". I took a tin of bully-beef with me, and +so was prepared for any eventuality. It was just before dawn and the +morning air was fresh and delightful. Dandy had had a good feed of +oats and was full of life. He seemed to enjoy the sport as much as I +did. We rode up the well known roads, and round their curious curves +past the small white farm houses, till we came into the neighbourhood +of our batteries. All of a sudden these opened fire. It was a splendid +sound. Of all the music I have ever heard in my life, none comes near +the glorious organ sound of a barrage. I look back with the greatest +pleasure to that early morning ride through the twilight lit up by gun +flashes from batteries scattered along our whole front. One great +dread I always had, and that was the dread of being killed by our own +artillery. On this occasion, I had to ride down roads that looked +perilously near batteries in action. When I got to a corner near "the +Piggeries", I was just stopped in time from what might have been my +finish. There was a concealed battery among the trees by the wayside, +and I, not knowing it was there, was about to ride by unconcernedly, +when a gunner came out from the bushes and stopped me just in time, +telling me that in half a minute the battery was going to open up. +Dandy and I waited till the guns had fired and then went on. Along our +front line there was much stir and commotion. Bundles of lighted straw +making a hideous smoke were poked over the trenches, and the whole +night previous, all the limbers available had been driven up and down +the roads, making as much noise as possible. The Germans were +convinced we were preparing for an attack on a big scale, and that the +yellow smoke which they saw coming towards them was some new form of +frightfulness. Of course they returned our fire, but our men knew by +this time that the whole affair was only a pretence. Far off to the +South, however, there was a real battle raging, and the cemeteries +which we afterwards saw at Loos bore testimony to the bitter struggle +which the British forces endured. + +The village of Ploegsteert behind the wood was very much damaged. Like +the other villages at the front, it must at one time have been quite a +prosperous place. The church, before it was ruined, was well built and +capacious. There was a building on the main street which a (p. 111) +British chaplain had used as a clubhouse, and handed over to me when +his division moved south. It was well stocked with all things necessary +to make the men comfortable. It had a kitchen, reading rooms, and +upstairs a chapel. Two or three shells, however, had made their way +into it, and the holes were covered with canvas. The Mayor's house was +on the other side of the street, and he had a young girl there as a +servant, who kept the keys of the club. The chaplain who moved away +told me that this girl, when the town was being heavily shelled one +day, saved the lives of some men who were lying wounded in the house, +by carrying them on her back over to a place of safety in a farmhouse. +It was a deed that merited recognition, because she had to pass down +the road which was then under heavy shell fire. I brought her case +before the notice of the military authorities, and General Seely was +asked to take the matter up and make an application to the King for a +reward for the girl's bravery. There was a doubt as to what award +could be given to her. We got the sworn testimony of the Mayor and +other eye-witnesses, and the document was finally laid before the +King. It was decided that she should receive the bronze medal of the +Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Later on General Alderson sent for me +and took me to the Mayor's house in Romarin, where we had the ceremony +of conferring the medal. It was quite touching in its simplicity. The +girl, who had a fine open face, was on the verge of giving way to +tears. The Mayor and some other of the chief inhabitants were arrayed +in their best clothes, and a Highland regiment lent us their pipers. +One of the citizens presented the heroine with a large bouquet of +flowers. General Alderson made a nice speech, which was translated to +the townsfolk, and then he presented the medal. We were invited into +the house, and the girl's health was proposed and drunk by the General +in a glass of Romarin Champagne. We heard afterwards that the country +people were much impressed by the way the British Army had recognized +the gallantry of a poor Belgian maidservant. + +One day a German aeroplane was brought down behind our lines, near +Ration Farm. Of its two occupants one was killed. On the aeroplane was +found a Colt machine-gun, which had been taken by the Germans from the +14th Battalion several months before, in the Second Battle of Ypres. +It now came back to the brigade which had lost it. I buried the airman +near Ration Farm, in a grave, which the men did up neatly and over +which they erected a cross with his name upon it. + +Although our Headquarters were at Nieppe, the village was really (p. 112) +in the British Area, and so we were informed towards the end of +November that we had been ordered to move to St. Jans Cappel. On +Monday, November 22nd I started off by car via Bailleul to my new +billet. Although I had left Nieppe and its pleasant society with great +regret, I was quite pleased with my new home. It was a small house +belonging to a widow, on the road that led from St. Jans Cappel up to +Mount Kemmel. The house itself was brick and well built. The +landlady's rooms were on one side of the passage, and mine were on the +other. A large garret overhead gave a billet for Ross and my sergeant +clerk. In the yard there was a stable for the horse. So the whole +family was quite comfortably housed, and Ross undertook to do my +cooking. The room which I used as my office in the front of the house +had two large windows in it, and a neat tiled floor. The furniture was +ample. At the back, up some steps, was my bedroom, and the window from +it opened upon the yard. A former occupant of the house, a Major +Murray, of King Edward's Horse, had left a series of maps on the wall, +on which pins were stuck with a bit of red cord passing through them, +to show the position of our front line. These maps deeply impressed +visitors with my military exactness. In that little office I have +received many guests of all ranks. I always said that the chaplain's +house was like a church, and all men met there on equal terms. +Sometimes it was rather difficult however, to convince them that this +was the case. On one occasion two privates and I had just finished +luncheon, and were having a delightful smoke, when a certain general +was announced, and the men seized with panic, fled up the steps to my +bedroom and bolting through my window hurried back to their lines. + +The landlady was quite well to do, and was a woman well thought of in +the village. She both paid calls upon her neighbours and received +callers in her rooms. Sometimes I used to be invited in to join these +social gatherings and frequently she would bring me in a nice bowl of +soup for dinner. Philo, too, made himself quite at home, and carefully +inspected all visitors on their admission to the mansion. In front of +the house, there was a pleasant view of the valley through which the +road passed up towards Mont des Cats. Our Headquarters were down in +the village in a large building which was part of the convent. General +Currie and his staff lived in a charming chateau in pleasant grounds, +on the hillside. The chateau, although a modern one, was reputed (p. 113) +to be haunted, which gave it a more or less romantic interest in the +eyes of our men, though as far as I could hear no apparitions disturbed +the slumbers of the G.S.O. or the A.A. & Q.M.G. + +The road past my house, which was a favourite walk of mine, went over +the hill, and at the top a large windmill in a field commanded a fine +view of the country for several miles. My garden was very pleasant, +and in it was a summer house at the end of a moss-grown walk. One +plant which gave me great delight was a large bush of rosemary. The +smell of it always carried my mind back to peaceful times. It was like +the odour of the middle ages, with that elusive suggestion of incense +which reminded me of Gothic fanes and picturesque processions. Many +elm trees fringed the fields, and made a welcome shade along the sides +of the road. A little stream ran through the village and added its +touch of beauty to the landscape. We were only a mile and a half from +Bailleul, so we could easily get up to the town either for a concert +or for dinner at the hotel. The Camp Commandant allotted me the school +house, which I fitted up as a chapel. It was very small, and not +particularly clean, but it served its purpose very well. + +My only objection to St. Jans Cappel was that it was situated such a +long way from our men, for we still held the same front line near +Ploegsteert. It was now a ride of twelve miles to Hill 63 whither I +frequently had to go to take burial services, the round trip making a +journey of nearly twenty-four miles. The Bailleul road, which was my +best route, was a pave road, and was hard on a horse. I did not want +poor willing Dandy to suffer from overwork, so I begged the loan of +another mount from Headquarters. It was a young horse, but big and +heavily built, and had no life in it. I was trotting down the road +with him one day when he tumbled down, and I injured my knee, causing +me to be laid up with water on the knee for about six weeks. The men +used to chaff me about falling off my horse, but I told them that I +could sit on a horse as long as he stood up, but I could not sit on +the air when the horse lay down. I was very much afraid that the +A.D.M.S. would send me off to a hospital, but I got private treatment +from a doctor friend, who was acting A.D.C. to General Currie. Luckily +for me, things were pretty quiet at the front at that time, and my +being confined to the house did not really make much difference. I had +a supper in my billet one night for a number of Bishop's College (p. 114) +men. Of those who attended, the majority have since made the supreme +sacrifice, but it was an evening which brought back many pleasant +memories of our Alma Mater. + +The roads round St. Jans Cappel were very pretty, and I had many a +pleasant ride in our staff cars, which I, as Senior Chaplain, was +permitted to use. It was always a great delight to me to pick up men +on the road and give them a ride. I used to pile them in and give them +as good a joy ride as the chauffeur, acting under orders, would allow. +One day, in a heavy snowstorm, I picked up two nuns, whose garments +were blowing about in the blizzard in a hopeless condition. The +sisters were glad of the chance of a ride to Bailleul, whither they +were going on foot through the snow. It was against orders to drive +ladies in our staff cars, but I thought the circumstances of the case +and the evident respectability of my guests would be a sufficient +excuse for a breach of the rule. The sisters chatted in French very +pleasantly, and I took them to their convent headquarters in Bailleul. +I could see, as I passed through the village, how amused our men were +at my use of the car. When I arrived at the convent door at Bailleul, +the good ladies alighted and then asked me to give them my blessing. +How could I refuse, or enter upon a discussion of the validity of +Anglican Orders? The nuns with their hands crossed on their bosoms +leaned forward, and I stood up and blessed them from the car, and +departed leaving them both grateful and gratified. + +The village of St. Jans Cappel had been captured by the Germans in +their advance in 1914, and we heard some unpleasant tales of the +rudeness of the German officers who took up their quarters in the +convent and compelled the nuns to wait upon them at the table. In +1918, when the Germans made their big push round Mont Kemmel, St. Jans +Cappel, along with Bailleul and Meteren, was captured once more by the +enemy, and the village is now in ruins and its inhabitants scattered. + +I do not look back with much pleasure to the cold rides which I always +used to have on my return from the line. In frosty weather the pave +roads were very slippery, and I had to walk Dandy most of the distance, +while I got colder and colder, and beguiled the time by composing +poems or limericks on places at the front. Arriving at my billet in +the small hours of the morning, I would find my friend Ross not always +in the best of humors at being kept up so late. The ride back from +Wulverghem or Dranoutre, owing to the narrowness of the road and (p. 115) +the amount of transport and lorries upon it, was rather dangerous. It +was a matter of ten miles to come back from Wulverghem, and the roads +were very dark. One night in particular I had a narrow escape. I had +mounted Dandy at the back of a farmhouse, but for some reason or other +I seemed to have lost control over him and he was unusually lively. +Luckily for me a man offered to lead him out into the road, and just +before he let him go discovered that the bit was not in his mouth. + +The Alberta Dragoons had billets in a side road that led to Bailleul. +It was a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood, and they had good barns for +their horses. In the fields they had splendid opportunities for training +and exercise. I often took service for them. One Sunday afternoon I had +been speaking of the necessity of purifying the commercial life of +Canada on our return, and I said something uncomplimentary about land +speculators. I was told afterwards that I had caused much amusement in +all ranks, for every man in the troop from the officers downwards, or +upwards, was a land speculator, and had town lots to sell in the West. +In conversations with privates and non-coms., I often found they had +left good positions in Canada and not infrequently were men of means. +I have given mud-splashed soldiers a ride in the car, and they have +talked about their own cars at home. It was quite pathetic to see how +much men thought of some little courtesy or act of kindness. A young +fellow was brought in on a stretcher to the Red Chateau dressing +station one Sunday afternoon at Courcelette. He was terribly wounded +and gave me his father's address in Canada so that I might write to +him. He was carried away and I heard afterwards he died. Some months +later I had a letter from his father, a Presbyterian minister in +Ontario, thanking me for writing and telling me how pleased his son +had been by my giving him a ride one day in a Headquarters car. I +mention this so that people will realize how much the men had given up +when they considered such a trifling thing worth mentioning. + +The position of a chaplain as the war went on became very different +from what it had been at the beginning. The experience through which +the army had passed had showed to the military authorities that there +was something more subtle, more supernatural behind the life of the +men, than one might gather from the King's Regulations. Our chaplains +had done splendid work, and I think I may say that, with one or two +exceptions, they were idolized by their units. I could tell of one (p. 116) +of our chaplains who lived continually at the advanced dressing station +in great hardship and discomfort, sharing the danger and privation of +his men. The curious thing about a chaplain's popularity was that the +men never praised a chaplain whom they knew without adding "It is a +pity that all chaplains are not like him". On one occasion when I was +going through the Division, I was told by the men of one unit that +their chaplain was a prince, and it was a pity that all chaplains were +not like him. I went to another unit, and there again I was told that +their chaplain was a prince, and it was a pity that all chaplains were +not like him. It seems to be a deeply rooted principle in a soldier's +mind to beware of praising religion overmuch. But it amused me in a +general survey to find that ignorance of the work of other chaplains +led to their condemnation. I fancy the same spirit still manifests +itself in the British Army and in Canada. I find officers and men +eager enough to praise those who were their own chaplains but always +adding to it a condemnation of those who were not. An officer said to +me one day that the war had enabled chaplains to get to know men. I +told him that the war also had enabled men to get to know chaplains. +Large numbers of men in ordinary life are very seldom brought into +contact with religion. They have the crude notion of it which they +carried away as unfledged boys from Sunday School, and a sort of +formal bowing acquaintance through the conventions of later life. In +the war, when their minds and affections were put to a severe strain, +it was a revelation to them to find that there were principles and +relationships of divine origin which enabled the ordinary human will +easily to surmount difficulties moral and physical, and which gave a +quiet strength that nothing merely earthly could supply. Certainly the +war gave chaplains a splendid opportunity of bearing witness to the +power of Christ. A great deal has been written about the religion of +the men at the front. Some have spoken of it in terms of exaggerated +optimism, as though by the miracle of the war men had become beings of +angelic outlook and temper. Others have taken a despairing attitude, +and thought that religion has lost its real power over the world. The +truth is, I think, that there was a revelation to most men, in a broad +way, of a mysterious soul life within, and of a huge responsibility to +an infinite and eternal Being above. There was a revelation also, wide +and deep, to many individual men, of the living force and example of +Him who is both God and Brother-man. Where the associations of (p. 117) +church and home had been clean and helpful, men under the batterings +of war felt consciously the power of religion. In the life at the +front, no doubt there was much evil thinking, evil talking and evil +doing, but there was, underlying all this, the splendid manifestation +in human nature of that image of God in which man was made. As one +looks back upon it, the surface things of that life have drifted away, +and the great things that one remembers are the self-sacrifice, the +living comradeship, and the unquestioning faith in the eternal rightness +of right and duty which characterized those who were striving to the +death for the salvation of the world. This glorious vision of the +nobility of human nature sustained the chaplain through many +discouragements and difficulties. I have often sat on my horse on +rainy nights near Hill 63, and watched the battalions going up to the +line. With wet rubber sheets hanging over their huge packs and with +rifles on their shoulders, the men marched up through the mud and cold +and darkness, to face wounds and death. At such times, the sordid life +has been transfigured before me. The hill was no longer Hill 63, but +it was the hill of Calvary. The burden laid upon the men was no longer +the heavy soldier's pack, but it was the cross of Christ, and, as the +weary tramp of the men splashed in the mud, I said to myself "Each one +has fulfilled the law of life, and has taken up his cross and is +following Christ." + +I told the men this one day on church parade; and a corporal sometime +afterwards said that, when next their battalion was moving up into the +line, a young fellow beside him was swearing very hard over the amount +of stuff he had to carry. My friend went over to him and said, "Don't +you know that Canon Scott told us that this really isn't a pack, but +it's the Cross of Christ?" The lad stopped swearing at once, and took +up his burden without a word. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. (p. 118) + +OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE. + + +The 25th of December 1915, was to be our first Christmas in France, +and as the day approached there was much speculation among our men as +to which Battalions would be in the line. At last orders came out that +the 13th and 16th Battalions would relieve the 14th and 15th on +Christmas Eve. I determined, therefore, to spend my Christmas with the +former two. Our trenches at that time were in front of Ploegsteert. +The 16th was on the right and the 13th on the left. Taking my bag with +communion vessels and as many hymn books as I could carry, and with a +haversack over my shoulder containing requisities for the night, I was +motored over on Christmas Eve to the 3rd Brigade Headquarters at Petit +Moncque Farm. The day was rainy and so was not calculated to improve +the spirits and temper of the men who were going to spend their first +Christmas in the line. At dusk I walked up the road to Hill 63, and +then down on the other side to Le Plus Douve Farm. It was not a cheerful +Christmas Eve. The roads were flooded with water, and the transports +that were waiting for the relief were continually getting tangled up +with one another in the darkness. To make matters worse, I was met by +a Sergeant who told me he had some men to be buried, and a burial +party was waiting on the side of the road. We went into the field +which was used as a cemetery and there we laid the bodies to rest. + +The Germans had dammed the river Douve, and it had flooded some of the +fields and old Battalion Headquarters. It was hard to find one's way +in the dark, and I should never have done so without assistance. The +men had acquired the power of seeing in the dark, like cats. + +A Battalion was coming out and the men were wet and muddy. I stood by +the bridge watching them pass and, thinking it was the right and +conventional thing to do, wished them all a Merry Christmas. My +intentions were of the best, but I was afterwards told that it sounded +to the men like the voice of one mocking them in their misery. +However, as it turned out, the wish was fulfilled on the next day. + +As soon as I could cross the bridge, I made my way to the trenches +which the 16th Battalion were taking over. They were at a higher (p. 119) +level and were not in a bad condition. Further up the line there was a +barn known as St. Quentin's Farm, which for some reason or other, +although it was in sight of the enemy, had not been demolished and was +used as a billet. I determined therefore to have a service of Holy +Communion at midnight, when the men would all have come into the line +and settled down. About eleven o'clock I got things ready. The officers +and men had been notified of the service and began to assemble. The +barn was a fair size and had dark red brick walls. The roof was low +and supported by big rafters. The floor was covered with yellow straw +about two feet in depth. The men proceeded to search for a box which I +could use as an altar. All they could get were three large empty biscuit +tins. These we covered with my Union Jack and white linen cloth. A row +of candles was stuck against the wall, which I was careful to see were +prevented from setting fire to the straw. The dull red tint of the +brick walls, the clean yellow straw, and the bright radiance of our +glorious Union Jack made a splendid combination of colour. It would +have been a fitting setting for a tableau of the Nativity. + +The Highlanders assembled in two rows and I handed out hymn books. +There were many candles in the building so the men were able to read. +It was wonderful to hear in such a place and on such an occasion, the +beautiful old hymns, "While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night," +"Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "O Come All Ye Faithful." The men +sang them lustily and many and varied were the memories of past +Christmases that welled up in their thoughts at that time. + +I had a comfortable bunk in one of the dugouts that night, and was up +next morning early to spend the day among the men in the line. I was +delighted to find that the weather had changed and a most glorious day +was lighting up the face of nature. The sky overhead was blue and only +a few drifting clouds told of the rain that had gone. The sun was beating +down warm and strong, as if anxious to make up for his past neglect. +The men, of course, were in high spirits, and the glad handshake and +the words "A Merry Christmas" had got back their old-time meaning. + +The Colonel had given orders to the men not to fire on the enemy that +day unless they fired on us. The Germans had evidently come to the +same resolution. Early in the morning some of them had come over (p. 120) +to our wire and left two bottles of beer behind as a peace offering. +The men were allowed to go back to their trenches unmolested, but the +two bottles of beer quite naturally and without any difficulty continued +their journey to our lines. When I got up to the front trench, I found +our boys standing on the parapet and looking over at the enemy. I +climbed up, and there, to my astonishment, I saw the Germans moving +about in their trenches apparently quite indifferent to the fact that +we were gazing at them. One man was sawing wood. Between us and them +lay that mass of wire and iron posts which is known as the mysterious +"No Man's Land." Further down the hill we saw the trenches of the 13th +Battalion, where apparently intermittent "Straffing" was still going +on. Where we were, however, there was nothing to disturb our Christmas +peace and joy. I actually got out into "No Mans Land" and wandered +down it. Many Christmas parcels had arrived and the men were making +merry with their friends, and enjoying the soft spring-like air, and +the warm sunshine. When I got down to the 13th Battalion however, I +found that I had to take cover, as the German snipers and guns were +active. I did not have any service for that Battalion then, as I was +going to them on the following Sunday, but at evening I held another +midnight service for those of the 16th who were on duty the night +before. + +The only place available was the billet of the Machine Gun Officer in +the second trench. It was the cellar of a ruined building and the +entrance was down some broken steps. One of the sergeants had cleaned +up the place and a shelf on the wall illuminated by candles was +converted into an altar, and the dear old flag, the symbol of liberty, +equality and fraternity, was once again my altar cloth. The Machine +Gun Officer, owing to our close proximity to the enemy, was a little +doubtful as to the wisdom of our singing hymns, but finally allowed us +to do so. The tiny room and the passage outside were crowded with +stalwart young soldiers, whose voices sang out the old hymns as though +the Germans were miles away. Our quarters were so cramped that the men +had difficulty in squeezing into the room for communion and could not +kneel down. The service was rich and beautiful in the heartfelt +devotion of men to whom, in their great need, religion was a real and +vital thing. Not long after midnight, once again the pounding of the +old war was resumed, and as I went to bed in the dugout that night, I +felt from what a sublime height the world had dropped. We had two (p. 121) +more war Christmases in France, but I always look back upon that first +one as something unique in its beauty and simplicity. + +When I stood on the parapet that day looking over at the Germans in +their trenches, and thought how two great nations were held back for a +time in their fierce struggle for supremacy, by their devotion to a +little Child born in a stable in Bethlehem two thousand years before, +I felt that there was still promise of a regenerated world. The Angels +had not sung in vain their wonderful hymn "Glory to God in the Highest +and on Earth Peace, Good Will towards men." + + + + +CHAPTER X. (p. 122) + +SPRING, 1916. + + +At the end of March our Division was ordered back to the Salient, and +so Headquarters left St. Jans Cappel. It was with great regret that I +bid good-by to the little place which had been such a pleasant home +for several months. The tide of war since then has no doubt swept away +many of the pastoral charms of the scenery, but the green fields and +the hillsides will be reclothed in beauty as time goes on. We stopped +for a few days at Fletre, and while there I made the acquaintance of +the Australians, and visited the battalions which were billeted in the +neighbourhood. + +It was always delightful to have the Division out in rest. As long as +the men were in the line one could not be completely happy. But when +they came out and one went amongst them, there was nothing to +overcloud the pleasure of our intercourse. One day I rode over to a +battalion and found a lot of men sitting round the cookhouse. We had a +long talk about the war, and they asked me to recite my war limericks. +I spent the evening with the O.C. of a battery and the night, on my +return, was very dark. One of the battalions had been paid off that +afternoon, and the men, who as usual had been celebrating the event in +an estaminet, were in boisterous spirits. It was so hard to make my +way through the crowd that Dandy got nervous and unmanageable. A young +fellow who recognized me in the dark came up and asked me if I should +like him to lead the horse down the road. I gratefully accepted his +offer. He walked beside me till we came to a bridge, and then he told +me that he had been very much interested in religion since he came to +the war, and was rather troubled over the fact that he had never been +baptised. He said he had listened to my limericks that day, and while +he was listening had determined to speak to me about his baptism. I +arranged to prepare him, and, before the battalion started north, I +baptised him in the C.O.'s. room in a farmhouse. The Adjutant acted as +his godfather. I do not know where the lad is now, or how he fared in +the war, but someday I hope I shall hear from him again. It was often +very difficult, owing to the numbers of men one was meeting, and the +many changes that were continually taking place, to keep track of the +lives of individuals. The revelations of the religious experiences (p. 123) +and the needs of the human soul, which came over and over again from +conversations with men, were always of the greatest help to a chaplain, +and made him feel that, in spite of many discouragements and much +indifference, there was always some soul asking for spiritual help. + +The Headquarters of our Division were now at a place called Hooggraaf. +It consisted of a few small houses and a large school kept by nuns. +Huts were run up for the officers and, at a little distance down the +road, a home was built for "C" mess. At one side were some Armstrong +canvas huts, one of which was mine. It was a pleasant place, and being +back from the road was free from dust. Green fields, rich in grain, +spread in all directions. It was at Hooggraaf that the Engineers built +me a church, and a big sign over the door proclaimed it to be "St. +George's Church." It was first used on Easter Day, which in 1916 fell +on the Festival of St. George, and we had very hearty services. + +Poperinghe, only two miles away, became our city of refuge. Many of +our units had their headquarters there, and the streets were filled +with our friends. We had many pleasant gatherings there in an estaminet +which became a meeting place for officers. The Guards Division, among +other troops, were stationed in Poperinghe, so there was much variety +of life and interest in the town. "Talbot House," for the men, and the +new Officer's Club, presided over by Neville Talbot, were centres of +interest. The gardens at the back made very pleasant places for an +after-dinner smoke. There were very good entertainments in a theatre +every evening, where "The Follies," a theatrical company of Imperial +soldiers, used to perform. Poperinghe was even at that time damaged by +shells, but since then it has suffered more severely. The graceful +spire, which stood up over the plain with its outline against the sky, +has luckily been preserved. We had some very good rest billets for the +men in the area around Hooggraaf. They consisted of collections of +large wooden huts situated in different places, and called by special +names. "Scottish Lines," "Connaught Lines," and "Patricia Lines," were +probably the most comfortable. In fact, all along the various roads +which ran through our area different units made their homes. + +Our military prison was in a barn about a mile from Headquarters. I +used to go there for service every Monday afternoon at six o'clock. By +that time, the men had come back from work. They slept on shelves, (p. 124) +one over another. The barn was poorly lighted, and got dark early in +the afternoon. The first time I took service there, I was particularly +anxious that everything should be done as nicely as possible, so that +the men would not think they had come under the ban of the church. +Most of their offences were military ones. The men therefore were not +criminals in the ordinary sense of the term. I brought my surplice, +scarf and hymn books, and I told the men that I wanted them to sing. +They lay on the shelves with only their heads and shoulders visible. I +told them that I wanted the service to be hearty, and asked them to +choose the first hymn. A voice from one of the shelves said-- + + "Here we suffer grief and pain." + +A roar of laughter went up from the prisoners, in which I joined +heartily. + +At the front, we held Hill 60 and the trenches to the south of it. In +a railway embankment, a series of dugouts furnished the Brigade that +was in the line with comfortable billets. The Brigadier's abode had a +fireplace in it. One of the dugouts was used as a morgue, in which +bodies were kept till they could be buried. A man told me that one +night when he had come down from the line very late, he found a dugout +full of men wrapped in their blankets, every one apparently asleep. +Without more ado, he crawled in amongst them and slept soundly till +morning. When he awoke, he found to his horror that he had slept all +night among the dead men in the morgue. There was a cemetery at +Railway Dugouts, which was carefully laid out. Beyond this there was +another line of sandbag homes on one side of a large pond called +"Zillebeke Lake." They were used by other divisions. + +From Railway Dugouts, by paths and then by communication trenches, one +made one's way up to Hill 60 and the other parts of the front line, +where the remains of a railway crossed the hill. Our dugouts were on +the east side of it, and the line itself was called "Lover's Lane". +The brick arch of a bridge which crossed the line was part of our +front. + +One day I was asked by a British chaplain, who was ordered south, to +accompany him on a trip he was making to his brother's grave at Hooge. +He wished to mark it by a cross. As the place was in full view of the +Germans, we had to visit it before dawn. I met my friend at 2.30 a.m. +in the large dugout under the Ramparts at Ypres. We started off with +two runners, but one managed most conveniently to lose us and (p. 125) +returned home. The other accompanied us all the way. It was a weird +expedition. The night was partly cloudy, and faint moonlight struggled +through the mist which shrouded us. The runner went first, and the +Padre, who was a tall man, followed, carrying the cross on his +shoulder. I brought up the rear. In the dim light, my friend looked +like some allegorical figure from "Pilgrim's Progress". Occasionally +we heard the hammering of a machine-gun, and we would lie down till +the danger was past. We skirted the grim borders of Sanctuary Wood, +and made our way to Hooge. There my friend got out his map to find, if +possible, the place where he had buried his brother. He sat down in a +large shell hole, and turned his flashlight upon the paper. It was +difficult to find the location, because the place had recently been +the scene of a hard struggle. The guide and I looked over the ground +and we found a line of graves marked by broken crosses. The night was +fast passing and in the grey of the eastern sky the stars were going +out one by one. At last my friend found the spot he was looking for +and there he set up the cross, and had a short memorial service for +the dead. On our return, we passed once more by Sanctuary Wood, and in +the daylight looked into the place torn and battered by shells and +reeking with the odours of unburied bodies. + +We parted at Zillebeke Bund, and I made my way to Railway Dugouts. It +was a lovely morning and the air was so fresh that although I had been +walking all night I did not feel tired. The 3rd Battalion was holding +the line just behind a piece of ground which was called the "Bean and +Pollock." It was supposed that the Germans had mined the place and +that an explosion might be expected at any minute. One company had +built a rustic arbour, which they used as their mess-room. The bright +sun shone through the green boughs overhead. There was intermittent +shelling, but nothing to cause us any worry. I stayed till late in the +afternoon, when I made my way towards the rear of Hill 60. There I +found the 14th Battalion which was in reserve. They told me that the +16th Battalion in the line was going to blow up a mine that night, and +offered to give me a dugout if I would stay for the festivities. I +gladly accepted, and just before midnight made my way to a dugout that +had just been completed. I was told that there was a bed in it with a +wire mattress. When I got into the dugout, I lit a candle, and found +to my astonishment that the place was full of men lying on the (p. 126) +bed and the floor. They offered to get out but I told them not to +think of it. So we lit another candle, and had a very pleasant time +until the mine went up. We heard a fearful explosion, and the ground +rocked as it does in an earthquake. It was not long before the Germans +retaliated, and we heard the shells falling round us. At daybreak I +went up to the line to see the result of the explosion. A large crater +had been made in No Man's Land, but for some reason or other the side +of our trench had been blown back upon our own men and there were many +casualties. + +I stayed in the trenches all afternoon, and on my way back went to an +artillery observation post on a hill which was crowned by the ruins of +an old mill. The place was called Verbranden Molen. Here I found a young +artillery officer on duty. The day was so clear that we were able to +spread out a map before us on the ground and with our glasses look up +every point named on the sheet. We looked far over to the North and saw +the ruins of Wieltje. Ypres lay to the left, and we could see Zillebeke, +Sanctuary Wood, High Wood, Square Wood, and Hooge. The light reflected +from our glasses must have been seen by some German sniper, for suddenly +we heard the crack of bullets in the hedge behind us and we hastily +withdrew to the dugout. As I walked back down the road I came to one of +the posts of the motor-machine-gunners who were there on guard. They were +just having tea outside and kindly invited me to join them. We had a +delightful conversation on poetry and literature, but were prepared to +beat a hasty retreat into the dugout in case the Germans took to +shelling the road, which they did every evening. + +Railway Dugouts was always a pleasant place to visit, there were so +many men there. As one passed up and down the wooden walk which ran +the length of the embankment there were many opportunities of meeting +one's friends. On the other side of it, however, which was exposed to +the German shells, the men frequently had a hard time in getting up to +the line. + +There were several interesting chateaus in the neighbourhood. That +nearest to the front was called Bedford House, and stood in what must +have been once very beautiful grounds. The upper part of the house was +in ruins, but the cellars were deep and capacious and formed a good +billet for the officers and men. At one side there was a dressing +station and in the garden were some huts protected by piles of sand +bags. + +A chateau that was well-known in the Salient lay a little to the (p. 127) +west of Bedford House. It was called Swan Chateau, from the fact +that a large white swan lived on the artificial lake in the grounds. I +never saw the swan myself, but the men said it had been wounded in the +wing and had lost an eye. It was long an object of interest to many +battalions that at different times were housed in the chateau. One day +the swan disappeared. It was rumoured that a hungry Canadian battalion +had killed it for food. On the other hand, it was said that it had +been taken to some place of safety to prevent its being killed. There +was something very poetical in the idea of this beautiful bird living +on through the scene of desolation, like the spirit of the world that +had passed away. It brought back memories of the life that had gone, +and the splendour of an age which had left Ypres forever. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. (p. 128) + +THE ATTACK ON MOUNT SORREL. + +_Summer, 1916._ + + +Easter Day, 1916, fell on the 23rd of April, and a great many +interesting facts were connected with it. The 23rd of April is St. +George's Day. It is also the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth and of +his death, and also of the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The day was a glorious +one. The air was sweet and fresh, the grass was the brightest green, +hedgerows and trees were in leaf, and everybody was in high spirits. +After services in St. George's church I rode over to Poperinghe and +attended a memorial service which the 1st Brigade were holding in the +Cinema. General Mercer, who himself was killed not long afterwards, +was one of the speakers. The building was crowded with men, and the +service was very solemn. + +Life at this time was very pleasant, except for the fact that we never +knew what might happen when we were in the Salient. We always felt +that it was a death-trap, and that the Germans would never give up +trying to capture Ypres. I was kept busy riding about, visiting the +different units. Round about Hooggraaf the spring roads were very +attractive, and the numerous short cuts through the fields and under +the overhanging trees reminded one of country life at home. + +One day Dandy bolted as I was mounting him, and I fell on some bath +mats breaking a bone in my hand and cutting my face in several places. +This necessitated my being sent up to the British C.C.S. at Mont des +Cats. Mont des Cats was a picturesque hill which overlooked the Flanders +Plain, and could be seen from all parts of the Salient. On the top +there was a Trappist monastery. The buildings were modern and covered +a large extent of ground. They were solidly built of brick and stone +and the chapel was a beautiful building with a high vaulted roof. From +the top of the hill, a magnificent view of the country could be +obtained, to the North as far as the sea, and to the East as far as +our trenches, where we could see the shells bursting. + +Mont des Cats hospital was a most delightful temporary home. There was +a large ward full of young officers, who were more or less ill (p. 129) +or damaged. In another part of the building were wards for the men. +From the O.C. downwards everyone in the C.C.S. was the soul of kindness, +and the beautiful buildings with their pleasant grounds gave a peculiar +charm to the life. My room was not far from the chapel, and every +night at two a.m. I could hear the old monks chanting their offices. +Most of the monks had been conscripted and were fighting in the French +army; only a few of the older ones remained. But by day and night at +stated intervals the volume of their prayer and praise rose up above +the noise of war, just as it had risen through the centuries of the +past. There were beautiful gardens which the monks tended carefully, +and also many grape vines on the walls. We used to watch the silent +old men doing their daily work and making signs to one another instead +of speaking. In the evening I would make my way up the spiral staircase +to the west-end gallery, which looked down upon the chapel. The red +altar lamp cast a dim light in the sacred building, and every now and +then in the stillness I could hear, like the roar of a distant sea, +the sound of shells falling at the front. The mysterious silence of +the lofty building, with the far off reverberations of war thrilling +it now and then, was a solace to the soul. + +A smaller chapel in the monastery, with a well-appointed altar, was +allotted by the monks to the chaplain for his services. While I was at +Mont des Cats we heard of the death of Lord Kitchener. The news came +to the Army with the force of a stunning blow; but thank God, the +British character is hardened and strengthened by adversity, and while +we all felt his loss keenly and looked forward to the future with +anxiety, the determination to go on to victory was made stronger by +the catastrophe. As the chaplain of the hospital was away at the time, +I held a memorial service in the large refectory. Following upon the +death of Lord Kitchener came another disaster. The Germans in the +beginning of June launched a fierce attack upon the 3rd Division, +causing many casualties and capturing many prisoners. General Mercer +was killed, and a brigadier was wounded and taken prisoner. To make +matters worse, we heard of the battle of Jutland, the first report of +which was certainly disconcerting. We gathered from it that our navy +had suffered a great reverse. The death of Lord Kitchener, the naval +reverse, and the fierce attack on our front, following one another in +such a short space of time, called for great steadiness of nerve and +coolness of head. I felt that the hospital was no place for me (p. 130) +when Canadians were meeting reverses at the front, especially as the +First Division was ordered to recapture the lost trenches. I telephoned +to my good friend, Colonel Brutenell, the C.O. of the Motor Machine-Gun +Brigade, and asked him to send me a side-car to take me forward. He +had always in the past shown me much kindness in supplying me with +means of locomotion. Colonel Brutenell was an old country Frenchman +with the most courteous manners. When I first discovered that he was +the possessor of side-cars, I used to obtain them by going over to him +and saying, "Colonel, if you will give me a side-car I will recite you +one of my poems." He was too polite at first to decline to enter into +the bargain, but, as time went on, I found that the price I offered +began to lose its value, and sometimes the side-cars were not +forthcoming. It then became necessary to change my plan of campaign, +so I hit upon another device. I used to walk into the orderly room and +say in a raucous voice, "Colonel, if you _don't_ give me a side-car I +will recite one of my poems." I found that in the long run this was +the most effectual method. On the present occasion, therefore, the +side-car was sent to me, and I made my way to Wippenhoek and from +thence up to the dressing station at Vlamertinghe. Here our wounded +were pouring in. Once again Canada was reddening the soil of the +Salient with her best blood. It was indeed an anxious time. That +evening, however, a telegram was received by the O.C. of the Ambulance +saying that the British fleet had sunk twenty or thirty German +vessels, and implying that what we had thought was a naval reverse was +really a magnificent naval victory. I do not know who sent the +telegram, or on what foundation in fact it was based. I think that +somebody in authority considered it would be well to cheer up our men +with a piece of good news. At any rate all who were at the dressing +station believed it, and I determined to carry a copy of the telegram +with me up to the men in the line. I started off on one of the +ambulances for Railway Dugouts. Those ambulance journeys through the +town of Ypres after midnight were things to be remembered. The desolate +ruins of the city stood up black and grim. The road was crowded with men, +lorries, ambulances, transports and motorcycles. Every now and then the +scene of desolation would be lit up by gun flashes. Occasionally the +crash of a shell would shake the already sorely smitten city. I can +never cease to admire the pluck of those ambulance drivers, who night +after night, backwards and forwards, threaded their way in the (p. 131) +darkness through the ghost-haunted streets. One night when the enemy's +guns were particularly active, I was being driven by a young boy only +eighteen years of age. Sitting beside him on the front seat, I told +him how much I admired his nerve and coolness. He turned to me quite +simply and said that he was not afraid. He just put himself in God's +hands and didn't worry. When he came afterwards to Headquarters and +drove our side-car he never minded where he went or how far towards +the front he took it. I do not know where he is in Canada, but I know +that Canada will be the better for having such a boy as one of her +citizens. + +When I arrived at Railway Dugouts, I found that there was great activity +on all sides, but my message about our naval victory had a most +stimulating effect and I had the courage to wake up no less than three +generals to tell them the good news. They said they didn't care how +often they were awakened for news like that. I then got a runner, and +was making my way up to the men in the front line when the Germans put +on an attack. The trench that I was in became very hot, and, as I had +my arm in a sling and could not walk very comfortably or do much in +the way of dodging, the runner and I thought it would be wiser to +return, especially as we could not expect the men, then so fully +occupied, to listen to our message of cheer. We made our way back as +best we could to Railway Dugouts, and telephoned the news to the +various battalion headquarters. The telegram was never confirmed, and +I was accused of having made it up myself. It certainly had a +wholesome effect upon our men at a critical and anxious moment. + +We had a hard time in retaking the lost ground. Gallant were the charges +which were made in broad daylight in the face of heavy machine-gun +fire. In preparation for the attack, our men had to lie under the +cover of broken hedges for twenty-four hours, living only on the iron +rations which they carried with them. I went up one morning when one +of our battalions had just come out after a hard fight. The men were +in a shallow trench, ankle deep in mud and water. As they had lost +very heavily, the Colonel put me in charge of a burial party. We +buried a number of bodies but were stopped at last at the entrance of +Armagh Wood, which the Germans were at the time heavily shelling, and +we had to postpone the performance of our sad duty till things were +quieter. + +Still in spite of reverses, the spirits of our men never declined. (p. 132) +They were full of rebound, and quickly recovered themselves. As one +looks back to that period of our experience, all sorts of pictures, +bright and sombre, crowd the mind--the Square at Poperinghe in the +evening, the Guards' fife and drum bands playing tattoo in the old +town while hundreds of men looked on; the dark station of Poperinghe +in the evening, and the battalions being sent up to the front in +railway trucks; the old mill at Vlamertinghe with the reception room +for the wounded, and the white tables on which the bleeding forms were +laid; the dark streets of Ypres, rank with the poisonous odours of +shell gas; the rickety horse-ambulances bearing their living freight +over the shell broken roads from Bedford House and Railway Dugouts; +the walking wounded, with bandaged arms and heads, making their way +slowly and painfully down the dangerous foot-paths; all these pictures +flash before the mind's eye, each with its own appeal, as one looks +back upon those awful days. The end was not in sight then. The war, we +were told, was going to be a war of attrition. It was to be a case of +"dogged does it." Under the wheels of the car of the great Juggernaut +our men had to throw themselves, till the progress of the car was +stayed. How peaceful were the little cemeteries where lay those +warriors who had entered into rest. But how stern was the voice from +the sleeping dead to carry on undismayed. + +The Canadian Corps seemed to have taken root in the Salient, and, +after the severe fighting had ended, things went on as if we were to +have a long residence round Ypres. In looking over the notes in my +diary for June and July, I see a great many records of visits to +different units. How well one remembers the keen active life which +made that region a second Canada. There was the small town of Abeele, +where our Corps Headquarters were, and where our new commander, +General Byng, had his house. Not far away, up the road, was the +grenade school where the troops were instructed in the gentle art of +bomb-throwing. We had our divisional rest-camp in a pleasant spot, +where our men were sent to recuperate. The following is a typical +Sunday's work at this time:--Celebration of Holy Communion at St. +George's Church at eight a.m., Parade Service for the Division at nine +fifteen a.m., followed by a second Celebration of Holy Communion at +ten a.m., Parade Service followed by Holy Communion for a Battalion at +Connaught lines at eleven a.m., service for the divisional rest-camp +at three p.m., service at the Grenade School at four p.m., service (p. 133) +outside St. George's Church for the Divisional Train six-thirty p.m., +service for the 3rd Field Ambulance and convalescent camp at +eight-forty-five p.m. On week-days too, we had to arrange many +services for units which had come out of the line. It was really a +life full of activity and interest. It filled one with a thrill of +delight to be able to get round among the men in the trenches, where +the familiar scenery of Sanctuary Wood, Armagh Wood, Maple Copse and +the Ravine will always remain impressed upon one's memory. Often when +I have returned to my hut at night, I have stood outside in the +darkness, looking over the fields towards the front, and as I saw the +German flares going up, I said to myself, "Those are the foot-lights +of the stage on which the world's greatest drama is being enacted." +One seemed to be taking part, however humbly, in the making of human +history. But it was a grievous thing to think of the toll of life that +the war forced upon us and the suffering that it involved. The brave +patient hearts of those at home were continually in our thoughts, and +we always felt that the hardest burden was laid upon them. They had no +excitement; they knew not the comradeship and the exaltation of +feeling which came to those who were in the thick of things at the +front. They had to go on day by day bearing their burden of anxiety, +quietly and patiently in faith and courage. To them our men were +always ready to give the palm of the victors. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. (p. 134) + +THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. + +_Autumn, 1916._ + + +It always happened that just when we were beginning to feel settled in +a place, orders came for us to move. At the end of July we heard of +the attack at the Somme. Rumours began to circulate that we were to go +South, and signs of the approaching pilgrimage began to manifest +themselves. On August 10th all my superfluous baggage was sent back to +England, and on the following day I bid good-bye to my comfortable +little hut at Hooggraaf and started to ride to our new Divisional +Headquarters which were to be for the time near St. Omer. After an +early breakfast with my friend General Thacker, I started off on Dandy +for the long ride. I passed through Abeele and Steenvoorde, where I +paid my respects at the Chateau, overtaking many of our units, either +on the march or in the fields by the wayside, and that night I arrived +at Cassel and put up at the hotel. The town never looked more +beautiful than at sunset on that lovely summer evening. It had about +it the spell of the old world, and the quiet life which had gone on +through the centuries in a kind of dream. One did hope that the attack +to the South would be the beginning of the end and that peace would be +restored to the shattered world. On that day, the King had arrived on +a flying visit to the front, and some of his staff were billeted at +the hotel. The following day I visited the Second Army Headquarters in +the Casino Building, and met some of our old friends who had gone +there from the Canadian Corps. In the afternoon I rode off to St. +Omer, little Philo running beside me full of life and spirits. It was +a hot and dusty ride. I put up at the Hotel du Commerce, where I met +several Canadian officers and many airmen. The next day was Sunday so +I attended the service in the military church. After it was over, I +went with a young flying officer into the old cathedral. + +The service had ended and we were alone in the building, but the +sunlight flooded it and brought out the richness of contrast in light +and shadow, and the air was still fragrant with the smell of incense. +My friend and I were talking, as we sat there, about the effect the +war had had upon religion. Turning to me he said, "The great thing (p. 135) +I find when I am in a tight place in the air is to pray to Jesus +Christ. Many and many a time when I have been in difficulties and +thought that I really must be brought down, I have prayed to Him and +He has preserved me." I looked at the boy as he spoke. He was very +young, but had a keen, earnest face, and I thought how often I had +seen fights in the air and how little I had imagined that the human +hearts in those little craft, which looked like tiny flies among the +clouds, were praying to God for help and protection. I told him how +glad I was to hear his testimony to the power of Christ. When we got +back to the hotel, one of the airmen came up to him and said, +"Congratulations, old chap, here's your telegram." The telegram was an +order for him to join a squadron which held what the airmen considered +to be, from it's exceeding danger, the post of honour at the Somme +front. I often wonder if the boy came through the fierce ordeal alive. + +It was pleasant to meet Bishop Gwynne and his staff once again. There +was always something spiritually bracing in visiting the Headquarters +of our Chaplain Service at St. Omer. On the Monday I rode off to our +Divisional Headquarters, which were in a fine old chateau at Tilques. +I had a pleasant billet in a comfortable house at the entrance to the +town, and the different units of the Division were encamped in the +quaint villages round about. After their experience in the Salient, +the men were glad to have a little peace and rest; although they knew +they were on their journey to bigger and harder things. The country +around St. Omer was so fresh and beautiful that the change of scene +did everyone good. The people too were exceedingly kind and wherever +we went we found that the Canadians were extremely popular. There were +many interesting old places near by which brought back memories of +French history. However, the day came when we had to move. From +various points the battalions entrained for the South. On Monday, +August 28th, I travelled by train with the 3rd Field Company of +Engineers and finally found myself in a billet at Canaples. After two +or three days we settled at a place called Rubempre. Here I had a +clean billet beside a very malodorous pond which the village cows used +as their drinking place. The country round us was quite different in +character from what it had been further north. Wide stretches of open +ground and rolling hills, with here and there patches of green woods, +made up a very pleasant landscape. I rode one day to Amiens and +visited the glorious cathedral which I had not seen since I came (p. 136) +there as a boy thirty-three years before. I attended the service of +Benediction that evening at six o'clock. The sunlight was streaming +through the glorious windows, and the whole place was filled with a +beauty that seemed to be not of earth. There was a large congregation +present and it was made up of a varied lot of people. There were women +in deep mourning, Sisters of Charity and young children. There were +soldiers and old men. But they were all one in their spirit of humble +adoration and intercession. The organ pealed out its noble strains +until the whole place was vibrant with devotion. I shall never forget +the impression that service made upon me. The next time I saw the +cathedral, Amiens was deserted of its inhabitants, four shells had +pierced the sacred fane itself, and the long aisles, covered with bits +of broken glass, were desolate and silent. + +From Rubempre we moved to Albert, where we were billeted in a small +house on a back street. Our Battle Headquarters were in the Bapaume +road in trenches and dugouts, on a rise in the ground which was called +Tara Hill. By the side of the road was a little cemetery which had +been laid out by the British, and was henceforth to be the last +resting place of many Canadians. Our battalions were billeted in +different places in the damaged town, and in the brick-fields near by. +Our chief dressing station was in an old school-house not far from the +Cathedral. Albert must have been a pleasant town in pre-war days, but +now the people had deserted it and every building had either been +shattered or damaged by shells. From the spire of the Cathedral hung +at right angles the beautiful bronze image of the Blessed Virgin, +holding up her child above her head for the adoration of the world. It +seemed to me as if there was something appropriate in the strange +position the statue now occupied, for, as the battalions marched past +the church, it looked as if they were receiving a parting benediction +from the Infant Saviour. + +The character of the war had now completely changed. For months and +months, we seemed to have reached a deadlock. Now we had broken +through and were to push on and on into the enemy's territory. As we +passed over the ground which had already been won from the Germans, we +were amazed at the wonderful dugouts which they had built, and the +huge craters made by the explosion of our mines. The dugouts were deep +in the ground, lined with wood and lighted by electric light. Bits of +handsome furniture, too, had found their way there from the (p. 137) +captured villages, which showed that the Germans must have lived in +great comfort. We were certainly glad of the homes they had made for +us, for our division was in the line three times during the battle of +the Somme, going back to Rubempre and Canaples when we came out for +the necessary rest between the attacks. + +Looking back to those terrible days of fierce fighting, the mind is so +crowded with memories and pictures that it is hard to disentangle +them. How well one remembers the trips up the Bapaume road to La +Boisselle and Pozieres. The country rolled off into the distance in +vast billows, and bore marks of the fierce fighting which had occurred +here when the British made their great advance. When one rode out from +our rear headquarters at the end of the town one passed some brick +houses more or less damaged and went on to Tara Hill. There by the +wayside was a dressing station. On the hill itself there was the waste +of pale yellow mud, and the piles of white chalk which marked the side +of the trench in which were deep dugouts. There were many wooden huts, +too, which were used as offices. The road went on down the slope on +the other side of the hill to La Boisselle, where it forked into +two--one going to Contalmaison, the other on the left to Pozieres and +finally to Bapaume. La Boisselle stood, or rather used to stand, on +the point of ground where the roads parted. When we saw it, it was +simply a mass of broken ground, which showed the ironwork round the +former church, some broken tombstones, and the red dust and bricks of +what had been houses. There were still some cellars left in which men +found shelter. A well there was used by the men for some time, until +cases of illness provoked an investigation and a dead German was +discovered at the bottom. The whole district was at all times the +scene of great activity. Men were marching to or from the line; +lorries, limbers, motorcycles, ambulances and staff cars were passing +or following one another on the muddy and broken way. Along the road +at various points batteries were concealed, and frequently, by a +sudden burst of fire, gave one an unpleasant surprise. If one took the +turn to the right, which led to Contalmaison, one passed up a gradual +rise in the ground and saw the long, dreary waste of landscape which +told the story, by shell-ploughed roads and blackened woods, of the +deadly presence of war. One of the depressions among the hills was +called Sausage Valley. In it were many batteries and some (p. 138) +cemeteries, and trenches where our brigade headquarters were. At the +corner of a branch road, just above the ruins of Contalmaison, our +engineers put up a little shack, and this was used by our Chaplains' +Service as a distributing place for coffee and biscuits. Some men were +kept there night and day boiling huge tins of water over a smoky fire +in the corner. A hundred and twenty-five gallons of coffee were given +away every twenty-four hours. Good strong coffee it was too, most +bracing in effect. The cups used were cigarette tins, and the troops +going up to the trenches or coming back from them, used to stop and +have some coffee and some biscuits to cheer them on their way. The +place in the road was called Casualty Corner, and was not supposed to +be a very "healthy" resting place, but we did not lose any men in +front of the little canteen. The work had been started by the Senior +Chaplain of the Australian Division which we had relieved, and he +handed it over to us. + +Under our Chaplains' Service the canteen became a most helpful +institution; not only was coffee given away, but many other things, +including cigarettes. Many a man has told me that that drink of coffee +saved his life when he was quite used up. + +In Contalmaison itself, there had once been a very fine chateau. It, +like the rest of the village, survived only as a heap of bricks and +rubbish, but the cellars, which the Germans had used as a dressing +station, were very large and from them branched off deep dugouts lined +with planed boards and lit by electric light. + +The road which turned to the left led down to a waste of weary ground +in a wide valley where many different units were stationed in dugouts +and holes in the ground. Towards the Pozieres road there was a famous +chalk pit. In the hillside were large dugouts, used by battalions when +out of the line. There was also a light railway, and many huts and +shacks of various kinds. Pozieres looked very much like La Boisselle. +Some heaps or rubbish and earth reddened by bricks and brick-dust +alone showed where the village had been. At Pozieres the Y.M.C.A. had +another coffee-stall, where coffee was given away free. These +coffee-stalls were a great institution, and in addition to the bracing +effect of the drink provided, the rude shack with its cheery fire +always made a pleasant place for rest and conversation. + +After Courcelette was taken by the 2nd Division, our front line lay +beyond it past Death Valley on the slope leading down to Regina +Trench, and onward to the villages of Pys and Miraumont. Over all (p. 139) +this stretch of country, waste and dreary as it got to be towards +the end of September, our various fighting units were scattered, and +along that front line, as we pushed the enemy back, our men made the +bitter sacrifice of life and limb. It was a time of iron resolve and +hard work. There was no opportunity now for amusement and social +gatherings. When one spoke to staff officers, they answered in +monosyllables. When one rode in their cars, one had very fixed and +definite times at which to start and to return. The army had set its +teeth and was out to battle in grim earnest. It was a time, however, +of hope and encouragement. When, as we advanced, we saw what the +German defences had been, we were filled with admiration for the +splendid British attack in July which had forced the enemy to retreat. +If that had been done once it could be done again, and so we pressed +on. But the price we had to pay for victory was indeed costly and +one's heart ached for the poor men in their awful struggle in that +region of gloom and death. This was war indeed, and one wondered how +long it was to last. Gradually the sad consciousness came that our +advance was checked, but still the sacrifice was not in vain, for our +gallant men were using up the forces of the enemy. + +Ghastly were the stories which we heard from time to time. One man +told me that he had counted three hundred bodies hanging on the wire +which we had failed to cut in preparation for the attack. An officer +met me one day and told me how his company had had to hold on in a +trench, hour after hour, under terrific bombardment. He was sitting in +his dugout, expecting every moment to be blown up, when a young lad +came in and asked if he might stay with him. The boy was only eighteen +years of age and his nerve had utterly gone. He came into the dugout, +and, like a child clinging to his mother clasped the officer with his +arms. The latter could not be angry with the lad. There was nothing to +do at that point but to hold on and wait, so, as he said to me, "I +looked at the boy and thought of his mother, and just leaned down and +gave him a kiss. Not long afterwards a shell struck the dugout and the +boy was killed, and when we retired I had to leave his body there." +Wonderful deeds were done; some were known and received well merited +rewards, others were noted only by the Recording Angel. A piper won +the V.C. for his gallantry in marching up and down in front of the +wire playing his pipes while the men were struggling through it (p. 140) +in their attack upon Regina Trench. He was killed going back to +hunt for his pipes which he had left in helping a wounded man to a +place of safety. One cannot write of that awful time unmoved, for +there come up before the mind faces of friends that one will see no +more, faces of men who were strong, brave and even joyous in the midst +of that burning fiery furnace, from which their lives passed, we trust +into regions where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor +crying, and where the sound of war is hushed forever. + +One new feature which was introduced into the war at this time was the +"Tank." A large family of these curious and newly developed +instruments of battle was congregated in a wood on the outskirts of +the town, and awoke great interest on all sides. At that time we were +doubtful how far they would be able to fulfill the hopes that were +entertained of them. Some of them had already been knocked out near +Courcelette. One lay partly in the ditch by the road. It had been hit +by a shell, and the petrol had burst into flames burning up the crew +within, whose charred bones were taken out when an opportunity +offered, and were reverently buried. The tank was often visited by our +men, and for that reason the Germans made it a mark for their +shell-fire. It was wise to give it a wide berth. + +Our chaplains were working manfully and took their duties at the +different dressing-stations night and day in relays. The main +dressing-station was the school-house in Albert which I have already +described. It was a good sized building and there were several large +rooms in it. Many is the night that I have passed there, and I see it +now distinctly in my mind. In the largest room, there were the tables +neatly prepared, white and clean, for the hours of active work which +began towards midnight when the ambulances brought back the wounded +from the front. The orderlies would be lying about taking a rest until +their services were needed, and the doctors with their white aprons on +would be sitting in the room or in their mess near by. The windows +were entirely darkened, but in the building was the bright light and +the persistent smell of acetylene gas. Innumerable bandages and +various instruments were piled neatly on the white covered tables; and +in the outer room, which was used as the office, were the record books +and tags with which the wounded were labelled as they were sent off to +the Base. Far off we could hear the noise of the shells, and +occasionally one would fall in the town. When the ambulances (p. 141) +arrived everyone would be on the alert. I used to go out and stand in +the darkness, and see the stretchers carried in gently and tenderly by +the bearers, who laid them on the floor of the outer room. Torn and +broken forms, racked with suffering, cold and wet with rain and mud, +hidden under muddy blankets, lay there in rows upon the brick floor. +Sometimes the heads were entirely covered; sometimes the eyes were +bandaged; sometimes the pale faces, crowned with matted, muddy hair, +turned restlessly from side to side, and parched lips asked for a sip +of water. Then one by one the stretchers with their human burden would +be carried to the tables in the dressing room. Long before these cases +could be disposed of, other ambulances had arrived, and the floor of +the outer room once more became covered with stretchers. Now and then +the sufferers could not repress their groans. One night a man was +brought in who looked very pale and asked me piteously to get him some +water. I told him I could not do so until the doctor had seen his +wound. I got him taken into the dressing room, and turned away for a +moment to look after some fresh arrivals. Then I went back towards the +table whereon the poor fellow was lying. They had uncovered him and, +from the look on the faces of the attendants round about, I saw that +some specially ghastly wound was disclosed. I went over to the table, +and there I saw a sight too horrible to be described. A shell had +burst at his feet, and his body from the waist down was shattered. +Beyond this awful sight I saw the white face turning from side to +side, and the parched lips asking for water. The man, thank God, did +not suffer very acutely, as the shock had been so great, but he was +perfectly conscious. The case was hopeless, so they kindly and +tenderly covered him up, and he was carried out into the room set +apart for the dying. When he was left alone, I knelt down beside him +and talked to him. He was a French Canadian and a Roman Catholic, and, +as there happened to be no Roman Catholic Chaplain present at the +moment, I got him to repeat the "Lord's Prayer" and the "Hail Mary," +and gave him the benediction. He died about half an hour afterwards. +When the sergeant came in to have the body removed to the morgue, he +drew the man's paybook from his pocket, and there we found that for +some offence he had been given a long period of field punishment, and +his pay was cut down to seventy cents a day. For seventy cents a day +he had come as a voluntary soldier to fight in the great war, and for +seventy cents a day he had died this horrible death. I told the (p. 142) +sergeant that I felt like dipping that page of the man's paybook +in his blood to blot out the memory of the past. The doctor who +attended the case told me that that was the worst sight he had ever +seen. + +One night a young German was brought in. He was perfectly conscious, +but was reported to be seriously wounded. He was laid out on one of +the tables and when his torn uniform was ripped off, we found he had +been hit by shrapnel and had ten or twelve wounds in his body and +limbs. I never saw anyone more brave. He was a beautifully developed +man, with very white skin, and on the grey blanket looked like a +marble statue, marked here and there by red, bleeding wounds. He never +gave a sign by sound or movement of what he was suffering; but his +white face showed the approach of death. He was tended carefully, and +then carried over to a quiet corner in the room. I went over to him, +and pointing to my collar said, "Pasteur." I knelt beside him and +started the Lord's Prayer in German, which he finished adding some +other prayer. I gave him the benediction and made the sign of the +cross on his forehead, for the sign of the cross belongs to the +universal language of men. Then the dying, friendless enemy, who had +made expiation in his blood for the sins of his guilty nation, drew +his hand from under the blanket and taking mine said, "Thank you." +They carried him off to an ambulance, but I was told he would probably +die long before he got to his destination. + +On the 26th of September I spent the night in a dressing station in +the sunken road near Courcelette. I had walked from Pozieres down to +the railway track, where in the dark I met a company of the Canadian +Cyclist Corps, who were being used as stretcher bearers. We went in +single file along the railway and then across the fields which were +being shelled. At last we came to the dressing station. Beside the +entrance, was a little shelter covered with corrugated iron, and there +were laid a number of wounded, while some were lying on stretchers in +the open road. Among these were several German prisoners and the +bodies of dead men. The dressing station had once been the dugout of +an enemy battery and its openings, therefore, were on the side of the +road facing the Germans, who knew its location exactly. When I went +down into it I found it crowded with men who were being tended by the +doctor and his staff. It had three openings to the road. One of them +had had a direct hit that night, and mid the debris which blocked it +were the fragments of a human body. The Germans gave the place no (p. 143) +rest, and all along the road shells were falling, and bits would +clatter upon the corrugated iron which roofed the shelter by the +wayside. There was no room in the dugout for any but those who were +being actually treated by the doctor, so the wounded had to wait up +above till they could be borne off by the bearer parties. It was a +trying experience for them, and it was hard to make them forget the +danger they were in. I found a young officer lying in the road, who +was badly hit in the leg. I had prayers with him and at his request I +gave him the Holy Communion. On the stretcher next to him, lay the +body of a dead man wrapped in a blanket. After I had finished the +service, the officer asked for some water. I went down and got him a +mouthful very strongly flavoured with petrol from the tin in which it +was carried. He took it gladly, but, just as I had finished giving him +the drink, a shell burst and there was a loud crack by his side. "Oh," +he cried, "they have got my other leg." I took my electric torch, and, +allowing only a small streak of light to shine through my fingers, I +made an examination of the stretcher, and there I found against it a +shattered rum jar which had just been hit by a large piece of shell. +The thing had saved him from another wound, and I told him that he +owed his salvation to a rum jar. He was quite relieved to find that +his good leg had not been hit. I got the bearer party to take him off +as soon as possible down the long path across the fields which led to +the light railway, where he could be put on a truck. Once while I was +talking to the men in the shelter, a shell burst by the side of the +road and ignited a pile of German ammunition. At once there were +explosions, a weird red light lit up the whole place, and volumes of +red smoke rolled off into the starlit sky. To my surprise, from a +ditch on the other side of the road, a company of Highlanders emerged +and ran further away from the danger of the exploding shells. It was +one of the most theatrical sights I have ever seen. With the lurid +light and the broken road in the foreground, and the hurrying figures +carrying their rifles, it was just like a scene on the stage. + +The stars were always a great comfort to me. Above the gun-flashes or +the bursting of shells and shrapnel, they would stand out calm and +clear, twinkling just as merrily as I have seen them do on many a +pleasant sleigh-drive in Canada. I had seen Orion for the first time +that year, rising over the broken Cathedral at Albert. I always (p. 144) +felt when he arrived for his winter visit to the sky, that he came as +an old friend, and was waiting like us for the wretched war to end. On +that September night, when the hours were beginning to draw towards +dawn, it gave me great pleasure to see him hanging in the East, while +Sirius with undiminished courage merrily twinkled above the smoke-fringed +horizon and told us of the eternal quietness of space. + +With dawn the enemy's artillery became less active and we sent off the +wounded. Those who could walk were compelled to follow the bearer +parties. One man, who was not badly hit, had lost his nerve and +refused to leave. The doctor had to tell him sharply that he need not +expect to be carried, as there were too many serious cases to be +attended to. I went over to him and offered him my arm. At first he +refused to come, and then I explained to him that he was in great +danger and the thing to do was to get back as quickly as possible, if +he did not wish to be wounded again. At last I got him going at a slow +pace, and I was afraid I should have to drag him along. Suddenly a +shell landed near us, and his movements were filled with alacrity. It +was a great relief to me. After a little while he found he could walk +quite well and whenever a whiz-bang came near us his limbs seemed to +get additional strength. I took him down to a place were a battalion +was camped, and there I had to stop and bury some men in a shell hole. +While I was taking the service however, my companion persuaded some +men to carry him, and I suppose finally reached a place of safety. + +There was a large dressing station in the cellars of the Red Chateau +in Courcelette, whither I made my way on a Sunday morning in +September. The fighting at the time was very heavy and I met many +ambulances bringing out the wounded. I passed Pozieres and turned down +the sunken road towards Courcelette. + +Beside the road was a dugout and shelter, where the wounded, who were +carried in on stretchers from Courcelette, were kept until they could +be shipped off in the ambulances. A doctor and some men were in charge +of the post. The bearers, many of whom were German prisoners, were +bringing out the wounded over the fields and laying them by the +roadside. I went with some of the bearers past "Dead Man's Trench," +where were many German bodies. Every now and then we came upon a +trench where men were in reserve, and we saw also many machine gun +emplacements, for the rise in the ground gave the gun a fine sweep for +its activity. The whole neighbourhood, however, was decidedly (p. 145) +unhealthy, and it was risky work for the men to go over the open. When +we got to the ruins of Courcelette, we turned down a path which skirted +the old cemetery and what remained of the church. Several shells fell +near us, and one of the men got a bit nervous, so I repeated to him the +verse of the psalm: + + "A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at + thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee." + +We had hardly arrived at the heaps of rubbish which surrounded the +entrance to the dressing station, beside which lay the blackened body +of a dead man, when a shell burst, and one of the bits broke the leg +of the young fellow I was talking to. "What's the matter with your +text now, Canon?" he said. "The text is all right, old man, you have +only got a good Blighty and are lucky to get it," I replied. The +cellars below had been used as a dressing station by the enemy before +Courcelette was taken and consisted of several large rooms, which were +now being used by our two divisions in the line. Beyond the room used +for operations, there was one dark cellar fitted up with two long +shelves, whereon lay scores of stretcher bearers and cyclists, and at +the end of that, down some steps, there was another, in which more +bearers awaited their call. Only two candles lit up the darkness. As +there must have been between three and four hundred men in the Red +Chateau, the air was not particularly fresh. Our choice lay, however, +between foul air within and enemy shells without, for the Germans were +making direct hits upon the debris overhead. Naturally we preferred +the foul air. It showed how one had grown accustomed to the gruesome +sights of war, that I was able to eat my meals in a place where rags +saturated in human blood were lying on the floor in front of me. Two +years before it would have been impossible. The stretcher bearers were +doing noble work. When each case had been attended to, they were +called out of the back cellar and entrusted with their burden, which +they had to carry for more than a mile over those dangerous fields to +the ambulances waiting in the sunken road. Again and again a bearer +would be brought back on a stretcher himself, having been wounded +while on the errand of mercy. Once a party, on their return, told me +that one of their number had disappeared, blown to atoms by a shell. + +About four o'clock, though time had little meaning to us, because the +only light we had was from the candles and acetylene lamps, I went (p. 146) +into the cellar where the bearers lay, and, reminding them that it was +Sunday, asked if they would not like to have a service. One of them +handed me a candle, so we had prayers and a reading, and sang "Nearer +My God to Thee," and some other hymns. When the service was over, I +asked those who would like to make their Communion to come to the +lower cellar at the end, where there was more room. We appropriated +one of the corners and there I had seven or eight communicants. More +than a year afterwards, in London, I met a young soldier in the +Underground Railway, and he told me that he had made his communion on +that day, and that when he was lying on the ground wounded at midnight, +the shells falling round him, he thought what a comfort it was to know +that he had received the Sacrament. I did not leave the Red Chateau +till late the following afternoon, when I went back with a ration-party. + +The most unpleasant things at Albert were the air raids, which occurred +every fine night. One moonlight night I lay on my bed, which was in +the top storey of our house, and listened to some German planes +dropping bombs upon the town. The machines were flying low and trying +to get the roads. Crash would follow crash with great regularity. They +came nearer and nearer, and I was just waiting for the house to be +struck when, to my great relief, the planes went off in another +direction. Next day a sentry told me that he had heard a hundred bombs +burst, and, as far as he knew, not one of them had done any damage, +all having fallen among the ruined houses and gardens of the town. + +I had been asked to look up the grave of a young officer of a Scottish +battalion, who had been killed in the July advance. I rode over to +Mametz and saw all that historic fighting ground. The village was a +heap of ruins, but from out of a cellar came a smartly-dressed lieutenant, +who told me that he had the great privilege and honour of being the +Town Major of Mametz. We laughed as we surveyed his very smelly and +unattractive little kingdom. I found the grave, and near it were +several crosses over the last resting places of some of our Canadian +Dragoons, who had been in the great advance. All that region was one +of waste and lonely country-side, blown bare by the tempest of war. + +It was during our last visit to Albert that the 4th Division arrived +to take over the line from us. I had the great joy, therefore, of +having my second son near me for six days. His battalion, the (p. 147) +87th, was camped on a piece of high ground to the right of "Tara Hill," +and from my window I could see the officers and men walking about in +their lines. It was a great privilege to have his battalion so near +me, for I had many friends among all ranks. + +The Sunday before I left I had service for them and a celebration of +the Holy Communion, after which one of the sergeants came and was +baptized. Our Divisional Headquarters left Albert for good on October +17th. We made our way to our abode at Canaples. We only stayed there +two days and then went on to Bernaville and Frohen Le Grand, spending +a night in each place, and on Sunday arrived at the Chateau of Le +Cauroy, which we were afterwards to make our headquarters in the last +year of the war. I was billetted in a filthy little room in a sort of +farm building and passed one of the most dreary days I have ever +known. It was rainy and cold, and every one was tired and ill-humoured. +I had a strange feeling of gloom about me which I could not shake off, +so I went over to the Cure's house at the end of the avenue and asked +him if I might come in and sit beside the fire in his kitchen. He was +very kind, and it was quite nice to have someone to talk to who was +not in the war. We were able to understand each other pretty well, and +he gave me an insight into the feelings of the French. On the next +morning, the weather had cleared and the A.D.M.S. motored me to our +new halting place at Roellencourt, where I was given a billet in the +Cure's house. He was a dear old man and received me very kindly, and +gave me a comfortable room overlooking his garden. Downstairs his aged +and invalid mother sat in her chair, tended kindly by her son and +daughter. Roellencourt was a pleasant place on the St. Pol Road, and +quite a number of our men were billeted there. I went to St. Pol to +lunch at the hotel and spent the day buying some souvenirs. On my +return in the afternoon I made my way to the Cure's house, where I +found my room neatly arranged for me. Suddenly I heard a knock at the +door, and there stood the old man with a letter in his hand. I thought +he looked somewhat strange. He handed me the letter, and then taking +my hand, he said to me in French, "My brother, have courage, it is +very sad." At once the truth flashed upon me and I said, "My son is +dead." He shook my hand, and said again, "Have courage, my brother." I +went downstairs later on and found his old mother sitting in her chair +with the tears streaming down her cheeks. I shall never cease to be +grateful to those kind, simple people for their sympathy at that (p. 148) +time. The next morning the General sent me in his car to Albert, and +Colonel Ironside took me up to the chalk-pit where the 87th were +resting. They had suffered very heavy losses, and I heard the account +of my son's death. On the morning of October 21st, he was leading his +company and another to the attack on Regina Trench. They had advanced, +as the barrage lifted, and he was kneeling in a shell hole looking at +his watch waiting for the moment to charge again, when a machine gun +opened fire and he was hit in the head and killed instantly. As he +still kept kneeling looking at his watch, no one knew that anything +had happened. The barrage lifted again behind the German trench; still +he gave no sign. The Germans stood up and turned their machine-guns on +our men. Then the officer next in command went over to see what had +happened, and, finding my son dead, gave the order to advance. +Suffering heavy casualties, the men charged with determination and +took the trench, completely routing the enemy. When the battalion was +relieved the dead had to be left unburied, but several men volunteered +to go and get my son's body. This I would not hear of, for the +fighting was still severe, and I did not believe in living men risking +their lives to bring out the dead. I looked far over into the murky +distance, where I saw long ridges of brown land, now wet with a +drizzling rain, and thought how gloriously consecrated was that soil, +and how worthy to be the last resting place of those who had died for +their country. Resolving to come back later on when things were +quieter, and make my final search, I bid good-bye to the officers and +men of the battalion and was motored back to my Headquarters. + +In the little church of Roellencourt hangs a crucifix which I gave the +Cure in memory of my son. It is near the chancel-arch in the place +which the old man chose for it. Some day I hope I may re-visit my kind +friends at the Presbytere and talk over the sad events of the past in +the light of the peace that has come through victory. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. (p. 149) + +OUR HOME AT CAMBLAIN L'ABBE. + +_November and December, 1916._ + + +From Roellencourt we moved up to our new headquarters in the Chateau +at Camblain l'Abbe, which, after we left it in December, was long the +home of the Canadian Corps. I had an Armstrong hut under the trees in +the garden, and after it was lined with green canvas, and divided into +two by green canvas curtains, it was quite artistic and very +comfortable. Opposite the Chateau we had a large French hut which was +arranged as a cinema. The band of the 3rd Battalion was stationed in +town and gave us a concert every evening, also playing at our services +on Sundays. After the concert was over I used to announce a "rum +issue" at half-past nine in the building. The men knew what it meant, +and a good number would stay behind. Then I would give them a talk on +temperance, astronomy, literature or any subject about which I thought +my audience knew less than I. We generally finished up by singing some +well-known evening hymn. Very pleasant were the entertainments we had +in that old cinema. One night, before a battalion was going up to the +line, I proposed we should have a dance. The band furnished the music, +and the men had one of the most enjoyable evenings they had ever had. +Camblain l'Abbe was not a large place, so we were cramped for room, +and a Nissen hut had to be built for "C" mess. + +My little friend Philo had been stolen on our march, so his place was +taken now by a brindle bull terrier which had been born in Albert. I +called her "Alberta" and as time went on she became a well-known +figure in the First Division. She often accompanied me on my walks to +the trenches, and one day was out in No Man's Land when a minnenwerfer +burst. Alberta did not wait for the bits to come down, but made one +dive into the trench, to the amusement of the men, who said she knew +the use of the trenches. She was my constant companion till her +untimely end in 1918. + +The country round about Camblain l'Abbe was very peaceful and pretty, +and the road to the left from the Chateau gave one a fine view of the +towers of Mont St. Eloi, which were not then damaged by shells. The +two towers and the front wall of the old abbey were a striking (p. 150) +object against the horizon, and could be seen for miles around. They +made a beautiful picture in the distance when seen at sunset from the +trenches beyond Arras. Those two towers must stand out in the foreground +of all the memories which Canadians have of that region which was so +long their war-home. As far as I could learn, Mont St. Eloi had been +the site of an old monastery which had been destroyed in the French +Revolution, the towers and the walls of the church alone surviving. +The farms of the monastery had passed to secular ownership, but were +rich and well cultivated. A spiral stone staircase led up to an +observation post at the top of one of the towers. The place was visible +from the German lines, and till we had taken Vimy Ridge no one was +allowed to climb the tower unless on duty. + +Our trenches now were extremely quiet, and were a pleasant contrast to +those we had left on the Somme. The whole Corps had only a few +casualties each day. The spirits of the men, who had been under a +heavy strain, were now completely restored. Our Corps Headquarters at +this time were at the beautiful Chateau of Ranchicourt, where they +were very comfortably settled, the country round about being hilly, +richly wooded and well watered. We had church parades in the cinema, +and I often wished that the people at home could have heard the +singing of the men when we had some favourite hymn which the band +accompanied. Every morning I had a celebration of the Holy Communion +there, and sometimes had a good congregation. One night I was talking +to some men in a cookhouse on the opposite side of the village and I +announced the service. When I was leaving, one of the men followed me +and asked me if I would speak to his officer for him and get him sent +back to some quiet job. He told me that he had once had an attack of +nervous prostration, caused by the shock of his father's sudden death, +and that he could not stand life in the trenches. He seemed very much +upset, and I felt that perhaps it would be wise to get him out of the +line, but I could not avoid a sense of disappointment in the midst of +my pity. He told me that he had been confirmed, but had never made his +Communion and was coming to my service the next morning. I promised I +would speak to his officer and went off. + +The next morning, the man was at the service, and after the others +left, waited to speak to me. I thought he wanted to remind me of my +promise. But, instead of that, he came up and said to me, "I don't (p. 151) +want you to speak to my officer, Sir, God has given me strength to +carry on. I have determined to do so and go over the top with the +others." I was delighted to see the change in him. It meant everything +to him and was one of the turning points in his life. Whatever the +future had in store, it was the man's victory over himself, and I gave +him a glad handshake and told him how proud I was of him. Months +afterwards, after the taking of Vimy Ridge, I was passing down the +lines of his battalion, which was in tents near the La Targette road, +when the young fellow came running up to me, his face radiant with +smiles, and told me he had been through all the fighting and had gone +over the top with the boys, and that it wasn't half so bad as he had +thought. In the spring of 1919, I was going into the Beaver Hut in the +Strand one day, when a young fellow came up to me and thanked me for +what I had done for him in the war. I did not recognize him and asked +him what I had done for him, and he told me he was the man who had +been at that service in Camblain l'Abbe and had been through all the +fighting ever since and had come out without a scratch. I met similar +instances in which the human will, by the help of God, was able to +master itself and come out victorious. Once at Bracquemont a man came +to my billet and asked me to get him taken out of his battalion, and +sent to some work behind the lines. He told me his mother and sisters +knew his nerves were weak and had always taken special care of him. He +said that up to this time God had been very good to him in answering +his prayer that he might not have to go over the parapet. I asked him +what right he had to pray such a prayer. He was really asking God to +make another man do what he would not do himself. The prayer was +selfish and wrong, and he could not expect God to answer it. The right +prayer to pray was that, if he was called to go over the parapet God +would give him strength to do his duty. He seemed quite surprised at +the new light which was thus thrown upon the performance of what he +considered his religious duties. Then I told him that he had the +chance of his life to make himself a man. If in the past he had been +more or less a weakling, he could now, by the help of God, rise up in +the strength of his manhood and become a hero. His mother and sisters +no doubt had loved him and taken care of him in the past, but they +would love him far more if he did his duty now, "For", I said, "All +women love a brave man." I told him to take as his text, "I can do all +things through Christ which strengtheneth me," and I made him (p. 152) +repeat it after me several times. I saw that the young fellow was +pulling himself together, and he shook hands with me and told me he +would go up to the line and take his chance with the rest--and he did. +Later on, he was invalided to the Base with some organic disease. I do +not know where he is now, but he conquered; and like many another +soldier in the great crusade will be the better for all eternity for +his self-mastery. + +On the road which led to Ranchicourt there was an interesting old +chateau at a place called Ohlain, which is mentioned by Dumas in "The +Three Musketeers." The chateau is surrounded by a large moat, and was +built in medieval times. It has a very fine tower, and some other old +buildings surrounding a little courtyard with a garden. The place is +entered by a drawbridge which in olden days used to be raised up +against the massive gateway by chains. One night I had service in the +courtyard at sunset, with the 16th Battalion. One could hardly imagine +a more picturesque setting for a war service in dear old France. At +one point, however, we were disturbed by the arrival of three men who +had been dining in an estaminet in the village, and coming +unexpectedly upon a church service were a little too hearty in their +religious fervour. They had to be guided to some quiet spot where they +might work it off in solitude. Incidents of that kind during voluntary +services were always a little embarrassing, for officers and men felt, +as well as myself, that under the softening influences of religion we +could not be over-hard on the transgressions of frail mortality. +Nothing but the direst necessity would compel us at such times to +resort to the process of military discipline. + +Near Camblain l'Abbe, our ambulances were set up on an elevation of +the ground where two roads crossed. The place rejoiced in the name of +"The Four Winds", and anyone who has resided there for any length of +time feels that the title is an appropriate one. At times the wind +would sweep over the place, and, when rain was mingled with the gale, +it was rather an unpleasant corner. But the ambulances were +comfortable, and the patients were well looked after. Near by is the +little cemetery, where the bodies of many Canadians lie in peace. + +Our life at Camblain l'Abbe, after the hard fighting at the Somme, was +really very pleasant, and the battalions were filled up with new +drafts from the Base. We felt that as the winter was approaching (p. 153) +there would probably be no hard fighting for some months. Special +pains were taken to provide concert parties in the different +battalions, so that the men might have amusement in the evening. It +was wonderful what talent was discovered in the various units. As I +look back upon some of those entertainments at the front I think I +never enjoyed anything more. Not only were the performers clever and +resourceful, but the audience was one that it was thrilling to sit +amongst. In the cinema the stage was well appointed and lighted with +electric lights; the costumes of the men, especially those who took +the part of ladies, were good and well made. The music, vocal and +instrumental, was all that could be desired. But the audience, +composed of hundreds of strong, keen, young men who had endured hard +things, and perhaps, in a few hours after the show, would be once +again facing death in the front trenches, was a sight never to be +forgotten. Could any performer ask for a more sympathetic hearing? Not +a joke was lost upon the men, not a gesture was unobserved; and when +some song with a well-known chorus was started, through the murky +atmosphere of cigarette smoke would rise a volume of harmony which +would fairly shake the building. I have often stood at the back and +listened to a splendid burst of song, which to me had an added charm +from the deep unconscious pathos of it all. Some of those men that +were joining in the rollicking ragtime tune were dying men. Some of +the eyes kindling with laughter at the broad farce of the play, within +a few hours would be gazing upon the mysteries behind the screen of +mortal life. The pathetic chorus of "A Long, Long Trail" always moved +me, and I wondered how many of those brave young hearts in the crowded +hall, now on "the long, long trail," would ever see again the land of +their dreams. I took good care not to let the men know that I was ever +moved by such sentimentalism. We were out to fight the Germans, and on +that one object we had to concentrate all our thoughts to the +obliteration of private emotions. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. (p. 154) + +MY SEARCH IS REWARDED. + + +We had now reached the middle of November, and the 4th Division was +expected to come north very soon. My only chance of finding my son's +body lay in my making a journey to Albert before his battalion moved +away. I woke up one morning and determined that I would start that +day. I told Ross to get my trench clothes and long boots ready, for I +was going to Albert. At luncheon my friends asked me how I proposed to +travel, for Albert was nearly fifty miles away. I told them that the +Lord would provide, and sallied off down the road with my knapsack, +thoroughly confident that I should be able to achieve my purpose. An +ambulance picked me up and took me to the Four Winds cross-roads, and +then a lorry carried me to Aubigny. I went to the field canteen to get +some cigarettes, and while there I met a Canadian Engineer officer +whom I knew. We talked about many things, and as we were leaving I +told him that I was going forth in faith as I hoped to get to Albert +that evening. I said, "You know my motto is 'The Lord will provide'." +As we walked along we came to a turn in the road, where we saw at a +little distance a side-car with a driver all ready. I said to my +friend, "It is just the thing I want. I think I will go to the owner +of that car and say to him that the Lord has provided it for me." He +burst out laughing and said, "I am the owner of that car, and you may +have it." I thanked him and started off. It was a long ride, and at +the end a very wet and muddy one, but I got to Tara Hill that evening +and had dinner at General Thacker's Headquarters. I told the officers +there of the purpose of my visit, that I was going up to the front +line the next morning, and asked if they would telephone to one of the +batteries and tell the O.C. that I should arrive some time in the +middle of the night. The Brigade Major of course tried to dissuade me, +but I told him that I was going in any case, that he was not +responsible for my actions, but that if he liked to make thing easier +for me he could. He quite understood the point, and telephoned to the +11th Battery. I then went back to the reserve headquarters of the 4th +Division in the town, and prepared myself for the journey. When I had +to make an early start in the morning, I always shaved the night (p. 155) +before, because I thought that, of all the officers, the chaplain +should look the freshest and cleanest. I was in the middle of the +process of shaving, and some staff officers were making chocolate for +our supper, when a German plane came over and dropped a huge bomb in +the garden. It was about one a.m., and we could not help laughing at +the surprise the Germans would have felt if they could have seen our +occupation going on quite undisturbed by their attempt to murder us. + +About half-past one, I started up the street which led to the Bapaume +road. The moon was shining, and I could see every object distinctly. +Near our old Headquarters I got a lift in a lorry, which took me +almost to Pozieres. There I got out and proceeded on my way alone. I +entered the Y.M.C.A. hut and had a good strong cup of coffee, and +started off afresh. That lonely region in the moonlight with the +ruined village to one side and the fields stretching far away on +either hand gave me an eerie feeling. I came upon four dead horses +which had been killed that evening. To add to the strangeness of the +situation, there was a strong scent of tear-gas in the air, which made +my eyes water. Not a living soul could I see in the long white road. + +Suddenly I heard behind me the sound of a troop of horses. I turned +and saw coming towards me one of the strangest sights I have ever +seen, and one which fitted in well with the ghostly character of the +surroundings. It was a troop of mounted men carrying ammunition. They +wore their gas masks, and as they came nearer, and I could see them +more distinctly in the moonlight, the long masks with their two big +glass eye-pieces gave the men a horse-like appearance. They looked +like horses upon horses, and did not seem to be like human beings at +all. I was quite glad when they had passed. I walked on till I came to +what was known as Centre Way. It was a path, sometimes with bath-mats +on it, which led across the fields down to the battery positions in +the valley. Huge shell holes, half filled with water, pitted the +fields in every direction, and on the slippery wood I had great +difficulty to keep from sliding into those which were skirted by the +path. Far off beyond Courcellette I saw the German flare-lights and +the bursting of shells. It was a scene of vast desolation, weird +beyond description. I had some difficulty when I got into the trench +at the end of Centre Way, in finding the 11th Battery. The ground had +been ploughed by shells and the trenches were heavy with soft and +clinging mud. At last I met a sentry who told me where the O.C.'s (p. 156) +dugout was. It was then about half-past three in the morning, but I +went down the steps, and there, having been kindly welcomed, was given +a blanket on the floor. I started at 6 a.m. with a young sergeant for +Death Valley, where I was to get a runner to take me to Regina Trench. +The sergeant was a splendid young fellow from Montreal who had won the +D.C.M., and was most highly thought of in the battery. He was +afterwards killed on Vimy Ridge, where I buried him in the cemetery +near Thelus. I had been warned that we were going to make a +bombardment of the enemy's lines that morning, and that I ought to be +out of the way before that began. I left the sergeant near +Courcellette and made my way over to the Brigade Headquarters which +were in a dugout in Death Valley. There with the permission of his +O.C., a runner volunteered to come with me. He brought a spade, and we +started down the trench to the front line. When I got into Regina +Trench, I found that it was impossible to pass along it, as one sank +down so deeply into the heavy mud. I had brought a little sketch with +me of the trenches, which showed the shell hole where it was supposed +that the body had been buried. The previous night a cross had been +placed there by a corporal of the battalion before it left the front +line. No one I spoke to, however, could tell me the exact map location +of the place where it stood. I looked over the trenches, and on all +sides spread a waste of brown mud, made more desolate by the morning +mist which clung over everything. I was determined, however, not to be +baffled in my search, and told the runner who was with me that, if I +stayed there six months, I was not going to leave till I had found +that grave. We walked back along the communication trench and turned +into one on the right, peering over the top every now and then to see +if we could recognize anything corresponding to the marks on our map. +Suddenly the runner, who was looking over the top, pointed far away to +a lonely white cross that stood at a point where the ground sloped +down through the mist towards Regina Trench. At once we climbed out of +the trench and made our way over the slippery ground and past the deep +shell holes to where the white cross stood out in the solitude. We +passed many bodies which were still unburied, and here and there were +bits of accoutrement which had been lost during the advance. When we +came up to the cross I read my son's name upon it, and knew that I had +reached the object I had in view. As the corporal who had placed (p. 157) +the cross there had not been quite sure that it was actually on the +place of burial, I got the runner to dig the ground in front of it. He +did so, but we discovered nothing but a large piece of a shell. Then I +got him to try in another place, and still we could find nothing. I +tried once again, and after he had dug a little while he came upon +something white. It was my son's left hand, with his signet ring upon +it. They had removed his identification disc, revolver and +pocket-book, so the signet ring was the only thing which could have +led to his identification. It was really quite miraculous that we +should have made the discovery. The mist was lifting now, and the sun +to the East was beginning to light up the ground. We heard the crack +of bullets, for the Germans were sniping us. I made the runner go down +into a shell hole, while I read the burial service, and then took off +the ring. I looked over the ground where the charge had been made. +There lay Regina Trench, and far beyond it, standing out against the +morning light, I saw the villages of Pys and Miraumont which were our +objective. It was a strange scene of desolation, for the November +rains had made the battle fields a dreary, sodden waste. How many of +our brave men had laid down their lives as the purchase price of that +consecrated soil! Through the centuries to come it must always remain +sacred to the hearts of Canadians. We made a small mound where the +body lay, and then by quick dashes from shell hole to shell hole we +got back at last to the communication trench, and I was indeed +thankful to feel that my mission had been successful. I have received +letters since I returned to Canada from the kind young fellow, who +accompanied me on the journey, and I shall never cease to be grateful +to him. I left him at his headquarters in Death Valley, and made my +way past Courcellette towards the road. As the trench was very muddy, +I got out of it, and was walking along the top when I came across +something red on the ground. It was a piece of a man's lung with the +windpipe attached. I suppose some poor lad had had a direct hit from a +shell and his body had been blown to pieces. The Germans were shelling +the road, so with some men I met we made a detour through the fields +and joined it further on, and finally got to the chalk-pit where the +87th Battalion was waiting to go in again to the final attack. I was +delighted to see my friends once more, and they were thankful that I +had been able to find the grave. Not many days afterwards, some of +those whom I then met were called themselves to make the supreme (p. 158) +sacrifice. I spent that night at the Rear Headquarters of the 4th +Division, and they kindly sent me back the next day to Camblain l'Abbe +in one of their cars. + +On November 24th I received a telegram saying that a working party of +one of the battalions of the 4th Division had brought my son's body +back, and so on the following day I motored once again to Albert and +laid my dear boy to rest in the little cemetery on Tara Hill, which he +and I had seen when he was encamped near it, and in which now were the +bodies of some of his friends whom I had met on my last visit. I was +thankful to have been able to have him buried in a place which is +known and can be visited, but I would say to the many parents whose +sons lie now in unknown graves, that, after all, the grave seems to be +a small and minor thing in view of the glorious victory and triumphant +life which is all that really matters. If I had not been successful in +my quest, I should not have vexed my soul with anxious thought as to +what had become of that which is merely the earthly house of the +immortal spirit which goes forth into the eternal. Let those whose +dear ones lie in unrecorded graves remember that the strong, glad +spirits--like Valiant for Truth in "Pilgrim's Progress"--have passed +through the turbulent waters of the river of death, and "all the +trumpets have sounded for them on the other side." + +In June of the following year, when the Germans had retired after our +victory at Vimy Ridge, I paid one more visit to Regina Trench. The +early summer had clothed the waste land in fresh and living green. +Larks were singing gaily in the sunny sky. No sound of shell or gun +disturbed the whisper of the breeze as it passed over the +sweet-smelling fields. Even the trenches were filling up and Mother +Nature was trying to hide the cruel wounds which the war had made upon +her loving breast. One could hardly recall the visions of gloom and +darkness which had once shrouded that scene of battle. In the healing +process of time all mortal agonies, thank God, will be finally +obliterated. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. (p. 159) + +A TIME OF PREPARATION. + +_Christmas, 1916, to April, 1917._ + + +It was certain now that all serious fighting was at an end till next +spring, so everyone settled down to his work with a sense of relief +and tried to make the best of things. A few days after my return from +Albert I went to England. + +On my return to France, I heard with some regret that our Divisional +Headquarters were going to move, and that the Corps would make +Camblain l'Abbe their headquarters. On December 20th we moved back to +the town of Bruay, where we were to stay till after the New Year. +Bruay in comparison with Camblain l'Abbe is a large and thriving town, +all the inhabitants being more or less connected with the mines in the +neighbourhood. Our Headquarters were in the administration building of +the Mining Company, in a square, and I had a billet in a street near +by. There was a good theatre in the place, which our 1st Divisional +Concert party took over, and where I had services on Sunday. In and +around the town were several of the battalions; the rest of the +division were in the villages near by. Bruay had not been shelled, and +the mines were being worked as in pre-war days. It was a comfort to +have the men out of the line once again, and the roads round about +were very pleasant, the country being hilly and unspoilt. Bethune was +within easy reach, and a visit to the quaint town made a pleasant +afternoon's ride. + +Rumours were abroad that with the opening of Spring we were to begin +an offensive, and it was generally believed that towards the close of +the next year we might hope for the end of hostilities. Our men were +being trained, when weather permitted, in open warfare, and the time +of so-called rest was really a period of constant activity. The chief +hotel in the place became an officers' club, and very pleasant were +the reunions we had there. I was glad we were going to spend Christmas +out of the line, and determined to take advantage of the theatre as a +place for Christmas services. The 8th and 14th Battalions were +quartered in the town, besides some smaller units, so we had a good +many men to draw upon for a congregation. On Christmas Eve, at +half-past eleven, I had a celebration of the Holy Communion. We (p. 160) +had a splendid band to play the Christmas hymns, and a large number +of men attended. The stage was made to look as much as possible like a +chancel, and the service was very hearty. Many made their communion. I +also had a watch-night service on New Year's Eve. The theatre was +almost filled with men--there were rows of them even in the gallery. +It was an inspiring sight, and we all felt we were beginning a year +that was to decide the destinies of the Empire. I told the men that +somewhere in the pages of the book which we were opening that night +lay hidden the tremendous secret of our success or failure. At ten +minutes to twelve we sat in silence, while the band played Chopin's +Funeral March. It was almost too moving, for once again the vision +came before us of the terrible battle-fields of the Somme and the +faces that had gone. Then we all rose, and there was a brief moment +for silent prayer. At midnight the buglers of the 14th Battalion +sounded the Last Post, and at the close the band struck up the hymn "O +God our help in ages past." A mighty chorus of voices joined in the +well-known strains. After the Benediction, I went down to the door and +shook hands with as many of the men as I could and wished them a happy +New Year. No one who was at that service will ever forget it. As we +found out, the trail before us was longer than we had expected, and +the next New Year's Eve found many of us, though, alas, not all, in +that theatre once more, still awaiting the issue of the conflict. + +In January, I paid a flying visit to the Canadian Cavalry Headquarters +at Tully near Abbeville, and saw many old friends. On my return, I had +a curious experience which throws a light upon railway travelling at +the Front. A friend had motored me to Abbeville that afternoon, just +in time to catch a leave-train full of men returning from England. I +only wanted to go as far as St. Pol, about thirty miles off, where I +hoped to get a car for Bruay. I got into a carriage with four +officers, one of whom was a chaplain who had just been decorated with +the D.S.O. I had crossed the Channel with him once before, so was glad +to renew our acquaintance. The train left Abbeville about four +o'clock. We found ourselves in a second-class compartment. The windows +were broken, the floor was dirty, and there was no lamp to lighten our +darkness. By pulling down the curtains we tried to keep out the cold +wind, but the draught was very unpleasant, and we had to trust to the +accumulated warmth of our bodies to keep from freezing. + +Instead of going directly to St. Pol, for some reason or other, (p. 161) +the train started off to the South. We travelled on and on at a +snail's pace, and had frequent and lengthy stops. When the light died +away, we should have been in complete darkness if one of the officers +had not brought a candle with him. Hour after hour passed by and we +began to get hungry. Somebody had some sandwiches and a piece of cake, +and this was shared by all the company. It served to stimulate rather +than soothe the appetite. About midnight to our astonishment we found +we had got to Canaples, where I had stayed when we were going to the +Somme. Someone said there had been a railway accident and we had to +travel by branch lines. In spite of the cold, we tried to sleep. I sat +between my parson friend, who was inclined to be stout, and another +officer who was remarkably angular. When I leaned upon my corpulent +friend, his frequent fits of coughing made my head bounce as though it +were resting on an air-cushion. When I got tired of this and leaned +against my angular friend on the other side, the jolting of the +carriage scraped my ear against his ribs. I spent the night by leaning +first on one companion, and then on the other. The morning found us +still travelling, and finally at half-past ten the train drew up once +more at our starting point in Abbeville station. Having been eighteen +hours without food or drink or the opportunity of a shave, I thought +it was about time to retire, and told my companions that life was too +short to spend it in railway journeys of that description. So, with a +feeling of superiority and independence which made the others green +with envy, I bid them good-bye. I never heard any more of my friends, +but, although the war has long since ended, I have a sort of dim +impression in my mind that they are still travelling round and round +and coming back to Abbeville again. I went over to the officers' club +and had a good wash and luncheon, and there meeting a very nice +engineer officer, I asked him if he could tell me where I could find +any lorries going North. I told him my railway experience, and it so +moved him that he very kindly sent me off in his own car to St. Pol, +where I was picked up by one of our staff cars and taken home in time +for dinner. Railway journeys in France were not things to remember +with pleasure, and if they were bad for the officers, what must they +have been for the poor men in the crowded third-class carriages? + +At the end of January, our pleasant life at Bruay came to an end, and +we moved off to Barlin which was to be our headquarters for a (p. 162) +month and a half. It was while we were there that I had an attack of +trench-fever, which, like being "crummy," is really part of a complete +war experience. Barlin was not a bad place of residence. There were +many men within easy reach, and I had an upper room in the Town Hall +for use as a chapel. The presence of a well equipped British hospital +also gave one opportunities of seeing our wounded men. We had come to +know by this time that the first task which lay before us in the +opening of spring was the taking of Vimy Ridge, and our life became +filled with fresh zest and interest in view of the coming attack. + +On the 15th of March our Division moved up to a place called Ecoivres, +where we were billeted in the old Chateau. The Count who owned the +Chateau kept some rooms downstairs for himself, but we occupied all +the rest of the building. In the hall upstairs we had a large model of +Vimy Ridge, which all the officers and men of the battalions visited +in turn, in order to study the character of the land over which they +had to charge. In the garden were numerous huts, and in a large +building in a street to the right of the Chateau was a billet which +held a great number of men. It was almost entirely filled up with +tiers upon tiers of wooden shelves, on which the men made their beds. +They were reached by wooden stairs. Nearly fifteen hundred men were +crowded into the building. On the ground floor beside the door, there +was a high platform which commanded a view of the whole interior. On +this, one of the bands lived and gave us music in the evening. Every +night after dinner, I used to go to the cinema, as we called the +place, and have either a service or a talk with the men on general +subjects. At such times outsiders would crowd in, and we have had very +hearty singing when the band struck up a hymn. I always tried to have +some piece of good news to announce, and would get the latest reports +from the signallers to read aloud. The men were in splendid spirits, +and we were all buoyed up with the hope that we were going to end the +war. I used to speak about the war outlook, and would tell the men +that there were only two issues before us: Victory or Slavery. When I +asked them one night "Which shall it be, Boys?" a loud shout of +"Victory!" went up. + +News was not always plentiful, and it was a little hard at times to +find anything particularly interesting to say, and so, one night I +determined to make a variation. I told the men that on the next +evening, if they would bring in questions to me on any subject which +had been troubling them, I should be very glad to try to give an (p. 163) +answer. I thought that an entertainment of that kind might be both +attractive and helpful. On the next evening, therefore, I ascended the +platform as usual and found the place crowded with men. I had my +acetylene lamp with me to furnish light for reading any questions that +might be sent up. I called the meeting to order, and then asked if any +men had any questions to ask. To my great delight, someone at the back +held an envelope above the crowd, and it was passed up to me. I tore +it open, and, holding my lamp in one hand, without first looking over +the letter, I read it aloud to the men, who were hushed in the silence +of anticipation. I give it just as it was written:-- + + "Somewhere in France, + 3/4/17. + Dear Sir:-- + + I am going to ask you a question which has been a load to my + little bit of mental capacity for a period of months. Often have I + woke up in the old dugout, my hair standing straight up and one + eye looking straight into the eyeball of the other, trying to + obtain an answer to this burning question. I have kept my weary + vigil over the parapet at night, with my rifle in one hand and a + couple of bombs in the other, and two or three in each pocket, and + still I am pondering over this burning question. I will now ask + you the question. When do you think this God dam war will be over, + eh?" + +I never was so completely taken aback in all my life. A roar of +laughter burst from the men, in which I joined heartily. From the +tiers of bunks and every part of the building, cheers went up, and we +had one of the pleasantest evenings in that old cinema that we had +ever experienced. I do not know who the man was who sent the letter, +or whether he is alive now. If he is, I wish he would write to me. I +want to thank him for giving us all a good, hearty laugh at that time +of preparation and anxiety. I keep the letter among my most treasured +war souvenirs. + +The winter rains had not improved the roads, but still day and night, +through mud and water, a constant stream of vehicles of all descriptions +passed up towards the front carrying ammunition. Ammunition was +everywhere. At certain places it was stacked along the roads. The +strain upon the horses was very great, and numbers of them died, (p. 164) +and their bodies lay by the wayside for many days, no one having time to +bury them. + +It was perfectly impossible to get any place in which to hold +Communion services, so, with the permission of the family who owned +it, I made use of a little Gothic shrine near the church, which stood +over a family vault. It was a miniature chapel, and had an altar in +it. The glass in the coloured windows had been broken, but we replaced +it by canvas. I hung upon the wall outside the board which I used as a +sign, with the words "St. George's Church" upon it. In this little +building every morning at eight o'clock I had a celebration of Holy +Communion, and I always had some men attending. + +Our trenches were tolerably quiet, and lay beyond the Arras-Bethune +Road. At a place called Maison Blanche there was a large cavern which +was used as a billet for one of the battalions in reserve. Some +strange stories were told about the fighting that had taken place in +it between the French and the Germans at the beginning of the war. I +went down into it one evening when the 16th Battalion was there. It +was a most picturesque place. The walls and roof were white chalk and +the place was cut up by passages and openings which led into other +caves. The atmosphere was smoky, and a multitude of candles lit up the +strange abode. The men were cooking in their mess tins, some were +playing cards, and some were examining the seams of their shirts. I +told them I was going to have a service at one end of the cavern and I +proceeded thither with a good number following. Some of the card +players seemed too interested in their game to care to attend, and so +I called out to the men in a loud voice not to make too much noise, +lest they should disturb the gamblers. One of the men who was playing +cards responded "If you will wait till we have finished this hand, +Sir, we will all come too." I made the announcement therefor that we +would not begin till the players were ready. The result of this was +that in a very little while all the men came and joined in the +service. + +The possession of the Ridge gave the Germans a great advantage, because +it commanded a view of a very large piece of country and several main +roads. Further up the road from Maison Blanche there was a place +called Arriane Dump, where the Engineers had stored material in +preparation for our attack. A long plank road connected it with the +Anzin-St. Eloi road. On a dark and rainy night that wooden track (p. 165) +was an unpleasant place for a walk. Lorries, wagons, limbers, transports, +horses and men crowded it, and the traffic every now and then would +get blocked. No flashlights could be used, and it was hard to escape +being run over. Yet to step off the boards meant to sink almost to +your knees in mud. The language that one heard at such times in the +darkness was not quite fit for ears polite. It is well that the horses +were not able to understand the uncomplimentary speeches that were +addressed to them. + +There was a tremendous concentration of artillery in the back area. +The town of Anzin, on the bank of the river Scarpe, was filled with +heavy batteries. To ride through it was to run the risk of many +unpleasant surprises from the sudden firing of big guns by the +wayside. Once, I was approaching an apparently harmless hole in a +brick wall, when all of a sudden Dandy and I found ourselves enveloped +in flame and almost stunned by a huge report. As we bounded past the +hole, I saw a large gun moving up and down under the force of its +recoil, and with smoke still curling out of its mouth. + +The siege battery in which my third son was a gunner had now arrived +and taken up its position in a field behind Anzin, where a 15-inch +howitzer sent forth its deadly missives to the Germans every fifteen +minutes and in return drew their fire. One day a shell burst in a hut +used by some Railway Troops. A large number of them were wounded and +eleven killed, whom I buried in a row on the hillside. + +On the 4th of April, we received news that America had declared war upon +Germany. I thanked God in my heart that at last the English-speaking +world had been drawn together, and I knew that the effect upon the +Germans would be disastrous. I rode out that afternoon to give the +good news to our men. I met a British Battalion coming out of the +line, looking very tired and hungry. They were resting by the +roadside, and I passed along and cheered them by telling them that the +United States had now come in definitely as one of our Allies, and +that I thought the effect would be the shortening of the war. +America's decision could not have come at a better time. The year was +opening out before us, and the initiative was coming into our hands +The prospect was bright and our men were keen for the encounter. + +April 6th was Good Friday. It was impossible to have service at (p. 166) +Ecoivres, as everyone was so busy, so I rode over to Anzin and had +service for the 7th Siege Battery in an empty Nissen hut. Most of the +men of the battery were present, and I had forty communicants. The +place was lit by candles which every now and then were extinguished by +the firing of the fifteen-inch gun nearby. Easter Day was originally +intended to be the day for our attack, but it had been postponed till +Monday. We could not do much in the way of observing the great feast. +Every room and shed in the town was filled, and men were lying out +under rubber sheets in the fields. I had two celebrations of the Holy +Communion in the Y.M.C.A. hut, the floor of which was covered with +sleeping men. I managed to clear a little space on the stage for the +altar. Of course, not many attended, but at one of the services was an +officer who had won the V.C. and the D.S.O. and had a foreign +Decoration as well. In the afternoon I visited and gave an address to +one of the battalions moving up the line. I also had a service in the +cinema that evening. + +It was a time of mingled anxiety and exhilaration. What did the next +twenty-four hours hold in store for us? Was it to be a true Easter for +the world, and a resurrection to a new and better life? If death +awaited us, what nobler passage could there be to Eternity than such a +death in such a cause? Never was the spirit of comradeship higher in +the Canadian Corps. Never was there a greater sense of unity. The task +laid upon us was a tremendous one, but in the heart of each man, from +private to general, was the determination that it should be performed. +On that Easter night, the battalions took their places in the line. +The men at the guns, which had hitherto been concealed and kept +silent, were ready to open fire at zero hour, and all along that front +the eager heart of Canada waited impatiently for the dawn. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. (p. 167) + +THE CAPTURE OF VIMY RIDGE. + +_April 9th, 1917._ + + +My alarm clock went off at four a.m. on the great day of April 9th, +which will always shine brightly in the annals of the war. I got up +and ate the breakfast which I had prepared the night before, and +taking with me my tin of bully-beef, I started off to see the opening +barrage. It was quite dark when I emerged from the door of the Chateau +and passed the sentry at the gate. I went through the village of +Ecoivres, past the Crucifix by the cemetery, and then turning to the +right went on to a path which led up to Bray Hill on the St. Eloi +road. I found some men of one of our battalions bent on the same +enterprise. We got into the field and climbed the hill, and there on +the top of it waited for the attack to begin. The sky was overcast, +but towards the east the grey light of approaching dawn was beginning +to appear. It was a thrilling moment. Human lives were at stake. The +honour of our country was at stake. The fate of civilization was at +stake. + +Far over the dark fields, I looked towards the German lines, and, now +and then, in the distance I saw a flare-light appear for a moment and +then die away. Now and again, along our nine-mile front, I saw the +flash of a gun and heard the distant report of a shell. It looked as +if the war had gone to sleep, but we knew that all along the line our +trenches were bristling with energy and filled with men animated with +one resolve, with one fierce determination. It is no wonder that to +those who have been in the war and passed through such moments, +ordinary life and literature seem very tame. The thrill of such a +moment is worth years of peace-time existence. To the watcher of a +spectacle so awful and sublime, even human companionship struck a +jarring note. I went over to a place by myself where I could not hear +the other men talking, and there I waited. I watched the luminous +hands of my watch get nearer and nearer to the fateful moment, for the +barrage was to open at five-thirty. At five-fifteen the sky was +getting lighter and already one could make out objects distinctly in +the fields below. The long hand of my watch was at five-twenty-five. +The fields, the roads, and the hedges were beginning to show the +difference of colour in the early light. Five-twenty-seven! In (p. 168) +three minutes the rain of death was to begin. In the awful silence +around it seemed as if Nature were holding her breath in expectation +of the staggering moment. Five-twenty-nine! God help our men! +Five-thirty! With crisp sharp reports the iron throats of a battery +nearby crashed forth their message of death to the Germans, and from +three thousand guns at that moment the tempest of death swept through +the air. It was a wonderful sound. The flashes of guns in all +directions made lightnings in the dawn. The swish of shells through +the air was continuous, and far over on the German trenches I saw the +bursts of flame and smoke in a long continuous line, and, above the +smoke, the white, red and green lights, which were the S.O.S. signals +from the terrified enemy. In an instant his artillery replied, and +against the morning clouds the bursting shrapnel flashed. Now and then +our shells would hit a German ammunition dump, and, for a moment, a +dull red light behind the clouds of smoke, added to the grandeur of +the scene. I knelt on the ground and prayed to the God of Battles to +guard our noble men in that awful line of death and destruction, and +to give them victory, and I am not ashamed to confess that it was with +the greatest difficulty I kept back my tears. There was so much human +suffering and sorrow, there were such tremendous issues involved in +that fierce attack, there was such splendour of human character being +manifested now in that "far flung line," where smoke and flame mocked +the calm of the morning sky, that the watcher felt he was gazing upon +eternal things. + +When it got thoroughly light I determined to go on up the road to the +3rd Artillery Brigade which was to press on after the infantry. I +found both officers and men very keen and preparing to advance. For +weeks at night, they had been making bridges over the trenches, so +that the guns could be moved forward rapidly on the day of the attack. +I had breakfast with the O.C. of one of the batteries, a young fellow +only twenty-three years of age who had left McGill to enter the war. +He was afterwards killed in front of Arras. After breakfast I went on +up the line till I came to the 3rd Artillery Brigade Headquarters, and +there asked for the latest reports of progress. They were feeling +anxious because the advancing battalions had given no signal for some +time, and it was thought that they might have been held up. Someone, +however looked at his watch and then at the schedule time of attack, +and found that at that particular moment the men were to rest for (p. 169) +ten minutes before pressing on. The instant the time for advance came, +rockets were sent up to show that our men were still going ahead. I +went up the road to Neuville St. Vaast, where there was an aid post, +and there I saw the wounded coming in, some walking, with bandaged +arms and heads, and some being brought in on stretchers. They were all +in high spirits and said that the attack had been a great success. Of +course, the walking wounded were the first to appear, the more serious +cases came afterwards, but still there was the note of triumph in all +the accounts of the fighting which I heard. I moved on to a track near +Maison Blanche, and then followed up the men. The ridge by this time +was secured and our front line was still pressing forward on the heels +of the retreating Germans. It was a glorious moment. The attack which +we had looked forward to and prepared for so long had been successful. +The Germans had been taken by surprise and the important strategic +point which guarded the rich coal fields of Northern France was in our +possession. + +The sight of the German trenches was something never to be forgotten. +They had been strongly held and had been fortified with an immense +maze of wire. But now they were ploughed and shattered by enormous +shell holes. The wire was twisted and torn and the whole of that +region looked as if a volcanic upheaval had broken the crust of the +earth. Hundreds of men were now walking over the open in all +directions. German prisoners were being hurried back in scores. +Wounded men, stretcher-bearers and men following up the advance were +seen on all sides, and on the ground lay the bodies of friends and +foes who had passed to the Great Beyond. I met a British staff officer +coming back from the front, who told me he belonged to Army +Headquarters. He asked me if I was a Canadian, and when I replied that +I was, he said, "I congratulate you upon it." I reminded him that +British artillery were also engaged in the attack and should share in +the glory. "That may be", he said, "but, never since the world began +have men made a charge with finer spirit. It was a magnificent +achievement." + +Our burial parties were hard at work collecting the bodies of those +who had fallen, and the chaplains were with them. I met some of the +battalions, who, having done their part in the fighting, were coming +back. Many of them had suffered heavily and the mingled feelings (p. 170) +of loss and gain chastened their exaltation and tempered their sorrow. +I made my way over to the ruins of the village of Thelus on our left, +and there I had my lunch in a shell hole with some men, who were +laughing over an incident of the attack. So sudden had been our +advance that a German artillery officer who had a comfortable dugout +in Thelus, had to run away before he was dressed. Two of our men had +gone down into the dugout and there they found the water in the +wash-basin still warm and many things scattered about in confusion. +They took possession of everything that might be of use including some +German war maps, and were just trying to get a very fine telephone +when two other of our men hearing voices in the dugout and thinking +the enemy might still be there, threw down a smoke bomb which set fire +to the place. The invaders had to relinquish their pursuit of the +telephone and beat a hasty retreat. Smoke was still rising from the +dugout when I saw it and continued to do so for a day or two. + +Our signallers were following up the infantry and laying wires over +the open. Everyone was in high spirits. By this time the retreating +Germans had got well beyond the crest of the Ridge and across the +valley. It was about six o'clock in the evening when I reached our +final objective, which was just below the edge of the hill. There our +men were digging themselves in. It was no pleasant task, because the +wind was cold and it was beginning to snow. The prospect of spending a +night there was not an attractive one, and every man was anxious to +make the best home for himself he could in the ground. It was +wonderful to look over the valley. I saw the villages of Willerval, +Arleux and Bailleul-sur-Berthouit. They looked so peaceful in the +green plain which had not been disturbed as yet by shells. The church +spires stood up undamaged like those of some quiet hamlet in England. +I thought, "If we could only follow up our advance and keep the +Germans on the move," but the day was at an end and the snow was +getting heavier. I saw far off in the valley, numbers of little grey +figures who seemed to be gradually gathering together, and I heard an +officer say he thought the Germans were preparing for a counter-attack. +Our men, however, paid little attention to them. The pressing question +of the moment was how to get a comfortable and advantageous position +for the night. Canadians never showed up better than at such times. +They were so quiet and determined and bore their hardships with a +spirit of good nature which rested on something sounder and more (p. 171) +fundamental than even pleasure in achieving victory. About half-past +six, when I started back, I met our Intelligence Officer, V.C., +D.S.O., coming up to look over the line. He was a man who did much but +said little and generally looked very solemn. I went up to him and +said, "Major, far be it from me, as a man of peace and a man of God, +to say anything suggestive of slaughter, but, if I were a combatant +officer, I would drop some shrapnel in that valley in front of our +lines." Just the faint flicker of a smile passed over his countenance +and he replied, "We are shelling the valley." "No," I said, "Our +shells are going over the valley into the villages beyond, and the +Germans in the plain are getting ready for a counter-attack. I could +see them with my naked eyes." "Well." he replied, "I will go and +look." + +Later on when I was down in a German dugout which had been turned into +the headquarters of our advanced artillery brigade, and was eating the +half tin of cold baked beans which my friend, the C.O. had failed to +consume, I had the satisfaction of hearing the message come through on +the wires, that our artillery had to concentrate its fire on the +valley, as the Germans were preparing for a counter-attack. When I +left the warm comfortable dugout, I found that it was quite dark and +still snowing. My flashlight was of little use for it only lit up the +snowflakes immediately in front of me, and threw no light upon my +path. I did not know how I should be able to get back in the darkness +through the maze of shell holes and broken wire. Luckily a signaller +came up to me and seeing my plight led me over to a light railway +track which had just been laid, and told me that if I kept on it I +should ultimately get back to the Arras-Bethune road. It was a hard +scramble, for the track was narrow and very slippery, and had to be +felt with the feet rather than seen with the eyes. I was terribly +tired, for I had had a long walk and the excitement of the day and +talking to such numbers of men had been very fatiguing. To add to my +difficulties, our batteries lay between me and the road and were now +in full action. My old dread of being killed by our own guns seemed to +be justified on the present occasion. Gun flashes came every few +seconds with a blinding effect, and I thought I should never get +behind those confounded batteries. I had several tumbles in the +snow-covered mud, but there was nothing to be done except to struggle +on and trust to good luck to get through. When at last I reached (p. 172) +the road I was devoutly thankful to be there and I made my way to the +dugout of the signallers, where I was most kindly received and hospitably +entertained, in spite of the fact that I kept dropping asleep in the +midst of the conversation. One of our signal officers, in the morning, +had gone over with some men in the first wave of the attack. He made +directly for the German signallers' dugout and went down with his +followers, and, finding about forty men there, told them they were his +prisoners. They were astonished at his appearance, but he took +possession of the switch-board and told them that the Canadians had +captured the Ridge. One of the Germans was sent up to find out, and +returned with the report that the Canadians held the ground. Our men +at once took possession of all the telegraph instruments and prevented +information being sent back to the enemy in the rear lines. Having +done this, our gallant Canadians ordered the prisoners out of the +dugout and then sat down and ate the breakfast which they had just +prepared. This was only one of many deeds of cool daring done that +day. On one occasion the Germans were running so fast in front of one +of our battalions that our men could not resist following them. They +were actually rushing into the zone of our own fire in order to get at +them. A gallant young lieutenant, who afterwards won the V.C., seeing +the danger, with great pluck, ran in front of the men and halted them +with the words, "Stop, Boys, give the barrage a chance." + +In spite of the numbers of wounded and dying men which I had seen, the +victory was such a complete and splendid one that April 9th, 1917, was +one of the happiest days in my life, and when I started out from the +signallers dugout on my way back to Ecoivres, and passed the hill +where I had seen the opening of the great drama in the early morning, +my heart was full of thankfulness to Almighty God for his blessing on +our arms. I arrived at my room in the Chateau at about half past two +a.m., very tired and very happy. I made myself a large cup of strong +coffee, on my primus stove, ate a whole tin of cold baked beans, and +then turned in to a sound slumber, filled with dreams of victory and +glory, and awoke well and fit in the morning, more than ever proud of +the grand old First Division which, as General Horne told us later, had +made a new record in British war annals by taking every objective on +the scheduled dot of the clock. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. (p. 173) + +A MONTH ON THE RIDGE. + +_April to May, 1917._ + + +The great drawback to a victory in a war of movement, which we were +told we were now engaged in, is that, after an advance, one has to +follow up the line, and consequently, comfortable billets have to be +exchanged for broken down shacks in the forward area. Not many days +after our men had taken Vimy Ridge, Divisional Headquarters had to +move up to the Arras-Bethune road and occupy a chalk cave which was +known as the Labyrinth. It had once been the scene of fierce fighting +between the French and the Germans. Deep down, in passages scooped out +of the chalk were the various offices of the division and the billets +for the staff. The place was very much crowded, and I quickly +perceived that the last person whose society was wanted there was the +Senior Chaplain. Having taken the situation in at a glance, I made my +way to my friend the Staff Captain of the Artillery, and he very +kindly invited me to share with him and another officer, the little +dugout he had chosen for himself. It was entered by a narrow passage +cut through the chalk in the side of the trench, and the roof +consisted of a large semi-circular piece of iron under the ground. We +had three beds and a table, and so were comfortable. When one stood on +the earth which covered our roof, it was impossible to see any +suggestion of a home underneath. Nothing was in sight but the wide +expanse of rolling country cut up on all sides by trenches and shell +holes, and wearing a sort of khaki uniform of light brown mud. To the +east of us, lay the road bordered with leafless and battered trees, +past which went an interminable line of lorries, guns and limbers. We +were very comfortable, and at night when the winds were blowing and +the rain was coming down in sheets, it was not half bad after dinner +to read aloud Tennyson's "Ulysses" or other of my favourite poems. I +am not sure that I did not at times, relying upon the inclemency of +the weather overhead, recite some of my own. I know that one morning, +when I had awakened at about four o'clock, I turned on the light of a +storage battery which I had found in a German dugout, and sitting up +wrote the verses which I called "The Silent Toast" and which my (p. 174) +artillery friends approved of when I recited them at breakfast. + +The aftermath of victory is of course very sad. Many were the gallant +men whose bodies were laid to rest in the little cemetery at Ecoivres. +The cemetery is well kept and very prettily situated. The relatives of +those who are buried there will be pleased to find the graves so +carefully preserved. The large crucifix which stands on a mound near +the gate is most picturesquely surrounded by trees. In the mound some +soldier, probably a Frenchman, had once made a dugout. The site was +evidently chosen with the idea that crucifixes were untouched by +shells, and therefore places of refuge from danger. I often thought, +as I looked at the crucifix with the human shelter beneath it, that it +might stand as a symbol of the hymn:-- + + "Rock of Ages cleft for me + Let me hide myself in Thee." + +The engineers had had a dump for their material near the Bethune-Arras +road, and when they moved it forward to a place called the "Nine +Elms," the engineer officer gave me his dugout, which was partly +beside the road and partly under it. It consisted of several rooms, +one of which contained a bed, and had steps going down to a deep +chamber whither one could retire in case of shelling. It was good to +have such a large and comfortable establishment, and when Alberta was +chained up in her corner and I had strapped myself into my kit bag at +night, we both felt very snug. The only trouble was that visitors kept +coming at all hours to ask for engineering materials, not knowing that +the character of the abode had changed. Early one morning, an officer +came in a great hurry, and waking me up, asked if there were any +winches there,--he pronounced the word like wenches. I sat up in bed +and looked at him sternly, and said, "Young man, this is a religious +establishment, I am the Senior Chaplain, and there are no wenches +here." He did not know quite what to make of the situation. "I mean +wooden ones," he said. I replied, "Young man, there are no wenches +here, either wooden or any other kind; the engineers have gone +forward." He apologized and left. On another occasion, in the darkness +of middle night, an Imperial soldier who had lost his way came down +the steps and put his head into my door and began to stammer and hiss +in such an extraordinary way that Alberta was roused and barked (p. 175) +furiously. I woke up with a start and asked what the matter was, but all +I could get from the poor man was a series of noises and hisses. I +turned on my flashlight, and a very muddy face covered with a shock of +red hair looked in at the door of my little room, and with many +contortions and winkings, emitted a series of incomprehensible noises. +What with the stammering man and the barking dog, I was at my wits end +to find out the trouble. At last by a process of synthesis, I pieced +the various sounds together and found that the man wanted the location +of a certain British battery. I gave him the best information I could. + +Not far from me, at Arriane Dump, the Chaplain's Service established a +coffee stall, and there men who were going up to or coming from the +line could get coffee, biscuits and cigarettes at all hours. The +neighbourhood had now become so safe that little huts were being run +up in various places. I asked our C.R.E. to build me a church, and, to +my great joy, an officer and some men were detailed to put up a little +structure of corrugated iron. At one end, over the entrance door, +there was a belfry in which was hung a good sized German gas bell +found in the trenches on our advance. Surmounting the belfry, was a +cross painted with luminous paint. Inside the church, I had an altar +with crucifix and candlesticks, and the Union Jack for a frontal. I +also had a lectern and portable organ. The oiled linen in the windows +let in a sufficient quantity of light, and the whole place was +thoroughly church-like. I shall never forget the first service we held +in it when the building was completed. It was in the evening and the +sun was just setting. The air was balmy and spring-like and there was +no shelling in the front line. The bell was rung and the congregation +began to collect. I went over to the church and there I found, lying +wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher beside the building, the body of a +poor lad of the 2nd Division. It could not be buried until word had +been received from his battalion. I got some of the men to carry the +stretcher in and lay it in the aisle. I put on my cassock and +surplice, lit the candles, and we had choral evensong, my organist +playing the responses. The little church was filled, and there, in the +midst of us, was one who had entered into his rest. It seemed to me +that the most suitable hymn was:-- + + "Let saints on earth in concert sing + With those whose work is done, + For all the servants of our King (p. 176) + In heaven and earth are one. + + One army of the living God + To His command we bow; + Part of the host have crossed the flood, + And part are crossing now." + +All present sang the hymn most heartily, and we felt its +appropriateness. I never hear it now without thinking of that evening +service in St. George's Church at Arriane Dump. To those at home, I +suppose, it will appear strange that an incident of that kind would +not be almost too moving. At the front, however, death did not seem to +be such a terrible thing--it was part of our life and something to be +expected and met uncomplainingly. Every morning, until we moved, I had +a Celebration of the Holy Communion in the church at eight o'clock, +and every evening I had Evensong at six. I was told long afterwards +that when General Horne paid his first visit to our Battle +Headquarters, he pointed to the little iron structure with its belfry +and white cross, and asked what it was. When they told him it was a +church, he said, "A church! Now I know why the Canadians won Vimy +Ridge." Unfortunately, the point of the observation was lost by the +fact that the church was built, not before, but after we had taken the +Ridge. + +When we left Arriane Dump, I handed over the church to the Senior +Chaplain of the British division which took our place, and he had the +building taken down, put in lorries, and re-erected in the village of +Roclincourt, where he adorned it with a painted window of St. George +and the Dragon. + +Along the Arras-Bethune road are various cemeteries where the men of +the different battalions are buried. The greatest care was taken in +collecting the dead and making their last resting place as neat and +comely as possible. A plank road was constructed to connect the +Bethune-Arras road with the Lens-Arras road further forward. It lay in +a straight line over the broken ground cut up by trenches and huge +craters, and brought one to the headquarters of the siege battery in +which my son was a gunner. On all sides stretched the plain which our +men had won. Far off, on clear days, one could see in the distance the +little hamlets behind the German lines. + +We had taken the Ridge, but there were villages in the plain which +were not yet in our hands. I heard there was to be an attack one (p. 177) +morning early. So the night before, I left my dugout at one a.m. +It was a strange, weird walk along the plank road and then down the +railway track to Farbus wood. The barrage was to open at four-thirty, +and at four-ten a.m. I walked into the dugout where the Headquarters +of the 3rd Artillery Brigade were. We waited till four twenty-five, +and then I went up to see the barrage. Before us lay the plain, and +all round us on the hillside, except in the space before us, were +trees of Farbus Wood. At four-thirty the barrage opened, and we had a +fine view of the line of bursting shells along the enemy's front. For +a time our fire was very intense, and when it eased off I started down +the hill to the town of Willerval, where in a dugout I found the +officers of one of our battalions regaling themselves with the bottles +of wine and mineral water which the Germans had left behind them in +their well-stocked cellars. Willerval was badly smashed, but enough +was left to show what a charming place it must have been in the days +before the war. In the shell-ploughed gardens, spring flowers were +putting up inquiring faces, and asking for the smiles and admiration +of the flower-lovers who would tread those broken paths no more. I sat +in a quiet place by a ruined brick wall and tried to disentangle the +curious sensations which passed through the mind, as I felt the breeze +lightly fanning my face, smelt the scent of flowers, heard the +skylarks singing, saw the broken houses and conservatories, and +listened to the shells which every now and then fell on the road to +the east of the village. That super-sensitiveness to the charms of +nature, which I have mentioned before, thrilled me with delight. The +warm spring sun beat down from a cloudless sky, and the glorious +romance of being out in the war-zone added to the charm. + +One of our ambulances had a dressing station in the cellars of the +Chateau, and there were a number of German prisoners there who were +waiting their turn as stretcher bearers. From Willerval I went to the +dressing station in the sunken road, where one of our chaplains was +hard at work rendering assistance to the wounded. We had taken Arleux, +but of course had to pay the price, and over the fields in different +directions one could see stretchers being carried, bearing their loads +of broken and suffering bodies. Our grand old Division never failed in +taking its objective, and later on, we advanced from Arleux to Fresnoy, +which completed for us our campaign on Vimy Ridge. The Divisions (p. 178) +on each side of us were held up, but when we left the Ridge we handed +over Fresnoy to our successors in the line. Later, they were obliged +to relinquish it. + +There is something splendid in the esprit-de-corps of a Division, and +none could be greater than that which animated all the units of the +1st Canadian Division, or as we were called, "the boys of the old red +patch," from the red patch which we wore as a distinguishing mark upon +our arms. + +On May 4th, orders came to us that we had to move, and at night I +walked over the old plank road to say good-bye to my son--for their +battery was to retain its position--and on the next day, followed by +little Alberta, I rode from Arriane Dump to my old billet in Bruay, +breaking the journey by a visit to the 87th Battalion at Chateau de la +Haie. We had returned to our old quarters covered with glory, and, on +all sides, the French people were sincere in their admiration for what +the Canadian Corps had done. It was certainly delightful to get back +to clean billets, and to be able to enjoy the charming spring weather +on roads that were not shelled and in fields that were rich in the +promise of summer. Our Headquarters once again made their home in the +Administration Building in the square, and the usual round of +entertaining went on. During the daytime, battalions practised the +noble art of open warfare. The sense of "Something accomplished, +something done," inspired our men with the ardour of military life, +and bound us all even closer together in the spirit of valiant +comradeship. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. (p. 179) + +A WELL-EARNED REST. + +_May and June, 1917._ + + +Three days after we had settled at Bruay I was invited by one of our +staff officers and the Colonel of one of our battalions to accompany +them on a visit to our old trenches on the Somme. We left in the +morning and went south, over the roads and past the little villages +which we knew so well, till we came to Albert. We went up the Bapaume +road, now deserted and lonely. Our front line was some miles to the +east, and so all that waste of country over which we had fought was +now without inhabitants. We left the motor near Courcellette and +walked over the fields to the old trenches where the First Brigade had +made their attack. It was a dreary day. Low clouds hung over the sky +and a cold wind blew from the east. Spring had made very little +advance in those wide fields of death, and the grass was hardly green, +where there was any grass. We walked over the well-known tracks +reviewing incidents of the great battle. We crossed Death Valley and +saw our old lines. The place was so solemn that by mutual agreement we +did not talk, but each went off by himself. I found a number of +Canadian and German bodies still unburied, and all over the fields +were rifles and mess tins, spades and bits of accoutrement. One could +hardly imagine a scene more desolate and forlorn. Every inch of that +ground had been fought over and bought with the price of human blood. +The moan of the wind over the fields seemed like the great lament of +Nature for her sons who had gone. It was impossible to identify the +bodies we found, but we knew that burial parties would soon set to +work to collect them. Over each poor brown and muddy form I held a +short service and used the form of committal from the burial office in +our prayer-book. + +It was with a sense of relief that we walked back up the road, past +the ruins of Courcelette, and rejoined the motor. The scene was too +painful, and made too great a pull upon the heart-strings. In the +great army of the slain that lay beneath that waste of mud were many +whom we had known and loved with that peculiar love which binds +comrades in the fighting line to one another-- + + "God rest you valiant Gentlemen (p. 180) + Who sleep beneath that ground." + +Once more, at the end of the month, I paid another visit to Regina +Trench, when I was on my way to place a cross over my son's grave in +the cemetery at Tara Hill. By this time, the grass was green, the +trenches were filling up and in the cloudless blue sky larks were +singing. The impression of dreariness was passing away, and the wounds +on the breast of nature were being healed. + +Our life at Bruay as usual was exceedingly pleasant, and the men +thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and the freshness of the country. Games +and sports were indulged in and the nightly entertainments in the +theatre given by our concert party were most enjoyable. + +I shall never forget the happy rides on Dandy down the roads and +across the fields to the various battalions and artillery brigades. At +every turn I would meet men whom I knew, and to shake hands with those +glorious lads who had done such great things for the world was an +honour and a privilege. In looking back to that time faces and places +come before me, and I feel once again the warm spring winds over the +fields of France, and see the quaint old villages of Houdain, Ruitz +and Hallicourt where our various battalions were billetted. Sometimes, +at exalted moments, I had meals with generals in their comfortable +quarters; sometimes with company officers; sometimes with the non-coms, +but I think the most enjoyable were those that I took with the men in +dirty cook-houses. With a dish-cloth they would wipe off some old box +for a chair, another for a table; then, getting contributions of +cutlery, they would cook me a special dinner and provide me with a +mess-tin of strong hot tea. When the meal was over and cigarettes had +been lighted, general conversation was indulged in, and there would be +talks of home, of war experiences, and many discussions of religion +and politics. One question which was asked me again and again in +trenches and dugouts and billets was--"Are we winning the war?" It may +be hard for people at home to realize how little our men knew of what +was happening. The majority of them never saw the newspapers, and of +course the monotony of our life and the apparent hopelessness of +making any great advance was a puzzle to them. I never failed to take +the question seriously and give them, as far as I was able, a general +idea of the aspect of the war on the various fronts. In order to be +able to do this I read "The Times" daily with great care. It was (p. 181) +really the only paper that one could depend on, and its marvellous +influence on the conduct of the campaign completely justified its +claim to be still the exponent of British policy, and its inherited +right to the title of "The Thunderer." + +Our artillery were still in the line along the Ridge, but our infantry +brigades were all at rest. It was proposed that we should have a +thanksgiving service for victory with each brigade. The Senior Chaplain +of the Corps took the matter in hand with the Senior Chaplain of the +Army. A form of service was printed on slips of paper, and on Sunday, +May 13th, we had services for the three infantry brigades. It was a +lovely warm day, and the services were held at the most convenient +points. The 2nd Brigade were assembled at Ruitz. It was a splendid +sight. The 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th Battalions were drawn up in a great +square, generals and staff officers were present; a band played the +hymns and the army chaplain gave us a most stirring address. The next +service was with the 1st Brigade in a field near Coupigny, where the +1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions were drawn up, making a magnificent +show of young, ardent and stalwart manhood. The moment it was over the +general and staff were motored over to the 3rd Brigade at +Chateau-de-la-Haie. Here were assembled the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th +Battalions. General Horne attended this Service, and, after the +religious ceremony was over, gave an address. His admiration for the +achievement of our men was evidently sincere, and he always showed the +deepest interest in everything connected with the welfare of the +Canadians. + +Near Bruay on the way to Houdain were some large aerodromes and the +headquarters of the squadron. I had met their chaplain before at +Armentieres when he was attached to the infantry. He very kindly +invited me up to his quarters, and several times I dined with him at +the officers' mess. He was the chaplain of several squadrons, and had +to fly from one to another to take services on Sundays after the manner +of a true "sky pilot." He told me some splendid tales of the gallantry +of the young men to whom he had to minister. On one occasion the order +was given that six German observation balloons along the front line +had to be brought down, for we were about to make an advance. Six men +were therefore, told off for this important but dangerous duty. The +chaplain told me that at once the question arose as to how they (p. 182) +were to dress for the encounter. Should they wear old clothes or should +they be arrayed in their best? They decided that if they were brought +down they would like, by their appearance, to do most credit to their +squadron, and so it was determined that they should wear their newest +uniforms. He told me that to him, who knew the dangers underlying the +enterprise, it was most pathetic to see the young fellows in the highest +spirits getting themselves polished up as if they were going to an +investiture at Buckingham Palace. He had thought of having a service +of Holy Communion for them, but there was no time, so he saw them +start off on their voyage telling them that he would follow them with +his prayers. The danger of such an undertaking was very great, as the +planes had to fly low over the German trenches and then rise up and +attack the balloons. That night six young airmen came to dinner in the +mess as usual, but there were six observation balloons less in the +German lines. + +One night when I went to dinner with the officers of the squadron I +was placed at the right hand of the O.C. He was late in arriving, and +I wondered what sort of man would come to fill the vacant chair. To my +surprise, when we were half way through dinner, a young officer, not +much more than a boy came and took the seat and welcomed me to the +mess. I asked him if he were the Major. He said he was, and on his +left breast were several decorations. I was just going to make some +remark about his youthful appearance when he said, "Now don't say it, +Padre, don't say I look young, I really can't help it." I had a long +and interesting talk with him about his work. He was full of enthusiasm, +and his knowledge of men impressed me deeply. There was a large number +of officers at the table all under his command. I thought it was +wonderful that a man so young should have such a knowledge of human +character. This war has certainly shown that mellowed age is not such +a necessary qualification for right judgment as we thought it was. Old +age has had its day, and the young world, that has just been born in +the anguish and travail of the old, must be "run" by young men who +unite in themselves the qualities of judgment and the love of adventure. +The hut used as a mess-room was most artistically decorated, and made +a fine setting for the noble young fellows, who sat round the table +chaffing one another and laughing as if they never had to face death +in the blinding mists of morning or the blazing sun of noon, with the +rain of shells and machine gun fire falling round them, as they (p. 183) +climbed higher and higher like skylarks into the wide vault of heaven. + +On the first of June, we were ordered back to the line, and our +Divisional Headquarters was to be divided. The General and staff were +to be at the advanced position in the huts and dugouts on the La +Targette road, and the non-combatant officers were to be billetted +near Villers au Bois in Chateau d'Acq, a comfortable modern house with +a large garden on one side and a pleasant tree-covered hill at the +back. Here, to my surprise and delight, I found myself in possession +of a large front room with furniture in it that appeared almost +gorgeous. I had one comfortable night's sleep in it, but alas only +one. On the next evening, when the full moon was shining with that +fateful power which she has of turning night into day and of guiding +the flight of hostile bombers, we were sitting smoking our cigars +after dinner at the artillery headquarters in the La Targette road, +when suddenly we heard the pulsating buzzing of a German plane. At +once someone called out, "A Boche plane, put out the lights." In an +instant the lights were out, but the fatal moonlight shone with clear +and cruel lustre. There was a huge crash, then another, then another, +then another, and someone said, "It has discharged its load." For a +few moments we waited in silence, then we heard the sound of voices +and men calling for help. I went across the open to the huts where the +staff officers and the clerks lived. The German plane kept buzzing +round and round at a low altitude, the observer evidently trying to +find out what mischief he had done. To my dismay, I found that sixteen +persons including the A.D.M.S. and the Assistant to the A.P.M., had +been wounded, two of them fatally. We could not use the lights in +attending to the wounded for the German airman was on the watch, and +it was not until he went away that we could get ambulances to carry +them off. + +The General did not think it was worth while to risk a second attack +by remaining at the place, so, in the middle of the night, with great +dispatch the headquarters was moved back to the Chateau, and instead +of my occupying the mahogany bed in the front room, I found myself on +the floor of one of the huts in the garden. The General quite rightly +and naturally taking to himself the bed which I had left. + +Chateau d'Acq was for many weeks and at different times our comfortable +and delightful home. There were many Nissen huts round the Chateau (p. 184) +and under the beautiful trees on the hillside. Here the different +branches of the service had their offices, and the engineers built for +me a little house of tar paper lined with green canvas, over the door +of which was painted the sign "St. George's Rectory." The C.R.E. also +built me a new St. George's Church on the other side of the road. It +was to be the chef d'oeuvre of his architectural skill, and to be made +as complete and perfect as possible. A compass was brought and the +true east and west found. The material of which the church was to be +built was tar paper and scantling. The roof was to be covered with +corrugated iron. The belfry was to be hung this time with two German +gas bells, which were dignified with the title of a chime of bells. +The windows, filled with oiled linen, were to be pointed after the +manner of Gothic architecture. The church was to be cruciform, with a +vestry on one side balanced by an organ chamber on the other. We had a +nice altar, with the legal ornaments, and an altar rail. We had a +lectern, and the proper number of benches for the congregation. We +even had a font, which was carved out of chalk by the C.R.E.'s batman +and given as an offering to the church. The C.R.E., a most devout and +staunch Presbyterian, was proud of his architectural achievement and +told me that now he had handed over to me a complete church he wished +every service which the Church of England could hold to be celebrated +in it. He said, "In addition to your usual services, I want men to be +baptised, to be married, and to be ordained in that church." When I +protested that possibly no men could be found desiring these offices, +he replied, "The matter is perfectly simple. Like the centurion in the +Bible, I am a man under authority. All I have to do is to call up ten +men and say 'Go and be baptised tomorrow morning in Canon Scott's +Church', and they will go. If they don't, they will be put in the +guard room. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be +married in Canon Scott's church.' If they don't, I will put them in +the guardroom. Then I will call up ten more men and say, 'Go and be +ordained in Canon Scott's church'. If they don't, I will put them in +the guard room." All this was said with perfect solemnity. As a matter +of fact, when another division was occupying Chateau d'Acq, a man +really was baptised in the little church. It was used daily for a time +by the Roman Catholic Chaplain. + +A photograph of the building is preserved in the Canadian War Records +Office. The first morning I rang the chime of bells for the early (p. 185) +service, our A.D.M.S. avowed that he, mistaking the character of the +sound, and supposing that it was a warning of a gas attack, sat up in +his bed in the sweltering heat and put on his gas helmet. + +From Chateau d'Acq I used to go and take services for the siege +artillery on the Lens-Arras road, and also at the charmingly situated +rest camp at Fresnicourt. We knew however that a bombing raid might +occur at Chateau d'Acq on any clear night. Whenever we heard German +planes in the air we always felt how unprotected we were, and it gave +us a sense of relief when the buzzing sound grew fainter and fainter +and died off in the distance. + +The cool green shade of the trees made a pleasant roof over our heads +on the hot days of early summer, and at dawn in the woods opposite we +could hear the nightingales. Later on, the owner of the Chateau sold +some of the bigger trees, and we found on our return to it in the +following year that the beauty of the place had been destroyed, and +the hillside looked like the scene of a Canadian lumber camp. However, +the rose-trees in the garden with their breath of sweetest odour were +a continual joy and delight to the soul. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. (p. 186) + +PARIS LEAVE. + +_June 1917._ + + +My time for leave was due again, and as we were allowed to spend it in +France without interfering with the number of those who desired to see +their friends in England, I determined to go to Chamounix. I thought +that the sight of a great natural wonder like Mont Blanc would have an +uplifting effect upon the mind, at a time when everything human seemed +to be going to rack and ruin. The white peaks of the Alps in their +changeless purity against the blue of the infinite sky seemed to me a +vision which the soul needed. So I started off one lovely morning on +my way to Paris. I went by side-car to Amiens, where I took the train. +It was a delightful expedition, and I left with a good conscience, +because our men were not expected to attack, and were in a quiet +sector of the line. The driver of the car, with the prospect of a good +meal at Amiens and a good tip, was in the best of humours. The air was +sweet and fresh and the grass wore its brightest green. The sunshine +beat down from a cloudless sky, and when we paused for repairs, as we +had to do from time to time, birds' songs furnished us with a most +enjoyable concert. An expedition of this kind was made doubly charming +by having in it a touch of adventure. When we came to a village, at +once the map had to be studied and the turns in the road noted. A +conversation with some of the villagers as we journeyed, always broke +the sense of loneliness, and gave us an insight into the feelings of +the people. However, on this particular occasion, I was not able to +complete the journey to Amiens in the side-car. Either the car broke +down, or the driver preferred to go on by himself, for the thing came +to a dead stop just as a car from the Corps was about to pass us. The +occupants kindly invited me to go on to Amiens with them. It was a +swifter way of continuing the journey and much more comfortable, so I +said good-bye to my original driver and started off with my new +friends. + +Amiens was a bustling place then and very unlike the Amiens I saw a +little over a year later. I started by train at six-thirty p.m., and +at eight-thirty, after a pleasant journey, arrived at Paris, where I +went to the Hotel Westminster. On the next evening, I started off (p. 187) +with some friends for Evians-les-Bains. The train was very full, and +there were no berths in the wagon-lit, so we had to stay up all night +in a crowded first-class carriage. There was an old French Cure at one +end of the compartment, who, quite early in the evening, drew out a +silk handkerchief and covered his head and face therewith, leading us +to suppose that he had sunk into oblivion. We therefore carried on a +very pleasant and vivacious conversation, as the night was warm and we +were not inclined to sleep. Suddenly the old Cure pulled off the +handkerchief and said in a gruff voice, "It is the time for sleeps and +not for talks." and, having uttered this stinging rebuke, re-covered +his head and left us in penitent silence. We arrived at Evians-les-Bains +in good time, and went to a very charming hotel with a lovely view of +the Lake of Geneva in front. Unfortunately, I had hurt my foot some +time before and it looked as if it had got infected. Not wishing to be +laid up so far from medical assistance, I decided to return the same +evening, which I did, and once more found myself at the Hotel +Westminster. I now determined to spend my leave in Paris. There were +many of our men in the city at that time. They were all in a very +impecunious condition, for there was some difficulty in getting their +pay and, in Paris, money did not last long. I did my best to try and +help them, and later our system of payment was improved. It was +perhaps just as well for some of them that their money was short. + +Poor old Paris looked very shabby to one who remembered her in former +days with her clean streets and many-fountained parks. She wore the +air of shabby gentility. The streets were not clean; the people were +not well-dressed, the fountains no longer played. France had been hard +hit by the war, and the ruin and desolation of her eastern borders +were reflected in the metropolis. I spent most of my time in Paris +trying to keep men straight, with more or less success. I can imagine +nothing worse for a lonely young fellow, who had taken his leave after +weary months in the front line, than to find himself in the midst of +the heartless gaiety of the French capital. On all sides the minions +of vice, diseased in mind and body, lay in waiting for their prey. To +one who loved Canada and longed for the uplifting of the pure life of +Canadian homes, it was a spectacle which filled the heart with anxiety. +Before I left Paris, I wrote a letter to the Continental Daily Mail +advocating the taking over of some hotels which could be turned into +hostels or clubs for soldiers while on leave. This, I am happy to (p. 188) +say was afterwards done. + +I met many of our men at the soldiers' tea-rooms called "A corner of +Blighty" in the Place Vendome, and I organized several dinner and +theatre parties which went off very pleasantly. When the men had +companionship, they did not feel the lure of vice which came to them +in moments of loneliness. I met some interesting people in Paris, and +at a Sunday luncheon in the charming house of the Duchess de la M---- I +met Madame ----, the writer of a series of novels of rather lurid +reputation. The authoress was a large person with rich orange-coloured +hair, powdered cheeks, and darkened eyelashes. She wore a large black +hat, enormous solitaire pearl ear-rings, and, as a symbol of her +personal purity, was arrayed in white. She lamented the fact that +women writers were not allowed to visit the front. When I told her +that Mrs. Humphrey Ward had been there, she said, "Oh yes, they +allowed her to go because they said she could write good English, but +she cannot get the ear of the American people in the way _I_ can." + +There were two or three French officers present, one of whom was an +attache at the Embassy in Madrid. I was much impressed by their quiet +dignified bearing, so typical of the chivalrous heroism of France, and +so unlike anything which we could look for in the officers of the +German Army. I could not help observing that the French were much +depressed and filled with anxiety as to the issue of the war. A French +lady said to me "How can we go on much longer; our man-power is nearly +exhausted?" It is a supreme delight to me to think that that wonderful +nation, which suffered and bled so deeply and bore its wrongs so +nobly, has now been avenged on the ruthless enemy, and that the +tricolour once more floats over Alsace and Lorraine. Profoundly +patriotic though we of the British Empire are, there is something in +the patriotism of the French which goes down into the deepest roots of +the human soul. I remember once in the private burying place of a +noble family who owned a chateau not far from our front line, seeing a +little child's grave. The child had died in Canada at the age of two +years, and its body had been brought back to its ancestral resting +place. On the tombstone, under the inscription were the words:-- + + "Petit ange + Priez pour + la France." + +I was very much struck by the prayer. That the sorrow for a (p. 189) +child's death should be coupled with the love of country seemed most +strange and pathetic. I venture to say that it would be impossible to +find a parallel instance of such a blending of emotions in any English +churchyard. The present owner of the Chateau, which was at least two +or three hundred years old, was away fighting for his country, and +long grass and weeds filled the uncared for corner by the side of the +old church. In past history, we have fought with the French again and +again, but we always felt that we were fighting with gentlemen, and +were sure that every courteous deed done by us would meet with an +equally courteous response. One of the saddest things in the war was +that, while we often admired the military efficiency of the Germans, +we had absolutely no respect for their officers or men, nor could we +regard them as anything but well-trained brutes. The ties which bind +us to France now are very intimate and personal, and it is a matter of +thankfulness to all who love human idealism and true culture, that the +reproach of the defeat of 1870 has been washed away in blood, and that +France will emerge from her fiery trial a purer and a loftier nation. + +I was not sorry when my Paris leave was over and I returned to my +Headquarters at Chateau d'Acq. It was always delightful to get back to +my war home and settle down again in the midst of those on whose +shoulders the fate of civilization rested. I arrived back on June +29th, just in time to prepare for the special services which were to +be held throughout the Corps on Sunday, July 1st, it being the jubilee +of the Dominion. I made arrangements with the band of the Royal +Canadian Regiment, as our Divisional band was away, to march over from +Villers au Bois and play for us at the service. We had special hymns +and prayers neatly printed on cards, which the men were to retain as +souvenirs. The parade was held just outside St. George's Church, our +new Divisional Commander, General Macdonell, and his staff attending. +The occasion was particularly interesting to me, because I was the +only man in the whole Canadian Corps at the front who could remember +the first Dominion Day. I could remember as a child being taken by my +father on the 1st of July, 1867, to hear the guns firing a salute on +the grounds of McGill College, Montreal. Canada had travelled a long +distance on the path of nationhood since that far-off time, and now, +after fifty years, I had the satisfaction of being with the great (p. 190) +Canadian Army Corps on European soil, engaged in the biggest war of +history. Such an experience is not often the privilege of a human +life, and the splendid body of men before me gave promise of Canada's +progress and national glory in the future. Everyone felt the peculiar +significance of the celebration. + +Owing to the fact that my foot was still troubling me, I was sent down +to the rest-camp at Fresnicourt, where I met many of the officers and +men in that delightful old Chateau. The country round about was very +pretty, and the views from the hills were charming. Every night I used +to have either a service, or a talk with the men, on the grass beside +a little stream. They were all enjoying the rest and refreshment that +came from being able to live in pleasant surroundings and away from +shells and work in the trenches. On July 18th, I went by side-car to +St. Omer where the Senior Chaplains of the Army were summoned to a +conference. We were billeted in the large building used as the Chaplains' +Rest Home, and there enjoyed the great privilege, not only of meeting +one another, but of listening to some splendid addresses and lectures +by those in charge. It was pleasant to re-visit St. Omer. The quaint +old French town, with its rambling streets and polite inhabitants, +took one away from the thoughts of war and gave one almost a feeling +of home. In the smoking-room at night, we had the opportunity of +discussing with one another the various moral and religious problems +with which the chaplain had to contend, and many were the interesting +experiences of those chaplains. On the last day of our meetings, at +the early Eucharist, we had an address from the Archbishop of York, +who had just come over to France. Later on, he gave an address at a +general meeting of the chaplains at Bethune. + +While at St. Omer I paid a visit to the Second Army School in their +magnificent buildings in Wisques, where I saw the room that my son had +occupied, and met some of the people who remembered him. The place was +used as a training school for officers and was most wonderfully equipped. +The building was a modern convent, and the large unfinished chapel, with +its high vaulted roof, was used as a dining-room. It was inspiring at +dinner to see the hundreds of young officers, all so keen and cheery, +sitting round the tables, while a good band played during the meal. It +was hard to realize that they were only having a momentary respite +from the war, and, in a week or two, would be once more up in the line +facing wounds and death. The Commandant took great pride in the (p. 191) +institution, and told me of the splendid records of the men who had +passed through his hands. + +Our Divisional Headquarters now moved to a place called Bracquemont, +near Noeux les Mines. Here I had a very fine room in the house of the +manager of one of the Mines, the offices of which were on the other +side of the road. The house was well built, and had a most charming +garden at the back. It was large and commodious, and I always feared +that my billet would attract the covetous desires of some high staff +officer and that I should be thrown out to make way for him. My room +was on the ground floor with two large windows opening on the street, +enabling me to get the Daily Mail from the newsboy in the morning. The +ceiling was high and the furniture most sumptuous. A large mirror +stood upon the marble mantel-piece. I had linen sheets on the bed and +an electric light at my side. It did not seem at all like war, but the +end of the mahogany bed and some of the chairs, also one corner of the +ceiling, had been perforated by bits of shrapnel. So in the midst of +luxury, there was the constant reminder that the war was still going +on--a death's head at the feast. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. (p. 192) + +WE TAKE HILL 70. + +_July and August, 1917._ + + +Bracquemont was a very charming home. There were many men about us, +the artillery horse lines were there as well as two battalions in +rest, and various other units. Behind the British C.C.S. there was a +large hall with a stage at one end. Here our concert party gave a +performance every night. Between us and the front line, were the +villages of Maroc, Le Brebis, Mazingarbe, and Bully-Grenay, which were +our billeting area while we occupied the trenches in advance of Loos. +I was thus in easy reach of all the units in the Division and could do +a great deal of parish visiting. + +In the country behind us, there were many Chinese Labour Companies and +one of Zulus. When not at work, they were encamped in large compounds +surrounded by barbed wire. Our band used to play occasionally for the +entertainment of the Chinese, who very much enjoyed both the music and +the compliment that was paid to them by its being provided. On one +occasion, I went with General Thacker to visit one of the Chinese +Labour Companies. The officer in charge wished us to see some of their +sports, and so we sat on chairs at the top of the field and the +Chinamen came up and gave us an exhibition of their skill in something +that looked like fencing. They used sticks for foils. We could not +quite see who won in the encounter, or what constituted the finishing +stroke, but, as soon as each pair of performers retired they turned +and bowed solemnly to the General and made way for two other +combatants. They were great powerful men, very different from the type +of Chinese one sees in this country. One of the performers we were +told by the O.C., could carry a weight of five hundred pounds on his +shoulders. After the gymnastic performance, we had a concert, and a +man sang, or rather made a hideous nasal sound, to the accompaniment +of something that looked like a three stringed fiddle. The song, which +greatly delighted the Chinese listeners, consisted of an interminable +number of verses; in fact we never heard the end of it, for the O.C. +stopped it and told the musicians that the officers had to leave. He +told us that the men were well behaved, and that only once had he had +occasion to hold a court-martial. + +The Zulus were encamped near Ranchicourt. They too were a stalwart (p. 193) +lot of men, but felt the cold of the winter very much. I was riding +past them in the road one day and spoke to the British sergeant in +charge of them. He pointed out one young man who, he said, was the son +of a chief, and, in his own country, was entitled to a body-guard of +fifteen men. In recognition, therefore, of his aristocratic birth, he +was allowed to wear three stripes. While we were talking, the boy +looked round and saw that we were speaking about him. The sergeant +called out something to him in Zulu language, and the boy smiled and +nodded to me. I asked the sergeant what he had said to him. He +replied: "I told him that you thought you had met him before, and it +pleased him." This accounted for the boy's smiling at me and the nod +of recognition. I suppose he thought that on some occasion in my +rambles through Africa we had met in the jungle. At any rate, I +admired the sergeant's tact and savoir faire. There was a great +mixture of races among the allied forces in France, and I always felt +sorry for the poor heathen that they should be dragged into the war of +the Christian nations. + +Our front trenches were not comfortable places. To reach them one had +to pass through Maroc and along a road on the outskirts of Loos. +Beside the road, in the cellars of a broken building, called Fort +Glatz, was a dressing station. The neighbourhood was frequently +shelled, for the road from Maroc to Loos was under observation from +the two mysterious iron towers in Wingles. Beyond Fort Glatz, the +engineers had a store of trench materials. The place was called +"Crucifix Dump," on account of the large crucifix which stood there on +a mound of earth. The figure on the crucifix was made of metal and it +had been struck by shrapnel. It looked so pathetic standing there amid +the ruin and desolation around, mutely saying to those who had ears to +hear, "Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by; behold and see if +there was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow?" From a shrapnel hole near +the heart of the figure, birds could be seen flying in and out, +getting food for their young. At the foot, there was the grave of a +German officer who had been killed when the Germans occupied Loos. + +I often used to go to Bully-Grenay to visit some of the siege batteries. +They had comfortable billets but the Germans soon found out their +location and sent over some very big shells. One large shell had a curious +experience. It fell in the road to the south of Bully-Grenay, (p. 194) +burrowing under the ground without exploding. Then it rose and went +through the side of a brick house, and finally reposed on the floor of +an upper room. We all went to see it lying there, like some gigantic +sea monster dead and stranded on the shore. The potential force of the +huge shell was enormous, but it lay there perfectly harmless after its +strange pilgrimage. + +I was passing one of the siege batteries one day, when I saw a number +of men working round a damaged gun-pit. I went over to it and found +that a shell had landed there that morning, just as they were changing +shifts on the guns. It had killed and buried a number of the men, at +the same time setting fire to our ammunition. The bodies of those who +were buried were burnt almost to ashes by the terrific heat, and only +charred bits of them were recovered. + +South of Loos there was the famous Double Crassier. It was a large +slag heap on which once ran a line of railway. The top, of course, was +in sight of the Germans, but down in the hollow on our side of it we +had a great number of battery positions. That little corner where our +guns were concentrated was an easy target for the German artillery, +and many were the high explosives and gas-shells which they dropped. +In the town of Maroc itself there was a large fosse or mine-head. The +buildings round it were capacious, and well made. They were of course +now much damaged, but the cellars were extraordinarily commodious and +extensive. They were lined with white tiles, and the largest one was +fitted up as a place of rest and amusement with a canteen where the +men could get coffee, cakes and cigarettes. I stationed one of our +chaplains there to look after the work and hold services in one of the +cellars which was fitted up as a chapel. In the large room there were +benches, and a stage afforded a good floor for boxing. I determined to +start boxing there as a sport for the artillerymen, who had few +opportunities of enjoying the entertainments which were given behind +the line. I had a great friend in one of the Highland battalions, who +had been wounded three times in the war, and was heavy-weight champion +of the 1st Division. I got his O.C. to attach him to me, and I placed +him in the cellar at Maroc where he began to instruct the men in the +noble art of self defence. People used to wonder why I had a +prize-fighter attached to me, and I told them that if the Junior +Chaplains were insubordinate, I wanted to be able to call in some one +in an emergency to administer discipline. I always said, with (p. 195) +perfect truth, that since my prize-fighter was attached to me I had +had no trouble with any of the chaplains. It is wonderful what things +one can do in the Army which are not according to the King's Regulations. +By right, as Senior Chaplain of a Division, I was entitled only to one +man who was to act in the dual capacity of batman and groom, but later +on I managed to get a man to act as secretary, who was given sergeant's +stripes and looked after the office when I went on my wanderings +through the Division. Then I got a man who knew something about music +to be appointed as my organist. He used to travel with me in the staff +car with my portable organ when I went to take church parades on +Sunday. He was afterwards gassed and I lost him, but he did useful +work while he was with me in helping the singing. The prize-fighter +made another addition to what I called the Senior Chaplain's battalion. +Then, as time went on, I was able to get a man to take over the duties +of a batman, and I finally obtained a chauffeur to run my side-car. +This large army of assistants was a sore puzzle to our Camp Commandant, +who had to arrange for their rations and discipline. I was always being +asked how many men I had on my staff. However, to use a soldier's +expression "I got away with it." + +The road through Maroc was not a pleasant one to travel. It was liable +to be shelled at any moment. On one side of the street was a large +brick wall which had been perforated by a shell and the place was +called "The Hole in the Wall." The Germans knew that we had many +batteries concealed in the ruined town, so they never left it alone +for very long. I was going up to the front one day, when I met in the +street an artillery officer coming back. We had not seen each other +for some time, and he gave me such a warm greeting that I at once +determined to reward him by reciting to him one of my poems. I got +about half way through when the enemy, not knowing, of course, what +was going on, began to shell the place, and some bits of mud and brick +fell in the road not far off. In spite of the beauty of the poem, my +friend began to get restless, and I was faced with the problem of +either hurrying the recitation and thereby spoiling the effect of the +rhythm, or of trusting to his artistic temperament and going on as if +nothing was happening. I did the latter, and went on unmoved by the +exploding shells. I thought the Major would see that the climax of the +poem had not yet been reached and was worth waiting for. I was +mistaken. He became more and more restless, till at last he said, (p. 196) +"Excuse me, Canon, but I think I must be hurrying on." He left me +standing in the road with the last part of the poem and its magnificent +climax still in my throat. I looked after him for a moment or two, +then turned sorrowfully, lamenting the depravity of human nature, and +pursued my journey. I had not gone far in the street before I came to +a large pool of blood, where a man had just been killed. There was +some excuse, therefore, for my friend's conduct, for he must have +passed that pool of blood before he met me, and his nerves were +probably not in their normal condition. He went back to his battery +and told his friends there that I had actually buttonholed him in +Maroc and insisted upon his listening to a miserable poem of mine +while shells were falling in the place. + +In order to avoid the danger of passing through the town, we generally +used a path across the fields. I was returning from the trenches with +some men one night along this path, when we saw from Maroc flashes of +a light which was apparently being used as a signal. At once we were +seized with an attack of spy-fever, and I said to the men, "There is +someone signalling to the Germans." The night was so dark that +signalling could have been seen at a considerable distance. +Immediately we started off towards the light, which went out when we +approached, but we discovered an officer in a mackintosh, and I at +once asked him who he was. Tired as our men were, for they were coming +out after being several days in the trenches, they followed me and +were so keen on the adventure that one of them had drawn his revolver. +The officer became very rude and he used some blasphemous words +towards me in the dark, which naturally provoked a stern rebuke. I +told him I was a Lieut.-Colonel, and that I should report him to his +commanding officer. Then we asked him to give proof of his identity. I +could see by his manner that he was becoming exceedingly uncomfortable, +so I insisted upon his leading us to his headquarters. He did, and we +stumbled on over telephone wires and piles of bricks till he brought +us into the yard of a broken down house, in the cellars of which we +found the officers of his battery. The O.C. was very polite and, when +I pointed out to him the danger of flashing a light in the neighbourhood +of the track which was used by our infantry battalions at night when +going to or coming from the trenches, he said his unit would be more +careful in the future. After a little conversation we left. A day (p. 197) +or two afterwards I met one of the officers of the battery, and we +had a good laugh over the incident, but he told me that it was even +more amusing than I had thought, for the young officer had a dugout in +the field and was making his way thither with nothing on but his +pyjamas and his mackintosh. When we asked him for some proofs of his +identity, he was terrified lest we should search him and find him in +this peculiarly unmilitary costume, which might have made us still +more suspicious. + +Ever since our moving to Bracquemont, we had been preparing to complete +the work of our advance towards Lens by an attack on Hill 70, the high +ground to the north-west of that city. Compared with the taking of +Vimy Ridge, the exploit was of course a minor one, but, for many +reasons, it was felt to be an exceedingly dangerous task and one which +would cost us dearly. The Germans had had time to concentrate their +forces in front of us, and they knew the value of the commanding +position which they held. Everyone felt anxious as to the result of +the enterprise, and we had learnt from recent experiences on the Ridge +and at Fresnoy how powerful the enemy was. Although, of course, I did +not let the men see it, I was always worried when we had an attack in +view. When I held services for them on parade, or addressed them at +their entertainments, or met them by the roadside, I used to look into +their eyes and wonder if those eyes would soon be viewing the eternal +mysteries "in the land that is very far off." I tried to make it a +point never to pass anyone without a handshake or a word of cheer and +encouragement. How their faces used to brighten up at some trifling +kindness or some funny story! + +I was fond of visiting the men who acted as the road control on the +east side of Maroc. One of their number was of course on guard day and +night, so I was always sure of meeting a friend whenever I passed. I +never went down to their cellar without being offered a cup of tea and +other dainties. They used to sleep on shelves, and often invited me to +rest my weary limbs there. I would thank them for their kindness, but +thought it prudent, for reasons of personal cleanliness, not to accept +it. It always gave me great pleasure to come upon friends in out of +the way places. I remember meeting an officer late one night near the +front at Loos. It was very dark, and, as soon as he recognized me, he +exclaimed, "Here's old Canon Scott, I'll be d--d!" "My friend," I said +solemnly, "I hope you will not allow that sad truth to get abroad. (p. 198) +The Canadian Government is paying me a large salary to try and keep +you from that awful fate, and if they hear that your meeting me has +had such a result, I shall lose my job." He apologized for the expression, +and said it was only meant as an exclamation of surprise. + +By the beginning of August, everything was ready for the attack, and +on the 14th, carrying my rations with me, I made my way to the 7th +Siege Battery; for I had arranged to go to their observation post and +watch the barrage from there. I started off in the evening, with one +of the gunners. We skirted Maroc and reached the O.P., which was called +St. Pat's. It was a long walk over the open and through the trenches +before we got into the place. From it we looked down the slope towards +our front line, and beyond this we saw the rise in the ground called +Hill 70, held by the Germans. The barrage was to begin at four +twenty-five in the morning; so the gunner and I went down into a +dugout and tried to get a little rest. Before we got to sleep, +however, we became aware of the smell of gas, and, hearing the +tramping of feet in the trench at the top of the stairs, I went up and +found the men of the 14th Battalion with their helmets on going +forward in preparation for the advance. They recognized me because I +did not put on my mask, and as they passed they shook hands with me +and I wished them "good luck in the name of the Lord." Such cheery +souls they were, going forth in their stifling helmets to the unknown +dangers which awaited them. + +I found that sleep was impossible, so I went up to the O.P. and waited +for the barrage. It was a lovely night; the stars were shining +beautifully, and the constellation of Orion hung on the horizon in the +eastern sky, with the pale moon above. A great silence, stirred only +by the morning breeze, brooded over the wide expanse of darkness. +Then, at four-twenty-five, the guns burst forth in all their fury, and +all along the German line I saw not only exploding shells, but the +bursting oil drums with their pillars of liquid fire, whose smoke rose +high in the air with a peculiar turn at the top which looked like the +neck of a huge giraffe. At once the Germans sent up rockets of various +colours, signalling for aid from their guns, and the artillery duel of +the two great armies waxed loud and furious. I stood on the hill with +some of our men, and watched the magnificent scene. Nothing but the +thought of what it meant to human beings took away from our (p. 199) +enjoyment of the mighty spectacle. When day dawned, we could see, +silhouetted against the morning sky, men walking over the hilltop, and +now and then jumping down into the captured trenches. Once again our +Division had got its objective. At various points difficulties had +been encountered, and in a place called the "Chalk Pit", which afterwards +became our front line, the Germans had made a determined stand. They +had a wonderful dugout there, like a rabbit-warren, with many passages +and entrances, from which they were bombed out with great difficulty. +One of our western battalions suffered heavily in taking the +stronghold. + +I went on to Fort Glatz and to some of the other advanced aid-posts. +We had many casualties, but we felt that the worst was not yet over, +for we knew that, although we had taken the hill, the Germans would +make a desperate fight to get it back again. All day long our artillery +pounded away and our infantry consolidated the line. Our Pioneer +Battalion did splendid work in digging trenches under heavy fire, in +order to connect our advanced positions. When the sun set and the +night once more cast its shade over the earth, there was no cessation +in the sound of battle. + +The next morning I visited the wounded in the C.C.S., and in the +afternoon went by car once more to the 7th Siege Battery and thence +made my way through Maroc to the front, as I had heard from the General +that the artillery were having a hard time. Their guns had been firing +incessantly since the barrage started. I met many men on the journey +who gave me accounts of their experiences during the battle, and, by +the time I reached the Y.M.C.A. coffee-stall in a ruined building on +the Maroc-Loos road it was quite late. Here in a cellar I found some +men making coffee for the walking wounded, who were coming back very +tired and glad of a shelter and a hot drink. I went on down the road +to the well concealed trenches which led to the 1st and 2nd Artillery +Brigade Headquarters. In the deep dugout, I found the O.C.s of the two +brigades and their staffs hard at work. It was an anxious time, because +ammunition was short, and every available man was employed in carrying +it up to the guns. The Senior Colonel asked me if I would go round to +some of the gun pits and talk to the men. They were tired out, he +said, with the constant firing, and there was still no prospect of a +rest. I told him that if he would give me a runner to act as guide, I +would visit all the gun-pits of the two Brigades. Accordingly a (p. 200) +runner was sent for, and he and I started off at midnight. It was very +dark, and when we emerged from the trench and turned to the right on +the Lens-Bethune road we met parties of wounded men coming back, and +the batteries in the fields beside us were firing over our heads. We +visited first the cellar of a building by the way, where there was an +aid post. Here were many men being attended to by the doctors. They +were all worn out, and did not look forward with much pleasure to +their journey back to Maroc along the dark and dangerous road. + +From the dressing station, my guide and I went into a trench and along +this to the gun positions. As we came to each, we visited the officers +and men. We got a glad welcome from the faithful, true-hearted fellows +who were working with might and main to save the lives of their comrades +in the front line. Some of the guns were fearfully heated and were +hard to handle. Yet the S.O.S. signals from the front trenches would +go up every now and then, telling our gunners that the Germans were +making another counter-attack, and asking for artillery support to +save the situation. We made our way through the trench towards the +batteries at the foot of the Loos Crassier. In doing so, we had to +pass under the road. I was going on ahead, and when I stooped down to +pass under the bridge, to my surprise I could dimly descry in the +darkness a row of silent men sitting on each side of the passage +facing one another. I said, "Good-night, boys," but there was no +answer. The figures in the darkness remained motionless and still. I +could not quite make out what the matter was, for our men always +responded to my greeting. Suddenly, an enemy flare-light went up in +the distance, and I saw, to my horror, that the two rows of men +sitting so silently were Germans. I was wondering if I had run my neck +into a noose, when a voice from the other end of the passage called +out, "They are prisoners, Sir. I am taking them back with me and +giving them a few minutes rest." I must say that I was greatly +relieved. I went on to the gun-pits just in front of the crassier, and +here the men were working hard. It was splendid to see their absolute +disregard of everything but their duty. I felt myself to be such a +slacker beside them, but I told them how gloriously they were carrying +on, and how their work was appreciated by the infantry. The night +began to wear away, and when I reached the gun-pits that were further +back it was broad daylight. In fact, I visited the last one at six +a.m. Some of the batteries had by this time ceased firing, and the (p. 201) +men had fallen asleep in all sorts of curious positions, ready to be +roused in an instant. Altogether, my guide and I visited forty-eight +gun-pits that night, and it was about seven o'clock when we returned +to Brigade Headquarters. + +The next night the Germans sent over a rain of gas-shells on the +batteries, and the men at the guns found it impossible to see the +sights through the eye-pieces of their gas-helmets, and so chose to +face the poison unprotected rather than run the risk of injuring our +infantry by bad firing. There were of course heavy casualties among +the gunners as a result of this. Some died and many were badly gassed, +but the line was held. + +As I was returning after spending the night at the gun-pits, I felt +terribly tired. The morning sun rose higher and higher, and beat down +with summer heat on my steel helmet as I made my way along the path +which skirted the town of Maroc. I sat down by the side of a trench to +have some breakfast, and opened a tin of milk and my tin of bully beef +and was just preparing to have a meal, when I must have fallen asleep +instantaneously. How long I slumbered I do not know, but when I woke +up I found, standing in front of me, three amused and puzzled Australian +tunnellers. When I fell asleep, I must have upset my breakfast, which +was lying at my feet, and the tunnellers were evidently enjoying what +they considered to be the discovery of a padre a little the worse for +wear. They were somewhat surprised, not to say disappointed, when I +woke up, and they said, "You seem to be very tired, Sir." I told them +that I had had very little sleep for several nights, and had been +walking all night long, winding up my story (for the honour of the +cloth) with the statement that I was a teetotaller. Whether they +believed it or not I do not know, but we had a long talk together and +they told me of the work they were doing in digging a tunnel from Loos +to the front line. + +The next day I went to the advanced dressing station and saw the men +that were gassed being brought in. So strongly were their clothes +saturated with the poison that, as they were being cut off, in order +that the bodies of the men might be washed with the liquid used for +counteracting the burning effects of the gas, our eyes and throats +smarted from the fumes. There was nothing more horrible than to see +men dying from gas. Nothing could be done to relieve their suffering. +The body, as well as the throat and lungs, was burned and blistered by +the poison. + +The German counter-attack had now spent itself, and Hill 70 was (p. 202) +ours. One more splendid deed had been achieved by the Canadian Corps, +and we now held in our hands the commanding position which threatened +the town of Lens. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. (p. 203) + +EVERY DAY LIFE. + +_August to October 1917._ + + +Hill 70 being now in our grip the Division came out of the line on +August 21st, and moved back to our old billets in Bruay. + +Every night, as usual, our concert party gave a performance in the +theatre. We were very proud of them. The men's costumes were well made +and very tasteful. "Babs," our leading lady, was most charming and +engaging, in spite of the fact that her hands looked decidedly masculine. +The townspeople enjoyed the entertainments as much as we did, and the +battalions were given their own special nights. Occasionally, some of +the jokes appeared to me a trifle too broad. At such times I would pay +a visit to the Green-room, as Senior Chaplain, and mildly suggest +their withdrawal. I must say that the men took my interference in good +part and kept their exuberance of spirits well in check. Our Divisional +band was up to high-water mark, and their rendering of the hymns and +chants on Sundays made our services in the theatre extraordinarily +hearty. + +One afternoon I motored over to Quatre Vents to take a funeral service +in the cemetery there. Instead of returning, I went down to Cambligneul +to see the men of the 7th Battalion. They were enjoying a rest in the +quaint old town. In the evening, I went down to the Y.M.C.A. hut which +was in charge of the British. Here I found our men crowded into the +building, not knowing what to do with themselves. The officer in charge +of the hut was a quiet man, who was doing his best in superintending +the work at the counter. It struck me, however, that he felt a little +embarrassed by the situation, and did not know how to provide amusement +for the wild Canadians. I asked him if he would object to our having a +stag-dance. He said, "Certainly not, you may do anything you like." At +once we got several dozen candles and illuminated the place. Then we +sent out for a pianist and some violinists, and got up a scratch +orchestra. We then cleared away the tables and benches and turned the +place into a dance-hall. The orchestra struck up a lively two-step, +and great burly chaps chose their equally burly partners, and (p. 204) +started off in the dance with such gusto that the place was filled +with the sounds of dissipation. This attracted more men from outside, +and finally we had the liveliest scene imaginable. I actually found +myself joining in the mazes of the waltz, and amid roars of laughter +the dancing went on fast and furious. So delighted was the Y.M.C.A. +officer, that he mounted the platform at the end of a dance, and in +spite of my protest, called for three cheers for the man who had +suggested the entertainment. At the close of the evening, we had cups +of hot coffee and biscuits, and parted in the best of humours. I was +then confronted by a problem that had not presented itself to me +before, and that was, how I was to get back to my home in Bruay, which +was about ten miles off. Once more my favourite text came to my mind, +"The Lord will provide." So I bid good-bye to my friends in the hut +and went off, trusting that a car or lorry would pick me up on the +road. This time I found that the Lord did not provide, so I started at +about half-past ten on my homeward journey on foot. As I passed +through the sleeping village of Estree-Cauchie, I came upon some men +of another Division who had been imbibing very freely in an estaminet, +and who were about to wind up a heated argument with a free fight. It +was very dark, and it was hard for me to convince them that I was a +chaplain with the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, until I turned my flashlight +upon my white collar. Happily, my efforts as peacemaker were not in +vain. I poured oil on the troubled waters till I saw them subside, and +the men went off to their billets. One young fellow, however, was +experiencing that interest in spiritual problems, which was sometimes +aroused in the most unexpected quarters by free libations of spirituous +liquors. He caught hold of my arm and implored me to enlighten him on +the theological differences which separated Anglicans and Presbyterians. +I forget which he was himself, but at the time the problem was a +matter of extraordinary interest to him. While I always considered it +my duty to impart enlightenment to darkened souls whenever I could, +the recollection that I had about seven miles to walk to my home that +night rather tempered my missionary zeal, and by a promise to discuss +the whole matter on our next meeting I managed to tear myself away and +proceed on my journey. + +It was a long tramp down the silent road in the darkness. The houses +in the little villages through which I passed were tightly shut. Not a +light could be seen, and Providence supplied no car or lorry (p. 205) +for my conveyance. On a hill in the distance, I saw the revolving +light which acted as a signal to the aeroplanes. It would shine out +for a few seconds and then die away. The air was fresh and cool, and I +had time to meditate on the curious events of the intense life which I +lived. It was still day in Canada, and the sun was shining over our +cities, the great lakes, the prairies, and the jagged peaks in the +mountain province on the Pacific coast. When was this life going to +end? Were we really making any progress? Overhead, my beloved friends +the stars, kept up their silent twinkling, which gave them an appearance +of life. In the valley lay the old medieval Chateau of Ohlain. I +thought of the historical figures from the pages of French history who +had walked along that road centuries before, filled with the anxieties +and problems of their own age. Now and then, some bird of the night +would break the silence with its cry or twitter, and still I plodded +on. At last, long after midnight, I reached the outskirts of Bruay, +and entering the High Street, made my way to my billet, where Alberta +was waiting to give me a warm welcome. + +It was the privilege of the British Army to have as its commanders, +good and devout men. One always felt that, in any appeal, the cause of +religion would be upheld. General Horne, who commanded the First Army, +of which we formed a part, was a man of sincere religious life, and +never failed to show his appreciation of the chaplains and their work. +One day he invited all the Chaplains of the First Army to have tea +with him at his headquarters in the beautiful Chateau of Ranchicourt. +It was a lovely afternoon, and we motored over to the meeting in +busses. Tables were set for tea and refreshments on the lawn, and the +Count and his charming daughter were there, giving a touch of home +life to the gathering. All the chaplains who could be off duty were +present. After tea, while we sat on the grass, the General gave us a +very helpful talk on religious work among the men from a soldier's +point of view. The old Chateau, with its beautiful gardens in front of +the huge elms gave a fine setting to the scene. + +On August 31st I was driven over to a field at the back of Villers-Chatel, +where the 2nd Brigade was to hold a memorial service for those who had +been killed at the taking of Hill 70. I had been asked to give the +address. The place chosen was a wide and green field which sloped +gradually towards the line of rich forest trees. On the highest part +of the ground facing the woods, a small platform had been erected (p. 206) +and was decorated with flags. On this the chaplains stood, the Corps +Commander and the Brigadier and staff being at one side. Before us, +forming three sides of a square, were the four battalions of the +Brigade. The scene when viewed from the platform was magnificent. The +sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the glorious trees guarded the +green mysteries of the forest behind. The troops were in splendid +form, and the bright red patches on their arms gave a touch of colour +which set off the khaki uniforms. Every one of the men had been +through the battle and was a hero. The service went well, and the +hymns, to the accompaniment of the band, were sung heartily. At the +close, the Corps Commander and staff went round to each battalion, and +those who had won honours came forward to receive them. As the +officers and men stood in turn before the General, the A.D.C. read out +a short account of what each had done to win the decoration. It was +deeply moving to hear the acts of gallantry that had been performed. +Fixed and motionless each man would stand, while we were told how his +courage had saved his company or platoon at some critical moment. I +remember particularly hearing how one sergeant who got the D.C.M., had +carried his Lewis gun, after all the other members of the crew had +been wounded or killed, and, placing it at a point of vantage, had, by +his steady fire, covered the advance of a company going forward to +attack. Little do people at home know by what supreme self-sacrifice +and dauntless courage those strips of bright-coloured ribbon on the +breasts of soldiers have been won. After the decorations had been +presented, the men fell back to their battalions. The band struck up +the strains of "D'ye ken John Peel?", and the whole Brigade marched +past the General, the masses of men moving with machine-like +precision. Even the rain which had begun to fall did not mar the fine +effect. + +Our stay at Bruay was not to be of long duration. In the early hours +of September 5th a bomb dropped in the garden behind the administration +building where our Headquarters were, waking us from sleep with a +sudden start. It did no harm, but on the next day we were informed +that we were all to move back to our old quarters in Barlin. I always +said that I regarded a bomb dropped on Headquarters as a portent sent +from heaven, telling us we were going to move. Accordingly on +September 6th we all made our way to Barlin, where I was given a +billet in an upper room in an estaminet. The propriety of housing (p. 207) +a Senior Chaplain in an estaminet might be questioned, but this +particular one was called the estaminet of St. Joseph. An estaminet +with such a title, and carried on under such high patronage, was one +in which I could make myself at home. So on the door was hung my sign, +"Canon Scott, Senior Chaplain," which provoked many smiles and much +comment from the men of the battalions as they passed by. I was +looking out of my window in the upper storey one day when the 2nd +Battalion was marching past, and, to the breach of all good discipline, +I called out to the men and asked them if they did not envy me my +billet. A roar of laughter went up, and they asked me how I got there +and if I could take them in as well. I told them that it was the +reward of virtue, and only those who could be trusted were allowed to +be housed in estaminets. + +Near me, at Barlin, the motor machine-gun brigade was encamped. It had +been there for some time, and I was glad to meet old friends and renew +acquaintance with the unit that had such a distinguished career at the +front. I had not seen them much since the old days at Poperinghe, but +wherever they went they covered themselves with glory. To spend an +evening in the hut used as the sergeants' mess was a delight. The +rollicking good humour that prevailed was most contagious, and I shall +always treasure the memory of it which has now been made sacred +through the death of so many whom I met there. I used to visit the +tents, too, and sitting on a box in their midst have a smoke and talk +with the men. Heavy indeed has been the toll of casualties which that +noble brigade has suffered since those happy days. + +Word was sent to the Division one day by the British troops holding +our trenches on Hill 70, that some bodies of our men were lying +unburied in No Man's Land. One of our battalions was ordered to +provide a burial party and I decided to accompany them. I was to meet +the men at a certain place near Loos on the Lens-Arras road in the +evening, and go with them. The burial officer turned up on time, but +the party did not. At last the men arrived and we went through the +well-known trenches till we came to the front line. Here I had to go +down and see some officers of the British battalions, and try to find +out where the bodies were. Apparently the officers could give us +little information, so we decided to divide up into small parties and +go into No Man's Land and search for the dead ourselves. As we were in +sight of the enemy, we could not use our electric torches, and (p. 208) +only by the assistance of German flare-lights were we able to pick +our steps over the broken ground. We found a few bodies which had not +been buried, but it was impossible to do more than cover them with +earth, for the position was an exposed one. We did the best we could +under the circumstances, and were glad to find that the number of +unburied had been greatly exaggerated. On another occasion I took a +burial party out one night, and found that the officers and men sent +were a new draft that had never been in the line before. They were +much interested in the novel and somewhat hazardous nature of the +expedition. On this occasion when we returned to Bully-Grenay, the +morning sun was shining brightly overhead, and it began to get quite +warm. The men were very tired with their night's work, and when we +halted they lay down on the pavement by the road and went to sleep. +One poor fellow actually collapsed, and we had to send off to a +dressing station for a stretcher on which he was taken away for +medical treatment. A burial party, from the nature of the case, was +not a pleasant expedition, and Canada ought to be grateful for the way +in which our Corps burial officers and the men under them carried out +their gruesome and often dangerous duty. One of our burial officers, a +fine young fellow, told me how much he disliked the work. He said, +"There is no glory in it, and people think that we have an easy time, +but two of my predecessors have been killed and I expect to get +knocked out myself some day." A year later he was killed near Cambrai, +after he had faithfully done his duty in caring for the bodies of the +slain. + +Our front trenches were now to the right of Hill 70, in advance of +Lieven, and it seemed as if we were going to be stationed in the +neighbourhood for some time, for the rumour was that the Canadians had +to complete their work at Vimy by the capture of Lens. Barlin, +therefore, and the area around it was a great centre of Canadian life +and activity. We had our large Canadian tent-hospitals, our brigade +schools, and various Y.M.C.A. places of entertainment, besides our +officers' clubs. + +In an open field near my billet were stationed the horse lines of our +Divisional Train, and it used to give me great pleasure to pass the +long rows of wagons which by the constant labour of the men were kept +in prime condition. The paint was always fresh, and all the chains +were polished as if they were merely for show. It would be hard (p. 209) +for people at home to realize that the wagons which had been used +for years under such rough conditions always looked as if they had +just come out of the shop, but that was the case. The constant +attention to detail in the army, the smartness of the men, and the +good turn-out of the horses and limbers, have a great moral effect +upon every department of the service. The men were always grumbling +about polishing buttons and chains, but I told them that the +impression of efficiency it gave one made it quite worth while. A +Division that could turn out such a fine looking Train as we had could +always be depended upon to do its duty. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. (p. 210) + +A TRAGEDY OF WAR. + + +There is nothing which brings home to the heart with such force the +iron discipline of war as the execution of men who desert from the +front line. It was my painful duty on one occasion to have to witness +the carrying out of the death sentence. One evening I was informed by +the A.P.M. that a man in one of our brigades was to be shot the next +morning, and I was asked to go and see him and prepare him for death. +The sentence had already been read to him at six o'clock, and the +brigade chaplain was present, but the A.P.M., wished me to take the +case in hand. We motored over to the village where the prisoner was +and stopped at a brick building which was entered through a courtyard. +There were men on guard in the outer room and also in a second room +from which a door led into a large brick chamber used as the condemned +cell. Here I found the man who was to pay the penalty of his +cowardice. He had a table before him and on it a glass of brandy and +water and writing materials. He was sitting back in his chair and his +face wore a dazed expression. The guards kindly left us alone. He rose +and shook hands with me, and we began to talk about his sentence. He +was evidently steeling himself and trying to fortify his mind by the +sense of great injustice done to him. I allowed him to talk freely and +say just what he pleased. Gradually, I succeeded in getting at the +heart of the true man which I knew was hidden under the hard exterior, +and the poor fellow began to tell me about his life. From the age of +eleven, when he became an orphan, he had to get his own living and +make his way in a world that is often cold and cruel to those who have +no friends. Then by degrees he began to talk about religion and his +whole manner changed. All the time I kept feeling that every moment +the dreaded event was coming nearer and nearer and that no time was to +be lost. He had never been baptised, but wished now to try and make up +for the past and begin to prepare in a real way to meet his God. + +I had brought my bag with the communion vessels in it, and so he and I +arranged the table together, taking away the glass of brandy and water +and the books and papers, and putting in their place the white (p. 211) +linen altar cloth. When everything was prepared, he knelt down +and I baptised him and gave him his first communion. The man's mind +was completely changed. The hard, steely indifference and the sense of +wrong and injustice had passed away, and he was perfectly natural. I +was so much impressed by it that while I was talking to him, I kept +wondering if I could not even then, at that late hour, do something to +avert the carrying out of the sentence. Making some excuse and saying +I would be back in a little while, I left him, and the guard went into +the room accompanied by one of the officers of the man's company. When +I got outside, I told the brigade chaplain that I was going to walk +over to Army Headquarters and ask the Army Commander to have the death +sentence commuted to imprisonment. + +It was then about one a.m. and I started off in the rain down the dark +road. The Chateau in which the General lived was two miles off, and +when I came to it, I found it wrapped in darkness. I went to the +sentry on guard, and told him that I wished to see the General on +important business. Turning my flashlight upon my face, I showed who I +was. He told me that the General's room was in the second storey at +the head of a flight of stairs in a tower at the end of the building. +I went over there, and finding the door unlocked, I mounted the wooden +steps, my flashlight lighting up the place. I knocked at a door on the +right and a voice asked me who I was. When I told my name, I was +invited to enter, and an electric light was turned on and I found I +was in the room of the A.D.C., who was sitting up in bed. Luckily, I +had met him before and he was most sympathetic. I apologized for +disturbing him but told him my mission and asked if I might see the +General. He got up and went into the General's room. In a few moments +he returned, and told me that the General would see me. Instead of +being angry at my extraordinary intrusion, he discussed the matter +with me. Before a death sentence could be passed on any man, his case +had to come up first in his Battalion orderly room, and, if he was +found guilty there, it would be sent to the Brigade. From the Brigade +it was sent to the Division, from the Division to Corps, from Corps to +Army, and from Army to General Headquarters. If each of these courts +confirmed the sentence, and the British Commander-in-Chief signed the +warrant, there was no appeal, unless some new facts came to light. Of +all the men found guilty of desertion from the front trenches, only a +small percentage were executed. It was considered absolutely (p. 212) +necessary for the safety of the Army that the death sentence should +not be entirely abolished. The failure of one man to do his duty might +spoil the morale of his platoon, and spread the contagion of fear from +the platoon to the company and from the company to the battalion, +endangering the fate of the whole line. The General told me, however, +that if any new facts came to light, suggesting mental weakness or +insanity in the prisoner, it might be possible for the execution to be +stayed, and a new trial instituted. This seemed to give hope that +something might yet be done, so I thanked the General for his kindness +and left. + +When I got back to the prison, I made my way to the cell, not of +course, letting the condemned man know anything that had happened. By +degrees, in our conversation, I found that on both sides of his family +there were cases of mental weakness. When I had all the information +that was possible, I went out and accompanied by the brigade chaplain, +made my way once again to Army Headquarters. The chances of averting +the doom seemed to be faint, but still a human life was at stake, and +we could not rest till every effort had been made. I went to the room +of the A.D.C., and was again admitted to the presence of the Army +Commander. He told me now that the only person who could stop the +execution was the Divisional Commander, if he thought it right to do +so. At the same time, he held out very little hope that anything could +be done to commute the sentence. Once more I thanked him and went off. +The brigade chaplain was waiting for me outside and we talked the +matter over, and decided that, although the case seemed very hopeless +and it was now half-past three, one last effort should be made. We +walked back through the rain to the village, and there awoke the +A.P.M. and the Colonel of the battalion. Each of them was most +sympathetic and most anxious, if possible, that the man's life should +be spared. The A.P.M. warned me that if we had to go to Divisional +Headquarters, some seven miles away, and return, we had no time to +lose, because the hour fixed for the execution was in the early dawn. + +The question now was to find a car. The only person in the place who +had one was the Town Major. So the Colonel and I started off to find +him, which we did with a great deal of difficulty, as no one knew +where he lived. He too, was most anxious to help us. Then we had to +find the chauffeur. We managed to get him roused up, and told him (p. 213) +that he had to go to Divisional Headquarters on a matter of life and +death. It was not long before we were in the car and speeding down the +dark, muddy roads at a tremendous rate, whirling round corners in a +way that seemed likely to end in disaster. We got to the Divisional +Commander's Headquarters and then made our way to his room and laid +the matter before him. He talked over the question very kindly, but +told us that the courts had gone into the case so carefully that he +considered it quite impossible to alter the final decision. If the +action of the prisoner had given any indication of his desertion being +the result of insanity, something might be done, but there was nothing +to suggest such was the case. To delay the execution for twenty-four +hours and then to have to carry it out would mean subjecting a human +being to unspeakable torture. He felt he could not take it upon +himself to run the chance of inflicting such misery upon the man. The +Colonel and I saw at once that the case was utterly hopeless and that +we could do no more. The question then was to get back in time for the +carrying out of the sentence. Once more the car dashed along the +roads. The night was passing away, and through the drizzling rain the +gray dawn was struggling. + +By the time we arrived at the prison, we could see objects quite +distinctly. I went in to the prisoner, who was walking up and down in +his cell. He stopped and turned to me and said, "I know what you have +been trying to do for me, Sir, is there any hope?" I said, "No, I am +afraid there is not. Everyone is longing just as much as I am to save +you, but the matter has been gone into so carefully and has gone so +far, and so much depends upon every man doing his duty to the +uttermost, that the sentence must be carried out." He took the matter +very quietly, and I told him to try to look beyond the present to the +great hope which lay before us in another life. I pointed out that he +had just one chance left to prove his courage and set himself right +before the world. I urged him to go out and meet death bravely with +senses unclouded, and advised him not to take any brandy. He shook +hands with me and said, "I will do it." Then he called the guard and +asked him to bring me a cup of tea. While I was drinking it, he looked +at his watch, which was lying on the table and asked me if I knew what +time "IT" was to take place. I told him I did not. He said, "I think +my watch is a little bit fast." The big hand was pointing to ten +minutes to six. A few moments later the guards entered and put a (p. 214) +gas helmet over his head with the two eye-pieces behind so that he was +completely blindfolded. Then they handcuffed him behind his back, and +we started off in an ambulance to a crossroad which went up the side +of a hill. There we got out, and the prisoner was led over to a box +behind which a post had been driven into the ground. Beyond this a +piece of canvas was stretched as a screen. The firing party stood at a +little distance in front with their backs towards us. It was just +daylight. A drizzling rain was falling and the country looked chilly +and drear. The prisoner was seated on the box and his hands were +handcuffed behind the post. He asked the A.P.M. if the helmet could be +taken off, but this was mercifully refused him. A round piece of white +paper was pinned over his heart by the doctor as a guide for the men's +aim. I went over and pronounced the Benediction. He added, "And may +God have mercy upon my soul." The doctor and I then went into the road +on the other side of the hedge and blocked up our ears, but of course +we heard the shots fired. It was sickening. We went back to the +prisoner who was leaning forward and the doctor felt his pulse and +pronounced him dead. The spirit had left the dreary hillside and, I +trust, had entered the ranks of his heroic comrades in Paradise. + +The effect of the scene was something quite unutterable. The firing +party marched off and drew up in the courtyard of the prison. I told +them how deeply all ranks felt the occasion, and that nothing but the +dire necessity of guarding the lives of the men in the front line from +the panic and rout that might result, through the failure of one +individual, compelled the taking of such measures of punishment. A +young lad in the firing party utterly broke down, but, as one rifle on +such occasions is always loaded with a blank cartridge, no man can be +absolutely sure that he has had a part in the shooting. The body was +then placed in a coffin and taken in the ambulance to the military +cemetery, where I held the service. The usual cross was erected with +no mention upon it of the manner of the death. That was now forgotten. +The man had mastered himself and had died bravely. + +I have seen many ghastly sights in the war, and hideous forms of +death. I have heard heart-rending tales of what men have suffered, but +nothing ever brought home to me so deeply, and with such cutting +force, the hideous nature of war and the iron hand of discipline, as +did that lonely death on the misty hillside in the early morning. (p. 215) +Even now, as I write this brief account of it, a dark nightmare +seems to rise out of the past and almost makes me shrink from facing +once again memories that were so painful. It is well, however, that +people should know what our men had to endure. Before them were the +German shells, the machine-guns and the floods of gas. Behind them, if +their courage failed, was the court-martial, always administered with +great compassion and strict justice, but still bound by inexorable +laws of war to put into execution, when duty compelled, a grim and +hideous sentence of death. + +If this book should fall into the hands of any man who, from +cowardice, shirked his duty in the war, and stayed at home, let him +reflect that, but for the frustration of justice, he ought to have +been sitting that morning, blindfolded and handcuffed, beside the +prisoner on the box. HE was one of the originals and a volunteer. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. (p. 216) + +VISITS TO ROME AND PASCHENDAELE. + +_October and November, 1917._ + + +It was a good thing, after the bitter experience which I had just +passed through, that permission was granted me at this time to take +some men on a leave trip to Rome. My visit to Paris had convinced me +that it was no proper place for men to spend their leave in, so when +my next leave was nearly due I wrote to Division and asked permission +to take a party to Italy in order that some of our men might have the +benefit of seeing the great monuments of European history and art. +Weeks passed away and I heard nothing about the matter, until at last +a telegram came through granting my request. I had only asked +permission to take twelve men with me whose names had to be sent in +beforehand. But the telegram which granted permission was couched in +such vague terms, merely referring to a certain file-number, that I, +knowing that nobody would take the trouble to turn up the original +document, said nothing about it, and by a stroke of good luck +succeeded in taking with me forty-six men, including two chaplains, +two young officers and one of the staff of the Y.M.C.A. Two of the +men, alas, became casualties in the Paris barrage on the first night, +and were reported "missing, believed dead," but were found two days +afterwards by the police and sent back. The rest of us had a glorious +time and travelled to Rome via Marseilles, Nice--which included a +visit to Monte Carlo--Genoa and Pisa. I shall never forget the +delightful trip across France by daylight, and the moonlight night at +Marseilles, where we put up at the Hotel Regina. The men were in fine +form and presented a splendid soldierlike appearance. Their new +uniforms were set off by the bright red patch upon their sleeves, and +their buttons were kept well polished. I told them, before we started, +that I did not wish to be either a detective or a nursery-maid, but I +asked them to play the game and they did. We were going into the +country of an ally and I knew that such a large party would be under +very critical observation wherever we went. I had really no authority +over the men beyond that which they were willing that I should +exercise. The individuals of the party were not specially selected, +but I felt perfect confidence that we should have no trouble, +although I was naturally very much teased by members of "C" mess (p. 217) +who prophesied that I should lose some men in Paris, some in +Marseilles and some in Rome, and my friends even went so far as to +declare that they doubted whether I should ever come back myself. We +were favoured with glorious weather, and travelled by daylight the +whole length of the Riviera. The utmost good humour prevailed, and the +glorious view of the blue Mediterranean on one side, with that of the +romantic mountains on the other, drove from our minds all +uncomfortable memories of the war. In fact we seemed to get into +another world. + +The train arrived at Pisa at about nine o'clock p.m. and was to wait +there for three hours, so we all got out and had some supper and +started off to see the famous leaning tower by moonlight. The sudden +appearance of British troops in the quaint old town caused quite a +sensation, and the people came out of the cafes to see us and a mob +followed us wherever we went. We were of course pounced upon by the +vendors of souvenirs, and a number of the men came back to the station +carrying alabaster leaning towers under their arms. I warned the party +about the danger of loading themselves with such heavy and brittle +mementos, for we had still a long journey before us. The wisdom of my +warning was apparent later on, for on leaving Rome the alabaster +towers had begun to lean so much that they could no longer stand up. A +shelf full of leaning towers propped up one against another, looking +as if they had just partaken of an issue of rum, was left in the +hotel. We journeyed all night, some of the men sleeping on the seats, +some on the floor, and some in the hatracks overhead, and in the +morning amid intense excitement we arrived at the station in Rome. I +had been able to get a shave and clean up in the train, so on arrival +was ready to go and hunt for a hotel. I told the men, however, to find +their way to the Leave Club and make themselves presentable and that I +would return for them as soon as possible. After securing billets in +the Hotel Bristol, I went back for the party. Although I knew the men +would want to go about the city by themselves, I felt it would be a +good thing for our esprit-de-corps, that we should march to the hotel +in a body. So, not knowing how to give military orders myself, and +remembering what real colonels always did in similar predicaments, I +turned to the senior sergeant and said, "Sergeant, make the men fall +in, and when they are ready I will take over the parade." When the +sergeant came up to me and saluting said the parade was ready, (p. 218) +I found to my dismay that the men were facing the wrong way and if I +said "Quick march", they would walk into the brick wall opposite. I +went up close to the sergeant and whispered to him, "Turn the men +round." This he did, and placing myself at their head I shouted, +"Quick March." I think that moment, as I started off to march through +Rome at the head of that fine body of men who followed two abreast, +was the proudest of my life. I had always been interested in history, +and have read Gibbon from cover to cover, so the thought suddenly +flashed upon me, "Julius Caesar once led his forces through Rome. +Later on, Augustus Caesar led his forces through Rome. In the middle +ages, Rienzi led his forces through Rome, and now, (here my head began +to swell till it grew too big for my cap) Canon Scott is leading his +forces through Rome." We marched through the streets at "attention" +and looked not to the right nor to the left, in spite of the fact that +we passed many groups of admiring onlookers. When we arrived at the +hotel, I called out, "Halt", in proper military tones and the men +halted, but I did not know the usual formula for telling them to +disperse, and I did not want such a proper beginning to have a +miserable end. I thought of saying, "Now I will dismiss the +congregation," but that sounded too religious. I knew that if I said, +"Now we will take up the collection," my army would fly off quickly +enough. However, while I was debating with myself, the men took the +law into their own hands and, breaking off, went into the hotel. + +We happened to arrive in Rome just at the time of the great Italian +disaster in the North, and we found the populace plunged into great +anxiety. English and French newspapers were banned by the censor, so +it was difficult to find out what was happening, but I was told +privately that matters were very critical, and there might be a +revolution in Rome at any moment. I was also advised to see that our +men behaved with great circumspection, for German agents were secretly +trying to make trouble between the British and Italians. I told our +men to remember we had to help on the cause of the Allies and to be +very careful about details, such as saluting every Italian officer. I +think they saluted every Italian private as well. I also told them, in +case they were questioned on the subject, to say they were quite +pleased with the war, in fact that they rather enjoyed it and were not +a bit afraid of the Germans, and were determined to fight until a +decisive victory gave us a chance of lasting peace. + +Wherever we went on the journey, we stayed at the best hotels, for (p. 219) +I had told each man to bring with him a thousand francs. It was a +great puzzle to the Italians that Canadian soldiers were able to stay +at the most select hotel in Rome, and also that the officers and men +were able to mix together in real comradeship. The Highlanders in our +party of course attracted the greatest attention, and were frequently +followed by an admiring crowd as they passed through the streets. +Colonel Lamb, the military attache at the Embassy, was very kind to us +and secured us many privileges, not the least acceptable of which was +free transportation. We split up into small parties, and visited the +sights of the Eternal City as we pleased. On the first night after +dinner, we paid a visit to the Coliseum by moonlight, which is +something to remember. Wherever we went we met with the kindest +treatment. The ladies of the Leave Club gave us an entertainment one +evening, which was attended by the military and naval attaches at the +British and American Embassies, and by some of the English residents. +I was proud of the appearance of the men. Before we left the hotel at +Nice, an English lady, the wife of a British General at the front, +came up and congratulated me upon the men, and said they were the most +gentlemanly young fellows she had ever seen. I think it was a help to +them to feel that their appearance in Rome at that critical time was +something which gave our party a kind of political significance, and +the phrase, "to help on the cause of the Allies," became a watchword +among us. + +One night an Italian Colonel asked some of our men to dine with him at +his hotel and took them to the theatre afterwards. On another occasion, +five of our men were sitting in the front row of one of the theatres +when an actor gave an impersonation of the different sovereigns of +Europe. When he appeared as King George, the orchestra struck up our +National Anthem, and at once our men rose up and stood to attention. +One of them told me afterwards that he felt cold shivers going down +his back as he did so, because he was in full view of everybody. For a +moment there was a pause, then the audience, understanding what the +action meant, rose en masse and stood till the music was over and then +clapped their hands and shouted "Viva l'Inghilterra!" + +Many of our men were very anxious to see the Pope, and so it was +arranged that we should have an audience. Colonel Lamb informed the +1st Italian Division that we would march in a body through (p. 220) +their district. We started off in the morning, our young Highland +officer being in command. As we passed through the streets, the people +greeted us very cordially. Many of them raised their hats. The traffic, +too, would stop to let us pass. We went over the bridge of Hadrian and +arrived at the entrance of the Vatican beside St. Peter's in good +time. There we were met by an Irish priest, who remembered me from my +previous visit. I asked him if the men should break ranks but he told +me to let them come in formation. So, two by two, we mounted the +glorious Royal Staircase, the splendid surroundings being a good +setting for the fine looking soldiers. At the various landings, the +Swiss Guards in their picturesque uniforms presented arms, and we +found ourselves at last in a wonderful hall with richly frescoed walls +and ceiling. Here the men were halted and passed in single file into +the audience chamber. We had to wait for quite a long time, and at +last the Pope entered, clothed in white and looking much older and +more worn than when I had seen him only a year and a half before. He +was very guarded in what he said to us, because we were the first +soldiers whom he had received in a body, and any expression he might +make with reference to the war would be liable to various +interpretations. He spoke to some of our men in French and then wished +us health and protection and a safe return to Canada. Then, giving his +blessing he left us, and we made our way to the outer room where we +reformed and marched off as we had come. + +That afternoon we were photographed in the Coliseum, and I visited the +interesting old church of St. Clement afterwards. Every evening, after +a day spent in rambling among antiquities, we used to attend the opera +in the Grand Opera House. It acted as a sort of relaxation after the +serious business of sight-seeing. Rumours now reached us of the attack +that our Division was making up in the Salient, and one night when I +was having tea in the Grand Hotel I went over and asked a young +British staff officer whom I saw there, if he had any news. He said to +me that the Canadian Corps were making an attack at Passchendaele +under the most appalling conditions of mud and rain and had covered +themselves with glory. I asked him if it were true that Sir William +Robertson had come to Rome. "Yes," he said, "I am his son. He has +brought me with him and we are all very proud of the Canadians." At +another table I saw M. Venezelos. It was understood now that (p. 221) +Britain and France were to come to the assistance of Italy, but still +Venice was in imminent peril, and the Italians were heart-broken at +the way the 3rd Italian Army had behaved. Refugees from the North +began to pour into Rome and affairs were very serious. I told our men +of the gravity of the situation and the increased importance of +helping on the cause of the Allies in every possible way. + +It is the custom at Rome on All Soul's day, November 2nd, to place +flowers and wreaths on the marble steps in front of the equestrian +statue of Victor Emmanuel. This year, I was told, the people were +going to make a special demonstration. It occurred to me that it might +not be a bad idea if we, too, placed a wreath to the memory of our +comrades. I put the matter before Colonel Lamb and he said it was a +very good idea indeed, but asked us to put on the card which would be +attached to our wreath, the words, "To the brave Italian dead, from +their comrades in the British Empire," rather than, "To the brave +Italian dead from their Canadian comrades." He said he was anxious to +emphasize the connection between the British and the Italians. An +Italian major made the arrangements with me for carrying out the +project. Poor man, he was so moved at the thought of the disgraceful +surrender of the 3rd Italian Army that his eyes filled with tears as +he talked about it, and he said, "What will our Allies think of Italy +when her men behave like that?" I told him it was only a small part of +their army that had failed and that the rest had behaved very +gallantly. That afternoon, preceded by two of our sergeants carrying a +large wreath of laurel tied with purple ribbon, to which we attached +two cards with the inscription, one in English and one in Italian, we +marched through the crowds of onlookers, who took off their hats as we +passed, until we reached the great marble steps which lead up to the +gilded statue of the late King. Here there was a magnificent display +of flowers made up in all sorts of designs. The crowd gave away before +us, and one of the officials, who had been directed by the Italian +major, took the wreath from us and gave it a place of honour in front +of the statue. We stood in a long line on the marble steps and saluted +and then turned and left. The people clapped their hands and shouted, +"Viva l'Inghilterra!" We were pleased at the impression the simple act +of courtesy made, and felt that it was helping on the cause of the +Allies. + +Our men were always very much amused by the moving picture shows, (p. 222) +the characters of these entertainments being so different from that of +similar exhibitions at the front. They were so tragic and so sentimental +that they did not appeal strongly to the wholesome minds of Canadian +soldiers. It was always very interesting to hear their criticisms of +the customs and outlook of the people with whom we were sojourning. +There is no doubt that the army mind is the sanest and most wholesome +in the whole community. It may not express itself in the most artistic +terms or the most religious language, but its judgments are absolutely +sound and worthy of the most careful consideration. I am sure that +Canadian political life, unless other influences nullify it, will be +immeasurably bettered by the soldiers' vote. + +I had the great privilege of a visit to Cardinal Gasquet in the home +of the Dominicans not far from St. Peter's. The interview had been +arranged for me by an English priest whom I met at the hospital of the +Blue Nuns, where I had taken two of our men who were ill with +pneumonia. The Cardinal is engaged in the stupendous task of revising +the text of the Latin Vulgate. He showed me photographs of the ancient +manuscripts with the various readings noted. It will be years before +the great task is completed, but when it is, it will remain untouched +for centuries to come. He told me that news had just been received of +the consecration of the first Roman Catholic Bishop in Russia. This +had been made possible by the overthrow of the reigning dynasty. He +was most kind, and told me many interesting things about life in Rome +during the war, and before I left asked me to write my name in his +visitor's book, pointing out to me on the upper part of the page the +recent signature of the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne. + +Altogether we had been absent by this time for nearly two weeks, and +had still a long return journey ahead of us. I thought, however, that +the valuable service our men were rendering the great cause justified +our over-staying our leave. In fact, when I went to say good-bye to +Colonel Lamb, he and his staff told me that the presence of our men in +the City at that time had been worth any amount of printed propaganda. +I hinted that some statement of that kind to General Currie might be a +good thing. To my great delight, soon after we had returned, General +Currie received the following letter, which has an official stamp +which I never expected:-- + + BRITISH EMBASSY, (p. 223) + ROME. + 9th November, 1917. + "Dear General, + + "With reference to the recent visit to Rome of a party of Canadian + officers and soldiers, I am requested by H. E. Sir Rennel Rodd to + inform you of the excellent impression produced among the + inhabitants of this city, by the soldierlike turnout, and + excellent and courteous behaviour of all ranks belonging to the + party. + + "Their visit has helped to inspire Italians with a feeling of + confidence in their allies at a time of great anxiety and trial. + "Believe me, + Yours very truly, + (Sgd.) CHARLES A. LAMB, + Colonel, + Military Attache. + Rome." + +We left for Florence on Saturday November 3rd. The ladies of the Leave +Club came to see us off, and after a delightful trip in brilliant +sunshine, we arrived at our destination at seven in the evening. On +our journey we passed many trains filled with refugees, who were +crowded together in third-class carriages. As the Austrian and German +armies advanced in the North the people in the villages were given a +quarter of an hour in which to decide whether they would stay or go. +They were warned, however, that if they stayed and the Italians ever +tried to retake the towns they would all be put to death. I was told +by some officers of a British hospital in Turin, who had had to leave +the Italian front in a hurry, that it was a sad sight to see the +inhabitants of the towns fleeing down the roads from the advancing +enemy. Old and infirm people dragged themselves along. Parents lost +their children and children lost their parents in the crowd, and the +people took with them only the things which they could carry on their +persons. Florence was crowded with these unfortunates, who were lying +out at night in the squares and being tended by the citizens. There +was a great crowd at the station when we arrived, and a number of +Italian soldiers who spoke English gathered round our party and told +us that the war was over and that the soldiers would not fight any +more. Our men, however, were equal to the occasion, and told them (p. 224) +that _we_ were going to keep on fighting no matter what the Italians did, +and that there could be no peace until we had a decisive victory. The +whole city was astir, and many Italian regiments were quartered there. +I told the men before we sought for accommodation in the crowded town, +how important it was that we should show a determined face at this +time. + +On the following afternoon, which was Sunday, I had a curious +experience. The Y.M.C.A. officer and I were going off to see the great +church of Santa Croce, which is the Italian Westminster Abbey, many +great Italians having been buried there. As we passed down the street +my friend went into a shop to buy some chocolates. While I was +waiting, I heard the stirring notes of the Marseillaise, and looking +round saw a band coming up the street followed by three Italian flags, +a number of soldiers, and a rabble of men, women and children. I +called to my companion to come out quickly and salute the Italian +colours. As they passed, we stood on the curb and saluted with strict +military precision. In fact we saluted so well that the delighted +members of the procession grabbed us by the hand and finally dragged +us into their midst, others clapping their hands and shouting "Viva +l'Inghilterra!" I was separated from my companion in the rabble and +called over to him and asked him what it was. He said, "I think it is +a Socialist demonstration." This rather dismayed me, but I turned to +one of the people by my side and asked him in French what the crowd +was. He told me it was the society for finishing the war, so I called +out to my friend, "It's all right Captain, it is the society for +finishing the war. I have wanted to join that society for some time." +I saw at once that the procession was an attempt to pull the Italians +together and rouse them to a supreme effort to resist the enemy and +save Italy. The crowd was so enthusiastic about the presence of +representatives of the British Army, that they finally caught us by +our legs and carried us on their shoulders through the streets. It was +a most amusing incident. I could not help thinking that the crowd were +the descendants of the men who had burnt Savonarola at the stake. My +friend, whose sense of humour had failed him, shouted over to me, "I +hate being made a fool of like this." I told him not to be rude as we +were helping on the cause of the Allies. Finally, overcome by our +struggles, the men let us down, and we were pushed along in the crowd +to the square in front of the Hotel Minerva. Here the leaders of the +procession invited us into the hotel and we were taken upstairs to (p. 225) +the front room, out of which opened a balcony overlooking the square. +A young Italian officer, who had been a lawyer before the war and had +lost both his eyes, went on to the balcony and made a most impassioned +appeal to his countrymen. The crowd in the square was now very dense, +and received his speech with great enthusiasm. When it was over, one +of the officers of "The society for finishing the war," came and urged +me to address the crowd. I was so pleased to find that my French was +better understood in Italy than in any place except England, that I +asked my friend if I should speak to them in French. He looked at me +very sourly, for he had not quite got back his equanimity, and said +curtly, "You had better not." Then I said, "I will talk to them in +Italian." I shall never forget the look of dismay which passed over +his countenance, but I told him it was helping on the cause of the +Allies. I went out on the balcony, and the people seeing the British +uniform and probably mistaking me for a general, at once began to +cheer. I took off my cap, waved it in the air and shouted at the top +of my voice "Viva l'Italia." It was the only speech they wanted. It +was neither too long nor too short. The crowd repeated the words, and +then shouted, "Viva l'Inghilterra!" and the band actually struck up +"God save the King" and followed it by "Rule Britannia, Britannia +rules the waves" (I wished at the time she had ruled under the waves +as well.) I went back to the room and the Italians were so delighted +with my short and pithy speech, that they invited me to dine with them +that night and bring two officers with me. When we got down to the +square, the mob crowded round us and shook hands with us, and I was +afraid that some of the ladies were going to embrace us. I think +people thought we were part of the advance guard that had been sent +from France to the assistance of Italy. + +That night three of us attended the dinner given by the officers of +"The society for finishing the war," in a very fine restaurant. The +Deputy for Florence, who had been one of the members of the government +which had declared war on Austria, was present and I sat by the side +of an alderman of the city. Opposite to me was an English lady who +acted as an interpreter. At the close of the dinner the Deputy rose +and made a very eloquent speech, welcoming us to Italy and saying how +much Italians appreciated the fact that England was one of her Allies. +I replied in English, which was translated by our fair interpreter, +and told them how glad we were to be with them and that we had come, +some of our men seven thousand miles, as a voluntary army to fight (p. 226) +not only for the British Empire, but for something even bigger than +that, for our common civilization, and that the war had made the +Allies one family. I said that our men were determined to fight to the +bitter end, for we could have no true peace until we had a decisive +victory. Then I added that, if our Division were sent to Italy, we +should all come with great pleasure, knowing that the Italians were +our comrades and warm friends. I thought too, during my speech, that a +dugout in Florence would be worth two in Bully-Grenay. The party +seemed very pleased with my remarks and we all exchanged visiting +cards and separated good friends. The whole affair was very amusing, +and when the Italians pushed back the enemy in 1918, I used to tell +the men, amid roars of laughter, that nothing but my modesty prevented +my saying who it was that had saved Italy, that no one would ever hear +from my lips the name of the man who, when Italy was lying prostrate +at the feet of the advancing foe, shouted into her dying ear the +startling words "Viva l'Italia" and set her on her feet. + +Two days afterwards, accompanied to the station by an admiring crowd +and three ladies carrying Italian flags, we bade farewell to Florence +and started on our return journey. We spent the afternoon in Pisa, +and, after a night's journey, arrived at Turin in the morning. Our men +got out of the train and were making their way to the station when +they were met by the British R.T.O. a very large officer who wore an +eyeglass. He brought them quickly to attention by calling out, "Who +are you?" They told him they were Canadians on leave, and I, fearing +bloodshed, went up to the officer and explained who they were and why +they had come. He told me that there had been a mutiny in Turin that +summer and relations between the British and Italians were very much +strained, owing to the action of German agents. He said he had been +living on the top of a volcano for the past three months, and was +afraid to allow any large body of troops to go about the town lest +there might be trouble. I assured him that our men would behave with +great circumspection. He then told me that they would have to be back +in rest-billets, near the station, not later than ten o'clock. I asked +if he could not make it eleven, because I knew that the men wanted to +go to the theatre. He agreed to this and asked me to tell them that +roll would be called in the rest-billets at eleven o'clock. I halted +the men and said, "Boys, roll will be called in the rest-billets +tonight at eleven o'clock sharp." Whether it was or not we never (p. 227) +knew, for none of us was there to hear. The men went to the theatres +and to the various hotels afterwards. No trouble ensued, and when we +left on the following afternoon the R.T.O. was most friendly and gave +us a hearty send-off, no doubt feeling too relieved at our departure +to make any inquiries. + +Although we had had a most delightful trip I was really thankful we +were at last setting our faces towards the North. We arrived in Paris +the next morning, and before we left the station I told the men that +every one of them had to be at the train that evening. I had taken it +upon myself to extend their leave, as I thought their presence in +Italy was beneficial to the cause, but I asked them to show their +gratitude by not failing to return all together. That night, to my +intense satisfaction, they all turned up at the station at seven +o'clock, and we started for Calais. We arrived there the next morning, +and in the afternoon left for the front. + +We arrived at Poperinghe that night at six o'clock. It was dark, a +drizzling rain was falling, and the mud was thick. We could hear the +big guns firing, and the men were coming and going in all directions. +We took a hasty farewell of one another and then parted. No one we met +cared whether we had come from Italy or were going to Jericho. The men +did not know where their headquarters were, and I was particularly +anxious not to find mine. I went over to the Officer's Club and +secured a shake-down in the garret, but, as I heard that our Division +had made an attack that day, I determined to go up to the line. I +started off after dinner in an ambulance to the old mill at +Vlamertinghe, where there was a repetition of the sights and sounds +which I had experienced there on two previous occasions. Later on, I +went forward in another ambulance through Ypres to an advanced +dressing station. Then I started to walk up the terrible, muddy roads +till I came to the different German pill-boxes which had been +converted into headquarters for the battalions. Finally, after wading +through water and mud nearly up to my knees, I found myself the next +afternoon wandering through the mud and by the shell holes and +miserable trenches near Goudberg Copse, with a clear view of the ruins +of Paschendaele, which was held by another division on our right. The +whole region was unspeakably horrible. Rain was falling, the dreary +waste of shell-ploughed mud, yellow and clinging, stretched off into +the distance as far as the eye could see. Bearer parties, tired (p. 228) +and pale, were carrying out the wounded on stretchers, making a +journey of several miles in doing so. The bodies of dead men lay here +and there where they had fallen in the advance. I came across one poor +boy who had been killed that morning. His body was covered with a +shiny coating of yellow mud, and looked like a statue made of bronze. +He had a beautiful face, with finely shaped head covered with close +curling hair, and looked more like some work of art than a human +being. The huge shell holes were half full of water often reddened +with human blood and many of the wounded had rolled down into the +pools and been drowned. As I went on, some one I met told me that +there was a wounded man in the trenches ahead of me. I made my way in +the direction indicated and shouted out asking if anybody was there. +Suddenly I heard a faint voice replying, and I hurried to the place +from which the sound came. There I found sitting up in the mud of the +trench, his legs almost covered with water, a lad who told me that he +had been there for many hours. I never saw anything like the wonderful +expression on his face. He was smiling most cheerfully, and made no +complaint about what he had suffered. I told him I would get a +stretcher, so I went to some trenches not far away and got a bearer +party and a stretcher and went over to rescue him. The men jumped down +into the trench and moved him very gently, but his legs were so numb +that although they were hit he felt no pain. One of the men asked him +if he was only hit in the legs. He said, "Yes," but the man looked up +at me and pulling up the boy's tunic showed me a hideous wound in his +back. They carried him off happy and cheerful. Whether he ever +recovered or not I do not know. If he did and ever sees this book, I +wish he would write and tell me how he is. + +That was our last attack at Paschendaele. Our Division had taken its +final objective. The next morning, the infantry were to come out of +the line, so in the late afternoon I returned with some stretcher +bearers. Several times shells came near enough to splatter us with +mud, and here and there I turned aside to bury those for whom graves +had just been prepared. + +At the front that day, a runner and I had joined in a brief burial +service over the body of a gallant young officer lying where he fell +on the side of a large shell-hole. As I uttered the words--"I am the +Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord," it seemed to me that the +lonely wind bore them over that region of gloom and death as (p. 229) +if it longed to carry the message of hope far away to the many sad +hearts in Canada whose loved ones will lie, until the end, in unknown +graves at Paschendaele. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. (p. 230) + +OUR LAST WAR CHRISTMAS. + + +Our Division moved back to Barlin and I was once more established in +my old billet. As our artillery were still at Ypres, I determined to +go back on the following day to the Salient. I started in a car the +next morning at six, and arrived at Talbot House, Poperinghe, in time +to have breakfast with Padre Clayton, who was in charge of that +splendid institution. Then I made my way to Ypres and found my son at +his battery headquarters under the Cloth Hall Tower. It was a most +romantic billet, for the debris of the ruins made a splendid +protection from shells, and the stone-vaulted chambers were airy and +commodious, much better than the underground cellars in which most of +the men were quartered. The guns of the battery were forward in a very +"unhealthy" neighbourhood. The officers and men used to take turns in +going on duty there for twenty-four hours at a time. They found that +quite long enough, as the forward area was continually exposed to +shells and aeroplane attacks. I went on to visit our own field +batteries, and found them distributed in a most desolate region. The +mud was so deep that to step off the bath-mats meant sinking almost to +the knees. In order to move the guns, planks had to be laid in front +of them for a track, and the guns were roped and dragged along by the +men. It was hard physical labour but they bore it, as they did other +difficulties and dangers, with the utmost good humour. It was tiring +enough merely to walk out to see them, without having anything else to +do. What those men went through at that time no one can imagine. Just +to watch them laying the planks and hauling on the ropes which drew +the heavy mud-covered guns made me weary. When I meet some of my +gunner friends in Montreal and Toronto looking so clean and happy, I +think of what they did behind Passchendaele Ridge, and I take off my +hat to them. + +I spent three days at Ypres, and then, by jumping lorries, made my way +back to St. Venant and Robecq, where I spent the night. The next +morning I left for Bethune, and thence by the assistance of lorries +and a car continued my journey to our new Divisional Headquarters, +which had found a home at Chateau de la Haie. Here I had a billet (p. 231) +in an upstairs room over what had been part of a stable. The room was +neither beautiful nor clean, but served as an abode for me and Alberta +and her newly-arrived family. The Chateau was a large house of no +distinction, but it stood in delightful grounds, and at the back of it +was a pond whose clear waters reflected the tall, leafless trees which +bordered it. One fact made the Chateau popular and that was, that, up +to that time, no shell or bomb had fallen in the neighbourhood. It was +said that the location of the Chateau was not to be found on the +enemy's maps. Round about were huts with accommodation sufficient to +house a whole brigade. The charm of the place was completed by our 4th +Division having erected there a large and most artistic theatre, which +would seat on benches nearly one thousand men. It had a good stage and +a pit for the orchestra in front. This theatre, when our concert party +was in full swing, was a source of infinite delight to us all. It was +built on the slope of a hill, the stage being at the lower end and a +good view of the play therefore, could be had from all parts. The +scenery was beautifully painted and the electric lights and +foot-lights well arranged. + +Near us was the village of Gouy-Servins, where many men were billeted, +and in huts at Souchez and other places along the valley the various +units found their homes. The year's campaign was now over and we could +look forward to a quiet time during the winter. "C" mess had a very +comfortable hut, with an open fireplace. We were supposed to have the +liveliest entertainments of any mess at Headquarters, and had +therefore many visitors. I shall never forget the jolly face of our +president, the D.A.D.M.S., nor the irrepressible spirit of our A.P.M., +son of a distinguished father who commanded an Army, nor the dry +common-sense humour of our Field Cashier. What delight they took in +ragging the Senior Chaplain, whose automatic ears, as he averred, +prevented his hearing the things he should not. Nor must we forget the +Camp Commandant, often perplexed like Martha with much serving. It was +a goodly company and one much addicted to bridge and other diversions. +I shall not forget the continual appeals of a gallant staff officer +with two or three ribbons, who asked me penitently every morning for a +moral uplift, which I noticed completely evaporated before evening. +There was a freedom about our gatherings that was quite unique and has +left pleasant memories in the mind, in spite of the fact that I told +my fellow members they were the most godless crowd in Christendom. +One day when we were at Ecoivres, a shell fell by the house, while (p. 232) +we were having dinner. Someone asked me afterwards if it had "put my +wind up?" "Not a bit", I replied, "I knew that the Devil was not going +to destroy one of his favourite machine-gun emplacements." + +There was much excitement at this time over the question of +conscription. The soldiers were to have votes and much depended upon +their being given in the right way. It was a critical time, as our +man-power was being exhausted. Recruiting under the voluntary system +had become inadequate to meet our needs. Beyond this, however, one +felt that the moral effect of Canada's refusing conscription would be +very harmful. The Germans would at once see in it an indication that +Canada was growing weary of fighting and they would consequently take +heart. It was most essential then that our men should cast a solid +vote for the coalition government. I felt it my duty therefore to do +as much electioneering work as I could. At night I used to address the +men in the theatre between the acts of the play, and tell them that if +we threw out the conscription bill, it would go a long way to undo the +good of all they had done and destroy the value of the sacrifice our +dead comrades had made. Once I was invited to speak to a battalion of +the 4th Division during an entertainment which they were holding. When +I closed my address I told them that the last thing I wanted to do was +to influence their vote. All I asked of them when they went to the +polls was to make a cross in front of Borden's name. From the laughter +and cheers with which this statement was received, I think they +probably did. A few of the men told me that the thing which made them +hesitate about voting for conscription was that they could not bring +themselves to do anything which would force others to come and endure +the hellish life at the front. The great unionist victory at the polls +in Canada, which we heard of on December 18th, showed us that the +heart of the young country was sound, and this no doubt was noted by +the Germans. + +One more, (and this was the last,) St. George's church was built for +me near the Chateau. Thus I was enabled to have a daily celebration of +the Holy Communion. + +The arrival of one of the battalions of the 4th Division gave us the +first indication that we were to move. On December 20th we left once +more for Bruay. Here I found that my old billet was no longer +available, but I managed to find a home in a clean little cottage (p. 233) +in the same street, where I had a room downstairs for an office, +cheered by an open fire, and a large bare room upstairs in which I put +my bed. On the garden-gate I hung out my sign "St. George's Rectory." +Once again I found myself in the familiar neighbourhood with all the +beloved battalions round us as before. The theatre was filled night +after night, and there were the old gatherings of officers in the +hotel. We regarded it as a great stroke of luck that once more we were +going to spend Christmas out of the line. + +On Christmas Eve, when I was preparing to go up to the midnight +Communion Service in the theatre, a new C. of E. Chaplain arrived and +came with me to assist. On the stage the altar was set as before, and +the dear old flag which now for three long years had been devoted to +the sacred purpose shone out as the frontal. The band played the +Christmas hymns and a large number of men attended. Some of them, but +not many, had been there the year before. It was very beautiful and +solemn. At midnight on New Year's Eve we repeated the service. Again +there was a large congregation, and to me as I looked back to the +gathering held in that place just one year ago it was quite +overpowering. How many of those who had been with us at the dawn of +1917 had passed away? The seats where they had sat were filled with +other men. The hymns they had joined in were sung by other lips. In my +heart went up the cry, "How long, O Lord, how long?" Once more the +hands of the weary world clock had passed over the weeks and months of +another year, and still the end was not in sight. As we stood in +silence, while the buglers sounded the Last Post for the dying year, a +wild and strange vision swept before me: I saw again the weary waste +of mud and the shell ploughed ridge at Vimy; the fierce attacks at +Arleux and Fresnoy; the grim assault on Hill 70 and the hellish agony +of Paschendaele. Surely the ceaseless chiselling of pain and death had +graven deeply into the inmost heart of Canada, the figures 1917. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. (p. 234) + +VICTORY YEAR OPENS. + +_January and February, 1918._ + + +Victory Year, though we did not know it by that name then, opened with +fine bracing weather, and there was the usual round of dinners and +entertainments with which we always greeted the birth of a new +twelve-month. We had several Canadian-like snow storms. In the midst +of one, I met a forlorn despatch rider coming up the main street on +his wheel with the blinding snow in his face. I stopped him and asked +him if he wouldn't like to have some dinner, and I took him into the +hotel. He had been to Bethune to buy some V.C. ribbon for one of the +men of his battalion who was going to be presented with it on the +following day, and was so proud of his mission that he made no +complaint about the long and tiring journey through the snowstorm. The +country behind Bruay is broken up into pleasant valleys, and there are +plenty of trees on the hills, so the winter aspect of the district +made us feel quite at home. I used to give many talks to the men on +what I called "The war outlook", I thought it helped to encourage +them, and I was perfectly sincere in my belief, which grew stronger as +time went on, in spite of notable set-backs, that we should have +victory before the end of the year. + +We had a visit at this time from Bishop du Pencier, who came to hold a +confirmation for us at Divion. There were forty candidates, nearly all +of them being presented by chaplains of the 1st Brigade. It was a +solemn service and made a deep impression upon the men. The hymns were +sung very heartily, and the Bishop gave a most helpful address. I +remember specially one young fellow called Vaughan Groves, who came to +me for the preparation. He was a small, rather delicate young lad +about nineteen years of age, and was a runner for the 2nd Brigade. He +had a fine open face and had the distinction of having won the M.M. +and bar. To have won these honours as a Brigade runner was a mark of +rare courage. I felt the deepest admiration for the boy, who was the +only son of a widowed mother in Canada. He never touched liquor and +had lived a perfectly straight life, and his was just the type of +character which found scope for great deeds in the war. After the (p. 235) +confirmation I lost sight of him, until some months afterwards when, +as I was going through Arras one night, I looked into a cellar near +the 2nd Brigade Headquarters, and seeing a number of men in there, +went down to have a talk. I found they were the Brigade runners, and +so I at once asked for my young friend. They told me that he had been +wounded in the arm and when he came to the dressing station, finding +there a man who was dying from loss of blood, had at once offered his +own blood for transfusion into the veins of the sufferer. So much had +to be taken from him that the boy got very weak and had to be sent +back to England to recuperate. The men added that it was just the +thing that little Vaughan would do. He was the finest, cleanest little +chap, they said, that they had ever met. It was always delightful to +hear such testimony from men to the innate power of human goodness. I +have never seen or heard of Vaughan Groves since, but I hope that some +one may read this book who will be able to tell me how and where he +is. + +I was not sorry when our rest was over. There was more time to get +home-sick when we were out of the line. If we had to be in the war at +all, the happiest place was at the front. So when on January 23rd I +left Bruay for Bracquemont, I did so with little regret. My billet at +Bracquemont was the same which I had occupied in the previous +September, and it seemed quite like home. Once more our men held the +trenches on Hill 70 and the battalions in the back area were billeted +in Mazingarbe, Le Brebris, and Sains-en-Gohelle. + +The day after I arrived, I determined to do some parish visiting in +the slums--as I called the front line. I started off in my old trench +uniform and long habitant boots, carrying with me a supply of bully-beef, +tinned milk and hardtack. I went through Bully-Grenay and then out +through Maroc to Loos. Here once again the dressing station at Fort +Glatz was occupied by a doctor and staff from one of our ambulances. I +spent a little while there and then continued my journey up the road +past Crucifix Corner to the trenches. The 7th and 8th Battalions were +in the line. The day was fine and the warm sunshine was hardening the +mud, so things did not look too unpleasant. I went to the 7th Battalion +first and found the gallant men carrying on in the usual way. Hugo +Trench was very quiet, and from it one could obtain a good view of the +German lines and of Lens beyond. It was great fun to go into the saps +and surprise the two or three men who were on guard in them. The (p. 236) +dugouts were curious places. The entrance steps were steep, and +protected by blankets to keep out gas. At the bottom would be a long +timber-lined passage, dark and smelly, out of which two or three +little rooms would open. The men off duty would be lying about on the +floor sound asleep, and it was often hard to make one's way among the +prostrate bodies. The officers' mess would have a table in it and +boxes for seats. On a shelf were generally some old newspapers or +magazines and a pack of cards. In the passage, making it narrower than +ever, were a few shelves used as bunks. At the end of the passage +would be the kitchen, supplied with a rude stove which sent its smoke +up a narrow pipe through a small opening. In the trenches the cooks +were always busy, and how they served up the meals they did was a +mystery to me. Water was brought in tins from a tap in one of the +trenches to the rear, and therefore was not very abundant. I have +occasionally, and against my will, seen the process of dish-washing in +the trenches. I could never make out from the appearance of the water +whether the cook and his assistant were washing the plates or making +the soup, the liquid in the tin dish was so thick with grease. +However, it was part of the war, and the men were doing their best +under most unpropitious circumstances. + +I had come prepared to spend a night in the trenches, and had decided +to do so in the large German-made dugout in the chalk-pit which was +held by "D" Company of the 8th Battalion. The officer on duty with the +7th Battalion kindly acted as my guide. The day had worn away, and the +bright moon was lighting up the maze of yellow trenches. We passed +along, exchanging many greetings at different places, until we came to +the outpost of the 8th Battalion at the top of the path which leads +down to the chalk-pit. Here four men were sitting keeping guard. They +gave me a warm greeting, and I told them that if I were not in a hurry +to let my guide go back to his lines, I would stop and recite some of +my poems in the moonlight. It struck me that they seemed more amused +than disappointed. So wishing them good-luck, we started onward down +the slippery path which led into the pit, where many shells had torn +up the ground and where were remains not only of uniforms and mess-tins +and rifles but also of German bodies. We had hardly reached the +entrance to the dugout when two or three of those shells which the men +called "pineapples" arrived in quick succession. They sounded so (p. 237) +close that we dived into the place of refuge. We found the O.C. of the +company inside, and he kindly arranged to give me a large bed all to +myself in one of the chambers of the dugout. Suddenly a runner +appeared and told us that the pineapples had hit the outpost, killing +not only some of the men to whom I had just been talking but also the +Adjutant of the battalion. I at once got up and went back to the +place. The line was quiet now, and the whole scene was brightly +lighted by the moon and looked so peaceful that one could hardly +imagine that we were in the midst of war, but, lying in the deep +shadow at the bottom of the trench, with its face downwards, was the +body of the Adjutant. He had been killed instantly. In the outpost +beside the trench, were the bodies of the men who had been on duty +when I passed a few minutes before. + +I stayed with the sentry guarding the bodies until a stretcher party +arrived and carried them away. Then I went back to the dugout and +visited the men who were crowded into its most extraordinary labyrinth +of passages and recesses. In the very centre of the place, which must +have been deep underground, there was a kitchen, and the cooks were +preparing a hot meal for the men to eat before "stand to" at dawn. The +men of course were excessively crowded and many were heating their own +food in mess-tins over smoking wicks steeped in melted candle grease. +All were bright and cheerful as ever, in spite of the stifling +atmosphere, which must have been breathed by human lungs over and over +again. It was quite late when I stretched myself on my wire mattress +with my steel helmet for a pillow. Only a piece of canvas separated me +from the room where a lot of men were supposed to be sleeping. They +were not only not asleep but kept me awake by the roars of laughter +which greeted the stories they were telling. However, I managed to +doze off in time, and was rudely wakened early in the morning by the +metallic thud of pineapples on the ground overhead. I was wondering +what it meant when a man came down to the O.C.'s room, next to mine, +and aroused him with the somewhat exciting news, "Major, the Germans +are making an attack." It was not long before the Major was hurrying +up the steps to the passage above, and it was not long before I +followed, because I always had a horror of being bombed in a dugout. +In the passage upstairs all the men were "standing to" with fixed +bayonets, and plenty of Mills bombs in their pockets. They were a most +cheerful crowd, and really I think that we all felt quite pleased at +the excitement. A man came up to me and asked me what weapon I (p. 238) +had. I told him I had a fixed bayonet on the end of my walking stick. +This did not seem to satisfy him, so he went over to a cupboard and +brought me two bombs. I told him to take them away because they might +be prematures. He laughed at this and said, "How will you protect +yourself, Sir, if the enemy should get into the trench?" I told him I +would recite one of my poems. They always put my friends to flight and +would probably have the same effect upon my foes. + +By this time the rain of pineapples overhead was very heavy, and I +went to the door of the dugout where the Major was looking out. It was +a curious scene. Day had just dawned, and we could see the heaps of +broken rubbish and ripped up ground in front of us, while directly +opposite at the top of the chalk-pit was our front line. Pacing up and +down this was a corporal, his form silhouetted against the gray +morning sky. He had his rifle with fixed bayonet on his shoulder, and +as he walked to and fro he sang at the top of his voice the old song, +"Oh my, I don't want to die, I want to go home." The accompaniment to +the song was the "swish" of the shells overhead and the bursting of +them in the trenches behind. I told the Major that if we could only +get a moving picture of the corporal and a gramophone record of his +song with its accompaniment we could make thousands of dollars by an +exhibition of it in Canada. + +The next night I stayed at Cite St. Pierre. Who will ever forget the +road up to it, and the corner near the ruined fosse, which was always +liable to be shelled unexpectedly? In cellars beneath the unwholesome +and dilapidated town our men found billets. They were really quite +comfortable, but at night when the place was as black as pitch, and +one had to grope one's way in the darkness along debris-covered +streets, shaken every now and then by the German missiles from the +sky, one longed for Canada and the well-lighted pavements of Montreal +and Toronto. + +On February 14th, at the officers' club at Corps Headquarters in +Camblain l'Abbe, we had a great gathering of all the officers who had +landed in France three years before. The one hundred and fifty who sat +down to dinner were only a small part of the original number, and, +before the anniversary came round again, many of those present were +called to join the unseen host to whose memory that night we drank in +silence. It was strange to look back over three years and think that +the war, which in February 1915 we thought was going to be a (p. 239) +matter of months, had now been protracted for three years and was +still going on. What experiences each of those present had had! What a +strange unnatural life we had been called upon to live, and how +extraordinarily efficient in the great war game had each become! It +was a most interesting gathering of strong and resolute men filled +with sublime ideals of duty and patriotism, who nevertheless were +absolutely free from all posing and self-consciousness. They had +learnt how to play the game; they had learnt both how to command and +how to obey; they had learnt how to sink selfish interests and aims, +and to work only and unitedly for the great cause. + +On February 19th I held the dedication service at the unveiling of the +artillery monument at Les Tilleuls. Owing to its exposed position no +concourse of men was allowed, but there was a large gathering of the +Staff, including the Army Commander, and of course a number of +officers from the artillery. The lines of the monument are very +severe. A plain white cross surmounts a large mass of solid masonry on +which is the tablet, which General Currie unveiled. It stands in a +commanding position on Vimy Ridge, and can be seen for miles around. +Many generations of Canadians in future ages will visit that lonely +tribute to the heroism of those, who, leaving home and loved ones, +voluntarily came and laid down their lives in order that our country +might be free. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. (p. 240) + +THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE. + +_March, 1918._ + + +Over four months had passed away since my return from Rome, so leave +was again due. Immediately after the unveiling of the Artillery +monument I started off in a car for Boulogne, and the next afternoon +arrived in London. Conditions there were worse than they had been the +year before. The streets were darker and food was scarcer. I went as +far north as Edinburgh, but when I arrived at that city I found it +cold and wintry and wrapped in mists. There were many naval men there, +and I paid an interesting visit to a damaged submarine which was being +repaired in the dry-dock. It was of course nice to meet friends again, +but, beyond that, my last leave was not a pleasant one. It was a time +of great anxiety. The Americans had come into the war, but they were +not yet ready. Another campaign was before us, and the issue of it +none could foresee. I was haunted perpetually by the dread of meeting +with some accident, and so being sent back from the front. Several +times I had a vivid dream, that I had got back to Canada and found +that the war was still going on and I could not return to it. I shall +never forget the joy of waking on such occasions and looking with +dawning consciousness upon my surroundings and feeling that I was +still at the front. It was a happy day for me, therefore, when on +March 8th I arrived once more at Bracquemont, in the midst of my +beloved war-family, and able to re-visit Lievin, Loos, and Hill 70. + +My favorite home in the trenches was the dugout in the chalk-pit, +which I have just described, and I often wish I could be suddenly +transported there and revive old memories. We were planning at this +time to make a big gas-attack along the Canadian Corps front. Three +thousand gas-cylinders were to be fired by electricity upon the enemy. +As I wanted to see this, I made my way to the chalk-pit. The time +fixed for the event was five minutes to eleven at night. If the attack +was to come off, the word "Japan" was to come through on the wires; +if, owing to the wind being in the wrong direction, the attack had to +be postponed, the word "Russia" would be sent. At 10.45 I climbed up +the steps to the observation post at the back of the chalk-pit (p. 241) +and waited. From this point I had a good view of the line towards +Lens. I watched the luminous hands of my watch, and they passed the +hour of eleven without anything occurring, as the breeze came from the +East. I knew the word "Russia," the name of the country that failed +us, must have been sent over the wires. It was a queer sensation to +sit up there in the dark with no sound but the soft murmur of the +night wind in our ears, and the crash of an occasional shell. In those +long dark stretches of waste land around me, thousands of human beings +on both sides of the line were awake and active, either burrowing like +ants in the ground or bringing up rations and war material along the +communication trenches. + +I spent four nights that week in the chalk-pit waiting for the attack, +and on March 21st, the night of the day on which the Germans launched +their fierce attack against our Fifth Army, my patience was rewarded +and the wind was propitious. I mounted the observation post and once +more peered over the black stretches of country under the starlit sky. +Suddenly, at five minutes to eleven, there was a burst of artillery +fire, and over our heads with the usual swishing sound the +gas-cylinders sped forth. The German lines were lit with bursting +shells. Up went their rockets calling to their artillery for +retaliation. I could hear their gas bells ringing to warn their men of +the poison that was being poured upon them. It must have been a +drenching rain of death. I heard gruesome tales afterwards of desolate +enemy trenches and batteries denuded of men. The display of fireworks +was magnificent, and the German artillery in the rear were not slow in +replying. A great artillery duel like that in the darkness of the +night over a waste of ground on which no human habitation could be +seen had a very weird effect, and was wonderful to behold. I climbed +down into the dugout and made my way through it to the chalk-pit, and +then up to an outpost beyond. Here were four men, and I found that +three of them had just come up from the base and that this was their +first night in the line. They did not seem to be enjoying it as much +as I thought they should, so I remarked that it was a beautiful night +and pointed out to them the extraordinary romance of being actually +out in the front line during such a bombardment. They seemed to get +more enthusiastic later on, but the next morning I was wakened in my +room by the laughter of men on the other side of the canvas wall, and +I heard one old soldier telling, to the amusement of his fellows, (p. 242) +of my visit on the previous evening. He said "We were out there with +the shells falling round us, and who should come up but the Canon, and +the first thing the old beggar said was, 'Boys, what a lovely night it +is.'" The men roared at the idea. It was always illuminating to get a +chance of seeing yourself as others saw you. + +That day, before I had gone to the chalk-pit, I heard from a staff +officer at Corps of the German attack in the South, and I gathered +from his manner that things were not going well. On March 29th we +suddenly shifted our headquarters to Chateau de la Haie. Here we were +told that we had to be ready to move again at a moment's notice. Very +bad news had come from the South, for the Germans were advancing, and +our Fifth Army had been pushed back. The enemy had now got the +initiative into his hands, and things were exceedingly serious. The +Americans would not be ready for some time, and the question was how +to stay the onrush of the fresh divisions which the Germans were +hurling against us. An order from General Currie, couched in beautiful +language, told us that there was to be no retreat for Canadians, and +that, if need be, we should fall where we stood. There was no panic, +only firmer resolve and greater activity in every department. Though I +made it a point of never questioning our staff about war secrets, I +soon became aware that our Division was to be sent South to try and +stem the oncoming tide. + +Every night the 4th Divisional concert party gave an entertainment in +the theatre, which was crowded with men. A stranger could not have +told from the roars of laughter that shook the audience from time to +time that we were about to face the fiercest ordeal of the war. The +2nd Brigade was quartered round us first, and one night in the theatre +an officer appeared in front of the stage between the acts and ordered +all the officers and men of the 5th Battalion, who were present, to +report at once to their headquarters. Instantly the men got up and +left, the rows of vacant seats looking quite tragic. The play went on. +Again, another battalion, and another, was called off. The audience +dwindled. It reminded one of the description in the "Tale of Two +Cities" of the condemned men in prison waiting for the call of the +executioner. Before the close of the performance the theatre was +almost empty. The 2nd Brigade moved away that night and the 3rd took +their places the next day. I knew that they, too, would have to move +suddenly, so I arranged that at night we should have a service (p. 243) +followed by a Celebration of the Holy Communion in the theatre after +the play was over. Once again the building was crowded with an +enthusiastic audience, and, after the play was ended, I announced the +service. To my astonishment, most of the men stayed and others crowded +in, so we must have had nearly a thousand men present. The concert +party had received orders to pack up their scenery immediately and +move off. While I was on the stage getting the altar ready the scene +shifters were hard at work behind me. In spite of this disturbance, we +had a wonderful service. I gave them a short address, and spoke about +the high call which had come to Canadians to do big things, and how +the eyes of the world were upon us. We were the champions of right, +and I asked them to go forth in the power of God and do their duty. +Then I began the Communion Service. The colours of the flag which hung +over the altar glowed like an inspiration. The two altar lights shone +like stars above it. At the back of the stage (but we heeded them not) +were the busy men packing up the scenery. We sang the hymn "O God our +help in ages past," and at the time of communion about two hundred +officers and men mounted the stage in turn and knelt in rows to +receive the Bread of Life. It was a thrilling moment, and it showed +how, underlying the superficial thoughtlessness of the soldier's life, +there was the deep and abiding sense of the reality and need of God. +The service ended about eleven p.m. + +After shaking hands with some of the men I went back to my billet and +there found that we had to start that night for parts unknown. All our +surplus baggage had been sent off and only what was absolutely +necessary was retained. The members of "C" mess were sitting round the +table having a little liquid refreshment and waiting for the bus which +was to take them off. Our A.D.M.S., who was starting at once, kindly +offered to take me with him in an ambulance. Alberta and I, with two +or three men, got into the vehicle, and I bid farewell for the last +time to Chateau de la Haie. It was a bright moonlight night and the +air was cold, but the roads were dry and dusty. The A.D.M.S., who was +the only person who knew our destination, sat in front with the driver +and told him the various turns to take. Clouds of dust blew back into +the ambulance as we sped onward. It was a curious expedition. The war +seemed to be more real than ever. One felt that a new page in its +history was being turned. I wondered what was in store for us and +what our experiences were going to be. I was also surprised that (p. 244) +one was able to go forth without any emotion upon an adventure of such +magnitude. On and on we rattled down the moonlit roads, past sleeping +villages, and round sharp curves which jolted us in the car, until at +last, at half-past two, we pulled up suddenly in front of some large +iron gates which gave entrance to the grounds of a chateau standing +back some distance from the road. The A.D.M.S. and his staff got out +and hunted for a cottage which they could use as an office. + +I thought I had better go off and find a place where I could spend the +rest of the night. With my haversack over my shoulder and followed by +Alberta, I entered the gate, and made my way up the avenue till I came +to the Chateau. It was a large and picturesque building, and stood out +nobly against the outline of the trees in the park. The moon lit up +the gray stone front, which was made all the richer by the variegated +light and shade. The mansion, however, showed no inclination to be +hospitable. All the windows were tightly closed with shutters, and +there was no appearance of life anywhere. I knew we were not far from +the advancing Germans, and I supposed that the inhabitants had all +fled. I was so cold and tired that I determined to force an entrance +and spend the night inside. I walked round to the back, where I saw a +great park richly wooded. A large door in the centre of the building, +reached by a broad flight of stone steps, seemed to offer me a chance +of getting inside. I went up and tried the handle, when, to my surprise, +the door opened and I found myself in a beautiful hall richly +furnished and lighted by a lamp. Antlers hung on the wall, and the +place had the appearance of an English country-house. After my long +ride, and at that hour of the night, I felt as if I were in a dream. I +saw a door to the right, and opening it was admitted to a modern +drawing-room luxuriously furnished. A grate fire was burning on the +hearth, and on a centre-table stood silver candelabra with lighted +candles. There were also plates of bread and butter, some very nice +cups and saucers, and a silver coffee-pot. At once I said to myself, +"I am evidently expected." It was like a story from the Arabian +Nights. I looked about the place and not a soul appeared, Alberta +tucked herself up on a rug and was soon fast asleep. I was just +preparing to partake of the refreshments which, it seemed, some fairy +godmother had provided, when in came one of our A.D.Cs. He was as much +surprised to see me as I was to see him. He told me that our (p. 245) +Divisional Commander had arrived there about an hour or two before and +had gone to bed, and that we were in the home of a certain count whose +servants had all fled. He also told me that there was a bedroom that I +could have upstairs, and which would not be occupied by our staff +until the next evening. I had a cup of coffee, and then, calling +Alberta and taking a candle, I climbed a very rambling staircase till +I reached the top storey, where I found an empty room with a very +dirty bed in it. However, I was glad to get a place in which to rest, +and so, with my rain-coat for a covering, I went to sleep. The next +morning, having foraged for some water in which I had a good wash, I +went off to the village to get some food. I met many of our units +coming up in busses. Some were halted by the wayside, and nobody knew +what we were going to do or why we were there. The Imperial transport +officer in charge had either acted under wrong orders or else the +drivers did not know the roads. Some of our battalions had lost their +way, one even entered a village at the other end of which were the +Germans, and two of our Engineer Companies disappeared completely for +two days. + +The country people were hurrying off in carts, taking their household +goods with them. I found a primitive farmhouse where I was able to buy +some eggs and bread, and I invited a number of stragglers in to have +something to eat. By noon, however, we got orders from the Army to +move back to a place called Fosseaux. There we occupied an empty +chateau which before the war must have been a very fine place. A wide +grassy road nearly a mile in length, bordered on each side by fine old +trees, stretched off into the distance in front of the central door. +The entrance to the road was guarded by an exquisitely wrought iron +gate, flanked on each side by stone pillars surmounted by carved +heraldic figures. It was now cold and rainy, and our two Artillery +Brigades were halted in a field opposite and were awaiting orders. +Before nightfall they had left, and the forward section of our +Division made their headquarters in a hut at Warlus; the members of +"C" mess remaining at Fosseaux. + +March the 29th was Good Friday, and a strange one it was. There was +much stir and commotion everywhere, and we were so unsettled, that all +I could do was to have a service in the cinema in the evening, and on +Easter Day two Celebrations of Holy Communion at which I had only +twenty-eight communicants. Our men had gone in to the line to the (p. 246) +southeast of Arras, round Telegraph Hill, where an attack by the +Germans was expected, as their advance to the south had been checked. +I made my way to Arras, and spent the night in one of the mysterious +caves which lie under that city. It was called St. Sauveur Cave, and +was entered from a street behind the station. The 1st Brigade was +quartered there. In the morning I walked down the long dark passage +till I came to an opening which led me to some high ground where there +had evidently been a good deal of fighting. From there I made my way +over to the front line, where the 1st Battalion was entrenched. I +passed numbers of wooden huts broken by shells. Many men must have +been quartered there at one time. It was sad to go into them and see +the waste and desolation, and the lost war material scattered in all +directions. On my way I came to a deep trench which some Imperial +machine-gunners were holding. They had had an anxious time, and were +glad to have a visitor. Several of them regretted that they had not +been able to attend any Easter service. I told them we would have one +there and then, as I was carrying the Blessed Sacrament with me. So we +cleaned a corner of the trench, and there I had a short service and +gave the men communion. + +Our trenches were not satisfactory, as we did not know accurately +where those of the Germans were. That night, instead of going back to +the 1st Brigade I made my way to the huge Rouville Caves under Arras, +where the whole of the 3rd Brigade were quartered. It was a most +curious abode. No one knows when the caves were dug. They were +probably extended from time to time as the chalk was quarried for the +purpose of building the town. Long passages stretched in different +directions, and from them opened out huge vaulted chambers where the +battalions were billeted. I spent the night with the 14th Battalion, +and the next day held services in turn for each of the four units of +the Brigade. The 16th Battalion occupied a huge cavern with others +branching off from it. I could hardly imagine more picturesque +surroundings for a military service. The candle flames twinkled like +stars in all directions in the murky atmosphere, and the singing of +the men resounded through the cave. Overhead was the town which the +enemy was shelling. In one of the caves we found the foundation of +what had been an old prison, with a date upon it of the 18th century. +It was very pleasant wandering down the passages, with a candle (p. 247) +stuck on the top of my steel helmet, and meeting everywhere old +friends who were glad of the temporary rest. Life there, however, was +very strange. One could not tell whether outside it was day or night. +I made my way back that afternoon by a passage which led out to one of +the Arras sewers, by the side of which there was a stone pavement +enabling one with a good flashlight to walk safely. The exit from the +sewer, which now consisted of a shallow stream of perfectly clear +water, led me up to a house in one of the streets, and thence by a car +I made my way to Warlus, and home to Fosseaux. + +A few days afterwards our headquarters were moved up to Etrun, and +there we found ourselves crowded into the quaint little town. The +Chateau was our headquarters, and a tar-paper house which the +Engineers built for me under a spreading hawthorn tree became my home. +Etrun was a most interesting place historically. It had been the site +of a Roman camp where Valentinian had his headquarters in the 4th +century. The large mound, or vallum, which the Romans had thrown up to +protect themselves from the attacks of the German tribes, is now a +thickly wooded hill, pierced by the road which connects the village +with the Arras highway. The grounds of the Chateau were most +delightful, and before the French Revolution the house had been a +convent. In the garden was the recumbent stone effigy, overgrown with +moss, of one of the sisters. The most beautiful thing about the place +is the clear stream, wide and deep, which comes from underground and +flows over sparkling white pebbles through the green meadows to the +river Scarpe. This stream was evidently the source of attraction to +the Romans, who always made their camps where there was a plentiful +supply of running water. The garden on one side was built up in stone +terraces along which were gravel walks, where, no doubt, the nuns of +old enjoyed their holy meditations. In the stream, as it wandered +through the meadows, there was a plentiful supply of water-cress, +which looked exquisitely green against the pebbles at the bottom. How +one did long for the war to end, so that we might be able to lie down +in the grass, free from anxiety, and enjoy the drenching sunlight and +the spring song of the birds. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. (p. 248) + +IN FRONT OF ARRAS. + +_April, 1918._ + + +Etrun was a convenient place for a headquarters. My hut was +comfortable, and the tree that grew beside it stretched its +thickly-leaved boughs over it, as though wishing to protect it from +the sight of enemy planes. Visitors were always welcome. In the garden +were many other huts, and a path led to the churchyard in which stood +the old church. It was strongly built, but very crudely furnished, and +spoke of many generations of humble worshippers to whom it was the +gate of heaven. On one side of the garden was a stream, which turned a +quaint mill-wheel, and an island in the stream, connected with the +banks by a bridge, made a pleasant resort. A little nest of beauty, +such as Etrun was, in the midst of the war, most restful to the soul, +especially after a visit to the line. Of course, we had to be careful +about screening all lights, for a shell landed one night in a hut +opposite mine. Luckily the shell was a "dud". Had it not been, my +sergeant, groom, and batman would have been no more, for it burrowed +its way into the ground under the floor of their abode, as they were +having supper. + +On one occasion about one in the morning, we were awakened from sleep +by three terrific explosions. They sounded close, so I thought that +some of our men might have been hit. I got up and went off to see +where the shells had landed. The quaint old hamlet lay silent in the +moonlight, and not a soul was stirring. I went down one of the narrow +streets, and met a tall figure in black coming towards me. It was the +Cure, who was bent on a similar mission, fearing that some of his +people had been wounded. We went round the place together until we met +a man coming up the road, who told us that a bomb had struck the +railway bridge and exploded two mines which we had in readiness in +case the Germans were to make an advance. The bridge had been +completely shattered, but luckily our sentries there had escaped. The +Cure and I then parted and went back to our beds. + +It was a great treat for our men who were billeted in villages in (p. 249) +the Scarpe Valley to have plenty of water, and in the various +mill-ponds they found swimming-places. Our front line at this time +extended for quite a long distance north and south of the Scarpe. In +fact the river acted for a short distance as No Man's Land. On the +north of the Scarpe were the ruins of the village of Fampoux, and on +the south those of Feuchy. How well our men will remember the towns of +Maroeil, Anzin, St. Nicholas and St. Aubin. I used to go off across +the meadow lands, now bright and fresh with spring verdure, till I got +to the St. Eloi road, and then by jumping lorries would make my way to +St. Nicholas and on to Cam Valley. On the east side of the valley were +quaint dugouts which were occupied by the battalion in reserve. A path +up the valley led to the communication trench, and finally down +Pudding Lane to Pudding Trench. The ground was elevated, so that from +one of the trenches which led down towards Fampoux I was able to see +with my glasses the country behind the German lines. I saw quite +distinctly one day the spires of Douai, and in another direction on a +hillside I could make out a railway train which must have been +carrying German troops. I had many interesting walks through the +trenches, and slept there several times. On one occasion I took +Alberta with me, but she would persist in going off into No Man's Land +hunting for rats. The arrival of a minnenwerfer, however, gave her a +great fright and made her jump back into the trench with alacrity, +much to the amusement of the men, who said that she knew the use of +trenches. + +One day I went down the trench which led into Fampoux. Whizzbangs were +falling every now and then, so the men were keeping low. At one place +there was a good view of the German lines. An officer and a sergeant +stood there looking through their glasses and pointed out to me a spot +in the hillside opposite where we could see a number of the enemy. +They came out of one trench, crossed the road, and went down into +another. The officer told me that he had counted over a hundred that +day. I asked him why he did not telephone to Battalion Headquarters to +inform the artillery. He told me he had no telephone. Then I said, +"Why don't you send a runner?" He explained that Fampoux was occupied +as an outpost, and that no runners were allowed to be sent from there +during the daytime; orders to this effect being very strict. "I am not +a runner," I said, "and I am not in your Battalion. If you will give +me the map-location of the place where you think the Germans are (p. 250) +congregating, I will take it back with me to the liaison officer at +Battalion Headquarters." He was very pleased with my offer, because at +this time we were daily expecting a big attack upon our lines. To get +back we had to crawl down a steep place in the trench, which was in +view of the Germans, until at last we reached the cellar of a ruined +house which the O.C. of the company used as a billet. He got out his +maps and gave me the exact location of the road and trenches where the +Germans had been seen to pass, and where apparently they were massing. +I got him to write down the map-location carefully on a piece of +paper, and then, armed with this and feeling very important, I started +back, this time avoiding the trench and going up the Fampoux road on +the side of which there was some torn and broken camouflage. I came +across a steel helmet by the wayside with part of a man's head in it, +and the road had been pretty well battered by shells, but I felt +exceedingly proud at being able to do something which might possibly +avert an attack upon our men. I went on till at last I saw in the +hillside the beginning of a trench, and made my way up this to Pudding +lane and found Battalion Headquarters. The Artillery officer had been +having a quiet time and was delighted at the prospect of ordering a +"shoot." At once he telephoned back to the brigade, and not long +after, when the quiet sun was setting in the West, a most terrific +bombardment of artillery, both field and heavy, smashed the German +trenches on the hill opposite. The headquarters men and I looked over +the valley and saw the line of bursting shells. Much to their +amusement, I told them that this was my music, that I had ordered the +shoot. I felt like the fly on the axle of a cart, who said to his +companion fly, "Look at the dust we are making." + +On another occasion, I was filled with almost equal pride, when, +meeting on the roadside a company of men who were going into the +trenches for the first time and were waiting for a guide, I offered my +services and actually led the company of young heroes into the +trenches myself. The humour of the situation was so palpable that the +men felt as if they were going to a picnic. + +The trenches on the Feuchy side of the Scarpe were well made, and led +up to the higher ground to the east of Arras, where they joined the +lines of a Scots Division. At one point we saw in No Man's Land a +lonely tent, which I was told had been occupied by a British chaplain +before we had been driven back. I paid a most enjoyable visit to (p. 251) +the engineers in Arras and stayed at Battalion Headquarters. They were +in a large and comfortable house in the Place St. Croix. In the dining +room we had a grate fire, a rug on the floor, and several easy chairs. +A most sumptuous dinner was served, and one could scarcely believe +that we were in a war. + +The men of the battalion were billeted in the deep cellars under a row +of houses at the end of the Grande Place. Some of these houses dated +back to the time of the Spanish occupation, so the cellars must have +been very ancient. They were vaulted in stone and were connected +together by passages, so they were not only quite safe from shells but +were exceedingly interesting and picturesque. We had several services +for the men and one for a field ambulance which made its home in the +Deaf and Dumb Asylum. In a large room in the Asylum there was a good +piano, so it enabled us to use the place at one time as a church and +at another as a ballroom. There was a strange charm about dear old +Arras which is quite indescribable. In spite of the ruined buildings +and the damaged grass-grown streets, there was the haunting beauty of +a quiet medievalism about the city. The narrow streets, the pleasant +gardens hidden behind the houses, spoke of an age that had passed. +Arras has been the centre of interest in many wars, and Julius Caesar +made his headquarters there in B.C. 65. The river Scarpe has carried +to the sea many memories of hostile hosts that have fought along its +banks. To walk back from the dressing station in the small hours of +the morning, when the moon was shining on the silent and half-ruined +streets and squares, was a weird experience. Surely, if ghosts ever +haunt the scenes of their earthly life, I must have had many unseen +companions with me on such occasions. There were still two or three +shops in the place where souvenirs and other small articles were sold +to the men, and there were hoards of champagne and other wines in some +of the cellars, but only a few of the inhabitants remained and they +lived hidden lives in the underground retreats. + +Our Division, however, was soon moved from Etrun to Chateau d'Acq, +where I arrived at four one morning after a visit to the trenches. I +found my billet in an Armstrong hut. The people who had occupied the +Chateau since we were there must have experienced an air raid, because +extraordinary precautions had been taken to guard against bombs. I lit +my lamp and found that the bed was surrounded on all sides by a (p. 252) +wall composed of two thicknesses of sandbags. When I got down Into it +I felt as if I were in a grave. In the morning I got my batman to +remove the fortification, as I thought there was no occasion to +anticipate the sensations of being buried. However, at night I often +heard German aeroplanes overhead, and it was a relief when their +intermittent buzzing died off into the distance. + +We were now a long way from the front line, but by jumping lorries I +was still able to go forward and visit the slums. On returning from +such a visit one afternoon I suffered a great loss. The order had gone +out some time before that all stray dogs were to be shot, and many +poor little four-footed souls were sent into whatever happy land is +reserved for the race which has been the earliest and best friend of +man. I had kept a sharp lookout on Alberta, but I never dreamt that +anyone would shoot her. However, that evening while I was getting +ready to go off to Ecoivres, and Alberta was playing in front of my +hut, the sergeant of the police, carried her off, unknown to me, and +ordered a man to shoot her. When I came out from my hut, and whistled +for my faithful friend, I was told that she had been condemned to +death. I could hardly believe it; but to my dismay I found that it was +only too true, and the poor little dog, who was known all over the +Division and had paid many visits to the trenches, was not only shot +but buried. Filled with righteous anger, I had the body disinterred +and a proper grave dug for it in front of a high tree which stands on +a hill at the back of the grounds. There, surrounded by stones, is the +turf-covered mound, and on the tree is nailed a white board with this +epitaph neatly painted in black:-- + + HERE LIES ALBERTA + of Albert + Shot April 24th, 1918. + + The dog that by a cruel end + Now sleeps beneath this tree, + Was just the little dog and friend + God wanted her to be. + +Alberta, much respected in life, was honoured in death, for nearly all +the men at Headquarters were present when she was buried, and one of +them told me that at a word from me they would lay out the police. (p. 253) +I should have liked to have given the word, but I told them that we +had a war on with the Germans, and that we had better not start +another till it was finished. On the following day the board with the +epitaph was placed in position in the presence of a Brigadier-General +and our kind-hearted and sympathetic C.R.E. I was so filled with +indignation at the loss of my companion, who, wherever I tied up +Dandy, would always mount guard over him and allow no one to approach +him, that I determined to seek a billet away from Headquarters, and +near the front. However, this intention was frustrated a day or two +later by an order which came through for our Division to go into rest +at a place called Le Cauroy, not far from the town of Frevent, and +about 15 kilometres to the southwest of Chateau d'Acq. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. (p. 254) + +SPORTS AND PASTIMES. + +_May and June, 1918._ + + +It was late in the evening when I reached the Chateau at Le Cauroy, +and I found that I was to be billeted in the house of the Cure, on one +side of the fine avenue of lime trees. Ross was waiting for me and +took the horse, and I went inside to my room. A curious sensation came +over me of having seen the place before. It seemed as if I had been +there in one of my dreams, but the mystery was cleared up on the +following day by my finding out from the Vicaire that this was the +place where I had spent such a gloomy Sunday on the 22nd of October, +1916, during our return from the Somme. The count who owned the +Chateau was naval attache to the French Embassy in London, but his +wife and children, with the servants, occupied apartments on the right +wing of the building. The presence of a lady gave a special charm to +the place, and tennis on a good court under the trees in the park was +most enjoyable. On several occasions some of our Canadian Sisters from +the C.C.S. at Frevent honoured us with their presence at dinner, which +was followed by a dance. Under the trees in the avenue, a most +picturesque open theatre was erected by the engineers, and here our +concert party gave us nightly performances of their new play, which +was called "The Marriage Market." Hundreds of men from the battalions +around would sit on the soft grass under the overhanging trees through +which we could see the stars, and on the brightly lighted stage, with +the orchestra in front, we had an exhibition of real talent. The +weather was delightful and the men enjoyed a holiday in the country. +At a little distance behind the Chateau there was a clear stream +blocked by an ancient mill-dam. Here we could get a swim and bask in +the sun in the long cool grass. Altogether we were very happy at Le +Cauroy. + +A great change had come over the war at this time, for Foch had +assumed the supreme command. While we had had excellent leaders all +through the campaign, one always felt that there was a need for some +electrifying personality at the head of things. In a mysterious (p. 255) +way the knowledge that Foch had taken the conduct of the war in hand +gave us just that touch of magnetism which we needed. As matters +stood, the German attacks had been successful up to a certain point, +but we were still waiting for their main offensive. When or where this +was to begin we did not know, but we were convinced that it would be, +for us, a life or death struggle. The fact that Foch was in command +and that he was keeping his head gave us confidence. He seemed like a +surgeon who shows his greatness by the very coolness with which he +performs some critical operation. The men were always asking if we +were losing the war, and I always told them that it was like this--the +Germans were advancing and losing and we were retreating and winning. +We practised daily the art of open warfare for which the country round +us offered splendid opportunities. We knew that we had been taken out +of the line in order to prepare to become "shock troops", and the +knowledge of this gave our life a great inspiration. + +It was the right policy, in view of what was before us, to give the +men all the amusement possible, so football and baseball were indulged +in freely by officers and men. We were too well trained now to worry +much about the future. In fact, although I had often preached on the +text, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," I never fully +acted upon the principle until I had been in the war for three years. +It is certainly the true secret of happiness and I hope that the +softer life of peace time will not rob one of it. When Mrs. Carlyle +was asked what caused her most suffering in life, she replied, "The +things which never happened," It would have surprised the people at +home if they could have seen the cheeriness and lightheartedness of +men who were being trained day by day to deliver the hammer strokes +which were to smash the huge war machine of Imperial Germany. + +The 2nd Brigade one day gave us a most successful circus in a large +field near our Headquarters. The arrangements and weather were +perfect, and the spectators were delighted with a performance that +surpassed Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Afternoon tea and dancing +followed at a chateau, and aeroplanes gave us a fine exhibition of the +skill of the new branch of the service by flying low and dropping +messages and red smoke bombs. I met one of the young airmen, and in a +fit of enthusiasm asked him if he would take me up with him some day. +He was quite keen about it, and asked me to let him know when to (p. 256) +send for me. Our plans, however, were upset a day or two afterwards by +the Headquarters of the Division moving off to the beautiful Chateau +at Villers Chatel. They left in the morning, and as usual I followed +leisurely on Dandy. I went through some pretty villages. No soldiers +were to be seen, and the quiet ordinary life of the people was +undisturbed by the war. The world was bathed in sunshine and the +fields were brilliant with new crops. Every little hamlet was +embowered in trees, and the small white houses with their red tiled +roofs spoke of peace. In the solemn light of evening I came to the +entrance gate of my new home. + +The Chateau of Villers Chatel was a fine modern building with an old +round tower at one end. This tower is all that remains of the original +structure, but it was kept in good condition and the interior was most +artistically arranged. My room was in the garret and was approached by +a spiral staircase, very narrow and steep. The Chateau was enlivened +by the presence of two Countesses; both very pleasant ladies who had +their own apartments and who kindly entertained us at night in their +cheery drawing-room. On the wide lawn in front of the Chateau a huge +chestnut tree stood, rich in leaves, with low boughs branching in all +directions and covering a wide radius, and with their tips almost +touching the grass. The tree furnished a green shelter for a large +number of persons. The sun could not penetrate the foliage, and the +giant trunk was covered with rugged bark beautifully coloured. Here, +on Sunday mornings, I placed my flag-covered altar, and Church Parade +was held under the tree. The men, over a hundred in number, stood in a +semi-circle in front of me, and the bright sunlight beyond the rim of +overhanging boughs lit up the green grass around. It was one of the +most beautiful places imaginable for a church service, and the +branches made a vaulted roof overhead. On one side of the garden was a +large and elaborate cement grotto, and a statue of the Blessed Virgin +stood in a niche at the back. Seats for worshippers were placed in +front. The Countesses were moved by piety to keep a number of candles +blazing in the grotto all night, invoking thereby the protection of +Our Lady. Our staff, who walked not by faith but by sight, were much +worried by the strong light which could easily be seen from a German +aeroplane. However, no one could muster up courage enough to interfere +with the devotion of our hostesses, and as a matter of fact we never +had any bombing raids at Villers Chatel. It was a question among (p. 257) +the officers as to whether our immunity should be attributed to the +power of prayer or to extraordinary good-luck. + +At the end of the lawn facing the Chateau was a forest of magnificent +trees. It was in the fields at the back of this wood that we had held +the memorial service for the 2nd Brigade, which I have already +described. One of the forest paths was in the form of a pergola. The +trees had been trimmed so that the boughs overhead were interlaced and +it went for about half a mile into the forest, like the vaulted aisle +of a church. The sunlight through the green leaves overhead cast on +the pathway a mysterious light suggestive of fairyland. + +Our battalions were once more in their old billets in the +neighbourhood, and as we were still at rest I had many opportunities +of visiting them. How well I remember going about and delivering my +lecture on our leave trip to Rome. As I look back upon my +war-memories, I think that those talks were the most delightful +experiences I have ever had. I really had nothing to say, but I knew +that anything which could occupy and amuse the minds of those brave +lads, who were daily preparing to hurl themselves against the enemy, +was worth while. I would go to the C.O. of a battalion and say, +"Colonel, I would like to come and give your men a talk on our leave +trip to Rome." He would always take the matter very seriously, +thinking I had some learned discourse on architecture, or some other +absolutely futile subject to give the men. But being too polite to +tell me to go to Jericho, or somewhere else, he would say, "Yes, I am +sure it would be very interesting. How long will the lecture last?" On +my replying, "About two hours and a half," his countenance would fall. +He was struggling between his fear of offending me and his fear of +doing something which would bore the men. Sometimes colonels would +say, "That's a long lecture." But I urged them to take my word for it +and to let the thing go ahead, and if I saw I was boring the men I +would stop. So the lecture would be announced. I suppose I must have +given it to something like twenty thousand men. I would arrive at the +battalion headquarters in the afternoon, have dinner with the C.O. and +Adjutant in their billet, and then walk over to some pleasant field on +which a thousand men were drawn up in line, presenting a most proper +military appearance. The sun would be setting behind the trees which +skirted the parade ground, and, after telling the Colonel and (p. 258) +other officers to keep in the background, I would go over in front +of the battalion and tell them that the Colonel had handed the parade +over to me, and that they were to break ranks and sit on the ground as +close as possible. At once military stiffness was dispelled, and amid +much laughter the men would crowd around and squat on the ground +tightly packed together. Imagine what a picture that was. Splendid +stalwart young men they were, hundreds and hundreds of them, with +healthy merry faces, and behind them in the distance the green trees +and the sunset. Of course smoking was allowed, and I generally had +some boxes of cigarettes to pass round. Then I would tell them of our +trip to Rome and of my following out the injunction of making the most +of a fortnight's leave by turning it into three weeks; of my puzzling +the R.T.O. in Paris by asking for transportation to Rome via +Marseilles, as we had abandoned the idea of travelling via Calcutta on +account of the submarine menace; of my being unable to enter the +Casino at Monte Carlo because officers were not admitted in uniform, +and the only mufti I had brought with me was my pyjamas which I had +left at the hotel; of the two casualties in the Paris barrage; of the +time I gave C.B. to "Yorky" when I saw he had partaken too freely of +coffee, and of the delightful memories of Italy which we had brought +back with us. The talk was not all humorous. I managed to get in many +little sermons between the lines, or as I put it, "the lecture was +impregnated with the poison of morality." Men assimilated that poison +more readily when handed out to them in such doses. Then the sun would +set and the evening shadows lengthen, and finally the stars would come +out over the scene and the mass of men before me would merge into one +great blur, which sent up, nevertheless, roars of merry laughter. What +appealed to them most was the way a padre and forty-four wild +Canadians, in the biggest war the world has ever known, were able to +break through the Hindenburg line of army red tape. + +Our machine gun battalion was quartered south of the St. Pol road at a +place called Averdoignt. It was a lovely little village, very quiet +and well away from the line, with pretty orchards and a stream at the +back. When it was only possible to have a voluntary service in the +evening, I would get a group of men as a body-guard and start off down +the village to the quaint old church, halting at every farmyard on the +way and calling out to those billeted there, "Come on, you heathen, +come to the voluntary church parade." In the most good-natured (p. 259) +way, dragging their reluctant pals with them, men would come out and +swell our ranks until, by the time we reached the church, there was a +good congregation. There against the wall of the building I would +plant a table borrowed from the Cure's house, make it into an altar, +distribute hymn books, and start the service, while the evening lights +in the sky tinged the scene with a soft beauty. + +When we were in the line the machine-gunners were always split up into +small sections over the front, their guns of course being very +carefully concealed. In consequence, just when I thought I had reached +an area which was quite uninhabited, I would stumble on some queer +little hole, and, on calling down it to see if there were any men +there, the answer would be, "The machine-gun battalion," and I would +find myself among friends. At Averdoignt they had one of the best rest +billets they ever had, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. + +Owing to the great distance which I had to cover in doing my parish +visiting among the battalions, the difficulty of transportation, which +had been serious from the beginning, became even more pressing, and +some good friend suggested to me on the quiet that I should try to get +a Clino, (that is a machine-gun side-car) from the Motor Machine-Gun +Brigade. With great trepidation, I made an excursion one day to their +headquarters at Verdrel. The O.C. was most kind and sympathetic. I +shall never cease to invoke blessings upon his head. He took me over +to the machine-shop and there presented to me, for my use until it +should be recalled, a new Clino which had just come up from the base. +The officer in charge uttered a protest by saying that they only had +six Clinos for the Brigade, but the major remarked dryly, "And after +Canon Scott has got his we shall only have five." Surely once again +the Lord had provided for me. I was driven back to the Chateau in the +new machine, but then had to find a driver. One was provided by the +signallers. He was a graduate in science of McGill, so I used to lay +stress upon my personal greatness from the fact that I had a university +graduate for my chauffeur. Many and varied were the drives which Lyons +and I had together, and many and varied were our adventures. Had the +Clino not been both exceedingly strong and very new it would have come +to grief long before it did. To go rattling down the St. Pol road at +forty-five kilometres an hour was a frequent occurrence. All I had to +sit upon was a seat without arms, while my foot rested on a bar in (p. 260) +front. People asked me how it was I did not tumble off. I told them +that I tied myself to the back of the seat with my spinal cord. I got +the sappers to make me a large box which fitted on the back of the +vehicle and had a padlock. In it I used to carry my bag of a thousand +hymn books and other necessaries for church parades, and on the top of +the box, as a protection to my car, I had the words "Canon Scott" +painted in large white letters. The dust as we threaded our way +through the streams of lorries almost choked us, but we could cover +the ground in a short space of time which was a great thing. Lyons +never managed the lights very successfully, and one rainy night after +midnight, when I was returning from saying good-bye to the artillery +who were moving South, in a lonely part of the road he ran the machine +into some bushes on a bank by the wayside, and we found ourselves +sitting in the mud without our hats. We did not know where we were and +the rain was heavy, but we managed to disentangle the car and finally +got home, resolving that further night excursions were out of the +question. About a fortnight afterwards I received an order to return +the Clino, but before I did so I journeyed to Corps Headquarters and +made a passionate appeal to General Currie for its retention. As a +result I received a private intimation to keep the car and say nothing +about it. Of course I was the envy of everyone, and when they asked me +how I got the Clino I said I did not exactly know. Whether it was sent +to me from heaven with the assistance of General Currie, or whether it +was sent to me from General Currie with the assistance of heaven, was +a theological question which I had no time to go into during the war. +When our Division was marching into Germany, after I was knocked out +of the campaign, the dear old signallers used to patch up the Clino, +even making new parts for it, in order that Canon Scott's car might +get into Germany. Alas! the poor thing, like the one-horse shay, went +to pieces finally one day and had to be left at Mons. During those +last busy months, I do not know how I could have got on without it. + +As I was a bit under the weather at this time my friend, General +Thacker, invited me to go and stay with him at his headquarters in the +Chateau at Berles, where I was given a charming room looking out on +the garden. I found myself in the midst of the artillery brigades who +were now at rest, and very pleasant it was to see them away from the +unwholesome gun-pits where they were usually to be found. I could (p. 261) +lie on the grass in the garden, read one of Trollope's novels and +listen to the birds overhead. A walk through the wood led to a huge +field of scarlet poppies, which, when the sun shone upon it, made a +blaze of colour which I have never seen equalled. As one approached +it, one could see the red glow light up the stems of the trees as +though they were aflame. + +We had many boxing and baseball contests, which roused great excitement, +but the crowning glory of the time was the Divisional sports which +were held in a large field at a place called Tincques on the St. Pol +road. A grandstand and many marquees had been erected, and the various +events gave great delight to the thousands of spectators. In the +evening our concert party gave a performance on the stage in the open +air, which was witnessed by a large and enthusiastic audience. After +it was all over, I unexpectedly met my airman friend, Johnny Johnson, +who told me that he had been waiting a long time to take me up in his +machine. I explained to him that, owing to our headquarters having +moved away to Le Cauroy, I thought it was too far off to get in touch +with him. In my secret heart, I had looked upon my removal as a +special intervention of Providence on my behalf, but Johnny was not +disposed, however, to allow any difficulty to stand in the way, so it +was arranged that he should send for me at Berles the following day +and take me to the headquarters of the 13th Squadron at +Izel-les-Hameaux. There was nothing for it but to jump with alacrity +at such a noble offer, so on the following morning I started off in +the Squadron's car for their headquarters. + +My pilot had gone off to bring up the new machine which was to take me +on my first aerial voyage. The Squadron had most comfortable billets +in huts, and were a most charming lot of young men. A Canadian amongst +them, taking pity upon a fellow-countryman, gave me a kind introduction +to his fellow officers. Johnny Johnson returned in the afternoon, and +during tea I heard him explaining to the other men that he had had his +choice of two machines, an old machine with a new engine and the other +a new machine with an old engine. Although I was engaged in conversation +at the other end of the table, I listened with great interest to this +discussion, and felt much relieved when I heard that Johnny's choice +of an old machine with a new engine was approved of by his hearers. He +told me that the air was very bumpy and that he would not take me up +until the sun was lower in the sky. Having arrived at that happy (p. 262) +state of inward peace which a man experiences when he goes off to the +dentist to have a tooth pulled, I did not mind when I was to be taken +up. At six o'clock, however, Johnny said we must get ready, so I was +provided with a fur-lined leather coat, leather helmet, goggles and a +large pair of fur gauntlets. We went over to the aerodrome where our +fiery steed was champing its bit as though longing to spring into the +"vast inane." Two or three attendants were getting it ready. It was an +R.E.8 plane and a machine gun was fixed on one side. Johnny climbed +into his position and I took a seat behind him. An attendant came up +and asked my name and address. It sounded as if I were making my last +will and testament. I had a letter with me addressed to my son which I +was to drop over his battery lines in Lievin, and also a red smoke +bomb but declined an invitation to take any more formidable weapon. +Then I told my pilot not to be anxious about me whatever happened. I +always expected to be killed at the front so never worried how or when +the event was to occur. The engine was then started. For a time the +machine meandered about the field without showing any disposition to +mount into the air and I was beginning to think, like the Irishman who +was taken for a ride one day in a sedan chair that had no bottom in +it, that, "If it were not for the honour and glory of the thing I +might as lief walk," when, all of a sudden, we began to plunge, left +the ground, and, mid a fearful buzzing, mounted higher and higher. We +rose over the huts and above the village trees and then by a corkscrew +motion which necessitated the machine going almost on its edge, we +made our way heavenwards. I did not feel the least bit seasick but it +was a curious sensation to look down and see absolutely nothing +between me and the church of Izel-les-Hameaux crowned by its sharp +pointed spire with no cork on it. I looked at my young friend in front +of me, who was busy with the handles and cranks of his machine. He was +only a boy of nineteen and my fate was literally in his hands, but his +head was well set on his shoulders and he seemed completely +self-possessed and confident. After we had mounted to six thousand +feet, we struck out in the direction of the front. + +It was a lovely afternoon and a most wonderful panorama spread below +us. The great plain beneath us was marked off like a chessboard in +squares of various shades of yellow and green, dotted here and there +with little villages surrounded by the billowy crests of trees. We saw +straight white roads going off in all directions, and beyond, (p. 263) +towards the east, low murky clouds behind the German lines. We flew on +and on till we reached the war zone and here the fields were marked by +horse-tracks and the villages had been hit with shells. Before us in +the distance I saw the line of our observation balloons and thought, +if anything happened to the machine, I would get out into one of them, +but when we passed over them they looked like specks on the ground +below. I could see the blue ribbon of the Scarpe winding off into the +great mists to the east, and then beneath us lay the old city of +Arras. I could see the ruined Cathedral, the mass of crooked streets +and the tiny, dusty roads. Further on was the railway triangle, where +one night later on I got a good dose of gas, and then I saw the +trenches at Fampoux and Feuchy. Still onward we sailed, till at last +Johnny Johnson shouted back, at the same time pointing downwards, "The +German trenches." I saw the enemy lines beneath us, and then Johnny +shouted, "Now I am going to dip." It was not the thing I specially +wanted to do at that particular moment, but I supposed it was all +right. The plane took a dive, and then Johnny leaned over and fired +off some rounds of the machine gun into the German lines. We turned to +come back and rose in the air, when, in the roar of the wind I heard a +bang behind me, and looking round saw, hanging in the air, a ball of +thick black smoke. Then there was another beneath us and some more at +one side. In all, the Germans followed us with six shells. Johnny +turned round and shouted, asking me how I felt. "Splendid", I said, +for I really did enjoy the novelty of the experience. Many times have +I looked up into the clouds and seen a machine followed by "Archies" +and wondered what it felt like to be up there, and now I knew. One +phrase however, which I had often read in the newspapers kept ringing +in my ears--"Struck the petrol tank and the machine came down in +flames." And the last verse of "Nearer my God to Thee," also ran +through my head, "Or if on joyful wing upwards I fly." We turned now +to the right and flew over Vimy Ridge, and then made two or three +turns round Lievin where, above his battery, I dropped the letter for +my son. It was delivered to him two weeks afterwards in a hospital in +London. We flew out over Lens and crossed the German lines again, +skirting the district which the Germans had flooded and then turned +our faces homewards. Above the Chateau at Villers Chatel, I dropped +the red smoke bomb. We circled round in the air at a great height +while I wrote on a piece of paper, "Canon Scott drops his blessing +from the clouds on 1st Canadian Divisional Headquarters," and put (p. 264) +it in the little pocket of leaded streamers. Alas, it was lost in a +wheat field and so did not do them any more good than the other blessings +I have dropped upon them. We then turned to Berles where I could see +beneath me the old house and the tiny beings in white playing tennis +on the court. We reached the aerodrome at Izel-les-Hameaux and landed +safely after being in the air for fifty-five minutes. It was a most +delightful experience for a non-combatant. The next day the engine of +the machine gave out and Johnny Johnson was compelled to make a forced +landing. Luckily it was behind our lines. I went several times again +to try to have another flight, but from the excuses made I inferred +that joy-rides of this description had been banned. The following year +in London I heard by accident that poor Johnny Johnson had been killed +a few weeks after our trip. He was a splendid young fellow and +absolutely without fear. May his brave soul rest in peace. + +Nearly two months had passed since we had been in the line, and the +Germans had made no attack. We wondered what had happened to them. I +thought that perhaps influenza had laid them low. At any rate we were +not anxious to end the happy time we were having. The climax of our +glory was reached on the 1st of July when we celebrated the birthday +of the Dominion by Corps sports on the field at Tincques. It was a +most wonderful occasion. + +Dominion Day fell on a Monday, and on the previous afternoon, knowing +that large bodies of men, including the contestants, were congregated +at Tincques, I determined to go over and pay them a visit. I found the +village full of troops and all very keen about the next day's show. In +a little lane, were some 1st Division men, and they were enjoying the +excitement of a game which was very popular at the front, called +"Crown and Anchor." It is played with special dice on a board or +square of green canvas. On the canvas were painted an anchor and crown +and I think a heart and spade. The game was banned by the army on +account of its unfairness. The banker had, I think, sixty-four chances +to one in his favour. The consequence of this was that very soon he +became possessed of all the money which green youths, unsuspecting +their disadvantage, chose to lay on the board. This game, in the hands +of a sharper, was often the means of robbing a battalion of very large +sums of money; sometimes forty thousand francs were made by the banker. +The police had orders to arrest anyone playing it and I used to (p. 265) +do my best to stamp it out. Though I do not play for money myself, +I never could see any great harm in those poor boys out there getting +a little relaxation from their terrible nervous strain by a game of +bridge or poker for a few francs. But a game which was founded wholly +on dishonesty was something which I felt was unworthy of our men. +Whenever I saw them crowding round a little spot on the grass I knew +there was a game of crown and anchor going on, and I would shout, +"Look out, boys, I am going to put the horse on the old mud hook"--a +phrase I had heard the men use--and then canter Dandy into their midst +scattering them in all directions. Over and over again I have gone +into a ring of men and given the banker five minutes to decide whether +he would hand over his board and dice to me or have his name reported +to the police. He never failed to do the former, although sometimes he +looked rather surly at losing a very fruitful source of revenue. I +have brought home with me enough crown and anchor dice to make the +mouth of an old soldier water. On this occasion I became possessed of +the crown and anchor board and the dice in the usual way. But, as the +men said they wanted to have some amusement, I went to an officer's +billet and got a pack of cards for them, and they settled down to a +game of poker. + +Some pious souls proposed that I should have a service that evening in +the field where the sports were to be held. I thought that it would be +a good idea, but was not sure how large a congregation I should have. +I got together a little body-guard in the village and we went off +collecting stragglers by the way. When we came to the corner of the +field where I proposed to hold my service, we found to my dismay that +it was full of masses of men crowding around what I knew were crown +and anchor boards on the ground. I did not mind doing police work in +my own Division, where I was known by the men, but I did not feel +called upon to act as A.P.M. for the Corps, so I had to start another +line of campaign. I marched on at the head of my congregation straight +into the midst of the gamblers. The men on the outskirts saw me coming +and I could see them warning the players. Those sitting on the ground +stood up and wondered what was going to happen. Looking very serious, +I went right through the crowd, without saying anything, to a distance +on the other side, and then the curiosity of the men was aroused and +they all followed. When I stood still I found myself surrounded by +hundreds of men who were waiting to see what I was going to do. (p. 266) +Without a smile, I pulled out the crown and anchor board from my pocket +and, to the astonishment of all, laid it on the ground and called out, +in the gamblers' language, "Who is for the old sergeant-major?" Never +before have I seen such an expression of surprise on people's faces. +Among the crowd were some Imperial soldiers and they could not make +out what sort of padre I was. For a moment, in spite of the grinning +countenances of the 1st Division men, there was a pause of silent +horror. Then they all burst into a roar of laughter, and I told them I +had come out there that evening, as it was Sunday, to hold a service +and did not know what text to take for a sermon. Now they had given me +one. I held up the crown and anchor board and said I was going to +preach about that, and I delivered a discourse on honesty. When it was +over, they asked me to give my lecture on our leave trip to Rome. I +thought it might be a good diversion for the time. My side-car was +brought up, and sitting on it, in the midst of the men, who crowded +about me on the ground, I gave them a long talk which lasted until it +was too dark for any more crown and anchor. + +The next day brought us glorious weather, and from early in the +morning battalions were pouring into Tincques. The grounds were +splendidly laid out and bordered with many stands and marquees. There +must have been nearly forty-thousand spectators present. The Duke of +Connaught, Sir Robert Borden, and all sorts of great people attended, +and the playing of "O Canada" by the massed bands was something which, +as a British General told me, made a big lump come in one's throat. It +was the last Dominion Day we were to spend in France. We were on the +eve of tremendous events, and it was a splendid manifestation of +Canada's glory at the front. There was such a gathering of old friends +who had not met for years, that one really could not attend to the +various events and sports that were taking place. We met for a moment, +and the old days would be talked over, and then we parted, some, alas, +never to meet again in this world. That vast crowd which fringed the +huge expanse of ground was quite the most thrilling spectacle that +Canadians had ever seen. Tincques must be a quiet place now, and +perhaps only a few marks in the great field still remain to show where +the sports were held. But there were gathered there that day the vast +host of noble gentlemen who saved the honour and freedom of our young +country. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. (p. 267) + +THE BEGINNING OF THE END. + +_July to August 7th, 1918._ + + +The possession of a side-car gave me the opportunity of getting much +further afield in my visits. Our 1st Divisional wing, where the new +drafts were received and trained for the front line, was at this time +back in a place called Loison, in the quiet and beautiful country +between St. Pol and General Headquarters. I had done a great deal of +parish visiting among our battalions in rest and given the story of my +leave trip to Rome many times, so I thought I would make an excursion +to the Base. We had a delightful trip down the St. Pol road through +little villages and towns which looked as they did in pre-war days. +The country where the Divisional wing was stationed was very charming. +It was well watered by many pretty rivers, and hills covered with +trees gave diversity to the landscape. I told the men they were living +in a land flowing with milk and honey. I stayed at the headquarters of +the wing in a delightful old house on a hill surrounded with fine +trees. Each Brigade had its own reserve, so there were many men in the +village, and an old mill pond enabled me to have two or three good +swims. In a Y.M.C.A. tent, courses of lectures in connection with the +Khaki University were being given on various subjects. One evening, +naturally I gave them a talk on our leave trip to Rome. On another, in +a corner of the field, I gave them an informal lecture on English +literature. Having got so far from home, I determined to go a little +further, and so we made a trip to Boulogne, where my son who had been +gassed was still in a C.C.S., and that afternoon on our return we went +to Montreuil to see what G.H.Q. looked like. I was told that Montreuil +was a very picturesque old walled city, but that we should not be +allowed to enter. However, I had been able to do so many forbidden +things in the war that I thought it would be worth trying, so the old +Clino sped over the hard macadamized roads from Boulogne till we came +to the valley on the opposite side of which the town is situated. We +saw many cars coming and going, and many troops by the way, and +finally we sped up the hill which leads to the entrance gate. A sentry +was standing there, who saluted most properly, and we passed into (p. 268) +the sacred city without molestation. It was a delightful old French +town, full of historical interest. The narrow streets and quaint old +buildings carried one back in thought to the days of chivalry and +battles waged by knights in shining armour. We saw some of the +churches, and then went to the officers' club for tea. The waitresses +at the club were English girls who had taken the place of the men +needed at the front. I got them to provide for my friend Lyons in +their sitting-room, and I went in to have tea with the officers. A +great many were there sitting at small tables. It was interesting to +see the badges of so many different regiments. Most of the officers +had a good supply of ribbons, and a few of them had lost an eye or a +limb, or bore other marks of wounds. I think that almost all of them +were staff officers and that some of them were generals. It struck me +that the atmosphere to a stranger was rather chilly. The demeanour of +the people was much less free than that which we had been accustomed +to at the front. Of course Montreuil held the brains of the army, and +it was quite right that the directing intelligences there should feel +the loftiness of their position. I made up two lines as I was having +tea, which I thought hit off the mental attitude of some of the +officers present, when they saw a stranger and looked him up and down +through their monocles, + + "I'm on the staff of the G.H.Q., + And I'd like to know who the devil are you?" + +There had been such a democratic upsetting of traditions and customs +in the Service, owing to the obliteration of the original British +Army, that it was quite refreshing to find that a remnant of Israel +had been saved. + +I paid two visits to the Divisional wing within a few days of each +other, and on one occasion, on a baking July day, addressed a +battalion of draftees who were about to be sent up to the front. They +were a fine looking lot of men and knew their drill. Poor boys, they +little knew what was in store for them in those last hundred days of +the war. + +Rumours were current now that the time for our great attack had come, +so there were no more joy-rides for me to the pleasant fields and +society of Loison. On my return on July 14th I found our Headquarters +once again at Etrun, and our Division were holding their old (p. 269) +trenches to the north and south of the Scarpe. Once more I had the +pleasure of sleeping in Pudding trench and doing what I called +"consolidating the line." I did a good deal of parish visiting in the +trenches at this time. I felt that big changes might occur at any +moment, and I wanted to be with the men in any ordeal through which +they might have to pass. Very strange scenes come before me as I look +back upon those days before our great attack. One night I stayed with +the gallant Colonel of the Canadian Scottish at Tilloy. His +headquarters were in No Man's Land, and the front trench ran in a +semi-circle to the rear. The Colonel, having found a good German +dugout in the cellars of the ruined chateau, preferred to make his +headquarters there. We did not know where the enemy's front line was, +and our men were doing outpost duty in shell-holes further forward. +They had to be visited every two hours when it was dark, to see that +all was well. That night I asked the Colonel if I might go out with +the patrol. He demurred at first, and then gave his consent only on +condition that I should take off my white collar, and promise not to +make any jokes with the men on duty for fear they should laugh and +give away our position. I made my promise and started with the patrol +officer and his runner. It was a curious sensation wandering off in +the darkness as silently as possible, tripping now and then on bits of +wire and almost slipping into the trenches. We came to the different +shell-holes and whispered conversations were held. The sentries seemed +surprised when I spoke to them, as they could not recognize me in the +darkness. I whispered that I had promised the Colonel not to tell any +funny stories for fear they should laugh, so I merely gave them the +benediction, in return for which spiritual function I got a very warm +handshake. To do outpost duty in a place like that must have been more +interesting than pleasant, for at all times the sentries had to keep +straining their eyes in the darkness to see if a patrol of the enemy +was coming to surprise them. On our return we saw some shells falling +to the right in the shadowy desolation of what was called Bully-beef +Wood. + +On another occasion, I was coming out near Feuchy along the railway +triangle when the Germans dropped some gas shells in the cutting. Two +of the men and I were talking together, and we had just time to dive +into Battalion Headquarters and pull down the gas blankets. We put on +our helmets, but not before we had got a dose of the poison. As I sat +there with my throat burning, I was filled with alarm lest I (p. 270) +should lose my voice and be unable in the future to recite my poems. +It was hard enough, as it was, to keep my friends long enough to hear +my verses, but I thought that if I had to spell them out in deaf-and-dumb +language no one would ever have patience to wait till the end. +However, after a few days my throat got better, and my friends were +once again forced to lend me their ears. + +The railway triangle was a well-known place, and any men who may have +lived in some of the dugouts along the banks are not likely to forget +it. In the valley there was a large artificial lake in which I had +some of the most pleasant swims I have ever enjoyed, although the +waters were sometimes stirred up by the advent of a shell. + +It was part of our strategy to let our men get the impression that we +were going to stay in the trenches before Arras for a long time. We +had several raiding parties with a view to finding out the position +and strength of the enemy, and our C.C.S.'s were well equipped and +looked as if they were going to remain there forever. Our Corps +Headquarters, too, were not far from Etrun, and the concentration of +Canadians in the neighbourhood gave us the impression that we had +found a more than temporary resting place. An American Chaplain was +sent up to stay with me for a visit in order to see what conditions +were like at the front. He was a Lutheran, although not of German +extraction. I took him up to Arras one night, where we had dinner with +the engineers, and afterwards saw the 10th Battalion start off for the +trenches. He was much impressed with the spirit and appearance of the +men. It was late when we got back to my quarters, and to my surprise +on the next morning an order came through that the American Chaplain +had to return immediately. Neither he nor I could understand it. I +began to think he must have got into some scrape, as no explanation +was given. The real reason came out afterwards. + +On August 1st our Division suddenly packed up and started once more +for Le Cauroy. We knew now that big things were in store for us and +that the Canadian Corps were going to attack. We heard rumours of the +preparations the French and Americans had made in the South, and we +felt that at last the Allies were going to get the initiative into +their hands. Whither we were going, however, we did not know, but we +all devoutly hoped that it would not be the Salient. The secret of our +destination was kept most profoundly. We were told that everything (p. 271) +depended upon our holding our tongues and exciting as little curiosity +as possible among the inhabitants. Once again, as before Vimy, but to +even a greater extent, we felt the electric thrill which kindles the +imagination of an army going into battle. The rapid move which the +Canadian Corps now made was the most sporting thing we ever did, and +it appealed strongly to the hearts of young men who were keen on games +and had been inured to a hardy life in Canada. Swiftly and secretly +the battalions entrained at various points and left for parts unknown. +I went in my side-car to the machine-gun headquarters at Liencourt, +and on the next day to the Cure's house at Le Cauroy. I found out from +Headquarters that our Division was going south within a day or so, but +that I was not to tell the men. The brigades were billeted in the +neighbouring villages, but were soon to move. I was only one day at Le +Cauroy, and on the 3rd of August, after a rainy morning, started off +in my side-car for Hornoy, a little village not far from Amiens. We +left Le Cauroy in the afternoon, and soon the sun came out making the +freshly washed country more beautiful than ever. It was very interesting +finding our way by the map, and as we neared our destination I met +many friends in the other divisions who were stationed in the villages +through which we passed. By the time we reached Hornoy, the sun had +set. My billet was to be with the Cure. I went over to the neat white +Presbytere which was approached by a large gate leading into the +garden. The old man came to meet me at the door of his house, and put +me through a lot of questions in what I thought was a needlessly gruff +manner. I found out afterwards that he was very kind, and that his +gruffness was only assumed. He gave me a room upstairs comfortably +furnished, and invited me to come into his office whenever I pleased. +The church, which could be entered from the garden, was in good order, +and parts of it were very old. The day after we arrived at Hornoy was +Sunday, August 4th. It was the fourth anniversary of our declaration +of war, and I had hoped to hold a big service for the men. Unfortunately, +we were all scattered and, as our hymn books did not turn up, having +been confiscated as a reprisal by some of the crown and anchor men, my +plans were frustrated. In the afternoon I went by side-car to Amiens +and found the city looking very different from its appearance on my +last visit. The streets were absolutely deserted. Many of the houses +had been damaged by shells. The Cathedral roof itself had been (p. 272) +pierced in some places and the noble interior looked very dreary, the +floor of the nave being covered with bits of broken stone and glass. +It was sad to think that it might share the fate of Rheims. Some +Canadians were wandering about the streets rather disconsolately. The +empty city gave one a terrible sense of loneliness. On the following +evening about midnight the 16th Battalion and the 3rd Battalion of +Engineers passed through Hornoy in trains, going forward. + +Our own orders to move came two days later, on August 7th, and I left +for St. Feuchien. I went off in my side-car to the quaint old village. +It is situated on the top of a low hill, and consists of a few streets +and some large buildings standing in their own grounds. One of these +was the country home of the Archbishop of Amiens, and this was to be +our billet. I entered the grounds by a broken-down gate and drew up in +front of a large brick building, one wing of which was a chapel and +kept locked up. In front of the building was a well full of empty tins +and other refuse. The interior of the place had once been quite fine, +but was now absolutely filthy, having been used as billets. The +billiard tables, however, could still be used. The room assigned to me +was on the ground floor at the back. The dirt on the floor was thick, +and a sofa and two red plush chairs were covered with dust. A bed in +the corner did not look inviting, and through the broken windows +innumerable swarms of blue-bottle flies came from the rubbish heaps in +the yard. The weather was very hot and there was apparently no water +for washing. I made an inspection of the building upstairs, but all +the rooms had been assigned to different officers. The Archbishop's +room was very large with a huge bed in it, but wore an air of soiled +magnificence. + +Everybody was in a great rush and, although I did not know when our +attack was to take place, I felt that it might happen at any moment; +and so, not worrying about my billet, I started off in my side-car to +see General Thacker at Chateau Longeau. I found, as I passed through +Boves and other villages, that the whole Canadian Corps was +concentrated in the neighbourhood. The dusty roads were crowded with +lorries, tanks, whippets and limbers, besides numbers of men. When I +got to Chateau Longeau I found, to my surprise, that the General had +gone to Battle Headquarters in Gentelles Wood, and an officer whom I +met on the road told me that zero hour was on the following morning. I +determined therefore not to return to the archiepiscopal palace (p. 273) +at St. Feuchien, but to go off to the attack. I returned to Boves, +where, having washed and shaved, I had dinner in a damaged house with +some officers of a light trench mortar battery, and after dinner +started on my way to Gentelles Wood. It was a time of intense +excitement. Less than a week ago we had been in the line at Arras, and +now we were about to make our great attack at Amiens. The warm summer +evening was well-advanced when I reached our Battle Headquarters +behind the wood. All the staff officers were so busy that to ask one a +question was like putting a spark to a powder magazine, so I kept out +of their way and journeyed up the road to the barrier beyond which no +vehicle was allowed to pass. I said good-bye to Lyons and then started +off to find the trenches from which the 16th Battalion was going to +lead the charge. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX. (p. 274) + +THE BATTLE OF AMIENS. + +_August 8th to 16th, 1918._ + + +It was strange and exhilarating to go off on an expedition of that +kind in the cool air and fading light of the evening. Something told +us that at last the hour of victory was drawing near. The moving of +the Corps had been so splendidly conducted and the preparation had +been so secret that success seemed assured. This was an achievement +which was completely different from all our past experience. The only +question was, had we taken the Germans by surprise, or were they +waiting with massed forces to resist our attack? As I left the outskirts +of the wood behind me, and made my way over the green plain, now +fading into the twilight, I passed a battalion of the 3rd Division +manning a line of trenches. I had a talk with some of the men and told +them that I had heard from a tank officer that nearly one thousand +tanks were to be engaged in the attack on the following morning. Far +over to the left, on a rise in the ground I saw the remains of a +village, and was told that a mud road across the fields would lead me +in the direction of the 1st Division front. I met as usual many men +whom I knew, and finally some officers of the 15th Battalion in a +dugout. The light began to fade and I had difficulty in seeing far +ahead of me, but the track at last brought me to a sunken road which +turned to the right. Here on the hillside more men were waiting in +dugouts, and I was directed to a quarry, on the top of which I was to +take a path that would lead me to a group of trees, where I should +find the Headquarters of the 16th Battalion. When I got to the quarry +I found many roads there, and whether it was that the information I +had received was incorrect, or that I was more than usually stupid, I +do not know. I wandered up and down for a long time, tripping over +bits of wire and slipping into holes, before I was able to get to the +top of the hill and look over in the direction of the German lines. At +last I found a track which had evidently been used by men going up to +the front. I went along it for a considerable distance and found +myself on what appeared to be a plateau, but as far as I could see, no +object stood out against the starry sky-line. Shells were falling in +the fields to the left, and at different points on the eastern (p. 275) +horizon the bright light of a German flare would tell us the position +of the enemy's lines. I went on for some distance, straining my eyes +in the darkness to see if I could discover any trees. I thought I had +lost my way again. Suddenly the dim figure of a man approached, and +when he came up to me, I found he belonged to one of the Imperial +Battalions from whom we were taking over the line. He asked me the way +to the quarry, and I was able to tell him. Then he gave me the +direction I had to take to reach my destination. I resumed my walk +along the narrow path and at last, to my great delight, I saw a black +object in the distance. When I came up to it I found it was the group +of trees for which I had been looking. The trees were growing out of a +curious round hole in the ground. Here, a signaller of the 16th +Battalion happened to turn up and acted as my guide. He led me down a +path to the bottom of the hole where were several dugouts. In one of +these I found more men of the Battalion. They were intensely keen over +the prospect of a great victory on the morrow. I was told that the +battalion and the companies which were going over in the first wave +were in advanced trenches to the left. So, after bidding the men +good-bye and good luck, I started off. At last I reached the trench, +and getting down into it found the Headquarters of the Battalion had +arrived there not long before. On asking where the Colonel was, I was +taken to a place where a piece of canvas hung down the side of the +trench. When this was lifted, I looked down into a little hole in the +ground and there saw the C.O., the Adjutant and another officer +studying a map by the light of a candle. The place was so tiny that I +had to crawl in backwards, and finding that there was no room for a +visitor, I soon took my departure. The Colonel ordered me to stay in +the trench, but I had made up my mind to go forward and see the +companies which were going over in the first wave. They lay along the +side of a road some distance down the slope in front of us. In making +my way there I passed a trench where the 5th Battalion was waiting to +follow up the advance. A German machine-gun was playing freely upon +the spot, but no one got hit. When I came to the advanced companies of +the 16th Battalion, I passed along their line and gave them my +blessing. It was splendid to meet and shake hands with those gallant +lads, so soon to make the attack. They were in high spirits in spite +of the seriousness of their enterprise. + +The barrage was to start at 4.20, so I left them about 4.10 to go (p. 276) +back to Battalion Headquarters in the trench, as I intended to follow +up the advance with the stretcher-bearers. On my way back I met the +Colonel, his orderly, and his piper, who a few minutes later was +killed in the attack. I shook hands with them, and the Colonel said, +"Now, Canon, if anything happens to me don't make any fuss over me; +just say a few words over me in a shell-hole." I said, "You will come +out all right, Colonel, there will be no shell-hole for you." Then, as +my senior officer, he ordered me back to the trench. I told him I +would go over the top with him if he wanted me to do so, but he would +not hear of it. When I got to the trenches only a few minutes remained +till the barrage was to start. I climbed up on the parapet and waited, +looking off into the darkness. It was a wonderful moment. When the +German flare-lights went up we could see that there was a wood on the +other side of the valley in front of us, and its outline began to grow +more distinct against the grey of the morning sky. I could see to +right and left a great stretch of country sloping gradually into the +darkness. Shells still fell behind our lines at intervals. Our own +guns were perfectly silent. What did the enemy's quietness portend? +Were the Germans aware of our contemplated assault? Were they lying in +full strength like a crouching lion ready to burst upon us in fury at +the first warning of our approach? Had all our precautions been in +vain? Or were we on the eve of a victory which was going to shatter +the iron dominion of the feudal monster? This was one of those +magnificent moments in the war which filled the soul with a strange +and wild delight. For months we had been preparing for this event, and +now it was upon us. The sky was growing lighter, and the constellation +of the Pleiades was beginning to fade in the sky above the outline of +the distant trees. I looked at my watch. Nearer and nearer the hands +crept to zero hour, but they move slowly at such times. Then at 4.20 +the long barrage burst in all its fury. The hissing rain of shells +through the air on a twenty mile front made a continuous accompaniment +to the savage roar of the thousands of guns along the line. Those guns +sent their wild music round the globe, and sounded that note of +victory which only ceased when the bells of the churches in all the +civilized world rang out their joyful peals at the signing of the +Armistice. + +Up went the German rockets and coloured lights calling for help, (p. 277) +and ever and anon a red glow in the sky told us that we had blown up +an ammunition dump. The noise was earth-shaking, and was even more +exhilarating than that of the barrage at Vimy. I was so carried away +by my feelings that I could not help shouting out, "Glory be to God +for this barrage!" The German reply came, but, to our delight, it was +feeble, and we knew we had taken them by surprise and the day was +ours. + +A strange sound behind us made us look around, and we saw the advancing +tanks creeping down the slope like huge grey beetles. Our men were +just in time to divert the course of one which threatened to cut our +telephone wires. Then the 5th Battalion got out of their trenches, and +the stretcher-bearers and I went off with them down the slope. The +wood through which the German lines ran was called Hangard Wood and +lay on the opposite side of the valley. Here and there lying in the +ripe grain which covered the fields were bodies of the wounded and +dead of the 13th and 16th Battalions. The stretcher-bearers set to +work to carry off those who had been hit. A sergeant followed me and +we skirted the wood looking for wounded, while he was able to become +possessor of a machine-gun and several German revolvers. The wheat had +been trampled down by the men in their charge, but was still high +enough in places to conceal a prostrate form. By this time the attack +had passed through the wood and the enemy were running before it. The +German artillery now concentrated their fire on the valley, which +soon, in the still morning air, became thick with smoke. It was +impossible to see more than a few yards in front of one. We heard the +crash of shells around us, but could not see where they burst. The sun +had not risen and we soon lost our way in the mist. We could not tell +from the direction of the sound which was the German barrage and which +was ours. + +I was going on ahead when I came to a large shell-hole that had been +made in some previous battle. At the bottom of it lay three apparently +dead Huns. I was looking down at them wondering how they had been +killed, as they were not messed about. I thought that they must have +died of shell-shock, until one of them moved his hand. At once I +shouted, "Kamarad", and to my intense amusement the three men lying on +their backs put up their hands and said, "Kamarad! mercy! mercy!" It +was most humorous to think that three human beings should appeal to me +to spare their lives. I told them in my best French to get up and +follow me, and I called out to the sergeant, "Sergeant, I have got (p. 278) +three prisoners." My desire to take a prisoner had been a standing +joke among our men. Whenever they were going into action I used to +offer them $25.00 to bring out a little German whom I might capture +all by myself. I used to tell them not to bring out a big one, as it +might look boastful for a chaplain. Here were three ready to hand for +which I had to pay nothing. We moved on through the smoke, a most +comical procession. The sergeant went ahead and I brought up the rear. +Between us went the three terror-stricken prisoners, crouching every +now and then when shells fell near us. At last we stumbled on a +company of the 2nd Battalion coming forward, and I called out to them, +"Boys, I got seventy-five dollars worth of Huns in one shell-hole." +Our gallant Canadians at once took the three unfortunate men, who +looked as if they expected to have their throats cut, and having +relieved them of the contents of their pockets and removed their +buttons and shoulder-straps, gave me one of the latter as a souvenir. + +When the prisoners were disposed of and sent back with others under +escort, I started forward again and seeing a tank coming down the hill +got on it and so went back into the battle. We passed quite easily +over some wide trenches, then when the machine came to a stop I got +off and made my way to the end of the valley and climbed to the higher +ground beyond. There I found myself in a wide expanse of country +covered by yellow grain and rolling off in hills to the distance. Here +and there I met wounded men walking back, and many German prisoners. +In the fields in different directions I could see rifles stuck, +bayonet downwards, in the ground, which showed that there lay wounded +men. I found that these were chiefly Germans, and all of them had +received hideous wounds and were clamouring for water. Poor men, I was +sorry for them, for I knew it would be long before they could be +carried out or receive medical attention, owing to the rapidity of our +advance. I made my way to each in turn and gave him a drink from some +of the water bottles which I carried round my belt. I think all the +Germans I saw that morning were dying, having been wounded in the +stomach. After attending, as far as it was possible, to their bodily +needs, I endeavoured to minister to their spiritual. As they happened +to be Roman Catholics, I took off the crucifix which I wore round my +neck and gave it to them. They would put up their trembling hands and +clasp it lovingly, and kiss it, while I began the Lord's Prayer (p. 279) +in German. This happened many times that day. One man who had a +hideous wound in the abdomen was most grateful, and when he handed me +back the crucifix he took my hand and kissed it. It was strange to +think that an hour before, had we met, we should have been deadly +enemies. At a crossroad further on the Germans must have concentrated +their fire when our men advanced, for many dead and wounded were lying +about. + +The sun was now high in the heavens and it became very hot, but the +autumn fields looked beautiful, and, as there were no hedges or +fences, the low rolling hills gave one the sense of great expanse, and +were an ideal ground for a battle on a large scale. While I was +looking after the wounded I heard the cheering of the 16th Battalion +who had reached their objective and were settling down to rest and to +have some food. I made my way to them and found the Colonel in high +glee over what his men had done. It had been a splendid routing of the +enemy. The Battalions of the 1st and 2nd Brigades followed up the +attack and were now moving forward, so I followed after them. It was a +delightful feeling to be walking through the golden harvest fields +with the blue sky overhead, and to know that we were advancing into +the enemy's land. It seemed as if by our own labours we had suddenly +become possessed of a vast property and that everything we found was +lawfully ours. It is no doubt that feeling which fills men with the +desire to loot in a conquered country. + +I had a magnificent view from the hill of the British Cavalry going into +action. Thousands of little horses in the distance on the vast plain +were galloping in a long line across the yellow fields, which reminded +one of the great battles of old, when mounted men, and not machine-guns +and gas-shells, were the determining factor. The store of water that I +had brought with me was now exhausted, but I was able to get a fresh +supply from the water-bottle of a dead man. The road that leads from +Gentelles to Caix winds through the valley to the right of the line of +our attack and follows a little stream. It is very narrow, and on that +day was so crowded with cavalry, ambulances and artillery moving +forward that every now and then it would become blocked. In a mill, +which the Germans had used partly as artillery headquarters and partly +as a depot for military stores, our men found a quantity of blankets, +coats and other useful articles. Our doctors established an aid-post +in the out-buildings, and made use of the materials which the enemy +had left behind in his flight. A section of our machine-gunners (p. 280) +was resting there, and it was a great refreshment to stop for a while +and have a good clean-up and a shave with a borrowed razor. We were so +parched with thirst that we drank out of the stream, in spite of the +fact that many shells had fallen into it. Our final objective was +still some miles away, so I started up the road, following after the +1st Brigade. + +The Germans, finding the game was up, had left many guns behind them +and blown up a large quantity of ammunition. One great heap of it lay +beside the river. Very pretty hamlets lay along the valley; we passed +one called Ignacourt, where there was a damaged church. We afterwards +established an ambulance there. I was very tired with my long walk, +not having had any sleep the night before, so was glad to get a lift +on an ambulance and go forward in the afternoon to the village of +Caix, which was the final objective of the 2nd Brigade. One of our +ambulances had taken over a building in the Square, but was shelled +out of it that night. The 10th Battalion had gone forward and taken +possession of trenches beyond the village. I went out to them and +there found the men in high spirits over the way the battle had gone. +The old red patch Division had advanced 14,000 yards, and so had +beaten the record of any division, British or enemy, during the War. +It was now late in the afternoon and no further attack that day was +contemplated. Before us on a slight rise in the ground lay the village +of Rosieres, through which the road ran parallel to the trenches which +we held. Between us and the village was a slight dip in the ground, +and with glasses we could see lorries full of fresh German troops, +amid clouds of dust, making their way to a point in the village. There +they would stop and the men would get out and hurry down the fields +into the trenches. It looked as if they were going to make a +counter-attack. The situation was very disquieting. I was told by one +of the sergeants in our front line that we were in need of fresh +ammunition, and he asked me if I would let the Colonel know. I passed +through the trenches on my return and told the men how glorious it was +to think that we had pushed the Germans back and were now so many +miles from where we had started. I went back to Battalion Headquarters +and found that they were in a cottage on the eastern extremity of the +village. Across the road was a cavalry observation-post, where some +officers were watching Rosieres and the arrival of German troops. (p. 281) +Luckily for us the Germans had no guns to turn upon us, although the +village of Caix was shelled constantly all night. Later on, some +batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery and our field guns, which had +come up, sealed the fate of the Germans and prevented a counter-attack. +A glorious sunset over the newly conquered territory made a fitting +close to a day of great deeds and high significance. When darkness +fell and the stars looked out of the quiet sky, I said good-night to +my cavalry friends, whose billets were down in a hollow to the right, +and started off to find some place to sleep. + +The cellars of the cottage occupied by the Colonel were crowded, so I +went to the village and seeing some men entering a gateway followed +them. It was the courtyard of a large building, presumably a brewery. +The runners of the battalion had found a deep cellar where they had +taken up their abode. I asked if I might sleep with them for the +night. The cellar was not particularly inviting, but it was well below +the ground and vaulted in brick. The floor was simply earth and very +damp. Two candles were burning in a box where a corporal was making +out the ration-list for the men. I got two empty sandbags to put on +the floor to keep me from getting rheumatism, and lying on them and +using my steel helmet as a pillow I prepared to sleep. The runners, +except those on duty, did the same. Our feet met in the centre of the +room and our bodies branched off like the spokes of a wheel. When +anyone turned and put his feet on one side we all had to turn and put +our feet in the same direction. We heard a good many shells bursting +in the Square that night, but we were safe and comparatively comfortable. +Before I got to sleep, I watched with great admiration the two young +non-coms who were sitting at the table arranging and discussing in a +low tone the duties of the various men for the following day. The two +lads could not have been more than twenty years of age, but their +sense of responsibility and justice was well-developed. I thought what +a fine thing it was that men were being trained like that to become +useful citizens of Canada. We were up early in the morning and I made +my way to Battalion Headquarters, where I heard that there was to be +another attack in the forenoon. + +We were now to change places with the 2nd Division. They were to shift +from our right flank to our left and take over the attack on (p. 282) +Rosieres while we advanced towards Warvillers. From the cavalry +observation-post, I could see with a glass the 5th Battalion going up +to the front in single file along a hedge. I had breakfast with the +7th Battalion officers in their dugout by the roadside near the +cavalry billets, and then started off to join the 8th Battalion which +was going to attack that morning. Machine-guns from Rosieres were +playing on the road near the end of the wood. I determined therefore +not to go round the wood but through it and so reached the other side +in safety. I was sitting on a fallen tree eating some lunch and +wondering whether I should be able to get up in time for the attack, +when, to my great joy, over the hill to my right, I saw some troops +approaching in extended order. Hardly had they appeared on the crest +when the Germans at Rosieres opened fire upon them and shells fell on +the hill. The men kept very steady and nobody, as far as I could see, +was hit. When they got down to the wood I went forward and spoke to +them and found they were the 22nd Battalion, and I met several +Quebecers whom I knew. + +I saw the Battalion go off in the direction of Rosieres and I renewed +my journey to our own line. I passed the 24th Battalion who were going +up on the left of the 22nd, and they told me that the 2nd Brigade were +on their right. There were many trenches along the way which the +Germans had abandoned on the previous day. I passed a poor horse which +was badly wounded and still alive. It was attached to a broken German +cart. I got one of our men to shoot the animal, and went on till I +came to a railway in the hollow and followed it. There were many +wooden buildings here and there which had been built by the Germans. +These structures had been badly knocked about by shrapnel, and the +litter of articles within showed how rapid the German flight had been. +At a little distance on the east side of the track, there was a green +wood, which was called, as I afterwards found out, Beaufort or Hatchet +Wood. Every now and then as I walked, little puffs of dust would rise +from the road in front of me, showing that machine-gun bullets were +falling about. A cavalry patrol of three men, returning down the track +from the direction of the wood, came towards me, and, taking me for a +combatant officer, the corporal saluted and said, "That wood is very +heavily held by machine-guns, Sir, we have just made a reconnaissance." +"That's all right," I said, "I do not intend to take it just yet." I +was going up the track, wondering where I had got to, when I saw (p. 283) +a young officer of the 8th Battalion, followed by his men, coming +towards me. I went to him and told him that I had heard the wood was +very heavily held by machine-guns. He said he knew it and was going to +attack from the side, so I went with them and, as they lay on the +ground and got their Lewis guns in position, I pronounced the +benediction over them and then continued my journey up the railroad. +On the west side of the track at the top of the bank was a hedge. Here +I found the 14th Battalion waiting to follow up the 8th. A young +officer of the latter battalion was lying on the ground dying. He +dictated a farewell letter to his wife, which I afterwards gave to the +Adjutant. On the slope of ground down which the 8th had charged +towards the railway I saw many bodies of dead and wounded men, so I +went up to them to see what I could do. Several were dying, and I +found one poor fellow who had never been baptised; so I took some +water from my bottle and baptised him as he lay there. They would be +carried off when the stretcher-bearers could begin their work. + +While I was attending to the wounded, I looked towards the wood at the +other side of the track. I was on a higher level, and so had a view of +the open country beyond, and there, to my astonishment, I saw the +Germans leaving their ambush and running away. I hurried down the hill +to the hedge and shouted out to the 14th Battalion that the Germans +were running away, and an officer came up to make sure. Then orders +were given to the men to charge and they crossed the track and took +possession of the wood. As soon as I had seen the wounded carried off +I followed after the troops, and there once more had the joy of +advancing over newly-won territory. + +At a farmhouse a number of our men were gathered for a temporary rest, +and there I learned that the colonel of the 8th Battalion and a large +number of officers and men had been killed that morning. The battalion +had to charge down the hill in the face of heavy machine-gun fire. +Some tanks were standing by the farm and one of the officers offered +to take me with him in the machine, but as it was to go into the 2nd +Divisional area I had to decline the invitation and follow up our men +on foot. I passed a number of German wounded. One of them, a young +lad, was terribly alarmed when he saw me approaching, thinking I was +going to murder him. He held up his hands and shouted, "Kamarad!" I +think the Germans had heard wild stories of the ferocity of (p. 284) +Canadians. The boy then began to implore me to send him to an ambulance. +He was wounded in the leg, and had bound up his wounds very neatly and +skilfully. I tried to make him understand that the stretcher-bearers +would come up in time, and I stuck his rifle in the ground with his +helmet on the top of it, as a signal to the bearer party. + +Before me at the end of the road, I saw amid trees the village of +Warvillers. Many men were going towards it from all directions; and I +saw our artillery brigades taking up battery positions to the left. I +met two men of the 5th Battalion and we started off to the village +together. The place was now in our hands, as the Germans had evacuated +it some hours before. The houses were quite intact and offered +prospects of pleasant billets. My companions and I, finding it was +quite late in the afternoon, determined to go and have our meal in a +garden near the Chateau. We sat down on the grass and opened our +bully-beef tins, and seeing onions growing in the garden thought it +would be a good thing to have that savoury vegetable as a relish. It +added to the enjoyment of our simple meal to think that we were eating +something which the Germans had intended for themselves. We managed to +get some fresh water too from a well nearby, which looked quite clean. +On the other side of a wall we could see the roof of the Chateau. One +of the men thought he would like to go and explore and find out who +was there. He came back a few minutes afterwards and said it was full +of Germans. So, taking their rifles, the two men went off to attack +it, thinking they had found a stronghold of the enemy. I was just +having a smoke after my meal when the lads came back and said that the +Germans whom they had seen were our prisoners and that the Chateau had +been taken over by us as a dressing station. We made our way to it and +found that it was a very beautiful place situated in lovely grounds. A +card on a door upstairs bore the inscription, "His Excellency General," +and then followed a German name. The place had been the headquarters +of some enemy corps or division on the previous day. At the back of +the Chateau was a very strong concrete dugout divided off into rooms, +which were soon filled by our officers and men. All that night the +wounded were being brought to the Chateau, and German prisoners also +found their way there. Nobody was paying much attention to the latter, +and, thinking it was unwise to let them wander about, and perhaps go +back to their lines with information about our location, with (p. 285) +the permission of the C.O. of the ambulance, who was up to his eyes in +work, I had them all put into one large room over which I placed a +guard. They were sent back to the corps cage in the morning. The +Germans evidently expected that we would use the Chateau because they +dropped some heavy shells in the garden during the night, and we had +to get the wounded down in to the cellars in quick time. + +I had about three hours sleep that night, and in the morning I +determined to follow up our men of the 1st Brigade who had now +established themselves at a village ahead of us called Rouvroy. As I +was starting off, a signaller came up to me and told me he had +captured a stray horse with a saddle on it and that he would lend it +to me to take me to my destination. I mounted the animal and went down +the avenue in great pride and comfort, but after I got into the road a +man came up and stopped me and told me, to my horror, that I was +riding his horse which he had lost the night before. It requires great +strength of mind and self-mastery to give up a mount to a pedestrian +when you are once in the saddle. But the war had not entirely +extinguished the light of conscience in my soul, so, tired as I was, I +dismounted and gave up the steed. But as I saw the man ride back to +the Chateau I began to wonder within myself whether he was the real +owner or not. One thief does not like to be out-witted by another. +However, there was nothing to do now but to go straight ahead. The +road before me led directly to Rouvroy. Some German planes were +hovering overhead, and in the fields to my left our artillery were +going into action. As shells were dropping on the road I took a short +cut over the fields. Here I found some of our machine-gunners, and the +body of a poor fellow who had just been killed. I got to the village +of Rouvroy about noon and made my way to a dugout under the main +road, where the colonel and some of the officers of the 3rd Battalion +were having lunch. They gave me a cup of tea, but I told them I had +taken my food on the journey, so did not want anything to eat. They +looked much relieved at this, because rations were short. Their +chaplain was there and gave me a warm reception. I was feeling rather +used up, so lay down on a wire mattress and had an hour's sleep. When +lunch was over the chaplain and I went to see the sights of the town. +The ruined church was being used for a dressing station and it seemed +to me it was rather a dangerous place, as the Germans would be (p. 286) +likely to shell it. We found an old bookshop which was filled with +German literature and writing paper, some of which proved very useful. + +We had a good rest in a dugout, but I felt so seedy that I told him, +if he heard that I had gone out of the line, not to think it was +because I was suffering from "cold feet". We went back to the village, +and there we found shells dropping in the main street not far from the +church. In fact, one came so close that we had to dive into a cellar +and wait till the "straffing" was over. Then I bid my companion +good-bye and started off over the fields back to Warvillers. By this +time I felt so unwell that it was hard to resist the temptation to +crawl into some little hole in which I might die quietly. However, +with my usual luck, I found a motor car waiting near the road for an +air-officer who had gone off on a tour of inspection and was expected +to return soon. The driver said I could get in and rest. When the +officer came back he kindly consented to give me a ride to my +Divisional Headquarters. We did not know where they were and I landed +in the wrong place, but finally with the assistance of another car I +made my way to Beaufort. There I found our Division had established +themselves in huts and dugouts at the back of an ancient chateau. With +great difficulty I made my way over to General Thacker's mess and +asked for some dinner. + +During the meal, the General sent off his A.D.C. on a message, and he +soon returned with no less a person than the A.D.M.S., who, to my +dismay, proceeded to feel my pulse and put a clinical thermometer in +my mouth. My temperature being 103-1/2, he ordered me at once to go +off to a rest camp, under threat of all sorts of penalties if I did +not. I lay on the floor of his office till three in the morning, when +an ambulance arrived and took me off to some place in a field, where +they were collecting casualties. From thence I was despatched to the +large asylum at Amiens which was operated by an Imperial C.C.S. The +major who examined me ordered me to go to the Base by the next train, +as they had no time to attend to cases of influenza. For a while I was +left on the stretcher in a ward among wounded heroes. I felt myself +out of place, but could do nothing to mend matters. Two sisters came +over to me, and apparently took great interest in me till one of them +looked at the tag which was pinned on my shoulder. With a look of +disgust she turned and said to her companion, "He isn't wounded at +all, he has only got the 'flu'". At once they lost all interest (p. 287) +in me, and went off leaving me to my fate. Stung by this humiliation, +I called two orderlies and asked them to carry me out into the garden +and hide me under the bushes. This they did, and there I found many +friends who had been wounded lying about the place. My batman had come +with me and had brought my kit, so a box of good cigars which I handed +round was most acceptable to the poor chaps who were waiting to be +sent off. By a stroke of good luck, an accident on the railway +prevented my being evacuated that evening. I knew that if they once +got me down to the Base my war days would be over. + +On the following morning, feeling better, I got up, shaved, put on my +best tunic, and, with a cigar in my mouth, wandered into the reception +room, where I found the major who had ordered me off on the previous +day. Puffing the smoke in front of my face to conceal my paleness, I +asked him when he was going to send me down to the Base. He looked a +little surprised at finding me recovered, and then said, "Well, Padre, +I think I will let you go back to your lines after all." It was a +great relief to me. The chaplain of the hospital very kindly took me +in charge and allowed me to spend the night in his room. The next day +I got a ride in a Canadian ambulance and made my way back to Beaufort. +There, to my horror, I found that the Division, thinking they had got +rid of me for good, had appointed another padre in my place. Through +the glass door of my room, I could see him giving instructions to the +chaplain of the artillery. I felt like Enoch Arden, but I had not +Enoch's unselfishness so, throwing the door wide open, I strode into +the room, and to the ill-concealed consternation of both my friends +who had looked upon me in a military sense as dead, informed them that +I had come back to take over my duties. Of course, everyone said they +were glad to see me, except General Thacker, who remarked dryly that +my return had upset all the cherished plans of well-ordered minds. The +A.D.M.S. had told them that he had thought I was in for an attack of +pneumonia. It was really a very amusing situation, but I was +determined to avoid the Base, especially now that we felt the great +and glorious end of our long campaign was coming nearer every day. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. (p. 288) + +WE RETURN TO ARRAS. + +_August, 1918._ + + +On Friday the 16th of August our Division left Beaufort and moved back +to billets at Le Quesnel. Here there was a good sized chateau which +was at once used for office purposes. The General and his staff made +their billets in a deep cave which was entered from the road. It was +of considerable extent, lit by electric light, and rooms opened out on +both sides of the central passage. I had one assigned to me, but as I +did not feel well enough to stand the dampness I gave it to the clerks +of the A.D.M.S., and made my home with the veterinary officer in the +cellar of the school-house which stood beside the church. The latter, +which had been used by the Germans as a C.C.S., was a modern building +and of good proportions. The spire had been used as an observation-post. +One or two shells had hit the building and the interior, though still +intact, was in great disorder. The altar ornaments, vestments, and +prayer books were thrown about in confusion. The school-house where I +was lodged must have been also the Cure's residence. A good-sized room +downstairs served as a chapel for my Sunday services. The cellar, +where the A.D.V.S. and I slept was quite comfortable, though by no +means shell-proof. As the only alternative abode was the cave, he and +I, deciding we would rather die of a shell than of rheumatism, chose +the cellar. The Corps ambulances were all together in a valley not far +away, and in trenches to the east, near the cemetery where the 8th +Battalion officers and men had been buried, there were some reserves +of the 3rd Brigade. + +Things were quiet now in the front line, so I determined to make a +trip to Albert to see my son's grave. It was a long and dusty journey +and the roads were rough. We passed back through the district over +which we had advanced, and saw everywhere gruesome traces of the +fighting. When we came to Albert, however, we found it was still in +the possession of the enemy. The Americans were holding the line, and +an American sentry stopped us at a barrier in the road and said that +no motorcycles were allowed to go any further in that direction. (p. 289) +It was strange to hear the American accent again, and I told the lad +that we were Canadians. "Well", he said, with a drawl, "that's good +enough for me." We shook hands and had a short talk about the peaceful +continent that lay across the ocean. There was nothing for us to do +then but to return. + +On the following Sunday, the Germans having evacuated Albert a day and +a half before, I once more paid a visit to the old town. I left my +side-car on the outskirts of the place and was taken by Mr. Bean, the +Australian War Correspondent, into his car. He was going up to take +some photographs. The day was intensely hot, and the dust of the now +ruined town was literally ankle-deep and so finely powdered that it +splattered when one walked as though it had been water. I saw the +ruins of the school-house which our ambulances had used, and noticed +that the image of the Virgin had been knocked down from the tower of +the Cathedral. I passed the house where our Headquarters had been. The +building was still standing but the front wall had gone, leaving the +interior exposed. I made my way up the Bapaume road to Tara Hill, and +there to my great delight I found the little cemetery still intact. +Shells had fallen in it and some of the crosses had been broken, but +the place had been wonderfully preserved. A battery on one side of it +had just ceased firing and was to advance on the following day. While +I was putting up some of the crosses that had fallen, Mr. Bean came up +in his car and kindly took a photograph of my son's grave. He also +took a photograph of the large Australian cross which stands at one +corner of the cemetery. Tara Hill had been for six months between the +German front and reserve lines, and I never expected that any trace of +the cemetery would have been found. I shall probably never see the +place again, but it stands out in my memory now as clear and distinct +as though once more I stood above the dusty road and saw before me the +rows of little crosses, and behind them the waste land battered by war +and burnt beneath the hot August sun. Over that very ground my son and +I had ridden together, and within a stone's throw from it two years +before we had said good-bye to one another for the last time. + +Our Division had now come out of the line and were hurrying north. On +August 26th Lyons and I started off in the car, and after a tedious +and dusty journey, enlivened by several break-downs, arrived (p. 290) +in Arras very late at night and found a billet with the Engineers in +the Place de la Croix. Once more our men were scattered about the old +city and its environs as if we had never left it. Our Battle Headquarters +were in the forward area and rear Headquarters in a large house in Rue +du Pasteur. It was a picturesque abode. The building itself was modern, +but it was erected on what had been an old Augustinian Monastery of +the 11th century. Underneath the house there was a large vaulted hall +with pillars in it which reminded one of the cloisters of Westminster +Abbey. It was below the level of the ground and was lit by narrow +windows opening on the street. It was a most interesting place and had +been decorated with heraldic designs painted on canvas shields by a +British Division that had once made its headquarters there. We used +the hall as our mess and from it passages led to several vault-like +chambers and to cellars at the back, one of which was my bedroom. A +flight of steps led down to stone chambers below these and then down a +long sloping passage to a broken wall which barred the entrance into +the mysterious caves beneath the city. The exhalations which came up +to my bedroom from these subterranean passages were not as fresh or +wholesome as one could have wished, but, as it was a choice between +foul air and running the chance of being shelled, I naturally chose +the former. + +We moved into this billet in the evening, and early the following +morning I was lying awake, thinking of all the strange places I had +lived in during the war, when close by I heard a fearful crash. I +waited for a moment, and then, hearing the sound of voices calling for +help, I rushed up in my pyjamas and found that a huge shell had struck +a house three doors away, crushing it in and killing and wounding some +of our Headquarters staff. Though Arras was then continually being +shelled, some of the inhabitants remained. Opposite our house was a +convent, and in cellars below the ground several nuns lived all +through the war. They absolutely refused to leave their home in spite +of the fact that the upper part of the building had been ruined by +shells. Our nearness to the railway station, which was a favourite +target for the German guns, made our home always a precarious one. + +One day the Paymaster was going into our Headquarters, when a shell +burst in the Square and some fragments landed in our street taking off +the fingers of his right hand. I was away at the time, but when I +returned in the evening the signallers showed me a lonely (p. 291) +forefinger resting on a window sill. They had reverently preserved it, +as it was the finger which used to count out five-franc notes to them +when they were going on leave. + +Our Corps dressing-station was in the big Asylum in Arras. The nuns +still occupied part of the building. The Mother Superior was a fine +old lady, intensely loyal to France and very kind to all of us. When +the Germans occupied Arras in the beginning of the war, the Crown +Prince paid an official visit to the Asylum, and, when leaving, +congratulated the Mother Superior on her management of the institution. +She took his praises with becoming dignity, but when he held out his +hand to her she excused herself from taking it and put hers behind her +back. + +The dressing-station was excellently run and the system carried out +was perfect. The wounded were brought in, attended to, and sent off to +the C.C.S. with the least possible delay. The dead were buried in the +large military cemetery near the Dainville road where rest the bodies +of many noble comrades, both British and Canadian. A ward was set +apart for wounded Germans and it was looked after by their own doctors +and orderlies. + +Meanwhile our Division was preparing for the great attack upon the +Drocourt-Queant line. The 2nd Division were in the trenches and had +taken Monchy. We were to relieve them and push on to the Canal du Nord +and, if possible, beyond it. Movements were now very rapid. All the +staff were kept intensely busy. The old days of St. Jans Cappel and +Ploegsteert, with their quiet country life, seemed very far away. This +was real war, and we were advancing daily. We heard too of the victories +of the French and Americans to the South. It was glorious to think +that after the bitter experience of the previous March the tables had +been turned, and we had got the initiative once more. Our Battle +Headquarters, where the General and his staff were, lay beyond +Neuville Vitasse. They were in a deep, wide trench, on each side of +which were dugouts and little huts well sandbagged. Over the top was +spread a quantity of camouflage netting, so that the place was +invisible to German aeroplanes. The country round about was cut up by +trenches, and in many of these our battalions were stationed. All the +villages in the neighbourhood were hopeless ruins. I tried to get a +billet in the forward area, as Arras was so far back, but every +available place was crowded and it was so difficult to get up rations +that nobody was anxious to have me. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII. (p. 292) + +THE SMASHING OF THE DROCOURT-QUEANT LINE. + +_September 2nd, 1918._ + + +On Saturday, August 31st, I paid a visit to our Battle Headquarters, +and the General asked me to have a Celebration of the Holy Communion +there the next morning at eight. I knew that the attack was almost +due, so I prepared for it and took my iron rations with me. We had the +Communion Service in a tent at the General's Headquarters. There were +only three present, but the General was one of them. I had breakfast +in a quaint little hut in the side of the trench, and then started off +to the forward area. The great stretch of country was burnt dry by the +summer heat and the roads were broken up and dusty. I was taken by car +to the Headquarters of the 2nd Brigade which were in a trench, and +from thence I started on foot to Cherisy. Here the 8th Battalion were +quartered, the 5th being in the line. Zero hour, I was told, was early +the next morning. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades were to make the attack. +The 5th Battalion was to have advanced that day and taken possession +of a certain trench which was to be the jumping off line on the +following morning. I heard that they had had a hard time. They had +driven out the Germans, but had been seriously counter-attacked and +had lost a large number of men. I determined therefore to go out and +take them some cigarettes and biscuits which the Y.M.C.A. generously +provided. I started off in the afternoon to go to the front line, +wherever it might be. I went down the road from Cherisy past the +chalk-pit, where we had a little cemetery, and then turning into the +fields on the left walked in the direction in which I was told the 5th +Battalion lay. It was a long, hot journey, and as I had not quite +recovered from my attack of influenza I found it very fatiguing. On +all sides I saw gruesome traces of the recent fighting. I came across +the body of a young artillery officer of the 2nd Division, but, as all +his papers had been taken away, I could not discover his name. My way +passed through the remains of what had been an enemy camp. There were +a number of well-built huts there, containing much German war-material, +but they had been damaged by our shells. The Germans had (p. 293) +evidently been obliged to get out of the place as quickly as possible. +I was just leaving the camp when I met several of our men bringing up +a number of prisoners. While we were talking, some shells fell, and we +all had to dive into two trenches. The Huns took one; we Canadians +took the other. We had no desire, in case a shell landed in our midst +to have our bits mingled with those of the Germans. When the +"straffing" was over, the others went back, and I continued my way to +the front. It must have been about six or seven o'clock when I arrived +at the 5th Battalion Headquarters, which were in a deep German dugout. +The Colonel was absent at a conference, so the Adjutant was in +command. I told him that I had come provided with cigarettes and other +comforts for the men, and asked him to give me a runner to take me to +the front line. He absolutely refused to do anything of the kind, as +he told me he did not know where it was himself. The situation was +most obscure. Our men had attacked and had been driven back and then +they had attacked again, but he thought they were now in shell holes +and would be hard to find. In fact, he was most anxious about the +condition of affairs and was hoping the Colonel would soon return. I +asked him if he would like me to spend the night there. He said he +would, so I determined to settle down and wait for an opportunity of +getting up to the men. + +I went over to a trench a little way off, passing two dead Germans as +I did so, and saw the little white flag with the red cross on it which +showed that a dugout there was used as the regimental aid post. I went +down into the place, which had two openings, and found the M.O. and +his staff and a number of machine-gunners. Being Sunday, I told them +that I would have service for them. We all sat on the floor of the +long dugout. Two or three candles gave us all the light we had, and +the cigarettes which I had brought with me were soon turned into +smoke. In the meantime a young stretcher-bearer, unknown to me, made a +cup of tea and brought that and some buttered toast for my supper. +When I had finished and we were just going to begin the service, a +voice suddenly shouted down the steps in excited tones. "We've all got +to retreat; the Germans are coming." At once a corporal shouted up to +him, "Shut up, none of that talk out here." Of course, I had not said +a word to any of the men about the condition of our front line, but +remembering what the Adjutant had told me about it, I thought now that +there might be some reason for the alarm. As I have said on a former +occasion, I had a great objection to being bombed in a dugout, so (p. 294) +I said to the men, "Well, boys, perhaps we had better take it seriously +and go up and see what the matter is." We climbed up to the trench, +and there on looking over the parapet we saw an exciting scene. It was +not yet dark, and in the twilight we could see objects at a certain +distance, but it was just light enough and dark enough to confuse +one's vision. Along the line to the right of our front trenches, +rockets and S.O.S. signals were going up, showing that the Germans +were attacking. Our reserve battalions were far back at Cherisy, and +our artillery had not yet come up. At any rate, somewhere in the +glimmering darkness in front of us the Germans were advancing. They +actually did get between us and our front line. The machine-gunners at +once went to their posts, and the M.O. wanted orders as to what he and +his staff were to do. I went back down the trenches past the dead +Germans to Battalion Headquarters, and asked the Adjutant what orders +he had for the M.O. He said we were all to congregate at Headquarters; +so I went back and gave the message. I remember looking over the waste +of ground and wondering if I could see the Germans. For a time it was +really very exciting, especially for me, because I did not know +exactly what I should do if the Germans came. I could not fight, nor +could I run away, and to fold one's arms and be taken captive seemed +too idiotic. All the time I kept saying to myself, "I am an old fool +to be out here." Still, we got as much fun out of the situation as we +could, and, to our intense relief, the arrival of some of our shells +and the sudden appearance of a Highland Battalion of the 4th Division +on our left, frightened the Germans and they retired, leaving us to +settle down once more in our trench home. + +On the return of the Colonel, we learned that, on account of the heavy +losses which the 5th Battalion had suffered that day, the 7th Battalion +would attack on the following morning. Later on in the evening, I saw +some machine-gunners coming up, who told us that they had left some +wounded and a dead man in a trench near the road. I determined to go +back and see them. The trench was very crowded, and as it was dark it +was hard to find one's way. I nearly stepped on a man who appeared to +be sleeping, leaning against the parapet. I said to one of the men, +"Is this a sleeping hero?" "No, Sir," he replied, "It's a Hun stiff." +When I got down to the road, I met two men and we hunted for the place +where the wounded had been left, but found they had been carried (p. 295) +off to Cherisy. So I started back again for Battalion Headquarters, +and as numbers of men were going forward I had no difficulty in +finding it. + +The dugout was now absolutely crowded. Every available space, +including the steps down from the opening, was filled with men. I +managed to secure a little shelf in the small hours of the morning, +and had two or three hours sleep. The atmosphere was so thick that I +think we were all overcome by it and sank into profound slumber. At +last, one of the men suddenly woke up and said to me, "It's ten +minutes to five, Sir." The barrage was going to start at five. As far +as I could see, everyone in the dugout but ourselves, was sound +asleep. I climbed up the steps, waking the men on them and telling +them that the barrage would start in ten minutes. The sentries in the +trench said that the 7th Battalion had gone forward during the night +with a number of 4th Division men. The morning air was sweet and fresh +after that of the dugout, but was rather chilly. A beautiful dawn was +beginning, and only a few of the larger stars were visible. The +constellation of Orion could be seen distinctly against the grey-blue +of the sky. At five o'clock the barrage started, and there was the +usual glorious roar of the opening attack. Very quickly the Germans +replied, and shells fell so unpleasantly near, that once again we +crowded into the dugout. After a hasty breakfast of bacon and tea the +battalions moved off, and I made my way to the front. I saw an officer +of the 7th Battalion being carried to the M.O.'s dugout. He was not +badly hit, and told me he was just back from leave and had been +married only a fortnight ago. I shook hands with him and congratulated +him on being able to get back to Blighty and have a wife to look after +him. He was being carried by some Germans and had two of our bearers +with him. I went down into a communication trench and the next instant +a shell burst. I did not know then that anybody had been hit by it, +but I learned afterwards that the officer, the stretcher-bearers and +the Germans had all been killed. + +I made my way to a mud road, where to my infinite delight I saw large +numbers of German prisoners being marched back. By the corner of a +wood the 8th Battalion were waiting their turn to advance. To the left +was the hill called The Crow's Nest, which our 3rd Brigade had taken +that day. I crossed the Hendecourt-Dury road, which had trees on (p. 296) +both sides of it, and then meeting the 2nd Battalion went forward with +them. There were some deep trenches and dugouts on the way, which our +units at once appropriated and which became the headquarters of two of +our Brigades. Our artillery had also come up and their chaplain was with +them. The C.O. of the 7th Battalion was having breakfast in the corner of +a field, and feeling very happy over the result of the morning's work. +Far off we could see the wood of Cagnicourt, and beyond that in the +distance we could see other woods. I went off in the direction of +Cagnicourt and came to some German huts, where there was a collection +of military supplies. Among them was a large anti-tank rifle. As it +had begun to rain, I was very glad to find some German water proof +sheets which I put over my shoulders as I was eating my bully-beef. +Cagnicourt lay in a valley to the right and, when I got there, I found +a battery of artillery had just arrived and were taking up their +positions by a road which led on to Villers-Cagnicourt. We were all in +high spirits over our fresh achievement. In some dugouts on the way, I +found the headquarters of the 13th and 14th Battalions, and learned of +the very gallant deed of the Rev. E. E. Graham, the Methodist chaplain +attached to the 13th Battalion. He had carried out, under the barrage, +five wounded men of the 2nd Division, who had been left in No Man's +Land. He was recommended for the Victoria Cross, but unfortunately, +for some reason or other, only got the D.S.O. In a trench near +Villers-Cagnicourt I found the 4th Battalion, who told me that they +thought our advance was checked. I sat talking to them for some time, +but was so tired that I absolutely could not keep awake. The men were +much amused to see me falling asleep in the midst of a conversation. I +managed, however, to pull myself together, and went over to the main +Cherisy road, on the side of which one of our ambulances had taken up +its position and was being attended by one of our military chaplains. +I was feeling so seedy by this time that I got a seat by the side of +the driver on a horse ambulance, and made my way back to Cherisy. The +road was narrow and crowded with traffic, and had been broken in +places by shells. Quite a number of bodies were lying by the wayside. +I arrived back at my billet in Arras in the evening feeling very +tired. At the Corps dressing station that night I saw large numbers of +our men brought in, among them the C.O. of the 2nd Battalion, who had +especially distinguished himself that day, but was very badly +wounded. + +In spite of the fact that we had not been able to go as far as we (p. 297) +had intended, another glorious victory was to our credit, and we had +broken the far-famed Drocourt-Queant line with its wire entanglements +which the Germans had thought to be impregnable. Two days afterwards, +on September 4th, our Division was taken out of the line and sent back +for rest and reorganization. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII. (p. 298) + +PREPARING FOR THE FINAL BLOW. + +_September, 1918._ + + +Our Divisional Headquarters were now established in the delightful old +chateau at Warlus. In Nissen huts near-by, were the machine-gun +battalion and the signallers, and, as I had one end of a Nissen hut +all to myself, I was very comfortable. The three infantry brigades +were quartered in the villages round about. The engineers and +artillery were still at the front. As usual our men soon cleaned +themselves up and settled down to ordinary life, as if they had never +been through a battle in their lives. The weather was very pleasant, +and we were all glad at the prospect of a little quiet after the +strenuous month through which we had passed. Our concert party at once +opened up one of the large huts as a theatre, and night after night +their performances were witnessed by crowded and enthusiastic +audiences. Just across a field towards Bernaville the 15th Battalion +was quartered in a long line of huts and in the village itself were +the 14th and 16th Battalions. I was therefore quite near the men of my +old 3rd Brigade. The 16th Battalion concert party gave a fine +performance there one evening, which was attended by some Canadian +Sisters who came up from one of our C.C.S's. The play was called, "A +Little Bit of Shamrock," and was composed by members of the concert +party. It was exceedingly pretty and very clever, and evoked thunders +of applause. The Colonel was called upon for a speech, and, although +his words were few, the rousing cheers he got from his men told him +what they thought of their commanding officer, who soon afterwards was +to be awarded the Victoria Cross. As one sat there in the midst of the +men and thought of what they had gone through, and how the flames in +the fiery furnace of war had left their cheery souls unscathed, one's +heart was filled with an admiration for them which will never die. + +On looking over my diary during those delightful days while we were +waiting to make the great attack, I see records of many journeys to +our various battalions and artillery brigades. Wanquetin, Wailly, +Dainville, Bernaville, Hautes Avesnes--what memories these names (p. 299) +recall! I would rattle over the dusty roads in my side-car and pull up +at Battalion Headquarters and get an invitation to dinner. On such +occasions I used to visit the cooks first and ask them if they had +enough food on hand for me in case the officers invited me to dine +with them, and in case they didn't, if they (the cooks) would feed me +later on in the kitchen. When the invitation had been given, I used to +go back to the cooks and say, "It's all right, boys, you won't be +bothered with my society, the officers have asked me to dinner." In +the evening, before I rode off, I used to go round to the men's +billets, or to the Y.M.C.A. tent, if there was one, and have a talk +with the men on the war outlook or any other topic that was perplexing +them at the time. Often I was followed to my car by some man who had +deeper matters to discuss, or perhaps some worry about things at home, +and who wanted to unburden himself to a chaplain. On the way back, +when darkness had fallen and my feeble headlight warned us against +speeding, I would meet or overtake men and have a talk, or tell them +to mount up on the box at the back of the car and I would give them a +ride. The rows of tall trees along the road would stand out black +against the starlit sky, and in the evening air the sweet smells of +nature would fill us with delight. We felt too, that nearer and nearer +the hour of the great victory was approaching. Who amongst us would be +spared to see it? How would it be brought about? What great and fierce +battle would lay the Germans low? The supreme idea in the mind was +consecration to a sublime sacrifice, which dwarfed into insignificance +all previous events in life. We had our fun, we had our jokes, we met +our friends, we saw battalions go on a route march, we watched men +play their games in the fields; but to me it seemed that a new and +mysterious light that was born of heaven hid behind the sunshine, and +cast a glory upon men and even nature. To dine at the rude board table +with the young officers of one of the companies of a battalion, +perhaps in a bare hut, on the floor of which lay the lads' beds, was +something sacred and sacramental. Their apologies for the plainness of +the repast were to me extremely pathetic. Was there a table in the +whole world at which it was a greater honour to sit? Where could one +find a nobler, knightlier body of young men? + +In the garden round the Chateau at Warlus were many winding paths, +where old trees gave a delightful shade. Here at odd moments one (p. 300) +could get away for a time into the leafy solitude and think quietly +and wonder. Although we were in rest there was of course no remission +of warlike activity and preparation. We knew that the next thing that +lay before us was the crossing of the Canal du Nord and the push to +Cambrai. That was a deed which would not only tax our strength and +courage, but depended for its success upon the care and diligence of +our preparation. + +On the two Sundays that we were at Warlus I had splendid church +parades with the Machine-Gun Battalion. Part of their billets were in +huts beside the road to Dainville. In one of them one night I found +some Imperial officers who were in charge of the wireless telegraph +station. They told me some interesting facts about their work. The +night was divided into different periods when the communiques of the +various countries would be sent out. These, of course, were for all +the world to read. The most wonderful thing they told me, however, was +that they could pick up the code messages sent from the German +Admiralty Headquarters at Kiel to their submarines under the sea. Of +course not knowing the code, our officers could not translate these +despatches. + +I received a great blow at this time, for my friend Lyons, who acted +as the chauffeur of my side-car, was sent off to the 3rd Division to +replace one of the despatch riders whom they had lost in the attack. +Our own signallers could not give me another man. As I could not run +the car myself, a sudden move might compel me to leave it behind. +Someone, too, might appropriate it, for the honesty of the army was, +as I knew from experience, a grace on which one could not place much +reliance. The only person to whom I could apply was my good and kind +friend, the builder of my churches and huts, Colonel Macphail, our +C.R.E. He was always my refuge in distress. He looked upon the +building of churches at the front as an act of such piety that it +would guarantee to him at any time the certain admission into heaven. +He attributed his piety to the claim which his clan made to be the +descendants of St. Paul. Apparently in Gaelic, Macphail means "the son +of Paul." The Colonel was always fond of insisting upon his high +lineage. He came to see me once when I was ill at Bruay, and after +stating the historical claims of his ancestors, asked me if I had not +observed some traits in his character which were like those of St. +Paul. I told him that the only resemblance to the Apostle which I had +discovered in him was that his bodily presence was weak and his (p. 301) +speech contemptible. In spite of those unkind thrusts, however, the +colonel manifested the Apostle's quality of forgiveness, and was +always ready to try and make me comfortable. I wrote to him now and +asked if he could send me a driver for my car. He did not fail me. A +few days afterwards, a young sapper appeared, saluted most properly, +and told me that he had been ordered by the C.R.E. to report to me for +duty as chauffeur. I was so delighted that I at once despatched the +following letter to my friend:-- + + "Dear Colonel Macphail, + If I had but a tail + I would wag it this morning with joy, + At your having provided + My car that's one-sided + With a good and intelligent boy. + + May your blessings from heaven + Abound in this war, + And be seven times seven + More than ever before." + +The possession of a new driver for my car enabled me to pay a last +visit to Le Cauroy, where I had left some of my possessions on our +trip to Amiens. I found the Cure in high good humor over the way the +war was going. The outlook was very different now from what it had +been when I was there before. I also visited Arras and the forward +area, where I dined one night in a tent with Major Price, who was then +in command of my original battalion, the 14th. The men were billeted +in trenches and as usual were making the best of things. It was +strange to look back to the early days of the war and talk about old +times. As I returned in the twilight and gazed far away over the waste +land towards the bank of low clouds in the eastern sky, my heart grew +sick at the thought of all which those fine young men might have to +endure before the crowning victory came. The thought of the near +presence of the Angel of Death was always coming up in the mind, +changing and transfiguring into something nobler and better our +earthly converse. + +In the war, the Bible statement, "We have here no continuing city," +was certainly true. Our happy life in Warlus and its neighbourhood +came to an end. On Friday, September 20th, the Division moved to (p. 302) +Achicourt near Arras. I took the opportunity to visit some friends in +the 3rd Division who were taking our places. Among them was "Charlie" +Stewart, of the P.P.C.L.I. I had taught him as a boy at school when I +was curate of St. John's, Montreal. We talked over old times, and the +great changes that had taken place in Canada and the world since we +were young. He was killed not long afterwards before Cambrai. I went +on through Dainville, where I met the 42nd Battalion, and reached +Achicourt in the evening. My billet was in a very dirty room over a +little shop. One corner of the house had been hit by a shell, and a +great store of possessions belonging to the people was piled up on one +side of my room. We knew we were not going to be there long, so we did +not worry about making ourselves comfortable. I had a view out of my +window of green fields and a peaceful country, but the town itself had +been badly knocked about. + +On Sunday morning, I got the use of a small Protestant church which +stood by a stream in the middle of the town. It was a quaint place, +and, instead of an altar, against the east wall there was a high +pulpit entered by steps on both sides. When I stood up in it I felt +like a jack-in-the-box. I had a queer feeling that I was getting to +the end of things, and a note in my prayer-book, with the place and +date, gives evidence of this. We had not many communicants, but that +was the last Celebration of Holy Communion that I held in France. On +the following Sunday I was to leave the war for good. I remember +walking away from the church that day with my sergeant and talking +over the different places where we had held services. Now we were on +the eve of great events, and the old war days had gone forever. After +the service, I started off in my side-car on a missionary journey to +the battalions that had now gone forward. I went off up the road to +the ruined town of Beaurains. Here I found the Headquarters of the +16th Battalion in the cellar of a broken house. The officers' mess was +a little shack by the roadside, and among those present was the +second-in-command, Major Bell-Irving, who had crossed with me on the +"Andania." Alas, this was the last time I was to see him. He was +killed in the battle of Cambrai. + +After lunch I continued up the long pave road which leads to Croisilles. +On the way I saw the 8th Battalion in an open field. Near them were a +number of Imperial officers and men of the British Division which (p. 303) +was on our right. We made our way through Bullecourt to Hendecourt, +near which in trenches were the battalions of the 1st Brigade, and +there too Colonel Macphail had his headquarters. There was a great +concentration of men in this area, and the roads were crowded with +lorries and limbers as well as troops. I stayed that night with the +engineers, as the weather looked threatening. The sky grew black and +rain began to fall. When one stood in the open and looked all round at +the inky darkness everywhere, with the rain pelting down, and knew +that our men had to carry on as usual, one realized the bitterness of +the cup which they had to drink to the very dregs. Rain and darkness +all round them, hardly a moment's respite from some irksome task, the +ache in the heart for home and the loved ones there, the iron +discipline of the war-machine of which they formed a part, the chance +of wounds and that mysterious crisis called death--these were the +elements which made up the blurred vision in their souls. + +The next morning the weather had cleared, and I went on towards Cagnicourt. +On the journey I was delayed by a lorry which had gone into the ditch +and completely blocked the road. Here in a field the 1st Field Ambulance +had established themselves. Later on I managed to get to Cagnicourt +and found my son's battery in the cellars of the Chateau. They were +getting their guns forward by night in preparation for the attack. +They gave me a very pressing invitation to sleep there and I accepted +it. We had a pleasant evening, listening to some remarkably good +violin records on the gramophone. Good music at such times had a +special charm about it. It reminded one of the old days of concerts +and entertainments, but, at the same time, as in the background of a +dream, one seemed to hear beneath the melodies the tramp of mighty +battalions marching forward into battle, and the struggles of strong +men in the fierce contests of war. + +On the following day I went on to the quarry which was to be our +Battle Headquarters near Inchy Station, from which the 2nd Division +were moving. I had a view of the smiling country over which we were to +charge. Between us and that promised land lay the Canal, the crossing +of which was necessarily a matter of great anxiety. It was late at +night before I got back to my home at Achicourt, where I had my last +war dinner with my friend General Thacker, who, with his staff, was up +to his eyes in work. The next day was taken up with arranging for (p. 304) +the disposition of our chaplains during the engagement, and about six +o'clock I told Ross to saddle Dandy, and on the dear old horse, who +was fresh and lively as ever, I galloped off into the fields. The sun +had set and the fresh air of the evening was like a draught of +champagne. Dandy seemed to enjoy the ride as much as I did, and +cleared some trenches in good style. For nearly three years and a half +we had been companions. He had always been full of life and very +willing, the envy of those who knew a good horse when they saw him. +When I returned in the twilight and gave him back to Ross, I said, +"You know, Ross, I am going into this battle and may lose my leg in +it, and so I wanted to have my last ride on dear old Dandy." It was my +last ride on him, and he was never ridden by anyone again. After I was +wounded, he was kept at Headquarters until, in order to avoid his +being sold with other horses to the Belgians, our kind A.D.V.S. +ordered him to be shot. He was one of the best friends I had in the +war, and I am glad he entered the horses' heaven as a soldier, without +the humiliation of a purgatory in some civilian drudgery. + +That night some bombs were dropped near the station at Arras on units +of the 3rd Division, which passed through Achicourt in the afternoon, +causing many casualties, and we felt that the Germans knew another +attack was at hand. It was the last night I had a billet in France. On +the next morning we moved forward to some trenches on the way to +Inchy, and I parted from Headquarters there. This was really the most +primitive home that the Division had ever had. We had in fact no home +at all. We found our stuff dumped out in a field, and had to hunt for +our possessions in the general pile. A few tents were pitched and the +clerks got to work. In a wide trench little shacks were being run up, +and I was to be quartered in the same hut as the field cashier, which +was thus to be a kind of union temple for the service of God and the +service of Mammon. I looked down into the clay pit and saw the men +working at my home, but I knew that I should probably not occupy it. I +determined to go forward to our Battle Headquarters, prepared for a +missionary journey, and find out when the attack was going to be made. +I put into my pack some bully-beef, hardtack, tinned milk and other +forms of nourishment, as well as a razor, a towel and various toilet +necessaries. On the other side of the road, the signallers had their +horse-lines, and our transports were near-by. I got my side-car (p. 305) +and, bidding good-bye to my friends, left for Inchy. We passed down +the road to Queant, where we saw the wounded in the field ambulance, +and from there started off through Pronville to Inchy Station. The +roads as usual were crowded, and the dust from passing lorries was +very unpleasant. We were going through the valley by Inchy Copse when +we suddenly heard a loud crash behind us which made my driver stop. I +asked him what he was about, and said, "That was one of our guns, +there is nothing to be alarmed at." "Guns!" he said, "I know the sound +of a shell when I hear it. You may like shells but I don't. I'm going +back." I said, "You go ahead, if I had a revolver with me, I would +shoot you for desertion from the front line. That was only one of our +guns." He looked round and said, "You call that a gun? Look there." I +turned and sure enough, about a hundred feet away in the middle of the +road was the smoke of an exploded shell. "Well," I said, "you had +better go on or there will be another one pretty soon, and it may get +us." With extraordinary speed we hurried to our destination, where I +left the car, taking my pack with me. I told the driver, much to his +relief, that he could go home, and that when I wanted the car again I +would send for it. + +The quarry was, as I have said, our Battle Headquarters, and here in +the deep dugouts which I had visited previously I found our staff hard +at work. They told me that this was "Y" day, and that zero hour when +the barrage would start was at 5.20 the next morning. At that hour we +were to cross the Canal and then press on into the country beyond. We +had a two battalion front. The 4th and 14th Battalions were to make +the attack, and be followed up by the other battalions in the 1st and +3rd Brigades. When these had reached their objective the 2nd Brigade +was to "leap frog" them and push on to Haynecourt and beyond. I was +glad that I had come provided for the expedition, and bidding good-bye +to General Thacker, whose parting injunction was not to do anything +foolish, I got out of the quarry and made my way down the hill towards +Inchy. A railway bridge which crossed the road near me was a constant +mark for German shells, and it was well to avoid it. An officer met me +and asked where I was going. I said, "I don't know, but I think the +Spirit is leading me to the old 14th Battalion in Buissy Switch Trench." +He told me the direction to take, which was to cross the road and +follow the line of railway. The tins of milk and bully-beef cut (p. 306) +into my back so I stopped by a culvert and taking off my pack and +tunic, sat on the ground and cooled off. There was no sign of Buissy +Switch anywhere, but I got up and went on. The evening was closing in +by this time, and, as I am never good at seeing in the dark, it began +to be difficult to keep from tripping over things. At last the road +brought me to a trench in which I found the 14th Battalion. They were +getting ready to move off at midnight and wait in the wood by the edge +of the Canal until the barrage opened. It made one proud to be with +those young men that evening and think what they were called upon to +do. What difficulties they would encounter in the Canal they did not +know. They said they might have to swim. We hoped, however, that there +was not much water, as the canal was still unfinished. + +I said good-bye to them and wished them all good-luck. Crossing the +road I entered another trench, where I found the 13th Battalion, and +beyond them came to the 1st Battalion. By this time, it was dark and +rainy, and the ground was very slippery. I had to feel my way along +the trench. A company of the 4th Battalion who were to be in the first +wave of the attack, passed on their way forward to take up their +position for the following morning. Probably never in the war had we +experienced a moment of deeper anxiety. The men would have to climb +down one side of the canal, rush across it, and climb up the other. It +seemed inevitable that the slaughter would be frightful. At home in +the cities of Canada things were going on as usual. Profiteers were +heaping up their piles of gold. Politicians were carrying on the +government, or working in opposition, in the interests of their +parties, while here, in mud and rain, weary and drenched to the skin, +young Canadians were waiting to go through the valley of the shadow of +death in order that Canada might live. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV. (p. 307) + +THE CROSSING OF THE CANAL DU NORD. + +_September 27th, 1918._ + + +When I got to the sunken road above Inchy I found that No. 1 Company +of the Machine-Gun Battalion had a little sandbag house there, and +were waiting for the attack. I went in and the young officers and men +made me at home at once. I divested myself of my pack, coat and steel +helmet, and determined to settle down for the night. Suddenly a shell +burst in the road, and I went out to see if anyone was hit. Two or +three men were wounded but not severely. We got them in and the young +O.C. of the company bound up their wounds and sent them off. There was +a row of these sandbag-huts against the bank, and at one end of them +was the entrance to a dugout in which the 1st Battalion and the +General of the 1st Brigade had made their headquarters. I went down +the steep steps into a long dark passage, lit here and there by the +light which came from the rooms on either side. The whole place was +crowded with men and the atmosphere was more than usually thick. I +made my way down to the end where there was a pump which had been put +there by the Germans. Here the men were filling their water-bottles, +and I got a fresh supply for mine. Not far from the pump a few steps +led down into a room where I found the C.O. and a number of the +officers of the 1st Battalion. It was about two a.m., and they were +having a breakfast of tea and bacon and invited me to join them. After +the meal was finished, the Colonel, who was lying on a rough bed, said +to me, "Sit down, Canon, and give us some of your nature poems to take +our minds off this beastly business." It was very seldom that I was +invited to recite my own poems, so such an opportunity could not be +lost. I sat down on the steps and repeated a poem which I wrote among +the Laurentian mountains, in the happy days before we ever thought of +war. It is called, "The Unnamed Lake." + + "It sleeps among the thousand hills + Where no man ever trod, + And only nature's music fills + The silences of God. + + Great mountains tower above its shore, (p. 308) + Green rushes fringe its brim, + And o'er its breast for evermore + The wanton breezes skim. + + Dark clouds that intercept the sun + Go there in Spring to weep, + And there, when Autumn days are done, + White mists lie down to sleep. + + Sunrise and sunset crown with gold + The peaks of ageless stone, + Where winds have thundered from of old + And storms have set their throne. + + No echoes of the world afar + Disturb it night or day, + But sun and shadow, moon and star + Pass and repass for aye. + + 'Twas in the grey of early dawn, + When first the lake we spied, + And fragments of a cloud were drawn + Half down the mountain side. + + Along the shore a heron flew, + And from a speck on high, + That hovered in the deepening blue, + We heard the fish-hawk's cry. + + Among the cloud-capt solitudes, + No sound the silence broke, + Save when, in whispers down the woods, + The guardian mountains spoke. + + Through tangled brush and dewy brake, + Returning whence we came, + We passed in silence, and the lake + We left without a name." + +There is not much in the poem, but, like a gramophone record, it +carried our minds away into another world. For myself, who remembered +the scenery that surrounded me when I wrote it and who now, in that +filthy hole, looked at the faces of young men who in two or three +hours were to brave death in one of the biggest tasks that had been +laid upon us, the words stirred up all sorts of conflicting emotions. +The recitation seemed to be so well received that I ventured on +another--in fact several more--and then I noticed a curious thing. It +was the preternatural silence of my audience. Generally speaking, when +I recited my poems, one of the officers would suddenly remember he had +to dictate a letter, or a despatch rider would come in with orders. +Now, no one stirred. I paused in the middle of a poem and looked round +to see what was the matter, and there to my astonishment, I found (p. 309) +that everyone, except the young Intelligence Officer, was sound asleep. +It was the best thing that could have happened and I secretly consoled +myself with the reflection that the one who was unable to sleep was +the officer who specialized in intelligence. We both laughed quietly, +and then I whispered to him, "We had better go and find some place +where we, too, can get a little rest." He climbed over the prostrate +forms and followed me down the passage to a little excavation where +the Germans had started to make a new passage. We lay down side by +side on the wooden floor, and I was just beginning to succumb to the +soothing influences of my own poetry, when I thought I felt little +things crawling over my face. It was too much for me. I got up and +said, "I think I am getting crummy, so I'm going off." I looked in on +the General and the Brigade Major, and then climbed up the steps and +went to the machine-gun hut. + +The night was now well advanced so it was time to shave and get ready +for zero hour. A little after five we had some breakfast, and about a +quarter past I went up to the top of the bank above the road and +waited for the barrage. At 5.20 the savage roar burst forth. It was a +stupendous attack. Field guns, heavy guns, and siege batteries sent +forth their fury, and machine-guns poured millions of rounds into the +country beyond the Canal. So many things were flying about and landing +near us, that we went back under cover till the first burst of the +storm should subside. At that moment I knew our men were crossing the +huge ditch, and I prayed that God would give them victory. When the +barrage had lifted I started down towards the Canal, passing through a +field on my way where I found, lying about, dead and wounded men. Four +or five were in a straight line, one behind another, where a German +machine-gun must have caught them as they advanced. A young officer of +the 2nd Battalion was dying from wounds. Two or three decorations on +his breast told his past record in the war. While I was attending to +the sufferers, a sergeant came up to me from the direction of the +Canal and asked the way to the dressing station. He had a frightful +wound in his face. A bit of a shell had dug into his cheek, carrying +off his nose. He did not know at the time how badly he had been hit. I +asked him if he wanted me to walk back with him, but he said he was +all right as the dressing station was not far off. I often wondered +what became of him, and I never heard till the following year when a +man came up to me in the military hospital at St. Anne's, with a (p. 310) +new nose growing comfortably on his face and his cheek marked with a +scar that was not unsightly. "The last time I met you, Sir," he said, +"was near the Canal du Nord when you showed me the way to the dressing +station." I was indeed glad to find him alive and well, and to see +what surgical science had done to restore his beauty. + +I went on to the Canal, and found that at that point it was quite dry. +I climbed down to the bottom of it in which men were walking and the +sappers were at work. Some ladders enabled me to get up on the other +side and I had the joy of feeling that the Canadians had crossed the +great Canal du Nord. Our battalions were now moving up and I joined +them, avoiding a part of a field which the men told me was under the +fire of a machine-gun from the mill in Marquion. The country was open +and green. The day was fine, and once more we experienced the +satisfaction of taking possession of the enemy's territory. Before us +the ground rose in a gradual slope, and we did not know what might +meet us when we arrived at the top, but it was delightful to go with +the men feeling that every step was a gain. When we got to the top of +the rise, we had a splendid view of the country beyond. Before us, in +the distance running from right to left, lay the straight Arras-Cambrai +road with its rows of tall trees. Where we stood, there were a number +of deserted German trenches. Here the M.O. of the 3rd Battalion opened +up an aid post, and the chaplain went about looking for the wounded. +Our men went on down into the valley and got into some forward +trenches. I stayed on the hill looking at the wonderful scene through +my German glasses. On the left in a quarry beside the village of +Marquion, I saw two Germans manning a machine-gun. Our 3rd Brigade had +taken the place, and some Highlanders were walking on the edge of the +quarry just above the Huns, of whose presence they were unaware. I saw +the enemy suddenly hide themselves, having noticed the approach of the +Highlanders, but when the latter had passed the two Boches reappeared +and went on firing as before. It was not long before the German +artillery turned their guns on our hill and I told some men of the 2nd +Brigade, who were now coming forward, to take cover in the trench or +go in extended order. I had hardly uttered the words when a shell +burst, killing one man and wounding in the thigh the one to whom I was +talking. I went over to him and found that no artery had been cut, and +the chaplain of the 3rd Battalion got him carried off. Down in the (p. 311) +valley our advance had evidently been checked for a time. While I was +trying to see what the trouble was, a young officer, called Cope, of +the 8th Battalion came up to me. He was a splendid young fellow, and +looked so fresh and clean. He had lost a brother in the Battalion in +the early part of the war. I said, "How old are you, Cope?" He replied, +"I am twenty." I said, "What a glorious thing it is to be out here at +twenty." "Yes," he said, looking towards the valley, "it is a glorious +thing to be out here at twenty, but I should like to know what is +holding them up." He had hardly spoken when there was a sharp crack of +a machine-gun bullet and he dropped at my side. The bullet had pierced +his steel helmet and entered his brain. He never recovered +consciousness, and died on the way to the aid post. + +The 2nd Brigade was now moving forward, so I went down the hill past a +dugout which had been used as a German dressing station. There I +secured a bottle of morphine tablets, and spoke to our wounded waiting +to be carried off. Just before I reached the Arras-Cambrai road, I +came to the trench where the C.O. of the 3rd Battalion had established +himself. The chaplain and I were talking when an officer of the 2nd +Battalion came back with a bad wound in the throat. He could not +speak, but made signs that he wanted to write a message. We got him +some paper and he wrote, "The situation on our right is very bad." The +4th Division were on our right, and they had been tied up in Bourlon +Wood. So now our advancing 2nd Brigade had their right flank in the +air. As a matter of fact their left flank was also exposed, because +the British Division there had also been checked in their advance. I +crossed the road into the field, where I found the 5th and 10th +Battalions resting for a moment before going on to their objective. In +front of us, looking very peaceful among its trees, was the village of +Haynecourt which the 5th Battalion had to take. The 10th Battalion was +to pass it on the left and go still further forward. We all started +off, and as we were nearing the village I looked over to the fields on +the right, and there, to my dismay, I saw in the distance numbers of +little figures in grey which I knew must be Germans. I pointed them +out to a sergeant, but he said he thought they were French troops who +were in the line with us. The 5th Battalion went through Haynecourt +and found the village absolutely deserted and the houses stripped of +everything that might be of any value. Their C.O. made his headquarters +in a trench to the north of the village, and the 10th disappeared (p. 312) +going forward to the Douai-Cambrai road. + +It was now quite late in the afternoon. The sun was setting, and I feared +that if I did not go back in time I might find myself stuck out there for +the night without any food or cover. I thought it was wise therefore +to go to Deligny's Mill, where I understood the machine-gunners were +established. In the road at the entrance of Haynecourt, I found a +young German wounded in the foot and very sorry for himself. I think +he was asking me to carry him, but I saw he could walk and so showed +him the direction in which to make his way back to our aid posts. I +was just going back over the fields when I met a company of our light +trench mortar batteries. The men halted for a rest and sat down by the +road, and an officer came and said to me, "Come and cheer up the men, +Canon, they have dragged two guns eight kilometres in the dust and +heat and they are all fed up." I went over to them, and, luckily +having a tin of fifty cigarettes in my pocket, managed to make them go +round. I asked the O.C. if he would like me to spend the night with +them. He said he would, so I determined not to go back. Some of the +men asked me if I knew where they could get water. I told them they +might get some in the village, so off we started. It makes a curious +feeling go through one to enter a place which has just been evacuated +by the enemy. In the evening light, the little brick village looked +quite ghostly with its silent streets and empty houses. We turned into +a large farmyard, at the end of which we saw a well with a pump. One +of the men went down into the cellar of the house hunting for +souvenirs, and soon returned with a German who had been hiding there. +We were just about to fill our water-bottles, when I suggested that +perhaps the well had been poisoned. I asked the German, "Gutt wasser?" +"Ja, ja," Then I said, "Gutt drinken?" "Nein, nein," he replied, +shaking his head. "Well, Sir," the men said, "we are going to drink it +anyway." "But if the well is poisoned," I replied, "it won't do you +much good." "How can you find out?" they said. A brilliant idea +flashed upon me. "I tell you what, boys," I said, "we will make the +German drink it himself and see the effect." The men roared with +laughter, and we filled a bottle with the suspected liquid and made +the unfortunate prisoner drink every drop of it. When he had finished, +we waited for a few minutes (like the people who watched St. Paul on +the Island of Melita after he had shaken off the viper into the (p. 313) +fire) to see if he would swell up or die, but as nothing of that kind +happened we all began to fill our water-bottles. Just as the last man +was about to fill his, a big shell landed in the garden next to us, +and he, catching up his empty bottle, ran off saying, "I'm not thirsty +any longer, I don't want any water." + +After their rest and refreshment, the company went over to a sunken +road on the east side of the village. It was now getting very chilly +and the daylight was dying rapidly. From the ground above the road one +could see in the distance the spires of Cambrai, and in some fields to +the southeast of us, with my glasses I could distinctly see numbers of +little grey figures going into trenches, apparently with the idea of +getting round to the south of our village on our exposed flank. I met +a young officer of the machine-gun battalion, and lending him my +glasses pointed out where the Germans were massing. He got the men of +his section and took up a forward position along a ditch which ran at +right angles to the sunken road. Here too were some of the companies +of the 5th Battalion. They had hardly got into position when the +Germans shelled the road we had been on, most unmercifully. I took +refuge with a number of the men of the 5th Battalion in a garden, +beside a brick building which had been used by the German troops as a +wash-house and which was particularly malodorous. Two or three shells +dropped in the orchard, breaking the trees, and we had to keep down on +the ground while the shelling lasted. I could not help thinking of the +warning the 2nd Battalion officer had given us about the situation on +our right. It did seem pretty bad, because, until the arrival of the +7th and 8th Battalions, our right flank was exposed, and the enemy +might have gone round to the southeast of the village and attacked us +in the rear. When things settled down, I went back up the sunken road, +and, as I did so, thought I saw some men going into a gateway in the +main street of the village. I made my way to the open trenches where +the Colonel of the 5th Battalion had his headquarters, and I determined +to spend the night there, so they kindly provided me with a German +overcoat. I was just settling down to sleep when a runner came up and +reported that some men were wounded and were asking the way to the +dressing station. Someone said they thought the M.O. had made his +headquarters in the village. Then I remembered having seen some men +enter a gateway in the street as I passed, so two of us started off +to find out if this was the regimental aid post. The night was (p. 314) +absolutely black, and my companion and I had to feel our way along +the street not knowing who or what we might bump into, and expecting +every moment that the Germans would begin to shell the place as soon +as they thought we had had time to find billets there. At last to our +great relief, we came to a large gateway in a brick wall and found +some of our men, who told us that the M.O. had made his dressing +station in the cellar of a building to the right. We went down into it +and came upon a place well lighted with candles, where the devoted +M.O. and his staff were looking after a number of men on stretchers. + +The Germans were determined that we should not have a quiet night and +very soon, as we had expected, they began to shell the village. The +dressing station was in a building which they themselves had used for +the same purpose, so they knew its location, and shells began to fall +in the yard. We got all the men we could down to the cellar; but still +there were some stretcher cases which had to be left in the rooms +upstairs. It was hard to convince them that there was no danger. +However the "straffing" stopped in time, and I went down to the end of +the cellar and slept in a big cane-seated chair which the Germans had +left behind them. In the morning I went back again to our men in the +line. The 10th Battalion had established themselves partly in a ditch +along the Cambrai road not far from Epinoy, and partly in outposts +behind the German wire. The country was undulating, and in places +afforded an extensive view of the forward area. German machine-gun +emplacements were in all directions, and our men suffered very +severely. I was in an outpost with one of the companies when I saw in +the distance one of our men crawling on his hands and knees up to a +German machine-gun emplacement. The helmets of the enemy could be +distinctly seen above the parapet. It was very exciting watching the +plucky fellow approach the place of danger with the intention of +bombing it. Unfortunately just as he had reached the side of the +trench the Germans must have become aware of his presence, for they +opened fire, and he had to crawl back again as fast as he could. + +Though many wounded were brought in, we knew that some were still +lying out on the other side of the wire in full view of the enemy. As +soon as it was dark enough, a bearer party, which I accompanied, +started off to try and collect these men. With my cane I managed to +lead the party through a gap in the wire. I came to a poor fellow (p. 315) +who had been lying there since the previous night with a smashed arm +and leg. He was in great pain, but the men got him in safely, and the +next time I saw him was in a Toronto hospital where he was walking +about with a wooden leg, and his arm in a sling. I went down to an +outpost where I saw some men. We could only talk in whispers, as we +knew the Germans were close at hand. They told me they were one of the +companies of the 10th Battalion. I asked, "Where are your officers?" +They said, "They are all gone." "Who is in command?" They replied, "A +Lance-Corporal." I rejoined the bearers and we had great difficulty in +getting back, as we could not find the gap in the wire, which seemed +to go in all directions. + +The 10th Battalion was relieved that night by the 8th, the C.O. of +which made his headquarters with the C.O. of the 5th Battalion in a +large dugout by the sunken road. There, late at night, I shared a +bunk with a young machine-gun officer and had a few hours of somewhat +disturbed sleep. The next morning, Sunday, September the 29th, the +fourth anniversary of our sailing from Quebec, our men were having a +hard time. The German defence at Cambrai was most determined, and they +had a large quantity of artillery in the neighbourhood. I went back to +the road and into the trench beyond the wire and found a lot of men +there. The parapet was so low that the men had dug what they called, +"Funk holes" in the clay, where they put as much of their bodies as +they could. Sitting in a bend of the trench where I got a good view of +the men, I had a service for them, and, as it was that festival, I +read out the epistle for St. Michael and All Angel's Day, and spoke of +the guardianship of men which God had committed to the Heavenly Hosts. +Going down the trench later on, I came to a place from which I could +see, with my glasses, a German machine-gun emplacement and its crew. I +went back and asked for a sniper. A man who said he was one came up to +me and I showed him the enemy and then directed his fire. I could see +from little puffs of dust where his bullets were landing. He was a +good shot and I think must have done some damage, for all of a sudden +the machine-gun opened fire on us and we had to dive into the trench +pretty quickly. I told him that I thought we had better give up the +game as they had the advantage over us. To snipe at the enemy seemed +to be a curious way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it was a temptation +too hard to resist. I crawled back through the trench to the road, and +there finding a man who had just lost his hand, directed him to (p. 316) +the aid post near Battalion Headquarters. I accompanied him part of +the way and had reached the edge of the sunken road, when a major of +the Engineers came up to me and said, "I have got a better pair of +German glasses than you have." It was an interesting challenge, so we +stood there on a little rise looking at the spires of Cambrai and +comparing the strength of the lenses. Very distinctly we saw the town, +looking peaceful and attractive. Suddenly there was a tremendous crash +in front of us, a lot of earth was blown into our faces, and we both +fell down. My eyes were full of dirt but I managed to get up again. I +had been wounded in both legs, and from one I saw blood streaming down +through my puttees. My right foot had been hit and the artery in the +calf of my leg was cut. I fell down again with a feeling of exasperation +that I had been knocked out of the war. The poor major was lying on +the ground with one leg smashed. The same shell had wounded in the +chest the young machine-gun officer who had shared his bunk with me +the night before. I believe an Imperial officer also was hit in the +abdomen and that he died. The chaplain of the 10th Battalion who +happened to be standing in the sunken road, got some men together +quickly and came to our help. I found myself being carried off in a +German sheet by four prisoners. They had forgotten to give me my +glasses, and were very much amused when I called for them, but I got +them and have them now. The major not only lost his leg but lost his +glasses as well. The enemy had evidently been watching us from some +observation post in Cambrai, for they followed us up with another +shell on the other side of the road, which caused the bearers to drop +me quickly. The chaplain walked beside me till we came to the aid post +where there were some stretchers. I was placed on one and carried into +the dressing station at Haynecourt. They had been having a hard time +that day, for the village was heavily shelled. One of their men had +been killed and several wounded. I felt a great pain in my heart which +made it hard to breathe, so when I was brought into the dressing +station I said, "Boys, I am going to call for my first and last tot of +rum." I was immensely teased about this later on by my friends, who +knew I was a teetotaller. They said I had drunk up all the men's rum +issue. A General wrote to me later on to say he had been terribly +shocked to hear I was wounded, but that it was nothing in comparison +with the shock he felt when he heard that I had taken to drinking rum. +Everyone in the dressing station was as usual most kind. The (p. 317) +bitter thought to me was that I was going to be separated from the old +1st Division. The nightmare that had haunted me for so long had at +last come true, and I was going to leave the men before the war was +over. For four years they had been my beloved companions and my +constant care. I had been led by the example of their noble courage +and their unhesitating performance of the most arduous duties, in the +face of danger and death, to a grander conception of manhood, and a +longing to follow them, if God would give me grace to do so, in their +path of utter self-sacrifice. I had been with them continuously in +their joys and sorrows, and it did not seem to be possible that I +could now go and desert them in that bitter fight. When the doctors +had finished binding up my wounds, I was carried off immediately to an +ambulance in the road, and placed in it with four others, one of whom +was dying. It was a long journey of four hours and a half to No. 1 +C.C.S. at Agnez-les-Duisans, and we had to stop at Queant on the way. +Our journey lay through the area over which we had just made the great +advance. Strange thoughts and memories ran through my mind. Faces of +men that had gone and incidents that I had forgotten came back to me +with great vividness. Should I ever again see the splendid battalions +and the glad and eager lives pressing on continuously to Victory? +Partly from shell holes, and partly from the wear of heavy traffic, +the road was very bumpy. The man above me was in terrible agony, and +every fresh jolt made him groan. The light of the autumn afternoon was +wearing away rapidly. Through the open door at the end of the +ambulance, as we sped onward, I could see the brown colourless stretch +of country fade in the twilight, and then vanish into complete +darkness, and I knew that the great adventure of my life among the +most glorious men that the world has ever produced was over. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXV. (p. 318) + +VICTORY. + +_November 11th, 1918._ + + +They took me to the X-ray room and then to the operating-tent that +night, and sent me off on the following afternoon to the Base with a +parting injunction that I should be well advised to have my foot taken +off; which, thank God, was not found necessary. From the C.C.S. at +Camiers, two days later I was sent to London to the Endsleigh Palace +Hospital near Euston Station, where I arrived with another wounded +officer at 2.30 a.m. I was put in a little room on the seventh storey, +and there through long nights I thought of our men still at the front +and wondered how the war was going. The horror of great darkness fell +upon me. The hideous sights and sounds of war, the heart-rending +sorrows, the burden of agony, the pale dead faces and blood-stained +bodies lying on muddy wastes, all these came before me as I lay awake +counting the slow hours and listening to the hoarse tooting of lorries +rattling through the dark streets below. That concourse of ghosts from +the sub-conscious mind was too hideous to contemplate and yet one +could not escape them. The days went by and intimations at last +reached us that the German power was crumbling. Swiftly and surely the +Divine Judge was wreaking vengeance upon the nation that, by its +over-weaning ambition, had drenched the world in blood. + +On November 11th at eleven in the morning the bells of London rang out +their joyous peals, for the armistice had been signed and the war was +over. There was wild rejoicing in the city and the crowds went crazy +with delight. But it seemed to me that behind the ringing of those +peals of joy there was the tolling of spectral bells for those who +would return no more. The monstrous futility of war as a test of +national greatness, the wound in the world's heart, the empty homes, +those were the thoughts which in me overmastered all feelings of +rejoicing. + +On Sunday morning, the 4th of May, 1919, on the Empress of Britain, +after an absence of four years and seven months, I returned to Quebec. +On board were the 16th Battalion with whom I had sailed away in 1914, +the 8th Battalion, the Machine Gun Battalion, the 3rd Field (p. 319) +Ambulance and some of the Engineers. Like those awaking from a dream, +we saw once more the old rock city standing out in the great river. +There was the landing and the greeting of loving friends on the wharf +within a stone's throw from the place whence we had sailed away. While +I was shaking hands with my friends, an officer told me I had to +inspect the Guard of Honour which the kind O.C. of the vessel had +furnished. I did not know how to do this properly but I walked through +the rows of stalwart, bronzed men and looked into their faces which +were fixed and immovable. Each man was an original, and every unit in +the old 1st Division was represented. For four years and seven months, +they had been away from home, fighting for liberty and civilization. +Many of them wore decorations; many had been wounded. No General +returning victor from a war could have had a finer Guard of Honour. + +The troops had to wait on board the ship till the train was ready. All +along the decks of the great vessel, crowded against the railings in +long lines of khaki, were two thousand seven hundred men. Their bright +faces were ruddy in the keen morning air. On their young shoulders the +burden of Empire had rested. By their willing sacrifice Canada had +been saved. It made a great lump come in my throat to look at them and +think of what they had gone through. + +I went back to the gangway for a last farewell. In one way I knew it +must be a last farewell, for though some of us will meet again as +individuals it will be under altered conditions. Never again but in +dreams will one see the great battalions marching on the +battle-ploughed roads of France and Flanders. Never again will one see +them pouring single file into the muddy front trenches. All that is +over. Along the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific, among our cities, +by the shores of lakes and rivers and in the vast expanse of prairies +and mountain passes the warrior hosts have melted away. But there on +the vessel that day the fighting men had come home in all their +strength and comradeship. I stood on the gangway full of conflicting +emotions. + +The men called out "Speech," "Speech," as they used often to do, half +in jest and half in earnest, when we met in concert tents and +estaminets in France. + +I told them what they had done for Canada and what Canada owed them +and how proud I was to have been with them. I asked them to continue +to play the game out here as they had played it in France. Then, (p. 320) +telling them to remove their caps, as this was our last church parade, +I pronounced the Benediction, said, "Good-bye, boys", and turned +homewards. + + + + +INDEX (p. 321) + + +A + +Abbeville, 160, 161. + +Abeele, 132, 134. + +Achicourt, 302, 303, 304. + +Aeroplane, first ride in, 261, 264. + +Agnez-les-Duisans, 317. + +Albert, 136, 140, 146, 147, 148, 154, 158, 179, 288, 289. + +"Alberta," 149, 174, 178, 205, 231, 243, 244, 245, 249, 252. + +Alberta Dragoons, 93, 115. + +Alderson, Gen. 89, 98, 108, 109, 111. + +Ambulance drivers, 130. + +Americans, 240, 242, 288. + +American declaration of war, 165. + +Amesbury, 32. + +Amiens, 135, 186, 271, 273. + +"Andania," 24, 25, 27, 302. + +Anzin, 165, 166, 249. + +Anzin-St. Eloi. rd., 164. + +Archbishop of York, 190. + +Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders, 82. + +Arleux, 170, 177, 253. + +Armagh Wood, 131, 133. + +Armentieres, 38, 41, 98, 181. + +Armistice, 318. + +Army, 1st, 205. + " 5th, 242. + " Hqrs., 211. + " " 2nd, 134. + " Service Corps, 50, 99. + " Mind, the, 222. + +Arras, 150, 235, 246, 247, 251, 270, 290, 296, 301, 304. + +Arras-Bethune rd., 164, 171, 173, 174, 176. + +Arras-Cambrai, 310, 311. + +Arriane Dump, 164, 175, 176, 178. + +Artillery, Canadian, 285. + " Monument, 239. + +Attention to detail, effect of, 209. + +Aubigny, 154. + +August 4th, 271. + +Australians, 122. + +Australian Tunnellers, 201. + +Averdoignt, 258, 259. + +Avonmouth, 35. + + +B + +Bac St. Maur, 42. + +Bailleul, 38, 76, 98, 109, 112, 113, 114. + +Bailleul-sur-Berthouit, 170. + +Bailly-sur-Lys, 43, 46. + +Bapaume, 136, 137. + +Baptism at the Front, a, 122. + +Barlin, 161, 162, 206, 207, 230. + +Barrage, 168, 172, 198, 276, 309. + +Base, 267. + +Battalion, British, 165. + " Guards, 79. + " Headqrs., 249, 250, 251, 252, 269, 276, 280, 281, 294, 295. + " Machine Gun, 258, 298, 300, 307, 313, 318. + " of Engineers, 3rd, 272. + " Pioneer, 199. + " 1st, 109, 181, 246, 306, 307. + " 2nd, 181, 207, 278, 296, 309, 311. + " 3rd., 125, 149, 181, 285, 311. + " 4th., 181, 296, 305, 306. + " 5th., 181, 242, 275, 277, 282, 284, 292, 294, 311, 313. + " 5th., Headqrs., 293. + " 7th., 181, 203, 235, 236, 282, 294, 295, 296, 313. + " 8th., 159, 181, 235, 236, 282, 283, 288, 292, 295, 302, 311, + 313, 314, 318. + " 10th., 61, 181, 270, 280, 311, 312, 314, 315, 316. + " 13th., 52, 80, 118, 120, 181, 277, 296, 306. + " 14th., 23, 24, 27, 54, 58, 61, 111, 118, 125, 159, 160, 181, + 246, 282, 295, 298, 301, 305, 306. + " 15th., 37, 38, 39, 42, 55, 118, 181, 274, 298. + " 16th., 37, 42, 57, 60, 72, 82, 106, 118, 119, 120, 125, 152, + 164, 181, 246, 272, 273, 274, 275, 277, 279, 298, 302, + 318. + " 22nd., 282. + " 24th., 282. + " 42nd., 302. + " 87th., 147, 148, 157, 178. + +Battery, my son's, 303. + " Siege, 193. + " " 7th., 166, 198, 199. + " " 11th., 154, 155. + +Battle Headqrs., 136, 176, 272, 273, 290, 291, 292, 303, 304, 305. + +Bean, C. W. E. Mr., 289. + +Beaufort, 282, 286, 288. + +Beaurains, 303. + +Bedford House, 126, 132. + +Bed of Chairs, 79. + +Bell-Irving, Major, 302. + +Berles, 260, 261, 264. + +Bernaville, 147, 298. + +Bethune, 88, 89, 90, 159, 190, 230, 234. + +Bishop du Pencier, 234. + " of London, 48. + +Bishop's College men, 114. + +Blind Organist, 89. + +Borden, Sir Robert, 22, 72, 102, 266. + +Boulogne, 240, 267. + +Bourlon Wood, 311. + +Boves, 272, 273. + +Bracquemont, 151, 191, 192, 197, 235, 240. + +Bray Hill, 167. + +Brielen, 75. + +Brigade, 206. + " Artillery, 171, 245, 260. + " " 1st., Hqrs., 199. + " " 2nd., " 199. + " " 3rd., " 177. + " " 3rd., 36, 53, 75, 76, 77, 87, 97, 103, 168, 181. + " Cavalry, 82, 98, 103. + " Headqrs., 93, 156, 201. + " Infantry, 65, 98. + " " 3rd., Headqrs., 107, 118. + " Machine Gun, 207. + " Motor Machine Gun, 130. + " Schools, 208. + " 1st, 128, 179, 234, 246, 279, 280, 285, 303, 305, 307. + " 2nd., 80, 181, 205, 234, 242, 255, 257, 279, 280, 282, 292, + 305, 310, 311. + " 2nd., Hqrs., 235. + " 3rd., 31, 43, 75, 76, 77, 93, 97, 98, 242, 246, 292, 295, 298, + 305, 310. + +British Artillery, 106. + " Cavalry, 46. + " Tribute, 169. + +Bruay, 159, 161, 178, 179, 180, 181, 203, 204, 205, 206, 232, 234, 235, + 300. + +Brutenell, Col., 130. + +Buissy Switch Trench, 305. + +Bulford Camp, 95, 96. + +Bullecourt, 303. + +Bully-Beef Wood, 269. + +Bully-Grenay, 192, 193, 194, 208. + +Byng, Gen., 132. + + +C + +"C" Mess, 99, 149, 217, 231, 243, 245. + +C.C.S., 267, 270, 286, 291, 317, 318. + " British, 128, 129. + +Caestre, 38, 49. + +Cagnicourt, 296, 303. + +Caix, 279, 280, 281. + +Calais, 227. + +Camblain l'Abbe, 149, 151, 152, 158, 159, 238. + +Cambligneul, 203. + +Cambrai, 302, 315. + +Camiers, 318. + +Cam Valley, 249. + +Canadian Cavalry, Hqrs., 160. + " Corps, 72, 108, 132, 149, 150, 178, 189, 190, 220, 240, 265, + 270, 271, 272, 274. + " Corps Headqrs., 109, 132, 150, 238, 260, 270. + " Cyclist Corps, 142. + " Light Horse, 93. + " Prisoners of War Fund, 109. + " Sisters, 254. + " War Records Office, 184. + +Canal du Nord, 291, 305. + +Canaples, 135, 137, 147, 161. + +Canteen, 138. + +Cassel, 49, 50, 52, 134. + +Caves, 246. + +Cemetery, 152, 158, 176, 180, 291. + Canadian, 56, 136, 138. + at Ecoivres, 174. + Military, 214. + near Thelus, 156. + +Centre Way, 155. + +Chalk Pit, 199. + +Chamounix, 186. + +Chaplain, American, 270. + " British, 111. + " General, 34. + " Junior, 194. + " Praise of, 116. + " Rest Home, 190. + " Roman Catholic, 184. + " Senior, 98, 173, 181, 190, 203, 207, 231. + " Senior of Australian Div., 138. + " Senior Roman Catholic, 34, 76. + " 1st. Army, 205. + " Service Headqrs., 135. + +Chateau d'Acq., 183, 184, 185, 189, 251. + " de la Haie, 178, 181, 230, 242, 243. + " Longeau, 272. + " of Le Cauroy, 147. + " of Ranchicourt, 150. + +Cheerfulness of Men, 255. + +Cheery word, effect of, 67. + +Cherisy, 292, 294, 295, 296. + +Chinese Labour Companies, 192. + +Christmas, 32, 118, 159, 233. + +Church Parade, 18, 21, 22, 38, 320. + " Service, 315. + " under Chestnut Tree, 256. + +Cite St. Pierre, 238. + +"City of Chester," 36. + +Clayton, 230. + +Clino, 259, 260, 267. + +Comradeship, effect of, 78. + +Concert Party, 180, 192, 203, 231, 242, 243, 254, 261, 298. + " " 1st Divisional, 159. + +Concerts, 153. + +Confirmation Service, 109. + +Congreve, General, 40. + +Connaught, Duke & Duchess, 22, 266. + +Consecration, the Supreme Idea, 299. + +Contalmaison, 137. + +Cope, 311. + +Convalescent Camp, 133. + +Coupigny, 181. + +Courcelette, 115, 138, 140, 142, 144, 145, 155, 157, 179. + +Court-o-Pyp, 96, 97. + +Croisilles, 302. + +"Crown & Anchor," 264. + +Crow's Nest, The, 295. + +Crucifix Corner, 235. + Dump, 193. + +Crucifixes, 105. + +Crucifixion of Canadian Soldier, 76. + +Currie, Gen., 80, 109, 112, 222, 239, 242, 260. + + +D + +Dainville, 291, 298, 300, 302. + +"Daily Mail," 187, 191. + +"Dandy," 90, 91, 95, 103, 107, 108, 110, 113, 122, 128, 134, 165, 180, + 253, 256, 265, 304. + +Day of Young Men, the, 182. + +Death Valley, 138, 156, 157, 179. + +Deligny's Mill, 312. + +Desertion, procedure for death penalty, 211. + " death penalty inflicted, 214. + +Dish washing in the trenches, 236. + +Divion, 234. + +Division, 106, 122, 132, 162, 177, 192, 199, 203, 207, 209, 216, 220, + 226, 227, 228, 242, 251, 253, 260, 265, 268, 280, 287, 288, + 289, 291. + " 1st., 33, 46, 93, 108, 130, 149, 172, 178, 194, 264, 266, 274, + 317, 319. + " 2nd., 108, 138, 175, 281, 291, 296, 303. + " 3rd., 129, 274, 300, 302, 304. + " 4th., 146, 154, 158, 231, 232, 242, 294, 295, 311. + " Guards, 123, 132. + " Scots, 250. + +Divisional Area, 2nd., 282. + " 1st. Wing, 267, 268. + " Headqrs., 123, 134, 135, 147, 159, 173, 183, 191, 213, 230, + 256, 271. + " " 1st. Can., 264, 286. + " Rest Camp, 132. + " Sports, 261. + " Train, 133, 208, 209. + +Dominion Day, 189. + " " Sports, 266. + +Douai, 249. + +Douai-Cambrai, 312. + +Double-Crassier, 194. + +Douve, 118. + +Dregs of the Cup, 303. + +Dressing Station, 140, 142, 144, 177, 200, 201, 227, 235, 284, 285, 291, + 296, 309, 314, 316. + +Drocourt-Queant Line, 291, 297. + +Duffy, 62, 73. + +Durham Light Infantry, 39. + +Duty as a guide, 250. + " " " runner, 250. + + +E + +Easter Day, 48, 123, 245. + " " 1916, 128. + +Ecoivres, 162, 166, 167, 172, 232, 252. + +Edinburgh, 240. + +"Empress of Britain," 318. + +Endsleigh Palace Hospital, 318. + +Engineer Companies, 245. + +English Channel, 28. + +Epinoy, 314. + +Estaires, 46, 48, 49. + +Etrun, 247, 248, 251, 268, 270. + +Estree-Cauchie, 204. + +Evians-les-Bains, 187. + + +F + +Fampoux, 249, 250, 263. + +Farbus, 177. + +Festubert, 80, 82, 89. + +Feuchy, 249, 250, 263, 269. + +Field Ambulance, 1st., 303. + " " 2nd., 68, 69, 70, 74. + " " 3rd., 37, 133, 319. + " Co. Engineers, 3rd., 135. + +Fight in a Church Service, 102. + +Fletre, 38, 122. + +Fleurbaix, 43. + +Florence, 223, 226. + +"Florizel," 26. + +Foch, Marshal, 254, 255. + +"Follies, The," 123. + +Fort Glatz, 193, 199, 235. + +Fosseaux, 245, 247. + +"Four Winds, The," 152, 154. + +France, Patriotism of, 188. + +Fresnicourt, 185, 190. + +Fresnoy, 177, 178, 233. + +Frevent, 253, 254. + +Frohen Le Grand, 147. + + +G + +Gas Attack, 240, 241. + +Gas Poisoning, 201. + +Gas Shells, 269. + +Gaspe Basin, 26. + +Gasquet, Cardinal, 222. + +General Hospital, No. 2, 35, 36, 37, 80, 97. + +Gentelles Wood, 272, 273, 279. + +German Aeroplane, 111. + " Dugouts, 136. + " Prisoners, 65, 80, 82, 142, 144, 200, 278, 283, 284, 295, 312, 316. + " Spy, 83, 89, 96, 108. + " Thoroughness, 66. + +Ghurkas, 79. + +Glasgow Highlanders, 81. + +Good Friday, 48, 165, 245. + +Gouldberg Copse, 227. + +Gouy-Servins, 231. + +Graham, Rev. E. E., 296. + +Graves, Unrecorded, 158. + +Great Memories of the War, 117. + +Grenade School, 132, 133. + +Grenay, 235. + +Groves, Vaughan, 234, 235. + +Gwynne, Bishop, 99, 100, 135. + + +H + +Haig, Gen., 78, 79. + +Hallicourt, 180. + +Hangard Wood, 277. + +Harter, Major, M.C., 40. + +Hatchet Wood, 282. + +Hautes Avesnes, 298. + +Haynecourt, 305, 311, 312, 316. + +Headquarters, 112, 122, 178, 206, 211, 267, 268. + +Hell Fire Corner, 69. + +Hendecourt, 303. + +Hendecourt Dury, 295. + +Hill 60-54, 55, 124. + +Hill 63-91, 101, 106, 113, 117, 118. + +Hill 70-197, 198, 202, 203, 205, 207, 208, 233, 235, 240. + +"Hole in the Wall, The," 195. + +Holy Communion, 21, 27, 32, 40, 49, 66, 71, 77, 95, 96, 101, 119, 120, + 132, 143, 146, 147, 150, 160, 163, 164, 166, 176, 190, + 211, 232, 243, 245, 246, 292, 302. + +Honor to a Belgian Maid, 111. + +Hooge, 124. + +Hooggraaf, 123, 128, 134. + +Horne, Gen., 172, 176, 181, 205. + +Hornoy, 271, 272. + +Houdain, 180, 181. + +Houplines, 39. + +Hughes, Gen., 15, 17, 21, 22, 53, 102, 103. + +Hugo Trench, 235. + + +I + +Ignacourt, 280. + +Inchy Station, 303, 304, 305. + +Indian Troops, 74. + " Village, 80. + +Ironside, Col., 148. + +Italian, 1st. Div., 218. + " 3rd Army, 221. + +Izel-les-Hameaux, 261, 262, 264. + + +J + +Joffre, Gen., 72. + +Johnson, Johnny, 261, 264. + +Jutland, 129, 130. + + +K + +Khaki University, 267. + +King, The, 32, 72, 134. + +"King Edward's Horse," 112. + +Kitchener, Earl, 102, 103, 129. + +Kort Dreuve, 101. + + +L + +La Boisselle, 137. + +Labyrinth, 173. + +Lacouture, 79. + +La Creche, 94. + +Lake of Geneva, 187. + +Lamb, Col., 219, 221, 223. + +Lark Hill, 31. + +La Targette Rd., 183. + +Laventie, 45. + +Le Brebis, 192, 235. + +Le Cauroy, 253, 254, 261, 270, 271, 301. + +Lectures on Leave Trip to Rome, 257, 258. + +Leicesters, 45. + +Lens, 197, 202, 235, 241, 263. + +Lens-Arras, 176, 185, 207. + +Lens-Bethune Rd., 200. + +Les Tilleuls, 239. + +Le Touret, 80, 82. + +Liencourt, 271. + +Lieven, 208, 240, 262, 263. + +Loison, 267, 268. + +London, 91, 93, 240, 318. + +Loos, 109, 110, 192, 193, 197, 201, 207, 235, 240. + +Loos Crassier, 200. + +Lord's Prayer, 71, 142. + +Lyons, 259, 260, 273, 289, 300. + + +M + +MacDonald, Murdoch, 44, 52, 53, 54, 67, 68, 75, 81, 87, 94, 95. + +Macdonell, Gen., 82, 189. + +Macphail, Col., 300, 303. + +Maison Blanche, 164, 169. + +Mametz, 146. + +Maple Copse, 133. + +Maroc, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 235. + +Maroeil, 249. + +Marquion, 310. + +Marseilles, 216. + +Mazingarbe, 192, 235. + +Memorial Service for Hill 70 Attack, 206. + +Memories of the War, 132. + +Mercer, Gen., 128, 129. + +Merville, 46. + +Messines, 101. + +Military Prison, 123. + +Ministering to German Prisoners, 278. + +Miraumont, 139, 157. + +Moment Before Attack, 276. + +Mons, 260. + +Mont des Cats, 112, 128, 129. + +Montreuil, 267. + +Mont St. Eloi, 149, 150. + +Morgue, 124. + +Mount Kemmel, 112. + +Murray, Major, 112. + + +N + +Nazebrouck, 37. + +Neuve Chapelle, 45. + +Neuve Eglise Rd., 95, 96. + +Neuville St. Vaast, 169. + +Neuville Vitasse, 291. + +New Year, 160, 233. + +Nieppe, 98, 99, 108, 109, 112. + +"Nine Elms," 174. + +Noeux les Mines, 191. + +"No Man's Land," 120, 126, 149, 207, 249, 269. + + +O + +Observation Balloons, 181, 182. + " Post, 280. + +Ohlain, 152, 205. + +Ouderdom, 74. + + +P + +Paris, 186, 187, 227. + +Parish Visiting, 20, 192, 235, 267, 269. + +Passchendale 220, 227, 228, 229, 230, 233. + +Patricia, Princess, 22. + +Petit Moncque Farm, 103, 107, 118. + +"Philo," 91, 94, 95, 104, 134, 149. + +"Pineapples," 236, 237, 238. + +Pisa, 217, 226. + +Place St. Croix, 251. + +Ploegsteert, 38, 91, 94, 100, 102, 103, 110, 113, 118. + +Plymouth, 28. + +Poems: "The Unnamed Lake," 307. + "Requiescant," 75. + +Pope, The, 220. + +Poperinghe, 123, 128, 132, 207, 227, 230. + +Poppies, 261. + +Pozieres, 137, 138, 142, 144, 155. + +Price, Major, 301. + +Pronville, 305. + +Pudding Lane, 249. + " Trench, 249, 269. + +Puzzling Question, A, 163. + +Pys., 139, 157. + + +Q + +Quatre Vents, 203. + +Queant, 305, 317. + +Quebec, 318. + +Queen's Own Westminsters, 41. + +Quesnel, 288. + + +R + +Railway Dugouts, 124, 126, 130, 131, 132. + " Triangle, 270. + +Ranchicourt, 152, 193. + +Ravine, 133. + +Recitation of Poem Under Difficulties, 195. + +Record Attack, A, 172. + +Record-beating Advance, 280. + +Refugees, 69. + +Regina Trench, 138, 148, 156, 157, 158, 180. + +Religion of Men at Front, 116, 134. + +Rest Camp, 185, 190. + +Riviera, 217. + +Robecq, 78, 230. + +Roberts, Lord, 32. + +Robertson, Sir Wm., 220. + +Roclincourt, 176. + +Roellencourt, 147, 148, 149. + +Romarin, 94, 111. + +Rome, 216, 217. + +Rome, March Through the Streets, 218. + +Rosieres, 280, 282. + +Ross, Pte., 95, 104, 112, 114, 154, 254, 304. + +Rouville, 246. + +Rouvroy, 285. + +Royal Canadian Regiment, 189. + +Royal Horse Artillery, 281. + +Royal Rifles, 8th, 15, 16. + +Rubempre, 135, 136, 137. + +Ruitz, 180, 181. + + +S + +Sad stories, 139, 141. + +Sains-en-Gohelle, 235. + +Salient, 122, 128, 130, 132, 230, 270. + +Salisbury Plain, 30, 34. + +Sanctuary Wood, 125, 133. + +Sappers, 78. + +Sausage Valley, 137. + +Scarpe, 165, 247, 250, 251, 269. + +Scarpe Valley, 249. + +Second Army School, 190. + +Seely, Gen., 98, 111. + +Shells, 17 inch, 57. + +Shell Trap Farm, 65. + +"Shock Troops," 255. + +"Silent Toast, The," 174. + +"Sky Pilot," 181. + +Smith-Dorrien, Gen., 38, 52, 53. + +Somme, 134, 137, 179. + +Sons, My, 46, 146, 147, 148, 165, 176, 178, 190, 230, 262, 267, 289. + +Son's Grave, 157, 158, 180, 288. + +Souchez, 231. + +Spy Fever, 196. + +Squadron, 13th, 261. + +St. Aubin, 249. + +St. Eloi Rd., 167, 249. + +St. Feuchien, 272, 273. + +St. George's Church, 123, 175, 176, 189. + " " " No. 2, 184. + " " " No. 3, 232. + " " Rectory, 184, 233. + +St. Jans Cappel, 112, 113, 114, 122. + +St. Jean, 61, 67. + +St. Julien, 54, 61. + +St. Lawrence, 26. + +St. Nazaire, 36. + +St. Nicholas, 249. + +St. Omer, 99, 100, 134, 135, 190. + +St. Pol Rd., 147, 160, 161, 258, 259, 261, 267. + +St. Sauveur Cave, 246. + +St. Sylvestre, 50. + +St. Venant, 230. + +Steenje, 77, 78, 93. + +Steenvoorde, 54, 134. + +Stewart, Charles, 302. + +Stonehenge, 32. + +Strand, 151. + +Strathcona Horse, 107. + +Strazeele, 37. + +Stretcher Bearers, 145. + +Sunday Program, 132. + +Swan Chateau, 127. + + +T + +Talbot House, 123, 230. + +Talbot, Neville, 123. + +"Tanks," 140, 274, 277, 282. + +Tara Hill, 136, 137, 147, 154, 158, 180, 289. + +Telegraph Hill, 246. + +Tent Hospitals, Canadian, 208. + +Terdeghem, 52, 53. + +Thacker, Gen., 134, 192, 260, 272, 287, 303, 305. + +Thelus, 170. + +"The Times," 180. + +Tilloy, 269. + +Tilques, 135. + +Tincques, 264, 266. + +Training for Final Attack, 255. + +Tully, 160. + +Turcos, 63, 72. + +Turin, 226. + + +U + +"Unbroken Line, The," 7. + + +V + +Valcartier, 16, 17, 19, 24. + " Departure, 23. + +Vandervyver, M., 54, 60, 67, 68. + +Venezelos, M., 221. + +Verbranden Molen, 126. + +Verdrel, 259. + +Victory Year, 234. + +Villers au Bois, 183, 189. + +Villers-Cagnicourt, 296. + +Villers-Chatel, 205, 256, 257, 263. + +Vimy Ridge, 150, 151, 162, 164, 167, 169, 178, 181, 233, 239, 263. + +Vlamertinghe, 59, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 130, 132, 227. + + +W + +Wailly, 298. + +Wanquetin, 298. + +Warlus, 245, 247, 299, 300, 301. + +Warvilliers, 282, 284, 286. + +Westhof Farm, 98. + +Wieltje, 54, 55, 61, 62. + +Willerval, 170, 177. + +Wingles, 193. + +Wippenhock, 130. + +Wisques, 190. + +Wounded, 316. + +Wreath on Victor Emmanuel Statue, 221. + +Wulverghem, 106, 115. + + +Y + +Y.M.C.A., 30, 138, 155, 166, 203, 204, 208, 267, 292, 298. + +Ypres, 49, 50, 54, 55, 124, 128, 130, 132, 227, 230. + +Yser Canal, 54, 55. + + +Z + +Zillebeke Bund, 125. + +Zulus, 192, 193. + + + _Warwick Bros. & Rutter, Limited_ + _Printers and Bookbinders_ + _Toronto_ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Great War As I Saw It, by +Frederick George Scott + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WAR AS I SAW IT *** + +***** This file should be named 19857.txt or 19857.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/8/5/19857/ + +Produced by Sigal Alon, 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