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diff --git a/old/44511.txt b/old/44511.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7f77bbe --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44511.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2961 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, With a Reservist in France, by F. A. Bolwell + + +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: With a Reservist in France + A Personal Account of All the Engagements in Which the 1St Division 1St Corps Took Part, viz.: Mons (Including the Retirement), the Marne, the Aisne, First Battle of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, and Loos + + +Author: F. A. Bolwell + + + +Release Date: December 25, 2013 [eBook #44511] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH A RESERVIST IN FRANCE*** + + +E-text prepared by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed Proofreading +Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by +Internet Archive (https://archive.org) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original maps. + See 44511-h.htm or 44511-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44511/44511-h/44511-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44511/44511-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive. See + https://archive.org/details/withreservistinf00bolwrich + + + + + +WITH A RESERVIST IN FRANCE + +A Personal Account of All the Engagements in Which the 1St Division +1St Corps Took Part, viz.: Mons (Including the Retirement), the Marne, +the Aisne, First Battle of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, and Loos + +by + +F. A. BOLWELL + +With Six Sketch Maps by the Author + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + +London: +George Routledge & Sons, Ltd. +New York: E. P. Dutton & Co. + + + + + TO + THE LATE COLONEL KNIGHT + AND OFFICERS OF THE LOYAL + NORTH LANCASHIRE + + + + +CONTENTS + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. THE CALL, AND THE START 1 + II. THE LANDING IN FRANCE 9 + III. THE RETIREMENT 21 + IV. THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE 35 + V. THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE 45 + VI. THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES 67 + VII. THE FIGHT ON THE BIPSCHOOTE-LANGEMARCK + ROAD, OCTOBER 23RD, 1914 73 + VIII. LA BASSEE DISTRICT 115 + IX. THE BATTLE OF FESTUBERT, MAY 9TH, 1915 135 + X. LOOS 147 + + + + +LIST OF MAPS + + MAP + 1. The Fight on the Marne, Sept. 10th, 1914 on page 39 + 2. Battle of the Aisne, Sept. 14th, 1914 " 49 + 3. Ypres, First Battle " 71 + 4. Rough Sketch of the Fight on the + Bipschoote-Langemarck Road " 77 + 5. The La Bassee Front " 119 + 6. Rough Sketch showing Attack at Loos " 151 + + + + +CHAPTER I +THE CALL, AND THE START + + +Being a Reservist, I was naturally called to the colours on the +outbreak of war between England and Germany on August 4th, 1914, so I +downed tools; and, although a married man with two children, I was only +too pleased to be able to leave a more or less monotonous existence for +something more exciting and adventurous. Being an old soldier, war was +of course more or less ingrained into my nature, and during those few +days before the final declaration I was at fever heat and longing to be +away. + +As all the world knows, war was declared on the fourth, which was a +sign for all reservists to present themselves at the post offices +throughout the country, there to procure their travelling allowance and +proceed to the depot named by the authorities on each Identity Life +Certificate. This I accordingly did early on the following morning. +Late on the night before the General Mobilization notices had been +posted up outside all newspaper offices and public buildings. + +I had rather a long journey before me, having to go from a town on +the South Coast, where I then resided, to a town in Lancashire, that +being the depot of my Regiment. During the journey to London I had a +conversation with a clergyman, and of course the topic was war. We +agreed that it could not last for any length of time, and I remember +telling him that I was going to try and get a soft job, and that I +expected to have a nice holiday. Little did I think what was in store +for me! Waterloo and Euston were packed to suffocation, men flocking to +the colours from all parts of the country. The excitement was intense, +and the scenes being enacted partially carried away my thoughts of +sorrow at leaving home. + +That evening I arrived at my depot, and, after reporting myself at the +Guard Room, made my way toward the block of buildings which my unit +occupied, these particular barracks being the depots of three units. + +I met on arrival several old faces, and, after renewing our +acquaintances, I there and then fell in with a batch of men going up +for medical inspection. We were then examined by two doctors very +thoroughly. The next place to visit was the Quarter Master's Stores, +there to be fitted up with uniform, equipment, etc. After that, as it +was quite dark, we retired for the night, but not before we had all +taken advantage of a little refreshment kindly supplied by some ladies +who had come forward to release men employed in preparing food for work +in the stores. That evening a party of 500 men had been sent to join +the Home Battalion then stationed at Aldershot. + +Next day a similar body of men had become fit to be sent away, and I +proceeded with them to the First Battalion at Aldershot. + +On arrival, we were placed into Companies and Platoons. Most of us had +left the service some years ago, and had no idea of the existing new +formations. One man, on being asked by an Officer where his Platoon +was, replied: "I don't know, sir. I haven't got it on me." + +However, after a week at Aldershot, we were pretty well knocked into +shape, and had also been fixed up in accounts and allowances, and other +details. We also had a lecture on inoculation by the Medical Officer, +who hoped that every man would consent to be operated on. Another and +more interesting speech was given by the Commanding Officer, Colonel +Knight, a man who fully realized the seriousness of the situation and +evidently had a good idea of what the present war would be like. His +speech was to this effect: + +"Men of the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment! I wish to bring home +to you the fact that we have a hard task before us. We are out to fight +a great nation and men who are out for blood. This Regiment have always +been top-dogs even with the boys" (meaning time-serving men: they had +that year won nine football cups out of a possible eleven, besides +other sporting competitions). "What are we going to do now that we +have the men?" (meaning the Reservists). "None of you men will come +back--nor the next lot--nor the next after that--nor the next after +that again; but some of the next _might_. But we'll give those Germans +something to go on with, and we'll give a good account of ourselves! +Remember, men, the eyes of the whole world will be upon us, and I know +that you will perform whatever task is allotted to you, like men." + +We were then interviewed by the King and the Queen; and, later in the +day, proceeded to Farnborough Station _en route_ for Southampton, +arriving that night, every one and everything being embarked by 11.30 +p.m. No one of course knew for what port we were bound, though many +suggested Belgium. + +We had no "send off" whatsoever; no shaking hands or wet +handkerchiefs--any one not knowing a war had been declared would have +had no suspicion that these men were starting out on active service. +Yet every one was jolly; every one was happy. They put us aboard an +old China boat, and stuffed us into the holds almost to suffocation, +with one large electric light burning in a distant corner: it was most +unhealthy. After an hour one could have cut the air with a knife. + +No sooner had we left our moorings than we ran down a lighter, killing +one man on her and knocking a big hole in her side. None of us below +had the slightest idea of what was happening; all we heard was an awful +noise, with the lowering of the anchor. We all declared that we had +been either mined or torpedoed; but after a while things quietened +down, and we all tried to obtain a little sleep. + +There had been issued out to us on starting seven-pound tins of jam +with our other rations. One was placed near the spot I had made for +myself to sleep in. It was one of the darkest parts of the hold; and, +being tired, I was soon fast asleep. On awakening next morning, to my +horror I found myself covered from head to foot in jam--a sorry plight +indeed, as we were not allowed to carry more kit than what we stood up +in. However, after fighting for a few drops of cold tea, which had to +satisfy me for a breakfast, and an hour in the sun and wind on deck, I +had become perfectly dry, but my clothes were as stiff as a board. All +I could do was to cheerfully declare that at any rate my armour was +perhaps more bullet-proof than before. + +Having set sail on the eleventh of August, we arrived at Le Havre on +the morning of the twelfth, after a journey of twelve hours. + + + + +CHAPTER II +THE LANDING IN FRANCE + + +At Le Havre we were met by two men of the French Army, who to our +unaccustomed eyes appeared very strange in their red trousers and blue +coats. We promptly dubbed them "The Pantomime Army." They were to act +as our interpreters, and came forward with their credentials to the C.O. + +After disembarking our transport, etc., we were marched, through the +docks, on to the dock road, there to hang about all day long, amusing +ourselves as best we could. A sentry was posted to stop any man from +going into the town, but we were allowed to let civilians bring us +provisions. + +At nightfall we were formed up, and marched by way of the sea-front +through the town and away up a steep hill at the back, where we found +a camp already pitched for us. That march and landing I shall ever +remember, and so will all those who took part in it. We were among the +first English troops of the Expeditionary Force to put foot on French +soil, and the excitement was great. Over the whole of the distance we +travelled we were hemmed in by crowds shouting _Vive l'Angleterre!_ +Often they broke our ranks to embrace us. We stayed only the one night +at Le Havre, and recommenced our journey on the night of the thirteenth. + +At Le Havre Railway Station we were packed into horse-boxes, 36 men +and N.C.O.'s in each box, the total often reaching nearly 50 men. In +that condition we travelled the whole of the night, and the next day +passed through St. Amiens, Rouen, and Arras. At each place we had a +wonderful reception--especially at Arras, where the Mairie and other +Civic officials turned out with bouquets of flowers for the Officers; +and there was a Guard of Honour of French troops. The free giving of +chocolates and sweets by the populace was indeed very gratifying to us: +it made us feel more eager for the work which was to follow. + +That night (the fourteenth of August) we detrained at a village called +Le Nouvain. It had come on to rain, and we were very pleased to find +our billets situated in a large schoolhouse with plenty of clean fresh +straw for our beds. On the morning of the fifteenth we marched out +in Brigade order, as we always did on every occasion afterwards. My +Brigade, which was the 2nd, commanded then by Brigadier General Bulfin, +consisted of the 2nd King's Royal Rifles, 2nd Northampton Regiment, 2nd +Royal Sussex Regiment, and 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, each +Brigade consisting of four line Battalions. A smarter body of men, all +seasoned soldiers, one could not wish to meet (the average of their +service was not less than five years, all the younger recruits having +been left behind in England as peace details). Our destination for that +day at any rate was not a distant one; we proceeded only to a small +village called Esquerries, not more than three miles off. There we +again went into billets for four days. On arrival at the farm at which +I was billeted, the farmer's wife on seeing us broke into tears--she +thought that we were the Germans! But, I am pleased to say, the good +woman, and her good man too, were more upset when we left, on account +of having become so much attached to us. + +We spent those four days in route marches; and all men under the age +of twenty-five years were then inoculated. The hard part of that stay +was that no man was allowed to write home giving his whereabouts, or +even to head the letter with his name or Regiment. Of course no Field +Service post-cards had been issued at that time. + +On the morning of the eighteenth we bade good-bye to Esquerries, and +continued in a three-days' rush up-country to Mons. The first day we +covered something like sixteen miles, and came to rest in the usual +farm-buildings. Before we set off the next day, any man who thought +that he would not be able to perform the task before us was required +to give in his name to the Officer Commanding Companies. I believe we +had two sent back, one with a troublesome leg through a break, and the +other returned by the Brigadier on account of his very low stature. He +did not think that he would be able to accomplish any forced marches we +might have to undergo. That day we did a matter of twenty miles. + +On the third day out we passed through Mauberge. We had only covered +some seven miles when a halt was called and we lay on the right of the +road for six hours. While there we were told that a force of about +30,000 Germans was on our front, and the Cavalry had gone out on a +reconnaissance. + +At 5 o'clock they marched us into billets, but we had not been settled +more than an hour and a half when a Staff Officer came galloping up +with orders to move at once. About four miles from Mauberge we could +hear a distant boom of a gun, and all lines of communication had been +cut. A halt was called in the centre of Mauberge for one hour, and +we were told that no man was to eat his "iron ration" i.e. emergency +ration, or drink any of the water which he carried in his water-bottle, +as we were expecting to go into action and probably should not get +the supplies up for four days. On we went, and marched for two hours +without a minute's rest. The men began to tire, and their cry became +the opposite to that with which we set out. Then it was, "Are we +down-hearted?" now it had become, "Dump us in a field!" + +After another hour we had passed the outer forts of Mauberge, and were +feeling our way very cautiously. Suddenly we would go on with a rush; +then more slowly; and this sort of thing continued until 2 a.m. We had +had no real rest since 6 a.m. the day before; but at length we arrived +at a small village south of Mons, where we found billets, one company +of my Regiment going further on to find outpost duty. Thankful I was +not to be in that company! + +Our rest did not last very long. Arriving in as we did at 2 a.m., we +were brought out again at 3.30 a.m., with a remark from the Colonel +that we were a lazy lot of ----. Some of us could barely crawl, being +stiff and chafed from our long march of nearly thirty-five miles--not +bad for one day, considering that we were fully equipped. + +Our next move was to a field two miles off. We were moved so early from +the last place because it was thought advisable to shift us before +daybreak, owing to the probability of its being shelled by the Germans. +In this field the morning was occupied by feet and rifle inspection. +A German aeroplane came over us, and we were all ordered to line the +hedges and seek cover, which we did in quick time. + +During the afternoon we moved higher up toward the enemy, staying in +another village for a few hours. We were put into another schoolhouse, +which was well stocked with vegetables in the garden, so we set about +preparing for ourselves an enjoyable repast. Just on our front the +batteries were in action, and, whilst awaiting our dinner, we sat upon +the wall of the school and watched the duel. It was a glorious sight! A +flock of birds in the distance was mistaken by all of us for a Zeppelin +through the haze. We were, however, doomed to go without the big +dinner we had promised ourselves, as we were given our marching orders +and were off before it was cooked. + +On forming up with the remainder of the Brigade, we were ordered to +charge magazine, with one round in the breach also. Things began to +look exciting, and in their agitation a few men let their rifles go +off, narrowly missing their comrades. We then advanced through an +avenue for a mile at the double, when the word was given to halt and +lie down, no smoking and no talking, as we were now in support to the +South Staffords on our front, who were expected to retire through us at +any minute. After laying there the whole of the night, and having the +Pioneer Sergeant run over by a pair of mules attached to an ammunition +limber, we were not required! All we got for our night out was the +loss of the Pioneer Sergeant, with two broken ribs, and one other man +injured. It had been a pitch-black night, and we had not noticed a +trench just off the road filled with straw, where we could have rested +our aching limbs. + +As soon as daybreak appeared, we were ordered off that road; and we +had no sooner left it than it was heavily shelled. We dug some more +trenches that same day and retired from them just before they were +blown up, so we were evidently very fortunate on the twenty-second of +August, 1914. + +On leaving the road, we retired to a thicket on our left rear, but +quitted it, and came to the trenches aforementioned. Two batteries +were just behind us there, and they were having a bad time. Also while +there the Scots Greys, who were our brigade scouts, came in with a +report of meeting with a body of Uhlans. They had evidently surprised +these Uhlans, and had given them a warm time, the losses of the Scots +Greys being only one man, I believe, and two wounded. As I pointed +out before, we left those trenches in the nick of time; they were not +the trenches we have now in France, but only what we call "one-man +trenches"--very little more than head cover, dug with our entrenching +tools and no good whatsoever against shell fire. + +After retiring from them we were kept on the side of the road for the +night; and for the next few days were rushed from one position to +another. + +Early one morning we set off to guard a bridge, and, after going a mile +or so, we were again placed in a field. On the way we were handed some +corned beef and biscuits, also a grocery ration, i.e. a tin of tea and +sugar and two Oxo cubes, by some A.S.C. men who had been left with +orders to issue them to troops going into action. One of them handed me +mine with the remark: "You'll need it, old man, where you're going!" +Very cheerful, I thought. + +We then advanced over some open fields in Artillery formation, the +Scots Greys going first, probing all hedges with their swords. In this +field we were told to line the hedges. + +Two incidents worth relating occur to my mind: one was the bravery of +one of our flying-men--he had just flown over the German lines, and on +coming back was being shelled by the German batteries--how he escaped +being hit I cannot think, as shells were bursting no less than a dozen +at once all around him, and the fragments of shells were dropping +around us everywhere, though no one was hit. Our Colonel, highly +pleased with the steadiness of the aviator, remarked that he felt proud +to be an Englishman. + +The other incident occurred in connection with an order of the C.O. He +gave out that the Germans had advanced upon the Middlesex Regiment, +driving the civil population of various villages in front of them and +thus screening themselves. He was very sorry to say that, if it was +done to us, we should have to fire upon them, as it was our duty to +those at home. But happily it did not occur then, or on any occasion on +which I faced the Germans, so I was spared the horror of assisting in +the slaughter of women and children in such a cowardly way. + +However, the bridge we set out to guard in the first place had, I +believe, been taken by the enemy, so our services were not required. + +Our fighting experiences at Mons were not very severe, as the work fell +to the lot of other Brigades. The 1st Brigade, which contained two +Battalions of Guards, the 2nd Black Watch, and the Munster Fusiliers, +suffered far more heavily than did we, who were moved from one place +to another, mostly in support. Operating as we did chiefly round the +outskirts of Mons, our casualty list was very slight. + + + + +CHAPTER III +THE RETIREMENT + + +It was from that field that we commenced the great Retirement. My +recollections of the villages and towns we passed through on our way +are now slight, since we often marched at night, though I have a clear +remembrance of some of the larger ones which we traversed by day. + +It was the twenty-fourth of August, on a blazing hot afternoon, when we +started upon our great task. There was not a soul amongst the Officers +or the men who had the slightest idea as to what was our destination. +The first day or two we tramped along happily enough. It was not, +I believe, until the evening of the second day that we obtained an +inkling of what was about to happen, when we found ourselves passing +through the outskirts of Mauberge once more. Most of us got the +impression that we were retiring with a view to taking up a better +position. A rumour went the rounds of the regiment that day to say that +the C.O. was leaving us for a Staff appointment; and he did leave us, +but returned again in the course of the next few days. + +Most of the next ten days remain in my mind as a nightmare. The weather +was exceedingly hot, the long roads with stone sets stretching as +far as eye could see were very wearisome, and the men were utterly +exhausted. On the third day out we took prisoner a German mounted man, +with two others, one of whom got away, and a second was shot. + +On one occasion, just before entering a wood, one of our aeroplanes +came down near us, and the pilot ran promptly to the General. After a +few words, our direction was entirely changed. Had it not been for that +aeroplane we should certainly have been ambushed. + +We marched in Brigades, each day the lead being taken in turns, the +last Regiment finding rearguard; and the same thing happened by +Divisions, three Brigades to a Division, and each Brigade taking its +turn to lead. The Provost Marshal and Military Police went on in front +to inform the civilian population of towns and villages to clear out as +quickly as possible, and to publish notices of the enemy's advance. + +The hardest time of all was when one's particular regiment found +rearguard: then we often had to march back for a few miles along the +way we had come, dig trenches, hold the enemy the whole of the day, +and then at night continue the march until we picked up the main body +again. Oftentimes on reaching the main body it was found that they +were just ready to start again, so the rearguard would be obliged to +continue their march without intermission. + +It was a couple of days out of Mons and during a rearguard action that +the Munster Fusiliers received a good drubbing, but not until after +they had held the enemy at bay for several hours. My regiment was that +evening doing rearguard to our own Brigade when some of the Munsters +retired through us. One poor fellow going through told us how his chum +had had his jaw blown away by a piece of shell, and the Germans on +reaching the Munsters' trenches had killed all the wounded with the +very entrenching tools they had been using. We expected to see them +coming in force that night, but after waiting until dusk, we retired +on the main body. Unfortunately we did not get clear away without +casualties. An unlucky affair occurred in this way: we had, the day +before, passed through Soissons, and I remember it was at this village +that we caught up with the main body. On entering the village we had +to cross a bridge with a river beneath, and the Northampton Regiment +was guarding it while the Engineers stood by ready to blow it up when +we were all over. My regiment was the last to cross, and we had already +done so with the exception of one platoon, and were told to stand in +the centre of the village, when some one gave the word that we were all +over; and accordingly the Engineers blew up the bridge. No sooner had +that happened than this platoon came marching down the road. Of course +the Northamptons mistook them in the dark for the Germans, and opened +rapid fire upon them. I was afterwards told by a chum who was in that +platoon that a body of Uhlans came galloping down the road not five +minutes afterwards; and he, with one or two others who had survived the +Northamptons' fire, were taken prisoners. (This particular man fell +ill, so they put him into hospital, and when we fought the Battle of +the Marne we retook him; he was sent home, and after a month or two +convalescent leave he rejoined us.) Naturally the Officer in charge of +the Uhlans was very wild when he found the bridge had been blown up, as +it was eight miles to the next crossing. + +Most of our men had thrown away all their heavy kit, such as top-coats, +etc., and the Germans of course made good use of them, some of them +putting the clothes on. + +At one place at which we were billeted five of these Germans stopped +in the house next to a barn where a platoon of the Connaughts[1] +were. Just before daybreak these Germans gave the alarm, and, as the +Connaughts rushed out of their billets to the alarm post, the enemy +were awaiting them with machine guns. This I got from a man who on the +following night laid himself down to sleep on the pavement where I was +doing sentry-go. Poor fellow, he had on no hat or jacket, neither had +he any rifle or equipment. He had been following us all day, and had +had nothing to eat. So I took him into the room of the house which +we were then using as a Guard Room, and the N.C.O. in charge took +him before an Officer. His story was proved to be correct, so he was +allowed to stay with the Company for the night; but what became of him +after I know not. + + +Next morning my regiment was finding rearguard, so we marched through +the town to an old disused mill. Going through that, and crossing a +field, we came to a swiftly running stream, which we waded across +through water up to our armpits. On the other side we had a very steep +bank to climb, and up which we had to drive two pack animals. One of +these, after climbing up a part of the way, fell down and simply rolled +over and over till he reached the bottom. We had to shoot the wretched +animal, owing to a damaged fetlock. On gaining the summit, we set +off in skirmishing order over a mile of open country, going through +wheat-fields, trampling the ripe wheat underfoot as we went, until we +struck a main road which ran parallel with the one we had travelled the +day before. Just off this we dug the usual one-man trench, and remained +there all day long. The only sight we had of the enemy was a patrol of +cavalry too far off to be within range. + +Towards four in the afternoon we commenced again to retire, and had no +sooner reached the next village before the enemy began to shell us. +Again we were lucky in getting off with no damage and no casualty. All +this was all very well, but it did not suit the men. This running away +from the enemy could not be stood at any price, and the constant cry +was: "Why don't we stand and fight them? What are we afraid of? If you +bring us here to fight, let's fight--otherwise put us all on a boat and +dump us down in England." + +On several occasions we passed food-supplies left on the roadside--left +for the Germans: whole cheeses, tins of mustard, one of which I carried +for four days, but, on getting nothing to eat with it, I threw it away. + +We would arrive outside a village, allotted for billets, perhaps about +7.30 p.m., and, after having marched the whole of the day, we were not +allowed to enter the village until eleven or twelve o'clock at night +to make ourselves comfy. The reason, I believe, was that it might be +shelled by the enemy. No one was allowed to touch a thing--not even +fruit--or he would be punished for looting; yet we knew very well that, +perhaps on the morrow, the Germans would secure it all. + +Various bulletins were issued during that Retirement, I suppose +to cheer up the troops. One I remember contained the report of a +German who had been taken prisoner, and who had upon him a diary, +which--according to the bulletin--declared that the German Army was +starving. Another, a very strong rumour, went the rounds, to the effect +that we were doing a strategical retirement for the purpose of drawing +the main body of the German Army into France, whilst the Russians came +in on the East. Two days after that, a report was out that the Russians +were marching on Berlin, and were within a few days' march of the +capital itself. Imagine our feelings, our delight. Remember, we were +absolutely cut off from all outside news. What were we to think? Most +of us expected that the war would be over in a very short time. + +After the first five days, we were given a day's halt. The whole of the +day before we had been marching until three in the morning, and were +told on this day's rest that we had done so well, out-pacing the enemy +and outwitting them so successfully, that we should no doubt be able +to rest for the next three days. On that day they paid us out, giving +each man five francs, which, however, were of no earthly use to us, as +we were all brigaded in a large field, and there was not a shop for +miles. Our three-days' rest, however, did not materialize: we were off +again next morning, with the enemy hot on our heels, having overtaken +us by motors. So we had to continue our weary task sooner than we had +anticipated. + +We were all fairly quiet on the country roads, but as soon as we came +to any large towns or villages we would always knock out the strains +of "Tipperary." Another good point in Tommy's character manifested +itself--no matter how many miles he had covered during the day, +during which he would be grumbling the whole of the time, he would, +immediately on striking camp, walk if necessary for miles looking for +a hay or straw stack on which to find something soft and clean to lie +upon. + +One turning point on that Retirement was a small town, by name Bernay, +I believe, in the Champagne. There we arrived on a Saturday at midday; +the afternoon was spent in resting. A few days before we had struck off +south from Meaux, and we heard that we were to defend Paris. During the +afternoon before we arrived at Bernay, we had passed an encampment of +refugees numbering many thousands, and just outside Bernay were many +more. I was on outpost duty that night; and a suspicious individual +came up to me whilst I was on sentry. I, of course, inquired his +business; but, as he could not understand my language, he took no +notice. As I could not leave my post, I told another man who was off +duty at the time to bring him in. This fellow went out with his rifle, +but, although he was one of the fastest runners in my regiment, he +could not overtake the stranger, who got away. He may have been only a +refugee having a look round, or, on the other hand, he may have been a +spy. + +That day we finished our retirement from Mons: it was the sixth of +September, 1914. + + +THE ADVANCE + +The following morning we left Bernay behind, and, going out the +opposite side of the town from which we had entered, we marched two +miles along the road until we came to a hill on the left of the road +about five hundred yards off. There we advanced to the cover of the +hill and were ordered to lie down. We were then informed that a +four-days' battle was expected, and that a force of 40,000 Germans was +on our front. Nothing, however, came of it that day; so we advanced a +few more miles, and took rest in a field for an hour. There we were +told that all men who wished to do so could grow a beard. From there we +marched on to billets in a village. + +The next morning we were away early, and during that day we passed +through a village from which the Germans had obviously made a hurried +exit, for we found that many things had been left behind. _We_ were +the ones that were doing the chasing now, and a nice change it was +to us! Of course, we could not go very fast, not as fast as we had +been made to go when retiring; and we were allowed to march in greater +comfort. During the Retirement the infantry had had to put up with many +trials--for instance: we took the right of the road and on the left we +sometimes had Cavalry, Artillery, and Transport, which made marching +most uncomfortable, whereas during the Advance we had the road to +ourselves. + +On the third day out we came across several dead horses and dead +troopers, where our advance party had come into contact with the +enemy's rearguard. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[1] The 88th Connaughts got badly cut up on the Retirement. + + + + +CHAPTER IV +THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE + + +I will make a humble attempt to relate the Battle of the Marne as it +was fought by the 1st Division. Our worst day--the one on which we did +the most fighting--was the tenth of September. On the morning of that +day we marched off particularly early, and we must have done close on +ten miles, as we were halted for rest on two occasions. On breasting a +hill about two miles from the last halt, we were again called to the +halt, and the Artillery, brought up from behind, opened out on each +side of the road and the crest of the hill. The word was then passed +down the ranks that a large German convoy was expected to leave this +village, and that we were to capture it. Every one was in high spirits, +as food had been none too plentiful, and we were all looking forward to +the capture of this convoy in the hopes of recompense. + +The North Lancashires were the second regiment, with the 2nd Royal +Sussex leading, they and the King's Royal Rifles taking the left of +the road, and the North Lancashires and Northamptons taking the right. +We then commenced to advance in Artillery formation, three hundred +paces distant and fifty paces interval: this we did until reaching the +bottom of the hill and to the right of the village half a mile away. +In this village, by name Preiz, were the Germans, and running out +the other side, but up the hill, was the German convoy retiring, the +village itself being in a basin. On reaching the bottom of the hill, we +had to cross a stream: once on the other side we opened out in extended +order, our idea being to skirt the village and come up with the Germans +going over the other crest. Unfortunately it was a wet morning, and the +men had taken the advantage of putting their oil-sheets round their +shoulders to keep them dry, the oil-sheets when wet being of a similar +colour to the German uniform. In the distance our gunners bombarded us, +mistaking us for the retiring enemy; and we had no sooner come into +view of our gunners than they let go. However, we plodded on, going +up in short rushes by platoons. We had with us at the time a new man +who had volunteered for the front at the outbreak of war, offering to +enlist provided the authorities despatched him straight out. This they +had done, sending him to the particular platoon to which I belonged. To +our sorrow, he happened to be the end man, and should have given the +word when the other platoon had halted and got down, to enable us to +advance. That first platoon, having got down, opened fire, and instead +of our advancing under cover of that fire, that man failed to give the +word. I was second man, and, after lying still with our heads stuck +into the ground for ten minutes, I asked him if the other platoon had +stopped--to which he replied: "I do not know, as I cannot see them." So +I gave the order to advance. Consequently as soon as we got up we were +met with a heavy fire from the enemy, losing at once one or two men. +On crossing a narrow track of road near the crest of the hill we were +joined by the C.O., who had come up there by the road to give us final +instructions. He got hit by a piece of shell, which passed through his +horse's neck and entered his stomach: he died a few minutes afterwards. + +[Illustration: MAP 1.] + +We were now getting quite close to the enemy and bearing round on to +the main road; but, as the fire became too hot for us and as we had no +reinforcements, we had to fall back as far as the stream. A quarter of +an hour after that the Guards 1st Brigade came up on our right, and +the Major who was then in charge of us said he was very sorry that we +had not taken the position, but that we would try again: this time it +would be an easier task, as we had the Guards on our right to help us. + +Once more we opened out into skirmishing order and recommenced our +task; meanwhile on the right the Sussex were doing well, and the King's +Royal Rifles and Northamptons had succeeded in driving the enemy from +the village. So by the time we had reached the crest again, the enemy +had flown and the Guards were not required. Coming back into the +village, we found the Artillery had advanced through the village and +from the top of the crest were shelling the departing Germans on the +other side of the hill. + +We reorganized in the village, and when the roll was called we found we +were about fifty men short of the number we attacked with. Needless to +say, we did not capture the convoy, neither were our rations increased, +but we had the satisfaction of knowing that we had, at any rate, taken +the village and driven the Germans off one section of the Marne. Our +greatest loss was our C.O.; but we also lost the Captain of B Company, +who was reported missing and has never been heard of since. + +In that battle my section was particularly fortunate, losing only one +man, and he the Sergeant in charge, who had been hit in the knee by a +bullet, but it was only a slight wound. Moreover, on our second advance +over the rise we did not get the shelling of our own gunners, as word +had been sent back to them informing them of their mistake. + +During the next three days we had only running encounters with the +enemy. + +On the afternoon of the thirteenth of September--a Sunday afternoon--we +took up position on the top of a large hill facing the valley of the +Aisne. Whilst there, one or two shells came over and we had a few +casualties, but the words of our Brigadier were: "They will not give +battle here, but over there," pointing to some big hills about four +miles away, behind which lay the town of Laon. On that morning we had +anticipated some street fighting at a place we had come through called +Bourge, yet, although they had had the streets well barricaded, they +did not show fight, but elected to fall back. That night we were taken +from our position on top of the hill nearer the enemy to a village +and there put into billets. At eight o'clock every one was fairly +comfortable, and we were settled in farm-buildings with plenty of good +straw; but how we managed to sleep so comfortably--with the Germans +only three miles off--I cannot say. Why they never blew us off the face +of the earth with the big guns they possessed we often wondered--anyhow +they didn't! and we got down, to dream of home, huddled into each other +the best way we could to keep warm. + + + + +CHAPTER V +THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE + + +We were roused next morning with kicks from the platoon commanders, +and, after much struggling and putting on of wrong equipments, we +marched out, but not before each man had received two ounces of Gold +Flake tobacco, the first English tobacco we had seen since leaving home. + +It was the fourteenth day of September, and raining. Leaving the +village, we marched down a road for about five hundred yards, bordered +on each side by high banks. There a halt was called. On our right +we could hear the sound of shots, and the Corporal in charge of the +range-finder was sent to the top of the bank to take the range. He +could not see very far, on account of a heavy mist, but reported the +King's Royal Rifles advancing. We then doubled by platoons through an +avenue of trees exposed to the enemy's fire, and gained some fields +on the further side of the road, lining the hedges. From there into +the valley led one road which was little more than a narrow defile; +then it wound away to the right front over the crest which the Germans +held. Halfway up this road was a small village called Tryon. At the +rear and facing the crest held by the enemy was another and smaller +hill thickly wooded. Before taking us through the defile and into the +valley, the words of the Brigadier were: "That ridge has to be taken by +nightfall--otherwise we shall be annihilated." + +That day witnessed one of the worst battles I have ever experienced, +as we were badly equipped with guns, having mostly only +eighteen-pounders--"pop-guns," as the boys called them--whilst it was +the first day on which we met the really big guns of the Germans--those +promptly dubbed "Jack Johnsons." + +Our particular front was facing a beet-sugar factory just off the main +road, and there the fighting was very furious. By midday we had taken +several of the Prussian Guard and of the Death's Head Own Hussars +prisoners; also report went round that we had captured twelve guns, +which news cheered us greatly. One prisoner, a Prussian Guardsman, +remarked on the way back: "Never mind, boys; we shall soon be back in +dear old London again!" + +[Illustration: MAP 2.] + +On one occasion early in the day, having to retire from the top of the +crest down into the valley, our Company-Sergeant-Major took us _via_ +the other hill through the wood to the position at the summit of the +hill which the Germans held. It was a splendid move, well carried out, +and without the loss of a single man. + +On gaining the summit on the first occasion one team of our +machine-gunners took up position and held it the whole of the day, +helping us greatly to secure the position against all enemy assaults. +The men stood their ground splendidly, three of them being recommended +for the Distinguished Conduct Medal. On our right was the 1st Brigade, +and connected up with us was the Black Watch. One large shell of the +Germans which pitched amongst a platoon of theirs standing between two +haystacks completely wiped them out with the exception of two men. + +We continued to advance and retire the whole day through. First we +gained ground and the Germans drove us off again; then we came back +with redoubled energy, until towards evening we began to hold on and +the Germans to retire. On the right of the road was a haystack on fire, +and we were in a small trench just thrown up behind it. The bullets +were flying from that rick as if a magazine was on fire and it was very +unhealthy. At one time we were in a swede field, and a large shell +burst in front of us, covering us with dirt. A chum of mine, being hit +very forcibly with a flying swede, up he jumped, shouting: "I'm hit, +I'm hit!" but came to the conclusion that he wasn't as bad as he had +thought. + +As darkness came on we all formed up in line, and the Brigadier, coming +to the crest, remarked: "The Brigade will bivouac on the ground they +now hold. Dig in." There and then we commenced a line of trenches, +which are there to this day. + +It had been a most awful and bloodthirsty day, with two of the finest +bodies of men that ever faced each other opposed to one another. There +was bound to be a good fight, and it was the cleanest and most sporting +day's battle I have ever fought. Of course there was no time for food, +and we got none that day; but we had the satisfaction of knowing that +we had accomplished what we set out to do. We naturally had very heavy +losses, including our second C.O., several other Officers and a large +number of N.C.O.'s and men--in all nearly four hundred. The rations +came up that night while we were digging our trenches; they were +brought up under cover of the darkness right to the front line and +there dumped. Those who were near when they arrived were fortunate, as +they got their shares; others who were further away got none. I was one +of the fortunate ones, and filled my pockets with small biscuits and a +lump of cheese, on which I kept two chums all next day. + +During the night we dug our one-man trenches six-foot long and as deep +as we could make them; it was hard work at times, the soil being very +rocky. I got fairly well down nearly four feet by daybreak, when my +Platoon Sergeant came along and ordered me to join my section further +along the line, another man whose section was near me taking over my +trench. It couldn't be helped, as we had all got mixed up in the day +action the day before. When I joined my section I found the trench I +had to take over only about a foot deep, and the whole week following, +although I was digging on every possible occasion, I could not get down +more than six inches, as I had to go through sheer rock. + +Soon after daybreak the Germans were off again, shelling our trenches +with shells of every calibre. This continued for an hour, but did very +little damage. After that they continued to shell our gun positions +in the rear, our guns keeping up a steady reply. One Howitzer battery +of ours was in a cave, running out by means of rails, situated in +the wooded hill behind our lines. The enemy continued to shell with +every kind of gun the whole time I was on the Aisne--that is, over a +month--and the only casualty that battery had was one man wounded. The +German shells would burst round it with a huge roar and a noise very +much like "Krupp," and this small gun would answer with a short sharp +bang, for all the world as if a little boy had put his fingers to his +nose at a policeman. + +Just behind the line and halfway down the slope of the hill was the +small village of Tryon, where there was a public wash-house. A large +shell had pitched there, but never exploded; its weight was not less +than one hundred and twenty pounds. There was another on the roadway, +and two or three of them in the valley: one stood up on its base. We +were down there one day getting wood, and a chum of mine put his foot +on it, knocking it over. An Officer passing at the time remarked: "You +would have looked well if that thing had gone off!" My chum did not +wait to hear any more--he was off. + +That valley, when we left it, was like a pepper-box top--simply +perforated every few yards. How we managed to remain alive on the Aisne +the first week was simply a mystery. Food was scarce; and once we had +a single loaf issued out between a hundred men. We tossed for it, the +winner to receive the lot, the others going without. After the first +week we were much better supplied, having bread or biscuits, with a +ration of cheese or bacon, but precious little of that; and oftentimes +I tossed for the lot and lost all! Fortunately there were plenty of +potatoes and carrots in the ground--these we dug up, boiling them, +and, after straining the water off, partook of them with a slice of +cold corned beef. Some would boil the beef with the potatoes, thereby +getting the salt from the beef into the potatoes: this we called "bully +stews." + +Our Division, I believe, took the extreme right of the British line on +the Aisne; anyway, the French were joining us. They were very quiet +by day, but as soon as darkness set in they would start a rapid fire +all along their line, our boys remarking: "The French have got the +wind up." Our orders were not to fire on any account, but to use the +bayonet. At night every other man in the front line was posted as +sentry, doing one hour, after which the alternate men would do an +hour. This continued until daybreak, when sentries were lowered to one +in three. + +The third night after taking the Aisne we expected an attack from the +enemy, and the whole Regiment stood to till morning. It was truly +beautiful--it rained incessantly, and one could not see more than a +yard in front of one's nose! That night a man of the Black Watch came +in having been left out since Monday's battle: he had nearly every toe +shot off and was almost blind. He had--so he told us--been in one of +the boilers of the beet-sugar factory, and a German had fired several +shots into the boiler, killing some more men who were in there with +him. A Guardsman also came in, shot all over. + +On the fourth night I was allotted a nice job. My Section Sergeant, +coming to me just after dark, said: "I've a nice little job for you." + +"Oh yes," says I--thinking it was a nice little berth behind with the +transport--"what is it?" + +"Do you know anything about barbed wire?" says he; "just twisting it +around stakes?" + +"I don't know," says I: "I may be able to do it; anyhow I could have a +try." + +"Well, out in front about forty yards," says this Sergeant, "you will +find a lot of stakes and two reels of barbed wire. Now you go out and +I'll send another fellow to knock in the stakes while you can twist the +wire round them and make some entanglements." + +I can't say I liked the job, because I didn't! The enemy lay only a +few hundred yards away, and I had to go out there attracting attention +by knocking in stakes and twisting barbed wire around them, a thing +the enemy would be sure to try their best to prevent. But it had to +be done, so off we started, creeping over the top. We were looking +for nearly an hour for this wire and, after twice nearly walking into +the enemy's lines, we at length found it, and managed, after several +volleys from the enemy, to accomplish our task, and rig up some sort of +defence. Every night after that, whenever we occupied the front line, +I was one of the men erecting the barbed wire entanglements, and many +were the narrow squeaks I had at the hands of the Germans. + +At the end of the first week we were relieved by the 21st Brigade, +containing the Sherwood Foresters and West Yorkshires. They were a +new importation from England. My word! didn't they look smart, while +we who had gone through so much looked worse than tramps, absolutely +reeking of mud. We were taken back to a village about five miles in +the rear, and on the way back we had again to go through the defile by +which we entered. Our batteries were still there, but the stench from +dead horses was awful. This village was at the back of the wooded hill +aforementioned, and there were several caves there, perfectly safe +from the shells of the biggest guns yet made. In these caves we were +lodged, and we had a chance of a rest--the first real rest we had since +commencing the Retirement. At the bottom of the hill was also a river, +where every one indulged in a bathe. + +We were in those caves for two days; on the third day we were called +out at 4 a.m., and we proceeded to a village on our right previously +occupied by the French. To get there we had to cross a sky-line, fully +in view of the German observers. We men knew that sky-line, for while +we lay in our trenches the whole of the previous week we had watched +the Germans shell it when the French troops marched over it. Unluckily +for me, my Regiment was the last regiment of the Brigade to go over. +The other three got through safely; but, as the road was thick with +mud, we had taken to the field, and thus gave the Germans an even +better view of us. Two companies were nearly over before we had it: we +were the last two, when over they came in batteries, five shells at a +time. We were of course forced to fall back over the crest, but not +before we had had twenty-five casualties, though we eventually reached +our objective without any further losses. + +That village was one of the very worst I had come across--dead horses +and dead men everywhere. It was full of caves, in which we were kept; +but we stayed there only one day, during which an enemy aeroplane +passed over, and on seeing us dropped a silver ball which slowly +floated down to where we were, thereby giving the range to the German +batteries. But they could not hurt us on account of the good cover +afforded by the caves. It was the first silver ball we had seen, and at +first we took it for a bomb. + +That night we returned to our old caves once more. I afterwards heard +that the reason of our being called out was that the 21st Brigade, +which had relieved us, had lost the trenches through a great enemy +attack, but had regained them by nightfall. Whether that was the true +reason or not I was never really able to learn, but, on going back to +those trenches at the end of the week, which we did, we found a large +grave, with a heading which read: "Thirty-seven Officers and Men of the +Sherwood Foresters lie here." It was a Thursday night on which we went +back to our old billets in the caves, and on the following Saturday we +once more returned to our old positions, only a little further to the +right, the 1st Brigade taking over those we had dug in the first place. +There we spent another three weeks, two regiments taking the front line +and two in trenches in support a little lower down the hill. First of +all we worked this arrangement alternately four days in the front line +and then four days in reserve, but this was soon altered to forty-eight +hours. + +It was a fine sight when we were in the trenches in front to see +the relieving battalions coming up to relieve us: there were no +communication trenches then, and they had to advance in extended +order--lines and lines of them; and when the enemy opened fire, as +indeed they did occasionally, they all dropped down as one man. As soon +as the firing ceased they were off again, and so on until they reached +the trenches, when they would fall down just in rear, and on the word +of an Officer we would get out and they would get in. We would retire +in the same order as they advanced. + +There was plenty of work on the Aisne during those days, the men in the +front line connecting each single trench up with another, so as to form +one long continual line; also the making of bunny holes. During the day +we had the usual order: one man in three on sentry, now commonly termed +in the trenches "look-out"; and, at night, every other man--if a quiet +night, one would be on sentry, one resting, and one taken for digging a +communication trench, each man taking his turn an hour about. Those in +the reserve lines would all turn out with picks and shovels the whole +of the night, digging one main communication trench. + +One Sunday morning we came in for a bad time. The enemy finding our +reserve trenches, which we then occupied with the 2nd Royal Sussex, +with enfilading shell-fire, put several sixty-pounders amongst us, +causing a lot of damage. After that occasion those trenches were +never occupied, but we made up straw dummies in khaki, and set them +around each dug-out; and we used to get great fun from watching the +enemy shelling them, our boys remarking: "That's it, Fritz! Go ahead, +and let them have it!" One shell went right through the Officers' +mess-cart while the Officers were at tea, killing two. That cart had a +history; how we came by it is worth relating. During the Retirement +we were ordered to give in our great-coats, which were placed on the +baggage-waggons. There was also on one of these waggons my Company's +money for paying out the men. This was done early one morning, and, +when we marched off, the Armourer Sergeant and a certain number of men +were left behind in charge, to follow on when everything was ready. +I was afterwards told by one of this party that the Regiment had not +got very far down the road when the Germans entered the village. One +of our men, seeing the Germans coming and noticing this Cape cart with +horse attached on the other side of the road, made a dash for it, and +drove hard after us. He succeeded in getting away and joining the +Regiment, but the Germans had done their best to stop him, as the cart +was riddled with bullet-holes. The other men rushed out the other side +of the village, thereby being cut off; there were about fifty of them +from various Regiments, and, when called upon to surrender, preferred +to make a fight of it. They lost one killed and two wounded; and some +then gave in and some made off. One man who joined us again told me +they used the open country by night and hid by day, for four days. They +went about like that in khaki, and on the fifth day got into a house +and, procuring civilian clothing, made their way to Dunkirk, whence, +after seeing the British Consul, they were sent to England. Of course, +as there was no line established like that which the Germans have now +in France, it was possible to do so. The Armourer Sergeant was amongst +those taken, but he escaped from Germany later. + +We were much better off now than at any time before; supplies came +up more regularly, and we also had an issue of rum, as well as the +Paris edition of _The Daily Mail_ every day. We learnt whom we were up +against--the great Von Kluck, immediately dubbed old "One O'Clock," +since every day at that time they used to bombard us. It was here +that we first heard that we were "the contemptible little army." Here +we also received a draft of reinforcements other than Regulars, the +Special Reserve joining the few remaining regulars. + +I had here an experience of being a sniper. I was on sentry-go in +the front line one morning when an N.C.O. came up to me and inquired +"what class shot" I was. I replied "first class"--which I was. "All +right," he said, "you're the man we want. Come with me to the Captain." +After putting another man on sentry, I followed him. He stated my +qualifications to the Captain. "Just the man!" says the Captain; "the +reason I sent for you is that we are persistently being troubled by a +sniper, and I wish you to crawl out in front and bag him." "Very good, +sir," said I--no good saying anything else; so I asked him the position +he thought the German was firing from. "Half right," said he; "if you +watch closely until those leaves blow aside, you will see his head"; +which I did after a minute or so. "I want you to get that man," said +the Captain. Off I crept over the top with loaded rifle, and, after +going a couple of hundred yards, I lay down and waited, rifle ready +cocked. As soon as the leaves moved I let drive my whole magazine +at him. Then I waited again. The leaves moved once more, so he was +still there. I got suspicious and crawled nearer; but found no enemy +sniper--nothing but a post stuck in the ground! No more sniping for me! + +Our stay on the Aisne was drawing to a close, but I heard afterwards +that two civilians--one an old man and the other a girl--had been shot +as spies, the man for working an underground telephone and the girl +for sending off carrier-pigeons. These people had lived the whole time +along with other civilians in the little village behind the line; +they were found out by the French Division who relieved us. Every +day, as regular as clockwork, the enemy had shelled us for an hour +after daybreak, and for an hour at midday, and again another hour at +dusk, with an occasional burst during the night. Rifle-fire was always +plentiful on the Aisne at night on both sides. + +We left the Aisne in the small hours of the morning of the sixteenth +of October, being relieved by a French Division, after we had been in +the trenches the whole of the time since the battle of the fourteenth +of September. Whilst the French Division was coming up at midnight +with the utmost quietness and on a pitch-black night, the enemy poured +shrapnel into them, causing the loss of fifty-two to that Division, +which simply went to show that the Germans had a pretty good idea of +what was afloat. + +That morning we marched to Braine, and there we entrained for what we +all thought was going to be a rest, but really proved to be a harder +task than anything we had had before. + + + + +CHAPTER VI +THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES + + +From the Aisne we travelled in the usual fashion, thirty-six to forty +in a horse-box, _via_ St. Denis to Boulogne, where we stopped until 3 +p.m. on the Sunday afternoon of October the eighteenth. As usual, many +rumours were afloat, the strongest being that we were going on garrison +duty to some quiet little place, to pick up strength once more. That +quiet little place turned out to be Ypres! The reason of our stoppage +in Boulogne was that a train in front of us, also a troop train, had +met with an accident; seventeen men had been killed: so we had to wait +whilst the line was being cleared. We were supposed to stay with the +train, but a good many men went into the town. Consequently the train +moved off suddenly, leaving one hundred men and three Officers behind +in Boulogne. They eventually joined us, each man receiving fourteen +days Number One Field punishment. + +Leaving Boulogne, we travelled some way up the line, detraining at a +small station called Arneke. Early next morning they marched us on to +Cassel, where we stayed one day, marching out next morning in brigade +order. We proceeded _via_ Beaulieu and Poperinghe, resting for the +night a few miles north of the latter place. + +The following day we proceeded very slowly, and scouts were sent out +to our right into a wood on the look-out for the enemy. Evidently +everything was in order, as we advanced through that wood during the +night. On the way we met many horse-ambulances returning filled with +wounded. Emerging from the wood, we arrived at the town of Boesnighe, +and that night we found billets there. Moving off early the next +evening in a south-easterly direction, after marching the whole of that +night with fixed bayonets and hushed voices, we went into action the +next morning. + +[Illustration: MAP 3.] + + + + +CHAPTER VII +THE FIGHT ON THE BIPSCHOOTE-LANGEMARCK ROAD, OCTOBER 23RD, 1914 + + +We were, I believe, sent up in reserve to the 1st Brigade. Whether that +is correct or not, it is not for me to state--all I know is that we +formed up well behind the front line, two companies taking the first +line in extended order and two companies the second line in the same +order. Thus we advanced about a mile over flat open country to the +front line. We went up in short rushes, and a word of praise is due +to the men who took part in it. I never even on the Barrack Square or +drill-ground saw a better advance: the men went up absolutely in line, +each man keeping his correct distance, and that under heavy machine-gun +and rifle fire. Of course some men got knocked over; but it made +absolutely no difference. One Officer, a Major Powell, carried a chair +with him the whole of the way, and, on reaching a hedge, would mount +this chair to get a view of the enemy. + +Two hundred yards off the front line, we made a combined rush into it. +There we found the Camerons, with the usual one-man trench. The man I +lay down behind told me that they had been out there three days and had +had no rations, and also that they had had many men taken prisoners. + +In this front line we had a breather, the German trenches being roughly +three hundred yards away, and a hedge was also running parallel between +the two lines of trenches, with a big gap facing us. Through this +gap we could see the enemy retiring one and two at a time from their +trenches. They appeared like so many rabbits running from their holes, +and, as they ran, so we took pot-shots at them. After we had had our +breather, the word was given to charge; and this we did, going through +in fine style. Just behind the front line of German trenches was a +house from which we took a number of prisoners. The first man of ours +to reach it was a corporal. He called upon the Germans to surrender +and got a bullet through the brain for his pains. The Germans then saw +us, and were obliged to surrender, and were given over to men to take +behind. One German Officer remarked: "We don't mind--we've got Paris, +and London is in flames." One of our Officers turned round and said: +"You know that's not true." Whereon he remarked: "I know, but the men +believe it." + +[Illustration: MAP 4.] + +The troops we were fighting there were on the whole very young, and +they had new clothing and equipment, and told us that they had left +Germany for what they thought would be manoeuvres in Belgium, and did +not expect seeing the firing line for some months. I myself really +thought the war was over that day, as Germans surrendered from all +directions and we overran their trenches everywhere. + +I went on with the first line, right into the village of Langemarck. +We got to a windmill, where we took up position--two Officers and +thirty-four men, the Officers being Captain Craig and Lieutenant +Gardiner (afterwards taken prisoner). As it began to get dark, we +set about trying to find the other part of the Regiment, and another +man and myself were sent out to locate them. Creeping along quietly +for about three hundred yards, we came to a trench. Thinking it was +occupied by our own men, we walked up, and found it full of Germans! We +were off with a volley behind us, but got safely back, reporting the +incident to the Captain. After studying the map for some time, he came +to the conclusion that we were cut off, and had better wait until it +was quite dark. This we did, and successfully found the remainder of +the Regiment. + +We had done well that day and set to work with a will during the night +on a new line of trenches. These we held the next day, being relieved +again at night by a French Division, with the exception of about thirty +of us, who were unfortunately left behind. + +It had happened this wise: there was a sharp bend in the trench, and my +platoon was round the other side of that bend. The French, on coming up +the communication trench in the dark, had gone straight on, relieved +the remainder of the Battalion, and had left us there. The Battalion, +on forming up in the rear to march off, had found that we were missing; +they had waited for us in a field, naturally thinking we should join up +as soon as we had been relieved. After waiting for an hour, daybreak +came, and the Germans had commenced to shell them; so they had made +off, leaving us behind. + +We in the trenches were rather worried by a party firing over our +heads, apparently from behind, and the Germans were in front. Towards +daybreak the men on our left commenced firing heavily, and the Officer +in charge of us (Lieutenant Gardiner) shouted out to know the reason +of it. After shouting several times and getting no answer, he sent +an N.C.O. down to inquire. When that N.C.O. came back and reported +that the trench was full of French troops, we knew then the Regiment +had gone and had left us--anyhow, Lieutenant Gardiner went behind and +found the men who had been firing over our heads to be French troops +also. They were in a ditch, evidently in the dark taking this ditch to +be the line of trenches. Of course, on being told their mistake, they +cheerfully came up and let us fall to the rear. + +On the way back we inquired of every one if they knew the whereabouts +of our Regiment, but, as no one knew, we were stranded. We then marched +back to our old billets in Boesinghe, which we had left a couple of +days before. We found no Regiment there, so the Officer took us all +into an estaminet (beer-shop), and ordered us coffee and food. We then +heard from a Staff Officer that the Regiment had gone on to Ypres. It +was Sunday morning, October 25th, 1914, when we arrived at Ypres. The +town was then practically in its normal state, being full of civilians +just returning from Mass, and no German shell had yet visited the town. +There we found our Corps Headquarters, and the Officer in charge of us, +having reported the episode of how we got left behind in the trenches +and learnt the whereabouts of the Regiment, was told that the G.O.C. +was highly pleased with our work of the last two days, and that when he +reported to the C.O. (Major Carter), who had joined us recently and had +led us in the last attack, he was to tell him that the men who had been +left behind were to be struck off all guards, fatigues, etc., for the +next twenty-four hours and to be given a thorough rest. + +Thus ended the Langemarck engagement so far as we were concerned. On +October 26th, 1914, General Headquarters issued the report, a copy of +which appeared in the current account of _The Times_ of November 17th, +1914, as follows: + + "THE GALLANT NORTH LANCASHIRES + "SPECIAL 2ND BRIGADE ORDER + "26TH OCTOBER, 1914 + +"In the action of the 23rd of October, 1914, the 2nd Infantry Brigade +(less the 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment left at Boesinghe) was allotted the +task of reinforcing the 1st Infantry Brigade and retaking the trenches +along the Bipschoote-Langemarck Road, which had been occupied by the +enemy. In spite of the stubborn resistance offered by the German +troops, the object of the engagement was accomplished, but not without +many casualties in the Brigade. + +"By nightfall the trenches previously captured by the Germans had been +reoccupied, about 500 prisoners captured, and fully 1,500 German dead +were lying out in front of our trenches. + +"The Brigadier-General congratulates the 1st Loyal North Lancashire +Regiment, Northampton Regiment, and the 2nd K.R.R.C. (King's Royal +Rifle Corps), but desires specially to commend the fine soldier-like +spirit of the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, which, advancing +steadily under heavy shell and rifle fire, and aided by machine-guns, +was enabled to form up within a comparatively short distance of the +enemy's trenches. Fixing bayonets, the battalion then charged, carried +the trenches, and occupied them; and to them must be allotted the +majority of the prisoners captured. The Brigadier-General congratulates +himself on having in his Brigade a battalion which, after marching the +whole of the previous night without food or rest, was able to maintain +its splendid record in the past by the determination and self-sacrifice +displayed in this action. + +"The Brigadier-General has received special telegrams of +congratulations from both the G.O.C.-in-Chief, 1st Corps, and the +G.O.C., 1st Division, and he hopes that in the next engagement in which +the Brigade takes part the high reputation which the Brigade already +holds may be further added to. + + "(_Signed_) B. PAKENHAM, CAPTAIN, + "Brigade Major 2nd Infantry Brigade." + +On October 26th, 1914, we left our billets on the Melin Road, and +proceeded further up, halting about halfway between Ypres and Hooge, +called then by us the "black and white village." There we were placed +in a field, and, once more lining the hedges, we stopped there the +rest of the day. A regrettable incident took place towards evening: +one of our own aeroplanes was brought down by our own fire, under the +impression that it was an enemy. It caught fire five hundred yards up, +and burned furiously: both men, pilot and observer, were killed. + +The following morning, October the twenty-seventh, we filed out of +these fields, and, passing through Hooge, continued up the road as +far as a large wood on the left of the road and about three miles +from Ypres town. At the north end of this wood were some batteries of +artillery behind a large chateau, and in this wood we dug lines of +trenches with entrenching tools. + +Next day, the twenty-eighth, we were taken from here to another wood +on our left front nearly half-a-mile from the last. We had a little +difficulty in reaching it, as the whole of the distance was within view +of the enemy. Anyhow, we did the distance, by platoons, at the double +and at a hundred paces interval. + +This wood was larger than the one we had just left, and we commenced +at once to dig in at the rear end. We had had no casualties on the +journey, although the Germans had shelled us with eighteen-pounders, +all shells, fortunately, bursting at each side of the road. We stayed +in this wood until the next morning, then retiring to the one we had +come from. We had one or two casualties before we left, losing one or +two men wounded and a horse killed, the enemy's observation having been +attracted to us by the smoke from a fire. + +That afternoon, the twenty-ninth of October, we proceeded to advance +once more. Getting nearly a mile up the main road, we took the left +side, going out in extended order. Thence we advanced another +half-mile, coming under shell-fire; when we reached the rise, we lay +down. All this time we had seen nothing of the enemy, though bullets +were flying all around us. It was then dark, but we did not stay there. +Closing in on the right, we came to a village: here the bullets were +very thick, but we continued to cross the village along the main road +to the right. The name of this village I never heard; it is now in +the enemy's hands. In its centre was what looked like the ruins of +a windmill: we could see the arms and sails on the ground, but the +remainder appeared to be nothing but a huge pile of stones. + +Crossing the village into some more fields, we formed up into line, +and there commenced to dig another line of trenches--the King's Royal +Rifles on our left and on our right the 3rd Brigade, consisting of the +Queen's Royal West Kents, Welsh and South Wales Borderers. + +That night we brought in a German sniper, who had evidently been +wounded in the stomach. He could not give us any information, as he was +too badly wounded. + +Later on, while we were digging, the C.O. gave out to us that there was +to be no retirement from here: we were to hold the position at all +costs. The Rifles on our left were commanding the top of the hill, and, +as our line ran down a slope, we were ordered to dig our trenches forty +feet long facing the enemy but in step fashion, one behind the other. +This we did, bringing the last trench on the right of our line just in +front of a wood. We worked all night on these trenches, making them as +strong as possible, knowing that there was to be no retirement. + +Next morning, the thirtieth, we were very heavily bombarded, and the +bombardment increased in violence towards midday, when we were ordered +out of our trenches and to advance. We again moved up about a thousand +yards, but there was still no sign of the enemy--shells were abundant. +In front of a farm-house we dug in again, and then we began to see our +troops retiring on the right. Two or three of the Welsh passing near, +we inquired what was going on, when they replied: "It's hell. The +Queen's are absolutely cut up"--which was true--what remained of them +were sent down the line for garrison duties. We then began to expect a +little excitement, but it did not come off that day; and we were once +more ordered to return to the line we had left earlier. + +Next morning, the thirty-first, the Germans bombarded us more +violently than ever. This continued for several hours. The next thing +was that we saw the Germans coming; and they did come--in their +thousands. We kept them off for an hour or two when the C.O. of the +King's Royal Rifles consulted us, or rather our C.O., about retiring. +I remember the two Officers having a heated argument over it, as they +stood by a farm-house immediately in rear of the line. I do not, +however, know what their argument was, but heard afterwards that the +King's Royal Rifles had got short of ammunition. The words I did +hear from our C.O. were: "It's the General's orders that we hold the +position at all costs, and this I'll do if I lose the whole regiment." + +We continued to fire until the Germans were on our trenches and coming +through the line the King's Royal Rifles had vacated on our left. I +was in the third line of steps near the farm-house, where I overheard +some of the conversation of the two C.O.'s. Just in front of the King's +Royal Rifles' trenches was a huge German Officer waving with one hand +to the retiring Rifles to surrender and with the other waving his +troops on. It did not seem of much good for us few men to attempt to +fight that dense mass of Germans, but we did; and out of the thousand, +or thereabouts, that we lined up with a couple of nights before very +few got away, the enemy taking somewhere about four hundred of my +Regiment prisoners and our casualties being about the same number. + +I had a run for my life that day. A chum of mine who was with us had a +cock-fowl in his valise that morning from the farm; he had wrung its +neck but he had not quite succeeded in killing him; and, as we ran, +this bird began to crow. As for myself, I had no equipment; I had run +having left it in the bottom of the trench. It is quite funny as I come +to think of it now--the old cock crowing as we ran; but it was really +terrible at the time. We were absolutely overwhelmed, not only in our +particular spot but all along the line, and had to concede nearly one +thousand yards to the enemy. We were also very unfortunate in losing +our Brigadier, General Bulfin, wounded on the cross-roads by a piece of +shell, I believe; also our Brigade Major, who was killed with another +piece from the same shell. I am sure every man in the Brigade felt +very keenly the loss of the Brigadier; it was he who took us out from +Aldershot, and not a better General or a braver or cooler soldier under +fire ever stepped on field of battle. + +Most of my Regiment being gone and the remainder mixed up with other +Brigades which had formed another line, two chums and myself went to +a farm-house fifty yards behind this newly made line. There we had a +field battery; and, after getting a little rest, started out to find +the remnants of the Regiment. The enemy were still shelling, and the +battle was still going on; but by nightfall, not finding any of them, +we came back to the old house and found the battery gone. We decided +to rest there for the night with some more stray men of different +Regiments. Just in front of us, and in rear of the line, lay a wounded +German. We decided to bring him in, and did so: he had been hit in the +mouth, half of his tongue having been taken away. The poor fellow was +in agony, every now and then lying on the ground and kicking. One of +our men volunteered to take him back to the field ambulance, and did so. + +That night we slept _on beds_ in the farm-house, and next morning, +November the first, after a hurried breakfast of biscuits and beef, +we all set out to join our respective Regiments; but, after wandering +about for an hour and seeing no signs of any of ours, my two chums--one +of them now holds the V.C.--decided to go back to the farm-house and +make a dinner. There was plenty of vegetables in the garden and an +outhouse full of potatoes; and we found a spirit-lamp and a pot; so +we commenced to prepare our meal. In a short time it was all in the +pot, when--alas!--the Germans began to shell our house, sending over +incendiary shells. They let us have it battery fire. The first lot took +off the off fore-leg of a cow, which along with some others was grazing +at the back of the house; the poor thing hopped around on three legs +for a second or two and then dropped, the other cows running up to +lick the blood from its wound. The next lot hit the top of the house, +one shell taking away the roof of the scullery, behind which one of my +chums was standing; the other had already run into the trenches fifty +yards away. I was the last to go, the other two having thought that +I had been hit. I did not leave the place until the house was well +alight; and three hours after, when the enemy's guns had died down and +the fire had burnt out the house, I went over to see how the dinner +had got on, and found it done to a turn, cooked by the heat from the +burning house. Needless to say, we did full justice to that dinner--all +three of us. + +We then went into the trenches with the Scots Guards and on the left of +them were some of the Gloucesters. On inquiring if they had seen any +of the North Lancashires they replied, "Yes; they had gone back to the +reserve trenches in the wood, there to reorganize." There we found the +Regiment, or rather the few that were left of it--about one hundred and +thirty. + +That night we received from England a draft of reinforcements one +hundred strong. After resting in those trenches that night, we were +taken a little farther back to a wood in the front of Hooge and on +the right side facing the firing line. There we dug new trenches and +dug-outs, and always came back to them on after occasions to rest. We +were never once taken into Ypres or any buildings, since the enemy had +during the last few days commenced to shell the town and some parts +were on fire. This information we got from our transport drivers, who +had gone back some way behind Ypres. + +We rested in these trenches for two days, and were then called out--on +the afternoon of the second of November--in support of the 3rd Brigade. +We went up in the usual skirmishing order, three other men and myself +going on in front to warn the C.O., when we came into touch with the +Welsh Regiment. We were very heavily shelled going up, but reached +the Welsh with insignificant losses. Lying in front of the Welsh and +around a farm-house were a party of French troops. On the word that +we had arrived and come into touch with the Welsh, our Regiment was +made to halt in a wood just behind and lie down. We were only just off +the road a little to the right, and I estimate the Germans were about +seven hundred to eight hundred yards off. While we were there a 4.7 gun +was brought up on the road, and at the above-mentioned distance fired +point-blank into the advancing Germans. An hour afterwards, the Welsh +made a charge, and a fairly successful one it was, meeting, as it did, +the enemy in the open. They returned to their original position, while +we took up a position to their right. + +That night we again dug trenches, and next day, November the third, +we had very little to contend with--only shell-fire; and we continued +during the day to strengthen our trenches. At night we again moved a +little nearer to the enemy, and commenced another line of trenches. +By next morning we were well dug in, and it was a good job that we +were, as the Germans bombarded us very heavily. At that period we did +not have lines of trenches where one could walk about; merely the +usual one-man trench. The Germans shelled us from early morning until +darkness set in and our casualty list was close on fifty, in addition +to which we lost our C.O. and our Adjutant, Major Carter and Captain +Allen, both killed. + +I had a fairly decent trench there, as I always had everywhere, +knowing that the harder I worked on my trench the more chance I had of +safety. I here lost a decent chum, killed on that day, the fourth of +November, by a bullet through his brain, whilst he was spreading jam on +a biscuit. When it became dark two of my comrades came into my decent +trench, and there we soon dropped off to sleep, all three of us, the +Germans shelling us all the time. When we awoke, it was nearly nine +o'clock; we were roused from our sleep by some one throwing, or rather +showering, earth in upon us. Up I jumped and inquired _sotto voce_: +"Who are you?" Back came the reply: "Who are you?" On telling him, he +replied that he was a Royal Engineer digging a communication trench; +we were not sorry to hear that he was not one of the enemy. He then +inquired what we were doing there, remarking that the Lancashires had +been relieved and gone back some time ago. After wandering about for an +hour, we found the Regiment in the reserve trenches in the wood. Every +one had settled down for the night, rations and rum had been issued, +and we had perforce to make the best of it. I did not sleep so well as +usual, feeling the loss of my pal. However, next morning, November the +fifth, we were told that, as we had had such a hard time of it of late, +we were to be put into reserve on some fairly easy trenches on the left +of the road and just in front of the wood we occupied on our first +coming up. All we had to contend with was cross-fire from the enemy's +guns. It does not sound very dreadful, nor to us men did it sound hard; +most of us thought that we were going to have a fairly easy time of it; +so into the trenches we went quite happily. But the shell-fire there +was terrible, and the way the shrapnel whistled through those trees, to +say nothing of the high explosives, fairly made one's hair stand on end. + +I was just in front of the wood, where we had one company entrenched; +fifty yards in front and the other side of a hedge was another company. +These were the only two companies we had, as we had become very weak. +In this reserve trench my company lay for twenty-four hours, exchanging +with the company in front of us at the end of that time for another +twenty-four hours; but we were kept in that line for another four +days through an unfortunate incident. We went into the front line of +the reserve trenches on Saturday, November the sixth. In front of us +were supposed to be the Zouaves. On our right front fifty yards off +was a small house beside the road, the hedge just behind us running +parallel but gradually getting to a point at the extremity of the +trench, which ended in a _cul-de-sac_. Just over the top and in line +with the main trench was a small trench, which we called the Thirteen +Trench, as thirteen men occupied it. It was situated just off the road +and commanded a view straight up it. Fifty yards along the main trench +was a communication trench reaching to the hedge, where it stopped, +letting us out on the other side. Sunday morning, November the eighth, +broke with a heavy mist; it was one of those hazy mornings that denote +heat. Every one was taking things fairly easy, when a man next to me, +on glancing over the top, exclaimed: "Look! here's the Germans." + +We thereupon sent for the Officer, but he could hardly believe his +eyes: we were then supposed to be in reserve. The enemy was advancing +upon us in close formation fully a thousand strong, and our full +strength could not have been more than a hundred in that trench and +a hundred in the trenches behind, as I know that the whole Regiment +at that time was not more than two hundred and thirty (not including +Transport). + +They were advancing by way of the little house and on to the Thirteen +Trench. We kept up a brisk fire for a considerable time into the +advancing masses; but we were hopelessly outclassed, and had to fall +back on our other company behind. On reaching them, we all retired into +the wood, drawing the enemy in behind us. It proved to be a fine piece +of strategy, as we drew them on to unfamiliar ground and away from the +trenches. We then turned round and made a counter-attack, driving them +well back and leaving heaps of them dead and wounded behind. + +We had almost reached our original line, when a chum of mine called to +me by name. I went over to him, and found him lying on the ground: he +had been hit and could not help himself, and he asked me to take him +back to the dressing-station. I could not well refuse; so, dragging +him and carrying as best I could, I made for the road, and there we +nearly both got taken by the Germans, who were coming down that road +in hundreds, and were only a few yards off. So I had to drag my man +back into the wood, dropping into a ditch with him at the side of the +road, where I was able to ascertain the extent of his wound. There was +not much to show--only a small bullet-hole through his hip entering his +stomach. In this ditch was a Zouave; and he gave me some black stuff +that looked like coffee. Getting, a little later, into the wood, I was +able to take him that way to the dressing-station. I heard a few weeks +afterwards that he had died from his wound. + +On arriving back, I found that the Regiment had again retired a little +way behind the trenches we had before occupied; and I also found that +I had lost another old and valued chum, the one who had originally +enlisted with me and had up till that time been through the campaign +unscathed. I am thankful to say he was not badly wounded, although he +lost the use of his left hand. There were not many of us left; our +ranks were more depleted than ever; not more than seventy or eighty all +told remained--nevertheless, they were planning to retake the trenches. +On reaching the communication trench unmolested, we started to file in, +myself going second man. Of all the trenches I had been in that was +quite the worst: we had to absolutely walk the whole of the way over +dead bodies--our own men and Germans. It was eight o'clock at night, +and of course dark, which made our task more unpleasant; but we reached +the end of the communication trench safely, though we had not got more +than three or four yards down the main trench to the right, where it +ended in a _cul-de-sac_, before a German patrol of about twelve men +came walking along the top of the trench. We waited until they were on +top of us--then I let drive. I can hear the yell of the fellow I hit +to this day, as he threw up his hands and dropped. The man next to me +on my left also let go, and I thought he had blown the top of my head +off!--he must have had the muzzle of his rifle quite close to my ear, +as I was deaf for some time afterwards. He thought _I_ was hit! + +On gaining the end of the trench, I was, with three others, sent into +the communication trench to clear out the dead. A London Scottish +Officer--they had only been out, or rather in action a week--came up +with his men to relieve us, and remarked to our Captain, who was the +C.O., that he did not mind seeing dead Germans but he did object to +walking upon them; so we had the job of clearing them out, which we did +in this way: two men stayed in the trench and two stood on the top of +it, the two in the trench each lifting a leg of the dead man up to the +two men on top, who then hauled him over. We had been at work for about +an hour at this interesting job, when who should walk along the top +under cover of a hedge but a German right up to where we were working! +He was fully equipped, but we had discarded our equipment, on account +of it hindering us at our task. On reaching us, I exclaimed to my pal, +who was bending over in the trench: "Look, chummy, here's a German!" +The two men on top having just gone further up had not seen him. On +hearing me speak, the German made a motion with his hands and said, +"Hush!" I was never more surprised in all my life--he evidently took us +for Germans, too. I then said to my pal: "Find us a rifle": there were +plenty at the bottom of the trench. He handed me one up, and, pointing +it at the German, I was foolish enough to say: "Hands up!" He again +said: "Hush!" I said to my pal: "Hand me up some ammunition, quick." He +handed me up five rounds, and, pulling one out of the clip, I placed it +in the breech of my rifle. When the German heard the bolt of the rifle +go home, he turned round and bolted off--but he was too late: I had him +right through the back. We thought it best, then, to return to the +company; and we did so. + +When we had reported this little episode, I remarked to the Captain +that I thought the man had come from the Thirteen Trench. He replied: +"That's all bosh." While we had been away there had evidently been a +discussion over this Thirteen Trench, and the Captain had asked a man +who had been in it early the day before we had been driven out to go +over the top--only a matter of ten yards--and see who was occupying it +then. This man said that he knew a safer way round, when the Captain +said: "Take two more men and go over." Again this man replied, asking +if he might not go round. Then the Captain, becoming wild, said: "If +three of you won't go, thirteen of you go. If you prefer to go the +other way round, go, and I'll come and see you do go." I made one of +those thirteen, and we filed down the communication trench; and, coming +out on the other side of the hedge, we crept along behind it amidst +the cries of several wounded soldiers of both sides until we came to +the gap in the hedge facing this small Thirteen Trench a few yards +away. The Captain was leading, then another man, and then myself. We +had no sooner reached the top of the trench than a guttural voice +challenged "Halt!" and then I could see the forms of the Germans: they +were packed in there like sardines. Of course, the next minute they +had opened fire, our Captain and C.O. being killed on the spot; the +remainder of us, being unprepared, turned and ran. The Zouaves, who had +then taken up a position behind us, thinking it was the Germans coming, +opened fire on us, too; and there were we running between two fires! I +remember on coming close to the Zouaves' line that I took a flying leap +clean on top of one of them as he was about to shoot. I knocked him +down, of course; but, on getting up and seeing who I was, he clasped +his arms around me, very pleased that I was not a German. Then, along +with the remainder of the men, I returned to our old trench, reporting +to the only Officer we had left the death of our Captain. + +As we could not hand over the trenches complete, the Germans having +possession of the Thirteen Trench, we were not relieved by the London +Scottish, as it is a rule with the Regular Army that, on being +relieved, trenches have to be handed over precisely as they were taken +over, any that may have been lost having to be retaken. Consequently we +were kept in these trenches another forty-eight hours, and during that +time we were, if possible, to retake the one we had lost. + +As we were so very weak we were reinforced by a platoon of the 2nd +Black Watch and one machine-gun belonging to them. The gun was fixed in +position at the bottom of the communication trench close to the hedge, +so as to cover any movement of the enemy from the Thirteen Trench. At +the bottom of the main trench and in that traverse we had eight men ten +yards away, and in line were the enemy occupying the Thirteen Trench. +At daybreak the next morning each of our eight men received a bullet in +his head from the waiting Germans, six being killed outright and two +wounded. + +I was then sent with five other men to fill their places, and our +orders were to lie down in the bottom of the trench and not show +ourselves, as our machine-gun was trained directly over the top to the +Thirteen Trench beyond us, and on any move being made by the enemy +the gun would instantly open fire directly over us. My comrades and +myself lay there the whole of the day; the stench from the dead men +who had been killed that morning was sickening--indeed, the whole of +that trench smelt of blood, warm blood as from a slaughter-house, which +in fact it was. We all got very cramped towards evening, and a great +deal of grumbling was going on, as in the ordinary course of events we +should have been relieved by that time and back resting. Some one at +length suggested going to the Officer to ask for relief and beg him to +exchange us with some men higher up the trench, who had more freedom. I +was asked if I would be spokesman. Replying in the affirmative, I went +to the Officer and explained the case, telling him how cramped we had +become. He asked me where I had come from. When I told him, he asked me +who gave me permission to leave my post: I replied no one, but that I +was the oldest soldier, whereupon he came with me to the bottom of the +trench, and, addressing the men, promised them he would relieve them as +soon as possible. He also said: "You have nothing to fear while I am +with you; the Germans are ten yards off." After further promising to +send the relief, he departed. We then decided, as night was falling, +that three of us should keep watch for the first hour and the other +three for the second hour, carrying on like that alternately throughout +the night. + +The night was very black and the gloom very thick, and we could not see +a movement of the enemy ten yards away, but could imagine all sorts +of forms and shapes in front of us. I think it was during our second +watch that we discerned what we thought to be three forms moving behind +the enemy trench and making for the road; so one of us fired. We heard +a yell and concluded we had got somebody. During the third watch my +two comrades grew very tired, and, getting down with the other men at +the bottom of the trench at my bidding, were soon fast asleep. I then +pulled two of the dead bodies to the end of the trench and stood them +up against the wall facing the enemy to make them appear as if there +were more of us. I had no sooner done this than a German got stealthily +out of his trench; and, creeping along behind the hedge and to the rear +of our line, up popped another, and then another. Whereupon I sent word +of the enemy's movements _via_ the next traverse to the Officer, asking +what I should do. In the meantime I was doing all I could to awaken my +comrades; but they were so sound asleep that, although I was kicking +them, I could not get them to budge. The word then came back from the +Officer to say we were to do nothing--not even to fire a shot, as the +machine-gun was trained upon the enemy, waiting for them to come up. +I was in a very awkward position, as I could see the line of enemy +trenches in front, and the one they were coming out of on our flank, +and I had to stand there and say nothing whilst they crept around the +back of us. I began to get "wind up" (frightened), as by this time they +were six to one against me, and, being the end man, I had no chance +whatsoever. No doubt I should have accounted for one or two of them, +but I should never have got away myself. + +This situation continued for about twenty minutes. I had at last been +able to arouse my comrades, when an order came down for the North +Lancashires to file out: we were being relieved by the West Riding +Regiment. I may state that I never heard such welcome words in my life! +How the West Ridings fared after that I do not know, but I do know that +I was well out of it! + +That night we returned to our old reserve trenches for rest at Hooge; +and next day a message from General French was read out to us, praising +us for the work we had done and regretting that he had had to keep +us so long in action without a rest. We had been either marching or +fighting since the middle of August, and it was then the middle of +November, but he did not think we should have to go into the trenches +again before we had had our long-deferred and well-earned rest. + +That night the 3rd Battalion Scots Guards, just out from England, came +into the wood also, and a fresh Regiment of Zouaves joined us. We were +all very pleased to think that we were about to be relieved, and I +remember well taking a dozen field post-cards from different men of the +Scots Guards to post as we went down the line. We marched out at eight +o'clock, every one convinced that we were going to have our rest, when, +on reaching the road, instead of marching towards Ypres, they took us +towards the trenches. Even then we thought we were going for our rest, +some suggesting that we were on our way to a meeting-place for the +Brigade; others took it to be another way round--"Yes, _via_ Germany," +remarked some one. Well, we did _not_ get our rest: we went into the +trenches again on _two_ occasions after that, and for forty-eight-hour +stretches. At length we were relieved by the Guards Brigade, and went +back to Hazebruck by easy stages. + +I should like to say a few words about Ypres before I close the account +of my experiences there. We were during the whole of the first Battle, +from October the twenty-third to the seventeenth of November, 1914, +fighting in the trenches all the time, with the exception of the first +three days. I was in the Bipschoote-Langemarck-road engagement, in +what is now better known as "the Ypres salient." From the time when +I first went there until October the thirty-first our front line was +fully six kilometres from Ypres town, but between the twenty-third and +the thirty-first of October the Germans gained from us quite three to +four kilometres. We did not regard this as a defeat to the British +arms, as at that time the enemy were, without exaggeration, six to one +against us, and they were also much better equipped with artillery. On +the contrary, I wish to pay my humble tribute to all ranks who served +during that time, short as they were of men, sometimes even putting the +military police into the trenches, to say nothing of the cavalry and +cyclist corps. It was there that we finished off the remainder of what +was the original Prussian Guards, as well as the Bavarian Guards; and +to-day the British nation has to thank those troops who fought so well +during that time, and put a finish to the chance of the Germans ever +reaching Calais, and thence England. + +My Regiment entered Ypres not less than one thousand strong, and while +there we had five lots of reinforcements: we came away with only +seventy-five men and one Officer, a Lieutenant. I do not, however, in +my above remarks refer specially to my own Regiment any more than to +any other Regiment in my Brigade or Division--all the Regiments in the +1st Division were splendid: though some may have been a little better +than the others where all were very good. + +We went then to relieve the 7th Division after it had fought the +rearguard action from Antwerp, and we were only just in the nick of +time, for the Division had suffered very heavily. Altogether with +reinforcements the 1st Division must have lost thirty thousand men in +stopping the great rush for Calais. When we entered Ypres everything +was normal; but when we came out of it the town was in ruins and +burning furiously in several parts. + +At Hazebruck we rested for close on a month. By "rested" I mean away +from the firing line. Of work we had plenty. Two days before leaving +Ypres we were joined by a draft of six hundred from home, which had +been kept behind with the Transport until we should come out of the +firing line. Captain Smart, who was with this draft, took over the +Temporary Commanding Officer's duties during the three-days' march +to Hazebruck, where we arrived in a snowstorm, and were billeted in +private houses at the rear of the railway station and running along +near the line. Whilst there, we received two further large drafts from +England, and we also had a lot of men sent back medically unfit on +account of defective teeth, etc. Even there we were not left in peace, +doing each day either route marches or brigade training. To every +man new clothes and underlinen were issued; and we all had to have a +bath!--an amusing affair, that took place in a rag-shop. A canvas bath +had been rigged up, and each Company took it in turn to bathe, the +water being fetched by the cooks in dixies. We had about four of these +dixies filled with about twenty quarts of water to each bath, with some +strong disinfectant put in it. About one hundred men would bathe to +each bath, the last dozen or so revelling in pea-soup. Every one _had_ +to go in--as at that time we all had plenty of live stock crawling over +us--under the eyes of the Company Officer and two or three N.C.O.'s. +Enemy aircraft was continually flying over us, and one Sunday morning +an airman dropped eight bombs, which killed several civilians, mostly +children, and caused sixteen casualties amongst men of my Regiment. + +We left Hazebruck on Monday morning by motor omnibuses on December +the twenty-first, going through Merville to Festubert. Four miles +from Festubert we left the buses, and during the afternoon, waiting +on the roadside for orders, we for the first time came across our +Indian troops. The Meerut Division and 4th Corps were operating around +that district. On the cross-roads at Le Touret we waited until dusk, +and then moved up the road about a mile to the Rue-de-L'Epinette, +Festubert, where we were told that each Regiment in the Brigade had +to attack and take at least one trench. From the Rue-de-L'Epinette we +were taken across several fields for about a mile, when the Brigade +made a charge. It had then become dark and we were on ground that we +had never been on before; but we succeeded in taking three lines of +trenches--the Regiment on our left taking one, though that on our right +was not successful. I honestly believe that it was a ruse on the part +of the enemy, as we did not take a single prisoner, and had only a few +casualties ourselves. + +That night I was doing duty as an orderly, bringing up the machine-gun +section and also two mess-waiters with refreshments for the Officers. +A funny incident happened on the way up. A house just to the left of +the farm where Battalion Headquarters were posted had caught fire, +and another orderly on the way down from there said to me: "Be +careful which way you go, as I think that house which is burning is +in the German lines; so bear off to the right." This the two waiters +and myself did; and, after tramping along for some time and crossing +several ditches, I gave it up, declaring that I had lost the way. In +front we could see some yew trees lining a ditch about a hundred yards +off, so we made up our minds to go as far as that, and reached the +trees safely; but as we got there bullets began to fall with a plop +into the ground at our feet; so we thought we had better go round the +other side. It was, however, just as bad there, and in front we saw a +trench; so we thought we would investigate a bit. Creeping up quietly +to the parapet, we peeped over: several Germans, unarmed and burdened +with two jugs of coffee and a basket of provisions, greeted our eyes. +We very soon made off back again, and had not gone more than a couple +of hundred yards before we came to a garden surrounding a farm-house. +It turned out to be the very house I was seeking, but of course I could +not then recognize it, as it was night-time, nor was it familiar to me, +as it had been night-time when I first went into it. We were only about +thirty yards off and could hear a babel of sounds, but very unlike the +English language. So I suggested that the best thing we could do was to +lie down under cover of the hedge, and wait until some one came along. +If he proved to be English, well and good; if German, we should have +to get out of it the best way we could. We had not long to wait before +three forms loomed in the distance through the gloom; and then we were +all of a tremble! Fortunately they turned out to be three of our own +Tommies, so we waited till they had passed, and then we went in. Many +a laugh over the affair have those two waiters and myself had on after +occasions. + +Next morning, December the twenty-second, we were properly let in. The +enemy commenced to shell us, continuing for some hours; then they came +up in force. Unfortunately, by taking those three lines of trenches +the night before, we had got too far in front; and consequently we +were surrounded before we knew where we were. Anyhow, with bombs and +rifle-fire (our machine-gun section being behind and not in position +by then), we kept them off as long as we could--then we had a run for +it, as the Company on our left had had to give in. There were very few +of us left that day; but our machine-gun soon got into action, and +held the position until reinforcements came up, when the remainder of +us formed up in the Rue-de-L'Epinette. When the roll was called we +numbered one hundred and thirty Officers and men out of eight hundred +and thirty who went into action seventeen hours before. Our C.O., Major +Powell, was very much upset, remarking that there had been a grave +mistake somewhere, and he would immediately go to the General for +satisfaction: we, of course, did not hear how he got on. + +That night we were taken to Lacature until all the stragglers had +joined up: they made the Regiment up to about two hundred; and next day +we marched off to Essairs, just the other side of the canal of Bethune, +where we spent a quiet but not joyous Christmas Day, as we felt greatly +the loss we had sustained two days before. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII +LA BASSEE DISTRICT + + +Next day, Boxing Day, December the twenty-sixth, 1914, we once more +packed our traps, and, marching via Beuvry and Annequin, entered +Cambrin. The first four days we were billeted in houses and shops, +which had been shelled to pieces, and set to work digging ways through +the walls of cellars for means to get out should the house be hit again +by a shell during a bombardment. That night a night-attack by the enemy +was expected and the usual precautions were taken; it came to nothing. +Although this village was in ruins and only about two thousand yards +from the enemy's front line, civilians continued to live there. + +Between the twenty-sixth of December and the twenty-ninth of December +there was "nothing doing": most of the Regiment were employed in the +communication trenches, cleaning up and carrying planks to lay on the +bottom, some parts of the trenches being deep in mud and water. In the +"Old Kent Road," a trench running from the church at Quinchy to the +front line was in a really dreadful state: one had to wade through mud +and water like whipped cream up to the armpits. + +On the twenty-ninth we received a draft of sixty-nine men and three +Officers straight from the base. They were sent into the trenches the +next day on the Givenchy side of the canal to reinforce the 2nd Royal +Sussex. All they had had on leaving the base had been their rations +of bully-beef and biscuits, and, on coming out twenty-four hours +afterwards, had had to join the Regiment and go into a charge with the +Scots Guards on the Quinchy side commonly known as the "Brickfields." +In these fields, and about two kilometres from La Bassee, were three +huge brick-stacks, around which we built fortifications; these stacks +were also very useful for our snipers and observers, who took up +positions on the top. On the left of the fields was the railway track, +and in rear of that, running parallel to it, was the canal; on the +other side of which lay Givenchy. + +[Illustration: MAP 5.] + +On Wednesday, December the thirtieth, we had one Company in the +trenches as I have already stated; on Thursday, the thirty-first, +report came through that the enemy had broken through the King's Royal +Rifles lines. This was late in the afternoon; and two hours afterwards +we were called out and taken into Quinchy. On the way there we passed +the Black Watch, who were billeted just in front of us; they were +preparing to enjoy New Year's Eve. Arriving at Quinchy, I was sent back +to find and bring up the other Company from their present trenches +to join the Battalion, which I did. They fully expected to be taken +back to billets, for they were in a terrible condition, as it had +been raining all day long. Therefore I did not mention the place to +which we were bound. Fortunately on the way we came across the Medical +Officer, who, on seeing the state they were in, most of them suffering +badly from rheumatism, would not consent to let them join up, but +posted those suffering the least on barricade guard. I then joined the +Regiment on the road at Quinchy near the railway track: and, advancing +along its side, the Scots Guards taking the right, we succeeded in +driving the enemy from the position they had gained earlier that day, +and occupied the trenches, where we stayed all next day. + +On January the first some shelling and artillery duels took place, +otherwise it was calm. + +On Saturday, January the second, we were relieved by the 1st Brigade, +leaving about thirty men on barricade guard on the main La Bassee Road. +We went back into Cambrin. + +On Sunday the third we left for Beuvry, three kilometres to our rear +and one and a half kilometres from Bethune. We arrived there at 6.30 +p.m., and went into billets. A lot of our men were sent back from here +with trench-feet, which we then called frost-bitten feet; they were the +first cases we had of it. On Saturday, January the second, ninety-four +N.C.O.'s and men left us, and next day, Sunday, thirty-four more went +off. + +On Monday the fourth we rested, enjoying a bathe and change of linen at +the Girls' College in Bethune. + +On Tuesday the fifth we again left for Cambrin and relieved the King's +Royal Rifles from the trenches, Major Powell, who had joined us at +Hazebruck, going away sick. We arrived at Quinchy at 5.30 p.m., and the +Regiment took over the trenches in front of that village, two Companies +occupying the front line, one Company being in support behind the first +brick-stack and the other in reserve behind the other two brick-stacks, +whilst Headquarter Company took over and guarded a culvert running from +the road under the railway-line to the canal bank. + +That night and during the next day little happened beyond artillery +duels. Around this sector of the line snipers were very prevalent. + +Thursday the seventh was a wet day; nothing occurred with the exception +of a German mistaking his way in the early hours of the morning and +walking into our machine-gun emplacement. He came in with two cans, one +with hot water and the other with hot tea. The boys, after making him +taste a little of each, took possession of them for their own use. On +being taken down the communication trench this German had the audacity +to remark that our trenches were very dirty--not nearly so clean as +theirs, as they had working parties cleaning up each day. + +On Friday the eighth there was a great deal of shelling on both sides +between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and also a heavy cannonade and rifle-fire +during the afternoon, but no attack. + +On Saturday the ninth the part of Headquarter Company doing guard +at the culvert were relieved, as they were no longer required, and +were put on fatigue duty, carrying all necessary things to the firing +line, to save the men in the firing line from becoming continually +wet through walking up and down the communication trench. These men +continued at this work until the Regiment was relieved, retiring at +night into a cellar at Cambrin to dry their clothes as best they might. +About 1 p.m. there was an hour's bombardment of the enemy's lines. + +On Sunday the tenth there was a terrible bombardment, and seven men of +each Company volunteered to capture an enemy's machine-gun advanced +post, which was taken very successfully, with only slight casualties +and some prisoners. + +Monday the eleventh and Tuesday the twelfth were very quiet, with the +exception of a bombardment each day. + +On Wednesday the thirteenth I left the Regiment early in the morning, +and proceeded to Annequin, a small village just behind Cambrin, there +to find billets. We found a draft awaiting us there of four hundred +and eighty N.C.O.'s and men and three Officers, and the Regiment was +then relieved by the 2nd Royal Sussex, going to Annequin for rest, and +staying there the next two days. + +On Saturday the sixteenth we fell in, in the afternoon, to return to +the trenches; but before we went the Brigadier gave us a few words, +saying: "To-morrow, Sunday, January the seventeenth, is the Kaiser's +birthday, so be on your guard, as we are expecting an attack in honour +of it." This attack did not mature: the day was one of the quietest I +had experienced in the trenches. A mistake had been made: the Kaiser's +birthday is the twenty-seventh of January. + +On Monday the eighteenth we were again relieved by the 2nd Royal +Sussex, and returned to Annequin. + +Tuesday the nineteenth we spent in resting, going into the trenches +again on Wednesday the twentieth, again relieving the 2nd Royal Sussex, +who took our billets at Annequin. + +On Thursday the twenty-first the whole Brigade was relieved by the 1st +Brigade; we went to Bethune, where the 1st Brigade had just completed +eight days' rest. I was then on the staff of billeting orderlies, +and helped to find billets at that town. It was a very unenviable +berth, as the majority of French people objected to have soldiers +billeted on them, and our Officers were often very dissatisfied with +the billets we found for them. We settled down to what we thought was +to be an eight-days' rest; but early on Monday morning, January the +twenty-fifth, the enemy began to shell Bethune--the first occasion on +which it was shelled. The Brigade got the order to stand to, and moved +out of Bethune once more for the trenches, after having had only three +days' rest out of our eight. The report was circulated that the enemy +had broken through on the right of La Bassee canal, at the brickfields +at Quinchy. It was true; they had got as far as Quinchy church, and had +penetrated the village itself, only to be blown back by the fierceness +of our artillery fire, after which we delivered a counter-attack, +going up in support to the Highland Light Infantry 5th Brigade 2nd +Division, who were then operating around that district in conjunction +with the 1st Division, and also in reserve to the 3rd Brigade. We did +not on this occasion succeed in retaking all our old trenches; we lost +one of the three the enemy had succeeded in taking, and we lost one +brick-stack. Our armoured train was in action, and did great work in +keeping the enemy back whilst reinforcements were brought up; but we +were unfortunate in losing the engine-driver, a Belgian, who stopped a +fragment of shell with his head: the naval men in charge of the train +buried him with honours, firing the last volley over his grave. That +night we returned to Beuvry, and stood to in case of another assault. + +On Tuesday, January the twenty-sixth, we had an unfortunate experience. +It took place at the time when the Regiment was holding orderly room. +Nearly all the Company Officers and N.C.O.'s were attending, besides +the C.O., Adjutant, Machine-Gun Officer, Regimental Sergeant-Major, +Pioneer Sergeant, Signalling Sergeant, Police Sergeant--in fact, every +one of note in the Regiment. There were also a number of men waiting to +be told off for various crimes; and they were holding this office in a +farmyard, on hard cobbled stones, when a shell of large calibre dropped +amongst them, killing and wounding close on forty Officers and men. The +C.O. and Adjutant had a marvellous escape, as the shell dropped at the +foot of the table without injuring either of them, whilst most of the +prominent Officers and N.C.O.'s were killed, as well as three who held +Distinguished Conduct Medals. That afternoon we returned to Quinchy, D +Company going in support to the 2nd Royal Sussex. + +On Wednesday the twenty-seventh we went into the trenches, taking up +bombs in readiness for an attack. It was then 8.30 p.m. We found that +the keep, the first two brick-stacks, had now become our firing line. + +We did not commence the attack until 4 a.m. on Thursday the +twenty-eighth, and succeeded in driving the enemy out with bombs, +but returned to our old line of trenches, where we received some +casualties. During that day we returned to Cambrin to billets in +reserve to the Sussex and Northamptons. + +On Tuesday the twenty-ninth the enemy heavily attacked the keep: fully +1,500 Germans got out of their trenches, and, after advancing a couple +of yards, lay down, in preparation for a charge. Our artillery then +got to work, and, aided by our rifle and machine-gun fire, accounted +for every man, only five out of the 1,500 being left, and these we +took prisoner. Very excellent work was done that day by both the 2nd +Royal Sussex and the Northampton Regiments. That night we were relieved +by the Camerons and Black Watch 1st Brigade, and returned to our old +billets at Beuvry. + +Next day, Saturday, January the thirtieth, we returned to Bethune, +and were billeted there in the Ladies' College, standing to at a +half-hour's notice if required. + +There we also spent Sunday. Next day I set off with the billeting party +to find billets at a small place eight kilometres from Bethune and near +Choques. After we had arrived there, we arranged billets, when a Staff +Officer came up and ordered us to return to Bethune, as the enemy had +once more commenced to attack. Halfway on the road back we were met by +the Brigade despatch-rider, who ordered us to return to Allouagne, the +village where we had secured the billets. All this time there was a +heavy cannonade going on in the direction of the trenches; it was close +on ten miles away--anyhow, the attack by the enemy did not succeed, and +we proceeded as usual. + +The Regiment arriving here the next day, Tuesday, February the second, +we were joined by a new C.O., Lieutenant-Colonel Bowlby. At Allouagne +we rested from February the second until the twentieth of that month, +having a similar time and doing similar work to that which we had done +at Hazebruck, only on this occasion we were not troubled by aircraft. +We were joined there by the 5th Sussex Territorials, making in all five +Regiments to the Brigade instead of four. + +On February the twentieth we moved a little further up, about one +kilometre from Allouagne. On that march one of our men became a little +intoxicated: he was placed between an escort. On the road he threw +his rifle away, saying: "I'll fight no more." Next morning, on being +brought before the C.O., he was told by the C.O., who had overheard +what he had said the day before, that he would receive fourteen days' +field-punishment and fight on. We stayed at this village, Lozingham, +for eight days, leaving on February the twenty-eighth for Mont +Bernischon, where we stayed the night, and next day moved on to a small +village, by name Les Choques. All this time we were really moving back +to the trenches. + +On March the second five of our men were overcome by charcoal fumes, +Quarter-Master-Sergeant Border and Private Sailor losing their lives. + +On March the tenth we were awakened by a terrific bombardment of guns, +and did not then know that the Battle of Neuve Chapelle had commenced. +We were hurried off from our billets at Les Choques and proceeded along +the Lowe Canal to Locon, where we were kept until the afternoon, when, +crossing the canal and marching to the right, we went on to Le Touret. +That night we stayed in a field in reserve, but at ten o'clock went +into billets. + +Next day, the eleventh, we moved higher up to just behind the +Rue-de-L'Epinette and occupied breastworks, where we heard the report +of the capture of 2,000 Germans and six guns. + +On the next day, the twelfth, we again returned to Les Choques to our +old billets, which were not required. We did not, of course, take full +part in the Neuve Chapelle battle, but were there in reserve to the 4th +Corps, the 4th Meerut Division taking the bulk of the work. + +On March the twelfth we moved to Essairs, to the old billets we had +occupied on Christmas Day, and renewed many old acquaintances. We +stayed there five days, still in reserve and under an hour's notice. + +On the eighteenth we removed nearer to La Bassee canal and behind +Givenchy to a place named Goue. This time we found working parties in +the trenches between Festubert and Givenchy. + +On the twenty-second we left our billets at Goue, and removed to our +old position in the Rue-de-L'Epinette, where we had lost so many of our +men just before Christmas. We did not relish going there. I went as +orderly to the Northamptons in case of communication being cut off by +telephone, the Northamptons being more to our left in trenches at the +Rue-de-Bois. + +On the twenty-third we were relieved by the King's Royal Rifles, +and, going round by Richebourg St. Vaast, we took the trenches on +the Rue-de-Bois, relieving the Indians. These trenches were really +barricades built up with sandbags. We had three companies in them, and +one in reserve in billets behind. We found there another implement of +torture used by the Germans, a three-pronged steel or iron with sharp +points: they were thrown out in front of the trenches for men to step +on--it mattered not which part you stepped on: one of the prongs would +be sure to run into your leg. That night we had one Lieutenant and +one private killed, and about thirteen casualties in all. We were in +those trenches for a week, until the thirtieth, and it was one of the +quietest spots of the whole line--scarcely any rifle fire and little +shell fire. These trenches are linked up with from the right Givenchy +at the La Bassee canal end; then come Festubert, Aubers Ridge, Port +Arthur, and Neuve Chapelle, all within a distance of five miles. + +We did not have many casualties during our stay on the Rue-de-Bois, +and returned to our old billets at Les Choques on March the thirtieth, +resting and refitting until April the seventh. + +On April the eighth we marched to Neuve Chapelle, and occupied the +trenches at Port Arthur, a portion of the line there having been given +that name. Another spot there was known as "Windy Corner," on account +of its treacherous nature, as it was under a cross fire from the enemy. + +On April the sixth we were joined by a new C.O., Colonel Sanderson, +who came to us from the 2nd Battalion, which was then serving in East +Africa. At Port Arthur we went into reserve, one Company occupying the +dug-out at the rear and on the road. From this road our Engineers had +erected a wooden track and wooden rails, for the purpose of taking by +trolleys all necessities for the trenches. We found this very useful +during our stay here of four days, after which we were, on the twelfth, +relieved by a Territorial Division. + +We then proceeded to Mont Bernischon, for three days' rest, leaving +that village for Richebourg St. Vaast, where we occupied billets +in reserve. Here I left the Regiment to join the 1st Divisional +Headquarters for a refresher course in signalling, as that Regiment +was at that time short of these specialists. I remained at Locon until +May the sixth, when the class was broken up, and all men were sent to +rejoin their respective Regiments, in view of a great advance that was +then supposed to be about to take place. + +During the time I was with the class, all qualified signallers and +Officers of the Regiment had been attending lectures held at the 2nd +Brigade Office to learn the scheme of the proposed attack, which was +to be commenced by a huge bombardment of guns on a front of less than +two miles. Before we left our billets at Les Choques we were told that +it was to be the greatest bombardment ever known; and we had detailed +instruction in the various parts we were to play. We were all under the +impression that we were going to have an easy task of it, as we were to +take up our position and start from the Rue-de-Bois, which place had +always been so quiet when we occupied it. That night we were taken to a +field near the canal at Locon expecting to proceed to the trenches to +be in readiness for the night; however, we did not go up, and stopped +there all the next day, May the sixth, until 8 p.m. We were then sent +back to billets at Les Choques, the advance having been cancelled +for forty-eight hours. Thus we left Les Choques on May the eighth in +the evening, and proceeded to the Rue-de-Bois, where we occupied the +reserve trenches, every one being in and ready for the fray at 3 a.m. +on the morning of the ninth. + + + + +CHAPTER IX +THE BATTLE OF FESTUBERT, MAY 9TH, 1915 + + +The signal for the bombardment was given by a big gun at 5.30 a.m., +when all the guns commenced to blaze off. It was just as if all hell +were let loose! The German trenches, like ours, were built up of +sandbags; and within five minutes they represented the waves of the +sea beating against the rocks. Debris was flying in all directions, +and we men stood on the tops of our trenches to see the fun; but were +very soon down again, as the enemy during the whole of that bombardment +repeatedly sniped at us, and had the impudence to shout at us: "Come +on--we've been waiting for you for twenty-four hours." At 8 a.m. the +bombardment ceased, and the attack commenced in earnest. Our position +was the centre, and we were led by the 2nd Royal Sussex, followed by +the Northamptons, North Lancashires, 5th Royal Sussex, and we also had +the 9th King's Liverpools, a Territorial Regiment that had recently +joined our Brigade. They were in reserve, with the 1st Brigade Black +Watch holding the front line whilst we attacked. The distance between +the two lines of trenches was not more than three hundred yards, but we +could advance only halfway: we had to yield to the enemy's machine-gun +fire. Some of the men had to lie there all day until nightfall, when, +at 11 o'clock, the whole of the 2nd Brigade retired to the reserve line +of trenches to reorganize, the 1st Brigade still holding the front +line. We accounted for 430 of all ranks, not including machine-gun men, +who were still in position in the front line. + +Another bombardment was commenced again at 2 p.m., and, going into the +front line, we prepared for another attack. Towards 4 p.m. an order +came through for the North Lancashires to stand fast, and the Black +Watch, sending up two companies, took our places, and then charged the +enemy's lines. After repeated attempts, they eventually got into their +trenches. Words cannot describe that glorious piece of work--no praise +could be high enough. When they got into the trenches the Germans took +their rifles and equipment from them, and, turning them out unarmed, +told them to get back to their own lines the best way they could, +turning their machine-guns on them as they did so. We, of course, +dared not fire, on account of the possibility of hitting our own men. +We had the misfortune to lose our Armourer Sergeant, who had taken +part in the charge; also three Captains killed, Captains Hay, Hill, +and Adcock. Lieutenant-Colonel Bowlby was wounded; Lieutenant Fisher, +machine-gun Officer, killed; Lieutenant Garrod, sniping Officer, killed +on the enemy's barbed wire--altogether we lost nearly three hundred +of all ranks, the Northamptons losing more than we did, and the whole +Division losing nearly 8,000 men, without succeeding in taking a single +trench. + +We held the front line until 3 a.m. of the morning of the ninth, when +we were relieved by the 2nd Division and the Highland Light Infantry, +5th Infantry Brigade. Proceeding to Le Touret, the Battalion joined up, +and, after calling the roll, we marched on to Lannoy, there to rest. + +On the twelfth of May we left Lannoy and marched to Bethune, where we +occupied billets for four days. I was fortunate enough to procure a +pass, and paid a visit to St. Omer, where my father was stationed with +a Motor Transport Company. There I spent two very enjoyable days, but, +on getting back to Bethune, I found the Regiment had departed, taking +with them my rifle and equipment. They had not, however, gone far--only +to Beuvry, where I soon found them. That night the 47th Territorial +London Division had by mistake taken our billets. We, of course, turned +them out, upon which they began to sing: + + "Though the North Lancs pinched our billets, never mind! + We have slept in the fields before, + And we'll do the same as of yore, + So the North Lancs can have our billets--never mind!" + +There we stayed six days, finding working parties, etc., and then we +moved up to Annequin for three days in reserve. At Annequin there was a +coal-pit, which was shelled each day and nearly every night, although +the civilians still occupied it. The church, typical of churches in the +French villages, came under the enemy's fire first. Just behind and +in rear was an estaminet run by two French girls. How they could live +there beats me, as there were three large shell-holes in the walls, and +a corner had been knocked off the house. They had placed barrels filled +with earth over these holes, and carried on business in the same old +way, making quite a good living from the English troops billeted there. +On Sunday afternoons they used to take walks with some French Officers +around what was then the French section of the line; our line finished +on the left of the La Bassee Road. We stayed here four days, and on +the afternoon of May the twenty-fourth moved into the trenches, taking +over from the King's Liverpools the right of La Bassee Road, originally +occupied by the French. We found on this part of the line the trenches +very good, with four lines of them, a front line, a support line, and +a reserve, called Maison Rouge: there were three red-bricked houses +in this line. Some of the dug-outs in this line were also splendid, +containing beds and furniture brought by the French from the ruined +village of Cambrin just behind. Whilst we were here the enemy blew up a +mine, but we had few casualties. In this village we had our Transport +1st Line, and also the Brigade Office. The Germans were quite eight +hundred yards from us, and in between the two lines was an aeroplane, +English or French, which had been hit and brought down by the enemy. +On several occasions we went out at night to try to bring it in; but +we found the engine had been buried too far in the ground, and all we +could do was to take away parts. One day I watched a man go out in +broad daylight collecting German helmets. + +We were relieved on the twenty-eighth by the Regiment which we had +relieved four days before, the 9th King's Liverpools; and we returned +to our old billets at Annequin. Around this sector of the line we were +well backed by the famous French 75 gun. + +On June the first we relieved the 9th King's Liverpools from trenches +at the brickfields at Quinchy. They had been moved from the trenches +on the right of La Bassee Road during our time of reserve to those at +the brickfields. We had a rough time here for three days: the enemy +exploded two mines, which sent up the largest part of one of our +Companies (C Company) with them. We were also much nearer the enemy +than before, and were continually bombed. + +On the fourth we were relieved, and proceeded to Bethune, where we were +billeted in a school. The very first night we were again shelled. We +spent seven days here, enjoying the luxury of a large swimming-bath. + +On June the eleventh we left for Cambrin to relieve the 1st Brigade, +and put two Companies in reserve on the left of the road and in rear of +Quinchy and one on the right of the road at Maison Rouge, one Company +being in billets at Cambrin. At Maison Rouge we had a transmitting +station to the King's Royal Rifles, and from the 2nd Brigade +Headquarters, the King's Royal Rifles occupying the front line on the +right of the road, nicknamed "Bomb Alley," on account of its being so +near the enemy and continually under bombardment. We used sentries on +each traverse to look out for bombs: on seeing one coming and at what +position it would be likely to drop, the sentry would yell out "Bomb +right," or "Bomb left," as the case might be, when the men would at +once clear to the opposite direction. + +On June the fourteenth we were relieved by the 2nd Division, and left +for Bethune, where we went into Corps reserve for four days. + +On the seventeenth we left Bethune for La Pugnoy, there to rest: +whilst here we received a draft of 183 Officers and men who had been +transferred from a service Battalion of the Manchesters, on account of +the shortage of our own reinforcements at the feeding Battalion then at +Felixstowe. + +On the twenty-seventh we marched to Cambrin, a distance of about +sixteen miles, having our dinner on the road in a thunderstorm; +and, on entering the trenches, we received a welcome from the Herts +Territorials, who had decorated the fire-step with pieces of chalk +(these trenches were of a chalky nature), out of small pieces of which +they had built the words: "Welcome to Kitchener's Army." Fancy what +the reading of that meant to us men, some of whom had been through the +war since the very commencement! We did indeed feel grateful, and we +had cause to be so, as we were supposed to have gone back to La Pugnoy +for a Divisional rest and were expecting at least a month, whereas we +got only three days of it. Whilst at La Pugnoy several Brigades of +Kitchener's Army had passed through us and the 1st Division, those of +which occupied the trenches at the time expected to get relieved by +them. However, we had to go, and we were shelled pretty heavily here; +we had three Companies in the front line, and D Company in reserve. On +July the fourth we were relieved from the trenches, after having been +in them for six days, and we returned to Salle-la-Bourse. We had then +taken over trenches in front of Vermelles, and, after spending a few +days at Salle-la-Bourse, we journeyed two kilometres to Noyelles; from +there, four days afterwards, we again occupied the trenches for eight +days. During this time operations were very calm, and all around the +district one could see for some considerable distance--from Vermelles +one could see the "Tower Bridge" at Loos; and I often used to gaze at +it and wonder when it would become our property, little thinking that +my hope would be realized within a couple of months. We did another +few days in the trenches, and then went back to Verquin, near Bethune. +The observation balloon used to go up here at the back of the village, +and on several occasions the enemy shelled it, but never succeeded in +hitting it. + +On July the twentieth we were again at Noyelles, and on the +twenty-third of that month I obtained leave for the purpose of +proceeding to England for eight days, after having been on active +service for a period of nearly twelve months. I had nearly ten miles to +walk, fully equipped, to the railway station to get my train. I need +not describe my brief visit home; needless to say I enjoyed myself +never better in my life. + +Arriving back at Bethune on August the first, we learnt from +Headquarters that the Regiment were in the trenches at Vermelles, and, +on arrival at that place, we were just in time to see the Battalion +relieved, and had to march back that same night again to Bethune, where +we spent eight days, the Division holding a horse-show and sports. + +From the eighth of August until a fortnight before the Battle of Loos +we took our turn, with other Regiments in the Brigade, to go into +the trenches; and a fortnight before Loos we returned to Lozingham +to rehearse the coming battle. While at Lozingham we did Battalion +training, and generally prepared ourselves. I had become somewhat run +down and felt fairly bad with sickness, etc.; when the doctor examined +me he found I had a temperature of over 100. He asked me where I felt +ill, and on my telling him, he said: "You ought to be admitted to +hospital, but I'm afraid I can't do that, as you are a signaller and we +are short of signallers." He told me to lie down in my billet and rest. +I was like this for nearly a week, and did not feel much better at the +end of that time; but, as we were again on the move, I did not trouble +him any more. + +It was on September the twenty-first that we moved to Marles, a village +one kilometre from Lozingham. On the twenty-second we marched to the +trenches at Vermelles in readiness for the battle, arriving there at +3 a.m. on the twenty-fourth, throughout which day we were busy teeing +in wires, etc., in readiness for our run to the German lines on the +morrow. + + + + +CHAPTER X +LOOS + + +The 1st Division took the centre, with the 15th Scottish Division +on the right and the 9th Division on the left. The 1st Division +faced a part of the line known as "Lone Tree," named after a tree +between the two lines and the only one there. The Division had battle +Headquarters at Larutwar Farm, and Brigade Headquarters in a part of +the trenches known as "Daly's Keep." At 6.40 a.m. on the morning of the +twenty-fifth of September the attack was to be launched, first by the +Royal Engineers letting off asphyxiating gas; when that reached the +German lines or was three parts of the way across, the Infantry were +to follow. Of the 2nd Brigade the 1st Loyal North Lancashires and the +King's Royal Rifles were the two Regiments selected, and to them was +given the honour of going over first, the King's Royal Rifles on the +right. Punctually at the time given the gas was let off, accompanied +by smoke bombs, but unfortunately before it had reached half the +distance across, the wind changed and blew it back upon us. However, +over we went, and, as our distance to the enemy's lines was quite +eight hundred yards, we covered them by short rushes. On reaching the +enemy's wire entanglements we found that they had not been sufficiently +damaged to admit of our access to the enemy's trench; so we held on for +reinforcements, which arrived in the form of the 2nd Royal Sussex; but +we could not make headway against the enemy's machine-guns, although +the Divisions on our left and right had advanced a considerable +distance. A Brigade consisting of several Territorial Regiments in the +Division was then sent to our aid, and this time we got through, taking +several hundred prisoners. The Divisions on the left and right of us +had advanced, the enemy opposed to them had retired and were to all +intents and purposes cut off, so they had perforce to surrender. This +gave us practically a clear run of about half a mile, and we saw, as +we passed, that our objective at the chalk-pit was the village of Loos +on our left. Fighting in Loos village was very furious indeed. This +chalk-pit is situated on the Loos-Lens road, and on the left of it is a +wood, where, after charging through it for spare Germans, we dug in. + +[Illustration: MAP 6. +_Rough Sketch showing Attack at Loos_] + +At 4 a.m. on the morning of the twenty-sixth we were relieved by the +21st Division of Kitchener's Army, as we had obtained our objective. We +went back to our old original trenches, leaving the 21st Division to +carry on. Our ranks were sadly depleted, having lost many men: it was +an awful and ghastly sight coming back over the ground we had taken. +About two o'clock that afternoon we heard that the 21st Division were +not doing well, and that a couple of field-batteries which had taken +up position immediately behind the old German front line had been put +out of action, as well as two batteries to the right of Larutwar Farm, +which was packed from end to end with wounded, waiting to be taken +away. The motor-ambulances worked night and day. + +Soon after this, the 24th Division, another of Kitchener's Divisions, +came into action to relieve the 21st, very few of whom remained. This +Division stopped in for nearly twenty-four hours, and retook some of +the ground that the 21st had lost. The afternoon before the Guards +Division, fresh from ----, where they had been in training, and the +New Welsh Guards also went into action, making an attack on the +Hohenzollern Redoubt. They did good work, I believe, in taking part of +it. + +On the night of the twenty-seventh we were ordered out from our old +line to the old German support line in reserve; but next morning were +taken out again and sent back to Mazingarbe, a small village behind +Vermelles. We had eight hours' rest here, and that same night proceeded +to the recently captured village of Loos, where were packed piles of +dead Germans and men of the 15th Scottish Division. It was indeed an +ugly sight. From one cellar we turned out twenty Germans, and we also +took one who had been working an underground telephone. We spent one +night in this cellar, and the following night proceeded through the +village to Hill 70, where we filled a gap and dug a line of trenches, +digging most of the time through solid chalk. While there we were +heavily shelled, as also was Loos, where houses were crashing to the +ground every few minutes. + +Three days afterwards we were relieved by a French Division and went +back to Neaux-le-Mines for a well-earned five-days' respite. After +that we were put into the trenches at Vermelles, and on October the +tenth the enemy made a determined attack on the 9th King's Liverpools +and Gloucesters 3rd Brigade, to whom we had then been attached. The +enemy were well driven off, but both regiments had to be taken out +that night, and we went up in the place of the King's Liverpools, and +were situated in our old trenches near the chalk-pit. Here, on the +morning of the eleventh of October, we were badly shelled: we lost a +machine-gun team and the gun was knocked out. I was then ordered to +take a message into Loos village to the 3rd Brigade Office, requesting +them to send up another gun-team at once. + +Coming back from this message I received my wound, getting a nasty +knock through the leg, severing the arteries and smashing the bone. +After binding it tightly, I managed to make my way to the first-aid +dressing-station, a distance of nearly a mile and a half. Thence I +proceeded to Mazingarbe, but, owing to haemorrhage, I did not get my +wound dressed until I was sent back to Lozingham, where I was sent to +the operating tent of the 23rd Field Ambulance. Whilst awaiting my +turn, I watched the surgeons take from another man's knee a bullet. Two +days later I was sent to Rouen, where I spent ten days; from there I +came home to Salisbury Infirmary, and I was in this hospital for twelve +weeks undergoing three operations. I was, on becoming convalescent, +sent to the Red Cross Hospital, Salisbury; and here I spent another +month, and proceeded at the end of that time to the house of Sir +Vincent Caillard at Wingfield. At this house I was given massage twice +a day; and after a month was sent on to Sutten Veney. After three weeks +I was given my discharge, and proceeded to the depot in Lancashire, +where I finally signed my papers and re-entered back to civilian life +after having had one year and 246 days on active service. + + +The 1st Division on landing in France consisted of three Infantry +Brigades, comprising: + + 1st Brigade + + Grenadier Guards. + Coldstream Guards. + Royal Highlanders (Black Watch). + Munster Fusiliers. + + 2nd Brigade + + 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. + 2nd King's Royal Rifle Corps. + 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment. + 2nd Northampton Regiment. + + 3rd Brigade + + The Welsh Regiment. + South Wales Borderers. + Queen's Royal West Kents. + Gloucester Regiment. + + +PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY THE ANCHOR PRESS LTD. TIPTREE ESSEX + + + + + * * * * * * + + + +Transcriber's note: + +Obvious errors of punctuation and diacritics were corrected. + +Hyphens removed: arm[-]pits (p. 118), brick[-]fields (p. 128), +half[-]way (pp. 129, 138). + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH A RESERVIST IN FRANCE*** + + +******* This file should be named 44511.txt or 44511.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/5/1/44511 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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