The Doings
of the
FIFTEENTH
INFANTRY
BRIGADE
August 94
to March 9 S
IT$ GOMMANDER
The Doings of the
Fifieenth Infantry Brigade
August 9 4 to March 9 5
The Doings of the
Fifteenth Infantry Brigade
August 19 I4 to March 1915
BY
ITS COMMANDER
13RIGADIER-GENiRAL COUNT GLEICHEN,
(now Major-General LORD I,DWARD GL,ICldEN),
K.C.V.O.» C.].» C.M.t.;. D.S.O.
William Blackwood & Sons
Edinburgh and London
1917
NOTE.
THE following pages--not in the first in-
stance intended for publication--contain an
expanded version of the very scrappy Diary
which I kept in France from day to day.
The version was intended for private
home consumption only, and has necessarily
had tobe pruned of certain personal matters
before being alloved to make its bow to
the public. I have purposely refrained from
adding toit in the light of subsequent
events.
I trust that the reader will consequently
bear in mind the essentially individual and
impressionist aspects of this little work,
and will hot expect to find either rigidly
historical, professional, or critical marrer
therein.
G.
14th August 1917.
CONTENTS.
UP TO THE EVE OF MONS
THE BATTLE OF MONSo o
MONS TO LE CATEAU .
LE CATEAU
THE RETREAT
TItE ADVANCE
THE MARNE
TO THE AISNE
THE AISNE .
WESTWARD HO ! .
&BBEVILLE TO BTHUNE
GIVENCHY AND FESTUBERT
TO BAILLEUL
TO YFRES .
THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES
BAOK TO LOCRE
TRENCH LIFE OPPOSITE MESSINES
IVING UP COMMAND . . .
PAGES
1-21
22 - 38
39 - 43
44 - 56
57 - 86
87 - 93
94-102
103-111
112-140
141-149
150-157
158-198
199-205
206-208
209-248
249-251
252-280
281-283
SKETCH-MAPS.
BOUSSU-WASMES
MISSY-ON-AISNE
GIVENCHY-¥IOLAINES .
THE FOOTBRIDGE OVER THE CANAL
BEUKENHORST (NEAR YPRES)
THE IESSINES FRONT
PAGE
28
123
167
175
211
255
ILLUSTRATIO:N.
SOME OF BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS ,
Frontisli«e
The Doings of the
Fifteenth Infantry Brigade.
August i9i 4 to March 1915.
IN accordance with the order received at
Belfast at 5.30 P.M. on the 4th, the 15th
Brigade started mobilizing on the 5th
August 1914, and by the 10h was complete
in ail respects. We were practically ready
by the 9th, but a machine-gun or two and
some harness were a bit late arriving from
Dublin--not our fault. Everything had
already been rehearsed at mobilization in-
spections, held as usual in the early summer,
and all went like clock-work. On the 8th
we got our final orders to embark on the
14th, and on the llth the embarkation
orders arrived in detail.
Brigade Headquarters consisted of myself,
Captain Weatherby (Oxford L.I.) as Brigade
A
2 THE DOINGS OF THE
Major, Captain Moulton-Barrett (Dorsets),
Staff Captain, Captain Roe (Dorsets), Brigade
Machine-Gun Officer, Lieutenant Cadell,
R.E., Signalling Officer, and Lieutenant
Beilby, Brigade Veterinary Officer. Military
Police, A.S.C. drivers, postmen, and all sorts
of odds and ends arrived from apparently
nowhere in particular, and fitted together
with extraordinary little effort. The bat-
talions grew fo unheard-of sizes, and by the
rime that all was complete the Brigade
numbered 127 officers, 3958 men, 258 horses,
and 74 vehicles.
A ug. 14th.
The Cheshires 1 and Bedfords e arrived by
train in the early morning of the 14th from
'Derry and Mullingar and went straight on
board their ships -- Brigade Headquarters,
Dorsets, 3 and half the Norfolks 4 being in
one, Cheshires and the other hall of the
Norfolks in another, and the Bedfords in a
third.
Great waving of handkerchiefs and cheer-
1 1st ]att. (Lieut.-Col. D. C. toger).
2 1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. C. R. Grifiith, D.S.O.).
1st ]att. (Lieut.-Col. L. J. ]ols, D.S.O.).
1st Batt. (Lieut.-Col. C. R. Ballard).
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 3
ing as we warped slowly out of Belfast
docks af 3 P.M. and moved slowly down the
channel.
A ug. 16th.
The weather was beautifully fine on the
passage, and on the 16th we all arrived af
our destination.
The Bedfords had arrived on the previous
ride to ourselves, and were already fast
alongside the quay. Orders were received
from the Disembarking Officer, and we dis-
embarked and formed up independently and
marched off fo Rest Camp No. 8, six toiles
off on the hills above Havre.
If had been pouring heavily on shore for
two days, though if was quite fine when we
landed; so the ground where we were fo
encamp was mostly sopping. It was hot
easy fo find in the dark, especially as the
sketch-maps with which we were provided
most distinctly acted up fo their names.
Added to these difficulties, a motor-lorry
had stuck on the way up and blocked out
transport for the nght. I rode ahead alone,
but had immense difficulty in finding the
Brigade tteadquarters Camp, which was
quite a long way from the other battaHon
4 THE DOINGS OF THE
calnps. These were dotted on he open
fields at some distance from each other,
and pitched in no particular order, so that
by the time I had got my bearings and
brought in the battalions, if was about
11 I.M. There was of course no baggage,
nor anything fo sleep on except the bare
ground under the tents, with our saddles
for pillows; and as a pleasant excitement
nearly ail our horses stampeded about 2 A.i.,
tore up their picketing-pegs from the soft
ground, and disappeared into the darkness
in different directions.
Aug. 17th.
Daylight, however, brought relief, and a
certain amount of our transport; and all the
horses were discovered in course of rime
and brought back. Most of the morning
was spent, unsuccessfully, in trying fo bring
up the remaining transport up a steep and
narrov road which was the only alternative
to the blocked one. But some of the horses
jibbed, and we had eventually fo give it up
and bring up supplies by hand.
The battalions were comfortably settled
down under the expectation of another
night there; but at 2.15 I.M. we got orders
to move off by train at night. This we did
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 5
from three different stations, at rimes vary-
ing from 12 midnight to 5.45 A.., having
arrived according fo order at the stations
four hours previously. This is the French
system, allowing four hours for the entrain-
ing of a unit. Although a lot of man-
handling had fo be done, and the trucks
vere hot what we had been accustomed fo,
we all entrained in about forty minutes, so
had any amount of rime fo spare.
Silver (my first charger) was very bobbery
as usual, and it took a good half-hour to
persuade him fo enter his truck. Once in,
he slept like a lamb.
Aug. 18th.
We were comfortable enough, though
packed like sardines, and vith three-quarters
of an hour's rest at Rouen for coffee, and
another rest at Amiens--where we heard
that poor General Grierson, our Corps Com-
mander, was dead--broke a blood-vessel
in the train mwe arrived at Busigny af
2.15 l.i. Here we found Captain Hyslop 1
(Dorsets), who hd been sent ahead from
Belfast, and who gave us orders to detrMn
af Le Cateau, a few rniles farther on. I
i IIyslop was vcry severely woundcd six days atterwtu'ds
nd tken prisoner, but exchangcd lter on.
6 THE DOINGS OF THE
must say that all these disembarking and
training arrangements were extraordinarily
well done, and reflected great credit on the
Allied staffs combined. No hitch, no fuss,
no worry, everybody got their orders in
time, and all necessary arrangements had
been carefully thought out beforehand.
We arrived at Le Cateau at 3.10 P.M., and
detrained in hall an hour, baggage and ail.
The battalions marched off fo their billets,--
Dorsets and Headquarters fo Ors, the other
three battalions to Pommereuil: nice clean
little villages both of them.
When about halfway out to Ors--I was
riding on ahead of the Brigade with only
Weatherby--we were met by a motor bikist
with a cypher telegram for me. This stumped
us completely, as, hot yet having reported
fo the Division, we had hOt yet received the
local field cypher-word; so, seeing a car
approaching with some " brass hats" in it,
I rode across the road and stopped it, with
a view to getting the key. To my horror,
Sir John French and Sir A. Murray de-
scended from the car and demanded fo know
why I had stopped them. I explained and
apologised, and they were very pleasant
about it; but on looking ai the wire they
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 7
said that I could disregard it, as they knew
what it was about, and it was of no par-
ticular importance by this rime; so we pur-
sued our way in peace.
The billeting had already been done for
us by our (5th) Divisional Staff, and we
round no difficulty in shaking down.
I was billeted on a small elderly lady of
the name of Madame W----, who was kind-
ness itself, and placed herself and her house
at our disposal; but I regret to say that
when our men, in search of firewood, picked
up some old bits of plank lying about in
the garden, she af first ruade a shocking
fuss, tried to make out that it was a whole
tituber stack of new wood, and demanded
fifty francs compensation. She eventually
took two francs and was quite content.
Here it was that Saint André joined us,
having been cast off by the 5th Divisional
Staff at Landrecies as a superfluous inter-
preter. Looking like an ordinary French
subaltern with a pince-nez, he was in fact
Protestant pastor from Tours, son of the
Vicomte de Saint André, very intelligent and
"cultured," with a great sense of humour
and extremely keen. I really cannot speak
too highly of him, for he was a most use-
8 THE DOINGS OF THE
fui addition to the Staff. In billeting and
requisitioning, and in all matters requiring
tact in connection with the inhabitants or
the French Army, he was invaluable. I used
him later as A.D.C. in action, and as Ocier
de liaison with the French troops. I don't
know what his knowledge of divinity may
have been, but if if was anything like
equal to his military knowledge if must
have been considereoble. He had studied
theology af Edinburgh, and his English
was very fluent, luckily untouched by a
Scottish accent. He was always bubbling
over with vitality and go, and plunged
into English with the recklessness of his
race; when he couldn't express himself
clearly he invented words which were the
joy of the Mess,--" pilliate," "whizzle," "con-
temporative," and dozens of others that I
can't remember; and what used fo charm
us particularly was that he so often went
out of his way to put the accent on the
wrong syllable, such as in bilyétting, bri-
gade, ttack, ambassddor, &c. He was,
indeed, a great acquisition to the Brigade. 1
1 He was subsequently awarded the D.S.O. and Croix
de Guerre (aux Palmes) for excellent and gallant work
achieved under tire.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 9
Aug. 19th.
Next morning I rode across fo have a
look ai the other b,ttalions. The trans-
port horses of the Cheshires were perhaps
hOt all they might bave been, but if was
the particular stamp of Derry horse that
was ai fault, and hOt the battalior arrange-
ments. Otherwise we vere ready for the
fray.
A ug. 20th.
We had arrived on the Tuesday (18th),
and on the Thursday Sir C. Fergusson
(commanding 5th Division) paraded the
Brigade by battalions and ruade them a
short speech, telling us we were fo rnove
on the morrow, and giving us a few tech-
nical tips about the Germans and how fo
meet their various viles, largely about
machine-guns and their methods of attack
in large numbers. The Bedfords were the
most interested audience, and interrupted
him every now and then with " 'Ear, 'ear,'
and a little handclapping ai important
points. I think the General was a little
nonplussed aL this .attention: I know I
was. Whether if was due or hOt fo the
audience being accustomed fo attending
10 THE DOINGS OF THE
political meetings at home, or to the air of
Bedfordshire being extremely vitalising I
don't know, but once or twice afterwards
when the battalion was addressed by General
Smith Dorrien, 1 and even by Sir J. French,
they showed their approbation in the
manner above set forth--somewhat to my
confusion.
Aug. 21st.
Next day we moved off early. I already
found myself overburdened with kit- al-
though I had hOt even as much as the
regulation 150 lb.--and I left a camp-bed
and a thick waistcoat and various odds
and ends behind in Madame W's cup-
board, under the firm belief that I might
at some future period send for it if I
wanted if. Alas! the Germans have now
been af Ors for close on three years.
A hot march of about fifteen toiles brought
us to Gommignies. Stragglers, I regret to
say, were already many--all of them re-
servists, who had not carried a pack for
years. They had every intention of keep-
ing up, of course, but simply could not.
I talked to several of them and urged
Commanding of course the 2nd Corps (composed of the
3rd and 5th Divisions).
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 11
them along, but the answer was always
the saine--" Oh, l'Il get along ai1 right, sir,
after a bit of rest; but I ain't accustomed
fo carrying a big weight like this on a
hot day," and their scarlet streaming faces
certainly bore out their views. To do them
justice, they practically all did turn up.
I was afraid that, in spire of great care
and the numerous orders I had issued
about the fitting and greaslng of new
boots, it was the boots which were at
fault; but if was not so, except in a very
few cases.
Our billeting parties had, of course, been
sent ahead and started on their work. If
was naturally quite new work fo thern,
and it took a lot of rime at first--two and
three hours--before the men were settled.
Nowadays if takes half an hour, or at most
an hour, as everybody knows his job, and
also takes what is given him af once,
squash or no squash. After a little cam-
paigning men very quickly find out that if
is better fo shake down a.t once, even in
uncomfortable billets, than to hang about
and try to get better ones. Here we got
first touch, though very indirectly, with
the enemy, in the shape of a French
patrol of Chasseurs à Cheval (in extra-
12 THE DOINGS OF THE
ordinarily voyant light-blue tunics and
shakos), who had corne in from somewhere
north after having seen some "Uhlans"
and hunted them off. I sent the news,
such as if was, on to the Division.
And here I must lay stress on the fact
that throughout the campaign we did hot
know in the least what was happening
elsewhere. Beyond the fact that the 3rd
Division was somewhere on out right, and
that the French cavalry was believed fo
be covering out left front, we dld hOt
know af this period what the movement
was about or where the Germans were
supposed fo be. We trusted fo out
superiors fo do what was necessary, and
plunged blindly into the "fog of war."
The usual proceedings on the ordinary
line of march were that, on receiving
"Divisional Orders," which arrived af 8.ny
tire in the afternoon, or offert af night,
we compiled "Brigade Orders" on them.
Divisional Orders give one first of all any
information about the enemy which if is
advisable fo impart, then the intention of
the Divisional General--whether he means
fo fight on the morrow, or march, or stay
where he is, &c., &c.; and if he means to
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 13
march he gives the direction in which the
Division is fo proceed, the order of march,
by brigades, artillery, divisional troops such
as R.E., heavy batteries, divisional cavalry,
&c., &c., and generally says where and
how the transport is fo march, whether
with ifs own troops or some way behind,
and if so, where; and gives directions as
fo the supplies, where the refilling-point,
rendezvous for supply carts, and railhead
are, and many other odds and ends, es-
pecially as to which brigade is fo provide
the advanced- or rear-guard, who is fo
command if, af what rime the head of the
column and the heads of ail the forma-
tions are fo pass a given point, and so on.
On receiving these orders we bave fo make
out and issue similarly composed Brigade
Orders in detail, giving the order of match
of the battalions and Brigade tteadquarters,
how much rations are fo be carried on the
men and in the cook-waggons, what is fo
happen fo the supply and baggage waggons,
whether B transport (vehicles not absolutely
necessary in the fighting line) are fo be
with the A transport in rear of their re-
spective battalions, or fo be bunched up
by themselves behind the Brigade, with
14 THE DOINGS OF THE
similar detailed orders about the advanced-
guard or rear-guard, and the rime fo a
minute as fo when each detail is fo pass
a given point, the position of the Brigadier
in the column, the point fo which reports
are fo be sent, &c., &c. These orders might
be written in anything from fifteen to ilfty
minutes according fo the movement re-
quired, and then had fo be quadruplicated
and sent out fo the battalions by their
respective orderlies, or by wire. By the
rime the battalions had written out and
transmitted their own orders to their com-
panies if was sometimes very late indeed;
but as the campaign went on, orders got
more and more simplified somehow, and
things got done quicker than af the be-
ginning of the prenier pas.
The country through which we were
passing was that technically described by
novelists as "smiling." That is to say, it
was pretty, in a mild sort of way, clean,
green, with tidy farmhouses and cottages,
and fields about ripe for the harvest. Plenty
of orchards there were too, with lots of
fruit-trees alongside the roads, and the
people were most kind in offering us fruit
and milk and water and coffee and even
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 15
wine as we went along. But this could not
be allowed on the march, as it would have
led to men falling out without permission,
and also to drinking more than was good
for them whilst marching. Except, therefore,
occasionally, and then only during the ten
minutes' halt that we had in each hour, I
did hot allow these luxuries to be accepted.
Gommignies was a nice shady little town,
and the Notaire gave me an excellent bed-
room in his big house; whilst I remember
that I ruade acquaintance there with the
excellent penny cigar of the country.
A ug. 22nd.
Off at cock-crow next day, the country
got uglier, blacker, more industrial, and
more thickly populated as we pushed on
through the heat, and by the rime we
crossed the Belgian frontier we felt indeed
that we were in another land.
The beastly paved road with cobbles, just
broad enough for one vehicle and extremely
painful to the feet, whilst the remainder of
the road on both sides was deep in dust or
caked mud, was a most offensive feature;
the people staring and croxvding round the
troops were quite a different type from the
16 THE DOINGS OF THE
courteous French peasants; and whilst in
France not a single able-bodied civilian had
been visible--ail having joined the Army--
in Belgium the streets were crowded with
men who, we felt most strongly, ought
to have been fighting in the ranks.
There was a great block in Dour, which
we reached after a fourteen-mlle march,
and in spire of all attempts at keeping the
streets clear it was some rime before we
could get through. Part of the Division
was halting there for the night, and the
municipal authorities were extremely slow
in allotting billets and keeping their civilian
waggons in order.
From Dour onwards it was a big straggling
sort of suburban town--tramways down the
side, dirty little houses lining the street,
great chimneys belching (I believe that is
the correct term)volumes of black smoke,
huge mountains of slag in all directions,
rusty brickfields littered with empty tins,
old paper, and bits of iron, and other
similarly unlovely views. The only thing
to be said in favour of this industrial scrap-
heap was that the smoke was not quite
so sooty as it looked, and things one touched
did not "corne off" quite so black as might
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 17
have been expected. Otherwise there was
no attraction.
Half a mlle on or more was Bois de
Boussu, and here we were halted fo allow
of a cavalry brigade moving down the street.
We waited some rime, and eventually if
arrived, hOt coming down the street but
across if from east fo west. I am ashamed
fo say that I have forgotten which it was,
but the 4th Dragoon Guards, I think, were in
if. They crossed af a trot, men and horses
both looking very fit and workmanlike, and
disappeared westwards through the haze
of the factories; any more impossible
country for cavalry--except perhaps the
London Docks--I have never seen.
We shortly afterwards got orders fo billet
in Bois de Boussu and Dour, the real Boussu
being another half toile on. But where
the whole countryside was one vast strag-
gling town, if was impossible fo say where
one town ended and the other began. Even
the inhabitants didn't know.
Moulton-Barrett and Saint André had
already got fo work on the billeting, and
the Norfolks and Cheshires were shortly
accommodated in some factories up the
road, whilst the Bedfords and Dorsets were
B
18 THE DOINGS OF THE
moved back nearly into Dour, into a brew-
ery and some mine-offices respectively, if I
remember rightly. Brigade Headquarters
was installed in an ultra-modern Belgian
house and garden belonging fo one M. Durez,
a very civil little man, head of some local
mining concern. There was a Madame
Durez too, plump and good-natured, and
a girl and a boy, and they were profuse in
their hospitality. The only drawback about
the meals, excellent as they were, was the
appalling length of rime occupied in their
preparation and consumption ; if was almost
impossible fo get away from them, even
though there was so much fo do.
So much was there fo be done that I feel
now as though we had been there a weel,
or af least three days; but on looking at
my diary I find we arrived there at midday
on Saturday the 22nd, and left af midnight
on Sunday the 23rd.
On the Saturday afternoon there were
rumours of the Germans being on the other
side of the Mons-Condé Canal, hot far off.
The 13th and 14th Brigades were in front
of us, strung out and holding the Canal
line, ourselves being in Divisional Reserve.
Where the exact left of the 5th Division
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 19
was I cannot remember af this moment,
but I am sure that if vas hOt farther west
than Pommeroeul bridge, with, I believe,
French or English cavalry on its left.
Saturday afternoon was spent in studying
the ground in our front and looking to
the approaches and the arrangements for
the Brigade. Our front was of course well
covered, but there were numerous little
matters to be seen to and a certain amount
of confabulation with the Divisional Staff,
which lived in the midst of a perpetual
va-et-vient ai the railway station ai Dour.
0ur horses were picketed out in M. Durez's
garden and the grubby little fields close by,
and the Signal section and all the vehicles
were stowed away there as best could be
arranged; but all was enclosed, cramped,
and unhandy, and the difiiculty was fo get
a clear space anywhere. I walked with
M. Durez in the evening fo a tiny mound in
his garden, from which he assured me a
good view could be got; but although the
sunset and colouring through the haze
was rather picturesque, one couldn't sec
much. Durez was very apprehensive about
his fmily and himself, and vas most urgent
in his inquiries as to what was going to
20 THE DOINGS OF THE
happen. I could not tell him much beyond
the rumour that the German force in front
was reported not to be very big, and I
advised him to stick it out as long as he
could ; but he was restless, with good reason
as it turned out, and settled next day to
take himself and his family away whilst
there was yet rime.
A ug. 23rd.
Next morning I got orders to go with
Lieut.-Col. Tulloch, the Divisional Com-
manding Royal Engineer, to select a defen-
sive position and entrench it. We got into
a car, and went buzzing about in front of
Boussu and round to the right as far as
Wasmes; but I never saw such a hopeless
place. There was no field of tire anywhere
except to the left, just where the rail»vay
crossed the Boussu road, where, strange fo
say, the country opened out on fo a "glacis-
like" slope of stubble. Going was bad, up
broken little roads over ground composed
of a bewildering variety of slag-heaps 40 to
150 feet high, intersected with railway lines,
mine heads, chimneys, industrial buildings,
furnaces, and usines of all sorts, and thicken-
ing into suburbs consisting of narrow wind-
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 21
ing little streets and grubby little work-
men's houses. Here and there were open
spaces and even green fields, but nowhere
could a continuous field of tire be obtained.
The only thing was fo select various points
d'appui with some sort of command, and
try and connect them up by patches of
entrenchments; but even this was very
difficult, as the line was so long and broken
that no unity of command was possible, and
the different patches were so separated and
so uneven, some having to be in front of
the general line and some in rear, that
they often could not flank or even see each
other.
Af about midday several cyclists came
riding back in a great hurry from the
Canal, saying they had been attacked by a
big force of cavalry and been badly cut up;
that they had lost all their officers and
20 or 30 men killed, and the test taken
prisoners. This was hardly a good begin-
ning, but it eventually turned out that the
grand total losses were 1 officer (Corah of
the Bedfords) slightly wounded, 2 men
killed, and 3 missing.
Shortly after this the first German gun
was heard--at 12.40 e.a. I timed if--and
22 THE DOINGS OF THE
for the rest of the afternoon there was
intermittent bombardment and numerous
shell-bursts in the direction of the Canal,
some of if our own Horse Artillery, but
mostly German.
When we had roughly settled on our line,
I shouted fo a crowd of curious natives who
had corne out fo watch us, and did hOt seem
particularly friendly--as they were not af
ail sure that we were not Germans--to get
all their frlends together with pickaxes and
shovels and start digging entrenchments
where we showed them. If was Sunday
afternoon, and all the miners were loafing
about with nothing fo do. The idea rapidly
caught on, and soon they were hurrying off
home for their tools, whilst we got hold
of the best-dressed and most authoritative-
looking men and showed them what we
wanted done. If was scratch work, in more
senses than one, as we had no rime to lose
and could not superintend, but had fo tear
from one point fo another, raising men and
showing them where the lines were fo go,
how deep the trenches were fo be nmde,
which way the earth was fo be thrown,
and all the rest of if.
On our way round we came also upon some
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 23
batteries of field artillery, disconsolately
wending their way through the narrow
streets, and with their reconnoitring officers
out in all directions looking for positions;
but they round none, and the Artillery did
but little in the way of shooting that night.
With their present experience I expect they
would have done a good deal more.
Then we iore back, and I goi ihe bai-
talions out, or rather two companies of each
battalion, set them fo work, and sent out
their other two companies to support them.
The Norfolks were on the left, at the station,
and eastwards down the line. Then came
the Cheshires, a bit thrown back, in beasily
enclosed country for ihe most part. One
of the big slag-heaps had seemed fo offer a
good command, but to our disgust it was so
hot that we could hardly stand on if, so that
had fo be given up. Other heaps again
seemed fo give a good position, and they
were fairly cool; but when ve scrambled
up there was always something wrong--
either there were more slag-heaps in front
which blocked the view, or the heap tan
fo a point and there was hOt room for more
than two men, or the slag-ridge faced the
wrong way--it was a nightmare of a place.
24 THE DOINGS OF THE
Beyond the Cheshires came the Dorsets
and Bedfords, pretty well together, and
occupying some trenches on a high railway
embankment, &c., but the position was hOt
really satisfactory, and if attacked in force
at night it would be very difficult to see or
guard against the approach of the enemy.
Nor, as I heard afterwards, had the in-
habitants dug the trenches anything like
deep enough, so that they formed but poor
protection against the rain of shells that
began fo pour on them at nightfall.
Ail pointed fo an attack by the enemy
during the night or next day, but even
then we had not the smallest idea of the
enormous forces arrayed against us. Ve
were told af first that there was perhaps
a corps in front of us, but as a marrer of
fact there were three, if hOt four corps.
Having distributed the battalions as or-
dered--I had no Brigade Reserve in hand,
having fo cover such a broad front (nearly
three toiles, when my normal front, accord-
ing to the text-books, should have been
about 1000 yards)--myself and Brigade
Headquarters were left rather "by our
lone." M. and Madame Durez were packing
up hard ail, and disappeared with their
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 25
friends and family before dinner in a big
motor-car, making in the direction of Bavai
St Waast, fo the south, where they had
friends; as, however, we retired through
there next day I don't expect they stayed
long, but continued their journey ito
France. I don't know what became of
them. They had been most hospitable,
and placed the house and everything in if,
even a iïnal dinner, af out disposal; but the
poor people were, of course, in a great state
of perturbation, and there was hOt much
except the house itself that we could make
use of.
As we were finishing dinner further orders
arrived from the Division. Weatherby and
I cantered down to the Divisional Staff fo
learn details, and we got them shortly, to
the effect that the Cheshires and Norfolks
were fo be left under direct command of the
"Divisional Commander, vhilst Brigade Head-
quarters was fo be af Pâturages by sunrise
on the morrow, and fo hold that with out
other two battalions on the right.
We "fell in" the Brigade Headquarters
about midnight and, after some trouble in
securing guides, moved off through a laby-
rinth of streets in the warm dark. Out
26 THE DOINGS OF THE
guides were local men, and we did not take
long fo get fo Warquignies, in the main
street of which we met the tteadquarters of
the 13th Brigade, minus their Brigadier.
Here also were the K.O.S.B.'s in bivouac,
acting as Brigade Reserve fo their (13th)
Brigade. The night was peaceful, and we
pushed on after a short rest, getting af
dawn fo a steep hill which led down into
Pâturages.
A ug. 24th.
The latter was a fine big town with paved
streets and prosperous-looking houses, very
different from the grubby streets of Boussu ;
but I was troubled about the hill street, as
it was very steep and bad and narrow. How
we should get the transport up if again in
a hurry if it had fo retire I did not know,
and two eminently respectable inhabitants
assured me that there was no other way
back unless I went right up fo Wasmes--
from which direction firing was already
beginning -- and returned vie the north.
That didn't look healthy for the transport,
so I left most of the Brigade transport af
the top of the hill and only brought down
the Signal section.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 27
Af the entrance into P&turages we found
Currie, Cuthbert's (13th Brigade) Brigade
Major, but Cuthbert was not there, so if
was a little difficult fo combine any action.
However, we learnt that the other three
battalions of the 13th Brigade were dis-
tributed in front of us on the north, and
I received a message that the Dorsets and
Bedfords had been obliged fo fall back
during the night and were holding the
railway station af Wasmes and a bit east
of that. The 13th Brigade had been along
the line of the Canal the previous day and
had been driven back by superior numbers,
but had blown up some of the bridges. I
heard afterwards that young Pottinger, a
subaltern of the 17th Co. R.E., had been
entrusted with blowing up one bridge, and
that the charge had failed fo explode.
Whereupon he advanced under heavy tire
close fo the charge and had gallantly fired
his revolver at if, which of course, as he
knew, would have blown him sky-high with
the bridge had he hit it. But either he
missed the shot altogether or he hit the
wrong part, and the thing didn't explode.
And then he found himself cut off by
Germans who had crossed elsewhere, and
28 THE DOINGS OF THE
he had fo leg it. So, unfortunately, that
bridge was left intact.
I trotted ahead alone to try and find the
Dorsets or the Bedfords, leaving Weatherby
with other instructions. If was a long way
to the station (P£turages by naine, but
Canal
Germans
really in Wasmes), but I eventually found
Griffith (O.C. Bedfords) and most of hîs
men thereabouts. The Germans had ap-
parently got round fo the east, but we were
holding them. The Dorsets were a bit
further fo the south-east, and I round them
after a good many wrong turnings; and
then there was little fo do but pick up
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 29
connection vith whoever I could. By this
rime my staff had corne up, and Weatherby
and I cantered off fo find General Haking,
who, I understood, had brought up his 5th
Brigade from the 2nd Division (lst Corps),
and was somewhere towards Frameries.
Him we found after some trouble, with
only one battalion in action in farly open
country. It appeared that a message had
been sent the night before from the 3rd
Division that the Germans were threaten-
ing P£turages and going fo attack in
force, and help was most urgently re-
quired; so General Haig had despatched
Haking in a great hurry. The 5th Brigade
ruade a forced march and arrived at P'£tu-
rages af 2 A.., perspiring profusely. Not a
sound. Fearing an ambush, they walked
delicately, with scouts well out in front
and to both flnks, bot a sgn either of
the British or the Germans,--empty streets,
no one about, all quiet as death. So they
bivouacked in the streets and were now
thinking of falling back on their own
corps, as there were only a few Germans
in front of them and these wouldn't
aflvance.
Where the 3rd Division exactly were I
30 THE DOINGS OF THE
could not at first find out, though I tried;
but I knew that they were holding the
country in the direction of Mons. Any-
way, except for a good many shells flying
about, there was very little of the enemy
to see or hear, and Pâturages was safe at
all events for the present.
The Dorsets and Bedfords, however, had
had a pretty bad rime on the previous
evening, and had lost a number of nlen,
though they had given the Germans a
good deal more than they got. The Ger-
man shelling had been fairly accurate, and
their infantry had pushed on between the
slag-heaps and got their machine-guns fo
work under cover in a horribly efficient
manner. Eventually our battalions had fo
evacuate their trenches as their right flank
was being turned, and they fell back on
Wasmes and Pâturages, leaving most of
their packs behind them in the trenches.
They had taken them off to dig, and, being
hot, had fought without them, and then
this sudden outflanking movement had
necessitated a rapid falling back, so their
packs and most of their shovels had been
left behind. This was awkward, more es-
pecially hereafter, as, although the loss of
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 31
the greatcoat did not marrer much in
this hot weather, and certainly added fo
their marching power, still, the loss of the
pack meant loss of spare socks and spare
shirt--besides other things.
We snatched a little breakfast and coffee
af an inn where the patronne was still in
possession, and then things began to gct
more lively. Shells began to knock corners
off the houses close by, and reports kept
coming in that the enemy appeared fo be
advancing, though the bulk of his infantry
was still some way off to the east. The
Dorsets were rearranging their line so as
not fo be cut off, and I was standing with
Bols (commanding Dorsets) and a few of
his officers by the estaminet when shrapnel
burst with a tremendous crack close over
our heads, bringing down branches and
leaves in showers. Yet not man or a
horse was hit. The shrapnel bullets whizzed
along the pavement in all directions, right
among our feet, like hail if seemed; yet
the only result was a lot of bad language
from Saunders, who had got a nasty jar
on the heel from one of the bullets: but
if did not even cut the leather.
If now became rime to get the Dorset
32 THE DOINGS OF THE
transport away, as things were geting
rather hot, and the crackling of rifles was
getting distinctly nearer. I thought of that
horrible hill and I looked af rny rnap.
Yes--there certainly was a way round
back by the south-east, viâ the road along
which Weatherby and I had just corne
back from interviewing ttaking. So I
directed the transport fo move that way
--there was a road branching off to the
right only 400 yards on and quite safe, as
I thought, for the firing was up north and
north-east, and this road lay south-south-
east.
Roe covered the withdrawal with his
cornpany and was very anxious fo lay an
arnbush for the enerny. But they did not
seem inclined fo oblige hirn, but kept head-
ing off in a more southerly direction. There
was no sign from the 3rd Division who, I
knew, were on our right; so, as my scouts
could not find them, I could only corne fo
the conclusion that the enerny had got in
between us, and if we didn't clear out soon
we should be in a bad way.
Suddenly there was a crackle of rifles
down the road along which the Dorset
transport had gone, and then nearly thc
FIFTEENTIt INFANTRY BRIGADE 33
whole of the transport came galloping back,
a dcad horse bciug draggcd a]ong in thc
shafts of one of thc waggons. Margotts,
the transport officcr, rode past, revolver in
hand, and streaming with blood from thc
shouldcr, and ono or two of the men and
horses had obviously becn hit. What had
happ«md was that a few Germans
pcnetratcd on to thc road whcrc Weathcrby
and I had passed in perfcct safoty only
a short rime beforc and ambushed the
transport.
Margctts had very gallantly riddcn direct
ai thc ambush with lais revolver, shot down
ont or two and bewildcred thc rest, end
thus given rime for the transport fo turn
round on the (luckily) broad road and
gallop back. Thc Pionecr Scrgeant of thc
Dorsets was killcd, and so vas a Brigade
Policeman who happcncd to be with thc
transport. Otherwise almost thc only loss
was an ammunition-cart with two horses
killcd, and some damage was done fo a pole
and whccl or two of the other vehicles.
Poor Nicholson (my servant), who should,
strictly speaking, havc rcmained with the
Brigade transport and hOt corne up af all,
had attached himself fo the Dorset trans-
C
34 THE DOINGS OF THE
port wtthout orders--wishing, I suppose,
fo be handy in case he was required -- and
had been shot down with the two or
three others. I believe he was killcd; any-
way, I never saw him again, poor fellow.
Margetts was nearly falling off his horse
with pain, so he dismounted and »vas
bandaged by the Medical Officer. But by
that rime the transport vehicles had dis-
appeared, and as he was fainting and was
hot in a fit state fo be carried, he had fo be
left in the house of a Belgian doctor md
was taken prisoner shortly afterwards. We
heard of him later, and I ara glad fo say
lais gallant action gained him a D.S.O.
Bols strung out half a company fo defend
tlle place where we thought the Gernmns
would appear, but aïter waiting for ten
milmtes we found we were practically "in
the air," as large forces of the enemy wcre
reported coming round our right flank, and
the firing on out lef$ front got more and
more fo the left, thus proving that the
Bedfords had been pushed back and were
retiring viâ Wasmes--as they had been told
to do if overwhelmed. Weatherby, who
had cantered off fo get touch with them,
confirmed this; and as if was getting ex-
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 35
tremely "hot" (shclls)where we were, I
gave the order fo withdraw--only just in
rime as if turned out.
The Dorsets formed a proper rear-guErd
and held off the enemy, who were by this
rime trickling in large numbers into thc
town; but by good luck the Germans seemcd
to funk coming on in formation, and by thc
rime we had got back fo the foot of the stecp
hill they didn't bother us any more except by
occasional shells. To my extreme annoyance
(in one way) we round another track lead-
ing round the hill, towards Warquignies, hot
marked on the map; so those two wretched.
inhabitants had told us quite wrong, and we
could have retired the transport this way
after all. Of course we took advantage of
it, and fell back slowly viâ Warquignies on
Blangies, where we arrived, with very few
casualties, about two.
Here we got orders at first fo bivouac
for the night, but hardly had the men had
rime fo cook a meal and eat if than we
were ordered fo continue the retirement
on Bavai Sf Waast, vid Athis. As we got
on fo the main road here we found a large
column of our own troops moving down
if, and there were German mounted patrols
36 TI[E DOINGS OF THE
at respcctful distance on both sidcs. Wc
fircd af thcm occasiontlly, and they dis-
appeared and thon turned up again in twos
and thrces on the skylinc, evidently kccp-
ing touch wîth us.
Just beyond Athis we round file Nor-
folks, who had bccn fighting af Élouges all
the morning, nd thon we came across thc
s«Ld little remainder of the Cheshires--
only about 200 lcft out of 891 who had
gonc into Lction that ruorning ne,r Élougcs.
It was horrible to hear of this appalling
loss. Shore wa, s the only captain left, and
he was in command, with two or thrce
subalterns only. His story was that his
company had been in reserve to the other
three and had gone to occupy a farm-
house as told, that he had seen the three
companies extending fo his right, and then
lost touch with them as they advanced
rapidly over the brow of the low rolling
ground. There was very heavy firing 11
along the line, and eventually a staff officer
told him fo fall back to his right rear and
rejoin his battalion. This he tried fo do,
but he only came across a few wounded
and stragglers of his regiment, who told
him that he three companies had lost very
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 37
heavily, including Bogcr (commanding) and
ail their officers, and that there was practi-
cally nobody left. Shore did his best to
find out and help, but a gencral retircnmnt
took place, and he and his men werc svept
back with the test. Tahourdin, Sçapylton.
Dyer, Dugmore, and lots of others werc
reported killcd, and poor Shore was in a
terrible state of mind. (If turncd out
afterwards that all these officers were alive
and prisoners, with , great number of
their nen, but af the tine I could hot find
out exactly how if happencd that the
battalion got so cut up and lost such ,
desperate unber.)
The Norfolks had lost poor Cresswell,
their Adjurant-- such a good fcllow-- and
one or two other offlcers. But although
their losses had been serious they were
nothing like so bad as the Cheshires. It
appears that our left about Elouges and to
the west rear of Dour was heavily attackcd
by the enemy; that we were on the defen-
sive with the 14th Brigade (Rolt), and these
two battalions of the 15th, and the 2nd
Cavalry Brigade (De Lisle); and that Sir
C. F. callcd on the Cavalry fo assist af a
certain moment. De Lisle thereupon very
38 THE DOINGS OF THE
gallantly charged the German guns, but he
started from some distance off, and hOt
only were the horses blown belote they
got there, but there was a lot of wire
between them and the Germans which
they couldn't get through. So, after
losng heavily, they wheelcd fo thc right
fo get out of the way. What happened
in detail to the 14th Brigade I fr,unkly
don't know, but I fear the guns of the 5th
Division lost pretty heavily af this period.
Two companies of the Bedfords had joined
us by this rime, but I was rather nervous
about the rest, including Griffith, for I had
had no word of him since Pâturages. How-
ever, as we passed through Houdain he
turned up from a side road with the test
of his battalion, having had a pretty rough
rime in getting out of Wasmes.
By dusk we had got on fo the open
country near St Waast, and here we
round that the Division was bivouacking.
Although if was nearly dark, and the
Brigade had been scattered, with ifs trans-
port, over a lot of country during the day,
if ail came together again, including ifs
empty supply waggons, in a marvellous
way, and managed to find ifs way through
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 39
ail the other troops in the dark fo ifs
rightful bivouac space--some fields covered
with standing crops. Water was of course
the difficulty, but some was discovered in
the shape of a small stream half a mlle off,
over hedges and ditches; and after the
Norfolks had been put out on outpost fo
cover our rear, and we had had some food,
we slept the sleep of the dog-tired.
I remember Cadell came out as cook that
evening, for he fried a lugubrious mess of
biscuits, jam, and sardines together in a
mess-tin, and insisted on all of us having
some. Up fo this point our messing had
not been entirely happy, for an old soldier
whom I had taken on in Belfast, on his
own" statement that he had been second
cook in his officers' mess, turned out an
absolute fraud. He could hardly even poach
an egg, and hadn't the smallest idea of
cooking. I am sure he had never been
inside an officers' mess either, for when he
was deposed from the office of cook to that
of mess waiter, he knew nothing about
that eithcr, and could not even wash up.
Private Broxn, who was supposed at first
only t.o cook for the men of the Brigade
Hcadquartcrs, was thcrefore elevated fo the
40 THE DOINGS OF THE
proud status of Oflïcers' cook. and ruade a
thundering good one (till he was woundcd
af Ypres); and the Belfast man was given
the sack af the earliest opportunity and
sent home, monly fo appear later in the
field as a corporal of the Irish Rifles!
A ug. 25th.
Next morning the Brigade was on the
move before daylight, and was told off as
part of the main body of the Division, the
14th Brigade forming the rear-guard. We
had hot had much to est the night before,
or in fact the whole day, and as the rations
had not corne up during the night, the men
had devilish little breakfast--nor we either.
We were told fo requisition what we
could from the country, but though St
André and myself did our best, and rode
on ahead of the Brigade, routing out the
dwellers of the farmhouses and buying
chickens and cheese and oats wherever pos-
sible, there was very little to be had.
There were already a great many inhab-
itants on the road fleeing south-westwards,
pitiful crowds of women and old men and
children, carrying bundles on their backs, or
wheeling babies and more bundles in wheel-
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 41
barrows, or perambulators, or broken-down
carts. Some of the peasant women were
wearing their best Sunday gowns of black
bombazine and looked very hot and uncom-
fortable; children with their dolls or pet
dogs, old women and men hobbling along,
already very tired though the sun had hot
been up more t]mn an hour or two, and sturdy
young mothers carrying an extraordinary
quantity of household stuff, trooped along,
all of them anxiously asking how far off the
Germans were, and whether we could hold
them off, or whether they would all be
killed by them, mit was a piteous sight.
We warned all the people who were still
in their cottages to stay there and not to
run away, as their bouses would only be
pillaged if they were not there, but I fear
that few took our advice.
It seemed a very long march that day,
down the perfectly straight road skirting
the Mormal forest and on to Le Cateau.
It was, as a marrer of fact, only a little,
over twenty toiles, but the hot day, with
very little food, was most trying for the
men. We had one good rest at Engle-
fontaine, where we bought a lot of food--
bread and cheese, and pples and plums,
42 THE DOINGS OF THE
and a little meat--but if was hot much.
The rest of the road was bare and hot,
leading over down-like country past the
town of Le Cateau, and on to the heights
fo the west of if. Many aeroplanes, British,
Frencb, and German, were skimming about,
and numerous bodics of French cavalry
cotld be seen moving about the downs and
the roads in the rear.
We had received orders on the road to
occupy part of an entrenched position to
the west of Le Cateau, and Weatberby and
I rode ahead fo look at if and apportion
if off as the battalions came up. The
trenches, we considered, were quite well
sited. They were about 3 feet deep, and
had been dug by the inhabitants under, I
think, French supervision; but, judging by
our subsequent experience, they were nothing
like deep enough and placed on much too
exposed ground; and the artillery pits were
far too close up--though correct according
fo the then text-books.
I put a few men into the trenches as an
observing line, and sent the commanding
ofiïcers round fo study them in case we
had to hold them in force on the morrow,
and bivouacked the rest of tlle Brigade
F1FTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 43
half a toile behind them. Although we
seemed to have done a good day's work
already, it was then only about 3 P.M., for
we had started about 3.30 A.M. We got a
good deal more food--bully beef and bis-
cuits- here, besicles a cart- load of veT
smelly checses and some haros and vege-
tables and fresh bread, and the men got
their stomachs fairly full by sundown.
The 13th Brigade came in a bit lter
and formed up on out right, but the 14th
Brigade, who had been doing rear-guard,
did hot get in till nightfall, and wcre ranch
exhausted.
The enemy, however, bar cavalry, had hot
pressed on in any strength, and we were left
fairly well alone during the night.
If began fo tain heavily in the evening,
and we had a wet dinner in the open.
There were various disturbances in the
night, especially when some men in the
trenches began firing at some probably
imaginary Germans ; but otherwise ail
ranks got a fair amount of sleep.
A ug. 26th.
Thc orders overnight wcre that we were
fo continue the retiremcnt first thing in
44 THE DOINGS OF THE
the morning; but when morning came the
Germans were so close that it was decided
that it would be impossible to do so, and
fresh orders were issued to hold the position
we were in.
Accordingly we took up our positions as
we had settled overnight, and started
necessary preparations--dcepening trenches,
arranging telephone wires and communica-
tions, and putting the village of Troisvil]es,
on our lcft, in a state of defence.
The Dorsets were fo hold this village and
several hundred yards of trenches fo the
east of it. On their right came the Bedfords
in trenches, with of course a proportion
support, and the Cheshires were put in a
dip of the ground in rear of them. The
13th Brigade was on the right of the
Bedfords, with the K.O.S.B.'s touching them.
The Norfolks I put in a second line, in rear
of the right of the Bedfords and the left of
the K.O.S.B.'s, mostly along a sunken road
where they dug themselves well into thc
banks. The 27th Brigade of Artillery, undcr
Onslow, was put under my orders; two
batteries of it were in our right rear, and
the third was taken aw,y by Sir C. F., to
strengthen the right I believe. A battery
FIFTEENTH INFANTR¥ BRIGADE 45
of thc 15th Artillcry Brigade xvas also put
in close behind the Bcdfords, in the dip of
ground fore-mentioned, whence they did
excellent cxccution without being scen by
the cnemy. Divisional Hetdquarters were
af Rcumont, a mlle behind us, with a wood
in between; but we were, of cotll'Se, con-
nccted up by tclcphonc with thcm, as wcll
as with our battalions altd out îrrtillcry.
We--i.e., the Brigade Hcadquartel'S--S«rt in
thc continmttion of the hollow sandy l'oad,
in rear of the Bedfords and on thc lcft of
thc Norfolks.
The morning was distinctly cool af ter the
rain, and I remember that I wore my woolly
till about ll o'clock. Out horses wcre stowcd
away a fcw hundrcd yards fo out" lcft, in a
hollow; and the extraordinary thing was
that neither thcy nor oursclvcs got shelled
as long as we werc thcre, though sonm
shrapnel burst occasionally only a hundred
yards off or so in diffcrent directions.
We werc in position by 7 o'clock, as far as
I can remember; but unless one keeps a
record the whole rime ont is very liable
to err--and I won't swear that if was hot
8 o'clock. Some sbells began to arrive about
then, but did no harm. On our left was the
46 THE DOINGS OF THE
9th Brigade (3rd Division), and the shclling
began fo develop pretty heavily in their
direction. Our guns were of course in action
by this rime, and for the first two or three
hours the air was full of shells and very littlc
Infantry tire was heard. The 4th Division
had arrived only that morning, I believe by
train, and was guarding the left flank of the
line, assisted by our Cavalry. Bchind thc
town of Le Cateau, on the extreme right,
was the 19th Brigade. Thon came the 14th
Brigade, then the 13th, then ourselves, and
then the 3rd Division ; so we were about the
right centre.
The Dorsets were hard at work putting
Troisvilles into a strong state of dcfence,
and were helped by some of our Divisional
Sappers, I believe the 59th Co. R.E. (but it
might have been the 17th).
There was a local French ambulance--
civilian I think--in Troisvilles, and several
of out own R.A.M.C. personnel there; but
the Divisional ambulances were farther to
the rear, and as the vounded began fo corne
in from the right front we sent them back
towards Reumont. St André was very useful
in galloping backwards and forwards be-
tween Troisvilles and Brigade Headquarters
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 47
--I kept him for that, as I vanted my proper
staff for oher saff work; but ail of them
paid a visit or two there once or twice. The
enemy's shells were now falling fast on out
left about Inchy, but seemed to do extra-
ordinarily little damage there; and during
the first hours it was really more of a
spectacular piece for us tSllan a bariole. How-
over, we were of course kept busy scnding
and receiving wires from all parts, and every
now and then a few wounded came in from
out front. We were also bucked up by
hearing that a French Cavalry Division
was coming to help us from Cambrai; but
I don't know whether it ever materialised.
As the day wore on, the Bedfords got
engaged with infantry in their front, but
neither they nor the Dorsets got anything
very much to shoot at; and though a Gernmn
maclline-gun or two pushed pluckily forward
and did a certain amount of dtmage from
hidden folds in the ground, I think we ac-
counted for them--anyway we stopped their
shooting after a short rime.
Meanwhile the 13th Brigade and the
guns on out right were catching it very
hot. There seemed an enormous number
of guns against us (I believe, as a nlatter
THE DOINGS OF THE
of fact, thcre wcre nearer 700 than 600),
and our batçeries were suffering ve,'y
heavily. So were the 14th and 19th
Brigades -- the latter I)cing a scratch one
composed of units from the lines of com-
munication under Laurence Drummond.
Af one moment--it must have been about
12 o'clock or later--I saw fo my horror the
best part of a company of Bcdfords leave
their trenches in our front and retire slowly
and in excellent order across the open. So
I got on my horse and galloped out fo sce
what they were doing and fo send thcm
back, as if seemed fo me thaç some of the
K.O.S.B.'s were falling back too, in sy,n-
pathy. I'm afraid that my language was
strong; but I ruade the Bedfords turn about
again, although their officer explained
he was only withdrawing, by superior bat-
talion orders, in order fo take up an
vanccd position further on the right; and
with some of the Cheshires, whom I picked
up on the way, they advanced again in
extended order.
They got back again to their trenches
without any casualties fo speak of, and I
vas much gratified by a message I received
shortly afterwards from my right (I think
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 49
Cuthbcrt or thc gunners) thanking me
warmly for my most valuable counter-
attack, which had considerably relieved the
pressure in their front!
On our immediate right the Norfolks
wcre occupied for several hours in trying
fo cut down a very big tree, which was
tLbout the most conspicuous feature in the
whole of our position, and formed an ex-
collent object on which the enemy could
range. If was ail very well; but as soon
as they had eut if half through, so as fo
fall fo the south, the south wind, which
was blowing pretty strongly, hot only kept
if upright but threatened to throw it over
fo the north. This would have been a real
disaster, as it would bave blocked com-
pletely the sunken road along which the
ammunition carts, fo say nothing of artil-
lery and other waggons, would bave had fo
corne. So iL had to be guyed up with
ropes, with much difflculty; and even when
teams hung on and hauled on the ropes,
they could make little impression-- the
wind was so strong. Eventually they did
mariage fo get iL down, but even so it
formed a fairly conspicuous mark. (If was
so big that iL was marked on the map.)
D
5O
THE DOINGS OF THE
Inchy was now the centre of an appalling
bombard, amnt. A crowd of Germans had
got into if, if appeared, and the village
was being heavily shclled by both sides--
British and German. Several houses and
haystacks caught tire, and the poor devils
inside must have had a terrible rime. The
3rd Division was holding ifs own, but was
being heavily attacked by the enemy's in-
fantry. However, we eventually got the
better of it, and the 9th and 10th Brigades
drove the Germans away from their trenches
and pursued them some distance, much
assisted by the tire of the Dorsets and the
advance of one or two of their companies.
Things went on hammer-and-tongs for
another hour or two; more and more
wounded began coming in from the 13th
Brigade, including a lot of K.O.S.B.'s. We
turned Beilby, out veterinary oflàcer, on to
"first aid" for many of them and sent
them on; but some of the shrapnel wounds
were appalling. One man I remember lying
across a pony; I literally took him for a
Frenchman, for his trousers were drenched
red with blood, and no, t a patch of khaki
showing. Another man had the whole of
the back of his thigh torn away; yet, after
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 51
being bandagcd, ho hobbled gaily off, smok-
ing a pipe. What struck me as curious
was the large number of men hit in the
face or below the knee,--there seemed fcw
body wounds in comparison; but that may
of course bave been because those badly
hit in the body were killed or unmovablc.
But one would sec men apparently at their
last gasp, with gruesome wounds on them
and no more stretchers available, and yet rive
minutes afterwards they had disappeared.
Time was getting on, and the thundcr
and rain of German shells seemed unceas-
ing; they appeared to corne now hot only
from ail along the front and the right front,
but from our right as well, and out guns
were replying less and less. Reports began
to corne in from the right of batteries wiped
out (thc 28th R.F.A. Brigade lost nearly ail
their guns here, for nearly ail the detach-
ments and horses were killed), and of a
crushing attaek on the 19th Brigade and
penetration of our line thereabouts. And
soon afterwards the movement itself be-
came visible, for the 14th Brigade, and then
the 13th, began fo give way, and one could
see the trenches being evacuated on the
right. The Norfolks stuck well to it on
52 TItE DOINGS OF TttE
thc right, tnd covered the retiremcnt tht
was bcgnning; but they were taken out
of my hands by Sir C. F., and told off fo
act as rear-guard for the brigades on their
right.
The 15th Brigade had rea]ly been very
lucky, and had neither been shelled nor
attackcd very heavily, and consequcntly
we were pretty fresh and undamagcd. I
forger if we got any dcfinite message fo
retire, and if so, when, but if was fairly
obvious that we couldn't stay where we
were much longer. The Dorsets were quite
happy n Trosvilles and thereabouts, but
the .9h Brigade on their left had had a
very bad rime, and were already begnning
to withdraw, though in good order.
Ths be]ng so, I sent orders to the battery
of the 15th R.F.A. Brigade in my front to
retire belote they got eut off; and they
executed it grand]y, bringng up the horses
af a gtllop, swnging round, hooking in,
and starting off at a canter as if at an
Aldcrshot field-day, though they were under
heavy shell and rifle tire all the rime.
Only two horses and about two men were
hit altogether, and though all these were
apparently killed, the men got up af ter a
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 53
little and were brought safcly off with thc
Bedfords.
The K.O.S.B.'s were now falling back on
us from the right, and they were strung
out along the Norfolks' late position, and
almost ai right angles fo out line, for the
Germans were pressing us there, and heavy
rifle tire was breaking out there and ncarly
in out right rear. Then I ordered the
Cheshires and after them thc Bedfords fo
retire, which they did quite calmly and in
good order; and lastly came the Dorsets,
very well handled by Bols and forming a
rear-guard to the test of the troops here-
abouts. His machine-guns under Lieut.
Wodehouse had been doing excellent work,
and the shooting of both Bcdfords and
Dorsets had had a great effect in keeping
off the German attack hereabouts.
By this rime units had become a bit mixcd,
and lines of troops belonging to different
battalions and even different b.rigades were
retiring slowly over the open ground and
under a heavy tire of shrapnel--which by
the saine token seemed to do extraordinarily
little damage. It was difficult to give a
definite point for all these troops to move
on, for we had been warncd against ret]rng
54 THE DOINGS OF THE
through villages, as they were naturally
ruade a cockshy of by the enemy's guns.
Reumont was being already heavily bom-
barded, and though we had instructions fo
fall back s0uth-westwards along the road fo
Estrées, this road passed through Reumont.
I did hot know how to get comfortably on
fo if without going through some village,
so gave a general direction off the road,
between if and Bertry, and struck across
country, together with a number of troops
on foot in various formations, all moving
quite steadily and remarkably slowly.
As the shrapnel were bursting in large
numbers overhead, I got the men well
extended, as best I could, but some of
course were hit. Just as we left the road
a man in charge of an ambulance-waggon
full of wounded ran up and asked what
he was fo do, as some infernal civilian
had unhitched and gone off with the horses
whilst he was attending fo the wounded.
Stephenson, commanding K.O.S.B.'s, was
lying wounded in the waggon, but this I
did hOt hear till afterwards. Some of the
K.O.S.B.'s thereupon very gallantly har-
nessed themselves fo the waggon and towed
if along the road.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 55
If was hard work making our way mounted
across country, because of the numerous
wire fences we came across, hOt fo men-
tion ditches and hedges. We worked rather
towards Bertry, avoiding woods and boggy
bits, but the line wasn't easy fo keep. The
Germans had an unpleasant habit of plug-
ging bursts of four fo a dozen shrapnel at
one range, then another lot .fifty yards on,
and so on, so if was no good hurrying on,
as you only came in for the next-lot.
Then they very nearly got us just when
we had got fo a hopeless-looking place--
the railway, with thick fence and ditch on
each side" of the track and a barbed-wire
fence as well, with signal wires knee high
just where you expected fo be able fo jump
down on fo the track. Luckily Catley,
my groom, had some wire nippers; but
just as he was cutting af the wire, and
we of the Brigade Staff were ail standing
round close by, trying fo get over or
through, whack came four shrapnel, one
close after the other, bursting just short of
us and above us--a very good shot if in-
tentional, but I don't think they could
possibly have seen us. Horses of course
flew all over the place; Cadell and his horse
56 THE DOINGS OF THE
came down, and I thought he was hit, but
he only lost his cap, and his horsc only
got a nasty flesh wound from a bit of
shrapnel in his hindquarters. Again. why
nonc of these shrapnel hit us was most
extraordinary: there we were, seven or
cight of us mounted and close togethcr,
and thc shells bursting beautifully with ter-
rific and damnable cracks--yet not one of
thc Brigade Staff touched. Beilby's horse,
by the way, also got a bullet in the
quarter.
These saine shrapnel hit two or three
infantry standing round us, and the next
thing we saw was Dillon (of the Divisional
Staff) dismounted and staggering along sup-
porting two wounded privates and hoisting
them over the obstacles on fo the rail track,
one man hanging heavily from his neck on
either side. He was streaming with sweat,
and said afterwards if was the hardest job
he'd ever had. Others of course helped him
and his men, and we wandered along over
the grass, and skirting the little woods and
coppices till we got fo the main road again.
As we proceeded along the road we did
our best fo get the troops collected into
their units, getting single men together into
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 57
bunches and the bunches into groups and
platoons, and so on. But nmny of thcm
were wounded and dog-tired, and if was
hard work. Ballard and his Norfolks joined
us in bits, and we heard that they had had
a hard rime falling back through Reumont
and done very well as rear-guard. There
were stories af first of their having suffered
terribly and lost a lot of men; but if was
not in the least true,- they had had com-
paratively few casualties.
The country gradually grew more and
more open till by dusk--somewhere about
7 o'clock--we were traversing a huge rolling
plain with open fields and only occasional
farmhouses visible. The troops on the
road were terribly mixed, infantry and
artillery and waggons and transport all
jumbled up together, and belonging not
only o different brigades but even to
different divisions, the main ones being of
course the 5th and 3rd Divisions.
Darkness came on, and the night grew
cooler and cooler, yet still we pushed on.
As if got blacker, terrible blocks occurred
and perpetual unintentional halts. In one
place, somewhere near the Serains-Prémont
road I think, we were halted for about three-
58 THE DOINGS OF THE
quarters of an hour by a jam of waggons
just ahead. I gave the Norfolks leave to
worm their way through the press, but it
was no use, for before they had got through
the waggons moved on again and only divided
the men more and more, so that they lost
thcir formation again and were worse off
than before.
Companies or bits of companies of my
battalions were pretty close together, and
af one rime the Brigade was pretty well
cohesive, but as the night wore on they got
separated again and mixed up with the
transport till it was quite impossible fo sort
them out. If was a regular nightmare, and
all one could look forward fo was the halt
at Estrées.
The German guns had long ceased fo tire,
even before the sun went down, and there
didn't seem fo be any pursuit af all, as far
as we could gather. Out men moved quite
steadily and without- the vestige of a sign
of panic: in fact, they were much annoyed
at having to fall back. But I expect the
German infantry was even more tired than
ours, for they had marched all through the
previous night and certainly had frightfully
heavy casualties during the day. Anyway
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 59
they did no worry us, and we pursued our
way in peace. But men and horses were
desperately sleepy, and at these perpetual
halts used to go to sleep and block up he
rond again when we moved on.
Luckily the road was as straight as a dic,
and one could not possibly lose it; but it
was difficult to know where we were, and
occasional twinkling lights in houses and
courages on the road only ruade our where-
abouts still more deceptive.
At last we entered something hat looked
in the pitch darkness more like a town. I
was Estrées right enough, but there were
no signs of a halt, though it was 1 A.M. or
so. We could hot find any staff officers here,
even at the solitary local inn, to give us any
information, and the only rumour was tha
we were fo march on as far as we could go.
We had had no direct orders, and we did
hot know where the Divisional staff were,
but as by his rime we had pushed on and
were, as far as we knew, ahead of mos of
the Brigade, Weatherby and I mo.ved aside
into a field full of corn stooks, unsaddled
out horses, gave hem a feed, and went
fast asleep in the we corn. We had meant
fo sleep only for hall an hour, but were so
60 THE DOINGS OF THE
dead tired that it must have been more like
an hour and a hall. And even then we were
only awakened by a battalion (I think it
was the Northumberland Fusiliers) irrupting
into out field and pulling the stooks down
for their own benefit. So we guiltily saddlcd
up again, thinking that the wholc Brigade
must have passed us in the dark. But, as
a marrer of fact, it had hot.
Aug. 27th.
Daylight came at last through the damp
grey mists, and we round ourselves still in
open country, with the road thickly covered
as belote with troops of all arms and, in
places by the roadside, the remains of
bivouac rires and empty boxes and bully-
beef tins, and hunks of raw ment; for the
A.S.C. finding that if was impossible fo
supply the troops regularly, had wisely
dumped down their stores af intervals
alongside the road and let the men help
themselves.
This was all very well for the men in
front, but by the rime we in rear had got
fo the stores there was nothing left, and
we had fo go hungry.
Somexvhere about 4 A.. I came on ,qir
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 61
C. F. standing af the cross-roads llear
Nauroy. I naturally asked him where we
were fo retire on; but he had hOt recently
received any definite orders himself; so
after talking if over we came fo the con-
clusion that out best line would be on
St Quentin, and we directed tbe men, as
they came up--5th Division straight on,
4th Division fo the right fo Bellicourt, and
3rd fo the left fo Lehaucourt, for thus we
sbould get the Divisions more or less in
their right positions. Of course a vast
quantity of troops had already preceded
us, probably towards St Quentin, but that
could liOt be helped.
It was a long way yet fo St Quentin,
about eight mlles, and on the road and off
if were men, waggons, and stragglers in
every direction. The jumble of the night
lmd disintegrated most of the formed
bodies, and the whole thing had the appear-
ance of a vast débdcle. Men moving on
singly but slowly, little bunches of three
and four men together, sometimes of the
same regiment, but oftener of odd ones; men
lying ehausted or asleep by the roadside,
or with their packs off and sitting on the
grass, nibbling af a biscuit or looking hope-
62 THE DOINGS OF THE
lessly before them. It was a deprcssing
sight, and I wondered how on earth the
formations would ever corne together again.
Oftïcers of course were doing their best fo
gct their own men together, but the results
were small. Whenever we passed men of
the 15th Brigade we collected them as far
as possible into bodies; but if was very
difiicult fo know what units men belonged fo
without asking them, for very many of them
had long ago, on arrival at ttavre and else-
where, given their cap-badges and shoulder-
names as souvenirs fo women and children,
and they were most difficult fo identify.
A toile or two before getting into St
Quentin I passed Laurence Drummond, com-
manding the 19th Brigade, hobbling along
on foot, and offered him of course my second
horse. He had got damaged somehow--by
a fall, I think--and said he had his horse ail
right, but if hurt him less to walk than fo
ride.
As we approached the town the entrance
had got rather blocked with troops. This
was rather a good thing, as if enabled the
stragglers behind fo close up and find other
portions of their own regiments ; and, extra-
ordinary as if seemed, whole companies had
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 63
no»v got together and in somc cases had evcn
coagulated into battalions. I found rnost of
the Norfolks collectcd together in a ficld by
the side of the road, and a stray Bedford
cornpany or two looking quite fresh and
happy. ,
As it was necessary fo get furthcr ordcrs,
I lcft Weatllerby fo do sorne more collccting
and pushed on by rnysclf into thc town,
where I round Rolt and sorne of his Staff;
but he kncw nothing. There was a hopelcss
block at this moment, so I slipped off rny
horse for ten minutes and had a bit of
chocolate and biscuit, which were quite
refreshing. Rolt was sornewhat depressed,
for his Brigade had lost heavily, but they
too were gradually corning together. At
last, in the rniddle of the town, I managcd fo
collect sorne instructions, and was told that
the 5th Division was to forrn up in a field
near tle railway station the other side of
the town. There were also Staff officers at
different points, calling out "5th Division
this way, 3rd that," and so on; and as the
rnen, now rnore or less in colurnns of fours,
passed thern, they perkcd up and swung
along quite happily.
We were now outside the rcgion of out
64 THE DOINGS OF THE
maps, so I asked my way fo a stationer's,
which luckily happened fo be open, though
if was barely 7.30 A.M., and bought all the
local maps I could get hold of: they were
only paper, hOt linen, but they proved ex-
tremely useful. And then I bought some
big rings of bread and some apples, and
ruade Catley carry them strung on the little
brigade flag that S. had embroidered, and
we filled up our haversacks with as much
food as we could buy and carry--for the
benefit of the men.
I found my way to the railway field ail
right, but none of the Brigade had yet
arrived, so I went back to look for them.
On the way I found that a number of the
13th Brigade had taken the wrong turning
and were plodding right away from the
town, so I had fo canter after them a
toile or more and turn them back. There
was a lot of transport further on, on the
move; and fearing that they might belong
fo us, whilst my horse was pretty tired,
I begged a nice-looking Frenchman with a
long beard--a doctor of sorts--in a motor-
car, fo lend me his car fo catch them.
This he willingly did, and drove me up
fo them, but they turned out fo be field
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 65
ambulances with orders of their own, so I
came back fo the railway field, leaving a
man af the railvay turning fo turn the
others and show them the way.
Gradually bits of the 15th Brigade arrived
--a few Dorsets, hall the Bedfords, and a
few Cheshires; and fo these I imparted the
Staff instructions that we were to bivouac
here for the night. The men had already
done twenty-four toiles during the night,
and lay about, thankful fo get a little rest.
Supplies, we were told, would be issued
shortly at the station, but before they came
I got peremptory orders fo march off af
2 o'clock, and withdraw further south fo a
place called Ollizy, nine miles on.
It was then 12.30 P.[., and the men had
had no food since the previous morning;
however, orders had to be obeyed. So I
distributed my bread and apples, for which
the men pressed round ravenously; and
James, commanding the 2nd Manchesters,
who had been in my Brigade two years
prevlously, gave me a couple of most wel-
corne big sandwiches and a drink. None of
my staff had yet turned up; and though
I was told that supplies were just going fo
arrive, none did arrive belote we marched
E
66 THE DOINGS OF THE
off. Five minutes before that rime the
Norfolks, who had had a rest the other
side of the town, turned up; and as the
test of the Brigade marched off the test of
the Dorsets marched up--rather disappointed
af having fo go on af once without either
rest or rations.
Weatherby and the rest of Brigade ttead-
quarters had trickled in by this rime, and we
moved off in rear of the 13th Brigade. The
day was fairly hot by this time--luckily it
had been cool all the morning--and I ex-
pected fo see whole heaps of the men fall
out exhausted; but devil a bit, they moved
on, well closed up, good match discipline,
and even vhistling and singing; and for the
test of the match I don't believe that more
than hall a dozen fell out.
We expected some more fighting near
Ollizy, for a message had corne through for
the 13th fo push on and collar a certain
bridge before the Germans got it; but ai1
was peaceful, and we got to Ollizy about rive
o'clock. There I had fo tell off a battalion
and some guns not belonging to me fo take
up a line of outposts to guard out rear (I
quite forger what the troops were, or why
they were put under me), and the Brigade
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 67
pushed on over the bridge, and through the
swampy, marshy country beyond.
No halt yet, and I began to wonder whether
we were expected to do yet another night
march, ttowever, after another tvo mlles
I was told to put the Brigade in bivouac
round a farm and little village called Eau-
court, covering our rear with another line of
outposts.
There was some distant shelling during
the evening; but we were too dog-tired to
worry about it, though bursts of rite tire
did occur during the night, necessitating our
jumping up once or twice to see what it was.
The farm was quite a good one of the
usual formwi.e., the living-house forming one
end of a big oblong courtyard, whilst barns
and lofts and cowsheds filled up the other
three sides. In the middle, of course, was a
mass of dirty straw and manure, and pools
of stinking water in which ducks and pigs
and chickens disported themselves. The
people were most friendly, and supp]ied us
with eggs and straw and a kitchen tire; but
it was rather a squash, as the headquarters
of an artillery brigade were already feeding
there, and we didn't get dinner till very late.
The men lay about in the lofts and sheds
68 THE DOINGS OF THE
among the farm implements and sheep, and
I should have expected them after a march
of over thirty-five toiles, and no food or sleep
in the twenty-four hours, fo curl up and go
fo sleep af once, but they didn't; they were
quite happy and lively now that af last
they'd got their rations, and ruade the nost
of them. I had a bed fo lie on, and actually
enjoyed a wash in a real basln, but the little
bedroom was hot very sweet or clean, and
I'd as soon have slepç with the others on
str&w in the kitchen and living-room.
A ug. 28th.
Next morning we were off before the sun
rose, with orders fo proceed towards Noyon.
We were well up fo rime as regards out
place in the column, but some of the test of
the Division were very late--probably some
counter-order had been given; anyway, we
had fo wait a good extra half-hour by the
roadside. I remember that I occupied the
rime in shaving myself ; and as there was no
water handy, I moistened the brush in the
dew on the grass. If did fairly well--
though rem6ving two days' growth was
rather painful, I allow.
We plodded on through the heat of the
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 69
day, in rear of the 14th Brigade, and kept
our march discipline without trouble, though
the number of apple- and pear-trees on the
road was a great temptation. What had
happened or where we were going fo was a
complete mystery; all that we knew was
that we had had fo leg it af Le Cateau, but
that we were distinctly hot downhearted;
nor did the Germans seem to be pursuing.
So we thought that ve should probably soon
get the order to turn and either take up a
defensive position or advance again against
the enemy--though we also knew that we
must have lost a number of guns and a
good many men.
Soon after we started we were asked how
many waggons we required to carry damaged
and footsore men, and at a certain point
there were some thirty or forty waggons
drawn up for that purpose. I felt rather
insulted, and said so, but eventually put my
pride in my pocket and said I'd have one per
battalion. The officer in charge at once
offered ten, but I did hot accept them, and
I don't think we filled even one waggon all
day.
Somewhere about ten o'clock the message
was passed down from the front that Sir
70 THE DOINGS OF THE
John French was on the rodside and
wanted to see battalion commanders. I
cantered on, and round him under a tree
with a few of his staff. I saluted and
asked for orders, but he said he only
wanted to see the C.O.'s. Then he took
me aside and said that he wanted to com-
pliment and congratulate the men on their
magnificent work; that we had saved the
left flank of the French army, and that
Joffre had begged him to tell the troops
that they had saved France for the rime
being, and more to the saine effect. I
hastened, of course, to tell everybody; I
think the men got their tails up well in
consequence. But the British are an un-
demonstrative lot, and Thomas never lets
his feelings show on the surface. Anyway,
we were all pleased that our sacrifices
hadn't been for nothing, and hoped we'd
soon stop and turn round.
At Guiscard we turned into the main
road to Noyon. It was very hot, and we
had had no rest (except the regulation ten
minutes per hour) since starting. So when
we got to some nice shade on the left, and
big spreading trees dotted over some fields,
I turned the Brigade off the road, trans-
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 71
port and all, and we halted for an hour
and a half. We went fo sleep after
luncheon, of course, and when if was rime
to start I remember tllat Moulton-Barrett
went up fo St André, who was lying fast
asleep, and shouted out, "The Germans are
on us!" Poor St André jumped to his feet
witll a yell and seized his revolver; it was
a wicked joke.
The main road into Noyon was much
crowded, not only with a lot of French
cavalry going north, but a very large
number of waggons full of our own men
--of other brigades, mind you, for I don't
think there were any 15th Brigade men
there af all; but then the others had had
a harder rime.
The French cavalry were a dragoon
brigade--horses looking very fit and well,
and wonderfully light equipment on them;
they do not go in for carrying half so much
on the saddle as we do--for one thing, appar-
ently they don't consider if necessary to carry
cleaning material on the horse.
There was again a considerable squash
in Noyon, and here St André was delighted
to meet some spick-and-span young friends
of his vllom he affected fo treat with
72 THE DOINGS OF THE
great contempt, as not yet having seen a
shot fired. Having fo cross the railway
line also delayed us still more, as a long
supply-train was shunting and reshunting
and keeping the gares shut.
If was a lovely evening, and though
progress was slow, we eventually reached
Pontoise by about 7 1.. The country
was thickly wooded and very pretty, and
the quarters into which we got after our
sixteen-mile march were most acceptable.
Here we were told we should probably be
for several days--to rest and recuperate;
but we were beginning fo have doubts
about these perpetually- promised rests
which never came off.
The Brigade Headquarters put up af a
blacksmith's shop, and the old couple here
received us with hospitality; but though
there were beds and mattresses for most
of us, there was very little fo be had in
the way of vegetables or eggs or other
luxuries such as milk or butter.
A ug. 29th.
, Next morning and afternoon were de-
voted fo a little rest and cleaning up;
but I had little leisure myself, for I had
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 73
fo preside over a court of inquiry for
several hot and weary hours.
Af 6 l.i, we suddenly received orders
fo more af once fo Carlepont, only three
toiles back, and began fo more by the
shortest and most unblocked way. Just
when we were moving off I received orders
to more the other way, but with the
sanction of the Divisional Staff I pre-
ferred going my own way, and went if.
The detail of the map, however, turned
out to be incorrect, and I found myself
at the far, instead of the near, end of
the village, with a lot of transport in
the narrow street between ourselves and
our billets. This was hopeless, and after
a prolonged jam in the dark I gave it
up, put the battalions on fo the pavement
and down a side street, and told them to
bivouac and feed where they were.
Meanwhile St André had got a kind
Frenchman fo give the staff some dinner,
but I misunderstood the arrangement and
could not find the place; so I insisted
on digging out some food from our
cook's waggon on the wet grass of a
little park we found. And there we
are it about midnight and went to sleep
74 THE DOINGS OF THE
in the sopping herbage. I fear my staff were
not much pleased with the arrangement.
A ug. 30th.
Off again at 2.20 A.M., we pushed on
over pretty country viâ Attichy to Croûtoy,
a marrer of eleven mlles. It developed
into a roasting-hot day, and the last two
toiles, up a very steep hill, were most
trying for the transport. Ve were at
the head of the column, and longed to
stop in the shady little village of Croûtoy,
but we had fo move on beyond to some
open stubble fields, where the heat was
terrific. And there we bivouacked till
about midday, when we were told we
might go back to Croûtoy, and did. If
was a very pretty little village with a
magnificent view northwards over the
Aisne. We were very comfortably put
up in General de France's château, and
enjoyed there a real big bath with taps
and hot water, the first genuine bath we
had had since arriving af Havre. My
only contretemps here was that, having
when half-way fo Croûtoy dismounted
Cat.ley and lent his horse fo a Staff officer, I
never saw the horse or my kit on him again.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 75
The Staff officer had duly sent the horse
back by a sergeant of gunners, but the
latter never materialized, and, strangely
enough, was never heard of afterwards.
So I thus lost my bivouac tent, mack-
intosh, lantern, and several other things,
besides Catley's complete possessions, all
of which vere on the animal. Luckily
the horse was not my own, but a spare
one, as my mare Squeaky had had a
sore back, and Catley was not riding her.
Au.q. 31st.
Next day was awfully hot again. We
were off by 7.30, and were by way of bil-
leting at a place called Béthisy, on the
south-west edge of the forest of Compiègne.
Ve passed by the eastern edge, close by
the extraordinary ch£teau of Pierrefonds,
built by Viollet le Duc to the exact model
of the old castle of the thirteenth century,
a huge pile of turrets and battlements, like
one of Gustave Doré's nightmares; and
then struck across the open towards Morien-
val. We were a long rime on the march,
largely owing to the necessary habit that
the Artillery bave of stopping to "feed
and water" when they corne fo water, ir-
76 THE DOINGS OF THE
respective of the hourly ten-minute halt.
Then, having thus stopped the Infantry
column in rear for twenty minutes, they
trot on and catch up the rest of the column
in front, leaving the Infantry toiling hope-
lessly after them, tryin, fo fill the gap the
guns leave behind them. It is bad, of
course, but it is a cboice of evils, for one
way the Artillery suffers, the other the
Infantry; but they both arrive together in
the end.
I had trotted ahead fo Morienval, fo
settle on the road, as there was a divergence
of opinion on the subject, and there a kindly
fariner asked me in fo dinner with his
family--an excellent potage aux choux and
a succulent stew, with big juicy pears fo
follow, ail washed down by remarkably good
red vin du pays, I remember. There were
perpetual halts on the road, which we did hot
understand, but soon after leaving Morien-
val we were abruptly ordered fo turn sharp
off fo the left and make for Crépy. The
fact was, a force of German cavalry had
turned up at Béthisy, just as our billeting
parties were entering if, and the latter had
only just rime fo clear out.
Our own cavalry cleared the Germans out
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 77
of Béthisy for the tilne being, but we con-
tinued on fo Crépy-en-Valois, and arrived
there, rather done, af six o'clock--nearly
eleven hours fo go fifteen toiles, just the
sort of thing fo tire troops on a very hot
day,--and with numerous apparent.ly un-
necessary halts. However, we had few if
any stragglers, and we ruade our way fo
some fields on the south-west of Crépy,
St Agathe being the naine of the district.
I selected the bivouac myself, as I did not
get billeting orders in rime, and I pre-
ferred open fields on a hot night for the
troops instead of stuffy billets in the town.
The Brigade Staff, however, occupied a
little house and grounds in the suburbs,
and I shall never forger arriving there
with St André after seeing fo the bivouac
of the Brigade. There were two wine-
bottles and glasses on a table on the lawn,
with comfortable chalrs alongside. Nearly
speechless with thirst, we rushed af them.
They were empty!
Sept. 1st.
The night was hot, and though I had an
excellent bed I remember I could not get
to sleep for ever so long. Ve were fo
78 THE DOINGS OF THE
have moved off early, but the sound of
the guns hOt far fo the north stopped us,
and orders quickly arrived for the Brigade
fo go and occupy Duvy, a village a toile or
so fo the west, and give what help we could
to General Pulteney's force of a Division
and a brigade, who were being attacked on
the north-west.
So we moved out rapidly and pushed out
two battalions fo assist. Cavalry was re-
ported everywhere, but if was difficult fo
know which was English and which German.
The latter's patrols were fairly bold, and
single horsemen got close ui fo us. Broad-
wood, of the Norfolks, bowled over one of
them af 700 yards--with a rifle, if was
relorted, but if was irobably his machine-
gun. Meanwhile our guns on the plateau
north of Crépy supporting the 13th Brigade
did good execution, three consecutive shells
of theirs falling respectively into a squadron
of Uhlans, killing a whole gun-team, and
smashing up a gun by direct hit (27th
Brigade R.F.A.)
The two battalions working u i north-west
from Duvy had just extended and were
moving carefully across country, when I re-
ceived word that a large force of the enemy's
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 79
cavalry was moving on fo my left rear.
did not like this, and pushed out another
b,ttalion (Norfolks) fo guard my flank. But
ve need not bave been worried, for shortly
aftervards if appeared that the "hostile"
cavalry was the North Irish Horse, turned
up from goodness knows where.
About the same rime we got a message
from General Pulteney thanking us for the
assisttnce rendered, and another one from
Sir C. Fergusson telling us fo continue our
retirement towards Ormoy Villers as flank-
guard to the rest of the Division. This we
did, across country and partly on the railway
--very bad going this for horses, especially
as we might any moment bave corne across
a bridge or culvert with nothing but rails
across it. If s true that, if we had, we
might bave slipped dovn into the turnip
fields on either side, but there were ditches
and wire alongside which would have proved
awkward.
We halted about Ormoy Villers station--
in ruins almost, and with ts big water-tank
blown up,--and I put two battalions to
guard the flank whilst the rest of us had a
meal. Saint André had as usual managed fo
forage for us in the ruins, and produced a
80 THE DOINGS OF THE
tin of sardines and some tomatoes and
apples, which, with chocolate and biscuits
and warm water--it was another roasting
day--filled us well up. Then after a long
and dusty walk through the woods we
reached Nanteuil, where most of the Divi-
sion had already arrived.
We had to find outposts (Dorsets and
Norfolks) that night, covering a huge bit of
country. I borrowed a car in order to settle
how they should be put out, and ran out
much too far, nearly into the enemy.
was not easy fo place them, as connection
through the woods was most awkward.
However, we were not attacked, the German
cavalry and advanced guards not having
apparently come up.
I had sent Major Allason (of the Bedfords)
out earlier in the day fo scout northwards
with a couple of mounted men, and he came
back af eventide, having collared a German
officer and his servant, but not brought them
in. They had just been falling back at a
walk with the information they had gathered,
when they heard a clatter of hoofs behind
them, and beheld a German cavalry officer
and his man trying fo gallop past them--not
fo attack them,--apparently bolting from
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 81
some of our own cavalry. Allason, who was
in front, stuck spurs into his horse and
galloped after the officer and shot his horse,
bringing the German down, the latter also
being put out of action. Then they bound
up the German's wound and took all his
papers from him, which proved tobe very
useful, giving the location of the German
cavalry and other troops. Meanwhile the
officer's servant stood by, with his mouth
open, doing nothing. As they couldn't carry
the officer off, they left them both there and
canle on.
Amongst other stories, we heard here that
a squadron of one of our cavalry brigades
had stopped fo water in a wood. A lot of
German cavalry bungled on top of thern,
and then bolted as if the devil were after
thern. The row stampeded out horses, and
they dashed off through the wood in all
directions, leving many of out men on foot.
But their steeds were soon recovered.
Sept. 2nd.
Off again next morning af 4.15 A.M. We
did rear-guard to the Division, but we had
an easy rime of it, the Dorsets being in rear.
I had also the 27th Brigade R.F.A., the N.I.
F
82 THE DOINGS OF THE
Horse under Massereene, and 70 cyclists to
help, but the Germans never pursued us or
fired a shot. It was awfully hot again, but
we had not far fo go--only eleven miles--
into Montgé. There we arrived at 10.45 A.i.,
and should have been there much sooner if
if had not been for some of the Divisional
Train halting to water on the way.
Montgd is a nice little village on a hillside,
almost within sight of Paris, which is only
about twenty-five miles off; and on a clear
day one can, I believe, see the Eiffel Tower
and Montmartre. We could not make out
why we were always thus retiring without
fighting, and imagined it was some deep-laid
plan of Joffre's that we perhaps were to
garrison Paris whilst the French turned on
the Germans. But no light was vouch-
safed fo us. Meanwhile the retirement was
morally rather bad for our men, and the
stragglers increased in numbers.
The Brigade Hea.dquarters billeted in a
tiny house marked by two big poplars on the
main road. The proprietor, a stout peasant
--I think he was the Maire--received us
very civilly, but his questions as to our
retirement were difficult fo answer. How-
ever, we didn't trouble bim long, and were
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 83
off next morning by 5.30 acting as flank-
guard again.
Sept. 3rd.
If was hotter than ever over those parched
fields, and the march was complicated, for
when we had reached Trilbardon down a
narrow leafy path, past a bridge over the
Marne which an R.E. officer was most
anxious fo blow up af once, we were told fo
act as rear-guard again. For this we had fo
wait till all the troops had passed through
the little streets, and then we followed. We
overtook a good many stragglers, and these
we hustled along, insisting on their getting
over the other side of the Marne before the
main bridges were blown up. We were
responsible for leaving no one behind, but
I'm afraid that several were left, as they had
fallen out and gone to sleep under hedges
and were not seen; and one K.O.S.B. man
was suffering so violently from pains in his
tummy that he af first refused fo stir, and
said he didn't care if he was taken prisoner.
There were a considerable number of these
tummy cases on the way--hot sun and un-
ripe apples had, I fancy, a good deal fo do
with them.
84 THE DOINGS OF THE
At Esbly we halted, gratefully, in the
shade for an hour; it was a nice little town,
but strangely empty, for nearly ail the in-
habitants had fled.
We put up for the night round Mont
Pichet, a beastly little hamlet, with the
Cheshires and one company Bedfords finding
the outposts. The Brigade Headquarters
billeted round a horrible little house, sur-
rounded by hundreds of ducks and chickens,
which ran in and out ail over the place till if
stank most horribly. There was only one
room which wasn't absolutely foul, and that
I took. The others slept in the open. I
wish I had.
I went fo visit the outpostu by myself;
and my wretched pony, Gay, refused fo cross
a little stream about two feet broad and two
inches deep. Nothing would induce her to
cross if, so I had fo send ber back and doit
ail on foot, beyond a village called Chevah'ue
and back. By the rime I got back, late, hot,
and hungry, I must have done four toiles on
foot.
Sept. 4th.
Having been told we should be here for
at least a day to rest, we received orders, I
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 85
need hardly say, af 7 next morning, fo be
ready fo move immediately. However, it
was rather a false alarm, as, except for a
Divisional "pow-wow" on general subjects,
af 10 A.M. af Bouleurs, we had little fo do all
day, and did hOt more till 11.50 P.M. There
had been an alarm in the afternoon, by the
way, of German cavalry advancing, and I re-
inforced the Bedfords with another company,
and got two howitzers ready fo support, but
the "Uhlans" did hOt materialize.
I might here mention, by the way, that all
German cavalry, whether Lancers or not,
went by the generic naine of Uhlans. But
if was perhaps hOt surprising, as all the
hostile cavalry, even Hussars, had lances.
They were, however, extraordinarily un-
handy with them, and our own cavalry had
a very poor opinion of their prowess and
dash.
Sept. 5th.
The Divisional Orders for the march
were complicated, and comprised marching
in two columns from different points and
meeting about ten toiles off. Also, the
collecting of my outposts and moving to
a left flank was complicated. But it went
86 THE DOINGS OF THE
off ail right, and we marched gaily along
in the cool night and effected the junction
af Villeneuve. Thence on through a big
wood with a network of rides, where the
two officers who were acting as guides in
front ,vent hopelessly astray and took the
wrong turning. The leading battalion was,
however, very shortly extricated and put on
the right road, and after passing Tournans
we halted, after a sixteen-mile march, at
a magnificent château near Gagny (Château
de la Monture) af 7.30 A..
ttere we made ourselves extremely com-
fortable in the best bedrooms of M. Boquet,
of the Assurance Maritime, Havre, and sent
him a letter expressing out best thanks.
Up to 6 P.. we slept peacefully, with
no orders fo disturb us, but then they
arrived and gave us great joy, for we were
to match af 5 A.., not southwards, but
northwards again.
Sept. 6th.
What had happened, or why we were
suddenly to turn against the enemy after
ten days of retreat, we could not conceive;
but the fact was there, and the difference
in the spirits of the men was enormous.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 87
They marched twice as well, whistling and
singing, back through Tournans and on fo
Villeneuve. Here we had orders to halt
and feed, but the halt did not last long, for
a summons to the 5th Division Headquarters
(in a hot and stuffy little pot-house)arrived
ag 1 '.M., and by 2 we were marching on
through the Forët de Crécy fo Mortcerf.
If was frightfully hot and dusty, and the
track through the forest was not easy to
find. Although I had issued stringent
orders about the rear of one unit always
dropping a guide for the next unit (if hOt
in sight) at any cross-roads we came to,
something went astray this rime, and half
the Brigade turned up at one end of the
village of Mortcerf, whilst the other half
came in at the other. We were on advanced
guard at the rime, and so increasing the
frontage like this did no harm; but it
caused rather a complication in the billets
we proceeded fo allot.
A delightful little village it was, and the
Maire, in whose house we put up, was
extremely kind; but by the rime I had
covered the front with outposts and ridden
back, very hot and tired, General Smith
Dorrien turned up, and announced that
88 THE DOINGS OF THE
we were fo push on in an hour. He was,
by the way, very complimentary about the
way in which the 15th Brigade had behaved
all through, and cast dewdrops upon us
with both hands. If was very pleasan¢,
but I was rather taken aback, for I
genuinely did not think that we had doe
anything particularly glorious in the retreat.
However, if appeared that the authorities
considered that the Brigade was extremely
well discplined and well in hand--for which
the praise was due to the C.O.'s and not to
me--and were accordingly well pleased.
So we ruade a hurried little meal at
the Malre's house, and Madame threw us
delicious pears from a first-floor window
as we rode away.
We had not far fo go in the dusk, only
two or three toiles on fo the turning which
led to La Celle. The Dorsets were pushed
on into and beyond La Celle, in rather
compHcated country--for there was a deep
valley and a twisting road beyond; but
the few Uhlans in the village bolted as
they entered if, and no further disturb-
ances occurred in our front. On our rght,
however, there was heavy firng, for the
3rd Division had corne across a good many
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 89
of the enemy af Faremoutiers, and at 9.30,
and again af 11.30, general actions seemed
fo be developing. But they died away, and
we slept more or less peacefully on a stubble
field with a few sheaves of straw fo keep
us warm. Perpetual messengers, however,
kept on arriving with orders and queries
all night long, and our sleep was a broken
one.
Sept. 7 th.
We awoke with the sun, feeling--I speak
for myself--rather touzled and chippy, and
waited a long rime for the orders to proceed.
The cooks' waggon turned up vith the
Quartermaster - Sergeant and breakfast --
and still we didn't move. Eventually we
fell in and moved off af noon--a hot day
again--very hot, in fact, as we strung along
on a narrow road in the deep and wooded
valley. Yery pretty country it was; but
what impressed itself still more on me was
the gift of some most super-excellent
"William" pears by a farmer's wife in a
tiny village nestling in the depths--real
joy on that thirsty day.
There were still some Uhlans left in the
woods, and I turned a couple of Norfolk
90 THE DOINGS OF THE
companies off the road fo drive them out.
Some of our artillery had also heard of
them, and a Horse battery dropped a few
shells into the wood fo expedite matters;
but I regre fo say the only bag, as far as
we could tell, was one of our own men
killed and another wounded by them.
Af Mouroux we halted for a rime, and
then pushed on, rather late, fo Boissy le
Châtel--the delay being caused by the
motor-bikist carrying orders fo us miss-
ing, by some mschance, our Headquarters
altogether--though we were wthn a few
hundred yards of Dvislonal ttcadquarters,
and had reported our whereabouts -- and
going on several mlles fo look for us.
We were now again the advanced guard of
the Division, and had fo find outposts for
if a mlle beyond. If is always rather a
grind having fo ride round the outposts
after a long day, but one can't sleep in
peace till one is satisfied that one's front
is properly protected, so if bas fo be done;
and as the Brigade Staff is limited, the
Staff Captain allotting the billets, and the
Brigade Major seeing that all the troops
arrive safely, one generally has fo do these
little excursions by oneself. On the road
FIFTEENTH INFANTR¥ BRIGADE 91
I came across Hubert Gough, commanding
the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, in a motor, cheery
as ever, with his cavalry somewhere on our
right flank keeping touch with us. We
put up in a little deserted château in Boissy
le Châtel, but it was overcrowded with trees
and bushes and very stuffy.
Sept. 8th.
Next morning we had, before starting,
the unpleasant duty to perform of detailing
a firing-party fo execute a deserter. I
forger what regiment he belonged fo (not
in our brigade), but he had had rotten luck
from his point of view. He had cleared
out and managed fo get hold of some civilian
clothes, and, having lost himself, had asked
the way of a gamekeeper he met. The
gamekeeper happened fo be an Englishman,
and what was more, an old soldier, and
he promptly gave him up fo the authorities
as a deserter.
We left at 7.25 A.. as the last brigade
in the Division. I might mention here that,
for billeting, the ground for the Division
was divided into "Brigade Areas," each
area fo hold hOt only an Infantry Brigade
but one or two Artillery Brigades, a Field
92 THE DOINGS OF THE
Ambulance, and generally a company of
R.E., and occasionally some other odds and
ends, such as Divisional Ammunition Col-
umn, Train, Irish Horse, Cyclists, &c., and
for all these we had fo find billets. The
troops billeted in these areas varied in com-
position nearly every day. It was very
hard work for the Staff Captain (Moulton-
Barrett), whose proper job would normally
have been limited fo the 15th Brigade; but
he and Saint André, who both worked like
niggers, somehow always nmnaged to do it
satisfactorily. If would have turned my
hair grey, I know, to stuff away a conflicting
crowd of troops of different arms into an
area which was always too small for them.
But M.-B. would sit calmly on his horse
amid the clamour of inexperienced sub-
alterns and grasping N.C.O.'s, and "allot the
farms and streets in such a way that they
always managed to get in somehow--though
occasionally I expect the conditions were
not those of perfect comfort. We vere
lucky in the weather, however, and many
rimes troops bivouacked in the open in
comparative ease when a rainy night would
have caused them extreme discomfort.
If was not always easy fo find billets even
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 93
for our own Brigade Staff, for though we
were a small unit, comparatively, we had
a good number of horses and hall a dozen
vehicles; and besides this, we had fo have
a decent room or place for the Signal section,
and rig up a wire for them to work in con-
nection with the Divisional Headquarters
or other troops. In this Cadell was excellent,
and we rarely had a breakdown. Some-
rimes, of course, we were too far off fo get
a wire fixed in rime, and then we had
recourse fo our Signal "push-bikists"--no
motor cyclists being on our establishment.
The Signal companies, by the way, had
only been completely organized a month
or two before the war, and what we should
have done without them passes my imagin-
ation, for they were quite invaluable, and
rnost excellently organized and trained.
And sometimes when, after ail this work,
we had settled down into billets for the
night, an order would corne to more on af
once. Fresh orders had then hurriedly to
be written, and despatched by the orderly
of each unit (who was attached to out head-
quarters) to his respective unit, giving the
rime af which the head of the unit was to
pass a given point on the road so as to
94 THE DOINGS OF THE
dovetail into ifs place in the column in the
dark, and all with reference fo what xve
were going fo do, whether the artillery or
part of if was fo be in front or in rear,
what rations were fo be carried, arrange-
ments for supply, position of the transport
in the column, compositions of the advanced
or rear-guard, &c., &c. It sounds very com-
plicated, and still more so when you have
fo fit in not only your own brigade but all
the miscellaneous troops of your "Brigade
Area." But Weatherby had reduced this fo
fine art, and, after all, we had had heaps
of practice af if; so orders were short and
fo the point, and issued in really an extra-
ordinarily short rime.
To return. Our march that day was
through pretty country, with fighting always
going on just ahead of us or on both flanks,
but we were never actually engaged. At
Doue we halted for an hour or so, and then
received orders fo push out a b.attalion fo
hold the high ground in front. But when we
had got there we only found a panorama
stretching out all round, dotted with troops,
and our guns firing from all sorts of unseen
hiding-places, with the enemy well on the
run in front of us. Soon the order came
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 95
for us to push on, and we moved forward
through Mauroy, down a steep hill into
St Cyr and St Ouen, pretty little villages
in a cleft in the ground, across the Petit
Morin river and up a beastly steep hill on
the other side.
Then came a "pow-wov" in a stiff showcr
of rain, and on again slowly over the plateau,
in a curious position, for there was a big fight
going on amid some burning villages in the
plain far on our left--I don't know what
Division--probably the 4th--a.nd a smaller
fight parallel fo us on the right, not two
mlles off; and we were marching calmly
along the road in column.
Then a longer halt, whilst we got closer
touch with the 14th Brigade on our right. It
was a tangled fight there; for when we
pushed forward some cyclists in that direc-
tîon they were unintentionally fired on by
the East Surrey; and the latter, who had
rounded up and taken about 100 of the enemy
prisoners, mostly cavalry, were just resting
whilst they counted them, when some of our
own guns lobbed some shells right into the
crowd, and rive German officers and about
fifty of the prisoners escaped in the confusion.
A little farther on, near Charnesseuil,
96 THE DOINGS OF THE
we got orders fo billet for the night there,
and the Brigade Headquarters moved on to
Montapeine cross-roads. Here there was a
good deal of confusion, stray units of several
divisions trying fo find their friends, and
the cross-roads blocked by a small body of
sixty-three German prisoners. We got the
place cleared af last, and the Staff occupied an
untidy, dirty, unfurnished house and grounds
at the corner. If had been used by the enemy
the night before, and they had luckily brought
great masses of straw into the house.
I stowed away the prisoners in the stables
--great big, docile, sheepish-looking men
of the Garde-Schiitzen-Bataillon (2nd and
4th companies) and machine-gun battery
attached. I talked fo several of them, and
they said that the battalion had lost very
heavily and there were hardly any oiicers
left. One of the latter, Frltz Wrede by
naine, I round wounded and lying on the
straw in a dark room in the basement.
Other wounded were being brought in here,
and all complained of feeling very cold,
although the evening was quite warm. I
ruade some men heap straw on them, which
was an improvement--but I believe that
wounded always do feel cold.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 97
Wrede had a bullct through the shouldcr,
but was not bad, so I got him to sign a paper
fo say he would hOt try fo escape--other-
wise he might have ruade trouble. Our
men, as usual, were more than kind fo the
prisoners, and insisted on giving them their
own bread and jam--though the Germans
had already becn given a lot of biscuit. I
remember being struck with the extreme
mild-scemingness of ail the prisoners, and
wondcring how such men could have been
capable of such frightful brutalities as they
had been in Belgium--they looked and bc-
haved as if they wouldn't have hurt a fly.
Sept. 9th.
Next morning we moved off af 7.30 and
went vid Saacy across the Marne to Merz,
and thence up an extremely steep and bad
road through the woods. If was a very hot
day, and as there was no prospect of getting
the transport up I left it behind at Merz,
meaning to send it round another vay when
the road was clear. Firing was going on to
the left front, and we halted for a council of
war with the Divisional Staff, which ,vas
immediately in front of us.
The 14th Brigade was apparently hung up
G
98 THE DOINGS OF THE
somewherc fo our left front and couldn't gct
on, so we were sent on to help them take
the high ground towards the Montreuil road.
They were, we were told, already in posses-
sion of Hill 189; but when we emergcd from
the woods there was a Prussian battcry on
the hill. There did not sccm to be any men
with if, as far as wc could sec, and if was hOt
firing. But we ruade a good target, and hOt
more than a battalion had got clcar whcn
the "deserted" battel'y opened tire and
lobbcd a shcll or two into the Bedfords
and Cheshires.
Thcy only lost a man or two killcd and
wounded; but a Howitzcr battcry with us,
which was already on the look-out, came
into action af once and speedily silenccd the
German guns for the rime being.
Bols, who was leading, reported that the
hill was attackable--it was really only a fise
in the ground,--and after a reconnaissance
I gladly issued orders. So the Nofolks
and Dorsets proceeded fo attack in proper
form, whilst I sent the Bedfords round fo
the right towards Bézu fo try and take
the rise in flank. The 14th Brigade were
meanwhile somewhere on the left, and we
got touch with them after a rime; but thcy
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 99
could hot get forward, as a number of big
guns from much furthcr off kept up a
heavy tire, and thcre was a body of
infantry hidden somewhere as well, fo
j udge from the number of bullets that
came over and into us.
That was rather a trying afternoon.
Dorsets and Norfolks wet'e hcld up about
hall a mlle ff'oto Hill 189, and I went f»rward
to Bdzu with the Bedfords to try fo gct
them on fo the flank. Thorpe and his
company got forward into a wood, but lost
a number of meu in getting there; .nd the
lie of the ground did hot seem to justify
my sending many more fo help him, as the
space up to the wood was sxvept by a heavy
tire. Just about this rime poor Roc of thc
Dorsets, who had taken some of his com-
pany into this wood, was shot through the
head--as was also George, one of his
subalterns.
Meanwhile those horrible big guns from
somewhere near Sablonnières were giving
us a lot of trouble, and knocked out also
several of the Cheshires, who had been sent
by thc Divisional Commander towards the
left fo support the 14th Brigade. The
latter--(I went to sec Rolt, the Brigadier,
100 TIIE DOINGS OF THE
but thcre was little wc could coml}ine)--
sccmcd at one moment to ho a little un-
happy, as they were enfiladcd fron Chanoust
on their lef; but the Dorscts had worked
carefully forward on their tummies, and
with tlm 5Torfolks hcld a low ridge well o
thc front, whencc, though they could hot
gct forward themselves, they could do thc
ccmy a good deal of damagc. So the 14th
Ilrigade stuck if out, and wc kept up the
gaine till dusk, whcn we dug oursclves in
a littlc furthcr t)ck and postcd outposts.
I might add that when Weatherby and I
went forward to ste Bois and Ballard,
Weatherby had bad luck, for his horse
was shot in the body vhilst he was leading
him, and died that night.
Meanwhile the 9th Brigade of the 3rd
Division was on out right, under Shaw, and
although his Lincolns, or sorne of them,
had got into the wood, and we tried a com-
bined movement, they also got hung up
there and we could not get on.
The Germans certainly fought this rear-
guard action remarkably well. We did hot
know af the rime that if was a rear-guard
action, for we thought a whole corps might
be occupying a strong position here and
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 101
intending to fight next day. But no more
fighting took place that night, and by next
morning they had cleared out.
The Germans had evidently only just lett
Bézu, for on my going fo see M'Cracken
(commanding 7th Brigade) there, I found
him in a house with the remains of an
unfinished (German) meal, including many
half-empty bottles, on the table. Then we
managed to get some supper in another
house, and were nearly turned out of it by
a subaltern of General Hamilton's staff, who,
seeing a light in the window, thought he
would save himself the trouble of hunting
for another house for his General, and
announced that it was required for the 3rd
Divisional Staff. I was inclined to demur
at first and sit tight; but the ever-useful
Saint André, fo save trouble, hurried out
and secured another bouse for us; as a
marrer of fact it was better and bigger than
the flrst one, and would have suited the
Divisional Staff much better.
After issuing orders for to-morrow's
attack or match we flung ourselves down
dead tired, and were awakened ten minutes
afterwards by a summons from General
Hamilton fo corne and see him at once, as
102 THE DOINGS OF THE
he was going to hold a pow-wow on the
situation. I found him in a tiny, poky little
attic, and there we waited for three-quarters
of an hour whilst Rolt was being sent for.
Two hours did this pow-wow last, and we
had to write and issue fresh orders in con-
sequence. Just as they had been sent out
and we had flung ourselves down ag,in for
a little sleep, an entirely new set of orders
arrived from the 5th Division, and for the
third rime we had to think out and write
and distribute a fresh set of oiders. By
that rime it was 12.30 A.M., and we were fo
move at 3.45 A.M., which ment getting up
at 2.30. Two hours broken slcep that night
was all we got--and lucky to get ît.
Sept. l Oth.
Off at 3.45 n_.., we moved out in careful
fashion towards Haloup, in the direction of
Montreuil. But our scouts reported ail
clear, and in vèry truth the Germans had
left. What was more, they had left that
field battery on Hill 189 behind them, sur-
rounded by about twenty or more corpses
and a quantity of ammunition.
It was a dmp duy, and progress was
slow, as it was hot at all certain where
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 103
the enemy was. At Denizy, a small village
on the way, we werc told that a German
general, with his staff, had received a severe
shock there the day before by an unexpected
British shell dropping on his headquarters
whilst he was af luncheon. He had jumped
up with a yell and bolted up the hill, but
was driven down ag,in by another shell
which landed close by. He was reported
fo have died almost at once, but whether
from fright or hot was hot quite clear.
When near Germigny we espied a German
column in the distance, and shelled if heavily
with the 61st howitzer battery attached fo
us (Major Wilson), causng if fo bolt in all
directions. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade now
turncd up in our front (Hubert Gough's),
and with the 5th (Chetwode's) hustled the
enemy along. We were advanced guard
again, and if was difficult to get on, for
the Dvisional Commander kept sending
messages from behind asking me why the
deuce I wasn't going faster, whilst Gough
was sending me protests from the front
that I was treading on his heels, and not
givng him rime fo clear up the situation!
We halted for some timc the other side
of Gcrmigny, and then pushed on to Gan-
104 THE DOINGS OF THE
delu, a large village in a cleft of the hills,
from the heights in front of which the
German artillery might have ruade it ex-
tremely unpleasant for us. But none were
there, nor were there any af Chézy, which
would have ruade a perfect defensive posi-
tion for them, with a glacis-like slope in ail
directions.
On the other side of Gandelu, in the wood,
we came across the first signs of t.he German
bolt. A broken motor-car was lying in the
stream, and dead horses and men were lying
about, whilst every now and then we passed
two or three of our troopers with a dozen
German prisoners in tow.
As we moved up the steep hill towards
Chézy, we came across packs, rifles, and
kit of all sorts flung away, broken-down
waggons, more dead Germans, and, at last,
on a whole convoy of smashed waggons,
their contents mostly littered over the fields
and road, and groups of out horsemen beam-
ing with joy. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade
had rounded up this convoy with their
Horse Artillery, scuppered or bolted most
of the escort, and captured the rest. Besldes
this, they had attacked a whole cavalry
division and scattered if fo the winds.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 105
Their first lot of prisoncrs numbered 348,
and their second 172.
We halted near the convoy for our usual
ten minutes, and examined iç with much
satisfaction. There were all sorts of things
in the waggons--food and corn, fo which
I allowed our men to help themselves, for
our horses were short of oats and our mon
of rations, and some of the tinned meats,
"gulasch" and "blutwurst," were quite
excellent and savoury, much more so than
our everlasing bully beef. Other waggons
were full of all sorts of loot--cases of
liqueur and wine, musical instruments, house-
hold goods, clothing, bedding, &c., trinkets,
clocks, ribbons, and an infinite variety of
knick-knacks, many of which one would
hardly have thought worh taking. But
the German is a robber af heart, and takes
everything he can lay his hands on. There
was also a first-rate motor-car, damaged,
by çhe side of the road, and in iç were a
General's orders and decorations, and 100
rifle cartridges (Mauser) with soft-nosed
bullets. To make certain of this I kept
one of the cartridges and gave if to Sir C.
Fergusson. I think these were about the
only things (besides food)which we took
106 THE DOINGS OF THE
from the whole convoy, though many of
the other things would have been well
worth taking. The men were very good,
and did not attempt even fo leave the
ranks till allowed by me fo take the corn
and food.
A short way on was the dirty village of
Ch5zy, and hcre we found a heap of cavalry
and many of the 3rd Division. So we
branched off to the left in a frightfully
heavy ten minutes' shower, and marched
away to St Quentin--marked as a village,
but really only a farmhouse in a big wood.
As we approached the wood Headlam's guns
began fo shell it in order fo clear if of
possible hostile troops, and continued until
I sent back fo say that the shells were pre-
venting us from going on ; then he eased off.
We halted near St Quentin for half an
hour, and then came a message fo say we
were fo billet there. If was impossible fo
billet a whole brigade in one farmhouse,
and that none too large. So we told off
different fields for the battalions fo bivouac
in, and occupied the farm ourselves, first
sending out cyclists fo clear the wood, as'
there were rumoured fo be parties of Uhlans
in if.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 107
It was a grubby farm with not much
water, but we made the best of it, and
settled do»vn for the night. A starved-
looking priest was also sleeping there, and
he told me his story.
tte and a fellov-priest, an Aum5nier from
Paris, had been on their way to join the
French unit to which they had becn allottcd
for ambulance purposes, when they fell into
German hands and werc treated as prisoners.
The priest was robbed by a sergeant of 1200
francs, his sole possessions, and both he and
the Aumônier were beaten black and bluc,
forced to march carrying German knap-
sacks, and kept practically without food or
drink. After three days the Aumônier
succumbcd fo ill usage and died, and the
prest only managed to escape because his
captors were themselves on the run.
The priest also told us that there werc
some British prisoners in the column, and
that the Germans behaved perfectly brutally
to them, kicking them, starving them, and
forcing them to camîy German knapsacks.
Sept. l l th.
Next mornng we did not movc off till
9.25, for the supplies to the Brigades did hot
108 THE DOINGS OF THE
arrive as soon as we expected, and hence
the column was late in starting. We
dawdled along, forming the rear brigade,
in cool weather, and nothing in particular
happened beyond reports coming in from
the front that the Germans were quite
demoralised. If came on fo pour as we left
Chouy, and af Billy we parked the transport
and prepared fo billet there. But if was
already chokeful of other troops, and more
than half out brigade would have had fo
bivouac in the sopping fields. So we pushed
on fo St Remy, and, evacuating some
cavalry and making them more on fo some
fatras a bit ahead,--including Massereene
and his North Irish Horse, who, I fear,
were hot much pleased af having to turn out
of their comfortable barns,--we billeted
there, headquarters being taken up in the
Curé's house. Even here his poor little
rooms had been ransacked, drawers and
tables upset and their contents littered over
the floor, and everything of the smallest
value stolen by the Germans.
Sept. 12th.
Off at 5 A.Vi., we did only a short march
as far as the Ferme de l'Epitaphe, a huge
FIFTEENTH INFAITRY BRIGADE 109
f«rrm sçtnding by itself in a vasç alld drcary
plSn of ploughcd fields. IIcre we haltcd in
1)ouring rain all dry, expecçing ordcrs to
go on. But we evençually had ço billet
there, wiçh çhe Divisional Headquarçers, and
çhough we could only put up çhe Bcdfords
and the Chcshires there was a terrific squash.
The Dorscts and Norfolks wcrc sent back fo
billet af Nampteuil, a village a toile or so
back, but cvcn here there was somc confu-
sion, as the 14th Brigade had meanwhile
arrivcd and begun fo billet thcre. They
wcrc, however, sent back likewise fo Chrisy,
and thc whole Division prssed a most un-
comfortablc night. The rain nevcr ceascd
from pouring, and a gale sprang up, which
ruade matters worse. We slept in a loft with
a numbcr of Cheshire and Bedford officers,
and didn't get dinner till past nine. Some
gunner officers turned up, with no food ai
all, and we fed them ; but there wasn't much
af the best of rimes, for we had no rations
and had to depend on the contents of out
Mess basket, which consisted only of H«rvey
sauce, knives and forks, an old ham-bonc,
sweet biscuits, and jam.
110 THE DOINGS OF THE
Sept. 13th.
If was fine in the morning, but the far,n-
ynrd was ankle-deep in water and slush, and
the sky was leaden with lurid clouds in thc
east, when we started af 4.10 A.li. We
pushcd on slowly in column for tllc few
mlles fo Serches, and there we halted at flic
cross-ronds on the top of thc plateau and
pnrkcd thc brigade whilst the situation was
cleared up by troops in front. Shclls began
fo drop unplcnsantly near us, and n couple
of ficld btrtteries which got into action just in
front of us, togethcr with a " cow-gun"
(60 lb.)battcry, only drew thc hostile tire
still more. Thcy wcre pretty big sbells,
Black Marins mostly, and the heavy battery
bcillg right out in thc open suffered some-
what severely, losing eight horses and a few
lnen killed and wounded by one shell
alonc.
So we prudently scattered the battalions
a bit, and the field battcries liml)ered up and
walked slowly bnck under cover of a slope.
But the cow-guns had one gun disabled, and
thougll they also moved back and got again
' So cllod becuuse similar guns in the South Aïrican
war had becn drawn by oxen.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE lll
into action thcy wcre evidently spottcd and
had rather a poor finie.
Just about then, too, the transport of the
13th Brigade, which was nccessarily follow-
ing the infantry over the crest towards
Sernloise, wcre noticed by the enenly, and a
few shells over them killed and disablc(l a
number of waggon-horses and nmn, nlaking
a very nasty nless in thc road.
Thcre we sat ail day whilst the sun canle
out and dried us a bit. But we werc hot
very happy at luncheon ; for though hungry
and with plenty fo eat now, those beastly
shclls canle ncarcr and ncarcr us, till out
bully and biscuiç lost thcir charm entircly.
At last we got up, plates in hand, and nlovcd
with dignity out of range, or, rather, nlore
under cover.
The Cheshires had nlcanwhilc discovcrcd a
curious cave in the hillside which shcltercd
the whole battalion (though, in truth, thc
latter was hot large, only 450 nlen or so),
whilst the other battalions were well out
of sight in the folds of the ground.
The shadows grew longer and longer, and
we rigged up sonle conlfortable little shelters
in the coppice for the night, thinking we
should bivouac where we were. But af 6 I
112 THE DOINGS OF THE
was scnç for ço Divisional Headqu,rtcrs
Serches, and çold ço reconnoitrc the road
çoxvards the Aisne- on]y a toile or
ahcad. This I did in a motor-car, and
returned in rime for dinner; butwe had
1)arcly got through it, about 8, whcn march-
ing orders came ço çhe effect that we wcre
fo push on and cross the Aisne by rafçs
night, and the sooner te better.
So we moved off with some difl]culty in
thc dark, for there were no connecting roads
with the halting-places of the battalions, and
got on fo the main road, whence ail was
plain sailing, down fo the Moulin des Roches,
an imaginary mill on the river bank. Over
some sloppy pasture fields in dead silence,
and we round ourselves on the bank, with
a darker shadow p]ashing backwards and
forwards over the river in out front, and
some R.E. oificers talking in whispers.
The actual crossing of the Brigade was a
long job, and had fo be carefully worked
out. The raft held sixty men af a tinle,
or thirty men and three horses; but as
horses on a raff in the dead of night were
likely fo cause a fuss, we left them behind,
fo follow on in the morning, and crossed
without them, -- four and a half hours it
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 113
took; and whilst the men were crossing
we tried fo get a bit of sleep on the wet
bank. It was hot very successful, as it
was horribly cold and we had no blankets.
Thc staff crossed last of all, and we landcd
in a wood on the far side, in a bog but
thinly covercd with cut brushwood, and
full of irritating, sharp, and painful tree-
stumps.
Sept. 14th.
When we were across if was difficult fo
discover the battalions aslecp in the ficlds,
and when we had round them and it was
rime to start it was difficult to wake
them. However, we moved off just as it
was getting light; but it was hot easy to
find the way, for there was no path af
first. We had orders fo go vid Bucy-le-
Long to Sainte Marguerite, and round the
villages right enough, for they were close
together. But as we moved into Sainte
Marguerite, with a good many other troops
in front of us, we became aware that there
was an unnecessary number of bullets fly-
ing about, and that out fellows in front
were being held up.
The village was held by the 12th Brigade
114 THE DOINGS OF THE
(4th Division), and the 14th Brigade was
somewhere on our right. The Dorsets were
out leading battalion, and they werc pushed
on fo help the 12th, and filled a gap in
their line on thc hill above the village front
af the eastern end. But there we stuck
for a long rime. The enemy's artillery had
meanwhile opened on us, and shells began
fo crash overhead and played the devil with
thc files and the houses. But they did hOt
do us much harm.
We now received orders to move on to
Missy (hot a mîle off to the right) and clear
the Chivres ridge of the enemy and push on
fo Conde and take that if possible--rather
a "large order." The difficulty was fo get
fo Missy, for the road thither was spattered
with bullets, and shells were bursting ail
along if. However, by dint of careful work
we moved out bit by bit, cutting through
the gardens and avoiding the road, and
taking advantage of a slight slope in the
ground by which we could sneak to the
far side of the little railway embankment
which led fo Missy Station.
If took a long rime, and I ruade what
proved to be the serious mistake of stay-
ing fo the end in order fo see the whole
FIFTEENTI[ [NFANTRY BRIGADE l l5
Brigade clcar of Sainte Ma,rguerite. I ought
really to have gonc ahead with thc first
l)arty to reconnoitre; for just as we were
starting aftcr the rear company I stopped
to write a message to the Division in answer
fo one which had just arrived, and af that
moment a hellish shrapnel, machine-gun, and
rifle tire was opened, hot only on the village
but on ail the exits therefrom, and this tire
lasted for nearly two hours. Ont simply
could hot make the attempt; if would
have been certain death. And so we had
fo sit in the tiny courtyard of one of the
houses, with our backs against the wall,
and listen to the inferno overhead, whilst
the proprietor's wife plied us with most
acceptable roast potatoes and milk.
I wrote a lot of messages during those
two hours, but whether they ail got through
or hot I do hot know: some of the mcs-
sengers never came back. Colonel Seely
turned up at one moment -- from Gencral
Headquarters, I thinkmdemanding informa-
tion. This I supplied, and ruade use of him
to take some of my orders back; if really
was quite a new sensation giving orders to
a recent Secretary of State for War.
Af one rime two or three artillery waggons
116 THE DOINGS OF THE
appeared in the little main street and re-
mained thcrc quietly for a bit under a
heavy tire, but only losing a man or two
slightly wounded. Then suddenly there was
a loud crack overhead, and half a dozen
horses were lying struggling and kicking
on the ground, with great pools of blood
forming in the road and four or rive pros-
trate men in them. If was a horrible sight
for us, for the shell had burst just opposite
the gare of our courtyard. But the gunners
behaved magnificently, and a farrier sergeant
gave out his orders as quietly and uncon-
cerncdly as if he had been on parade. I
took his naine with a view fo recommenda-
tion, but regret that I have forgotten if
by now.
We also had some very unpleasant shaves
af this rime in out own courtyard. Twice
did a shell burst just above the house and
drive holes in the roof, bringing down
showers of files; the second rime practlcally
ail the files fell on me and nearly knocked
me down. I do not know why they did
hot hurt me more--luckily the house was a
low one; but they merely bruised my back.
Af last, in a lull, we managcd to get away,
and sneaked out af a run--through a yard
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 117
and back garden, behind a farm, out at the
back behind a fold in the ground, then across
a wide open field and on fo the low railway
embankment, behind whîch we ducked, and
ruade out way to the little station of Missy
and up behind some scattered houses to near
the church.
Here, after some trouble, we got the
commanding oflïcers together, and arranged
to push on and attack the wooded ridge
above the town. The force was rather
mixed. I had met Rolt (commanding the
14th Brigade) on the way, and we had
settled that I should collect whatever of
his men I could get together in Missy and
join them to my attacking party. The
diflïculty was that it was already getting
late--4.30 P.M.--and that there was insuffi-
cient rime for a thorough reconnaissance,
though we did what we could in that direc-
tion. However, my orders from the Divi-
sional Commander had been fo take the
ridge, and I tried to do it. I had got to-
gether three companies of the Norfolks,
three of the Bedfords, two Cheshires (in
reserve), two East Surreys (14th Brigade),
and two Cornwalls (13th Brigade, who had
arrived vid the broken bridge af Missy and
118 THE DOINGS OF THE
some rafts hastily constructed there)--twelve
companies altogether.
But when they pushed forward it became
very difiïcult, for there turned out tobe too
many men for the space. What I had not
known was that, though they could advance
up a broad clearing to more than half-way
up the hill, this clearing was bounded on
both flanks, as if gradually drew to a point,
by high 6-feet wire netting just inside the
wood, so that the men could not get properly
into the wood, but were gradually driven in
towards the point, where the only entrance
to the wood occurred.
Luckily the Germans had hot noticed this
either--or there would bave been many
more casualties than there were. As it was,
a company of the East Surrey and another
one (Allason's) of the Bedfords did ge
through to the top of the wood and on to
the edge of the open plateau; but this I
did not hear of till later. When the greater
part of the force had got through the open-
ing into the wood they found a few Germans
there and drove them back, killing some.
Then they surged on fo a horse-shoe-shaped
road further on in the wood, and some men
lost their direction and began firing in front
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 119
of them af what they thought were Germans.
But they were others of our own, and these
began firing back, also without knowing that
they were their friends. Consequently, al-
though casualties were few, an unpleasant
situation arose, and numbers of men turned
about and retired down the hill into Missy,
saying th,t our artillery was firing into
them. This may bave been truc, for some
shells were bursting over the wood; but
whether they were English or German I do
hot know fo this day.
Anyhow, the stream of men coming back
increased. They fell back into the village,
and then came some certainly German
shells after them. For an unpleasant
quarter of an hour the little sloping village
of Missy was heavily shelled by shrapnel;
but the walls of the houses were thick, and
though of course there were a certain
number of casualties, they were hot serious
as long as the men kept close to the south
side of the walls. Beilby (our Veterinary
oicer) for some reason would keep to the
wrong side of the street and was very nearly
killed, the fuse of a shell landing with a
whump on a door not two feet in front of
him, and a shrapnel bullet going through
120 THE DOINGS OF THE
his skirt pocket; but he was hot touched.
The shrapnel were in bursts of four, and
luckily Moulton-Barrett noticed if, for he
cahnly held up the stream of men till the
fourth shell had burst, and then let as many
as possible past the open space there till
the ncxt bunch arrived, when he stopped
them behind cover,--just like a London
policcman directing traffic.
I remember one man falling, as we
thought dead, close to where the Staff were
standing. But he groaned, and Weatherby
ran to pick him up. There was, however,
no wound of any sort on him, and after a
minute he got up and went on. I think he
must have been knocked down by the
wind of a shell--for he certainly was as
much astonished as we were af finding no
damage on himself.
By this time I had given orders that the
troops were fo retire to their previous
positions in and near the village, and if was
getting dusk.
Luard (Norfolks) and a party of twenty-
rive men were well ahead in the wood, and
received the order fo retire, for Luard was
heard shouting it to his men. But nothing
has since been heard of him, and I much
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 121
regret to say that he was either t,ken
prisoner with most of his men, or, more
probably, killed.
A message now came down from the
plateau saying that some East Surreys and
Bedfords were still up in the wood, and
should they retire or hold on? As it was
nearly dark and I consequently could not
support them--for if the men could not get
through the wire-netting in daylight they
could hardly do so ai night--I told them
to retire. I gave this order after I had
consulted Rolt, who was somewhere west
of the village; but even if Rolt had not
been there I should have given it, for it
would have been impossible to reinforce
them adequately in the circumstances.
So I issued orders for an early recon-
naissance and attack next morning, fo be
led by the Norfolks ; and the troops covered
their front with sentries and bivouacked
in and round the village. We were all
short of food that night, for none of our
supply carts, and not even a riding-horse,
had corne with us. But all or most of the
men had an "iron ration" on them, and
this they consumed, with the "unexpired"
portion of their previous day's ration.
122 THE DOINGS OF THE
T|Ie Bedfords too] up their position along
the railway to the west, Cheshires on the
right, Norfolks right front of village,
D.C.L.I. left front.
As for the Staff, we retired fo a farm
called La Bizaie, three-quarters of a toile
south of Missy, and close to the river, and
took up our quarters there. There was
hOt a whole pane of glass in the house, for
if had been heavily bombarded--being
empty, except for a few wounded--during
the day, and great craters had been formed
close by the walls by the Black Marlas. But
except atone corner of the roof of an out-
house, no damage had been done fo the
buildings--except the broken glass.
If was a very old farmhouse, as we round
out afterwards, part of if dating back fo
1200 and something. Curiously enough,
there was a photograph of an English
Colonel (of the R.A.M.C.) on the sideboard--
a friend, so the farm servants told us, of
the owner, whose naine I have forgotten.
The buildings were very superior fo the
ordinary farm type, and more like a com-
fortable country house than one would ex-
pect, but there were plenty of barns as well,
and some pigs and chickens running about.
We bought, murdered, and are an elderly
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 123
chiekcn, but otherwise there was devilish
little fo eat except a store of jam, and we
had only a very few biscuits and no bread.
Sept. 15th.
After writlng out ordcrs for thc attack
next day we went fo bed, dog-tired; and
81zai Chassem_y
I was routed out again at 12.45 A.M. by
Malise Graham, who had corne with a
message from the Divisional Commander
that he wanted to see me at once af the
broken bridge at Missy, a mlle off through
long wct grass in pitch darkness. If was
124 THE DOINGS OF THE
hOt good "going," but we got there eventu-
ally and crossed the river, sliding down steep
slippery banks into a punt, ferried across,
and up the other side. Cuthbert eventually
turned up from somewhere, and we had
a pow-wow in the dark, resulting in fresh
ordcrs being given for the morrow's work.
This involved new orders being written,
and it was 4 A.M. by the rime we turned
in again for an hour's sleep.
A careful reconnaissance was ruade by
Done and some other Norfolk officers as
soon as if was light; but the result was
hot promising. Fresh German trenches
had been dug commanding the open space,
and more wire had been put up during the
night.
The Norfolks were told off fo lead the
assault, with the Bedfords in support and
the Cheshires in reserve. The Dorsets were
still above Sainte Marguerite, helping the
12th Brigade, and were hot available.
We began by shelling that horrible
Chivres Spur, but if produced little effect,
as the Germans were in the wood and
invisible. The Norfolks pushed on, but
gradually came fo a standstill in the wood,
and the day wore on with littlc result,
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 125
for the wood was desperately blind, and we
were being heavily shelled at ail points.
The Brigade staff sat under a hedge half-
way between La Bizaie farm and Missy;
but iL was hot a very happy place, for the
big shells fell nearer and nearer till we had
fo make a more forward ata run for the
shelter of a big manurc-heap. But even
here the Black Marias round us out, and
two of them fcll within a few yards, thcir
explosion covering us with dirt. We were
also in view of German snipers half-way
up the hill, and bullets came thick whenevcr
wc showed a cap or a leg beyond the muck-
heap, which, besides being distinctly unswcct,
was covered with disgusting-looking flics in
large numbers.
Itowever, there we had to stay most of
the day. The village of Missy was inter-
mittently shelled by some huge howitzers,
and bunches of their shells blew up several
bouses and nearly demolished the church,
a fine old 14th century building. A few
Norfolks were buried or killed by the falling
houses, but otherwise extraordinarily little
damage was done, and most of thc shells
fell in he open, where there was nobody
worth mentioning.
126 THE DOINGS OF THE
Af 3 l'.M. I got a summons fo go fo Rolt
at his farm just outside Sainte Marguerite;
«md a most unpleasing journey it was for
Weatherby and me. We separated, going
across the open plough and cabbage ficlds,
but snipers were on us the whole rime, and
scveral rimes missed us by only a few inches.
We must bave offered very sporting targets
fo the Germans on the hill, for we ran ail
the way, and--I speak for myself--we got
cxtremely hot.
I sprinted a good 400 yards under tire for
the shelter of a thick hedge, and when I got
there round fo my disgust there was a young
river fo be got over before I could reach the
cover. However, I squirmed along a fallen
bough and struggled through the fence--
fo find myself face fo face with Bols and
his Dorsets, whom he was bringing along
fo hold the line of the fence. This gave a
certain "moral relief," and from there if
was easier going fo Rolt's farm, ai1 except
one point where the railway cut through
a hedge and crossed the stream. On this
point a German machine-gun had been laid,
and fo cross if with a whole skin one had
fo hurry a bit. Our Brigade machinc-gun
oflîcer, young D-- of the Bedfords, was
FIFTEENTI[ INFANTRY BRIGADE 127
subsequcntly hit hero, in the back, bll lier
vcry seriously.
I conccrtcd measures with Rolt for hold-
ing the line Missy-Sainte Marguerite, and we
began te dig in places. But at 7.40
came orders for the 15th Brigade te evacuate
the north bank vid a new bridge near the
old raft one where we had crossed; se we
issued fresh orders about the 14th Brigade
taking over out line, and prepared for
other night march,--no sleep again.
I forger te mention that out horses had
arrived at La Bizaie early that morning,
having crossed by the raff bridge the day
before. Silver as usual ruade a desperate
fuss, and was eventually knocked into thc
river by a mule who was crossing with him.
Ite swam up and down the river for twenty-
rive minutes, refusing te corne out--poor
Catley in desperation ail the rime. But he
was eventually hauled out, with my saddle
and bags, of course, sopping wet. His stable
shed was also shelled heavily during the day,
but strange te say none of the horses or
grooms were touched.
If poured in buckets that night; and as
the Bedfords were streaming past the farm
in the dark about 11 P.M. a terrific tire
128 THE DOINGS OF THE
brokc out from the direction of Missy, ac-
companied by German flarelights and search.
lights. The word went round that if was a
German counter-attack, and we tan out and
halted the Bedfords and put them into some
tronches covering the farm. But if turned
out fo be a false alarm; for the Germans,
hcaring troops moving in the dark, thought
that they were going fo be attacked, and
opcncd a heavy tire on Missy, whilst the
14th Brigade and the remainder of our men
still there replicd fo if. If eventually died
dovn, and we resumed our march in pitch
darkness and mud up to the men's knees
in the water meadows by the river.
Sept. 16th.
The Cheshires came last, and we of the
Brigade Staff followed them af 4 A..
through dripping fields and criss-cross hedges,
coming across the Scottish Rifles lying
asleep near the pontoon bridge. They
belonged to the 19th Brigade, but where
the rest of the Brigade was I do hot know.
On the other side of the river we found
thc Divisional Commander with a few of
his staff. If was beastly cold and just
getting light, about 5 A.M., and why Sir
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 129
Charles should be standing there I could
not at first make out. ttowever, it turned
out that he had corne down from Serches,
being somewhat anxious as fo what might
be happening on the other side of the riv
--with considerable justification, for if we
had been driven back on to the one bridge
which crossed the river we might have
been in o parlous state.
Hall an hour later we arrived in Jury,
a tidy little village in and round which
most of the Brigade was already billeting,
and here, in a nice little house, belonging
to a worthy old couple, we took our rest,
thankful for a little peace and some sleep
af last.
And here we stayed for a week.
Not that if was all beer and skittles even
then. The 14th Brigade was still holding
Missy over the river, and there were some
serious alarms on one or two nights, neces-
sitating troops being sent down to the river
at Rupreux, in case they were wanted.
Shells fell near Jury for a day or two,
but they gradually died away, until some
heavy guns of the 4th Division were brought
up close by and began banging away again
at the Chivres heights and beyond. Quite
I
130 THE DOINGS OF THE
unnecessary we thought them, for they not
only ruade a hideous noise day and night,
but the enemy began searching for them
with Black Marias, some of which fcll un-
pleasantly close fo us.
If was a pretty little valley with wooded
hills, running northwards fo the Aisne, and
on our right was a big plateau with huge
hay-stacks dotted about the corn-fields,
which served as excellent observing stations
for our artillery, of which by this rime we
had a vast mass. The other (north) bank
of the Aisne was clearly visible from here--
in fact from the top of the biggest hay-
stack there was a regular panorama fo be
seen, from the twin towers of Soissons
Cathedral on the left fo the enemy's
trenches above Vailly aud bcyond--a
beautiful landscape typical of La Belle
France, even fo the rows of poplars in the
distance, marking the Routes Nationales
from Soissons fo other places of distinction.
Our business was to hold the line of the
river by digging a line of trenches from
Sermoise fo near Venizel, and fo cover
them with a line of outposts day and
night. This took about four companies,
and the rest were engaged in digging an-
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 131
other series of trenches on the plateau as
a supporting line fo the first, flanking the
Jury Valley on one side and the ruins of
Sermoise and Ciry on the other. This was
really the first serious digging of trenches
we had had during the campaign, and I
remember, in the light of after experiences,
how futile they must have been af the
rime, for they were nothing like as deep
as we subsequently found to be necessary,
nor had they any wire entanglements or
obstacles worth mentioning. However, I
expect that the French improved them
greatly during the subsequent winter.
Sermoise had been desperately shelled;
there were no inhabitants left, and practi-
cally every house was a heap of ruins;
but though our outposts in front of it
could hot have been seen through the
woods, the Germans continued to shell it
most viciously.
On the right of Sermoise was the 13th
Brigade, extended towards the 3rd Division,
which had crossed the river ai Vailly and
was holding the slopes above it. I believe
the 13th had a poor rime of if, for they
were scattered over open ground and in
small woods which vere perpetually being
132 THE DOINGS OF THE
shelled, and they had, besides, fo find a
battalion or so fo help the 14th Brigade in
Missy.
On our left we joincd hands with the 4th
Division, most of whom were on thc othcr
bank, running from St Marguerite west-
wards; on their left were, I believe, the
French, in and round Soissons.
If was a nice rime for the Artillery; for
guns were there in la'ge numbers, and they
had some good targets fo shoot af, over
Vregny and Chivres way, in the shape of
the enemy's batteries and lines, when they
could be seen.
The weather was mostly fine during that
week, but there were two horridly cold
days on which the tain came down in
torrents, and did hot help us in our en-
trenching tasks.
Af. last came the day which I had been
expecting for some rime; and I was ordered
fo send the Dorsets across, fo begin reliev-
ing the 14th Brigade near Missy.
Sept. 24th.
They left on the 23rd, and on the 24th
the Bedfords went over, preceded by the
Brigade Staff af 2.30 P.M. The Norfolks
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 133
had been sent off three days before to
strengthen the 3rd Division, so I had only
three battalions, and of these the Cheshires
were very weal. However, the K.O.Y.L.I.
and West Kents (of the 13th Brigade),
already holding the eastern edge of Missy,
were put under my orders, besides the 15th
Brigade R.F.A. under Charles Ballard (a
cousin of Colin's 1), and a Howitzer Battery
(61st) of Duffus's 8th Brigade.
Weatherby and I walled across to Rolt's
farm, across a series of big fields, with only
an occasional bullet or shell pitching in the
distance. Lord, what a poor place if was;
Rolt and his staff had lived there for the
last week, all lying together on straw in
one or two rooms : if must have been most
uncomfortable. The windows towards the
north-east had been plugged up with sand-
bags, so that the rooms were very dark,
and the floors were deep in caked mud and
dirt of all sorts. The only attraction in
the main room was a big open fireplace
with a huge sort of witches' cauldron
standing over the hot ashes, and this was
most useful in providing us with hot baths
later on.
Commanding the Norfolks.
134 THE DOINGS OF THE
Sept. 25th.
Rolt explained his position and the places
which the different battalions were occupy-
ing; but beyond an occasional bombard-
ment of Missy and losses from German
snipers in trees and elsewhere, he had hOt
suffered overmuch. However, he and his
Brigade were hOt sorry to leave, and leave
they did af 4 A.. next morning. The
avkward part of if was that one could
never go out in the daytime, as the road
in front of the farm leading towards Missy
was under perpetual rifle-fire directly any
one showed up, and several holes had been
ruade in the farmyard gare, windows, and
walls, not fo mention bits of the roof taken
off by shrapnel. Why they did hot shell
the farm more I cannot conceive. Perhaps
the enemy thought if was deserted, but
whilst we were there no shells fell xvithin
a couple of hundred yards of if, though
some were pitched well over if, and ex-
ploded 500 yards fo the rear.
I had gone fo see the Dorsets and 13th
Brigade in Missy on the evening before, and
found them fairly wcll ensconced. The
Dorsets were in Missy itself, with their
headquarters in a really nice house with
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 135
carpets tnd big shaded lamps, and a cellar
full of excellent wine, and a nice garden
all complete, and charming bedrooms--ln-
finitely superior fo our pig-sty of a farm.
I seriously thought of turning them out
and taking the house for the Brigade Staff,
especially as our farm was hot af ail central
but quite on the lef of our line; but ail
our cable-lines converged on fo the farm,
and, in addition, the Dorset bouse would
hve been impossible fo get out of for
further control if Missy were shelled; so
I settled fo remain af the farm. The 13th
Brigade--i.e., K.O.Y.L.I. and West Kents,
were further on, the K.O.Y.L.I. on the
eastern outskirts, and the West Kents in
trenches beyond them. The K.O.S.B.'s were
still further south-eastwards, and reached
back fo the river, but there were only one
or two weak companies of them.
Before dawn, and just after Rolt had
left, I went to inspect the Bedfords' position,
which was close fo Rolt's farm, in the wood
in front of it, and a beastly position it was.
The wood was very damp, and when one
tried fo dig trenches one struck water only
a foot below ground, so most of the line
had fo be made of breast-works. There
136 THE DOINGS OF THE
were German trenches within 20 yards of
our advanced trench there, and ours was
remarkably badly situated and liable fo
be rushed af a moment's notice; yet if was
impossible from the lie of the ground to dig
suitable ones unless we retired altogether
for 200 yards, which of course was out of
the question. So we chanced it and stuck
it out, and luckily were never attacked
there. The men suffered there from damp
and cold, I'm afraid, for every mornng a
wet and freezing fog arose in the wood,
although the weather was clear elsewhere;
but it could hot be helped.
We stayed in Rolt's farm and in the
positions descrbed for just a week. On one
day, the 27th, we had a false alarm, for
the enemy was reported as crossing the
Condé bridge ai 4 _.M. in large numbers,
and everybody was af once on the qui vive,
the Cheshires, who were in bivouac behind
Rolt's farm, being sent back (by Sir C.
Fergusson's orders) to Rupreux, the other
side of the river. We rather doubted the
news from the start, as the Condé bridge
had, we knew, been blown up, and there
was only one girder left, by which a few
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 137
men af a rime could conceivably have
crossed; but the information was so cir-
cumstantial that if sounded possible. Even-
tually it turned out all fo be owing fo the
heated imagination of a Hibernian patrol
officer of the Vest Kents, and we turned
in again.
Missy was shelled particularly heavily
that day from 10 fo 6, and if was painful
to watch great bouquets of 8-in. tt.E. shells
exploding in the village, and whole houses
coming down with a crash; if seemed as
though there must be frightfully heavy
casualties, and I trembled in anticipation
of the casualty return that nght.
But the Dorsets and K.O.Y.L.I. had dug
themselves in so thoroughly in deep funk-
holes and cellars that they did hOt have
a single casualty; and literally the only
men wounded were three K.O.S.B.'s and
six West Kents outside the village in a
trench, who were hit by about the last
shell of the day; whilst a Bedford sniper,
an excellent shot, one Sergeant Hunt, un-
fortunately got a bullet through two fingers
of his right hand.
During that week it was moderately quiet,
138 THE DOINGS OF THE
with nothing like so many casualties as we
had expected. Our supply waggons rolled
up after dark right into Missy village and
never lost a man, whilst the village was so
thoroughly barricaded and strengthened and
scientifically defended--mostly Dorset work
--that we could have held out against any
number. The sappers too, 17th Co. R.E.,
worked like Trojans under young Pottinger,
a most plucky and capable youth wearing
the weirdest of clothes--a short and filthy
mackintosh, ragged coat and breeches, and
a huge revolver. 1
Ve put Rolt's farm and the mill (between
tlmt and Missy) and La Bizaie farm in a
thorough state of defence, and dug hundreds
of yards of trenches. In fact we should
have welcomed an infantry attack, but if
never came--only artillery long bowls.
In this the two howitzer batteries,
especially Wilson's 61st, were splendid, and
spotted and knocked out gun after gun of
the enemy. He had an observing station
half-way up the bill above Ste. Marguerite,
to which I went occasionally, with a grand
view up fo Vregny and Chivres; but even
' I grieve very much to see that he was fat,lly wounded
outside Ypres (15th May 1916).
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 139
here, although the O.P. was beautifully
concealed, one had fo be careful not fo
show a finger or a cap, for the German
snipers in the wood below were excellent
shots, and there were some narrow escapes.
The worst of it was that we could take
very little exercise. I used fo go out nearly
every morning before sunrise fo visit the
posts, but xvas often surprised by the sun
before I'd finished my rounds, and had fo
bolt back under fire; and after sunset I'd
go round fo Missy, &c., and visit the troops
there. Otherwise, we could hOt go out af
all in tlle daytime--it was nluch too "un-
healtlly,"--and what with numerous meals
and little movement we grew disgustingly
fat. I put in a lot of rime drawing careful
maps of the position.
The farm itself was cleaned up from roof
fo cellar by Moulton-Barrett and his myr-
midons, but if was hOt perfect af first. My
bed was a mass of stale blood-stains from
the wounded who had lain there before we
came, and St André, whose bed was hot of
the cleanest and exuded an odd and un-
pleasing smell, routed about below if, and
extracted the corpse of a hen, which must
have been there for ten days af least.
140 THE DOINGS OF THE
We cleaned up the farmyard too--it was
perfectly foul when we came--but we could
hot show much even there, although the
gare vas always kept closed, for any sign of
lire was generally greeted with a bullet. A
man got one through the knee when just
outside it, and the gare itself had several
holes through it. The Bedfords used to send
a company at a rime there for hot tea in the
mornings and evenings, for they could not
light rires where they were, and shivered
accordingly.
Many were the schemes for improving
their wood-trenches; and at last Orlebar
(killed later near Wulverghem), who had
been a civil engineer, drew up an arrange-
ment for flooding the wood and retiring to a
more satisfactory line. But before it could
be put into practice we got orders to retire,
and for the 12th Brigade on our left to
relieve us.
This meant, of course, thinning the line
terribly, and we were, with the 12th Brigade,
somewhat nervous about it, for we did not
know what it portended. But we got away
during the night in perfect safety; for
although there was a full moon there was
also a thlck mist, and the Germans never
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 141
seemed to notice the noveinent, which
required most careful staff work on the
part of both Brigades.
Cuthbert, seedy, was relieved by Hickie in
command of the 13th Brigade to-day.
Oct. 2nd.
By some rime in the early morning of the
2nd October--l.40 A.i. it was, fo be accurate
--the whole Brigade had got back to Jury,
and there we were told, as usual, that we
were fo rest and recuperate for a week; so
we were not surprised at getting orders in
the afternoon fo more out st 6.30 e.i., our
destination being a place called Droizy. I
hd caught a bad cold that day, due solely, I
believe, to taking a "woolly" into wear for
the first time ; and the cold fog in which we
marched did nothing to improve if. Above
us was a bright clear moon, but the fog
clung heavily to the valleys, and we marched
in it most of the rime. Desperate secrecy
and quiet was observed, for we were evi-
dently doing secret marching af night for
some great object; though what it was we
could only conjecture. But orders came
that for the next few days we were to
march at night, and during the daytime
142 THE DOINGS OF THE
were to lie "doggo" and not show ourselves
for fear of the cnemy's aeroplanes.
We reached Droizy af about 11 l.i, and
there round the Norfolks, who had been
taken away from us af Jury ten days belote
and attached fo the 3rd Division on out
right in the direction of Vailly. Much
pleased we were fo see them again. They
had hOt suffered many casualties, though
they had had a stiff rime at their château
of Chassemy, filling the gap between the
3rd and 5th Divisions, and had been attacked
several rimes.
The Dorsets in arriving here managed fo
take a wrong turn in the village and went
careering off into the fog in the opposite
direction fo where their billets had been told
off for them ; but they were shortly retrieved
and put on the right track. A brigade of
artillery, by the way--I forger which--was
attached fo our brigade area that night, and
distinguished itself next day by taking up a
position in some open fields; which led fo
trouble.
Our headquarters were af a curious old
castle-farm belonging fo one M. Choron,
right in the middle of the village, and looked
after by his father, a vlce-admiral, late a
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 143
director of naval coustruction, a nice old
fellow, who had been brutally treated by thc
Germans in their retreat. There was a very
old tover fo the place, no surroundings
except a farmyard, and a little old kitchen of
most antique aspect, in which we had out
meals.
Oct. 3rd.
For most of the next day we had a good
rest, and I stayed in bed to doctor my cold;
but orders soon came fo move on, and the
Brigade started in the evening for Long
Pont, a village about t,velve toiles off,
gettlng there about 11. The Divisional
Conmmnder had kindly sent a motor-car
for me ; and Done, of the Norfolks (who was
also rather seedy), and Tandy, R.A., a person
of large kno,vledge and always interesting,
accompanied me; so we arrived af Long
Pont a long rime ahead of the troops.
A great big château was gleaming in the
moonlight as we drove up, and I determined
that we should spend the night there, in
spire of the fact that the Divisional staff had
also that intention. But when I introduced
myself fo the proprietor, a courteous and
frail old gentlelnan, the Comte de Montes-
144 THE DOINGS OF THE
quiou-Fezensac, he bewailed the fact that
there was no room available, and this in
spire of the fact that there were dozens of
big windows outside, and long corridors in-
side, with hcaps of rooms opening off them.
A visit to the village in search of a
lodging revealed its true state--i.e., that if
was choke-full and dirty. But even then it
required a good deal of persuasion before
the old gentleman af last grasped the fact
that I was not demanding twenty bedrooms,
but only one or two empty rooms in which
twenty men could lie for the night. Then
he kindly produced mattresses and straw, and
all was well. As for myself, he was good
enough to lead me to the chamber of lais late
mother, a curious little room with a four-
poster and locks and hasps and cupboards of
Louis XIII. rimes, and bundles of magnifi-
cent old embroideries. As for washing ap-
paratus--that also was almost of that date.
iext day, being Sunday, we had Divine
Service in the ruins of a grand old four-
teenth-century abbey which adjoined the
chïteau--wrecked in the French Revolution
and agaln in 1830. The park also was most
attractive, rather of the Trianon surround-
ings style; but several brigades of artillery
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 145
which had to be tucked away under the
trees for fear of aeroplanes rather spoilt
the turf, I fear. We did, of course, as little
d,magc as we could, and after a friendly
farewell fo the old couple I drove off, again
in a motor, with Henvey (A.P.M. of 5th
Division), and preceded the Brigade fo a
place called Pontdron. Here I arrived af
10 P..; but the Brigade, which had been
heavily held up by French troops on the
march, did hot turn up till nearly 4 A.i.
Meanwhile I amused myself by getting
the château ready. It had, of course, been
occupied by Germans, and, equally of course,
it had been ransacked and partly wrecked
by them--though a good deal of furniture
had been left. There were even candles
and oil-lamps available, and of these we
ruade full use, as well as of the bedrooms.
I chose the lady's (Comtesse de Coupigny,
with husband in the 21st Dragoons) bedroom.
The counterpane was full of mud and sand,
through some beastly German having slept
on it without taking his boots off, but there
was actually a satin coverlet left, and
pillows. All the stud- and jewellery-cases
had been opened and their contents stolen,
and Madame de C.'s writing-table had also
K
146 THE DOINGS OF THE
been forced open, and papers and the con-
tents of the drawers scattered on the floor.
Other unmentionable crimes had also been
committed.
Here we stayed for nearly two days,
cleaning up the château, picking up a lot of
stores in the shape of boots and caps and
clothing of all sorts--not fo mention some
heavy mails from home,--and actually play-
ing lawn-tennis. Af least I played with
Cadell two sers, each winning one, on a
sand court with an improvised net, and
racquets and balls somewhat the worse for
wear, with a lovely big hot bath to follow.
It was gradually borne in on us that we
were going tobe moved off by train to take
part in a different theatre of the fighting
altogether; but where we should find our-
selves we had hot the least idea. What
caused us much joy to hear was that we
had intercepted a German wireless message,
two days after four out of the six Divisions
had left the Aisne, to say that if was "ail
right, ail six British Divisions were still on
the Aisne !"
Oct. 6th.
On the 6th we moved off at 2.15 l.i, and
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 147
pushed on to Béthisy St Pierre, where the
Bedfords and Norfolks and ourselves hMted,
whilst the Dorsets and Cheshires pushed
on to Verberies, so as fo save rime for the
entraining on the morrow. We got our
rime-table that night, and round that we
were fo entrain af four stationsJi.e.,
Compiègne, Le Meux, Longueil Ste. Marie,
and Pont Sainte MaxenceJon the following
day. Very careful arrangements and cal-
culations had fo be made, so that the whole
thing should go without a hitch, and we
sat up for some rime af the Convent, a sort
of educational establishment where Brigade
Headquarters was quartered, making out
the orders.
A "Brigade Area" command was allotted
fo me, including, besides my own Brigade,
the 8th Brigade R.F.A. (howitzers), 59th
Co. R.E., 15th Field Ambulance, and 4th Co.
of 5th Div. Train.
Oct. 7 th.
Then off af 5 A.M. next morning, ourselves
for Pont Ste. Maxence. Major Vandeleur
of the Scottish Rifles had just arrived to
take command of the Cheshires, who had
had nothing but a captain fo command them
148 TtIE DOINGS OF THE
since Lt.-Col. Boger vas taken prisoner on
the 24th August. He seemed fo me a first-
rate sensible fellow, but we were hOt
destined fo keep him for long.
As the Brigade was still rather short of
socks, I bought as many as I could here for
the men, but hOt many were available. It
was a nice little town with a blown-up stone
bridge, but the French R.E. had already
constructed another of wood.
The French entraining orders are that
all troops have to be af the station four
blessed hours before the train starts, so as
fo give rime to load up properly. We thus
arrived af 8, and did hOt start till 12; but
the actual entraining of the Cheshires--
the only battalion with Brigade Head-
quarters--took only one hour and a quarter,
--not bad af all considering that there were
no ramps or decent accessories, and all the
vehicles had fo be man-handled into the
trucks.
There were two sorts of trains -- one
mostly for men, the other mostly for horses
and vehicles; but although they were very
long--thirty-four to forty cars if I remember
right--they were not quite long enough
for us, and several men and vehicles had
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 149
to be left behind and brought on by other
trains, resulting in slight incompleteness for
a few days.
We rapidly reached Creil, vhere we were
to get our final orders. Vhat on earth
would our destination be? Rumour had
it that we should go to Calais, or even to
Bruges; but we had no such journey after
all, for we were only intended to go to
Abbeville as it turned out--rather a dis-
appointment, as we hoped it would be
further afield.
Abbeville--a two hours' journey as a rule
in peace time--was not reached till 8 1..,
although we were due there at 6.3 1.. We
halted by the way, for hall an hour or more,
at Amiens, where we made the acquaintance
of a cheery crowd of "Fusiliers Marins,"
sturdy naval reservists from Normandy and
Brittany, who covered themselves with glory
later on amid the Belgian dunes.
Oct. 8th.
We were not allowed to detrain at Abbe-
ville till 9.30 l.i., as the platforms were
already occupied by other troops. If was
wretchedly cold and pitch-dark by the time
we had got away from the station, and we
150 THE DOINGS OF THE
marched in dead silence through the town
af 12.30 A.M. Nota soul was in the streets,
hot even a policeman from whom to ask the
way, and we nearly lost our direction twice.
Our orders, which we received from Dunlop
(Sth Divisional staff), who was ensconced in
a red-hot waiting-room in the goods yard,
were fo the effect that we were fo billet
near Neuilly, a village about six mlles off.
Done (Norfolks) had been sent ahead on the
previous day fo prepare the billets, but when
we got near the village, after a cold march
with a clear moon, Done was nowhere to be
seen; and I nearly ordered the battalion to
"doss dovn" in the road, as ail the houses
near were full of men of other brigades.
However, Weatherby rode on, and eventu-
ally found Done in bed at the Mairie, he
having been officially told that the Brigade
would not be in till the following day. He
had had a trying rime, having been deposited
by his train af a station about ten mlles off,
and having fo make his way across country
(riding) without a map and with very vague
ideas of where he was fo go. However, he had
already told off billets for all the Brigade
Area, and the troops trickled in independ-
ently by battalions and batteries, arriving
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 151
by different trains and even af different
stations, up fo 10 A.M. in the morning.
I thought if showed distinctly good work
on the part of ail concerned that we con-
centrated our "Brigade Area" so quickly
and without being deficient of anything
except the few vehicles which had perforce
been left behind for want of trucks; but
they turned up ail right a day or two after.
The Brigade staff billeted af the château
(as usual !), a strangely ruined-looking little
place belonging fo the Comte de Belleville,
now af the wars. We turned up there about
4 A.M., and were guided thither by an old
gardener, who thumped af the door and
shouted loudly for "Madame." A woman
soon appeared, and showed us most civilly
fo our rooms--very plain and bare but very
clean. I could hOt quite make her out, for
though she was dressed in the plainest of
print clothes she did hOt talk like a servant
--in fact she talked like a lady; so I put
her down as some relation perhaps who was
helping Mme. de Belleville. But later in the
morning I discovered that she was Madame
la Comtesse herself, who had kindly risen
af that unearthly hour fo let us in, and that
there were no servants in the establish-
152 THE DOINGS OF THE
ment af all except the old gardener and a
nurse.
Our movements were still by way of being
kept a dead secret, so we went off in the
afternoon af 6 P.M., reinforced now by some
divisional cavalry and divisional cyclists.
The road, in the dark, was an extremely
complicated one, as it involved about tventy
turnings and movement along narrow ]anes
with high hedges and big trees, making if
quite impossible fo see for more than a few
yards. So I took the guding of the column
into my own hands, and distributed the rest
of my staff along if fo see that the different
units did hOt miss the way and kept well
closed up. The result was good, and after
5 hours march, vid Agenvilliers and Gue-
schard, we reached the little village of
Bouffiers about 11 P.M. Here, af an odd
little Nouvel Art "Château" -- or rather
small country house, empty of its owners--
belonging fo M. Sagebien, Préfet de Niort,
we of the Brigade staff put up, the rest of
the command being billeted in the tiny
villages lining each bank of the tiny stream
near--I have forgotten ifs naine.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 153
Oct. 9th.
It was a nice sunny day on the morrow,
and we got our orders by midday that we
were to more off af 2 P.M. We wrote out
Brigade orders and prepared to start, when
suddenly post-haste came some orders can-
cclling these, and telling us that we were fo
drop our transport and be moved off at once
in a series of motor-buses fo a place called
Diéval.
And then began a lovely jumble, which
resulted (not our own fault) in getting to
Diéval rather later than we should have
done had we trusted fo our own unaided
powers of locomotion.
We moved off af 2 P.i., only taking blanket-
waggons which were fo dump blankets and
supplies into the buses. These were to have
turned up on the ttaravesnes-Fillièvres road
af 7 1-.M. ; in any case it would have been a
complicated job getting into them in the
dark, but they did not arrive till midnight,
owing fo some mechanical breakdowns in
the column. The first lot of "camions"
were to have taken six battalions--i.e., the
14th Brigade, which was just ahead of us,
and half of the 15th Brigade. But when
they did arrive, there were only enough for
154 THE DOINGS OF THE
three and three-quarter battalions; so we
bivouacked in more or less peace by the
roadside until this bunch had moved off and
returned from Diéval fo fetch us. Horribly
cold if was too, and we only kept moder-
ately warm by pulling down several straw
stacks--which we carefully put together
again next day--and covering ourselves up
in the straw.
I had, by the way, an extremely narrow
escape from being killed that night. I had
been lying down just off the road, when it
struck me that I should find out more of
what was happening and going to happen
if I went to the head of the camion column
and interviewed the officer in charge. It
was a tramp of a mlle or more through the
ltth Brigade, and I found out something
of what I wanted; but when I returned fo
the bivouac I heard that, not two minutes
after I had started, a motor-bus had swerved
off the road and passed exactly over the
place where my head had been. It very
nearly went over St André and Moulton-
Barrett, who were lying a few feet away,
as it was. Of course the driver could hot
see any one lying down in the dark.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 155
Oct. l Oth.
Next morning we had breakfast ai 7.30
in the field, and still the buses had not
returned. We waited in that place till
11 o'clock before they turned up, and then
clambered into them as quickly as we
could--twenty-two men to a bus, sixteen
buses to 300 metres being the allowance.
Even then we had to leave about two
battalion behind for a third trip.
I got into the first bus--a very fast one,
--and reached Diéval solne rime belote the
rest of the Brigade; but there was no room
in the tovn for another Brigade, as it was
already full of the 14th.
I went fo see Rolt, and got into telephone
communication with Divisional Headquarters
on the subject, and they gave lne leave fo
billet at La Thieuloye, one and a half mlles
back and off the road. So W. and I walked
back and turned the buses off there just
as they were arriving.
A curious sight were the hundreds, or
even thousands, of French civilians whom
we met--all men of military age, whom the
French Army was sending away westwards
out of Lille; for it was likely that Lille
would shortly be invested by the Germans,
156 THE DOINGS OF THE
and they did not want this large batch of
recruits and reservists to be interned in
Germany.
The rest of the Brigade--transport, horses,
and all--rolled up by 6 P.M., the horses being
very tired after their long night march.
From what I could gather German cavalry
was trying to get round our north-west flank,
whilst a big fight was going on at Arras.
Lille, with a few Territorial battalions in
if, was still holding out, but was surrounded
by the enemy. Hence the hurry. But we
ought fo have plenty of troops now fo keep
the Germans off. If was very puzzling fo
make out what was happening, for we had
hot even the vaguest idea where the rest
of our own Army was, let alone the French
or Germans. Nobody seemed fo know any-
thing, except that we should probably soon
be fighting again.
Our quarters that night were a horrid
little ch£teau--empty, damp, and desolate,
in a deserted wilderness of a place, with no
furniture except some straw, a mattress or
two, and some packing-cases. So here we
tried fo make ourselves comfortable, and
succeeded in lighting a tire and settling
down. But it was beastly cold and damp.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 157
Oct. 11th.
We marchcd af 7.20 A.i. in a thick damp
mist, myself being in charge of the right
column of the Division, consisting of the
Brigade, the 15th Brigade R.F.A., 108th
heavy battery (under Tyrrell, late Military
Attaché af Constantinople), 17th R.E. Fd.
Co., and cyclists (who, by the way, did
not turn up, having been sent ahead). On
the way to Béthune we were evidently
coming into touch with the enemy, for I
received orders fo detach two companies
(Cheshires) fo our right flank af Fonquières_
Verquin fo support the French. But they
returned in the course of the afternoon, not
being wanted.
Outside Béthune we halted for some rime,
and were regaled vith soup and pears by
some hospitable ladies af luncheon-time.
And then we received orders fo push through
the town and cover if along the bend of
the canal and across the arc of if (from
Essars due east) with three battalions, the
Norfolks being sent away fo the east fo
help the French about Annequin.
If was perfectly fiat country and difficult
fo defend, as if was so cut up by high hedges
and suburbs; but I went round if in the
158 THE DOINGS OF THE
afternoon, inspected it carefully, and posted
the battalions. Tovards evening, however,
we had orders fo fall back into the town
--the French taking over the outposts--and
billet there, our Headquarters being in the
Grande Placc--a large square with a curious
old belfry in the middle--at a vine-shop,
No. 34. Here we were vell looked after,
and had each of us a lovely hot bath, pro-
vided by a marvellous system of gas-jets
which heated the water in about rive minutes.
Oct. 12th.
Off eastwards next morning at 8.30 A.M.
through a freezing thick fog--so thick that
one could not see twenty yards in front of
one. The big open space in the town
through which we passed was occupied
with masses of Spahis, Moorish troops, and
Algerians of all sorts, looking miserably cold
in their scarlet jackets and white burnouses.
The idea was that we were to push forward
fo Festubert and act as a pivot, with our
right near the canal at Rue de 1 Eplnette,
to the 3rd Division and the remainder of
the Corps, which were swinging slowly
round fo their right so as eventually to
face south-east and take La Bassée.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 159
At first my orders directed me te leave
a gap between myself and the canal, the
gap being filled by French troops; but
shortly afterwards I was told that the
Brigade was te hold frein Festubert te the
canal, relieving the French cavalry here,
who were te hold on till we got there;
and I paid a visit te the French cavalry
General af Gorre te make sure that this
would be done. The line was a horribly
extended one--about two mlles; and the pros-
pect was net entrancing, ttowever, I de-
tached the Dorsets te more along the canal
bank frein Gorre and get touch with the
French. Very glad I was that I had done
se, for they had severe fighting there that
day against a strong force of the enemy,
who tried te get in between us and the
French.
The Bedfords I ordered te hold Givenchy.
The first rumeur was that the French had
evacuated Givenchy before we could corne
up, and that the Germans had occupied if;
but this turned out net te be true after
all. The Cheshires held Festubert, and the
Norfolks were in Divisional reserve some-
where in rear.
Meanwhile the Germans were attacking
160 THE DOINGS OF THE
along the canal; but the Dorsets checked
them nost gallantly, losing poor R0per,
killed in leading a charge, and a number
of men. Lilly was wounded af the saine
rime.
The Headquarters passed most of that day
--and an extremely busy Staff day if was
--in a little pot-house in Festubert, and we
slept in tiny house put at our disposal
by one Masse, gendarme, a gallant old
soldier, who was the only representative
of civilian authority in the place, the
Maire hving bolted, and his second in
command being sick unto death in his own
bouse.
Oct. 13th.
The night went off fairly peaccably, but
early next morning we had a nasty jar,
for if was reported af 8 A.. that Majors
Vandeleur (commanding) and Young (2nd
in command) of the Cheshires, together
with a company and a hall, had all been
ruade prisoners or killed by the Germans
about Rue d'Ouvert. The circumstantial
story was that the early morning patrols
had reported that Rue d'Ouvert (about a
toile in front of Festubert) was free of
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE
Germans; that Vandeleur and Young had
gone out with two platoons fo make sure
of if, had got into Rue d'Ouvert and found
if empty af first, but had becn subsequently
fired af from the houses, surrounded by
superior numbers, and had been taken
prisoners after losing hall their men. As
for Shore's company, who were supporting
them, they had disappeared completely and
had apparently suffered the saine fate.
I immediately sent out scouts fo find out
the truth; but a very heavy tire was by
this rime opened on the remainder of the
Cheshires, and the scouts could not get
through. No further news even came in
of Shore's company, but ve could not
believe that it had really been scuppered,
or else there would have bcen much more
firng, and we must have had some news of
the disaster, if if had occurred.
And so if was. Towards 3 o'clock we had
news that the company was safely tucked
away in some ditchcs, holding ifs front, and
had had practically no losses, although it
could not move out without attracting a
heavy artillery tire.
Not till long afterwards did I hear what
had reaIly happened fo Vandcleur, and then
L
162 TttE DOINGS OF THE
if was from his own lips in January 1915,
he having escaped from Crefeld just before
Christmas. It appeared that he and Young
had gone up with about half a company in
support of some scouts who had reported Rue
d'Ouvert clear. The half company did not,
however, go into Rue d'Ouvert, for they
were violently attacked by superior forces
before they got there. They lost heavily,
but succeeded in getting into a farmhouse,
which they held all day against the enemy,
hoping that we should more out and rescue
them. But we, of course, had been told
circumstantially that they were already
prisoners af 8 A.M., so knew nothlng of if
and took no action.
The enemy set the house on tire, and the
gallant little garrison put if out with wine
from the cellars, for they were cut off
from the water-supply. Their numbers
were reduced fo about thirty, when they
were again attacked in overwhelming force
at 9 P.M., and many of the remainder
(including Vandeleur) wounded. Then there
was no choice, and they surrendered, being
complimented on their gallantry by the
German General in command af La Bassée.
Thcy were thon sent off to Germany vid
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 163
Douai, and were rnost abominably treated
on the journey, wounded and all being
pigged together in a filthy cattle-truck three
inches deep in in,hure for thirty hours with-
out food or water, insultcd and kickcd by
the German escort and a brute of a lieuten-
ant af Douai, and finally sent fo Crefeld,
where they were again ill-treated, starvcd,
and left in tents with no covering--their
greatcoats, and even their tunics, having
been taken away,--nothing tolie on except
dainp and verminous straw, on muddy wet
ground. Many men died oi this treatment.
Thc oiïicers were treated soInewhat better,
but very harshly, and were never given
enough to eat. Vandeleur's escape.is "an-
other story."
That day was a terrible day: Givenchy
was bombarded heavily by the Germans
for hours, and rendcrcd absolutely unten-
able. The Bedfords held out there gallantly,
and stuck to one end of the village whilst
the enemy was in possession of the other;
but the heavy artillery was too much for
them, and after losing about sixty casual-
ries, many oi them killcd by falling houses,
thcy gradually fcll back fo tronches in rear
of the village. Griffith (commanding) and
16.1 TIIE DOINGS OF THE
Macrcady (Adjurant) came to see me about
3 P.M., their clothes and faces a mass of
white dust and plaster, and explained the
situation; but there was nothing to be
done, as we had no reserves, and had fo
stick if out as best we could.
But by far the worst was what happened
to the Dorscts. The account of what
]mpl)enc«l was rather confused, but if ap-
pcars that, depending on thcir lcft being
sul»portcd by the Bcdfords at Givenchy,
and their right by the K.O.S.B.'s (13th
Bt'igade) on the south side of the Canal,
they pushed forward for some distance and
dug themselves roughly in, after driving
the Germans back. Thon suddcnly thcir
front trench was attacked from the left
rear, and a heavy tire pourcd upon their
men as they retired on their supports. They
were also shot down from the embankment
on the south of the Canalfrom just where
they had expccted the K.O.S.B.'s fo be.
At one place about twenty Germans ad-
vanced and held up their hands. The
Dorsets then advanced fo take their sur-
render, when suddenly the twcnty fell
down fiat, and about 100 more who had corne
ch»se up undcr cover of thc ittcident opened
FIFTEENT[I INFANTRY BRIGADE 165
a heavy tire on our nen and killcd lot.
The battalion retired slowly, in admirable
order, fo Pont Fixe and the trenches cover-
ing if, and put a big factory there in a
state of defence. But they had lost very
heavily : thireen officers killed (including
Pitt and Davidson), wounded (including
Bois and Rathbone), and missing; and 112
men killed and wounded, and 284 missing--
most of these, I fear, being killed, for
numbers of bodies were discovered later
on between the lines. Bois was af first
reported killed, but he only had a bullct
through his back, narrowly missing the
spine, and another through his arm. He
fell unseen and had fo be left behind when
the battalion retired, and was found and
stripped of all his kit by the Germans; but
he recovered in the darkness, and managed
fo scramble and crawl back fo thc English
lines. (From here he was sent fo London,
arriving there only two days later.)
We also lost two guns there, which had
been brought up from the 15th R.F.A.
Brigade and could not be got away in rime.
A gallant attempt was ruade by volunteers
fo rccover them next day, but if was use-
less and only cost more lires.
166 THE DOINGS OF THE
The Dorsets as well as the Bedfords also
lost one of their machine-guns. Altogether
if was a damnable day, and we on the
staff wcre also pretty well cxhausted by
the amount of staff work and telegrams
and messages going through all day. The
2nd Devons (or rather two companies of
them) were sent fo the assistance of the
Dorsets in the evening; but if was a diffi-
cult thing fo carry out, as the banks of the
Canal, along which they had fo go, were
sort a,:d boggy, and they had much diflï-
culty in getting their S.A.A. carts along.
Thc Brigade Headquarters withdrew in
the evening from Festubert fo a foul big
farm about hall a toile back. This, from
a particularly offensive big cesspool in the
middlc of the yard, wc labellcd Stink Farm
(if had 1897 in big rcd files on the roof).
If ,vas a beastly place, and W. and I had
to slcep in a tiny room on a couple of beds
which had not seen clean mattresses or
coverings for certainly ten years or more.
There were, however, plcnty of barris and
clcan straw for the men.
Oct. 14th.
The gencral idea vas to continue to push
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 167
3rd Oivn.
Rough Sketch (about I = I mlle)
Qu,nque Rue -
. - " .Rue d" "--,, Rue de Marais
i-" Ouvert. ' Violaine
Stlnk Farm e/Chapelle ........... :ç æ
0 . - - " Festubert , St, Oh
(Norfolks) /
H l 0 l Givenchy '
5wa «Canteleux
:Dorsets
- / RylTrianol¢
çuinchy
: Annequin
Q Verrnell(S
168 TIIE DOINGS OF THE
forxvard, with our right on thc Ctmal, fo
let the 3rd Division swing round. But
though we did our best, we could hot get
forward as long as the 13th Brigade on
out right, on the othcr side of the Canal,
wcre hcld up--for if we advanccd that
would mcrely mcan getting our right flank
exposcd and cnfiladed by thc enemy.
Two more companies of the Devons
arrived, fo support the remains of the
Dorsets, from the 14th Brigade, the bat-
talion being under Lieutenant - Colonel
Gloster. But we could hot do any good,
and except for an immense number of
messages we did little all day. The enemy
was in some strength in our front, but
did not attack.
There was very heavy firing ai 6.30 1..
and again ab 9 1).i. all along our linc of
outposts, and we thought af first if was a
night attack; but if was only a case of
false alarm on the part of the Dorsets on
the right and the 14th Brigade on our left.
I forgot fo mention that we were told fo
advance with the 13th Brigade ai 3 P.1.,
but the latter were held up, and relieved in
the evening by the 58th Frcnch Brigade.
What immediately happened fo the 13th I
FIFTEENTtl INFANTRY BRIGADE 169
de net remember; but thcy vcro cvenually
sent round on te the lcft of thc l lth
Brigade, I believe.
Oct. 15th.
The French were mcauwhile hcavily
tacking Vcrmelles, and we werc te be rcady
te advance alongsidc thcm if they succccdcd.
I sent Moulton-Barrett t0 the Canal te re-
ceive the message frein the French through
Chapman (our Divisional Intelligence otilcer)
when if came. But if never came, for thc
French ruade no progress; se we did
nothing except dig proper trenches and
strengthcn our positions.
In the evening came in reports that the
Germans were withdrawing and evacuating
posts in our front. The rcnmins of thc
Dorsets were withdrawn into rescrvc, and
the Devons came under my orders in thcir
place.
Oct. 16th.
There vas a dripping thick mist ncarly
ail day, and we pushed on undcr ifs cover--
the Bedfords into Givenchy (losing poor
Rendall, killcd by the retiring Germans),
and the Norfolks into Rue d'Ouvert and St
170 THE DOINGS OF THE
Roch, whilst thc Devons, ordëred to nmkc
the footbridge to Canteleux rond "good,"
pushed on in the afternoon. But if got so
absolutely pitch-dark that if was impossible
to make a cohesive advance ; so after gctting
close to the footbridge and coming under a
heavy tire thence, the Devons fell back again,
ail thc more justified since Cantcleux was
reported stll occuped by the encmy on
their loft flank. A vast amount of staff
work ail day. Wc returned fo the Festubert
l)othouse in the evening.
Oct. 17 th.
The first question was, Was Cantelcux
occupied by the enemy ? Preparations werc
nmde fo shell it ai 6 A.M., but figures were
secn strolling about therc which did hOt
look very German. Shortly afterwards the
Norfolks reported that thcy had about sixty
mon in if who had penetrated thither during
the night. The Bedfords af first were still
convinced that the men in Canteleux were
German, but we disabused them as soon
as we heard the truth for certain, and for
a change shclled sonm farms fo our front
whence hostile machinc-gun tire was pro-
cceding, setting one on tire.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 171
In the afternoon we were ordered to
advance fo the line: bridge--Canteleux--
Violaines ; and again the Devons pushed on,
slowly, in connection with the Frcnch, but
were again obliged fo retire from the vicinity
of the bridge by heavy tire, and took up
their position in the advanced position that
the Dorsets had occupied on the 13th.
The Cheshires, under the thrce gllnt
captains, Shore, Mahony, and Rich, mean-
while worked well forward and rcportcd
thcir arrival at Violaines af 4 I.M., having
rcached if vid Rue du Marais.
A desperate amount of work again, 5 A.M.
fo 11 P.M. I only got out of thc pothouse
for twenty minutes all day, and that was
af 5 P.M.
Thus wc hd pushcd forward some way on
out lin by thc vcning, and thc 14th Brigade
ws in touch with thc Clmshircs and mov]ng
slowly forward--but very slowly.
Oct. 18th.
Next day the usual "general advance"
was ordcred for 6 A.M., and thc artillcry
loosed off a lot of shells on fo where we
thought the enclny wcre. But if was really
quite useless our advancing on the right
172 T]IE DOINGS OF THE
unlcss thc French did also, for the Germans
held thc south bank of the Canal in front of
the latter, and any advance by us merely
exposed our right tank fo a terrible enfilade
tire.
Major-General Morland, who had succeeded
Sir C. Fergusson in command of the Division,
now turned up, and fo him I explained these
things. The Railway Triangle was thc
worst place, for if was heavily held by
Gcrmans, who had dug themselves in behind
stockades of rails and trucks and defied even
our howitzers; but if was difficult, very
difficult, for the latter fo make good practice
af them here, as the country was so fiat, yet
so cut up with high trees and fences that
was almost impossible to get an observing
station or fo see what one was firing
I shifted Brigade Headquarters about
l'.M. fo a nice little house with garden, close
bchind the cross-roads half a mlle west of
Givenchy, and here we stayed for four un-
pleasant days. We had fo be very careful,
after dark, not fo show a light of any sort
towards the enemy, and had fo plaster up
thc windows with blankcts and things which
every now and then came down with a run,
causing rapid transition fo total darkness
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 173
and discomfort. But if vas a go<}d little
1)lace on the whole, and quite decently
furnished.
In the afternoon I went fo observe what
I could from Givenchy. The village was
already in ruins, with most of the church
blown down, whilst the only place fo observe
from was from betwecn the raftcrs of a
barn on the eastern outskirts--most of the
ro«)f having 1)een carricd away by shrapnel.
There vas not much fo see; f«)r although
Givenchy stood on the only little rise in the
country, a tree in one direction and a chapel
in the other blocked most of the view
towards La Bassée. In front of (as lay the
Bedford trenches, with the Devons on thcir
right and the French on their right again.
One could just see the farm buildings of
Canteleux, and the spires of part of La
Bassée, but St Roch was invisible, and so
were the Norfolk trenches.
Later on I went fo interview Gloster,
commanding the Devons; l>ut I did hot find
him. With a French orderly and a Devon
officer I rode through Pont Fixe and turned
fo the left along the Canal. Thon wc had fo
dismount af a bend of the Canal, which
brought us into view of the cncmy, and we
174 THE DOINGS OF TttE
bolted across bullct-swept ground into the
righ of the Devon trenches. Here I waited
about an hour; but Gloster did hOt turn up,
and meanwhile a heavy hostile fusilade
went on which effectually prevènted ny
putting my nose above ground. I don't
know whether they had spotted me going
into that trench, but I do know the parapet
rcceived an unfair share of bullets.
When it was nearly dark I cleared out and
went fo the Canal and whistled for my mare
(I had been riding Squeaky). The French
orderly turned up leading her, but his own
horse had gone,--as he ruefully explained,
"à cause d'un obus qui a éclaté tout près
dans l'eau." He was a good youth: he had
stuck fo my mare and let his own go, as he
could not manage both. tIowever, virtue
was rewarded, and he found his horse
peacefully grazing in the outskirts of Pont
Fixe.
When I reached Headquarters I found
Gloster there, for he had come to look for
me; so I had the required interview with
him and settled about a rearrangement of
his trenches.
FIFTEENTtI INFANTRY BRIGADE 175
Oct. 19th.
We actually had a quiet night--six and a
half hours' sleep without being disturbed
at ail.
An attack was ordered for 7 ..M. in con-
junction with the French. But the French
were hot ready ai that hour. I was told
tl,at the 6th battalion of thc 295th Rcgimcnt,
Devons
rmans
which had now been brought over to thc
north of the Canal, was fo be under my
orders; but hardly had I hcard this when I
receîved a message at 9.25 A.t. that the
French were going fo attack at 9.30. At
noon they did so, and very pluckily. It was,
however, impossible to assist them, for they
(the 6/295) ran forward and attacked the
Canal and footbridge obliqucly, completely
]76 THE DOINGS OF THE
maslçing any action possible by the Devons.
They lost heavily, I fear, but it really was
hOt our fault, though ai one rime they
scemed fo think if was.
I went fo talk fo Lieut.-Col. Perron, who
commanded the detachment (6/295 and a
fexv Chasseurs h Cheval), in the afternoon;
1)ut the interview did not enlighten me very
lllllch. The commander of the 6/295, how-
over, one Baron d'Oullenbourg, was most
intelligent, and a gallant fellow with plcnty
of noirs. He was badly wounded two days
,fterwards in another attempt.
I was so much struck with the plucky
xvay in which the 6/295 pushed on under
hcavy tire that I sent a complimentary note
1)oth fo the battalion and fo General Joubert,
commanding the 58th Brigade on the other
side of the Canal--for the battalion belonged
(fo start with) fo his brigade. They pub-
lished both my notes in the Odre du Jour
of the Division, and d'Oullenbourg received
a Légion d'Honneur in consequence (so St
André told me). Anyway, he thoroughly
deserved iL.
Meanwhile we heard that the Cheshires,
Manchesters, and K.O.S.B.'s were all held
up near Violailms by a l)eastly sugar factory
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 177
vhich the Germans occupied on the road
north of La Bassée, and they could not get
on af all.
Generals Morbtnd and Franklin turned
up in the afternoon. We were perpetually
being urged fo advance and attack, but
how could we? There was nothing to
attack in front of us except La Bassée, a
couple of mlles off, and we could not advance
a yard in that direction xvithout exposing
our right flank to a deadly enfilade tire from
across the Canal, for the Germans were
still strongly holding that infernal railway
triangle, and nothing availed fo get them
out of if. 1 General Morland wisely, there-
fore, ordered me not to advance in force.
Later on we heard that the Cheshires had
ruade a gain of 800 yards, but had got
so extended that they asked for a Bed-
lord company to support them, and this
I sent.
In the evening I went fo examine a
French 75 mm. battery, and had the whole
thing explailmd to me. The gun is simply
marvellous, slides horizontally on its own
axle, never budges however much if rires,
Thcy xrc till thcrc (August 1917)
M
178 THE DOINGS OF THE
and hes ell sorts of patent dodges bcsides:
but it is no use painting the lily!
Wilson, of the 61st Howitzers, was, by
the wey, a little aggrieved by this French
battery coming and teking up ifs position
close elongside him and inveding his observ-
ing stations. The captain also got on his
nerves, for he was somewhat excitable, and
his shells were numerous that burst pre-
maturely, whilst a bouse only 100 yerds
off, which should bave been well under the
trajectory of his shells, was several rimes
hit by them. YIowever, he doubtless caused
much damege to the enemy.
On the 20th and 21st the Germans kept
us fairly busy with threatened attacks, espe-
cially on the Cheshires af Violaines ; but no-
thing definite heppened, although we were
kept on the perpetual qui vive, and could
not relieve our feelings by attacking, for we
had orders fo "consolidate our position."
By this rime we occupied a line as
follows :-
Canal from crossed swords (v. map) to
300 yards North (French).
Thence to Canteleux (excl.) (Devons).
Canteleux to Pt. 21 1 (Norfolks).
Nerly half-way to Violaiues.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 179
Pi. 21 fo Violaines (Do. patrols).
Violaines (Cheshires and onc company
Bedfords).
Givenchy, in reserve (three companies
Bedfords).
On thc evening of the 2lst there was
serious news on our lcft. Although the
Cheshires were still in occupation of
Violaines, if looked as if thcy might havc
fo retire from if very soon, as the right of
thc 14th Brigade, on thc Cheshires' left, was
being driven back. Vio]aines, however, was
very important, and fo let the Germans get
a footing here was most dangerous. So,
with General Morland's sanction, and after
communicating with thc Cheshires, who
cheerily said they could hold out all right,
I told the Cheshires t stick fo Violaines,
throwing their left flank back in case thc
line fo their left was penetrated.
Oct. 22nd.
A very anxious day ensued. Af 6 A..
the Cheshires were invaded in front and
flank by a surprise attack of the enemy in
great force, and had fo fall back towards
Rue du Marais, losing heavily. Some
Dorsets (who had been for the last three
180 THE DOINGS OF THE
days af Stink Farm and were sent as a
support fo the 13th Brigade) were support-
ing thcm, but thcy could hOt do much, and
they also lost a number of men. From what I
could gather, the Cheshires had been diggng
in the dark round the southern and eastern
flank of the village, and had their sentries
out, but apparently hot quite far enough
out for such thick weather, and when the
Gcrmans appeared rushing through the fog
they were taken at a disadvantage, for they
had cast their equipment in order to dig, and
the covering party was quiclly cut dovn.
This, at ail events, was what I ruade out
from the surviving officers, of whom one,
2nd Lieut. Pogson, was the senior. Mahony
and Rich, fighting gallantly, had been killed,
and Shore wounded and taken prisoner.
About 200 men were also killed and wounded
out of about 600, and a good many of the
Bedfords with them, including poor Coventry
(late Transport officer) killed.
Af 8.30 A.M. I was ordered fo send my
three companies of Bedfords from Givenchy
fo St Roch, fo support the 13th Brigade, who
were hanging on about Rue du Marais. But,
besidcs thus depriving me of my only reserve,
these companies had great difficulty in get-
F[FTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 181
ring fo thcir places, as thc country over
which tlley had to pass was heavily shellcd
by the enemy, and they toolç a long rime
getting there.
I heard that the combined 13th and 14th
Brigades were fo male a counter-attack on
Rue du Marais in the aftcrnoon, and this
was certainly attempted. But owing fo thc
mix-up of their battalions in the enclosed
country if was impossible fo arrange a
combined movement under the heavy tire,
and if was eventually given up--merely
confused fighting taking place during the
a£ternoon. If was, however, sufficient fo
stop the Germans for the rime being. One
reason for the difficulty--as I afterwards
heard--was that the officer temporarily
commanding the 13th Brigade had, by somc
mischance, got stuck right in the firing line
with his staff and signal section, and could
hot be got af, nor could he move himself
or issue orders,--a useful though unhappy
warning fo Brigadiers.
I moved with the Brigade Staff from my
house af Givenchy fo another house about
600 yards west of Festubert, so as fo be
more behind the centre of my Brigade.
During the night, in pursuance of orders
182 THE DOINGS OF THE
from thc Division, we fell back on to a
somcwhat undefined line of defence covering
the front of Festubert-Givenchy, and pro-
cecded to dig ourselves in along a line
entirely in the open fields, and very visible,
I fcar, to the enemy. Some battalions could
hot gct sufficient tools, and were hot hall
dug in by daylight. However, the Germans
must have suffered considerably themselves,
for they did hot attack us in the morning,
although their Field Artillery kept up a
hcavy shrapnel tire. The West Ridings
(13th Brigade) were put under my orders.
Oct. 23rd.
We were shelled all the morning, but had
no serious casualties.
My Brigade now consisted of the Devons
(14th Brigade), West Ridings (13th Brigade),
and the Norfolks (15th Brigade). The
remains of the Cheshires and Dorsets were
withdrawn and put into the Rue de Bthune
hamlet in rear oï Festubert, undcr orders
ot the 13th Brigade as their reserve, whilst
the Bedtords were attached to, I think, the
14th Brigade, somcwhere Quinque Rue way.
It was a glorious jumble, and what happened
to the rest ot the 13th Brigade I do hot
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 183
know. I belicve thcy eombined in somc
way with the 14th, but I know that two
days afterwards the Brigadier was left with
only one fighting battalion, the West Kents,
I think.
However, my command was shortly
încreased considerably by the arrival of
Commandant Blanchard with the 2nd
Battalion of the 70th Infanterie de Ligne
(Regulars). Blanchard was a good solid
man, and I put him to hold Givenchy in
conjunction with the Devons, who were
now occupying the Bedford trenches there.
The French on the right of the 70th gave
us acute reason for anxiety by retiring
calmly from their trenches when they were
shelled; but it vas only their way, for half
an hour afterwards they trotted back into
them quite happily, much to the relief of
thc Devons and their exposed flank.
I rode down to Givenchy in the afternoon
fo sec Blancha.rd and make arrangements
for holding the village, md hcre I met
Villiams (now commanding the Devons
since his C.O., Gloster, had been hit tvo
days before, hot very scriously) and talked
nmtters over with him.
We expected a night attack, and wcrc
184 THE DOINGS OF THE
certainly not in a strong position fo resist
it. ttad we been driven in we should have
been jammed into the swamp in rear,
between the Canal and the Gorre-Festubert
road, which would have been extrcmcly
unpleasant. So I issued orders fo hold tight
af all costs, bcsides secret orders fo certain
C.O.'s as fo what they wcre fo do if we
were badly nauled and had fo fall back.
Luckily no attack took place, and we had
a fairly quiet night.
Oct. 24th.
Af 7 A.m. I received the cncouraging ncws
(from the 2nd corps) that we were going
fo be heavily attacked to-day, and what
certainly gave colour fo it was the arrival
of a large number of Black ]VIarias during
breakfast, which exploded within an un-
pleasantly narrow radius of out house.
is quite conceivable that the position of
our tteadquarters had been given away
by some spy. Anyhow, if looked like if,
and we decamped af 9.30 fo a cottage hall
a mlle back. Perhaps if is as well that we
did so, for af 9.40 a big shell arrived through
the roof and exploded in my late bedroom,
tearing out the corner of the house wall
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 15
and wrecking thc stable; whilst nearly af
the same monent anothcr shcll complctcly
wrecked tlle house just opposite, where
Ballard (comnlanding 15th Brigade R.F.A.)
had been spending the night. He also had
cleared out about an hour before.
Before I went I sent my senior officcl',
Ballard (Norfolks), down fo Givenchy fo
take local command over the Frcnch and
English troops there, and ara glad I did so,
for it introduced unity of comnland and
satisfaction. The Devons down there werc
meanwhile getting exhausted after their
long spell in the trenches; but I had no
troops fo relieve them with, nor any reserve.
The "attaclç" did hot materialize, and
we had a fairly quiet afternoon, the Germans
lilniting their activities fo digging thcm-
selves in and sniping perpetually.
If was an extraordinarily warm day, and
we sat in the cottage with windows and
doors wide open till long after dark. An
attack was ruade about 10 r.. on the
French the other side of the Canal, but if
was too far off to interest us much.
Oct. 25th.
Another lovely warm day of Indian
186 THE DOINGS OF THE
summer. Also of many shells, some fMling
pretty close fo out cottage. The Germans
wcre seen making splendid use of the folds
in the ground for driving saps and eonneet-
ing up their heads into trenehes getting
ncarer and nearer fo out lines. And we
eould do nothing but shell them and snipc
theln as best we eould, but with little
result, for artillery observation-posts were
almost impossible, and snap-shooting af an
oeeasional head or shovel appearing above
ground produeed but small results.
Three Freneh batteries arrived during the
morning and were put under Blanehard's
orders in the swampy wood behind Givenehy.
Some spasmodie attaeks oeeurred on the
tronches east of the village, and the French
lost rather heavily; for the Germans got
into some of their evacuated trenches and
killed the vounded there. A speedy counter-
attack, however, drove them out again.
The Devons lost two officers (Beslcy and
Quick) and ten 11117n killed and thirty-eight
wounded.
At 4.50 P.. I got a message saying large
eolmnns of the enemy had bCell seen by
the French issuing fÆ'om La Basséc and
Violaines, and I was ordered peremptorily
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 187
fo be ready fo counter-attack af once, with
my whole force if requircd.
Sir ttorace Smith-Dorrien arrivcd alonc
an hour or so afterwards, and I pointed
out our situation fo him; he entirely con-
curred in my view, and heartencd me up
considerably by quitc recognisng the statc
of affairs and congratulating us, and cspeci-
ally the Devons, on sticking if out so wcll.
Maynard (Major in the Devons) arrivcd
about midnight and took over command of
the battalion, he having been on the staff
of the 2nd Corps.
Oct.. 26th.
Next morning I rode out again fo Givcnchy
fo see Ballard and my frcsh French troops;
for the 6/285th (Captain Gigot), the 5/296th
(Commandant Ferracci--a typical little Cor-
sican and a good soldier), and a squadron
of Chasseurs h Cheval had arrived to
strengthen us, besides the thrce batteries
aforesaid (undcr Commandant Menuan).
The 2/70th (now undcr Captain de Ferron)
and the 6/295th (lately under Baron d'Oullcn-
bourg, now wounded; I have, I fcar, for-
gotten his successor's naine)were, of course,
also under me; so I had a nice little com-
188 THE DOINGS OF THE
nmnd now of thrcc English and four Frcnch
battalions, four English and three French
batteries, and a French squadron. St André
as liaison officer was of the greatest possible
use to me, being both tactful and suggestive
as fo dealing with my new command, and
kceping up splendid communication.
I thon rclicved the Devons by the 6/295th
--and vell they deserved it after their bad
riant for the last week,--and put the 296th
in reserve af various points during thc
night, sending the Devons as reserve to
thc Norfolks and West Ridings af Les
Plantins, between Givenchy and Festubert.
There was practically no shelling at ail
during the whole day--I wonder why; nor
did the enemy make any movement. But
wc heard of their bringing big guns on fo
the rising ground af Billy and Haisnes, fo
the south of La Bassde, and tried fo " find"
them with our howitzers and heavy artil-
lcry battery.
Oct. 27th.
The reliefs were not finished till 2.30 A.i.
--largcly owing fo some idiots, French or
English, loosing off their rifles as they left
the trench, which brought a heavy tire on us
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 1,9
from the enemy and dclayed matters for a
long rime. It was also hOt easy--although
we had nlade elabo'ate and (letailed arrange-
mcnts--to relievc British by French troops
in pitch darkness, for, interpreters being
scarce, they could hot understand each other
whcn they met.
We hcard that there was an attack on
the 14th Brigade on our lcft about 1 A.M.,
and that 200 Germans had got in behind
thc K.O.Y.L.I. and were still therc; vhat
happened to them I do not know. The 7th
Brigade, on the left of the 14th, had also
been driven in, and the 14th Brigade re-
ceived orders to make a counter-attack in
the evening, with the Devons held ready
to help thcm if required.
During the day one Captain Pigeonne
and his batch of gendarmerie arrived, with
orders to clear Festubcrt of its civilian in-
habitants. This was necessary, as the
Germans were pretty close up to if and
there were undoubtedly spies, and even
snipers were reported in and about the
village. Buç hardly any peoplc were foùnd
except the lunatic inhabitants of a small
asylum, together with their staff, who had
stayed there, both men and women, most
190 THE DOINGS OF THE
devotedly for the last week, with practi-
cally nothing fo eat in the vhole place.
The inhabitants were ordered fo clear out,
and some of them did. But others hid,
and yet others crept back again by night,
so the result was practically nil. One poor
old woman was hunted out three rimes, but
she returned yet once more, piteously say-
ing that she had nowhere to go to, and
wanted fo die in her own house.
During the evening General Joubert,
commanding the 58th Brigade, arrived
with orders fo take over command of all
French troops north of the Canal. So my
international command had hot lasted long.
But they sent me a liaison N.C.O. of their
artillery--a most intelligent man with a
yellow beard--and I xvas still allowed fo
call on the French batteries for assistance
whenever I needed them.
Oct. 28th.
Joubert was a typical French General,
white-moustached, short, courteous, gallant,
and altogether charming and practical, and
I went again to sec and consult him next
morning af Givenchy, cantering through
the swampy woods af the back, where most
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 191
of our seven batteries were posted undcr
excellent cover. I also, before going to bid
him adieu, had written him what I thought
was a charming let, ter, congratulating him
on the "galanterie de ses troupes." Alas,
St André was out when I wrote the lctter,
or probably I should havc cxpresscd it
differently; I hear it was subsequently
pul)lished in orders, but I trust it was
cdited first !
The night had been extraordinarily quiet,
and after my visit to Joubert the situation
was so peacetul that I walked bacl a bît
to inspcct a third line of trenches that
were being dug by civilians and spare
troops under R.E. supervision. I was hOt
much edified at the portion that the 15th
Brigade had been told off to, for it was
within 150 yards of a bunch of houses in
front, under cover of which the Germans
could bave corne up quite close; and if
they had put a selection of their snipers
into them, we should have had a poor rime.
But I quite allow that I was at a loss,
owing to the awkward ground, to suggest
anything better. We had also a mlle of
front fo cover, with three weak battalions
and a difficult line, whilst the four French
192 THE DOINGS OF THE
battalions had been allotted altogether only
hall a toile of excellent natural trenches
behind the Canal, or rather behind a broad
water-ditch which tan into the Canal.
The 2ad Manchesters, under Strickland, 1
late of the Norfolks, a first-rate battalion
just arrived from Iudia, had now been
attacbed fo tbe 14th Brigade--where their
own 1st 1)attalion were also--and had had
very heavy fighting during the last few
days just north of Festubert. The Devons
xvere therefore sent fo relieve them,--rather
rough on them aftcr barely forty-eight
hours out of the trenches.
Oct. 29th.
We had an extraordinarily quiet night--
a full eight hours' sleep xvithout any dis-
turbance,--and xve xvere consequently feel-
ing much titrer. But the ball began full
early by a violent attack on the Devons
af dawn, and another af 7 on the 2nd
Manchesters, both hard pressed, but both
repulsed--the Manchesters, xvho xvere short
of ammunition, getting well in with the
bayonet.
1 Who had bccn with me as a Major in Ielfast--a most
capable oflïccr, now (1917) commanding a Division.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 193
I sent one company of the Norfoks to
support the Devons, but I could barely
afford even that. The enemy ,vas cn-
trenching within 200 fo 400 yards of ail
my battalions, pushing out saps frora their,
trenchcs along the ditches and folds of the
ground, and connecting up their heads in a
most ingenious and hidden manner. Thc
French were hot attacked, so they sent
a couple of companies af my request to
Les Plantins, behind the Norfolks. ttowever,
after another attack between 9 and 10 A.M.
the Germans dried up for the present.
We knew that the Indian Divisions from
Lahore and Meerut were shortly coming
fo strengthen this part of the line, and I
was therefore hot surprised fo hear that
Macbean, commanding one of their Brigades,
wanted fo see Martyn and me about thc
relief of our respective Brigades. This was
distinctly satisfactory from our point of
viev; but I was hot entirely happy, for I
was very doubtful how far these untried
Indian troops would stand up fo what was
evidently going fo be a very difficult situa-
tion if the Germans went on attacking as
Temporarily commanding 13th trigade.
N
194 THE DOINGS OF TIIE
they had been doing. Fresh troops, if is
true. But they had had no expcrience of
this sort of fighting, nor of trenches, nor of
cold wet weathcr: and thcy were going fo
have all three.
Thc relief of the Wcst Ridings by tlle
Black Watch battalion of the Indian Divi-
sion was carried out on the saine evening.
Thc relief of the Bcdfords, Chcshires, and
Dorscts was also arranged for, but the Nor-
folks could not be relicvcd till the morrow.
The 2nd Manchesters wcre relieved, how-
ever, by the 2/Sth Gurkhas, who looked
very much out of place with thcir big hats
and tiny, sturdy Mongolian physique.
Oct. 30th.
After a very quiet night--cxccpt for
French guns which started shelling hcavily
about 4 A.., and kcpt us awake till day-
light--we had another unpleasant day.
Thcre were repeated attacks on the
Devons and Gurkhas ail day, and at 3 1..
Maynard reported that the Gurkhas had
lost ail their Baitish officers and wcre being
driven out of their trenches, and that
support was badly wanted.
The first story about the Gurkhas was
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 195
thrt thcy had corne fo l cltd of ttlcir
ammunition and wcrc fighting with the
bayonct, but were driven back by superior
numbcrs. But if turncd out latcr tllat thcy
lost very hcavily from shell tire, and, the
trenches 1)eing too dcep for tlle little men,
they could producc no cffcct with thcir ritlcs,
and could sce nothing. So. having lost ail
their English o[Iicers, and being bcwildcrcd
by thc heavy tire and totally new conditions,
and having no chance of getting in with
the bayonet, thcy cleared out oue by one,
so as fo gel togcther into formation. Thc
Dcvons' last man was in the firing line by
tllis tilne, and so two Bedford companies and
the Wcst Ridings, no longcr uudcr my com-
nltrnd, were ordercd to rctake somc Gurkh«r
trcncllcs, into which the Gcrmans had already
penetrated, alongside ours.
IL was frightfully difticult fo make out
vhat was happening, as hot only were out
troops in process of being relieved by the
Indians, but there was very heavy tire as
wcll on all out supports and on the roads
leading up fo the trenches, so that communi-
cation vas ail but impossible, most tclcphone
wires having bcen broken long ago and
round impossible fo repair under such fire.
196 TIIE DOINGS OE THE
Thc 58th (Wilde's) Rifles had arrivcd, and
wcre by wry of relieving the Norfolks; but
owing fo this attack they were dcflected in
rear of the Devons. Then we were callcd
on fo send two companics fo support the
Devons. But, considcring that thcy now
had already two Bcdford companies, four
of West Ridings, tmd four of the 58th Riflcs,
fo support them in enclosed country whcre
thcy could hardly move, and that fo weaken
my already very rhin line of Norfolks and
Black Watch meant leaving me no supports
ai all, I respectfully protested, and gained
my point.
Elaborate arrangements were made by the
«mthorities for retaking the lost trenches by
the Bedfords, &c., at nightfall; then the"
movement was deferred till 1.30 .&.M., and
then till dawn; but nothing happened at
all during the night except occasional tire-
bursts, which sounded like general attacks.
I might mention that during these "quiet"
nights there were nunlerOUS fire-bursts af
intervals, which used fo 'bring me out of, or
rather off, my bed three or four rimes a
night, for the sentry on out cottage had
strict orders to call me in case anything
alarnling occurred in out front. But they
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 197
always slacked off after 5 or 10 minutes
of my waiting in the cold, wet, muddy road,
and I crept to bed again till the next one
woke me.
It was a tiny cottage that we lived in
during those days, belonging to a poor
woman who, with ber child, had been turned
out by some one else and sent to another
bouse hall a mlle off. She was pcrpetually
coming back and weeping to be readmitted,
but there really was hot room, and we had
to soothe ber with promises, and evcntually
with cash in order fo get rid of ber. After
all, she was living with her friends, though
doubtless they were a
she returned to hcr
left it.
Everything in that
bit crowded, and
cottage when we
country was mud,
thick clay mud, black and greasy, and the
country fiat and hideous. And it rained
perpetually and was getting beastly cold.
Altogether if was a nightmare of a place,
cven without the fighting thrown in, and we
prayed to be delivered from it, and go and
fight somewhere else.
Our prayers were destined to be answered,
for on this morning we were ordered, in
spire of thc desultory fighting going on, fo
198 THE DOINGS OF THE
hand over fo Macbean's Brigade and go
north. This only meant the Brigade Staff,
two companies Bedfords, and about 300
Cheshires and 300 Dorsets who had been in
reserve fo the 14th Brigade; but they were
not in a very happy condition, for they
had hardly any officers left and had been
cxtremely uncomfortable for the last week,
being haulcd out of their barns on most
nights and ruade fo sleep in the wet open as
supports in case of attack.
Our orders were, together with the 15th
R.F.A. Brigade, fo move north and concen-
trate near Strazeele and Pradelles, where we
were fo go into rest for rive or six days.
I knew those rests.
So after handing over fo Macbean af
10.30 _.M., and talling fo General Anderson
(commanding the Indian Division) and the
Maharajah of Bikanir, 1 we made devoutly
thankful tracks in the direction of Locon
and Merville.
We were but a small part of the 15th
B-igade after all vho lcft the environs of
Festubert on, that morning- only Head-
quarters, a very weak battalion of Cheshires
l I WaS struck with his wondarfifl conmmnd of English--
hot thc tl':tcc (d" «tny tc(.cnt.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 199
--not more than 300 ail told--and two com-
panies of Bedfords. The remains of the
Dorsets had bccn ordered to join us about
Strazeele, and the whole of the Norfolks and
hall the Bedfords were left in the trenches
to give a bit of moral and pllysical support
to the Indians. I did hot at all like being
partcd from them, but tllere was no help for
it. The West Ridings (Duke of Wellington's)
were attached fo me from the 13th Brigade,
but that did hot make up for the absence of
one and a hall of my own beloved battalions.
Nevertheless it was with a feeling of ex-
treme thankfulness that we left the horrible
mud-pl,in of Festubert and Givenchy, with
ifs cold wet climate and its swampy sur-
roundings and its dismal memories, for
both Dorsets and Cheshires had suffered
terribly in the fighting here. And the
pleasantest feeling was to hear the noise
of the bursting shells grow less and ever
less as we worked north-westwards, and to
rcalise that for the present, at all events,
we need not worry about Jack Johnsons
or Black Marias and all their numerous
sm,llcr brcthren, nor to keep our ttention
on the tense strnin for bnd nows from the
firing tronches, but that wc could, for
200 THE DOINGS OF THE
several days fo come, sleep quietly, not
fully dressed and on our bcds or straw
with one eye on the wake ail night, but in
our blessed beds and in our still more be-
loved pyjamas.
We trotted on ahead over the cold, wet,
muddy, level roads of those parts, with a
welcome break for luncheon af a real live
estaminet, till we got fo Merville, and then
we slowed down.
Merville is a nice prosperous little town,
with canais and parks and a distinctly good
modern statue of a French soldier in the
middle--by whom, and of whom, I have
forgotten. If was, oddly enough, almost
like an extra-European bit of civilisation,
for the streets were swarming with Indians
and Africans of both armiesmtall, solemn,
handsome Sikhs and Rajputs in khaki;
Spahis, Algerians, and Moors in every
variety of kit--red jackets, cummerbunds,
and baggy breeches, bright blue jackets,
white breeches, blue breeches, khaki breeches,
dark blue vareuses, white burnouses, Arab
corded turbans, baggy crimson trousers, &c.,
&c., even fo Senegalese as black as night, and
Berbers from Mauritania and the Atlas. I
tried fo talk fo some of the latter, but if
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 20!
was nota success, for they did not undcr-
stand my Arabic, and I did not understand
their Shlukh.
And so on vid Strazeele--where Saunders
and his Dorsets had already arrived--con-
tentedly to Pradelle, in which neighbour-
hood we billeted, and were met by a staff
oflïcer, Cameron of the 5th Divisional Staff,
who gave us the welcome news that we
wcre to rest and rccuperatc for at lcast a
weck--really and truly this time.
We put up ata nice, bright, ugly littlc
château belonging to an eldcrly lady who
was most civil and told us stories of what
the Germans had done when they passed
through a week or two ago on their retreat
eastwards. Amongst other abominations,
they had, on arrival, demanded of the old
curé the key of the church tower, on which
they wished to put a Maxim. The old man,
hOt having the key, had hobbled off to get
it from the garde champêtre, who happened
tobe in possession of it for the time being.
He could hot, however, find him, and the
officer in command, being in a diabolical
retaper, put the poor old priest up against
a wall and shot him dead on the spot.
This was recountcd by the curé's sister, and
202 THE DOINGS OF THE
there was hot a shadow of doubt on the
marrer, for it was confirmed by ail.
Oct. 31st.
Next day was a clear bright Sunday, and
bcforc we had corne down fo breakfast,
looking forward to a nicc lazy day, we
were ordered fo send the Dorsets away
in motor-buses to Wulverghem (opposite
Messines), where heavy fighting was going
on. So much for our promised week's rest!
And before 11 o'clock we had rcceived an-
other urgent telegram telling us fo fall in
af once and match eastwards through
Ba]lleul.
I was deputed to command the whole of
the remaining troops of the Division on
this march, and by a complicated series of
movcs from their billets we got them strung
out on the road, and pushed on by 12.30.
The troops were mostly artillery, engineers,
and train, and the only oher infantry that
joined me were the West Kent, now under
their own C.O., Martyn.
Other troops were also on the more
through Bailleul, and we had a weary rime
of it get, ting through. It was dark l)efore
xve iad filed throug] the hig market-sqnare
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 203
with ifs old brick church towcr and Town
Hall; and even then, though billets had
becn arranged for in the country beyond
for the test of the troops, we had the
devil's own job before our own headquarters
could find a rcsting-place. We wanted fo
put up af Dranoutre village, but the village
was full of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, and
we should bave been in front of our own
lot; so after a dcpressing wait in a tiny
pothouse near Dranoutre, whilst St Andrd
and Weathcrby and Moulton-Barrett scoured
the country, we cventually settled down in
a little farmhouse at Hille, a few hundred
yards inside the Belgian border. Not so
bad, but tiny, and crowded with not only
the proprietor and his numerous family, but
with a number of rcfugees from further cast.
My own bedroom was about 6 fcct square
and full of stinking old clothes, but I was
lucky fo get one af ail.
If seemed curious being amongst inhabit-
ants many of whom understood no French,
but only talkcd Wallon or Flemish. I round
my reminiscences of the South African Taal
came in quite usefully; but the best com-
nmnic«tors were the Lowland Scout, s, vho,
tlmnks to their ovn strange dial(,ct, m:,,naged
204 THE DOINGS OF THE
to make themselves quite decently under-
stood by the natives.
Here we stayed for a few days--to be
accurate, until the morning of the 5th
November. My own " outfit" consisted of
the West Kent, Cheshires, and two com-
panies Bcdfords, and the Wcst Ridings
were subsequently added. Atone period I
was given the K.O.S.B.'s as wcll, who werc
in Neuve Eglise; but they were taken avy
from me on the same day, and so were the
West Kent. There was, in fact, a glorious
jumble, battalions and batteries being added
nd taken away as the circumstances de-
manded. Even the two companies Bedfords
were spirited away for forty-eight hours,
leaving me with the decimated Cheshires
as the only representatives of the 15th
Brigade, but with two battalions of the
13th and one of the 14th superadded, as
wcll as ,n R.E. company (17th). Meanwhilc
the 5th Divisional Staff was stranded and
almost troopless, for all the other batt,lions
of the Division were scattered among other
divisions -- some even under thc command
of the Cavalry Division; and guns were
pushed up, almost piecemeal, as they werc
wanted, fo help in the attempt fo retake
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 205
Mcssines, out of which our cavalry had
bcen drivcn somc days beforc. Frcnch
troops were :dso there, in lumps. One
moruing the country would bc brilliant
with the white horses, sky-blue tunics and
rcd trousers, of the Chasseurs d'Afrique,
and the roads impassablc with Frcnch
infantry and transport moving toxvards
Ypres; and by the next evcning nothing but
kh«ki-clad British were seen, besides patches
of Belgian infantry, largely stragglers and
mostly unarmed.
Mcanwhile rumours Qf desperate fighting
up north came through--the critical tinm
when the 7th Division stuck heroically to
their cripplcd tronches and withstood thc
ponderous attacks of the German masses;
but if was difficult to makc out what was
occurring, for one only gathered bits of
news here and there and could hot piece
thcm together as a whole, for file links
wcre missing.
On the 4th 'qovember we received ordcrs
that Sir ttorace would inspect us on the
following rnorning, and we ruade prepara-
tions fo +,urn out as clean as we could in
the ever-prevailing mud. But in the even-
ing lliore important work was at hand, for
20(; THE DOINGS OF THE
we xvcrc notificd tobe rcady to mLrch on
thc following morning fo Ypres. So the
inspection fcll through.
Thc idea was thàt we--that is, two com-
panies Bedfords (450 men), Cheshires (550),
and Wcst Ridings (700)--were fo combine
as flic 15th Brigade with M'Cracken's 7th
Brigade (Wiltshires, Gordons, Irish Riflcs,
and «tnothcr battalion), and go fo rclicve
thc 7th Division, which had, we heard, been
getting somc tcrrific knocks. With us wcre
to go the two R.E. companies, the 17th and
59th, belonging to thc 5th Division.
Nov. 5th.
Wc marched af 7.20 A.. vid Locres aid
Dickebusch, on thc main Baillcul-Ypres
road, passing through many French troops
on the way. Not far on the other side of
Dickebusch we hcard that the road was
being shelled by the enemy; so M'Cracken
ordcred the whole force fo park in the fields
some distmce clown a road fo the west.
whilst he went on fo Ypres for instructions.
Ve had our midday meal whilst we
w«,ited there, but it vas hOt pleasant for
the mcn, for the ficlds were dripping wet
and vcry muddy; they had, therefore, fo
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 207
sit on thcir kits, whilst thc transport Imd fo
remain on thc road, the ficlds being so deep.
M'Cracken came bacl ai 3.30 P.M. with
instructions, and we moved on, nyself bcing
in charge of the movcment. We managcd
fo get fo Ypres ail right along tlle main
road, as the shclls wcre rather diluinishing
and hOt reaching so far, and wc pushcd
through the town, entcring if by a bridge
over the nearly dry canal. Why the
Germans had not shot this bridge fo I)icccs
before I cannot imagine, as if was well
within their range. Thcrc werc numerous
big shell-holes in the oi)en space near the
railway station; one or t;wo houses wel'e
smouldcring; there were heaps of bricks
and stones from damaged houses in thc
strccts, and the cxtreme roof corner of the
Cloth Hall had bcen knockcd off, but othcr-
wise the town was fairly normal- looking,
except, of course, that hardly any civilians
were visible.
Ai the other end of the town I came
across Gencral Haig, and rode ahcad w]th
him down the Menin road as far as the
village of Hoogc, where thc Headquarters
of the 1st Division were, undcr General
Landon. (He had succcedcd General Lomax,
208 THE DOINGS OF THE
vho h:td been badly voundcd by a shell
cxploding at his hcadquarters, and subse-
qucntly died, 15th April.) Hcrc we had a
cup of tea in a dirty little estaminet crowded
with Stafl! officers whilst awaiting the arrival
of the Brigade.
No part of this Menin road was, in fact,
"healthy," and at night it was generally
subject fo a searching tire by German shells.
The wonder, indeed, was that more casual-
ries did not occur here, for after dark the
road was packed with transport and ration
and ambulance parties moving slowly and
silently back and forth. But the hostile
shelling was hOt accurate, and for Olle
"crumper" that burst in or over the road
twcnty exploded in the fields alongside.
Only a day or two before, a couple of
heavy shells had burst just outside General
Haig's Headquarters ai the entI'ance fo
Ypres. Luckily the General himself had
just lcft, but poor "Conky" Marker of thc
Coldstream had been fatally wounded, and
several other oflîcers, signallers, and clerks
had been killed.
My Brigade arrived in the dark by the rime
that I had received further instructions in
dctail, and was parked off the road (south
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 209
side) hall a mile further on, vhilst Veathcrby
went on fo make arrangements for thcir
taking up the line, taking representativcs
of the battalions with hirn. I rnet General
Capper (cornrnanding 7th Division) at his
dug-out in the wood close by, and he told
me that his Division had been reduced to
barely 3000 rnen and a very few oflàcers, aftcr
an appalling arnount of severe fighting.
Veatherby came back after a rime, and
the battalions and ourselves moved off along
the road and branched off into the grounds
of Herenthage Château--deep rnud, broken
trees, and hardly rideablc. Here we bade
adieu to out horses, who were, with thc
transport, to stay in the sarne place vhere
we had had our dinners, right the other
side of Ypres and out of shell-range, whilst
we kept a few arnmunition-carts and horses
hidden near Hooge village. All the test of
our supplies and stuff had to be brought up
every night under cover of darkness fo near
Herenthage, and there be unloaded and
carried by hand into the trenches.
In the château itself who should we corne
across but Drysdale, 1 Brigade-Major now
1 My ltc Brigade-Major at Bclfast, now, alas ! killed (on
th Somme, 1916).
O
210 THE DOINGS OF TIIE
of the 22nd Brigade, the one which, by the
law of chances, wc wcrc now relicving ; and,
still more oddly, the other battalion (2nd)
of the Bedfords was in his Brigade. It was
zr cheerless place, this château--every singlc
pane of glass in it shivered, and lying,
crunched af our every step, on the floor.
We pushed on over the grass of tte park,
tllrough the scattered trees, and into the
wood, and so into the trenches. Even then,
as far as one could judge in the darkness,
flic ground was a regular rabbit-warren.
By the rime we had finished with the dis-
trict the ground was even more so; there
seemcd fo bc more trenches and fallcn
trees and wire entanglements tllan therc
was level ground fo walk on.
Our own Headquartcrs werc in a poky
little dug-out in a wood, hOt 200 yards from
our firing trenches. There was just room
for two--Weatherby and St André (Moulton-
Barrett having gone fo sertie about trans-
port and supplies, Cadcll being away sick,
and Beilby being left witll the transport
the other side of Ypres)--to lie down in
it, and there was a little tunnel out of if,
Really only a half roofcd-in little trench, markcd H on
thc map.
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY IIRIGADE ?.11
6 feet long and 2 broad and :3 high, into
whieh I Cl'ept and where I slept; but I
was hot very happy in it, as the roof-logs
had sagged with the weight of the earth
lrom
5oOyds. o
I I I I I I
ABCDE I: position
ABCFC, 2ï
ABHJG 3 -
K Herenthage Château.
L Beukenhorst.
500
on them, and threatened every moment to
fall in whilst I was inside.
The Bedfords were put into the trenchcs
on the eastern edge of the wood, the
Cheshires continued the line to the south
and for a couple of hundred yards outside
thc wood, akd the West Ridings were in
212 TI[E DOINGS OF TtIE
reserve af the back of the wood, in rcar
of our dug-out.
I did hOt like our place af all, for if
seemed fo me that, being so close fo thc
firing line, I should hOt be able fo get out
or control the little force if there wcre
heavy operations on; and this was exactly
what did happen.
We had been told that the 6th Cavalry
Brigade was in trenches on our lcft, and
thc 7th Infantry Brigade in ditto on out
right, and that was about all we knew of
thc situation.
Nov. 6th.
Next morning tllere was a thick mist till
10 a.M., and I took advantage of if fo visit
flic trenches in detail. Thc left of the
Cheshires was within 40 yards of the
enemy, who were hidden in the wood in
front of them, so, there being no communi-
cation trenches, we had fo be fairly care-
fui' hereabouts. But if was desperately
difficult fo make one's way about,, what
with the fallen trees and telephone wires,
and little patchcs of open ground on flic
slopcs, and long, wct, yellow grass and
tanglcd heathcr in parts, hot to mention
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 213
the criss-cross of trenches, occupied and
unoccupied, in all directions. Difficult
cnough to find one's way in daylight, it
was infinitcly worse in pitch darkness. No
wondcr tha$ our reliefs had hot been accom-
plishcd till nearly 3 o'clock that morning !
Wc were shelled pretty heavily all the
morning, and two of the shclls i»urst so
closethat they covercd us with dirt. Two
officers--Langdalc and O'Kclly, of thc Wcst
Ridings--had their legs broken by thcir
dug-out being blown in tapon thcm, and
thrce Cheshires werc buricd by an explod-
ing shell and dug out dcad. Anothcr dozen
wcrc killcd or woundcd in their trcnches,
which were nothing like dcep enough,
and could hot be further deepened because
of the water which lay-there only just
bclow tbe ground. About twenty Chcshires
were moved back to escape the shell tire, and
taken to a rather less-exposcd place. At
4.30 the Bedfords reported a heavy attack
on their front; but it was confined fo rite
tire, and nothing serious happened therc.
The remainder of thc Bedfords, under
Griffith, consisting of two strong companies,
turned up at 6 P.., and thc Wcst Ridings
vere taken away from me, so tlmt my
21! TIIE DOINGS OF THE"
command was now reduced to two bat-
talions, one rather strong (ll00--just rein-
forced by a big fresh draft), and the other,
Cheshres, only about half that number.
On further consideration of the situation,
I settled fo make Brigade IIeadquarters
at the Bcukenhorst Château, 1 hall a mi|e
fartbcr back, and started the R.E. and a
strange fatigue party fo dg a funk-hole
for us in front of it in case it were badly
shcllcd; but I remember as a particular
grievance that when the foreign fatigue
party heard they were fo go somewhere
else, they went off, leaving their work half
undone, and with our Brigade tools, though
I had given them distinct orders to do
neither of these things. But they were
now out of my jurisdiction, so nothing
could be done except fo send them a
message to rcturn our tools--which they
never did.
Moulton-Barrett turned up in the after-
noon with a basket of cold food for us,
and took St André away; if was not the
least necessary for him to stay, as thc dug-
out was really only big enough for two, so
Weatherby and I settled down for the night.
"Stirling Castle" on our prcsent maps.
FIFTEENTI[ INFANTRY BRIGADE 215
We had wanted fo move into the château
at 7 I'.M., but we could hot. For it was
not advisable as long as an attack was
imminent; also, M. B. had hot got out
message of that morning saying we wanted
him fo clean up the chîteau for us; and
thirdly, the Bedford relief was taking
place. So we settled to move next day
instead.
But it was not very attractive living in
the tiny dug-out. We had no servants, we
had to prepare out own food and wash up
afterwards; it was frightfully cramped,
and we were always getting half-empty
sardine-tins oozing over official documents,
and knives and forks lost. in the mud and
straw at the bottom, and bread-crumbs and
fragments of bully beef and jam mixed up
with out orders and papers; and it was
not at ai1 healthy going for a stroll as
long as the sun was up because of the
bullets and shells fizzing about. Alto-
gether, although it was no worse, except
as regards size, than other dug-outs, it ,vas
hot luxurious; and as for washing, a little
water in the bottom of a biscuit-tiu was
about all we could nmnage, whilst a shave
,vas a marrer of pain and difficulty.
216 THE DOINGS OF THE
Nov. 7 th.
We had now corne under the 3rd Divi-
sion (under General Wing temporarily--a
vcry good and charming fellow, a gunner,
who had taken over General Hubert Ham-
ilton's command, the latter having bcen
killed, I forgot fo mention, some rime pre-
viously), whilst the 9th Brigade had rc-
lieved thc 6th Cavalry on the previous day.
The Division, therefore, now consisted of
thc 7th, 15th, and 9th Brigades (the latter
comprising the Northumberland Fusiliers,
Royal Fusiliers, Lincolns, and Scots Fusiliers)
--in that order from right fo left. If lookcd,
therefore, as if we ought fo be soon relieved
by the 8th Brigade and return fo our own
Division. Vain hope ! We were not destined
fo be relieved for another fortnight.
There was a good deal of shelling of the
9th Brigade during the morning, but we
personally had not many shel]s into us,
and were fairly quiet till past 2 o'clock.
Suddenly, about 3, a hellish hostile tire
broke out in the wood--not in out front,
but close on our left. A hail of bullets
whizzed over our heads, responded fo by
out tire tronches; and then, fo our horror,
we saw our Bedford supports, fo our ]eft
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 217
front, retiring slowly, but in somc confu-
sion, on top of us--nlany of the mon only
half-dressed, and buckling on their kits as
thcy moved. We jumpcd out of out dug-
«»ut, and with the assistance of their ofliccrs
stoppcd and rallied them. Thcy were ccr-
tainly hOt running, and were in no sort of
pmic; |)ut they ail said that the word had
I)een passed from tbe right front that the
P, edfords were fo retire, so they had done
so--half of them being asleep or feeding at
the rime the tire began.
We ruade them advance again, which they
were more than willing to do, and then
therc was a cheer from the Bedfords in
front. Upon which the supports prieked
up their ears, rallied fo the sound, and
charged forward like hounds rallying to
the horn.
Violent firing and confused fighting and
yelling in the wood for a space, and some
wounded began fo corne back. Then some
Germans, both wounded and prisoners, in
small batches, and ai last the news that
the Bedfords had completely repulsed the
attack and taken about 25 prisoners, driving
the enemy back with the b«tyonet at the run.
Who it was that started thc ordcr to
218 THE DOINGS OF THE
'cti,'e we could never find out. If certainly
xvas net Milling, who was commanding
in the front trench, ner was if any officer.
Quite conceivably if may have been started
by the enemy themselves.
What happened, as far as I could make
out, was that the right centre of the North-
umbel'land Fusiliers on our left had been
prcssed back and the Germans had pured
througb the opening. The right flank of
the Northumberlands had sat tight, se the
[ledfords in our front line had known
nothing of the German success till they
were fired af by the enemy in the wood
on their left rear. I de net fancy, however,
frein what the prisoners told me, that the
attack was a very strong one--not more,
I expect, than three or four companies.
These belonged te the Frankfurt-am-Main
Corps (VII.). I examined one prisoner, a
rcgular "Schwabe" from Heilbronn, a jolly
man with a red beard, who told me that
his company was commanded by a OEvalry
captain, who considered if beneath his
dignity te charge with infantry, and re-
mainedsnugly ensconced behind a wall
whilst he shouted encouragement te his
men.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 219
Thc Bedfords rctool thrcc of thc North-
umberlauds' tronches xvith them, hut ftiled
to retake one of their own--togcther with
two machinc-guns in it--that they had lost,
although they tried hard, A Company
(Milling's) making three hayonet charges.
They behaved devilish well, in spire of
heavy losses both in officers and men.
Macre,dy, thcir Adjut,nt, was shot through
the liver (but rccovcred evcntually) ; All:tson
(Major) was hit twice -- once through the
shouldcr, and again, on roturning ,'ftcl"
gctting his wound dresscd, through the
thigh; Davenport was shot through the
left elbow (wc looked after him in our
dug-out); and two subalterns were killed,
besides twenty-four nen killcd and fifty-
three wounded. Of the Cheshires, Pollok,
Hodson, and Anderson (the latter a fine
runner and very plucky chap)were killcd,
besides rive men killed, nineteen wounded,
and eight missing. Altogether the losses
were rather heavy. The men were partic-
ularly good fo the wounded Germans;
I remember especially one man, a black-
bearded evil-looking scoundrcl, who had
been shot through thc lungs, and rolled
,bout in the mud af my feet, and him they
220 THE DOINGS OF THE
looked after carefully. The last glimpse
I caught of hiln was being helped to a
stretchcr by two of our own men, also
wounded.
There ws again no chance of out getting
to the château to-night, so anothcr basket
of food arrived, and we fcd with what com-
fort we could.
We worked all night af strengthening
our lines, but the Germans had got up so
close to our xveakest salient that I was a
bit anxious on the subject of a renewed
attack by night.
Nov. 8th.
A small reinforcement irrived at 7 A..,
in the shape of the Divisional Mounted
Troops of the 3rd and 5th Dîvisions--about
250 men altogether, consisting of 70 of the
15th Hussars and 60 cyclists from the 3rd,
and 50 of the 19th Hussars and 70 cyclists
from the 5th Divisions, under Courage
and Parsons respectively.
These were distributed in rear of our
dug-out.
We had a fairly quiet day as far as wc
ourselves were conccrned, but both Brigades
on out flanks were heavily shelled. The
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 221
Frcnch on our right were attacking in
force, but although they were being sup-
ported by their 16th Corps, I do not think
there was much result about Klein Zillebekc.
Af last, af 5.30 I.M., we started for out
château, and hardly had we gone 150 yards
when a terrific tire broke out. We got
bchind a little ruined hut to escape thc
bullets, and I ruade ready fo return in case
if was a serious attack. But it dicd down
in ten minutes, and we pursued out way
in more or less peace, for it was only a case
of firing af reliefs, and I think the Gcrmans
wcre rather jumpy.
The Château of Bcukenhorst was a squarc
white block of a place, and merits pcrhaps
somc description, as we were thcre for a
most unconfortable fortnight--uncomfort-
able as far as events and fighting went,
though not so as regards living.
If belonged fo some people whosc naine
I have forgotten--Baron something (Belgian)
and his German wife, and if was due fo
this lady's nationality--so the story went--
that the place had suffered so little. Per-
sonally I think that if was due fo the house
only being indicated on the map, whilst the
stables, 200 yards off, which werc perpctu-
222 TI[E DOINGS OF THE
«rlly bcing shelled, were marked in heavy
black, and were a cockshy for the Germau
guns, which were cvidently laid by map
and hOt by sight; yet the house was on a
fait elcvation, and must have been visible
from certain points on the German side.
By thc saine token, General Capper had
had his Headquarters there for a few days,
but had cleared out, I believe, because of
shells. Half a dozen shrapnel had certainly
hit if, but they had only chipped off somc
bits of stone and broken ail the windows
af the eastern end. ,
We lived in a room hall below ground
af thc western end, which must evidently
have been the housekeeper's room or
servants', hall, next fo the kitchen. About
hall the Signal Section lived in some sort
of cellars close by, the other hall being
away with the transport. Two of these
cellars were also used as a dressing station
for the 7th Brigade, and wounded used fo
be brought in here frequently and tended
by a sanitary Highlander, a corporal whose
exact functions I could never discover, but
who worked like a Trojan. The wounded
were visited by a medical ooEcer in the
evening, and rcmoved on stretchers every
FIFTEENTII INFANTRY BRIGADE 223
night fo the aml)ulanccs who came fo fctch
thcm. Out own wounded did hot corne
here, but were looked aftcr jus behind thc
tronches near the Hcrcnthage Château, and
taken away from there aL night by our
own 15th Field Ambulance, who workcd all
night in circumstances of much danger, but
were luckily hardly ever hit.
The owners had evidently had plcnty of
notice before clearing out, for they had
removed all the smaller articles and most
of the furniture, and had rolled up the
carpets and curtains and blinds, lcaving
only big cupboards and bare beds'teads and
largcr bits of furniture. These were, oddly
enough, in very good faste--Louis XV.
styleand only sand-papercd and hot
polished or paintcd. Thcrc was a good
bathroom too, and a lavatory with big
basins, but Inuch of iL had been smashcd
by shrapncl, as i was ai the east end. Our
bedrooms were on the first floor, and most
of them had good beds and washhand-stands,
but no linen or blankets. I need hardly
say that we carefully selected those aL the
western end of the house, whither few
bullets had penetrated. But the windows
there were mostly unouched, and consisted
224 TIIE DOINGS OF THE
of good plate glass. Altogcther thc wholc
place gave one the idea of comfort, money,
and good faste, and was an emincntly
satisfactory abode--bar the shells.
I know that, as far as looking after the
Brigade was concerned, we got through
three rimes as much satisfactory work in
the morning after we arrived as we did
during all the three days we were in the
little dug-out. For we could now communi-
cate hot only by wire but by messcngcr
and by personal contact with the authori-
ries and commanders in our rear and on
our flanks, and could discuss matters re
artillery and defences and plans in a way
which had been quite impossible in our
advanced position.
General Wing 1 used to corne and see us
most evenings, and I used to communicate
personally with Shaw (gth Brigade), and
Fanshawe (Artillery), and M'Cracken (7th
Brigade), about combined movements, &c.
Every morning before daylight, and af a
good many other rimes besides, I, or
Weatherby, or Moulton-Barrett, used to go
down to the trenches and confabulate with
' To cvcrybody's grcat regret, ho was killcd in October
1915.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 225
Griffith--always cool and resourceful, vho
was in immediate command -- or Frost
and Burfeild, who were running the Chesh-
ires excellently bcçween them. If was hot
always a very easy business getting down fo
the trenches, for there were nearly always
shells bursting in the woods and on the open
field which lay bctween us and the trench
wood; and we had generally fo hurry in
order fo leave the château precincts unper-
ceived by the beastly Taubes who hovered
overhead, always on the lookout for head-
quarters fo shell; so we cut down orderlies
and staff fo a minimum, and absolutely
forbade any hanging about outside.
It is no use going into or describing out
proceedings day by day : "Plus ça changeait,
plus c'était la mëme chose." I have the de-
rail of if day by day in my diary, but it
was always, in the main, the saine thing--
minds and bodies af high tension through-
out the day and most of the night; per-
petual artillery tire--if hOt by the enemy
then by ourselves; shells bursting round
the château and hardly ever into if, mostly
shrapnel near the house and Black Marias
a bit further off--chiefly into a walled
gardcn 200 yards off which, for some un-
226 THE DOINGS OF THE
known reason, the Germans were convinced
held some of our guns, though, as a marrer
of fact, our batteries were in our right rear,
in well-covered positions just inside (or even
outside, in some cases) the woods. But we
got shells on the other side of the house
as well, over the bare half-grown lawn
and flower-beds between the château and
the Hooge-Menin road.
It was rarely "healthy" to take a stroll
in the grounds, however much we might
be in want of fresh air. Even on days
which were exceptionally quiet--and there
were hot many of them,--when one would
move out to look af the grounds with a
view to future defences in case we were
driven back, or with a desire fo ease a
torpid liver, suddenly there would be a
loudening swish in the air and a crash
which would send one of the tall pine-trees
into smithereens, with a shower of broken
branches in all directions, followed by
another, or hall a dozen more; and we
would retire gracefully--sometimes even
rapidly--behind the shelter of our house.
There were some late roses in the garden,
or rather in the scattered flower-beds near
the house, which lasted out even when the
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 227
snow was on them; but about the only live
beings who took any interest in them were
three or four goats, who haunted the pre-
cincts of the chhteau, and were everlastingly
trying to get inside. Indeed, when Moulton-
Brrett first came fo t,ke possession, there
were two goats in the best bedrooms up-
stairs, who peered out of the windows af
the undesired visitors, and had to be evictcd
after a display of considerable force.
Also pigs; for half a dozen great raw-
boned pink and dirty swine rootled about
in the woods near by for sustenance. They
were, however, shy, and did not seek the
shelter of the château. Stray cattle there
were too; but neither these nor the pigs
paid any attention fo the shells which fell
near them with impartial regularity, but
did them, as far as I could see, no damage
whatever.
Thcre was a stable a couple of hundred
yards in rear of the house, and here at first
we put what horses there were in the
neighbourhood. Having Squeaky and Silver
there one night--I forger why, but I know
they were there--I put them into a couple
of loose-boxes. Silver went in all right,
but Squeaky, gcner,lly a most sensible
228 THE DOINGS OF THE
mare, shivered and sweated with terror,
had almost fo be forced in, and refused to
feed when there. So I let her out again,
and picketed her outside. Two nights after,
a doctor's horse which was in there was all
but killed, for a shrapnel burst through the
window and drove fourteen bullets into his
head and neck. They wanted leave fo kill
the poor beast, but I refused permission, as
he was hot hit in any vital spot, and he
recovered, more or less, in a few days.
As mentioned above, this stabIe was
marked in black on the map, whilst the
chAteau--a far bigger building, of course--
was hardly indicated. I take it that this
accounted for out comparative immunity,
for the stable was shelled (and hit) with
great regularity, whilst the château was
hardly ever touched. We had, however, a
couple of small H.E. shell through the east-
ern end whilst we were in the western; one
of these bored clean through the wall of a
room where there was a big cupboard against
if on the far side and exploded forthwith.
But the cupboard was hot even scratched;
if was blown into the middle of the room
and a table or two upset, but, strange fo
relate, nothing serious in the way of damage
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 229
was donc. 1 On anothcr occasion, howcver,
a few shrapncl explodcd just outsidc the
kitchen window. Af the sound of the first
we all bolted te the other side of the house,
and called te the servants te de the saine.
They came out; but Brown, our excellent
cook, who had corne out in his shirt-sleeves,
must needs go back, without orders, te fetch
his coat: for which he promptly received
a jagged piece of shcll in his left arm, which
put a stop, alas, te his cooking for good and
ail, as far as we were concerned, for he was
sent away, and, although he recovered, noyer
came back te us.
During the chier hours of the day, when
net (or whilst) being shclled, we were pretty
busy with telegrams and reports and queries
and excursions and alarums. We vere com-
fortable enough in the housekeeper's room,
and got our meals " reg'lar," and we evcn
had two or three arm-chairs, and newspapers
and mails fairly well, and news frein outside,
which used te arrive with our rations af 9
P.M. or thereabouts. But a miner trial was
the fact that two out of our rive panes of
glass had been blown in by shell, and let in
an icy draught on most days. Se we got
This is a fact, though I cannot explain it.
230 THE DOINGS OF THE
some partially-oilcd paper, and made some
pastc, and stuck up the panes.
The first shell explosion ruade the paper
sag, the second ruade if shiver, and the third
blew it out. The paste would hot stick--it
was thc wrong sort of flour or something.
Then we used jam--that glutinous sac-
charine mess known as " best plum jam "-
and blue sugar paper, and if stuck quite
fairly well. But if wouldn't dry; and tears
of jm used fo trickle down the paper panes
and mingle vitll thc tin-tacks and the bread-
crumbs on the sill.
The room was cven thon fairly dark, but
the shell-bursts again shivered the jam
paper and burst if, and we had fo take fo
cardboard and drawing-boards. This ruade
it still darker, and was not even then
successful, for thc explosions still shook the
boards down and eventually broke another
pane: it was most trying. On the last day
but one four panes had been broken, and on
the last day, as will be recounted, all were
broken and the whole window blown in.
Then we left.
But what was of much vaster intcrest, of
course, than these trifles, was the desperate
fighting which was bcing waged along out
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 231
front, hOt 1000 yards from the château. Our
two battalions, being entrenched in thc
wood, did hOt receive such a severe hammcr-
ing as the brigades on either side--the 7th
and 9th respectively on our right and left,--
who were more in the open. And the shell-
ing and attacks on them were incessant, as
wcll as on troops still further off on the
other side of them.
The llth Novembcr was a typically un-
pleasant day. If started with a touch of
comedy, Weatherby arriving stark naked in
my room af 6.30 ,.M., just whcn I was shav-
ing, saying, "I say, sir, may I finish my
dressing in here ? They're shelling the bath-
room!" He had a towel and a few clothes
on his arm, et proeterea nihil. (He, M.-B., and
St André, though sleeping in different rooms,
uscd fo dress in the bathroom, where thcre
were excellent taps and basins, though no
water was running.)
The shelling continued till 10. If was on
this morning that Brown was damaged and
lots of windows blown in.
About that rime I saw, to my consterna-
tion, a number of British soldiers retiring to-
wards the walled garden. I sent out af once
fo stop filera and turn them back, thinking
232 THE DOINGS OF THE
thcy werc Chcshires or Bedfords. To my
relief they were neither, but belonged fo
a brigade on out right. They had been
hcavily shelled, and, though in no sort of
panic, were falling back deliberately, though
without orders. There werc no oflïcers with
them--all killed or wounded, I believe. My
efforts werc successful, though I grievc fo
say that a nice boy, Kershaw of the
Signallers, who voluntecred fo carry a
message fo them, was hit by shrapncl in the
thigh and brought in by our clerk, Sergeant
Hutchison, and another, bleeding profusely.
Burnett, commanding the Cyclist Corps, had
been knocked down by a falling tree and
his back damaged--also infernal damage, I
believe (for he was hot really fit a year
afterwards); he also was brought in, as
well as Cooper of the Royal Fusiliers. A
number of Zouaves and some more troops
also trickled slowly back from the left wit
stories of appalling losses (mostly untrue)
and disaster fo the trenches (ditto). They
were also stopped--the Zouaves by St André
--and senç back. Certainly tlle French-
men's nerve was not damaged, for I re-
member that sevcral had playing-cards in
their hands, and when they got fo what
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 233
thcy considercd fairly quiet spot they
stopped, st down, and went on with their
g,me. Norman M'Mahon, commanding
Royal Fusiliers, hd, however, been killed,
just as he had been appointed Brigadier fo
anothcr Brigade, besides a lot more good
mon of the 9th Brigade. Shaw, command-
ing thc Brigade, had also becn woundcd,
and Douglas Smith succeeded him. Both
the 1st and 9th Brigades had lost scveral
trenches, and intended fo try and retake
them af night, but both had bcen pushed
back some distance.
A company of Wiltshires was sent fo
reinforce us in case we were seriously
attacked. But they were not uscd by us
for fighting--only for digging extra trenches
near the château in case the front battalions
had fo fall back. But the front battalions
had no intention of falling back, and the
Cheshires got in a very heavy tire on the
flank of some Germuns who were attack-
ing thc 7th Brigade, and, together with thc
Gordons on our right, killed a great number.
The Cheshires reported afterwards that the
Germans walked slowly forward fo the
attack without enthusiasm and in a sort
of dazcd way, with thcir rifles undcr their
234 THE DOINGS OF THE
arms, as if they were drugged. I wondcr
whether they were: we several rimes re-
ceived reports fo bhe saine effect.
A particularly cheery ibem of intelligence,
on good authority, was that fifteen German
Guards babbalions were being specially
brought up in order fo break through our
line here af all cosbs. I thought ab the rime
that this was false news, and that nobhing
like so many would be available, but lb was
not far out. As part confirmation, some
papers taken off a dead German officer were
brought in ; thcy belonged fo A. von Obernibz,
2nd Garde Grenadier Regiment, 2nd Division
Guard Corps, bub there was nothing of in-
terest in them.
Aboub that date Weatherby, who had becn
seedy for several days, became seriously ill
with a sort of lighb typhoid fever, and had
to be evacuated. Moulton-Barrett thercfore
added the duties of Brigade-Major to his
already heavy ones as Staff Capbain, and did
excellenbly well in the double capacity.
To finish up with, the weather, which had
been calm and fine up ho date, broke bhat
evening, and there were violent rain-storms
from the south-west all nighb.
We went fo bed in no very happy state of
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 235
mind, expccting a serious night attack by
ovcrwhelming forces. But no attack came,
for probably the encmy was as exhausted as
ourselves. Ail the samc we had fo fall back
by order, on the following night, for many
trenches on out right and left had been
driven in, and we did hot want fo bc
cut off.
So we fcll back about 200 yards through
the wood, and straightcncd up our line--.in
a much worse defensive position as regards
our own bit, but if could hOt be helped. My
suggestions as fo the line were overrulcd,
and we took up our second line of tronches
and constructed a littlc réduit in the wood,
ringed around with barbed wire and holding
about twenty-five men, who would--we were
sanguine enough fo expect--hold off any
serious rush that came.
I forgot fo mention that Singer, command-
ing the 17th Fd. Co. R.E., had arrived, and
dld an extraordinary amount of good work
with his company in circumstances of the
greatest difficulty and danger. He told me
that the first night he went out, in order to
put up some wire entanglement in a danger-
ous place, if was as black as pitch. He ruade
his sections hold on fo each other's coats, but
236 THE DOINGS OF THE
within ten minutes they had not only lost
cach other in the dense black woods--chicfly
through tumbling into trenches and falling
over telephone wires,--but Singer had lost
thc whole company, and after wandering
hclplcssly in what he thought the right
direction for some rime, hc discovered that
he had lost himself as well. He said he felt
inclined fo sit down and have a good cry,
so utterly miserable did he feel!
In falling back fo the second line we had
a fairly easy job, but for the 9th Brigade
was a regular Chinese puzzle, for by this
rime some of their trenches were in German
hands af one end and English af the other,
whilst Northumberland Fusilicrs, Lincolns,
Sussex, West Ridings, Cavalry, and even
part of the 2nd Grenadiers, 1 who had turned
up from goodness knows where, were in-
cxtricably tangled up; not fo mention that
a party of Northumberlands, numbering
about 120, under one gallant subaltern
called Brown, had been holding out for
three days in front of our line, with no
food or drink, and Germans in trenches
only 30 yards off them. I believe this lot
eventually got away in safety, but thc
a My old battalion.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 237
retirement of all was about as difficult as
it could be. This was on the 13th.
On the 14th the Bcdfords were heavily
attacked, and the Germans pushed a machine-
gun right forward through the wood and
enfiladed the Cheshire left. These stood if
for some rime and then retired further down
their trench, being unable fo let the Bedfords
know. Consequently this beastly gun got in
a heavy tire on the Bedfords right as well
and forced them fo retire. The réduit was
no good--thc wood was too thick--and
some of the garrison were captured. So
the Bedfords had fo fall back, fighting, on
fo their third line 50 yards back, where
they held the enemy.
Edwards, who commanded the advanced
Bedford company, came up fo the château
fo report, and gave a most cheery and
amusing account of the whole thing, but
the result was hot af all amusing, as we
had lost ground and a lot of men.
Meanwhile the big attack by the German
Guards was being made on the brigades on
our flanks, but, as ail the world knows, if
was completely repulsed, though the 15th
Brigade was not very heavily engagcd as a
whole. The fighting was terribly confused
238 THE DOINGS OF THE
in the woods, and nothing but the individual
grit of our men held the line, for if was
practically impossible to give directions or
exercise control in this horrible terrain.
During ths period we got much "mixcd"
as regards out machine-guns. We took over
some from the 7th Division and lost some
of those. Then we borrowed some more
from other units in rear and recovered some
of the lost ones. Sergeant Mart of the
Bedfords dd a splendid thing, and recovered
two of the lost Bedford guns practically by
himself, stalking the Germans with only one
other man and rushing their trench, killing
the few men in it. I wanted fo recommend
hm for the V.C., but had such dfficulty in
getting sucient evidence about if that an
official recommendation would hot have
held water. Meanwhile poor Mart was shot
through the neck. I got him a D.C.M., but
do hOt know whether he lived fo receive it.
Then three out of our rive guns got
damaged by shells and bullets and mud and
stopped work. So we borrowed some more,
and had some difficulty in working them,
as they were a new pattern. By the tme
we understood them two other guns were
ho's de combat,--it was a real nightmarc,
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 239
and it needed strenuous efforts to keep evcn
one or two gunsl going; yet they were of
enormous importance, and accounted for
a lot of the enemy, especially on the right
flank of the Cheshires.
Meanwhile the weather had turned beastly
cold--snowstorms and slcet during the day
and a hard frost af night. The men suffercd
terribly in the trenches- especially thc
Cheshires, whose trenches were very wet.
Although we kept the wet ones occupied
as lightly as possible, we could hOt abandon
them altogether and dig others further
forward or back, as there was water every-
where only a foot below the ground. Breast-
works were attempted, but they were very
visible and attracted large numbers of
shells: altogether the Cheshires had a very
poor rime, I fear. The Bedfords were rather
better off, their trenches in the wood bcing
on rather higher and sandy ground, but
they were hOt dry by any means.
It was very awkward getting to the
trenches, even in broad daylight, by this time,
It does indeed seern extraordinary now that in those
strcnuous days of 1914 we only had about threc machine-
gms to two battalions. Nowadays we should havc at
let twenty !
240 THE DOINGS OF THE
for such numbers of trees had been blown
down by the shells, there were so many shell-
holes and so much wire about, and the mud
and pools of water so unversal, that it was
really quite a physical effort to get through
af all.
About this time--the 17th--the Germans
in our immediate front appeared fo have
retircd a bit, but they certanly had hot
gone far, for our scouts on pushng on for
50 yards or so were greeted with a heavy
tire, so we were unable fo get on as much
as we wanted. But though the rifle-bullets
were rarer for a day or two, shells certainly
were hot, and continued with the utmost
regularity.
On the evening of the 17th, by the way,
the enemy, annoyed perhaps at our scouts
pushing on, ruade what was probably meant
fo be a counter-attack. It was not ruade
in much strength, and we repelled it with
ease. But it appeared to us at the château
to be more serious than it was, for a
messenger from the trenches arrived with
the information that the Bedfords were
being very severely pressed, and the
Cheshires had had very heavy losses, and
could not hold their trenches for more than
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 241
ten minutes unless they were supported at
once. I had no supports te send them. A
message te Griffith by telephone for con-
firmation of this alarm produced no result,
for the wires were, of course, broken at that
critical moment. Se I wired te General
Wing asking him te send me seine supports
if he could, and got 200 Royal Fusiliers
shortly afterwards. But I did net use thcm,
for the news of the messenger--who pro-
tested that he had been sent with a verbal
message (net likely) by an officer whose naine
he did net know--turned out te be grossly
exaggerated, and by the rime the Fusiliers
arrived the fighting was over. I never could
trace whether any officer was responsible for
the original message: I believe net. Any-
how, there was trouble for the messenger.
On the 18th and 19th we had compara-
tively quiet days--except for nervousness
about out left flank, where certain troops
wbo had joined the 9th Brigade were very
beavily shelled and lest one or two of their
trenches. They managed, indeed, te get
most of the lest ground back, but I was
net ent.irely happy about it, for the ground
between us and thcm was extremely difficult
and could net be properly covered by either
Q
242 THE DOINGS OF THE
of us. There was a pond hereabouts, with
a little island on it with a summer-house;
and we round, on extending out left fo
take if over, that there must have been a
German sniper there for several nights, for
many empty Mauser cartridge-cases were
found in the summer-house, and a very dicky
punt was discovered in the rushes. This
latter we sank, and were no more troubled;
but it shows the cool pluck of the enemy's
snipers in getting right into our lines by
themselves (and also--I regret fo add--
certain other things as well).
Rumours now came of an approaching
relief, and certainly troops had rarely been
more in want of if, for our two battalions
had been in the trenches for fourteen days,
with pretty stiff fighting- and nervous,
jumpy fighting in the dark at that--all the
rime, and no chance of being comfortable
or quiet during the whole of this period.
Each battalion had had to find ifs own
supports or reserves; but even the latter
had fo be pretty close up to the firing line,
for in such cramped country one could not
afford the risk of a sudden rush which might
have succeedod before the reserves could
get up. Our line, if is true, was not a par-
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 243
ticularly long one; but if was awkward,
and the troops were much cramped and
confined by nearly all bcing obliged to take
cover in the wood, which gradually grew
too small fo hold them.
Nov. 19th.
On the 19th General Wing arrived and
told us that, after settling to relieve us
to-day, the French had been unable to find
the men and could hot doit. This was a
disappointmcnt; but a later message arrived
fo say that the Worcesters, coming from
the 5th Brigade, would arrive that after-
noon and relieve both of our battalions,
who by that rime werc reduced to 540
Bedfords and 220 Cheshires altogcther (thc
Bedfords having started with Il00 and the
Cheshires with 600 odd).
In the evening a battalion of Worcesters
--from goodness knows whcre--turned up
and announced that they were to relieve
us. We had already, as above mentioned,
heard that they were coming, and were
ready for them; but if was funny that
they should arrive for only twenty-four
hours, for the French were going to occupy
out trenches on the morrow.
244 THE DOINGS OF THE
Anyhow, by nlidnight or so the Bedfords
and Cheshires had cleared out, thankful to
leave the horrible rabbit-warren where they
had been stuck for nearly three wet, cold,
and beastly weeks; and they retired fo the
wood and dug-outs close behind our château,
so as tobe in reserve in case of necessity.
Nov. 20th.
But they were hOt wanted as such, and
the following day was fairly quiet as far
as trench fighting was concerned.
But hOt so for the staff. We were sitting
in the housekeeper's room after breakfast
working out our orders for the withdrawal
that night, when there was a terrific bang
just outside the ch'£teau--nearer than ever
before. We looked at each other, and
would, I verily believe, have settled down
again to our work, so accustomed were we
fo shells of ail sorts, had hot Naylor, who
had joined us two days before as temporary
signal officer (vice Cadell, gone sick with
light typhoid af Hille eighteen days before),
jumped up and run outside in order fo
see where if had gone. Being Divisional
signal oflîcer, he had hOt, perhaps, had
quite so much experience of shells as we
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 245
had, and he wanted fo get into closer touch.
The example was infectious, and we also
strolled out fo see where the shell had
fallcn. Hardly had we got outside into the
passage, and half-way up the basement stcps
into the fresh air, when there was a roar
and an appalling crash which shook the
building. The concussion ruade me stagger,
and blcw my cap off. St André's hat fizzcd
away into the bushes, and, surrounded by
a cloud of red dust and stones and chips
of balustrades and hunks of wood and
branches, we held on fo anything we could.
No damage fo ourselves ; but a glance down
the passage showed us that the shell, or
most of it, had exploded in or just outside
the kitchen, and blown that chamber, as
well as the housekeeper's room, which we
had just left, into absolute smithereens.
No rime fo look into further details; a
hurried issue of orders, and we legged if
for all we were worth across the open and
into our funk- hole in the shrubbery 300
yards off, whilst the signal section and ser-
vants and orderlies ruade a bolt for the
stables in the opposite direction.
But the Germans seem fo have been satis-
fied with this little exhibition of "hate,"
246 THE DOINGS OF THE
and bombarded us no more--except casu-
ally, with shrapnel, as usual. We crept
back to the château af intervals during the
morning, and removed various possessions
and chairs and tables to out dug-out, which
was nota very luxurious abode, though dry
and fairly deep. Poor Conway, Weatherby's
servant, whom he had left behind, was the
only casualty; his dead body was round,
with both legs broken and an arm off, blown
down a cellar passage at the back. The
next most serious casualty was Moulton-
Barrett's new pair of breeches, arrived that
morning from England, and driven full of
holes like a sugar-sifter. Out late room
was a mass of wreckage--half the outcr
wall and most of the inner one blown down,
tables and chairs and things overturned and
broken, and the floor knee-deep in plaster
and rubbish. Of the kitchen there was still
lcss; and nothing was tobe rescued from
the débris except one tin plate and one tin
nustard-pot. It would have taken days to
clear it, for a good deal of the roon above
seemed fo have fallen into it as well, and
one could hardly get in af the door, so full
was the place of plaster, wreckage, and
stones, and hot-water pipes and bits of iron
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 247
and twistcd rails, and dust and carth and
broken laths and rafters. Luckily the con-
cussion put the tire out, or there might
bave been still more damage.
We spent out day somewhat uncomfort-
ably in the dug-out, for there was a hard
frost and very little room to turn round
in, and though we had a brazier, its char-
coal fumes in the confined space nearly
poisoned us. In the middle of the day
three French officers turned up, and we
ruade mutual arrangements for the taking
over by them of this portion of the line,
Milling (of the Bedfords) guiding one party
and St André the other.
Food was rather a difficulty, for the mess
servants had disappeared, and had last been
seen hastcning in the direction of Ypres--
for which we cursed them loud and long.
We did out best with small hunks of bully
and odd bits of chocolate and a modicum
of tea and biscuits in our haversacksmfor
all the test of out food had been buried by
that infernal shell,--but it was neither com-
fortable nor fi|ling; and, in truth, as the
dark winter evening came on with only one
or two candle-stumps between us, we were hot
as happy as we should othcrwisc havc bccn.
28 THE DOINGS OF THE
Hclp was, however, at hand; for our ser-
vants, Inskip and Stairs, who we thought
had ignominiously run away, suddenly
turncd up with heaps of food. They had
gone ail the way te our cook's waggon three
toiles the other side of Ypres for comestibles,
and whilst we were d--ing their eyes for
bolting, were trudging, heavily laden, along
the road back te us--good youths.
It was a lengthy business getting the
relief through. The French troops, due at
7.30 P.m., did net arrive till 9.15 P.m., and
cven then it was difficult te pilot a lot of
troops, fresh te the ground, in pitch dark-
ness, over shell-holes and wires and broken
trees and stumps, and through mud and
undergrowth and dead horses, &c., &c., into
the trenches destined for them. The details
had te be very carefully arranged indeed,
and if was net till nearly 2 A.. that we
hEd got the French into the trenches, the
Worcesters into reserve, and the Bed-
fords and Cheshires on their way back te
Ypres.
Then, with a sigh of seine thankfulness
apiece, we stumbled back in the darkness te
the château, where we waited te collect the
remains of the Signal Section and staff, and
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 249
then lnoved off, mounted this tiret, down
the Mcnin-Ypres road.
It was freezing very hard--as I think I
remarked before--and the road vas fright-
fully slippery. Trotting was almost out of
the question, but I tried it on Squeaky for
a fcw yards, on a dry broken blt. Shc
pulled back on to the slippery part, slid up,
and sat down heavily, whilst I fell gracefully
off on to my shoulder. And she ,'epeatcd
the performance the other side of the town.
Ypres, in the bright starlight, was still quite
impressive, and the Cloth Htll was still
almost intact. But there were many shell-
holes about, and some of the houses were
still smouldering. The town happened to bc
respited from shells for the actual moment,
but I believe that the very next day a heavy
bombardment began again, and the Cloth
Hall was destroyed till hardly thc skcleton
thereof was left.
Nov. 21st.
We were due to billet in Locre, and there
we arrived at about 7 A.. It was fright-
fully cold, but, after we had seen the two
battalions billeted, the military policeman
who had been told to turn up and show us
250 THE DOINGS OF THE
to our billets was nowhere fo be found, so
we wandered on as far as the Convent,
staggering and slipping on the snowy ice
and blowing on our fingers as we went.
The thermometer must have shown ten
degrees of frost or more, but I only know
that I was very glad fo reach our little
house af last (having passed it already once
half a mlle before) and get in between the
sheets of an ancient but respectably clean
bed, covered by all the mackintoshes,
blankets, and rugs I could get hold of.
The Cheshires were billeted on the Mont
Rouge close by, and the Bedfords near us,
at the corner of the Westoutre road. They
had all struggled over the fourteen mlles or
so that divided them from their trenches,
but having arrived and their feet having
swollen terribly during the long march, any
number of them could hot get their boots
on again, and they went fo hospital by
twenties and thirties, hobbling along the
road with their feet tied up in rags or socks,
for they were deformed with rheumatism
and swollen joints, 1 and would hot fit any
boot. The Cheshires, as I expected, were
much thc worse of the two battalions, for
1 What would now bc known a "trech feet."
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 251
their trenches had been very wet, and most
of the men had sat with cold feet in water
for many days; yet there was hot a single
case of pulmonary complaint amongst them,
and hardly even a cough or a cold.
Here we stayed, at Locre, till the 25th, the
men enjoying a most well-earned rest, and fill-
ing up with hot baths, warm clothes, socks,
parcels from home, and comforts of ail sorts.
The Divisional Headquarters were in the
Convent, a clean huge building which did
very well for the purpose, and here we went
ahnost daily, either on business or on a meal
intent. The Cheshires--only 230 of them
left--were of no practical value, alas, with
their bad feet; so they were sent in to 2nd
Corps Headquarters (Sir H. S.-D.) at ]3ailleul,
nominally to "find" the Headquarters Guard,
but in reality to convalesce.
On the 25th we--that is, Headquarters and
the Bedfords, for that was all there was left
of the 15th for the moment--moved fo St
Jan's Cappel, a nice little village only a fcw
toiles behind Locre. We lived in the Curé's
(M. de Vos) house, clean and pleasant; and
the Curé, who liked the good things of this
world, brought his stout pcrson to coffee
every evcning, and did hot disdain to make
252 THE DOINGS OF THE
the acqu(uintance of an occasional rot of
British rum or whisky, except on Fridays.
Two days afterwards we were inspected
both by Sir Horace and, half an hour later,
by Sir John French, who were both pleased
fo say complimentary things of the Brigade.
It did us good. The Bedfords again put me
fo confusion by calling out "'Ear! 'ear !" af
telling points of the speeches--curious folk,--
the only battalion 1 ever heard do so. 587
nmn and 8 ofilcers on parade, hot one of the
latter of whom, except the Quartermaster,
had corne out with the battalion. GrifIïth
was on leave, his place being taken by Major
Mackenzie, V.C., who had just joined. Ail
the other ofilcers who had left Ireland with
me in August were either killed, wounded,
or sick.
We were under orders fo go into the
trenches again shortly, taking over from
Maude, now commanding the 14th Brigade;
he also had the Dorsets and Norfolks,
scraped up from various places, attached fo
him. His line was in front of Dranoutre.
On the 29th November we took over thcre,
a most complicated arrangement which only
evolved itself clearly during the next week.
The victor of Baghdad.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 253
I had the East Surreys and Manchcsters
under me for a rime, and then the K.O.S.B.'s,
all interchanging and intershuffling with my
battalions, the main reason being that I had
hot got the Cheshires, so had fo shift as best
I could without them, picking up a battalion
of the 13th or 14th Brigade when one was
available.
The line was not exactly nice. We had,
if is true, got rid of the worst bit, Hill 73, on
fo the 3rd Division, which was next door on
the left; but if extended ail the saine for an
unpleasant length on our right, which was
south of the Wulverghem-Messines road,
thc right of the Brigade on our right being
on the Douve. Ai the longest--the length
that the Brigade had fo defend varied
according fo circumstances--the line was
just over 2500 yards; at its shortest it was
about 2200. Considering that the normal
frontage (defensive) of the Brigade af full
strength was 900 fo 1300 yards, this was a
bit "rhin" in more senses than one.
As wc were here for three months, off and
on--from the beginning of December fo the
end of February,--it may be worth while
trying fo describe if, if I can.
Imagine a bit of rolling country--rather
254 THE DOINGS OF THE
like parts of Leicestershire,wfair-sized ficlds,
scparated mostly by straggling fences inter-
spersed with wire (largely barbed), and
punctuated by tall trees. Patches of wood
in places, spinney size for the most part.
Low hills here and there--Kemmel, Scher-
penberg, Ploegsteert Wood,---but ail outside
our area. For villages, Dranoutre, Neuve
Eglise, Wulverghem, and Lindenhoek, of
xvhich the two last were already more than
hall shot fo pieces and almost deserted.
Opposite our right was Messineswa toile and
a half in front of our line,--its big, square,
old church tower still standing; if may have
had a spire on the top, but if so if had dis-
appeared before we came. Nearly opposite
our extreme left, but out of our jurisdiction
and in the sphere of the Division o out left,
was Wytschaete (pronounce Wich Khâte),
one and a half mlles off. The cavalry had
held both Messines 1 and Wytschaete af the
end of October, but had been overwhelmingly
attacked here and driven out of them, so
that the two villages formed a hostile bulge
into our line. We had been in hopes of
driving attacks into the base of the bulge
and thus forcing a retirement. But the
Locally pronounccd Mersd.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 255
256 THE DOINGS OF THE
Germans reinforced the bulge and en-
trenched if heavily, and instead of our cut-
ring off the bulge, if became flatter and
flatter, without giving way at the point, so
that we had fo retire slightly, on either side,
and not they.
Farms, nearly all of them roofless and
hall-ruined, were dotted about over the
country. Small ones for the most part they
were, and of the usual type--a liquid and
stinking manure-heap surrounded on three
sides by a living-house and barns. Of the
ro,ds, those from Dranoutre fo Lindenhoek,
Dranoutre fo Neuve Eglise, and Neuve
Eglise viâ Wulverghem to Messines, were
pavé--Le., cobble-stones down the centre
and mud on both sides. Those joining Lin-
denhoek fo Neuve Egllse and Wulverghem
were also mostly pavé. The remainder were
mere field tr,cks for the most part, rarely
metalled, and in wet weather almost im-
passable for mud.
0 that mud! We have heard lots about
Flanders mud, but the reaHty transcends
imagination, especially in winter. Greasy,
slippery, holding clay, over your toes in
most places and over your ankles in all the
rest--where if is not over your knees,--it is
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 257
the most horrible "going" I know anywhere.
Whether you are moving across plough or
grass fields, or along lanes, you are perpetu-
ally skating about and slipping up on the
firmer bits and held fast by the ankles in
the softer ones. There is no stone in the
district, nothing but rich loamy clay, alias
mud. However much you dig, you never
corne across stone, nothing but sticky mud
which clings to your shovel and refuses fo be
parted from it--mud that has to be scraped
off at almost every stroke, mud that absorbs
water like a sponge yet refuses fo give if up
again. Every little puddle and rut, every
hoof-depression full of rain, remains like that
for weeks; even when the weather is fine
the water does not seem fo evaporate, but
remains on the surface.
And when it rains, as it did all that
winter (except when it snowed), the state of
the trenches is indescribable. Some were,
frankly, so full of water that they had
to be abandoned, and a breastwork erected
behind. But a breastwork is slow work,
especially if you are less than 100 yards
from the enemy. For weeks, indeed, the
garrison of one particular trench had to lie
out on the mud, or on what waterproofs
258 THE DOINGS OF THE
they could get, behind a shelter two to
three feet high--always growing a little,
yet never to be made fo a real six feet
height for reason of conspicuousness and
consequent clusters of Black Marias.
Other trenches varied from rive inches to
rive feet deep in mud; in one a Dorset man
was literally almost drowned and drawn
forth with great difficulty. Many cases
occurred of semi-submersion, and as for
moving up the communication trenches
during the winter, it was generally an im-
possibility, for they were either knee-deep
in water or in mud, and simply refused to
be drained. So men preferred the risk of
a stray bullet to the certainty of liquid mud
to the knees and consequent icy discomfort
for twenty-four hours and more. And as
for the unfortunate ration-parties and men
bringing up heavy trench stores, their task
was really one of frightful labour, for, for
two men to cross a large and slippery muddy
series of fields carrying a 100 lb. box between
them was no joke. First one would slide up
and skate off in one direction whilst the
other did his best to hold on, generally
resulting in dropping his end of the box or
finding himself on the fiat of his back. Then
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 259
the parts would be reversed, but they always
slid up in opposite directions--the mud
saw fo that,--and they would arrive in the
trenches, after their stroll of i mlle or
less, absolutely exhausted and dripping with
sweat. If was difficult enough, over much
of the ground, to avoid slipping up even
when burdened by nothing more than a
walking-stick; that I know from personal
experience. Yet for many weeks the men
had to do this and surfer, for fascines and
bricks, besides sandbags, were only just be-
ginning to make their appearance in Dec-
ember; and floor-boards and gratings and
gravel and trench stores and wire-netting,
and revetments and planks and iron sheeting
and trestles and hurdles of ail sorts, did hOt
really materialize in anything like sufficient
numbers till March.
The draining of the trenches was heart-
bieiking. After a heavy day or two of
tain the parapets would fall down in hunks
into the foot of water or so in the trenches,
and would churn up into liquid mud, only
fo be removed by large spoons, of which
we had none, or buckets, of which we had
but very few. It was too thick fo drain
off down the very, very gradual slopes which
260 THE DOINGS OF THE
were the best we could do, and too liquid
fo be shovelled away; so there it would
remain, and our strenuous efforts in re-
building the parapets (for at this period
we had no revetting material) would only
result, a night or two later, in still further
collapses.
The R.E. companies, both 17th and 59th,
worked like heroes, and so particularly did
the Norfolks and Bedfords; but if was
most disheartening work. No sooner was
one parapet fairly complete than another
fell in; and when this was mended the
first one would collapse again under the
incessa,nt downpour. And ail this rime wire
entanglements had fo be put up in front
under hostile tire, trenches connected up
and drained, support trenches dug, com-
munication trenches improved, loopholes
ruade, defences thickened and strengthened,
saps pushed out, all under the tire of an
enemy anything from 60 fo 200 yards off,
and always on rather higher ground than
ourselves, worse luck, so that he had the
whip-hand.
Soon came the period of hand grenades,
în which he had six fo one the best of us
in numbers; and then in rite grenades
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 261
ditto ditto; and then in trench mortars,
flare-lights, searchlights, and rockets--
wherein we followed him feebly and af a
great distance; for where he sent up 100
(say) light balls af night, we could only
afford rive or six; and other things in pro-
portion. Later on came the Minenwerfer,
an expanded type of trench mortar, and its
bomb, but up to the end of February his
efforts in this direction were not very seri-
ous, though I allow that he did us more
harm thereby than we him. For our trench
mortars were in an experimental stage,
ruade locally by the R.E., and constructed
of thin gas-pipe iron and home-ruade jam-pot
bombs, whose behaviour was always erratic,
and sometimes, I regret to say, fatal to the
mortarist. (Poor Rogers, R.E., a capital
subaltern, was killed thus, besides others,
I fear.)
Our reliefs varied. Normally the Brigade
was supposed to be, at first, eight days in
and four days out. Then this was rapidly
changed to twelve days in and six days out;
then, as the 14th Brigade suggested that it
should hold Neuve Eglise, a quite short
front, in perpetuity, whilst the 13th and
15th Brigades relieved each other alternate
262 THE DOINGS OF THE
eight days along the long front, it was
changed nominally fo eight in and eight
out. But it was hOt always possible, and
our last tour lasted twenty days in and
only three out.
The reliefs ruade one's head whirl. If
was all right fo start with, two battalions
in the trenches (i.e., fire-trenches, support-
trenches, and reserve-trenches), and two
battalions in reserve at Dranoutre or there-
abouts -- four days about, each battalion,
in eight-day reliefs, or three days about in
twelve-day reliefs. This was simple. But
when our line was lengthened to a three-
battalion length if became much more diffi-
cult, especially when one battalion was much
weaker than the other three. And when,
eventually, the brigade was presented with
a Territorial battalion of great strength but
no experience, making rive battalions of vary-
ing strengths fo occupy a three-battalion
length, whilst one could only put the Terri-
torial one (at first) into a comparatively sale
place in the line which did hOt fit if, then
the problem of the wolf, the goat, and the
cabbage faded into complete insignificance.
If was very ditïicult fo fit everything in so
that each battalion had ifs fair share of duty
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 263
and of rest. Even with the best intentions
matters did not always pan out straight, for
considerations of strength, of comparative
excellence, of dangerous and of safe localities,
of moral, of comfortable or uncomfortable
trenches, of spade-work and of a dozen other
things, had fo be fitted together like a
Chinese puzzle.
There was a particularly dangerous and
uncomfortable length which was given to
the best battalion to hold. On its relief,
who should hold if ? the next best, who was
badly wanted somewhere else, or another
one weak in numbers and consequently
unfit? And when the relief came again,
was the best battalion always to be doomed
to the worst and most dangerous trenches,
merely because if was the best ? Hardly an
incitement fo good work. And when the
battalions did not fit their length, were you
to add or subtract a company from some-
body else, or would you put some in reserve
out of their turn, thereby inflicting unfair
hardship on another battalion ? And would
you like to reinforce one battalion, in case of
attack, by another battalion ? or would you
like fo make if rhin in front and deep
behind, and support itself? If the other
264 THE DOINGS OF THE
thing was necessary, how could you do it
when the two battalions were accustomed
fo relieve their companies, internally, in
different ways, when perhaps the transport
of one was deficient, or one battalion pre-
ferred sandbags, whilst the other cherished
hurdles, as revetting material ?--for I always
round that gving the commanding officer
his head in such small infernal matters
produced the best work. If was a marrer
for deep study and wet towels, and there let
it rest.
We had much difficulty about quarters
outside the trenches, for ail the farmhouses
anywhere within two toiles of the enemy
were shelled pretty regularly as regards
quantity of explosive material devoted fo
them--though, as regards dates, they varied
considerably. Battalion headquarters had
fo be dumped down in farms hall shot fo
pieces, with ail windows broken and howling
icy draughts tearing through the shell-holed
walls. If you did not like this, you could
go and dig a big hole in the side of a
road or a turnip-field and lire in that. The
reserves were always the difficulty, and so,
for a long rime, were even the supports.
For whatever and wherever the trenches
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 265
that we dug for them, the rain came steadily
down and broke away the sides of the dug-
ours and provided wet legs for those that
sat therein. Later on, more tituber being
available, as well as iron sheeting, hurdles
and other things, they became a good deal
more weather-proof; but at first the men
as well as the officers were, I fear, very
uncomfortable.
In those days one could not dream of
going up fo or into a trench except in the
dark, or, indeed, of moving about anywhere
near there except af night. Nowadays one
can visit all one's trenches in broad day-
light, and never care a rap for the occasional
bullets which whistle over the comfortable
deep communication trenches; but up fo
the spring of 1915 if was very different
almost throughout.
I used fo visit the trenches every third
night or so; af least I tried to, but if was
hOt by any means always possible. If meant
a three-mile ride there, putting up the
horses in Wulverghem or Lindenhoek, and
a walk of a mlle or so to the trenches, then
a toile or less along the trenches. If was
lucky for you if there was any light of moon
or stars fo see by, and lucky if you did hot
266 THE DOINGS OF THE
go over your knees in mud in the dark.
On one occasion it came down a pitchy dead
blackness just as I was arriving af the
trenches, so that you literally could hot
see your hand in front, or the road, or any-
thing else; so I gave it up and went back.
Other nights were impossible for the same
reason; and occasionally the brilliance of
the moon was in fault, though hot often.
So we had to select our nights carefully.
Johnston, V.C., 1 R.E., was in R.E. charge
of our trenches. (Poor fellow, he was killed
by a sniper near St Eoi on April 15.) He
must bave worked something like eighteen
hours out of the twenty-four. For by 9 A..
he was collecting material near Dranoutre
and receiving reports, and settling his
company administrative work. At 11.30 he
came fo see me, and we discussed and
settled the ensuing night's task. Then back
to his farm to give out instructions to his
sappers, and fifty other things to do before
he rode out about 6 P.. to the trenches,
remaining there till 3 A.. or even 6 A..
--to superintend the work and struggle
about in the mud ail night. He never
1 He had received the V.C. for a particularly plucky
piece of raft work under heavy tire at Missy.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 267
spared himself an ounce. He was occa-
sionally so nearly dead with want of sleep
that I once or twice ordered him fo take
a night's sleep; but he always got out of
if on some pretext or other.
And with it ai1 he was as plucky as the
devil--he seemed fo like getting shot af.
One night he got a ricochet bullet over his
heart, but this only put him in a furious
rage (if you can use the word about such
a seeming mild person), and spent the next
twenty-four hours in collecting ammunition
and bombs and extra trench-mortars and
firing them himself; this seemed fo soothe
him. He was a wonderful fellow all round,
always full of expedients and never dis-
heartened by the cruel collapse of ail his
plans caused by the wet weather; and if
there was a dangerous piece of work on
hand, he was always first in giving the lead.
One very nasty place on the left there was
which was commanded by the enemy af
short range, yet we could not dig in if, as
the water was only a foot below the ground,
and breastworks there were practically im-
possible; yet if the enemy had seized this
bit they would have enfiladed the rest of
the line; why they did hot do so I do not
268 THE DOINGS OF THE
know. He was always pressing me to
attack the Germans af this point and seize
a bit of false crest that they held; but rny
better judgment was against if, as, if we
had taken the bit, we should bave been
commanded there from three sides instead
of one, and could hot bave held if for half
an hour. I know Johnston's private opinion
of me in this marrer was that I was a funk,
but he was too polite fo say so. After I
left, the following Brigade hot only did hot
attack the point, but fell back some distance
here, "on ifs own"; and I am sure they
were right.
Poor Johnston--he became Brigade-Major
after Weatherby left for the 5th Divisional
Staff (some time in April 1915, I think), and,
as I remarked, was killed shortly afterwards.
His death was a very heavy loss fo the
Brigade.
Af Dranoutre we--that is, the Brigade
staff--lived in a perpetual atmosphere of
mud and draughts. The Curé's house was
very small and very dirty, and was hot
improved by the pounds of mud which
every one brought in on his boots af ail
hours of the day and left on our best
drugget--a cheap, rhin thing which I
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 269
bought in Bailleul (they had hot such a
thing as a carpet in the whole town) where-
with to cover the nakedness of the brick
floor of the one tiny room in which we
ail worked and are.
Weatherby and I slept in the house, and
the others were billeted outside, but the
quarters were none of them more than
passable-- poor villagers' rooms, with a
frowzy though comfortable bed, a rickety
washhand-stand, if you were lucky (I did
hot even have that), no carpet on the dirty
wooden floor, and one small hard-backed
chair, generally minus a portion of a leg;
never any chest of drawers or anywhere fo
put your things, as if there by any chance
was such a thing in the room, if was sure
fo be full of the inhabitants' rusty old black
clothes and dirty blue flannel shirts, and
petticoats, thick and musty, by the ton,--I
never saw so many petticoats per inhabitant.
Our mess had only had one change since
the beginning of the war, and that was in
the signal officer. Cadell had gone sick in
November, and Miles had replaced him in
December. For about a month, including
ail the period af Ypres, we had had no
signal oIïlcer (except Naylor for two days),
270 THE DOINGS OF THE
nor any Brigade-Major from about the
12th November (at Ypres) till the beginning
of December; so Sergeant King, a first-rate
signaller, though hot the senior, had carried
on for Cadell, and Moulton-Barrett had
added the duties of Brigade-Major to his
own. But by the middle of December we
were complete again. Weatherby had re-
turned from his sick leave, and Mlles, of
the K.O.S.B.'s, was now signalling oflîcer.
A quite excellent one he was, too--very
silent, always an hour or two late for
dinner (owing to strenuous night work),
never asking questions, but always doing
things before they were even suggested,
and very thoroughly af that; he was a
;reat acquisition. Moulton-Barrett was
still Staff Captain--very hard-working and
conscientious, and very thorough; Weath-
erby was still Brigade-Major--keen and re-
sourceful; Beilby was still veterinary oflîcer
--capable and helpful; and St André was
still interpreter and billeting oilicer--cheer-
ful and most willing. His duties were
mostly to investigate the numerous cases
of natives who wanted fo go somewhere
or do something--generally to fetch their
cows off a shell-swept field, or to rescue
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 271
their furniture from a burnt village, or fo
fetch or buy something from BMlleul--and
recommend them (or otherwise) to me for
passes--a most trying duty, wearing fo the
retaper; but he was angelic in patience,
and, as a light recreation, used fo accom-
pany me to the trenches fairly often.
One case there was where, for three
nights running, great fids of wire were
cut out of some artillery cables connecting
them with their observers--a most repre-
henslble deed. So I had patrols out fo spy
along the lines,--no result, except that next
morning another 100 yards had gone. So
I made St André publish a blood-and-
thunder proclamation threatening death fo
any one found tampering with our wires.
Spies were plentiful, and a gap in our
wires mlght be fatal.
And then the culprit owned up. It was
an old woman near whose cottage the
wires passed, and her fences required
mendlng.
Neuve Eglise, which we inhabited for a
fortnight or more, and where we spent
Xmas Day, was a good cnt above Dran-
outre. Except for the first three days,
when we lived with a doctor,--and hls stove
272 THE DOINGS OF THE
smoked frightfully till we discovered a dead
starling in the pipe,--we dwelt in exceeding
comfort, comparatively speaking. It was a
brewer's house, about the biggest in the
village--which was three rimes the size of
Dranoutre,--with real furniture in it, a
rel dining-room (horribly cold, as the stove
refused to work), and a most comfortable
series of highly civilized bedrooms. (Last
rime I was in the neighbourhood--August
1915 -- there was long grass in the streets,
not a soul in the place, half the houses in
absolute ruins, and our late quarters with
one side missing and three parts of the
house as well.) The trenches were much
less pestered with shells and bullets than
the Dranoutre lot, and it was easier work
altogether for the men. We quite enjoyed
it, and on Xmas Day so did the Germans.
For they came out of their trenches and
walked across unarmed, with boxes of cigars
and seasonable remarks. What were our
men to do? Shoot? ¥ou could not shoot
unarmed men. Let them come? ¥ou
could not let them come into your trenches ;
so the only thing feasible at the moment
was doneand some of our men met them
half-way and began talking to them.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 273
We got into trouble for doing it. But,
after all, itis difficult to see what we could
otherwise have done, unless we shot the
very first unarmed man who showed him-
self--pour encourager les autres; but we
did not know what he was going to do.
Meanwhile our officers got excellent close
views of the German trenches, and we pro-
fited accordingly; the Bocbe did not, for he
was not allowed close enough fo ours.
Which reminds me that on one occasion,
when going round the trenches, I asked a
man whether he had had any shots af the
Germans. He responded that there was an
elderly gentleman with a bald head and a
long beard who often showed himself over
the parapet.
"Well, why didn't you shoot him ?"
"Shoot him ?" said the man; "why, Lor'
bless you, sir, 'e's never done me no 'arm!" A
case of "lire and let lire," which is certainly
hot to be encouraged. But cold-blooded
murder is never popular with our men.
Talking of anecdotes, and the trend of
our men's minds, I heard that on another
occasion a groom, an otherwise excellent
creature, wrote home fo his "girl" thus:
"Me and the toaster rode out to the
S
274 THE DOINGS OF THE
trenches last night. We was attacked by
a strong German patrol. I nips off me
horse, pulls out my rifle and shoots two
of them, and the rest bolted." Nota single
atom of truth in the story, except that
he was nestling in a warm stable af an
advanced vilbtge, whilst his toaster was
shivering in the mud of the trenches that
night.
Another gem was a statement by a Trans-
port officer's servant that he had shot 1200
Germans himself with a machine-gun. This
was a man who, I verily believe, had never
even been within earshot of a gun, much
less seen a German, his duties being ex-
clusively several mlles in rear of the firing
line. And, being a civilian up till quite
recently, I ara sure he did not know the
muzzle of a maxim from its breech.
During our tours in "Divisional reserve"
we generally spent the rime in St Jan's
Cappel (already described) or Bailleul. The
latter town, with its rather quaint old brick
fourteenth-century church, porched à la
Louis Quinze, was tolerable rather than
admirable. Nothing of civil interest, and
hardly anything fo buy except magnificent
grapes from the "Grapperies," even in
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 275
November. We housed a battalion or more
in the man's series of greenhouses, and he
responded--after several more battalions
had been quartered there--with a claire for
2,000,000 francs. Ite could not prove that
a single pane of glass or any of his vines
had been broken, nor any grapes stolen,
for indeed they had not been, but he based
his claim on the damage done to them by
tobacco smoke (which I always thought was
particularly good for them), and by the
report of the big guns, which shattered the
vines' nerves so that he was sure they would
not produce again (also a fallacy, for I had
some more excellent grapes there nearly a
year afterwards--September '15). I did not
hear what compensation he got, but he
would have been lucky to get 20 francs.
I once went into a poorly furnished watch-
maker's shop, but the lady there could do
nothing for my watch. She told me that,
being an optician in a small way as well,
she had had a whole stock of spectacles and
glasses. When the Germans came through
the town in October, they demanded field-
glasses. The few ones she had they stole,
and then because she had no more they
stole her watchmaker's tools, and swept all
276 THE DOINGS OF THE
the spectacles and glasses and watches on
fo the floor and stamped them fo powder.
There is really little more fo relate about
out rime at Dranoutre and neighbourhood.
It was a rime of a certain amount of nerve-
strain, for we all knew that out trenches
were by no means perfect, and that if the
enemy did attack us we should bave great
difficulty in bringing up reserves in rime fo
beat them off; for we could hOt keep them
under cover within decent rangemthere were
no billets or houses,--and if we dug trenches
for them they were hOt only exposed to
the enemy's shell tire but were certain fo
be hall full of water in two days; whilst
we could hOt get anything like enough
trench stores and tituber, and what we did
get we had enormous diiiculty in bringing
up fo the trenches.
During all this rime the artillery helped
us all they knew, and were extremely well
run, first by Ballard, then Saunders, and
then Sandys, as Brigade Commanders.
But they were badly handicapped by want
of shells, especially howitzer high explosives,
and we had fo surfer a great deal of shell
tire without returning it.
We used fo average about four casualties
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 277
a day in each battalion, say fifteen fo twenty
a dy in the Brigade, which nmde a big
hole in the strengths. Offieers were always
getting killed--often, Mas, thelr own fault,
through exeess of zeal; and men used per-
petually to lose their lives through getting
out of the trenehes in order fo streteh their
half-frozen limbs. Sickness was, strange fo
say, Mmost negligible. There were far more
cases of arthritis and other things due fo
eold wet feet than anything else; and the
men were extraordinarily heMthy, eom-
paratively speaking, eonsidering the des-
perately uneomfortable hard life.
General Morland was, of course, eom-
manding the Division during this rime, and
used o corne nearly every morning in his
car fo see us; also Sir C. Fergusson, now
Corps Cmmander, often came.
But during the whole of that winter there
was very little for the higher eommands fo
do, except o eolleet and send up material
for the trenehes, and fo try and keep paee
with the German developments--for we
eould do little or nothing in the way of
offensive action.
I tried fo get the thing neatly organised,
as fo stores and rimes and amounts and
278 THE DOINGS OF THE
transport for taking the things up fo the
trenches; but if was very difficult, as some-
rimes there were no engineer stores fo be
had, or the wires got broken by shell tire
and took a long rime fo repair, or if was
more urgent fo bring up rations or water
or amnunition, and the requisite transport
for all was not available. But all the saine,
the trenches gradually improved.
Af last, on the 18th February, we got
news that there was fo be a move from
our present line. The fact was that the
28th Division (also the 27th), composed of
white troops from India and other tropical
places, had had an exceedingly nasty rime.
Many of the men were rotten with fever,
and the cold wet weather had sent scores
and scores into hospital. They had been
put into the trenches round St Eloi to re-
lieve the French, who had held ail the
line round here chiefly with their field
artillery and a very few men; and the
trenches were, consequently, most sketchy,
according to British ideas, and the ap-
proaches under heavy tire. The French
did hot mind, for, if they were shelled out
of their trenches, as often happened, they
just skipped out of them and turned their
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 279
guns on till the Germans were cleared
out; and then they went back again. But
this sort of thing did hot suit us; and
when the Germans did attack our trenches
here they took a good many and we lost
a lot of men, especially when we tried to
counter-attack and retake them. So the
28th Division was hors de comb«t for the
moment, and was sent dovn fo recuperate
in a quieter area--which was that of the
5th Division.
Our orders were for the 13th and 15th
Brigades fo more north to St Eloi and be
replaced by the 83rd and 84th Brigades.
This was done,--a most complicated move,
for the 84th Brigade, which fell to our lot,
was composed of four very weak bat-
talions, and we had rive battalions, mostly
rather strong; and by the 24th February
we had six battalions, including the 9th
Londons (an excellent battalion) and 6th
Cheshires (a strong and hard-working one).
We ought fo have been relieved, in the
normal state of affairs, on the 17th Feb-
ruary, but we were kept on, as a marrer
of fact, till the 27th, because of this new
arrangement.
On that morning I received word that
280 THE DOINGS OF THE
an extraordinary lamp message had been
read during the night in the enemy's lines
by a signaller of the 6th Cheshires.
was a long, confused message in English,
repeating that "the hill" was going fo be
attacked af noon on that day, with mes-
sages about "B.C. codes"--whatever that
nlay be,--trumpery wire entanglements, the
unready English, good leading essential, &c.,
and a lot of other undecipherable nonsense.
The whole message had lasted nearly two
hours, with interruptions and repetitions.
I did not know what to make of if. It
was probably a "leg - pull," or somebody
practising his English; but as there was
a 1000 fo 1 chance of ifs being sent by
some sympathiser in our front, and of
the projected "attack" being a real one,
I sent two companies down as a reserve
fo the Bus Farm in our reserve line, and
held a batterY ready before its rime. But
nothing happened, and we were relieved
without incident.
Bols, by the way, had, from commanding
the Dorsets, been appointed to command
the 84th Brigade, and he took over before
leaving, on the day before we left. I was
very sorry indeed fo lose him, but knew
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 281
that, once his foot was well on the ladder,
he would go right ahead--as he has. 1 The
saine applied to Ballard, who also had been
given a Brigade--the 7th.
The 15th Brigade thereupon retired into
billets at Bailleul, with orders to stay
there for three days only, and then to go
straight to St Eloi and take over these
trenches of the 28th Division. Not much
rest--tventy days in the trenches, three
out, and then trenches again.
As regards myself, however, my days of
connection with the Brigade were num-
bered. I had heard, with mixed but
pleasant feelings, that I had been pro-
moted Major-General "for distinguished
service" on the 18th February (Weatherby
got a brevet majority in the same 'Gaz-
ette'), and I was now ordered to go home
and report myself in London. My suc-
cessor was fo be Northey, of the 60th
Rifles, from Givenchy way, and he turned
up on the 2nd March at our Headquarters,
which were then af 28 Rue de Lille. I af
once recognised that he would carry on
excellently well, and had no compunction
in leaving the command in his hands. All
1 IIe is llOW (1917) Major-General.
282 THE DOINGS OF THE
that was left for me to do was to take
a tender farewell of the officers of the
Brigade and of my staff, and to publish a
final farewell order to the old Brigade. I
was ve T sad at leaving, and had I known
what an awful rime they were going to
have at St Eloi and Hill 60, I should have
been sadder still. Of all the regimental
officers and men who had left Ireland with
me on the 14th August 1914, six and a hall
months previously, I could count on my
ten fingers the number of officers left :--
Norfolks--Done 2 and Bruce (both ill in
hospital from strenuous overwork),
Megaw (killed later), laterson.
Dorsets--Ransome, lartridge.
Bedfords--Griffith (trustiest of C.O.'s,
who had been under heavier tire than
almost any one in the Brigade, yet never
touched), Allason (thrice wounded), Gled-
stanes (killed later).
CheshiresFrost (killed later).
I do hot think there was another officer
except the quartermasters -- Smith (Nor-
1 They lost .400 men out of hot quite 4000 in a fortnight
in April.
" bow (1917) commanding a Brigade.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 283
folks), Sproule (Cheshires), and Pearce (Bed-
fords) ; and as for the men, there may have
been ten or so per battalion, but I really
do not think there were more.
I took the evening train af Bailleul and
spent an agreeable evening with Ker
Seymer, the train officer. I got to Boulogne
and on board the boat at midnight, and
next day, the 3rd Match, saw me arrive
af 8.30 A.M. in London.
1 The Dorset one had been promoted.
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