THE BATTLE OF YPERS (Part 1)

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Nov. 7^th – 12^th

[We were] in various positions in front of YPRES – these days with Head “Q[uarters] 25^th [Brigade].

The Battery returned each night to a field off the main road, things were very quiet, but for occasional shelling.

    

On the night of 10^th, I waited at the 25^th [Brigade], for my horse to be brought over. After some time, George came and told me it was impossible to get over with horses, [so] we walked across to where the horses were, and [then] started to find the Battery. After travelling some good way we knew we were lost, it was very dark, and the road was being shelled. On coming to a deserted farm, where some Infantry were, we decided to anchor till morning - by a friendly straw stack. We got some food and tea from the infantry - with some straw from the stack and blanket from our horse, we had the best bed we had had for some time. We found the Battery next morning and there had been the usual speculation that we had got nipped.

     

On the night of 12^th we came through the most severe storm I have ever experienced.  I was simply blinded by the fierce rain and wind, [and I] had no cap. We were simply like drowned rats, [and] we had an awful march in the pitch darkness.

 [In the] storm I could not open my eyes, [so] I simply held on the saddle and let my old charger follow the rest. 

We were too wet to sleep in mud and rain that night, and after a deal of skirmishing, George, Collins and I got into a deserted estaminet[1] and remained there till morning. [i]  

It was a horrible night and the shelter we got was acceptable. It took me two days to get dry – I would have given a deal to had [sic] sit before a fire in dry clothes.

Nov. 13^th

One section of the Btty [Battery] was in action near ZONNEBEKE, I went with [the] other two Sections to a position by a small wood –

about 3 or 4 miles NE of YPRES.

We did a little firing, and towards evening I ran a line to K Battery R.H.A. to get into communication with the trenches. It was very wet, and everywhere was bog and mud.

I was beside a railway embankment [and] the CO K Battery and I had high words about the communication. He promised to get me 5 years or shot – I told him to get on with it, etc.; he treated me quite differently next morning.

Another night in the rain, could not lie down, had a wet “standing up sleep” by the embankment.

Nov. 14^th

Went with left Section and positioned beside 51^st Battery, [which was] on a ridge a thousand yards in rear of the trenches. We could see the German fire trench - and watch our own lyddite[2] burst. [It was] a very near position, and we had hardly began to fire when they had us spotted.

That day the Prussian Guard made a big attack,[but] our guns with the 51^st did great slaughter, and from the trenches, the ground was covered with dead Germans and many of our chaps.

    

During the morning they peppered us, but we kept on replying, and the 51^st with the quick-firing 18 pounder did grand work keeping up a wall of fire on the German foremost trench. [ii]

Early in the afternoon we had to desert our guns, for it was suicide to stay. We took cover in some small trenches about 30 yards behind the guns. About every twenty minutes, [we would] run up to the guns, loosed off a couple of rounds gun fire, and back to cover. The 51^st rushed up and let go six rounds gun fire in grand style, and ran back to cover.

    

I was with the 51^st at this period, [and] we had been two days almost without a drink of any description and my thirst was troubling me more than the shell and bullets. When running from the guns, I came across the Officers’ cook in a dugout, about 50 yds in rear of the guns, and he gave me a mug of rather dirty water, but it tasted grand.

I went back to the guns with the Sergt Major of the 51^st, and a shell dropped within 10 yards of us. The concussion rather shook us and we immediately fell down and dodged splinters. On getting up we were both surprised to find that the other was not hurt - the shell cut down a tree, which fell across my overcoat, which was lying close by.

We kept up firing until dark.

    

George, Collins and I were beside a wagon getting something to eat, when the enemy’s infantry attacked, and the bullets rained over.  We ran to the guns for shelter of the shield when Collins pushed me a little aside, a few seconds later [he] got a bullet in the foot – the thick boot, luckily diverting its course. Had he not pushed me, I should have caught it, and with perhaps not such lucky result.

After a while George and I managed to get into a small trench, he had dug during the day.

    

The attack dropped off, but they shelled us throughout the night.  We had a good sleep [even though] it was cold and wet, but we were strictly exhausted and slept. [iii]

  

In the morning the ground all around was peppered with shell-holes and we were indeed fortunate that one did not drop in our little trench, for quite a few were very near.

Nov. 15^th

The section continued firing during the morning – we were shelled a little, but nothing in comparison with previous day - I went over to the 51^st Btty, to get my telephone, which I had left in a dugout the day before when we had to leave the guns - but found that a shell had dropped plumb into the dugout and destroyed the instrument - there was two other telephonists with me the previous day and had we not run when we did - undoubtedly we should have all shared the fate of our instruments.

I went back to the Section and about noon we had orders to take up position with our right Section -[while] the 51^st Bty remained and had it as bad, or even worse than the previous days. Two guns were put out of action, and their casualties were heavy. One shell killed five and while they were being buried, another dropped among the burial party killing four more.

    

We reached our right Section in the afternoon and I remained with the wagon line, and was in PIEGUAT – very wet and cold, shelling all night.

Nov. 16^th

I removed some wagons into an adjacent wood for aeroplane cover.

    

While going to a ruined farm nearby, a bullet hit a wooden gate post as I was passing. I dodged behind the post, for I thought a sniper had me, but it must have been a spare bullet, for nothing else came near me. During my look round the farm - I got some water, a few potatoes, and a couple of onions. On returning to the wagon line, [upon] getting a tin of “bully” prepared a dinner, which I had not had for a considerable time. [iv]

I had just got it nicely on the go, when I was sent for from the guns, and was ordered to run a line to the reserve trenches.

 George and I ran the line and I remained with a borrowed instrument from a Sergeant of the R.E’s in a dugout with a Gordon named Bruce (whom I afterwards learned was the famous runner).

I was warned by him to keep low, as snipers were pretty busy – and almost as he spoke a fellow coming towards me got a bullet in the chest - the bullet just missed me, so I took his word and kept low.

    

It was terribly cold – he gave me some bread and cheese, which I gratefully took. I sent the orders to the guns until after midnight, and things seem to quite down.

 I pitied Bruce in his bare legs and kilt, but he slept sound, but I could not sleep a minute for the cold, and was glad when morning came. I was stiff with cold, and dared the snipers in running up and down for a few minutes to [undecipherable]  warm myself.

Nov. 17^th

I was under the direction of Major Baird,[v] Gordon Highlanders, to send the orders for our guns to cover the trenches, as much as possible.

     

Shortly after dawn, the enemy made a big attack and considering the small number of men in the trenches, it was marvelous that the enemy didn’t break through. About 9 o’clock they started to shell us. The first shell went into a dugout a few yards in front of me and killed a Lieut. Colonel and his servant, [while] another fell 10 yards to my right, and killed or wounded 3 officers, who were buried – they were hastily dug out, and presented a pitiful sight. Many were wounded during these first few minutes. [vi]

 An Artillery Officer and a man rode up and dismounted. The man jumped into my dugout, hitching the two horses to a tree about one yard away. Almost immediately a shell burst right over - [and] killed the two horses, one of whom fell dead, right on top of the dugout - the blood running in.

    

Then the shells came in terrific force – all the Gordons had to run, for it was murderous – I felt like running – but could not leave my instrument, as the guns would not be firing.

So I stuck [while] they all ran, bar Bruce. He asked me if I was going to stop, I said yes, and he answered – “If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me” as he stopped with me. In the run, a chap passing got a splinter in the leg and a bullet in the arm. I dragged him in and we bandaged him up; he was with us throughout the day.

    

Two more attacks took place, and every available man was pressed forward – and that was very few.

    

During the day Bruce was telling me that of the 1400 hundred in the regiment who left Plymouth in September – all that remained of the number was 34, and he was one of them. They had had some terrible times, he said, but this is worse than any of them. I fully believed him, for I was sick with the smell of powder and blood.     

Bruce very pluckily ran to and from where Major Baird and the rest were in trenches outside the wood, to take messages from me, and to bring the orders for the guns.

All day the enemy kept up the fierce bombardment.    

    

Old George came and relieved me that night, for I was fairly done and felt bad, [because] four nights out of six I had had no sleep and very little food. I was absolutely more like a sponge than a man, and on reaching the guns, Collins took on the instrument and I got my two blankets. They were wet – it was snowing and freezing hard, but I slept like a top, and in the morning [I] felt a little better and quite able to carry on with the business. [vii]

Nov. 15^th – 21^st

I remained with the guns and George with the Gordons. We did considerable firing, but [with only] an occasional shell coming over, it was peace compared with the previous 17^th.

We were informed that we were to[be] relieved by the French. [We] were to be withdrawn and to have a rest, to refit and get made up in horses and men.

 I was also told that the Centre Section had had a warm time. Hodges[3], my lube offman, was killed. Taylor[4], Farmer and several others wounded.

We were elated at the idea of a rest, and a change from the ceaseless scrapping of the last weeks – and we sadly needed a rest.

Nov. 22^nd

Left our position at dawn and marched to YPRES, the whole country was in a terrible condition, not a farm was standing – and the town itself was ruined. The beautiful buildings destroyed, how different when we marched through less than a month before. We got safely through the town and marched all day. It was very cold, [and] I walked most of the time, for my old charger could not keep his legs on the slippery roads.

 We arrived at night and billeted at a farm a few miles from MERRISS, where we were to stop and rest. How strange it seemed to be away from the ceaseless roar of gun fire, etc. The sheds, barns, cow-houses in which we slept seemed to us like mansions. [viii]

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[1] Estaminet: a small and simple café, bar, or bistro.

[2] Lyddite: British explosive used for filling artillery shells in World War One. Actually molten and cast picric acid.

[3] Corporal   George James   HODGE   42275   43rd Brigade, 40th Bty 

[4] Corporal  Frank W  Taylor   54212  rpt wounded 8/12/14 – killed in action

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[i] Ibid

[ii] Ibid

[iii] Ibid

[iv] Ibid

[v]  Alexander Walter Frederick Baird was born on 2 October 1876 - He fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in despatches nine times and gained the rank of temporary Brigadier General of the Gordon Highlanders.

[vi] Ibid

[vii] Ibid

[viii] Ibid

The Royal Artillery Monument in London

When I traveled to London this past September I took a tour around the city and it passed the monument for the Royal Artillery.

I also took a photograph of the infantry memorial.

THE BATTLE OF LANGEMARCK (Part 3)

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October 26^th – 30^th

In position of readiness at HOUGE, [which is] 3 miles from YPRES,  [it] was very quiet but for an occasional shell.

[We] were in the grounds of a beautiful chateau, [but] the ornamental lakes and gardens [were] being used for horses, [and] everything is wrecked.

    

On the night of 28^th, shrapnel burst over us, the flash of shell bursting woke me up. Some of the chaps ran into the woods for shelter, but George and I decided to remain where we were, and we soon [fell] asleep again. [i]

At daylight we found two chaps were wounded, one after died, and five horses killed and several wounded; all within 20 yds of where we laid.

    

On the afternoon of the 29^th, we went into action. We ran a wire, and when I went to connect up, I was greatly surprised to find a shrapnel bullet embedded in my telephone, which had laid by me the previous night. I fired it up and managed alright.

    

We fired a few rounds and returned to the chateau,[where we] remained until the morning of 31^st.

    

Heavy firing seemed to be all around, and a ceaseless stream of infantry wounded going towards YPRES. The weather was horribly wet and nights very cold.

October 31^st – Nov 6^th

[We] marched through the beautiful old town of YPRES, which contains some very fine buildings, notably the Cloth Hall and Cathedral.

    

[We] took up a position of readiness outside the fortifications of the town, [where] we dropped into action in various places around, doing little firing.

    

The enemy commenced bombarding the town on Nov. 2^nd with their great 17” Howitzers. The noise of these shell[s] passing over our heads is almost indescribable.

   

On Nov. 5^th a few of us in the morning had made one of our famous “Bully stews” and we were about to commence the feast, when we heard some of these monster shell[s] coming; they fell in the fields on our right and rear.[ii]

We had to move, [and] as we moved, we heard more coming. They dropped almost in the same place. One shell burst near a cow and threw it bodily about 30 yards. One came by the sound, directly for us, it was like an express train roaring through the air.

We crouched behind one of the ammunition wagons, the shell landed about 15 yds and exactly in line on our front. The concussion was terrific, and the wagon rocked as if it were near a minimum earthquake.  

We afterwards measured the hole; it was gigantic, 23 foot deep and 20 foot in diameter – fully three to four times as big again as the often met “Jack Johnson’s”.  I afterwards found out that these shell[s] were 11.2” and not 17” as we thought.

    

We moved by the river, and although very cold, I had a plunge – the first since the time of the retreat. It’s a very common thing to go a week or even more without having a wash. Since the time of the Aisne, food is a little plentiful.

    

[The] weather very wet, and the whole country is a veritable sea of mud.

    

The enemy seemed to shell everywhere haphazard, especially at night.

    

On the morning of 6th we were read an appeal from Gen. French urging us to hold on despite the overwhelming masses of the enemy, until reinforcements could be brought up.

    

Attacks were “twice daily” and were nightly occurrences.

Our losses were very great, but despite the fact of our trenches being so thinly manned, and our guns so few, our line was formed and maintained. As the enemy were stopped in France, so were they in Belgium. [iii]

Thanks to the splendid leadership of our little army, and our chaps…[sic]… love for dangerous scraps, and [to] the splendid Infantry in the trenches who suffered infinitely more than us, in every way.

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[i] Ibid

[ii] Ibid

[iii] Ibid

THE BATTLE OF LANGEMARCK (Part 2)

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October 22^nd

George and I laid our wire to the convent – it had been deserted hurriedly, and was well stocked with provisions. We found biscuits, butter, jam, etc and had a good feed, and brought some away with us.

[It] was fairly warm getting back to the guns – they sniped [at] us across a large scarred field – wasting good ammunition.

Two signalers dug a shallow trench by the edge of the field and amused themselves, putting their hats on a flag pole, for the Germans to shoot at. ditto   

 We fired hard all the morning. The enemy replying on the village, they did grand shooting on the Church [for] shell, after shell passing through the steeple. [i]

Finally it caught fire, and was soon one mass of flames, and the steeple from the clock collapsed with a crash, it was an awe inspiring sight. But it seemed they wanted to get at us, for they shelled the fields in front and behind very hard.

Our wagon line, [which was] some distance behind, had a few men wounded and horses killed. Fortunately at the guns we had only one man wounded.

Our infantry had been forced to retire, we sent for a infantry escort for our guns of 100 men, but one platoon of 20 men. At dark George had gone along wire to forage for food, bullets were very plentiful and I stuck to our little trench waiting for him to get into communication and return with the spoils.

Things seemed to [be] quieting down for about half an hour, when suddenly the Germans played a machine-gun dead on us. We all thought they had us, but the infantry were on our left now, although we did not know, [and they took care of them].

 While waiting for George, I heard strange rustling sounds in the trees [on] the other side of the stream. I, for the moment, thought it was some of the German Snipers getting in our rear. I crawled very cautiously on my knees to a small bridge crossing, and along the stream. [I] found after no little time, the sound I had heard was caused by some tame rabbits, which the chaps had released from an adjoining farm. It was amusing to think of it after, but not at the time. 

    

Old George returned loaded with goods, when I mentioned the machine gun and the rabbit stalking, he said “B – the guns and rabbits too. Have a bit of this strawberry jam, Old China – it’s the goods.” I declined the food, for I was too dry to eat, and nothing drinkable was to be got, except the water in the stream, and that was dirty. But I had to drink it next day. The night passed rather quickly. [ii]

October 23^rd – 24^th

At dawn George and I went along our line, which had got broken during the night, [and] some small houses by the road, which the previous day had been occupied by our chaps, were utterly destroyed.

[There was] one great hole in the centre of the road; [it] was the largest I had seen. [It] must have been caused by a very large shell.

 By the terrific burst in the village, they were putting the same like there, for with every shell a complete house seemed to go in the air.

We reached the convent and connected the telephone in the attic. We had to get in a ditch on our way back for the shelling was rather hot. [When] we reached the guns, we fired a few rounds, [and] the wire was broken again by a “coal-box”. We kept up communication by flag.

Our wire was broken no less to five times during the morning, and it was very unhealthy work repairing it.

A little on our right was a small farm, and chickens, rabbits, and all provisions had been left by the inhabitants, when they left so hurriedly. There were also a couple of goats, which we collared for milk. [Later] I prevailed upon George to nip over to the farm, while I attended to the firing, and make a can of tea.

No sooner had he left, than a German Horse Artillery Battery [opened dead on us]. It was horrible, and nothing could have lived above the ground. By the guns, we were absolutely tied to our little trenches, and it was impossible to fire.

This went on for two hours, I thought old George must have been caught by the farm. [I] was greatly surprised to see him come crouching along by the trees with the can in his hand. About 5 yards by my trench, our two officers were, one of them, Lt Marshall, stood up to shout to George to get under cover. [iii]

I was talking to George as Marshall shouted, [then a] whining bang [and] Marshall collapsed with seven shrapnel bullets in him. [This] all happened in a flash. Old George must have had a charmed life then, for how he lived through it, back from the farm, is to me marvellous.

We had the tea anyway, [for] it cost near one life, and a dozen very narrow escapes. We enjoyed it, for tea with real milk was good.

    

We were shelled very heavily all day [and] several were wounded.

The Wagon Line and hospital in our rear caught it also. The position was untenable, and we received orders to retire at nightfall.

    

At dusk George and I resolved to wind in our wire, we would need it, as no other was obtainable. I had just started, when a “Johnson”[1] burst immediately in front, rather more close than where they had been bursting in salvos of four all day.

I laid down, and splinters and lumps of earth passed over my head. I heard the other three coming, and dodged behind a large tree by the stream, in my haste [I] fell into the stream; perhaps it was well for me I did, for the splinters took some pieces out of the tree.

That seemed to be the German’s final salvos, for after waiting awhile, we started again.

    

An occasional bullet was all that passed to the convent. [It] was dark when we got there, and we hurried down to the crossroads where our horses would be awaiting us. We were held up by French Cavalry but eventually got to our horses, only to find that another fellow, named Hodge, who was to meet us from the convent, was not there. [iv]

We decided to go and look for him, and on the way we heard him coming along the road. We hastily arranged to give him a scare [by] turning our hats with peaks to the rear. We waited, it was very dark, when he got near us we both jumped to the head of his horse; old Hodge thought Germans had him, and it was not until we burst out laughing, he tumbled to who we were.

    

We marched back and joined the Brigade. [We] then marched, through various villages and finally bivouacked about 12 miles from our recent hard scrap. It was great relief to sleep on straw and above damp ground. 

October 25^th

A day of rest – The farm was inhabited [and we] had a feast of bacon and tomatoes, also some boiled milk, the first since I left home.

Busy in morning overhauling phones, and in afternoon writing letters. It rained hard at night [with] no shelter [we were] wet through. George and I made our bed on some dry straw, but was near washed away before morning.

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[1] Johnson: A German shell named after a boxer with packed a powerful punch, Jack Johnson.