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October 26th – 30th
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 28th, 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 29th, 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 31st.
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 31st – Nov 6th
[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. 2nd with their great 17” Howitzers. The noise of these shell[s] passing over our heads is almost indescribable.
On Nov. 5th 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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