THE EDITORS PAQE.
176
The Ypres Times.
AN APPEAL.
To the Editor,
Ypkes Times.
I am appealing to the generosity of the readers
of the Ypres Times to subscribe for copies of that
paper to be sent to widows and relations of men
who fell in the Salient.
It is proposed to send it them for two years at
the annual cost of 2/6.
Donations should be addressed to the Hon. Alice
Douglas Pennant, 100, Eaton Place, Eaton Square,
London. If required for any particular individual,
please send name and address.
W. p. pulteney.
Lieut.-General.
THE 1914-15 STAR.
To The Editor,
Ypres Times.
Dear Sir,
One of the reasons for the issue of the 1914-15
Star was, I believe, to assist in distinguishing
volunteer from conscript, and though, of course,
this end is not wholly attainable, 1 think that
many ex-soldiers will agree with me that we, the
Ypres League, ought to urge that the issue of the
1914-15 Star be extended to those who were serv
ing with the B.E.F. in the first quarter of 1916.
This would exclude all conscripts, cost the
nation very little and give satisfaction to many.
To be in keeping with the title (1914-15) the
award could, if necessary, be confined to those who
were serving in the army in 1914-15 and other
wise qualified for the Star as I have suggested.
I do trust you will be able to find room for this
letter in our paper, the Ypres Times.
As I do not write in any representative capacity
I trust you will forgive my anonymity.
Yours truly,
A Member of The Ypres League.
The Editor,
The Ypres Times,
Dear Sir,
On page 137 of the last isue of the Ypres Times
(Vol. 1, No. 5), I noticed in the article The Last
Battles in the Salient that John Buchan mentioned
the 39th Division in one or two place. I am very
interested in this statement as I was a member of
the 39th Batt. M.G.C., and after the Somme re
treat in March, 1918, we were separated from the
Division and attached to the 1st Army M.G. Batt.
We were under the impression that the Division had
been so badly cut up during the retreat that it had
been broken up, the 118th Brigade being sent to
other Divisions as it was composed of Territorial
units, and the 116th and 117th Brigades being sent
to St. Omer to assist in the training of new Ameri
can formations.
I should be extremely interested to hear from
any of your readers what exactly happened to the
Division after March, 1918, particularly 116th
Brigadewhether fresh units were brought in to
replace 118th Brigade, or whether they remained
as before the retreat. Also did any other M.G.
Batt. join them in our place.
I was delighted to read that the old Division had
been in the thick of it again and had kept up its
old reputation.
It might interest old members of the Division to
know that after the March retreat the 39th M.G.
Batt. was turned into the 1st Army Machine Gun
Batt. and lay at Rombly, near Aire, after having
been made up to full strength by absorbing the re
mains of the 66th Batt.
One Company assisted in the small operation of
clearing the front of Nieppe Forest about June and
then at the end of July the whole Batt. moved
to Arras and took part with the Canadians in the
attack there which cleared the ground as far as
Scarpe. After this attack the Batt. was moved
north and attached to the 40th Division in front of
Armentieres, with which Division it remained until
the Armistice, going through Roubaix and Tour*
coing during the advance and finally finishing at
Leers on the Franco-Belgian frontier near
Roubaix.
Yours faithfully,
G. Llóyd Higginbottom.
Capt. (116th Coy.) 39th Batt. M.G.C.
To the Editor,
Ypres Times.
Sir,
Talking of tight corners, I am reminded of what
I consider to be one of the heaviest bombardments
that rained on Ypres during the late war. I was
warned off with a man of the Shropshire regiment
to go up the line as guides to the Motor Transport
with trench material on the 19th February, 1916.
When we were level with the Asylum Jerry began
to strafewe had to dump our stuff up at West
Lane, near Taylor's Dump, and the Corporal of the
M.T. tossed up to see whether we should chance it
back through Ypres or stay at the dump; we lost
the toss and had to chance our arm on getting
back to the Cloth Hall. Then we heard groans and
cries for help, and proceeded to discover what had
really happened. A shell had struck an R.E.
waggon of the 101st London Coy. and had wounded
a driver, a sergeant and the officer in charge.
They may remember it to this day if they are still
alive. We happened to have three foot-boards,
which we were taking back to the Transport, so we
converted them into stretchers and in this way
we brought them back to the Water Tower, where
they were taken over by the ambulance and taken
back to safetythere were Military Medals flying
about that night, but I am sorry to say that I was
not one of the number.
S. E. Benge,
Late 1st Buffs, 6th Div., B.E.F.
