Pro PatriaPro Rege.
The Ypres Times.
7
said, The French are in these places and will stop firing as soon as you start." He
then himself walked towards the row of houses and shouted out, Who's there The
answer came, French," The General shouted, Cease fire we are going to charge. The
reply was, All right." Both answers were in guttural English. So we returned to the
men, and the General said, It's all right, men, I have stopped them firing off you go,"
At the same time the General directed another party of men to go up the road and bring
a cross fire to bear on the Germans. So off we went. I have never known such a sheet of
lead as that which met us. Bullets splashed all roundmy face was covered with mud.
I was carrying my spade in my right hand, with my left hand out to protect my head, as
one would facing a hailstorm against the wind. My men were going down like flies
I had only five with me two of them fell, three and myself were left. We came to an
ordinary field ditch and threw ourselves into it absolutely exhausted. A man behind
me was wounded in the thigh, and the bullet passed through a box of matches, setting
fire to his clothes. I can hear his screams now, and I thought at the time it must have
been an explosive bullet. So we lay there and fired as hard as we could there seemed
nothing else to do. After a few minutes the General walked slowly up in the most cool
and heedless manner and asked where the officer was. I shouted out, Here, sir." He
said, I believe you were right about those houses just crawl round towards that
farm and see if you can find out who is in it." So I started to crawl towards the
farm, which was some hundred yards to my right. Before I had gone ten yards a bullet
hit me at the top of the left arm and knocked me backwards. I crawled back and heard
a man shout to the General, The officer's hit, sir," and the General told us to get back.
When I got back to my battalion I fainted, and came round to find the only surviving
subaltern of the battalion standing by me. I told him what had happened, and started
walking down the road to a dressing station, assisted by a man of the Bedfords. I left
the Third Brigade that November 2nd with my own regiment numbering under 200 men
and three officers (including the C.O.) the 2nd Welch, in about the same condition the
1st Gloucesters, about 400 men and a few more officers the Queen's disappeared entirely,
and not a machine-gun was left in the whole brigade. The road back to Ypres was
packed with wounded mensome, like myself, able to walk, some on stretchers, some being
carried by their comrades. Dead horses lay on each side, and a few dead motor-cyclist
despatch riders. I felt that the little British army would be entirely wiped out if help
did not come soon. I am glad to say I met the help in the shape of some thirty French
batteries of 75's coming up the roadtoo leisurely, I thought, if only they knew of con
ditions a mile or two further on.
H. M. B. SABMON.
The dressing station behind the fighting line was packed to overflowingambulances
were arriving, two and three an hour.
The surgeons worked hard while there was time and the wounded were sent back
as fast as possible.
A stubborn resistance had been put up in the quarter of the Salient to the right, and
was being held, at terrible cost, by the B'sBut the news was not good unless
reinforcements could be rushed up in time, it must be lost, for the advance of the enemy
in that sector had been marked.
The short autumn afternoon was closing in fast, the heavy firing had died down.
