Reminiscences of an American Officer.
56
The Ypres Times.
It was indeed pleasing news to me, as we landed in Brest early in 1918, that the
Twenty-Seventh Division of the American Forces was to be attached to the British Army
in the Ypres sector.
At the age of seventeen (officially nineteen) I had joined the 16th (Queen's) Lancers,
then serving in Dunkald, Ireland, and I looked forward with pleasure to seeing some
of the old regiments again.
While in the 16th, Field-Marshal Sir William Robertson had been my sergeant-major
in E. Troop. One day at stable inspection, some excuse on my part called forth the
following reproof from Sergeant-Major Robertson "You should be a lawyer, not
a soldier. A good soldier never makes an excuse." I never forgot those words and in
my thirty years military service I carried out the lesson conveyed in that sharp rebuke.
As we journeyed towards the Immortal Salient, a Captain Malcolmson was attached
to my company for instruction purposes. I commanded a company of fine fellows from
Xew York State and felt very proud of them. One day, as the company returned from
drill, Captain Malcolmson, who stood beside me, exclaimed My God, this is Kitchener's
Army over, again! We have nothing left now but boys."
My first orders to the trenches came while we were billeted in Chepey. I had been
invited by some English officers to spend the evening and tell them of the days of 1887
and listen to their interesting stories of the Old Contemptibles I think the best
little Army England ever had. At midnight an orderly from regimental headquarters
brought me an order to report at 5 a.m. at a given point with my striker and three
davs' rations for a tour of observation trench duty. How I hated to leave that hos
pitable crowd and gó in for the first time. We journeyed up on a London bus to our
destination, where I was attached to Company C. 7th London Regiment.
When that tour was up, I learned my regiment was pulling into Doullens, so the lorry
dropped me off there.
My next assignment with the company was under command of Major Canning of
the West Yorks, who, with his adjutant, Captain Robertson, showed me many kindnesses
as we were taught war in the Poperinghe trenches. Then on to real work with Captain
Young of the 1st West Yorks.
While in the Dickebusch sector the Lieut.-Colonel of my regiment was killed and
this put me in command of the battalion. When withdrawn from there, we again landed
in Doullens for a fattening up before being sent to the Somme.
I had often said to my men If you meet one of the 16th Lancers bring him to
me. I have a ten-franc piece for him to drink Sergeant Major" Robertson's health.
One day with my battalion officers I went into the battalion mess-room, where I observed
a very natty-looking lance-corporal. My striker brought him over to me and said
Captain, do you notice anything? Then I descried 16-L on the shoulder strap.
I was pleased, indeed, to see one of my old crush, and said to him "I am going to do
something that will rather shock your British discipline. I am inviting you to dinner
with my officers." The invited guest had just returned from leave and looked so swank
and so much the officer that I was rather ashamed to offer him the ten francs. But
he informed me that he had a chum waiting for him and that the ten francs would be
very acceptable!
While at Doullens, we had a regimental field manoeuvre and during the dinner period
were in close proximity to a British aerodrome. The officers, with the usual hospitality
that I enjoyed whenever I met the British, invited me to bring my officers to dinner.
In the course of conversation, one of them asked me when I was going on leave. I replied
that I did not know, but I had so many relatives that I would apply at the first opportunity.
He smiled broadly and I asked him What's the joke He explained
