150
THE YPRES TIMES
private soldier is beyond all praise; he has enhanced his reputation before the world,
and even the contempt of the Prussian has been short-lived.
I recall a laddie in the Black Watch who was brought in with both ankles badly
shattered, and consequent collapse. I offered him brandy pace Sir Victor Horsley),
and asked him if he would like it hot or cold, to which he repliedAh, well; the
water's just a matter of form so he had it neat! Another man in the same
regiment was brought in with his kilt blown to ribbons by a bomb, himself escaping
with only slight flesh wounds.
A lance-corporal told me how he and six others discovered a cellar in a deserted
house near Festubert, and how, after getting elevated with wine, they set forth
to stalk a German trench on their own; how they discovered 23 unexpectant Huns
and scuppered the lot with the bayonet; and how they returned and reported
progress to their Company Commander, who called them liars, till he himself had
visited the trench; but I never had an opportunity of getting this yarn confirmed
by the regiment concerned, so give it for what it is worth.
In due course the battery, up against the wall of our chateau, forced itself on
the notice of the Germans, and one day a 90-pounder shell fell unpleasantly near
our bearers when they were; cooking, which scattered them hurriedly, but fortunately
it was what is technically known as a bad burst," and no damage was done; the
major part of the shell adorned our mess table for the remainder of our stay.
We left the chateau on December 4th and retired into billets a day's march in
rear of the area of activity for a week's rest (La Gorgue). On December 10th we
returned to business, and this time opened in an estaminet, in whichand its
annexeswe were able to arrange accommodation for about 80 patients.
By now, with the aid of Lord Hardinge's Fund and private charity, notably
The Eastern League, we had been able to supplement our Government equipment;
we had mattresses, cases for the straw pallets, socks, and invalid clothes. Primus
stoves, an acetylene surgery lamp, and last, but not least, a splendid portable boiler
presented by Lord Curzon to each unit of the Indian Army in Flanders; this latter
enabled us to let no patient pass through our hospital without, at least, a dish of
hot tea. The work was desultory for the first few days, but on the 16th we collected
65 wounded and a British officer from a single battalion which had carried a German
trench near the La Bassée Canal. This little affair was by way of attracting the
enemy's attention while the main assault was delivered by our French Allies, south
of the Canal, and effected its purpose admirably.
On the 20th we were very busy again. Another ambulance was in our old
chateau of a fortnight before; the place becoming unpleasantly hot, they evacuated
all their patients (125) to us, and cleared; meanwhile our Bearer Division went
forward, and, using the chateau as an advanced dressing station, collected patients
there temporarily from the Regimental Aid Posts and sent others direct through to
us in the Tent Division.
Festubert. During the thirty hours covering the 20th to the early hours of
the 22nd we passed 325 casualties through our hospital, and this was largely due
to the Red Cross Motor Ambulance Servicea very present help in time of trouble
who surpassed themselves on this occasion. Convoys would come up, often
together, of full and empty cars, the one to drop their load and go back for more,
and the other to carry off to the Clearing Hospital men who had already been
dealt with and made comfortable. The weather conditions were appalling, and all
the men who came out of the trenches were caked with wet mud up to their middles,
and, in the case of the Gurkhas, up to their arm pits; we expended 200 pairs of
socks in one night.
We were short of a medical officer, as again, one of ours had been taken to
replace a regimental casualty; two of our M.Os. were forward with the bearers and
