148
THE YPRES TIMES
It was our privilege to introduce some of the newly arrived American units (100th
and 107th Regiments) to the line. This was, perhaps, one of the outstanding events
of our tour in this part of the front. Joining forces with one of these New York
battalions, we produced two composite battalions," commanded by our own officers.
No better part of the line could have been chosen to give newcomers their initiation,
as there was always considerable activity in some form or other.
At the time it was rumoured that our guests would, in the near future, deliver an
attack in order to recover Kemmel Hill. If this was the intention of their presence,
the enemy frustrated it by abandoning the hill and retiring back to the Wytschaete
Messines line on August 30th, the day following our departure for a much-needed rest
at Saint Omer.
After a few days we were suddenly recalled, proceeding to Hazebrouck by train
and then continuing the journey to the outskirts of Poperinghe on foot. We understood
that the other two brigades of our division were to press back the Germans from the
positions to which they had recently retired, while we acted as reserve. In two days'
time we relieved the 15th Hampshires, who had suffered badly from an enemy they had
failed to surprise, in the vicinity of Vierstraat. This had been the front line previous to
the German retirement, but was now occupied by the support battalion of our brigade.
A few days later we took our turn in the front line. This consisted of a bank, broken
in places, which was under observation from the high ground held by the Germans near
Wytschaete. The spell of bad weather which was endured here prevented much
activity on either side.
Early in September, 19x8, we were relieved by troops of the 34th Division and
went into camp near Ouderdom. For three weeks we trained hard for some show,"
concerning the nature of which there was much wild speculation. Tactics of quite
a new nature were given much time and attention. We were taught to seek the
soft-spots in the enemy's line, and when they were encountered they were to be
exploited by a method of infiltration," sections in wormlike formations pushing
on as far as they could. Waves," "moppers-up," and the like terms, symbolical of
trench warfare, were no longer employed.
On September 26th, the plan of campaign of the Second and Belgian Armies was
revealed to us. The idea seemed to be beyond the wildest flights of imaginationtroops
were to advance several miles a day, for days on end
Before dawn, on September 28th, the battalion set out from Ouderdom. It was
the first day of the Great Advance. Although we were in the corps reserve that morning,
we spent that night at Verbrandenmolen, and next morning we were in the van of an
attack across the Ypres-Comines Canal. By midday we had established ourselves in
a position in front of Comines, which we had to hold against a counter-attack in the
evening.
After a day's rest we moved, on October 1st, in the direction of Menin. The
leading troops were soon brought to a standstill by the enemy, and near Tenbrielen
the nth Queen's received orders to attack at 5.45 p.m. from America cross-roads in
the direction of Halluin. While proceeding to America we came under heavy shell-fire,
from which we suffered badly. Among the casualties was Major V. Holden, D.S.O.,
who had commanded the battalion since September 28th. (He died from his wounds,
and now lies in Dirty Bucket Cemetery.) Under the command of the Adjutant, Captain
T. P. Newman, we advanced until it was dark, when we dug in just short of our objective,
south of Gheluwe. That night and during the two succeeding days we lost many of
our number while holding a very exposed position. When relieved we went back to
Kruiseecke, where we received reinforcements and reorganized.
This, strictly speaking, concludes our activities in the Salient.
