Greeting
230
THE YPRES TIMES
At that moment I heard a Vickers firing away on my right. Thinking it might
be my own team, I made for it with all the speed I could. Some Fritz, who evidently
bore me a grudge, sent a hail of bullets about my heels, and, matters becoming
decidedly unhealthy, I was forced to jump into a large hole for cover. Here I
received a shock, for, standing against the side of the hole, were four Germans
complete with rifles and fixed bayonets, and I thought my number was up. But
luck was on my side, for they proved to be deadfrom concussion, I concluded.
Crawling out of my shell hole, I made my way slowly but surely across to the
gun I had heard firing, and found it to be the remainder of my gun-team, viz., Kirk
and Lieut. W. These two and myself were the only men left of those who had
set out at 6 a.m.
We now carried on and passed Polderhoek Chateau, where we located quite a
decent position, but had to retire to the old emplacement in which I had found the gun.
Here, while the enemy were preparing for a counter-attack, we came to the
conclusion that reinforcements were necessary, and it fell to the writer to get through
with a message to Headquarters at Stirling Castle. I had not proceeded very far
when Jerry dropped his barrage, and I guessed he was counter-attacking from the
rattle of rifle and machine-gun fire from the new front line. The front line was
really not a trench at all, but just shell holes, many of them half full of stinking
water covered with slime and scum, from which here and there an arm or leg
protruded.
After what seemed weeks of struggling through that mud bath, but which was
actually only an hour or so, I reached Stirling Castle and delivered my message
to Lieut. Gibbon, acting Commanding Officer. This gallant officer said he must go
to the position himself. So off we started down the duckboards, Lieut. Gibbon
leading. But this officer, loved by all his men, and a true gentleman, was picked
off by a sniper near Inverness Copse. Almost at the same instant there was a terrific
explosion; I was flung off my feet; a shower of mud and filth rained down upon
me, and 1 remembered no more until I regained consciousness some time later. 1
felt sick and dazed, but luckily had escaped with a few minor scratches only. I can
recall wandering around until a driver of one of the big tanks assisted me to Stirling
Castle. Here I was given a tot of rum by our Padre and sent into a dug-out to the
rear of Headquarters for a sleepand sleep I did, for nearly twelve hours, with a
box for a mattress, a mud-bank for a pillow and my feet in eighteen inches of water;
but I did enjoy that sleep, although when I awoke my legs were numbed and dead.
About three days later I returned to the transport lines to find that Kirk and
the Lieutenant W., who had given me up for lost, had already arrived back safe
and sound. Our brigade had been relieved and several counter-attacks repulsed.
H.W.B.,
late 13th M.G. Coy., 5th Infantry Division).
Out of the mist of years to-day,
Bugles' ringing
Over the far-flung fields of sleep
Echoes bringing.
Triumphant peals the call on high,
Bearing greeting to you who kept
Unbroken faith before you slept.
You did not stop to count the cost,
You paid the price
You broke the bread and drank the wine
Of sacrifice.
You lived your hour, and went your way;
Be with us now so we too keep
Unbroken faith before we sleep.
Aileen Radcliffe
Reprinted by the kind permission of
the Editor of the "Sunday Graphic."