THE YPRES TIMES
136
we began to retire and moved back widely extended, pursued by the German shells,
to which were now added the nerve-racking machine gun and rifle fire.
Crossing the Menin road we made a detour through the thickly wooded country and
proceeded in the direction of Hooge. On the way we passed one of our batteries
limbering up preparatory to moving back. As soon as they got on the move the
German gunners spotted them and judging the range nicely smothered the guns and
teams in bursting shrapnel. We were struck dumb with horror and expected to see
nothing but their mangled remains, but much to our joy, when the smoke from the
shells cleared away, not a man or horse was seen to be hurt, and they galloped off back
to take up a new position. We were all filled with admiration at the cool manner in
which they handled the situation. Soon afterwards we passed some of the Gordons
and Royal Scots Fusiliers of the 7th Division, who were also retiring to conform to the
general backward movement.
We reached Hooge to find staff officers busy halting all troops and fresh orders
were issued to turn round and in conjunction with other units to advance and counter
attack. At all costs," the order read, the Germans must be stopped from
advancing any nearer to Ypres."
By this time we were sadly reduced in numbers and only five officers (the command
ing officer, Adjutant and three others), and about 125 other ranks were left. Just as
we began to move forward, our quartermaster and the transport arrived, so roping in
some twenty-five transport drivers, we moved forward with our left on the Menin Road.
After going about 400 yards we struck the advancing German infantry and a real
soldiers' battle began. So confident were the enemy that they had swept aside all
opposition that they came on in massed formation without taking any protective pre
cautions, and we very soon made holes in their ranks. In one instance I noticed
German mounted officers leading troops forward in formation of fours and calling on
the men nearest to me to open fire at this splendid target, we very soon shot down the
officers, horses and a great number of men.
As each body of Germans was destroyed we surged forward and took on the next;
shooting and charging alternately and bayoneting the survivors until by sheer exhaus
tion and losses we came to a standstill. The 2nd Worcester Regiment and the troops on
our left recaptured Gheluvelt in a glorious charge which swept all before them and most
of the ground lost during the day was regained, though unfortunately at an awful price.
Our Quartermaster, Wilkinson, was killed in a most gallant manner, serving an
abandoned machine gun which he had acquired and he must have accounted for scores
of Germans before he was killed. Undoubtedly he denied the use of the road to the
Germans who were trying to debauch from Gheluvelt and so materially aided the
counter attack preparations. Our own losses were appalling and only ninety were
present to answer the roll call that evening.
The shades of night were now closing in, and we set to work to dig in and con
solidate the ground we stood on, but owing to our extremely exhausted condition could
make very little progress. The units of the 1st and 7th Divisions were inconceivably
intermixed and a good deal of time was spent in sorting out the men and reorganizing
in preparation for the next day. All available men, including non-fighting troops, such
as spare transport drivers and Royal Engineers, were placed in the firing line, and we
had literally no reserves should the Germans attempt another break through next day.
As many of the wounded as possible, both friend and foe, were collected and sent back
to the field hospitals, but, alas, hundreds of our own men had to be left to the tender
mercy of the Germans, whom we knew were not usually inclined to treat these unfor
tunate men with any degree of kindness.
During the night several attempts on the part of the Germans to penetrate our line
at a number of points were easily repulsed without loss to ourselves, and although we
did not realize it at the time, the German effort to break through was definiately frus
trated on the 31st of October, 1914, a day which will be ever remembered by those who
