With Cavalry in 1915 The British Trooper in the Trench Line, Through the Second Battle of Ypres

CHAPTER III.

Through the mud to the trenches--French reserves in the woods--Hidden batteries--Unwise photography--Shrapnel too close for comfort--Chased by shell-fire--In Hooge dug-outs--Reminiscences of the first Battle of Ypres--A tour of the first-line trenches in the rain--Loopholes--Views by periscope--Sharpshooting--A mouthful of glass--Photographs in Zillebeke Churchyard--Calling down shrapnel fire--A scamper out of Zillebeke--Hooge at night--A mine explosion--Mixed plans--Storming the mine-crater--Amusing German prisoners--The London "'bus" abroad--A timely evacuation of a house in Ypres--General Haig's order before Neuve Chapelle--Heavy British gunning--The taking of the town of Neuve Chapelle--The failure to go on--The reasons--The blame--German attack on St. Eloi--Fine work by the Rifle Brigade--Territorials--Ploegsteert and the Ploegsteert Wood--A run from Kemmel to Dickebusch--A shell in La Clytte 74-120

CHAPTER II.

General de Lisle ran to Potijze, to the headquarters of General Lefebvre, who commanded the French 18th Division. It seemed ages since I had been in Potijze. Our headquarters were not far beyond it in November, 1914, during the great first battle of Ypres.

CHAPTER III.

In the first battle of Ypres its battalions had suffered cruelly. The 1st Coldstreams had been annihilated. The Queen's (West Surreys) came out of the line with but fifteen men and no officers, the Black Watch with but sixty men and one officer, and the Loyal North Lancashires with but 150 men and two officers. When the Division came back to billets, it was commanded by a brigadier-general. Every colonel in the division had been killed or wounded, and the brigades were commanded by officers of all ranks. A captain was in command of one brigade.

CHAPTER III.

On March 4th Nicholson and I set out to obtain the desired pictures. I stopped on the way, at a cemetery on the Menin Road, and took a photograph of the graves of three officers of the 10th Hussars--Captain Annesley, Lieutenant Drake, and Captain Peto--who had fallen in the first battle of Ypres.

CHAPTER III.

Through the mud to the trenches--French reserves in the woods--Hidden batteries--Unwise photography--Shrapnel too close for comfort--Chased by shell-fire--In Hooge dug-outs--Reminiscences of the first Battle of Ypres--A tour of the first-line trenches in the rain--Loopholes--Views by periscope--Sharpshooting--A mouthful of glass--Photographs in Zillebeke Churchyard--Calling down shrapnel fire--A scamper out of Zillebeke--Hooge at night--A mine explosion--Mixed plans--Storming the mine-crater--Amusing German prisoners--The London "'bus" abroad--A timely evacuation of a house in Ypres--General Haig's order before Neuve Chapelle--Heavy British gunning--The taking of the town of Neuve Chapelle--The failure to go on--The reasons--The blame--German attack on St. Eloi--Fine work by the Rifle Brigade--Territorials--Ploegsteert and the Ploegsteert Wood--A run from Kemmel to Dickebusch--A shell in La Clytte 74-120

CHAPTER II.

General de Lisle ran to Potijze, to the headquarters of General Lefebvre, who commanded the French 18th Division. It seemed ages since I had been in Potijze. Our headquarters were not far beyond it in November, 1914, during the great first battle of Ypres.

CHAPTER III.

In the first battle of Ypres its battalions had suffered cruelly. The 1st Coldstreams had been annihilated. The Queen's (West Surreys) came out of the line with but fifteen men and no officers, the Black Watch with but sixty men and one officer, and the Loyal North Lancashires with but 150 men and two officers. When the Division came back to billets, it was commanded by a brigadier-general. Every colonel in the division had been killed or wounded, and the brigades were commanded by officers of all ranks. A captain was in command of one brigade.

CHAPTER III.

On March 4th Nicholson and I set out to obtain the desired pictures. I stopped on the way, at a cemetery on the Menin Road, and took a photograph of the graves of three officers of the 10th Hussars--Captain Annesley, Lieutenant Drake, and Captain Peto--who had fallen in the first battle of Ypres.

CHAPTER III.

Through the mud to the trenches--French reserves in the woods--Hidden batteries--Unwise photography--Shrapnel too close for comfort--Chased by shell-fire--In Hooge dug-outs--Reminiscences of the first Battle of Ypres--A tour of the first-line trenches in the rain--Loopholes--Views by periscope--Sharpshooting--A mouthful of glass--Photographs in Zillebeke Churchyard--Calling down shrapnel fire--A scamper out of Zillebeke--Hooge at night--A mine explosion--Mixed plans--Storming the mine-crater--Amusing German prisoners--The London "'bus" abroad--A timely evacuation of a house in Ypres--General Haig's order before Neuve Chapelle--Heavy British gunning--The taking of the town of Neuve Chapelle--The failure to go on--The reasons--The blame--German attack on St. Eloi--Fine work by the Rifle Brigade--Territorials--Ploegsteert and the Ploegsteert Wood--A run from Kemmel to Dickebusch--A shell in La Clytte 74-120

CHAPTER II.

General de Lisle ran to Potijze, to the headquarters of General Lefebvre, who commanded the French 18th Division. It seemed ages since I had been in Potijze. Our headquarters were not far beyond it in November, 1914, during the great first battle of Ypres.

CHAPTER III.

In the first battle of Ypres its battalions had suffered cruelly. The 1st Coldstreams had been annihilated. The Queen's (West Surreys) came out of the line with but fifteen men and no officers, the Black Watch with but sixty men and one officer, and the Loyal North Lancashires with but 150 men and two officers. When the Division came back to billets, it was commanded by a brigadier-general. Every colonel in the division had been killed or wounded, and the brigades were commanded by officers of all ranks. A captain was in command of one brigade.

CHAPTER III.

On March 4th Nicholson and I set out to obtain the desired pictures. I stopped on the way, at a cemetery on the Menin Road, and took a photograph of the graves of three officers of the 10th Hussars--Captain Annesley, Lieutenant Drake, and Captain Peto--who had fallen in the first battle of Ypres.