With Our Army In Flanders - free ebook by Valentine Williams

WITH OUR ARMY IN FLANDERS

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PREFACE

In the words of the Chief of the Italian General Staff, the war correspondent is the link between that part of the nation that fights and that part which is watching—“a noble and fertile mission, as great as any mission ever was, and as necessary, too, for no army can long and resolutely march to victory if it has not the support and enthusiasm of the whole country behind it.” As the accredited correspondent of the Daily Mail at the General Headquarters of Field-Marshal Sir John French, I have s

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CHAPTER IOF OUR ARMY IN THE FIELD

All wars present a series of contrasts. Is not war itself the greatest of all contrasts of life? The antithesis of Man at Peace and Man at War is one with which the poets and artists have familiarized mankind all through the ages. And so, though we are in the thirteenth month of the overwhelming change which this, the greatest of all wars, has wrought in our lives, I find, on sitting down to record my impressions of the life and work of the British Army in the field, that I am continually revert

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CHAPTER IITHE WAR OF POSITIONS

The Germans have a mania for phraseology. Their language lends itself to it, capable, as it is, of accumulative word-building and every kind of permutation. “German is a code, not a language,” has been very justly said. Theirs is the pigeon-hole brain in which everything is ticketed with its precise label, and classified under its own particular head. I have been often amused to find them carrying this habit of theirs into military matters. Thus, a German in a letter home, describing an attack o

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I.The Capture and Loss of Hill 60.

The grass has grown up thick and long about the little graves strung out in a great semicircle about Ypres, marking the line of the famous salient, in the defence of which so many thousands of Britons and Frenchmen cheerfully laid down their lives. Spring and summer have smiled on the wooded and undulating plain about the ruined towers of Ypres, and the profusion of wild flowers, the wealth of green foliage, which their gentle caress has brought forth, has so transformed the land that the awful

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II.The Fight for the Salient.

The afternoon of April 22 was drawing to a close, and a fresh breeze was blowing from the north-east, when the German Supreme Command decided that the moment had arrived for the perpetration of the crime that will brand the German Army with infamy until the end of time. Our line about Ypres ran, more or less as the first great German thrust for Calais had left it in November, in a wide semicircle about Ypres. The French were on our left on the east bank of the Yser Canal, along a line running ea

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CHAPTER IVSILENT YPRES

“Et erit sui monumentum gloriosum.” (Epitaph in the ruined Cathedral of St. Martin at Ypres.) In years to come the name of Ypres will loom large in the annals of our race. Before the war it was known only to a few tourists who, sated with the more familiar art treasures of Belgium, had the curiosity or the time to take the steam tram out from Ostend or Menin to the quaint old city lying in the plain thrust up close to the French frontier. Such visitors had their pains well rewarded (and a two-ho

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CHAPTER VBILLETS IN THE FIELD

People at home often imagine that our troops live in the trenches. They do not. Generally speaking, they live in billets behind the line, and move into the trenches at regular intervals. They take their turn for duty in the trenches like policemen going on their beat. As a rule the procedure is for them to spend a fixed period in the front-line trenches, another period in reserve (living in billets behind the firing-line, which are occupied in rotation by the troops who, in this particular secto

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CHAPTER VICASTLES IN FLANDERS

With the British, as with the French and German armies in the field, you will sometimes find Headquarters Staffs housed in a château. A Staff wants plenty of elbow-room, it wants quarters away from the noise and dust of the high-road and the bustle of a town; it has to choose a fairly secluded spot, so as to escape the vigilant eyes of enemy airmen and the bombardment which inevitably follows detection. This word château is very misleading. It is what you might call a “portmanteau” word. It sign

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CHAPTER VIIG.H.Q.

In an army in which abbreviation by capital letter is carried to the pitch of mania, the hieroglyphics standing at the head of this chapter may be recognized, without undue difficulty, as signifying General Headquarters . This is a comparatively simple combination. It is not always thus. One requires a certain amount of practice to discern the different offices of the army in the field in a row of letters flashed out at one in conversation with soldier-men. “Can you direct me to the D.A.D.O.S.?”

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CHAPTER VIIITHE CHIEF

“May the great God Whom I worship grant to my country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory; and may no misconduct in any way tarnish it; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature of the British fleet. For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him Who made me, and may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. “Amen, Amen, Amen.” ( Nels

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CHAPTER IXINTO THE FIRING-LINE

I never come upon the firing-line without a sense of surprise. Upon eye and imagination alike it breaks with a sudden shock. You emerge from a long communication trench, driven right through all obstacles, now across a deserted highway with a vista of grass-grown cobbles stretching away on either hand; now straight through the vitals of a stricken farm, where the head is on a level with a floor littered with rubbish, discarded equipment, rags, or empty ration-tins; through the silent basse cour

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CHAPTER XTHE COMRADESHIP OF THE TRENCHES

“All the bright company of Heaven Hold him in their high comradeship, The Dog-Star and the Sisters Seven, Orion’s Belt and sworded hip ... Through joy and blindness he shall know, Not caring much to know, that still Nor lead nor shell shall reach him, so That it be not the Destined Will.” ( “Into Battle,” by Captain Julian Grenfell, killed in action, Ypres, May, 1915. ) The firing-line is the touchstone of character. It is the final instance. There is no appeal beyond it. A man may have shown hi

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CHAPTER XITHE PRINCE OF WALES

One evening, a few years ago, I stood on the platform of the Gare du Nord , and saw the arrival of the London train that was bringing the young Prince of Wales to Paris for a stay of a few months before going to Magdalen College, Oxford. The arrival was quite informal. There was no red carpet, no guard of honour, only a few old friends of King Edward, like the Marquis de Breteuil, with whom the Prince was going to live, and M. Louis Lépine, most Parisian of police prefects. “ Comme tout ça fait

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CHAPTER XIITHE GUARDS IN FLANDERS.

“... They (the 3rd French Chasseurs) had neared the cross-road, when Wellingtons’s voice was heard clear above the storm, ‘Stand up, Guards!’ Then from the shelter of the wayside banks rose the line of Maitland’s brigade of Guards, four deep and fifteen hundred strong, which poured a withering volley into the square, and charging, swept them out of the combat.” (“The Guards at Waterloo.” From The Life of Wellington , by the Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P.) “Tangier,” “Namur,” “Gibral

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CHAPTER XIIITHE ARBITERS OF VICTORY

“... My guns are better than the German guns ... for instance, my 15-inch shell is equivalent to their 17-inch. The issue is now one between Krupp’s and Birmingham.” (Field-Marshal Sir John French to Mr. James O’Grady, M.P., quoted in the Daily News , August 23, 1915.) “Too-too! Too-too! Too-too!” “‘Ul-loh?” (wearily). “Too-too! Too-too! Too-too!” (with insistence). “‘Ul-loh?” (with vexation). “‘Ul-loh? ‘Ul-loh?” The sounds issued forth from a low, cramped dug-out, where a perspiring orderly, sq

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CHAPTER XIVCHILDREN OF THE RAJ

War in its old guise, the clash of warring Kings and their levies of horse and foot, with victory on the side of the stoutest blows, and triumph reckoned by the number of slain and spoils, may have faded from the European mind, but it still lingers, a brave and picturesque adventure, in the storied imagination of the East. So it happens that, of all the forces in the field to-day, none has a more knightly conception of war, as the word was understood in the days of chivalry, than the levies whic

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CHAPTER XVT.F.

“The conduct and bearing of these units under fire, and the efficient manner in which they carried out the various duties assigned to them, have imbued me with the highest hope as to the value and help of Territorial troops generally.”— Field-Marshal Sir John French. The first Territorial troops that I saw in the field was the North Midland Division. Neither they nor I will probably ever forget that meeting, not because either of us made an unforgettable impression on the other, but by reason of

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CHAPTER XVITHE EYES OF THE ARMY

“Why, all my life I have been trying to guess what lay on the other side of the hill!”— The Duke of Wellington. One day, while I was gazing at a German working-party grubbing like ants on a far slope behind the enemy lines, a hawk glided swiftly and strongly into the field of my telescope. It hung almost motionless in the clear summer air, high up above the green valley, its powerful wings outspread, the very incarnation of waking watchfulness. And I found myself wondering of what the hawk remin

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WITH OUR ARMY IN FLANDERS, 1915.

By G. VALENTINE WILLIAMS. Demy 8vo. Illustrated. 12 s. 6 d. net. The author of this timely volume is one of the few accredited special correspondents with British Headquarters in France. He has already made his name in the literature of the Great War by his magnificent account of the battle of Neuve Chapelle, published in the newspapers shortly after the battle. Since then Mr. Williams has had ample opportunities of seeing things for himself, and he may be trusted to have made the best use of hi

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THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE NEW FOREST.

By the Hon. GERALD LASCELLES. With Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 12 s. 6 d. net. It is safe to say that never before has a book been written about the New Forest by a writer with such qualifications for the task as the author of this interesting work. Brought up in the atmosphere of large estates, he was appointed to an official post in the New Forest at a comparatively early age, and has spent the best years of a long life there. The whole series of its records has been at his disposal, and engaged

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A SURGEON IN KHAKI.

By A. A. MARTIN, M.D., F.R.C.S. Eng. With Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 10 s. 6 d. net . Dr. Martin is a New Zealander, who served as a surgeon in the South African War, and last summer he made a professional tour of some well-known British and American clinics. When the war broke out he was attending the British Medical Association meetings at Aberdeen. He at once came to London, and offered his services to the Royal Army Medical Corps, and was given a temporary commission in that body. After a shor

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REMINISCENCES OF JOHN ADYE CURRAN, K.C.

With Portrait. Demy 8vo. 10 s. 6 d. net. A fund of good stories seems inseparable from a career at the Irish Bar, and when their possessor elects to place them on record for the benefit of the public, the reader may look forward to a treat. The earlier portion of the book deals with the author’s career at the Irish Bar, in the course of which we get illuminating sketches of many of the great Judges and Advocates who have so nobly sustained its fame. The pièce de résistance of these reminiscences

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THIRTY YEARS A REFEREE.

By EUGENE CORRI . One Volume. Illustrated. Demy 8vo. 10 s. 6 d. net. These Reminiscences differ from any other in the present generation, as they are written by one who is thoroughly conversant with the inner scenes of the boxing world. In view of the position held by the noble art in popular esteem just now, a book such as this, which gives a good first-hand account of the notabilities and conditions prevailing, will be heartily welcomed. Mr. Corri considers that boxing—viewed as a great nation

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NIETZSCHE AND THE IDEALS OF MODERN GERMANY.

By HERBERT LESLIE STEWART, M.A., D.Ph. , Professor of Philosophy in Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Formally John Locke Scholar in the University of Oxford; Late Junior Fellow in the Royal University of Ireland. Author of “Questions of the Day in Philosophy and Psychology.” One Volume. Demy 8vo. Cloth. 7 s. 6 d. net. This volume is confined to those aspects of Nietzsche’s work which throw light upon the social policy and ideals of Germany as revealed in the present war. It is an effo

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MODERN ESSAYS

Reprinted from Leading Articles in “The Times.” With an Introduction by Dr. J. W. MACKAIL, F.R.S.L. Crown 8vo. Cloth. 5 s. net. This volume contains a selection from the charming series of Essays which have formed such a prominent feature among the Leading Articles in The Times during the last year or two. They present admirable examples of modern English style, and deal with themes, round which the thought of all ages of literature has sparkled, in the spirit of the twentieth century. Inimitabl

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THE CAPTURE OF DE WET.

By P. J. SAMPSON. With Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 10 s. 6 d. net. The rebellion in South Africa is one of the very few chapters in the history of the war which are already completed. It is a story in itself, somewhat apart from the main current of events, and even, curiously enough, from the story of the conquest of German South-West Africa to which it formed a preliminary. To people in England reading of it at the time in disconnected fragments in the newspapers, the whole thing was not only dist

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FROTH AND BUBBLE.

By MONTY HARBORD. Illustrated. 10 s. 6 d. net. “Froth and Bubble” is the light-hearted and breezy record of the life of a rolling stone. Mr. Harbord was young and athletic, a fine horseman, and fond of outdoor life, and went to Canada to look for experiences and adventures in the wild and woolly West. He encountered some of the rubs which are the lot of the tenderfoot, but was ready to take on any job that was going, and held his own well in any company. We next encounter him in Rhodesia, where

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GOD AND FREEDOM IN HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Containing the Donnellan Lectures for the Year 1913-14, delivered before the University of Dublin. By the Right Rev. CHARLES F. D’ARCY, D.D. , Bishop of Down . One Volume. 8vo. 10 s. 6 d. net. The principle of Degrees of Reality has been coming to light more and more clearly in many recent developments of philosophical thought. The purpose of this work is to exhibit the principle in its relation to ordinary and scientific experience, and to apply the results so obtained to some of the fundamenta

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HUMAN IMMORTALITY AND PRE-EXISTENCE.

By Dr. J. ELLIS M’TAGGART , Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge . Crown 8vo. Cloth. 2 s. 6 d. net. At the request of many friends, Dr. M’Taggart has reprinted the interesting chapters on Human Immortality and Pre-Existence from his well-known work “Some Dogmas of Religion,” in order to bring them within the reach of those readers who found the expense of the larger book a bar to its purchase. The author is recognized as one of the most distinguished exponents of Philosophy in the present day, a

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A SURGEON IN BELGIUM.

By H. S. SOUTTAR, F.R.C.S. , Late Surgeon-in-Chief of the Belgian Field Hospital . Popular Edition, Paper Cover , 2 s. net . Cloth , 2 s. 6 d. net . “This is one of the most impressive books that the war has yet produced; it should be read by everyone who wants to regard the struggle in its true perspective.”— Daily Telegraph. “An excellently written book.”— Pall Mall Gazette. “Admirably written and readable from beginning to end.”— Morning Post. “ Mr. Souttar is a surgeon with a gift for vivid

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STORIES FROM “THE EARTHLY PARADISE.”

By WILLIAM MORRIS. Retold in Prose by C. S. EVANS. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. 6 s. It is through our natural love of a story that we are led to appreciate the highest and best in literature. This is Mr. Evans’s justification for his collection of stories from William Morris’s most characteristic work, just as it was Charles Lamb’s for his famous tales from Shakespeare. Morris based most of his poems upon legends well known in other versions—some of the world’s best stories indeed—and it is hoped th

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AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.

By FORREST REID , Author of “Following Darkness,” “The Bracknells,” “The Gentle Lover,” etc. Crown 8vo. 6 s. This is the most elaborate and finished piece of work its author has yet given us. The history of a young man’s life, it begins with his schooldays and follows him through the years of early manhood and of marriage, the picture being presented largely through his relations with three women, each of whom reflects the principal character from a different point of view. The study of middle-c

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HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND.

By SETON GORDON , Author of “The Charm of the Hills,” etc. With numerous full-page Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 12 s. 6 d. net . Mr. Gordon is recognized as one of the highest authorities on the birds of the hills; and he has made a life-study of them and their ways. He has spent all hours of the day and night at all seasons of the year watching the habits of these mountain birds. In his new book the author discusses exhaustively the habits of the Ptarmigan; he was the first person to obtain photogr

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POULTRY HUSBANDRY.

By EDWARD BROWN, F.L.S. , Late Hon. Sec. National Poultry Organization Society; President International Association of Poultry Instructors and Investigators. Author of “Races of Domestic Poultry,” “Poultry Fattening,” etc. Fully Illustrated. Demy 8vo. 8 s. 6 d. net . Twenty-four years ago (1891) the first edition of “Poultry-Keeping as an Industry for Farmers and Cottagers,” by Mr. Edward Brown, F.L.S., whose labours for development of this branch of rural industrialism are recognized all over t

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