The War To End All Wars

Remember those that gave their lives and give thanks this day. Here is the rest of November 1914 journal entries.

November 7^th-12^th

The battery was assigned to the HQ25th Brigade for three days. The battery returned each night to a field off of the main road. Things were very quiet except for an occasional shelling.

On the night of the 10^th I waited at the 25^th Brigade for my horse to be brought over. After some time George came and told me that it was impossible to bring over horses, so he suggested for us to walk across to where the horses were. So we started out on foot to find our battery. After travelling some good way we knew we were lost.

It was very dark and the road was being shelled when we came upon what seemed to be a deserted farm. We discovered that it was occupied by some of our infantry so we decided to anchor there till morning. We got some food and tea from the infantry and placed our blankets on some straw from a stack of hay. This was the best bed we had for some time. The next morning we found the battery; there had been the usual speculation that we had gotten nipped.

On the night of the 12^th we came through the most severe storm I have ever experienced. I didn’t have a cap so I was blinded by the force of the rain and wind. We all looked like drowned rats. It was an awful march in the pitch darkness and blinding rain, so I simply held onto the saddle and let my old charger follow the rest.

We were too wet to sleep in the rain and mud that night. After a great deal of scrounging, George, Collins and I got into a deserted establishment and remained there till morning. It was a horrible night so the shelter we got was acceptable; it took me two days to get dry. I would have given a great deal to have sat before a fire in dry clothes.

November 10^th

One section of the battery found action near Zonnebeke while I went with the other two sections to a position by a small wood about 3 or 4 miles NE of Ypres. We did a little firing and towards evening, while I trying to get into communication with the trenches I ran into Harry, who was with K battery of the Royal Horse Artillery.  

He told me how difficult they were having it trying to get their equipment around, for all the rain has turned everywhere into bog-like mud.

The CO of K Battery and I were standing beside a railway embankment and he was giving it to me hot about the troubles he was having with communications.

That didn’t set with me well. He and I had high words about the subject, to where he promised to give me 5 years or have me shot. At that point I told him to get on with it, etc. He and I parted before things got out of hand. When I saw him the next morning he treated me quite differently.

That night it rained again so everything was wet. I couldn’t find a dry spot to lie down, so I had a wet “standing up sleep” by the railway embankment.

November 14^th

My 40^th Battery went with Left Section into position beside the 51^st battery that was on a ridge a thousand yards to the rear of the trenches. From this position we could see the Germans firing from their trench and watch our own shells burst near the enemy’s trenches.

We had hardly begun to fire when the Germans had us spotted. The Prussian Guard made a forceful attack against our position but our guns, along with the 51^st , did great slaughter. The ground in front of the trenches was covered with dead Germans, as well as many of our own chaps.

The next morning the German artillery peppered us, but we and the 51^st Battery kept on replying with the quick firing 18 pounders.

Together we did grand work keeping up a wall of fire on the German’s foremost trench. Early in the afternoon we had to desert our guns, for the shells were coming in so hot it was suicide to stay.

We took cover in some of the small trenches we dug about 30 yards behind the guns.

About every twenty minutes we would jump out of the trenches and run up to the guns and shoot off a couple of rounds, then run back to cover. The new 18 pound guns of the 51^st were so fast that they could rush up and let go six rounds in grand style before they ran back to cover.

I was with the 51^st for two days for training on how to fire the new 18 pound guns. During the two days I was without a drink of any description and my thirst was troubling me more than the shell and bullets.

On one occasion while I was running back from the guns I came across the officer’s cook. He was in a dugout that was about 50 yards to the rear of the guns. I asked him if the officer had water he could spare. The cook gave me a mug of rather dirty-looking water but it tasted grand. 

I went back to the 40^th Battery guns with the Sergeant Major of the 51^st and while getting there a shell dropped within 10 yards of us. The concussion rather shook us and we immediately fell down to dodge the splinters. On getting up we were both surprised to find that the other was not hurt. I was fortunate, for the shell had cut down a tree that fell across my overcoat, which was lying close by me.

We kept up firing until dark. George, Collins and I were standing beside a wagon getting something to eat when the enemy’s infantry attacked. Their rifle bullets rained down on us as we ran to the gun for shelter of the shield.

Collins pushed me a little aside, then a few seconds later he got a bullet in the foot. Luckily the thickness of his boot diverted the bullet’s course.

Had he not pushed me I should have caught it and perhaps not without such lucky results. After a while George and I managed to get into a small trench that he had dug during the day. The attack dropped off but they shelled us throughout the night.

Although it was cold and wet we had a good sleep because we were severely exhausted.

In the morning the ground all around was peppered with shell holes. We were indeed thankful that one did not drop into our little trench, for quite a few had fallen very near.

November 15^th

The section commenced firing during the morning. In return we were shelled a little but it was nothing in comparison with the previous day.

I went over to the 51^st battery to get my telephone. I had left it in a dugout the day before while we were receiving new gun instructions. Upon arriving, I found it was occupied by two other telephonists. I heard the sound of an incoming shell and the three of us ran for it. The shell dropped plumb into the dugout and destroyed the instruments. Having fled, we undoubtedly avoided the fate of our instruments.

I returned to my section, although we had orders to take up a position on the right. The 51^st battery remained and had it as bad as, or worse, than the previous days. Two guns were put out of action and the casualties were heavy. One shell killed five and while they were being buried, another dropped among the burial party, killing four more.

We reached our right section in the afternoon; I remained with the wagon line on guard duty. It was very wet and cold and the shelling continued all night.

November 16^th

I moved some wagons into an adjacent wood for airplane cover and while doing so, I noticed a ruined farm nearby.  

I walked over to it and as I passed along the wooden fence, a bullet hit a nearby wooden gate post.  I dodged behind the post fearing a sniper had me in his sight. It must have been a spare bullet for nothing else came near me. During my look around the farm I got a tin of “bully beef” in order to prepare a dinner, which I had not had for a considerable time.

I had just got it nicely on the go when I was ordered to run a line to the reserve trenches of the Gordon Highlanders. George and I ran the line and upon reaching the trench, George returned to the battery while I remained.

Since I didn’t bring an instrument with me I had to borrow one from a Sergeant of the Royal Engineers.

I was in a dug-out with a “Gordon Highlander” named Bruce (whom I afterwards learned was the famous runner). He warned me to keep low because snipers were active. Almost as he spoke the words, a fellow coming towards me got a bullet in the chest. The bullet just missed me so I took Bruce’s warning and kept low.

It was terribly cold and Bruce gave me some bread and cheese, which I gratefully took.

I sent orders to the guns until after midnight, when things seem to calm down. It was getting so cold at night that I pitied Bruce in his kilt with bare legs. However, he slept sound while I could not sleep a minute. I was glad when morning came.

Although I was stiff from the cold, I got up and decided to run up and down the trench for a few minutes in order to warm myself, daring the snipers to hit me.

November 17^th

I was still with the 51^st battery under the direction of Major Baird of the Gordon Highlanders. He had me send the orders for our guns to cover the trenches as much as possible. Shortly after dawn the enemy made a forceful attack. Considering the small number of men in the trenches, it was marvelous that the enemy didn’t break through. About 9am they started to shell us.

The first shell went into a dug-out a few yards in front of me and killed a Lt. Colonel as well as his servant. Another shell fell 10 yard to my right and buried Bobby Glue and 3 officers.

We ran over to the dugout and tried to dig them out but the officers were either killed or wounded. When I found Bobby’s legs I tried to pull him out but his legs had separated from his torso. This presented an agonizing sight that I shall not forget. Many men were wounded during the first few minutes of this attack.

With the death of Bobby Glue, Fred realized that only Pudgie Taylor and he were left to keep the promise they all made together before the battle of Mons. So much had happened since then that it seemed an eternity ago, but Fred knew that only three months had passed.

With heavy heart, Fred slowly walked over to the communication dugout to continue his work with the 51^st Battery.

Nov. 17^th, continued

An artillery officer and a man that I didn’t recognize rode into our battery position. Upon dismounting, the officer rushed off to find our commander while the man hitched the two horses to a tree, about a yard from my dugout. Almost immediately afterwards the familiar whine of an incoming shell sent the man jumping into my dugout.

The instant he landed inside the dugout, a shell burst right over us and killed the two horses. One of the horses was blown into the air and landed on topof the dugout, and its blood started to flow inside.

There wasn’t anything we could do but move to a spot in the dugout away from the incoming blood.

The shells were falling like rain with such horrific force that they caused all the Gordons to run for it. The shelling was so murderous that I also felt like running. However, I realized that if I left my instrument that our guns would not be able to return fire. So I stuck while the Gordons ran, all except Bruce. He asked me if I was going to stay and I said yes. So he said that if it’s good enough for you it’s good enough for me, so he stayed with me. As one chap was running past us, a shell exploded, sending a splinter deep into his leg and a bullet in his arm. I dragged him into the dugout and Bruce and I bandaged him up. He stayed with us throughout the day.

Two more attacks took place and every available man was pressed forward, which was very few.

During the day Bruce was telling me that of the 1400 hundred in his regiment that left Plymouth in September, all that remained was he and 34 others. He went on to say that they had had some horrible times but this was worse than any of them. I fully believed him, for I also was sick of being shelled and tired of the smell of gun powder and blood.

Whenever I received information from our observation post I would write a note. Bruce would run it to Major Baird’s location, then return with the Major’s order for the guns. All day the enemy kept up the fierce bombardment. That night when Old George came to relieve me, I was fairly done in. Experiencing Bobby’s death I felt sick, along with not getting any sleep for four nights and very little food.

When I reached our guns, Collins took on the instrument while I wrapped myself up in my two wet blankets. Even though it was freezing cold and snow started to fall, I slept like a top. The next morning I felt a little better, so I was quite able to carry on with the business.

November 18^th – 21^st

I remained with our guns while George stayed with the Gordons. We did considerable firing and occasionally an enemy shell would pass over. It was peace when compared with the previous day. We were informed that we were to be relieved by the French.

Therefore we could withdraw from the battle for a rest, as well as to be refit with more horses and men.

When the battery was assembled I was also told that our center section had had a warm time of it. Hodges, my lube off-man, was killed and Farmer, along with several others, were wounded.

We were overjoyed at the idea of a rest, for a change from the ceaseless scrapping of the past few weeks would be very welcomed.

November 22^nd

We left our position at dawn and marched to Ypres. On the way I couldn’t help but notice that the whole countryside was in a horrible condition. Not a building was standing, either on the farms or in the town itself. All of the beautiful buildings were destroyed.

I thought of how different it was when we marched through the town less than a month before.

The battery marched safely through the town and all day we continued to march forward through the cold. The roads were slippery so my old charger had a hard time keeping his legs under him so I walked most of the time.

It was dark when we arrived at a farm located a few miles from Merriss and billeted there for the night. How strange it seemed to me to be away from the ceaseless roar of gun fire, etc., and be transported to the peace and quiet of a farm where the sheds, barns and cow-houses seemed like mansions. It was a blessing to be able to sleep in a building and off of the wet, cold ground.

November 22^nd – December 12^th                                                                      Our period of rest was greatly appreciated, for a time, but soon it became monotonous.

Some of our officers received short leaves and through the good graces of Major Madocks I was given a 48 hour pass to Boulogne. The Major took his leave in England. When he arrived he was kind enough to give my dear wife instructions on how to get to Boulogne in time to meet me. I left camp on the evening of the 1^st of December and rode into Hasbrouck to catch the train to Boulogne. The train was scheduled to leave at 7 the next morning, therefore I was expecting to meet my wife at 5pm. I didn’t know that she had arrived earlier than expected, so I was delighted when we met at 11am instead.

Our stay together was about the shortest 28 hours of my life. To leave her the next day was the hardest thing I had experienced through the whole campaign. It was a very sad train ride back to Hasbrouck. All I could think about was how grand it was to hold my dear wife, to be someplace peaceful and safe, and to take in the smell of clean linens instead of the stench of rotting flesh.

I arrived in camp the next day and I immediately noticed that all the men were getting impatient to get to business again. We were all pleased to hear that on the 11^th of December we were heading back to the firing line, to get on with business in order to put an end to this war.