Our Despatches from the Front (No. 72).
Page 15
Page 16
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A Further Vivid Instalment from One of Our Active Service Correspondents Who is with a British Motor-Ambulance Convoy.
WITH A FIELD AMBULANCE, 12th December, 1915.
At Richebourg.
The church was a fine structure. Now one enters it anywhere through the huge holes made in the walls by "Jack Johnsons." In the day we went down by the church and took the opportunity of looking round. Entering by a shell hole, we could climb over the huge mass of debris which everywhere filled
the church. The gorgeous trappings and gilt, sonic torn, some still intact, hung anyhow, mocking the destruction around. Light streamed in everywhere from the holes in the roof. One had an uncanny feeling that the guns behind when firing would shake down some of the remaining plaster. Coming out again, a part of the roof jutting out over the walls like a huge ragged eave, increased the feeling of insecurity and the desire to retreat. Outside in the churchyard the tombstones -were all smashed and twisted. Huge holes large enough to bury a wagon and horses torn in the ground, exposed the coffins and uncovered the bones of bygone generations.
In the Vortex.
To the right to Windy Corner we had to take more chances and could only go by night. We had to turn at the cross-roads quickly, and standing there afterwards, could hear the bullets " ping " against the walls of the cottage, which was the dressing station; or occupy our time digging the bullets out of the walls.
Our resting-elace here is endeared to us as the first place where we felt ourselves to be intimately concerned in the great fight, as 9th May found us in the centre of the vortex which swirled all around its on that date and after.
During the period of which I have just written, we had many merry times with the boys billeted near and heard stories told around our ambulance in the evening with many a laugh and the personal legpulling which the Army tolerates, owing to its not having much sting.
"Another Bloomin' Miracle."
I remember the grousing about short rations of bread, and a fine Coldstreamer broke in the conversation with "We only had four loaves between forty, and tossed for ft. I won." Someone of our boys said: "It's a pity that they didn't give its five fishes with them, then we could have had another bloomin' miracle."
All the Way from the Ranks.
A corporal was asserting his authority rather strenuously. " Remember who you're talking to, I'm a corporal." A small voice piped : " Did you rise all the way from the ranks i " A Tale of Some Hens.
Some of the men were billeted in a farmhouse, run by an old lady or a miserly type and anxious to make as much out of everything as pos sible, Her fear that the boys should get something for nothing made her rise at five, feel all her hens to see if they were likely to lay, and to lock up the likely ones. The fellow who told us added softly, "But we've got two ducks for dinner to-night."
Speaking of poultry reminds me of a true incident of our ambulance. Christmas, 1914, found them without, much rations.An officer found one of our men with a large gamecock under his arm. "What are you doing with that?" said the officer. " It can't walk, sir." "Oh, can't it? Well put it down," The old cock went. clown the road at 25 miles an hour ! THE NINTH OF MAY.
Over the Parapet. The Battle of Richebourg.
At the period of the battle of Richebourg on 9th May we were already in the neighbourhood. The Northamptons were billeted by us, and as they were to go over the parapet, we heard many discussions about the future work.
Well, the battle was going to open in 24 hours. Outside the car a group of seven officers stood discussing the procedure, unconscious of my lying down inside. Jestingly the senior officer said: "Remember that if you are wounded or dead, you have to hand in your glasses (field glasses)." This no doubt referred to some official order on this matter. Four of these officers never returned. The boys stood around and we ourselves were affected like them with restlessness and inability to think and talk of anything else but the coming charge.
The Suspense Before Our Attack.
They would sit down on the bank, say something, and suddenly rise as though on springs, then stroll about and come back again and jest With us, feeling the cushions with the air of a connoisseur, as to whether they were soft enough for their ride to-morrow, when they got a " blighty " one. One gave me the finest complete top of a shell I've seen, saying he would not be able to keep it in hospital 1 He was wounded before his machine gun got into action : maybe I'll meet him again.
Postponed Till To-morrow.
After all the restlessness and excitement the news came that the attack was postponed for 24 hours. Another day of weary waiting for the poor boys ; another day of restless pacing as in a cage ; but the 9th did arrive—withits horrible memori es.
A Never-ending Procession of Troops.
On the afternoon of the 8th the N4-)rthamptons filed off. The Scottish passed with their bagpipes, and there seemed a never-ending procession of troops, which passed us even after we had retired. We went to rest full of anticipation and prepared for work on the morrow. This being our first big engagement, our imaginations were kmdied to fever heat.
Hell Breaks Loose.
However, we slept, but awoke at the first sound of our guns at 5 a. M. First one fired and then all hell seemed to have broken loose. We knew how long the bombardment was to last, before our boys charged, and could follow them in imagination over the parapets. Our hopes were high.
The Horrible Harvest.
Then about eight o'clock the wounded began to come in ; as time wore on the stream gradually grew in volume. Three of us were busily
taking their particulars as fast a-s we could write. Heads, legs, arms, shoulders, bandaged and bloody ; faces black with congealed blood, but no grousing. Those who were not stolid were smiling. Smiling, mark you! Those who came out of that hell had reason to smile.One man had got. back by rolling himself over and over the furrows of the last year's ploughing ; others had crawled back through the long grass, and one man who had been fired at whilst lying on the ground, left his pack to be potted at -whilst he crawled back: Bringing Us Back the News to a Dressing Station.
These men had walked about three miles, and although some were faint, most of them were anxious to get on. The news they brought was good ; we had taken one line, two lines, three lines of trenches, each man giving, of course, the news from his own particular part of the line. Successive streams of men brought later and later news. They sat in the shade —the sun was beautiful and the air that of a perfect May day—or lay about in all directions outside our dressing station, where they had been redressed. Our ears whirled load after load away to the town, and hospital. Then the word came' for the cars to get down to the advanced dressing stations for the more serious cases, and the more serious part of our work con'• menced.