Our Despatches from the Front.
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A Remarkable Description of the Experiences of a Convoy Under Heavy Shell Fire near Ypres.
These messages from Our Owrz Special Correspondents have been submitted to and censored by the Press Bureau, which does not object to their publecation but takes no responsibility for the correctness of the statements contained therein.—ED, 1•1111•1111111111•••••••••• MEM Supply Column, Bag MA'. (Jo. A.S.C., British Expeditionary Force, MIMI December, 1914. Road Blown Up by Shells.
About two miles past Ypres, as we were proceeding along quite oblivious to any particular danger, what ttppeared to be a miniature volcanic eruption oc.ctured close to the road about a quarter-of-a-mile ahead of us. Immediately after this three more eruptions took place on the road itself, and all that could be seen was a huge cloud of thick, black smoke' out of which pieces of metal and road material rose hundreds of feet into the air ; this was followed by a double roar which shook the ground.
A Hole Big Enough to Drop a Lorry Into. The convoy of 12 or so vehicles (the others had goi-ss
elsewhere under the command of Capt. and Lieut. --, was at ernce halted, and further de velopments were awaited with interest and, in many cases, not a little trepidation. We had seen the results of some .of these gigantic shells in the town and outside it. One had made a hole which extended almost across the road (this hole had been filled up), while others which had fallen by the side of the road, in soft ground, had made holes in which you could have dropped a lorry without its ends touching the sides. Our foremost lorry stopped close to a solitary house, beside which was a 6 in. gun and a number of R.G.A. men. These men told us to get under cover directly a "coal-box "; burst, as the pieces fly hundreds of yards and continue to fall for some little time after the explosion.
The Triple Crash of Three more Shells.
Wo had not long to wait for more. About five minutes after the first four, we heard a low moan in the distance, which rapidly increased in volume to a, whistling shriek ; this ceased abruptly as three spouts of smoke and debris rose high in the air about 200 yds. to our right, accompanied by a most appalling triple crash which shook the ground and caused the vehicles to vibrate quite perceptibly. On our right was a French battery, and, as the shells burst near it, we could see the gunners running for their lives to a farmhouse, only to return directly the hubbub had subsided A Piece of Red-hot "Coal-box."
A few moments more, and again that blood-curdling wail; this time three " coal-boxes " lei; Fi3 yards or BO nearer the lorries and incidentally almost an the French battery ; the result was that pieces flew all round us, and I could hear theirs pitter-pattering into the wet ground at our feet. Several pieces struck the lorries, though without doing any damage. Lieut. was standing near the house, when something which he took to be a tile, fell into the mud a yard from his feet. He picked it up, but dropped it at once, for it proved to be a. piece of almost red-hot " coal-bez," abut 6 ins. long, 2 ins, wide and 1 in. thick ; this had actually cut off part of one of the hoofs of a horse which was standing just in front of this officer.
The Sensation of Being Under Fire.
Two more sets of three shells dropped slightly closer to the convoy, making 16 in all, and then the firing ceased, at which none of us were at all sorry, for the terrible noise and the anxiety engendered by hearing the approaching shells and wondering just where they would burst had given most of us severe headaches. Illy personal feelings were of relief when the shells burst. The sound is awe-inspiring in itself, especially when one knows that the shells are likely to drop in unpleasantly close proximity, but the really dangerous time, when the pieces flew about, few of us minded much. Most of us were afraid that the road behind the lorries would be cut up, and our retreat thus cut off.
Progress Barred by Shell Holes in the Road.
We stopped at this place for some hours while the lorries were unloaded into horse-transport wagons, for the road in front was impassable for motors, owing to the three shell holes. We had arrived just as it was
Our Despatches from the Front—con.
getting dark, and by this time night had really set in, and a very dirty night, too—drizzle and pitchy blackness. I was sent some distance forward to direct the horsed transport and, after waiting there for 20 mMutes or so, saw the lorry lamps being lighted prepexatory to departure. Directly this was done there was a short-sharp whistle over myshead, and a shrapnel shell burst in a field at the other side of the road ; half a minute later another burst about 30 ft. above the road itself, -close to where I was standing. The neighbourhood was becoming distinctly unhealthy, and I was not sorry when a man came to tell me to rejoin the convoy.
Crawling Away in the Darkness.
Apparently the enemy were just finding the range, for as the tare of us walked to the lorries shrapnel followed us up until it burst right over them. All lights were at once extinguished, and we crawled away in the blackness, having many narrow squeaks with various other vehicles, inclueling portable soup kitchens and ambulances; as well as cavalry.
Shrapnel continued to burst over us for a short time, So closely that the explosive trickled down from it almost on to the lorries ; it falls in a peculiar glutinous • manner like golden syrup. Somehow we seemed to pay very little attention to the shrapnel, after " coal: boxes " ; they seemed almost like pretty crackers; though I suppose they were really just as dangerous as the others, being much closer. The damage from a " coal-box " is so very apparent ; one has only to hit a house and the latter crumbles away, whereas with shrapnel, nothing much can be seen, and the explosion . is not like the thundering crash of the larger shells:
The explosion of a " coal-box" is most peculiar ; there seems to be a double crash, the second rather like an echo of the first but almost merging into it ; it resembles the noise which would be made by the dropping of tons of steel bars from the roof of a high building on to a concrete floor.
The First Snow of the Season.
After proceeding for several miles, lamps were again lighted, but in a very few minutes the enemy began to try the range again, though luckily without success. Our lights were once again doused! We returned to railhead at 4.21Y the next morning. To add to our other discomforts on this particular trip, the latter part was conducted in very cold weather, and many of us were nearly frozen by the time we reached "home." A little later in the morning the first snow of the season began to fall.
The Gunners were Killed.
The following day we passed through the same town as on the previous journey, and a " coal-box " fell only a little distance behind our last lorry, accompanied by several sharpnel shells, but by this time we had become more or less accustomed to such little reminders, and very few comments were made, except by those who had not accompanied us before.
Lieut. has drawn my attention to the fact that an illustration of the actual house where we sheltered from the 16 " coal-boxes " appeared on the back page of a "Daily Mail" of recent date ; it mentions underneath this that several men were killed or wounded amongst the R.G. Ass. This must have happened just a short time after we left ; the big gun which the men had had to withdraw from action owing to the heavy shelling was also shown. I must not end this letter without a few words in commendation of the M.T. men who were present at the little demonstrations of Teutonic affection just described ; many of them were under fire—and -such fire, too—for the first time, and I certainly expected to find some even slightly more tbsp nervous. I am glad to be able to state that I did ndt see one " funk " ; many wondered why the lorries had been brought so far, but I heard very few grumbles, and some were even cracking jokes as each shell burst. There was quite a lot of amusement caused by the scamper for shelter behind the house and lorries, as each lot of shells was heard, but directly after the men were searching for.souvenirs in theshape of shell splinters. The lorries had to be turned round in the narrow road, but this was done with the utmost coolness, and more resembled the manceuvring into position at a rail-head than anything else.
LETTERS FROM THE FRONT. A Sack Does Duty as a Mudguard.
"I thought you would like to know how the twoton Halley I am driving is progressing. Everything is satisfactory so far ; nothing has happened which I have not been able to execute myself. We have been hard at it since the war commenced. I have kept a diary, and shall be pleased to show it to you on my return, or could make arrangements so that you could receive it from my wife. You would finalit of interest. There is little -doubt th-at the lorry will return in sound going order, and I hope I shall too. We have had our share of near things but we are O.K. with the exception of our front mudguards, which are 'amongst the missing.' An old sack answers the purpose for the time being. The interior of the lorry makes a good caravan. ' 2187, Private E. S. Knell, — Signal Co., RE., — Div. Headquarters.
Fired at by His Late Employers.
" After using one's energies in the past to push the sale of Benz, Mathis and N.A.G. cars, it seems hard that they must rightly pass away. How unfortunate that such good propositions should have been manufactured by our cultured enemies. Here im, however, out here by the irony of fate, and the owners of the N.A.G. concern—the A.E.G., of Berlin, and, incidentally, my late employers, are now manufacturing shells which are being sent in my direction with the hopes, I suppose, that I may be wiped out. We have a lot of fun sometimes on our transport work. Only this morning I was going all out with my mind wandering back to the cement strip down Weybridge way, with the result that I took a rightangle turn faster than perhaps was reasonable. My assistant driver was just rising at the time. He poked his head out of the little communication door behind my seat and shouted : 'How the — do you expect me to get my trousers on when you are taking
corners like that? " Gordon-Marshall. 7 Div. Sup. Col., A.S.C., M.T.
A Good Load for a Napier Lorry.
"I had a two-ton Napier lorry at the beginning of the war. After driving it some 500 miles, I was sorry to have to break it up in order to avoid capture by the Germans. I got back on to a four-ton Napier and drove it between 3000 and 4000 miles, often with five and six tons of shell and small ammunition on board. At one part of this journey the roads were particularly broken and bare, owing to the passage of heavy artillery and the great amount of rain we then had. The country was very hilly, some of the hills being between three and four miles long and very steep. The vehiale ran perfectly throughout. Taking into consideration all the extraordinary conditions, this was a very severe test. One day, for curiosity's sake, I reckoned out .what load I had up. Of course, we know the weight of each shell or box of ammunition, and I had exactly 6 tons and 1 cwt., besides two R.F.A. gunners as escort, two drivers and 16 gallons of spare petrol, not a bad load for a four-ton lorry. I thought you would be interested to hear how the Napier was doing on active service." Driver -S. S. Worsley, A.S.C., M.T.