THE RAMPARTS
My diary of July 9 tells how we once again got back to the cosy dug-outs
in the Ramparts, those ramparts from whence was continually stretched
out before our ken, in sunshine and in moonlight, the heart of the dead
city.
When I arrived at Potijze "Allen had gone to the Ramparts to take over,
as B Company proceeds there to-night. D Company are going to Goldfish
Chateau, the other side of Ypres. I had dinner at Potijze. Things were
quite peaceful at that time; we stood outside after dinner and admired
the view in the Salient. Just a few shells were flying over. At 11 p.m.
Captain Andrews, Dickinson and I, with Sergeant-Major Preston and a few
runners, left Potijze and returned to the dug-outs in the Ramparts.
There is more room to move about here!"
My first letter home after my return to the Ramparts--dated July
10--runs as follows:
"I am now back with B Company, as D Company have come out of the
trenches. Dickinson has been transferred from D Company and appointed
second-in-command of B Company in Halstead's place; and he is to be in
command of the Company in the push. Captain Andrews will be, in the push
(not before: Major Brighten is back and is on 'battle reserve!'),
second-in-command to Colonel Best-Dunkley--'the man who stands by
waiting for the other man to die,' as Colonel Balfour has wittily
remarked to Captain Andrews upon the arrangement! Captain Andrews is
really a very smart man; he could have been a staff officer once, but
Colonel Best-Dunkley would not let him go in for it. He did not want to
lose him. Colonel Hindle stands in a similar position to General
Stockwell.
"Gratton has gone to Headquarters (as Assistant Adjutant), so the
officers in B Company Mess now are Captain Andrews, Dickinson, Giffin,
Allen and myself, also an M.O. I had dinner in this dug-out and then
wrote a letter or two. Things were moderately peaceful at dinner-time,
and for an hour or two after. At 11 p.m., the relief having been carried
out, Captain Andrews, Dickinson and I, with Sergeant-Major Preston and a
few runners, proceeded to Battalion Headquarters, which are at a strong
point a little nearer the line. Then we turned back and proceeded to the
dug-outs where we were on July 1 and July 2. Allen had preceded us to
take over, and Giffin was with a working party in the trenches. While we
were on our way a deuce of a row began on the north; it was a German
raid on our trenches. So we watched it all the way. We got along quite
well until we were almost here. Then two shells burst just in front of
us. But we managed to get in quite safely.
"I am now in the same dug-out as Giffin and Allen. We did not get up
until midday to-day. Giffin made himself quite unbearable, and
eventually remarked that we would be having a scrap soon. 'Yes. I notice
that you seem to have been trying to make yourself as objectionable as
possible!' I dryly replied. He then declared that he was only pulling my
leg, and he has not been quite so bad since then.
"This afternoon we had platoon inspections. Sergeant Baldwin carried on
with 7 Platoon. Then Giffin came on the scene and said that he wanted
him in 8 Platoon because, since he is to go over the top with 8 Platoon
he ought to be with them now in order to get to know the men. Now, as
you know, Baldwin was in 7 Platoon as a corporal, so he naturally knows
the men in 7 Platoon very well indeed; also, he himself prefers, I
believe, to be in 7 Platoon; also, I want him as my platoon sergeant:
three excellent arguments why he should remain, as Captain Andrews has
ordered to-day. Giffin said that he would see Captain Andrews about it.
Then we fell to discussing the matter. The cause of the controversy is
really to be traced in a lack of sergeants now in B Company. The
Quartermaster-Sergeant having been wounded, Sergeant Jack has taken his
place; Sergeant Butterworth has been wounded; and Sergeant Williams and
Sergeant Dawson are on 'battle reserve.' There, therefore, remain only
three sergeants to four platoons; and all the N.C.O.'s in my platoon are
lance-corporals and cannot, therefore, very well be promoted to sergeant
at a bound....
"I have since discussed the matter with Allen. He sees in the difficulty
the chance of a solution which would give me what I want, and also
secure something which he wants. At present he has got Sergeant ---- as
his platoon sergeant. He says that he would not go over the top with him
for worlds; so he suggests that that sergeant should be put on 'battle
reserve' in place of Sergeant Williams and Corporal Stokes be promoted
platoon sergeant of 5 Platoon; that Sergeant Williams should take 8
Platoon; and that I should thus retain Sergeant Baldwin for 7 Platoon.
Personally I think that would be quite a good solution of the problem. I
hope it will, when put forward, meet with the approval of Captain
Andrews."
"July 10th (later).
"I have won! Captain Andrews has just been into our dug-out to give us
our orders as to working parties for to-night. Giffin brought up the
question of the platoon sergeants, and Captain Andrews immediately
replied: 'Oh, you will have to carry on with Sergeant Williams at
present; Sergeant Baldwin is going to remain with his old platoon'--7
Platoon! Giffin then asked whether Sergeant Williams would be going over
the top with him; Captain Andrews replied that it would probably end in
his doing so. Anyhow, Sergeant Baldwin is now definitely appointed to 7
Platoon. That is satisfactory. I am also quite satisfied with my section
commanders--Lance-Corporal Livesey (Bombers), Lance-Corporal Tipping
(Riflemen), Lance-Corporal Topping (Lewis Gunners), and Lance-Corporal
Segar (Rifle Grenadiers). The men in my platoon are practically the same
as they were when I first had 7 Platoon. So things are now much more
satisfactory. I hope they will continue so.
"While here we are under direct orders from Brigade. The Brigade-Major
has just been in with detail of working parties for this evening. I am
to take Sergeant Clews and a party of thirty men to carry ammunition
from one dump to another.
"I must now close. It is nearly dinner-time. It is 7.20 now; dinner at
7.30. I start with my party at 9.25."
My diary of July 10 states:
"Working party in the evening with Sergeant Clews--carrying ammunition
from a dump near White Chateau to a Brigade dump further on to the left,
behind Congreve Walk. A very quiet night."
On July 11 I wrote home as follows:
"We had Major Brighten and Captain Blamey in for dinner yesterday
evening. Major Brighten is delightfully optimistic; he is, like Captain
Andrews, positive that the war will be all over by October. He thinks
that the coming offensive will settle the dispute. We discussed the war,
its duration, and the coming battle. The other day I remarked to Captain
Blamey that a landing ought, during the heat of the action, to be
effected at a certain place, and that a certain famous General would
probably be chosen to do it, because he has already done it (but under
easier conditions!) on a former occasion. A day or two later Captain
Blamey was astonished to receive information from Major Brighten that
the very thing I had proposed, and by the very General I had suggested,
was going to be done! So he told him that I had said that this General
would probably be the one, because he had done it before; but Major
Brighten said that he did not think that he had done it before. Captain
Blamey said that he did not argue the point because he was not sure
himself, but he told me about it afterwards. I told him that this
general certainly had done this thing, and referred him to a certain
despatch of Lord French. So at dinner yesterday evening the subject was
again brought up. Major Brighten said that he had forgotten that this
general had done this thing before, but accepted my statement as
correct.[5]
"Major Brighten went on to say that the Colonel had been debating in
Headquarters Mess the question as to who was the countess whose garter
Edward III picked up, and nobody knew, could I enlighten them? I replied
that I recollected having read of the incident, but had forgotten the
name of the countess!..."[6]
My diary proceeds--under date July 11:
"Working party in the evening with Sergeant Clews. We drew tools at
Potijze dump, proceeded up Strand, which has been badly knocked about by
shells, and repaired the parapet and parados of the front line to left
and right of Strand. The Germans sent over trench-mortars on our left
(about ten yards to the right of Giffin's party) while we were at it.
Nobody was hurt. Dickinson had a party further to my right. It is quite
high ground up there, and the front line trench slopes down to the
right; over the parados the open ground is much lower, dotted with
trees; it looks quite quaint when a flare goes up. We left about 1 a.m.
and returned via Strand, Oxford Road, Pagoda Wood and Potijze. Then
along Track 4. A thick mist came on, and we very nearly lost our way; I
was with my party just behind Dickinson's party. We managed to find our
way in time. To bed, 3 a.m."
"July 12th.
"One shell during the morning so shook the place that my head bumped up
and down on my pillow. Before we were up the Brigade-Major (Thompson)
came to see Captain Andrews about working parties. Brigade are very
pleased with our work, especially as the ---- left their work
unfinished, owing to wind up about trench-mortars!
"Up 2 p.m. Platoon inspections. Then lunch. From the sound I should
imagine that our preliminary bombardment for the forthcoming offensive
is beginning. Our artillery here is sending a good deal of stuff over.
At 6 p.m. I commenced a period of twenty-four hours as Orderly Officer.
My main duty consists of seeing that the road outside is cleared after
heavy shelling: for this object, Baldwin has a party permanently on the
job."
FOOTNOTES:
[5] See Appendix III.
[6] See Appendix IV.