WATOU
The time we spent at Valley Camp, Watou, is duly chronicled in my diary.
"July 21st.
"We got here at 12. Lunch at 2.... My servant Johnson reported sick with
gas and departed for hospital; so I asked Sergeant Baldwin to suggest
another. He took me to M'Connon. I endorsed the selection. Allen's
servant, Parkinson, has also gone to hospital with gas to-day! To bed 10
p.m."
"July 22nd (Sunday).
"Breakfast in bed. Up 9.30. The Colonel had a conference of all officers
re training and man-power. Then there was a Church parade in the field
at 12.15 p.m. The main points of the padre's sermon were Repentance,
Hope, Intention. In the afternoon Dickinson and I went over my platoon
roll with the Sergeant-Major (Preston) to see how we stand. He also did
the same with the other platoons. After tea I had a walk into the
village of Watou and purchased some chocolates. Then dinner. The padre
tells me that Archbishop Lang is in Poperinghe to-day.
"Critchley came back from hospital this evening; so he will resume his
duties as my servant to-morrow.
"Corporal Flint has died, in hospital, of gas."
"July 23rd.
"Breakfast in bed. Up 7.30. Parade 8. Training during the morning. There
were also lectures by company commanders on the forthcoming operations,
and a lecture on the compass by Major Brighten. In the afternoon General
Stockwell spoke about the forthcoming operations to all officers and
N.C.O.'s. His speech was very interesting.... He is to have his
Headquarters in Wieltje Dug-out. He said that casualties of this brigade
while in Ypres this time had been 26 officers and 470 men. I have been
very busy with matters relating to the push all day."
"July 24th.
"Battalion parade 8.30 a.m., followed by lectures on the forthcoming
operations and a lecture to officers and N.C.O.'s on field messages by
Major Brighten. In the afternoon platoons marched to Poperinghe to bathe
at the Divisional Baths in the Square--just by the church, I left Valley
Camp with my platoon at 1.45. We marched via St. Janster Biexen to
Poperinghe and there bathed. Then I took my N.C.O.'s--Sergeant Baldwin,
Corporal Livesey, Lance-Corporals Topping, Tipping, Heap and Hopkinson,
and also Sergeant Dawson, to see a model of the battlefield at the
Divisional School. We were ages finding it. We went the wrong way. But
we eventually went along the Switch Road and found it. It was 6 p.m. by
then. So I gave Baldwin, Topping, Tipping and Heap a pass to have tea in
Poperinghe. Dawson and Hopkinson did not want one, so they set off back.
I went into Poperinghe and had a drink of citron. I felt very tired.
Then I set off back to Watou. I came across Dickinson returning on
horseback. Then I caught up Sergeant Dawson and Lance-Corporal
Hopkinson; and we got on a lorry which took us right as far as St.
Janster Biexen. We then walked back to Valley Camp. I had dinner. Then
to bed, feeling a little seedy."
"July 25th.
"Breakfast in bed at 8. Dickinson, feeling very bad, stayed in bed. I
also felt washed out. I expect it is the gas at last taking effect. At
10 a.m. I set off with one officer and one N.C.O. from each company to
reconnoitre the route to Query Camp. Beesley and I with Sergeant Clews
and Sergeant Malone went one way; the others went another way. We found
ourselves wrong, but eventually got right. It was raining, the route was
thick with mud, and I felt very weary. I soon felt done to the world.
We had some coffee in a hut on the Poperinghe road, about a mile from
the town; then walked on to the Switch Road, right along that and on to
the main Poperinghe-Vlamertinghe road. Here Beesley and his sergeant
went one way and Sergeant Clews and I went another--right along the main
road. We had a drink of citron at a little hut named Villa Franca. Then
we turned to the left at Brandhoek Cross Roads, went through B Camp, and
eventually reached Query Camp. I felt horribly fatigued and also had a
most annoying cold.... Soon Beesley and his sergeant turned up. We had
some citron in a cottage here. The Belgian woman who served us said that
she had lost her father, mother and three brothers in the war. After
this we went along Track 1 and back to the main road. Here we got a
motor-lorry which took us through Poperinghe and right back to St.
Janster Biexen. We walked back to Valley Camp from there. I really feel
done up; and I have a headache in addition to my bad cold--something
like influenza. All symptoms of gas! When we got back the rain had
ceased and it was quite nice. A new large draft arrived about 6.30;
there were two new officers with it--Richard Maxwell Barlow and Kenneth
Leslie Smith. Young has also returned to the Battalion. There have been
a number of drafts recently, so we are getting up strength again.
Young, Barlow and Smith have all been posted to A Company; so, as the B
and A Company Mess is joint, they mess with us."
The same day, July 25, I wrote home from Watou as follows:
"Just a line to let you know that I have received all your letters up to
July 20 and the parcel for which I thank you very much. I have been
simply awfully busy--chiefly with maps and operation orders re coming
offensive--and have not been able to write home during the last few days
as a result. We are supposed to be resting, but I have hardly a moment
to spare. General Stockwell lectured all officers and N.C.O.'s of this
Battalion here in the field on Monday afternoon. He said that he was
going to tell us everything that he knew himself about the coming
battle, but did not tell us anything we did not already know! I do not
think he told us all: if he did tell us all then I don't think much of
the idea. The General had a cigarette in his mouth and his hands in his
pockets the whole time he was speaking; he was quite jovial, cracking
jokes all the time. He impressed upon us the importance of sending
messages back when we reach our objectives; he said that if we do not do
so it will mean his coming up to the front line himself for information
'and I don't want to have to do that,' he laughed, 'but it will come to
that if necessary,' he went on in a more serious tone, 'and it will be
woe betide the platoon commander whose negligence has brought his
brigadier-general's life into danger!' At the conclusion of his speech
the General asked whether any of us had any questions to ask. I could
have asked one, but I know he would not have answered it; so I remained
silent!
"Archbishop Lang was in the big town half-way between here and the front
line on Monday, but I did not see anything of him. Nor did I see the
Queen when she was inspecting the hospitals there. But I think it very
fine of Queen Mary to visit troops within range of the Germans guns as
she did.
" ... It is now evening and is quite bright, the sun is shining into the
tent where I am writing this. We have been stationed here since July 21,
and are now marching back in a few minutes to a camp beyond the
above-mentioned town--where I went to reconnoitre this morning.
"You will see that it is impossible to write any reply to 'Bumjo' at
present as I have not the time.[9] I also warn you not to get the wind
up if you do not hear from me for a week or so. I can quite foresee a
period of that length elapsing between my letters now, as before this
present week is out we shall be engaged in fighting the great battle of
the North. 'Bumjo' will have to wait until we come out of action again.
I intend to deal with him and give him the telling-off which his
impudence and his treason are asking for after the battle. I hope to
have more leisure then! So au revoir!"
These days at Watou, while being days full of work, were not unpleasant.
We had plenty to talk about; and, seated on the grass on a summer
evening, Joe Roake would make us rock with laughter at his quaint and
humorous tales of his experiences when a sergeant at Loos and other
battles. Roake was always a great asset to any mess when he honoured it
by a visit. He hated Headquarters Mess; he was always ready to jump at
any excuse to get away from the society of Colonel Best-Dunkley; and he
was never happier than when, over a nice selection of drinks, he was
retailing the Colonel's latest sayings and doings. And we, needless to
say, were never happier than when listening to him on this most
interesting topic! Roake and Humfrey with little "Darky," who was their
invariable companion, were always welcome.
It was at this time that news came across that a son and heir had been
born to Colonel Best-Dunkley. The event was one of considerable
interest, and was widely discussed. "Poor little ----! To think that
there's another Best-Dunkley in the world to look forward to!" exclaimed
our humorous friend when he heard the news. "Well, when he grows up he
will always have the gratification of knowing that his father was a
colonel in the Great War!" mused Captain Andrews in a tone which
suggested that he had a presentiment that Colonel Best-Dunkley would not
survive the coming push. And, somehow--though nobody ever anticipated
for a moment that he would win the V.C.--we all discussed the
probability of his falling, and always thought that the odds were in
favour of his falling. And to be perfectly frank (my object in writing
this book is to tell the truth), nobody regretted the probability! If we
had really known what kind of a man he was, if we had been able then to
fathom beneath the forbidding externals, we might have felt very
differently about it. But it is not given to man to know the future or
even to discern the heart of his most intimate acquaintance! We only saw
in him a man who was as unscrupulous as his prototype Napoleon in all
matters which affected his own personal ambition, the petty tyrant of
the parade ground, who could occasionally be very agreeable, but of whom
all were afraid or suspicious, because none knew when his mood would
change. In a few days this man was going to give everybody who knew him
the surprise of their lives. Had he any presentiment or intention as to
the future himself? I think he had both intention and presentiment.
Throughout the whole summer of 1917 his whole heart and soul were
absorbed in preparation for the coming push; never did a man give his
mind more completely, unstintingly, and whole-heartedly to a project
than Best-Dunkley did to the Ypres offensive which was to have carried
us to the Gravenstafel Ridge, then on to the Paschendaele Ridge, into
Roulers and across the plains of Belgium. He was determined to associate
his name indelibly with the field of Ypres; he was determined to win the
highest possible decoration on July 31: he knew what the risks were; he
had seen enough of war to know what a modern push meant; he had not come
through Guillemont and Ginchy for nothing and learnt nothing; he was
determined to stake life and limbs and everything on the attainment of
his ambition. He was determined to cover himself with glory; he was
determined to let people see that he did not know what fear was. And I
think--there was that in his bearing the nearer the day became which
suggested it, everybody who had known him of old declaring that they
noticed a certain change in him during the last two months of his
life--that he felt that his glory would be purchased at the cost of his
life.
I well remember one afternoon in the Ramparts when Captain Andrews came
in and told us that it had been proposed that Major Brighten should take
the Battalion over the top in the push and the Colonel remain behind on
"battle reserve." Captain Andrews said that that would be fine, because
if the push were a success--as it was sure to be--Major Brighten[10]
would probably get the D.S.O. before the Colonel, which would annoy the
Colonel intensely; and he said that he would do anything, risk anything
to bring success to our beloved Major Brighten--feelings which we all
cordially reciprocated. But Colonel Best-Dunkley would not hear of it.
He implored the General to allow him to lead his battalion over the top;
he waxed most importunate in his entreaties, almost bursting into tears
at the thought of being debarred from going over with the Battalion;
and, at last, his request was granted and the General agreed that
Best-Dunkley should take the Battalion over.
Another very gallant officer was also very grieved when he was informed
that he was detailed to be on "battle reserve" for the push. That
officer was Kenneth Blamey. When Captain Blamey was informed that his
second-in-command would take the Company over he implored to be allowed
to go over the top with his company. But his request was not granted.
Bodington was to take D Company over. It would not do for all company
commanders to go over the top at once: the future has to be considered.
One more reminiscence before I close this chapter. It was at Watou that
fat Joye used to come into the tent and get me to talk to him about the
war. I remember him coming in to see us the last night at Watou and
saying to me that we would both have nice "Blighties" in the leg in a
few days. I replied that I hoped so. Things turned out exactly as Joye
forecast: about ten days later I met him on the grand staircase in
Worsley Hall!
FOOTNOTES:
[9] This refers to the newspaper controversy in the _Middleton Guardian_
in which I had been engaged throughout the whole time I was at the
Front.
[10] He afterwards won the D.S.O. and Bar, Belgian Ordre de la Couronne
and Belgian Croix de Guerre.