Our little lot was waiting for the Germans in a turnip field. We were
lying down, and on they came. We let fly, and numbers of them went
down. They cracked at us then with their machine guns, and did us
a good deal of damage. We were obliged to retire, but there was an
off-and-on fight for at least twelve hours. We would get cover and have
a smack at ’em, and with their great numbers and our good shooting we
did tumble them over. But, my goodness! the numbers did keep coming on,
and we had to go back. We advanced and pushed them back, but we were
outnumbered again. We fell back, and a crush of us got separated from
the rest. There were about sixteen of us, and we found ourselves beyond
the German lines: _A Private of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers_.
“The Old British Way”
They have a trick of throwing masses of cavalry at our weakest infantry
when they are either advancing in an exposed position or in retreat.
They tried it on as often as they could, but what they don’t seem
able to get over is the quick way in which the smallest party of our
infantry will turn round and give them the bayonet. At first they came
on all swagger, thinking they could cut our men down, but when they
began to see what our chaps were up to they weren’t so keen on keeping
it up. I have seen them coming on with great bluster and bounce until
the order “Prepare to receive cavalry” was carried out in the old
British way, and then they took to their heels as fast as their horses
would carry them: _A Corporal of the South Lancashire Regiment_.