Lieut. Pottinger did one of the pluckiest things that have been done in
the war. He and his section were blowing up a bridge under fire. They
laid the charge, and the section retired, Lieut. Pottinger and a sapper
remaining behind to light the fuse. This they did, but apparently
something went wrong with the detonator, and the charge did not
explode. The sapper then fired ten rounds with his rifle at the charge
without success. Lieut. Pottinger then said, “I’ll make the d---- thing
go off,” shook hands with the sapper, and went to the bridge. There
he put the muzzle of his revolver to the charge and fired all six
cartridges. The charge still did not explode, and they had to leave the
bridge still standing, as they were driven back by the Germans. If that
charge had gone off the lieutenant would have disappeared, and he knew
it as well as I do: _A Royal Engineer_.
“Scotland for Ever!”
The Scots Greys galloped forward with us hanging on to their stirrups,
and it was a sight never to be forgotten. We were simply being dragged
by the horses as they flew forward through a perfect cloud of bullets
from the enemy’s Maxims. Saddles were being emptied quickly as we
closed on the German lines, and tore past their Maxims, which were in
the front ranks. We were on the German gunners before they knew where
they were, and many of them went down in their gore, scarcely realizing
that we were amongst them. Then the fray commenced in deadly earnest.
The Black Watch and the Scots Greys went into it like men possessed.
They fought like demons. It was our bayonets against the Germans’
swords. The German swords were no use against us. They went down in
hundreds, and still the deadly work of the bayonet continued. The enemy
began to waver as the carnage amongst them increased, and they soon
broke and fled like rabbits: _Pte. W. Morton, 1st Batt. Black Watch_.