We stayed two days in the base camp collecting and making up kits. Fur coats were issued out - a great joy to all the men, who strutted about in them and wrote to all their relations at home. Other men used my horse-clipper to such purpose that in many cases you could not tell where the neck and where the head started.
On the evening before moving off I was suddenly summoned to No. 1 Division Orderly Room, where I went to be told to help in taking up a draft of two hundred Gloucesters, who were without an officer. For information I wildly asked who as in charge, and was told a Subaltern in the Welsh. This of course, a Guardsman could never allow by the laws of the Brigade, because a Subaltern of the Line is never senior to a Guards Ensign. It was up to me to remind the Divisional Adjutant of this unwritten rule, which I did as kindly as I could. Being a linesman himself, of course he pretended such rules were not followed in war time: the idea, however, unnerved him a little, so he turned up the War Office list to make sure who was senior. As luck would have it, I was senior by two months, so that settled it finally, and I was put in charge. One score more for me.
And it was business: there was no list of the men, less discipline, about six inefficient N.C.O.'s. After a little hustling and worrying they began to get more of a move on, and before night I did have a rough list made out. IN the afternoon the men complained they had no money for over a week, and, as other regiments had had pay, I did my best by applying in a written note to the Orderly Room, as told me by the captain in two Divisions.Within fifteen minutes there was a hurried note brought tme to appear before the Adjutant, and there on the table was my roughly written note, which I never intended he should see: the fool of a clerk in his Orderly Room had referred the note on to him. He was churlish and cynical and sneering: I tried to apologise, but he didn't seem to care to expect much; after all, he had to have his own back.
In the afternoon Pease and I walked up the hill to overlook the harbour and across the mouth of the river to where the Pilters were. It was a beautiful day, clear and bright, and camps either up or in process of erection everywhere.
At the evening mess I sat next to an old Christowe boy who is in the South Staffords. I haven't seen him for close on ten years, but recognised him the moment he entered the room.
Next morning we paraded the Gloucester draft for inspection - more than twenty were away! But to save my face I had to answer 'All present sir' - had to do a little more blaspheming and fuming to show them what was expected men in the Guards. We had hardly been off parade for an hour when without any previous warning we were told to be ready to start of for entrainment in half an hour. Such a scurry there was, with everyone falling over one another, but somehow we tumbled out, feeling like pack asses loaded out to the mines.
Still my list of the draft was not complete - 206 signed for, whereas my Sergeant assured me it was only 203.
Then rolled a trying, stuffy walk to the station, three miles off, while it rained most of the time. There were two enormous trains to go off, each one as long as I have ever seen. They were joined up together, so you have some idea of the length. The men were packed in cattle trucks - quite happy - thirty two in each; we, six of us, in a first class. Rations were served out, packing cases of them, which were broken into by hurling them to the ground. Then out fell ugly beef tins, biscuits, butter and grocery rations. We had over some food which had been packed for us at Warley.
A terrifying bump and we were off, only to stop ignominiously in five minutes or so just opposite the cam we had come from owing to the engine failing at a slight rise. We slid down again, and then had at it - still no success - but at the third time we just scrambled up to the top and away we went. This was about three o'clock.
At nine we reached a large town (Rouen) and then on again into the night. The only light that was allowed was a filthy old oil lamp, which gave out, as it was rightly supposed to, after two hours. However, with the help of a candle we got in a few rubbers of auction bridge before we went to sleep. Had a good night's rest, and as dawn broke halted at Amiens, just south of where Nancy is. Before you could say 'Knife' the men were out lighting little fires by the side of the train and getting their tea. They are wonderful at adapting themselves, and I should say they would make a fire somehow in a filthy cow yard. Then some bright spark found a boulangerie, and away they all went - all against orders.
We got in a shave just as the train started. It always took about five minutes to get really under way and so it came about that at every station men got all over the place and went on buying bread and getting drinks long after the train had started, with the result that the Coldstream Guards lost forty eight men and the Gloucesters one: of course the Irish Guards none.
Sooner than we thought, about two o'clock, we got to our railhead. There I was met by a Gloucester Subaltern, to whom I was overjoyed to hand over the 205 men, and so I walked here with our own draft, about seven miles in all, still with that cursed pack on.
The country was not a bit flat, to my surprise. Many cars passed us, divisional staff, and ambulance motors. At Béthune we saw some of our own officers, and so we marched on two miles eastwards to this small village, Bœuvry, where our men are being billeted. The platoons are split up as far as possible together and put in large rooms. Straw is laid on the floor, and the men pack in where they can. They seem happy enough, and are as well looked after as possible. Food they have in plenty, and tobacco. Good parcels continue to pour out to them, and they do appreciate all the kindness that is thus shown to them.
The Officers' less is split into two, besides there being a Headquarters Mess; we are over the central estaminet in a large room, eight of us together. Twenty francs a week we pay, and rely chiefly on what friends send out from England. We have good simple food and as much as we like.
The I.G. seem very popular with all the inhabitants; their religion of course helps them. And I am not surprised, as we appear to be clothing as well as half feeding the small town. There is hardly a boy who has not got some sort of stocking ca, muffler and puttees. And there can be none who have not put their teeth into bully beef and biscuit. The streets are cobbled and abnormally muddy; there are few shops worth speaking of, though the whole countryside seems prosperous enough. It has a Compton (Wolverhampton) look about it.
After much haggling and persuasion, Capt. Young and I got one large room over a tailor's shop. I slept on the floor on a mattress in my sleeping bag, he on the bed. Our servants slept in the passage; the bath came in again very handy.
Now, something about the Battalion's deeds. Directly we arrived at the railhead, we heard that they had done something worth writing home about. The action started with the attack explained in the enclosed portion. In the two counter attacks, my company (4) did lose heavily - two officers killed, three wounded; in fact, all the lot of them. The men were then axtraordinarily well handled by Innes from another Company with the result as shown in the Times account. Innes has in consequence been recommended for some honour, and well he deserves it.
But the I.G. weren't satisfied with this success; they wanted to push on further. So the Divisional Artillery was put on to the German position for fifteen minutes, the two companies charged while the remainder kept up a rapid fire, with the result that we romped through the brickfields and captured more machine guns and men - scared out of their lives by the bombardment they had received - also five officers' swords and cigars by the hundred. We had very slight losses, though one officer, when well ahead of his men, was shot. The Germans were so scared they are said to have run for miles and allowed their men to entrench themselves in the captured position without much opposition.
So no wonder the men were pleased with themselves, and the papers spoke of the battle of the brickfields. One man, directly after the charge, was found reading his Bible, and it is possible, when censoring the mens' letters, to know something of the wonderful sincerity of these dear men. There cannot be many villages in Ireland where prayers are not being said for men in the I.G. One man, in writing, was quite convinced that 'Prayer turns bullets.'
No wonder such men have such a reputation for fighting and know how to fight.
To continue, that night we were relived in the trenches but the Grenadiers, who had repulsed a counter attack. A German Officer being killed actually on the parapet, he was drawn in, as his uniform was useful for our spy work. No wonder our men were cheered.
Just off.
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