Thomas Hope Floyd - At Ypres with Best Dunkley

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"To-day I am Orderly Officer. My period of duty began at 6 p.m.
yesterday and continues until 6 p.m. to-day. My chief duty is to see
that the road is repaired after shelling. There is a party permanently
detailed for the job under Sergeant Baldwin; they do not go out at night
because their working hours are from 4 to 9 in the afternoons.

"Captain Blamey, Captain Bodington, Captain Briggs and Gratton were in
for dinner yesterday evening. Gratton is now Assistant Adjutant at
Headquarters. Every day Colonel Best-Dunkley goes to a certain house
(Hasler House at St. Jean) which has an upstairs still left, and,
through field-glasses, gazes at the front over which we shall have to
advance. On these trips Gratton accompanies him, and has to take
bearings and answer silly questions. He says that he is becoming most
horribly bored with it all. While they were at it yesterday a shell
exploded just by them. Gratton says that he jumped down below as soon as
he heard it come; he was hit by one or two bricks and covered with dirt;
when he looked round again he expected to find the Colonel done in, but
found him safe and sound!

"Yesterday evening Captain Andrews, Giffin, Dickinson and Allen all went
out on working parties. I remained behind as Orderly Officer. Captain
Briggs and Gratton remained in my dug-out with me. After a while Gratton
had to go to Brigade Headquarters next door to discuss a map with the
Brigade-Major. Soon after he had left us--about 10.10 p.m.--a terrific
shelling of the city began. Shells were bursting everywhere; the ground
frequently vibrated as if mines were going off; dumps were blown up; and
very soon parts of the city were in flames. It was a sight such as I
have never seen before; at times the whole scene was as light as day;
the flames encircled the already ruined and broken houses, bringing them
to the ground with a rumbling crash. It was a grand and awful sight--a
firework display better than any at Belle Vue, and free of charge! The
sky was perforated with brilliant yellow light, and the shells were
whizzing and crashing all round. The air was thick with sulphur. So much
so that we did not smell something much more serious than sulphur.
Amidst all the turmoil little gas-shells were exploding all over. As we
could not smell the gas we did not take any notice of it. We little
dreamt what the results were going to be. We knew not what a revelation
the morrow had in store for us!

"At about midnight I went to bed, and at about 6 this morning I heard
Giffin returning from his working party. He was muttering something
about gas and saying that he would be going sick with it in a few days,
but I was too sleepy to take much notice. I rose at 10.30 and made my
personal reconnaissance of the road, but only found two very serious
shell-holes actually on the road. These I pointed out to Sergeant
Baldwin and got his men at them. Then I began to hear things about gas.
I saw Corporal Flint (our gas N.C.O.!) being led by Sergeant Donovan and
Corporal Livesey in a very bad state; he could hardly walk, his eyes
were streaming, and he was moaning that he had lost his eyesight. So I
began to inquire as to what was the matter. I was then informed that
there had been a whole lot of men gassed. Then Captain Andrews sent for
me and questioned me about gas last night. I told him frankly that I
had not smelt any. He said that it was very strange, because when he got
back early this morning 'the place simply stank of it.' He said that
there would be a devil of a row about it; there were about ten
casualties already! But, as time went on, the numbers began to grow
rapidly. Yet I had not smelt it; the sentry had not smelt it; and the
Sergeant-Major had not smelt it! After some time the Colonel appeared on
the scene. He informed us that A Company had got seventy-two casualties
from last night's gas! (A Company were billeted in the Soap Factory,
near the Cathedral.) We felt a little relieved, because we realized that
ours was not the only company and by no means the worst; so we could not
be held responsible, as we were fearing that we might be--myself in
particular, as the only officer on the spot at the time, for not
ordering box-respirators on. I, of course, never thought of ordering
box-respirators, considering that I smelt no gas myself! The Colonel
further told us that three officers in A Company--Walsh, Hickey, and
Kerr--were suffering from gas. Hickey is very bad.

"During the day our casualties have risen considerably. They are now
twenty-eight, including Corporal Flint, Corporal Pendleton, Corporal
Heap, Pritchard, Giffin's servant, and Critchley, my servant. There have
been heavy casualties all over the city. The Boche has had a regular
harvest if he only knew it! Over a thousand gas-casualties have been
admitted to hospital from this city to-day. And many who have not yet
reported sick are feeling bad. So much so that the Brigade-Major has
agreed that all our working parties, but one small one under Allen,
shall be cancelled for to-night. I feel all right. I must have a strong
anti-gas constitution. This is a new kind of gas; the effects are
delayed; but I do not think I am likely to get it now since I have
hardly smelt any yet.

"The Germans are doing the obvious thing--trying to prevent or hinder
our forthcoming offensive. I notice that they have attacked near
Nieuport and advanced to a depth of 600 yards on a 1400 yards front. I
have been expecting an enemy attack here, because it is the best thing
the Germans can do if they have any sense; and I have repeatedly said
so, but have been told that I am silly, that the Germans dare not attack
us because they are not strong enough. For a day I held the view that
peace was coming in a week or two! But Bethmann-Hollweg's
straightforward declaration that Germany will not make peace without
annexations or indemnities, that she is out to conquer, has altered
things. We now know exactly how we stand. Germany is still out for grab.
Therefore she is far from beaten. _Ipso facto_, peace is out of the
question. The end is not yet in sight. There is still a long struggle
before us. I think the forthcoming battle here will be the semi-final:
the final will be fought in the East about Christmas or the New Year.
Constantinople still remains the key to victory, if victory is to be won
by fighting."

* * * * *

My diary of July 13 concludes with the statement: "Captain Briggs's A
Company--the remains of it--are coming to these billets to join with us.
Gas casualties in Ypres (latest) over 3,000."

* * * * *

It was about this time (in the middle of July) that, in the course of
one of my letters to my school-friend, Mr. K. L. P. Martin, then--having
been rejected for service in the Army as medically unfit--a student at
Manchester University, I had remarked that I would probably get a
"Blighty" in a fortnight; and I would, therefore, want something
interesting to read in hospital: would he please send me _England Since
Waterloo_, by J. A. R. Marriott, whom I had heard lecturing at the
Oxford Union on "The Problem of the Near East," in February, 1916, when
I was a recruit in the 29th Royal Fusiliers?

Mr. Martin, who was staying with another friend, Mr. George Fasnacht,
at Clayton Bridge, replied as follows:

"The Hollies, Clayton Bridge,
"Manchester.
"July 23rd, 1917.

"Dear Floyd,

"Many thanks for your last letter. So you consider that you are likely
to become a casualty in the near future. I hope not. Though, if such an
event should take place, I hope it will not be serious and will involve
a sojourn in England for at least six months.

"I will order the Marriott at once. I decline to accept it as off the
debt I owe you. It will do as a twenty-first birthday present, as I have
received no news re Lovat Fraser. As soon as the book comes I will
forward it on.

"Teddy[F] and myself had a glorious cycle ride yesterday. We rode to
town, took the train to Ashley, then rode to Knutsford via Mobberley. At
Knutsford we had tea and then proceeded to Pickmere where we had a row;
then on to Great Budworth, Arley, Rostherne and Ashley. The country was
glorious, a fine day, good roads, midsummer and Cheshire--the
combination needs beating.

"I may say that I am extremely pleased at Churchill going to the
Ministry of Munitions.

"Both Teddy and myself intend getting our photos taken this week, and I
will forward copies of both to Middleton Junction.

"Best wishes,
"Yours,
"KENNETH MARTIN."

The Marriott was destined to have a curious history. As these pages will
show, I got my "Blighty" in a fortnight all right. Meanwhile the book
was on its way from England. It arrived after I had left the shores of
France behind, me. I never received it. Kenneth Martin visited me in
hospital at Worsley Hall in August and told me that he had sent it. I
had to tell him that it had not reached me. When I returned to the
Battalion in the spring of 1918, Padre Newman informed me that a book
had come out for me after I had been wounded, that he had read it with
much interest, and that it was now in the custody of Captain J. C.
Latter, M.C. Latter was one of the original 2/5th officers who had been
wounded in 1916 and who returned to the Battalion immediately after the
Third Battle of Ypres, in August, 1917, and succeeded Reginald Andrews
as Adjutant. But when Padre Newman told me this Captain A. H. G. Griggs,
M.C., was Adjutant and Latter was away with Sir Herbert Plumer in Italy.
However, Latter returned once more in the summer of 1918, and mentioned
that he had a book belonging to me; but he disappeared again--first on
to the Brigade Staff and then to a Staff job further away--as suddenly
as he had reappeared. I did not see him again until we were both once
more in civilian clothes, and I called at the Barracks at Bury one
August afternoon in 1919. He again mentioned the Marriott, remarking
that he had discovered it in his kit in August, 1917, and had not the
faintest idea how it had got there!

FOOTNOTE:

[7] Edward James Martin, Second-Lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlanders,
afterwards killed in action, December 1917.

CHAPTER XII

THE CITY AND THE TRENCHES

After the bombardment of Ypres there still remained seven more days
before our memorable nineteen days' sojourn in the ghastly Salient was
to end. And memorable those days certainly were. Nearly every day
brought with it some fresh adventure. For any boy who, like this boy,
craved for excitement, and, while hating war theoretically and disliking
it temperamentally, was not blind to the romance and grand drama of it
all, there was ample satisfaction in the Great War; and perhaps on no
other sector of the line did all the factors which are conducive to
excitement obtain as they did in the dead city of the Salient and the
shell-ploughed fields around it.

My diary of July 14 carries on as follows:

"Up about 2 a.m. Twenty-eight more men in B Company reported sick with
gas, but they were not sent to hospital. The M.O. said that they would
be excused duty to-night and must report sick to-morrow morning. We had
a little more gas in the afternoon. I think a German heavy exploded one
of our own gas dumps near the Canal Bank. A dense cloud of vapour rose
in that vicinity, and we felt the smell slowly drifting towards us in
the almost breathless calm of a bright summer afternoon. Giffin, who was
the senior officer present at the time, ordered respirators on. But it
did not last long, so we went on with our tea.

"In the evening Giffin and I were on a working party with Sergeant
Clews, Sergeant Dawson and forty-five other ranks. We proceeded to
Potijze Dump and drew tools; thence to Pagoda Trench and carried on with
the making of a new trench branching off that trench. All went well for
the first three quarters of an hour. Our guns were pounding the German
trenches the whole time--the first preliminaries in the bombardment
preceding our offensive. But the Germans do not always allow us to have
all our own way in these matters; they always retaliate. And, by Jove,
we did get some retaliation too! At 10.50 p.m. quite suddenly, a heavy
shell exploded just near us; and a regular strafe commenced. I was
standing near a shell-hole at the time, so I immediately crouched where
I was; the men digging at the trench at once took refuge in the trench.
In a few minutes I mustered sufficient courage to make a dash for the
trench. I got there just in time, for, soon afterwards, a shell burst
almost where I had been. They were dropping all round us, both in front
of and behind the trench. Only the trench could possibly have saved us.
And it was a marvel that no one was hurt as it was. I honestly expected
every moment to be my last; it was a miracle that none of our party were
hit. If we had remained out in the open I firmly believe that the whole
lot would have been knocked out. It seemed as if it was never going to
cease. I never went through such a disagreeable experience in my life
before. Then, to crown all, gas shells began to be mixed with the
others. There was soon a regular stink of gas; I smelt it this time all
right. We got our respirators on, which added to our discomfort. This
went on for quite a long time. Then it also began to pour with rain and
we were all drenched. The night was pitch dark. Every now and then the
exploding shells around us and far away, the burning dumps near Ypres
and the star shells along the line, lit up the whole panorama with an
effect like that of lightning. The water and mud grew thick in the
trench; and still the shells fell thickly all around. We were thankful
for the discomfort of rain because it saved us from being gassed."

"July 15th.

"About 1 a.m. Giffin decided, the shelling having slackened a little,
that we had better get down a mine-shaft near; so we stumbled along to
it in anything but a happy frame of mind. Everybody was cursing. Despite
our discomfort, however, the humour of the situation under such
circumstances cannot fail to strike one; I could not help chuckling.
Eventually we got down the mine. It was horribly damp and dirty down
there, but the atmosphere was much clearer; there was no smell of gas.
That was a relief. And we felt much safer here! No heavies could reach
us at such a depth as this. But it was all darkness. We remained in this
subterranean sanctuary for three hours, standing on a water-covered
floor, amidst dripping walls, in the darkness; above us, all the time,
we could hear the dull thud and feel the vibration of the bursting
shells. For want of anything better to pass the time away the men began
to air their opinions about the war to each other. 'We're winning!' 'Are
we heck as like; Billy's winning. Judging from t'newspapers you'd think
t'war was over long since! They keep telling us he's beat; but they want
to come out 'ere and see for 'emselves.... They say t'last seven
years'll be t'worst!' Such was the conversation which was going on.
Others had a sing-song. 'Hi-tiddle-ite! Take me back to Blighty; Blighty
is the place for me!' rang out with great enthusiasm from the darkness
underground.

"When we did go upstairs again daylight had dawned. We left the mine at
4.20 a.m. Giffin went, with one or two men, back to the trench to
replace the camouflage; he told me to get back to the Ramparts with the
remainder as quickly as possible. I did so. We went along the road all
the way from Potijze to Ypres. We were literally chased by gas-shells;
we had to run in respirators as fast as we could go; we came round by
the Menin Gate and got back into the Ramparts, safe and sound, about
4.45, very thankful that nobody in our party had got hurt. Other
battalions out on working parties had had a good many casualties. One
party of the King's Own had had one killed and eleven wounded by one
shell on the Canal Bank.

"When I got back to the Mess dug-out I found Captain Andrews, Dickinson,
and Allen all sitting there. They had not been to bed. They had had a
deuce of a time. The shells had been falling here as well--also the gas.
But due precautions against gas had this time been taken! Captain
Andrews declared that the rain had saved the lives of hundreds of men.
Giffin got back soon after me. He is feeling the gas. We all got to bed
about 6 a.m....

"It was 3 in the afternoon when I got up. Before rising I read nine
letters which were awaiting me--_some_ post!"

After describing the happenings of the previous night in a letter
written home that Sunday afternoon (July 15) I went on to say: "I shall
pull through all these exciting little episodes all right. I am quite
all right so far. Cheer up! Better times in store! We all look forward
to that great day 'When war shall be no more.' It will be a glorious day
when, at last, peace is attained. I am looking forward to the happy days
to come and intend to have a good time then. We are now going through
the storm. But there is a calm ahead: 'Peace shall follow battle, Night
shall end in day.'"

My diary of July 15 carries on:

"In the evening I went on a working party with Allen. It was a case of
extending the trench in Pagoda Wood another fifty yards. We set to work
at 10 a.m. Our guns were bombarding the enemy trenches most of the time,
but there were not many shells coming from the enemy. A few fell some
hundred to two hundred yards away during the night. Our chief annoyance
on this occasion was a German machine-gun firing from Kaiser Bill. It
swept our trench completely. One man in my platoon, Berry by name, was
wounded in the leg. It was a wonder there were no more casualties: the
bullets were flying amongst us in great profusion. But they were mostly
low, so not very dangerous. 'This is the place for "Blighties"!'
Lance-Corporal Livesey encouragingly observed to me while they were
whistling round us. We stayed at the job quite a long time. I was
beginning to wonder when Allen was going to pronounce it finished; the
men were obviously fed up. At last he let half the party go at 2.30 a.m.
and told me to take them back. We returned by the road all the way from
Potijze to the Menin Gate. It was 3 a.m. when we got back to the
Ramparts. It was getting quite light. Allen followed on with the
remainder about half an hour later; he came through the fields. We had
some refreshment and then went to bed."

"July 16th.

"I did not get up until 3 p.m. this afternoon. Since 8 Platoon has
practically ceased to exist owing to gas casualties, 7 and 8 are again
combined under Giffin, and I am second-in-command. Baldwin remains
platoon sergeant. If and when we get sufficient reinforcements the two
platoons will separate again.

"The Germans have been bombarding Poperinghe with very big shells
to-day. The shops, I hear, are all shut. It looks as if they intend to
destroy the town. Our great bombardment of the enemy trenches is in
progress."

That evening I wrote a lengthy letter home. In the course of it I said:
"The padre is in hospital at present, having been wounded by a shell in
the streets of the city the other day. It is only a very slight wound,
so he will not be in hospital long. With regard to the four officers who
were wounded on July 1--Ronald is in hospital in Bristol doing well;
Halstead, with a wound in the stomach, is going to 'Blighty' shortly;
Barker and Wood are very bad indeed, the former was given up altogether
the other day. They are much too bad to cross the water yet. We were all
amused to read in the _Manchester Guardian_ that Halstead had been
lately in the Army Ordnance Corps; it is, of course, incorrect.

"Whenever Colonel Best-Dunkley or Major Brighten come into our Mess they
always ask me what I think of the war and when I think it is going to
end. They came in yesterday. Colonel Best-Dunkley, with his customary
squint and twitch of the nose (I have been told that he contracted this
habit as the result of shell-shock on the Somme), said: 'Well, "General
Floyd," what do you think of the war? How long is it going to last?' I
replied: 'February, 1918.' They then always give vent to great
amusement, especially when I mention Palestine; but I really think this
sinister commanding officer is not at all badly disposed towards me; in
fact I am inclined to think that he likes me! I do not dislike him at
all.

"I am Orderly Officer to-night so am now going to bed. The Germans are
sending copious gas shells over while I am writing this, but we have
got the gas curtain down in our dug-out and it has been sprayed; all
precautions have been taken; so we ought to be all right. There is also
a good deal of shelling of a heavier kind going on; our guns are giving
the German trenches hell at present; we have kept up a consistent
bombardment all day. The Germans are giving us some back now; but I feel
quite safe in this dug-out! I am glad I am not on a working party
to-night. So good night! Again I say, 'cheer up!' It's a funny world we
live in!"

My diary of July 17 states:

"Up 11 a.m. Had breakfast while dressing. Reconnoitred the road; all
correct. At 1.10 p.m. I reported to Captain Warburton at Brigade
Headquarters about a working party for which I was detailed. Carberry,
the Brigade bombing officer, explained to me what was to be done. At
1.30 I set off with a party of Sergeant Clews and thirty-four other
ranks including Corporal Chamley and Lance-Corporal Topping. The job
consisted of carrying boxes of bombs from a dump at the junction of
Milner Walk and the road to White Chateau; then detonating bombs which
were not already detonated; then carrying S.A.A. from one spot to
another about twenty yards away. I left Corporal Chamley in charge of
the first dump, where the men left their equipment. I went backwards
and forwards myself. On one occasion, while I was at the junction of
Milner Walk and the road, General Stockwell appeared. He asked me what
we were doing; I told him; he expressed himself satisfied and proceeded
up the trench. It was a very hot day and I felt very tired. My head
began to ache. We finished at 5.30 p.m. Then we came back. Our guns were
blazing away all day, making a great row. It was 6.30 when we got back
to the Ramparts. I reported to Carberry at Brigade. I felt very bad
indeed now. The exercise in the heat, after gas, was taking effect upon
me. I did not have any dinner, but lay down. I was told that I looked
white. I felt rotten. Giffin also is bad; he got some more gas last
night. A good many more have reported sick with gas to-day. I think I
have got a slight touch of it now. However, as the evening advanced I
began to feel much better. By midnight I felt quite well again."

On July 18 I wrote home as follows: "More gas shells came over last
night. We had the gas curtains down again, but, even so, gas is bound to
get in. There are fresh gas casualties every day. The number is rising
rapidly. Giffin has, at last, reported sick with gas and has departed to
hospital to-day--another officer less! So now instead of having no
platoon at all I find myself in command of the two, 7 and 8!"

I never saw Lieutenant Giffin again. I shook hands with him in the
dug-out and said good-bye when he announced that he had reported sick
and was going down the line. He went away and never returned; I have
heard absolutely nothing of him since.

"Our guns have been blazing away all night, and are still pounding the
enemy lines. Our bombardment is now going full swing. But the Germans
are sending shells over too. Five B Company men were wounded by one
shell, just outside, this morning. One of them was Hartshorne. He has
got four shrapnel wounds and is off to hospital. I have been speaking to
him this afternoon. He said that they were hurting a little, but he
seemed quite happy about it. He said that he wished he was in hospital
in Middleton! It is nothing very serious; it should prove a nice
'Blighty' case!

"The padre is now back from hospital! He has not been there long, has
he?

"A few of those men who went to hospital with gas on July 13 were marked
for 'Blighty' and were just off, when General Jeudwine stopped them and
said that as few as possible from this Division must be sent home at
present. So, instead of going back, they have turned up here again as
'fit.' Hard luck!"

My diary of the same date (July 18) states that in the afternoon "I went
on a working party with Sergeant Clews and fifteen men. We were filling
in shell-holes on the road near St. Jean. After we had filled in a few
we got shelled. We took refuge behind an artillery dug-out for about an
hour. The shells were falling close all the time. One fell less than six
yards from me. I quite thought we were going to have some casualties,
but the only one we had was one man who got a scratch in the arm with a
piece of shrapnel. At 5.15 we decided to come back via a trench, as the
shelling was still going on. All got back safely. But it is most
disconcerting--one cannot go out on a little job like that in the
afternoon without having the wind put up us vertical! I had tea and
dinner. Then to bed. I felt very hot and could not get to sleep. Allen
returned from a working party at 10.15 p.m. There was a strafe on at
10.30; the German trenches were being raided in four places."

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