Pushed and the Return PushNichols, George Herbert Fosdike
History
Pushed and the Return Push
Nichols, George Herbert Fosdike
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, English
When the shelling died down we walked farther along the trench, which
turned westwards. Excellent positions for the three 18-pdr. batteries
were found not far from the trench; and returning again towards the
wood for our horses, we chanced upon a deep dug-out that Major
Mallaby-Kelby sent me down to explore. "Don't touch any wires or pegs,"
he said warningly; "the Hun may have left some booby-traps." The
dug-out was thirty feet deep, and had only one entrance. But I found
recesses with good wire beds, and a place for the telephonists. "We'll
make that Headquarters," decided the major, and I chalked out our claim
accordingly.
When we got back to the batteries we found that orders for the move had
come in; the teams were up; and after a very welcome cup of tea the
journey to the new positions was started. Wilde, the signalling
officer, and myself led the way with the Headquarters' vehicles, and
followed a beautifully hidden track that ran through the wood and came
out a hundred yards from our selected dug-out. Three red glares lit up
the sky behind the heights held by the Boche. "By Jove," said Wilde,
"he must be going back; he's burning things."
My day's work was not yet ended. Our own infantry had been brought up
again, and it was imperative that we should be in early communication
with the --rd Brigade, the Brigade commanded by the forceful young
brigadier who had discussed artillery arrangements with the colonel for
the operation in which Judd and Pottinger had done so well with their
forward section. There was a shortage of telephone wire, and at 8.15
P.M. Wilde's line had not been laid. Major Mallaby-Kelby decided that
the only alternative was for me to go and report to the brigadier,
whose headquarters were not far from the road leading to Senate Farm.
It was very dark, and the fact that the whole way was under Boche
observation made it impossible for me to use my torch. Shells were
falling about the cross-roads--and I have undertaken more agreeable
walks. I went down into the Infantry brigade signal-hut first to find
whether we had at last got a line through. We hadn't. When I asked for
the General's mess, the signalling sergeant conducted me along a
passage that in places was not three feet high. Climbing up a steep
uneven stairway, I found myself at the top looking into the mess with
only my head and shoulders exposed to view. The General was examining a
map. His brigade-major, a V.C. captain with gentle eyes and a kindly
charming manner; his staff captain, a brisk hard-bitten soldier, with a
reputation for never letting the Brigade go hungry; the signal officer,
the intelligence officer, and other junior members of the staff, were
seated round the same table. "What about the --nd Brigade?" I heard the
General say, mentioning our Brigade.
"We haven't heard from them yet," observed the brigade-major.
"I'm from the --nd Brigade," I said loudly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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