It is not too much to say that in an army where every division had done so well no single one was composed of such fine material as the Seventh. The reason was that the regiments composing it had all been drawn from foreign garrison duty, and consisted largely of soldiers of from three to seven years' standing, with a minimum of reservists. In less than a month from the day when this grand division of 18,000 men went into action its infantry had been nearly annihilated, but the details of its glorious destruction furnish one more vivid page of British military achievement. We lost a noble division and gained a glorious record. The Third Cavalry Division under General Byng was attached to the Seventh Division, and joined up with it at Roulers upon October 13. It consisted of-- 6_th Cavalry Brigade--General Makings_. 3rd Dragoon Guards. 10th Hussars. 1st Royals. 7_th Cavalry Brigade--General Kavanagh_. 1st Life Guards. 2nd Life Guards. 1st Horse Guards. 1st Horse Guards. K Battery, R.H.A. {234} The First Army Corps not having yet come up from the Aisne, these troops were used to cover the British position from the north, the infantry lying from Zandvoorde through Gheluvelt to Zonnebeke, and the cavalry on their left from Zonnebeke to Langemarck from October 16 onwards. It was decided by Sir John French that it was necessary to get possession of the town of Menin, some distance to the east of the general British line, but very important because the chief bridge, by means of which the Germans were receiving their ever-growing reinforcements, was there. The Seventh Division was ordered accordingly to advance upon this town, its left flank being covered by the Third Cavalry Division. ------------------------------------------------------------------- {235} [Illustration: LINE OF 7th DIVISION (CAPPER) & 3rd CAVALRY DIVISION (BYNG) FROM OCT 17th. ONWARDS] ------------------------------------------------------------------- [Sidenote: Its difficult position.]