The First Seven Divisions: Being a Detailed Account of the Fighting from Mons to YpresHamilton, Ernest, Lord
History
The First Seven Divisions: Being a Detailed Account of the Fighting from Mons to Ypres
Hamilton, Ernest, Lord
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
Further south, about 11.30 on the same morning, a tremendous attack was
delivered against the 2nd Brigade, in the course of which Gen. Bulfin
was wounded and part of the line driven in. An urgent appeal for
support was sent to Lord Cavan, upon whom it now devolved to take over
command of Gen. Bulfin's four battalions, in addition to his own two.
He made his way with all speed to the scene of action, with a view to
discovering the extent of the mischief. This proved to be (so far) that
the Northamptons had been driven in, and that the enemy--following
up--had broken through in numbers into the Hooge woods. Beyond the
Northamptons, that is to say, on the left of his new command, the R.
Sussex were still standing firm. This regiment, however, was greatly
reduced in numbers, its casualties during the last four days having
averaged over a hundred per day. On the 30th Col. Crispin had been
killed; on the following day his successor, Major Green, had been
killed, and the regiment was at the moment under the command of Captain
Villiers. Lord Cavan found it in an extremely precarious situation,
owing to its weak numerical condition, and the envelopment of its right
flank, consequent upon the Northamptons' retirement. He thereupon
hurried up the 2nd Grenadiers from reserve as far as the Brown Road,
where he ordered them to leave their packs and go straight through the
wood towards the south-east with the bayonet.
These Ypres woods have all the appearance of an English copse wood,
that is to say, they are formed of some six years' growth of hazel and
ash, with standard oaks dotted about here and there. Incidentally they
were at this time full of pheasants, destined to be shot in normal
times by the Lords of the Châteaux of Hooge, Gheluvelt and Heronhage.
Precisely in the manner of a line of beaters driving game, the
Grenadiers now pushed through the thick undergrowth, and while the
pheasants rose before the advancing line, so did the Germans run. By
4.30 the wood was cleared and the morning line restored. The
Northamptons thereupon re-occupied their trenches, but they were not
destined to be left there in peace. About six in the evening the
Germans again attacked the same part of the line, this time advancing
with discordant yells, thinking, no doubt, to repeat their performance
of the morning. If so, the event must have come to them as something of
a surprise, for the Northamptons--profiting possibly by their previous
experience--coolly waited till the attacking party was within fifty
yards of the trenches, and then mowed them down. Not a German reached
the trenches, and over 200 dead were left on the ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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