“We’ve got six honours in the Regt., my squadron leader and a Lt. in B--M.C.’s, a sergt. in my troop D.C.M., 2 M.M.’s in other sqdns., and--hold your breath--they’ve given me one--Military Medal. So I suppose you’ll have to put that in ‘The Times’ now--eh! what! It seemed to be nothing to me when I was in it. We charged about 300 Infantry on the road and in the trenches, with machine-guns and artillery behind ’em. We caught ’em weak--just about 100 of us--2 weak sqdns.--in the mist of dusk--and, my God! it seemed as if we were riding into Hades. Funny thing tho’, I didn’t have wind up then, was feeling rather elated cos we’d waited, and moved about, practically all day, for a real rut at them, and been bombed from aeroplanes, shelled and sniped, till we were just itching to get at ’em. Well, they got pukka wind up when we got in amongst ’em, and started firing wildly, some trying to use bayonets, others holding up their mitts and shouting ‘Kamerad.’ Then we got order to rally as we weren’t strong enough for pursuit. Starting to come back, I spotted a youngster badly wounded in the foot and horse shot, so I dismounted and put him up on my steed, which was too bobbery to carry the two of us. He got back O.K. Then my fun started. I had my revolver and about 14 rounds and began to think about getting back somehow myself, when I spotted a chum of mine lying about 60 yards from the trenches. Well, two of us tried to get him out of it, but he would not have it--thigh shattered, blood in spurts, mad with pain. J. Turk, seeing us retiring, heartened up again and potted at us like blazes, shrapnel, machine-guns, and every bally thing. At the finish I had to leave him, to my sorrow, altho’ we got him away afterwards. Still he suffered a hell of a lot from exposure, as the devils came out and stripped him--he’d be unconscious by then--in the dark. I hear that he’s very bad in hospital, but likely to recover. “I haven’t got the gong yet, owing, I suppose, to Gen. Maude’s death, but they’ve made as much fuss over it as if we were--millions of V.C.’s. I’ve shaken hands with two Generals, and been in about half a dozen parades till I’m fairly fed up, and nearly said, ‘Keep the old gong and let’s have a bit of peace.’ “Well, I’ll think about drying up now. Am in the pink and quite fit; hope you are all the same, and that you, dear mother, are carrying on.” [Illustration: BAGHDAD CEMETERY] [Illustration: CAPT. F. NORMAN PAYNE’S GRAVE IN BAGHDAD CEMETERY] _Extract of letter from Colonel Richardson, dated 7th Cavalry Brigade, M.E.F., 15th November 1917._ ”... We have just got back into camp for a short rest to re-equip, reclothe, and rehorse after two months of continuous trekking--we estimate that we have covered at least 500 miles since September 22nd--which culminated in a big battle on the 5th of this month, in which the Regiment again charged Turkish trenches, and two of the squadrons did very brilliant work.