CHAPTERVIII

chapterviii

ontheleft,wherethe8thand10thcorpsweredirectingoperations,theassaulthadbeendeliveredbythe4th,29th,36th,49th,32nd,8th,and56thdivisions.

thepositionsinfrontofthemweregommecourtandbeaumonthamelontheleftsideoftheriverancre,andthiepvalwoodontherightsideoftheancreleadinguptothiepvalchateauonthecrestofthecliff.thesewerethehardestpositionstoattack,becauseoftherisinggroundandtheimmensestrengthoftheenemy'searthworksandtunneleddefenses.butourgeneralswereconfidentthatthegunpowerattheirdisposalwassufficienttosmashdownthatdefensivesystemandmakeaneasywaythroughfortheinfantry.theywerewrong.inspiteofthattornadoofshell-firewhichihadseentearinguptheearth,manytunnelswerestillunbroken,andoutofthemcamemassesofgermanmachine-gunnersandriflemen,whenourinfantryrosefromtheirowntrenchesonthatmorningofjuly1st.

ourgunshadshiftedtheirbarrageforwardatthatmoment,fartheraheadoftheinfantrythanwasafterwardallowed,themenbeingtrainedtofollowclosetothelinesofburstingshells,trainedtoexpectanumberofcasualtiesfromtheirownguns—itneedssometraining—inordertosecurethegeneralsafetygainedbykeepingtheenemybelowgrounduntilourbayonetswereroundhisdugouts.

thegermanshadbeentrained,too,toanactofamazingcourage.theirdiscipline,thatimmensepowerofdisciplinewhichdominatesmeninthemass,wasstrongenoughtomakethemobeytheordertorushthroughthatbarrageofours,thatadvancingwallofexplosionand,iftheylivedthroughit,tofaceourmenintheopenwithmassedmachine-gunfire.sotheydid;andasenglish,irish,scottish,andwelshbattalionsofourassaultingdivisionstrudgedforwardoverwhathadbeennoman'sland,machine-gunbulletssprayeduponthem,andtheyfelllikegrasstothescythe.lineafterlineofmenfollowedthem,andeachlinecrumpled,andonlysmallgroupsandsinglefigures,seekingcomradeship,hurriedforward.germanmachine-gunnerswerebayonetedastheirthumbswerestillpressedtotheirers.ingermanfront-linetrenchesatthebottomofthiepvalwood,outsidebeaumonthamelandontheedgeofgommecourtpark,thefield-graymenwhocameoutoftheirdugoutsfoughtfiercelywithstick-bombsandrifles,andourofficersandmen,inplaceswheretheyhadstrengthenough,clubbedthemtodeath,stuckthemwithbayonets,andblewtheirbrainsoutwithrevolversatshortrange.thenthoseenglishandirishandscottishtroops,grievouslyweakbecauseofallthedeadandwoundedbehindthem,ledthroughtothesecondgermanline,fromwhichtherecameastillfiercerrattleofmachine-gunandrifle-fire.someofthembrokethroughthatline,too,andwentaheadinisolatedpartiesacrossthewildcraterland,overchasmsandditchesandfallentrees,towardthehighestground,whichhadbeentheirgoal.nothingwasseenofthem.theydisappearedintocloudsofsmokeandflame.gunnerobserverssawrocketsgoupinfarplaces—ourrockets—showingthatoutpostshadpenetratedintothegermanlines.runnerscameback—survivorsofmanypredecessorswhohadfallenontheway—withscribbledmessagesfromcompanyofficers.onecamefromtheessexandking'sownofthe4thdivision,ataplacecalledpendantcopse,southeastofserre.“forgod'ssakesendusbombs.”itwasimpossibletosendthembombs.nomencouldgettothemthroughthedeepbarrageofshell-firewhichwasbetweenthemandoursupportingtroops.manytriedanddied.

theulstermenwentforwardtowardbeaumonthamelwithagrimvalorwhichwasrecklessoftheirlosses.beaumonthamelwasagermanfortress.machine-gunfirerakedeveryyardoftheulsterway.hundredsoftheirishfell.imethundredsofthemwounded—tall,strong,powerfulmen,fromqueen'sislandandbelfastfactories,andtynesideirishandtynesidescots.

“theygaveusnochance,”saidoneofthem—asergeant-major.“theyjustmurderedus.”

butbunchesofthemwentrightintotheheartofthegermanpositions,andthenfoundbehindthemcrowdsofgermanswhohadcomeupoutoftheirtunnelsandflungbombsatthem.onlyafewcamebackaliveinthedarkness.

intothiepvalwoodmenofourssmashedtheirwaythroughthegermantrenches,notcountingthosewhofell,andkillinganygermanwhostoodintheirway.insidethatwoodofdeadtreesandcharredbranchestheyreformed,astonishedatthefewnessoftheirnumbers.germanscomingupfromholesintheearthattackedthem,andtheyheldfirmandtooktwohundredprisoners.othergermanscameclosinginlikewolves,inpacks,andtoagermanofficerwhosaid,“surrender!”ourmenshouted,“nosurrender!”andfoughtinthiepvalwooduntilmostweredeadandonlyafewwoundedcrawledouttotellthattale.

thelondonersofthe56thdivisionhadnoluckatall.theirswastheworstluckbecause,byadesperatecourageinassault,theydidbreakthroughthegermanlinesatgommecourt.theirleftwasheldbythelondonriflebrigade.therangersandthequeenvictoriarifles—theold“vics“—formedtheircenter.theirrightwasmadeupbythelondonscottish,andbehindcamethequeen'swestminstersandthekensingtons,whoweretoadvancethroughtheircomradestoafartherobjective.acrossawidenoman'slandtheysufferedfromtheburstingofheavycrumps,andmanyfell.buttheyescapedannihilationbymachine-gunfireandstormedthroughtheupheavedearthintogommecourtpark,killingmanygermansandsendingbackbatchesofprisoners.theyhaddonewhattheyhadbeenaskedtodo,andstartedbuildingupbarricadesofearthandsand-bags,andthenfoundtheywereinadeath-trap.therewerenotroopsontheirrightorleft.theyhadthrustoutintoasalient,whichpresentlytheenemysaw.thegermangunners,withdeadlyskill,boxeditroundwithshell-fire,sothatthelondonerswereinclosedbyexplosivewalls,andthenveryslowlyandcarefullydrewalineofburstingshellsupanddown,upanddownthatcapturedground,ravagingitsearthanewandsmashingthelifethatcrouchedthere—londonlife.

ihavewrittenelsewhere(inthebattlesofthesomme)howyoungofficersandsmallbodiesoftheselondonmenheldthebarricadesagainstgermanattackswhileotherstriedtobreakawaybackthroughthatmurderousshell-fire,andhowgroupsofladswhosetoutonthatadventuretotheiroldlineswereshatteredsothatonlyafewfromeachgroupcrawledbackalive,woundedorunwounded.

attheendofthedaythegermansactedwithchivalry,whichiwasnotallowedtotellatthetime.thegeneralofthelondondivision(philiphowell)toldmethattheenemysentoveramessagebyalow-flyingairplane,proposingatrucewhilethestretcher-bearersworked,andofferingtheserviceoftheirownmeninthatworkofmercy.thisofferwasacceptedwithoutreferencetog.h.q.,andgermanstretcher-bearershelpedtocarryourwoundedtoapointwheretheycouldbereached.

many,inspiteofthat,remainedlyingoutinnoman'sland,someforthreeorfourdaysandnights.imetonemanwholayouttherewounded,withagroupofcomradesmorebadlyhurtthanhewas,untiljuly6th.atnighthecrawledovertothebodiesofthedeadandtooktheirwater-bottlesand“iron”rations,andsobroughtdrinkandfoodtohisstrickenfriends.thenatlasthemadehiswaythroughrovingshellstoourlinesandeventhenaskedtoleadthestretcher-bearerswhovolunteeredonasearch-partyforhis“pals.”

“physicalcouragewasverycommoninthewar,”saidafriendofminewhosawnothingofwar.“itisprovedthatphysicalcourageisthecommonestqualityofmankind,asmoralcourageistherarest.”butthatsoldier'scouragewasspiritual,andthereweremanylikehiminthebattlesofthesommeandinotherlaterbattlesastragicasthose.