CHAPTERIX

chapterix

whilethevillageoflooswascrowdedwithhuntersofmen,wounded,dead,batchesofpanic-strickenprisoners,women,doctors,highlandersandlowlanders“fey”withtheintoxicationofblood,londonsoldierswithtattereduniformsandmuddyriflesandstainedbayonets,mixedbrigadesweremovingforwardtonewobjectives.theordersofthescottishtroops,whichisaw,weretogo“allout,”andtopressonasfarastheycould,withtheabsoluteassurancethatallthegroundtheygainedwouldbeheldbehindthembysupportingtroops;andhavingthatpromise,theytrudgedontohill70.thelondonershadbeenorderedtomakeadefensiveflankontherightofthescotsbycapturingthechalk-pitsouthofloosandingin.theydidthisaftersavagefightinginthepit,wheretheybayonetedmanygermans,thoughrakedbymachine-gunbulletsfromaneighboringcopse,whichwasafringeofgashedandtatteredtrees.butsomeofthelondonboysweremixedupwiththeadvancingscotsandwentonwiththem,andabattalionofscotsfusilierswhohadbeeninthesupportingbrigadeofthe15thdivision,whichwasintendedtofollowtheadvance,joinedthefirstassault,eitherthrougheagernessorawrongorder,and,unknowntotheirbrigadier,wereamongtheleadersinthebloodyleinloos,andlaboredontohill70,wherecamerons,gordons,blackwatch,seaforths,argyll,andsutherlandmenandlondonerswerenowuptheslopes,stabbingstraygermanswhoweretryingtoretreattoaredoubtonthereversesideofthehill.

foratimetherewasakindofbankholidaycrowdonhill70.thegermangunners,knowingthattheredoubtonthecrestwasstillheldbytheirmen,darednotfire;andmanygermanbatterieswereonthemove,outoflensandfromtheirsecretlairsinthecountrythereabouts,inastateofpanic.onourrightthefrenchwerefightingdesperatelyatsouchezandneuvillest.-vaastandupthelowerslopesofvimy,sufferinghorriblecasualtiesandfailingtogaintheheightsinspiteoftherecklessvaloroftheirmen,butalarmingthegermanstaffs,whoforatimehadlosttouchwiththesituation—theirtelephoneshadbeendestroyedbygun-fire—andwerefilledwithgloomyapprehensions.sohill70wasquiet,exceptforspasmsofmachine-gunfirefromtheredoubtonthegermansideoftheslopeandthebombingofgermandugouts,orthebayonetingofsinglemenroutedoutfromholesintheearth.

oneofourmencamefacetofacewithfourgermans,twoofwhomwerearmedwithriflesandtwowithbombs.theywerestandinginthewreckageofatrench,pallid,andwiththefearofdeathintheireyes.theriflesclatteredtotheearth,thebombsfellattheirfeet,andtheirhandswentupwhentheyoungscotappearedbeforethemwithhisbayonetdown.hewasalone,andtheycouldhavekilledhim,butsurrendered,andweregladofthelifehegrantedthem.asmoremencameuptheslopethereweregreetingsbetweencomrades,of:

“hullo,jock!”

“isthatyou,alf?”

theywererummagingaboutforsouvenirsinhalf-destroyeddugoutswheredeadbodieslay.theywere“swapping”souvenirs—takenfromprisoners—silverwatches,o-boxes,revolvers,compasses.manyofthemputongermanfield-caps,likeschoolboyswithpapercapsfromchristmascrackers,shoutingwithlaughterbecauseoftheirgermanlook.theythoughtthebattlewaswon.afterthefirstwildrushtheshell-fire,thekilling,thesightofdeadcomrades,thesmellofblood,thenightmareofthathourafterdawn,theywerebeginningtogetnormalagain,tobeconsciousofthemselves,torejoiceintheirluckathavinggotsofarwithwholeskins.ithadbeenafinevictory.theenemywasnowhere.hehad“mizzledoff.”

someofthescots,withthehunter'sinstinctstillstrong,decidedtogoonstillfarthertoanewobjective.theyledawayinbatchestooneofthesuburbsoflens—thecitest.-auguste.veryfewofthemcamebackwiththetaleoftheircomrades'slaughterbysuddenburstsofmachine-gunfirewhichcutoffallchanceofretreat....

thequietudeofhill70wasbrokenbythebeginningofanewbombardmentfromgermanguns.

“digin,”saidtheofficers.“wemustholdonatallcostsuntilthesupportscomeup.”

wherewerethesupportingtroopswhichhadbeenpromised?therewasnosignofthemcomingforwardfromloos.thescotswerestrangelyisolatedontheslopesofhill70.atnighttheskyabovethemwaslitupbytheredglowoffiresinlens,andattwelve-thirtythatnight,underthatruddysky,darkfiguresmovedontheeastofthehillandastormofmachine-gunbulletssweptdownonthehighlandersandlowlanders,whocrouchedlowinthemangledearth.itwasacounter-attackbymassesofmencrawlinguptothecrestfromthereversesideandtryingtogetthescotsoutoftheslopesbelow.butthemenofthe15thdivisionansweredbyvolleysofrifle-fire,machine-gunfire,andbombs.theyheldoninspiteofdeadandwoundedmenthinningouttheirfightingstrength.atfive-thirtyinthemorningtherewasanotherstrongcounter-attack,repulsedalso,butatanotherpriceoflifeinthoseholesandditchesonthehillside.

scottishofficersstaredanxiouslybacktowardtheiroldlines.wherewerethesupports?whydidtheygetnohelp?whyweretheyleftclinginglikethistoanisolatedhill?thegermanartilleryhadreorganized.theywerebarragingthegroundaboutloosfiercelyandcontinuously.theywerecoveringagreatstretchofcountryuptohulluch,andnorthofit,withintenseharassingfire.lateronthatsaturdaymorningthe15thdivisionreceivedorderstoattackandcapturethegermanearthworkredoubtonthecrestofthehill.abrigadeofthe21stdivisionwasnominallyinsupportofthem,butonlysmallgroupsofthatbrigadeappearedonthescene,afewwhite-facedofficers,savagewithanger,almostmadwithsomedespairinthem,withbatchesofenglishladswholookedfamishedwithhunger,weakafterlongmarching,demoralizedbysometragedythathadhappenedtothem.theywerescotswhodidmostoftheworkintryingtocapturetheredoubt,thesamescotswhohadfoughtthroughloos.theytriedtoreachthecrest.againandagaintheycrawledforwardandup,buttheblastsofmachine-gunfiremowedthemdown,andmanyyoungscotslaymotionlessonthosechalkyslopes,withtheirkiltsriddledwithbullets.others,hitinthehead,orarms,orlegs,writhedlikesnakesbacktothecoverofbrokentrenches.

“wherearethesupports?”askedthescottishofficers.“ingod'sname,wherearethetroopswhoweretofollowon?whydidwedoallthisbloodyfightingtobehungupintheairlikethis?”

theanswertotheirquestionhasnotbeengiveninanyofficialdespatch.itisansweredbythetragedyofthe21stand24thdivisions,whowillneverforgetthemiseryofthatday,thoughnotmanyarenowalivewhosufferedit.theirpartofthebattleiwilltelllater.