CHAPTER XVI

FROM LEDEGHEM TO THE SCHELDT

14TH OCTOBER TO 27TH OCTOBER 1918

The barrage opened at 5.32 A.M. on the 14th October and three minutes later the infantry moved forward. The Black Watch company and the left of the Royal Scots Fusiliers experienced sharp fighting from the beginning. Mogg Farm, wire-bound, was obstinately defended, but regardless of losses the Black Watch pressed on and ejected the enemy from this stronghold. The wind was light and from the south-east, and the smoke of the barrage, adding density to the haze of a fine autumn morning produced an impenetrable fog about 500 yards from our line. As a result our troops found it difficult to keep direction, and some confusion arose but was speedily rectified. Though our troops lost the barrage it had a most salutary effect upon the enemy, and after the first resistance had been overcome the infantry made rapid progress. Rolleghem Cappelle, the first belt of wire, Neerhof, and the Wulfdambeek were carried with much less trouble than had been expected, and the abject failure of the Germans to offer any opposition worth the name behind such defences was a convincing proof of their loss of moral.

At the conclusion of the initial barrage the 28th Brigade A.F.A. reverted to Corps reserve, while the 50th and 51st Brigades moved forward to give further support to the infantry. Owing to difficulties of observation and communication they were not able at first to take much part, but the mobile trench mortars dealt effectively with a single field-gun and machine-guns which were opposing our troops on the east bank of the Wulfdambeek. No sooner were the infantry checked on the ridge south-west of Steenen Stampkot than the 50th Brigade came into action and helped them to capture the ridge by 9.30 A.M., and all the field-guns were moved up behind it.

On our left the 26th Brigade gradually became involved in the battle, partly by reason of the vigorous resistance offered by the German garrison of Mogg Farm, and partly owing to a gap developing between the 28th Brigade and the Belgians. North-east of Rolleghem Cappelle the Highlanders had a stiff time and during their advance several field-guns, firing over open sights, were enveloped and taken. Shortly after the capture of the ridge by the 28th Brigade, which was in touch with the Twenty-ninth Division, the Highlanders and Belgians entered Winkel St Eloi. By this time the Camerons as well as the Black Watch were in the fighting line.

About noon the infantry resumed their advance, supported at close range by the 50th and 51st Brigades R.F.A., but the enemy had rushed up a reserve division (6th Cavalry) to hold Laaga Cappelle Wood and Steenbeek and a desperate combat ensued. Forward patrols of the Newfoundlanders pressed the enemy so closely that they came under our own rifle-fire—luckily escaping casualties—and forced the Germans to continue their retirement. Hostile groups could be seen retreating through Laaga Cappelle Wood, and towards the north a solitary German, mounted and towing a machine-gun cart behind him, helped to fill in the landscape. The Highlanders, passing partially through the left of the 28th Brigade, which, after its long advance of the morning, was naturally somewhat exhausted, fought their way forward, with all three battalions in line, gained a footing in the wood and established a line on the western slope of a low hill to the north of it, but beyond this point progress was barred by fire from Hill 40, 500 yards east of the wood. Near the village of Steenbeek, amply furnished with machine-guns, the enemy managed to stem the advance of the 28th Brigade, the right flank of which was now ahead of the Twenty-ninth Division and was exposed.

During the severe fighting experienced by the Newfoundlanders one of their number won the V.C. Early in the push, when the attack was temporarily checked by the fire of a German battery at point-blank range, Private T. Ricketts went forward with his section commander and a Lewis Gun, with a view to outflanking the battery; but when they were still 300 yards away from the enemy they ran short of ammunition, and the Germans, hoping to save their guns, brought up the teams. Thereupon Private Ricketts darted back under a fierce fire from machine-guns with the battery, procured more ammunition, and returned at the double to the Lewis Gun, which he fired with such accuracy that the Germans with their gun teams were compelled to take refuge in a farm. The rest of the platoon was now able to press on without casualties, and 4 field-guns, 4 machine-guns, and 8 prisoners were taken. Subsequently a fifth field-gun was intercepted by our fire and captured.

The artillery supported the infantry with magnificent dash, and Brig.-General Wainwright must have been very proud of the work accomplished by his gunners. Our batteries going into action presented the most sensational and picturesque spectacle of the advance, and introduced into the war a tinge of the glamour and romance that seemed for ever to have departed from it. Tearing along at full gallop, C/50 Battery under Major Hoggart plunged almost into the infantry firing-line, quickly unlimbered and at 800 yards’ range turned its guns against the foe in Steenbeek with a rapidity and precision that amazed and thrilled the infantry. The disgruntled Germans bringing up a field-gun had the great fortune to wipe out one team. A/50 Battery, coming up in gallant style, joined C/50 and their combined fire forced the enemy out of the village, but owing to the low trajectory our guns could not touch him in his cleverly chosen position at the eastern edge of Laaga Cappelle Wood. Two batteries of the 51st Brigade dashed over the ridge just in rear of our infantry, but were unable to come into action because of the hostile shelling of Steenen Stampkot.

By 3 P.M. the 27th Brigade was concentrated behind the ridge west of Steenen Stampkot, and the 12th Royal Scots were sent forward to support the 28th; but since it was clear that the Germans were occupying in force a naturally strong position, and that nothing but a properly organised assault was likely to succeed, it was decided to postpone the attack until next day, when the troops would be fresher and more artillery ammunition available. In the evening, the 28th Brigade took over a part of the line held by the 26th, thus making a front of 1200 yards, while the Highlanders continued to hold the remaining 300 and fully 700 yards of line in Belgian territory. The Third Belgian Division, under General Joostens, on our left had fought with admirable courage and _élan_, and at the end of the day had its right ahead of our left. Ever since the 28th September the co-operation with King Albert’s army had been excellent, and the Ninth never desired on its flanks better troops than the Belgians proved themselves to be.

Every preparation was now made for the renewal of the attack. The 28th Brigade A.F.A., which was again attached to the Division, joined the 50th and 51st Brigades in the line, and two 60-pounder batteries and three sections of 6-inch howitzers came into position. “B” and “C” Companies of the Ninth Machine-Gun Battalion took up barrage positions on the ridge south-west of Steenen Stampkot. Zero was arranged for 9 A.M., because it was impossible to bring up an adequate supply of ammunition before that hour and it was essential that the men should have a good night’s rest. The objective was the same as on the previous day, and after its capture the Division was to exploit towards the Lys. The operation was to be carried out by the 11th and 12th Royal Scots, who were to pass through the two brigades in the line.

Punctually at 9 A.M. on the 15th the 11th Royal Scots advanced at the double under a smoke-screen against Hill 40 to the north, but owing to the exact position of our forward posts being uncertain the barrage was placed beyond this hill. The comparatively late hour of attack and the wonderfully heavy barrage which the artillery and machine-guns were able to provide, took the enemy unawares. Nevertheless the 11th Royal Scots suffered an unexpected jar at the start; raking machine-gun fire was opened on them from the hill behind Laaga Cappelle Wood. But the assailants, adroitly and boldly led, after clearing the wood, advanced towards Hill 40. The slight delay gave two machine-gun groups on the Hill time to prepare, and their fire drove the Royal Scots to earth. At this juncture Corporal Elcock, valiantly braving death, rushed forward with a Lewis Gun and killed the two men manning one of the guns, then diving into their shelter he turned his gun against the other group and knocked it out. A V.C. was awarded for this heroic and timely feat, which allowed the whole line to press on and capture the Hill. On the heels of the 11th followed Lieut.-Colonel Murray with the 12th Royal Scots who, after passing the wood, swung south and ejected the enemy from Steenbeek village and Hill 40 to the south.

The line was then reformed under cover of a protective barrage put down by our guns on Heule Wood and Gemeenhof. Resuming the pursuit, the 12th Royal Scots mopped up the enemy posts in Heule Wood and reached the Snephoek-Heule road, where a slight pause was made until touch was obtained with the divisions on the wings, both of which were making good progress. By 11.30 A.M. the Royal Scot battalions had won the objective on the Heule-Ingelmunster Railway, all opposition from trench mortars and machine-guns having been overcome by the infantry with the assistance of our forward guns. For a short time our men on the Railway were harried by two hostile field-guns, but Captain Brock of the 12th Royal Scots after a fine piece of stalking shot the crews and captured the guns.

Behind the 27th Brigade came the 1/1st Yorks Cyclists, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Thomson, and the 11th Motor Machine-Gun Battery; under the orders of Brig.-General Croft they now passed through the infantry. The cyclists displayed extraordinary pluck and daring, and their close pursuit prevented all chance of German reorganisation. One company stormed Stokerij and then pushed on to the Chapel north of Abeelhoek, where it was finally stopped by machine-gun fire from the ridge between Abeelhoek and the Lys. Other cyclists, after occupying Le Chat, dashed into Cuerne about 2.45 P.M., just as the Germans were hurriedly evacuating it. There were several skirmishes, and amongst the victims were two Uhlan officers. Making for the river, the cyclists came under heavy machine-gun fire from the east bank of the Lys, and took up positions covering the southern and eastern outskirts of Cuerne. A stream of hostile transport was moving in panic haste along the Courtrai-Harlebeke road, and the cyclists and the men of the motor machine-gun battery enjoyed effective shooting at targets it was almost impossible to miss.

The infantry followed the more mobile groups. A short distance from the Railway the 27th Brigade had some trouble on the left, because our immediate neighbours, the Third Belgian Division, did not advance at first beyond the objective, as Ingelmunster farther north had been retaken by a German counter-attack. Consequently the 11th Royal Scots were enfiladed from Heetje, and were obliged to attack the village. It was captured only after a severe fight, and the Royal Scots were so far delayed that they did not reach the ridge between Abeelhoek and the Lys till dusk. Their attempt to storm this position was unsuccessful, but the Germans withdrew in the course of the night. Eventually Heetje was taken over from the 27th Brigade by the Third Belgian Division, whose left wing was thrown back to the Railway. The aggressiveness of the enemy near Ingelmunster seemed to point to a counter-attack from the north-east, so the 28th Brigade, which had advanced to Cappelle St Catherine was ordered to be ready to protect our left wing. The situation on this flank improved greatly during the night, when the Belgians, pressing on, seized Bavichove and Hulste.

On our right there was not the same anxiety, and the 12th Royal Scots and 6th K.O.S.B. moved steadily forward, the leading troops of the former entering Cuerne between 3 and 4 P.M., and the latter relieving the cyclists about 6.30 P.M. Cuerne was not in the Ninth area, but the Twenty-ninth Division had tough work to clear Heule, and was slightly in rear. It was known to be moving forward, but the Ninth was prevented from securing the crossings over the river that day by the fact that until after dark the situation on our left was unsatisfactory and on our right uncertain. The 6th K.O.S.B. and the 11th Royal Scots held the divisional front during the night.

From the hour in which Ledeghem was captured, every village disgorged a number of Belgian civilians, and Cuerne was filled with them. They were warned that it was dangerous to remain, but stating that the Germans had promised not to shell Cuerne, the great majority of them refused to leave their abodes. During the night the village was heavily gas-shelled by the enemy, and the sufferings of many of these poor people must have been dreadful. Posts were pushed close to the river after dark, but all the bridges had been destroyed by the enemy.

On the 16th Brig.-General Croft drew up his plans for forcing the passage of the Lys. Guns, both field and heavy, were moved into position to cover this operation, and arrangements were made for the construction of bridges. The 51st Brigade R.F.A. took up positions on the general line of the Heule-Stokerij road, each brigade sending forward two guns in close support, while four howitzers of the 50th Brigade went into action in Cuerne. The 28th Brigade A.F.A. was active in rear of the 50th and 51st, and twelve 60-pounders and eight 6-inch howitzers of the 59th R.G.A. had opened fire by the evening. At 2 P.M. and again at 5 P.M. all the Field Artillery Brigades shelled the Courtrai-Harlebeke road where the K.O.S.B. had observed numerous parties of Germans, and excellent work was accomplished by our forward guns in silencing machine-guns firing from houses in Harlebeke, a large and substantial village.

Brig.-General Croft’s plan arranged that the river, about seventy feet wide, should be crossed at two places simultaneously; on the left, the 11th Royal Scots with the aid of the 90th Field Coy. R.E. were to throw a bridge over the ruins of the Hoogebrug Bridge on the Harlebeke-Stokerij road and attack the village of Harlebeke; on the right, the K.O.S.B. were to pass over by boats and improvised bridges in the loop of the river south-east of Cuerne, secure the Courtrai-Harlebeke Railway with the high ground east of it, and effect a junction with the 11th Royal Scots at the level-crossing in Harlebeke.

The attempt was made at 8 P.M. On the left, it was completely repulsed in spite of the gallant and costly efforts of the Royal Scots and sappers of the 90th Field Company, who were swept away by machine-gun fire at close range. On the right, Lieut.-Colonel Ker sent three companies across a boat bridge erected by the sappers of the 64th Field Company. Under a powerful barrage of H.E. and smoke, the K.O.S.B. scrambled up the marshy slope of the east bank, and reaching the Courtrai-Harlebeke road where several Germans were captured, pushed out towards the Railway. The left company then moved north towards Harlebeke but met with obstinate resistance, and the battalion was ordered to maintain the ground it had won, holding the loop of the river with an outpost line on the Railway.

A half-hearted counter-stroke during the night against the right flank garrison of the bridgehead was easily defeated. Before dawn the Sappers had constructed a relief bridge close to the first, and by these two bridges, two sections of the 9th Machine-gun Battalion and two platoons of the 2nd Hampshire Regiment (Twenty-ninth Division) crossed. The left company of the K.O.S.B., which had suffered severely in the attempt to force Harlebeke, was relieved by the reserve company and drawn back to the west of the Lys.

Owing to the failure on the left the operation had fallen short of complete success. It was suggested that the rest of the brigade should be taken over the river during the hours of darkness by the K.O.S.B. bridges, and an assault made on Harlebeke at dawn with a view to extending the bridgehead, but it was ultimately decided to consolidate the ground that had been gained. Our position on the east of the river could hardly be considered satisfactory, and it was doubtful if under the conditions of modern war it could be regarded as a bridgehead in the true sense of the term, since the enemy’s guns in Harlebeke commanded the river and were in a position to demolish the bridges when daylight came; in fact, if the Germans had possessed a tithe of the spirit that animated them before April there would have been good reason to dread the utter destruction of our forces on the east of the Lys. The attempt was made because it was evident that the enemy’s moral was on the wane.

The 17th October was a day of acute anxiety. At 5.10 A.M. the Germans barraged the Courtrai-Harlebeke road and a few minutes later their infantry advanced to the attack. The centre of the K.O.S.B. was pierced and four machine-guns were knocked out, but the flanks held firm and a timely bayonet charge by the reserve of the right company under Captain White put the enemy to flight. At the same time the centre company was rallied by Major McDiarmid of the 9th Machine-gun Battalion, who had swum the river under heavy fire, and it reoccupied its position. On the first news of the attack two companies of the 12th Royal Scots, who had been warned to be ready to reinforce, crossed the river with fine steadiness under intense artillery-fire which speedily sank both bridges. This addition to the garrison now made our position on the east bank reasonably secure; for the dismal failure of the enemy’s counter-stroke showed clearly that he was losing heart. Over thirty dead Germans were counted after the bayonet charge, and of those who fled many were shot down by our riflemen and Lewis Gunners.

But though the attack had been brilliantly repulsed and was not renewed, the position of the K.O.S.B. and the Royal Scots caused Brig.-General Croft the keenest concern. The slightest movement provoked machine-gun fire, and as both bridges had been sunk the men could be neither reinforced nor withdrawn during daylight without enormous losses and the risk of virtual annihilation. Nevertheless it was necessary to keep the garrison supplied with ammunition and rations, and two platoons of the 12th Royal Scots, in single file, working their way along the wreckage of the bridges and wading over their waists in water under a constant fusilade of bullets, crossed the river with supplies of ammunition. In similar fashion, runners succeeded in maintaining communication between the troops on both sides of the Lys. Aeroplanes were also employed and carried over abundant rations and ammunition, which they dropped by means of parachutes. Thus with ample provisions the men on the east bank were in good heart, and later when they were withdrawn they declared that they had never been so well fed in all their previous war experience.

About noon instructions were received from the II. Corps to make no further attempt to establish bridgeheads across the Lys. Our efforts were to be devoted to the reconnaissance of suitable crossing places and to the collection of bridging material. If it were practicable the K.O.S.B. bridgehead was to be maintained, and this matter was left to the discretion of the G.O.C. But since the Ninth was now to take over the front north of Hoogebrug as far as the junction of the Vaarneuykbeek with the Lys north-east of Bavichove, the decision as to the bridgehead was left to the Twenty-ninth Division, which relieved our troops on the east bank after dusk by means of boats and bridges constructed by the Sappers of the 63rd Field Company. Brig.-General Freyburg, who went over in person, decided to abandon the bridgehead, and the 27th Brigade on being drawn back was concentrated in the vicinity of Laaga Cappelle Wood.

The operations[131] in Flanders had fully realised the expectations of Marshal Foch and Sir Douglas Haig. The enemy was obliged to relinquish his grip on the Flanders coast and to withdraw his forces to the neighbourhood of Ghent, and farther south he was compelled to abandon Lille on the 17th October and soon after the industrial centres of Tourcoing and Roubaix. It was necessary to follow up our successes and to press our advantage. Accordingly preparations were made on the 18th and 19th for crossing the Lys on a large scale, and the night of the 19th/20th was fixed for the attempt. New gun positions were selected and ammunition brought up, and the 26th and 28th Brigades with the Sappers reconnoitred all possible crossings.

The boundary between the Ninth and the Twenty-ninth Division stretched from Hoogebrug—south of Ingoyghem—to the Scheldt south of Trappelstraat. On our left was the Thirty-sixth, which had relieved the Third Belgian Division, and the boundary on this flank ran from the junction of the Plaatsbeek and the Lys—south of Beveren—north of Vichte and Ingoyghem—to the Scheldt north-west of Berchem. Our first objective was the line running north-east and south-west about 500 yards east of the Lys, and the attack was to be carried out by the 26th and 28th Brigades. Divisions were allowed to choose their own time for crossing the river and securing this objective, but all had to be ready to take part in a general advance from it at 6 A.M. on the 20th. The objective for the next advance was the St Louis-Vichte road, but, if the army on our left did not move forward, then the line St Louis-Belgiek about four miles from the Lys.

The Sappers of the 63rd and 64th Field Companies, assisted by two companies of the Pioneers, were responsible for the bridging and ferrying arrangements on the front of the Ninth. Each field company was to throw two single duckboard barrel bridges sufficiently strong to take infantry in file, and to launch and navigate two half pontoons and three rafts, each capable of taking eight men. Lieut.-Colonel Hickling’s task was far from enviable; all the pontoons of the Division were at the bottom of the Lys and all the material to make bridges had to be collected without delay. Since on our front the left bank of the river was exposed for a distance of several hundreds of yards, it was impossible to place the bridging material in position before dark. As it was calculated that our preparations would not be completed till 11 P.M., this was the hour arranged for the launching of the pontoons and rafts. The Ninth and Twenty-ninth Divisions agreed to go over simultaneously, but the Thirty-sixth decided to cross earlier. The first troops were to be ferried over, and it was hoped that the light bridges would be ready by 11.15 P.M.

In effecting the passage of the leading troops, surprise[132] was of course aimed at, and for that reason no artillery-fire was to open until 11.15 P.M., though forward guns were to be prepared to fire at point-blank range at two farms, which being near the crossings might be troublesome. From 11.15 P.M. to 11.45 P.M. an artillery barrage, thickened by machine-guns, was to be put down to cover the forming-up of the infantry on the line of the Harlebeke-Beveren road, after which it was to move forward to a line in front of the first objective. In order to avoid close range machine-gun fire from the houses in Harlebeke, no passage was to be attempted south of the junction of the Vaarneuykbeek and the Lys, and an enfilade smoke-barrage was to blind the northern end of the village while the crossing was being effected. In the afternoon the various divisions were ordered by the Corps to accelerate the passage of the river; in the case of the Ninth this was impossible, but the Twenty-ninth and Thirty-sixth both went over before the hour originally fixed.

The enemy’s bombing planes and artillery were uncommonly active during the evening and Stokerij and Heetje, important centres of communication, were subjected to concentrations of gas-shell at intervals and to steady harassing fire from 9 to 11.30 P.M. There was also considerable shelling of our forward areas, due probably to the alarm caused by the crossing of the divisions on our flanks. The enemy was thoroughly roused, and with his guns and trench mortars fired vigorously but somewhat aimlessly on our bank of the river.

On our right the Camerons were the first to go over, two companies passing on to the first objective while the remainder mopped up Harlebeke. The Seaforths followed, coming up on the left of the Camerons. On the sector of the 28th Brigade the enemy’s fire was heavy and accurate; one bridge was broken and the other badly damaged, while both pontoons were holed and the launching of the rafts was delayed. The casualties sustained and the confusion caused were undoubtedly due to the fact that a simultaneous crossing by all the attacking divisions had not been arranged. Nevertheless the “Rifles” and Royal Scots Fusiliers were concentrated on the right bank of the river half an hour after midnight. This very creditable achievement under continuous fire was a convincing demonstration of the fine discipline and resource of the infantry and sappers concerned. By 1 A.M. the Thirty-sixth Division had two battalions over the Lys and the Twenty-ninth one, a second having been stayed by machine-gun fire. Though the two attacking battalions of the 28th Brigade had crossed, they experienced so much difficulty in securing connection with each other and with the Thirty-sixth Division that for several hours it was uncertain if it would be possible to continue the advance at 6 A.M.; but by 5.15 A.M. all four of our front line battalions were in touch with one another on the first objective except on the left, where our line was about 300 yards behind, owing to the resistance of Beveren.

Both brigades moved forward at 6 A.M. on the 20th under cover of a barrage of H.E. and smoke. The Royal Scots Fusiliers had a brisk engagement at Beveren, which they helped the men of the Thirty-sixth Division to master, but apart from this there was little opposition at the start. By 8 A.M. Deerlyck fell into our hands, and as soon as the barrage ceased, the 7th Motor Machine-gun Brigade and the 1/1st Yorks Cyclists, who had been ferried across on rafts, passed through the infantry. The machine-gun brigade and two companies of the cyclists moving straight down the Deerlyck-Vichte road entered Belgiek, but were brought to a standstill a short distance beyond it by machine-gun fire. Another cyclist company, taking the road running south-east from Vichte, captured 4 field-guns, 40 prisoners and much material, knocked out the team of another field-gun who were attempting to escape, and finally took up a position on the St Louis-Vichte road. Other cyclists on our left wing compelled the enemy to abandon a heavy howitzer near Knock and drove him into the village; four more heavy howitzers were afterwards found abandoned just south of Belgiek cross roads.

It was on the wings that the infantry had most trouble. The country over which the Highlanders had to progress was marshy and in parts flooded, but by 9.30 A.M. they had reached the Railway where a German field-gun engaged them at close range. Two guns however of the machine-gun battery went to their assistance, and a steady advance was maintained despite ever-increasing opposition. Meantime the Sappers had completed a pontoon bridge south-east of Bavichove, and by 9.50 A.M. one battery of the 50th Brigade R.F.A., followed by the mobile medium trench mortars and later by the rest of the divisional artillery, had crossed the Lys. At 10.30 A.M. both the 26th and 28th Brigades were believed to be on their objective and a further advance was ordered to be made at 12.30 P.M.

By that time German resistance had stiffened. St Louis was in our hands, but the 26th Brigade was being subjected to flanking-fire from the Wolfsberg, which our gunners dared not shell as they did not know the exact position of the troops of the Twenty-ninth Division, in whose area it was. In the centre, Vichte Station was captured after stubborn fighting by the Newfoundlanders, and this gave rise to an erroneous report that the village, which lay 1000 yards to the east of it, was also in our possession. As a matter of fact a company and a half of the Royal Scots Fusiliers[133] did force their way into that village but were surrounded, and it is significant of the moral of the enemy that he did not venture to press his advantage. Some of our men broke through the German cordon after dark; others sheltered in cellars with the Belgian civilians until the village was taken two days later, when they rejoined their battalion. A French force was now on the left of the Second Army, but on this day it made such slow progress that the Thirty-sixth Division was compelled to hold a very extended line, stretching from Straate to the Gaverbeek north-west of Belgiek, and this strain on the Thirty-sixth inevitably reacted on our left wing, which was much exposed. On our right the Twenty-ninth Division, being held up, was consolidating on the line St Louis-Krote-Pont Levis No. 2, while the division on its right was some distance behind it.

To allow the units on the flanks to come up in line with them, the Ninth and Twenty-ninth Divisions undertook no operations on the 21st. The sector occupied by the Ninth was a very unpleasant one as it was overlooked by the enemy, who shelled one farm after another, devoting, it seemed, particular attention to those occupied by Brigade and Battalion H.Q. The 12th Royal Scots were unlucky enough to lose their popular and gallant adjutant, Captain McKinley, who was hit by three successive shells. On the night of the 21st/22nd the Twenty-ninth Division took over St Louis from the 26th Brigade, which was now able to hold its reduced front with the Black Watch alone. On the same night the 27th relieved the 28th Brigade with the 12th Royal Scots.

The objectives of the Ninth for the 22nd were Vichte, Hill 50, and Ingoyghem, and the assault was to be delivered by the 11th Royal Scots and 6th K.O.S.B. at 9 A.M. The former were to clear Vichte and Hill 50, at which point the latter were to pass through and exploit in the direction of Ingoyghem. The Highland Brigade was ordered to be ready to support the attack and was concentrated north-east of the St Louis-Vichte road.

[Illustration: INGOYGHEM AND OOTEGHEM. ‘THE LAST RIDGE’]

There was delay at the start, and some confusion was caused by a dense fog produced by hostile gas-shelling and by the smoke of our barrage drifting back on the infantry. The fog however blinded the Germans in Vichte, and the 11th Royal Scots entering the village surprised the garrison and then moved on towards Hill 50; a few posts were missed but these were accounted for by the K.O.S.B. On leaving the village the Royal Scots came under heavy fire from Klijtberg and Hill 50 and were checked. For a time the situation was very obscure, and Lieut.-Colonel Ker, who had led his battalion along the railway to the bridge south-east of Vichte, had the greatest difficulty in ascertaining the whereabouts of the leading Royal Scots. Our gunners exhibited once more the daring that had characterised their efforts throughout the advance, and the guns of B/50 Battery were already in action east of the village. Boldly reconnoitring on horseback Captain Andrews located a farm near Hill 50 from which the enemy was firing, and suggested to Lieut.-Colonel Ker, who had already ascertained that Hill 50 was firmly held by the Germans, that covered by the fire of the gunners his battalion should assault the Hill. This was done, and shortly after noon the K.O.S.B. stormed Hill 50. But any movement towards Ingoyghem was out of the question; losses had been heavy and the hostile machine-gun fire from the village and buildings near it was accurate and severe.

The Black Watch, who were now temporarily attached to the 27th Brigade, filled a gap of 1000 yards between its right and the left of the Twenty-ninth Division at the end of the day’s fighting. By nightfall our line ran from the road junction a mile east of St Louis to Hill 50, and thence to the south-east of the Klijtberg, and the troops were in touch with the divisions on both flanks. There were rumours of a German retirement in the north, but on our front the enemy showed great activity and bombarded our area savagely from time to time with gas. The Twenty-ninth Division was now relieved by the Forty-first, and the 27th Brigade by the 26th and 28th Brigades on the night of the 24th/25th.

At 9 A.M. on the 25th the 26th and 28th Brigades with the Camerons, Seaforths, Royal Scots Fusiliers,[134] and the “Rifles” in line, resumed the operations against the Ooteghem-Ingoyghem Ridge in conjunction with the Forty-first and Thirty-sixth Divisions. The attack was made under cover of a creeping barrage of smoke and H.E., which was more intense than usual because our artillery had been augmented by the 17th Brigade R.F.A. (Twenty-ninth Division); two companies of the 9th Machine-gun Battalion and one company of the 104th Machine-gun Battalion also supported the infantry by firing concentrations on certain points and by barraging roads in rear of the enemy’s position. The German artillery-fire had been so violent during the evening that four gun teams of a company of the 9th Battalion were completely wiped out before the attack commenced.

On the fall of the barrage our infantry immediately dashed forward but met with most stubborn opposition. The enemy seemed resolved to dispute every inch of ground, and shortly after zero he put down a fierce counter-barrage on our leading troops and swept the ranks of the 28th Brigade with gusts of machine-gun fire; but in spite of grave losses the infantry made headway and by 10.30 A.M. some of them were on the objective from Klein Ronsse Hill to the Chapel near Ingoyghem. But all the ground had not been cleared; every farm with its steading was a centre of resistance and furious conflicts were being waged in rear of the objective. The leadership was excellent. Brig.-General Hore Ruthven and Brig.-General Jack were constantly in the stormiest parts of their sectors. Lieut.-Colonel Campbell of the Royal Scots Fusiliers was ubiquitous; clad in his jerkin, since the day was warm though the night had been cold, he was perspiring profusely from the kit he carried, his rapid pace, the distance he had covered, and the discomfort of one or two nasty crawls, but he seemed to be absolutely tireless. On our left the Thirty-sixth Division had failed to carry the slopes of Kleineberg, and word was received that the right division had also been checked. It was therefore inadvisable to press on from the ridge and the infantry were commanded to consolidate the ground which they had won at no slight cost.

Our gains had been substantial; they comprised the entire Ooteghem-Ingoyghem Ridge, the last commanding position in the Ninth’s area of operations. During the afternoon and evening our position was subjected to galling artillery and machine-gun fire from the east and north-east. The enemy clung tenaciously to the Kleineberg, from which an attack by the Thirty-sixth Division at 5 P.M. failed to dislodge him. During the night of the 25th/26th the Germans surrendered their last hold on Ooteghem and a patrol of the Camerons pushing past Klooster Hoek and Langestraat gained the banks of the Scheldt at Waermaerde; on its return it met and attacked a party of the enemy, driving it out of Okkerwijk. On the left patrols of the 28th Brigade went out but could not make much progress since the enemy still occupied Meulewijk and Bergwijk, which dominated all the country east of Ingoyghem.

The men were keen to follow up their victory, but they had now reached the limit of physical endurance. Our losses, though insignificant compared with the results achieved, had been serious, for practically no reinforcements had arrived to fill up gaps. There had been no contraction of front to balance our diminishing numbers and consequently each successive advance entailed increasing effort. On the 25th October battalions could muster scarcely 200 bayonets, and daily it was becoming more doubtful if the Division would have sufficient weight to carry it forward against anything like a resolute defence. Hence the weakness of the units and the exhaustion of the men rendered it desirable, if not necessary, to withdraw the whole Division for a rest; and its relief by the Thirty-first Division took place on the nights of the 26th/27th and 27th/28th, when it went back to the area near Harlebeke and Cuerne.

This was the last operation of the Division in the war. Since the 28th September it had covered over twenty-six miles of ground and advanced from Ypres to the banks of the Scheldt. It had captured over 2600 prisoners and many guns,[135] but the trophies gained were more numerous than were recorded; the advance was so rapid that there was no opportunity of making a proper search of the battlefield. And our losses suffered during this amazing march, involving constant fighting, amounted to only 188 officers and 3604 other ranks, just 1000 more than the number of prisoners captured. It was certainly the most spectacular of the Ninth’s many successes. Throughout the advance the admirable co-operation of all branches of the Division had been the principal factor in contributing to this glorious result. The spirit of the Division was nowhere more typified than in the personal example of General Tudor and his staff, Lieut.-Colonel Mudie, the G.S.O.I., with his thoughtful, cool head, and Lieut.-Colonel Jeffcoat, the A.A. & Q.M.G., with his typically exact “Q” arrangements. The G.O.C. during the battles was invariably in or very near the front line, at the top of insecure church spires surveying the landscape, or on horseback in shelled areas, and could always decide with personal knowledge. Incorrigibly dapper, he was invariably calm, quiet, human, and entirely regardless of his own safety; it was no wonder that the Division trusted him implicitly. In similar fashion Brig.-Generals Hore Ruthven, Croft, and Jack were never far from the hottest encounters and the ready judgment of these experienced officers was of the utmost value to the G.O.C. The leading of the infantry had been daring and skilful, while the men responded to every demand of their officers with unfailing cheerfulness and determination. As had always been the case in the Ninth, infantry and gunners worked splendidly together, and the former will never forget the intrepid dash of the latter who assisted them with such admirable and dexterous promptitude. Nor must the assiduous though less showy efforts of the Sappers, the Pioneers, the R.A.M.C., and A.S.C. go unmentioned; its very best work was freely given by each branch and was necessary for the common success.