RFA Journal excerpts Oct 26 - Nov 1914

[pinevista]

October 26th – 30th
We marched and took a position of readiness at Houghe, which was about 3 miles from Ypres. All was quiet except for an occasional shell. Our position was located on the grounds of what was a beautiful chateau, but everything was wrecked and the ornamental lakes and gardens were being used for the horses.


October 28th
On the night of the 28th a shrapnel shell burst over us and the flash and bursting of the shell woke me up. Some of the chaps ran into the woods for shelter but George and I decided to remain where we were and we soon fell asleep again. At daylight we found two chaps were wounded, one officer died, and five horses were killed while several others were injured. All this took place within 20 yards of where we laid. 

October 29th
In the afternoon of the 29th we went into action. George and I ran wire. When I went to connect up I was surprised to find a shrapnel bullet embedded in my telephone, which had been by my side the previous night. I fixed it up and managed alright.
The battery fired a few rounds and then returned to the chateau where we remained until the morning of the 31st.  There was heavy firing all around; an endless stream of infantry wounded were going towards Ypres. The weather was horribly wet and the nights very cold.

October 31st – November 6th
We marched through the beautiful old town of Ypres, which contains some very fine buildings, notably the Cloth Hall and Cathedral. We took up a position of readiness outside the fortification of the town. We dropped into action in various places but did little firing.
The enemy commenced bombarding the town on November 2nd with 17” Howitzers. The noise of the shells passing over our heads was almost indescribable.


On November 5th a few of us got together in the morning and made one of our famous “Bully Stews”. We were about to commence the feast when we heard some of the monster shells coming. They fell in the fields on our right and rear so we had to move. As we were moving we heard more coming; they dropped almost in the same place. One shell burst near a cow and threw it bodily about 30 yards. Then we heard the sound of one shell that sounded like it was coming directly for us. It sounded like an express train roaring through the air. We crouched behind one of the ammunition wagons and the shell landed about 15 yards, exactly on line with our front. The concussion from the explosion was horrific. The wagon rocked as if it were near a minimum earthquake. Afterwords we measured the gigantic hole. Later that afternoon I found out that the shells were 11.2” and not the 17” shells we thought they were. However they are three to four times as big again as the often met “Jack Johnsons.”
The battery moved by the river. Although the water was very cold I had a plunge and a wash, which was the first since the time of the retreat. It’s a very common thing to go a week or even more without having a wash.
At least now food is a little more plentiful. The weather is very wet and the whole country is a veritable sea of mud. The enemy seems to shell everywhere, haphazardly, and especially at night.
On the morning of the 6th we were read an appeal from Sir John French urging us to hold on, despite the overwhelming masses of the enemy until reinforcements could be brought up.
Enemy attacks were twice daily and their nightly occurrences made our losses very great. Despite the fact that our trenches were being so thinly manned and our guns so few, our line was formed and maintained.
The enemy was stopped in France and so were they in Belgium. Thanks to the splendid leadership of our little army and our chaps love for dangerous scraps. We owe this as well to our splendid infantry in the trenches who suffered infinitely more and in a greater degree than we did.