[Below is a vivid account of the bombardment last week of Messines, in Belgium, a few miles south of Ypres, sent home by a wounded cavalryman to his father in Bury. Messines is the farthest point to which the Germans penetrated in their violent attack between Ypres and Lille. The capture of Messines and its recapture have been officially mentioned, and it was the scene of the brilliant charge of the London Scottish, whom the writer met hurrying to the front.]
Our squadron, along with the rest of the ╤, were occupying the town of Messines, in Belgium, a strategic point in our line, and had been there for some days. Our horses were some miles in the rear, and we were stretched along a mile of trenches just outside the town. The town was further defended by barricades, etc., in the streets. The ╤ relieved us every two days to enable us to get a sleep.
The town and vicinity were bombarded all day by the heavy howitzers of the Germans. Immense damage was done and the town fired in several places. Little damage to us until 2 p.m. on Friday last, when shells started falling all along in front of the trench occupied by our squadron, making the ground rock like an earthquake. At last one fell not five yards from me, but did not hit me owing to a buttress of the trench being in the way.
I crept round into the crater made by the shell and found the officer and man next to me buried alive. Saw a tuft of the man's hair sticking out, and cleared the dirt away from his mouth so that he could get his breath. Dug him out and half dug the officer out, but found he was dead.
The man had his leg smashed frightfully. I made a tourniquet of handkerchiefs and bound his leg to a long stick. He has been saved, and my bandages were left on by the doctor, who simply added another splint.
TRENCHES TAKEN AND RETAKEN
Shells fell along the trench, burying the whole of the ╤ troop alive. I went to them with a message and saw it myself. The squadron still hung on, and we prayed for night to come. Every moment we expected to be rushed by German infantry. The sergeant major was killed.
Sergeant F. took over his work and posted me as ╥look-out╙. I was sick with the horror of it, for the first time in the war. Just on nightfall we were again bombarded and lost more men. Finally we had to evacuate the trench.
During this the captain told Sergeant F. to send two reliable men, volunteers, to see if the Germans were attempting to come up to the trenches we had left. Sergeant F. said, ╥I'll go, sir, and I can answer for ╤ coming with me.╙ So we went back again, but no sign of the Germans. We then reoccupied the trenches, the bombardment having passed us. I call them trenches, but by this time they were just tumbled heaps and holes.
At nightfall we were all relieved by the ╤, also dismounted. This was after 48 hours in the trenches, in six inches of water, without food, in pouring rain, and under constant shell-fire. Instead of much-needed rest we had to man the first barricade in the town all night.
Next morning (Saturday) a genera bombardment began again. The trenches we were in the night before, now occupied by the ╤, were first shelled by the Germans, as we had been, and finally carried by an enormous force of infantry.
The same trenches were retaken by a savage counter-attack by Indian troops. They charged with the bayonet and retook the position, which had lost all resemblance to a trench. They in turn were driven out with awful losses, under a shower of frightful shells.
My squadron was retired into the great courtyard of the monastery. The immense howitzer shells fell here again. A wall collapsed, burying two more men. Our number was now reduced to about 40. We dashed across the courtyard one at a time into the street beyond. Here we crouched under the wall, awaiting orders.
SIX SHELLS AT ONCE
Suddenly six immense shells fell right in the street at equal intervals and at the same moment. The concussion was awful. The air was filled with red-hot brick dust, so that you could not see your arm's length in front of you. Walls came crashing down, and I heard most dreadful shouts. Then there was the most awful crash on my left side, just at my feet it seemed, and I was thrown some yards on to my back. I thought my legs were shot off, but struggled to my feet and hobbled off with my legs almost bent double with the pain. I saw one or two stumble past me, and more shells burst in front and behind me in the street. The dust-cloud was so dense I could not see where I was going. After a few minutes I came into clearer air in another street and a man dragged me into a doorway just as a shell burst overhead. A medical officer was dressing wounded men inside. He had dressed me, when a shell burst in the next house to us, so the doctor told us to clear out and ╥every man for himself.╙ I took the road into open country, but could hardly crawl along. I heard the shouts of the Germans as they took the last of the barricades, so I put my revolver into my coat pocket, for I was determined not to be captured. I also heard the rattle of a Maxim and rifle shots in the gardens on the outskirts of the town, where I heard that Colonel ╤ and a handful of men were still holding out.
I did not meet a soul and struggled on for two or three miles, when I met a battalion of the ╤ and a battalion of the London Scottish toiling along to relieve the town. And when I was almost on my hands and knees I met the ambulance, and so I am not counted out yet.
