With The Immortal Seventh Division

VENTH

ver from Larkhill, stood outside my tent at the Bustard's

ate price of a penny, when the brief tones of the orderly aroused me from its perusal. Its contents were startling: 'You have been selected for immediate foreign service. Report yourself early to-morrow morning at the War Office.' F

in patience. It was a time never to be forgotten, for although our English blood was stirred by the rumours that reached us of an expeditionary force being landed in France, under General Sir John French, and of even greater significance, the mobilization of the English Fleet, yet our only source of information was derived from the Corriere della Sera, the communi

, swept by us; while at Lyons we encountered an ambulance train full of wounded, and another of German prisoners. My party had the advantage of travelling with the wife and son of a Cabinet Minister, and through Sir E. Grey's kind solicitude for his colleague's people, the best possible accommodation was provided for us, but even that powerful interest was not always sufficient to prevent delay and discomfort. On reaching Creil, the junction for Belgium, we found the station full of English troops in their retreat from Mons, and many were the stirring stories gathered from

d evergreens, whilst the stations and villages were alive with enthusiastic p

ons that we finally reached home, heartily agreeing afte

erritorial Battalion, under Colonel Park, and was awaiting a summons to service, here, there, or anywhere, when, as I have described, the call came. I have often wondered why the War Office always spring

what was really useful); and finally Waterloo Station, that scene of many farewells. 'Good-bye' has so many significations. It may be uttered at the parting for a couple of hours; it may be uttered, and often is, in these days as the final word on earth to much loved ones. Oh, these partings! how they pull a man's heart to pieces; and yet, with that remarkable insularity which characterizes our race,-or should I say races-it is one of the things seldom or never menti

r Office, to join the Seventh Divi

public generally at that time, but what it signified to the nation w

osition of that, which I believe is the first Divisio

Sir Thomson Capper, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., it represented the ve

nsist

al Signa

al Mount

berland

e Co

Artillery (R.H.A.

teries

l Ammunit

ineers, two Fi

fantry

H.G. Ruggles

ajor A.B.

cots

nadier

rder R

don Hig

fantry

.E. Wat

or Captain

ford Re

Yo

l Scots

tshire

fantry

.T.B. L

Captain G.M. J

he Qu

Warwick

l Welsh

h Staffs

ional

s Divisional

eld Amb

ield A

ield A

medical stores, saddlery, farriery, etc., etc., not a thing must be forgotten, for in those early days of the war there was no well-equipped Ordnance Department on the other side. Each Fi

risks of a campaign. I shall ever feel the deepest obligation to Captain Kennedy Shaw, O.C., Remounts Department, Salisbury, for supplying me with one of the best horses I have ever ridden; a big upstanding bay, with black points; deep chested; good quarters; with the most perfect manners, even under the heaviest fire, which could be desired. Strangely enough his name (which was tied to hi

although it was on the horizon of many men's hearts; but at the time it was ignored, for many of the officers had their women folk staying, either i

e, although my experience of military camp life was not a new one; in far back ye

hose kindness and courtesy I owe much, assured me of the good will of the powers that be. The General posted me to the 20th Brigade-a noble a

r the distribution of 15,000 of them in the Division, and they were eagerly accepted by all from the Generals downwards. On many an occasion in the after days I came across

ier's

d most Merc

e me m

me thy

e thy

in life a

s Christ

m

revers

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead

m

lains of the D

Rev. Hon. T. George Mau

The Rev. W. St

ic: The Rev.

o stand by.' The news was welcome, for we were growing weary of waiting. Immediately the troops began to move off; the unit to which I was attached-23rd Field Ambulance which served the 20th Brigade-left at 2.45

llage people lined the road, waving us their farewells; and from many a cottage window kindly fa

huge transports got under way, and steamed up Channel for Dover. There we 'stood off and on' until 9 p.

ut. McCutcheon, Lieut. Mackay, Lieut. Hart, Lieut. Priestly, Lieut. Wedd, Lieut. Beaumont, Lieut. Jackson (quartermaster), Col. the Rev. W. Stevenson J

we found the course was north-east, we knew that France was ou

over the placid sea, with a protective squadron of torpedo destroyers sur

mine zone in safety to its destination. The naval officer who acted as pilot to the Victorian, on which I was aboard, informed me the next morning that i

bathed in sunlight; Zeebrugge lying a couple of miles to the east. It was with a very thankfu

ns of a quay, which I understood had been built by the Germans. Large as it was, there was not suffic

esmen, Sappers, Gunners, Cavalry and the ubiquitous A.S.C. were moving about in the keen delight of being on the soil that they had come to free from the oppre

lanked by broad ditches, being the distinguishing feature of this and most Belgium roads (the centre being composed of cobbles, with macadam tracks on either side)

ew up in a field, bounded by houses of the humbler description. The early morning was distinctly autumnal, and a ration of biscuit, bully beef and steaming hot tea was not to be d

TNO

was killed in action at t

THROUGH