The second time I went out to General Gleichen I found him a little farther back from his former position.  This time he was on the railway.  While I was waiting for a reply we had an excellent view of German guns endeavouring to bring down one of our aeroplanes.  So little did we know of aeroplanes then, that the General was persuaded by his brigade-major to step back into shelter from the falling bits, and we all stared anxiously skywards, expecting every moment that our devoted aviator would be hit.

That evening Huggie and I rode back to Bavai and beyond in search of an errant ammunition column.  Eventually we found it and brought news of it back to H.Q.  I shall never forget the captain reading my despatch by the light of my lamp, the waggons guarded by Dorsets with fixed bayonets appearing to disappear shadowy in the darkness.  We showed the captain a short-cut that avoided Bavai, then left him.  His horses were tired, but he was forced to push them on another ten miles to Dour.  We got back at 10, and found Nadine weeping.  We questioned her, but she would not tell us why.

There was a great battle very early the next morning, a running-about and set, anxious faces.  We were all sent off in rapid succession.  I was up early and managed to get a wash at the station-master’s house, his wife providing me with coffee, which, much to my discomfiture, she liberally dosed with rum.  At 6.30 Johnson started on a message to the 15th Brigade.  We never saw him again.  At 9.15 three despatch riders who had gone to the 15th, George, Johnson, and Grimers, had not returned.  I was sent.  Two miles out I met George with Grimers’ despatches.  Neither of them had been able to find the 15th.  I took the despatches and sent George back to report.  I went down a road, which I calculated ought to bring me somewhere on the left of the 15th, who were supposed to be somewhere between Paturages and Frameries.  There were two villages on hills, one on each side.  I struck into the north end of the village on my left; there was no road to the one on my right.[6] I came across a lot of disheartened stragglers retreating up the hill.  I went a little farther and saw our own firing line a quarter of a mile ahead.  There was a bit of shrapnel flying about, but not much.  I struck back up the hill and came upon a crowd of fugitive infantry men, all belonging to the 13th Brigade.  At last I found General Cuthbert, the Brigadier of the 13th, sitting calmly on his horse watching the men pass.  I asked him where the 15th was.  He did not know, but told me significantly that our rallying-point was Athis.

I rode a little farther, and came upon his signal officer.  He stopped me and gave me a verbal message to the General, telling me that the 15th appeared to be cut off.  As I had a verbal message to take back there was no need for me to go farther with my despatches, which, as it appeared later, was just as well.  I sprinted back to Dour, picking my way through a straggling column of men sullenly retreating.  At the station I found everybody packing up.  The General received my message without a word, except one of thanks.