ons and two
Cavalry Divisions, besides some six to seven thousand Marines, on the
Yser. He could have another Regular Division there either by the 22nd
or the 23rd, and he would then advance with all the forces at his
disposal, in support of my left, and clear the country as far as
Ostend and Bruges.

By the night of the 18th the 3rd Corps had captured Bois Grenier and
Armentieres, and were on the line Radinghem--Premesques--Houplines,
after an excellent advance for which Pulteney deserved great credit.

On the left of the 2nd Corps the 3rd Division had made some advance to
the line Lorgies--Herlies. The 5th Division on the right was up
against La Bassee, but could make no further headway. It was a most
formidable stronghold.

The cavalry were watching the River Lys to Menin.

As to the 4th Corps, doubtless Rawlinson was restricted by the warning
I had given him, and was naturally somewhat anxious about his left
flank. His troops made but little progress towards the objective
assigned to them.

I had good reasons to think that Menin was very weakly occupied on the
17th, and orders were sent to Rawlinson to move on and attack that
place on the 18th. He did not, however, march. The embargo I had laid
upon him as to his left flank was, perhaps, a sufficient
justification; but I have always regretted that the cavalry
did not get this very necessary support on the 18th, which might
possibly have secured to us the line of the Lys from Menin upwards.

I do not impute blame for this to the commander of the 4th Corps. Such
instances of disregard of orders occur in every campaign. Only when
the full history of the war is known, and all the cards are laid on
the table, can a right judgment be formed.

Nothing impressed me so much with the increasing power and weight of
the enemy's opposition as my own personal experience on the afternoon
of the 18th, when I went into Armentieres to try and study the
situation with a view to estimating future possibilities. A good
outlook was afforded from some high buildings on the eastern edge of
this place. The town was being heavily shelled, and the way in which
large buildings were being smashed and turned into ruins proved that
projectiles of large calibre were falling, and that a considerable
force of _heavy artillery_ was, therefore, in action against the town.
It was evident that powerful reinforcements were coming up to the
enemy.

I recall this afternoon in Armentieres very vi