as
Armentieres, beyond which place the shell-bursts in the sky brought
the right of the British battle line well into the picture.

For four or five days this line was being still further reduced in
strength by the successful efforts of our troops to stem the tide of
the enemy's advance, whilst on their side the Germans were being
gradually reinforced to a strength which, by the 30th, reached about
double our numbers.

In the great onslaught made by the enemy on October 31st and November
1st, sufficient recognition has never yet been given to the glorious
stand made by the Cavalry Corps under Allenby, and when I speak of the
gallantry of the cavalry, I hasten to add that the splendour of their
work was equally shared by Shaw's 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division (1st
Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers, 4th Batt. Royal Fusiliers, 1st Batt.
Lines Regt., and 1st Batt. R. Scots Fusiliers), Egerton's Brigade of
the Indian Corps (1st Connaught Rangers, 129th Duke of Connaught's Own
Beluchis, 57th Wilde's Rifles, 9th Bhopal Infantry), the London
Scottish, and the Oxfordshire Yeomanry.

For close upon 48 hours these troops held the Wytschaete--Messines
ridge against the utmost efforts of no less than two and a half German
Army Corps to dislodge them. Here was the centre of our line of
battle, and, had it given way, disaster would have resulted to the
entire left wing of the Allied line.

In almost the same degree I would allot the honours of those
splendid days to the defenders of the Ypres salient, namely, the 9th
(French) Army Corps, the 1st (British) Corps, and the 7th (British)
Division.

It was only a slightly less arduous task which fell upon the 2nd Corps
in this great battle, for they had a long line to hold, in a much more
difficult country, and were subjected to powerful attacks by superior
numbers.

There is, indeed, little distinction to be made between the troops who
fought so bravely all along the line. All were doggedly tenacious; all
were superhumanly brave. The fullest measure of mutual support was
assured by the complete understanding and perfect loyalty which
existed amongst leaders of all ranks, combined with the alertness
shown by all commanders in filling up gaps in the line _without
delay_, and in using the troops at their disposal with the utmost
economy.

All said and done, however, the main element of success was to be
found in the devoted bravery and the stern unyielding determination to
"do or die