nibuses to Ypres.

On the afternoon of the 29th I went to Cassel and had a long
conference with Foch. The canal and the river Yser, from Ypres to the
sea, were capable of wide inundation which would afford excellent
cover and protection all along that battle front. From the first I had
been most anxious that this inundation should be carried out; but
there was great opposition to it. Whether this came from the French
or the Belgians I did not know, but I am much inclined to
think that the French generals, in their sanguine anticipation of an
immediate advance east, feared that such an obstacle would hamper
them. When I saw Foch on this afternoon, however, he was all in favour
of the inundation. He told me he thought the enemy was very "slack" in
the north, that fresh French troops were being landed at Dunkirk, and
that he still expected to see his hopes of an early advance realized.
It was impossible to be closely associated with Foch and not come
under the spell of his sanguine temperament, which was always a great
help to me, although on this occasion I knew perfectly well that the
enemy was increasing in numbers on our front, and that it was utterly
impossible for us at that time to do more than hold our own with the
utmost difficulty.

At dawn on October 30 the Nineteenth Brigade (Second Battalion Royal
Welsh Fusiliers, First Battalion Scottish Rifles, First Battalion
Middlesex Regiment, and Second Battalion Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders) carried out a brilliant counter-attack with the bayonet,
heavily repulsing the enemy on the right of the Third Corps.

An hour later Haig reported that he was being heavily shelled all
along his front, and that the enemy was moving in great force to
attack Byng's Third Cavalry Division on his right. Gough had sent two
regiments and a battery of horse artillery to support Byng. One of
these regiments (the Royal Dragoons) had, with great dash and
gallantry, repulsed an attack on the chateau at Hollebeke.

I went early in the morning to Allenby's Headquarters at Kemmel, where
Barrow (his Chief of Staff) reported the situation to me. I ascended
the tower I have spoken of already, to get a view of the
field, which by this time had been drawn nearer, but mist prevented
good observation.

Hearing heavy firing towards Ypres, I went to Haig's Headquarters
at Hooge. Whilst I was with Haig, Allenby came in.

It appeared that strong forces were attacking the 3rd and 2nd Cavalry
Div