Chapter I: Front Matter

G. H. Q.

(MONTREUIL-SUR-MER).

G. H. Q.

(MONTREUIL-SUR-MER)

BY

"G. S. O."

WITH A MAP AND THIRTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS.

LONDON:
PHILIP ALLAN & CO.,
QUALITY COURT, CHANCERY LANE, W.C.
1920.

PRINTED BY
WHITEHEAD BROS., WOLVERHAMPTON.

TO
THE PEOPLE AT HOME
WHOSE UNBENDING RESOLUTION
AND UNGRUDGING GENEROSITY
UPHELD THE SOLDIERS' CONFIDENCE
THIS BOOK IS GRATEFULLY
DEDICATED BY THE
AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--BEFORE G.H.Q. WENT TO MONTREUIL 1

The first stages of the War--"Trench War," a good
German invention--The Battle of Eyes--Waiting for
the Big Push--The Loos disappointment--Moving G.H.Q.
to Montreuil.

II.--MONTREUIL AND THE MONTREUILLOIS 16

How the Montreuillois once learned to hate the
English--Early history of the famous town--Its link
with the early Roman-British Empire--A border town
in the Anglo-French Wars--When G.H.Q. was bombed.

III.--G.H.Q. AT WORK 29

The Functions of G.H.Q.--The varying conditions to
be met--The working hours--The organisation of a
branch--The Chief's system.

IV.--G.H.Q. AT PLAY 47

The walks on the Ramparts--The "Monks" of Montreuil
had little time for sport--Precautions against
"joy-riding"--The jolly Officers' Club--Watching the
Map--Ladies at G.H.Q.

V.--THE MUNITIONS OF THE WAR 66

The Shell shortage--When relief came--The dramatic
Tanks--Bombs--Some ammunition figures--The ingenious
inventor.

VI.--THE MEDICAL SERVICES 80

The magic-workers of the war--Fighting the
Germans--Concerning the Victorian primness of
conversation and the present popularity of "v.d." as
a theme for small talk--The Army and "v.d."--The
etiquette of hospitals and the ways of matrons--The
war against Trench Feet--Mustard gas in 1918.

VII.--THE ANIMALS OF THE FORCE 98

A happy lot--The mud season in Flanders--The effects
of mustard gas--The character of the mule--Forage
difficulties--The French object to our horse
ration--The Americans side with us--The animal
record in 1918.

VIII.--THE FINANCIAL SERVICES 116

The generosity of the British People--G.H.Q. was not
a spendthrift--The Pay system--Curiosities of
banking in the field--Claims of the civilian
inhabitants--The looted rabbit.

IX.--THE ECONOMY SERVICES 129

What the German submarines taught us--The Salvage
Organisation--O.C. Rags, Bones and
Swill--Agriculture's good work and hard luck--The
Forestry Directorate--Soldiers learn economy in a
stern school.

X.--THE COMFORTS OF THE FORCE--SPIRITUAL AND OTHER 144

The Padres--The semi-religious organisations--E.F.C.
Comforts--Studying the Fighting man--The Great Beer
Save.

XI.--THE LABOUR AUXILIARIES 155

The queer ways of the Chinks--How to bury a Chinaman
properly--The Q.M.A.A.C.s and their fine
record--Other types of Labour auxiliaries--The
Labour Directorate.

XII.--G.H.Q. AND THE "NEW ARMY" 169

What G.H.Q. thought of the "Temporaries"--Old
prejudices and their reason--The material of the
"New Armies"--Some "New Army" Officers who did not
play the game--The Regular Army Trade Union accepts
its "dilutees."

XIII.--G.H.Q. AND THE DOMINION ARMIES 183

Our Parliament at the Club--A discussion of the
Dominions, particularly of Australia--Is the
Englishman shy or stand-offish?--How the "Anzacs"
came to be--The Empire after the War.

XIV.--EDUCATING THE ARMY 197

The beginning of an interesting movement--The work
of a few enthusiasts--The unexpected peace--Humours
of lectures to the Army--Books for the Army--The
Army Printery.

XV.--THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT 209

The disappointments of 1916 and 1917--The collapse
of Russia--The Cambrai Battle--The German
propaganda--Fears of irresolution at
Home--Reassurances from Home--Effects of the
Submarine war--An economical reorganisation at
G.H.Q.--A new Quartermaster General--Good effects of
cheerfulness at Home.

XVI.--ENTER THE AMERICANS 235

How the Germans were misled about the
Americans--Early American fighters--The arrivals in
May, 1918--American equipment--Our relations with
the Americans and what they thought of us--The
Portuguese.

XVII.--THE GERMAN SPRING OF 1918 254

Was G.H.Q. at fault?--Where we could best afford to
lose ground--Refugees complicate the
situation--Stark resolution of the French--All
Pas-de-Calais to be wrecked if necessary--How our
railways broke down--Amiens does not fall.

XVIII.--THE MOTOR LORRY THAT WAITED 272

How a motor lorry waited at the Ecole Militaire to
take away the maps to the Coast--The Motor Lorry
Reserve--An "appreciation" of the position--Germany
lost the War in the first three months--Some notes
of German blunders.

XIX.--THE UNITY OF COMMAND 283

Was it necessary?--Was a French Generalissimo
inevitable?--Our share in the guiding of the last
phase of the campaign--Points on which the British
had their way.

XX.--THE COMING OF VICTORY 293

The June Position--German attempts to pinch out our
lines of supplies--The attacks on hospitals--The
glorious last 14 weeks--G.H.Q.'s share.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

TO FACE PAGE

THE CHIEF _Frontispiece_

THE BOULOGNE GATE 1

THE CAVÉE SAINT FIRMIN 14

OUTSIDE THE RAMPARTS 20

THE MARKET 26

LT.-GEN. THE HON. SIR H. A. LAWRENCE 30

LT.-GEN. SIR G. H. FOWKE 38

THE GRANDE PLACE 42

THE RAMPARTS 48

THE THEATRE 50

IN THE OFFICERS' CLUB 54

THE PLACE GAMBETTA 60

THE FOSSE 72

A BY-WAY 80

A ROYAL VISIT: DECEMBER, 1918 90

THE EAST RAMPARTS 102

THE ARMY COMMANDERS 110

MAJOR-GEN. SIR C. A. BRAY 122

MAJOR-GEN. L. B. FRIEND 126

AN ARMY POSTER 132

BRIG.-GEN. THE EARL OF RADNOR 136

AT FORESTRY H.Q. 140

BRIG.-GEN. E. G. WACE 168

THE BOULOGNE GATE (FROM THE TOWN) 182

MAJOR-GEN. C. BONHAM-CARTER 198

LIEUT.-COL. D. BORDEN TURNER 202

CAPTAIN H. P. HANSELL 204

ON THE RAMPARTS 210

LIEUT.-GEN. SIR TRAVERS CLARKE 226

THE ECOLE MILITAIRE 272

AT THE CHIEF'S CHATEAU 284

"SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE" 292

MAP AT END