sketch map Headquarters 9th Brigade Sir I have the honour to report the following: Arrive here on Tuesday night after marching from Steenwerk. The Battalion acted as reserve to the West Riding Regiment. Early the next morning A Company which was acting as an [illegible] picquet was sent forward to assist the retirement of troops who were falling back. The troops were found falling back before the Germans. We fixed swords firm then charged forward. The enemy who was not more than 200 yards from us at the front was not in any great strength but in small groups. Those who stood their ground were shot down & the wounded invariably shielded their faces with their hands in great terror. Evidently that they expected to be massacred & on more than one occasion I had to prevent men from firing on them as we passed on. We then surrounded small trenches made of brushwood etc in which it was extremely difficult to see anyone in fact the first intimation was the fact of someone being killed at a few yards range. By the time I found that we were mixed up