From Mons to Loos, being the diary of a supply officer . traw covered with their greatcoats. Thoselying nearest the door complained of coldand insisted on having it closed, those atthe farther end of the building found theatmosphere close and insisted upon havingthe door open. Between the two we spent an uncomfort-able and draughty night. On the 13th we captured Vieille Chapelleand La Couture after heavy fighting. Assoon as these villages were in our hands theGermans turned upon them their heavyartillery, directing their fire particularly onthe churches, which in such flat countrymake excellen
From Mons to Loos, being the diary of a supply officer . traw covered with their greatcoats. Thoselying nearest the door complained of coldand insisted on having it closed, those atthe farther end of the building found theatmosphere close and insisted upon havingthe door open. Between the two we spent an uncomfort-able and draughty night. On the 13th we captured Vieille Chapelleand La Couture after heavy fighting. Assoon as these villages were in our hands theGermans turned upon them their heavyartillery, directing their fire particularly onthe churches, which in such flat countrymake excellent targets for ranging were also singled out for destructionon the plea that they were used as observa-tion posts. The church of Vieille Chapelle was totallydestroyed, the bursting shells having setfire to the building, which was completelygutted. The roof, after burning some time,fell in with a crash, sending a thousandsparks flying upward and littering the floorwith charred woodwork and a mass ofdebris. The church of La Couture suffered less. THE MOVE TO FLANDERS. 137 severely, most of the damage being causedby one shell, which, entering through thestained - glass window at the head of thebuilding, struck the upper portion of thealtar, hurlincr it and the crucifix into amyriad fragments across the floor. Theshrapnel then exploded within the edifice,scattering its leaden pellets and jagged steelcasing in all directions, smashing lamps,brass candelabra, and stained glass, andcoverine: the whole interior with a thicklayer of dust. Just beyond the church was a cottage,above which a shell had burst, stripping thewhole of the tiles off one side of the roof On the 14th the fighting was resumed aswe pressed forward to Neuve Chapelle andthe Richebourgs. Progress, however, wasslow, as the enemy was hourly the day we suffered the greatmisfortune of losing our General — HubertHamilton. He was a leader who inspiredconfidence in his soldiers, and his death atth
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectworldwar19141918
