nd we knew it had to come. I
waited patiently keeping a look-out for them coming. The men were
getting knocked out one by one, until I had only five; and the Lewis Gun
had got a bullet through its pinion which rendered it useless. Nothing
happened until the evening, and then the bombardment started and we knew
we had something to put up with. I sent up an S.O.S. rocket and our
artillery opened out, but the shells were dropping short and hitting our
men. Then we retired for about fifty yards and took up some shell-holes.
I looked round and found all my men had vanished. I was amongst some of
the Cams. and Herts. I really did not know what to do. The artillery
became more intense and still our shells were dropping short. There was
another sergeant out of the Cams. in this shell-hole with a few men; so
I told him I would go back and try and get in touch with the artillery.
On my way back I got wounded in the leg, so I rolled into a shell-hole.
It began to rain and rained heavily all the night. When day broke I
found myself covered with clay and mud, and wet through to the skin. I
crawled out and looked about me. It was a quiet morning except for a
shell bursting now and again, and I could see some men through my
glasses, about a mile away, working on a road. I made my way towards
them. How I got there I do not know, for I was more dead than alive. I
inquired for the dressing-station, which I found after a long walk. I
was sent down to the Base to hospital and was sent to England on August
6.

"I am pleased to say that I am feeling much better and my wound is
getting on nicely. I hope my letter will find you feeling much better
for the rest you have worked so hard for. I saw in the casualty list
that the Colonel had died of wounds, the Adjutant killed, Sec.-Lt.
Gratton missing, Captain Andrews wounded, and Lt. Telfer missing. I
think I have told you all the news you require, and hope you enjoy
reading it.

"With best wishes,
"Yours sincerely,
"ROBERT CHARLES BALDWIN, Sgt."

Sergeant Baldwin was awarded the Military Medal for his services on July
31--August 1, 1917.

Having reproduced the personal narratives of our experiences at Ypres,
first by myself and then by my platoon sergeant, it is now desirable to
see what happened to the Battalion as a whole. For this it will be
necessary to quote the official account in the _Lancashire Fusiliers'
Annual_. After mentioning the machine-gun fire w