"It was murder, as we could see the shells bursting from where we were and they were tearing holes into the ranks of the German infantry. Still they came on. Then the Germans started shelling us ... and for two hours we had a lively time of it.
Horses were getting killed and wounded, also drivers and gunners. One team of black horses and the three drivers were smashed up into a pulp as a shell burst in right amongst them. And I shall never forget the sight when the smoke cleared away, you couldn’t recognise anybody as the flesh of the man was mixed up with the horse.
I was wheel driver then of "A" sub section gun team, my riding horse had his nose blown off and was still alive. I shot him and put him out of his agony quickly and put a gunner’s horse in his place. Then the hand centre horse of our team got hit broadside and we had to shoot him.
One fellow, a bombardier, was hit in the thigh and had three fingers blown off and a piece of shell in his head. As I lifted him up all the blood off the stretcher ran down and over me like a spray bath. Two more fellows went mad and, in all, we had 17 men killed and wounded and about 30 horses killed or had to be shot. At 4.30pm, we had the order to get out of it and we limbered up the guns and got away, some gunners riding astride the muzzle.
The Germans shelled us all the way for three miles. That was our first real baptism of fire. But I’m pleased to say that every man did his work right up until we came away." - Private Bert Camp, age 25, Royal Horse Artillery, Ypres, Belgium, October 1914. #ww1 #war #stayzero #itaintpretty #reality #schoolcircle #warhorse