One Hundredth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Wednesday 7th November 1917

It is one hundred days today since this battle began on 31st July. In that time many yards of ground have been gained, many strong-points, woods and villages taken and many lives lost on both sides. The weather has, for much of the time, been as harsh an opponent as the enemy, rain ensuring that the men have to struggle forward through veritable swamps of mud and standing water. Having seen the rear areas, taken a few months ago this correspondent cannot conceive of what it is like to take part in an attack through such sludge.

We are hearing disturbing news from Russia, where a rebellion has broken out in Petersburg against the authority of the provisional government, formed after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in March. The malcontents are an extremist faction known as Bolsheviks who wish to seize power from chairman of the government Alexander Kerensky(1)

(1) Known as the October Revolution because Russia still used the old-style Julian Calendar according to which the date was 25th October. The revolution ultimately brought Lenin and the Communists to power in what became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics