Thursday 31st October
This Halloween has indeed been another horrible experience for the enemy. No apple-bobbing parties for them. Rather, they have had to face another allied assault.Our Second Army, now well free of the shackles of the Ypres Salient launched an attack to reach the banks of the Schelde, in conjunction with the French VIII Corps. The objectives were all taken and now this army takes its place with the others at the bridgehead of another triumphant advance.
Sunday 27th October 1918
Today the allied armies stand on the brink. The Germans have retired to the east bank of the River Schelde and now First, Second and Fifth Armies are poised to swarm over the river and drive on into the heart of the enemy forces.
Saturday 26th October 1918
After their great effort in the last few days 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has moved back into reserve. It is close enough to the front line to observe what is going on and is, according to its commanding officer, "keen for another scrap".
Meanwhile, for the last week Second Army has been hung up along the Schelde Canal, trying to get across in the face of determined opposition. It seems, this evening, as if the successes by First, Third and Fourth Armies further south have done the Second Army a favour, as the enemy has begun to retire from its positions along the canal, fearing being out-flanked from the south.
Source: X550/3/wd
Wednesday 23rd October 1918
The enemy are reported to have their last defensive line a little to the east of where our armies are currently grouped, close to the border of France and Belgium(1). Accordingly, today, a major assault has been underway. First, Third and Fourth Armies have been at work, though the main effort has been by the Third Army.
The attack began at 1.20 this morning, with a bright moon but also with ground mist. The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment went over the top at 3.20. They were initially held up by machine gun fire from their right flank but, after the judicious use of mortars, managed to capture the village of Beaurain, two officers and fourteen other ranks were killed and a total of 112 men, including the padre, Rev J B Mayal, were wounded; five men are missing.
The Bedfords were not alone. Fighting was hard in places and at times but this evening it is clear that advances of up to five miles have been made and ,most objectives seem to have been taken.
Source:
X550/2/5
(1) The so-called Hermann positions, based, not on constructed defences but on natural obstacles such as the Sambre-Oise Canal, Schelde Canal and River Selle.
Tuesday 15th October 1918
For most of this war the Menin Road has been a byword for suffering, terror and death. It is the road running east from Ypres towards the town of Menin, the road which cuts the Ypres salient into two - the salient consisted of the area north of the Menin Road and the area south of it. It was the axis of advance for the Germans towards Ypres in 1914 and 1915 and the axis of Second Army's attack in 1917. Menin itself, a comparatively trivial little town, assumed an aspect almost rivalling that of Shangri-la - a place which was thought to exist, though no soldier had ever seen it - a place which, if reached, would signal happiness and a rest for toil. Today Menin has been reached and, indeed, captured, the enemy having evacuated it. The town of Comines has also fallen into Second Army's hands. And, while the toil will continue for a while yet, there is a palpable sense that this is yet another sign that it will not, now be prolonged.
Monday 14th October 1918
Today General Plumer's Second Army resumed their advance out of the Ypres salient. On its left, to the north, the Belgians and French also took up the challenge. In the days leading up to today Second Army has carried out bombardments of the enemy positions and feint, probing attacks to keep him off-balance. Word has reached us the Germans are evacuating the biggest city in this region - Lille, which they have held since the first days of the war in August 1914.
As the French and Belgians advance up the Belgian coast towards the city of Ghent,Second Army will protect their right flank. Today all objectives have been taken. there has been some serious fighting but in places the enemy's resistance has been perfunctory. All seems set fair.
Sunday 13th October 1918
With the British and Imperial forces at the River Selle and Second Army, we understand will continue its break-out from the four year long siege of Ypres tomorrow. With their Belgian allies great strides were made earlier in the month with an advance in one day equivalent to the advance in the whole of the latter half of 1917. With Passchendaele and its ridge once more in out hands General Plumer's troops will hope for similarly spectacular progress in the days ahead.
