The Beginning of the End

Wednesday 11th September 1918

Over the last few days the enemy has been retiring before the allied armies to their prepared positions they call the Hindenburg Line. Looking back over the last four weeks the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force, Sir Douglas Haig has stated that the British and Empire forces have captured 77,000 prisoners and 800 guns(1). This is an average of around 2,750 prisoners and 28 guns per day. these are astounding numbers in the context of what has preceded in the four years of this war. 

These figures underline that the enemy our troops face today is not the same resourceful, tenacious enemy faced at Neuve-Chapelle, Hooge, Loos, the Somme, Arras, Passchendaele and Cambrai. Or, at least, some of them still are but many are not. Sir Douglas went on to say that many of the prisoners refused to obey their officers and NCOs, that discipline in the army is going and that the German officer "is not what he was". He has said that it seems to him that we are now at the beginning of the end. We all fervently hope so.

(1) at an interview with the Secretary for War, Lord Milner.