The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-12
EYEW|TNRSST TELLS WHAT ENGLISH ARE
 DOING IN FRANCE
Detailed Account of Hap penings on Franco-Belgian Frontier Given Out by the
 Official Press Bureau

London, November 11.-10:20 D. mD The official press bureau issues the following descriptive story by an eye witness with General Frenchs head quarters, which continues and sup plements the narratives published No- vember 6 of movements of the British forces and the French armies in im- mediate touch with it:
 November f. Before the chronological record of events is resumed short de- scription will be given of the part played in the battle of October 31 by the London Scottish. The occasion is not looked upon as a special one be- cause of this battalion acquitted it. self we'll for that was regarded as matter of course; nor because it has done better than the regular battalions. who have been doing as much, if not more, for weeks. It is a special event because it forms an epoch in the mill itary history of the British empire and marks the first time a complete unit of our territorials has been thrown into a fight alongside the regular army. Briefly, what happened was this:
 'On Saturday (October 31), ordered to take up section of the firing line to support some of our cavalry, and having advanced to it's position under
 heavy fire, the battalion reached
 point where further movement for
 ward was impossible. There it main tained itself until dusk, when 1t pro- ceeded to entrench.
 Attack From Rear From 9 o'clock that night until a. m Sunday the Germans made num- erous attacks on the Scottish line, all of which were repulsed by rifle 1 fire At 2 a. m. they made their great l effort A considerable number detoured around the flank of the regiment. A l large portion of these were engaged by | the companies in support and reserve
 while others penetrated between the | first and second lines of trenches ano 1 assaiIed our firing line in the rear. "While the fighting with rifle anc | bayonet was going on a reserve conn l pany made repeated bayonet charges 1 against the enemy, who had got arount l and so prevented the entire envelop ment of the battalion. Behind the fir 1 ing line the scene of combat was light ed up by d blazing house, which ths l Germans had set alight
 I At dawn it was discovered that tho \ enemy had worked round both flank.
 with machine guns and retiremen
 was carried out. This was effected I under a crossfire from machine gum and rifles.s
 'The battalion suffered heavy loss but though unable to maintain its posi-
 ton, acquitted itself with gallantry an' ooolness in situation of peculiar diff II culty and inflicted far more damage ol the enemy than it received.
 ITO turn to the general narrative: Or November 1, the full violence of the en
 emy's attack again fell on our left soutl of Ypres. Such was the force of tn
 onslaught that our line was temporaril,
 driven back. It was soon readjusted however, and by evening the situation
 was the same as it had been 2f hour earlier.
 "That night some shells were throwi into Ypres itself. Farther south the Ger II mans during the previous night had re
 taken Messines and also had captures \ Wyschaete By Il a. m our cavalry
 working with the French drove them ou | of the latter place by brilliant charge | CTS were taken at this place, some onl. N IF years of age. Some never had fired II rifle before
 ..Thc fact that Messines still remaine' |l in hostile hands necessitated a slight ad |, justment of our front in the center. Bll | apart from this there was no change il II this quarter the bombardment continuing all day.
 |l During the action around these villages T. the Germans suffered greatly from thu massed fire of our horse artillery a short range, but though they fell lterall. in heaps they still came on with admir- able determination.
 South of the Lys some trenches los