eet high and was making its
attack on the British in two minutes after it started. It was thickest
near the ground, being pumped from cylinders. And it worked with the
same deadly effect. The Third Brigade, receiving its second attack of
this sort before it had recovered from the first, retreated to the
southwest of St. Julien, but soon after regained most of their lost
position. The Second Brigade had to bend its left south. Colonel
Lipsett's Eighth Battalion, however, held fast on the Grafenstafel
ridge, remaining in their position two days in spite of the gas of
which they got a plentiful supply.

By noon of April 24, 1915, the Germans made an attack on the village
of St. Julien and that part of the allied front to the east of the
village. Thereupon the Third Brigade retreated about 700 yards to a
new front south of the village and north of the hamlet of Fortuin. But
what remained of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Battalions was forced
by circumstances to remain in the St. Julien line until late that
night. Colonel Lipsett's Eighth Battalion at Grafenstafel, in spite of
its left being unsupported, held its position which was of great
importance to the British front. For, had that part of the front been
lost, the Germans in an hour could have worked their way back of the
Twenty-eighth Division and the entire eastern sector.

In the meantime the French on the western section of the front made a
counterattack from the canal with partial success; but were unable to
drive the German troops from the sector entirely. The Teutons took
Steenstraate; but their victory there was marred by the fact that the
Belgian artillery smashed the bridge behind them. By this time the
British reenforcements began to arrive in fairly large numbers. The
Thirteenth Brigade of the Fifth Division was placed to the west of
Geddes's Detachment, between the Pilkem road and the canal.
Territorials who had arrived from England only three days before, the
Durham and York Brigades of the Northumbrian Division, supported the
Thirteenth Brigade. The Tenth Brigade of the Fourth Division were
rushed to support the Third Brigade of Canadians who were south of St.
Julien. Other British troops were sent to relieve the tense situation
at Grafenstafel.

An attempt to retake St. Julien was made early on Sunday morning,
April 25, 1915, by General Hull's Tenth Brigade and two battalions of
the Durham and York Brigade. The British worked their way to the few
Can