or a week.
Our artillery would open up every couple of hours and we could look
over our parapets and watch them pounding Cain out of Fritz's
trench--it was wonderful. We kept this up for about four or five days
so that Fritz could not have much of a trench left. The idea of the
heavy bombardment was to give him the notion that we were going to
make an attack at this point. On the morning that the Scotties were to
take back the trench Bill Cameron, George Roberts, together with
Canning, and some of the other boys, played quite a trick on Fritz.
They got a couple of very long steam pipes and filled them up with
explosives; carried them across and put them underneath Fritz's barb
wire. There was a long fuse attached.

Now to describe it:--The hour is 4 a.m. Everybody is anxiously waiting
for the bombardment to take place. We never gave a thought to the
possibility of Fritz bombarding us. The attack starts, but we do not
leave our trench, but set fire to the fuse. That fuse did all sorts of
fancy turns and twists travelling across No Man's Land, and then the
explosion! Fritz's wires are all blown to pieces. He was sure then
that we are making the attack and sends up all sorts of S.O.S. signals
that look very pretty. His artillery opens up, but it seems there is
something the matter with his range for he cannot reach us at all. But
what is taking place on the right of us? The Scotties, without firing
a shot, walk over No Man's Land, jump into Fritz's trench and bomb the
dugouts, capturing quite a few prisoners, and once more the
"International" is ours and has not changed hands since.

Chapter Five

Our Battalion did not remain long on the Kimmel front, but on being
relieved by some English troops, we were sent for a rest to a little
village called Berthem. We were situated in a French farm house and
received splendid treatment from the occupants. Here it was that we
met the Anzacs, fresh from their terrible fighting at Gallipoli; and
there was quite a little friendly rivalry between them and our
Canadian boys.

Contrary to our expectations we did not remain for any length of time
at Berthem. Some big fighting was in progress at St. Eloi, and the
Imperials had planned a strong offensive movement. Several mines were
exploded, and an attack was launched the objective of which, in the
first instance, was to gain part of the Messines Ridge. The attack was
a considerable success but not wholly so, because the Germa