ns were
able to get in some pretty effective artillery work; the Fourth
Brigade was thereupon sent to their assistance and managed to drive
Fritz back for quite a distance.

For the next three days there was some very hard fighting in this St.
Eloi district in which our men participated with great valor. Some of
our boys were obliged to remain in those mine craters for twenty-four
hours with no chance of communication with the rear. Howard Johnstone
beat off no less than five attacks in four hours. Guy Matheson, who
had crossed over as a sergeant won the M.M. in this action, and here
it was that Corporal Ingram gained the D.C.M. They really deserved the
V.C. Captain Brooks did wonderful work, but I cannot continue to
mention individuals or I should have to mention every name in the
entire Battalion. After some days the intensity of the fighting died
down and the ordinary trench warfare was resumed. We had hard work
rebuilding our badly shattered trenches and were very glad of the
opportunity to enjoy our divisional rest. While out on rest on one
occasion we were visited by the King and Queen. Their Majesties,
accompanied by Colonel Hilliam, walked through our lines and appeared
much interested in our welfare.

It was in St. Eloi that we captured some prisoners who gave us the
information that there was going to be a gas attack on the Kimmel
Front. We warned the Imperials who were at that point, so they were
quite prepared. The Germans sent over the gas, and then came over
themselves. Our fellows fell back in the centre and thus surrounded
them, capturing or killing every one that came over. It was while in
those trenches that we first started to use the Lewis gun and the
Stokes trench mortar.

The Lewis machine gun is a wonderful weapon. Like a rifle it can be
fired from the shoulder and the discharge is at the rate of about 500
rounds a minute. The Stokes gun is much like a stove pipe; and as fast
as the shells, which weigh 13 lbs., are dropped into it, they go
flying through the air right to their object, and then burst and
create an awful havoc. The Germans have invented quite a number of
trench mortars, but nothing to come up to this.

One night whilst we were in those trenches a few Germans managed to
get into a part of our trench which we were not occupying, as we knew
that they had a mine there ready to blow up at any minute. As we
discovered, by the bombs and other stuff that they had left behind,
that the