n
leaving the Battalion. Aitken, if one could judge the severity of the
attack by the colour of the skin, must have been very ill indeed,
because he was a deep yellow colour from head to foot. He was determined
not to leave the Battalion, and during his spell in the line before
coming down to rest camp he had been regularly dosing himself with
various pills and only eating very light food, as far as it was possible
to regulate one's diet. On reaching rest camp, however, he decided to
adopt a kill or cure treatment and gave up taking the doctor's drugs.
The mess stores consisted largely of cases of tinned crab and a good
supply of whisky, neither of which, with the greatest stretch of
imagination, could be called light diet. Aitken, however, took large
quantities of both and returned to the line, white and feeling very fit.
It is difficult to make any medical man believe this story, but
nevertheless it is true.

After this doubtful rest we received orders to return to the line and
relieve the 156th Brigade, who a short time before had carried out a
successful attack on a small sector of the Turkish line by blowing up
their position and occupying the crater. It was this part of the line
just east of Krithia nullah we had to take over. On arriving in the
trenches about midday on the 21st November, and during the relief, we
were somewhat disturbed by the enemy directing artillery fire on the
parapets and communication trenches, which, although some readers may
consider strange, was quite an unusual occurrence. Little attention was
paid to this, however, until about 4 p.m., when without any warning the
enemy opened up a heavy bombardment on this particular part of the line
which we held. This continued for about an hour and we were confident
that the Turk was about to attack. Suddenly the artillery fire ceased
and a red flag was seen being waved from the enemy's trenches. Shortly
afterwards two Turks came over the parapet but were immediately shot
down. They were followed by an officer and a handful of men, possibly a
dozen, who advanced a short distance, but when about half of their
number fell, the remainder turned and bolted back to their trenches. All
along the enemy's line we could see bayonets appearing above the parapet
and there is no doubt that he intended to attack, but, apart from the
few who actually left the trenches, the attack did not develop. Our
artillery during his bombardment, and more so after his artille