part of the way
and took up a position; the three had examined the wire and were
commencing to withdraw when they were attacked. As the sergeant left in
charge of the covering party reported, the first he heard was a revolver
shot followed by a "D---- it." This relapse to the colloquial we
afterwards heard was owing to a jamb in the revolver. Pirie was seized
by the throat by a Hun, but he put his bayonet through his assailant's
neck and left it there; the Bosche fell dead as Kinniburgh came to the
rescue. A few bombs into the enemy patrol completed their demoralisation
and the three got back safely, though Carmichael got detached and came
in through another unit's lines, getting a couple of bombs to himself
from one of our posts; however, as a miss is as good as a mile, no harm
was done. While the patrol were having their little engagement, a
stretcher bearer, Pte. J. Lamb, thought he might be of use, so on his
own left the covering party to see if anyone was wounded. Nearly
stumbling into a shell hole where six Germans were lying quietly, he
halted on the edge, not knowing whether he was going to be shot or taken
prisoner; then they said, "we your friends," at which he hurled his
stretcher at them and bolted back, falling immediately into another
shell hole, but the Bosche remained talking excitedly and Pte. Lamb
returned safely.

About this time a number of gas beam attacks were made from our line.
These were from the infantry point of view a great advance on the old
system, which meant man-handling innumerable heavy gas cylinders up the
trench system to the firing-line. By the new system a light railway was
run forward to the front line and all the infantry had to do was to push
the bogeys forward. When all were in position the gas expert turned a
handle and a poisonous mixture hissed off towards the enemy. What
casualties, if any, were inflicted we never heard; we certainly had a
number as the result of enemy retaliation by shell fire.

Towards the end of July we moved out of the line and spent ten days at
Lozingham, some miles behind Bethune, while there forming part of G.H.Q.
Reserve. The weather was good and the training much needed. The grounds
of the local chateau had huts in them and there we lived. A charming
countryside it was. But these good times could not last very long, so we
were soon marching back to the area we had left, bivouacking one night
in a large forest near Barlin, the next night at Roclinco