elled, and buried where he fell.

Until far into the night every available officer and man left at
Battalion Headquarters was kept hard at it bringing ammunition, stores
and rations from the Brigade dump at Backhouse Post up to the firing
line. The work was exhausting but the men, recognising its vital
importance, laboured willingly. When finally we did get settled down for
a few hours sleep, it was with the pleasing consciousness that in this,
our first big engagement, if the fates had afforded us no opportunity of
gaining special distinction, we had at least put in much useful work and
contributed indirectly to the success of our comrades' efforts. But in
the meantime, although it was not until the following day that any news
of it reached us, "A" Company had had an innings and had played the game
in a way that must ever be recalled in the Battalion with pride.

It will be remembered that this company had been sent to support the 6th
H.L.I. That battalion's task was to seize the Turkish trenches on the
west bank of the Achi Baba nullah--trenches officially designated F11,
F12 and F12A. Our capture of these would protect the left flank of the E
trenches--the objective of the remainder of the attack--which would
otherwise be left very open to counter-attack from the west of the
nullah. Branching off from F12A, and running back in a long curve into
the enemy's next line of defence, was a trench known as F13. It was
necessary, if F12A was to be held by us, that the southmost stretch of
F13 should be cleared of the enemy.

F11, the portion of F12 running eastwards from F12A down to the nullah,
and F12A itself were captured in rapid succession by the 6th H.L.I. For
about 100 yards to the east of F12A, F12 had been so knocked about by
our artillery that it was no longer a trench--merely an irregular series
of shell craters--and it was completely evacuated by the enemy.

But when they had secured F12A the 6th found their impetus exhausted. It
is no discredit to them that this was so, for of the three Battalions
launched to the attack they had the worst ground to traverse and the
heaviest fire to face.

"A" Company during the earlier stage of the attack had been pushed
forward, in close support, to a small work known as the Lunette near the
head of Nelson and Plymouth Avenues.

About six o'clock, finding that his own battalion had as much as it
could do in holding and consolidating F12A, Major Anderson, who was
temporari