for
Adinkerke._

The Battalion continued to carry out its duties on the Belgian Coast
until relieved from that Sector on October 5th, 1917. In the previous
chapter some idea of the general conditions has been given. And the
period which followed was of somewhat like nature with intermittent
outstanding excursions and alarms and with memorable pleasant episodes
to intermix with those more combative, and in this chapter the
outstanding features will be recorded without following the movements
of the Battalion to the various points in this sand-dune sector.

The comparatively routine behaviour of the daily aerial and artillery
"strafe" broke into a brisk and heavy bombardment on the Division to
the left on the night of July 9th, but on the 10th about five o'clock
in the morning this heavy fire switched on to the trenches from the
border of the sea to Nieuport. The bombardment crashed on to all
lines, firing, reserve, and rear. It got heavier and heavier and soon
reached an unprecedented violence and extended to the flanking
Divisions as well. The British guns replied, but could not force the
hostile fire to slacken, and in the evening the enemy came on in
attack. They carried the trenches of the units on the left and
patrols were put out and the flank strengthened. This was the
severest bombardment the Battalion had ever been in. It was a
hurricane onslaught. The 17th knew that sort. They had been through
it. Positions were taken and held, where no trench afforded cover, and
where breastworks were blown away.

The 17th were ordered to send three Companies in support of the Border
Regiment who were being hard pressed east of the Yser. "A," "B" and
"C" Companies were despatched on this mission. These Companies
experienced very stiff fighting throughout the night of the 10-11th,
until relieved early in the morning of the 11th by the Northumberland
Fusiliers.

On the following day the bombardment slackened a little, though during
the night hurricane fire broke out, and over the period of this attack
the Hun used a very large number of tear gas shells--which at that
time was a new horror introduced to the sufferings of the British
armies. Who will forget the Redans, Le Grand and Le Petit, the Bridges
Putney and Pelican? The last named was renewed or rebuilt on the
average three times every twenty-four hours. No words can describe
what took place between the 10th and 13th of that awful month. The
Germans, expecting a