lying down were generally killed, as the bullets
struck them in the head or traversed the vital organs for the length of
the body. It required a courageous heart to advance seeing one's comrades
thus desperately wounded or lying dead. The shell fire was not heavy, and
few casualties were attributable to it. Lieutenant-Colonel Ramsay led the
attack in person, and he was easily recognisable by the wand which he
carried. One of the Battalion machine guns was pushed forward about 2-0
p.m. and under the covering fire it afforded the advance was continued.
The advance had been slow and losses were severe, but at 3-30 p.m. the men
had succeeded in establishing themselves in one line about a hundred yards
from the German trenches. A few minutes afterwards the Germans
surrendered, and between three and four hundred prisoners were taken. They
chiefly belonged to the 59th and 157th Infantry Regiments. A harvest of
souvenirs was reaped by the men, many of whom secured the then coveted
Pickelhaube helmet. The prisoners were sent to the rear, and the Battalion
continued the advance and ultimately established a line on the
Lens-Hulluch Road. It is to be observed that the Battalion was the only
one that got its field kitchens up to the village of Loos on the first day
of the battle. At 4-0 a.m. next morning the Battalion was withdrawn to the
old British line. Later in the day it moved forward to the old German
trench system as reserve in the continued operations, sustaining several
gas and shell casualties. On the 28th September the Battalion moved back
to Mazingarbe, as the men thought, for a rest. They were soon
disappointed. At 7 p.m. on the same day orders were received to take up a
position at the Slag Heap or Fosse at Loos, known as London Bridge. At 9-0
p.m. the Battalion left its billets in a deluge of rain and marched back
to the line in splendid spirits in spite of the fatigue resulting from the
recent fighting. It was relieved from the trenches on the 30th September,
and after one night spent in the ruined houses of Loos went to
Noeux-les-Mines for a few days to re-organise and re-equip.

On the 7th October the Battalion returned to the front line which was
alongside the Lens-Hulluch Road to the north of Loos. The trench had
evidently once been the ditch on the side of the road. It was very
shallow, and it was decided to deepen it the next night as the men were
too tired after their long march. This was a good resolution, but