s were
convinced we were preparing for an attack on a big scale, and that the
yellow smoke which they saw coming towards them was some new form of
frightfulness. Of course they returned our fire, but our men knew by
this time that the whole affair was only a pretence. Far off to the
South, however, there was a real battle raging, and the cemeteries
which we afterwards saw at Loos bore testimony to the bitter struggle
which the British forces endured.

The village of Ploegsteert behind the wood was very much damaged. Like
the other villages at the front, it must at one time have been quite a
prosperous place. The church, before it was ruined, was well built and
capacious. There was a building on the main street which a (p. 111)
British chaplain had used as a clubhouse, and handed over to me when
his division moved south. It was well stocked with all things necessary
to make the men comfortable. It had a kitchen, reading rooms, and
upstairs a chapel. Two or three shells, however, had made their way
into it, and the holes were covered with canvas. The Mayor's house was
on the other side of the street, and he had a young girl there as a
servant, who kept the keys of the club. The chaplain who moved away
told me that this girl, when the town was being heavily shelled one
day, saved the lives of some men who were lying wounded in the house,
by carrying them on her back over to a place of safety in a farmhouse.
It was a deed that merited recognition, because she had to pass down
the road which was then under heavy shell fire. I brought her case
before the notice of the military authorities, and General Seely was
asked to take the matter up and make an application to the King for a
reward for the girl's bravery. There was a doubt as to what award
could be given to her. We got the sworn testimony of the Mayor and
other eye-witnesses, and the document was finally laid before the
King. It was decided that she should receive the bronze medal of the
Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Later on General Alderson sent for me
and took me to the Mayor's house in Romarin, where we had the ceremony
of conferring the medal. It was quite touching in its simplicity. The
girl, who had a fine open face, was on the verge of giving way to
tears. The Mayor and some other of the chief inhabitants were arrayed
in their best clothes, and a Highland regiment lent us their pipers.
One of the citizens presented the heroine with a large bouquet of
f