.

Fortunately the eve of the battle was quiet, and the exhausting ration,
water and ammunition fatigues, which only those can appreciate who have
taken part in such preparations, were pushed through in the dark without
serious interruption from the enemy. At length it dawned and the sun
rose in a cloudless sky.

It is well-nigh impossible for one who has played but a small part in a
big engagement to give a coherent description of the whole. He can tell
only of such happenings as came under his own observation. Of the
broader issues and general trend of the action, as well as of the minor
local incidents away from his own little corner of the field, he can but
repeat what he has learned from others, reconciling as best he can the
conflicting versions of the same episode as it is narrated by those who
have seen it from different points of view or taken part in it.

The preliminary bombardment of the enemy's lines commenced punctually at
4.30 a.m. The Turkish guns replied almost at once, and the volume of
fire on both sides rapidly increased until the din and vibration became
almost unendurable. From our Headquarters at the junction of Oxford
Street and the Old French Road little could be seen of what was going
on. Our artillery was mainly concentrated on the trenches away on the
right which were to be assaulted by the 155th Brigade, only a few guns
being directed at the position on our immediate front; its turn was to
come later.

At 7.30 our artillery fire ceased with startling suddenness. The hour
for the attack had arrived, and the guns were now to be switched on to
the Turkish artillery and reserves to prevent these giving any effective
assistance to the troops defending the trenches. A minute or two later
distant cheering and the sharp rattle of musketry were heard mingling
with the roar of the Turkish guns. The 155th had gone in.

An hour or two elapsed before any news of their fortunes reached us; an
hour or two during which the guns thundered almost as vigorously as
ever and the rifle-fire came and went in bursts. Then things began to
quieten down and tidings sped along the lines that the attack had
succeeded: the French had gained some ground on their extreme right, and
the 155th had secured their objective.

Soon, however, this good news was robbed of some of its gladness by a
rumour that at least one of the K.O.S.B. battalions had been badly cut
up--that they had gone too far and had been unable to retu