s living in huts amongst the sandhills
behind Oost Dunkerque Bains. There was a fly in the ointment, however,
for the enemy knew about this camp, and being in possession of a couple
of high velocity 5.9 guns for which this place was a suitable target, he
pooped them off at us occasionally in the evening time. The night before
we came, indeed, a shell dropped upon a hut occupied by 2/6th Manchester
officers, killing four of them. Although we were worried this way, there
being little feeling of security under a thin wooden or canvas roof,
we fortunately sustained no casualties. On October 2nd we took over the
front line from the 5th, and were now in the unique position of being
the left battalion of the whole Western Front.

[Illustration: NIEUPORT, AND COAST SECTOR.]

It was an extraordinary place to fight in--like having a real war at
Blackpool amongst the houses along the front. Nestling in the corner
made by the mouth of the Yser and the coast, is the seaside resort
ostensibly belonging to the town of Nieuport, for it is called Nieuport
Bains. The war had arrived here suddenly, apparently, for an engine and
trucks still stood in the station, much battered now of course, while
every cellar was filled with most expensive furniture which the people
in their rapid flight had been unable to remove. All the houses had been
of the new and large type, particularly those overlooking the promenade,
but they were now skeletons of their former glory, and to see property
of this kind in such a state only served to bring home still more
forcibly the cruel destruction of modern war. The French had made this
front, and with typical French ingenuity they had connected all the
cellars of the houses and so constructed a perfectly safe communication
trench to the front line. This C.T. was continued backwards as a sort of
tunnel along the beach, but it was really a camouflaged trench, just
covered with a layer of sand. Flash lamps were thus greatly in demand on
this sector. As well as watching the Hun on land we were expected also
to keep a look out to sea for submarines and any other vicious craft,
and the two posts allotted this duty were armed with wonderful pom-pom
guns that no one had the courage to experiment with. Still "the man
behind the gun" had a comfortable feeling of importance so long as there
was nothing to shoot at. In that eventuality one trembles to think what
might have been the effect upon himself and the remainder of