assist in these
annoying tactics a special company of R.E., whose particular devilry was
gas, came up and dug in 1,000 gas projectiles behind the support lines.
On two separate nights, after everything had been considered favourable,
they gleefully let them off at La Signy Farm and its environs, and then
disappeared down their dug-outs to gloat over the picture of choking and
writhing Huns. We consoled ourselves with the probability that the enemy
had sustained more casualties than we had.

On July 8th Corps had a sudden recurrence of "attackitis," and,
doubtless at the instigation of a junior intelligence officer, they sent
out a frantic request to "all whom it may concern" to ascertain who the
enemy were in front. They had feared a relief by large German soldiers
who were anxious to smell the blood of the Hated English. This message,
or an adulterated form of it, filtered "through the usual channels" and
so reached the 7th in the late afternoon. Two hours before darkness it
had been answered in the following manner.

Reconnaissance had indicated an enemy post within eighty yards of our
line close to where the Serre road crossed it, but it was protected by
concertina barbed wire. "D" company were holding that part of the line,
and they were asked to furnish a party prepared to go over almost at
once for a Hun. An enterprising artillery liaison officer, Lt. Bates,
obtained permission to make use of a couple of 4.5 howitzers which he
said were new and very accurate, and these, firing graze fuse shells at
his correction would smash the wire. The only place from which
observation on this wire could be obtained was in our front line
directly opposite to it, and here a temporary O.P. with telephonic
communication to the battery was rigged up, the garrison of this part
being moved off left and right for safety. It was a nerve-racking
experience in that O.P., as may be gathered from the fact that we were
trying to hit an object less than 70 yards away! It took over an hour to
get a satisfactory result, and then 2nd-Lt. Gorst, Sgt. Horsfield and
seven other men, in shirt sleeves and armed with revolvers, hopped
quickly over, ran along a shallow trench or ditch, and entered the Hun
post. It was empty with the exception of one dead man who had just been
killed by one of our shells. He was quickly carted back, but with great
difficulty for he was a big heavy fellow, while Gorst and Horsfield
searched along the trench both ways f