t his gun in
action the whole time the gas was rolling over, actually hoisting it
on the parapet to get a better field of fire. Although nearly
suffocated by the gas, he poured a stream of lead into the advancing
enemy and checked their attack. He was carried to his dug-out, but,
hearing another attack was imminent, he tried to get back to his gun.
Twenty-four hours later he died in great agony from the effects of the
gas.

"A young subaltern in a cavalry regiment went forward alone one
afternoon to reconnoiter. He got into a wood 1,200 yards in front of
our lines, which he found occupied by Germans, and came back with the
information that the enemy had evacuated a trench and were digging
another--information which proved most valuable to the artillery as
well as to his own unit.

"A patrol of two officers and a non-commissioned officer of the 1st
Cambridgeshires went out one night to reconnoiter a German trench 350
yards away. Creeping along the parapet of the trench they heard sounds
indicating the presence of six or seven of the enemy. Further on they
heard deep snores apparently proceeding from a dug-out immediately
beneath them. Although they knew that the garrison of the trench
outnumbered them they decided to procure an identification.
Unfortunately in pulling out a clasp knife with which to cut off the
sleeper's identity disc, one of the officer's revolvers went off. A
conversation in agitated whispers broke out in the German trench, but
the patrol crept safely away, the garrison being too startled to fire.

"Despite the very severe shelling to which the troops had been
subjected, which obliterated trenches and caused very many casualties,
the spirit of all ranks remains excellent. The enemy's losses,
particularly on May 10 and 13, have unquestionably been serious. On
the latter day they evacuated trenches (in face of the cavalry
counter-attack) in which were afterwards found quantities of equipment
and some of their own wounded. The enemy have been seen stripping our
dead, and on three occasions men in khaki have been seen advancing."

JOINT BRITISH AND FRENCH ATTACKS

The fight went on by the exchange of desultory shell and rifle fire,
but without any remarkable incident until the morning of May 24.
During this period, however, the French on our left had attained
considerable success. On May 15 they captured Steenstraate and the
trenches in Het Sas, and on May 16 they drove the enemy headlong over
the