, which was rather unfortunate
for it spoilt an unbroken record. The 7th N.F., who were stationed at
this place, were ordered to provide a field-firing demonstration for
the Divisional Staff. The demonstration was to include the firing of a
number of smoke-bombs--rifle-grenades with a small can of phosphorus
at the end. Their successful discharge required considerable practice
and nerve.

As Lieut. H. Richardson, the Bombing Officer of the 7th N.F., was away
I was asked to come over and instruct the men how to fire these new
weapons off. There were only two mornings in which to instruct them
before the demonstration came off. Of course it was a very hurried
proceeding, and I was rather horrified to find that the men knew
practically nothing about rifle-grenades. (Most of the trained
rifle-bombers had become casualties in the battle at Houthulst.) I did
what I could to explain the working of the smoke rifle-bomb; but on
the first practice taking place one of the men succeeded in blowing
off the forefinger of another man, through firing too soon. Of course
that was not a fatal accident, but it put the man out of action for
the rest of the war--my only serious accident in bombing of any kind.
When the demonstration came off, there were to my great relief no
further regrettable incidents of that sort.

On December 9 we began to prepare to return to the Salient, and I went
with certain advanced details to Watten, where I spent the night in
one of the houses. I managed to get a very passable dinner at the best
local inn. We entrained next day at Watten station and were taken by
rail to Brandhoek; marching to a camp quite close to the station.

I had seen in some of our Intelligence papers that the 14th Division
was in a Corps immediately on our left, and I therefore knew that I
might have a chance of getting in touch with my brother George.
Accordingly I walked to Vlamertinghe next day and heard that his
battalion was stationed in a camp at St. Jean. On December 12 I was
sent forward to take over B.H.Q. in Ypres, at a convent at the N.E.
corner of the city. The higher floors of the convent were all in
ruins, but the ground floors were more or less intact, and in these we
had our rooms and offices. The mess room was under a pile of rubbish
outside. Having made the arrangements with the 150th Infantry Brigade,
whom we were relieving, I had still an hour to spare before B.H.Q.
would arrive. So I decided to walk over to St. Je