gade or Division to say that such and
such a battery intended, at a given hour, to fire on such and such a
target. The necessary preparations were made but the infantryman was
inclined to be derisive when, at the appointed hour, the gunners would
loose a few rounds only and then remain silent until the next day.
Occasionally the infantry selected targets for the artillery--such as
enemy working parties, enemy troops on the move, or occupied gun pits.
One afternoon a platoon of the enemy was reported near the road leading
into Anafarta Sagir. The gunners were telephoned, but their longer stay
on the Peninsula had given them a better local knowledge, and they were
able to point out that the target was the tombstones and shadows of a
small cemetery.

[Illustration: MAJOR J. A. CAMPBELL WILSON.
Commander of "A" Company.]

It was the practice of the Brigadier to make a daily tour of the front
line. The Divisional Commander came once or twice a week, and General
Birdwood--sometimes accompanied by Brig.-General C. B. B. White--paid
occasional visits. At times Brig.-General H. G. Chauvel, who commanded
the 1st Light Horse Brigade, acted for the G.O.C., the N.Z. and A
Division. This day Sir Alexander Godley especially inspected the
improvements that had been made to the position and expressed his
approval with the work done. The cutting of new trenches, the deepening
and widening of the old ones, and the repair and adjustment of the
parapets and parados, had entailed much hard work. Here and there, where
it was possible for the enemy to fire into the trench with rifle or
machine gun, overhead traverses had been constructed. These consisted of
filled sandbags supported--for want of timber--on old rifles or tools,
the ends of which rested on the two sides of the excavation. The main
communication trench had also received attention, and it was now
possible to move up the Dere without forsaking-cover.

[Illustration: CAPTAIN J. GETTINGBY.
The Quartermaster.]

As has already been mentioned, the General's visits did not meet the
popular taste. However, on one occasion he created some amusement when
he pointed out, from No. 4 Post, the distant village of Anafarta
Sagir. To an officer, who had once been Lord Mayor of Melbourne, he
said--"That, when the advance is made, will be one of our objectives
and, if the 7th Brigade captures it, you will have the opportunity of
becoming the first Lord Mayor of Anafarta." His idea of duty was