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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Over the top with the 25th, by R. Lewis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Over the top with the 25th
+       Chronicle of events at Vimy Ridge and Courcellette
+
+Author: R. Lewis
+
+Release Date: October 16, 2008 [EBook #26930]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OVER THE TOP WITH THE 25TH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by "A Louis/Lewis Family Member in Newfoundland"
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian
+Libraries)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Transcriber's Note:                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For     |
+    | a complete list, please see the end of this document.     |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+   [Illustration: LIEUT. R. LEWIS, M.M.]
+
+
+
+
+OVER THE TOP
+WITH THE 25TH
+
+CHRONICLE OF EVENTS
+AT VIMY RIDGE AND
+COURCELLETTE
+
+BY
+
+LIEUT R. LEWIS, M.M.
+
+
+
+
+1918
+H.H. MARSHALL, LIMITED
+HALIFAX, CANADA
+
+
+
+
+Chapter One
+
+
+The end of August, 1914, found me following my usual employment as
+second mate on a small steamboat plying between St. John's,
+Newfoundland, and various stations on the coast of Labrador. The news
+from the front aroused my patriotism, and though my captain, who was a
+Britisher through and through, strongly urged me to remain with him
+because of the great difficulty of securing another man, I was fully
+made up in my mind that my clear, plain duty was to enlist. On my
+return trip to St. John's I found, greatly to my disappointment, that
+it was all too late to enroll my name in the already organized
+Newfoundland regiment. There was nothing for it but to cross to Canada
+and try my luck at enlisting there. Arriving at Sydney, and making
+enquiries, I discovered that the second division was not going to be
+formed up for some little time, and I therefore enlisted in the 94th
+Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. With them I remained in Sydney
+until October of the same year when the 25th Battalion was
+organized--a battalion which has since covered itself with glory and
+earned the legitimately proud title of "The Fighting Twenty-Fifth."
+
+Although I was one of them myself, I do not hesitate to assert that a
+finer bunch of men never left the shores of Nova Scotia to take up
+arms for Britain in the fields of France and Flanders than the gallant
+boys of the splendid Twenty-fifth. The general public does not appear
+to know very much of the achievements of this battalion and this
+perhaps may be due to the fact that we left Canada in May of 1915, and
+that we had been in France some nineteen months before any other Nova
+Scotia Battalion went into action as a unit. This story is not being
+penned with the slightest idea of seeking in any way to disparage the
+Nova Scotia Highlanders; that intrepid body of superb fighters have
+fought splendidly and well and their glorious record is fresh in the
+minds of all.
+
+
+It has been my privilege to be with the Twenty-Fifth right from the
+day of its organization until the 23rd of April, 1917, and now, from
+records and diaries which I have kept from the beginning, I am
+attempting to relate the true story of the wonderful work accomplished
+by this battalion.
+
+
+As previously intimated, we organized in the October of 1914, and at
+that time I was a private under Major MacRae. Since then, to quote the
+words of Kipling,
+
+    "Things 'ave transpired which made me learn
+      The size and meanin' of the game.
+    I did no more than others did,
+      I don't know where the change began;
+    I started as an average kid,
+      I finished as a thinkin' man."
+
+In those early days following upon enlistment we enjoyed some real
+good times in Halifax and the old boys will always recall with
+genuine appreciation the many kindnesses shown us by the citizens.
+Taking all the various circumstances into consideration we were well
+looked after by the military authorities; of course, our one burning
+eagerness was to get over to France and plunge into the thick of
+things as speedily as possible, and when it was rumored that we were
+going to be put on home duty feeling ran pretty high among the men and
+some quite lively times were experienced! The rumor, however, came to
+nothing and we settled down to the routine of our daily drill. By this
+time I had transferred to the Machine Gun Section and became linked up
+with "B" Co. with Lieutenant Medcalfe second in command. I shall not
+waste space in telling you about the time we strutted about, proud of
+our khaki uniforms, hugging the fond thought that we were real
+soldiers, even as not a few who today, still at home, wearing the
+uniform, are victims of the same absurd delusion. At last the great
+day came--the day of our embarkation; we were going to say our
+farewell to the land of our birth, sail away over the ocean and begin
+our great adventure, taking our place among the soldiers of the King
+and Empire in the greatest fight for liberty and right which the world
+has ever witnessed.
+
+
+Eager and keen, and with spirits high, we stepped aboard the old
+"Saxonia" along with the 22nd French-Canadian regiment, and sailed on
+the 20th of May, 1915, arriving in England after a pleasant but
+uneventful voyage. We found the training in England far more thorough
+than anything we had before experienced. We had to work, and real
+hard, too, but undoubtedly the process made us better men and tended
+to increase our confidence as soldiers.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Two
+
+
+It is obvious that to relate to my readers the truth concerning the
+Twenty-Fifth it is necessary to be somewhat critical, and I shall
+endeavor to be absolutely impartial. To begin with, let it be said,
+and said with perfect candor, that the credit of handling our
+battalion in England which eventually helped us to go across to France
+must be given to our own officers.
+
+
+For the most part we greatly enjoyed our stay in England. We had a
+splendid time in Folkestone, a beautiful sea-side place; and for
+company we had about 50,000 Canadians in addition to some English
+cavalry. After a little more than three months' training the welcome
+news arrived that the next item on the program was France and the
+firing line. This information was received with the utmost enthusiasm,
+for the boys were getting somewhat "fed up" with training and were
+anxious for a crack at the Hun. On going over, we had to leave some of
+our officers behind, as they were "extra" to the establishment. Among
+them were Will Cameron, Charlie MacAloney and others. They came out
+later and proved their worth as fighters. Arthur Weston, who was
+second in command, refused to stay behind and accompanied us to
+France as quartermaster, thus setting a fine example to a good many
+majors and captains who would rather hang on to a job in England than
+cross to France and fight. Weston was not of this type. He was a
+soldier and a man.
+
+
+We landed in France on the 15th of September, 1915, and I will never
+forget that first march, heavily accoutred, over a big hill to our
+first camp. You could easily have picked out our train by reason of
+the boots etc., strewn along the line of march, and followed us
+without difficulty from the day we left Boulogne till we finally
+arrived at a little village in Flanders called ----. Here, within
+sound of the guns, we bivouacked for the night, some of the officers
+going ahead to look over the trenches we were so soon to occupy. The
+next night, under cover of darkness, two platoons from each company
+went up to the trenches. I well remember that night, the long march up
+the rough shell-torn road, and then along the communication trenches
+where we were received by the Imperial troops who, during the next few
+days, showed us all around and taught us what to do. Two nights later
+the remainder of our own boys came in, and the English soldiers went
+south to take part in the battle of Loos. It was about this time that
+Major Jones, as fine a soldier as ever went overseas, suffered a
+breakdown in his health. The heavy responsibilities thrown upon him
+proved too much.
+
+
+After spending eight days in the trenches we came out for a
+well-earned rest. My particular company was stationed at a farmhouse
+which was situated quite close to the firing line. The owner was
+generally considered to be pro-German, his father, according to rumor,
+having previously been shot as a spy. The farmer had a dog which had
+been tied up for about nine months, and our sentries had strict orders
+that if any of the civilians left the house we were to halt them, and
+if they did not halt on the word of command we were to shoot. But I
+think at that time it would have been a case of "shoot first," for we
+were imagining all sorts of things. As it happened somebody let the
+dog loose, and as the sentries felt sure he was going over to the
+German lines with despatches, they just shot him dead. Major MacKenzie
+had to pay 30 francs for him to satisfy the farmer and to prevent
+headquarters hearing of the matter.
+
+
+At the termination of our six days' rest we went back to the trenches
+and relieved the 24th Battalion. "B" Company, to which I belonged,
+occupied H 3, J 3, 4, 5 and H 4. Every little while Fritz would
+"strafe" us with rifle grenades, and there was some mining reported in
+H 4. This was a small salient; and was held by about forty men under
+Capt. Medcalfe.
+
+
+On the evening of October 8th about six p.m. we were all chatting
+together, some papers from home had been received by some of the boys
+and we were discussing the names of the newly formed 36th Battery,
+when all of a sudden there was quite an explosion on our right. The
+Germans had blown up several small mines. Capt. Medcalfe at once gave
+the order to "stand to," but before I had time to get my rifle and
+equipment, the ground trembled and rocked beneath us and everything
+went up into the air. The explosion took away fully half of H 4
+trench, and left a crater about 10 feet deep. Those of us who were
+lucky enough to escape without being wounded managed, I don't know
+how, to make our way into H 3 trench. Fortunately for us the enemy
+was very erratic in his artillery fire. It was all going between our
+second and third line trenches and consequently did no damage. This
+was our first real bombardment, and quite naturally we all felt more
+or less "shaky"--I know I said my prayers that night as I never said
+them before! The papers had it that the Germans got into our trenches
+and that we drove them out again. Such a thing never happened. They
+made an attack on us, but our artillery, rifle and machine gun fire
+caught them in "No Man's Land." By a happy coincidence the West
+Lancashire Artillery was just relieving the 7th Battery of Artillery
+and we had the support of both of them, and, believe me, they sure did
+some wonderful work.
+
+
+Our front line officers, such as MacRae, Logan, MacKenzie, Tupper,
+Roberts, Johnson and others, were all out on the job; unfortunately
+the same cannot be said of headquarters. As I was merely a private at
+the time I do not know just what really transpired; but we never saw
+the colonel at all that night. About four the next morning the major
+came and paid us a visit when we had a new parapet built. The Germans,
+however, failed to get into our trenches; and up to this day the 25th
+can with perfect truth declare that they never failed in the critical
+hour, for if we did not always have competent officers at the head of
+the battalion we certainly had them in our companies. Following this
+action we were marched out of the trenches for a rest, and prior to
+going back again, we were visited by General Alderson, who gave us a
+pretty severe lecture. He said he had every confidence in the men. A
+few days later Colonel Hilliam took over the command, and Major Stan
+Bauld was appointed second in command.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Three
+
+
+When officers arrive in England they are given the option of going to
+France as lieutenants or going back home. That is the reason you see
+so many bold footed officers holding down staff jobs in England and
+Canada. Colonel Hilliam who was now our commanding officer, says that
+the 25th battalion made his name; but the 25th boys are equally
+positive that he made the battalion. It was truly wonderful the
+confidence we placed in him and he never disappointed us. He was very
+strong on discipline, and when all is said and done that is most
+essential in the army. Without it a battalion simply becomes a mob.
+During the winter we were on the Kimmel front. It was a bad year in
+the trenches, for the rain and mud were something awful. The mud was
+waist deep and of such a nature that once a fellow got stuck it took
+another chap to get him out. For about two months they were trenches
+in name only; they were caved right in and the boys that were doing
+front line work would go in at 8 o'clock one night and would not be
+relieved until 8 o'clock the next night--twenty-four hours without any
+hot food. I must say that we found the hot rum ration that winter to
+be a most desirable thing.
+
+Our colonel was a regular fire eater, and wanted to be at it all the
+time. He organized a raiding party in charge of Capt. Tupper along
+with Brooks, Cameron and Roberts. All four of them proved to be great
+fighters. They were the pick of the battalion.
+
+
+And now enters that great hero--Toby Jones--"the Man who came back!"
+He was machine gun officer, and the Colonel also put him in charge of
+a wire cutting party, and thus he was carrying the responsibility of
+both jobs. He would be around his guns all day and at night he would
+be scouting all over "No Man's land" and in December, 1915 it was no
+joke crawling around in the mud. He never got any rest. He would not
+eat, and the day of the raid Fritz had straffed us quite a lot. I was
+in trench S.P. 12 along with Toby when a message came to tell us that
+a shell had knocked in one of the dugouts and had killed one of our
+N.C.O's, Corporal Ferguson, a chap who was well liked by everybody. A
+road named the "V.C. Road" separated us from J 4. The Germans were
+shelling this road pretty bad; but as soon as Toby got the message he
+did not hesitate one minute but went across to J 4. He seemed to have
+had a charmed life. Shells were bursting all around him but he never
+got a scratch. That night Corporal Ingraham and the McNeil brothers,
+the three biggest dare devils that were in our battalion left our
+dugout on a wire cutting expedition. Imagine, three or four men lying
+on their backs in mud and water cutting at Fritz's wire just a few
+feet away from his trench! Jones would go around his gun teams to make
+sure that everything was all right and then he would visit his wire
+cutting party.
+
+Night after night Toby would be engaged in this dangerous and telling
+work. It proved too much for flesh and blood, and one night just as a
+visit was planned he broke right down and was carried to our lines on
+a stretcher. Well, Toby got the blame for the failure of that evening
+and left our battalion; but as the old adage puts it "You can't keep a
+good man down" and Toby Jones enlisted again as a private in the 42nd
+Battalion--won back his commission with the D.C.M. and a bar. Every
+man in the "Fighting Twenty-Fifth" lifts his hat to Toby Jones--the
+greatest hero of them all!
+
+
+We carried out several raids the next few weeks on the Kimmel front,
+and, as a matter of fact, it is no exaggeration to say that
+trench-raiding which has since been carried out so extensively was
+really initiated by the "Fighting Twenty-Fifth." Before proceeding
+further, let me describe a trench. They are all transversed, because
+if a shell or bomb should burst in one part of the trench the
+transverse prevents the spread of the shrapnel. A communication trench
+is usually to connect the trenches together, and sometimes these
+trenches are a mile long reaching from the front line to some part
+behind the line where it is comparatively safe to walk around. They
+are very deep and zig-zag in shape so that they cannot be enfiladed.
+
+
+On the Belgian front we could not have deep dugouts for the soil was
+so soft. To dig down a few feet was to strike water. At first we only
+had sand bags shelters, then we had the corrugated iron ones which
+were shrapnel and bomb proof.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Four
+
+
+We stayed on the Kimmel front from September 15th until sometime in
+February. We were never in anything big here for it was winter time
+and we had all our work cut out in repairing and rebuilding trenches.
+Now I have made mention of the fact that we came out for a rest, but
+that does not mean to say that we didn't work, for whilst we were
+resting we figured in many working parties. We all learned to believe
+that
+
+  Our section was the best in the Platoon
+  Our Platoon the best in the Company,
+  Our Company the best in the Battalion,
+  Our Battalion the best in the Brigade,
+  Our Brigade the best in the Division,
+  Our Division the best in the Corps,
+  Our Corps the best in the Army,
+  And that the British were the best in the world.
+
+Our old Colonel would have concerts and lectures arranged for us when
+we went to rest, and on Christmas day we had quite a big dinner,
+thanks to the people at home who helped by sending us quite a lot of
+nice things.
+
+As you might know we had quite a lot of Cape Breton boys. They were
+needed to do some mining and they were splendid at that work. The
+miners work is as follows; first they sink a shaft so many feet down,
+and then when they get down deep enough they start sapping forward,
+putting up timbers as they go. They have to work very quietly as Fritz
+also does some sapping and if too much noise is made the miners
+themselves are liable to go up in the air and come down in pieces, and
+I do not think that anybody would relish that idea. Mining is done now
+on a very large scale. So you see this war is carried on underneath
+the earth as well as underneath the water.
+
+
+I will remember a certain officer who got the creeps after the October
+affair and would always go around wearing armored body plates, and
+every time he heard a rat scratch he thought it was a mine. He heard a
+noise in his dugout and he cleared all the men out of his trench and
+had the miners up. They dug down and found that his place must have
+been over an old dugout and that there were quite a number of rats
+running around having a good time all to themselves. Certainly, I must
+admit that I was no hero myself. When our front trenches started to
+cave in we had to get out in front into No Man's Land and dig a new
+trench and what earth we excavated we had to throw up against our own
+front line trench, and although at the present time I would think
+nothing of it I was sure some scared. But after you are there awhile
+you do not mind it at all. The first winter Bill Cameron, along with
+his scouts used to live in No Man's Land. They thought nothing of
+doing that. They used to be planning to do all sorts of things, but
+the opportunity only seldom came for them to do anything out of the
+way, except it was to go over No Man's Land searching for dead bodies
+and curios, and those chaps were game enough for anything.
+
+   [Illustration: LIEUT. CANNING, M.M.]
+
+   [Illustration: MAJOR MACRAE
+   OFFICER COMMANDING "A" CO., 25th BATT.]
+
+The whole time we were on this front everything went very smoothly,
+for we had one great man at the head of our Battalion. We were great
+friends with the French-Canadian Battalion, but there was another
+Battalion in our Brigade with whom we did not pull at all, and there
+was always a certain amount of jealousy between us, which was a good
+thing as we were always trying to outdo the other. Their Commanding
+Officer thought that they were the best battalion that ever left
+Canada, and Hilliam, the bulldog that he was, would not stand for
+that; so there was always a certain amount of rivalry between us.
+
+
+On one occasion there were a few Canadians guarding a road where
+people were not supposed to travel by night unless they had a pass,
+and a "Twenty-fifth" man who had been having a good time was coming
+home. "Halt," cried the sentry, "who goes there?" Answer "25th," "Pass
+25th all is well," so the 25th man went on his way home. Along came
+another belated traveller. The same performance was gone thru and he
+gave the number of his battalion which was not the 25th. The answer
+came back from the sentry, "Turn out the guard," and they put this
+poor soldier into the guard room. It was all due to their petty
+notions as to what they should not do. But still it always works out
+well; a little jealousy between the battalions always makes one try to
+outdo the other. But thanks to our Commanding Officer we never took
+second place to any battalion in France.
+
+
+Shortly after we were ordered to move up to the M. and N. trenches
+where we relieved some of the 4th Brigade for a time. There was a
+trench in this locality named the "International" because of it's
+changing hands so often. Well, about a month before this the Germans
+had made an attack on the Scotties and they were just relieving and
+were not prepared for the Huns. But they fought until they saw that
+they would have to plan a surprise attack to get it back. The Scottish
+Division then went out for a rest and left Fritz master of the trench.
+But the canny Scot was not giving in so easily. When they had been
+reorganized they came back with one intention and that was to take
+back the "International" trench and they did.
+
+
+Well here we were in the Vierstrutt trench, and we held it for a week.
+Our artillery would open up every couple of hours and we could look
+over our parapets and watch them pounding Cain out of Fritz's
+trench--it was wonderful. We kept this up for about four or five days
+so that Fritz could not have much of a trench left. The idea of the
+heavy bombardment was to give him the notion that we were going to
+make an attack at this point. On the morning that the Scotties were to
+take back the trench Bill Cameron, George Roberts, together with
+Canning, and some of the other boys, played quite a trick on Fritz.
+They got a couple of very long steam pipes and filled them up with
+explosives; carried them across and put them underneath Fritz's barb
+wire. There was a long fuse attached.
+
+
+Now to describe it:--The hour is 4 a.m. Everybody is anxiously waiting
+for the bombardment to take place. We never gave a thought to the
+possibility of Fritz bombarding us. The attack starts, but we do not
+leave our trench, but set fire to the fuse. That fuse did all sorts of
+fancy turns and twists travelling across No Man's Land, and then the
+explosion! Fritz's wires are all blown to pieces. He was sure then
+that we are making the attack and sends up all sorts of S.O.S. signals
+that look very pretty. His artillery opens up, but it seems there is
+something the matter with his range for he cannot reach us at all. But
+what is taking place on the right of us? The Scotties, without firing
+a shot, walk over No Man's Land, jump into Fritz's trench and bomb the
+dugouts, capturing quite a few prisoners, and once more the
+"International" is ours and has not changed hands since.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Five
+
+
+Our Battalion did not remain long on the Kimmel front, but on being
+relieved by some English troops, we were sent for a rest to a little
+village called Berthem. We were situated in a French farm house and
+received splendid treatment from the occupants. Here it was that we
+met the Anzacs, fresh from their terrible fighting at Gallipoli; and
+there was quite a little friendly rivalry between them and our
+Canadian boys.
+
+Contrary to our expectations we did not remain for any length of time
+at Berthem. Some big fighting was in progress at St. Eloi, and the
+Imperials had planned a strong offensive movement. Several mines were
+exploded, and an attack was launched the objective of which, in the
+first instance, was to gain part of the Messines Ridge. The attack was
+a considerable success but not wholly so, because the Germans were
+able to get in some pretty effective artillery work; the Fourth
+Brigade was thereupon sent to their assistance and managed to drive
+Fritz back for quite a distance.
+
+For the next three days there was some very hard fighting in this St.
+Eloi district in which our men participated with great valor. Some of
+our boys were obliged to remain in those mine craters for twenty-four
+hours with no chance of communication with the rear. Howard Johnstone
+beat off no less than five attacks in four hours. Guy Matheson, who
+had crossed over as a sergeant won the M.M. in this action, and here
+it was that Corporal Ingram gained the D.C.M. They really deserved the
+V.C. Captain Brooks did wonderful work, but I cannot continue to
+mention individuals or I should have to mention every name in the
+entire Battalion. After some days the intensity of the fighting died
+down and the ordinary trench warfare was resumed. We had hard work
+rebuilding our badly shattered trenches and were very glad of the
+opportunity to enjoy our divisional rest. While out on rest on one
+occasion we were visited by the King and Queen. Their Majesties,
+accompanied by Colonel Hilliam, walked through our lines and appeared
+much interested in our welfare.
+
+It was in St. Eloi that we captured some prisoners who gave us the
+information that there was going to be a gas attack on the Kimmel
+Front. We warned the Imperials who were at that point, so they were
+quite prepared. The Germans sent over the gas, and then came over
+themselves. Our fellows fell back in the centre and thus surrounded
+them, capturing or killing every one that came over. It was while in
+those trenches that we first started to use the Lewis gun and the
+Stokes trench mortar.
+
+The Lewis machine gun is a wonderful weapon. Like a rifle it can be
+fired from the shoulder and the discharge is at the rate of about 500
+rounds a minute. The Stokes gun is much like a stove pipe; and as fast
+as the shells, which weigh 13 lbs., are dropped into it, they go
+flying through the air right to their object, and then burst and
+create an awful havoc. The Germans have invented quite a number of
+trench mortars, but nothing to come up to this.
+
+One night whilst we were in those trenches a few Germans managed to
+get into a part of our trench which we were not occupying, as we knew
+that they had a mine there ready to blow up at any minute. As we
+discovered, by the bombs and other stuff that they had left behind,
+that they had been in our trench we decided to go and look for them,
+so Lieut. Dennis Stairs took a party out. He had with him Sergt.
+Canning, who has since won the M.M. and his commission. They wandered
+about No Man's Land for awhile when they suddenly came upon a supply
+of Fritz's bombs. There were a few hundred of them, so it was quite
+plain that they intended to make a big raid on us. But when he had the
+"25th" to contend with he had the wrong crowd. The next night the same
+party went out, prepared for anything that might happen and they
+waited by that supply of bombs, and sure enough, quite a few Huns
+appeared. Our fellows then threw the bombs, and I can assure you there
+were many Huns who never got back home again. We got a little
+information from the prisoners taken and that was most important.
+
+
+Another night, as usual, we had our listening posts out in some of the
+shell holes, when one of the men of the "A" Company posts saw a couple
+of Huns quite close and immediately opened fire on them, killing one
+and wounding the other. It was by means such as these that we were
+able to gather very desirable information regarding the enemy, his
+strength, probable intentions, and sometimes the effect of our
+artillery fire. In fact one of the main reasons for making these raids
+was for the very purpose of getting information and also to weaken the
+morale of the Germans opposite to us.
+
+While we were here at this section of the front, about June 9th, the
+Third Division had to withstand a very heavy bombardment, followed by
+a terrible barrage fire, and subsequently a fierce attack. The Germans
+managed to get into the trenches but not without paying a dreadful
+price.
+
+
+It was found necessary to send for reinforcements if the trench was to
+be re-captured. Imperials relieved us on the St. Eloi front, and we
+were speedily conveyed by motor lorries and rushed up to the Ypres
+section. Our boys all knew they were in for a hot time but we were
+keen to be at it for we were "just spoiling for a fight." We got it
+all right, and though we were only here for two days, such was the
+severe nature of the fighting, that our casualty list was very heavy.
+Incessant rain added to our discomfiture; but the spirit of the boys
+was something wonderful to behold.
+
+
+After a twenty-four hour rest in the huts at Ypres we went to the now
+famous "Hill 60" where we remained for seven days. It was while we
+were here at "Hill 60" that Sergt. Duffet got the D.C.M., though he
+afterwards died of the wounds which he had received.
+
+
+After leaving "Hill 60" we went back to the St. Eloi front again, and
+had the usual routine of work to perform--trench warfare and plenty of
+working parties. Just imagine a party of about a hundred men carrying
+wire trench mats across the open in full view of Fritz. A flare goes
+up; everybody stands still; a machine gun opens fire; everybody goes
+down so that they will not be hit; and then every thing is still
+again. All of a sudden somebody swears as he trips over a shell hole,
+but the oath is made in such a reverent way that it is more of a
+prayer than a curse word. Thus it continues night after night.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Six
+
+
+As I have previously said, there is always a certain amount of rivalry
+between the Battalions. In illustration of this we got word that a
+Battalion on our right was going to pull off a raid. Our Colonel
+immediately ordered Lieut. Wise (he went over with the 25th as a
+Sergt. and is now a Major and second in command of the Battalion) to
+take a party of men and make a raid into Fritz's trench. They set off
+and after wandering around "No Man's Land" for a while found an
+opening in his wire. They got into his trench and bombarded him right
+and left, killing quite a few and bringing back valuable information.
+Unluckily we had a few wounded, and Sergt. Anderson got no further
+back than Fritz's wire when he was hit. Lieut. Wise made three or four
+gallant attempts to get him out, but, owing to the machine gun and
+rifle fire, it was impossible. Lieut. Wise, who was badly wounded got
+the Military Cross and Cross de Guerre, and several of the boys got
+the Military Medal, so the Battalion on our right had to postpone
+their raid.
+
+
+A few nights later we planned another. There were three parties, one
+under Lieut. Matheson, one under Lieut. Daley, and one under Lieut.
+Hiltz, the whole being under the command of Major Grant. Lieut.
+Dennis Stairs also took part in this. We were all ready to raid the
+trench when we got orders that the Battalion on our right was going to
+pull off a raid and that we must postpone ours. The same night that
+Lieut. Wise pulled off his raid so successfully, the Fourth Brigade
+"put one over" on the Hun. They raided his trench, bringing back some
+prisoners and doing quite a lot of damage to his trench.
+
+But one of their men had been missing and had been given up for lost.
+Two days later one of the Artillery officers, while observing our
+fire, noticed a chap wandering around No Man's Land, and he would have
+fired at him only the man turned round and the observer saw his black
+face and knew right away that it was the missing man. A couple of boys
+crawled out and brought him in. He was quite delirious. It seemed that
+he had been wounded and bled quite a lot and became unconscious. The
+sun dried the wound, but left him insane and he had started wandering
+around No Man's Land.
+
+Just before we left the St. Eloi front we had some of the Fourth
+Division in with us, and we showed them what they had to do and left
+them to play their part and show the Huns that they were
+Canadians--and this they have undoubtedly done.
+
+The Somme fighting was on about this time. I well remember the 1st of
+July. Our aeroplanes went over the German lines and brought down about
+six or seven of their observation balloons before you could say "Jack
+Robinson." It was pretty slick work, with some new explosive that our
+fellows had kept very secret.
+
+In leaving the St. Eloi front we marched for three days to a little
+town quite close to St. Omer called ----, where we drilled from five
+in the morning till seven or eight at night, doing the usual training
+so as to get us fit for the fray. By this time I was a full fledged
+Lance Corporal in charge of "C" Company's Lewis guns. We had a great
+time here. A couple of days in the week we would have sports and then
+we would play games of baseball. Some of the boys would help the
+French girls make up their crops. Another thing that helped to make us
+so comfortable here was the difference in the people. They were most
+hospitable and could not do enough for us. We would scatter our straw
+on the floor, spread our blanket and go to sleep as happy and
+contented as possible. I tell you when you have a tiled floor for a
+mattress, your pack for a pillow and your overcoat for a blanket you
+can appreciate such a comfort as straw and blankets.
+
+
+We all knew that we were going to the Somme to take part in that big
+show and we were very anxious to get down upon them. The First
+Division had gone down a little ahead of us, but we were going to show
+them that the 25th could play its part as well as any of the
+Battalions and we did so.
+
+
+We stayed a while here in training and then we started on our journey.
+We would march about fifteen miles each day and would camp or bivouac
+for the night. Before turning in to sleep we would have a sing-song,
+all the men being in the best of spirits for at last we knew we were
+going to have a real scrap with the Hun, and although we had been in
+France twelve months, we had always been on the defensive and that is
+always the hardest kind of fighting. As we had quite a lot of old
+scores to pay off, we were just eager to get at the foe. After a long
+march we finally arrived at the brickfield in Albert, and there we saw
+for our first time the brass statute on the Church of Albert which
+was hanging head down. You would think that it would fall at any
+moment, but it was well secured so that the person who made the
+prophecy that when the statute on the church at Albert fell, the war
+would end, must have known that the war would last a long time.
+
+
+Well here we were. Thousands of troops ready for a big attack. One day
+we saw some queer looking objects coming along the road. We were all
+wondering what sort of war machines they were. There were all sorts of
+rumors as to what they were and what they could do. We did not find
+out what they were until the 15th of September and then we knew that
+they were the much-talked of "tanks." Fritz also found that out--much
+to his loss. We did several working parties here, going up through
+Contalmaison, Pozieres and other villages. We should not have known
+that they had been villages only that there were signs there to inform
+us to that effect.
+
+
+Anybody who has seen the German trenches here, and the deep dugouts
+and steep ridges which the British troops had to swarm over could
+scarcely believe it possible to take any of their positions; but we
+had a leader in General Haig and he knew what he was doing. The
+Artillery pounded the Hun with such vigor that if any were left they
+were properly demoralized, and then the infantry went over and caught
+the Germans down in their dugouts. By the night of Sept. 14th we were
+ready to launch our attack. The great Somme fight was on!
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Seven
+
+
+On the way up to the trenches and on seeing the guns, practically
+speaking, wheel to wheel, we thought it would be impossible to use
+more artillery at one time. But I know we have four or five times the
+number of heavy guns in use on the western front now than we had on
+the Somme, and that is one of the reasons that the morale of the men
+in the western area is so good.
+
+
+On the night of September 14th we moved up to a position of reserve,
+and we were all issued our fighting material which consisted of
+ammunition, rifles, bombs, with haversack on our backs, rations enough
+for two days and water bottle filled. We also made sure that we had
+our field dressing with us. There was also another little thing which
+we were given and that was our aeroplane signal. As soon as the
+advance starts our aeroplanes are ready to co-operate with us in all
+possible ways, and I can tell from what I have seen that Fritz's
+planes stand a very poor chance against ours.
+
+
+Now to describe our action. As soon as we start to dig in we light
+some of those flares; our planes see them and they signal back with
+the Klaxon horns, then they drop some signal and do a little fancy
+flying, and by that means, sometimes combined with wireless, our
+artillery know just exactly where we are. Some of the men also carry
+wire cutters, others, shovels and picks. I can assure you that it is
+no light load but the queer thing is that nobody seems to mind it,
+until everything is all over.
+
+On the morning of the 15th the 4th and 6th Brigades made the attack
+for our Division. It was a pretty big affair on about a three mile
+front. We were back in reserve and we were pretty sore because we were
+not taking a part in it, when we saw the "Irish Navy," as we called
+the tank, come puffing up. Little did we think that many who were
+there talking would be killed or wounded before the day was over. Then
+all of a sudden the artillery with a mighty roar opened up the most
+terrific fire.
+
+It was a wonderful sight. Nothing could be seen all along the horizon
+in the rear but one mass of flame, where our guns were sending out
+shell after shell. They were there in all sizes from the eighteen
+pounders up to the fifteen inch guns.
+
+Now, our boys are over with all their objectives well defined. The
+principal one for our division, at the time, was the Sugar Refinery,
+and in a very short while the prisoners started to come in. Some of
+them carrying our wounded with them, others carrying some of their own
+wounded. They were a demoralized crowd and after the artillery barrage
+which was put up it is not to be wondered at. Brigade headquarters
+were very close to us and they were taken there where they were asked
+all sorts of questions by our intelligence officers. Some would speak,
+others would not; but our intelligence corps generally got all the
+information that was needed. Our troops advanced so much that day
+that some of the artillery had to shift their guns up closer as they
+were out of range.
+
+That movement was a very pretty sight--the gun limbers being galloped
+across the shell torn ground, wheeling their guns around and getting
+into action in very short while. If I were a professional writer, I
+could describe a lot of things that happened that morning which would
+be very interesting to the reader but there are a number of incidents
+which I shall have to omit thru lack of memory.
+
+Now and again, Fritz would throw a shell over at us, but it would do
+no more harm than fling up dirt over us and we were so used to this
+that we did not mind it at all.
+
+The tanks did wonderful work puffing along to the German strong points
+and using their guns. I guess the moral effect was just as terrible as
+the real. No wonder that the German prisoners were so scared. Anyway,
+the main thing was the British got all of their objectives and quite a
+few were still pushing further ahead. We did not think that we would
+have a chance to take part in the show but at the same time we were
+prepared for anything that might happen.
+
+At 3 p.m. that same afternoon the Scottish Division on our right took
+Martinupuch, so General Byng decided that the Canadians should make
+another drive and take Courcelette, and, as it was, the 4th and 6th
+Brigades that went over that morning it was our turn for Courcelette.
+
+There was a conference of the four colonels commanding the four
+battalions in our Brigade and it was decided that the 25th were to go
+thru the left half of the village, the 22nd thru the right half, the
+26th in close support and the 24th in reserve, and altho there have
+been not a few rumors as to who really took Courcelette all I can say
+is that the whole Canadian corps played a part one way or another,
+even to the Army Service Corps who supplied our ammunition. But anyway
+that is how our brigades went over on the 15th of September.
+
+When the colonel came back he held a consultation with his company
+commanders who were Major Tupper "A" Co., Lieut. Col. Flowers, "B"
+Co., Capt. Stairs, "C" Co., Major Brooks "D" Co., and the entire
+scheme was explained to them. I was in the Lewis Gun Corps of "C" Co.,
+so when Captain Stairs called together his platoon officers, I had to
+be there too, and the scheme was that "A" and "D" companies were to
+form the first wave. There was a railroad the other side of
+Courcelette, there they were to dig in, in the most suitable place in
+front of that. "C" and "B" formed the second wave and were to dig in,
+just in front of the village. My instructions as to my guns were that
+I was to plant one gun on the left flank of the company and one on the
+right. When I saw that D. Co., had consolidated their position I was
+to start and take the right flank gun up and put it out in a shell
+hole about 20 yards in front of D. Co. My left flank gun I was to
+leave as it was guarding a sunken road. It was also an understood
+thing that we were to leave so many Lewis gunners behind, so when we
+started over we had but two trained men per gun, and four others,
+untrained, to carry ammunition.
+
+We started to get into position. The glorious 22nd were on our right,
+and the 3rd Division on our left, and tho this was our first time
+"over" everybody was laughing and eager to get at it. There was that
+grand old colonel of ours with a foot rule held in one hand and a map
+in the other. We were all lined up in extended order about 1-½ miles
+from our objective and we had to advance over ground that had been
+ploughed up pretty badly by our own artillery that morning. Shortly,
+our colonel gave the order to advance. Almost at the same time our
+artillery opened up. We advanced in one long extended line. (I must
+say that we use a different formation today). We were all joking with
+one another. We had fixed bayonets and as we passed a trench I heard
+one artillery observing officer say: "By the Gods of War, isn't it
+fine." One of my gunners asked me for a chew of tobacco. We passed
+some of the trenches which our boys had taken that morning. I saw a
+big German lying on his face dead, and a few of our own lying around.
+Then again we came across a few more dead Huns. Here were a couple of
+skulls which had been thrown up by our artillery. One of our boys
+passed the remark that they would not even let the dead rest.
+
+
+People talk about Fear; I must admit there is such a thing before you
+start over, but once you get started you are callous to everything.
+You see you own best friend killed alongside of you, but that does not
+stop you for you keep right on, never thinking that you may be the
+next, and even if you did you would say to yourself that you have got
+to go sooner or later, so what's the odds?
+
+
+We were getting near to the Sugar Refinery that Fritz had put a
+barrage across. No matter, we kept on. We got to the trenches held by
+one of our other brigades. The second wave is supposed to stop here
+for a few minutes whilst the first wave keeps on. One of the boys who
+were holding the trench said "Keep on lads, don't be frightened. We
+gave them hell this morning. You ought to be able to do the same now."
+I got mad at him for thinking that we were not "playing the game," so
+I gave my gun team the order to advance. As we passed the Sugar
+Refinery, Fritz's shells were bursting everywhere--shells bursting in
+the air, shrapnel coming down on us white hot like snow. One of my men
+was hit. I took his ammunition and left him to get out the best way he
+could. Fritz's machine guns were now playing on us.
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+We saw some of the boys turn around and then drop dead. It must be a
+great death, for in the excitement one would never know what struck
+him. We opened up our machine guns on the Huns who were hiding in a
+bit of a wood. My team is up with the first wave by now. Then we all
+made a dash and arrived at the Convent wall in Courcelette. There were
+lots there before us. The most prominent of all was Colonel Hilliam,
+with a cigar in his mouth, stick in one hand and watch in the other.
+He says, "Now boys, the barrage will play there for five minutes and
+then we will go right thru the village." He was wounded in the hand,
+but he only smiled at that. I went and found out that both my guns
+were O.K. and that I was lucky enough to get over with my full amount
+of ammunition, which was very fortunate considering that we came thru
+quite an artillery barrage.
+
+Our shells were bursting just in front of the village. You could see
+nothing but one mass of flame and smoke. Our colonel looked up and
+said "Now Boys get ready," and then the artillery lifts and we go thru
+the village. What was once a peaceful village is now nothing but a
+mass of burning ruins. We got thru, but some of our boys had to
+bayonet a few Germans to make them be good.
+
+The first wave was now well in front, and I was with my right flank
+team in the second wave. We came up on the right of "C" Co., just as
+they were preparing to dig in.
+
+Lieut. Dalley was about ten yards in front of his platoon giving
+orders to his men to dig in, when I saw him take a turn round and
+drop. I rushed out and picked him up. He told me to go on and never
+mind him. It was a dry day and there were quite a few bullets striking
+close to us, but at the time I did not seem to know, what they were so
+I got hold of Dalley and brought him back to a shell hole where our
+boys were digging in, and turned him over to their care. By this time
+I saw that "D" Co., had started to dig in, so I took my guns along and
+placed them in a shell hole about 20 yards in front of where our boys
+were digging. It was now about six p.m. The aeroplanes were over our
+heads sounding their horns and we were burning our signals.
+
+After placing my team I came back and found that Lieut. Dennis Stairs
+was wounded on the arm and leg. I bandaged him up, but he persisted in
+staying in and "carrying on" with his work altho the colonel wanted
+him to go out. He has the Military Cross and I must say he deserved
+it. I also found that Major Brooks had been killed and that Major
+Nutter was acting O.C. of "D" Co. I reported to the colonel who was in
+the front line, and he asked me to take out the prisoners. There were
+about thirty-five of them, and I was to turn them over to the 26th
+Battalion, which was supposed to be in close support. There were a
+couple of chaps who were slightly wounded, going out as escort. We
+went out right thru the village but no sign of the 26th.
+
+We saw a couple of their scouts who told us that the battalion was a
+little in the rear of us, but as it was getting dark we decided to
+send them out in charge of the wounded runners. The Huns were so
+demoralized that they really did not need any escort. Just before they
+left I saw Lieut. Wetmore stick his head out of a shell hole. He had
+been badly wounded in the head, so he also went out with the
+prisoners. I then started on my way back to the front line. Going thru
+the village we came across two Huns carrying a wounded Hun. We took
+them prisoners and turned them over to Sergt. Anderson of "C" Co. I
+then saw Sergt. Laird of "B" Co. and got about 30 bombs from him and
+took them up to my front line gun and came back to visit my left flank
+gun, which was still with "C" Co. While I was talking to Sergt. Weir
+there was a message came to me from Major Nutter to get my left gun up
+and place it out in front. I went to the left flank to carry out my
+order, and found my gun and ammunition scattered around the sunken
+road not damaged. But my team was gone, so I hunted around and got
+another team together and placed them out in "No Man's Land." If Fritz
+had to counter attack us that night he would have got an awful
+reception, for we had quite a few machine guns out in front and
+everybody was in good spirits and keeping a good look out.
+
+We found out by this time we had lost quite a few of our best
+officers; out of our company we had lost one of the finest men that
+ever went over. He was a man that no matter how hard the bombardment,
+he was always normal and would never get excited--that was John
+Stairs. The O.C. of "B" Company, Colonel Flowers was also missing. He
+was not with us very long, but everybody thought a lot of him. It was
+splendid for a man of his age to come out and volunteer as a platoon
+commander as he did, and he deserves all the credit that can be given
+to him. We had a few others killed and missing, but taking everything
+into consideration and the objective that we had taken, we had come
+out very lucky.
+
+Our boys were pretty well dug in by 12 that night. It was hard
+digging, about a foot of earth, then flint and underneath the flint
+was chalk.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eight
+
+
+The reaction had started to set in by this time. I cannot describe it
+to you properly, but there are a lot of people under the impression
+that a soldier gets a glass of rum before he "goes over." The reason I
+write about this is because people have often said the same thing
+about me. I'll tell you, the British soldier does not need rum to buck
+his courage up. I believe that it was given to the men before they
+went over in the beginning, and that after the effect wore off it left
+the man drowsy. Once you start "over," you do not give a curse for
+anything. All you think about is that there is an objective, and that
+there is nothing in this world to stop you and you keep that spirit up
+until you have everything securely in your hands, and then perhaps a
+couple of hours after a certain amount of reaction sets in. Then is
+the time for the rum. In France it is used, "never abused." The
+reaction generally works off after a few hours and then you are fit
+for anything.
+
+During the night Fritz made several counter attacks on the 22nd. We
+were not quite sure how they were making out, but a runner came up and
+told us that everything was O.K.
+
+I do not remember anything eventful happening that night. We had a
+couple killed, and Sergeant Tickle of the Machine Gun Section, whilst
+reconnoitering, ran into a German strong point. He bombed them and got
+back safely. But when daylight came there was quite a few of our chaps
+getting nipped off from the right, so a message was sent out to Major
+MacAvity, who was brigade major. He came up, and that afternoon the
+Third Division made an attack and took the trench from which they were
+sniping, and also 100 prisoners. We knew that there were papers of
+importance in a house in the village which had been used as
+headquarters and Fritz was quite determined that we should not get
+them, for he put shell after shell into the village. But whenever
+there is information to be had, there is somebody who will get it and
+we got those papers and believe me they proved to be of great
+significance.
+
+
+We had everything consolidated and the artillery had wires right up to
+our front line for observation purposes. To make matters worse we had
+a little drizzly rain. The next afternoon Major Tupper was killed, and
+as "A" company was to make a small attack--Major Nutter took over "A"
+company, and Lieutenant Matheson, who was now acting officer
+commanding "C" company took charge of operations. I am sorry to say we
+had many casualties that day in "A" company. We were relieved on the
+coming morning by the First Division. There were some machine gun
+crews to be relieved and as all the other companies and details were
+relieved the colonel wanted to stay and see them relieved, but he
+finally decided to let me stay behind and take this matter in hand.
+
+
+On the 9th of April, in my rank as officer, I reported for duty to
+Colonel Bauld and was glad to be once more with the glorious fighting
+boys of the grand old Twenty-Fifth. Some few days later we took part
+in the Arleux fighting; my company, "D," formed the flank. We were
+able to take all our objectives and consolidate them. It was in this
+scrap that I "got mine," for I was hit in the arm, leg, back and
+behind the ear. After twenty and a half months in France to have
+escaped death and even a serious injury, I consider it to have been
+most fortunate, and feel persuaded that someone at home must have been
+remembering me in their prayers. After my wound, I managed to crawl
+out and was then sent to a clearing station, subsequently to England,
+and them home to Nova Scotia. Here I am at the present and to be
+candid I am not over anxious to return, but if I should be
+wanted--well, I am ready to go and strike another blow for King and
+Empire, Liberty and God.
+
+
+After holding these trenches we were glad to get out and get a rest.
+The first day we got as far as The Reserve trenches. There we had
+plenty of rations issued to us and we rested here where there were
+some very large and comfortable dugouts which our most amiable friend
+Fritz had built for us. We enjoyed them and although we had lost quite
+a few of our best pals we knew that we all had gone through that same
+ordeal and those of us who were lucky enough to come out of the scrap
+never gave a thought to what we had gone through. A good thing, for if
+we did a few of us would be good patients for a lunatic asylum. We
+stayed here for the night and the next morning we got as far as the
+Brickfields near Albert where there were a lot of the old London Motor
+Buses waiting to take us back to a little village clear of the shell
+fire so that we could reorganize and get another go at Fritz. We were
+all as happy as larks, singing "Are we downhearted," "The Canadians
+took Courcelette, they can fight you just bet" and other trench songs.
+Some of the boys had on Fritz helmets and others had Fritzs'
+revolvers; we all had souvenirs of some description. We arrived at
+this town after a couple of hours ride. There was our Pipe Band with
+the Battalion Mascot, the goat, which we got in 1915. It is still with
+the battalion and always leads the band. When we reached this village
+the very first thing we had to do was to shave and clean up, for were
+we not the best unit in France? We always thought so and we used
+always to show an example to the others. That is "esprit de corp." We
+had a pretty good time in this village. Some of the boys sold their
+souvenirs as they said we were going back and could get lots more. Our
+old Colonel was still with us but his hand was now bandaged up. I
+forgot to tell you when he was coming through Albert the 22nd gave
+three cheers for "Col. Hilliam." He turned around and said, "If there
+is any credit give it to the boys, they deserve it." He quite forgot
+that we looked upon him as something more than a man, the way he would
+go around through a bombardment. Out here we had the usual parades and
+reorganization, but we only had the old battalion to reorganize as we
+got no reinforcements. However, we were still the "25th" and could
+show the Germans what we could do. It soon got spread around that we
+were going back to have another go at Fritz. So we got our guns fixed
+up and the afternoon before we went in Col. Hilliam made an inspection
+of the battalion. I had my Lewis Gun team formed up in rear of "C" Co.
+When the C.O. came around I called them to attention and saluted. He
+said "What is your name my lad?" I replied "Lewis, Sir." "Oh, a very
+appropriate name to have charge of the Lewis Guns." I said, "Sir, I
+try to do my best." He says, "You have done wonderfully, my lad." I
+thought it the greatest honor that I have ever got. We started for the
+Brickfields next morning, Col. Bauld in command of the Battalion. Col.
+Hilliam had to go to hospital for a few days. We arrived at the
+Brickfields and there we were given our full instructions as to what
+we had to do and went through the usual performance of being fully
+equipped with all the necessary equipments of war before we went in.
+Capt. John D. MacNeil was now O.C. of "C" Co., and one night we got
+the order to move up to the reserve trenches. All this time the troops
+who were occupying the trenches were steadily advancing. We had taken
+quite a lot of their strongpoints, including ---- and other villages.
+After a long tedious march we arrived at our reserve trenches and made
+ourselves as comfortable as possible, such as digging a hole in the
+side of a trench and perhaps a couple of sheets of corrugated iron,
+and finally we got settled away and went to sleep. It was very
+comfortable when you consider the circumstances. Certainly now and
+again one of Fritz large shells would burst somewhere near you but
+that was all in the game. If it was going to get you it would. But
+keeping awake would not save us. So Fritz's shells had no more effect
+than the vermin which we had got quite used to. The next night at 7
+o'clock, runners came down from the 14th Battalion to guide us to the
+front line. We were very inquisitive and began asking those chaps
+about where they were, what sort of fighting they had and other
+questions too numerous to mention, for strange to say, no matter how
+long you are there, when you got into a new position you always want
+to know what it is like before you go in it, and if you are told that
+it is a lovely place and that you can have a good time you can depend
+that it is going to be worse than hell. That is what happened in this
+case. The guide told us that it was a nice, quiet little spot. We
+found out the difference before we got out. We toiled through the
+shell-torn ground for about six hours before we got to where Battalion
+Headquarters were. Sometimes, our guides lost themselves. At other
+times Fritz would put a barrage across. We would lie down then in a
+shell hole and start talking about old times, never giving a thought
+to the shells which would burst quite close to us. In fact they got a
+few of our boys on the way up. But one has to be there to realize how
+callous a person appears to shell fire. By that I do not mean to say
+that he holds it in contempt for he doesn't He has a mighty regard for
+it. But you always want to show that you are as brave as your next
+door neighbour. Sometimes they came a little too close and one of the
+boys would sing out "Say let's make a move, for I don't mind getting
+Blightie but the way that one burst it will be France" or some other
+such remark. When we arrived at Headquarters it was in a large sunken
+road which our boys had captured a few days before. We hear quite a
+lot of ---- and here were quite a lot of wounded Germans who had been
+taken prisoners that day calling out for water, and although we were
+going in and we did not know when we were coming out, some of the boys
+gave them some of theirs. I hope they will do the same. We waited here
+for a while and then we started out for the trench. We had some night.
+We would go to one trench and then to another; our guides did not know
+where to take us. About 4 o'clock in the morning we started wandering
+around No Man's Land. At 7 o'clock, broad daylight, (we were laying
+down in the grass at the time), some of the boys saw somebody moving
+and as we saw that they were our own boys we made a rush and got into
+what was known as the Subsidiary trench. That is how "C" Co. relieved
+the 14th Battalion on the Somme. There was quite a chain-work of
+trenches here. What we held was named "Subsidiary Line." It really was
+not a trench but a system of outposts. In front of us were the famed
+"Kenora" and "Regina." Their names will always linger in the memory of
+the Canadians, for we did some very hard fighting around here. There
+were also a lot of trenches in rear of us held by some of our other
+companies. On our left were the 24th and C.M.R. I really do not know
+who were on our right. As I said what we were holding was only a
+system of strongpoints. There were five of them altogether and as I
+had three Lewis guns I put one on each flank and one in the centre.
+About 9 o'clock the same morning we saw somebody waving to us from out
+of No Man's Land. When we saw that he was one of our own lads, Lieut.
+Alexander, Corp. McEarley, (these two were both killed four days
+later) and myself, took a rubber sheet and doubled out and got him,
+expecting to be fired on at any time by Fritz. But he could not have
+seen us or else he did not want to give his position away. Anyway we
+got the chap in. He belonged to the 14th Battalion and had been out
+there for three days. His wounds had stiffened up so that he could not
+move. Poor chap, he said that he would have gone crazy that day if we
+had not brought him in.
+
+
+Some very hard fighting took place here for there was an awful lot of
+dead Huns lying around. All that morning we made our positions as
+secure as possible. At about two that afternoon word came from Col.
+Bauld that we were to attack and that the Co. Commanders were all
+wanted at Battalion Headquarters. When Capt. MacNeil came back he gave
+us the outline of the scheme and told me that I was to stay in the
+Subsidiary trench until they had things consolidated, or if they had
+to fall back under a heavy counter attack I was to cover the
+retirement and hold the trench at all costs. All right! Our barrage
+opens up; our fellows go over; up goes Fritz's S.O.S. signals, his
+artillery starts. It is maddening where we are. His artillery is
+playing all round us, knocking in our trenches in places but never
+getting any of my guns or men. Then there is a tremendous fire of
+machine guns from Fritz's trench no man could live through. The
+bullets are just singing through the air. But our men are quick to
+grasp the game and get into some shell holes and wait until it gets a
+little dark and then crawl back to our own line. We have quite a few
+wounded and some killed. Nothing though when you look at the
+resistance. One chap by the name of Porter came crawling into the
+trench with an ugly head wound and blood pouring all over his face. He
+started swearing at Fritz and ended up by asking for a chew of tobacco
+before he went out to the dressing station. We got settled away once
+more all prepared for the wily Hun if he should come over.
+
+
+There were several of attacks on our left that night. It sort of got
+our wind up a little. Outside of that everything went well and we
+passed a very comfortable night, smoking and tell stories, for there
+was no such thing as sleep in the outposts. The next morning at
+daylight we took a good observation and everything seemed normal, so
+after giving out the rations of food, water and rum, we took turns
+and had a sleep until about 11 o'clock when for some reason Capt.
+MacNeil was ordered to take his company back to the sunken road in
+rear of the trenches so they could have a sleep I had to stay there
+with my three gun teams and hold the trench against all attacks. About
+2 o'clock that afternoon when everything seemed very quiet and normal,
+Fritz started up with a bit of a bombardment and they were all landing
+around our trench. At times they would just cover us with mud. Luckily
+for us it never got anybody. He was also landing them between us and
+"A" Co., so I began to get a bit worried and decided that I should
+send a message back to Headquarters as they were shelling pretty bad.
+I did not think it fair to send one of my men so took a message across
+to "A" Co., and had them send it back to H.Q. I then went back to my
+own men, arrived there safely and cuddled up against the side of the
+trench expecting any minute to go up in the air, but we still kept on
+joking each other. Neither one of us would let on that we were scared.
+About 5 o'clock that afternoon I saw about twenty men leave "A" Co.
+trench and make a dash across No Man's Land. They were a reconnoitring
+patrol in charge of Lieut. Canning and they were going to find out if
+the Kenora trench was occupied. Well they did. Fritz stopped shelling
+us and turned his machine guns and artillery on to this small party.
+They had to fall back and I believe they had four or five killed,
+including Lieut. Houston. Shortly after that our own Company came back
+and I can tell you I was not sorry to see them for it was no enviable
+position having responsibility for a couple of hundred yards of your
+front line. We got an issue of rum from the Captain when he came and
+we needed it bad. About eight that night a ration party came up with
+our rations and water. Say, you should have tasted it; full right up
+with the taste of petrol, but still it was good to us. You know we
+lose all fancy ideas about taste in the trenches.
+
+
+Everything passed off as usual. Now and again we would think that the
+German was coming over so would have an extra good watch. He is such
+an uncanny devil he is always sending up fancy signals. The next
+morning as usual I visited my teams, issued their rations and rum. I
+had just finished doing this with my middle team and was sitting down
+talking to them. The little trench was more like a grave that could
+just hold us comfortable. All of a sudden there was an explosion
+overhead. I heard somebody singing out "stretcher-bearer" and I
+thought something had struck me in the back and had gone though me,
+but I looked around for my men. As far as I could see they had all
+been wounded and they were trying to get as fast as they could to the
+dressing station. Then I looked behind me and there was one of my team
+with his leg right off; three of his fingers were also off but as he
+was bleeding so much from his leg there was not a bit of blood left in
+his hand. I bandaged him up the best way I could and then we got a
+stretcher and carried him out. The wound that I had was only a little
+scratch and I found out later the shell that burst overhead was what
+we call a "wooly bear," instead of the shrapnel bursting forward it
+shot downwards. My gun was disabled so I thought I should have
+another. I went back to Howard Johnson who was Acting O.C. of
+operations in the front line. He was always optimistic (a good way to
+be) so told me about all the artillery that we had behind us and that
+we should not worry. Well, I did, and finally I got that gun fixed so
+that it worked alright. Everybody was telling me how lucky I was to
+escape when everybody else got hit, but I had a more miraculous one
+that afternoon.
+
+
+About three Fritz started to shell us badly again. The shells were
+coming quite thick and as we could see that he did not intend coming
+over it was decided to evacuate the outposts and go back to the Sunken
+Road. The most of the Company had gone back and as I was all ready to
+leave with my team a big fellow burst. It got one of the men who was
+just behind me, tore off his leg and a big chunk went into his back,
+missed me, and the concussion took the chap that was in front of me
+and landed him about 5 yards away dead. I cannot explain it but there
+are several of the boys back here who saw it. We got back to the
+sunken road, stayed there about an hour and then we manned our
+trenches again. About nine o'clock that night rations were brought up
+to us as usual, and they also sent the few men that they had left at
+the horse-line, for we were beginning to get them out a little. The
+advance is all right for the morale but it causes quite a few
+casualties. This night went past as the others--nothing happened.
+
+
+The morning was fine and we received word that we were to make an
+attack and take the Regina trench that afternoon at all costs. We got
+everything prepared for it that morning and that afternoon at three
+o'clock we went over again, but it was a futile attempt for they had
+all sorts of machine guns and barbed wire there waiting for us. But we
+kept on as far as the Regina, but could not capture it as our numbers
+were too depleted by this time. It was here I got the M.M. This makes
+a coincidence in our family, two brothers having the M.M. and one the
+D.C.M. We were relieved late that night by the 6th Brigade and we were
+not sorry to get out. We lost quite a few here, including Howard
+Johnson, who was in charge of operations. If ever a man deserved a
+V.C., he did. We marched from here to the Brickfield and from there
+back to a village behind the lines, out of the range of shell fire. We
+were still the same old battalion in name and those of us who were
+left intended to let the reinforcements know what sort of a battalion
+they had come to.
+
+
+When our reinforcements at last arrived Col. Hilliam took them and
+gave them a good lecture and then the old boys got after them. It did
+not take them long to decide that we were the best battalion in France
+and that is how we got the "Esprit de Corp."
+
+
+We stayed in this little village for about a week and then started on
+our march for the Bullez Grenaz front. After a few days marching, we
+arrived at our destination, a place where all Canadians have spent a
+happy time. The village itself was right close up to the communication
+trench and the French people carried on their work as usual, although
+now and again Fritz would put over an occasional shell, but they all
+seemed to think that was in the day's work. We went into a reserve
+trench called Mechanic's Dump. It is a spot that will always remain.
+Here were buried quite a lot of French and British soldiers who had
+lost their lives in the battle of Looz and there were also some of our
+own buried here. Amongst them, Sergt. Jim Harris. He was the greatest
+all round dare-devil that we had in the battalion. In fact there was
+nothing too daring for him to do if he could get a joke off. It was he
+that took the chickens, skinned them and threw the skins beneath
+the officers' cookhouse so that they would have to pay for them.
+Sergt. Harris was appointed Wiring Sergt. He had charge of all the
+wiring in front of our trench and craters. There were two craters
+quite close to each other, one occupied by us, the other by Fritz. The
+Brigade Major asked Harris if he could wire this crater as it was a
+very risky job. Harris promptly replied that "if Kaizer Bill himself
+were there in the crater opposite, he would wire it." He did and had
+the job finished when he saw a couple of Huns stick their heads out of
+their crater. With that he threw a couple of bombs at them and got
+them, but a couple of their pals got Harris. We were sorry; for he was
+really the most talked of man in the Battalion. Anyway, I had the
+satisfaction of fixing his grave up.
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+
+When we took over these trenches everything was quiet in this section,
+but it was not very long before the Canadians had livened things up.
+Some days we would "strafe" him with trench mortars; on others we
+would give him a touch of our artillery. Bill Cameron was aching to
+get a go at him so he picked out eighty men and four officers. It was
+decided to use the Bengalore torpedo to blow his wire up. The time
+appointed was Xmas morning. When they went to put the torpedoes
+underneath the wire they found it impossible as it was too bright, so
+there was a consultation and it was decided to crawl out, lay
+alongside of his wire and then make a dash into his trench as soon as
+the artillery started which they did with great success, bringing back
+about nine prisoners. Besides what they killed and the damage done,
+the moral effect on the Hun was good.
+
+That night the battalion on our right were going to pull off a raid.
+They started in and Fritz must have thought we were going to pull off
+another, so he just started in and shelled us like anything. He didn't
+get any of us, but sure kept us ducking. I would put a chew of tobacco
+in my mouth and go round and visit my men, shells landing all around
+us. When they were coming through the air you would swear that they
+were coming straight for you and that one had your number engraved on
+it. Well, I would be as shaky as anybody could be, but I would not let
+the others see it and the men were the same. We are all alike; we all
+get a little funky in a bombardment but we will not admit it.
+
+
+During our stay here Fritz bombarded the village with gas shells,
+killing four or five civilians. He did not get one of the military.
+Well, I suppose that is his way of waging war.
+
+
+We were to be relieved by the 1st Division so that we could go out for
+a rest and I was advised that on the 21st of February I was to go to a
+cadet school in France to qualify for a commission.
+
+It was also understood that before we went out for this rest that we
+were to carry out a large daylight raid. The 4th Brigade who were on
+our right were to do this. A couple of nights before the raid was
+planned for, the Battalion Scout officer, with a couple of men, were
+scouting around No Man's Land when they encountered a strong German
+patrol. Our fellows had to drop back to our trench but the officer was
+hit and it was believed taken prisoner by the Germans. As he had some
+important papers the plans were all changed. So much in fact that we
+knew nothing about them ourselves. We got word at last that the raid
+was to take place at 4.30 this certain afternoon. Exactly on the
+second our artillery trench mortars and machine guns opened up. We
+just showered them with liquid fire shells and gas shells. Well, it
+was a wonderful night. The 26th Battalion on our left went over,
+entered his trench and bombed dugouts in the front line, for we were
+not taking any chances on Fritz having a surprise waiting for us. Our
+men all returned and we thought everything was over and that we would
+be relieved the next day. I guess Fritz thought the same. At seven the
+next morning I had a message handed me telling me that my men were not
+to stand down until I was notified later, as the Brigade on our left
+were going to carry out a raid. Again we pounded Cain out of him. Our
+men went over and our artillery formed a box barrage so that they
+could go in the trenches secure from a German counter attack. They had
+great success, brought back 100 prisoners besides what were killed. We
+suffered very light.
+
+After our boys came back, Fritz, thinking that we still held it
+completed the work of knocking his trench to pieces which we had
+started. We were relieved the next day and marched to a large mining
+town called Bruay. I was there only about four days when I was sent
+down the line to qualify for a commission and arrived back on the
+morning of the ninth and went up the line to the front trenches that
+night, along with Lt. Col. Bauld.
+
+After a month of rest at Bruay, the Battalion left for a training camp
+where for over a month the Battalion, in conjunction with the
+remainder of the 2nd Division, trained on ground marked out showing
+the different communication and main line trenches then held by the
+Huns and which were to be our objectives. This is made possible by the
+accurate photography from aeroplanes used for that purpose.
+
+At last the time drew near. A week was all that was left before the
+great day was to arrive and by that time the Battalion was in a good
+condition for anything that might happen. On the night of the 5th
+Major Delancy, who was going to take the Battalion over the top, held
+a meeting of all officers and everything was explained. The officers
+were made to understand that even if only one man was left alive the
+objective must be taken and held and unless the position was serious
+no calls for help were to be sent to other units but that the "25th"
+must carry out the task alloted to them.
+
+
+Easter Sunday came and we were ready and anxiously waiting to move. At
+6.30 a.m., Lieut. F.G. Lawzanne left with a party of N.C.O's to take
+up, what the orders stated, to be a Camp but what was in reality all
+that was left of a small forest known as the Bois-Des Alleux. At 9.30
+a.m., the Battalion, in fighting kit, without great-coats, left for
+this camp. After arriving bombs, ground flares, etc., were issued the
+Battalion and the remainder of the day was spent in trying to keep
+warm. During the course of the afternoon two men appeared in Camp with
+sand bags slung over their shoulders. They turned out to be Piper
+Brand and Piper Telford who did not want to be left behind and
+volunteered to play the Battalion "over the top." Permission for this
+was given by Lt. Col. D.S. Bauld, who, at that time, was in the Camp
+with his Battalion and who was feeling downhearted at not being able
+to lead his men on the following day.
+
+
+At last orders were received to move forward to our jumping off
+trench. At 8.30 p.m., Easter Sunday, the 25th left their camp, a camp
+which, some of the finest sons of Nova Scotia would never see again,
+and moved forward slowly, passing through Mount St Eloi, where could
+be noticed a few remaining French families who had stayed by the home
+all through the months of war. A few hours march, and we arrived on
+the Muvelle St. Vacest Road where for some reason we stayed for almost
+two hours, during which time the Hun started shelling the road, and
+here our first casualties occurred. We were at last able to continue
+our march and at 3.30 a.m., Easter Monday we marched out to the
+jumping off trench which was already being shelled by the Huns. Zero
+hour had been set for 5.30 a.m., so we had two hours to wait, and a
+long two hours they were. Nobody can realize except those who have
+been through it the thoughts which pass through mens minds at such a
+time--thoughts of home and loved ones appear as a vision with a wonder
+as to whether you will ever see them again.
+
+
+Operations orders were that the 24th and 26th Battalion would attack a
+trench known as ZWISCHEN STELLING, while the 25th Battalion with the
+22nd French-Canadians, as "moppers-up," would capture and consolidate
+a trench named TURCO GRABEN which was in advance of ZWISCHEN STELLING.
+On the left was a communication trench known as DUMP AVE which was
+left to the capable hands of Major Wise and the remaining companies
+were spread to the right. We stayed in those trenches consolidating,
+etc., for a few days when two minutes before the time of advancing the
+word was passed from man to man to get ready and every man in those
+muddy trenches fixed his equipment, looked to the bombs and rifles and
+passed wishes of good luck to those nearest him, making a toe hold in
+the side of the trench to help himself up.
+
+
+Zero hour (5.30 a.m., Easter Monday, 1917) had come! The VIMY RIDGE
+attack was on! Whistles blew and over the top went the Canadians. The
+artillery started their work. Hundreds and hundreds of guns commenced
+drum fire simultaneously. Looking towards the Hun trenches it appeared
+as if the whole line was afire. It was a grand and impressive sight.
+The gallant pipers leading the 25th could be seen but it was
+impossible with the din to hear what they were playing. Gradually we
+advanced our ground--nothing but holes filled with mud and water to
+make the going very difficult. At last we reached the German line
+which had been taken by the 24th and 26th Battalion. We jumped into
+what was left of the trench and waited until the set time to move
+forward. Looking at the Hun trench one could easily see what good work
+the gunners were doing. Everything was smashed in; dugouts were gone
+and many of the enemy with them. Our next objective was the TU ROP
+GRABEN trench. By this time the Boche realized that he had no small
+attack to deal with and his artillery, helped with many machine guns,
+started, causing us many casualties. Just about this stage of the
+advance Major Delancy was killed and also R.S.M. Hinchcliffe. We could
+see our boys for miles advancing with confidence and determination.
+The Hun shells and bullets were coming swift but that did not stay the
+Canadians. Parties of the enemy were trying to put up a fight but they
+were soon settled. Major A.O. Blois, though wounded, took command of
+the Battalion and for this and other good work he was awarded the
+D.S.O.
+
+Finally we reached our last objective and commenced to consolidate.
+This trench, like the others, was in an awful condition. We found a
+large dugout named CRAEMER HOUSE which was a Battalion headquarters.
+By this time we had lost not only Major Delancy, but Lieuts. Hallesy,
+Sheriff, Feindel, Barber, as well as other officers wounded, and a
+good number of men both killed and wounded.
+
+Then came the long hours of waiting. It had rained during the morning
+and everybody was more or less wet and as the evening drew on it
+became very cold and by the time the morning came again, the Battalion
+having no overcoats, or shelter were in a sorry plight, with but
+little food or water except what the Hun had left behind.
+
+
+On the evening of the attack Col. S. Bauld came with Lieuts. Lewis and
+Fisher and Capt. and Q.M. Ingraham, who having heard of the casualties
+amongst the officers volunteered to come and help out. The following
+night water was sent up and altho it tasted more like petrol we were
+glad to get it.
+
+
+That night we moved back to the rear trench and everyone felt a lot
+happier when a rumour went around that the Battalion was going to be
+relieved. After holding the position for less than two days we were
+sent for two days rest, prior to being relieved, into a larger German
+tunnel known as FOLKER TUNNEL.
+
+
+Lieut. Dryden was detailed to take charge of the burial party and the
+sad work it was, collecting friend and foe from all over the
+battlefield.
+
+
+After a night in the tunnel the order came that instead of going out
+to be relieved we were again to go forward. The people at home will
+never realize what this order meant to our men. After four days
+without sleep, wet clothing and mud right next to the skin, with very
+little food or water, our men were not anxious to move forward, but
+did they grumble? Not they. When the word came to move forward they
+were ready once more for another go at the Hun.
+
+We came out of the trenches for a short rest. We had to travel about
+two miles over shell-torn ground and we were about all in having been
+in the line for quite a few days doing our duty regardless of shells,
+snow and rain. After what seemed to us to be a long time we arrived
+out at our resting place not so very far from the front line. We
+bivouacked here in tents and had one beautiful rest. Rain and mud the
+entire four days that we were out here. Col. Bauld was in charge of
+the Battalion and Major Blois was acting as second in command. But we
+were quite happy despite the rain and mud. One night the German
+aeroplanes came overhead. The order came to put out the lights and
+just to show you how little the boys thought of Fritz's bombs, a crowd
+of men in a few of the tents who had just came back from a working
+party and were turning in when the signal went to put out lights
+ignored it saying: "Just wait a few minutes as we have to turn in." I
+wonder if Fritz's planes would wait? I guess not. Anyway he did not
+get us that night. Now and again Fritz would drop an occasional shell
+over quite close to us but he never did us any damage.
+
+
+We had come through one of the heaviest engagements that had taken
+place up until this time and though very muddy, we were as happy as
+anyone could be. Well, as I said, we stayed here for a few days and
+then we went up the line and stayed in supports for a few days. Col.
+Bauld was in command and I must say that he has done good work for the
+whole time that he was out there. He was such that no matter who the
+man was he would do all in his power to assist him. We stayed in
+supports for a few days and then we got the order to move up into the
+front line trench--trench in name only as it really could only be
+called a ditch. On the way up Fritz shelled us pretty badly. I tell
+you, whilst we were up on top of the ridge, Fritz just peppered us.
+But strange to say, although he got our wind up and made us feel a
+little shaky he never inflicted any casualties and that is the main
+thing. Well, after a long march we arrived at our destination.
+
+
+How easy to write this back here, but what a feeling whilst going up.
+An occasional shell bursting close to you. Now and again a machine gun
+opening up. You are marching along very quietly when a battery of our
+own guns open up alongside of you and I tell you honestly there are
+times when the bravest of us get the creeps. We were in our new home,
+and had to see about some shelters. We would dig into the side of the
+parapet just enough for a man to crouch up into. I can tell you that
+although it was clammy and wet it seemed like heaven to us at times.
+Well, there was an attack planned for the 28th of April. The night of
+the 28th we dug a jumping off trench and it was understood that "D"
+Co. should form the left flank of the attack. "C" Co. digging in No
+Man's Land and connecting with the 26th Battalion. My platoon of "D"
+Co. formed the left flank of the "C" Co. Lieut. Bell was in charge of
+"D" Co. that day. We were notified that the hour would be at 4.45 p.m.
+All right. Just before the attack Fritz sent a few shells over on us
+and we shelled the best way that we could. It is getting quite close
+to the appointed time. I look at my watch. My men are all ready. I
+have nothing to worry about. I wonder whether I have been out here too
+long and that I am going to get mine. But I don't worry for we get to
+be fatalists and say if it is going to be well it has to be, so what's
+the odds. I look at my watch, it wants a minute to go. By the time I
+put my watch back there is one terrific noise. All around the horizon
+in the rear there is one mass of flame. You can hear the shells
+whizzing over your head. We start over--walking, not running. It is a
+creeping barrage. It will play on his wire and front line trenches for
+a while and then creep forward. We are following up close behind it.
+It is a wonderful sight and nobody will ever be able to do justice to
+it. Shells bursting in front of us. Fritz sending up his S.O.S.
+signals; our men with their rifles at the "High Port," not giving a
+damn for anybody living, with one fixed idea that is to get into
+Fritz' trench and take all of our objectives and take them prisoner,
+but if they show any fight to do them in. We get to his wire it is not
+cut as well as it should have been, but we belong to the "25th." We
+have to get through regardless of what happens to ourselves. We get
+through the wire but most of the boys are a little too much to the
+right. There is a machine gun playing on us but not doing any damage.
+
+
+One of Fritz's bombs burst right close by us and some of it gets me
+behind the ear. But they are only flesh wounds and we have got to get
+to the objective, which is a sunken road. He is using a trench mortar
+on us. But with our usual luck he is firing wild and, therefore doing
+no damage. I jump into the sunken road. I am too far ahead of my men.
+The Fritz's who are firing the Trench Mortar see me and think that we
+are all there. So they start to beat it. I fire at them with my
+revolver. I hear some squealing behind me and look around. Three
+Germans! What can I do. I cannot take them prisoners nor can I take
+any chances. So I have no other alternative but to shoot them. It may
+seem cold blooded to a lot but the only thing I am sorry for is that I
+did not kill a few more. About the same time my men came along and we
+started bombing the dugouts. It was great sport. You throw a bomb down
+then stand clear. A burst of flame comes up and then you hear a lot of
+squealing.
+
+
+At the end of the sunken road Fritz started to counter-attack us, so
+there is nothing for me to do but lead a couple of men over the open
+to a trench and place a block in so that Fritz cannot get behind us.
+On the way over I get hit in the ankle and the wrist with a couple of
+Fritz's bullets. We get into the trench and start bombing up the
+trench. There we have a bit of a fight and I get a bayonet wound in
+the back. By this time I had lost a considerable amount of blood so
+have to try to get out the best way I can for at the time we did not
+know how things were going to go. But I found out later that we held
+on to all of our objectives. I started to crawl out, but Fritz also
+started sniping at me. I got to the wire and it looked as if I would
+not be able to get through as Fritz's bullets were flying around.
+Anyway I decided to go through the best way I could even if I did get
+killed. As soon as I started to walk through the wire Fritz stopped
+firing, for why I do not know and another thing I did not care so long
+as I got out of the wire and could get into a shell hole. By this
+time, through loss of blood I was feeling pretty weak. Whilst taking a
+breath in this shell hole I saw a Boche coming towards me. I was not
+taking any chances so covered him with my revolver. He surrendered and
+helped me to get out.
+
+
+It is impossible in this short space to tell all the glorious
+achievements of the Twenty-fifth. Suffice to say that the empire bore
+no braver sons and history will chronicle no greater sacrifices than
+those of the men of Nova Scotia.
+
+
+FINIS
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Typographical errors corrected in text:                   |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Page 12: Kimmell replaced with Kimmel                     |
+    | Page 14: Kimmil replaced with Kimmel                      |
+    | Page 14: becaue replaced with because                     |
+    | Page 15: Christman replaced with Christmas                |
+    | Page 29: "we we called the tank" replaced with            |
+    |          "as we called the tank"                          |
+    | Page 29: terriffc replaced with terrific                  |
+    | Page 44: "until they they had" replaced with              |
+    |          "until they had"                                 |
+    | Page 47: yeards replaced with yards                       |
+    | Page 51: areoplanes replaced with aeroplanes              |
+    | Page 52: Battallion replaced with Battalion               |
+    | Page 53: Zxischen replaced with Zwischen                  |
+    | Page 54: simultanously replaced with simultaneously       |
+    | Page 57: quitely replaced with quietly                    |
+    | Page 58: dmage replaced with damage                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+
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+   </head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Over the top with the 25th, by R. Lewis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Over the top with the 25th
+       Chronicle of events at Vimy Ridge and Courcellette
+
+Author: R. Lewis
+
+Release Date: October 16, 2008 [EBook #26930]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OVER THE TOP WITH THE 25TH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by "A Louis/Lewis Family Member in Newfoundland"
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian
+Libraries)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+<div class="tr">
+<p class="cen" style="font-weight: bold;">Transcriber's Note:</p>
+<br />
+<p class="noin">A Table of Contents with links has been included for the use of the reader.</p>
+<p class="noin" style="text-align: left;">Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
+For a complete list, please see the <span style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="#TN">end of this document</a>.</span></p>
+<p class="noin">Click on the images to see a larger version.</p>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/cover.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/cover.jpg" width="55%" alt="Front Cover" /></a>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/frontis.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/frontis.jpg" width="48%" alt="Lieut. R. Lewis, M.M." /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">LIEUT. R. LEWIS, M.M.</p>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+<h1>OVER THE TOP<br />
+WITH THE 25<span class="fakesc">TH</span></h1>
+
+<div class="img">
+<img border="0" src="images/deco.jpg" width="5%" alt="decoration" />
+</div>
+
+<h3>CHRONICLE OF EVENTS<br />
+AT VIMY RIDGE AND<br />
+COURCELLETTE</h3>
+
+<h3>BY</h3>
+
+<h3>LIEUT R. LEWIS, M.M.</h3>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h5>1918<br />
+H.H. MARSHALL, LIMITED<br />
+HALIFAX, CANADA</h5>
+
+<br />
+<a name="toc" id="toc"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h3>Contents</h3>
+<br />
+
+
+<h4><a href="#Chapter_One">Chapter One</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Two">Chapter Two</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Three">Chapter Three</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Four">Chapter Four</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Five">Chapter Five</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Six">Chapter Six</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Seven">Chapter Seven</a><br />
+<a href="#Chapter_Eight">Chapter Eight</a></h4>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_One"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter One</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep005.jpg" alt="T" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />he end of August, 1914, found me following my usual employment as
+second mate on a small steamboat plying between St. John's,
+Newfoundland, and various stations on the coast of Labrador. The news
+from the front aroused my patriotism, and though my captain, who was a
+Britisher through and through, strongly urged me to remain with him
+because of the great difficulty of securing another man, I was fully
+made up in my mind that my clear, plain duty was to enlist. On my
+return trip to St. John's I found, greatly to my disappointment, that
+it was all too late to enroll my name in the already organized
+Newfoundland regiment. There was nothing for it but to cross to Canada
+and try my luck at enlisting there. Arriving at Sydney, and making
+enquiries, I discovered that the second division was not going to be
+formed up for some little time, and I therefore enlisted in the 94th
+Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. With them I remained in Sydney
+until October of the same year when the 25th Battalion was
+organized&mdash;a battalion which has since covered itself with glory and
+earned the legitimately proud title of "The Fighting Twenty-Fifth."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>Although I was one of them myself, I do not hesitate to assert that a
+finer bunch of men never left the shores of Nova Scotia to take up
+arms for Britain in the fields of France and Flanders than the gallant
+boys of the splendid Twenty-fifth. The general public does not appear
+to know very much of the achievements of this battalion and this
+perhaps may be due to the fact that we left Canada in May of 1915, and
+that we had been in France some nineteen months before any other Nova
+Scotia Battalion went into action as a unit. This story is not being
+penned with the slightest idea of seeking in any way to disparage the
+Nova Scotia Highlanders; that intrepid body of superb fighters have
+fought splendidly and well and their glorious record is fresh in the
+minds of all.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>It has been my privilege to be with the Twenty-Fifth right from the
+day of its organization until the 23rd of April, 1917, and now, from
+records and diaries which I have kept from the beginning, I am
+attempting to relate the true story of the wonderful work accomplished
+by this battalion.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>As previously intimated, we organized in the October of 1914, and at
+that time I was a private under Major MacRae. Since then, to quote the
+words of Kipling,</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Things 'ave transpired which made me learn<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">The size and meanin' of the game.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I did no more than others did,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">I don't know where the change began;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I started as an average kid,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">I finished as a thinkin' man."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>In those early days following upon enlistment we enjoyed some real
+good times in Halifax and the old boys will always recall with
+genuine <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>appreciation the many kindnesses shown us by the citizens.
+Taking all the various circumstances into consideration we were well
+looked after by the military authorities; of course, our one burning
+eagerness was to get over to France and plunge into the thick of
+things as speedily as possible, and when it was rumored that we were
+going to be put on home duty feeling ran pretty high among the men and
+some quite lively times were experienced! The rumor, however, came to
+nothing and we settled down to the routine of our daily drill. By this
+time I had transferred to the Machine Gun Section and became linked up
+with "B" Co. with Lieutenant Medcalfe second in command. I shall not
+waste space in telling you about the time we strutted about, proud of
+our khaki uniforms, hugging the fond thought that we were real
+soldiers, even as not a few who today, still at home, wearing the
+uniform, are victims of the same absurd delusion. At last the great
+day came&mdash;the day of our embarkation; we were going to say our
+farewell to the land of our birth, sail away over the ocean and begin
+our great adventure, taking our place among the soldiers of the King
+and Empire in the greatest fight for liberty and right which the world
+has ever witnessed.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Eager and keen, and with spirits high, we stepped aboard the old
+"Saxonia" along with the 22nd French-Canadian regiment, and sailed on
+the 20th of May, 1915, arriving in England after a pleasant but
+uneventful voyage. We found the training in England far more thorough
+than anything we had before experienced. We had to work, and real
+hard, too, but undoubtedly the process made us better men and tended
+to increase our confidence as soldiers.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Two" id="Chapter_Two"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Two<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep008.jpg" alt="I" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />t is obvious that to relate to my readers the truth concerning the
+Twenty-Fifth it is necessary to be somewhat critical, and I shall
+endeavor to be absolutely impartial. To begin with, let it be said,
+and said with perfect candor, that the credit of handling our
+battalion in England which eventually helped us to go across to France
+must be given to our own officers.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>For the most part we greatly enjoyed our stay in England. We had a
+splendid time in Folkestone, a beautiful sea-side place; and for
+company we had about 50,000 Canadians in addition to some English
+cavalry. After a little more than three months' training the welcome
+news arrived that the next item on the program was France and the
+firing line. This information was received with the utmost enthusiasm,
+for the boys were getting somewhat "fed up" with training and were
+anxious for a crack at the Hun. On going over, we had to leave some of
+our officers behind, as they were "extra" to the establishment. Among
+them were Will Cameron, Charlie MacAloney and others. They came out
+later and proved their worth as fighters. Arthur Weston, who was
+second in command, refused to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span>stay behind and accompanied us to
+France as quartermaster, thus setting a fine example to a good many
+majors and captains who would rather hang on to a job in England than
+cross to France and fight. Weston was not of this type. He was a
+soldier and a man.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We landed in France on the 15th of September, 1915, and I will never
+forget that first march, heavily accoutred, over a big hill to our
+first camp. You could easily have picked out our train by reason of
+the boots etc., strewn along the line of march, and followed us
+without difficulty from the day we left Boulogne till we finally
+arrived at a little village in Flanders called &mdash;&mdash;. Here, within
+sound of the guns, we bivouacked for the night, some of the officers
+going ahead to look over the trenches we were so soon to occupy. The
+next night, under cover of darkness, two platoons from each company
+went up to the trenches. I well remember that night, the long march up
+the rough shell-torn road, and then along the communication trenches
+where we were received by the Imperial troops who, during the next few
+days, showed us all around and taught us what to do. Two nights later
+the remainder of our own boys came in, and the English soldiers went
+south to take part in the battle of Loos. It was about this time that
+Major Jones, as fine a soldier as ever went overseas, suffered a
+breakdown in his health. The heavy responsibilities thrown upon him
+proved too much.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>After spending eight days in the trenches we came out for a
+well-earned rest. My particular company was stationed at a farmhouse
+which was situated quite close to the firing line. The owner was
+generally considered to be pro-German, his father, according to rumor,
+having previously been shot as a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span>spy. The farmer had a dog which had
+been tied up for about nine months, and our sentries had strict orders
+that if any of the civilians left the house we were to halt them, and
+if they did not halt on the word of command we were to shoot. But I
+think at that time it would have been a case of "shoot first," for we
+were imagining all sorts of things. As it happened somebody let the
+dog loose, and as the sentries felt sure he was going over to the
+German lines with despatches, they just shot him dead. Major MacKenzie
+had to pay 30 francs for him to satisfy the farmer and to prevent
+headquarters hearing of the matter.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>At the termination of our six days' rest we went back to the trenches
+and relieved the 24th Battalion. "B" Company, to which I belonged,
+occupied H 3, J 3, 4, 5 and H 4. Every little while Fritz would
+"strafe" us with rifle grenades, and there was some mining reported in
+H 4. This was a small salient; and was held by about forty men under
+Capt. Medcalfe.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>On the evening of October 8th about six p.m. we were all chatting
+together, some papers from home had been received by some of the boys
+and we were discussing the names of the newly formed 36th Battery,
+when all of a sudden there was quite an explosion on our right. The
+Germans had blown up several small mines. Capt. Medcalfe at once gave
+the order to "stand to," but before I had time to get my rifle and
+equipment, the ground trembled and rocked beneath us and everything
+went up into the air. The explosion took away fully half of H 4
+trench, and left a crater about 10 feet deep. Those of us who were
+lucky enough to escape without being wounded managed, I don't know
+how, to make our way into H 3 trench. Fortunately for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>us the enemy
+was very erratic in his artillery fire. It was all going between our
+second and third line trenches and consequently did no damage. This
+was our first real bombardment, and quite naturally we all felt more
+or less "shaky"&mdash;I know I said my prayers that night as I never said
+them before! The papers had it that the Germans got into our trenches
+and that we drove them out again. Such a thing never happened. They
+made an attack on us, but our artillery, rifle and machine gun fire
+caught them in "No Man's Land." By a happy coincidence the West
+Lancashire Artillery was just relieving the 7th Battery of Artillery
+and we had the support of both of them, and, believe me, they sure did
+some wonderful work.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Our front line officers, such as MacRae, Logan, MacKenzie, Tupper,
+Roberts, Johnson and others, were all out on the job; unfortunately
+the same cannot be said of headquarters. As I was merely a private at
+the time I do not know just what really transpired; but we never saw
+the colonel at all that night. About four the next morning the major
+came and paid us a visit when we had a new parapet built. The Germans,
+however, failed to get into our trenches; and up to this day the 25th
+can with perfect truth declare that they never failed in the critical
+hour, for if we did not always have competent officers at the head of
+the battalion we certainly had them in our companies. Following this
+action we were marched out of the trenches for a rest, and prior to
+going back again, we were visited by General Alderson, who gave us a
+pretty severe lecture. He said he had every confidence in the men. A
+few days later Colonel Hilliam took over the command, and Major Stan
+Bauld was appointed second in command.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Three" id="Chapter_Three"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Three<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep012.jpg" alt="W" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />hen officers arrive in England they are given the option of going to
+France as lieutenants or going back home. That is the reason you see
+so many bold footed officers holding down staff jobs in England and
+Canada. Colonel Hilliam who was now our commanding officer, says that
+the 25th battalion made his name; but the 25th boys are equally
+positive that he made the battalion. It was truly wonderful the
+confidence we placed in him and he never disappointed us. He was very
+strong on discipline, and when all is said and done that is most
+essential in the army. Without it a battalion simply becomes a mob.
+During the winter we were on the Kimmel front. It was a bad year in
+the trenches, for the rain and mud were something awful. The mud was
+waist deep and of such a nature that once a fellow got stuck it took
+another chap to get him out. For about two months they were trenches
+in name only; they were caved right in and the boys that were doing
+front line work would go in at 8 o'clock one night and would not be
+relieved until 8 o'clock the next night&mdash;twenty-four hours without any
+hot food. I must say that we found the hot <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span>rum ration that winter to
+be a most desirable thing.</p>
+
+<p>Our colonel was a regular fire eater, and wanted to be at it all the
+time. He organized a raiding party in charge of Capt. Tupper along
+with Brooks, Cameron and Roberts. All four of them proved to be great
+fighters. They were the pick of the battalion.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>And now enters that great hero&mdash;Toby Jones&mdash;"the Man who came back!"
+He was machine gun officer, and the Colonel also put him in charge of
+a wire cutting party, and thus he was carrying the responsibility of
+both jobs. He would be around his guns all day and at night he would
+be scouting all over "No Man's land" and in December, 1915 it was no
+joke crawling around in the mud. He never got any rest. He would not
+eat, and the day of the raid Fritz had straffed us quite a lot. I was
+in trench S.P. 12 along with Toby when a message came to tell us that
+a shell had knocked in one of the dugouts and had killed one of our
+N.C.O's, Corporal Ferguson, a chap who was well liked by everybody. A
+road named the "V.C. Road" separated us from J 4. The Germans were
+shelling this road pretty bad; but as soon as Toby got the message he
+did not hesitate one minute but went across to J 4. He seemed to have
+had a charmed life. Shells were bursting all around him but he never
+got a scratch. That night Corporal Ingraham and the McNeil brothers,
+the three biggest dare devils that were in our battalion left our
+dugout on a wire cutting expedition. Imagine, three or four men lying
+on their backs in mud and water cutting at Fritz's wire just a few
+feet away from his trench! Jones would go around his gun teams to make
+sure that everything was all right and then he would visit his wire
+cutting party.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>Night after night Toby would be engaged in this dangerous and telling
+work. It proved too much for flesh and blood, and one night just as a
+visit was planned he broke right down and was carried to our lines on
+a stretcher. Well, Toby got the blame for the failure of that evening
+and left our battalion; but as the old adage puts it "You can't keep a
+good man down" and Toby Jones enlisted again as a private in the 42nd
+Battalion&mdash;won back his commission with the D.C.M. and a bar. Every
+man in the "Fighting Twenty-Fifth" lifts his hat to Toby Jones&mdash;the
+greatest hero of them all!</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We carried out several raids the next few weeks on the Kimmel front,
+and, as a matter of fact, it is no exaggeration to say that
+trench-raiding which has since been carried out so extensively was
+really initiated by the "Fighting Twenty-Fifth." Before proceeding
+further, let me describe a trench. They are all transversed, because
+if a shell or bomb should burst in one part of the trench the
+transverse prevents the spread of the shrapnel. A communication trench
+is usually to connect the trenches together, and sometimes these
+trenches are a mile long reaching from the front line to some part
+behind the line where it is comparatively safe to walk around. They
+are very deep and zig-zag in shape so that they cannot be enfiladed.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>On the Belgian front we could not have deep dugouts for the soil was
+so soft. To dig down a few feet was to strike water. At first we only
+had sand bags shelters, then we had the corrugated iron ones which
+were shrapnel and bomb proof.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Four" id="Chapter_Four"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Four<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep015.jpg" alt="W" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />e stayed on the Kimmel front from September 15th until sometime in
+February. We were never in anything big here for it was winter time
+and we had all our work cut out in repairing and rebuilding trenches.
+Now I have made mention of the fact that we came out for a rest, but
+that does not mean to say that we didn't work, for whilst we were
+resting we figured in many working parties. We all learned to believe
+that</p>
+
+<p>Our section was the best in the Platoon</p>
+<p>Our Platoon the best in the Company,</p>
+<p>Our Company the best in the Battalion,</p>
+<p>Our Battalion the best in the Brigade,</p>
+<p>Our Brigade the best in the Division,</p>
+<p>Our Division the best in the Corps,</p>
+<p>Our Corps the best in the Army,</p>
+<p>And that the British were the best in the world.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Our old Colonel would have concerts and lectures arranged for us when
+we went to rest, and on Christmas day we had quite a big dinner,
+thanks to the people at home who helped by sending us quite a lot of
+nice things.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>As you might know we had quite a lot of Cape Breton boys. They were
+needed to do some mining and they were splendid at that work. The
+miners work is as follows; first they sink a shaft so many feet down,
+and then when they get down deep enough they start sapping forward,
+putting up timbers as they go. They have to work very quietly as Fritz
+also does some sapping and if too much noise is made the miners
+themselves are liable to go up in the air and come down in pieces, and
+I do not think that anybody would relish that idea. Mining is done now
+on a very large scale. So you see this war is carried on underneath
+the earth as well as underneath the water.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>I will remember a certain officer who got the creeps after the October
+affair and would always go around wearing armored body plates, and
+every time he heard a rat scratch he thought it was a mine. He heard a
+noise in his dugout and he cleared all the men out of his trench and
+had the miners up. They dug down and found that his place must have
+been over an old dugout and that there were quite a number of rats
+running around having a good time all to themselves. Certainly, I must
+admit that I was no hero myself. When our front trenches started to
+cave in we had to get out in front into No Man's Land and dig a new
+trench and what earth we excavated we had to throw up against our own
+front line trench, and although at the present time I would think
+nothing of it I was sure some scared. But after you are there awhile
+you do not mind it at all. The first winter Bill Cameron, along with
+his scouts used to live in No Man's Land. They thought nothing of
+doing that. They used to be planning to do all sorts of things, but
+the opportunity only seldom came for them to do anything <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>out of the
+way, except it was to go over No Man's Land searching for dead bodies
+and curios, and those chaps were game enough for anything.</p>
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/imagep016a.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/imagep016a.jpg" width="30%" alt="Lieut. Canning, M.M." /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">LIEUT. CANNING, M.M.</p>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/imagep016b.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/imagep016b.jpg" width="30%" alt="Major Macrae" /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">MAJOR MACRAE<br />
+OFFICER COMMANDING "A" CO., 25th BATT.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>The whole time we were on this front everything went very smoothly,
+for we had one great man at the head of our Battalion. We were great
+friends with the French-Canadian Battalion, but there was another
+Battalion in our Brigade with whom we did not pull at all, and there
+was always a certain amount of jealousy between us, which was a good
+thing as we were always trying to outdo the other. Their Commanding
+Officer thought that they were the best battalion that ever left
+Canada, and Hilliam, the bulldog that he was, would not stand for
+that; so there was always a certain amount of rivalry between us.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>On one occasion there were a few Canadians guarding a road where
+people were not supposed to travel by night unless they had a pass,
+and a "Twenty-fifth" man who had been having a good time was coming
+home. "Halt," cried the sentry, "who goes there?" Answer "25th," "Pass
+25th all is well," so the 25th man went on his way home. Along came
+another belated traveller. The same performance was gone thru and he
+gave the number of his battalion which was not the 25th. The answer
+came back from the sentry, "Turn out the guard," and they put this
+poor soldier into the guard room. It was all due to their petty
+notions as to what they should not do. But still it always works out
+well; a little jealousy between the battalions always makes one try to
+outdo the other. But thanks to our Commanding Officer we never took
+second place to any battalion in France.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Shortly after we were ordered to move up to the M. and N. trenches
+where we relieved some of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>4th Brigade for a time. There was a
+trench in this locality named the "International" because of it's
+changing hands so often. Well, about a month before this the Germans
+had made an attack on the Scotties and they were just relieving and
+were not prepared for the Huns. But they fought until they saw that
+they would have to plan a surprise attack to get it back. The Scottish
+Division then went out for a rest and left Fritz master of the trench.
+But the canny Scot was not giving in so easily. When they had been
+reorganized they came back with one intention and that was to take
+back the "International" trench and they did.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Well here we were in the Vierstrutt trench, and we held it for a week.
+Our artillery would open up every couple of hours and we could look
+over our parapets and watch them pounding Cain out of Fritz's
+trench&mdash;it was wonderful. We kept this up for about four or five days
+so that Fritz could not have much of a trench left. The idea of the
+heavy bombardment was to give him the notion that we were going to
+make an attack at this point. On the morning that the Scotties were to
+take back the trench Bill Cameron, George Roberts, together with
+Canning, and some of the other boys, played quite a trick on Fritz.
+They got a couple of very long steam pipes and filled them up with
+explosives; carried them across and put them underneath Fritz's barb
+wire. There was a long fuse attached.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Now to describe it:&mdash;The hour is 4 a.m. Everybody is anxiously waiting
+for the bombardment to take place. We never gave a thought to the
+possibility of Fritz bombarding us. The attack starts, but we do not
+leave our trench, but set fire to the fuse. That fuse did all sorts of
+fancy turns and twists travelling across No Man's Land, and then the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>explosion! Fritz's wires are all blown to pieces. He was sure then
+that we are making the attack and sends up all sorts of S.O.S. signals
+that look very pretty. His artillery opens up, but it seems there is
+something the matter with his range for he cannot reach us at all. But
+what is taking place on the right of us? The Scotties, without firing
+a shot, walk over No Man's Land, jump into Fritz's trench and bomb the
+dugouts, capturing quite a few prisoners, and once more the
+"International" is ours and has not changed hands since.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<div class="img">
+<img border="0" src="images/deco2.jpg" width="10%" alt="decoration" />
+</div>
+
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Five" id="Chapter_Five"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Five<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep022.jpg" alt="O" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />ur Battalion did not remain long on the Kimmel front, but on being
+relieved by some English troops, we were sent for a rest to a little
+village called Berthem. We were situated in a French farm house and
+received splendid treatment from the occupants. Here it was that we
+met the Anzacs, fresh from their terrible fighting at Gallipoli; and
+there was quite a little friendly rivalry between them and our
+Canadian boys.</p>
+
+<p>Contrary to our expectations we did not remain for any length of time
+at Berthem. Some big fighting was in progress at St. Eloi, and the
+Imperials had planned a strong offensive movement. Several mines were
+exploded, and an attack was launched the objective of which, in the
+first instance, was to gain part of the Messines Ridge. The attack was
+a considerable success but not wholly so, because the Germans were
+able to get in some pretty effective artillery work; the Fourth
+Brigade was thereupon sent to their assistance and managed to drive
+Fritz back for quite a distance.</p>
+
+<p>For the next three days there was some very hard fighting in this St.
+Eloi district in which our men participated with great valor. Some of
+our boys <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>were obliged to remain in those mine craters for twenty-four
+hours with no chance of communication with the rear. Howard Johnstone
+beat off no less than five attacks in four hours. Guy Matheson, who
+had crossed over as a sergeant won the M.M. in this action, and here
+it was that Corporal Ingram gained the D.C.M. They really deserved the
+V.C. Captain Brooks did wonderful work, but I cannot continue to
+mention individuals or I should have to mention every name in the
+entire Battalion. After some days the intensity of the fighting died
+down and the ordinary trench warfare was resumed. We had hard work
+rebuilding our badly shattered trenches and were very glad of the
+opportunity to enjoy our divisional rest. While out on rest on one
+occasion we were visited by the King and Queen. Their Majesties,
+accompanied by Colonel Hilliam, walked through our lines and appeared
+much interested in our welfare.</p>
+
+<p>It was in St. Eloi that we captured some prisoners who gave us the
+information that there was going to be a gas attack on the Kimmel
+Front. We warned the Imperials who were at that point, so they were
+quite prepared. The Germans sent over the gas, and then came over
+themselves. Our fellows fell back in the centre and thus surrounded
+them, capturing or killing every one that came over. It was while in
+those trenches that we first started to use the Lewis gun and the
+Stokes trench mortar.</p>
+
+<p>The Lewis machine gun is a wonderful weapon. Like a rifle it can be
+fired from the shoulder and the discharge is at the rate of about 500
+rounds a minute. The Stokes gun is much like a stove pipe; and as fast
+as the shells, which weigh 13 lbs., are dropped into it, they go
+flying through the air right to their object, and then burst and
+create an awful havoc. The Germans have invented quite a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>number of
+trench mortars, but nothing to come up to this.</p>
+
+<p>One night whilst we were in those trenches a few Germans managed to
+get into a part of our trench which we were not occupying, as we knew
+that they had a mine there ready to blow up at any minute. As we
+discovered, by the bombs and other stuff that they had left behind,
+that they had been in our trench we decided to go and look for them,
+so Lieut. Dennis Stairs took a party out. He had with him Sergt.
+Canning, who has since won the M.M. and his commission. They wandered
+about No Man's Land for awhile when they suddenly came upon a supply
+of Fritz's bombs. There were a few hundred of them, so it was quite
+plain that they intended to make a big raid on us. But when he had the
+"25th" to contend with he had the wrong crowd. The next night the same
+party went out, prepared for anything that might happen and they
+waited by that supply of bombs, and sure enough, quite a few Huns
+appeared. Our fellows then threw the bombs, and I can assure you there
+were many Huns who never got back home again. We got a little
+information from the prisoners taken and that was most important.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Another night, as usual, we had our listening posts out in some of the
+shell holes, when one of the men of the "A" Company posts saw a couple
+of Huns quite close and immediately opened fire on them, killing one
+and wounding the other. It was by means such as these that we were
+able to gather very desirable information regarding the enemy, his
+strength, probable intentions, and sometimes the effect of our
+artillery fire. In fact one of the main reasons for making these raids
+was for the very purpose of getting information and also to weaken the
+morale of the Germans opposite to us.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>While we were here at this section of the front, about June 9th, the
+Third Division had to withstand a very heavy bombardment, followed by
+a terrible barrage fire, and subsequently a fierce attack. The Germans
+managed to get into the trenches but not without paying a dreadful
+price.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>It was found necessary to send for reinforcements if the trench was to
+be re-captured. Imperials relieved us on the St. Eloi front, and we
+were speedily conveyed by motor lorries and rushed up to the Ypres
+section. Our boys all knew they were in for a hot time but we were
+keen to be at it for we were "just spoiling for a fight." We got it
+all right, and though we were only here for two days, such was the
+severe nature of the fighting, that our casualty list was very heavy.
+Incessant rain added to our discomfiture; but the spirit of the boys
+was something wonderful to behold.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>After a twenty-four hour rest in the huts at Ypres we went to the now
+famous "Hill 60" where we remained for seven days. It was while we
+were here at "Hill 60" that Sergt. Duffet got the D.C.M., though he
+afterwards died of the wounds which he had received.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>After leaving "Hill 60" we went back to the St. Eloi front again, and
+had the usual routine of work to perform&mdash;trench warfare and plenty of
+working parties. Just imagine a party of about a hundred men carrying
+wire trench mats across the open in full view of Fritz. A flare goes
+up; everybody stands still; a machine gun opens fire; everybody goes
+down so that they will not be hit; and then every thing is still
+again. All of a sudden somebody swears as he trips over a shell hole,
+but the oath is made in such a reverent way that it is more of a
+prayer than a curse word. Thus it continues night after night.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Six" id="Chapter_Six"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Six<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep026.jpg" alt="A" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />s I have previously said, there is always a certain amount of rivalry
+between the Battalions. In illustration of this we got word that a
+Battalion on our right was going to pull off a raid. Our Colonel
+immediately ordered Lieut. Wise (he went over with the 25th as a
+Sergt. and is now a Major and second in command of the Battalion) to
+take a party of men and make a raid into Fritz's trench. They set off
+and after wandering around "No Man's Land" for a while found an
+opening in his wire. They got into his trench and bombarded him right
+and left, killing quite a few and bringing back valuable information.
+Unluckily we had a few wounded, and Sergt. Anderson got no further
+back than Fritz's wire when he was hit. Lieut. Wise made three or four
+gallant attempts to get him out, but, owing to the machine gun and
+rifle fire, it was impossible. Lieut. Wise, who was badly wounded got
+the Military Cross and Cross de Guerre, and several of the boys got
+the Military Medal, so the Battalion on our right had to postpone
+their raid.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>A few nights later we planned another. There were three parties, one
+under Lieut. Matheson, one under Lieut. Daley, and one under Lieut.
+Hiltz, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>the whole being under the command of Major Grant. Lieut.
+Dennis Stairs also took part in this. We were all ready to raid the
+trench when we got orders that the Battalion on our right was going to
+pull off a raid and that we must postpone ours. The same night that
+Lieut. Wise pulled off his raid so successfully, the Fourth Brigade
+"put one over" on the Hun. They raided his trench, bringing back some
+prisoners and doing quite a lot of damage to his trench.</p>
+
+<p>But one of their men had been missing and had been given up for lost.
+Two days later one of the Artillery officers, while observing our
+fire, noticed a chap wandering around No Man's Land, and he would have
+fired at him only the man turned round and the observer saw his black
+face and knew right away that it was the missing man. A couple of boys
+crawled out and brought him in. He was quite delirious. It seemed that
+he had been wounded and bled quite a lot and became unconscious. The
+sun dried the wound, but left him insane and he had started wandering
+around No Man's Land.</p>
+
+<p>Just before we left the St. Eloi front we had some of the Fourth
+Division in with us, and we showed them what they had to do and left
+them to play their part and show the Huns that they were
+Canadians&mdash;and this they have undoubtedly done.</p>
+
+<p>The Somme fighting was on about this time. I well remember the 1st of
+July. Our aeroplanes went over the German lines and brought down about
+six or seven of their observation balloons before you could say "Jack
+Robinson." It was pretty slick work, with some new explosive that our
+fellows had kept very secret.</p>
+
+<p>In leaving the St. Eloi front we marched for three days to a little
+town quite close to St. Omer called &mdash;&mdash;, where we drilled from five
+in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>morning till seven or eight at night, doing the usual training
+so as to get us fit for the fray. By this time I was a full fledged
+Lance Corporal in charge of "C" Company's Lewis guns. We had a great
+time here. A couple of days in the week we would have sports and then
+we would play games of baseball. Some of the boys would help the
+French girls make up their crops. Another thing that helped to make us
+so comfortable here was the difference in the people. They were most
+hospitable and could not do enough for us. We would scatter our straw
+on the floor, spread our blanket and go to sleep as happy and
+contented as possible. I tell you when you have a tiled floor for a
+mattress, your pack for a pillow and your overcoat for a blanket you
+can appreciate such a comfort as straw and blankets.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We all knew that we were going to the Somme to take part in that big
+show and we were very anxious to get down upon them. The First
+Division had gone down a little ahead of us, but we were going to show
+them that the 25th could play its part as well as any of the
+Battalions and we did so.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We stayed a while here in training and then we started on our journey.
+We would march about fifteen miles each day and would camp or bivouac
+for the night. Before turning in to sleep we would have a sing-song,
+all the men being in the best of spirits for at last we knew we were
+going to have a real scrap with the Hun, and although we had been in
+France twelve months, we had always been on the defensive and that is
+always the hardest kind of fighting. As we had quite a lot of old
+scores to pay off, we were just eager to get at the foe. After a long
+march we finally arrived at the brickfield in Albert, and there we saw
+for our first time the brass statute on the Church of Albert which
+was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span>hanging head down. You would think that it would fall at any
+moment, but it was well secured so that the person who made the
+prophecy that when the statute on the church at Albert fell, the war
+would end, must have known that the war would last a long time.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Well here we were. Thousands of troops ready for a big attack. One day
+we saw some queer looking objects coming along the road. We were all
+wondering what sort of war machines they were. There were all sorts of
+rumors as to what they were and what they could do. We did not find
+out what they were until the 15th of September and then we knew that
+they were the much-talked of "tanks." Fritz also found that out&mdash;much
+to his loss. We did several working parties here, going up through
+Contalmaison, Pozieres and other villages. We should not have known
+that they had been villages only that there were signs there to inform
+us to that effect.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Anybody who has seen the German trenches here, and the deep dugouts
+and steep ridges which the British troops had to swarm over could
+scarcely believe it possible to take any of their positions; but we
+had a leader in General Haig and he knew what he was doing. The
+Artillery pounded the Hun with such vigor that if any were left they
+were properly demoralized, and then the infantry went over and caught
+the Germans down in their dugouts. By the night of Sept. 14th we were
+ready to launch our attack. The great Somme fight was on!</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Seven" id="Chapter_Seven"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Seven<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep030.jpg" alt="O" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />n the way up to the trenches and on seeing the guns, practically
+speaking, wheel to wheel, we thought it would be impossible to use
+more artillery at one time. But I know we have four or five times the
+number of heavy guns in use on the western front now than we had on
+the Somme, and that is one of the reasons that the morale of the men
+in the western area is so good.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>On the night of September 14th we moved up to a position of reserve,
+and we were all issued our fighting material which consisted of
+ammunition, rifles, bombs, with haversack on our backs, rations enough
+for two days and water bottle filled. We also made sure that we had
+our field dressing with us. There was also another little thing which
+we were given and that was our aeroplane signal. As soon as the
+advance starts our aeroplanes are ready to co-operate with us in all
+possible ways, and I can tell from what I have seen that Fritz's
+planes stand a very poor chance against ours.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Now to describe our action. As soon as we start to dig in we light
+some of those flares; our planes see them and they signal back with
+the Klaxon horns, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>then they drop some signal and do a little fancy
+flying, and by that means, sometimes combined with wireless, our
+artillery know just exactly where we are. Some of the men also carry
+wire cutters, others, shovels and picks. I can assure you that it is
+no light load but the queer thing is that nobody seems to mind it,
+until everything is all over.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of the 15th the 4th and 6th Brigades made the attack
+for our Division. It was a pretty big affair on about a three mile
+front. We were back in reserve and we were pretty sore because we were
+not taking a part in it, when we saw the "Irish Navy," as we called
+the tank, come puffing up. Little did we think that many who were
+there talking would be killed or wounded before the day was over. Then
+all of a sudden the artillery with a mighty roar opened up the most
+terrific fire.</p>
+
+<p>It was a wonderful sight. Nothing could be seen all along the horizon
+in the rear but one mass of flame, where our guns were sending out
+shell after shell. They were there in all sizes from the eighteen
+pounders up to the fifteen inch guns.</p>
+
+<p>Now, our boys are over with all their objectives well defined. The
+principal one for our division, at the time, was the Sugar Refinery,
+and in a very short while the prisoners started to come in. Some of
+them carrying our wounded with them, others carrying some of their own
+wounded. They were a demoralized crowd and after the artillery barrage
+which was put up it is not to be wondered at. Brigade headquarters
+were very close to us and they were taken there where they were asked
+all sorts of questions by our intelligence officers. Some would speak,
+others would not; but our intelligence corps generally got all the
+information that was needed. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>Our troops advanced so much that day
+that some of the artillery had to shift their guns up closer as they
+were out of range.</p>
+
+<p>That movement was a very pretty sight&mdash;the gun limbers being galloped
+across the shell torn ground, wheeling their guns around and getting
+into action in very short while. If I were a professional writer, I
+could describe a lot of things that happened that morning which would
+be very interesting to the reader but there are a number of incidents
+which I shall have to omit thru lack of memory.</p>
+
+<p>Now and again, Fritz would throw a shell over at us, but it would do
+no more harm than fling up dirt over us and we were so used to this
+that we did not mind it at all.</p>
+
+<p>The tanks did wonderful work puffing along to the German strong points
+and using their guns. I guess the moral effect was just as terrible as
+the real. No wonder that the German prisoners were so scared. Anyway,
+the main thing was the British got all of their objectives and quite a
+few were still pushing further ahead. We did not think that we would
+have a chance to take part in the show but at the same time we were
+prepared for anything that might happen.</p>
+
+<p>At 3 p.m. that same afternoon the Scottish Division on our right took
+Martinupuch, so General Byng decided that the Canadians should make
+another drive and take Courcelette, and, as it was, the 4th and 6th
+Brigades that went over that morning it was our turn for Courcelette.</p>
+
+<p>There was a conference of the four colonels commanding the four
+battalions in our Brigade and it was decided that the 25th were to go
+thru the left <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>half of the village, the 22nd thru the right half, the
+26th in close support and the 24th in reserve, and altho there have
+been not a few rumors as to who really took Courcelette all I can say
+is that the whole Canadian corps played a part one way or another,
+even to the Army Service Corps who supplied our ammunition. But anyway
+that is how our brigades went over on the 15th of September.</p>
+
+<p>When the colonel came back he held a consultation with his company
+commanders who were Major Tupper "A" Co., Lieut. Col. Flowers, "B"
+Co., Capt. Stairs, "C" Co., Major Brooks "D" Co., and the entire
+scheme was explained to them. I was in the Lewis Gun Corps of "C" Co.,
+so when Captain Stairs called together his platoon officers, I had to
+be there too, and the scheme was that "A" and "D" companies were to
+form the first wave. There was a railroad the other side of
+Courcelette, there they were to dig in, in the most suitable place in
+front of that. "C" and "B" formed the second wave and were to dig in,
+just in front of the village. My instructions as to my guns were that
+I was to plant one gun on the left flank of the company and one on the
+right. When I saw that D. Co., had consolidated their position I was
+to start and take the right flank gun up and put it out in a shell
+hole about 20 yards in front of D. Co. My left flank gun I was to
+leave as it was guarding a sunken road. It was also an understood
+thing that we were to leave so many Lewis gunners behind, so when we
+started over we had but two trained men per gun, and four others,
+untrained, to carry ammunition.</p>
+
+<p>We started to get into position. The glorious 22nd were on our right,
+and the 3rd Division on our left, and tho this was our first time
+"over" everybody was laughing and eager to get at it. There <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>was that
+grand old colonel of ours with a foot rule held in one hand and a map
+in the other. We were all lined up in extended order about 1-&frac12; miles
+from our objective and we had to advance over ground that had been
+ploughed up pretty badly by our own artillery that morning. Shortly,
+our colonel gave the order to advance. Almost at the same time our
+artillery opened up. We advanced in one long extended line. (I must
+say that we use a different formation today). We were all joking with
+one another. We had fixed bayonets and as we passed a trench I heard
+one artillery observing officer say: "By the Gods of War, isn't it
+fine." One of my gunners asked me for a chew of tobacco. We passed
+some of the trenches which our boys had taken that morning. I saw a
+big German lying on his face dead, and a few of our own lying around.
+Then again we came across a few more dead Huns. Here were a couple of
+skulls which had been thrown up by our artillery. One of our boys
+passed the remark that they would not even let the dead rest.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>People talk about Fear; I must admit there is such a thing before you
+start over, but once you get started you are callous to everything.
+You see you own best friend killed alongside of you, but that does not
+stop you for you keep right on, never thinking that you may be the
+next, and even if you did you would say to yourself that you have got
+to go sooner or later, so what's the odds?</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We were getting near to the Sugar Refinery that Fritz had put a
+barrage across. No matter, we kept on. We got to the trenches held by
+one of our other brigades. The second wave is supposed to stop here
+for a few minutes whilst the first wave keeps on. One of the boys who
+were holding the trench said "Keep on lads, don't be frightened. We
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span>gave them hell this morning. You ought to be able to do the same now."
+I got mad at him for thinking that we were not "playing the game," so
+I gave my gun team the order to advance. As we passed the Sugar
+Refinery, Fritz's shells were bursting everywhere&mdash;shells bursting in
+the air, shrapnel coming down on us white hot like snow. One of my men
+was hit. I took his ammunition and left him to get out the best way he
+could. Fritz's machine guns were now playing on us.</p>
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/imagep035.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/imagep035th.jpg" width="55%" alt="Aeroplane map Vimy Ridge" /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">Aeroplane map of the sector in which the "Fighting
+25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/imagep036.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/imagep036th.jpg" width="55%" alt="Aeroplane map Vimy Ridge" /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">Aeroplane map of the sector in which the "Fighting
+25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>We saw some of the boys turn around and then drop dead. It must be a
+great death, for in the excitement one would never know what struck
+him. We opened up our machine guns on the Huns who were hiding in a
+bit of a wood. My team is up with the first wave by now. Then we all
+made a dash and arrived at the Convent wall in Courcelette. There were
+lots there before us. The most prominent of all was Colonel Hilliam,
+with a cigar in his mouth, stick in one hand and watch in the other.
+He says, "Now boys, the barrage will play there for five minutes and
+then we will go right thru the village." He was wounded in the hand,
+but he only smiled at that. I went and found out that both my guns
+were O.K. and that I was lucky enough to get over with my full amount
+of ammunition, which was very fortunate considering that we came thru
+quite an artillery barrage.</p>
+
+<p>Our shells were bursting just in front of the village. You could see
+nothing but one mass of flame and smoke. Our colonel looked up and
+said "Now Boys get ready," and then the artillery lifts and we go thru
+the village. What was once a peaceful village is now nothing but a
+mass of burning ruins. We got thru, but some of our boys had to
+bayonet a few Germans to make them be good.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span>The first wave was now well in front, and I was with my right flank
+team in the second wave. We came up on the right of "C" Co., just as
+they were preparing to dig in.</p>
+
+<p>Lieut. Dalley was about ten yards in front of his platoon giving
+orders to his men to dig in, when I saw him take a turn round and
+drop. I rushed out and picked him up. He told me to go on and never
+mind him. It was a dry day and there were quite a few bullets striking
+close to us, but at the time I did not seem to know, what they were so
+I got hold of Dalley and brought him back to a shell hole where our
+boys were digging in, and turned him over to their care. By this time
+I saw that "D" Co., had started to dig in, so I took my guns along and
+placed them in a shell hole about 20 yards in front of where our boys
+were digging. It was now about six p.m. The aeroplanes were over our
+heads sounding their horns and we were burning our signals.</p>
+
+<p>After placing my team I came back and found that Lieut. Dennis Stairs
+was wounded on the arm and leg. I bandaged him up, but he persisted in
+staying in and "carrying on" with his work altho the colonel wanted
+him to go out. He has the Military Cross and I must say he deserved
+it. I also found that Major Brooks had been killed and that Major
+Nutter was acting O.C. of "D" Co. I reported to the colonel who was in
+the front line, and he asked me to take out the prisoners. There were
+about thirty-five of them, and I was to turn them over to the 26th
+Battalion, which was supposed to be in close support. There were a
+couple of chaps who were slightly wounded, going out as escort. We
+went out right thru the village but no sign of the 26th.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>We saw a couple of their scouts who told us that the battalion was a
+little in the rear of us, but as it was getting dark we decided to
+send them out in charge of the wounded runners. The Huns were so
+demoralized that they really did not need any escort. Just before they
+left I saw Lieut. Wetmore stick his head out of a shell hole. He had
+been badly wounded in the head, so he also went out with the
+prisoners. I then started on my way back to the front line. Going thru
+the village we came across two Huns carrying a wounded Hun. We took
+them prisoners and turned them over to Sergt. Anderson of "C" Co. I
+then saw Sergt. Laird of "B" Co. and got about 30 bombs from him and
+took them up to my front line gun and came back to visit my left flank
+gun, which was still with "C" Co. While I was talking to Sergt. Weir
+there was a message came to me from Major Nutter to get my left gun up
+and place it out in front. I went to the left flank to carry out my
+order, and found my gun and ammunition scattered around the sunken
+road not damaged. But my team was gone, so I hunted around and got
+another team together and placed them out in "No Man's Land." If Fritz
+had to counter attack us that night he would have got an awful
+reception, for we had quite a few machine guns out in front and
+everybody was in good spirits and keeping a good look out.</p>
+
+<p>We found out by this time we had lost quite a few of our best
+officers; out of our company we had lost one of the finest men that
+ever went over. He was a man that no matter how hard the bombardment,
+he was always normal and would never get excited&mdash;that was John
+Stairs. The O.C. of "B" Company, Colonel Flowers was also missing. He
+was not with us very long, but everybody thought <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>a lot of him. It was
+splendid for a man of his age to come out and volunteer as a platoon
+commander as he did, and he deserves all the credit that can be given
+to him. We had a few others killed and missing, but taking everything
+into consideration and the objective that we had taken, we had come
+out very lucky.</p>
+
+<p>Our boys were pretty well dug in by 12 that night. It was hard
+digging, about a foot of earth, then flint and underneath the flint
+was chalk.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<div class="img">
+<img border="0" src="images/deco2.jpg" width="10%" alt="decoration" />
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Chapter_Eight" id="Chapter_Eight"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Chapter Eight<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3>
+<br />
+
+<p class="noin"><img src="images/imagep041.jpg" alt="T" style="margin-right: .5em; float: left;" width="15%" />he reaction had started to set in by this time. I cannot describe it
+to you properly, but there are a lot of people under the impression
+that a soldier gets a glass of rum before he "goes over." The reason I
+write about this is because people have often said the same thing
+about me. I'll tell you, the British soldier does not need rum to buck
+his courage up. I believe that it was given to the men before they
+went over in the beginning, and that after the effect wore off it left
+the man drowsy. Once you start "over," you do not give a curse for
+anything. All you think about is that there is an objective, and that
+there is nothing in this world to stop you and you keep that spirit up
+until you have everything securely in your hands, and then perhaps a
+couple of hours after a certain amount of reaction sets in. Then is
+the time for the rum. In France it is used, "never abused." The
+reaction generally works off after a few hours and then you are fit
+for anything.</p>
+
+<p>During the night Fritz made several counter attacks on the 22nd. We
+were not quite sure how they were making out, but a runner came up and
+told us that everything was O.K.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>I do not remember anything eventful happening that night. We had a
+couple killed, and Sergeant Tickle of the Machine Gun Section, whilst
+reconnoitering, ran into a German strong point. He bombed them and got
+back safely. But when daylight came there was quite a few of our chaps
+getting nipped off from the right, so a message was sent out to Major
+MacAvity, who was brigade major. He came up, and that afternoon the
+Third Division made an attack and took the trench from which they were
+sniping, and also 100 prisoners. We knew that there were papers of
+importance in a house in the village which had been used as
+headquarters and Fritz was quite determined that we should not get
+them, for he put shell after shell into the village. But whenever
+there is information to be had, there is somebody who will get it and
+we got those papers and believe me they proved to be of great
+significance.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We had everything consolidated and the artillery had wires right up to
+our front line for observation purposes. To make matters worse we had
+a little drizzly rain. The next afternoon Major Tupper was killed, and
+as "A" company was to make a small attack&mdash;Major Nutter took over "A"
+company, and Lieutenant Matheson, who was now acting officer
+commanding "C" company took charge of operations. I am sorry to say we
+had many casualties that day in "A" company. We were relieved on the
+coming morning by the First Division. There were some machine gun
+crews to be relieved and as all the other companies and details were
+relieved the colonel wanted to stay and see them relieved, but he
+finally decided to let me stay behind and take this matter in hand.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>On the 9th of April, in my rank as officer, I reported for duty to
+Colonel Bauld and was glad to be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>once more with the glorious fighting
+boys of the grand old Twenty-Fifth. Some few days later we took part
+in the Arleux fighting; my company, "D," formed the flank. We were
+able to take all our objectives and consolidate them. It was in this
+scrap that I "got mine," for I was hit in the arm, leg, back and
+behind the ear. After twenty and a half months in France to have
+escaped death and even a serious injury, I consider it to have been
+most fortunate, and feel persuaded that someone at home must have been
+remembering me in their prayers. After my wound, I managed to crawl
+out and was then sent to a clearing station, subsequently to England,
+and them home to Nova Scotia. Here I am at the present and to be
+candid I am not over anxious to return, but if I should be
+wanted&mdash;well, I am ready to go and strike another blow for King and
+Empire, Liberty and God.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>After holding these trenches we were glad to get out and get a rest.
+The first day we got as far as The Reserve trenches. There we had
+plenty of rations issued to us and we rested here where there were
+some very large and comfortable dugouts which our most amiable friend
+Fritz had built for us. We enjoyed them and although we had lost quite
+a few of our best pals we knew that we all had gone through that same
+ordeal and those of us who were lucky enough to come out of the scrap
+never gave a thought to what we had gone through. A good thing, for if
+we did a few of us would be good patients for a lunatic asylum. We
+stayed here for the night and the next morning we got as far as the
+Brickfields near Albert where there were a lot of the old London Motor
+Buses waiting to take us back to a little village clear of the shell
+fire so that we could reorganize and get another go at Fritz. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>We were
+all as happy as larks, singing "Are we downhearted," "The Canadians
+took Courcelette, they can fight you just bet" and other trench songs.
+Some of the boys had on Fritz helmets and others had Fritzs'
+revolvers; we all had souvenirs of some description. We arrived at
+this town after a couple of hours ride. There was our Pipe Band with
+the Battalion Mascot, the goat, which we got in 1915. It is still with
+the battalion and always leads the band. When we reached this village
+the very first thing we had to do was to shave and clean up, for were
+we not the best unit in France? We always thought so and we used
+always to show an example to the others. That is "esprit de corp." We
+had a pretty good time in this village. Some of the boys sold their
+souvenirs as they said we were going back and could get lots more. Our
+old Colonel was still with us but his hand was now bandaged up. I
+forgot to tell you when he was coming through Albert the 22nd gave
+three cheers for "Col. Hilliam." He turned around and said, "If there
+is any credit give it to the boys, they deserve it." He quite forgot
+that we looked upon him as something more than a man, the way he would
+go around through a bombardment. Out here we had the usual parades and
+reorganization, but we only had the old battalion to reorganize as we
+got no reinforcements. However, we were still the "25th" and could
+show the Germans what we could do. It soon got spread around that we
+were going back to have another go at Fritz. So we got our guns fixed
+up and the afternoon before we went in Col. Hilliam made an inspection
+of the battalion. I had my Lewis Gun team formed up in rear of "C" Co.
+When the C.O. came around I called them to attention and saluted. He
+said "What is your name my lad?" I replied "Lewis, Sir." "Oh, a very
+appropriate <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span>name to have charge of the Lewis Guns." I said, "Sir, I
+try to do my best." He says, "You have done wonderfully, my lad." I
+thought it the greatest honor that I have ever got. We started for the
+Brickfields next morning, Col. Bauld in command of the Battalion. Col.
+Hilliam had to go to hospital for a few days. We arrived at the
+Brickfields and there we were given our full instructions as to what
+we had to do and went through the usual performance of being fully
+equipped with all the necessary equipments of war before we went in.
+Capt. John D. MacNeil was now O.C. of "C" Co., and one night we got
+the order to move up to the reserve trenches. All this time the troops
+who were occupying the trenches were steadily advancing. We had taken
+quite a lot of their strongpoints, including &mdash;&mdash; and other villages.
+After a long tedious march we arrived at our reserve trenches and made
+ourselves as comfortable as possible, such as digging a hole in the
+side of a trench and perhaps a couple of sheets of corrugated iron,
+and finally we got settled away and went to sleep. It was very
+comfortable when you consider the circumstances. Certainly now and
+again one of Fritz large shells would burst somewhere near you but
+that was all in the game. If it was going to get you it would. But
+keeping awake would not save us. So Fritz's shells had no more effect
+than the vermin which we had got quite used to. The next night at 7
+o'clock, runners came down from the 14th Battalion to guide us to the
+front line. We were very inquisitive and began asking those chaps
+about where they were, what sort of fighting they had and other
+questions too numerous to mention, for strange to say, no matter how
+long you are there, when you got into a new <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span>position you always want
+to know what it is like before you go in it, and if you are told that
+it is a lovely place and that you can have a good time you can depend
+that it is going to be worse than hell. That is what happened in this
+case. The guide told us that it was a nice, quiet little spot. We
+found out the difference before we got out. We toiled through the
+shell-torn ground for about six hours before we got to where Battalion
+Headquarters were. Sometimes, our guides lost themselves. At other
+times Fritz would put a barrage across. We would lie down then in a
+shell hole and start talking about old times, never giving a thought
+to the shells which would burst quite close to us. In fact they got a
+few of our boys on the way up. But one has to be there to realize how
+callous a person appears to shell fire. By that I do not mean to say
+that he holds it in contempt for he doesn't He has a mighty regard for
+it. But you always want to show that you are as brave as your next
+door neighbour. Sometimes they came a little too close and one of the
+boys would sing out "Say let's make a move, for I don't mind getting
+Blightie but the way that one burst it will be France" or some other
+such remark. When we arrived at Headquarters it was in a large sunken
+road which our boys had captured a few days before. We hear quite a
+lot of &mdash;&mdash; and here were quite a lot of wounded Germans who had been
+taken prisoners that day calling out for water, and although we were
+going in and we did not know when we were coming out, some of the boys
+gave them some of theirs. I hope they will do the same. We waited here
+for a while and then we started out for the trench. We had some night.
+We would go to one trench and then to another; our guides did not know
+where to take us. About 4 o'clock in the morning we started wandering
+around <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>No Man's Land. At 7 o'clock, broad daylight, (we were laying
+down in the grass at the time), some of the boys saw somebody moving
+and as we saw that they were our own boys we made a rush and got into
+what was known as the Subsidiary trench. That is how "C" Co. relieved
+the 14th Battalion on the Somme. There was quite a chain-work of
+trenches here. What we held was named "Subsidiary Line." It really was
+not a trench but a system of outposts. In front of us were the famed
+"Kenora" and "Regina." Their names will always linger in the memory of
+the Canadians, for we did some very hard fighting around here. There
+were also a lot of trenches in rear of us held by some of our other
+companies. On our left were the 24th and C.M.R. I really do not know
+who were on our right. As I said what we were holding was only a
+system of strongpoints. There were five of them altogether and as I
+had three Lewis guns I put one on each flank and one in the centre.
+About 9 o'clock the same morning we saw somebody waving to us from out
+of No Man's Land. When we saw that he was one of our own lads, Lieut.
+Alexander, Corp. McEarley, (these two were both killed four days
+later) and myself, took a rubber sheet and doubled out and got him,
+expecting to be fired on at any time by Fritz. But he could not have
+seen us or else he did not want to give his position away. Anyway we
+got the chap in. He belonged to the 14th Battalion and had been out
+there for three days. His wounds had stiffened up so that he could not
+move. Poor chap, he said that he would have gone crazy that day if we
+had not brought him in.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Some very hard fighting took place here for there was an awful lot of
+dead Huns lying around. All that morning we made our <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>positions as
+secure as possible. At about two that afternoon word came from Col.
+Bauld that we were to attack and that the Co. Commanders were all
+wanted at Battalion Headquarters. When Capt. MacNeil came back he gave
+us the outline of the scheme and told me that I was to stay in the
+Subsidiary trench until they had things consolidated, or if they had
+to fall back under a heavy counter attack I was to cover the
+retirement and hold the trench at all costs. All right! Our barrage
+opens up; our fellows go over; up goes Fritz's S.O.S. signals, his
+artillery starts. It is maddening where we are. His artillery is
+playing all round us, knocking in our trenches in places but never
+getting any of my guns or men. Then there is a tremendous fire of
+machine guns from Fritz's trench no man could live through. The
+bullets are just singing through the air. But our men are quick to
+grasp the game and get into some shell holes and wait until it gets a
+little dark and then crawl back to our own line. We have quite a few
+wounded and some killed. Nothing though when you look at the
+resistance. One chap by the name of Porter came crawling into the
+trench with an ugly head wound and blood pouring all over his face. He
+started swearing at Fritz and ended up by asking for a chew of tobacco
+before he went out to the dressing station. We got settled away once
+more all prepared for the wily Hun if he should come over.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>There were several of attacks on our left that night. It sort of got
+our wind up a little. Outside of that everything went well and we
+passed a very comfortable night, smoking and tell stories, for there
+was no such thing as sleep in the outposts. The next morning at
+daylight we took a good observation and everything seemed normal, so
+after giving out <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>the rations of food, water and rum, we took turns
+and had a sleep until about 11 o'clock when for some reason Capt.
+MacNeil was ordered to take his company back to the sunken road in
+rear of the trenches so they could have a sleep I had to stay there
+with my three gun teams and hold the trench against all attacks. About
+2 o'clock that afternoon when everything seemed very quiet and normal,
+Fritz started up with a bit of a bombardment and they were all landing
+around our trench. At times they would just cover us with mud. Luckily
+for us it never got anybody. He was also landing them between us and
+"A" Co., so I began to get a bit worried and decided that I should
+send a message back to Headquarters as they were shelling pretty bad.
+I did not think it fair to send one of my men so took a message across
+to "A" Co., and had them send it back to H.Q. I then went back to my
+own men, arrived there safely and cuddled up against the side of the
+trench expecting any minute to go up in the air, but we still kept on
+joking each other. Neither one of us would let on that we were scared.
+About 5 o'clock that afternoon I saw about twenty men leave "A" Co.
+trench and make a dash across No Man's Land. They were a reconnoitring
+patrol in charge of Lieut. Canning and they were going to find out if
+the Kenora trench was occupied. Well they did. Fritz stopped shelling
+us and turned his machine guns and artillery on to this small party.
+They had to fall back and I believe they had four or five killed,
+including Lieut. Houston. Shortly after that our own Company came back
+and I can tell you I was not sorry to see them for it was no enviable
+position having responsibility for a couple of hundred yards of your
+front line. We got an issue of rum from the Captain when he came and
+we needed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>it bad. About eight that night a ration party came up with
+our rations and water. Say, you should have tasted it; full right up
+with the taste of petrol, but still it was good to us. You know we
+lose all fancy ideas about taste in the trenches.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Everything passed off as usual. Now and again we would think that the
+German was coming over so would have an extra good watch. He is such
+an uncanny devil he is always sending up fancy signals. The next
+morning as usual I visited my teams, issued their rations and rum. I
+had just finished doing this with my middle team and was sitting down
+talking to them. The little trench was more like a grave that could
+just hold us comfortable. All of a sudden there was an explosion
+overhead. I heard somebody singing out "stretcher-bearer" and I
+thought something had struck me in the back and had gone though me,
+but I looked around for my men. As far as I could see they had all
+been wounded and they were trying to get as fast as they could to the
+dressing station. Then I looked behind me and there was one of my team
+with his leg right off; three of his fingers were also off but as he
+was bleeding so much from his leg there was not a bit of blood left in
+his hand. I bandaged him up the best way I could and then we got a
+stretcher and carried him out. The wound that I had was only a little
+scratch and I found out later the shell that burst overhead was what
+we call a "wooly bear," instead of the shrapnel bursting forward it
+shot downwards. My gun was disabled so I thought I should have
+another. I went back to Howard Johnson who was Acting O.C. of
+operations in the front line. He was always optimistic (a good way to
+be) so told me about all the artillery that we had behind us and that
+we should not worry. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>Well, I did, and finally I got that gun fixed so
+that it worked alright. Everybody was telling me how lucky I was to
+escape when everybody else got hit, but I had a more miraculous one
+that afternoon.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>About three Fritz started to shell us badly again. The shells were
+coming quite thick and as we could see that he did not intend coming
+over it was decided to evacuate the outposts and go back to the Sunken
+Road. The most of the Company had gone back and as I was all ready to
+leave with my team a big fellow burst. It got one of the men who was
+just behind me, tore off his leg and a big chunk went into his back,
+missed me, and the concussion took the chap that was in front of me
+and landed him about 5 yards away dead. I cannot explain it but there
+are several of the boys back here who saw it. We got back to the
+sunken road, stayed there about an hour and then we manned our
+trenches again. About nine o'clock that night rations were brought up
+to us as usual, and they also sent the few men that they had left at
+the horse-line, for we were beginning to get them out a little. The
+advance is all right for the morale but it causes quite a few
+casualties. This night went past as the others&mdash;nothing happened.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>The morning was fine and we received word that we were to make an
+attack and take the Regina trench that afternoon at all costs. We got
+everything prepared for it that morning and that afternoon at three
+o'clock we went over again, but it was a futile attempt for they had
+all sorts of machine guns and barbed wire there waiting for us. But we
+kept on as far as the Regina, but could not capture it as our numbers
+were too depleted by this time. It was here I got the M.M. This makes
+a coincidence in our family, two brothers having the M.M. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>and one the
+D.C.M. We were relieved late that night by the 6th Brigade and we were
+not sorry to get out. We lost quite a few here, including Howard
+Johnson, who was in charge of operations. If ever a man deserved a
+V.C., he did. We marched from here to the Brickfield and from there
+back to a village behind the lines, out of the range of shell fire. We
+were still the same old battalion in name and those of us who were
+left intended to let the reinforcements know what sort of a battalion
+they had come to.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>When our reinforcements at last arrived Col. Hilliam took them and
+gave them a good lecture and then the old boys got after them. It did
+not take them long to decide that we were the best battalion in France
+and that is how we got the "Esprit de Corp."</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We stayed in this little village for about a week and then started on
+our march for the Bullez Grenaz front. After a few days marching, we
+arrived at our destination, a place where all Canadians have spent a
+happy time. The village itself was right close up to the communication
+trench and the French people carried on their work as usual, although
+now and again Fritz would put over an occasional shell, but they all
+seemed to think that was in the day's work. We went into a reserve
+trench called Mechanic's Dump. It is a spot that will always remain.
+Here were buried quite a lot of French and British soldiers who had
+lost their lives in the battle of Looz and there were also some of our
+own buried here. Amongst them, Sergt. Jim Harris. He was the greatest
+all round dare-devil that we had in the battalion. In fact there was
+nothing too daring for him to do if he could get a joke off. It was he
+that took the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>chickens, skinned them and threw the skins beneath
+the officers' cookhouse so that they would have to pay for them.
+Sergt. Harris was appointed Wiring Sergt. He had charge of all the
+wiring in front of our trench and craters. There were two craters
+quite close to each other, one occupied by us, the other by Fritz. The
+Brigade Major asked Harris if he could wire this crater as it was a
+very risky job. Harris promptly replied that "if Kaizer Bill himself
+were there in the crater opposite, he would wire it." He did and had
+the job finished when he saw a couple of Huns stick their heads out of
+their crater. With that he threw a couple of bombs at them and got
+them, but a couple of their pals got Harris. We were sorry; for he was
+really the most talked of man in the Battalion. Anyway, I had the
+satisfaction of fixing his grave up.</p>
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/imagep053.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/imagep053th.jpg" width="55%" alt="Aeroplane map Vimy Ridge" /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">Aeroplane map of the sector in which the "Fighting
+25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/imagep054.jpg">
+<img border="0" src="images/imagep054th.jpg" width="55%" alt="Aeroplane map Vimy Ridge" /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">Aeroplane map of the sector in which the "Fighting
+25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."</p>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>When we took over these trenches everything was quiet in this section,
+but it was not very long before the Canadians had livened things up.
+Some days we would "strafe" him with trench mortars; on others we
+would give him a touch of our artillery. Bill Cameron was aching to
+get a go at him so he picked out eighty men and four officers. It was
+decided to use the Bengalore torpedo to blow his wire up. The time
+appointed was Xmas morning. When they went to put the torpedoes
+underneath the wire they found it impossible as it was too bright, so
+there was a consultation and it was decided to crawl out, lay
+alongside of his wire and then make a dash into his trench as soon as
+the artillery started which they did with great success, bringing back
+about nine prisoners. Besides what they killed and the damage done,
+the moral effect on the Hun was good.</p>
+
+<p>That night the battalion on our right were going to pull off a raid.
+They started in and Fritz <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>must have thought we were going to pull off
+another, so he just started in and shelled us like anything. He didn't
+get any of us, but sure kept us ducking. I would put a chew of tobacco
+in my mouth and go round and visit my men, shells landing all around
+us. When they were coming through the air you would swear that they
+were coming straight for you and that one had your number engraved on
+it. Well, I would be as shaky as anybody could be, but I would not let
+the others see it and the men were the same. We are all alike; we all
+get a little funky in a bombardment but we will not admit it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>During our stay here Fritz bombarded the village with gas shells,
+killing four or five civilians. He did not get one of the military.
+Well, I suppose that is his way of waging war.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We were to be relieved by the 1st Division so that we could go out for
+a rest and I was advised that on the 21st of February I was to go to a
+cadet school in France to qualify for a commission.</p>
+
+<p>It was also understood that before we went out for this rest that we
+were to carry out a large daylight raid. The 4th Brigade who were on
+our right were to do this. A couple of nights before the raid was
+planned for, the Battalion Scout officer, with a couple of men, were
+scouting around No Man's Land when they encountered a strong German
+patrol. Our fellows had to drop back to our trench but the officer was
+hit and it was believed taken prisoner by the Germans. As he had some
+important papers the plans were all changed. So much in fact that we
+knew nothing about them ourselves. We got word at last that the raid
+was to take place at 4.30 this certain afternoon. Exactly on the
+second our artillery trench mortars and machine guns opened up. We
+just showered them with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>liquid fire shells and gas shells. Well, it
+was a wonderful night. The 26th Battalion on our left went over,
+entered his trench and bombed dugouts in the front line, for we were
+not taking any chances on Fritz having a surprise waiting for us. Our
+men all returned and we thought everything was over and that we would
+be relieved the next day. I guess Fritz thought the same. At seven the
+next morning I had a message handed me telling me that my men were not
+to stand down until I was notified later, as the Brigade on our left
+were going to carry out a raid. Again we pounded Cain out of him. Our
+men went over and our artillery formed a box barrage so that they
+could go in the trenches secure from a German counter attack. They had
+great success, brought back 100 prisoners besides what were killed. We
+suffered very light.</p>
+
+<p>After our boys came back, Fritz, thinking that we still held it
+completed the work of knocking his trench to pieces which we had
+started. We were relieved the next day and marched to a large mining
+town called Bruay. I was there only about four days when I was sent
+down the line to qualify for a commission and arrived back on the
+morning of the ninth and went up the line to the front trenches that
+night, along with Lt. Col. Bauld.</p>
+
+<p>After a month of rest at Bruay, the Battalion left for a training camp
+where for over a month the Battalion, in conjunction with the
+remainder of the 2nd Division, trained on ground marked out showing
+the different communication and main line trenches then held by the
+Huns and which were to be our objectives. This is made possible by the
+accurate photography from aeroplanes used for that purpose.</p>
+
+<p>At last the time drew near. A week was all that was left before the
+great day was to arrive and by <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>that time the Battalion was in a good
+condition for anything that might happen. On the night of the 5th
+Major Delancy, who was going to take the Battalion over the top, held
+a meeting of all officers and everything was explained. The officers
+were made to understand that even if only one man was left alive the
+objective must be taken and held and unless the position was serious
+no calls for help were to be sent to other units but that the "25th"
+must carry out the task alloted to them.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Easter Sunday came and we were ready and anxiously waiting to move. At
+6.30 a.m., Lieut. F.G. Lawzanne left with a party of N.C.O's to take
+up, what the orders stated, to be a Camp but what was in reality all
+that was left of a small forest known as the Bois-Des Alleux. At 9.30
+a.m., the Battalion, in fighting kit, without great-coats, left for
+this camp. After arriving bombs, ground flares, etc., were issued the
+Battalion and the remainder of the day was spent in trying to keep
+warm. During the course of the afternoon two men appeared in Camp with
+sand bags slung over their shoulders. They turned out to be Piper
+Brand and Piper Telford who did not want to be left behind and
+volunteered to play the Battalion "over the top." Permission for this
+was given by Lt. Col. D.S. Bauld, who, at that time, was in the Camp
+with his Battalion and who was feeling downhearted at not being able
+to lead his men on the following day.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>At last orders were received to move forward to our jumping off
+trench. At 8.30 p.m., Easter Sunday, the 25th left their camp, a camp
+which, some of the finest sons of Nova Scotia would never see again,
+and moved forward slowly, passing through Mount St Eloi, where could
+be noticed a few remaining French families who had stayed by the home
+all <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>through the months of war. A few hours march, and we arrived on
+the Muvelle St. Vacest Road where for some reason we stayed for almost
+two hours, during which time the Hun started shelling the road, and
+here our first casualties occurred. We were at last able to continue
+our march and at 3.30 a.m., Easter Monday we marched out to the
+jumping off trench which was already being shelled by the Huns. Zero
+hour had been set for 5.30 a.m., so we had two hours to wait, and a
+long two hours they were. Nobody can realize except those who have
+been through it the thoughts which pass through mens minds at such a
+time&mdash;thoughts of home and loved ones appear as a vision with a wonder
+as to whether you will ever see them again.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Operations orders were that the 24th and 26th Battalion would attack a
+trench known as <span class="smcap">Zwischen Stelling</span>, while the 25th Battalion
+with the 22nd French-Canadians, as "moppers-up," would capture and
+consolidate a trench named <span class="smcap">Turco Graben</span> which was in advance
+of <span class="smcap">Zwischen Stelling</span>. On the left was a communication trench
+known as <span class="smcap">Dump Ave</span> which was left to the capable hands of
+Major Wise and the remaining companies were spread to the right. We
+stayed in those trenches consolidating, etc., for a few days when two
+minutes before the time of advancing the word was passed from man to
+man to get ready and every man in those muddy trenches fixed his
+equipment, looked to the bombs and rifles and passed wishes of good
+luck to those nearest him, making a toe hold in the side of the trench
+to help himself up.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Zero hour (5.30 a.m., Easter Monday, 1917) had come! The <span class="smcap">Vimy
+Ridge</span> attack was on! Whistles blew and over the top went the
+Canadians. The artillery started their work. Hundreds and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>hundreds of
+guns commenced drum fire simultaneously. Looking towards the Hun
+trenches it appeared as if the whole line was afire. It was a grand
+and impressive sight. The gallant pipers leading the 25th could be
+seen but it was impossible with the din to hear what they were
+playing. Gradually we advanced our ground&mdash;nothing but holes filled
+with mud and water to make the going very difficult. At last we
+reached the German line which had been taken by the 24th and 26th
+Battalion. We jumped into what was left of the trench and waited until
+the set time to move forward. Looking at the Hun trench one could
+easily see what good work the gunners were doing. Everything was
+smashed in; dugouts were gone and many of the enemy with them. Our
+next objective was the <span class="smcap">Tu Rop Graben</span> trench. By this time the
+Boche realized that he had no small attack to deal with and his
+artillery, helped with many machine guns, started, causing us many
+casualties. Just about this stage of the advance Major Delancy was
+killed and also R.S.M. Hinchcliffe. We could see our boys for miles
+advancing with confidence and determination. The Hun shells and
+bullets were coming swift but that did not stay the Canadians. Parties
+of the enemy were trying to put up a fight but they were soon settled.
+Major A.O. Blois, though wounded, took command of the Battalion and
+for this and other good work he was awarded the D.S.O.</p>
+
+<p>Finally we reached our last objective and commenced to consolidate.
+This trench, like the others, was in an awful condition. We found a
+large dugout named <span class="smcap">Craemer House</span> which was a Battalion
+headquarters. By this time we had lost not only Major Delancy, but
+Lieuts. Hallesy, Sheriff, Feindel, Barber, as well as other officers
+wounded, and a good number of men both killed and wounded.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>Then came the long hours of waiting. It had rained during the morning
+and everybody was more or less wet and as the evening drew on it
+became very cold and by the time the morning came again, the Battalion
+having no overcoats, or shelter were in a sorry plight, with but
+little food or water except what the Hun had left behind.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>On the evening of the attack Col. S. Bauld came with Lieuts. Lewis and
+Fisher and Capt. and Q.M. Ingraham, who having heard of the casualties
+amongst the officers volunteered to come and help out. The following
+night water was sent up and altho it tasted more like petrol we were
+glad to get it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>That night we moved back to the rear trench and everyone felt a lot
+happier when a rumour went around that the Battalion was going to be
+relieved. After holding the position for less than two days we were
+sent for two days rest, prior to being relieved, into a larger German
+tunnel known as <span class="smcap">Folker Tunnel</span>.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Lieut. Dryden was detailed to take charge of the burial party and the
+sad work it was, collecting friend and foe from all over the
+battlefield.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>After a night in the tunnel the order came that instead of going out
+to be relieved we were again to go forward. The people at home will
+never realize what this order meant to our men. After four days
+without sleep, wet clothing and mud right next to the skin, with very
+little food or water, our men were not anxious to move forward, but
+did they grumble? Not they. When the word came to move forward they
+were ready once more for another go at the Hun.</p>
+
+<p>We came out of the trenches for a short rest. We had to travel about
+two miles over shell-torn <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>ground and we were about all in having been
+in the line for quite a few days doing our duty regardless of shells,
+snow and rain. After what seemed to us to be a long time we arrived
+out at our resting place not so very far from the front line. We
+bivouacked here in tents and had one beautiful rest. Rain and mud the
+entire four days that we were out here. Col. Bauld was in charge of
+the Battalion and Major Blois was acting as second in command. But we
+were quite happy despite the rain and mud. One night the German
+aeroplanes came overhead. The order came to put out the lights and
+just to show you how little the boys thought of Fritz's bombs, a crowd
+of men in a few of the tents who had just came back from a working
+party and were turning in when the signal went to put out lights
+ignored it saying: "Just wait a few minutes as we have to turn in." I
+wonder if Fritz's planes would wait? I guess not. Anyway he did not
+get us that night. Now and again Fritz would drop an occasional shell
+over quite close to us but he never did us any damage.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>We had come through one of the heaviest engagements that had taken
+place up until this time and though very muddy, we were as happy as
+anyone could be. Well, as I said, we stayed here for a few days and
+then we went up the line and stayed in supports for a few days. Col.
+Bauld was in command and I must say that he has done good work for the
+whole time that he was out there. He was such that no matter who the
+man was he would do all in his power to assist him. We stayed in
+supports for a few days and then we got the order to move up into the
+front line trench&mdash;trench in name only as it really could only be
+called a ditch. On the way up Fritz shelled us pretty badly. I tell
+you, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>whilst we were up on top of the ridge, Fritz just peppered us.
+But strange to say, although he got our wind up and made us feel a
+little shaky he never inflicted any casualties and that is the main
+thing. Well, after a long march we arrived at our destination.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>How easy to write this back here, but what a feeling whilst going up.
+An occasional shell bursting close to you. Now and again a machine gun
+opening up. You are marching along very quietly when a battery of our
+own guns open up alongside of you and I tell you honestly there are
+times when the bravest of us get the creeps. We were in our new home,
+and had to see about some shelters. We would dig into the side of the
+parapet just enough for a man to crouch up into. I can tell you that
+although it was clammy and wet it seemed like heaven to us at times.
+Well, there was an attack planned for the 28th of April. The night of
+the 28th we dug a jumping off trench and it was understood that "D"
+Co. should form the left flank of the attack. "C" Co. digging in No
+Man's Land and connecting with the 26th Battalion. My platoon of "D"
+Co. formed the left flank of the "C" Co. Lieut. Bell was in charge of
+"D" Co. that day. We were notified that the hour would be at 4.45 p.m.
+All right. Just before the attack Fritz sent a few shells over on us
+and we shelled the best way that we could. It is getting quite close
+to the appointed time. I look at my watch. My men are all ready. I
+have nothing to worry about. I wonder whether I have been out here too
+long and that I am going to get mine. But I don't worry for we get to
+be fatalists and say if it is going to be well it has to be, so what's
+the odds. I look at my watch, it wants a minute to go. By the time I
+put my watch <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>back there is one terrific noise. All around the horizon
+in the rear there is one mass of flame. You can hear the shells
+whizzing over your head. We start over&mdash;walking, not running. It is a
+creeping barrage. It will play on his wire and front line trenches for
+a while and then creep forward. We are following up close behind it.
+It is a wonderful sight and nobody will ever be able to do justice to
+it. Shells bursting in front of us. Fritz sending up his S.O.S.
+signals; our men with their rifles at the "High Port," not giving a
+damn for anybody living, with one fixed idea that is to get into
+Fritz' trench and take all of our objectives and take them prisoner,
+but if they show any fight to do them in. We get to his wire it is not
+cut as well as it should have been, but we belong to the "25th." We
+have to get through regardless of what happens to ourselves. We get
+through the wire but most of the boys are a little too much to the
+right. There is a machine gun playing on us but not doing any damage.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>One of Fritz's bombs burst right close by us and some of it gets me
+behind the ear. But they are only flesh wounds and we have got to get
+to the objective, which is a sunken road. He is using a trench mortar
+on us. But with our usual luck he is firing wild and, therefore doing
+no damage. I jump into the sunken road. I am too far ahead of my men.
+The Fritz's who are firing the Trench Mortar see me and think that we
+are all there. So they start to beat it. I fire at them with my
+revolver. I hear some squealing behind me and look around. Three
+Germans! What can I do. I cannot take them prisoners nor can I take
+any chances. So I have no other alternative but to shoot them. It may
+seem cold blooded to a lot but the only thing I am sorry for is that I
+did not kill a few more. About the same time my <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>men came along and we
+started bombing the dugouts. It was great sport. You throw a bomb down
+then stand clear. A burst of flame comes up and then you hear a lot of
+squealing.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>At the end of the sunken road Fritz started to counter-attack us, so
+there is nothing for me to do but lead a couple of men over the open
+to a trench and place a block in so that Fritz cannot get behind us.
+On the way over I get hit in the ankle and the wrist with a couple of
+Fritz's bullets. We get into the trench and start bombing up the
+trench. There we have a bit of a fight and I get a bayonet wound in
+the back. By this time I had lost a considerable amount of blood so
+have to try to get out the best way I can for at the time we did not
+know how things were going to go. But I found out later that we held
+on to all of our objectives. I started to crawl out, but Fritz also
+started sniping at me. I got to the wire and it looked as if I would
+not be able to get through as Fritz's bullets were flying around.
+Anyway I decided to go through the best way I could even if I did get
+killed. As soon as I started to walk through the wire Fritz stopped
+firing, for why I do not know and another thing I did not care so long
+as I got out of the wire and could get into a shell hole. By this
+time, through loss of blood I was feeling pretty weak. Whilst taking a
+breath in this shell hole I saw a Boche coming towards me. I was not
+taking any chances so covered him with my revolver. He surrendered and
+helped me to get out.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>It is impossible in this short space to tell all the glorious
+achievements of the Twenty-fifth. Suffice to say that the empire bore
+no braver sons and history will chronicle no greater sacrifices than
+those of the men of Nova Scotia.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h4>FINIS</h4>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+<div class="tr">
+<p class="cen"><a name="TN" id="TN"></a>Typographical errors corrected in text:</p>
+<br />
+Page 12: &nbsp;Kimmell replaced with Kimmel<br />
+Page 14: &nbsp;Kimmil replaced with Kimmel<br />
+Page 14: &nbsp;becaue replaced with because<br />
+Page 15: &nbsp;Christman replaced with Christmas<br />
+Page 29: &nbsp;"we we called the tank" replaced with
+         "as we called the tank"<br />
+Page 29: &nbsp;terriffc replaced with terrific<br />
+Page 44: &nbsp;"until they they had" replaced with
+         "until they had"<br />
+Page 47: &nbsp;yeards replaced with yards<br />
+Page 51: &nbsp;areoplanes replaced with aeroplanes<br />
+Page 52: &nbsp;Battallion replaced with Battalion<br />
+Page 53: &nbsp;Zxischen replaced with Zwischen<br />
+Page 54: &nbsp;simultanously replaced with simultaneously<br />
+Page 57: &nbsp;quitely replaced with quietly<br />
+Page 58: &nbsp;dmage replaced with damage<br />
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Over the top with the 25th, by R. Lewis
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Over the top with the 25th, by R. Lewis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Over the top with the 25th
+       Chronicle of events at Vimy Ridge and Courcellette
+
+Author: R. Lewis
+
+Release Date: October 16, 2008 [EBook #26930]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OVER THE TOP WITH THE 25TH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by "A Louis/Lewis Family Member in Newfoundland"
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian
+Libraries)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Transcriber's Note:                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For     |
+    | a complete list, please see the end of this document.     |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+   [Illustration: LIEUT. R. LEWIS, M.M.]
+
+
+
+
+OVER THE TOP
+WITH THE 25TH
+
+CHRONICLE OF EVENTS
+AT VIMY RIDGE AND
+COURCELLETTE
+
+BY
+
+LIEUT R. LEWIS, M.M.
+
+
+
+
+1918
+H.H. MARSHALL, LIMITED
+HALIFAX, CANADA
+
+
+
+
+Chapter One
+
+
+The end of August, 1914, found me following my usual employment as
+second mate on a small steamboat plying between St. John's,
+Newfoundland, and various stations on the coast of Labrador. The news
+from the front aroused my patriotism, and though my captain, who was a
+Britisher through and through, strongly urged me to remain with him
+because of the great difficulty of securing another man, I was fully
+made up in my mind that my clear, plain duty was to enlist. On my
+return trip to St. John's I found, greatly to my disappointment, that
+it was all too late to enroll my name in the already organized
+Newfoundland regiment. There was nothing for it but to cross to Canada
+and try my luck at enlisting there. Arriving at Sydney, and making
+enquiries, I discovered that the second division was not going to be
+formed up for some little time, and I therefore enlisted in the 94th
+Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. With them I remained in Sydney
+until October of the same year when the 25th Battalion was
+organized--a battalion which has since covered itself with glory and
+earned the legitimately proud title of "The Fighting Twenty-Fifth."
+
+Although I was one of them myself, I do not hesitate to assert that a
+finer bunch of men never left the shores of Nova Scotia to take up
+arms for Britain in the fields of France and Flanders than the gallant
+boys of the splendid Twenty-fifth. The general public does not appear
+to know very much of the achievements of this battalion and this
+perhaps may be due to the fact that we left Canada in May of 1915, and
+that we had been in France some nineteen months before any other Nova
+Scotia Battalion went into action as a unit. This story is not being
+penned with the slightest idea of seeking in any way to disparage the
+Nova Scotia Highlanders; that intrepid body of superb fighters have
+fought splendidly and well and their glorious record is fresh in the
+minds of all.
+
+
+It has been my privilege to be with the Twenty-Fifth right from the
+day of its organization until the 23rd of April, 1917, and now, from
+records and diaries which I have kept from the beginning, I am
+attempting to relate the true story of the wonderful work accomplished
+by this battalion.
+
+
+As previously intimated, we organized in the October of 1914, and at
+that time I was a private under Major MacRae. Since then, to quote the
+words of Kipling,
+
+    "Things 'ave transpired which made me learn
+      The size and meanin' of the game.
+    I did no more than others did,
+      I don't know where the change began;
+    I started as an average kid,
+      I finished as a thinkin' man."
+
+In those early days following upon enlistment we enjoyed some real
+good times in Halifax and the old boys will always recall with
+genuine appreciation the many kindnesses shown us by the citizens.
+Taking all the various circumstances into consideration we were well
+looked after by the military authorities; of course, our one burning
+eagerness was to get over to France and plunge into the thick of
+things as speedily as possible, and when it was rumored that we were
+going to be put on home duty feeling ran pretty high among the men and
+some quite lively times were experienced! The rumor, however, came to
+nothing and we settled down to the routine of our daily drill. By this
+time I had transferred to the Machine Gun Section and became linked up
+with "B" Co. with Lieutenant Medcalfe second in command. I shall not
+waste space in telling you about the time we strutted about, proud of
+our khaki uniforms, hugging the fond thought that we were real
+soldiers, even as not a few who today, still at home, wearing the
+uniform, are victims of the same absurd delusion. At last the great
+day came--the day of our embarkation; we were going to say our
+farewell to the land of our birth, sail away over the ocean and begin
+our great adventure, taking our place among the soldiers of the King
+and Empire in the greatest fight for liberty and right which the world
+has ever witnessed.
+
+
+Eager and keen, and with spirits high, we stepped aboard the old
+"Saxonia" along with the 22nd French-Canadian regiment, and sailed on
+the 20th of May, 1915, arriving in England after a pleasant but
+uneventful voyage. We found the training in England far more thorough
+than anything we had before experienced. We had to work, and real
+hard, too, but undoubtedly the process made us better men and tended
+to increase our confidence as soldiers.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Two
+
+
+It is obvious that to relate to my readers the truth concerning the
+Twenty-Fifth it is necessary to be somewhat critical, and I shall
+endeavor to be absolutely impartial. To begin with, let it be said,
+and said with perfect candor, that the credit of handling our
+battalion in England which eventually helped us to go across to France
+must be given to our own officers.
+
+
+For the most part we greatly enjoyed our stay in England. We had a
+splendid time in Folkestone, a beautiful sea-side place; and for
+company we had about 50,000 Canadians in addition to some English
+cavalry. After a little more than three months' training the welcome
+news arrived that the next item on the program was France and the
+firing line. This information was received with the utmost enthusiasm,
+for the boys were getting somewhat "fed up" with training and were
+anxious for a crack at the Hun. On going over, we had to leave some of
+our officers behind, as they were "extra" to the establishment. Among
+them were Will Cameron, Charlie MacAloney and others. They came out
+later and proved their worth as fighters. Arthur Weston, who was
+second in command, refused to stay behind and accompanied us to
+France as quartermaster, thus setting a fine example to a good many
+majors and captains who would rather hang on to a job in England than
+cross to France and fight. Weston was not of this type. He was a
+soldier and a man.
+
+
+We landed in France on the 15th of September, 1915, and I will never
+forget that first march, heavily accoutred, over a big hill to our
+first camp. You could easily have picked out our train by reason of
+the boots etc., strewn along the line of march, and followed us
+without difficulty from the day we left Boulogne till we finally
+arrived at a little village in Flanders called ----. Here, within
+sound of the guns, we bivouacked for the night, some of the officers
+going ahead to look over the trenches we were so soon to occupy. The
+next night, under cover of darkness, two platoons from each company
+went up to the trenches. I well remember that night, the long march up
+the rough shell-torn road, and then along the communication trenches
+where we were received by the Imperial troops who, during the next few
+days, showed us all around and taught us what to do. Two nights later
+the remainder of our own boys came in, and the English soldiers went
+south to take part in the battle of Loos. It was about this time that
+Major Jones, as fine a soldier as ever went overseas, suffered a
+breakdown in his health. The heavy responsibilities thrown upon him
+proved too much.
+
+
+After spending eight days in the trenches we came out for a
+well-earned rest. My particular company was stationed at a farmhouse
+which was situated quite close to the firing line. The owner was
+generally considered to be pro-German, his father, according to rumor,
+having previously been shot as a spy. The farmer had a dog which had
+been tied up for about nine months, and our sentries had strict orders
+that if any of the civilians left the house we were to halt them, and
+if they did not halt on the word of command we were to shoot. But I
+think at that time it would have been a case of "shoot first," for we
+were imagining all sorts of things. As it happened somebody let the
+dog loose, and as the sentries felt sure he was going over to the
+German lines with despatches, they just shot him dead. Major MacKenzie
+had to pay 30 francs for him to satisfy the farmer and to prevent
+headquarters hearing of the matter.
+
+
+At the termination of our six days' rest we went back to the trenches
+and relieved the 24th Battalion. "B" Company, to which I belonged,
+occupied H 3, J 3, 4, 5 and H 4. Every little while Fritz would
+"strafe" us with rifle grenades, and there was some mining reported in
+H 4. This was a small salient; and was held by about forty men under
+Capt. Medcalfe.
+
+
+On the evening of October 8th about six p.m. we were all chatting
+together, some papers from home had been received by some of the boys
+and we were discussing the names of the newly formed 36th Battery,
+when all of a sudden there was quite an explosion on our right. The
+Germans had blown up several small mines. Capt. Medcalfe at once gave
+the order to "stand to," but before I had time to get my rifle and
+equipment, the ground trembled and rocked beneath us and everything
+went up into the air. The explosion took away fully half of H 4
+trench, and left a crater about 10 feet deep. Those of us who were
+lucky enough to escape without being wounded managed, I don't know
+how, to make our way into H 3 trench. Fortunately for us the enemy
+was very erratic in his artillery fire. It was all going between our
+second and third line trenches and consequently did no damage. This
+was our first real bombardment, and quite naturally we all felt more
+or less "shaky"--I know I said my prayers that night as I never said
+them before! The papers had it that the Germans got into our trenches
+and that we drove them out again. Such a thing never happened. They
+made an attack on us, but our artillery, rifle and machine gun fire
+caught them in "No Man's Land." By a happy coincidence the West
+Lancashire Artillery was just relieving the 7th Battery of Artillery
+and we had the support of both of them, and, believe me, they sure did
+some wonderful work.
+
+
+Our front line officers, such as MacRae, Logan, MacKenzie, Tupper,
+Roberts, Johnson and others, were all out on the job; unfortunately
+the same cannot be said of headquarters. As I was merely a private at
+the time I do not know just what really transpired; but we never saw
+the colonel at all that night. About four the next morning the major
+came and paid us a visit when we had a new parapet built. The Germans,
+however, failed to get into our trenches; and up to this day the 25th
+can with perfect truth declare that they never failed in the critical
+hour, for if we did not always have competent officers at the head of
+the battalion we certainly had them in our companies. Following this
+action we were marched out of the trenches for a rest, and prior to
+going back again, we were visited by General Alderson, who gave us a
+pretty severe lecture. He said he had every confidence in the men. A
+few days later Colonel Hilliam took over the command, and Major Stan
+Bauld was appointed second in command.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Three
+
+
+When officers arrive in England they are given the option of going to
+France as lieutenants or going back home. That is the reason you see
+so many bold footed officers holding down staff jobs in England and
+Canada. Colonel Hilliam who was now our commanding officer, says that
+the 25th battalion made his name; but the 25th boys are equally
+positive that he made the battalion. It was truly wonderful the
+confidence we placed in him and he never disappointed us. He was very
+strong on discipline, and when all is said and done that is most
+essential in the army. Without it a battalion simply becomes a mob.
+During the winter we were on the Kimmel front. It was a bad year in
+the trenches, for the rain and mud were something awful. The mud was
+waist deep and of such a nature that once a fellow got stuck it took
+another chap to get him out. For about two months they were trenches
+in name only; they were caved right in and the boys that were doing
+front line work would go in at 8 o'clock one night and would not be
+relieved until 8 o'clock the next night--twenty-four hours without any
+hot food. I must say that we found the hot rum ration that winter to
+be a most desirable thing.
+
+Our colonel was a regular fire eater, and wanted to be at it all the
+time. He organized a raiding party in charge of Capt. Tupper along
+with Brooks, Cameron and Roberts. All four of them proved to be great
+fighters. They were the pick of the battalion.
+
+
+And now enters that great hero--Toby Jones--"the Man who came back!"
+He was machine gun officer, and the Colonel also put him in charge of
+a wire cutting party, and thus he was carrying the responsibility of
+both jobs. He would be around his guns all day and at night he would
+be scouting all over "No Man's land" and in December, 1915 it was no
+joke crawling around in the mud. He never got any rest. He would not
+eat, and the day of the raid Fritz had straffed us quite a lot. I was
+in trench S.P. 12 along with Toby when a message came to tell us that
+a shell had knocked in one of the dugouts and had killed one of our
+N.C.O's, Corporal Ferguson, a chap who was well liked by everybody. A
+road named the "V.C. Road" separated us from J 4. The Germans were
+shelling this road pretty bad; but as soon as Toby got the message he
+did not hesitate one minute but went across to J 4. He seemed to have
+had a charmed life. Shells were bursting all around him but he never
+got a scratch. That night Corporal Ingraham and the McNeil brothers,
+the three biggest dare devils that were in our battalion left our
+dugout on a wire cutting expedition. Imagine, three or four men lying
+on their backs in mud and water cutting at Fritz's wire just a few
+feet away from his trench! Jones would go around his gun teams to make
+sure that everything was all right and then he would visit his wire
+cutting party.
+
+Night after night Toby would be engaged in this dangerous and telling
+work. It proved too much for flesh and blood, and one night just as a
+visit was planned he broke right down and was carried to our lines on
+a stretcher. Well, Toby got the blame for the failure of that evening
+and left our battalion; but as the old adage puts it "You can't keep a
+good man down" and Toby Jones enlisted again as a private in the 42nd
+Battalion--won back his commission with the D.C.M. and a bar. Every
+man in the "Fighting Twenty-Fifth" lifts his hat to Toby Jones--the
+greatest hero of them all!
+
+
+We carried out several raids the next few weeks on the Kimmel front,
+and, as a matter of fact, it is no exaggeration to say that
+trench-raiding which has since been carried out so extensively was
+really initiated by the "Fighting Twenty-Fifth." Before proceeding
+further, let me describe a trench. They are all transversed, because
+if a shell or bomb should burst in one part of the trench the
+transverse prevents the spread of the shrapnel. A communication trench
+is usually to connect the trenches together, and sometimes these
+trenches are a mile long reaching from the front line to some part
+behind the line where it is comparatively safe to walk around. They
+are very deep and zig-zag in shape so that they cannot be enfiladed.
+
+
+On the Belgian front we could not have deep dugouts for the soil was
+so soft. To dig down a few feet was to strike water. At first we only
+had sand bags shelters, then we had the corrugated iron ones which
+were shrapnel and bomb proof.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Four
+
+
+We stayed on the Kimmel front from September 15th until sometime in
+February. We were never in anything big here for it was winter time
+and we had all our work cut out in repairing and rebuilding trenches.
+Now I have made mention of the fact that we came out for a rest, but
+that does not mean to say that we didn't work, for whilst we were
+resting we figured in many working parties. We all learned to believe
+that
+
+  Our section was the best in the Platoon
+  Our Platoon the best in the Company,
+  Our Company the best in the Battalion,
+  Our Battalion the best in the Brigade,
+  Our Brigade the best in the Division,
+  Our Division the best in the Corps,
+  Our Corps the best in the Army,
+  And that the British were the best in the world.
+
+Our old Colonel would have concerts and lectures arranged for us when
+we went to rest, and on Christmas day we had quite a big dinner,
+thanks to the people at home who helped by sending us quite a lot of
+nice things.
+
+As you might know we had quite a lot of Cape Breton boys. They were
+needed to do some mining and they were splendid at that work. The
+miners work is as follows; first they sink a shaft so many feet down,
+and then when they get down deep enough they start sapping forward,
+putting up timbers as they go. They have to work very quietly as Fritz
+also does some sapping and if too much noise is made the miners
+themselves are liable to go up in the air and come down in pieces, and
+I do not think that anybody would relish that idea. Mining is done now
+on a very large scale. So you see this war is carried on underneath
+the earth as well as underneath the water.
+
+
+I will remember a certain officer who got the creeps after the October
+affair and would always go around wearing armored body plates, and
+every time he heard a rat scratch he thought it was a mine. He heard a
+noise in his dugout and he cleared all the men out of his trench and
+had the miners up. They dug down and found that his place must have
+been over an old dugout and that there were quite a number of rats
+running around having a good time all to themselves. Certainly, I must
+admit that I was no hero myself. When our front trenches started to
+cave in we had to get out in front into No Man's Land and dig a new
+trench and what earth we excavated we had to throw up against our own
+front line trench, and although at the present time I would think
+nothing of it I was sure some scared. But after you are there awhile
+you do not mind it at all. The first winter Bill Cameron, along with
+his scouts used to live in No Man's Land. They thought nothing of
+doing that. They used to be planning to do all sorts of things, but
+the opportunity only seldom came for them to do anything out of the
+way, except it was to go over No Man's Land searching for dead bodies
+and curios, and those chaps were game enough for anything.
+
+   [Illustration: LIEUT. CANNING, M.M.]
+
+   [Illustration: MAJOR MACRAE
+   OFFICER COMMANDING "A" CO., 25th BATT.]
+
+The whole time we were on this front everything went very smoothly,
+for we had one great man at the head of our Battalion. We were great
+friends with the French-Canadian Battalion, but there was another
+Battalion in our Brigade with whom we did not pull at all, and there
+was always a certain amount of jealousy between us, which was a good
+thing as we were always trying to outdo the other. Their Commanding
+Officer thought that they were the best battalion that ever left
+Canada, and Hilliam, the bulldog that he was, would not stand for
+that; so there was always a certain amount of rivalry between us.
+
+
+On one occasion there were a few Canadians guarding a road where
+people were not supposed to travel by night unless they had a pass,
+and a "Twenty-fifth" man who had been having a good time was coming
+home. "Halt," cried the sentry, "who goes there?" Answer "25th," "Pass
+25th all is well," so the 25th man went on his way home. Along came
+another belated traveller. The same performance was gone thru and he
+gave the number of his battalion which was not the 25th. The answer
+came back from the sentry, "Turn out the guard," and they put this
+poor soldier into the guard room. It was all due to their petty
+notions as to what they should not do. But still it always works out
+well; a little jealousy between the battalions always makes one try to
+outdo the other. But thanks to our Commanding Officer we never took
+second place to any battalion in France.
+
+
+Shortly after we were ordered to move up to the M. and N. trenches
+where we relieved some of the 4th Brigade for a time. There was a
+trench in this locality named the "International" because of it's
+changing hands so often. Well, about a month before this the Germans
+had made an attack on the Scotties and they were just relieving and
+were not prepared for the Huns. But they fought until they saw that
+they would have to plan a surprise attack to get it back. The Scottish
+Division then went out for a rest and left Fritz master of the trench.
+But the canny Scot was not giving in so easily. When they had been
+reorganized they came back with one intention and that was to take
+back the "International" trench and they did.
+
+
+Well here we were in the Vierstrutt trench, and we held it for a week.
+Our artillery would open up every couple of hours and we could look
+over our parapets and watch them pounding Cain out of Fritz's
+trench--it was wonderful. We kept this up for about four or five days
+so that Fritz could not have much of a trench left. The idea of the
+heavy bombardment was to give him the notion that we were going to
+make an attack at this point. On the morning that the Scotties were to
+take back the trench Bill Cameron, George Roberts, together with
+Canning, and some of the other boys, played quite a trick on Fritz.
+They got a couple of very long steam pipes and filled them up with
+explosives; carried them across and put them underneath Fritz's barb
+wire. There was a long fuse attached.
+
+
+Now to describe it:--The hour is 4 a.m. Everybody is anxiously waiting
+for the bombardment to take place. We never gave a thought to the
+possibility of Fritz bombarding us. The attack starts, but we do not
+leave our trench, but set fire to the fuse. That fuse did all sorts of
+fancy turns and twists travelling across No Man's Land, and then the
+explosion! Fritz's wires are all blown to pieces. He was sure then
+that we are making the attack and sends up all sorts of S.O.S. signals
+that look very pretty. His artillery opens up, but it seems there is
+something the matter with his range for he cannot reach us at all. But
+what is taking place on the right of us? The Scotties, without firing
+a shot, walk over No Man's Land, jump into Fritz's trench and bomb the
+dugouts, capturing quite a few prisoners, and once more the
+"International" is ours and has not changed hands since.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Five
+
+
+Our Battalion did not remain long on the Kimmel front, but on being
+relieved by some English troops, we were sent for a rest to a little
+village called Berthem. We were situated in a French farm house and
+received splendid treatment from the occupants. Here it was that we
+met the Anzacs, fresh from their terrible fighting at Gallipoli; and
+there was quite a little friendly rivalry between them and our
+Canadian boys.
+
+Contrary to our expectations we did not remain for any length of time
+at Berthem. Some big fighting was in progress at St. Eloi, and the
+Imperials had planned a strong offensive movement. Several mines were
+exploded, and an attack was launched the objective of which, in the
+first instance, was to gain part of the Messines Ridge. The attack was
+a considerable success but not wholly so, because the Germans were
+able to get in some pretty effective artillery work; the Fourth
+Brigade was thereupon sent to their assistance and managed to drive
+Fritz back for quite a distance.
+
+For the next three days there was some very hard fighting in this St.
+Eloi district in which our men participated with great valor. Some of
+our boys were obliged to remain in those mine craters for twenty-four
+hours with no chance of communication with the rear. Howard Johnstone
+beat off no less than five attacks in four hours. Guy Matheson, who
+had crossed over as a sergeant won the M.M. in this action, and here
+it was that Corporal Ingram gained the D.C.M. They really deserved the
+V.C. Captain Brooks did wonderful work, but I cannot continue to
+mention individuals or I should have to mention every name in the
+entire Battalion. After some days the intensity of the fighting died
+down and the ordinary trench warfare was resumed. We had hard work
+rebuilding our badly shattered trenches and were very glad of the
+opportunity to enjoy our divisional rest. While out on rest on one
+occasion we were visited by the King and Queen. Their Majesties,
+accompanied by Colonel Hilliam, walked through our lines and appeared
+much interested in our welfare.
+
+It was in St. Eloi that we captured some prisoners who gave us the
+information that there was going to be a gas attack on the Kimmel
+Front. We warned the Imperials who were at that point, so they were
+quite prepared. The Germans sent over the gas, and then came over
+themselves. Our fellows fell back in the centre and thus surrounded
+them, capturing or killing every one that came over. It was while in
+those trenches that we first started to use the Lewis gun and the
+Stokes trench mortar.
+
+The Lewis machine gun is a wonderful weapon. Like a rifle it can be
+fired from the shoulder and the discharge is at the rate of about 500
+rounds a minute. The Stokes gun is much like a stove pipe; and as fast
+as the shells, which weigh 13 lbs., are dropped into it, they go
+flying through the air right to their object, and then burst and
+create an awful havoc. The Germans have invented quite a number of
+trench mortars, but nothing to come up to this.
+
+One night whilst we were in those trenches a few Germans managed to
+get into a part of our trench which we were not occupying, as we knew
+that they had a mine there ready to blow up at any minute. As we
+discovered, by the bombs and other stuff that they had left behind,
+that they had been in our trench we decided to go and look for them,
+so Lieut. Dennis Stairs took a party out. He had with him Sergt.
+Canning, who has since won the M.M. and his commission. They wandered
+about No Man's Land for awhile when they suddenly came upon a supply
+of Fritz's bombs. There were a few hundred of them, so it was quite
+plain that they intended to make a big raid on us. But when he had the
+"25th" to contend with he had the wrong crowd. The next night the same
+party went out, prepared for anything that might happen and they
+waited by that supply of bombs, and sure enough, quite a few Huns
+appeared. Our fellows then threw the bombs, and I can assure you there
+were many Huns who never got back home again. We got a little
+information from the prisoners taken and that was most important.
+
+
+Another night, as usual, we had our listening posts out in some of the
+shell holes, when one of the men of the "A" Company posts saw a couple
+of Huns quite close and immediately opened fire on them, killing one
+and wounding the other. It was by means such as these that we were
+able to gather very desirable information regarding the enemy, his
+strength, probable intentions, and sometimes the effect of our
+artillery fire. In fact one of the main reasons for making these raids
+was for the very purpose of getting information and also to weaken the
+morale of the Germans opposite to us.
+
+While we were here at this section of the front, about June 9th, the
+Third Division had to withstand a very heavy bombardment, followed by
+a terrible barrage fire, and subsequently a fierce attack. The Germans
+managed to get into the trenches but not without paying a dreadful
+price.
+
+
+It was found necessary to send for reinforcements if the trench was to
+be re-captured. Imperials relieved us on the St. Eloi front, and we
+were speedily conveyed by motor lorries and rushed up to the Ypres
+section. Our boys all knew they were in for a hot time but we were
+keen to be at it for we were "just spoiling for a fight." We got it
+all right, and though we were only here for two days, such was the
+severe nature of the fighting, that our casualty list was very heavy.
+Incessant rain added to our discomfiture; but the spirit of the boys
+was something wonderful to behold.
+
+
+After a twenty-four hour rest in the huts at Ypres we went to the now
+famous "Hill 60" where we remained for seven days. It was while we
+were here at "Hill 60" that Sergt. Duffet got the D.C.M., though he
+afterwards died of the wounds which he had received.
+
+
+After leaving "Hill 60" we went back to the St. Eloi front again, and
+had the usual routine of work to perform--trench warfare and plenty of
+working parties. Just imagine a party of about a hundred men carrying
+wire trench mats across the open in full view of Fritz. A flare goes
+up; everybody stands still; a machine gun opens fire; everybody goes
+down so that they will not be hit; and then every thing is still
+again. All of a sudden somebody swears as he trips over a shell hole,
+but the oath is made in such a reverent way that it is more of a
+prayer than a curse word. Thus it continues night after night.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Six
+
+
+As I have previously said, there is always a certain amount of rivalry
+between the Battalions. In illustration of this we got word that a
+Battalion on our right was going to pull off a raid. Our Colonel
+immediately ordered Lieut. Wise (he went over with the 25th as a
+Sergt. and is now a Major and second in command of the Battalion) to
+take a party of men and make a raid into Fritz's trench. They set off
+and after wandering around "No Man's Land" for a while found an
+opening in his wire. They got into his trench and bombarded him right
+and left, killing quite a few and bringing back valuable information.
+Unluckily we had a few wounded, and Sergt. Anderson got no further
+back than Fritz's wire when he was hit. Lieut. Wise made three or four
+gallant attempts to get him out, but, owing to the machine gun and
+rifle fire, it was impossible. Lieut. Wise, who was badly wounded got
+the Military Cross and Cross de Guerre, and several of the boys got
+the Military Medal, so the Battalion on our right had to postpone
+their raid.
+
+
+A few nights later we planned another. There were three parties, one
+under Lieut. Matheson, one under Lieut. Daley, and one under Lieut.
+Hiltz, the whole being under the command of Major Grant. Lieut.
+Dennis Stairs also took part in this. We were all ready to raid the
+trench when we got orders that the Battalion on our right was going to
+pull off a raid and that we must postpone ours. The same night that
+Lieut. Wise pulled off his raid so successfully, the Fourth Brigade
+"put one over" on the Hun. They raided his trench, bringing back some
+prisoners and doing quite a lot of damage to his trench.
+
+But one of their men had been missing and had been given up for lost.
+Two days later one of the Artillery officers, while observing our
+fire, noticed a chap wandering around No Man's Land, and he would have
+fired at him only the man turned round and the observer saw his black
+face and knew right away that it was the missing man. A couple of boys
+crawled out and brought him in. He was quite delirious. It seemed that
+he had been wounded and bled quite a lot and became unconscious. The
+sun dried the wound, but left him insane and he had started wandering
+around No Man's Land.
+
+Just before we left the St. Eloi front we had some of the Fourth
+Division in with us, and we showed them what they had to do and left
+them to play their part and show the Huns that they were
+Canadians--and this they have undoubtedly done.
+
+The Somme fighting was on about this time. I well remember the 1st of
+July. Our aeroplanes went over the German lines and brought down about
+six or seven of their observation balloons before you could say "Jack
+Robinson." It was pretty slick work, with some new explosive that our
+fellows had kept very secret.
+
+In leaving the St. Eloi front we marched for three days to a little
+town quite close to St. Omer called ----, where we drilled from five
+in the morning till seven or eight at night, doing the usual training
+so as to get us fit for the fray. By this time I was a full fledged
+Lance Corporal in charge of "C" Company's Lewis guns. We had a great
+time here. A couple of days in the week we would have sports and then
+we would play games of baseball. Some of the boys would help the
+French girls make up their crops. Another thing that helped to make us
+so comfortable here was the difference in the people. They were most
+hospitable and could not do enough for us. We would scatter our straw
+on the floor, spread our blanket and go to sleep as happy and
+contented as possible. I tell you when you have a tiled floor for a
+mattress, your pack for a pillow and your overcoat for a blanket you
+can appreciate such a comfort as straw and blankets.
+
+
+We all knew that we were going to the Somme to take part in that big
+show and we were very anxious to get down upon them. The First
+Division had gone down a little ahead of us, but we were going to show
+them that the 25th could play its part as well as any of the
+Battalions and we did so.
+
+
+We stayed a while here in training and then we started on our journey.
+We would march about fifteen miles each day and would camp or bivouac
+for the night. Before turning in to sleep we would have a sing-song,
+all the men being in the best of spirits for at last we knew we were
+going to have a real scrap with the Hun, and although we had been in
+France twelve months, we had always been on the defensive and that is
+always the hardest kind of fighting. As we had quite a lot of old
+scores to pay off, we were just eager to get at the foe. After a long
+march we finally arrived at the brickfield in Albert, and there we saw
+for our first time the brass statute on the Church of Albert which
+was hanging head down. You would think that it would fall at any
+moment, but it was well secured so that the person who made the
+prophecy that when the statute on the church at Albert fell, the war
+would end, must have known that the war would last a long time.
+
+
+Well here we were. Thousands of troops ready for a big attack. One day
+we saw some queer looking objects coming along the road. We were all
+wondering what sort of war machines they were. There were all sorts of
+rumors as to what they were and what they could do. We did not find
+out what they were until the 15th of September and then we knew that
+they were the much-talked of "tanks." Fritz also found that out--much
+to his loss. We did several working parties here, going up through
+Contalmaison, Pozieres and other villages. We should not have known
+that they had been villages only that there were signs there to inform
+us to that effect.
+
+
+Anybody who has seen the German trenches here, and the deep dugouts
+and steep ridges which the British troops had to swarm over could
+scarcely believe it possible to take any of their positions; but we
+had a leader in General Haig and he knew what he was doing. The
+Artillery pounded the Hun with such vigor that if any were left they
+were properly demoralized, and then the infantry went over and caught
+the Germans down in their dugouts. By the night of Sept. 14th we were
+ready to launch our attack. The great Somme fight was on!
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Seven
+
+
+On the way up to the trenches and on seeing the guns, practically
+speaking, wheel to wheel, we thought it would be impossible to use
+more artillery at one time. But I know we have four or five times the
+number of heavy guns in use on the western front now than we had on
+the Somme, and that is one of the reasons that the morale of the men
+in the western area is so good.
+
+
+On the night of September 14th we moved up to a position of reserve,
+and we were all issued our fighting material which consisted of
+ammunition, rifles, bombs, with haversack on our backs, rations enough
+for two days and water bottle filled. We also made sure that we had
+our field dressing with us. There was also another little thing which
+we were given and that was our aeroplane signal. As soon as the
+advance starts our aeroplanes are ready to co-operate with us in all
+possible ways, and I can tell from what I have seen that Fritz's
+planes stand a very poor chance against ours.
+
+
+Now to describe our action. As soon as we start to dig in we light
+some of those flares; our planes see them and they signal back with
+the Klaxon horns, then they drop some signal and do a little fancy
+flying, and by that means, sometimes combined with wireless, our
+artillery know just exactly where we are. Some of the men also carry
+wire cutters, others, shovels and picks. I can assure you that it is
+no light load but the queer thing is that nobody seems to mind it,
+until everything is all over.
+
+On the morning of the 15th the 4th and 6th Brigades made the attack
+for our Division. It was a pretty big affair on about a three mile
+front. We were back in reserve and we were pretty sore because we were
+not taking a part in it, when we saw the "Irish Navy," as we called
+the tank, come puffing up. Little did we think that many who were
+there talking would be killed or wounded before the day was over. Then
+all of a sudden the artillery with a mighty roar opened up the most
+terrific fire.
+
+It was a wonderful sight. Nothing could be seen all along the horizon
+in the rear but one mass of flame, where our guns were sending out
+shell after shell. They were there in all sizes from the eighteen
+pounders up to the fifteen inch guns.
+
+Now, our boys are over with all their objectives well defined. The
+principal one for our division, at the time, was the Sugar Refinery,
+and in a very short while the prisoners started to come in. Some of
+them carrying our wounded with them, others carrying some of their own
+wounded. They were a demoralized crowd and after the artillery barrage
+which was put up it is not to be wondered at. Brigade headquarters
+were very close to us and they were taken there where they were asked
+all sorts of questions by our intelligence officers. Some would speak,
+others would not; but our intelligence corps generally got all the
+information that was needed. Our troops advanced so much that day
+that some of the artillery had to shift their guns up closer as they
+were out of range.
+
+That movement was a very pretty sight--the gun limbers being galloped
+across the shell torn ground, wheeling their guns around and getting
+into action in very short while. If I were a professional writer, I
+could describe a lot of things that happened that morning which would
+be very interesting to the reader but there are a number of incidents
+which I shall have to omit thru lack of memory.
+
+Now and again, Fritz would throw a shell over at us, but it would do
+no more harm than fling up dirt over us and we were so used to this
+that we did not mind it at all.
+
+The tanks did wonderful work puffing along to the German strong points
+and using their guns. I guess the moral effect was just as terrible as
+the real. No wonder that the German prisoners were so scared. Anyway,
+the main thing was the British got all of their objectives and quite a
+few were still pushing further ahead. We did not think that we would
+have a chance to take part in the show but at the same time we were
+prepared for anything that might happen.
+
+At 3 p.m. that same afternoon the Scottish Division on our right took
+Martinupuch, so General Byng decided that the Canadians should make
+another drive and take Courcelette, and, as it was, the 4th and 6th
+Brigades that went over that morning it was our turn for Courcelette.
+
+There was a conference of the four colonels commanding the four
+battalions in our Brigade and it was decided that the 25th were to go
+thru the left half of the village, the 22nd thru the right half, the
+26th in close support and the 24th in reserve, and altho there have
+been not a few rumors as to who really took Courcelette all I can say
+is that the whole Canadian corps played a part one way or another,
+even to the Army Service Corps who supplied our ammunition. But anyway
+that is how our brigades went over on the 15th of September.
+
+When the colonel came back he held a consultation with his company
+commanders who were Major Tupper "A" Co., Lieut. Col. Flowers, "B"
+Co., Capt. Stairs, "C" Co., Major Brooks "D" Co., and the entire
+scheme was explained to them. I was in the Lewis Gun Corps of "C" Co.,
+so when Captain Stairs called together his platoon officers, I had to
+be there too, and the scheme was that "A" and "D" companies were to
+form the first wave. There was a railroad the other side of
+Courcelette, there they were to dig in, in the most suitable place in
+front of that. "C" and "B" formed the second wave and were to dig in,
+just in front of the village. My instructions as to my guns were that
+I was to plant one gun on the left flank of the company and one on the
+right. When I saw that D. Co., had consolidated their position I was
+to start and take the right flank gun up and put it out in a shell
+hole about 20 yards in front of D. Co. My left flank gun I was to
+leave as it was guarding a sunken road. It was also an understood
+thing that we were to leave so many Lewis gunners behind, so when we
+started over we had but two trained men per gun, and four others,
+untrained, to carry ammunition.
+
+We started to get into position. The glorious 22nd were on our right,
+and the 3rd Division on our left, and tho this was our first time
+"over" everybody was laughing and eager to get at it. There was that
+grand old colonel of ours with a foot rule held in one hand and a map
+in the other. We were all lined up in extended order about 1-1/2 miles
+from our objective and we had to advance over ground that had been
+ploughed up pretty badly by our own artillery that morning. Shortly,
+our colonel gave the order to advance. Almost at the same time our
+artillery opened up. We advanced in one long extended line. (I must
+say that we use a different formation today). We were all joking with
+one another. We had fixed bayonets and as we passed a trench I heard
+one artillery observing officer say: "By the Gods of War, isn't it
+fine." One of my gunners asked me for a chew of tobacco. We passed
+some of the trenches which our boys had taken that morning. I saw a
+big German lying on his face dead, and a few of our own lying around.
+Then again we came across a few more dead Huns. Here were a couple of
+skulls which had been thrown up by our artillery. One of our boys
+passed the remark that they would not even let the dead rest.
+
+
+People talk about Fear; I must admit there is such a thing before you
+start over, but once you get started you are callous to everything.
+You see you own best friend killed alongside of you, but that does not
+stop you for you keep right on, never thinking that you may be the
+next, and even if you did you would say to yourself that you have got
+to go sooner or later, so what's the odds?
+
+
+We were getting near to the Sugar Refinery that Fritz had put a
+barrage across. No matter, we kept on. We got to the trenches held by
+one of our other brigades. The second wave is supposed to stop here
+for a few minutes whilst the first wave keeps on. One of the boys who
+were holding the trench said "Keep on lads, don't be frightened. We
+gave them hell this morning. You ought to be able to do the same now."
+I got mad at him for thinking that we were not "playing the game," so
+I gave my gun team the order to advance. As we passed the Sugar
+Refinery, Fritz's shells were bursting everywhere--shells bursting in
+the air, shrapnel coming down on us white hot like snow. One of my men
+was hit. I took his ammunition and left him to get out the best way he
+could. Fritz's machine guns were now playing on us.
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+We saw some of the boys turn around and then drop dead. It must be a
+great death, for in the excitement one would never know what struck
+him. We opened up our machine guns on the Huns who were hiding in a
+bit of a wood. My team is up with the first wave by now. Then we all
+made a dash and arrived at the Convent wall in Courcelette. There were
+lots there before us. The most prominent of all was Colonel Hilliam,
+with a cigar in his mouth, stick in one hand and watch in the other.
+He says, "Now boys, the barrage will play there for five minutes and
+then we will go right thru the village." He was wounded in the hand,
+but he only smiled at that. I went and found out that both my guns
+were O.K. and that I was lucky enough to get over with my full amount
+of ammunition, which was very fortunate considering that we came thru
+quite an artillery barrage.
+
+Our shells were bursting just in front of the village. You could see
+nothing but one mass of flame and smoke. Our colonel looked up and
+said "Now Boys get ready," and then the artillery lifts and we go thru
+the village. What was once a peaceful village is now nothing but a
+mass of burning ruins. We got thru, but some of our boys had to
+bayonet a few Germans to make them be good.
+
+The first wave was now well in front, and I was with my right flank
+team in the second wave. We came up on the right of "C" Co., just as
+they were preparing to dig in.
+
+Lieut. Dalley was about ten yards in front of his platoon giving
+orders to his men to dig in, when I saw him take a turn round and
+drop. I rushed out and picked him up. He told me to go on and never
+mind him. It was a dry day and there were quite a few bullets striking
+close to us, but at the time I did not seem to know, what they were so
+I got hold of Dalley and brought him back to a shell hole where our
+boys were digging in, and turned him over to their care. By this time
+I saw that "D" Co., had started to dig in, so I took my guns along and
+placed them in a shell hole about 20 yards in front of where our boys
+were digging. It was now about six p.m. The aeroplanes were over our
+heads sounding their horns and we were burning our signals.
+
+After placing my team I came back and found that Lieut. Dennis Stairs
+was wounded on the arm and leg. I bandaged him up, but he persisted in
+staying in and "carrying on" with his work altho the colonel wanted
+him to go out. He has the Military Cross and I must say he deserved
+it. I also found that Major Brooks had been killed and that Major
+Nutter was acting O.C. of "D" Co. I reported to the colonel who was in
+the front line, and he asked me to take out the prisoners. There were
+about thirty-five of them, and I was to turn them over to the 26th
+Battalion, which was supposed to be in close support. There were a
+couple of chaps who were slightly wounded, going out as escort. We
+went out right thru the village but no sign of the 26th.
+
+We saw a couple of their scouts who told us that the battalion was a
+little in the rear of us, but as it was getting dark we decided to
+send them out in charge of the wounded runners. The Huns were so
+demoralized that they really did not need any escort. Just before they
+left I saw Lieut. Wetmore stick his head out of a shell hole. He had
+been badly wounded in the head, so he also went out with the
+prisoners. I then started on my way back to the front line. Going thru
+the village we came across two Huns carrying a wounded Hun. We took
+them prisoners and turned them over to Sergt. Anderson of "C" Co. I
+then saw Sergt. Laird of "B" Co. and got about 30 bombs from him and
+took them up to my front line gun and came back to visit my left flank
+gun, which was still with "C" Co. While I was talking to Sergt. Weir
+there was a message came to me from Major Nutter to get my left gun up
+and place it out in front. I went to the left flank to carry out my
+order, and found my gun and ammunition scattered around the sunken
+road not damaged. But my team was gone, so I hunted around and got
+another team together and placed them out in "No Man's Land." If Fritz
+had to counter attack us that night he would have got an awful
+reception, for we had quite a few machine guns out in front and
+everybody was in good spirits and keeping a good look out.
+
+We found out by this time we had lost quite a few of our best
+officers; out of our company we had lost one of the finest men that
+ever went over. He was a man that no matter how hard the bombardment,
+he was always normal and would never get excited--that was John
+Stairs. The O.C. of "B" Company, Colonel Flowers was also missing. He
+was not with us very long, but everybody thought a lot of him. It was
+splendid for a man of his age to come out and volunteer as a platoon
+commander as he did, and he deserves all the credit that can be given
+to him. We had a few others killed and missing, but taking everything
+into consideration and the objective that we had taken, we had come
+out very lucky.
+
+Our boys were pretty well dug in by 12 that night. It was hard
+digging, about a foot of earth, then flint and underneath the flint
+was chalk.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eight
+
+
+The reaction had started to set in by this time. I cannot describe it
+to you properly, but there are a lot of people under the impression
+that a soldier gets a glass of rum before he "goes over." The reason I
+write about this is because people have often said the same thing
+about me. I'll tell you, the British soldier does not need rum to buck
+his courage up. I believe that it was given to the men before they
+went over in the beginning, and that after the effect wore off it left
+the man drowsy. Once you start "over," you do not give a curse for
+anything. All you think about is that there is an objective, and that
+there is nothing in this world to stop you and you keep that spirit up
+until you have everything securely in your hands, and then perhaps a
+couple of hours after a certain amount of reaction sets in. Then is
+the time for the rum. In France it is used, "never abused." The
+reaction generally works off after a few hours and then you are fit
+for anything.
+
+During the night Fritz made several counter attacks on the 22nd. We
+were not quite sure how they were making out, but a runner came up and
+told us that everything was O.K.
+
+I do not remember anything eventful happening that night. We had a
+couple killed, and Sergeant Tickle of the Machine Gun Section, whilst
+reconnoitering, ran into a German strong point. He bombed them and got
+back safely. But when daylight came there was quite a few of our chaps
+getting nipped off from the right, so a message was sent out to Major
+MacAvity, who was brigade major. He came up, and that afternoon the
+Third Division made an attack and took the trench from which they were
+sniping, and also 100 prisoners. We knew that there were papers of
+importance in a house in the village which had been used as
+headquarters and Fritz was quite determined that we should not get
+them, for he put shell after shell into the village. But whenever
+there is information to be had, there is somebody who will get it and
+we got those papers and believe me they proved to be of great
+significance.
+
+
+We had everything consolidated and the artillery had wires right up to
+our front line for observation purposes. To make matters worse we had
+a little drizzly rain. The next afternoon Major Tupper was killed, and
+as "A" company was to make a small attack--Major Nutter took over "A"
+company, and Lieutenant Matheson, who was now acting officer
+commanding "C" company took charge of operations. I am sorry to say we
+had many casualties that day in "A" company. We were relieved on the
+coming morning by the First Division. There were some machine gun
+crews to be relieved and as all the other companies and details were
+relieved the colonel wanted to stay and see them relieved, but he
+finally decided to let me stay behind and take this matter in hand.
+
+
+On the 9th of April, in my rank as officer, I reported for duty to
+Colonel Bauld and was glad to be once more with the glorious fighting
+boys of the grand old Twenty-Fifth. Some few days later we took part
+in the Arleux fighting; my company, "D," formed the flank. We were
+able to take all our objectives and consolidate them. It was in this
+scrap that I "got mine," for I was hit in the arm, leg, back and
+behind the ear. After twenty and a half months in France to have
+escaped death and even a serious injury, I consider it to have been
+most fortunate, and feel persuaded that someone at home must have been
+remembering me in their prayers. After my wound, I managed to crawl
+out and was then sent to a clearing station, subsequently to England,
+and them home to Nova Scotia. Here I am at the present and to be
+candid I am not over anxious to return, but if I should be
+wanted--well, I am ready to go and strike another blow for King and
+Empire, Liberty and God.
+
+
+After holding these trenches we were glad to get out and get a rest.
+The first day we got as far as The Reserve trenches. There we had
+plenty of rations issued to us and we rested here where there were
+some very large and comfortable dugouts which our most amiable friend
+Fritz had built for us. We enjoyed them and although we had lost quite
+a few of our best pals we knew that we all had gone through that same
+ordeal and those of us who were lucky enough to come out of the scrap
+never gave a thought to what we had gone through. A good thing, for if
+we did a few of us would be good patients for a lunatic asylum. We
+stayed here for the night and the next morning we got as far as the
+Brickfields near Albert where there were a lot of the old London Motor
+Buses waiting to take us back to a little village clear of the shell
+fire so that we could reorganize and get another go at Fritz. We were
+all as happy as larks, singing "Are we downhearted," "The Canadians
+took Courcelette, they can fight you just bet" and other trench songs.
+Some of the boys had on Fritz helmets and others had Fritzs'
+revolvers; we all had souvenirs of some description. We arrived at
+this town after a couple of hours ride. There was our Pipe Band with
+the Battalion Mascot, the goat, which we got in 1915. It is still with
+the battalion and always leads the band. When we reached this village
+the very first thing we had to do was to shave and clean up, for were
+we not the best unit in France? We always thought so and we used
+always to show an example to the others. That is "esprit de corp." We
+had a pretty good time in this village. Some of the boys sold their
+souvenirs as they said we were going back and could get lots more. Our
+old Colonel was still with us but his hand was now bandaged up. I
+forgot to tell you when he was coming through Albert the 22nd gave
+three cheers for "Col. Hilliam." He turned around and said, "If there
+is any credit give it to the boys, they deserve it." He quite forgot
+that we looked upon him as something more than a man, the way he would
+go around through a bombardment. Out here we had the usual parades and
+reorganization, but we only had the old battalion to reorganize as we
+got no reinforcements. However, we were still the "25th" and could
+show the Germans what we could do. It soon got spread around that we
+were going back to have another go at Fritz. So we got our guns fixed
+up and the afternoon before we went in Col. Hilliam made an inspection
+of the battalion. I had my Lewis Gun team formed up in rear of "C" Co.
+When the C.O. came around I called them to attention and saluted. He
+said "What is your name my lad?" I replied "Lewis, Sir." "Oh, a very
+appropriate name to have charge of the Lewis Guns." I said, "Sir, I
+try to do my best." He says, "You have done wonderfully, my lad." I
+thought it the greatest honor that I have ever got. We started for the
+Brickfields next morning, Col. Bauld in command of the Battalion. Col.
+Hilliam had to go to hospital for a few days. We arrived at the
+Brickfields and there we were given our full instructions as to what
+we had to do and went through the usual performance of being fully
+equipped with all the necessary equipments of war before we went in.
+Capt. John D. MacNeil was now O.C. of "C" Co., and one night we got
+the order to move up to the reserve trenches. All this time the troops
+who were occupying the trenches were steadily advancing. We had taken
+quite a lot of their strongpoints, including ---- and other villages.
+After a long tedious march we arrived at our reserve trenches and made
+ourselves as comfortable as possible, such as digging a hole in the
+side of a trench and perhaps a couple of sheets of corrugated iron,
+and finally we got settled away and went to sleep. It was very
+comfortable when you consider the circumstances. Certainly now and
+again one of Fritz large shells would burst somewhere near you but
+that was all in the game. If it was going to get you it would. But
+keeping awake would not save us. So Fritz's shells had no more effect
+than the vermin which we had got quite used to. The next night at 7
+o'clock, runners came down from the 14th Battalion to guide us to the
+front line. We were very inquisitive and began asking those chaps
+about where they were, what sort of fighting they had and other
+questions too numerous to mention, for strange to say, no matter how
+long you are there, when you got into a new position you always want
+to know what it is like before you go in it, and if you are told that
+it is a lovely place and that you can have a good time you can depend
+that it is going to be worse than hell. That is what happened in this
+case. The guide told us that it was a nice, quiet little spot. We
+found out the difference before we got out. We toiled through the
+shell-torn ground for about six hours before we got to where Battalion
+Headquarters were. Sometimes, our guides lost themselves. At other
+times Fritz would put a barrage across. We would lie down then in a
+shell hole and start talking about old times, never giving a thought
+to the shells which would burst quite close to us. In fact they got a
+few of our boys on the way up. But one has to be there to realize how
+callous a person appears to shell fire. By that I do not mean to say
+that he holds it in contempt for he doesn't He has a mighty regard for
+it. But you always want to show that you are as brave as your next
+door neighbour. Sometimes they came a little too close and one of the
+boys would sing out "Say let's make a move, for I don't mind getting
+Blightie but the way that one burst it will be France" or some other
+such remark. When we arrived at Headquarters it was in a large sunken
+road which our boys had captured a few days before. We hear quite a
+lot of ---- and here were quite a lot of wounded Germans who had been
+taken prisoners that day calling out for water, and although we were
+going in and we did not know when we were coming out, some of the boys
+gave them some of theirs. I hope they will do the same. We waited here
+for a while and then we started out for the trench. We had some night.
+We would go to one trench and then to another; our guides did not know
+where to take us. About 4 o'clock in the morning we started wandering
+around No Man's Land. At 7 o'clock, broad daylight, (we were laying
+down in the grass at the time), some of the boys saw somebody moving
+and as we saw that they were our own boys we made a rush and got into
+what was known as the Subsidiary trench. That is how "C" Co. relieved
+the 14th Battalion on the Somme. There was quite a chain-work of
+trenches here. What we held was named "Subsidiary Line." It really was
+not a trench but a system of outposts. In front of us were the famed
+"Kenora" and "Regina." Their names will always linger in the memory of
+the Canadians, for we did some very hard fighting around here. There
+were also a lot of trenches in rear of us held by some of our other
+companies. On our left were the 24th and C.M.R. I really do not know
+who were on our right. As I said what we were holding was only a
+system of strongpoints. There were five of them altogether and as I
+had three Lewis guns I put one on each flank and one in the centre.
+About 9 o'clock the same morning we saw somebody waving to us from out
+of No Man's Land. When we saw that he was one of our own lads, Lieut.
+Alexander, Corp. McEarley, (these two were both killed four days
+later) and myself, took a rubber sheet and doubled out and got him,
+expecting to be fired on at any time by Fritz. But he could not have
+seen us or else he did not want to give his position away. Anyway we
+got the chap in. He belonged to the 14th Battalion and had been out
+there for three days. His wounds had stiffened up so that he could not
+move. Poor chap, he said that he would have gone crazy that day if we
+had not brought him in.
+
+
+Some very hard fighting took place here for there was an awful lot of
+dead Huns lying around. All that morning we made our positions as
+secure as possible. At about two that afternoon word came from Col.
+Bauld that we were to attack and that the Co. Commanders were all
+wanted at Battalion Headquarters. When Capt. MacNeil came back he gave
+us the outline of the scheme and told me that I was to stay in the
+Subsidiary trench until they had things consolidated, or if they had
+to fall back under a heavy counter attack I was to cover the
+retirement and hold the trench at all costs. All right! Our barrage
+opens up; our fellows go over; up goes Fritz's S.O.S. signals, his
+artillery starts. It is maddening where we are. His artillery is
+playing all round us, knocking in our trenches in places but never
+getting any of my guns or men. Then there is a tremendous fire of
+machine guns from Fritz's trench no man could live through. The
+bullets are just singing through the air. But our men are quick to
+grasp the game and get into some shell holes and wait until it gets a
+little dark and then crawl back to our own line. We have quite a few
+wounded and some killed. Nothing though when you look at the
+resistance. One chap by the name of Porter came crawling into the
+trench with an ugly head wound and blood pouring all over his face. He
+started swearing at Fritz and ended up by asking for a chew of tobacco
+before he went out to the dressing station. We got settled away once
+more all prepared for the wily Hun if he should come over.
+
+
+There were several of attacks on our left that night. It sort of got
+our wind up a little. Outside of that everything went well and we
+passed a very comfortable night, smoking and tell stories, for there
+was no such thing as sleep in the outposts. The next morning at
+daylight we took a good observation and everything seemed normal, so
+after giving out the rations of food, water and rum, we took turns
+and had a sleep until about 11 o'clock when for some reason Capt.
+MacNeil was ordered to take his company back to the sunken road in
+rear of the trenches so they could have a sleep I had to stay there
+with my three gun teams and hold the trench against all attacks. About
+2 o'clock that afternoon when everything seemed very quiet and normal,
+Fritz started up with a bit of a bombardment and they were all landing
+around our trench. At times they would just cover us with mud. Luckily
+for us it never got anybody. He was also landing them between us and
+"A" Co., so I began to get a bit worried and decided that I should
+send a message back to Headquarters as they were shelling pretty bad.
+I did not think it fair to send one of my men so took a message across
+to "A" Co., and had them send it back to H.Q. I then went back to my
+own men, arrived there safely and cuddled up against the side of the
+trench expecting any minute to go up in the air, but we still kept on
+joking each other. Neither one of us would let on that we were scared.
+About 5 o'clock that afternoon I saw about twenty men leave "A" Co.
+trench and make a dash across No Man's Land. They were a reconnoitring
+patrol in charge of Lieut. Canning and they were going to find out if
+the Kenora trench was occupied. Well they did. Fritz stopped shelling
+us and turned his machine guns and artillery on to this small party.
+They had to fall back and I believe they had four or five killed,
+including Lieut. Houston. Shortly after that our own Company came back
+and I can tell you I was not sorry to see them for it was no enviable
+position having responsibility for a couple of hundred yards of your
+front line. We got an issue of rum from the Captain when he came and
+we needed it bad. About eight that night a ration party came up with
+our rations and water. Say, you should have tasted it; full right up
+with the taste of petrol, but still it was good to us. You know we
+lose all fancy ideas about taste in the trenches.
+
+
+Everything passed off as usual. Now and again we would think that the
+German was coming over so would have an extra good watch. He is such
+an uncanny devil he is always sending up fancy signals. The next
+morning as usual I visited my teams, issued their rations and rum. I
+had just finished doing this with my middle team and was sitting down
+talking to them. The little trench was more like a grave that could
+just hold us comfortable. All of a sudden there was an explosion
+overhead. I heard somebody singing out "stretcher-bearer" and I
+thought something had struck me in the back and had gone though me,
+but I looked around for my men. As far as I could see they had all
+been wounded and they were trying to get as fast as they could to the
+dressing station. Then I looked behind me and there was one of my team
+with his leg right off; three of his fingers were also off but as he
+was bleeding so much from his leg there was not a bit of blood left in
+his hand. I bandaged him up the best way I could and then we got a
+stretcher and carried him out. The wound that I had was only a little
+scratch and I found out later the shell that burst overhead was what
+we call a "wooly bear," instead of the shrapnel bursting forward it
+shot downwards. My gun was disabled so I thought I should have
+another. I went back to Howard Johnson who was Acting O.C. of
+operations in the front line. He was always optimistic (a good way to
+be) so told me about all the artillery that we had behind us and that
+we should not worry. Well, I did, and finally I got that gun fixed so
+that it worked alright. Everybody was telling me how lucky I was to
+escape when everybody else got hit, but I had a more miraculous one
+that afternoon.
+
+
+About three Fritz started to shell us badly again. The shells were
+coming quite thick and as we could see that he did not intend coming
+over it was decided to evacuate the outposts and go back to the Sunken
+Road. The most of the Company had gone back and as I was all ready to
+leave with my team a big fellow burst. It got one of the men who was
+just behind me, tore off his leg and a big chunk went into his back,
+missed me, and the concussion took the chap that was in front of me
+and landed him about 5 yards away dead. I cannot explain it but there
+are several of the boys back here who saw it. We got back to the
+sunken road, stayed there about an hour and then we manned our
+trenches again. About nine o'clock that night rations were brought up
+to us as usual, and they also sent the few men that they had left at
+the horse-line, for we were beginning to get them out a little. The
+advance is all right for the morale but it causes quite a few
+casualties. This night went past as the others--nothing happened.
+
+
+The morning was fine and we received word that we were to make an
+attack and take the Regina trench that afternoon at all costs. We got
+everything prepared for it that morning and that afternoon at three
+o'clock we went over again, but it was a futile attempt for they had
+all sorts of machine guns and barbed wire there waiting for us. But we
+kept on as far as the Regina, but could not capture it as our numbers
+were too depleted by this time. It was here I got the M.M. This makes
+a coincidence in our family, two brothers having the M.M. and one the
+D.C.M. We were relieved late that night by the 6th Brigade and we were
+not sorry to get out. We lost quite a few here, including Howard
+Johnson, who was in charge of operations. If ever a man deserved a
+V.C., he did. We marched from here to the Brickfield and from there
+back to a village behind the lines, out of the range of shell fire. We
+were still the same old battalion in name and those of us who were
+left intended to let the reinforcements know what sort of a battalion
+they had come to.
+
+
+When our reinforcements at last arrived Col. Hilliam took them and
+gave them a good lecture and then the old boys got after them. It did
+not take them long to decide that we were the best battalion in France
+and that is how we got the "Esprit de Corp."
+
+
+We stayed in this little village for about a week and then started on
+our march for the Bullez Grenaz front. After a few days marching, we
+arrived at our destination, a place where all Canadians have spent a
+happy time. The village itself was right close up to the communication
+trench and the French people carried on their work as usual, although
+now and again Fritz would put over an occasional shell, but they all
+seemed to think that was in the day's work. We went into a reserve
+trench called Mechanic's Dump. It is a spot that will always remain.
+Here were buried quite a lot of French and British soldiers who had
+lost their lives in the battle of Looz and there were also some of our
+own buried here. Amongst them, Sergt. Jim Harris. He was the greatest
+all round dare-devil that we had in the battalion. In fact there was
+nothing too daring for him to do if he could get a joke off. It was he
+that took the chickens, skinned them and threw the skins beneath
+the officers' cookhouse so that they would have to pay for them.
+Sergt. Harris was appointed Wiring Sergt. He had charge of all the
+wiring in front of our trench and craters. There were two craters
+quite close to each other, one occupied by us, the other by Fritz. The
+Brigade Major asked Harris if he could wire this crater as it was a
+very risky job. Harris promptly replied that "if Kaizer Bill himself
+were there in the crater opposite, he would wire it." He did and had
+the job finished when he saw a couple of Huns stick their heads out of
+their crater. With that he threw a couple of bombs at them and got
+them, but a couple of their pals got Harris. We were sorry; for he was
+really the most talked of man in the Battalion. Anyway, I had the
+satisfaction of fixing his grave up.
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+   [Illustration: Aeroplane map of the sector in which the
+   "Fighting 25th" were engaged at "Vimy Ridge."]
+
+
+When we took over these trenches everything was quiet in this section,
+but it was not very long before the Canadians had livened things up.
+Some days we would "strafe" him with trench mortars; on others we
+would give him a touch of our artillery. Bill Cameron was aching to
+get a go at him so he picked out eighty men and four officers. It was
+decided to use the Bengalore torpedo to blow his wire up. The time
+appointed was Xmas morning. When they went to put the torpedoes
+underneath the wire they found it impossible as it was too bright, so
+there was a consultation and it was decided to crawl out, lay
+alongside of his wire and then make a dash into his trench as soon as
+the artillery started which they did with great success, bringing back
+about nine prisoners. Besides what they killed and the damage done,
+the moral effect on the Hun was good.
+
+That night the battalion on our right were going to pull off a raid.
+They started in and Fritz must have thought we were going to pull off
+another, so he just started in and shelled us like anything. He didn't
+get any of us, but sure kept us ducking. I would put a chew of tobacco
+in my mouth and go round and visit my men, shells landing all around
+us. When they were coming through the air you would swear that they
+were coming straight for you and that one had your number engraved on
+it. Well, I would be as shaky as anybody could be, but I would not let
+the others see it and the men were the same. We are all alike; we all
+get a little funky in a bombardment but we will not admit it.
+
+
+During our stay here Fritz bombarded the village with gas shells,
+killing four or five civilians. He did not get one of the military.
+Well, I suppose that is his way of waging war.
+
+
+We were to be relieved by the 1st Division so that we could go out for
+a rest and I was advised that on the 21st of February I was to go to a
+cadet school in France to qualify for a commission.
+
+It was also understood that before we went out for this rest that we
+were to carry out a large daylight raid. The 4th Brigade who were on
+our right were to do this. A couple of nights before the raid was
+planned for, the Battalion Scout officer, with a couple of men, were
+scouting around No Man's Land when they encountered a strong German
+patrol. Our fellows had to drop back to our trench but the officer was
+hit and it was believed taken prisoner by the Germans. As he had some
+important papers the plans were all changed. So much in fact that we
+knew nothing about them ourselves. We got word at last that the raid
+was to take place at 4.30 this certain afternoon. Exactly on the
+second our artillery trench mortars and machine guns opened up. We
+just showered them with liquid fire shells and gas shells. Well, it
+was a wonderful night. The 26th Battalion on our left went over,
+entered his trench and bombed dugouts in the front line, for we were
+not taking any chances on Fritz having a surprise waiting for us. Our
+men all returned and we thought everything was over and that we would
+be relieved the next day. I guess Fritz thought the same. At seven the
+next morning I had a message handed me telling me that my men were not
+to stand down until I was notified later, as the Brigade on our left
+were going to carry out a raid. Again we pounded Cain out of him. Our
+men went over and our artillery formed a box barrage so that they
+could go in the trenches secure from a German counter attack. They had
+great success, brought back 100 prisoners besides what were killed. We
+suffered very light.
+
+After our boys came back, Fritz, thinking that we still held it
+completed the work of knocking his trench to pieces which we had
+started. We were relieved the next day and marched to a large mining
+town called Bruay. I was there only about four days when I was sent
+down the line to qualify for a commission and arrived back on the
+morning of the ninth and went up the line to the front trenches that
+night, along with Lt. Col. Bauld.
+
+After a month of rest at Bruay, the Battalion left for a training camp
+where for over a month the Battalion, in conjunction with the
+remainder of the 2nd Division, trained on ground marked out showing
+the different communication and main line trenches then held by the
+Huns and which were to be our objectives. This is made possible by the
+accurate photography from aeroplanes used for that purpose.
+
+At last the time drew near. A week was all that was left before the
+great day was to arrive and by that time the Battalion was in a good
+condition for anything that might happen. On the night of the 5th
+Major Delancy, who was going to take the Battalion over the top, held
+a meeting of all officers and everything was explained. The officers
+were made to understand that even if only one man was left alive the
+objective must be taken and held and unless the position was serious
+no calls for help were to be sent to other units but that the "25th"
+must carry out the task alloted to them.
+
+
+Easter Sunday came and we were ready and anxiously waiting to move. At
+6.30 a.m., Lieut. F.G. Lawzanne left with a party of N.C.O's to take
+up, what the orders stated, to be a Camp but what was in reality all
+that was left of a small forest known as the Bois-Des Alleux. At 9.30
+a.m., the Battalion, in fighting kit, without great-coats, left for
+this camp. After arriving bombs, ground flares, etc., were issued the
+Battalion and the remainder of the day was spent in trying to keep
+warm. During the course of the afternoon two men appeared in Camp with
+sand bags slung over their shoulders. They turned out to be Piper
+Brand and Piper Telford who did not want to be left behind and
+volunteered to play the Battalion "over the top." Permission for this
+was given by Lt. Col. D.S. Bauld, who, at that time, was in the Camp
+with his Battalion and who was feeling downhearted at not being able
+to lead his men on the following day.
+
+
+At last orders were received to move forward to our jumping off
+trench. At 8.30 p.m., Easter Sunday, the 25th left their camp, a camp
+which, some of the finest sons of Nova Scotia would never see again,
+and moved forward slowly, passing through Mount St Eloi, where could
+be noticed a few remaining French families who had stayed by the home
+all through the months of war. A few hours march, and we arrived on
+the Muvelle St. Vacest Road where for some reason we stayed for almost
+two hours, during which time the Hun started shelling the road, and
+here our first casualties occurred. We were at last able to continue
+our march and at 3.30 a.m., Easter Monday we marched out to the
+jumping off trench which was already being shelled by the Huns. Zero
+hour had been set for 5.30 a.m., so we had two hours to wait, and a
+long two hours they were. Nobody can realize except those who have
+been through it the thoughts which pass through mens minds at such a
+time--thoughts of home and loved ones appear as a vision with a wonder
+as to whether you will ever see them again.
+
+
+Operations orders were that the 24th and 26th Battalion would attack a
+trench known as ZWISCHEN STELLING, while the 25th Battalion with the
+22nd French-Canadians, as "moppers-up," would capture and consolidate
+a trench named TURCO GRABEN which was in advance of ZWISCHEN STELLING.
+On the left was a communication trench known as DUMP AVE which was
+left to the capable hands of Major Wise and the remaining companies
+were spread to the right. We stayed in those trenches consolidating,
+etc., for a few days when two minutes before the time of advancing the
+word was passed from man to man to get ready and every man in those
+muddy trenches fixed his equipment, looked to the bombs and rifles and
+passed wishes of good luck to those nearest him, making a toe hold in
+the side of the trench to help himself up.
+
+
+Zero hour (5.30 a.m., Easter Monday, 1917) had come! The VIMY RIDGE
+attack was on! Whistles blew and over the top went the Canadians. The
+artillery started their work. Hundreds and hundreds of guns commenced
+drum fire simultaneously. Looking towards the Hun trenches it appeared
+as if the whole line was afire. It was a grand and impressive sight.
+The gallant pipers leading the 25th could be seen but it was
+impossible with the din to hear what they were playing. Gradually we
+advanced our ground--nothing but holes filled with mud and water to
+make the going very difficult. At last we reached the German line
+which had been taken by the 24th and 26th Battalion. We jumped into
+what was left of the trench and waited until the set time to move
+forward. Looking at the Hun trench one could easily see what good work
+the gunners were doing. Everything was smashed in; dugouts were gone
+and many of the enemy with them. Our next objective was the TU ROP
+GRABEN trench. By this time the Boche realized that he had no small
+attack to deal with and his artillery, helped with many machine guns,
+started, causing us many casualties. Just about this stage of the
+advance Major Delancy was killed and also R.S.M. Hinchcliffe. We could
+see our boys for miles advancing with confidence and determination.
+The Hun shells and bullets were coming swift but that did not stay the
+Canadians. Parties of the enemy were trying to put up a fight but they
+were soon settled. Major A.O. Blois, though wounded, took command of
+the Battalion and for this and other good work he was awarded the
+D.S.O.
+
+Finally we reached our last objective and commenced to consolidate.
+This trench, like the others, was in an awful condition. We found a
+large dugout named CRAEMER HOUSE which was a Battalion headquarters.
+By this time we had lost not only Major Delancy, but Lieuts. Hallesy,
+Sheriff, Feindel, Barber, as well as other officers wounded, and a
+good number of men both killed and wounded.
+
+Then came the long hours of waiting. It had rained during the morning
+and everybody was more or less wet and as the evening drew on it
+became very cold and by the time the morning came again, the Battalion
+having no overcoats, or shelter were in a sorry plight, with but
+little food or water except what the Hun had left behind.
+
+
+On the evening of the attack Col. S. Bauld came with Lieuts. Lewis and
+Fisher and Capt. and Q.M. Ingraham, who having heard of the casualties
+amongst the officers volunteered to come and help out. The following
+night water was sent up and altho it tasted more like petrol we were
+glad to get it.
+
+
+That night we moved back to the rear trench and everyone felt a lot
+happier when a rumour went around that the Battalion was going to be
+relieved. After holding the position for less than two days we were
+sent for two days rest, prior to being relieved, into a larger German
+tunnel known as FOLKER TUNNEL.
+
+
+Lieut. Dryden was detailed to take charge of the burial party and the
+sad work it was, collecting friend and foe from all over the
+battlefield.
+
+
+After a night in the tunnel the order came that instead of going out
+to be relieved we were again to go forward. The people at home will
+never realize what this order meant to our men. After four days
+without sleep, wet clothing and mud right next to the skin, with very
+little food or water, our men were not anxious to move forward, but
+did they grumble? Not they. When the word came to move forward they
+were ready once more for another go at the Hun.
+
+We came out of the trenches for a short rest. We had to travel about
+two miles over shell-torn ground and we were about all in having been
+in the line for quite a few days doing our duty regardless of shells,
+snow and rain. After what seemed to us to be a long time we arrived
+out at our resting place not so very far from the front line. We
+bivouacked here in tents and had one beautiful rest. Rain and mud the
+entire four days that we were out here. Col. Bauld was in charge of
+the Battalion and Major Blois was acting as second in command. But we
+were quite happy despite the rain and mud. One night the German
+aeroplanes came overhead. The order came to put out the lights and
+just to show you how little the boys thought of Fritz's bombs, a crowd
+of men in a few of the tents who had just came back from a working
+party and were turning in when the signal went to put out lights
+ignored it saying: "Just wait a few minutes as we have to turn in." I
+wonder if Fritz's planes would wait? I guess not. Anyway he did not
+get us that night. Now and again Fritz would drop an occasional shell
+over quite close to us but he never did us any damage.
+
+
+We had come through one of the heaviest engagements that had taken
+place up until this time and though very muddy, we were as happy as
+anyone could be. Well, as I said, we stayed here for a few days and
+then we went up the line and stayed in supports for a few days. Col.
+Bauld was in command and I must say that he has done good work for the
+whole time that he was out there. He was such that no matter who the
+man was he would do all in his power to assist him. We stayed in
+supports for a few days and then we got the order to move up into the
+front line trench--trench in name only as it really could only be
+called a ditch. On the way up Fritz shelled us pretty badly. I tell
+you, whilst we were up on top of the ridge, Fritz just peppered us.
+But strange to say, although he got our wind up and made us feel a
+little shaky he never inflicted any casualties and that is the main
+thing. Well, after a long march we arrived at our destination.
+
+
+How easy to write this back here, but what a feeling whilst going up.
+An occasional shell bursting close to you. Now and again a machine gun
+opening up. You are marching along very quietly when a battery of our
+own guns open up alongside of you and I tell you honestly there are
+times when the bravest of us get the creeps. We were in our new home,
+and had to see about some shelters. We would dig into the side of the
+parapet just enough for a man to crouch up into. I can tell you that
+although it was clammy and wet it seemed like heaven to us at times.
+Well, there was an attack planned for the 28th of April. The night of
+the 28th we dug a jumping off trench and it was understood that "D"
+Co. should form the left flank of the attack. "C" Co. digging in No
+Man's Land and connecting with the 26th Battalion. My platoon of "D"
+Co. formed the left flank of the "C" Co. Lieut. Bell was in charge of
+"D" Co. that day. We were notified that the hour would be at 4.45 p.m.
+All right. Just before the attack Fritz sent a few shells over on us
+and we shelled the best way that we could. It is getting quite close
+to the appointed time. I look at my watch. My men are all ready. I
+have nothing to worry about. I wonder whether I have been out here too
+long and that I am going to get mine. But I don't worry for we get to
+be fatalists and say if it is going to be well it has to be, so what's
+the odds. I look at my watch, it wants a minute to go. By the time I
+put my watch back there is one terrific noise. All around the horizon
+in the rear there is one mass of flame. You can hear the shells
+whizzing over your head. We start over--walking, not running. It is a
+creeping barrage. It will play on his wire and front line trenches for
+a while and then creep forward. We are following up close behind it.
+It is a wonderful sight and nobody will ever be able to do justice to
+it. Shells bursting in front of us. Fritz sending up his S.O.S.
+signals; our men with their rifles at the "High Port," not giving a
+damn for anybody living, with one fixed idea that is to get into
+Fritz' trench and take all of our objectives and take them prisoner,
+but if they show any fight to do them in. We get to his wire it is not
+cut as well as it should have been, but we belong to the "25th." We
+have to get through regardless of what happens to ourselves. We get
+through the wire but most of the boys are a little too much to the
+right. There is a machine gun playing on us but not doing any damage.
+
+
+One of Fritz's bombs burst right close by us and some of it gets me
+behind the ear. But they are only flesh wounds and we have got to get
+to the objective, which is a sunken road. He is using a trench mortar
+on us. But with our usual luck he is firing wild and, therefore doing
+no damage. I jump into the sunken road. I am too far ahead of my men.
+The Fritz's who are firing the Trench Mortar see me and think that we
+are all there. So they start to beat it. I fire at them with my
+revolver. I hear some squealing behind me and look around. Three
+Germans! What can I do. I cannot take them prisoners nor can I take
+any chances. So I have no other alternative but to shoot them. It may
+seem cold blooded to a lot but the only thing I am sorry for is that I
+did not kill a few more. About the same time my men came along and we
+started bombing the dugouts. It was great sport. You throw a bomb down
+then stand clear. A burst of flame comes up and then you hear a lot of
+squealing.
+
+
+At the end of the sunken road Fritz started to counter-attack us, so
+there is nothing for me to do but lead a couple of men over the open
+to a trench and place a block in so that Fritz cannot get behind us.
+On the way over I get hit in the ankle and the wrist with a couple of
+Fritz's bullets. We get into the trench and start bombing up the
+trench. There we have a bit of a fight and I get a bayonet wound in
+the back. By this time I had lost a considerable amount of blood so
+have to try to get out the best way I can for at the time we did not
+know how things were going to go. But I found out later that we held
+on to all of our objectives. I started to crawl out, but Fritz also
+started sniping at me. I got to the wire and it looked as if I would
+not be able to get through as Fritz's bullets were flying around.
+Anyway I decided to go through the best way I could even if I did get
+killed. As soon as I started to walk through the wire Fritz stopped
+firing, for why I do not know and another thing I did not care so long
+as I got out of the wire and could get into a shell hole. By this
+time, through loss of blood I was feeling pretty weak. Whilst taking a
+breath in this shell hole I saw a Boche coming towards me. I was not
+taking any chances so covered him with my revolver. He surrendered and
+helped me to get out.
+
+
+It is impossible in this short space to tell all the glorious
+achievements of the Twenty-fifth. Suffice to say that the empire bore
+no braver sons and history will chronicle no greater sacrifices than
+those of the men of Nova Scotia.
+
+
+FINIS
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Typographical errors corrected in text:                   |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Page 12: Kimmell replaced with Kimmel                     |
+    | Page 14: Kimmil replaced with Kimmel                      |
+    | Page 14: becaue replaced with because                     |
+    | Page 15: Christman replaced with Christmas                |
+    | Page 29: "we we called the tank" replaced with            |
+    |          "as we called the tank"                          |
+    | Page 29: terriffc replaced with terrific                  |
+    | Page 44: "until they they had" replaced with              |
+    |          "until they had"                                 |
+    | Page 47: yeards replaced with yards                       |
+    | Page 51: areoplanes replaced with aeroplanes              |
+    | Page 52: Battallion replaced with Battalion               |
+    | Page 53: Zxischen replaced with Zwischen                  |
+    | Page 54: simultanously replaced with simultaneously       |
+    | Page 57: quitely replaced with quietly                    |
+    | Page 58: dmage replaced with damage                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+
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