,a ,,soldier',s ,,sketches ,,under ,,fire ,illustration3 ,,private ,,harold ,,harvey4 ,frontispiece ,a ,,soldier',s ,,sketches ,,under ,,fire ,by ,,harold ,,harvey ,illustration3 ,,slm ,co4 ,,mdccxciv ,,london ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,marston ,,co41 ,,ltd4 ,,forenote ,a title such as ,a ,soldier's ,sketches ,under ,fire indicates at once the nature1 scope and limitations of this unpretentious volume of annotated drawings to which it has been given4 ,faked pictures of the war are plentiful4 ,sketches taken on the spot they depict1 sometimes by a hand that had momentarily laid down a rifle to take them1 and always by a draughtsman who drew in overt or covert peril of his life1 gain in verisimilitude what they must lose in elaboration or embellishment2 are the richer in their realism by reason of the absence of the imaginary and the meretricious4 ,all that ,mr4 ,harold ,harvey drew he saw2 but he saw much that he could not draw4 ,all sorts of exploits of which pictures that brilliantly misrepresent them are easily concoctable were for him impossible subjects for illustration4 ,as he puts it himself1 very modestly3 ,there were many happenings--repulsions of sudden attacks1 temporary retirements1 charges1 and things of that sort that would have made capital subjects1 but of which my notebook holds no 'pictured presentment1' because ,i was taking part in them4 ,he also remarks3 ,sketched in circumstances that certainly had their own disadvantages as well as their special advantages1 ,i present these drawings only for what they are4 ,just because they are what they are they are of enduring interest and permanent value4 ,they have the vividness of the actual1 the convincing touch of the true4 ,mr4 ,harvey was among the very first to obey the call of ,king and ,country1 tarrying only1 ,i believe1 to finish his afterwards popular poster of ,a ,pair of ,silk ,stockings for the ,criterion production4 ,to join the ,colours as a private soldier1 he left his colours as an artist1 throwing up an established and hardly-won position in the world of his profession1 into which--sent home shot and poisoned--he must now fight his way back4 ,his ante-war experiences of sojourn and travel in ,india1 ,south and ,east ,africa1 ,south ,america1 ,egypt and the ,mediterranean should again stand him in good stead1 for the more an artist has learned the more comprehensive his treasury of impressions and recollections2 the more he has seen the more he can show4 ,to ,mr4 ,harvey's studies of ,egyptian life1 character and customs was undoubtedly attributable the success of his ,market ,scene in ,cairo1 exhibited in the ,royal ,academy of #aiji4 ,purchased by a ,french connoisseur1 this picture brought its painter several special commissions4 ,i venture to express the opinion that the simple1 direct and soldierly style in which ,mr4 ,harold ,harvey has written the notes that accompany his illustrations will be appreciated4 ,his reticence as regards his own doings1 the casual nature of his references--where they could not be avoided--to his personal share in great achievements1 manifest a spirit of self-effacement that is characteristic of the men of the army in which he fought2 men whose like the world has never known4 ,,robert ,,overton4 ,,to ,,lady ,,angela ,,forbes ,,whose ,,work ,,for ,,soldiers ,,in ,,france ,,and ,,at ,,home ,,has ,,been ,,as ,,untiring ,,as ,,it ,,has ,,been ,,unostentatious4 ,,contents ,,forenote ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,the ,,front4 ,chapter ,i4--,,from ,,southampton ,,to ,,malta ,,ii4--,,from ,,malta ,,to ,,marseilles ,,iii4--,,from ,,marseilles ,,to ,,armenti,,res ,,at ,,the ,,front4 ,chapter ,,iv4--,,some ,,sample ,,excitements ,,of ,,life ,,in ,,the ,,trenches ,v4--,,the ,,lighter ,,side ,,of ,,trench ,,life ,,vi4--,,the ,,make ,,of ,a ,,british ,,trench ,,vii4--,,the ,,ruse ,,of ,a ,,german ,,sniper ,,viii4--,,three ,,death ,,traps ,,ix4--,,german ,,beasts ,,in ,a ,,french ,,convent ,x4--,,another ,,scene ,,of ,,boche ,,brutality ,,xi4--,,the ,,trick ,,that ,,didn',t ,,trick ,,us ,,xii4--,,the ,,barred ,,road ,,to ,,calais ,,sketches ,,private ,,harold ,,harvey ,frontispiece ,,aboard ,,the ,,transport ,,bivouac ,,at ,,malta ,,casement ,,gardens1 ,,malta ,,sergeants' ,,mess ,,ordnance ,,department1 ,,malta ,,on ,,the ,,quayhead ,,at ,,marseilles ,,quayside1 ,,marseilles ,,forty ,,passengers ,,in ,,each ,,cattle ,,truck ,a ,,wash ,,and ,a ,,wait ,,doomsday ,,book3 ,a ,,french ,,lesson ,,in ,a ,,cattle ,,truck ,,lady ,,angela ,,forbes',s ,,soldiers' ,,home ,,at ,,etaples ,,road ,,to ,,the ,,trenches ,,my ,,sketch-,,book ,,map3 ,,la ,,bass,e-,,st4 ,,julien ,,outskirts ,,of ,a ,,village ,,my ,,first ,,sniping-,,place ,,captured ,,german ,,trench ,,the ,,woodcutter',s ,,hut ,,typical ,,figures ,,and ,,figure-,,heads ,,hammersmith ,,bridge ,,dirty ,,dick',s ,,entrenching ,,the ,,piano ,,seventy-,,five ,,hotel ,,chicken ,,farm ,a ,,french ,,comrade-,,comedian ,a ,,trench ,,sniper1 ,,resting ,a ,,traverse ,,the ,,birth-,,place ,,of ,a ,,song ,,trench ,,periscope ,,in ,,use ,,the ,,white ,,farm ,a ,,german ,,sniper',s ,,nest ,,suicide ,,bridge ,,suicide ,,signal ,,box ,a ,,ghastly ,,promenade ,,the ,,hole ,,in ,,the ,,wall ,a ,,violated ,,convent ,,where ,,germans ,,raped ,,and ,,murdered ,,the ,,black ,,hole ,,the ,,black ,,tower ,,where ,,the ,,trap ,,was ,,set ,,golgotha ,,part ,i4 ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,the ,,front4 ,a ,,soldier',s ,,sketches ,,under ,,fire4 ,,introductory4 ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,the ,,front4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,from ,,southampton ,,to ,,malta4 ,illustration ,on the outbreak of the war ,i joined the ,royal ,fusiliers1 uninfluenced by the appeal of wall-posters or the blandishments of a recruiting sergeant4 ,my former experience as a trooper in the ,hertfordshire ,yeomanry being accounted unto me for military righteousness1 ,i sailed with my regiment from ,southampton on ,september #crd1 #aiad4 ,we thought we were bound for ,france direct1 and only discovered on the passage that we were to be landed1 first1 at ,malta4 ,i think ,i know the reason why the short trip across ,channel was avoided1 but1 as it behoves me to be very careful about what ,i say on certain points1 ,i don't state it4 ,i show the fore part of the boat1 the bows being visible in the distance4 ,the doorways on the right are those of the horse boxes1 specially erected on the deck4 ,in fact1 the whole liner1 with the most creditable completeness and celerity1 had been specially fitted up for the use of the troops1 still retaining its crew of ,lascars1 who did the swabbing down and rough work required4 ,my sketch shows a crane bringing up bales of fodder for the horses from the hold1 with two officers standing by to give orders4 ,illustration3 ,,aboard ,,the ,,transport4 ,we experienced some exciting incidents on the way out2 for instance1 in the ,bay we ran into a fog1 and the order was given for all to stand by4 ,for the next two or three hours all were in doubt as to what might happen--of course there was fear of torpedoes4 ,we heard in the distance several shots fired1 presumably by the battle-cruiser which was our escort4 ,when the fog lifted1 we could just see the smoke lifting on the horizon of some enemy craft1 which had been chased off by our own warship4 ,we again steamed ahead towards our destination and were soon sailing into smooth and calm waters1 the temperature becoming quite genial and warm as we approached the ,straits of ,gibraltar4 ,as we passed through the ,straits the message was signalled that those two notorious vessels1 the ,goeben and the ,breslau1 were roaming loose in the ,mediterranean4 ,,at ,,malta4 ,on arrival at ,malta1 ,i and others were put through our firing course1 and the regiment took over the charge of prisoners and interned ,germans1 of whom1 together1 there were on the island--so soon after the beginning of hostilities--no fewer than #h1jjj4 ,one of the first sketches ,i made was of our ,bivouac4 ,illustration3 ,,bivouac ,,at ,,malta4 ,,malta ,,and ,,the ,,pirates4 ,malta1 which has been called the master key of the ,mediterranean and the ,levant1 the stepping-stone to ,egypt and the ,dardanelles1 and the connecting link between ,england and ,india1 is one of our ,empire's most valuable possessions1 and its physical formation has made it for generations past of great maritime value4 ,the island is1 in itself1 a rock1 and all its earth and mould has been imported4 ,in the days when there were no submarines or warships1 it was the headquarters of pirates roaming at large in the ,mediterranean4 ,these pirate crews1 after capturing their prey1 used to bring their captures into one of the entrances of the island1 now called the ,grand ,harbour4 ,at the base of the harbour is the town of ,valetta1 which was catacombed in those early times1 and tunnels were made through the island rock4 ,when pirates had brought a ship under cover of the natural harbour to these tunnels1 they took all the merchandise ashore and then broke up the vessel1 so as to leave no trace of the incident4 ,the crew were usually massacred to a man1 and when chase was given1 no trace whatever could be found of either the pirates or their captures1 and later on their ill-gotten gains would be shipped off from the other end of the tunnel in another part of the island4 ,looking through between the trees in my sketch of the ,casement ,gardens1 under the ,barracks of ,floriana1 which stand on an eminence overlooking the spot1 a portion of the harbour is seen which commands the back moorings1 and the water where the ,p4 ,o4 liners lay up4 ,beyond the vessel drawn ,i indicate the island of ,fort ,manoel1 which is an ancient fortress which possesses a very handsome gateway1 which may have been built by the ,romans4 ,in fact1 all over this island are remarkable relics1 some of them probably as old as those of ,stonehenge1 but how or by whom the original materials were brought there or the original buildings constructed is now left by historians to conjecture4 ,illustration3 ,,casement ,,gardens1 ,,malta4 ,other public gardens are those of ,biracca and ,floriana4 ,public establishments include the biggest ,fever ,hospital in the world1 the ,castille ,prison1 and the ,governor's ,palace4 ,,sergeants' ,,mess4 ,illustration3 ,,sergeants' ,,mess ,,at ,,floriana1 ,,malta4 ,the view of the site of the ,sergeants' ,mess at ,floriana gives a good idea of the massive style of architecture and the palatial design of many of the buildings4 ,the big construction of the walls will be noted1 and the height of the chimney4 ,all the houses have flat roofs1 and on them people sleep at night because of the intense heat4 ,from the roof of this house is obtained the best view of the island4 ,although ,malta is composed entirely of rock1 flowers grow profusely1 and a variety of creeper1 very similar to our own azalea1 climbs up the front of the forts1 requiring little or no root4 ,a garden of this flower was attached to the ,sergeants' ,mess house4 ,,fortifications4 ,illustration3 ,,ordnance ,,department1 ,,malta4 ,the ancient fortifications proved impregnable for ages1 and are now modernised for the use of up-to-date artillery equipment4 ,i show the exterior of the ,army ,ordnance ,department1 ,fort ,tigne1 and on the extreme left1 on the other side of the harbour1 a portion of ,fort ,manoel4 ,,the ,,maltese4 ,the habits and manners of the ,maltese have long been notorious for their rude characteristics1 probably attributable to the people's ,moorish origin1 although the race has now blended with the smooth ,italian4 ,throughout the ,levant they have the bad name first deserved by their robberies and murders4 ,british rule has effected great reforms1 but it cannot change the leopard's spots4 ,the experience of our boys in some of the outlying parts of the island1 and even in many streets and cafs1 was that these primitive people had not altogether lost their primitive instincts in the course of becoming civilised4 ,one of their customary tricks is to offer one of their bangles1 or some other souvenir1 to get you to spend money in the cafs and dancing saloons1 and he would be a clever man who ever succeeded in obtaining one of the souvenirs promised him from day to day4 ,the women of ,malta certainly have strong claims to beauty1 at any rate up to the age of sixteen1 for they mature early4 ,they have large and lustrous black eyes1 and are of a swarthy and somewhat ,spanish type4 ,they still wear the traditional hood1 a black scarf1 called a ,faldetta1 thrown over the head and shoulders1 and disposed in such a style as to exhibit the countenance of the wearer in the most alluring form4 ,although picturesque in the distance1 they are very slovenly in their hair and dress on closer acquaintance1 and generally exhibit the traces of their ,oriental origin4 ,they are great experts in the making of ,maltese lace1 for which they have won a world-wide reputation1 and their native filigree work is also very famous and very beautiful4 ,churches 7where weddings are celebrated in the evening7 are very numerous1 and priests and friars are always to be seen in the streets4 ,the boys of our regiment said that ,malta was chiefly notable for yells1 smells1 and bells4 ,we passed a very merry time here for nearly three weeks--such a time as many were destined never to know again--and then were shipped to ,marseilles1 en route for the trenches on the ,western ,front4 ,in the ,main ,guard of the ,governor's ,palace at ,valetta we left behind us a fresco memorial of our short sojourn on the island4 ,for many generations it has been the custom of regiments stationed in ,malta to paint or draw regimental crests1 portraits 7and caricatures71 etc41 on the interior walls of this ,main ,guard1 and on its doors also4 ,walls and doors1 both are very full of these more or less artistic mementoes1 but space was found which ,i was asked to cover with a black and white series of cartoons of prominent members of our 7the #bnd7 ,battalion ,r4,f4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,from ,,malta ,,to ,,marseilles4 ,from the bows of our boat as she lay in harbour at ,marseilles1 ,i spotted three typical figures4 ,the one holding the rope is a ,french sailor1 the one at the bottom of the picture is a ,french gendarme1 and the third is a ,ghurka1 one of our fine sturdy hillmen from ,india1 who had come out to ,france to stand by the ,empire4 ,marseilles was a most wonderful sight at the time ,i was there1 and although ,i had made many previous visits in normal times1 when ,i had greatly admired its grand proportions1 none of them had given me any idea of what its appearance would be when it became the clearing station in the time of such a great war1 and one of the chief bases of all food supplies4 ,troops of all descriptions were working like ants by day and by night1 unloading boats to the huge stores of all descriptions of provender1 and loading the trains with all kinds of artillery1 ammunition1 ,red ,cross wagons1 motors1 horses1 and all the paraphernalia of modern warfare4 ,the town is the third largest in ,france1 and the chief ,mediterranean seaport4 ,its history teems with exciting incidents of plague1 fire1 sacking1 siege1 and hand-to-hand fighting1 so it is quite in keeping that it should take so important a part in the present conflict4 ,it was here ,monte ,cristo was hurled from the ,chateau d',if in the sack from which he cut his escape4 ,francis the ,first besieged it in vain1 and it prospered under ,king ,rene4 ,in the ,french ,revolution it figured so conspicuously as to give the title to the national hymn of the ,french4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,marseillaise4 ,is it too late to tell again the story of the origin of ,the ,marseillaise8 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,quayhead ,,at ,,marseilles4 ,its author and composer 7or it might be more correct to say composer and author1 for in this case music preceded words71 ,rouget de ,lisle--a young aristocrat and an artillery officer--had as a friend a citizen of ,strasbourg1 to whose house1 in the early days of the ,revolution1 he came on a visit one evening4 ,the tired guest was cordially welcomed by the citizen and his wife and daughter4 ,to celebrate the occasion his friend sent the daughter into the cellar to bring up wine4 ,exhausted as he was1 de ,lisle drank freely1 and1 sitting up late with his host1 did not trouble to go to bed4 ,he had been amusing the family by playing some of his original compositions on the spinnet4 ,when the host retired for the night he left de ,lisle asleep with his head resting on the instrument4 ,in the early hours of the morning the young officer awoke1 and running through his head was a melody which1 in his semi-drunken state the evening before1 he had been attempting to extemporise4 ,it seemed to haunt him1 and1 piecing it together as it came back to his memory1 he played it over4 ,then1 feeling inspired1 he immediately set words to it4 ,when the family came down he played and sang it to them1 and his host was so moved by it that he became quite excited and called in the neighbours4 ,the instrument was wheeled out into the garden1 and in the open air young de ,lisle sang the song that was to become the national air of his country to this local audience4 ,the effect upon them was terrific1 and from that moment the song became the rage4 ,it seemed to embody the whole spirit of the ,revolutionists1 and spread like wildfire throughout ,france4 ,it was to this song that the unbridled spirits of ,marseilles marched to ,paris1 hence its name1 ,the ,marseillaise4 ,shortly after this1 de ,lisle received a letter from his mother1 the ,baroness1 dated from her chateau1 saying1 ,what is this dreadful song we hear8 ,fearing that his own life might be in danger1 he being an aristocrat and a suspect1 he had before long to take flight across the mountains4 ,as he went from valley to crag1 and crag to valley1 he time after time heard the populace singing his song1 frequently having to hide behind rocks lest they discovered him4 ,it sounded to him like a requiem1 for he knew that many of his friends were being marched to the scaffold to his own impassioned strains4 ,illustration3 ,,quayside1 ,,marseilles4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,from ,,marseilles ,,to ,,armenti,,res4 ,the incidents of the railway journey from ,marseilles to ,etaples1 en route to ,armentires1 told in detail1 would fill a book4 ,it was made in ordinary cattle trucks1 in which1 packed forty to a truck1 we spent four days and a half at one stretch4 ,yet was it a bright and merry trip1 for our spirits were raised to the highest by the thought that we were going into action1 and we were at all sorts of expedients to make ourselves comfortable4 ,for instance1 before we started the ,stationmaster's ,office was ransacked1 and every available nail pulled out to make coat and hat pegs of in the cattle trucks4 ,we had to sleep on the floor4 ,our corporal1 who was an old soldier of many campaigns1 of iron physique and a perfect ,goliath1 and the life and soul of our party1 was so tired when he got aboard the train1 after strenuous efforts1 that he fell dead asleep on the floor1 and there was so little available space1 and his massive form took up so much of what there was1 that no fewer than nine men1 as they became tired and dropped down from the walls of the truck1 fell on him and went to sleep on the top of him4 ,however1 that corporal slept the sleep of the just for four or five hours1 and even then did not awaken until1 the train halting and somebody mentioning wine1 there was a scuffle1 and another man stepped on his head1 whereupon he flung him off and made a good first out of the train4 ,illustration3 ,,forty ,,passengers ,,in ,,each ,,cattle ,,truck4 ,we were regaled at each station by the populace1 who brought us cakes and wine1 small flags1 toys1 tin trumpets1 oranges1 and other fruits1 and we parted with nearly all our buttons as souvenirs4 ,,tub1 ,,tea ,,and ,a ,,halt4 ,at one stopping place a large leathern hose was depending from a water main for giving the engine water1 and somebody turning this on1 we all took shower baths under it1 or plunged into the huge tub alongside1 some being so keen on not missing their chance that they took their baths in their clothes1 tunics and all4 ,try to imagine our feelings after being cooped up in the train for just on three days and nights and then getting a wash or prehistoric bath6 ,we had a two hours' wait here1 and the dixies 7about a dozen in all7 were filled with water1 and a huge fire was lighted1 and soon a long felt want was satisfied in the form of tea4 ,though it was like ,indian ink1 it went down with a rare relish 7,i think my little lot was the best drink of tea ,i ever enjoyed72 but unfortunately there was no second edition4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,wash ,,and ,a ,,wait4 ,after our tub we made a line for the station1 the train being so long that only a portion of it was in it4 ,we received a pleasant surprise in the form of a stall1 where there were cakes1 buns1 bottles of red wine1 fruit and many other luxuries4 ,after we had cleared out the whole lot1 the ,french people living in the town came to the railings at the side of the station and bombarded us with all kinds of food and dainties4 ,just as we were all thoroughly stretching our legs and enjoying ourselves1 the order was given to board train1 so1 with much cheering1 singing and shouting1 we resumed our seats--or rather our standing room only4 ,,doomsday ,,book4 ,illustration3 ,,doomsday ,,book3 ,a ,,french ,,lesson ,,in ,a ,,cattle ,,truck4 ,our corporal 7behold him with an open book of ,family ,bible dimensions7 often busied himself with expounding his views on the ,french language1 in which he was labouring to become proficient4 ,his linguistic ambitions did not end at self-proficiency1 for he was solicitous to instruct his fellows1 and we had quite a number of ,french lessons from him1 although it must be admitted that they suffered many interruptions in good old plain ,english from the ,tommies1 provoked by the jolting of the train4 ,they nicknamed this huge ,french dictionary the ,doomsday ,book1 because it was their doom to have its contents thrown at them every day4 ,,the ,,last ,,stage4 ,the weather set in very cold and snowy1 and as the cracks in the bottom of the truck measured three inches in width1 it can be guessed what a draught there was4 ,but in spite of everything and the general discomfort of things1 jam and biscuits were lowered in plenty4 ,i amused the boys by making sketches on biscuits and throwing them out of the window at the various stations we passed through to the crowds of ,french civilians1 soldiers1 and ,red ,cross nurses4 ,perhaps some of my comrades will find some of these biscuit souvenirs at their homes--if they ever get there--for not a few were kept to the end of the journey and posted to friends in ,england4 ,we passed over several bridges which the ,germans had destroyed1 but which had been made temporarily good again by the ,french engineers4 ,over these our train had to travel gingerly4 ,as we neared the fighting zone the booming of the guns could be heard1 and a little further on things became more warlike4 ,we noticed the devastated stations1 villages1 and large shell holes in the embankment of the line4 ,all this seemed to bring to the surface our fighting spirits1 and we only wanted to be out and at the ,huns4 ,on arrival at ,etaples1 after a rest of two hours or so in the station yard and street adjoining same1 we marched in full pack and kit1 including blankets and our waterproof sheets1 to a fishing village1 where we struck a camp and turned in for the night4 ,we were under canvas for four days--the only four days under canvas during the whole time ,i was in ,france4 ,the ,colonel gave orders that all the men's heads were to be shaved1 as we were proceeding to the trenches4 ,,lady ,,angela ,,forbes',s ,,soldiers' ,,home ,,at ,,etaples4 ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,angela ,,forbes',s ,,soldiers' ,,home ,,at ,,etaples4 ,a never fading recollection of ,etaples will be that of the kindness and hospitality we received at the hands of ,lady ,angela ,forbes and the very gallant gentlewomen who assisted her in the management of her ,soldiers' ,home there4 ,the warmest of welcomes and the best of cheer awaited every soldier who crossed its threshold4 ,nothing that thoughtfulness could suggest and liberality could provide was lacking4 ,tact and an understanding sympathy characterised the administration of every department4 ,we left behind us blessings and thanks we could not express in words4 ,,on ,,the ,,road ,,to ,,the ,,trenches4 ,we had a three days' march 7most of the way on cobble stones7 from camp to ,armentires1 via ,aire1 ,hazebruck and ,bailleul1 things getting hotter and hotter4 ,in the course of the first day the enemy's aircraft dropped bombs on our route4 ,we scattered in the hedges and ditches1 lying flat and getting what cover we could4 ,we had several men wounded by the splinters of the bombs1 but fortunately nothing serious occurred1 and all went well that day4 ,illustration3 ,,road ,,to ,,the ,,trenches4 ,the third day we reached a village and were billeted in some barns4 ,we had just got down to it comfortable when a shell took the roofs off1 and a loud cheer went up as it was realised that the enemy had missed the mark4 ,they put about twelve of these huge shells in the place1 but they all went high4 ,after three hours the order was given to creep out and get into some cottages further down the road4 ,these cottages were inhabited1 and the terrified people made us welcome indeed--had not we come to protect them from the ,germans8 ,we had a short rest here and then had to push on and make the most of the darkness4 ,as the firing grew heavier we made a circular route over fields1 etc41 to the trenches1 for the rest of the way4 ,the enemy made an attack on our second night in them--and their loss was pretty heavy4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,at ,,the ,,front4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,some ,,sample ,,excitements ,,of ,,life ,,in ,,the ,,trenches4 ,illustration3 ,,my ,,sketch ,,book4 ,i don't think ,i'm a bit sentimental in the matter of souvenirs1 and anyway ,i can't need anything to remind me of the unforgettable1 but all the same there's one souvenir of my experiences in the trenches and the firing line that ,i shall never part with--and that's the little notebook 7measuring #e-a_/b ins4 by #c-a_/b ins41 bought in ,armentires7 which ,i carried with me through everything1 and in which are the originals of the sketches here collected1 taken under fire1 either literally or in the sense that they were taken within the zone of fire4 ,in the nature of things ,i might have been finished myself by shot or shell before ,i could have finished any one of them4 ,sketched in circumstances that certainly had their own disadvantages as well as their special advantages1 ,i present these drawings only for what they are4 ,there were many happenings--repulsions of sudden attacks1 temporary retirements1 charges1 and things of that sort--that would have made capital subjects1 but of which my notebook holds no pictured presentment1 because ,i was taking part in them4 ,,at ,,armenti,,res4 ,illustration3 ,map3 ,la ,basse-,st4 ,julien ,we reached ,armentires 7relieving the ,leinster ,regiment and the #ith ,lancers in the first line trenches1 distant from the first line ,german trenches #cj yards7 at a critical time4 ,the effort in progress was to straighten out our line so as to get it level with ,ypres1 and the whole position all around was a very perilous one4 ,we were short of men--very short--and had practically no reserves4 ,almost every available man had to do the work and duty of three4 ,for a month or so almost all the heavy work fell upon the line regiments1 we doing the wiring1 digging1 and the usual work of the ,royal ,engineers1 the number of these being relatively scanty indeed4 ,there was also some shortage of shells and ammunition for guns and rifles1 while of trench mortars a division had but few4 ,we had to make our own bombs out of jam tins4 ,these were charged and stuck down1 a detonator being inserted1 and we crawled out with them at night and heaved them into the ,german trenches4 ,we had to time each heave with the most extreme accuracy1 for the fraction of a moment too late meant the bursting of the bomb in our hands4 ,the game we played with the ,huns 7keeping up a continuous fire all night1 for instance7 was one of pure bluff4 ,they were massed in1 we estimated1 four army corps1 and could have walked through us--if they had only known4 ,as my illustrations do not follow all the movements of my detachment1 ,i will say here that from ,armentires we were shifted to ,houplines1 about #d-a_/b to #e miles north-east1 where we made an advance of a hundred yards or so to straighten up4 ,from ,houplines we were moved south to ,la ,basse1 and from ,la ,basse to ,neuve ,chapelle 7where our #crd ,battalion was almost wiped out in the indecisive victory that proved much and won little71 and then back to ,armentires1 whence we were sent north to ,st4 ,eloi1 after making a short advance in the vicinity of ,messines4 ,from ,st4 ,eloi we were ordered to ,hill #fj1 taking part in the now historic battle there4 ,after ,hill #fj1 ,ypres1 where shrapnel and poison gas put an end to my soldiering days--,i am afraid for ever4 ,to come back to our first arrival at ,armentires1 our position was in touch with a small village not marked on the map1 in the direction of ,houplines4 ,this village1 which became almost wholly destroyed1 had been knocked about by the enemy fire1 but the tall chimney of a distillery had been spared1 no doubt because the ,germans wanted it themselves1 intact4 ,however much they wished1 and often and hard as they tried1 to take it--especially as from it could be conned not only our lines but the lay of the surrounding country--they never did take it1 and it never fell1 though it was hit in two places and cracked4 ,at #aj4cj one morning ,i crawled over the parapet--that is1 the sandbags--of our trench to sketch the picture of which this distillery shaft is the central feature4 ,the trench also near the middle we had dug overnight for communication purposes4 ,the enemy were to the left of the buildings shown1 and our own men were occupying the position to the right of the chimney at a range of #bej yards4 ,illustration3 ,,outskirts ,,of ,a ,,village4 ,our boys in the trenches could never understand a bright light which in daytime issued from the garden adjoining the farm-buildings on the ,british side4 ,but one day a spy1 who did work disguised as a farmhand1 was discovered4 ,he used a tin bowl as a reflector to send the enemy signals4 ,the rascal was duly attended to4 ,,fetching ,,water4 ,illustration3 ,,my ,,first ,,sniping ,,place4 ,here is a little view of the outskirts of the same village1 made a few days later1 when ,i was told off with two others to go to the house on the right of the sketch to get water from the pump1 exposed to the enemy's fire4 ,while pencilling the sketch ,i saw the wide gap made in the tree's branches1 as shown by a shell passing through it1 which burst on the road some fifteen yards away from us4 ,this was an indication the enemy had spotted figures moving in the direction of the house4 ,however1 having got the water1 we all reached home safely1 though we ran a further risk in rummaging in the orchard1 where we found some beds of lettuces1 of which welcome vegetables we brought back with us enough to supply the whole section4 ,the house on the left of the shelled tree was the position from which ,i and two others were ordered to snipe4 ,we climbed the ricketty building and fired from the eaves and from the cover of the chimney4 ,the building was in a state of almost total ruin1 but we took our places on the shaken beams and considered we made a quite successful bag1 for we could guarantee that at least five or six occupants of the enemy's trenches would give us no more trouble4 ,this in the course of one morning4 ,finally the enemy saw us and we had to vacate our position1 as both the building and the barricade across the road were being rapidly hit4 ,,capture ,,of ,a ,,german ,,trench4 ,illustration3 ,,captured ,,german ,,trench4 ,without their coveted observation post the ,german gunners got the range of the town beyond the village so completely that one day they poured a continuous stream of shells over our heads from #d4cj in the morning till mid-day4 ,it was1 ,i remember1 at day-break next morning that under cover of our own artillery1 we made an advance and took the trench here depicted just as it was left by the turned-out4 ,so hurried was their exit when faced by ,british bayonets that they left behind them in the trench quite a number of articles most useful to us--such as saws1 sniper's rifles mounted on tripod stands1 haversacks1 and a quantity of other equipment1 also a very fine selection of cigars1 which came as quite a godsend to us4 ,personally1 ,i clicked on a pair of ,german jack boots1 which1 as the weather was wet and the ground soft and muddy1 as usual1 came in very handy4 ,i also came across a forage cap and a pocket knife1 and picked up a photograph--that of a typical ,fraulein1 probably the sweetheart of ,heinrich1 ,fritz or ,karl4 ,a ,,night ,,relief4 ,duty in the trenches and rest and sleep in our billets in their rear alternated with something like regularity1 but it was a regularity always liable to interruptions1 such as were necessitated by not infrequent exigencies4 ,for instance1 we had just got back to the latter one night1 at exactly #aj4cj1 after seven consecutive days in the trenches of our most advanced position1 and were thinking that now we should get a few hours' quiet repose--subject1 of course1 to the disturbance of shelling--when a sudden order was given to fall in4 ,we turned out1 were numbered1 right turned1 and marched off1 singing and whistling merrily4 ,after proceeding in this fashion for half a mile1 word was passed down to form ,indian file1 seven paces apart4 ,we moved thus for about a quarter of a mile1 and then word was again passed down--no smoking1 whistling1 or talking4 ,the night was pitch dark1 foggy1 and a drizzle was beating in our faces4 ,we were now within range of the enemy's rifle fire and heard spent bullets as they pinged and spluttered into the mud4 ,we crossed a railway line1 and marched or crawled the best way we could along the ditch parallel with it--truth to tell1 cursing and swearing4 ,we passed an old signal station1 now just a pile of bricks1 with one side wall still erect and one glass window intact4 ,we had come to know well that wall and that window and the strewn bricks around1 for we had passed the spot so often in our little excursions from trench to billet and billet to trench4 ,a little further along the whistle of the bullets grew louder and more continuous--their sound something like the sound of soft notes whistled by a boy4 ,machine guns--motor bikes in our nomenclature--rattled our left and right1 our position being that of the far apex of a triangle1 exposed to inflated fire all the way up4 ,arriving within a few yards of the opening of the trench we were to occupy in relief of the ,north ,staffords1 the first section of whom were moving along the ditch1 a star shell burst above as the searchlight was turned on1 and every man stood stock still till all was dark again4 ,between men of the incoming and outgoing battalions such casual greetings were exchanged as3 ,wot's it like up here1 matie82 ',ow are yer goin'1 son82 ,yer want to keep your 'ead well down in this part--it's a bit 'ot2 ,so long1 sonnie4 ,sprawling1 ducking and diving1 we got in1 and safe behind the sandbags4 ,just as my chum and ,i had entered the dug-out1 and were preparing to make ourselves comfortable1 as our turn for sentry-go would not be for two hours1 the sergeant shoved his head in and shouted that we were wanted for a ration party4 ,,ration ,,parties4 ,a ration party consists of fourteen men--fewer sometimes1 but fourteen if possible1 as the proper full complement4 ,the small carts in use are generally of rude and primitive construction4 ,as everybody knows by now1 rations comprise bully beef ,spratt's biscuits--very large and rather hard--loaves of bread packed in sacks1 bacon1 jam1 marmalade1 ,maconochies in tins1 and1 when possible1 kegs of water4 ,let not the rum be forgotten4 ,no soldier is more grateful for anything than for his tablespoonful of rum at half-past six in the evening and half-past four in the morning4 ,his tot has saved many a man from a chill1 and kept him going during long and dreary hours of wet and press4 ,as to bread1 by the bye1 it is highly probable that one small loaf1 about half the size of an ordinary loaf1 will be divided between seven men4 ,with the good things already enumerated1 a plentiful supply of charcoal and coke is usually to be expected4 ,the horse transports with these provisions never get nearer than1 at the closest1 say half-a-mile of the front trench itself1 when the men in charge dump their loads down and get away back to their stores and billets as quickly as possible4 ,there is a lot to risk1 for as a rule the enemy have the road well set1 and the shelling is often very severe4 ,it is the duty of a ration party to bring up the loads from where they have been left4 ,on regaining the opening to the trench1 they take the rations to the quartermaster-sergeant's hut or dug-out4 ,the sergeants of each platoon come to this hut or dug-out1 and to them the things are delivered in quantities proportionate with the number of men in the section each represents4 ,the sergeants then send along two men to carry the whacks to the respective traverses in the trench4 ,this goes on night after night4 ,so on the occasion ,i am recalling we were very late--and the distance we had to go was as much as a mile and three-quarters4 ,this ration carrying1 the final stage of ration transport1 is an even more dangerous and risky job than the preceding stage1 and1 as usual1 snipers got busy on us1 hitting three men1 though none was killed4 ,the rattle of bullets from machine guns on the ricketty sides of the old cart added to the programme of the night's entertainment1 and there were frequent intervals1 not for refreshments1 but for getting flat and waiting4 ,,gathering ,,in ,,our ,,firewood4 ,chopping up firewood was regarded not so much as work as it was regarded as one of our recreations in the trenches--of which ,i shall have a little to say presently4 ,but it often happened that there was no recreation1 but only the excitement of danger in the night-time job of bringing in the firewood for day-time chopping4 ,it would happen that a man had spotted in some shelled house or fallen farm-building a beam1 plank1 door1 or something else wooden and burnable1 that he couldn't carry without assistance1 or that he couldn't stop to bring away at the time4 ,it must be fetched1 for fire we must have4 ,it might be only a few score yards away measured by distance1 but an hour measured by time--thou art so near and yet so far sort of thing4 ,fetchers might get hit at any moment1 and had to creep and wriggle very cautiously over open ground all the way4 ,by some strange twist of mental association1 whenever ,i was a fetcher in these circumstances ,i found myself mentally quoting ,longfellow's line in ,hiawatha--,he is gathering in his firewood6 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,woodcutter',s ,,hut4 ,our champion at the game was a ,private ,hyatt--quite a youngster1 but of fine physique and fearless daring4 ,his dug-out was called ,the ,woodcutter's ,hut4 ,he made a regular hobby of wood-getting4 ,he was an expert1 a specialist4 ,on certain occasions he even went out after wood in the daylight1 slithering along on all fours towards his objective1 and would be fired at until recalled by one of his own officers4 ,on one occasion when he had crawled out and into a building to collect wood1 as he crawled back through the doorway we saw little clouds of dust rising from the brick-work surrounding him1 which showed that the enemy's snipers had spotted him1 and we shouted to him from the trench to keep down4 ,he took refuge behind the wall of the doorway1 and lay there three-quarters of an hour1 and then returned1 bringing with him the much prized plank of which he had gone in search1 and which1 when chopped up1 supplied our section with sufficient firewood for a whole day and night4 ,in the sketch it will be observed he is reading a letter4 ,this he had received just after the above incident1 and sat down on his valise quite unaware that ,i was sketching him4 ,later on ,i gave him a copy of the sketch1 and he enclosed it in his affectionate reply to his folk at home4 ,,stand ,,to4 ,the most anxious time a soldier can know is the time1 be it long or short1 that follows the command to stand to4 ,many a time we had to stand to the whole night--the entire battalion1 from evening twilight till the full dawn of day--as an attack was expected4 ,everyone was at his firing position1 with bayonet fixed and his rifle loaded--and in tip-top working condition1 the daily rifle inspection having taken place at dusk4 ,sometimes our artillery would presently open fire for the enemy's first line1 perhaps for five or six minutes--it might be more1 it might be less4 ,then a wait of six or seven minutes1 when the enemy returned the fire1 and we all got well down4 ,it was as well to keep as hard up against the parapet as possible1 and to keep out of all dug-outs1 for into them the forward impetus of bursting shrapnel was likely to throw a lot of splinters4 ,again silence1 comrades and pals passing a few remarks in anticipation of what everybody knew was coming4 ,the officers with us were one with us1 and at their words1 ,well1 come on1 lads1 there was never a laggard in getting over the tops 7in our own phraseology74 ,as soon as we put our hands on the sandbags to clamber over the top of the parapet a hailstorm of bullets pelted us4 ,it is impossible--at all events for me--to describe a charge4 ,speaking for myself1 always my brain seemed to snap4 ,it was simply a rush in a mad line--or as much of a line as could be kept--towards the enemy's barbed wire entanglements1 which our guns had blown to smithereens in preparation for the assault4 ,we scrambled on to their parapet1 each getting at the first man he could touch4 ,when we had taken their position 7we didn't always7 we might have to wait some time till our artillery had shelled the second line1 but there was a lot of work to be done at once4 ,the parapet had to be reversed4 ,after an attack there was generally a roll call--from which there were many absentees4 ,more trying--more wearing and tearing to the nerves--than anything that in my experience ever followed it was the stand to itself4 ,the moments1 minutes1 even hours1 that followed that old familiar order1 stand to1 were the worst ,i ever went through4 ,as every eventide comes on ,i still feel just a little--just a very little--of what ,i felt then4 ,even now3 and ,i fear me ,i always shall till death bids me stand to4 ,i see ,i have written so much with only one illustration1 that perhaps it won't be amiss if ,i place here a few typical heads and a couple of typical full figures1 the original sketches of which ,i pencilled in spare places in my notebook at odd times4 ,if they be really typical they need no labelling4 ,illustration3 ,,typical ,,figures ,,and ,,figure-,,heads4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,lighter ,,side ,,of ,,trench ,,life4 ,that there was 7and is7 a lighter side1 a social side1 of trench life1 as of the life generally of a soldier on active service1 even in this war1 merely incidental remarks of mine such as could not be omitted from any true and fair description of that life must furnish abundant evidence2 but this lighter side was1 in my experience1 so very real and so pronounced that to illustrate a few set observations thereon ,i take a few sketches from my notebook out of the order in which ,i find them in it4 ,,sing-,,songs4 ,our concert parties were immense1 and there was no forced gaiety in our enjoyment of them4 ,some of the best sing-songs were in ,leicester ,lounge1 named after the luxurious resort 7which it didn't resemble7 hard by the ,empire ,theatre4 ,the reflection occurs to me for the first time that only men with whom high spirits were rampant would or could have been so fond of inventing such nicknames as--in mood jovially ironic--we coined for all sorts of places1 persons and things4 ,leicester ,lounge was a dug-out adjacent to ,hammersmith ,bridge1 and the surroundings of ,hammersmith ,bridge1 there being nothing in connection with them to suggest--save by absence--either a garden or a city1 were the ,garden ,city4 ,illustration3 ,,hammersmith ,,bridge4 ,it was the biggest1 roomiest1 and most palatial dug-out we had4 ,the top was just a small roof-garden1 carefully planted and laid out4 ,it had statuary1 too1 in groups4 ,the statues were fashioned in clay by amateur hands1 and the artistic effects were original and novel1 to say the least4 ,it was also the safest place1 this ,lounge1 because it was sunk four feet below the level of the trench itself4 ,it accommodated twelve easily4 ,impromptu concerts were frequent here2 our far-famed mouth-organ band performed at such intervals as our own military duties and the enemy's cascades of shells permitted4 ,it was here the names of neighbouring streams and nullahs were chosen from which we drew our daily beverage of ,adam's ,ale 7untaxed1 and rather thick71 such as the portentous ,csar's ,well4 ,in another spacious dug-out we had our ,times ,book ,club4 ,this eligible tenement had the special distinction of a stove and chimney 7purloined from a ruined farm7--that is1 it had a chimney till the enemy spotted and so riddled it that it collapsed4 ,it had a glass window 7fixed in clay71 statuary 7modelled in clay71 decorations 7log-cabin order71 one chair 7also purloined1 back broken off71 one table 7very treacherous72 and ,i mustn't forget the president's bell 7tobacco tin shell1 and a cartridge for a clapper74 ,it was lit by many candles1 and as the fee for membership was a book or magazine from home1 it served a good purpose4 ,,dirty ,,dick',s4 ,illustration3 ,,dirty ,,dick',s4 ,after a time the sing-songs in a trench some little distance away from ,leicester ,lounge knocked spots off all the others anywhere1 thanks to the acquisition of a piano for them--probably the only instrument of its kind which has ever been in the ,british trenches at the front4 ,it came from ,dirty ,dick's4 ,the picture of ,dirty ,dick's gives a rough idea of the devastation of war4 ,the portion of a building to the right was all that remained of what1 but a few weeks before1 had been a handsome and prosperous hotel1 and the wall with window and door spaces left1 shown to the left1 had been the residence of a prominent citizen4 ,all that was left of the hotel was a shaky wall1 though the sign-board remained1 having escaped the enemy's fire4 ,we were placed in the trench shown in the foreground1 and the ,germans were also entrenched in the space seen in the distance between the ruins4 ,when we first took up our position the hotel was intact except that the roof had been destroyed4 ,the wall towards our trench was standing1 and when it fell the bricks came tumbling over us1 and the dust of the red masonry turned us into copper-coloured men4 ,but prior to this three ,jocks and three of our own regiment crawled out of the trench and into the house1 and we spotted a piano on the ground floor4 ,the temptation was too great2 we decided to remove it4 ,the operation took us two and a half hours' hard struggle4 ,eventually we got the instrument into our trench1 somewhat battered about and minus one leg1 but still answering to the keyboard4 ,unfortunately two of the party were wounded in doing this1 but they didn't mind4 ,night after night we had sing-songs accompanied on the piano in proper style1 and used to give forth with the full strength of our lungs-- ,the ,germans are coming-- ,hurrah6 ,hurrah6 ,the harmony of this stunt used to be wafted on the silent night air to the ,german trenches1 and we soon saw how it upset ,fritz and ,karl4 ,they got so annoyed that they trained their artillery in the direction of the sounds1 and used to shell us all along the line in the hope of silencing our concerts4 ,however1 they could never quite locate the exact spot in which the instrument was temporarily placed4 ,illustration3 ,,entrenching ,,the ,,piano4 ,one night1 while one of our concerts was at its height1 the officers even joining in1 the order came to advance4 ,so we had to bid a hasty farewell to our much-prized ,johanna1 which had given us so much pleasure4 ,,seventy-,,five ,,hotel4 ,illustration3 ,,seventy-,,five ,,hotel4 ,now ,i think of it1 there was another ex-pub where we touched lucky in the matter of finding things--though they didn't include a piano4 ,this was ,seventy-five ,hotel4 ,we called it that because the enemy fired seventy-five shells into it in seventy-five minutes on one memorable occasion1 and then only killed one man4 ,the building1 which had been the scene of fierce fighting even before our battalion arrived on the scene of action1 still bore the sign ,estaminet1 and so we could safely conclude that it had been the village pub1 or wine lodge4 ,there were a few bottles of wine still in the cellar1 which the ,germans must have overlooked when they were in possession1 or had not time to take away4 ,we found many articles1 some useful1 some otherwise2 amongst them a large warming-pan1 which caused amusement4 ,the article we put to the best use was the dinner bell4 ,this was turned to great account4 ,in front of the estaminet was our listening post1 where we kept watch and guard at night4 ,well1 by aid of the dinner bell we installed our own brand of telephone system4 ,this was to connect the bell by string to the wrists of those out on the watch4 ,whenever they saw anyone approaching or any other indication of possible danger they gently pulled the string1 the bell tinkled1 it was heard by our companions in the trench1 word was passed along1 and everyone prepared for emergencies4 ,,chicken ,,farm4 ,illustration3 ,,chicken ,,farm4 ,here something really like a little bit of sport came in our way4 ,when we arrived there the farm was deserted1 its lawful owners having found the situation too hot for them4 ,cows roamed about at random1 and so did pigs4 ,but after we had dug ourselves in and made our position secure1 the chickens were what interested us most4 ,there were two hundred and fifty of these at the least1 and they used to parade on the strip of ground shown in the picture and the bolder spirits peep over the edge of our trench4 ,catching them was good sport1 but eating them was something finer4 ,what a nice change from bully beef and biscuit6 ,cooking not quite a la ,carlton or ,ritz1 but more on prehistoric principles4 ,so many fowls were caught1 killed and plucked for cooking and eating that the wet mud was completely covered with feathers1 and resembled a feather bank4 ,as for ourselves1 the feathers1 sticking to the wet mud on our uniforms and equipments1 turned us into ,zulus1 wild men of the woods1 or ,chippeway ,indians4 ,the enemy presumably did fairly well also with a poultry farm in the distance4 ,they appeared to have a portable kitchen4 ,we often watched the funnel moving about their trench4 ,one day a line was stretched from this funnel to a pole and ,german officers' uniforms were hung out on the line to dry over the stove4 ,it made us a lovely target4 ,shooting at officers' uniforms was a pleasant diversion1 and they had been well pierced with bullets before they were taken in4 ,a ,,french ,,comedian4 ,later on1 and farther on--after our capture of a position ,i shall shortly have occasion to describe--we made the acquaintance of a ,french born comedian1 who was a tower of strength at our entertainments1 and who in various other ways was a cause of constant amusement4 ,he had been left behind by his regiment1 and we found him hanging around the place4 ,it had been his home1 and it seemed that the magnet of life-long associations held him to it4 ,he was very useful in taking us round to cottages which1 to our surprise1 we found to be still inhabited1 and in giving us the tip where to find cheap1 if very thin1 beer and other refreshments4 ,he was particularly proud of his ,german jack-boots--made for legs very much bigger than his own4 ,when we had concerts he used to give us clever imitations of the late ,harry ,fragson in his ,margarita and other varieties1 to the accompaniment of the mouth-organ band4 ,he used to say3 ,ze ,engleesh soldier--trs bon--ze ,french soldier--bon--mais ze ,allemand--no bon6 ,on one occasion he told us3 ,aprs la guerre1 ze ,engleesh soldier beaucoup admirers--ladees6 ,ze ,french soldier admirers1 too4 ,ze ,allemand--non6 ,illustration3 ,a ,,french ,,comrade-,,comedian4 ,he got hold of peasants to wash our clothes for us and introduced us to a little mill-race1 which we reached through a thicket which concealed us1 and the spectacle of our men stripping and diving into the stream in cold weather amused him hugely4 ,he jumped about in his big boots1 exclaiming3 ,vat your vife say if she see you in ze water8 ,vat she say if she see you ici8 ,the ,english replied1 in the best ,french at their command1 beaucoup lav--trs bon1 at which our comical comrade-at-arms laughed more heartily than ever4 ,when his regiment found out where he was a guard was sent up1 and he was obliged to remain in charge of it1 to his great regret1 when we moved on4 ,he wished us bonne chance1 assuring us that it was his one desire after the war to get to ,angleterre1 where he had never been2 but now that he knew the ,english he must visit us to make our further acquaintance4 ,so much for our comical ,french friend1 ever so amusing and ever so polite4 ,we found fun in all sorts of things1 made fun of all sorts of things4 ,that we could do so and did do so may appear strange--it seems strange sometimes to me now4 ,but 'twas a merciful thing that we were able to4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,make ,,of ,a ,,british ,,trench4 ,the four following sketches will1 ,i hope1 give a fairly clear and accurate idea of the construction of a ,british trench4 ,the first depicts one of my comrades 7who was also a brother-artist by profession1 and a brother-sniper7 sitting reading1 during a surcease of the firing1 on the firing platform in a trench corner4 ,it will be noticed that he wears his sleeping cap4 ,very close and handy are his tall jack-boots--so serviceable in wet weather and heavy mud4 ,my artist-friend1 ,i should like to remark1 was considered among snipers a great shot1 and there is no doubt that he often did deadly work with his rifle4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,trench ,,sniper ,,resting4 ,after the trench has been dug out the sandbags are placed along the top so as to form what is called a parapet4 ,then the trench is dug deeper still and the firing platform is put in4 ,next the vertical struts of wood are put in position with wiring in between to hold back the mud1 and in places where it is possible blocks fill in gaps to strengthen the structure4 ,finally the bed of the trench is boarded over with long heavy planks1 some of which require two men to carry them2 these are very often placed on bricks or blocks of wood to give air spaces underneath to keep them dry as far as possible4 ,the trench is now completed as far as its construction is concerned1 but it is left to be furnished with any supplies that happen to be handy4 ,one of the first essentials is naturally the fireplace4 ,this1 as in the present instance1 is very often an old tin pail with a few holes knocked in it1 somewhat similar to the one used by ,mr4 ,wilkie ,bard in his famous sketch1 ,the ,night ,watchman4 ,the fuel consists of charcoal1 wood and coke1 to get which fully lit it is usual to swing the receptacle round and round so as to create a draught and start the contents thoroughly on the go4 ,there is a great danger attending this1 for if the ,germans catch a glimpse of the brazier being whirled in the air they immediately locate the whirler and begin firing in his direction4 ,the black patch in the centre of the picture represents the sniping place1 which is a thick piece of iron let into the parapet with a hole bored through it large enough to take the muzzle of the rifle4 ,it also allows enough space for the sniper to see through1 and1 with the aid of the periscope1 held usually by a comrade at his side1 he is able to get the sight for his firing4 ,a ,,traverse4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,traverse4 ,here is a traverse in a trench4 ,the sergeant is reading the orders of the day to one of his men4 ,this was a very damp corner--on the top of the dug-out to the left tunics were hanging to dry in the early morning air4 ,the soldier still has on his sleeping cap 7like the figure in the last picture72 his mess-tin is by his side1 and his rifle1 encased in a waterproof cover4 ,he is sitting on the firing platform1 and the depth of the trench is noticeable1 showing how low the men are in the ground4 ,the sandbags shown it took us four hours one night to place in position4 ,as fast as we put them up they were shot down again by the enemy's maxim fire4 ,we were all so tired and sleepy that1 working on automatically1 we hardly knew whether we were putting the mud in the sandbags or outside them4 ,it was not only the dampness and the incessant maxim fire we had to contend with here1 but an army of insects1 which jumped about us in battalions1 and saw to it we were never lonely4 ,a ,cockney member of our company1 after catching a particularly active jumper1 called out3 ,now then1 you blighter1 where is your respirator8 ,the enemy were only thirty yards away1 and we could often hear them shouting at us and would answer back4 ,many of our men were hit by snipers1 while the shelling was often terrific1 but we stuck on1 as we were holding a part of an important military position4 ,i remember how on an occasion when the shelling was very heavy one man engaged himself in making soup as coolly as if nothing was happening until the earth knocked up by the shells began to drop into the mess-tin1 when he gave us his opinion of the ,boches in his own forcible vernacular4 ,we often laid for hours at the bottom of the trench--flat on the ground in the water and mud to escape the shells4 ,,the ,,birth-,,place ,,of ,a ,,song4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,birth-,,place ,,of ,a ,,song4 ,the third bit of trench of this chapter has a claim to fame as the birth-place of a song4 ,the song was one which only ,british soldiers could have concocted1 and none but ,british soldiers would have sung4 ,it had no known author and no known composer4 ,it sort of growed1 like ,topsy4 ,if it had had a title given to it ,i suppose it would have been called ,i want to go home1 for that was its dirge-like refrain1 always sung very cheerfully indeed1 or with mock earnestness4 ,time and again ,i heard its chorus taken up with terrific gusto from end to end of this trench1 and the whole extraordinary composition spread to other trenches like a contagion4 ,its popularity was instant and enduring--and as unaccountable as the popularity of many other popular songs4 ,i think ,i quote the inspired words of the chorus correctly3-- ,i want to go home1 ,i want to go home-- ,tho' the ,jack ,johnsons and shrapnel ,may whistle and roar1 ,i don't want to go in the trenches no more2 ,i want to be ,where the ,alleymonds can't catch me3 ,oh my6 ,i don't want to die-- ,i want--to go home4 ,three rifles are deposited on the steps of the fireplace--the usual position for rifles when not in hand1 dropped inside canvas bags1 bayonets protruding--kept well greased1 to prevent them from getting rusty4 ,,trench ,,periscope4 ,illustration3 ,,trench ,,periscope ,,in ,,use4 ,the uses of a trench periscope are so well known that they need not be described4 ,the feature of my last sketch of a trench from the inside is that it shows one in actual employment4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,ruse ,,of ,a ,,german ,,sniper4 ,snipers on both sides exhibited the most extraordinary artfulness1 cunning and ingenuity in the discovery1 adaptation and invention of cover4 ,the great desideratum1 of course1 was to hide where we could see without being seen1 to shoot from where there was least danger of being shot4 ,i helped to track and put an end at ,houplines to one ,german sniper who had resorted to a ruse that ,i really think deserves the dignity of a short chapter all to itself4 ,the story is tellable in a few words1 and may be introduced by this drawing of ,the ,white ,farm1 so christened because of the whiteness of the walls of its house2 although1 as will be noticed1 there was little of this or anything else left upstanding when ,i drew my sketch4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,white ,,farm4 ,the position shown is the entrance to the trench at this point1 and the shovels1 barrels1 pails and water trough are all such implements as had been used in making and draining the cutting4 ,the cart shown is the ration cart used at night for bringing provisions from the ,transport ,corps wagon4 ,it was usual for the ration parties 7as elsewhere7 to go out every night after dusk4 ,these were even more than ordinarily dangerous excursions1 as the enemy trenches commanded the road1 we having captured the position from them shortly before4 ,hence sniping was continuous1 and the cart was often hit and our men killed or wounded4 ,we therefore took observations4 ,,the ,,sniper ,,who ,,lived ,,in ,a ,,tree4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,german ,,sniper',s ,,nest ,in course of time we came to notice that the most dangerous part of the road lay between a willow tree-stump and the ,white ,farm4 ,our men were shot here nightly in getting back to the trenches4 ,a party was formed to make a tour of the field in which the tree-trunk stood4 ,the first thing we noticed was that after we entered this enclosure the shots were less numerous4 ,we split up in open order and approached the willow1 taking care to drop to the ground on our hands and knees4 ,as we neared the tree1 lo and behold6 a shot rang out from it and only just missed the corporal4 ,he jumped up at once and we all followed suit4 ,all dashed on for the tree4 ,what did we find8 ,it was nothing but a purposely hollowed trunk used as a shielded nest for a ,german sniper1 the inside being fitted with a shelf to rest his arm on as he coolly picked off our men through a hole4 ,he endeavoured to make his escape in the darkness1 but we brought him down4 ,he had evidently been using this sniping place for weeks1 though this was the first time we had located him4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,three ,,death ,,traps4 ,i suppose it may be said1 without exaggeration1 that we were in a death trap all the time1 but ,i have sketches to show of three particular and extra special sort of death traps4 ,the first is of3-- ,,suicide ,,bridge4 ,illustration3 ,,suicide ,,bridge4 ,this bridge1 made by the ,british1 was called ,suicide ,bridge1 because it was1 and was at1 such a specially dangerous spot4 ,the ,british trenches were in the foreground and beyond the bridge4 ,we held these trenches for fourteen days against the enemy's attacks4 ,the gap was nine feet deep at this corner1 and the black hole on the left faintly showing a fireplace was our kitchen1 scarred by bullet marks made by snipers4 ,the place was infested with rats4 ,great water-rats were continually getting at our food and cheese in the dug-outs4 ,in one rat hunt we killed eighteen of these rodents in one morning4 ,the stream itself supplied us with drinking water1 but one day our men began to fall ill4 ,the doctor analysed the water and discovered that the dastardly ,huns had poisoned the stream higher up1 where it ran through their lines4 ,we warned the rest of the battalion by the field telephone wires and saved them all from being poisoned4 ,an exasperating though not murderous kultur trick was to send us insulting messages down the stream enclosed in bottles1 calling us dirty dogs1 ,english swine1 etc41 etc4 ,the final furious attempt of the ,germans to dislodge us began in the daylight4 ,their snipers advanced first in an open field beyond the trees and took cover in a wagon1 which we located by the ridge of flame4 ,at night they advanced in great masses for hand-to-hand fights1 which took place in the stream4 ,the carnage was terrible4 ,the poisoning tricks had worked our fellows up to a high pitch1 and they fought with reckless bravery4 ,we managed to explode a mine and caught their reserves4 ,then their artillery opened on the stream and we rushed out to meet them4 ,they didn't get ,suicide ,bridge from us1 but the losses were heavy on both sides and the stream itself was red with blood4 ,,suicide ,,signal ,,box4 ,illustration3 ,,suicide ,,signal ,,box4 ,the sketch of ,suicide ,signal ,box takes us to a spot on the railway line close to the scene of one of the biggest battles of the war4 ,its chief feature is the dug-out actually under the line itself4 ,of course the line was not being used across the top of the dug-out4 ,as a matter of fact1 at this time a railway truck was run up to the edge nightly propelled by forty of our men1 bringing filled sandbags for making a barricade across the line1 thus affording the relieving party cover when getting out of trench4 ,the position was known to us as ,suicide ,signal ,box1 because it was so dangerous as to be almost suicidal to cross the line1 as was necessary to reach the road only five yards beyond4 ,the ruined building is the signal box itself1 protected by the line of sandbags in front of telegraph poles and shelled trees4 ,a most curious fact about this place was that1 though it was being continually shelled by the enemy and their maxim guns were trained day and night on this very important position to catch troops coming up as relieving parties1 it was a wonderful place in which to hear the birds sing4 ,the larks trilled at every dawn to herald the coming day1 and never seemed in the least disturbed by the roar of artillery4 ,in the left-hand corner of the sketch will be noticed the firing platform1 over which is the funk hole1 so called from its being the refuge to run to when the shells arrive4 ,the soldier buries his head like the ostrich--only he beats the ostrich by getting his shoulders in as well--and then feels fairly secure4 ,a ,,mile-,,and-,a-,,half ,,of ,,hell4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,ghastly ,,promenade4 ,i show a little bit of a ghastly promenade near ,messines1 some six miles from ,armentires4 ,the road of which the bit in the foreground leads to what remains of a very handsome gateway to a park is a mile-and-a-half in length1 and had to be traversed by our men in order to get to the ,british position1 which was placed beyond the left corner of the picture 7where the broken tree slants74 ,relieving parties had to cover the whole of this distance exposed to the enemy's enfilading fire from two sides of the triangle right up to the apex4 ,the apex was a ,british trench in the most advanced position we could possibly hold4 ,our determination to throw back the enemy made it absolutely necessary to hold it4 ,the road was covered by the ,germans' maxim guns from three points1 both down each side and from the centre between the pillars of the gateway4 ,our method of advance was in ,indian file at several paces apart1 and instructions were given that whenever the maxims fired upon us we were to drop flat on the ground immediately1 and when the searchlight was turned upon us 7which it frequently was with blinding force7 we were to stand stock still in whatever position we were1 the reason being that even with such powerful searchlights as are used by the enemy1 which have a perfect range of five miles1 it is easier for them to distinguish a moving object than a stationary one4 ,it was almost unendurable to have our rifles in our hands--the barrels frequently hit by the enemy's bullets--and to have to stand still unable to use them--by order2 but of course it would have been fatal to have opened fire4 ,we should all have been annihilated4 ,,the ,,hole ,,in ,,the ,,wall4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,hole ,,in ,,the ,,wall4 ,as a pictorial sequel to ,suicide ,bridge and my little account of the great fight there1 hand to hand in the darkness1 the next illustration will not be out of place4 ,the barricade across the road1 at the entrance to a village1 marks the spot to which we advanced from the stream after that struggle in it4 ,the clean hole in a remaining wall of the almost demolished house on the left had been cut by a shell4 ,the house in ruins on the right had been a mansion1 and pictures and furniture were strewn about--some of which we used in the trenches4 ,a case of wine had been left behind unbroached4 ,a cat left behind1 that refused to quit1 bore a charmed life--never was hit--and often ran about on the parapet4 ,the parapet barricade of sandbags was called ,the ,high ,jump1 because we had to mount it and get over it each night and jump for our lives1 to take up our positions by our advanced listening and observation post4 ,it was absolutely fatal for anyone to show himself on the road in the daytime4 ,many a time we should have liked to have stretched our legs1 but dared not4 ,but after the fourth day we did actually get on the road1 as the enemy shifted their position1 and the relief was wonderful4 ,it had been a speculation whether we or the ,germans would get on the road1 and after dislodging them we managed it4 ,our men ran about1 some skipping with a piece of wire1 others rolling on the ground1 in their enjoyment of newly-found freedom1 occasional spent bullets reaching us from a great distance4 ,the position was always referred to as ,hole in the ,wall4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,german ,,beasts ,,in ,a ,,french ,,convent4 ,it is fitting that my sketch of a ,french ,convent1 as the abode of holy women whose innocent lives were dedicated and devoted to the service of the ,prince of ,peace1 should stand by itself1 apart from any drawings suggesting less faintly the devilry of war4 ,the nunnery had been in the possession of the ,germans for some short time before we arrived on the scene1 and bore traces of their customary depredations and violations4 ,the stories related by the nuns themselves were not of a description to bear retailing in the public ,press4 ,i would to ,god that they could be told to every coward of a shirker at home1 to every skunk of a conscientious objector1 to every rat of a stop-the-war pacificist4 ,they would stir to boiling indignation the dregs of their manhood--if they have any dregs4 ,they would make them sick--even them2 and ,i should like them all to be sick--sick unto death4 ,there are not many of them1 all told1 but they are noisy as well as noisome4 ,the good sisters hailed the ,british as deliverers1 and gave us a welcome ,i can neither describe nor forget4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,violated ,,convent4 ,the enemy had abstained from destroying the building1 probably from a subtle motive4 ,they had retired to a wood in the rear4 ,we made a sharp attack upon them to the right of this wood the next day2 caught them at night completely unawares1 and1 after a very stiff fight1 routed them1 and they left #aej dead on the ground4 ,there was a pond in the ,convent grounds1 and while getting water for our transport teams we came across some tin cases hidden away by the enemy--a great find1 for on getting them out we found they contained many thousands of rounds of the enemy's ammunition4 ,it was perfectly dry1 as the cases were watertight2 so we made a big haul of most useful supplies4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,another ,,scene ,,of ,,boche ,,brutality4 ,the accompanying sketch is of the ,market ,square of ,armentires1 the building shown in the centre being the ,town ,hall4 ,the cobble stones of the roadway and the lattice-shuttered windows are of the style which has lasted for generations4 ,this quaint and picturesque town was devastated and almost totally destroyed2 in fact1 the bit of it ,i show was the only portion the enemy left uninjured4 ,we captured the place1 taking four machine guns1 several horses1 a quantity of equipment and ammunition4 ,two of the machine guns were mounted in the clock tower1 a position commanding the range of the street4 ,it is revolting to recall the stories we were told here1 and carefully verified1 of the shameless atrocities of the ,huns4 ,the populace were still in occupation of the buildings when we were driving the ,germans back from the barricades4 ,of course they were greatly terrified1 and we did our best to pacify them and soothe their nerves as we came in contact with them4 ,how different was the treatment they received from the enemy4 ,take the house on the left of the picture4 ,here ,germans walked their horses through the door shown1 along the passage into the yard in the rear1 as a mere piece of bravado--an incident scarcely worth mentioning in view of the crimes they proceeded to commit4 ,the householder1 with his wife and two daughters1 was sitting eating his dinner when the party arrived4 ,the cowardly brutes shot this man on sight--in full view of his family--carried his body out and later on buried it in the chicken run4 ,meanwhile1 they came back and ate the dinner4 ,the various members of the family were tied up to beds and subjected to the grossest of infamies and greatest of cruelties4 ,illustration3 ,,where ,,germans ,,raped ,,and ,,murdered4 ,i repeat that we verified the stories of these horrors1 as we had verified elsewhere other such stories before1 and as we verified elsewhere other such stories afterwards4 ,naturally1 our men fought their hardest1 and by four o'clock in the afternoon of the day we advanced we drove the ,boches at the point of the bayonet4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,trick ,,that ,,didn',t ,,trick ,,us4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,black ,,hole4 ,returning to the group system1 the three following sketches in juxtaposition relate to one and the same happening--our taking of a distillery 7on the outskirts of ,armentires7 of which the ,germans had been in possession for about three weeks1 and within the boundaries of which they set a big trap that didn't catch us4 ,the air was poisoned with the stench of dead animals as we arrived within smell of the block of buildings ,i show first--and1 with thoughts in the minds of some of us of what we had read of the ill-savour of the ,black ,hole of ,calcutta1 the ,black ,hole was an ejaculation before it was a designation4 ,the enemy occupied the portion of yard shown in the foreground and used the front of the buildings and the gateway for cover4 ,the ,british advanced to a position within twenty yards of the gateway in front of it1 and1 after several nights' work1 erected a barricade of twigs1 grass1 and earth1 rapidly collected and thrown into place4 ,by one of their clever tricks the ,germans had made the buildings look as though entirely deserted4 ,they had been careful not to shell them when they took them from the ,french1 and it was their intention to draw us on into the yard unsuspectingly and so get us at their mercy4 ,for the surrounding buildings contained machine guns1 though we did not then know the fact1 and so quiet was everything that ,i was able to make my sketches undisturbed4 ,the yard could have accommodated quite #c1jjj of our men1 who1 if the enemy had had their way1 would have been riddled with shot4 ,however1 we naturally proceeded with military caution4 ,scouts advanced first1 and were somewhat deceived because the ,germans had artfully left a caretaker and his wife in the building seen adjoining the central arch4 ,these people1 doubtless under orders1 passed out milk through the window to the scouts at night to give the idea that the buildings were still peacefully occupied1 though1 as a matter of fact1 they contained1 not only the enemy soldiers1 but their machine guns as well4 ,really we might have been drawn into the trap but for one lucky incident4 ,the enemy were foolish enough to do some secret signalling with a light at night from the tower above the gateway4 ,this was immediately observed by the scouts1 and the game was up4 ,,jam-,,tin ,,artillery ,,party4 ,when the scouts gave the warning that the enemy were in the buildings1 volunteers were called for to make up a bombing party to blow up the tower where the signalling had been observed4 ,we had no idea how many ,germans the tower contained1 but later found traces of only one4 ,there were evidences that he had been there for some time1 and he had stores of milk and food for a longer stay2 they were not wasted1 but he had no part in their consumption4 ,the volunteers were known as the ,jam-tin ,artillery ,party1 from the fact that their bombs were made of jam-tins filled with gun-cotton1 cordite1 etc4 ,the party had to do all the sticky work1 and this was a very sticky job4 ,the plan was to lay a trail with a fuse to bombs1 which we placed under the floor at the top of the stairs leading to the upper storey of this old and disused gateway4 ,we crept up these stairs silently for three nights running before we were successful4 ,one hitch and the whole show would have been given away4 ,however1 we managed to place the bombs1 light the fuse1 blow up the floor1 and blow off the top of the tower as well1 the ,german signaller being blown up with it4 ,then we waited4 ,still the enemy showed no sign of moving1 and word was sent back to our artillery to shell the building1 which it did to great effect4 ,we were then ordered to advance with fixed bayonets1 in platoons1 to take various buildings4 ,the place when we captured it was found to be fitted up like a fortress inside1 with machine guns trained on the yard to mow our men down as they came through the gate1 if the enemy's plan had succeeded2 but it entirely failed4 ,we found but little resistance4 ,inside were a number of dead ,germans killed by our artillery fire1 a very scientific signalling apparatus1 and a complete telephone system to the army corps which was intended to have wiped us out4 ,it was solely due to our scouts and the ,jam-tin ,artillery ,party that we were not all killed4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,black ,,tower4 ,the sketch entitled ,the ,black ,tower exhibits the other side of the gateway1 and shows the road with the caretaker's house1 and our barricades to the right4 ,,dilapidated ,,quarters4 ,illustration3 ,,where ,,the ,,trap ,,was ,,set4 ,the part of the distillery buildings standing in its yard interior1 where we blew up the tower and the spy1 and into which the enemy had hoped to entice us to our destruction1 was very old1 very dirty1 and very dilapidated--in fact1 had apparently not been used for years4 ,we had to sleep in it for several nights1 and made the acquaintance of thousands of rats and other pests4 ,there was only one staircase1 by which some hundreds of troops had to find access and egress4 ,a curious fact was that the fumes of the spirit had eaten so into the woodwork1 which was generally worm-eaten and rotten1 that to strike a light near it was to incur the danger of igniting it and burning the building down4 ,but our boys found a walled-in yard in the background covered by a tarred roof which had no windows1 and this they converted into a smoke-room4 ,roominess and a covering offered a welcome change from the mud1 dirt1 and rain of the trenches1 and ,tommy's spirits kept up1 in spite of all shortcomings4 ,our musical evenings continued as before1 and we thoroughly enjoyed being able to stretch our legs4 ,in fact1 we had become quite reconciled as well as quite used to our surroundings by the time we were called away4 ,afterwards we looked back with pleasure to our stay in the distillery1 for we were much worse off in the next place at which we were stationed4 ,we were moved from here into one of the most dangerous positions in the line at ,ypres4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,the ,,barred ,,road ,,to ,,calais4 ,almost on the last page of my ,sketch ,book ,i come on the last sketch ,i took under fire4 ,,golgotha4 ,it shows the most advanced positions taken by the ,british in the course of one of the biggest battles of the war--at ,st4 ,julien4 ,the trench1 which was a very rough one1 was originally dug by the ,germans and captured by our forces in our advance4 ,the fighting was so intense at this spot that the casualties went far into five figures on both sides1 the losses of the enemy being admittedly much higher than our own4 ,appropriately enough was it called ,golgotha4 ,illustration3 ,,golgotha4 ,to the left of the picture will be seen the remains of a building which was all that was left of what once was a magnificent chateau4 ,the avenue of trees outlined the road to this chateau4 ,several trees1 it will be noticed1 had been either cut in two or broken off by the enemy's shelling2 by-and-by there was not one left standing4 ,on the right of the picture the ruined building was what was left of a large farm which had a moat around it4 ,the ruined walls of the farm were found very useful cover for our men to take whilst sniping the enemy1 and by the road1 at a much lower level1 ran the stream which fed the lake in the grounds of the chateau4 ,the elevation of the road giving us fair protection from the enemy's shots1 we were able1 by stringing a number of boards together and making rafts1 to indulge in bathing2 until the water became so dirty from the earth dislodged from its banks by the shells that it was repugnant for us to indulge in ablutions in it any longer--none of us having been ordered mud bath treatment by the medical officer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the third day of the second grand attempt of the ,germans to break through to the road to ,calais ,i was bowled over by shrapnel and poison gas4 ,gas in cylinders and gas in all manner of shells was used against us--and our regiment had no respirators then4 ,before ,i dropped ,i had the satisfaction of knowing that the ,royal ,fusiliers1 supported by the ,hampshires and the ,durhams1 had taken five lines of the enemy's trenches in counter-attack2 and afterwards ,i had the satisfaction of learning in hospital that the ,german casualties for the day amounted to #fj1jjj against ,british casualties of #bj1jjj4 ,mine was one of about #ejj gas cases--perhaps more4 ,,in ,,hospital4 ,my hospital itinerary was from the field to the dressing station at ,bailleul1 thence to ,boulogne2 from ,boulogne to ,rouen1 and from ,rouen to ,southampton and ,brighton4 ,i like to remember that the day on which ,i finished my little bit for the ,empire--or rather the day on which it was finished for me--was an ,empire ,day3 ,monday1 ,may #bdth1 #aiae--;a day on which ,britons of every clime salute the symbol of their unity and the pledge of their emergence from every peril2 that dear flag under which ,i did what ,i could4 ,good banner6 scarred by hurtling war1 ,but never in dishonour furled2 ,and destined still to shine1 a star ,above an awed and wondering world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,having read ,a ,soldier's ,sketches under ,fire1 the reader should follow with a very entertaining volume1 entitled-- ,with ,cavalry in #aiae4 ,the ,british ,trooper in the ,trench ,line4 ,through the ,second ,battle of ,ypres4 ,by ,,frederic ,,coleman4 ,author of ,from ,mons to ,ypres with ,french1 of which it is a continuation4 ,crown #hvo4 ,fully ,illustrated4 #f_/- net4 ,,pike',s ,,fine ,,art ,,press1 ,,limited1 ,printers1 #dg #dh1 ,,gloster ,,road1 ,,brighton4