to learn the little details of Trench warfare that cannot be taught at home, and their platoons were with us during both our tours in the “G’s” and “H’s.”  They were composed almost entirely of officers and men who had volunteered in August, 1914, and their physique, drill and discipline were excellent—­a fact which they took care to point out to everybody, adding generally that they had come to France “not to sit in trenches, but to capture woods, villages, etc.”  We listened, of course, politely to all this, smiled, and went on with our instructing.  Many stories are told of the great pride and assurance of our visitors, one of the most amusing being of an incident which happened in trench “H2.”  Before marching to trenches the visiting Platoon Commander had, in a small speech to his platoon, told them to learn all they could from us about trenches, but that they must remember that we were not regulars, and consequently our discipline was not the same as theirs.  All this and more he poured into the ears of his host in the line, until he was interrupted by the entry of his Platoon Sergeant to report the accidental wounding of Pte.  X by Pte.  Y, who fired a round when cleaning his rifle.  There was no need for the host to rub it in, he heard no more about discipline.

Credit, however, must be given where credit is due, and the following tour our visitors distinguished themselves.  On the 15th June, at 9.10 p.m., when the night was comparatively quiet, the enemy suddenly blew up a trench on our left, held by the Sherwood Foresters, at the same time opening heavy rifle fire on our back areas and shelling our front line.  Captain Griffiths, who held our left flank with “B” Company, found that his flank was in the air, so very promptly set about moving some of his supports to cover this flank, and soon made all secure.  Meanwhile Lieut.  Rosher, machine gun officer of the visiting Durham Light Infantry, hearing the terrific din and gathering that something out of the ordinary was happening, though he did not know what, slung a maxim tripod over his shoulders, picked up a gun under each arm, and went straightaway to the centre of activity—­a feat not only of wonderful physical strength, but considerable initiative and courage.  We did not suffer heavy casualties, but 2nd Lieut.  Mould’s platoon had their parapet destroyed in one or two places, and had to re-build it under heavy fire, in which Pte.  J.H.  Cramp, the Battalion hairdresser, distinguished himself.  Except for this one outburst on the part of the Boche we had a quiet time, though Peckham Corner was always rather a cause of anxiety, for neither R.E. nor the Brigade Tunnellers could spare a permanent party on the mine shaft.  Consequently, it was left to the Company Commander to blow up the mine, and with it some of the German trench, in case of emergency, and it was left to the infantry to supply listeners down the shaft to listen for counter-mining.  On one occasion when Captain Bland took over the trench with “A” Company, he found the pump out of order, the water rising in the shaft, and the gallery full of foul air, all of which difficulties were overcome without the R.E.’s help, by the courage and ingenuity of Serjeant Garratt.