THE YPRES TIMES
167
VERY shortly after joining the Lahore Divisional Artillery, the writer, with his
battery, went into action during the latter days of April, 1915, near Ypres. Guns
were entirely in the open, and emplacements were built as rapidly as it was possible
for the tired men to get them finished.
Meanwhile, rumours were circulating that the Germans were using or were about to
use asphyxiating gas, which rumours apparently emanated from the fact that they were
already using a certain number of gas-shells.
In this connection, it is interesting to note that the French General Staff, to whom
the scribe was attached at one period, had actually received information from a German
officer who had been captured some time previously, that the Germans were about to
use gas, but owing to this man being so glib with his information, the French Staff
refused to believe him, with very nearly irreparably disastrous results to the Allies.
The morning after the battery had got into position, the Major instructed the Senior
Lieutenant and the writer to proceed to a farm situated in between the German and
French lines, and thus observe the enemy for ranging purposes.
At this period the Lahore Divisional Artillery was supporting the junction of the
French and Canadian Divisions, holding the line beyond Ypres.
They proceeded with extreme care towards the front lines, owing to the fact that
all movements in the Ypres Salient were visible to the enemy, who had command of all
the high ground, and found that the French had no trenches worth speaking about,
and were lying in little scooped-out places which they had dug for themselves when and
where possible in the Flanders mud.
Crossing the Yser Canal and mounting the railway, they passed through groups
of French Territorials (elderly men called to the colours) and Senegalese, arriving even
tually at French Battalion Headquarters, situated behind the wall of a demolished
farmhouse under a corrugated iron shelter.
Here they partook of such hospitality as the headquarters, which consisted of a
colonel and four officers, could offer, and then, followed by their signallers, proceeded at
a smart trot towards the farm previously mentioned, and more by luck than good
judgment arrived unscathed.
The scribe's companion proceeded up the creaking stairs to the first floor, while
the writer decided to investigate the contents of the cellar. On his way down, to his
amazementand, be it said, to his dismaya German non-commissioned officer rushed
past him up the stairs, jumped out of the window of the farmhouse, facing the German
lines, and, for the first and almost the last time during the war, the writer had the
opportunity of using his revolver with what effect, however, he cannot say, as the last
seen of our friend was his hurried entrance into a German front-line trench.
On examination, it was found that this non-commissioned officer had complete
telephone equipment in the cellar, and was evidently reporting on our movements to
the German lines. After disabling the telephone apparatus, the scribe picked up several
German letters and a notebook that were lying around, also the non-commissioned
officer's soft hat and one or two other documents, which he proposed to show to the
Staff, and then keep as souvenirsbut more of this anon.
Then, proceeding to the first floor of the house, they brought into action their field-
glasses and telephone equipment, and very soon correct ranges were established to the
German positions. Shortly after, however, either through the information given by the
escaped non-commissioned officer or by messages signalled from our own lines (spies
being incredibly numerous in those days, and in that sector in particular), a special
