Canadians Fight for the Guns?
April aandj 1915.
Vol, 4, No. 6 Published Quarterly April, 1929
ABOUT April 16th, 1915, our battalion, the 16th Canadian Scottish, found
itself taking over, in the salient, from French troops. In those days there
were no communication trenches. One walked up to the trenches at night
time and waited till daylight to take stock. We were not too happy in our new
home. The trenches did not seem too secure or strong, and the nightly everlasting
Very lights seemed to be going up from all directions, especially behind us,
and that is a mystery many of us will never quite understand. Then again, the sun
began to give a little warmth, and there were many dead Germans in No Man's
Land who had evidently been there a very long time. We spent our four nights
in this trench working hard at sandbags, etc., but the firing was not too heavy,
except that on the last day Fritz threw a few nasty shells right into our trench
and did a little damage. Evidently registering for the future.
The blessed relief of going out for four days' rest came to pass in due
course, and at 1.30 ack emma we found the shelter of a big barn well to the rear.
The next day was spent in cleaning up, etc., and I also went into Ypres, which had
béen badly knocked about. Yet civilians were still living there, and business of a
sort was being carried on. The next day, April 22nd, 1915, no one was allowed
into Ypres on any account. Evidently someone knew something was going to
happen. At 5 pip emma, when we were enjoying tea, there arose a great commo
tion outside. Rushing out, we saw a large, thick, yellow-black, greenish cloud, if
there is such a mixture, something like a real London November fog, being gently
borne along on the breeze. In front of it was a crowd of people, all rushing
back to safety. It was a mixed crowd. French Colonials, who had received the
brunt of the cloud, were compelled to give way, and these, on retreating, were
joined by civilians who were not only anxious for themselves, but commandeered
every available kind of transport in which to pile their most precious belongings.
Wheelbarrows, push carts, perambulators were all brought into service. The
sight, if curious, was also very pathetic. One horse went by carrying two French
Colonials and three civilians on its back. Women, children, and men jostled one
another in the throng. At last we found out, from one of the less excitable
fugitives, the cause of all this commotion. The Germans, in spite of agreements
and all feelings of decency and humanity, had released the first gas ever used as a
weapon in warfare. Asphyxiating chlorine, gas of great intensity had been used
against troops, and indirectly, civilians, who were utterly unprepared for it or any
