The Story of the 9th Kings in France | Page 6

nature of a portion
of the front were only dug three feet down, and a sand-bag parapet was
built; the trenches were not duckboarded, and were in consequence wet.
Around each brickstack was built a keep, and this was garrisoned by a
platoon in each case. Every time an enemy projectile hit a brickstack
large quantities of broken bricks were scattered as splinters which
multiplied the killing effect of the shell. In this sector there was
considerable mining activity. The mine shafts, of which there were
about three per company frontage, were each manned by two men who
acted as listeners. As the front lines were only about twenty-five yards
apart there was a considerable exchange of grenades.
No cooking was allowed in the trenches, as the smoke which would
have been occasioned by cooking would only have encouraged enemy
fire. Therefore ration and hot food parties had to go four times a day
along a communication trench called Boyau Maison Rouge, one and a
half miles long, and which was not duckboarded. After heavy rain it
became very muddy, and the men cut down their trousers which led to
the adoption of shorts throughout. Hosetops were improvised by cutting
the feet off socks and later they were bought. The colour ranged at first
from light heliotrope to flatman's blue, but later was standardized as
salmon pink. The expense of providing these hosetops was a heavy
drain on any available funds, but fortunately friends of the Battalion
came to the rescue.
On relief from the Cambrin trenches on the 7th July the Battalion spent
a little over a fortnight in Brigade and Divisional Reserves at Sailly
Labourse and the Faubourg d'Arras in Bethune respectively. On the
25th it was in line at Vermelles. This sector was quiet except in that

portion which was opposite the Hohenzollern Redoubt, from which
huge aerial torpedoes were fired.
August was spent doing tours of duty in Annequin and Vermelles.
During the last tour in Vermelles the whole Battalion assembled every
night in no man's land and successfully dug under fire jumping-off
trenches for the forthcoming operations, the casualties being
comparatively few, owing to the speed with which the men dug.
During the first three weeks in September, the Battalion was out of the
line and spent most of the time at Burbure, a quiet little village outside
Lillers, where the men enjoyed a period of peace well removed from
the battle zone. The training was devoted almost entirely to the practice
of the attack preparatory to the impending fight.
During the summer a horse show took place in the First Division, and
the "Ninth" secured all the prizes for mules, the first prize for a field
kitchen and two jumping prizes, thus obtaining the second place in the
Division for the total number of marks gained. This was a signal
honour for a Territorial unit, and perhaps came as a surprise to some of
the Regular soldiers, who thought that they were "the people." This
demonstrated the fact that though the Battalion had but a few months'
experience of active service, it had soon accustomed itself to the
rigours of warfare, and that the transport section at any rate had attained
a high pitch of efficiency. The horse shows which were held from time
to time as occasion permitted provided diversions and did much to
maintain a high standard of efficiency in the first line transport.
Improvements had been effected in the organisation of the Regiment
since its advent to France. Clothing and food became more plentiful
and the latter was better cooked. Efforts were made to improve the
comfort of the men in billets. Proper sanitation was rigorously observed.
Officers were encouraged to display the greatest solicitude for the
welfare of the men, and the cumulative effect of these measures
resulted in improved morale.
THE BATTLE OF LOOS.

For three weeks in September the Battalion practised the attack in
Burbure, which it left on the 20th. Before leaving Burbure an amusing
incident took place. The Battalion had paraded and was ready to move
off. Suddenly two young women who were watching dashed into the
ranks, embraced two of the men, kissed them with resounding smacks,
and then disappeared in the gloom. The consternation of the two men
caused great amusement to all. The "Ninth" moved up by stages,
marching via Lapugnoy and Verquin, to its battle position in trenches
by Le Rutoire Farm, which it reached on the 24th. The Battalion and
the London Scottish formed a body called "Green's Force," to which
was given as a first objective the German front line trenches in the
vicinity of Lone Tree, as this objective was left uncovered by the
diverging advance of the 1st Brigade on the right and the 2nd Brigade
on the left.
In