[Illustration: Barracks, Ypres 1915.]

(_Photos by Capt. C.R. Knighton._)

Meanwhile we had considerably advanced in our own esteem by having
become instructors to one of the first "New Army" Divisions to come to
France, the 14th Light Infantry Division, composed of three battalions
of Rifle Brigade and 60th, and a battalion of each of the British Light
Infantry Regiments. They were attached to us, just as we had been
attached to the 12th Brigade at Armentières, 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.