the line from us, but long before they could arrive our Companies in the
Redoubt were being very hard pressed, and scarcely held their own. The
German bombers never for a moment ceased their attack, and for some time
our bombers held them with difficulty. Then came the cruellest blow of
fortune, for many of the bags and boxes of bombs sent up during the
afternoon were found to contain bombs without detonators, many others
were filled with types of grenades we had never seen. In spite of this
there was one officer who always managed to find the wherewithal to
reply to the German attacks. Escaping death by a miracle, for his great
height made him very conspicuous, 2nd Lieut. Tomson stood for hours at
one of the bombing blocks, smoking cigarettes and throwing bombs. With
him was Pte. P. Bowler, who proved absolutely tireless, while in another
part of the line Pte. W.H. Hallam and one or two others carried out a
successful bombing exploit on their own, driving back the enemy far
enough to allow a substantial block to be built in a vital place. To add
to the horrors of the situation, the garrison had ever in their ears the
cries of the many wounded, who lay around calling for Stretcher Bearers
or for water, and to whom they could give no help. The Bearers had
worked all day magnificently, but there is a limit to human endurance,
and they could carry no more. Even so, when no one else was strong
enough, Captain Barton was out in front of the Redoubt, regardless of
bombs, and thinking only of the wounded, many of whom he helped to our
lines, while to others, too badly hit to move, he gave water or
morphia. Hour after hour he worked on alone, and no one will ever know
how many lives he saved that night.

Soon after 6 p.m., the Sherwood Foresters started to arrive and
gradually worked their way up towards the Redoubt, a long slow business,
for the communication trenches were all choked and no one was very
certain of the route. One large party arriving at midnight happened to