We very soon found that it was, and that
he appeared to use this and the two copses as starting points for his
patrols. Thus, when our parties went out at night, the possibility of an
encounter in No Man's Land was never remote, and indeed there were a few
clashes of this sort. It was all a great education for the battalion,
for such work as this had not often come our way in the Gallipoli days,
and there had been no opportunity of practising it since. It was
considered advisable to get as many officers and men as possible out on
patrol at some time or other, for there was a noticeable difference in a
man's morale, and in his attitude towards trench life, once he had
returned from such an adventure. He was conscious of having in a way
asserted his manhood--more than his pal who had not been out--and the
dim uncertainty of what there might be in front of our wire had gone. He
knew now what was there--nothing. He was acquainted with the ground in
such a way that if the enemy did wish to attack he knew exactly where he
could get him with Lewis gun, rifle or bombs. A spirit of confidence was
thus engendered in the whole battalion, as was eventually shown when a
few ventured out on patrol in broad daylight, and obtained some very
useful results.
Realistic gas drill was indulged in occasionally at night because the
enemy had an irritating habit of putting over a few rounds of gas,
either shell or T.M., at irregular intervals. He caught out a few of the
East Lancs.
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