When we got to St.Jean, a sergeant told me that the 14th Battalion was holding the line.

The news was received gladly, and the men were eager to go forward and share the glory of their comrades.

Later on, as I was marching in front of the battalion a man of the 15th met us.

He was in a state of great excitement, and said, "The men are poisoned, Sir, the Germans have turned on gas and our men are dying." I said to him very sternly, "Now, my boy, not another word about that here." "But it's true, Sir." "Well, that may be, but these men have got to go there all the same, and the gas may have gone before they arrive, so promise me not another word about the poison." He gave me his promise and when I met him a month afterwards in Bailleul he told me he had never said a word about the gas to any of the men that night.
We passed through Weiltje where all was stir and commotion, and the dressing stations were already full, and then we deployed into the fields on a rise in the ground near St.Julien.By this time, our men had become aware of the gas, because, although the German attack had been made a good many hours before, the poisonous fumes still clung about the fields and made us cough.

Our men were halted along the field and sat down waiting for orders.