Page:The Irish guards in the great war (Volume 1).djvu/49

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of the 18th September remarks that "Nos. 1 and 4 Companies relieved 2 and 3 Companies in the trenches and were again shelled during the day."

Sniping on Hun lines was a novel experience to the Battalion. They judged it strange to find a man apparently dead, with a cloth over his face, lying in a hollow under a ridge commanding their line, who turned out to be quite alive and unwounded. His rifle was within short reach, and he was waiting till our patrols had passed to get to his work. But they killed him, angrily and with astonishment.

On the morning of the 18th September Lieut.-Colonel Lord Ardee, Grenadier Guards, arrived and took over command from Major Stepney. The following officers—the first of the long line—also arrived as reinforcements:

Major G. Madden; Captain Norman Orr-Ewing, Scots Guards, attached; Captain Lord Francis Scott, Grenadier Guards, attached; Captain the Hon. J. F. Trefusis, Lieutenants George Brooke, L. S. Coke, R. H. Ferguson, G. M. Maitland, C. R. Harding, and P. Antrobus.

The Battalion reorganized as follows after less than four weeks' campaign:

Lieut.-Colonel Lord Ardee C.O.
Major Herbert Stepney Senior Major.
Capt. the Hon. J. Trefusis Adjutant.
Lieut. E. J. Gough Transport Officer.
Lieut. C. A. S. Walker Quartermaster (acting)
Capt. Hon. A. E. Mulholland O.C. No. 1 Company.
Capt. N. Orr-Ewing O.C. No. 2 Company.
Capt. Lord Francis Scott O.C. No. 3 Company.
Major G. Madden O.C. No. 4 Company.

The trench-war was solidifying itself; for the Diary of that same day notes that the enemy "shelled the trenches and the two howitzer-guns which were in position below." Ours was an army, then, which could count and place every gun that it owned. As many as three howitzer batteries per division had accom-