(9) The second person to whom I told them was Capt. J. E. A----, also of the 8th ----, whom I saw at about 8 p.m. the same evening. (Signature of deponent) D. M----, Sergeant. Sworn at Poperinghe in Belgium on active service this first day of October, 1915. Before me, G. M. H. S----, Captain, D.A.A.G., 1st Army, Commissioner for Oaths. IX REPORTS RELATIVE TO THE USE OF INCENDIARY BULLETS BY GERMAN TROOPS[96] To: The Commanding Officer, 2nd Batt. The ---- Regiment. From: 2nd Lieut. L. E. S----, B Co., 2nd ---- Regiment. 18/6/1915. USE OF INCENDIARY BULLETS BY THE ENEMY SIR,--I have the honour to report as follows: During the action on 15th to 16th instant my platoon occupied the right of the old German trench running from ---- to ---- between 7.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m., 15th instant. Seventy-five yards to my front I saw six or seven men lying down in the grass. One of them attracted my attention immediately as he appeared to be smoking or to have lit a small fire. I observed him carefully and saw that his clothes were smouldering. Later on they were entirely charred black: he did not move and was apparently dead. The enemy were sniping at these men, unquestionably using incendiary bullets, as I saw three or four of these strike the ground and set the grass around on fire. The flames could be seen distinctly. About 9 p.m. one of these bullets struck the bottom of the parapet of the trench, and burned with a brilliant white flare for about fifteen seconds, at the same time giving off heavy phosphorus fumes and burning the sand-bags which it had struck. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) L. E. S----, 2nd Lieut. The following statements were made by N.C.O.’s of the 2nd Batt. ---- Regiment and 2nd Batt. ---- Regiment (7th Division), relative to the alleged use by the enemy on June 15th, 1915, of incendiary bullets: C.S.M. G. M----, C Co., 2nd Batt. ---- Regiment, states: On the night of the 15th and 16th I saw German rifle bullets cause a flash as they struck the ground. The flash seemed to rise about 2 feet from the ground. My attention was called to this by an Officer of the 3rd Co. (?) Grenadier Guards. The Guards were on my left and I was near ----. It was some time between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight. (Signed) G. M----, C.S.M., C Co., 2nd ----. Sergeant N----, B Co., 2nd ---- Regiment, states: Just before dusk on the evening of the 15th I was in the disused German trench ----, and saw a man fall in front of the trench hit by a bullet. As he lay on the ground he seemed to be on fire in the right shoulder and breast, and was clawing the ground in agony. (The grass, which was green, was set on fire round him.) He was not more than 100 yards from me--hardly that. I could not do anything for him as the Germans had been following me and were almost on top of me, and I was nearly alone at the time.