GREAT WORK ACCOMPLISHED--HOLDING UP A GERMAN ADVANCE-- SILENCING SNIPERS IN A DERELICT TANK--AND SOME OTHER THINGS 67 PRESENTATION OF THE KING'S COLOUR--MAJOR-GENERAL SIR C.E. PEREIRA, K.C.B., C.M.G., AND HIS PRIDE IN THE BATTALION 73 "GOOD-BYE AND GOOD LUCK"--BRIGADIER-GENERAL A.E. MCNAMARA, C.M.G., D.S.O., AND HIS FAREWELL TO THE 23RD ROYAL FUSILIERS 77 THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD--AN ADVANCE IN FACE OF HUNDREDS OF MACHINE GUNS--A PERSONAL NARRATIVE 81 EXPERIENCES AS A PRISONER OF WAR--EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY KEPT BY "MR. BROOKS, THE SCHOOLMASTER" 93 THE HONOURS' LIST: NAMES OF OFFICERS AND MEN AWARDED DECORATIONS AND MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES 103 THE ROLL OF HONOUR: OFFICERS AND OTHER RANKS WHO DIED THAT ENGLAND MIGHT LIVE 111 THE NOMINAL ROLL: NAMES AND NUMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION WHO JOINED EITHER AT THE HOTEL CECIL, LONDON, OR AT HORNCHURCH, ESSEX 143 EDITOR'S NOTE 167 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS COLONEL THE VISCOUNT MAITLAND _Frontispiece_ FIRST INSPECTION OF BATTALION: HYDE PARK, OCTOBER, 1914 _to face p._ 20 MARCHING AWAY FROM HYDE PARK TO ENTRAIN FOR HORNCHURCH _to face p._ 28 THE CAMP, HORNCHURCH " 30 INTERIOR OF A HUT, HORNCHURCH " 30 LIEUTENANT-COLONEL H.A. VERNON, D.S.O. " 42 LIEUTENANT-COLONEL E.A. WINTER, D.S.O., M.C. " 50 PRESENTATION OF COLOURS: NIEDERAUSSEM, GERMANY, JUNE 24, 1919 _to face p._ 66 BATTALION HEADQUARTERS, HORNCHURCH " 80 THE BATTALION PIERROT TROUPE: GERMANY " 80 FOREWORDS THE SPORTSMEN Sportsmen of every kind, God! we have paid the score Who left green English fields behind For the sweat and stink of war! New to the soldier's trade, Into the scrum we came, But we didn't care much what game we played So long as we played the game. We learned in a hell-fire school Ere many a month was gone, But we knew beforehand the golden rule, "Stick it, and carry on!" And we were a cheery crew, Wherever you find the rest, Who did what an Englishman can do, And did it as well as the best. Aye, and the game was good, A game for a man to play, Though there's many that lie in Delville Wood Waiting the Judgment Day. But living and dead are made One till the final call, When we meet once more on the Last Parade, Soldiers and Sportsmen all!