After leaving the town the evidence of war was everywhere seen, ambulances and wagons becoming more and more numerous, and squads of Belgian soldiers, with staves only, continually passing us on their way to rest. As dusk was falling we found our way to a wood called Flamertinghe, the only building near us being a solitary inn. We at last got some food, and bivouacked for the night. At this place we were only five or six miles from the German line, and there were some reserve trenches close by which were to be manned by us if necessary. ‘Bramble’ Booth, who had been out previously with the London Rifle Brigade, said he recognised the locality, which had been the scene of desperate Anglo-German combats. During the night, when not asleep, we were entertained by a continuous rattle of musketry, which seemed to be extremely close at hand. It did not disturb me much, however, and I was soon fast asleep. On awaking on April 24, we found that we had some neighbours, Zouaves and other French troops, and Belgians, who were soon all very friendly with our men. We here heard some startling news, to the effect that the French lines outside Ypres had been pierced owing to the use of poison gases. The Zouaves said that hundreds of their comrades had been ‘gassed.’ The Canadians, however, had made a furious counter-attack, and had repaired some of the damage; their losses had been very heavy, and the situation was reckoned to be serious. We made the best of our time, and spent the morning writing letters and watching a large British howitzer at work, close to us. The gunners claimed to be making some good hits. We made a hearty lunch, and I pleased the officers by getting wine for them at the inn. We expected to be there a week, when suddenly, about four o’clock in the afternoon, an order came for the Brigade to concentrate at a place about two miles east of Ypres. We soon found ourselves on the main road. We marched up on the right-hand side, and on the extreme left of the road there was a continued stream of ambulances coming down from the front. Up the centre of the road ammunition carts were galloping at full speed towards Ypres. It was evident that a very big battle was raging in front, and the air was full of rumours brought by stragglers and slightly wounded men, painfully making their way towards safety. These men looked utterly exhausted and seemed exceedingly pleased to see us; one of them said ‘You are badly wanted,’ though at the time we never realised how desperate the situation was. On the other hand, another straggler cheerfully informed us that we had only to take one more trench and then the whole of Belgium would be in our hands. This man was the cause of raising many false hopes, soon to be violently dispelled.