Produced by Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE [Illustration: Y.M.C.A. AND GERMAN OBSERVATION STATION IN THE TREES AT ACHIET-LE-PETIT] THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE THE STORY OF THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE Y.M.C.A. TO THE SAILORS AND SOLDIERS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE BY SIR ARTHUR K. YAPP, K.B.E. Illustrations by W. P. STARMER, EDGAR WRIGHT AND OTHER ARTISTS HODDER AND STOUGHTON LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO _DEDICATION_ _THIS book is affectionately dedicated to Y.M.C.A. leaders and workers at home and abroad in grateful appreciation of their faithful and loyal service. Much of this work has been done out of sight, and endless difficulties have had to be surmounted. Names have not been mentioned in the book, but the writer would like to express his personal gratitude and appreciation to every one._ CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE 1 CHAPTER II BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE 19 CHAPTER III FLOTSAM AND JETSAM 33 CHAPTER IV THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE 39 CHAPTER V THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE 63 CHAPTER VI 'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE 71 CHAPTER VII IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN 80 CHAPTER VIII THE BARRAGE AND AFTER 108 CHAPTER IX 'LES PARENTS DES BLESSÉES' 118 CHAPTER X CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT 126 CHAPTER XI CAMEOS FROM FRANCE 133 CHAPTER XII STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE' 146 CHAPTER XIII THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST 162 CHAPTER XIV SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE 175 CHAPTER XV THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN 191 CHAPTER XVI THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE 195 CHAPTER XVII STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE 211 CHAPTER XVIII THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION 236 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Y.M.C.A. and German observation station in the trees at Achiet-le-Petit _Frontispiece_ PAGE Hut in the grounds of the ruins of the Hôtel-de-Ville at Arras 16