It was down at Loos that I was gassed. I have a recollection of the
gas coming over and was unconscious for twenty-four hours, and had
oxygen pumped into me. When I returned to consciousness I found myself
in a hospital with a Red Cross nurse bending over me. Another sector
of the line I was in was at Cambrai (after my recovery from the
hospital). Here we caught it pretty rough. It was the time that British
divisions were being drafted off to Italy that things were lively.
Several battalions were being marched off to Italy, when "Fritz" broke
through part of our line down south, and advanced in mass formation.
Then we were ordered to retreat. It was some retreat! Guns were left,
ammunition dumps not blown up, and we retreated about thirty miles.
Our losses there were great. However, in small counter-attacks and
skirmishes, which our battalion took part in, we captured quite a few
prisoners. I was quite surprised to notice how young some of these
German soldiers seemed--not more than seventeen years of age. In the
early part of 1918 I was up in Ypres again where one night we had after
severe fighting recaptured a few hundred yards, I was just standing
around in the captured trenches, when a shell burst and a piece of
shrapnel caught me. Down I went, to awake once more in a hospital,
where the boys were all content and happy, in spite of wounds. So was
I, especially when I heard I was for "Blighty" once again.
MY SERVICE IN FLANDERS
BY SERGT. ALEXANDER GIBB, NO. 444476, CO. A. 26TH BATT., N. B. REGT.,
CANADIAN INF.
IN THE month of October, 1914, the second Canadian Division was being
formed. I being too young at that time, could not enlist, but in the
month of February, 1915, I did enlist with the 55th Battalion. The
commander of that battalion was Lieutenant Colonel Kirkpatrick. It was
in the month of March of the same year that our regiment went into camp
at Sussex, N. B. Every day of our life in camp was work, day and night,
but of course our battalion found time for their sports; even if we did
have to work very hard during the day.
In the beginning of June of that year there was a call came to our
regiment for volunteers to go overseas, with the 26th Battalion, which
is now known as the Famous Fighting 26th; at that time under command of
Lieutenant Colonel McAvity, better known as "Colonel Jim." Of course
I was eager to get over and do my bit. I was one of the many who
volunteered. It was on the most unlucky day of that month, June 13,
1915, that the 26th sailed on the transport _Caledonian_ for an unknown
port in England. As the transport moved from the pier amid cheering
crowds, the boys were happy and gay.
[Illustration: SERGT. ALEXANDER GIBB]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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