This was our first attempt on a large scale in clearing the enemy out of his trenches by bombing along them from traverse to traverse. It has long since become familiar to every soldier, but in those days at any rate it was new; and considering the primitive instruments at our disposal, some lighted with matches, some with port fires, some anyhow, a large proportion having a tendency to prematurely explode or refuse to light, and all this done on a freezing night with snow and ice in the trenches and half a gale of wind blowing, it was no mean performance. The result of this long-drawn-out contest was that with the hold gained on our right by the reoccupation of portions of our line by the 107th Pioneers, 8th Gurkhas, 6th Jats, and a company of the Bhopals, and the splendid advance of the 1/39th Garhwalis along the enemy’s trenches from our left, the troops from both flanks joined hands and the entire position was restored by 6 o’clock on the morning of the 24th November. The trenches formerly held by the 34th Pioneers and 9th Bhopals were taken over by the Leicesters and 1/39th Garhwalis. Our losses, however, were very heavy. The enemy also suffered considerably, not only in his advance, but whilst in occupation of our trenches and their vicinity and during our counter-attack. He had many hours in which to evacuate his wounded and remove his dead under cover of night, nevertheless he left behind him a great many of both, showing the hasty nature of his final departure. The recaptured trenches had been knocked to bits by our well-directed guns, and the 1/39th Garhwalis secured two trench mortars, three machine-guns, and a large number of rifles and other equipment, besides four officers and 100 men taken prisoners. And thus was Corinth lost and won. It was our first fight within the Corps, and hence deserves to be told in full. We learned many useful lessons which I shall try and epitomise, but first I must tell the story of many gallant deeds by which the results were obtained. Over forty British officers and 1150 other ranks, chiefly Indians, was the price we paid that November day, but the official despatch disposed of the fighting in a few lines and no names were singled out. Few outside the Corps ever heard of it, but it was the Indian soldiers’ own fight, and they will often tell of it in the years to come. Here is the story. The 34th Pioneers had been the first to feel the shock; and heavily attacked as they were by grenades, soon had their left machine-gun out of action. The enemy broke into the trench but the gun was saved by Havildar Nikka Singh, who, seeing the detachment overwhelmed, picked up and carried the Maxim through a fierce fire into the support trench.