A cunning device of the Germans to misuse the Red Cross came to light during the next few days.  It was in the vicinity of the woods where the Imperial Batteries had lost their guns.  In a counter attack to retake these guns our men went over, accompanied by the engineers, to destroy the guns, as it was thought it would be impossible to bring them back.  This turned out to be true, as the enemy advanced in such strong mass formation that our fellows had their hands full fighting them off until the engineers made good their work, which they did by smashing the hydraulic buffers with picks, destroying the sights, blowing the guns up, and taking the breech-blocks back with them.

In going over the ground that our barrage had covered a few minutes before, we found lying there German soldiers who had acted as stretcher bearers, wearing the red cross of Geneva on their arms, for the purpose of running wires from trench to trench, from battery to battery, and to headquarters, and the way they did the trick was to take a roll of wire on a stretcher covered with a blanket, to represent a wounded comrade, start the roll unwinding and running the wire between their legs as they walked.  The blankets on the stretchers were used to deceive our observers and make them believe they were doing honest hospital work in the field.  This was only one of their many unprincipled practices, for the Germans ignored all usages of war as practiced by civilization.

During the busiest days of May, 1915, between the second and third battle of Ypres, I was on guard duty at field headquarters in the trenches.  The Staff was located in an old two-story building that was much the worse for wear from German calling cards.  My “go” was from eight to ten P.M.  Promptly at ten o’clock a rap came to the door and, blowing out the light, I inquired who it was.  It was my relief, Dave Evans, one of the best pals whom it has ever been my lot to soldier with.  Dave was a heavy-set man, strong as an ox; I think he could have almost felled a bull with his fist, so powerful was he.  I re-lit the candle after closing the door.  This was Dave’s first “go” at this particular spot, and I cautioned him to be careful not to show himself in the open doorway with the light behind him, as the building was under observation and the splinters that were being continually chipped from it demonstrated how keenly active and alert they were, and made it necessary for a man to be on the lookout every second of the time.  He said he would take no chances.  Dave had just obtained an Enfield rifle, for which he had been very glad to exchange his Ross, as the Enfield is better suited for trench purposes, and, not being thoroughly familiar with its workings, he asked me to explain it to him, which I did.  Then I blew out the light, opened the door, whispered “good-night,” and started down the path.  About a hundred feet away I heard Dave calling me back; I turned; he was standing in the doorway, with the candle light gleaming behind him.  He called out, “Grant, I don’t quite get this safety catch and bolt; would you mind showing it to me again?”