On the Fringe of the Great Fight

Inconsistent hyphenation, and unusual and inconsistent spelling in the original document has been preserved. There are many punctuation confusions and errors in this book.

There are many obvious typographical errors in this book, these have been corrected in this text.
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ON THE FRINGE OF THE GREAT FIGHT

COLONEL GEORGE G. NASMITH, C.M.G.

COLONEL GEORGE G. NASMITH, C.M.G.ToList

ON THE FRINGE OF
THE GREAT FIGHT

By

COLONEL GEORGE G. NASMITH, C.M.G.

McCLELLAND, GOODCHILD & STEWART
PUBLISHERS :: :: :: TORONTO

COPYRIGHT, CANADA, 1917
McCLELLAND, GOODCHILD & STEWART, LIMITED
TORONTO

PRINTED IN CANADA

TO
MY WAR BRIDE

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders fields the poppies grow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe.
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies blow
In Flanders fields.

John MacCrae,
(Lt.-Col.)

By permission of the author.

	PAGE
PREFACE	xi
CHAPTER I.
ON THE ROAD TO A GREAT ADVENTURE	1
CHAPTER II.
ON SALISBURY PLAINS	11
CHAPTER III.
EARLY WAR DAYS IN LONDON	32
CHAPTER IV.
DAYS WHEN THINGS WENT WRONG	46
CHAPTER V.
THE LOST CANADIAN LABORATORY	62
CHAPTER VI.
THE DAYS BEFORE YPRES	70
CHAPTER VII.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES	83
CHAPTER VIII.
THE AFTERMATH OF THE GAS	107
CHAPTER IX.
THE MEDICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE BRITISH ARMY	125
CHAPTER X.
KEEPING THE BRITISH SOLDIER FIT	134
CHAPTER XI.
LABORATORY WORK IN THE FIELD	152
CHAPTER XII.
SKETCHES FROM A LABORATORY WINDOW	169
CHAPTER XIII.
PARIS IN WAR TIME	189
CHAPTER XIV.
TABLE TALK AT A FLANDERS MESS	211
CHAPTER XV.
ON THE BELGIAN BORDER	230

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Colonel George G. Nasmith, C.M.G.	Frontispiece
Mechanical Transports in Salisbury Floods	16
Major-General M.S. Mercer, C.B.	64
German Barrage Fire at Night	104
French Soldiers Advancing under Cover of Liquid Fire	176
The Camouflage	208
"Home, Sweet Home"—Mud Terrace	232
British Tanks as Used in the Flanders Offensive	248

PREFACE

On April 22nd, 1915, the writer, in company with Major Rankin, saw the Germans launch their first gas attack near St. Julien upon the section of the line held by the French colonial troops and the first Canadian division.

This book was written primarily for the purpose of recording this as well as some of the other experiences of the first Canadian division as seen from the unusual angle of a scientist, in the course of 18,000 miles of travel in the front line area. It had the secondary object of giving the average reader some insight into what goes on behind the lines, and the means employed to maintain the health and efficiency of the British and Canadian soldiers in the field.

No attempt has been made to deal with the work of the real fighting men on land and in the air; others far better qualified than I are doing that.

If the book has no other merit, it has, at least, that of being literally true.

Clyx.com

ON THE FRINGE OF THE GREAT FIGHT

ON THE FRINGE OF THE GREAT FIGHT

By

COLONEL GEORGE G. NASMITH, C.M.G.

McCLELLAND, GOODCHILD & STEWART PUBLISHERS :: :: :: TORONTO

COPYRIGHT, CANADA, 1917 McCLELLAND, GOODCHILD & STEWART, LIMITED TORONTO

PRINTED IN CANADA

TO MY WAR BRIDE

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

ON THE FRINGE OF
THE GREAT FIGHT

McCLELLAND, GOODCHILD & STEWART
PUBLISHERS :: :: :: TORONTO

COPYRIGHT, CANADA, 1917
McCLELLAND, GOODCHILD & STEWART, LIMITED
TORONTO

TO
MY WAR BRIDE