The first “masks” were little more than mufflers or strips of cloth dipped in lime water. A weather-cock was rigged up near Headquarters dug-outs, and when the wind blew from the Germans these were got ready. False alarms of gas, due to strange stenches given off by various explosives, or the appearance of a mist over the German line, were not uncommon, and on each occasion, it appeared that the C.O. had to turn out, sniff, and personally pass judgment on the case. The men had their instructions what to do in case of emergency, concluding with the simple order, perhaps the result of experience at Ypres, “in event of the first line being overcome, the second immediately charge through the gas and occupy the front-line trenches.”
The casualties for the month of April were 2 officers and 8 men killed and 1 officer and 42 men wounded. The strength of the Battalion stood at 28 officers and 1133 men, higher than it had ever been before.
The following is the distribution of officers and N.C.O.’s at that time, a little less than three weeks before the battle of Festubert.
Major the Hon. J. F. Trefusis Commanding Officer. Major the Earl of Rosse Second in Command. Capt. Lord Desmond FitzGerald Adjutant. Lieut. P. H. Antrobus Transport Officer. Lieut. L. S. Straker Machine-gun Officer. Capt. A. H. L. M’Carthy Medical Officer. Lieut. H. Hickie Quartermaster. The Rev. John Gwynne (S.J.) Chaplain.
Capt. J. N. Guthrie. Lieut. R. G. C. Yerburgh. 2nd Lieut. V. W. D. Fox. 2nd Lieut. Hon. W. S. P. Alexander. No. 2535 C.S.M. Harradine. No. 3726 C.Q.M.S. P. M’Goldrick.
Capt. E. G. Mylne. Lieut. Sir G. Burke, Bart. 2nd Lieut. R. B. H. Kemp. 2nd Lieut. S. G. Tallents. No. 3949 C.S.M. D. Moyles. No. 2703 C.Q.M.S. J. G. Lowry.
Major P. L. Reid. 2nd Lieut. J. R. Ralli. 2nd Lieut. C. Pease. 2nd Lieut. E. W. Campbell. 2nd Lieut. C. de Persse (attached 7th Dragoon Guards). No. 2112 C.S.M. H. M’Veigh. No. 3972 C.Q.M.S. R. Grady.
Capt. G. E. S. Young. Lieut. J. S. N. FitzGerald. Lieut. C. D. Wynter. 2nd Lieut. D. C. Parsons. No. 2384 C.S.M. T. Curry. No. 3132 C.Q.M.S. H. Carton.
The first ten days of May passed quietly. Mines, for the moment, gave no further anxiety, bombing and bombardments were light, reliefs were happily effected, and but 1 man was killed and 1 wounded. Two officers, Lieutenant H. A. Boyse and 2nd Lieutenant R. H. W. Heard, joined on the 2nd.