who, after overcoming all resistance on the west side of the Canal, collected together his own section and a party of men from different units who had become lost in the fog, and personally led them across the Canal, scaling the east bank against considerable opposition, chasing the enemy down their own dug-outs, and clearing the trench line opposed to him. In this way, this N.C.O., with a small party of about fifteen men, was responsible for the capture of ninety-eight prisoners and ten machine guns. Another name which will remain associated with the capture of this portion of the Canal is that of Sergeant W. Cahill who, although unable to swim, plunged into the Canal and got across as best he could with a number of men he had collected round him. These men he at once led to the top of the eastern bank, where he found an Officer and a small party of our men in difficulties. Without hesitation he attacked the enemy, captured four machine guns, and held on to his position on the Canal bank until the remainder of our men had crossed and the enemy resistance was completely overcome.
The thickness of the fog had caused the companies at this point to be very mixed up indeed, and other similar cases occurred of parties composed of men of several different units being collected by an officer who had lost his own men. Second Lieutenant W. B. Brown, collecting a small party of twenty men in this manner, plunged into the Canal at the head of them and obtained a footing on the right bank of the Canal, capturing four machine guns and their crews. Having secured this post, he returned into the water and remained waist-deep for nearly an hour, hauling men across, then finally reorganized them and led them forward in the next advance.
In spite of the greater difficulty caused by the water
