Organisations > Roll of honour of Caxton House Printing Office, Dundee

Robert V. Harris
like a bag, which covers the whole of the head and
neck. It is provided with two great glasses for
seeing through, and it is fitted with a short rubber
tube, which must be held firmly between the lips of
the wearer. Purified air is inhaled by the nostrils,
the exhaled air going out through the rubber tube
(which allows air to pass out but not to enter). " The
whole thing has an awful smell," says Robert, "and
it is always damp."
Our lads were introduced to the use of the gas mask
by a special instructor, who showed them how to wear
the mask, and how most quickly to put it on. " Never
get excited," he said; "that's the slowest way."
After showing them two or three times how to put
it on, he told them to try it for themselves. Then he
gave them six seconds to put on the mask, standing
the while with watch in hand to see how they suc-
ceeded. A few trials of this, and he set the lads,
shrouded in their masks, to some marching exercise —
" Left, Right, Left, Right," and so on ; then he called
" Double," and set them off at the run. Some of
the boys quickly lost their breath, and they pulled
off their masks to get air, only to receive a prompt
rebuke from the instructor. " If the gas had been
coming over from the enemy what would you have
done ? " he asked. One of the offenders replied, " Al-
though the gas had been coming over I would have
taken off the mask ! " Our boy says he managed
to hold out, although he felt as if he would soon have
been choked.
Thereafter the lads were led to the gas chamber —
a dark cave or tunnel in the side of a hill — for a
practical test with the gas itself. With helmets care-
fully adjusted they followed their instructor through
the door of the cave, through a thick curtain into
the chamber. Here the instructor turned on the gas.
He himself could venture to speak to his pupils, but
196