down a heavy mustard gas barrage on Dempsey's battalion, which was now at Lavacquerie with Dempsey commanding D Company. Dempsey, along with 10 other officers and 250 other ranks, was gassed and later evacuated to England, where he had a lung removed. He returned to the battalion on 6 July, where, with the tide of the war having turned, the 1st Royal Berkshires took part in the Hundred Days Offensive until the war ended on with the armistice of 11 November 1918. Dempsey served as adjutant again from 5 October to 4 November. Dempsey was mentioned in despatches on 8 November 1918, and awarded the Military Cross, which was gazetted in the King's Birthday Honours list on 3 June 1919. Between the wars After the war ended the 1st Royal Berkshires served in the Allied occupation of the Rhineland. On 16 February 1919 Dempsey returned to the UK on leave. During the summer he played two first-class cricket matches for Sussex against Oxford University and Northamptonshire. The 1st Battalion was re-formed at Chiseldon Camp in Wiltshire in June and Dempsey rejoined it. In September it was sent to Iraq, where it helped suppress the Iraqi revolt of 1920. In August 1920, it moved to Iran, where it formed part of North Persia Force (Norperforce) in the Russian Civil War. While his battalion was stationed in Iran, Dempsey took up Pelmanism. In late 1921 it moved again, this time to Bareilly, India, and Dempsey took over C Company. In 1922 he returned to England for his first leave in almost three years. He went back to India later in the year before returning to England again in 1923, this time to take up an appointment at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. While at Sandhurst Dempsey commanded No. 1 Platoon of No. 1 Company, which was commanded by Major Richard O'Connor, who was later to serve under Dempsey. Dempsey remained in this post until 1927, when he returned to duties with his regiment. This time he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, which was serving in Germany as part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Dempsey took over B Company, and spent a large amount of his time travelling, mainly by bicycle, around Europe, visiting battlefields of old wars, as well as likely scenes of battle in any future conflicts. The 2nd Battalion returned to the UK in 1928. Between