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[Page 106]
Halfway House
1/7/16
Spent the day running round with pieces of paper concerning recommendations for rewards. Sergt. Major Yeadon busy taking in stores. Big flight of aeroplanes today and some good "woolly-bear" shrapnel bursts near us. Heavy bombardment in the twilight owing to the Allemand sending out smoke opposite the New Zealanders. Roar of guns down south.
2/7/16
Uneventful, saw everyone back to their own regiments. N.Z. officer arrived while I was taking over from Bunning in the new position. Complementary letter re our raid came to hand from General Birdwood.
A quiet sunny afternoon. Glad to get back to my own lads who have been getting plenty of fatigue and little rest. They are all nervous and fired after the heavy shelling they have had.
About 11.30 we made on the right an unsuccessful attempt to raid the trenches of the enemy. The accompanying bombardment was heavy – one gun just directly behind here kept letting out two ear splitting barks to the minute.
The bombardment lasted for nearly and hour and it struck one as resembling chimes or a giant organ. First there was the strident bark of the nearest gun and the subdued low base notes of the distant batteries. Then the mingled sound of 18 pounders and the heavy "phut" of howitzers keep joining in making quite a variety of notes joined in one crashing piece of music. The bass was most striking – all slight pauses were filled it with this undercurrent like the chimes of some giant bell.
The enemies reply was limited to the duration of our fire and this far back consisted of some heavy crashing shells that shook the whole place with their concussion.
3/7/16
After break of day there being no "stand to" here, I turned over and slept till 8.30. During breakfast the enemy started to shell a working party of about 10 men who were repairing with sandbags a breach in our line here. Some of the shells came very close but one only a few yards away