Item 01: Frank Hurley war diary, 21 August-28 October 1917 - Page 48
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[Page 48]
lines & trenches & shot for shot is returned. Frequently these fall short or are deliberately fired into the ruins by the bosch, & then with deafening boom comes the explosion; Bricks stones & debris fly skyward, shell splinters whizz past & then a cloud of brickdust fills the air for a few minutes & then comes another fizzing scream, & boom, boom, boom, goes on eternally. Sometimes they land on the road, sometimes on a team of horses & sometimes on a group of men: Whether they land on ruins, horses or men is a matter of comparative indifference so dulled have our susceptibilities & finer instincts become by custom.
Wilkins, myself & Seargt. Harrison wandered through the ruins, pathetic though awesome in their demolition. The main roads have been cleared of most of the debris, & instead of the fine buildings that were, hideous gapings & breaches in shot away