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[Page 98]
At Calais I had to change from a nice comfortable passenger train to an old troop train bound for the forward area. That same afternoon we arrived at Bailuel where I managed to get a ride in a motor lorry which took me to Rigdewood Camp Verstraat where I rejoined the Battalion Details. I made straight for the Battalion Orderly Room where I was informed that the Court Martial case had been held & that I was not required as witness. This was a considerable knock back for having been brought back early only to find I was not wanted was quiet sufficient to make a Saint swear let alone an ordinary soldier. I was also told that my company was in reserves & that I was to report there as soon as possible for duty. However I stayed in the camp that night but next morning made my way to the company which was quartered in big tunnel dug outs at a place called Spait bank which was the southern bank of the Yser Canal. These dug outs were in the opposite bank of the Yser Canal to those we had occupied during the later part of 1916 but at this time the front line was about two miles away against two hundred yards in 1916 for the Messines Ridge advance had taken place in the interval, this part of the line being advanced during the same battle. The company had been sent up here during my absence on leave & were doing fatigue duties in the forward area with the engineers. The stay in this position lasted several days during which time the troops were engaged in revetting and making new trenches near supports by day having to walk about four miles to the job. This support position where we were working was directly in front of the old Hill 60 which had been our front line in 1916 but like the rest of the front line had been advanced. I managed to have a good look around the place which had been our front line in 1916 as the remains of the old German position Hill 60 was no more & could only be discribed as "Hole 60" for our troops had mined the place to such an extent that any of the old surroundings were very hard to make out. The old "No Mans land" at this time was being used as a light railway track for carrying engineers gear, material & rations to the front line area. Fritz used to shell round the old Hill fairly heavy during the day & night causing many casualties to the troops who were always moving about on different duties. Our big tunnel dug outs were subjected to some very heavy shell fire of a night, gas shells being mostly used by the enemy whose firing was very accurate. These gas shells played havoc among our boys for the casualties in our battalion numbered a couple of hundred & although they were only slight the men were put out of action for it was "mustard gas" that was used thus necessitating even the slightest of cases having to be sent to hospital. The entrances to the dug out were fitted with gas proof doors these consisting of blankets treated with chemicals being hung over the doors which absolutely kept the gas out, but in the ceilings big air shoots had been made & when the doors were closed the gas being heavier than air would come down the air shoots in the ceiling thus gassing the men near the bottom of the shoots. We occupied this position until the night of the 22nd of March that night moving up to the front line which was situated in a big wood. The main part of my platoon took over a big Pill box which was barracaded by sand bags on the enemy's side while the remainder of the platoon took over a small detached post midway between our pill box & the next platoon on the right. This post on the right was only used by night the men being withdrawn to the Pill box by day.