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[Page 21]
parade after which they were given an extra issue of rations to celebrate the occasion. Next morning 26th April the company was fallen in for fatigue moving off in small parties with intervals towards the front line. During all such movements as these all advantages of cover had to be taken as the enemy observations ballons were visable, movements having to be concealed as much as possible for we were well within the range of Fritz's smallest quick firing field machine guns. On arriving at the trenches parties were detailed with an engineer in charge of each party being shewn to their respective duties which consisted mainly of rebuilding & revetting & strengthening the communication trenches & support lines. After a fair days work we arrived back at the billet about four o'clock where we found tea ready waiting for us. When tea was finished & the troops had had a wash the company was again fallen in for fatigue & by this time dark was setting in. It was not long before the company moved off to a light railway depot & engineers dump. here the troops had to load gear for trench making on to the trucks then with a few men detailed to each truck had to push them to the front line where the gear was unloaded. These Light railway tracks were troubled considerably by enemy machine guns of a night & no time was lost by the troops in getting to the end of the journey. It also often happened that these lines had been hit by a shell which meant the trucks would have to be unloaded lifted over the damaged part of the line the loaded again. The language at such times as these would make a moonlight night black for it generally happened when the enemy took it into his head to get busy with his machine guns. The duties this night were very hard all being pleased when the party had finished & lined up then started for home.
[Image includes a hand drawn sketch titled "Rough Sketch Front Line Sector Levantie Front Occupied by 3rd Battn From 3.5.1916 To"]