Bell war diary, 16 December 1915 - 26 October 1916 / Roy Pinto Bell - Page 33

[Page 33]

chosen. The gunners then started digging whilst I went on again with the B.C. which by the way, we failed to do. All this time the Germans put over occasional shells in every direction. We returned to dinner and just afterwards the enemy put a few big ones just where we were making our pits and these had to be abandoned for a time. The number of wounded coming through was very small compared to the affair, whilst the prisoners were brought in in droves, the total number running in some hundreds. The attack was highly successful whilst our artillery fire was deadly accurate and the curtain lifted just in front of the advancing men with wonderful regularity. The Germans were utterly demoralized and gave themselves up in batches, whilst as they came marching down the valley they seemed delighted to be made prisoners and were joking and laughing with our men for many of them could speak quite a lot of English. In their turn our fellows would share their water bottles and cigarettes with them and it was no uncommon sight to see half a dozen big strapping Germans marching along under the sole guard of a stumpy little Australian, sauntering along beside them with his rifle slung carelessly across his shoulder and just waving his hand when directing them which way to turn. Suddenly he would stop to have a short yarn to a mate whilst the prisoners strolled slowly on or sat on the bank waiting for him to catch up. We did not like our new position in the least, for odd crumps kept scattering us all day, so we considered ourselves very lucky when a new English battery took over in the evening and we returned to our old position prior to going for a divisional rest.
August 6th – Had a good game of chess, this morning and as there is no observing to do I take my turn on the telephone, so as not to go back to the wagon lines and was up at O.P. this afternoon. Corporal Miller and I made a set of chess out of Varey Light cartridges, but one of the boys had a little pocket set which we used instead.
August 7th – Last night the Germans put over a large number of