Item 03: John Duncan McRae diary, 10 February-6 May 1917 - Page 89

[Page 89]

entanglements and across country riddled with shell holes, and racing through a wood with trip-wires etc. etc. on every hand. This we go through with fixed-bayonets in the 'on guard' position, ready to stab every 'Fritz' we see. Sand-bags & chaff-bags filled with straw take the place of Fritz for practice purposes.

Our skill with the bayonet was tested by means of a number of small tin rings on rods at which we had to run & try & pick with the bayonet-points. Not bad sport at all!

After lunch we each threw a live bomb and were then lectured on First Aid in the Field & sundry other matters of a similar nature.

In the evening I took a stroll down the road as far as Etaples Railway Station to see the locomotives etc; some of which are quite novel & really interesting. Whilst there a hospital train arrived from the front filled with wounded swaddies. We could see nearly all of them through the windows, and they were wounded in every