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[Page 34]
heavy shells into the valley killing about 20, eleven of which were artillery. Luckily they all missed us. One Horse got blown clean in halves, half of him being in one place and the other half about fourteen yards away. It is a pitiable sight to see the dim figures wrapped in their blankets or only covered over by them, in one case the bundle being just like a ball, no vestige of the human shape being left. Their artillery fire is, however, not nearly so effective and heavy as our own, for the trenches we have captured, are know no trenches at all, but a succession of shell holes and in fact when the infantry went over to take them they could not find them, everything being so ploughed up. In the original front line, however, the Germans had constructed some marvellous dug-outs fully 30 feet under the ground, and made of reinforced concrete, whilst access was gained by a steep stairway. In cases they actually had lifts in them. The stench in these captured trenches is awful with the dead bodies of Germans, English and Australians, that have not yet been buried.
August 8th We had another man wounded to-day making 3 in all since coming here, which is indeed very lucky as most of the batteries have been several killed and wounded. This morning I went with Fred Jones and collected different samples of bomb which I am going to try and get home. About midnight Fritz lobbed a gas shell right in front of B sub pit and so we had to done our helmets. Luckily only one came over and no one was affected, except for a slight irritation of the throat. The gas has an odour just like the sweet smell from a garden in spring, which certainly belies its deadly effects. August 9th. We have had orders to pack up as we were relieved this morning having been about 14 days here and the hottest spot we have struck yet. If we are to come back here my only hope is that the Germans have been shoved right off the ridge on to the plain where our cavalry will have a chance. It has been hard enough work pushing them back from this side.
August 10th – 15th. After leaving Sausage Valley we marched to St. Seger, taking two days on the route and stopping at