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[Page 38]
line is only about 15 yards from that of the Germans and so you have to speak in a whisper. I saw one curious thing which was that one of our periscopes had been put exactly opposite to one in Fritz trench, and as I looked in on several occasions I could see the Germans looking at me, so that we had a good look at each other. During the morning he threw over some cigarettes and the boys in return showed him a tin of bully beef by placing it in front of the periscope the image being duly reflected in his, and he nodded, so over went two tins. He then placed his rifle in front of the periscope and made the action of throwing it away from him, whereupon our boys nodded vigorously knowing that he meant fighting was not in his line. So on the spot quite an intimate friendship sprang up between otherwise deadly enemies. Things were very quiet, only a few "minnies" being sent over into the trenches.
Met Grange and Clifford two Burwood school boys.
Saturday 23rd – Usual routine.
Sunday 24th – Went to front line again with Osborne, and had a pretty hot time with shrapnel in the afternoon, one smothering me with dirt, as it hit the parapet just where I was leaning. In the morning Mr. Fisher, Birdwood and a lot of other red-caps came and visited the trenches. I had quite a yarn with Fisher and he told us about the two Zepplins being destroyed in England.
Monday 25th – We made an important addition to our palatial residence (dugout) to-day, extending the front using a cupula for the roof, thus making a room designed to act as kitchen scullery, dining room and drawing room all in one. But the ingenious part of the whole business was our fire place. Mind you I said our fireplace for although it was a borrowed idea we were proud of it, being the first to make one. It consisted of a sheet of galvanised iron forming a part of the wall, with a square cut out near the bottom for the fire place. Against the out side another sheet of iron was bent in a semi-circle and placed against the flat surface of the other sheet, thus forming the fireplace where the square was cut away the rest being the flue. An old grate installed and we had the "dinkum oil" Had a swim.
Tuesday 26th – Went with Mahan to the trenches to-day and had a