Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 147
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Transcription
[Page 147]
be a difficult problem for the news to be communicated to the Huns.
After being formed up & the roll call taken when every man belonging to the Company was found to be in his place (cooks & all) we marched through the village of Bac-St Maur towards Fleurbaix, the latter village was so knocked about & smashed by shell fire as to be hardly recognized as a village. Progress after about three quarters of an hours marching was very slow. The appearance in the air above us of a very large number of aeroplanes & the constant roar of big guns, plainly showed that an engagement of some import was about to take place & each man realized that he would soon be put to the test, both as to his courage & his nerves. It was gleaned that the 53rd & 54th would go over the top, that the 55th would hold the front line in support & that the 56th would work on completing the sap out to the Huns line.
After marching slowly for about two miles our Company was halted in the road for about an hour, and as we were then close to one of our "60 lb" batteries, we saw the speed at which the continuous fire was being kept up. As we were about 200 yards directly in front of two of the guns we could plainly see the flight of each shell as it passed overhead on its way to work destruction on the hated Huns.
Strangely enough after about half an hour, there was a very loud explosion & a shell from one of these guns appeared to burst prematurely, just after leaving the muzzle of the Gun, four or five of the gun crew fell & it certainly looked as if two of the Gunners were killed. The Gun itself was immediately lowered covered with canvas & pieces of bushes & thus hidden from sight.
The bursting of the shell had put the gun out of action. Had the burst taken place 150 yards further forward, quite a number
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