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 113
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[Page 113]
the reply was just as constant. Men after having performed their duties as sentries would remain on post nearly all day watching for a chance of a "shot".
Opposite one of the "bays" & from that one only! a very good target was "spotted". Between two leaning stumps of willow trees in No Mans land and over the enemy's trench where it took a sight dip, a careful observation at 350 yards distance revealed a mark which was plainly seen to be about 2 feet of the top of the open door way into a cookhouse
A patient watch would be rewarded by seeing men every now & then going up from the trench to this Cookhouse exposing the whole of their shoulders & head till they entered the structure. A rifle was very carefully "trained" on the spot with the sights aligned exactly on the lower part of the target which looked just like a black mark. This distance from trench to Cookhouse was estimated at at least 20 yards, & as the enemy for the first day or two simply "walked", some very good shooting was no doubt done for after a very little while, a Machine gun would fiercely reply, to what was considered a "hit". This fierce uninterrupted fire cut the top layer of our sand bags so much that 30 additional bags had to be filled & kept in the "bay" for replacing the bags as they became too much cut about to be quite safe.
The Huns had one Machine Gunner who was so expert that he earned the title of "Parapet Joe" He could rip pieces out of the top row of bags right along the parapet, or by just lowering the aim about 3 Inches would cut the sides of the bags forming the loop holes so badly that parts of the torn bags would obscure the view through the opening.
However it did not take long to know when "Joe" was on the "job" & it would be a case of immediately bobbing the head & keeping low till he became less "spiteful". He was a man that every one in our