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 121
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[Page 121]
Our trench mortar battery had not been in action very long before all along the line the Huns commenced shelling us with, "H E s", (high explosive shells) & "Whiz Bangs". A High Explosive Shell when bursting seems to tear everything even the very air, to pieces, while the "Whiz Bang" is on top of you almost before you realize it, hence its name. It is a small shell about 7 Inches long by about 3½" in diameter, fired from about a mile or 1½ miles with a very low trajectory & when registered on a trench seldom fails to cause "trouble", the first shell or two giving no warning at all, & so it happened.
Several casualties occurred, including two even killed outright. This was really the first time that shells had fallen close to us & the effect of their "bursts" seemed appalling & dumbfounding.
When the news of the two men being killed spread, a very serious solemn calm seemed to pervade the whole Company & after being informed who had fallen, pipes & cigarettes were "stolidly" smoked by men sitting with their backs to the "dug out" back walls, scarcely any conversation being carried on at all. A very doleful night was spent at the same time such a feeling of resentment aroused, that had volunteers been called for an attack on the Huns every man would have offered himself as "willing".
The Hun shell fire continued long after our Trench Mortar Battery had "ceased fire", & the battalion on the right was also subjected to the same severe shell fire & suffered Casualties as well. The Ration fatigue party going out that afternoon did not relish their job & even the men who had to carry the rations along the trench were considered to be very unfortunate, but luckily not a man was hit.
A very sad incident occurred with the Company on our left, one of the men for some reason or other had gone to inspect our "wire" in front of the trenches & one