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 125
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[Page 125]
This is distinctly noticeable with all shells excepting the "Whiz Bang" concerning which one only hears "Whiz" followed instantaneously almost with a – "bang" – as the shell explodes "Whiz Bangs" are almost always fired in threes or fours, seconds only between each shell.
On the fourth day it was arranged that our battalion of nearly 1000 men should be relieved by a battalion of a "Tommy" Rifle Brigade, expected "in" that evening, so orders were given to have everything in readiness for the transfer. The four days experience "under fire" had worked a wonderful change in our men, & as they had had a taste of what being really under fire in a trench, meant, the effect was to "steady" them in a wonderful way, so that when the time came, to be relieved the men formed into line just as if they were on an ordinary parade & waited calmly & patiently till the line had been taken over by the "Tommy" Officers, although caustic remarks were passed, when the "Tommies" actually manned the trenches, as to the useless sacrifice likely to be caused from careless exposure.
While the "Tommies" were waiting to be posted, we were informed that half their Battalion had been blown up on a Railway Station, that day, so that only about 400 or 500 were taking the place of about 1000, & from the careless way they exposed themselves at the very first moment, it was prophesied that they were simply "looking for trouble".
As soon as they reached the fire step each mans first motive seemed to be, to raise his head & Shoulders high above the parapet, and calmly have a good look round, we could not tell whether this was done for our edification or not, but when the Machine Guns started in an earnest & very fierce rattle their heads were kept low enough then.
Inexperienced as we were, we could not help but remark, that in our opinion before that night was over, those Tommies would be very sorry men. Later on we heard that the continual fire kept the heads of the "Tommies" "down" so effectually that the Huns charged across, & took the trench but were thrown back the next day, with