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[Page 328]

special work in the firing line, he was able to be free from such down right tyranny.

Christmas Day was spent in the billet under conditions that made every man say. It is the worst Christmas I ever spent! The Comfort Fund "extras" did not arrive in time to be enjoyed on Christmas Day, so that although they were in a billet, supposed to be resting, a long way behind the line, even out of hearing of the biggest gun, their Christmas dinner was ordinary plain common stew.

Luckily for the men the luxuries from the Comforts Fund arrived in the billet in time for New Years Day which was kept up by the men with all the fun & holiday demonstrativeness of Christmas Day itself. Plum puddings biscuits sweets, etc, tasted just as good on New Years Day as they would have done on Christmas Day & most of the men had a really good time.

About the 12th January 1917 the fifth Division made a start to move back to the line, & after some hard marching they arrived at Company Headquarters. While awaiting their turn to hold the line, about a fortnight was spent in laying Cables from Reserve & Support trenches to the front line.

Most of the Company would assemble about 3 oclock in the afternoon in front of the huts & then march to the dump at the Rail head, where each man would be "served out" with a spade or a pick, thence a march of about 4 miles would bring them to the place where the trench had to be dug, wherein to lay the cable. Each man would have to dig his 3 feet of earth, six feet deep, and as wide as he liked, needless to say they were only shoulder wide, when all were finished the cable would be laid in the bottom, the trench filled in & then covered with snow. Although each night the Hun artillery would send a number

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