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 372
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[Page 372]
Shells had been screeching overhead but none had dropped close. The new men were noticed to be keeping their heads low, and "bobbed" them at every passing shell although they were "high up".
About ten minutes afterwards, the men working at the shaft head were very much surprised to see this party of Pioneers come dashing back looking as if the life was almost scared out of them. The first few to arrive kept saying Oh! my God! It awful! Oh! my God! Oh! Oh!
Naturally the working party wanted eagerly to know what was the matter but just at that time the shell bursts were coming pretty close. Just when an explanation was about to be given a shell burst overhead & with a yell the whole of the Pioneers rushed towards the further end of the trench, after going about 60 yards, Bang! went another shell burst just in front, when the apparently demented men dashed back again, Bang! again a burst overhead and away they dashed till another shell would send them back again. They were simply dashing up & down the trench like a lot of frightened sheep.
They would not stop for a minute to explain to the workers what had happened till, at first, trying to steady them, then angrily calling on them to stop, they explained that when they had just reached their destination two shells killed the Sergeant & the Corporal. They then did not know what to do but run back to where the workers were, but as the shell fire was just then registering on that sector their experience was so "lively" that they even then could not be prevailed upon to stop & talk, but on every shell burst would dart away trying to get from it, only to run into another at the further end of the trench which would head them off.
The workers tried to explain that they had been working there for weeks without a single casualty & therefore the only thing to do was to stand quite still, & take your chance till the shelling "pulled off" somewhere else