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 481
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[Page 481]
with blood, but still going on (The boot had been struck but the fancied blood was mud)
Charge!!! With an exultant cry, just as if they had been a little bit late in starting, & "away" goes that line of darting dashing men, now one in the lead, then back again, as it were, he comes, now another out in front, some few drop behind, & for some yards the see-sawing takes place, but the line as a whole is apparently as straight as when at "Quick March"
Of course the good ground accounts to a great extent for this. After running about 50 yards, the Sentry comes down with a crash, his rifle flies yards ahead & after a momentary Shock he quickly rises, not in the calmest or most placid humour, ejaculating words that hardly could be termed polished. His foot had been caught in a tripping wire placed 6 Inches above ground in front of a partly sunken road.
As soon as he arose & secured his rifle he crossed that sunken road (high only on one side) in two bounds & was up again in place in that still advancing line. Oh! how far that flame ejecting trench seemed, much more so now as the crash had shaken him up somewhat. Although commencing to feel "done" he was still up with the leaders but the "bellows" were commencing to "blow" pretty badly.
Would that hideous looking line never be reached? Then Hur -Rah!!! A stirring cheer ran right along the length of the line of panting men, rousing the painfully depressing feeling of physical strain & the last 50 to 70 yards were cleared without an effort. Hardly time to think! When My G-d! What is this!!! The careering line leaders had run into a "murderous" entanglement of barbed wire impossible to break, cross or pass!! The men ground their teeth in vexation and almost dispair & cursing loudly all & sundry, dropped the next second, to the ground, to get ready to fire & "do your damnest"!
Then Here's a bally gate! rang out from the fourth man away, & in the