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[Page 509]

in front, his partner had one leg in the trench & was in the act of putting the other leg in, when a shell suddenly burst just three feet away.

After recovering from the ear splitting detonation & the terrible vibration & scraping away the covering of mud, a glance showed a great hole made by the shell just three feet away.

Of course every man in that trench & the one close to it was startled & calls arose Any on hit? Yes! the Sentry's partner had a great gash in his thigh & also in the calf of his leg & but for the raising o     f it to place it in the trench, the two pieces of shrapnel that wounded him would have gone right into the back of the Sentry. After the first shock of the explosion was over each man was called but the second relief man who had been stretching himself did not answer.

He was then seen to be quietly lying right across his own position at the end of the little trench, with his head & shoulders on the parapet & his legs on the parados. He looked as if he was sleeping, peacefully sleeping, without a single mark of scratch.

The men knew very well, he surely, was asleep. His last long sleep. It was really hard to believe. He died with a pleasant smile on his face just as if all his troubles were over. He was killed by concussion.

Poor B[dash]'s troubles are ended! Perhaps he is better off than we are! were the remarks made while the men were realising he had "Gone West". Although all knew he was dead so naturally did he look as if only asleep, by common consent he was allowed to lie untouched till daylight to really make sure.

After the momentary calm of this discovery had passed attention was turned to the others.

The Sentry's partner's wounds were examined, & he was congratulated

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