Cocks letter diary, 1916-1919 / Verner Cocks - Page 231
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[Page 231]
With this other Amb. we were camped amongst some big trees in tents & about 250 yards from an important conjunction of railways & roads. This point he shelled for two days & nights practically continuously with 8" & 12" shells & each burst used to shower over us with shrapnel & flying splinters although 250 yards away. We could hear the shells coming for three seconds before they arrived & in three seconds every man had to take cover behind the thick trunks of the trees standing upright. This was more funny than dangerous although some of the flying pieces would have gone through one if they came low enough. Lobbing pieces we had to be careful of. The others used to fly high around the leaves at an incredible speed.
We used to have to do this nearly all day & night & it will surprise you to hear that Hum Alanson & I were going through this performance side by side. At one time there were four of us in a line behind a tree - one piece flew past - missed three of us passing over my shoulder - I had ducked - & struck the end chap,
3.