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[Page 25]
the fire was that hot we had to crawl back on our hands and knees. And a couple of the boys went into a village named Boursies and they found a little hun in a cask asleep so they brought him in and we brought him back to Btn. H.Q. with us. And about 11 P.M. we was releived by the 4th Btn. so we came back behind the village of Doiggnies [Doignes?] and made ourselves at home in a sunken road. And on the 12/4/17 we had to be already for an attack as we were reserve Btn to the 4th Btn as they were going to make an attack at midnight they got there objective about 1.30 a.m. on the 13/4/17 and very easy so the most of us got a bit of sleep and at day light we was told that the British had captured 15000 prisoners 150 feild guns 1500 M. guns and 100 trench mortars in 10 days on the Arras front on the left of us. On the 15/4/17 the enemy attacked the 4 Btn and took two of our advanced post with heavy casualtys and our Btn had to go and reinforce the 4th Btn and at night things got quiet then we releived the 4 Btn. And it was bitter cold and we C. Coy stayed there till the 17/4/17 when A Coy releived us and we went back to the supports for two days when we releived A Coy again on the 19/4/17. And we done another 2 days when we was releived again by A coy. Then on the 24/4/17 the Btn was releived by the 11th South Staffordshires Btn at 11.30 P.M. Then we marched Velu a distance of 3 miles. We passed through Baumetze and when we arrived at Velu we went into the grounds of some large chateau and the building was a mass of ruin so we stayed there for the night on the 25/4/17. We left Velu for Baulincourt on the main road perrone to Bapuame. We passed Haplincourt and Villers Au Floss and we marched about 4 or 5 miles and we went into tents. On the 26/4/17 we had to go and releave the 17 Btn at Vaulx in front of Bapueme [Bapaume]
We marched about 9 miles that day. We done this to let the 17th Btn go and practice for the Bullicourt Battle. So on the 27/4/17 we were marched back again to Baulincourt [Beaulencourt]. We done the trip in 50 minutes less going back than going over and on the 29/4/17 we had to go back again and releive the 17th Btn again but we stayed there this time in a trench 2½ to 3 miles behind the line there was I beleive 4 lines of men between us and the fireing line and yet they had us standing to twice a day 5 to 5.30 A.M. and 8.30 to 9 P.M. And the 9-2 hard hitters was infront of us old Fritzo had the heads bluffed in this sector alright so on the 2/5/17 C Coy had to go to the line and dig a trench and when we got there there was men from all parts they dug a trench if it went straight it would be about 4 miles long in about 2 hours and we arrived back at 4.a.m. on the morning of the 3/5/17. Just ½ hour before the guns told us that the 2nd Division was on the verge of going over to take Queant on the left of Bullicourt. They gained there abjective with very heavy casualtys and at 9 a.m. we had to get into Battle order and make our way up towards the line and the wounded started to come out they were mostly 5 Brgd men the 17.18.19. and 20 Btns we got to the north end of the village Vaulx and we stayed there alday and the C.O. Major Wooford [Woodford?] told us if we could have a sleep to have it for when we leave here God only knows when we will get a chance again so we made the best of a bad job and we stayed there till 6.30 P.M. when we went a bit further towards the line under very heavy shell fire and at last we got to the fireing line at 2 a.m. on the morning of