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[Page 22]
April & May 1916
On the 29th I received answers to the first mail which I sent home. We had to fall in at 7 am on the morning of the 30th & was sent to the trenches on fatigue & was working till 12.30 at midnight & we arrived back at our billets worn out & fatigued. On the night of the 3rd of May we took over the trenches from the 1st Battalion & my platoon No 4 was put in supports on guards & ration fatigue work. We were also told about the Germans who several nights put a placard out in front of their trenches saying "That it is a disgrace insult to the German Army for them to have to fight the Australians who are a low down lot of bludgers criminals, thieves & murderers" & one of the 1st Battalion Sergeants went out the next night & brought the board in & our interpreter answered by writing on the placard "That we are all that we are cold footed afraid of lead & steel come over & take our trenches" It was hear that I found out I had to stand to arms morning & evening & on the evening of the 5th we had to stand to for three hours as there was a gas attack & bombardment by the Aleins on our left. It was the second Division of Australian who received the attack & they met the Germans half way between the trenches & drove them back & took their position. During the afternoon of the 7th our platoon relieved No 2 platoon in the firing line & that night I was detailed as one of a covering party over other who had to fix wire entanglements. Whe Just after taking our position outside the parapet & began work we received orders to retire as the Welsh Fusaliers we going to give a bomb