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[Page 53]
line. I should think it was about 6 oclock then for the sun was just rising. No 12. platoon had no sooner started than a shell lobbed right into them, killing 4 & wounding 9 others that was a pretty start & made a big hole in 56 men, we scrambled up the hill for about 200 yards, & then we dumped our packs, & started off at a fair pace for the firing line for everyone was anxious to get up to them we lost a few men advancing over an exposed piece of ground, it did seem funny to hear the bullets cutting into the scrub alongside of us as we went along, but no one seemed afraid, & we were laughing & joking as we went along, I don't want you to think I am skiting when you read this, for I will take my oath
on it that it is true, I know myself I never felt the slightest fear the first day or two, it was when we began to realize that bullets hurt when they hit you, that we knew what fear was. The first time that fear came to me was on the 3rd day, when we were in a perfect hell of bullets, & men were being killed all round me that I felt frightened, & I am not ashamed to say that, I had a terrible fight with myself that day, one part of me wanted to run away & leave the rest of my mates to face it, & the other part said no, we would stop & see it out at any cost rather than show the white feather, this sort of thing went on for about an hour & a bayonet charge settled the argument for me, I was fairly right after that