Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 143
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[Page 143]
Thursday 29 April 1915
Early this morning practically the whole firing line was relieved. Some of the men have been fighting continuously since Sunday morning, many are unable to hold their heads up through sheer weariness and want of sleep, many have already collapsed. So at two o'clock, I found myself making towards the beach. And during my two mile walk down hill, even in the same darkness, I noticed a tremendous difference in the place from its general appearance on Monday. The engineers have done wonderful work. They have made fine roads and our fresh water supplies assured. Communications from the base to the firing line have been definitely established by means of telephones and hard working little mules toil continuously up and down the gullies, bringing our bacon, bully beef, biscuits and jam.
As the Brigades are to be re-organised as soon as possible, I subsequently rejoined my company in the reserve trenches. All day we spent the time ducking the enemy's shrapnel (we have christened "Turkish Delight"). And late in the night, we were relieved by some British regulars – the Chatham and Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marines of Antwerp fame. We then withdrew to the beach preparatory to joining our Battalion and Brigade.