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[Page 104]
adjoining Officers mess. In 2 seconds they had become a shambles heap of smoking ruins – sandbags perched on top of one another at indescribable angles, twisted, scorched & burning timber beams shattered chairs & tables – everything confusion, everything wrecked beyond repair. And if it had occurred an hr. later, the whole of the Gen Staff would have had their names added to the Roll of Honours for afternoon tea is served at 4 pm and is invariably attended by all Staff Officers, from GOC & his distinguished afternoon visitors. from Colonel down to Capts. etc.
The bombardment continued incessantly for an hour during wh time our lives were worth not a straw. The air was full of flying shell caps, jagged lumps of steel & burning metal, & the rank smoke and fumes were nauseating and stifling to nigh suffocation.
The Turks had turned 8.2 howitzers on to us & were firing rapidly & with deadly accuracy. Our tin & waterproof roofs, & sandbag shelters were of little avail against the huge monsters wh they poured into us. Their size may be judged by a hole wh one tore in the terrace outside the Artillery Cmdrs dug-out. It was fully 6 ft deep with a diameter of fully 12 ft. Beyond the great damage to the offices etc., nothing serious resulted. It was miraculous that there was no death or injured roll. The wireless station office over the hill was completely demolished & 3 men there were buried alive by falling earth & other debris. They were dug out uninjured, though suffering very much from shock. Their nerve system has been blasted for ever.
I had rushed out of the office when the first shell burst & took timely shelter behind the front sandbag wall. It was poor protection against opposition but I had nothing else to do but take my chances like the rest. Some however had considered discretion the better part of valor & cleared out of the camp to neighbouring trenches & saps.
The result of the bombardment has had the effect of accelerating the work in connection with the digging of "funk" holes, & by 5 o'clock 4 more had been commenced by special working parties from the trenches.