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[Page 9]
by Fritz. Then I heard poor little Jimmy Stewart was killed – our chaps were firing grenades trying to knock his guns out, & good old Jack Gosper while firing a rifle grenade was hit in the head by a bullet from the German machinegun, ∓ his skull split open, so that another good corporal was killed. Ted Hugget came into the sap to tell me, & the next thing was that he too, while standing above the trench to fire a grenade was killed. Isn't it awful – then a bit came our way, as Lt. Player got a grenade on to one of his machine guns, & knocked it out, & went through it in. Two Fritzes were dead near it, & one nearly dead. My mate & I were almost too tired to stand up & look over the top, & it was a relief when daylight came at last, & the night was over.
Rations were issued amongst them a little tinned fruit from the comfort fund. We did day watch, an hour each in turn, & lay down in the bottom of the trench & had a sleep. Thank Goodness the weather holds good – if it rained we'd be in a bad way with no coats. Our artillery was shaking his locality up today & planes of both sides were up. I was put on listening post tonight with 3 men, & it was hardly an enjoyable job. Our post was on the edge of a road, & opposite it a Fritz sap ran up to the road & we were gazing across & had to look on either side in the long grass. We could hear a big crowd of Germans talking, & the clang of tools, evidently a wiring party. A" flare king" fired a flare & I could hear a Hun whistle & another one whistle in reply. We fired some rifle grenades into the direction of the sounds, Thank Goodness he didn't rush up the