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[Page 12]
map about 400 yds apart, in country that was new to everybody. This meant immediate reconnaissance as it was impossible to rely on finding any given spot at night time without previous reconnaissance especially when guiding 150 men. At 11 pm on the night of 20th Sept an urgent message was received for the whole battalion to construct a plank road leading off the Menin Road near Hooge, the following morning accordingly at 3 am the battalion turned out & commenced clearing the track – 'B' Coy being detailed to take charge of all transport & to bring material forward.
These 'plank' roads were constructed with 3" thick beech slabs each slab being from 10 to 12 feet long & averaging 9 inches wide; according to the character of the ground two or more bearers were laid longitudinally & a solid plank road constructed by laying slabs across these & nailing them thereto. By noon sufficient planks & material to complete the whole of this road had been brought to the site & 500 yds of road laid; the work was them handed over to a relieving unit who were able to complete it the same evening & thus the guns got forward that night. The next day a second road was started from Chateau Wood to Glencorse Wood, about a mile long which was completed in 5 days; and was one of the main means of communication during the attack on Polygon wood. Lt Tidwell was badly wounded while engaged on this work.
'D' Coy in the meantime rejoined the battalion after constructing 18 battery positions; 3 group head quarters besides a great deal of road & water supply work. Following the attack on Polygon wood they were engaged with 'C' Coy wiring the front line, two belts of wire being constructed in 4 nights but not without fairly heavy casualties. For the next few days odd jobs were again the rule the battalion being engaged in the improvement and maintenance of the roads already made – this in itself was no light task as daily great gaps were blown in them by direct hits from the enemy's shells – the construction of duck