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[Page 6]
Troubles were not confined only to the work – our camps were becoming waterlogged & the incessant marching over the heavy country told on ones physical condition. To these must be added the continuous heavy shelling which was a marked feature of the Somme fighting. On Nov 5th the Division moved out of the line but not so the Pioneer Battalion which remained in its Montalban camp (with 2 Coys at Carlton Trench near Longueval) to carry out road maintenance. This altho' heavy work was fortunately close to hand so consequently involved no long exhausting march.
After a fortnights work the battalion converted the Bernafay – Longueval road from a series of lakes & mud to a properly drained road with a fairly hard surface which traffic could negotiate without risk. On the Division returning to the line to take over the Guendecourt & Les Boeufs sector from the Guards Division the battalion moved to Waterlot Farm, the site of a sugar factory about half way between Longueval & Guillemont. Two Coys (C & D) were detached to construct trenches to the front line as none existed in this sector while the remaining two (A & B) constructed narrow gauge trench tramways.
The digging of the trenches was extremely arduous as they involved a three mile march to & from work over the sea of mud which constituted the battlefield. This march became easier as the duckboard tracks extended but at first they were few & far between. 'D' Coy under Capt Vidal completed a trench (Endless Alley) 900 yards long to the front line in the right brigade sector by Dec 5th while 'C' Coy under Capt Kerr completed the left brigade's trench (Eternal Alley) which was 1500 yds long by Dec 6th - all work being carried out entirely by night. These two companies were by then quite exhausted & consequently they were relieved by A & B Coys and interchanged with them.
These two Coys then comparatively fresh, dug a new trench 1100 yds long (Eve Alley) in the left Brigade sector in 3 nights & trench boarded all by [but?] 200 yds! It was then found that Now that these 3 trenches were dug the next task was to keep them open for traffic – this proved an even heavier task than the digging for the trenches could only be kept open by propping or tying the sides back & this involved a large amount of material which all