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[Page 6]
useful and uninjured, so I immediately leaped forward and seized the Lewis. This action occupied a very few seconds. Within a few moments I could feel the blood trickling down my back and arm - the bullet having entered under the shoulder blade; the injury did not deter me and of course was not sufficient to stop me; in fact it increased my determination.
I could see my opponent (Fritz) quite plainly, only 80 yards distant, where he operated a maxim with deadly accuracy upon the Corporal, several strange men and myself. Fortunately there were very few men within the Hun's sector; his shooting unfortunately proved effective. My legs suddenly collapsed under me; to my utmost dismay I found myself sitting up in a huge crater only 10 yards from the trench. My left knee was shattered, in addition to the wound in my back. Overcome I fell backwards exhausted and bleeding profusely; and try as I might I could not rise. I promptly roused myself and upon looking round I dsicovered another man of the same Battalion as myself; coincidently he too, was a Lewis gunner, and had received several bullets in the legs, rendering him incapable to further action. Shortly afterwards the Corporal came rushing down in search of the gun and he remained with us a few moments, whilst I growled out my troubles; he departed forthwith. How he fared I do not know.
7 A.M. 11th. The terrific roar of artillery and incessant rattle of Maxims, continued fiercely. Hundreds of stick-handle bombs (German grenades) fell round us, whilst myriads passed over head, but whether the Huns intended them for us or not I do not know. Their heavy trench mortar shells pounded the ground nearby, apparently in search of our lads who had established themselves in a sap further to the left, and others who were in occupation of the trenches. The dead and wounded lay thickly all around; each man carried his own ammunition. Those who managed to reach the objective were few, consequently the work and fighting were most difficult and hazardous in repelling the incessant Hun counter attacks.
Another man, suffering severe multiple wounds in his back, joined us in the hole a few minutes later, whilst many unfortunates