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[Page 9]
my feet swelled and ached, my teeth chattered, and every bone in my body ached. I was soaked through, and laying in a pool of blood and water and covered with snow.
Frostbite had already effected my hands and feet. My God! the misery and agonies of that night are indescribable. Wilks tried in vain to crawl back to our lines, and I became frantic with pain. Kay and myself together shouted and yelled until our throats were hoarse. Despite those appeals for help, the Huns ignored us. I tried repeatedly to crawl, but failed to move more than a few inches.
Daylight dawned, and so ended this horrible night. We bucked up a little courage, and hoped to be released by a British counter attack. However, the agony was only prolonged by an exceptional calm.
12th. 7 A.M. Two Hun stretcher bearers came out to us, and assisted Kay out. He is the man who gave his last cigarette to me, and helped me in many ways, despite his own intense suffering. I had cigarettes but they were damp. Temby left us several hours earlier. Wilks crawled about 20 yards, and was picked up by two Huns and carried away in an oil sheet fastened to a pole. I could not bear this suffering any longer: the pain strengthened my determination and I plucked sufficient courage to crawl; this was after waiting several hours for the Huns to return. I managed to crawl within 2 yards of the top of the hole and then rolled back exhausted. However after a few minutes rest, I made another unsuccessful attempt but my third effort succeeded. My wounds commenced bleeding again, but the stiffness relaxed; by crawling on my right side, I was able to move a short distance. Upon reaching the surface I surveyed my surroundings, which offered no means of escape. Any attempt to return would mean certain death. The Hun trenches were only 10 yards distant and seemed to lure me on. I struggled through the mud and reached the parapet, which revealed a deep muddy trench without the customary duckboards; In it I saw no signs of life. Two dead Huns lay over the parapet. My next difficulty was to get into the trench, but it seemed an impossible task. I gazed about me looking for assistance of any kind; the only persons within