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[Page 39]
which commenced the Somme offensive, and which resulted in the Huns being driven from 3 superb lines of defense, between Becordel to Mametz Wood – Contal-Maison, Fricourt etc., was undoubtedly a more costly and more important event. To look over it now leaves us "stunned" . It is too huge to grasp. Even the individual man present throughout the fortnight could not comprehend the gigantic scale of all branches of these operations. It was a masterpiece of organisation at Headquarters, and a triumph over our previous shortage of munitions.
Well after returning to Kaffir camp at Fricourt, we got word to prepare to move up to the line, within the course of the next few days. So, after all shortages of equipment had been issued we moved off on 21st Dec. We only proceeded a short distance to a camp called Melbourne Camp. This camp we left at midday 22nd Dec. and had a dreary march of 6 miles, along a treacherous muddy road, to Montaban [Montauban] Camp, near the remains of the village of that name. We put the night in in low, damp dugouts, and my word it was miserably cold.
At 5 PM on the 22nd Dec. we set out for the line. The mud was quite inconceivable. Each side of the narrow "duck-boards" – along which the Battalion proceeded in single file, was a sea of mud only broken by the many shell holes & network of old trenches. At 9PM after a tiring march in the cold, with shells falling round us, and our own guns deafening roar continuously in our ears, we reached a veritable warren of dugouts and underground tunnels, which were serving as Battalion Headquarters. This is situated about 300 yards to the right of Flers village – or what remains of that unfortunate place. We were packed in underground tunnels, where we sat all night, with our knees warming our ears. Few were lucky enough to