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[Page 29]
bombardment of unusual severity. The Germans knowing something was toward replied & the intervening space between the two lines became a perfect tornado of bursting shells & flying shrapnel. We advanced to the edge of the wood crossing the first line. It had evidently been vacated for some time for nothing but German dead were in occupation. From here we again went out into the clearing. By this time all battalions were mixed up & as owing to the quick advance, our artillery had not lengthened its range so that both it & the enemy's was thinning out our line.
However a second line was quickly formed which on entering the wood took the German second line of defence, with a good number of prisoners. From here we pushed to the outskirts of the village where we dug in, There were a good number of Germans in the village, but
[Sketch of part of the wood with leafless trees, barren ground and shells exploding all around, captioned: Rough sketch of Position 22nd July 16. Before the Charge. Poziers from our Fire-Bay]