Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 7]
and soon after attacked and we sent up our S.O.S signals a red green & yellow parachute flare. The barrage fell well and we all had to stand to and some of us were a bit scared. I was watching all the time and our flares were rotten. Things were fairly lively and I think our boys were driven out temporarily from the front trench as I saw about 50 dodging about alertly in the open and gathering behind a pill box in front of us. However about 9 all was quiet again. We manned our trench for the night and a corporal and three men were supposed to be on guard continuously but no one woke me up and I missed my 1-30 to 3 guard although I slept little.
About 4-30 our barrage opened again although no S.O.S and we all stood to and things were rather lively. It was bitterly cold sleeping and we were crowded with nothing to lie on and dirt all over us. We weren't sure if we would be relieved until next morning but an order came through the runners for us to retire at daybreak and be relieved by the 1st Coy. We stood down about 5-30 and at filled our bottles and gathered our gear.
In late afternoon we dug a sort of communication trench and Fritz was sending over about 30 yds away a H.E. 10.5 whiz-bank uncomfortably close and we were all called in when the counter attack took place. At daybreak we marched slowly out and then naturally anxious to get out quickly avoiding all