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[Page 109]
This meant a lot of bustling about detailing parties to carry ammunition &
bombs to where the stunt was to started from, most of these fatigue parties being found from my platoon No 4 as I was holding the extreme left flank of the company, & also the left of the line to where the stunt was expected to take place. My platoon was to act as reserves to the attacking platoon & to be ready to give assistance if called upon. The position looked a very ugly one, with our company making the fourth attack on the same place for another Battalion had previously made three unsuccessful attempts. The eventful day broke with a beautiful morning & as the zero hour approached the suspense grew to fever heat. However a few minutes to 9 A.M. a succession of detonations were heard in rear of us, then knowing, the Stokes Trench Mortars, which were to be the only barrage, had started to get busy, but from our position we could not see the actual happening or the effect of the mortars barrage. About two minutes after the opening of the barrage we were surprised to see Huns running across my platoon front, but owing to a piece of forethought I had my two Lewis Guns mounted on the Parapet in case of such a happening, which were soon busy firing as rapidly as possible with the affect that the Huns became confused, not knowing which way to run. The crops in no mans land were too thick to see the effect of our machine gun fire but I after wards found, while on patrol, that several Huns had been killed. We also knew by seeing the Huns running that the boys had gained their objective, for the enemy had preferred to run rather that stand & fight. Shortly afterwards a Runner came to me from Company Headquarters with orders for more bombs to be taken forward, also informing us that the objective had been gained, but the enemy's reserve machine guns were causing several casualties. I took three men loaded with bombs to the captured trench where we found the Huns were then preparing for a counter attack for Huns could be seen moving forward. Consolidating & preparing the new position was being carried out by many busy hands, everything going with a good swing, when all of a sudden some one shouted "Here they come" which meant everyone dropping their tools & picking up their rifles. He did come but not to stay for his attack was only half hearted, but our machine guns, Rifles & Bomb throwing soon broke up the attack causing Fritz to retire. After this I returned to my platoon to partake of a scanty breakfast & was just about to finish this when I received an order from the Company Commander to go forward to take charge of No 1 platoon as all the N.C.Os of the Platoon had by now become casualties. Although I knew I would have to obey orders it was a thing I did not care about, for, from the day I had first gone into Camp in Sydney I had never been out of No 4 platoon and something seemed to tell me that this would change the exceptionally long run of good luck which I had had. However I did not hesitate but went forward to No 1 Platoon where I soon had the members busy at work making their trench fit for fighting for it was only about four feet deep which meant that everyones head was above the top & likely to get a hole drilled in it by a bullet. We were kept very busy during the remainder of the day for Fritz kept counter-attacking, in the hope of regaining the position but each time he came our boys were successfully in driving him off. The company suffered fairly heavy for owing to the shallow trench which was sheltered by the crops, the Huns put their knowledge of this into action, by keeping his machine guns constantly firing through the crops, except during his counter attacks, with the result that most of our casualties were caused through this practice. The last counter attack I witnessed, started about 8.30PM and on this occasion things looked very black for us, for Fritz