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[Page 20]
Next morning the 21st April was Good Friday & after breakfast the company had to clean up the mess that Fritz had made the previous day also bury the men who had been killed. This was rather a very severe introduction to active service for most of us but it was taken in the right spirit. The day was celebrated by plenty of big gun fire, during the afternoon Fritz again paid great attention to our billet the troops being ordered to get out into the field & not to stand in groups so as to save casualties. All the Huns efforts were in vain for although a considerable number of shells were fired our way neither the billet or any men were hit & he grew tired of his wontfulness towards evening. To most of us this sort of thing was extremely new & the feelings were quite strange but the fear of the shelling was broken by occasional air duels which were quite a novelty even to the very old soldiers who boasted of their long service. Another sight that day was the shelling of houses by Fritz not far away & he gained many a hit showing to us what a shell was capable of doing for in some cases one shell would almost level a house to the ground at the same time setting fire to it. The shelling started to cease about dusk & by the time it grew dark had stopped altogether when tea was served after which the company was fallen in with all gear on ready to move. Before moving orders were issued for everyone to remain as quiet as possible during the march which was to be in small parties in single file with intervals between each. The march was only about half a mile when we were taken into a big farm yard each platoon being allotted to different parts of a huge barn which proved a very comfortable billet with plenty of straw to sleep on & was not so open to observation to Fritz as the previous one. The next couple of days was spent in rifle exercises in rear of the billet also digging of trenches in the farm yard which were to be used as shelter trenches should the enemy shell the billet at any time. After an early tea on the 24th of April 1916 fatigue parties were detailed for work in the front line. At dusk the party started to move off in groups of ten at intervals along a road towards the front line which was lined on either side by tall hedges until we reached a big two storied house known as :V.C." House. On arriving at this house we entered a communication trench known as "V.C> trench for it was this particular place that O'Leary an Irishman won his Victoria Cross in 1914 & was thus how this house & trench received their names. This trench was of considerable length winding about like a huge snake being well built with revetted sides, having a duck board floor & about eight feet deep. Half way along the trench lay the support line which was also very well built. On arriving at the front line we found it consisted of a huge breastwork about eight feet above the ground, instead of a trench dug below the level of the ground, & our duties were to enlarge the sand bag parapet under the supervision of the engineers. This being the first time most of the troops had been in the front line they were naturally very curious & inquisitive & being an exceedingly quiet sector many a head was above the parapet gazing into the inky darkness towards the enemy lines which was occasionally lighted up by hun's flares. our work proved long & strenuous occupying most of the night for it was just before daylight that the party was got together then started for the billet which was reached about daylight when breakfast was ready after which the troops enjoyed a well earned rest. This day 25th April being the anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli the Anzacs were given a special ceremonial