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[Page 24]
how the stunt was carried out or the objects of it but anyway it made Fritz angry who retaliated with artillery & machine guns thus showing us what real warfare meant. It was that night that I fired my first shot at the enemy on active service but being dark did not know the result of the shot. The life in the front line was very quiet as far as warfare was concerned for it was simply a matter of garrison duty for at that time neither side was on the offensive but consolidating the forward positions. The front lines were about three hundred & fifty yards apart which meant that a lot of patrol work was necessary of a night to try & find out what the enemy was doing. The weather was a mixture of rain & sunshine & during the sunny days the boys used to bath in a fair size creek which ran close behind the front line. Our front line was not dug into the ground but a breastwork about ten feet high the parapet being about twelve feet thick through the top & being very well built. During the early evening of the 15th of May the Welsh on our right gave Fritz a rifle & machine gun demonstration which lasted about twenty minutes breaking the monotony of trench life a little. My duties whilst in this position were chiefly barb wiring fatigues in no mans land, one night it would be on the covering party & the next on wiring work. our wiring party was extremely lucky for although we were in no mans land nearly every night, & on several nights fritz opened out on us with his machine guns we never suffered one casualty in the party. Sniping was carried out by both sides fairly extensively but very few casualties resulted from this practice although it had its demoralizing effect upon the troops. During the afternoon of the 19th may the enemy opened out with artillery fire on our front lines causing five casualties in the company also knocking the parapet about in a number of places. When the shelling ceased orders were received to pack all our gear as the battalion was to be relieved that night. it was 11.30PM that night when the 9th battalion arrived to relieve us, & on being relieved our company started to leave the trench in sections in single file. The march to the billets proved to be long & tiring before it finished it being nearly daybreak before the boys lay down to rest in a big barn at Croix-de-Bac about two miles on the western side of Sailly. The total number of casualties for the battalion during that turn in the front line was fifty one & including killed wounded & sick. The boys were not troubled very much for the first couple of days in the new billet but were told to have a good rest, also clean all their gear ready for the parade ground. During the afternoon of the 21st of May the boys were taken for a hot bath & change of clothing which was much appreciated by all. After a few days rest our battalion was put on Divisional duties which consisted of trench digging & consolidating on the Armentieres sector slightly to the left of the previous position the battalion occupied. The duties were very strenuous for reveille was very early then the troops had to march eight miles to the job, then work all day, arriving back home about dusk & these duties lasted some days. During the evening of the 30th of May a big artillery duel opened, both sides having a fair say & although the battalion was some miles behind the line orders were received to get into battle order & stand to ready to move off in case of emergency for it was thought that the enemy was about to attack. On the 1st of June our Brigade was inspected by