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[Page 31]
the roof of the dugout killing the man outright. Just before daylight orders were received for our company to go forward which we did going to a hedge on the edge of the village of Pozieres where we found the Battalion all busy digging in. By this time things had quietened down considerably & I also learned that the position was taken much easier than expected, the casualties being very few considering the amount of artillery that had been brought to bear on our troops. it was not long before our company was busy at work on reaching the front line but the work of consolidation was no easy matter for the earth was simply battered in to dust by our artillery fire previous to the attack. However after a few hours heavy working a trench was made the sides being supported by sand bags & whatever timber could be gathered from the edge of the village. Engineers were sent forward to make strong points in front & rear of the front line for it was expected that the enemy would counter attack as soon as he could reorganise. A Communication Trench was also dug back to the old German front line where it was connected up by a trench which had been dug by the 1st Pioneer Battalion during the night of the attack. At daybreak & well into the morning Huns could be seen running about in the village, most of them being without either rifle or equipment, but owing to orders, our troops were not allowed to go in pursuit or to open fire except in individual cases where men were told off as snipers to keep the enemy under control. The idea of this was to prevent the enemy from locating the exact position of our new front line trench so as to cause a surprise in the event of an attack also to deceive the enemy's artillery as much as possible. The work of getting the wounded away was also a big thing to be reasoned with, for all stretcher carrying had to be done overland as the communication trench was not wide enough for this purpose. There was also a serious shortage of stretchers which meant the delay of getting the more serious cases out but those who could be carried by their mated on their back were taken as far as the forward dressing station which by daylight was established in Fritz's old front line. The whole of the forward area seemed to be a seathing mass of khaki clad figures for all the different Units were engaged on their respective duties of consolidation for it was realized that if the position gained was to be held every man was to do his bit before the Hun was ready to retaliate. It was beautiful Sunday morning & by midday the troops were well under cover there being hardly a sound to be heard & it was then the units in the front line were reorganised. That afternoon our company "A" was withdrawn from the front line being taken back to our old front line to act as reserves & on reaching the trench had to rebuild and consolidate it. Things remained very quiet throughout the remainder of the day & at dusk a good hot meal was brought up to our trench which was much needed by the boys after their strenuous time of excitement & hard work. During the early part of the night a good rum issue was given the troops after which I sat for a long time trying to realize what I had been through, but the whole adventure seemed more like a dream than reality for during the excitement most things that would have been observed under normal conditions were passed unnoticed. it was during these thought that I must have fallen asleep for on awakening I found it to be daylight & I was still sitting up in the same little dug out, which was without a roof, that I had made for myself the previous afternoon. The morning of the 24th July passed uneventful except for the continuance of consolidation & by this time the position was beginning to assume a very strong appearance. That afternoon however Fritz's found his strength once more