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[Page 35]
to walk, get to the dressing station. It was well into the morning when we finally reached our old front line where the Battalion Quarter master was waiting for us & he told us to wait there as only one other dixie had arrived before us & there were no others in sight on the way up, out of ten that had left Jackson's Dump. After waiting some time we received orders to go along the trench to the Battalion "aid post" which was situated in the huns old front line about three hundred yards further along & there await further orders. The Quarter master in the mean time had gone forward to see the Colonel as to where the rations were to be taken seeing that there was only our dixie of tea & another of boiled bacon that so far had been brought up. It took some time to get to the "Aid post" for the trench was practically blown in but afforded a little cover from the shells which were still falling a bad as ever. On reaching the aid post we found things were very busy for there were a considerable number of wounded men lying on stretchers in the best parts of the battered trench who were being administered First Aid buy our Battalion Doctor & his A.M.C. Details. There was also two big german dugouts close by these being full of men with slight wounds, Shell shock, & a lot who had been buried by shells being to much shaken to continue in the front line. it was a terrible sight to see these poor fellows who had had a terrible time during the inferno of shell fire but although their nerves were completely shattered all were determined to hang on, or to fight should they be called upon for they realized it was their first test of endurance. it was not very long before the Quarter master returned and instructed us to issue the tea we had in our dixie to the men in & around the aid post as it was impossible to take the dixie to the front line. The Quarter also told me that, that morning our Colonel had received orders to advance so collected what men he could & went through the village establishing a new front line, the movement being carried out with success. As soon as our dixie was emptied we were told to take it back to the company cooker as quick as possible as there was another trip up with rations for us that day. The ground back was covered by us as quick as we could & passed through the three miles of barrage for the third time & neither of us being hit. On our return to Bucourt Wood the cooks soon had a good meal ready for my mate & I for we had had nothing to eat since before leaving there at daylight. I also learned that we were the only two who had delivered our rations to the forward area, arriving back safely for the remaining eighteen men had either been killed or wounded. After the meal I went for a stroll discovering a number of the battalion in the wood & on making enquiries found that they had been sent out of the front line by the doctor through being buried alive or slightly wounded being instructed to remain at the wood away from the shell fire. later I received orders to be at Jackson's Dump at 4.30 that afternoon to take rations to the line again so took things as quiet as possible until that time. I left the wood about 4PM with the transport & on arriving at the dump was given two sand bags of bread tied together to carry being told to get to the front line with it as quickly as possible. It was not long before the ration party was on its way but on reaching Casualty Corner was stopped by a Colonel of the Field Ambulance who told us we were not to go any further but remain under cover until the officer in charge of the ration party arrived. When our officer did arrive he came & told our party to go back to the dump as orders had been received to the effect that our Division was to be releived that night or early next morning