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[Page 42]
close not one fell in our trench but still made the boys feel uneasy for having been relieved everyone was anxious to get out of such a hell without being hit for although we had not done any actual fighting the hanging on to the position had been severe. When darkness set in we started to move back along the communications trench through Pozieres village being shelled by Fritz throughout the whole journey but luckily no casualties were received. Once through Pozieres our way lay along old roads back past "Casualty Corner" & through "Sausage Gully" to Albert where we were put into billets a little after midnight. Before going to bed a good hot meal was served which was much appreciated for the troops had been about two days without one & when this was finished I made my way to bed for a well earned rest. The stay in this billet at Albert lasted a few days so during that time I managed to have a good look round the town. Albert has been a very fine city but owing to being under enemy shell fire so long it had been knocked about considerably but at that time not beyond repair in many parts, while in others it could only be described as heaps of bricks & mortar. It had a fine big railway centre which at that time was used exclusively by the military authorities for munitions, rations & entraining centre for the troops to & from the forward area. The most noticeable thing in the town was a big bronze Virgin with a child in its arms on the top of the cathedral tower which was hanging right across the main street. There was also a few civilians occupying shops in different parts of the town but the place was mostly used by the military for stores & billiting of troops for the forward area. During the stay in this part of the front the three Australian Divisions namely the 1st, 2nd & 4th had gained a considerable amount of ground & the 2nd & 4th Divisions were still to go in for their second time