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[Page 43]
Firing Line "45"
15/4/16
In the early hours Jack McCane went out with a patrol through a sally forth to have a look over towards the German trenches. Returning by mistake one of our posts fired on him wounding him in the buttock and calf and smashing up the wrist and arm of this backsheese Corporal. Small demonstration down on the left but in front of us there was nothing doing. Stood to arms before 4 am, no wind.
Wonderful how soon it gets light in these parts – the thrushes and other birds were singing vigorously. The whole place is infested with rats and in the hours of darkness you can hear the broods of young ones round the sandbag walls whimpering and some of the men have had the biscuits of their iron ration eaten by them and holes gnawed in their haversacks. Coming up into the trenches the other night we several times encountered rats nearly as big as kittens – ugly soft beasts which gave up the ghost with sickening squelch under the feet of the men marching up.
Round the trenches at 8 am with telescopic periscope. Delightful green grass and some good elm trees on No Mans Land between ourselves and the Germans. The smoke rising from their breakfast fires. A neat trim meadow of 170 yards width between us and them and their neat trim trenches beyond that, - so in keeping with the country. Railway whistles heard in rear of them – only heard a locomotive whistle once at Gallipoli (probably from MAIDOS way). Bitterly cold this morning my hands were like ice. Gave my spare wraps to one of the sentries last night and tonight at stand to will dishout a tot of rum to each of the boys on the fire step.
Went into Fleurbaix in the morning on a courtmartial – all the roads very slushy and snow fell twice during the morning and only lay for a few minutes like hail upon the ground. The hedges are all beautifully green and every day more are breaking into white hawthorn blossom. Every mile seems to bring you into a village – quiet brown old groups of houses with leafless branches of the trees round them.
After lunch along firing line and ordered lowering of duck boards in places as from some high points we could see the enemy trenches. Cpl Thurlow prowling round with all his sniping gear and selecting places to lie in wait and pick Huns off. Pumping parties at work all day on the communication trenches to Jays Post but as fast as they pump the water out more trickles in. However they manage to keep a bit ahead of it by constant work. There are several springs running in along here and great deal of soakage.
Inspected Jays Post and found all correct – fair number of H.E. and shrapnel shells plastered around them today but no casualties. Just about 6 pm went along to "B" Co and saw Andrew, enemy commenced bombarding field just in rear, the shells whizzing very low overhead and bursting about 300 yards away. They also endevoured to get Battalion headquarters and merry strafe kept on for some time. Stood to at 6.45, inspected whole section and found them correct every man standing silently at his post with full equipment on and bayonet fixed.
Improved the gangway in rear of firing line just before dark by lowering it in places where exposed to enemy snipers. Also put an extra 1000 rounds of ball on each post so they can break the seal once if attack starts. Our machine guns from Wye Farm fired indirect on the enemy's trains &c and the bullets went singing across 30 feet over our heads. During the night they swept over parapets with machine gun fire and the sniping livened up.
Bright moonlight until about 2 am and cold sharp night. Rather hard to get to sleep owing to noise and several times woke up with a start when firing got very loud. Wakened a couple of times by messengers.