Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 55]
raised above the mud ) left and two or three times I fell down holes three or four feet deep. Got rather a shock when I switched on my torch and on looking up found no parapet between me and the Germans – blown clean away - and fully expected some shots at the light. Things were in a deuce of a mess there, parapets and dug-outs and everything mere heaps of earth. This was Ferguson's Coy. (he's now a captain) but I naturally had no time to yarn with him. The three officers with him outed, one missing and two badly wounded, and he had about 24 killed and 60 wounded. "we were lucky as we only had 2 killed and 8 wounded in the trench and three killed and about half-a-dozen wounded elsewhere. They did not quite have our range -, a lot of stuff just cleared the parapets and a lot went low down in front and rocked the whole show like a ship in a rough sea. it's marvellous how you see things that make you laugh in the midst of it all. One chap I'd brought in with me two days before was standing up firing over the parapet through it all and when the sergeant came across him and asked him what in the blazes he was doing he turned round in a most innocent surprised way and said "Why shooting at the flashes, of course." Part of his parapet had been blown in, but he had been stooping down for ammunition at the time and didn't worry about it in the least.
There's no doubt about it, out chaps are magnificent. The minute the bombardment eased our lads were up blazing away to keep off the expected attack. I went along the line to see how things were and in one place was told "Man wounded in the hand, sir". He sat in the corner smoking a cigarette. I thought he was pretty right and moved on. But I came back as he stood up and walked to the stretcher and he had to use his other hand to hold the wounded one up. His wrist was smashed through and his hand only on by a thin piece of flesh, and he'd never said a word. Jolly game is no word for them.
The total result of about an hour and a half's bombardment was about 150 all told mostly in B.Coy. and ours, but one can only marvel that any were left at all.
There's very little talk of Gallipoli now. Of course this Division was not in the landing they reckon we got more shells that night than they got their whole time at Gallipoli. It was rather anxious for a time as when they lifted their range on to our supports and shut off their machine guns we made sure they were coming. Instead of this they started sending up flares by the dozen. I'd not heard our artillery but learnt afterwards that they'd put in over 4,000 shells and Fritz was evidently very much afraid that we were going to counter-attack. Anyway we got relieved last night, and I have my platoon in a nice quiet peaceful place in the supports all round the edge of a cemetery, while the others are back in billets.
We have about six days here and then about four days in the firing line after which we go right back to the reserve for ten days or a fortnight.
Will be awfully glad to hear from you at home as it's now two months since I had a letter. Address A.Coy. 20th Bat, 5th Inf.Brigade, Australian I. Forces, B.E.F. France.
I expect our mails will be more regular here.
Don't worry if you don't hear from me too regularly I am writing as often as I can, but it's sometimes hard to get letters away.
Love to all
(Sgd) Myrton
[Transcribed by Rex Minter for the State Library of New South Wales]