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[page 84]
165
(3).
that he would take considerably shifting out of this specially as immediately behind it was Loupart Wood an excellent artillery position and one from which he commanded a considerable field of fire. My Battalion was taken out of the line to a spot a couple of miles in rear where two old trenches and the remnants of a Wood were found, they whole as nearly as possible resembling the two lines of trenches at Grevillers and Loupart Wood. On these we practised the attack for four days and then returned to the line to try it on Fritz. The night we got back to the Line, however, Fritz cleared out so we had a bloodless victory and morning saw us strolling about in Loupart Wood examining his old gun positions of which there were a great number - likewise heaps of empty bottles.
That night we pushed his rearguard out of the village of Grevillers and dug ourselves in on the far side of the village. When morning broke we got our first glimpse of Bapaume, the town which since the Australians advent into the Somme Battle at Pozieres had always remained in our minds as our ultimate objective. And shortly we were to have it.
For the two days we were entrenched at Grevillers the Germans bombarded the village continuously until not a building was left whole. As usual the Church came in for most attention and even after it had been reduced to a heap of broken bricks he still poured shells into it in great numbers.. Our trench was only about 50 yards from this Church but fortunately his shooting was excellent and every shot fell plunk into that heap of bricks and none worried us. As a matter of fact I don't think he knew we were there for quite a time because he was most careless about exposing himself and we got some excellent rifle shooting at about