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[Page 39]
(33)
Easter Monday again broke fine and the Germans bombed our trenches from aeroplanes in daylight. They flew that low that we could easily distinguish the faces of the aviators as they peered over from their machines, and on one occasion actually saw the bomb leave the 'plane. The enemy used to come over while our 'planes were away. That night I was again on a patrol. Our work was to get out to an unoccupied post near Sailly Laurette Cemetery (which our men had dug the previous night) and see if the enemy had found and occupied it – a trap we laid for him. We crept out and when we got close to the post lay down (with our rifles loaded, bayonets fixed &c and a Mills' bomb in one's pocket. Stayed in this position until midnight but saw no sign of the enemy, and were then relieved by another patrol.
We then marched back to a hill a couple of kilos behind Sailly-le-Sec, arriving there about 2 a.m. We were very tired and just lay down on the ground covered with oilsheets, and slept soundly till morning, although it rained heavily all night. Three of us kept watch in turns, in case gas shells came over. Next day we dug little holes in the side of the hill and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. Walked into Vaux-Sur-Somme, and got as much cider as we could carry. It was nice and refreshing. Stayed here two days – it raining all the time.
I was just coming off gas guard at daylight on the third morning when the Germans attacked the 5th Australian Division, who were then holding the front line. He shelled the back areas, where we were, very heavily and we had a rough time of it, many casualties occurring. Several of us went along a gully (afterwards called by us "Shrapnel Gully" – which he was then not shelling) for shelter. Just as we got there a huge shell burst about fifty yards from us, covering us with debris and mud, and a fragment of the shell flew past my face and cut the top of the nose off the chap next to me!
The order now came for us to get ready to go up to the front line and reinforce our troops. Some of us marched as far as the canal when we were told that we would not be required as the 5th Australian Division had pushed the enemy back without further assistance.
That night several of us were detailed to cross the canal and look for any Tommy stragglers. Many amusing incidents occurred in crossing the canal in the flat bottomed punts, several of them capsizing – but the canal was not deep, although the water was very cold.
The next day we rested and at dark shifted further up on to the flat where we dug fresh trenches (reserve line) and occupied them. Stayed here three days, resting and sleeping during the daytime and digging trenches at night. One afternoon we were heavily shelled with whizz bangs (so called by us because when they were fired by the Germans we could hear the whizz and before we knew where we were they had exploded – they travelled that quickly) and an officer and private were killed. They had only that day returned from leave to England and hadn't been two minutes in the trench when they were killed.