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[Page 18]
were on "dead" ground behind a ridge and several shells screamed harmlessly over our heads bursting beyond and increasing the trepidation of our O/C. Eventually we found and occupied our position. It was a deep trench, one time German; and to my mind in a very exposed place as it was on a small ridge within view of the enemy and was more heavily shelled daily, and more unsafe than the front line trench. Our fellows would foolishly persist in getting out over the top when going messages etc. to avoid the inconvenience of struggling along the trench, and in consequence never failed to draw the enemy's fire.
Immediately in front was the village of Ligny Thilloy about 800 yards away, the trees in front of it being rapidly thinned by the constant bombardment. To the North East of this Village could be discerned when the fog lifted, the spire of a Church in Bapaume about 2 miles away. It was impossible to distinguish the German lines. In fact they had nothing but pieces of trench at intervals the remainder of the soliders being scattered apparently in an approximate line in shell holes. The village was undoubtedly heavily fortified as usual and only there at intervals, if sharply enough observed by glasses, could be discerned parties of Germans moving. Our position was in a salient in flat farm land with a couple of ridges. The whole of it was churned into the semblance of a choppy sea in arrested motion. The trenches unprotected by barbed wire might only be likened to ditches, wet, muddy and almost impossible to squeeze along in places with equipment on. There were remnants of a sugar factory and house which were charged and taken by a "tank" and some gnarled willow boles, but the places might never have been inhabited to all other appearances. There were some good metalled roads covered of course, with mud, which could not be used as they were under enemy observation and shell fire constantly. The bolder spirited of our men during lulls in the enemy's fire, would walk about in the broad daylight in all directions in the endeavour to find pieces of wood or material to make themselves more comfortable in the
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