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[Page 23]
with another party on whose return to our position a shell burst in their midst killing and wounding eight including our regimental Sergt. Major. The Sergt. himself, though his great-coat and a leather vest (which probably saved him worse injury) were torn across the back, was just slightly bruised and the skin of his back cut. During the day several men were affected by shell shock caused by shells bursting near them. It was pitiful to see the nervous wrecks of men being led out by the hand crouching in terror at the sound of every passing shell whether of ours or the enemy's. I never heard anything but groans from the wounded but one night after an explosion I heard a most terrible screaming as of a man in mortal agony, and I think it was caused not by his wounds but by the derangement of his brain, consequent upon the shock of a near explosion. I never saw or heard of him. His screaming which lasted two or three minutes had a bad effect on some of the men.
That night I was put on to guard the entrance to the O/Cs dugout, which was a German one and consequently the opening of it was towards the enemies guns and they, guessing these dug-outs would be used by us, bombarded them constantly. I feared while standing at its mouth or during my relief when I was resting down below that one of their shells would come right inside or go so near as to block up the entrance and there was only one. During my stay there shells fell very closely and I was not wrong in my conjecture as several days later a shell went straight in killing a Lieutenant, and severely injuring a Captain who were camping inside.
During the night Fritz took panic for some reason, and started a terrific bombardment, which was immediately answered by ours and for a while there was a perfect tornado of shells and bullets whistling about. Naturally we had to "stand to" as it may have portended an attack by them. It died down as suddenly as it had commenced.
It is simply wonderful how quickly our guns retalliate when the Huns begin, though of course, ours are never silent.
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