Ten Years Ago Today, item 17

• December 15, 2016 14:23:28 Jake Warren

  10

  or even exposing a head above a trench was

  able to get sniped off. And this was in ground

  that had been taken earlier in the morning with

  a terrific barrage and a more terrific advance by

  our infantry.

                  Now where I was there was no active

  Germans. Dead & dying were there by the score, aye

  by the hundred. To walk along that trench it was

  necessary to step warily. Here one could realize

  the enormity of war. Dead & dying huddled up in

  trench and dugout. No succour for the wounded,

  no one to offer a drink to those who looked at

  us as we passed, with glazed eye & gasping breath.

  We couldn’t help. Our job was to get a view of

  the battle front and any information possible back to

  the Brigade in order that our guns could be ready

  to assist an attack by our troops, to resist one by

  the Germans. So we left them & continued our weary

  way along that horrible trench, until the sound of

  those rifles arrested our progress. Now this was an

  awkward situation to be in. It was obvious that the part

  trench where we were was ours, although no British

  troops were it, and it was equally obvious that a

  hundred yards along it was not ours, not only

  very active troops of the other side. So if we continued

  our way along this trench we were very likely to

  see a Hun round the next bay who would in

  all probability be able to stop any observing on my part.

• December 10, 2016 01:18:45 Sue Bryant

  10

  or even exposing a head above a trench was

  able to get sniped off. And this was in ground

  that had been taken earlier in the morning with

  a terrific barrage and a more terrific advance by

  our infantry.

                  Now where I was there was no active

  Germans. Dead & dying were there by the score, aye

  by the hundred. To walk along that trench it was

  necessary to step warily. Here one could realize

  the enormity of war. Dead & dying huddled up in

  trench and dugout. No succour for the wounded,

  no one to offer a drink to those who looked at

  us as we passed, with glazed eye & gasping breath.

  We couldn’t help. Our job was to get a view of

  the battle front and any information possible back to

  the Brigade in order that our guns could be ready

  to assist an attack by our troops, to resist one by

  the Germans. So we left them & continued our weary

  way along that horrible trench, until the sound of

  those rifles arrested our progress. Now this was an

  awkward situation to be in. It was obvious that the part

  trench where we were was ours, although no British

  troops were it, and it was equally obvious that a

  hundred yards along it was not ours, not only

  very active troops of the other side. So if we continued

  our way along this trench we were very likely to

  see a Hun round the next bay who would in

  all probability be able to stop any observing on my part.

  
  

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