h took the sketch in hand at once and we
were able to send it off, with the detailed report desired, before seven
o'clock.

In Argyle Street about 10 a.m. Lieut. E.T. Townsend was wounded in the
shoulder by a sniper's bullet.

The same day Colonel Morrison handed over the sector to the 7th H.L.I.
and installed the battalion in reserve trenches immediately behind Wigan
Road, Redoubt line and the First Australian line. Here we supplied
various digging and salvage fatigues for four days. These were arranged
in easy reliefs so that we were able to wipe off arrears of sleep.

This was a difficult sector for the Quartermaster and his men. Setting
out from rest camp each evening with the rations--and mails when there
were any--loaded on mules, they ran the gauntlet across the open to a
point where they entered the Mule trench, which ran up the side of the
Achi Baba nullah.

This trench was not wide enough for pack-animals to pass in it. The
traffic had therefore to be run to a timetable, one battalion's mules
having to make the journey up to the advanced dump and away again before
the mules of another battalion entered. Casualties on the way or delay
caused by a recalcitrant mule were a constant nightmare, but Lieut. T.
Clark always delivered the goods. From the advanced dump the rations
were man-handled by companies to their own cook-houses.

Our water supply was carried in camel tanks, empty rum jars or petrol
tins from Romano's Well. Later on water from even this source had to be
chlorinated and the well lost its charm.

From now, about the end of August, till the end of October, life was
somewhat monotonous, consisting of spells in the firing-line and moves
to rest trenches, for short periods. While in the line we had little to
do in the way of defending our trenches, as it was pretty obvious the
Turk did not intend to attack. This did not, however, save us from
providing large numbers of fatigue parties. The ground which we occupied
soon became a network of trenches and we were always endeavouring to
push forward our front line by means of T-headed saps which were
ultimately linked up. The object in this was to get as near to the
enemy's front line as to allow our mining operations.

We found the Turk easily got the "wind up," more especially at night,
and for very little reason he would start a burst of rapid fire, which
sometimes would be kept up for a very considerable period. The staff
frequently arranged vari