lous trench, the
work of forgotten heroes, since transferred to France, a straight line
of carefully sand-bagged fire bays and traverses which it would have
taken a small army to hold, running as if laid down with a ruler across
the desert without either support line or communication trenches. The
redoubt system was far more economical in men and each separate redoubt
formed a strong point well supplied with ammunition and water, which
could give a very good account of itself.

To this line the Battalion moved on May 17th, taking over at dawn next
morning from the K.O.S.B. The two main redoubts were at Hill 70 itself,
where Battalion Headquarters lived with "A" Company and half of "C," and
at Turk Top garrisoned by "B" Company. Three smaller redoubts were held
by "D" and the other half of "C," and there were intermediate posts
occupied by small detachments only at night. Life was more pleasant out
here. We still had tents outside the wire in which we lived by day,
manning the trenches at night. There was a good deal of work to be done
on the redoubts, but it was work with an obvious purpose, and we were
glad to be on our own and free from the clutches of those obscure
magnates who detail divisional fatigues. Our digging we got through
between stand down and breakfasts in the cool of the morning, or else in
the late afternoon. At night we posted sentries and went on long
adventurous patrols from post to post. There was no enemy; but the
desert itself still had a certain amount of mystery and romance about
it. It was less flat than round Kantara and dotted here and there with
coarse, green scrub, while a mile to the south of Hill 70 stood a little
group of seven palms. Away to the east rose great hills of golden sand,
very beautiful when the rays of the setting sun struck upon them. To
show our unsophisticated attitude at this time, it may be admitted that
when a credulous machine gunner informed us--doubtless on Australian
authority--that the trails of two "Arabian" lions had been found not a
mile away, we more than half believed him.

The flies were bad, but we were getting used to the heat--the tent
temperature was usually between 100 deg. and 110 deg. during the hotter
hours,--and a northerly wind helped to keep us going. On the 20th a pair
of 18 pounders were put into Hill 70 and another pair into the Turk Top
Redoubt, and their gunners, of the 2nd Lowland Brigade R.F.A., came to
live with us. The guns were well dug