ook place while I was otherwise engaged:
"July 2nd.
" ... There came an order for a working party of one officer and twenty
men to report at Potijze dump at once. So Captain Andrew detailed me to
take Sergeant Baldwin and twenty men of 5 Platoon. We went by the
Water-pipe track across the open, in broad daylight. Enemy observation
balloons were up all the time and spotted us. A few shells were fired,
but nobody was hit. When we got to Potijze the men were given material
to take to Pagoda Trench; so we proceeded there in small parties. We got
to Pagoda Trench at 7.30; but enemy observation balloons were still up,
and a few bullets whizzed over the trench, so it was not yet safe to
work. We accordingly sat in the trench and waited. Darkness fell upon a
beautiful summer evening before the observation balloons disappeared. At
9.30 we decided that it was safe to begin work. The work to be done
consisted of repairing duck-boards. It did not require much supervising,
especially as representatives of the Royal Engineers were managing it,
so Baldwin and I sat down and chatted most of the time. As a matter of
fact, we had six men too many; so they had nothing to do. One or two
machine-gun and rifle bullets whizzed past while we were there, but no
one was hit. We stopped at 11.30 and filed back down the communication
trench through Potijze Wood. Coming round the corner here--near Bottle
Wall--we were shelled rather badly; the shells were bursting very near
us--one within six yards--but none of my party were hit. An R.E. officer
close by was wounded. We got back to Potijze dump at 12 midnight. I
reported to Captain Andrews, who was there in a dug-out. The Company had
moved up while we had been on this working party. I saw my party into
their new dug-outs here, and then came back and spent the night in the
officers' dug-out at Potijze with Captain Andrews, Giffin, and Gratton.
Allen was with a working party and did not return until 3 a.m.... Shells
were falling round our dug-out all night. One shell blew a dug-out, a
few yards away, to pieces, killing two, wounding two, and causing
shell-shock to the remaining man--all of 5 Platoon (Allen's platoon).
Two more B Company men were wounded on fatigue near St. Jean. A good
many transport men and horses, and men of other units, were killed and
wounded near. It was what might be called a rough night in the Ypres
Salient! Morning (July 3) dawned bright and clear.
"A message came to u
|