t half-a-mile from the front line, at the
Western foot of Table Top.

[Illustration: THE TRENCHES AT "THE APEX."
_Map by Australian War Museum._]

For tactical purposes, the "Apex" position was divided into four
posts--numbered from the right. "C" Company took Nos. 1 and 2 and was
afterwards relieved by "B" Company. "D" Company took Nos. 3 and 4 and
later handed over to "A" Company. Nos. 3 and 4 Posts were the closer to
the enemy and, consequently, of greater importance. Each post was
further divided into a certain number of Groups--each under a
Non-commissioned Officer. Three machine guns were mounted in the
parapet. After the first week, Lieut. Shaw took these over and also
mounted additional guns in secret emplacements, which were constructed
by digging through the escarp and tunnelling forward and upward.

The trenches were at least six feet deep and excavated in a kind of
conglomerate, which needed very little revetting and was a good bullet
or splinter stopper. A ledge or firestep ran along the inside of the
trench. Upon this the garrison stood if an attack was to be repelled.
The instructions for the posts required that men in them were to be
always in a state of readiness, _i.e._, rifle loaded, bayonet fixed, and
equipment worn. One man in each group acted as sentry. He usually sat on
a bag full of earth, placed on the firestep, and by means of a
periscope, watched for any movement of the enemy. In the wall of the
trench little excavations held boxes of reserve ammunition and
hand-bombs of various sorts.

The trenches having been commenced only a few weeks earlier, were in a
very incomplete state and required much labour and development.
Especially was this so in connection with the main communication
trenches. Support trenches had also to be constructed and excavations
made to establish a direct covered way to the Light Horse, on the
southern face of the Rhododendron Spur. These works were undertaken by
men from the supports and Battalion reserve. Many hard, long, weary
hours were put in with the pick and shovel and the sandbag--which last
was the only means of carrying away the spoil.

The defence at first was without any properly arranged plan for support
from the artillery or flanking units. Before the brigade left the
sector, however, the New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, a British
6-inch Howitzer Battery, and a 4.7-inch Battery, all had their lines
laid down for fire to cover the front. An Indian