going was easier up to the top of the Ridge. When we reached the top
the shelling was awful, so we put the Corporal on a concrete gun pit,
and when Tommy and the stretcher arrived we carried him back to Thelner.

That night we were relieved, and utterly exhausted we stumbled our way
back through the shell fire to Neuville St. Vaast. Once there, we got
some hot grub from our cooks and a big drink of rum, and we turned into
our dugouts, but now that the strain was over I couldn't sleep and I
shook like a leaf. Tommy was beside me and he said, "Quit your
shaking, you son of a gun; I do my shaking in the line, but you do
yours after we get out." Next day we went still farther back and we
were allowed a week's complete rest, and in the meantime our line was
advanced to Arleaux.

When we were returned to the lines we were told that it was over the
top again for us; the Canadians were going to make an attack on
Fresnoy. The town of Fresnoy was only a short distance from Arleaux,
which we now held, and about one mile from Vimy Ridge. The ridge it
was on made it important as an observation post, and through the town
ran a line of trenches known as the Oppy switch of the Hindenburg Line.
To the 1st Division was given the task of taking the town, while the
2nd Division attacked the trenches on the left.

We went in during the night when it was fairly quiet, and we took over
the gun positions, from a trench mortar crew. Just before daybreak our
barrage burst on the enemy and away we went and got in close to their
wire entanglements. As soon as the barrage lifted, through the wire we
went and into the trench, but instead of a wave of infantry being in
with us they got hung up on the wire and lost heavily; so half a dozen
of our crew were in the trench by ourselves. The Germans were only too
willing to be made prisoners at first, and threw away their rifles, but
when they saw that no one else was coming they got fresh and started to
bomb us. Our Corporal was shooting them as fast as he could with his
revolver and we dropped our gun and pelted them with their own bombs.
We managed to chase them back along the trench and the 1st Division
sent us help, so we blocked the trench and held over part of it. Our
boys on the left had also gotten in and cleared out a section of the
trench, so it was a sandwich with the Germans for our meat. We were
relieved that night, but only stayed out long enough to get a rest and
some food, a