e-thirty," was the reply. "We start our intense at twelve o'clock,
every gun we have in this section is going to fairly give Bosche jumps;
in fact he will have to find a 'better 'ole.'"

This remark caused considerable laughter.

"I am going to get my scenes from 'Ginchy Telegraph'; it seems a very
likely spot by the map. Shall I get there about eleven o'clock and fix
up?"

"Good," said one. "I will lend you an orderly to act as guide if it's
any benefit to you."

Thanking him, I gladly accepted the offer.

Breakfast over, I collected my apparatus and stood to watch the sections
which Fritz "strafed" the most. By practising this method it has made it
possible for me to do my work in comfort on previous occasions. I
noticed there were one or two points which he "strafed" methodically,
therefore I judged it safe to make direct for my point over the top,
then enter a communication trench just on this side of the ridge.

By this time my guide came up, so sharing my apparatus, we started off.
The distance to Ginchy Telegraph was about one kilometre. Shrapnel was
playing upon both roads leading from Guillemont, H.E. was bursting on my
right in Lueze Wood, or "Lousy Wood," as it is called here, also in
Delville Wood on my left. After a very tiring tramp over shell-holes
and rubble I eventually reached my post. From this point I could see
practically the whole of our section between Lesboeufs and Morval, but I
immediately found out to my annoyance that the slight breeze would bring
all the smoke back towards our lines. The resulting effect would not be
serious enough to in any way hinder our operations, but photographically
it was disastrous, and even if photographed the effect would not be
impressive in the slightest degree, merely a wall of smoke which to the
public would appear unintelligible. But in that seemingly useless cloud
were falling thousands of shells of all calibres, tearing the earth into
dust, the German line into fragments, forming a living and death-dealing
curtain of blazing steel behind which our men were advancing.

But adverse wind conditions were not all, for when I had taken the
camera out of its case I found that by some means or other the lens
mounts had received such a knock as to throw it out of alignment. How it
happened I cannot think, for the case was intact, the only possible
explanation being that I must have dropped it the night before when I
took shelter in the trench and in my dazed co