It was a little sand-bag
one that stood 3 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 5 feet long.
This was shared by eleven of us, who had to take it in turns
to sleep. This is the usual type of front-line dug-out. In
most cases they are large enough to squeeze all men off duty
into them, but of course shells and wet cause them to smash
up at times.
"Another dug-out I have been in was some 20 feet deep with
iron bars supporting the roof, and capable of holding one
hundred men. This was not in the trenches. It had sticks
some 3 feet high, with wire stretched right across, making
eight beds. However, I always prefer the ground; the wire
beds are narrow and not long enough for me. I'm over 6 feet.
"_Q. No. 3._--Do you stay in trenches forty-eight hours
without ever taking off your boots or resting, and how do
you get your food up, etc., if you are on duty all the time?
"_A._--When in the firing line a soldier never takes off his
boots, clothes, or equipment except for one thing, that is
to grease the feet with an anti-frostbite preparation. As
for rest, you can see that with one man in three on
look-out, you get a little rest, at least six hours, which I
found enough. When in a big attack you are of course
scrapping all the time.
"Rations are carried up by other men who are either on rest
or in reserve. As a matter of fact when on rest you are
seldom more than three miles away. The rations are carried
up in sacks by limbers as far as the transport can take
them--it varies according to the level of the ground and
activities. These limbers are met by ration parties who
carry two sacks each, right up to the trenches. Every sack
is marked 'D' for company, '15' for platoon, and so we
always get them. We carry an emergency ration of biscuits,
bully beef, and tea and sugar in case of accidents. I have
only once found it necessary to use mine.
"_Q. No. 4._--In the battles you have been in, did you come
face to face with the Huns, or just shoot at range?
"_A._--Yes, once when we were driving them back, and once
when they were advancing. Apart from that it has been
shooting when a head shows. The nearest I've been in a
trench to the Hun was 15 yards, but most of them range from
60 to 150 yards. You see we are a rifle regiment and so do
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