were in
extremely awkward positions, as we had expected to be moved forward at
any time. They were right out in the open, devoid of any cover, and,
for the most part, placed in shell holes which had been hastily
converted into pits. Here we were subjected to the most "gruelling"
time that was ever our lot to endure, and the battle developed into a
gigantic duel between batteries, in which our position was no worse
than the others. We lived in shell holes, scantily covered with
corrugated iron and a layer or two of sand-bags, scarcely splinter
proof, nor had we any means of making ourselves more secure. The
enemy's heavy counter batteries swept and searched over the slope
where the majority of our batteries were congregated, and never before
or after were they seen to reach such a pitch of efficiency.

Never a day passed without casualties, and often a number of gunners
were buried as the result of an explosion, and had to be hastily dug
out, and early on we lost one of our subaltern officers, who was borne
away to the dressing station with no less than a dozen wounds on him.
It was with great difficulty that the battery was kept in action
sometimes, and, though we soon shifted our position to a flank, this
did not relieve the situation. A 60 pdr. battery not far behind us
developed the fatal habit of becoming particularly active during
"flash time," and, as its flash was notoriously conspicuous, it was
not surprising that its location was promptly pin-pointed by the
enemy, who proceeded to knock it out: and this they succeeded in doing
without much delay. During this particular contest we always got the
short rounds, and, as they were not peas that were coming over, but 8"
and 11" shells, the atmosphere was unpleasant, to say the least of it!

We considered ourselves lucky if we could keep 50 per cent. of the
guns in action at the same time, while every nerve was strained to dig
out the remainder, and it was a very heartless job, as a gun had no
sooner been recovered and set up in position than it was knocked (p. 057)
out again almost immediately. One morning, after a wild night of
shelling by the enemy, on going to ascertain the damage, we found one
gun with its barrel buried deep in the ground, the trail standing
perpendicular pointing towards the sky; another completely turned over
on its back pointing in the opposite direction, while a third had been
blown right out of the shell hole in which it had been placed,