m either side.
Piles of wreckage were always to be seen on the following morning,
which told the tale of the previous night's work, and this long,
straight piece of road holds more sentiment for the British soldier
than any other.

It was soon quite evident that the enemy was acquainted with our
location, and it was imperative to prepare an alternative position. A
site was chosen across the road, in the garden of a private villa,
well sheltered by shrubs and trees. As soon as the work was completed
and a communication trench constructed, covered with turf and plants,
we commenced moving the guns. This was done without interference from
the enemy until the last gun was in the act of being placed in
position, when, as luck would have it, a shrapnel shell burst in front
of the party, mortally wounding one layer and injuring another. Our
B.C., also, who was assisting, received a bullet through his arm, and
was forced to leave us. This was the second mishap we had suffered
during the course of the first few days, as the Right Section
Commander had already been lost to us. Having an insatiable thirst for
knowledge, this Officer had left the O.P. with his telephonist in
order to explore the front line, which, as everyone who knows the
Salient will readily own, was somewhat difficult to recognise in
places, especially by a newcomer. Suffering as he did from acute
absent-mindedness, it was not surprising that this zealous officer
awakened suddenly from his day-dreams to discover that something was
wrong, and found himself standing with his companion waist high in a
shallow disused trench, which, on further investigation, appeared
uncommonly like "No Man's Land!" After a brief consultation, they
decided to retrace their steps. Alas! all too late: a hostile sniper,
reserving his fire in the hope that they would continue to walk (p. 025)
into the enemy trenches, on seeing them turn about, and thus being
baulked of his prize and the prospect of a fortnight's leave in his
own country, fired a bullet which passed through the thighs of both
men one after the other. A party of our infantry, unable to attract
their attention and put them right in time, had witnessed this little
drama, and proceeded, at great personal risk and at the expense of at
least one of their number being wounded, to extricate the two
unfortunates and convey them to the nearest dressing station. It was
not until a late hour that night that word came to us at th