o be transported to the guns by means of
horses carrying pack saddles, a slow and tedious method, which took a
lot out of men and beasts alike. As yet no decca-ville railways had
been constructed as far as battery positions. Very heavy work thus
fell on those at the wagon lines, who were kept busy most of the day
and night. Although the distance to the gun position was under five
miles there and back, the journey rarely took less than ten hours to
accomplish. If a horse fell down in this sticky mud, heavily laden as
it was, attempts at rescue proved unavailing, except on rare
occasions, even with the aid of drag-ropes, and the unfortunate animal
had to be "dispatched." Was it a sense of humour that prompted those
in authority to send the subalterns, in turn, to the wagon lines for a
"rest"? Anyhow, it was considered anything but that by the poor (p. 036)
unfortunates who went, and right glad they were when the time came
round for their next period of duty with the guns!

As the weather rapidly became worse, operations came to a standstill,
and all proceeded to dig themselves in for the coming winter. Every
endeavour was made to make our quarters water-proof, as well as
shell-proof, and some attempts at mining were commenced, but the
condition of the ground was all against such an undertaking, and the
work was abandoned. Then whispers spread abroad that we were to be
relieved for a short rest, and, after ten weeks of incessant fighting,
we were withdrawn from the line and marched to a little village named
Hangest, a few miles west of Amiens. There we were glad to find
ourselves installed in billets with a roof covering us once more. A
week of leisure helped greatly to restore our spirits, and again we
set out for the line. Our destination this time was Combles, and we
took over a battery position from the French, who politely made us
acquainted with our new surroundings. Our allies, who had been
fighting side-by-side with us on our right flank throughout the great
battle, were then withdrawn, and the British front was extended to the
south as far as the banks of the River Somme. Evidence was speedily
forthcoming to convince us of the severe nature of the recent fight.
The ground was strewn with wreckage and material of all descriptions,
and many hostile guns were found abandoned or lying where they had
been put out of action by the irresistible dash of the Poilus.

The country, in this part, was undulating, and bette