Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-18
British Soldier Writes of BATTLES With the Belgars

hill Just in front and firing ride gre.
nades over at our trench. Well. Johnu1
was one too much for US. He let US GET
out and get well creased up along tne
edge of the ravine we judged he'd be
coming up, then got away with his little
party to a flank and started letting ue
60 from our left rear. A nasty feeling:
Much worse than IL you're facing K But
he couldn't see US and was only nrtn9
in our general direction quite nees
enough, some Of it}. and to have tried
to swing that large patrol arouna 70
sary exposure. seeing that wed Ais
ready failed in our object OF surprtsing
him. So when he'd had his NIL o. snuts
eye shooting. We started quietly aa1
he'd got back to his trenches and
phoned his artillery. and We h,d ee
march to he tune OF brackeee0
braces" Tiny own term) All the Wy
couples, one short and one long. tho
method used in searching for q target
Of uncertain range or location. NO cas-.
ualties as usual It's marvellous the STUN
that's thrown about to MI one man
even. ,...
Then came the great three nights
when we advanced the line. one piatooe
seemed to have become the patrol spcs
other companies as a light screen Tor
the workers in case Johnny tried 70
interfere personally in the matter. The
first night they simply carried out the
a dump for the succeeding nights work.
Next night we started. The FIRST wire
was laid. but peace did not last long.
On our left one battalion Of our brigade
was to create a diversion by going out
and occupying a post which Johnny HIM
self had been In the habit OF occupying
every night When we got there ana
found our chaps in possession, OF course
f,.,k ~xxftt . ~
vantage of surprise on our chaps side.
he soon decided to go down the btu
again to think the matter over. We lay
and listened and laughed as he retired
Of course. was to be quite inconspicuoua
SO we could not fire at him. But he, or
some one behind him. had spotted u9
and as soon as he got back the fun
started.
Up went the signal lights and staf
shells-red, green and white-and over
came the stun. Tho noise, the dust ana
the fireworks all together made scene
like q big mechanical scene in q melo-
drama. only we were bit too Close for
real health purposes. With the drst
flight OF shrapnel came the long-drava
an awful crash behind Us near the wirsr1
and diggers, and. I'm sorry 70 say. rot
several OF them It was hard luck. for
they were practically the only Casualties
then they began to really come down.
chiefly behind our patrol line. and enc
big chap dropped not six yards from me.
I looked up after the crash ana was
hand. for It sounded no louder than tbs
others.
BY dawn we'd got all the wire up ana
a three-foot trench. and BY the NEXT
dawn we'd got real disable trench, after
q much quieter night The next night
we were relieved by another battal1ou
and left them the interesting task Of
holding the new line. which aftsyWar1
became very warm indeed. we werW
lucky In that way all the tiDe-ths
luckiest Of the brigade BY . long way.
Well, we had short rest than Q couple
then trekked back to the vtllaea. 0tAyed
there two weelEs. training and prepo8anO
for the move. That's the story.