In Flanders Fields And Other Poems [13]
right and left;
but it is equally part and parcel of the whole game; this eight mile front
is constantly heavily engaged. At intervals, too, they bombard Ypres.
Our back lines, too, have to be constantly shifted on account of shell fire,
and we have desultory but constant losses there. In the evening
rifle fire gets more frequent, and bullets are constantly singing over us.
Some of them are probably ricochets, for we are 1800 yards, or nearly,
from the nearest German trench.
Thursday, April 29th, 1915.
This morning our billet was hit. We fire less these days,
but still a good deal. There was a heavy French attack on our left.
The "gas" attacks can be seen from here. The yellow cloud rising up
is for us a signal to open, and we do. The wind is from our side to-day,
and a good thing it is. Several days ago during the firing
a big Oxford-grey dog, with beautiful brown eyes, came to us in a panic.
He ran to me, and pressed his head HARD against my leg.
So I got him a safe place and he sticks by us. We call him Fleabag,
for he looks like it.
This night they shelled us again heavily for some hours --
the same shorts, hits, overs on percussion, and great yellow-green air bursts.
One feels awfully irritated by the constant din -- a mixture of anger
and apprehension.
Friday, April 30th, 1915.
Thick mist this morning, and relative quietness; but before it cleared
the Germans started again to shell us. At 10 it cleared,
and from 10 to 2 we fired constantly. The French advanced,
and took some ground on our left front and a batch of prisoners.
This was at a place we call Twin Farms. Our men looked curiously
at the Boches as they were marched through. Some better activity
in the afternoon by the Allies' aeroplanes. The German planes
have had it too much their way lately. Many of to-day's shells
have been very large -- 10 or 12 inch; a lot of tremendous holes
dug in the fields just behind us.
Saturday, May 1st, 1915.
May day! Heavy bombardment at intervals through the day.
Another heavy artillery preparation at 3.25, but no French advance.
We fail to understand why, but orders go. We suffered somewhat
during the day. Through the evening and night heavy firing at intervals.
Sunday, May 2nd, 1915.
Heavy gunfire again this morning. Lieut. H---- was killed at the guns.
His diary's last words were, "It has quieted a little and I shall try
to get a good sleep." I said the Committal Service over him,
as well as I could from memory. A soldier's death!
Batteries again registering barrages or barriers of fire at set ranges.
At 3 the Germans attacked, preceded by gas clouds. Fighting went on
for an hour and a half, during which their guns hammered heavily
with some loss to us. The French lines are very uneasy,
and we are correspondingly anxious. The infantry fire was very heavy,
and we fired incessantly, keeping on into the night. Despite the heavy fire
I got asleep at 12, and slept until daylight which comes at 3.
Monday, May 3rd, 1915.
A clear morning, and the accursed German aeroplanes over our positions again.
They are usually fired at, but no luck. To-day a shell on our hill
dug out a cannon ball about six inches in diameter -- probably of Napoleon's
or earlier times -- heavily rusted. A German attack began,
but half an hour of artillery fire drove it back. Major ----, R.A.,
was up forward, and could see the German reserves. Our 4th was turned on:
first round 100 over; shortened and went into gunfire, and his report
was that the effect was perfect. The same occurred again in the evening,
and again at midnight. The Germans were reported to be constantly massing
for attack, and we as constantly "went to them". The German guns
shelled us as usual at intervals. This must get very tiresome to read;
but through it all, it must
but it is equally part and parcel of the whole game; this eight mile front
is constantly heavily engaged. At intervals, too, they bombard Ypres.
Our back lines, too, have to be constantly shifted on account of shell fire,
and we have desultory but constant losses there. In the evening
rifle fire gets more frequent, and bullets are constantly singing over us.
Some of them are probably ricochets, for we are 1800 yards, or nearly,
from the nearest German trench.
Thursday, April 29th, 1915.
This morning our billet was hit. We fire less these days,
but still a good deal. There was a heavy French attack on our left.
The "gas" attacks can be seen from here. The yellow cloud rising up
is for us a signal to open, and we do. The wind is from our side to-day,
and a good thing it is. Several days ago during the firing
a big Oxford-grey dog, with beautiful brown eyes, came to us in a panic.
He ran to me, and pressed his head HARD against my leg.
So I got him a safe place and he sticks by us. We call him Fleabag,
for he looks like it.
This night they shelled us again heavily for some hours --
the same shorts, hits, overs on percussion, and great yellow-green air bursts.
One feels awfully irritated by the constant din -- a mixture of anger
and apprehension.
Friday, April 30th, 1915.
Thick mist this morning, and relative quietness; but before it cleared
the Germans started again to shell us. At 10 it cleared,
and from 10 to 2 we fired constantly. The French advanced,
and took some ground on our left front and a batch of prisoners.
This was at a place we call Twin Farms. Our men looked curiously
at the Boches as they were marched through. Some better activity
in the afternoon by the Allies' aeroplanes. The German planes
have had it too much their way lately. Many of to-day's shells
have been very large -- 10 or 12 inch; a lot of tremendous holes
dug in the fields just behind us.
Saturday, May 1st, 1915.
May day! Heavy bombardment at intervals through the day.
Another heavy artillery preparation at 3.25, but no French advance.
We fail to understand why, but orders go. We suffered somewhat
during the day. Through the evening and night heavy firing at intervals.
Sunday, May 2nd, 1915.
Heavy gunfire again this morning. Lieut. H---- was killed at the guns.
His diary's last words were, "It has quieted a little and I shall try
to get a good sleep." I said the Committal Service over him,
as well as I could from memory. A soldier's death!
Batteries again registering barrages or barriers of fire at set ranges.
At 3 the Germans attacked, preceded by gas clouds. Fighting went on
for an hour and a half, during which their guns hammered heavily
with some loss to us. The French lines are very uneasy,
and we are correspondingly anxious. The infantry fire was very heavy,
and we fired incessantly, keeping on into the night. Despite the heavy fire
I got asleep at 12, and slept until daylight which comes at 3.
Monday, May 3rd, 1915.
A clear morning, and the accursed German aeroplanes over our positions again.
They are usually fired at, but no luck. To-day a shell on our hill
dug out a cannon ball about six inches in diameter -- probably of Napoleon's
or earlier times -- heavily rusted. A German attack began,
but half an hour of artillery fire drove it back. Major ----, R.A.,
was up forward, and could see the German reserves. Our 4th was turned on:
first round 100 over; shortened and went into gunfire, and his report
was that the effect was perfect. The same occurred again in the evening,
and again at midnight. The Germans were reported to be constantly massing
for attack, and we as constantly "went to them". The German guns
shelled us as usual at intervals. This must get very tiresome to read;
but through it all, it must