The Great Push

the

only ye

rades mar

covered up

rades thes

re will t

ne at Nouex

difice was an enchanted Fairyland, a poem of striking contrasts in light and shade. I peered over the top. The air blazed with star-shells, and Loos in front stood out like a splendid dawn. A row of impassive faces, sleep-hea

augh at Ypres at dawn may be told on sentry-go at Souchez by dusk, and the laugh which accompanies it ripples through the long, deep trenches of Cuinchy, the b

across the levels in front; a light shrapnel shell burst, and its smoke quivered in the radiant light of the star-shells. Showers and sparks f

a football under his arm. "What are

ith a laugh. "We're going to kick

d. "What are our chances

out four o'clock now," he added, paused and became thoughtfu

united in one grand concert of fury. The orchestra of war swelled in an incessant fanfare of dizzy harmony. Floating, stuttering, whistling, screaming and thundering the clamorous voices belched into a rich gamut of passion which shook the grey heavens. The sharp, zigzagging sounds of high velocity shells cut through the pandemonium like forked lightning, and far away, as

ke tea now," he said, fumbling with his mess-tin.[69] "We'll soon have to get

in hospita

en wounded in the charge. The three boys were ordered to go further back to be out o

Pat," he said with a strange catch in his

A shrapnel shell burst overhead and the man in front of me fell. I bent to lift him, but he stumbled to his feet. The concussion had knocked him down; he was little the worse for his accident, but he felt a bit shaken. The other stretcher-bearer was bleeding at the cheek and temple, and[70] I took him back to a sound dug-out and dressed his wound. He was in great pain, but very brave, and when another stricken boy came in he set about

n Irish lead on to assembly trench." The assembly trench was in front, and there the scaling ladders were placed against the parapet, ready steps to death, as someone remarked. I had

ets ripped[71] the sandbags. The infantry fire was wild but of slight intensity. The enemy could not see the att

dier in front was clambering across. Suddenly he dropped backwards and bore me to the ground; the bullet caught him in the forehead. I got to my feet to find a stranger i

" I said t

m!" he a

wed by my comrade stretcher-bearer, I clambered u