He himself, however, was also busy digging a sort of
outpost work in advance of the main line of defence, for he had held up
any further British advance principally from a bulwark of land mass
called the Knoll on the western side of the canal, while his main line
was really on the eastern side.
Because of the disjointed condition of the front there was always a
danger, when going from one company to another, of men wandering into
the Boche lines. This unfortunately did occur one night to a couple of
men of the 7th who had to make their way with L. G. ammunition from the
Quarry to the Diamond (a forward isolated redoubt) for they struck a
wrong direction and walked into a hail of enemy bullets. One was killed
and the other wounded. Pte. (afterwards L.-Cpl.) Summers and Pte. Johns
distinguished themselves on this occasion, for, realising what had
happened, they volunteered to go out and recover the men. After being
away for more than two hours, constantly sniped by an obviously-startled
enemy they found them and were able to bring back the wounded man.
Unfortunately this deed was not recognised by the higher authorities or
they would have been the first to have won distinction for the battalion
in France.
Little Priel Farm came in for a good deal of hatred by the Boche, and
the variations in its contour was a daily source of interest to the
troops in the vicinity. The battalion observers in the innocence of
their hearts and the zeal born of the new opportunities to put their
training into practice, selected the corner of the garden for an O.
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