Since our purpose was a "peaceful" one in this sector, we could see no
value in inviting the enemy to indulge in artillery and M.G. target
practice on us, so we lay "doggo" during the day. Everything had to be
done at night, and runners to the companies found this their busiest
time, wading thigh-deep through stretches of water, and picking their
way amongst innumerable shell holes in search of Company Headquarters.
This front also lent itself to heavy trench-mortar work by the Hun, and
"minnies" were constantly stealing over with evil intent to batter down
our flimsy breastworks. Battalion H.Q. and the signallers will probably
not easily forget the morning when they found themselves the objective
in this kind of work. One shot dropped plumb on the H.Q. concrete
shelter, half removing the roof and scattering the contents of the
orderly room in a disrespectful manner, whilst the next one pushed in
the signaller's dug-out, wounding L.-Cpl. Wild. It was the sang-froid of
a/R.S.M. Clough on this occasion, coupled with his sound work generally
in the line, which earned for him the Belgian Croix de Guerre.
Although the casualties were nothing like so numerous, still our men
agreed that for general conditions they preferred the Ypres sector to
this, and it certainly was a most depressing spot. One of the great
troubles was the number of canals, which, owing to the destruction of
the dams and locks, etc., were now affected by the tides, causing them
to overflow and flood our defensive works.
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