Heavy rain, during the evening had
converted these neglected trenches into veritable ditches of mud. A few
cubby holes had been constructed by the previous occupants, and filled
with mud though they were, our men dropped into them and fell fast
asleep. It was the first undisturbed sleep they had had for nearly a
week, a period which had seemed more like a month. During the afternoon
the battalion received orders to furnish a billeting party which had to
proceed to Gommecourt. Billeting--this was indeed bliss. They received a
rude shock on arrival however to find that the word was a misnomer. We
were to relieve the 15th Hampshires of the 41st division, who had just
been hurried back from Italy. They occupied trenches on the edge of
Gommecourt village in support to the front line, which was only about
400 yards away. The astonishment of the battalion on arrival about 3
a.m., on March 30th, when they found the nature of their new
headquarters, can be easily imagined. They were indeed "fed up"--back to
the old game, mucking about in a muddy trench, keeping a keen look-out
when on sentry (for owing to a gap in the front line a portion of our
position virtually was front line), and still shell dodging. We were
also becoming rather disreputable for the weather had broken, and mud
became the ruling element. In this manner, Easter Sunday was spent. But
there were cheering rumours about going back for recuperation, and these
kept our spirits up.
April 1st--All Fools Day--we might have known.
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