I saw some of the effects of turpinite, the wonderful French explosive,
used in this war for the first time. I saw a trench full of dead
Germans killed by it. They were standing right up in the trenches
looking as though they were still alive: _Pte. Thompson, 2nd Dragoon
Guards_.
Took Off the Roof!
I was standing within 50 yards of a house one day when a shell came
and took the roof clean off; you could see the cups on the table quite
plain; a clean sweep. I counted about thirty shells drop around us the
same day in half an hour; we had only two horses and a man shot: _Tpr.
C. McCarthy, 4th Hussars_.
Lancashire!
Fellows were being knocked out all round, and wounded were crying
for help. Frequently one would say to his neighbour, “Bill, how’s ta
gettin’ on?” but Bill, who had been as cheery as a cricket just before,
was found to be picked off. Our ranks were so thinned that by the time
we got within charging distance of the enemy’s trenches we had not
sufficient men left for the charge: _Pte. Harvey, North Lancashire
Regiment_.
Up Aloft!
All our troops blamed the German aeroplanes for the heavy loss which
we sustained. It did not matter where we went to try and get an hour’s
sleep, there would be an aeroplane over us. The Germans dropped a
little disc--a sort of long tape--from their aeroplanes, about twenty
yards in front of our trenches, and shortly after the Germans would
start shelling us. I think it is mostly the aeroplanes which enable
them to get our range so accurately as they do: _A Private of the
Manchester Regiment_.