In our platoon was a very tall chap who was always causing us great
amusement because of his height. Naturally he showed his head above the
parapet more often than the rest of us, and whenever he did so _ping_
would come a bullet from a sniper and down our tall chum would drop in
an indescribably funny acrobatic fashion.
The climax came at Delville Wood in August 1916, when, taking over the
line, we found the trench knocked about in a way that made it most
uncomfortable for all of us. Here our tall friend had to resort to his
acrobatics more than ever: at times he would crawl on all fours to
"dodge 'em." One shot, however, caused him to dive down more quickly
than usual--right into a sump hole in the trench.
Recovering himself, he turned to us and, with an expression of
unutterable disgust, exclaimed, "You blokes can laugh; anybody 'ud fink
I was the only blighter in this war."--_C. Bragg (late Rifle Brigade,
14th Division), 61 Hinton Road, Herne Hill, S.E.24._