On the night before our big attack on July 1, 1916, on the Somme, eight
of us were in a dug-out getting a little rest. Jerry must have found
some extra shells for he was strafing pretty heavily.
Two Cockney pals from Stratford were busy down on their hands and knees
with some lighted grease and pieces of dry sandbag, trying to boil a
mess-tin of water to make some tea.
The water was nearly on the boil when Jerry dropped a "big 'un" right
into the side of our dug-out.
The smoke and dust had hardly cleared, when one of the Stratfordites
exclaimed, looking down at the overturned mess-tin, "Blimey, that's
caused it." Almost immediately his pal (lying on his back, his face
covered with blood and dirt, and his right hand clasped tightly)
answered: "'S'all right. I ain't put the tea and sugar in."--_J. Russ
(Cpl., late 6th Battn. Royal Berkshire Regt.), 309 Ilford Lane, Ilford,
Essex._