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Alma Russell Letters

Letters of British Columbia men on active service with Canadian and British Expeditionary Forces, 1914-1918. Learn more.

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BC Archives MS-1901

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- 5 -

fire step.

We were remarking how quiet and still the line was — there was something in the air we all said and we didn’t like it. The germans were ‘windy’ and the long silvery thread with its bursting flare could be seen for many miles. Many miles away an intense bombardment (which had been going on for some days) could be heard, the air vibrating with the sound. On the left of our Battalion was a certain East Anglican regiment; 13th. Platoon was extreme left of our Battalion, so our boys were only a few yards from the English lads, who were also ‘standing to’ all night. At midnight their Battalion was sending out a large bombing party to storm the german trenches and bring back prisoners etc., So we were all ready for a fairly warm time; about 10 p.m. suddenly away on our right the german trenches started a terrific bombardment, then our artillery started and then the duel began to extend towards us. It lasted until about 11.30 pm. and began to extend towards us. It lasted until about 11.30 pm. and then things quietened down. I was on the parapet at midnight when the bombing party of the British went over the top. I could see nothing until suddenly about a dozen red flashes rent the darkness and two seconds later the concussion of bombs shook the air.

Instantly a hundred lights went up and then a hell on earth started. The germans must have been anticipating the raid and their artillery men all ‘standing to’ their guns, for almost within 10 seconds of the bombs exploding such an inferno of artillery fire opened as you can’t conceive. How Johnson and I escaped I don’t know for a shrapnel shell burst just above our heads in a sheet of flame, Johnson was bruised but I escaped untouched. There were no dugouts or shelters of any description so all we could do was to crouch in the trench with fixed bayonets and rifle loaded. Great heavy coalboxes exploded around us shaking the earth and almost covering us with earth and debris and the shriek or scream of shrapnel and whiz-bangs almost drowned the bombs and machine guns. On our right the British artillery opened up and the germans replied. On account of the British storming party in the german trenches our artillery, or our left and at our back, was unable to start until at a certain signal.

The English regiment on our left now sent up red rockets for the artillery to open. Of the two german machine guns which had started like mad, one was silenced. Our boys were doing well for in a few seconds the other gun we heard put out of action. The battle was now raging all along the line; the British artillery in response to the “S.O.S.” of our firing line, opened up with such a hirricane of shells as I’ve never seen in all my days. The whole battle line was now lit up bright as day with the flares and starshells the germans were putting up. It was absolute Hell on earth, no pen on earth could do justice to the scene. The roar of artillery, the ear splitting crash of hugh shells, machine guns going 600 to the minute, shrapnel bursting over our firing line with a scream into a sheet of flame, the hiss of flying projectiles through the air. All Hell was let loose. The concussion of the huge British Syddite shells was terrific; the smoke was now so dense that the fumes of bursting shells became choking. I thought for a brief space the germans were putting over gas. Better

BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 5 / RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873 - 1964. Victoria; librarian. / Letters and associated items from Private Jack A. Gunn, 1915 - 1916.

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