Sample passage

“On Friday 7 May [1915], George Oswald Mitchell [G.O.M., pictured right]  moved up with his platoon to take over an advanced outpost known from its shape as ‘The Duck’s Bill’. The normal trench system consisted of a front line trench with a similar support or reserve trench some distance to the rear. At right angles between the two ran communications trenches that allowed troops and supplies to be moved in both directions. All trenches were dug in irregular zigzags. However, the Duck’s Bill projected out from the front of the British first line trench into No Man’s Land. To G.O.M. it was ‘Hell Fire Circus’, an exposed position surrounded on three sides by German trenches as little as ninety yards away. It was the most dangerous spot in the Neuve Chapelle sector – ‘The hottest place I was ever in or want to be in – fire from three sides. Latrines under fire.’ Tension was aggravated by the general belief that in the Duck’s Bill they were crouching on top of a network of enemy tunnels and that the whole place might be blown up by mines at any moment. Also, G.O.M. and his comrades experienced for the first time bombardment by trench mortars. These were short range, high angle weapons firing small shells from the German front line trenches. They could be heard to go ‘plop’ when fired, sending the West Yorkshires scurrying for any cover they could find before the shells exploded …

In the Duck’s Bill outpost, G.O.M. heard a ‘Terrific bombardment [which] opened at 5 am till 6 am. Violent artillery fire also infantry fire.’ British troops were attacking at Fromelles on the left flank and Festubert on the immediate right. ‘We were ready to go over in case attack succeeded.’ However, it did not. One of the reasons was that the arrangements for the attack were not kept secret and were widely known not only among the troops but also by the French civilian population. The Germans were fully aware of and prepared for the impending attack. Indeed, on the previous day, in full view of the British front line, they had posted huge notices in front of their trenches with the words ‘YOUR ATTACK POSTPONED UNTIL TOMORROW.’”