Hi Folks, I'm here again to tell you of this weeks exploits. Apologies to those of you who expect my normal Monday posting. Like everything else in this war timing has gone a little bit astray. Anyway chums here's the latest news.
There's been a big scare in the tunnel. Whilst digging away at the front of the tunnel face the men could hear other noises coming from the side of the tunnel. All digging was stopped to try to work out what was happening. Nothing further was heard so the tunnelling was started up again. There was a big fear that the tunnel was going to cave in. Anyway nothing further was heard so the men started up again.
This was yesterday and later in the day when the engineers had retired for the evening we were manning the front line houses when we heard the noises again. By a means of searching and listening we could hear the noises the loudest in the front right hand side of the first house. It then dawned on us that is wasn't settlement or movement, or a tunnel about to collapse. It was the Hun digging there own tunnel!
We sent for the engineers and they came with some listening devices. They went down the mine to the end of the tunnel and came back a bit ashen faced. It was the Hun and he was digging under our houses and obviously ad the objective of blowing us to kingdom come.
Well folks that was it, the shout went out and it was all men to the pumps or spades I should say. It was decided that the current length of the tunnel was as far as we could go. The Hun could be set to blow us at any time, we had to beat him to it.
So, starting last night and all today the engineers and every spare man available has been constructing a chamber at the end of the tunnel and today its been a case of packing it full of dynamite. Box after box has been carried down and as each minute has gone by the situation has got worse. Our tunnel is getting full of dynamite and probably the Huns is, who's is going to go off first and depending on proximity will they both go off! Not a pretty good position to be in!
As I previously stated in last weeks post, the most of this work is being organised by the 7th Company of Field Engineers with the South Lancs Territorials and some of the Monmouthshire Regiment doing all the work. Boy are those lads brave. I thought it bad enough working down the pits in Blighty but here where you are carrying dynamite in instead of coal out, well it doesn't bear thinking about.
I've managed to get a few diagrams of the Tunnel construction. This first diagram shows the tunnel entrance. As you can see it starts by a slight downward slop to the shaft head and then a vertical shaft down to the gallery. There is then the tunnel stretching out under no man's land.
The sides are lined with timber boards and there is some wooden bogeys running on steel rails. Every thing is shifted by hand down the mine. and then hauled up to the surface by hand cranking. I can tell you this is exhaustive work, I know because I've done some time at the shaft top.
At the tunnel face the digging is all done by hand. As you can see from this second diagram the usual way is for the tuneller to lay on his back and dig into the tunnel face with a spade. The spoil is then bagged and placed on the bogey.
The tunnel face work is usual done by a team of three; one digging, one bagging and one bogeying. After a couple of feet is dug out, the tunnel is shored up with more barding and the tunneller moves forward.
Well chums, whilst the laying down of dynamite has been going on, yours truly has been up in the front line and in the houses on guard. If the Hun blows his mine first then he will probably mount an attack. We need to be ready to repulse him. We are positioned in the Snipers house, this is set back from the two front line houses but near enough to feel the brunt of the Huns explosion if it goes off. We have a stokes mortar with us. We'll use this to lay down some rapid fire if the Hun decides to attack after blowing his mine. I can tell you everyone is on tenter hooks here.
As to other matters we've had some more injuries, on the 2nd of April 2nd Lt Wells and four men were wounded in the trenches, the dastardly Hun rifle grenades had done their deed again. By all accounts Lt Wells will be back from the Hospital to take p his duties in a weeks time.
We left the Trenches on the evening of the 2nd and spent four days in billets. This was a quiet time regarding the war, there was some shelling but nothing more than usual. We had a rip-roaring time in the estaminets and enjoyed some inter regiment football. But coming back into the trenches yesterday our time has been totally taken up with the laying of the mine, and the readiness to repulse the Hun.
We've had a few more men join us, 2nd Lt Greaves and Hartley joined. With the gradual loss of men to injury and sickness we are just above our full compliment of men. If the Hun blows his mine we'll be down quite a few!
We'll chums I bid you good evening. Whilst your tucked up in bed tonight think of me, Albert on guard to repulse the Hun or be blown up and sent to meet my maker. I can tell you I've been in a few near misses so far but sat here on a ticking bomb I definitely feel vulnerable and extremely fragile. So chums if you don't hear from me again I wish you well. If we beat the Hun and blow our mine first I'll send an immediate post.
Hoping to write to you soon,
Albert x
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