Letter from Corporal S Humphries

PR8218
From
Corporal S. Humphries
Late of Walgett, N.S.W now with the Cau Cout.
We are resting from the trenches again. We have Four
days in, and four out. This last time we were in, we
had not a single casuality.The trenches were the
best we have been in yet, with dugouts to sleep in
with shrapnel-proof roofs. The German trenches
were only 40 yards from ours in places. Our artillery
fire is very accurate, and it does us good to see the
sand-bags going sky high, off the German trenches
It is getting a bit of our own back. Improbable as
it may seem; as a rule the first line trenches, are much
safer to be in, than the reserve. The Germans mostly
shell the reserve trenches, particularly when an
attack is going on, so prevent reinforcements from
coming up. This last time our shells were bursting
right over our trenches, the shrapnel always
throws forward, and they had so get that far
back, To reach the Germans, so you can imagine
how close the lines were. One afternoon in particular,

our big guns just pounded the Germans parapets
to pieces, all that night the Germans were
trying to fix them up, but our boys just
poured in rapid fire all night, and I can assure
"Fritz" did not do much repairing. It is just fine
 

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to hear our big shells coming over and landing with
a terrific concussion on the barb wire and parapets
It is not so nice to hear the German's coming back
tho'. All our Ross rifles have been called in, and
we have now been issued with a short English
Lee-Enfield. We did not like the Ross at all, and the
second time we went to the trenches, I ditched mine
and picked up a Lee-Enfield, as did most of the
other boys. Some of the German rifles are very good
tho' some of them are rather old. There are several
improvements that are not on ours, but just the
same, I prefer the good little Lee -Enfield There
has been a great bombardment going on to the right
of where we are billeted almost continuously. There
is no doubt in my mind, we have the Germans
whipped, and it rest with the people in England
how long the war is going to last. We need
shells, the one great need seems to be shells,
shells, and more shells. Since I just entered
the firing line, we have been pushing the
Germans back slowly, but surely all along
our part of the line, and they have not advanced
an inch. It is good to feel, that one has a share
 

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in the driving back of the murderous and even if
it cost the extreme price, it would still be worth
while.
Frow:
Mr S. W. Humphries.
No. 17 Robert St.
Ashfield.
 

IF NOT CLAIMED WITHIN 7 DAYS PLEASE RE-ADDRESS T0
BOX 5O6 GENERAL POST OFFICE, SYDNEY.
Mr S.W. Humphries

17 Robert St

Ashfield