Letters from John Hardie to his family, 1917-1918 - Part 3

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of the contents. Some of the other lads weren't
so lucky, for several were wounded and
a few paid the supreme sacrifice.
After things quietened down we were marched
into a wood on the left of the Village where
we stopped untill One Oclock. here we made
little cuby houses out of our waterproof sheets
to crouch in as the rain was absolutely pouring
down. Still most of the lads were quite cheerful
and were singing the usual songs. "Oh its a lovely,
War" "Australia will be there" and "Keep the
home fires burning". This was on Easter Saturday
At One Oclock the Colonel lined us up and
gave us a lecture and laid on plenty of soft soap
We were to hunt the enemy out of Hangard wood
and capture the village on the other side and
on B Company would defend whether the
assault would prove a success of a failure
I afterwards found out that B. Company were
to attack on a three hundred yard front in
open country and draw the enemy fire while
while the other three Company's sneaked
onto the enemy position through the wood.
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When the Colonel had finished telling us to
play the game as men of the 33^rd always did
The bugle sounded the fall in. and the march
began towards the battle line or rather to the place where we
imagined Firitz to be never shal I forget that march
you see there was absolutely no Infantry facing
the enemy here. The 10^th Hussars were just patroling
in front of him and having an occasional shot
with their 13 pounders.
Never shall I forget that march. the Battalion
was in column of threes and alongside was
a square of Cavalry, ^about 400 strong. It was a sight
I had often read about but never expected to ever
see. one thing I would like to know what
poor old Firitz thought when he first caught
sight of us. for it must have scared him a bit.
Well we progressed in this fashion, for about
four miles in open country. before the first having a
shot ^was fired at us. instantly we were given
the order. x open formation, and immediately
afterwards skirmishing order. The Cavalry
skidaddled and took shelter behind a clump of
timber, but they fared rather badly there about 

28
five minutes later. from shell fire.
By this time we were about thirteen hundred
yards away from what seemed to be the
main position.
B Company was on the left of the ^wood and
A.C.D. were to advance through it.”
The boys started to fall and little gaps were
made in the advancing line, slowly at
first, but quicker, and quicker as we got closer.
Very early in the fray our Company Commander
Mr Pockley fell.
He came from the North Sydney, and I believe
knew Lieut Southwell in Dubbo camp and he
also was Provost Marchal on board the
"Anchises" during the trip I was on board.
Well we kept advancing by short rushes
and of course were loosing men every yard
I couldn't help noticing the little puffs of steam
the red hot bullets sent up on striking the sodden
wheat fields sometimes they were all round
me, other times just in front. my mates fell
on either side, and I expected my turn any
moment, but felt quite as though it was 

29
it was no concern of mine what happened.
by the time the line had advaced to a position

about three hundred yards in front of the enemy
there was about twelve men left one Sergent, one
Corporal, and a Lance Corporal, out of a
Company which had been over strength.
All our Lewis guns were out of action, and the
rifles were jambing through over heating and
dirt. mine was that hot I could hardly hold
it.  Our casualities had been dreadfully heavy
but the precentage of killed was very light.
The Sergent said we could do more good by
stoping where we were now and by firing at
everything that showed, and let the other 

Companies push home the attack, which they did
but only got the front line trenches.
Well we stopped in that position in the
sodden wheat fields until dark. (as we were
cut off from the rest of the Unit.) and
then sent word back to H.Q. of the plight
the remnants of B. Company were in.
It appears the Tommies were to come up behind
and reinforce us, but never got any closer than 

30
the ridge we started from.
Once I saw them appear on the skyline. and sent
the glad news along a new yell to the boys on my right, but our hopes
were short lived, as a few huns bullets stopped their
advance.
About eight Oclock that night the 34^th Battalion
came up and I don’t think there ever was a more
pleasing sight. They were in close formation
and in the dark there looked to be thousands
of them. You can imagine the surprise that
Fritz would get. for they were on top of his
trenches before he knew what was doing.
I don't think he fired fifty bullets altogether
 and but the 34^th used nothing but the bayonet
and I'm afraid they were rather merciless
as they advanced half a mile beyond the second
line without taking any prisoners.
In comming up they had passed over the
ground that our Company did earlier in the day
and what they saw had the same effect
that a red rag would have on a bull.
Anyway after commonsense again returned
they fell back back to where we were 

31
and every Tom, Dick and Harry, set to work
to dig trenches, and I can assure you that
it was no light undertaking, especially
as we had nothing better than our entrenching
tools, which are as usefull as a tablespoon.
I happened to notice a shovel lying in a
field during the attack, and after dark I soon
found it. but the Corporal and myself
had a hard job to keep it.
One of the 34^th Company Commanders
heard of it. and send an orderly alone to
get possession as he wanted to make a
dugout. I wouldn't like to write what we
said but anyway the orderly only
received our compliments to take back
to his Officer. I don’t know if he delivered
our message but we managed to keep
our shovel. Of course we were quite justified
as we were making a position for our
Lewis gun. All the time the trench digging
was going on different ones of us took it in
turns to prowl round in front. I happened
to drop across a chap sitting behind a 

32
mound. and thinking he was asleep I gave
him a poke, ^to wake him but it was the poor fellows last
sleep. On having a good look at him
I could see he was a jock and must have
been acting as sentry, when killed
A little later on two Officers and a private
went out and we heard a German Sentry
challenge them there was a couple of shots
and a scream. but all our men came back.
alright. About midnight we got warning
to prepare for an enemy counter attack.
and about five minute later we could
see in the dim light a great mass of
men on the skyline about three hundred
yards away. Every machine gun and
rifle opened up a murderous fire. and
needless to say we were left in peace
to strengthen the position.
We could not have picked a better posie for
our trenches, as the gully dropped straight
behind with a wood for a background
and Fritz couldn't move without being
seen. About two Oclock in the morning 

33
we were relieved by a Battalion of Tommies.
and moved back carrying the wounded
that were left. to the nearest dressing
station. I happened to be one of four who
carried a mate with a broken leg, about a
mile. The poor fellow never whimpered. and
we must have hurt him at times for
we were stumbling and slipping all the time
you can imagine how tired we were as
for several days we hadn't had a decent
sleep and then the stunt on top of it
all just crowned things.
At daylight we arrived back at "Cachy" on
Easter Sunday ^March 31^st, and were met in the main
street by Mr. Dorney our Platoon Officer who
hadn't been in the stunt.
I don't think I ever sxxxxxan He broke

down completely on learning that we 
represented the total strength of B. Company
No doubt we must have looked a miserable
and disreputable push for we could hardly
drag one foot after another and it was
impossible for any more mud to cling to 

34
our clothes (or rather rags.)
Anyway  Mr Dorney had the billy boiling
and also our beds made. So after having
a drink and a bit of a snack we turned
in and slept like logs. I woke up at
sunrise on Easter Monday April 1^st ! exactly
twenty four hours later.
After breakfast our billets were shelled and
several men were hit including two more
of my Company. Our Officer gave the order
to take to the open immediately the first
shell came shrieking over. but several of us
disobeyed, as it was mostly shrapnell, and
it was the men amongst those who
obeyed that the casualities occured.
After things quietened we got prowling about
same as usual and found a French Flag
which ^after a long con fab was tired to the gable of a house
in the main street.
I found a gas mask which was stuffed
with loot from a jewlers shop. which I
consigned to the roadway. As ^a new gas mask
was what I was looking for as for mine 

35
was put out of action during the hop over.
it is wonderful what some fellows will do,
even while death is hovering about some of
them will steal.
On Tuesday morning April 2^nd a few Reinforcements
arrived and during the day B. Company was
formed into a Lewis gun Platoon of Five teams
Everyone, especially the new recruits, were
drilled, and lectured, for another assult
which the authorities expected Fritse to

make during the next day or so.
Just about Sundown our guns opened up
and poured a murderous fire into a valley
about four miles away. I think our troops
were more surprised than Fritz as we
didn't know that there were one quarter of
those guns about. The whole valley they
were firing into ^seemed to be just like a monster
bush fire, with the great cloud of smoke
floating about
After dark we marched out to a large
town on top of the ridges, which is called
Villers-Bretonneux where we billited for the 

36
night in a chemist’s shop.
The next morning the 3^rd of April a guard
was picked from my company in which
I was included for the purpose of guarding
a large building containing food of
every description, and also many different
kinds of tangle foot. We had a very trying
day as far a patience was concerned 
as all day long the boose artists were
trying to sneak in, and of course we didn’t
like want to shoot as we were instructed
These men belonged to all the different
units both Imperial and Australian
in that sector.
All day long the enemy shells were
sailing into the town and spreading
destruction all around. A Major was
killed right alongside the gate we were
on duty at. and in the thickest of
the bombardment an old lady of about
eighty years of age- went by carrying
a bundle about as large as that
which the Indian Hawkers used to 

37
carry through the country at home.
She was the last inhabitant to leave
Villers Bretonneux and seemed quite
cheerful as she hobbled along that
shell torn road towards Amiens.
Towards evening I was speaking
to a member of the Army Service Corps
who volunteered to take some letters of mine
and try and get them posted
You see we hadn’t been able to send
any letters during our travells and I
knew how anxious the people in.
Scotland would be knowing what was on
and also that I had rejoined my unit.
About ten minutes after the lad took
my letters. I was relieved to go and get
tea and walking into the building
passed some remark to the Corporal
(Tommy Polson.) about  the pleasures
of a Soldiers life for on the floor was
some roast pork, manny kinds of tinned
vegetables and a couple of empty
schampaygne bottles. for which my two 

38
mates were responsible.
We were both laughing when a shell
burst through the skylight
|To me it seemed as though someone
|had tipped a truckload of coal, over us.
|Tommy died with a laugh on his lips
|and also another chap standing near
|and of course at first I thought I was
|hit in a dozen places.
|It is wonderful how many different
thoughts will race through the brain
in such a small fraction of time
Thoughts about home and whether
a person is too badly hurt to recover
fear is absolutely absent -
|After a moment I recovered sufficiently 
|to get on my feet and was trying
|to remember where the door was, when
|through the smoke appeared one of the
|guard off the main gate. who said
|something about getting out of the place
just then over came another shell
and he bolted leaving us to our fate 

39
One glance at the Corporal and the
other chap was sufficent, the floor
was torn to splinters all round me
and to this day I can't imagine how
I escaped alive.)
I felt no pain and after I could see the
way out made a dive for the street.
but after going about thirty yards
the cobble stones seemed to float
up to me.
It wasn’t long bfore four stretcher
bearers came along. I scarcely remember
what I said to them but afterwards
found out that I complained about
getting a brand new uniform)
ruined. They seemed to be quite
amused at how I took it but as
I said before pain was absent
entirely. They carried me round to
the dressing station where a lot more
wounded were collected in a cellar.
About midnight I was put in a motor
Ambulance with another chap 

40
and was begining to think I couldn't
stand any more as my wounds now
seemed to be on fire. Often since have
I wondered how I lived through that
fifteen mile ride. 

[*PROOS19
Australian
War Memorial*]

Northampton
October 30^th 1917
Dear Everybody
Just a few lines to
tell you I am now in England and
getting on alright. I am still in hospital
but the wound has healed up- in fact
I was alright a week after I got hit.
I would never have got across here
if it hadn't been for one of the
nurses in our wards who was an
Australian She used to do her best
to get all the Aussies across.
There seems to be a great difference
between our nurses and the others.
Of course they are all very kind, but
I would rather be in an Australian
Hospital at any time.
Well I think I will now tell you
something about the place we were
fighting in, as we are free from the
censor now. The first time we went
into the line was on Sept. 29^th, on
the  Zonnebike Ypres side of Zonnebike
Village on rather where it used to be
Today there is'nt even a heap of bricks