72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

BAPTISM OF FIRE.men forgot, to some extent, the misery of their surroundings and entered into the spirit of the sport. This theHun by no means emulated. It forced him irresistibly intohis submerged communication trenches, slowed up hiswhole machinery, and ruined his temper and morale. Asone of our men remarked during the first day of the tour :"You could see the splash when old Fritzie jumped in."Clearing the wounded was a herculean task. The connarrow dimensions, madedition of the trenches and theirit impossible to evacuate casualties through them, and inconsequence, stretchers had to be carried over the top, indaylight, under the very doubtful protection of a RedCross flag. In general the Boche respected it, but occasionally he did not. Uncertainty, therefore, added to thenervous strain under which the stretcher-bearers worked.After a seven-day tour in the trenches the Battalionwas relieved by the 78th Winnipeg Grenadiers, and movedback to bivouacs erected at the Chalk pits near Pozieres.Never in the history of the 72nd was the Quartermaster shot soup and rum so heartily appreciated as on this occasion. The men, completely "done up"after seven days ofalmost incredible exposure and hardship, rolled into theirmuddy and "bivvies" fell asleep without the slightestdelay.On the following day the Battalion moved back toBouzincourt, about two and a half miles north-west ofAlbert, into better billets.On November llth the Battalion moved up again andtook over practically the same dispositions as before. Thistour lasted only 48 hours. During the first night "C"Company, in support, dug Seaforth trench, parallel to andabout 200 yards behind Regina. During the last day ofthis tour, sudden orders were received to make an attackon the Horseshoe of Desire trench the German front line.After some hours of hurried preparation, this order wascancelled. The Battalion was relieved the same night,moving back again to Bouzincourt. During this rest the29