“A.—­I think I could write a small book on dug-outs, then leave much unwritten.  Let me describe two I have actually been in.  My first was on Hill 60.  It was a little sand-bag one that stood 3 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 5 feet long.  This was shared by eleven of us, who had to take it in turns to sleep.  This is the usual type of front-line dug-out.  In most cases they are large enough to squeeze all men off duty into them, but of course shells and wet cause them to smash up at times.

“Another dug-out I have been in was some 20 feet deep with iron bars supporting the roof, and capable of holding one hundred men.  This was not in the trenches.  It had sticks some 3 feet high, with wire stretched right across, making eight beds.  However, I always prefer the ground; the wire beds are narrow and not long enough for me.  I’m over 6 feet.

     “Q.  No. 3.—­Do you stay in trenches forty-eight hours
     without ever taking off your boots or resting, and how do
     you get your food up, etc., if you are on duty all the time?

“A.—­When in the firing line a soldier never takes off his boots, clothes, or equipment except for one thing, that is to grease the feet with an anti-frostbite preparation.  As for rest, you can see that with one man in three on look-out, you get a little rest, at least six hours, which I found enough.  When in a big attack you are of course scrapping all the time.

“Rations are carried up by other men who are either on rest or in reserve.  As a matter of fact when on rest you are seldom more than three miles away.  The rations are carried up in sacks by limbers as far as the transport can take them—­it varies according to the level of the ground and activities.  These limbers are met by ration parties who carry two sacks each, right up to the trenches.  Every sack is marked ‘D’ for company, ‘15’ for platoon, and so we always get them.  We carry an emergency ration of biscuits, bully beef, and tea and sugar in case of accidents.  I have only once found it necessary to use mine.

     “Q.  No. 4.—­In the battles you have been in, did you come
     face to face with the Huns, or just shoot at range?

“A.—­Yes, once when we were driving them back, and once when they were advancing.  Apart from that it has been shooting when a head shows.  The nearest I’ve been in a trench to the Hun was 15 yards, but most of them range from 60 to 150 yards.  You see we are a rifle regiment and so do not do many charges, but occupy places for sniping, and relieve the line regiment after it has charged, and by the rifle fire keep the Hun from counter-attacking.

     “Q.  No. 5.—­How do you get posts—­are carriers in danger?

     “A.—­The letters are put in the ration sacks.  The party
     often get some killed or wounded.