Rev. Rupert Inglls 187 



The day of storm had flooded all this bit of country and made 

 the soil beneath a soft bog, in which men sank here and there 

 actually up to their armpits. Well might their hearts have 

 sunk when they began to flounder in this Slough of Despond in 

 front of the enemy's guns. But the Shropshire lads struggled 

 on. To prevent themselves from sinking they lay flat on the 

 maid and pushed themselves along with hands and knees, 

 throwing their rifles in front as they gained each yard, or using 

 them as poles to support them in the slime. A few fell into 

 shefl-craters and were drowned. Some were so caught and 

 stuck by the mud that they could not get free or move a yard. 

 Tlie assaulting companies all struggling like this lost touch with 

 one another in the darkness, but pressed forward independently 

 to their objectives. The men on the right, or as many as could 

 keep together, rushed the enemy's trenches at about half-past 

 one in the morning, and took possession of a portion of it in spite 

 of heavy rifle, grenade, and machine-gun fire from the enemy's 

 support trenches. Bombing parties worked up further and 

 established posts, but could find no sign of the men who had 

 advanced with them on the left. At first it seemed as if the 

 men here were alone in the enemy's lines, but later cheering was 

 heard, which showed that the centre of the assault had reached 

 the goal through the quagmire behind. Those Shropshire lads 

 in the centre had been through fire and water. As soon as they 

 left their position they became exposed to a hail of rifle bullets, 

 and their Captain fell wounded. Several men dropped. Through 

 the darkness came cries for help from men up to their waists in 

 shell-craters and badly hurt. But the others pressed on and 

 jumped into the trench. A few Germans attempted resistance 

 and were bayoneted or shot, and others fled. 



" The place was hardly a trench. It had been shefled out of 

 all shape, but very coolly and methodically the Shropshires 

 began to consolidate the shell-holes, and succeeded in building 

 some cover and digging in before the first gleam of dawn came 

 across the flood. A young officer with one Lewis gun and a 

 party of men attacked a point still held by the enemy and took 

 it without loss, having kifled all the Germans. At 5 a.m., 

 when the sky was lightening and there was a twitter of birds in 

 spite of all the guns, the enemy massed for a counter-attack by 

 a ruined cottage behind our old trench, which was now back in 



