Report from the Front

# The major in a speech told us of what we had to prepare ourselves for. That the Germans would launch a great offensive. I treated it as a sort of scare. Really, I didn t think the attack would come off. Preparations to resist the attack were then commen

# The major in a speech told us of what we had to prepare ourselves for. That the Germans would launch a great offensive. I treated it as a sort of scare. Really, I didn't think the attack would come off.

Preparations to resist the attack were then commenced. Hundredweights of barb wire came up. For two days we were busy putting up barb wire entanglements. Two rows round the position and along the rail track.

Emplacements were ­prepared for the machine guns and firing trenches.

- February 19, 1918.

# In the afternoon we had a rat hunt. Hundreds were killed using cordite in the holes. Never have I seen so many rats. Many as huge as cats, and tame, too.

- February 21, 1918.