TheCompleteMemoirsOfGeorgeSherston

head against my shoulder. We remained like this
until my luminous watch indicated twenty past two.
Then a runner arrived with a verbal message. "C
Company bombers to go up at once." With a dozen
men behind me I followed him through Bottom
Wood. Darkness was giving way to unrevealing twi-
light as we emerged from the trees and went up a
shell-pitted slope. It was about 500 yards across the
open to the newly captured Quadrangle Trench.
Just before we got there a second runner overtook us
to say that my bombers were to go back again. I
sent them back. I cannot say why I went on myself;
but I did, and Kendle stayed with me.

There wasn't much wire in front of Quadrangle
Trench. I entered it at a strong point on the extreme
left and found three officers sitting on the fire-step
with hunched shoulders and glum unenterprising
faces. Two others had gone away wounded. I was
told that Edmunds, the Battalion Observation
Officer had gone down to explain the situation to
Kinjack; we were in touch with the Northumberland
Fusiliers on our left. Nevertheless I felt that there
must be something to be done. Exploring to the
right I found young Fernby, whose demeanour was a
contrast to the apathetic trio in the sand-bagged
strong-point. Fernby had only been out from Eng-
land a few weeks but he appeared quite at home in
his new surroundings. His face showed that he was
exulting in the fact that he didn't feel afraid. He told
me that no one knew what had happened on our
right; the Royal Irish were believed to have failed.
We went along the trench which was less than waist

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