27009 Corporal Lou Don Anderson No. 1 Company 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders)
We have been in reserve trenches for four days and go-out tonight. Every regiment leaves four platoons behind its firing line ready for emergencies. We have dugouts to occupy and are surprisingly comfortable. Our trenches are dry and everyone is quite comfortable. The weather fortunately has been grand for nearly a week.
I have had an experience that I will remember for some time. We were detailed to go out on an engineering fatigue, to connect up two forts that were our defence at one point in our line. The enemy kept sniping at us and occasionally sent up brilliant flares which revealed us very distinctly: of course, when these go up if we are near the enemy we hug the ground for all we are worth. In a few minutes the enemy sent up a bunch of these flares and down the line rapid firers started; apparently a sentry had noticed something. This fire came up the line with lightening rapidity and in a few minutes we were un der terrific fire. We were without barrier between us and the German trenches. We hugged the ground and the lead passed safely overhead and no one was injured. When all was quiet, we continued our work and before long we were through a very substantial barricade was completed.
One would naturally think that the terrific shelling that goes on nearly all day would scare away the birds, but last night and early this morning (March 17) I heard beautiful songs of spring.