"Belgium 1915" Croix Marechal, forward of Fleurbaix - 18.1.15. To get down to the trenches, then without any communication trenches, one had to sprint across the field, seen through the archway, to the next farm with Bosche snipers busy all the way, then a final short spurt across a paddock to the trench. By the time one reached the last farm walls, the sniper was thoroughly warmed up to his job, and the odds of getting through to the trench were just about even. In the paddock adjoining this farmhouse, a month later, "O" Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, were wiped out. Annotated on back of picture - a typical Belgian & Northern French small homestead (Croix Marechal), forward of Fleurbaix, about 1300 yards from our trenches raked by the gunners as a gun position - "O" battery was practically "wiped out" here a month later. 18.1.15.
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