which I carried in my left breast pocket, but didn't penetrate thru a thick package of letters underneath. I was knocked down, & almost lost consciousness. By this time the Germans had put up a terrific counter barrage & I was caught in the open. I dove headlong into a small shell hole, just made, & lay there wonder- ing how long it would be before I went west. Shells were exploding all around me but I was hit only by chunks of flying dirt. I realized that my chances of living thru a barrage in that small shell hole were very slender, so muttering a half forgotten prayer I ran hell bent for election to a trench some few hundred yds. distant. I never expected to reach it alive, but somehow none of the shells & bullets whistling by my head never touched me. I dove into the trench & with my shovel dug deeper for more protection. When the barrage lifted, the men in my platoon were ordered to the rear as we were of no further use with a wrecked gun. But I saw our tanks crawling into action, firing as they advanced, & stayed on the battlefield to watch them. Following the tanks came the Australians, smoking & walking calmly forward. Suddenly the tanks ran over a mine field & were blown up. The explosion was terrific, & the men inside were all killed or burned alive.