Sketch from Stormy Trench

Panoramic, reconnaissance sketch of Bapaume on the Western Front from Stormy Trench, near Gueudecourt, Northern France. Clusters of trees appear on the hills in the background. Benson recounts the reconnaissance from which this drawing came: "Went with Major Pybus of the 43rd and Colonel Waite to Stormy Trench today. Rather cloudy but managed to at last get sketch showing Bapaume which Rosy so badly wants. The Bosche [sic] apparently saw the party in the trench (Pybus was firing the Battery while I made the drawing) as he put across a few Salvos. Got his bracket in the first two shots - a lovely plus & minus - and beautiful for line. So we scrambled along the trench about 20 yds The only way was to get along close against the face because the mud was slightly firmer there than the diggers trampling along it. In the middle twas just ditch mud & slime to the waist - I'd been there - after the firing ceased. I found that I'd been supporting myself against the side by clinging on to a hand that was sticking out of the trench - evidently a boy's because it was so shapely - I 'shook hands' with it and went back and finished the drawing - got back about 6."