"I experienced the close bond and trust between my men. I felt the cold, endless rain and horrific mud, I heard the endless noise of shelling and gunfire, realising very quickly why our life expectancy was so short. When the Germans got word from their artillery gunners our trenches were going to be shelled, they would signal us and warn us, and us Brits did the same... General HQ would be pretty sick if they knew this, but I expect that if they were in our place, they would have done the same". - unknown officer, 3rd BN Northumberland Fusiliers, First Battle of Ypres, Belgium, October 1914 #ww1 #reality #stayzero #brutal