Summary
Highlights
Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield discuss their hunger and the cancellation of their scheduled leave, indicating a sense of unease and a significant mission ahead. They express their disappointment at the lack of food and the unexpected turn of events.
Sergeant Hunter informs the soldiers that the 'big push' was delayed due to weather, and the Germans mysteriously withdrew. This withdrawal, however, is revealed to be a strategic move rather than a defeat, setting the stage for a new, dangerous scenario.
General Erinmore assigns Blake and Schofield a perilous mission. Blake's brother is among 1600 men in the Second Battalion of the Devonshires, led by Colonel Mackenzie, who are about to attack a newly established and heavily fortified German line. The existing communication lines are cut, making their task the only way to prevent a massacre.
Their orders are to deliver a direct command to Colonel Mackenzie to call off the attack at dawn. They are supplied with maps, torches, and grenades. The route involves traversing a trench west, then northwest through 'Paradise Alley' along the front line to meet Major Stevenson at 'no man's land'.
Blake insists on immediate departure due to the urgency of saving his brother, but Schofield argues they should wait until dark to cross 'no man's land' to avoid being seen. Schofield expresses skepticism about the Germans being 'gone,' fearing a trap and the dangers of daylight exposure.