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You follow the other men of your platoon to the forward observation
post, where a large number of spades and shovels have been piled on top of hundreds of large,
empty bags.
Luckily for you, the Sergeant picks a dozen men, including yourself, to stand sentry while the others begin the arduous task of filling sandbags. It is back-breaking work and you are grateful to wait the following hour before having to pick up a shovel. The work progresses for nearly fifteen minutes while you stand along the firesteps, scouting No Man's Land for any sign of the enemy. Peering over the parapet, you notice a tin of tobacco, half buried in the mud and just beyond arms' reach.
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"All right, you men!" bellows Sergeant Wilkes, "you know what to do. Fill the sacs with sand
and then pile them up along the trench wall."
Date created: May 14, 1999 | Last updated: October 7, 2009