Pushed and the Return Push

A first-person account by an artillery officer chronicles brigade life and combat on the Western Front, moving between hurried retreats, desperate defensive stands, and later advances. It combines vivid operational detail—loss and recovery of batteries, observation and fire-control problems, and coordination with neighbouring units—with quieter moments in messes and billets that reveal camaraderie, fatigue, and small comforts. Episodes range from night marches and frenetic withdrawal to organised counter-attacks and pursuit, portraying the logistical strain, uncertainty of command, and persistence of ordinary men under sustained artillery warfare.