"Gather round men! Today's the day of the big push which means today's the day we go over the top and storm the German dugouts. Be ready and in position by 1800 hours sharp or be sorry". The news went down like a bombshell with the men; the atmosphere was tense, nobody seemed able to get any words out to communicate with one another. Somehow Jerry and Tim had to find a new safe place to keep Helga in case they didn't return from the evenings work.
17:50. Still Helga hadn't been moved and the boys had to leave in 10 minutes. If found all three could face the firing squad with no proper funeral service and their killers having no guilt or regret. Jerry's father would never know how he died or for what reason; only that he made his father proud.
17:55. No further progress. Everywhere the friends tried had been too busy or too obvious and their luck was running out. Already men were preparing to go over and Jerry was beginning to panic. In the end Helga agreed to stay hidden in a chest by the corner of the dugout.
There was a silence all along the British side as men lined up to climb over the edge of the trench and into No Man's Land where they would face almost certain death. Jerry's heart was pounding so hard he could hear it as he stood prepared to face the enemy; Tim noticed Jerry's nervous behaviour and tried weakly to comfort him. They had a lot to hide. They would either die at the hands of a German or they would die at the hands of the firing squad when someone discovers Helga in their chest.
"Ready men? On my whistle then...Go!" the whistle blew and every man on the frontline scrambled over the side and made for the enemy lines, crying out with every step. Very few men returned that evening.
