Beneath Hill 60 Page #3

Don't make no difference.

(FOOTSTEPS TREAD HEAVILY)

- Oh, f***, man.

- (ALL LAUGH)

Good on you, Streaky.

Courtesy of

the Northumberland Fusiliers.

- Oh, bloody generous of 'em.

- Send 'em our regards.

Probably not a good idea, Corp.

(ALL LAUGH)

MAN:
Mmm.

Tiffin?

WALT:
We was ready

to give up on you, Pull Through.

- We wasn't.

- Well, we was.

Well, you was. You said.

Finish your letter, Walt,

or get some more shut-eye.

But the Lieutenant knew about

the strata, Dad. How it holds up, like.

And that's why we kept digging.

The fact is Tom Dwyer's dead because

Woodward made a blue - a bad one.

Won't be the last either.

- He's alright, he is.

- Yeah?

Then why'd he join late?

Does anyone want

the last of the axle grease?

I was over here, killing Germans,

months before

his f***in' number was dry.

Evening.

WOODWARD:
Stay there.

Surprised to see you here.

Me hearing came back.

Tommy doctor checked me out, couldn't

find a bloody thing wrong with me.

Too bad.

- Smoke?

- Yeah, thanks.

It's bad luck.

Bad luck lighting three smokes

with one match.

First one, Fritz sniper sees you.

Second one, he gets an aim.

Third one, he blows

your f***in' head off.

Well, he'd be a crack shot

if he could get me down here.

(SCATTERED LAUGHTER)

Well, you never know

who's watchin', do you, sir?

I'll be writing to Tom Dwyer's

family.

If he had any possessions to send

back, bring them to my dugout.

Officer approaching! Attention!

- Woodward?

- Yes, sir?

I understand you're a demolition man.

I'm trained in mining explosives,

sir, not...

You're aware that the Germans

have placed a machine gun

in the Red House,

such that they can enfilade our

trench?

En... enfilade?

Fire down it lengthwise.

Oh, yes, sir.

And how much explosive charge would

you need to demolish that building?

Depends where you placed it, sir.

How much would you need

to do the job properly?

(MEN SHOUT IN THE DISTANCE)

Do we have that in the stores

or do we have to requisition it?

- CLAYTON:
We have it on hand, sir.

- There's a listening post at 105 Drive.

That'd put you about 70 foot from

Boris.

If we drove north from there,

we could be under it in, what?

Oh, three shifts, 30 foot a day -

we could do it in two or three days.

Let's have it done before sun-up,

Clayton, you'll have to cut

a gap in the wire.

I'll have the artillery

give you one hour.

- Sir.

- Sir!

MAN:
He couldn't

get out of here fast enough.

Word is that bastard won't catch a

train in case it's going down a tunnel.

(MEN LAUGH)

WOODWARD:
It'll mean

going over the bags...

...crossing no-man's-land,

setting a charge.

I'll need two men.

I'll go, sir.

- You don't have to, Morris.

- Want to, sir.

FRASER:
Sit down, Tiffin.

I'll go.

(EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE)

Here.

your element, aren't you, Australia?

I heard you tunnelling chaps

were wombats.

Come up for some air, have you?

Actually, we've been invited

to blow up the Red House.

Apparently you blokes keep missing.

(BOTH LAUGH)

(MACHINE GUN FIRES)

Set the exploder up over there.

Right. That's us.

They'll start up again at dawn.

You've never been over the bags

before, have you?

Christ.

When you get over the top,

stay low, don't bunch up.

If a flare goes up, freeze.

Don't bloody go to ground. Fritz

machine-gunners look for movement.

Keep one eye closed

until the flare drops -

then you'll see better

when it's dark again.

Thank you.

- Did your boys cut the wire?

- Yeah.

Lieutenant Clayton took

a couple of lads out earlier.

He ain't back yet. I'll cover you.

Let's go.

(FIRES GUN)

(FLARE HISSES)

- (GUN FIRES)

- MAN:
F***!

FRASER:
It's Boris, alright.

He hasn't spotted us, but.

The bastard's just trying his luck.

WOODWARD:
Right. Let's go.

(FLARE HISSES)

(GUN FIRES)

Ready?

(SOLDIERS SPEAK GERMAN)

We'll have to go under.

There must be a cellar.

(GUN FIRES)

(SOLDIERS SPEAK GERMAN)

(GUN FIRES)

(SOLDIERS CONTINUE

SPEAKING GERMAN)

- (BRICK FALLS)

- (SOLDIERS SHOUT IN GERMAN)

(GUN FIRES)

(SOLDIERS SPEAK GERMAN)

Corp!

FRASER:
Oh, Jesus Christ.

- WOODWARD:
What?

- We're short.

WOODWARD:
Do you think

you can get the exploder?

Sir, we could try again tonight.

They'll have found the charge

by then. Can you get it?

PULL THROUGH:
I think so.

Stay on your bloody stomach

and when you get close, give

a low whistle to identify yourself.

The Tommies see any movement.

(GUN FIRES)

Oh!

(BOTH PANT)

(FLARE HISSES)

Who's the fastest man in our company?

You need a runner?

Yes.

Yeah, Streaky's bloody quick.

(MAN GRUNTS)

Christ.

FRASER:
Is it one of our boys?

WOODWARD:

There's no way of knowing.

Poor bastard.

Stay here.

Morris will be back any minute now.

FRASER:
Wait.

Wait, sir!

Who are you?

- Clayton?

- (GRUNTS)

- Where did they get you?

- (GRUNTS)

- Mary, Mary.

- (MACHINE GUN FIRES)

You're set now, mate. We're gonna

get you home to your Mary.

- (GRUNTS)

- OK? Everything's OK.

Come on. Come on, Captain.

Come on.

WOODWARD:
Help.

(GRUNTS)

(MACHINE GUN FIRES)

Field dressing.

- Where is he injured?

- Left leg, above the knee.

(YELLS)

(MACHINE GUN FIRES)

Christ.

No! Wait.

- Bastard's got a pattern.

- Thanks, mate.

Captain.

Just pray they haven't broken.

(LAUGHS)

(GRUNTS) Thank you.

Sir, are you wounded?

I don't think so.

- Hello, Mr Woodward.

- Marjorie.

How is everything at home?

We're coping.

They've formed a mining battalion.

It's a secret, I think.

They're looking for miners

and engineers.

I've joined up.

In a few weeks,

I'll be leaving for training,

and after that, I expect

I'll be sent off to the war.

I see.

Marjorie, I'm nearly 10 years

your senior.

You're only 16.

I'll be 17 in a month.

I signed the papers this morning.

I would like to ask you if I could

write to you while I was away.

I would be happy

if you wrote to me...

...but if you're asking me

to wait for your return,

then you must first ask my father.

Thank you for taking

the trouble to see me.

Come in close.

If they're going to put on a big

push, it'll happen right now.

They're gonna hit us

where we're most vulnerable.

FRASER:
Our left flank.

Whatever happens, we need

to hold our line, understand?

You convicts gonna play or what?

MAN:
OK, lads. Kick it off.

Three points all. Next to score wins.

- MAN 2:
Come on, Australia.

- (WHISTLE BLOWS)

MAN:
Let's go!

MAN:
Get right, boys. Go right.

Tiffin, get in there!

Boom, boom, out right!

Go, go, go, go!

- MAN:
One man down.

- MAN 2:
Get up.

- (WHISTLE BLOWS)

- MAN:
OK, mark.

Come on. Turn it up. Get back.

- (MAN SHOUTS)

- MAN 2:
Come on, boys.

(MEN YELL INDISTINCTLY)

MAN:
Pass it! Pass it! Get out of

here!

- Get onside!

- Get in there! Come on! Tackle!

(BLOWS WHISTLE)

MAN:
Scrum.

MAN:
Come here, boys. Come on.

Scrum down. Tiffin in the middle here.

MAN 2:
Pack it in, boys. Come in

hard.

MAN:
It's out! It's out!

- MAN 2:
Push! Push out!

- MEN:
Run!

- Where's my runner?

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