About 10:30 in the morning, Spr. Poole was badly injured by a German "S" mine explosion. An "S" mine is one that makes a distinct "click" sound as soon as its stepped on. It will explode 3 seconds after the click -- if you take your foot off before the three seconds, it springs up about three feet in the air and explodes at that level, doing terrible damage.
I did what I could for Spr. Poole, then we placed him on a stretcher and into a truck. I went with him to the hospital.
It was noon by the time I returned to camp. Our cook was set up in a shallow gully, and he had done his best to make our Christmas dinner a good one. We also got a bottle of Canadian beer with our dinner. Our feelings were subdued because of what had happened to Spr. Poole. We gathered in small groups, exchanged news, and talked of what it would be like if we could be home this Christmas day.
A steady drizzle started around 2:00 so everyone went for shelter. Most would end the day writing letters to dear ones back home.
We were sad to learn that Spr. Poole did not survive his injuries. He was born and raised in Saskatchewan. He had become a close friend of mine, and was well though of by his comrades.
