Knocked The Stuffing Out Of Them

2nd January 1915, Private Sydney Fuller, 8th (Service) Battalion, wrote in his diary: 
"Bayonet fighting practice. The 'enemy' was represented by bags stuffed with straw, and we literally knocked the stuffing out of them!"
It was the first time since 26th December that the men of the Battalion had been able to train outside due to the inclement weather. They had done plenty of bayonet fighting practice before, but only using dummy rifles with spring bayonets. 
This was the real thing.

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