Pioneers of the 5th Division repairing the corduroy track at Taylor's Dump on the Menin road, in ...

Pioneers of the 5th Division repairing the corduroy track at Taylor's Dump on the Menin road, in the Ypres Sector, after a heavy shelling by the enemy. It was reconstructed and enlarged by the 5th Pioneers at the latter end of October 1917, and although constantly under shell fire, was looked upon as a soft job compared to the usual strenuous day's work. On the morning of 21 October, despite heavy shelling, with an accurate range, including two direct hits on the corduroy track, the men were so used to shell fire that they made no attempt to shift. There were no casualties from shell fire, but one shell passed through an ammunition lorry which was unloading at the time, narrowly missing an English sergeant, in charge of it. He was badly shaken, but on being questioned said he was not hurt. However on moving away a little distance, he collapsed, and on inspection was found to have died of heart failure. Identified, left to right: Lieutenant J A Ewing; 2412 Private (Pte) Henry Andrew Peddie; unidentified; 2818 Pte R L Alcorn (bending over); 2210 Pte C R Harrison; 3438 Pte F P Whitelaw; 5608 Pte H McArdle; 2891 Pte Walter George Smith (killed in action); unidentified (walking on the track); 1905 Pte H C McAuley; 3397 Pte R Maitland.