It is a shame to see the lovely homes that have been deserted, the
people trekking along the roads with any belongings they can manage to
carry with them or wheel on barrows, and women with little babies in
arms flying for their lives, and perhaps an old mother being helped
along behind. These sights make lumps come in your throat, and make you
think what it would be if a similar thing were to happen at home. When
we first came here we went right through into Belgium, and as we were
retiring the Germans were setting fire to all villages. It was a common
thing to see two or three villages alight at the same time: _A British
Gunner_.