It’s a fine sight to see us on the march, swinging along the roads as
happy as schoolboys and singing all the old songs we can think of. The
tunes are sometimes a bit out, but nobody minds so long as we’re happy.
As we pass through the villages the French come out to cheer us and
bring us food and fruit. Cigarettes we get more of than we know what
to do with. Some of them are rotten, so we save them for the German
prisoners, who would smoke anything they can lay hands on. Flowers also
we get plenty of, and we are having the time of our lives: _Corporal J.
Bailey_.
“Supreme Beings”
The roads are simply cruel. But the worst is we cannot get a decent
smoke. I am in the best of health, what with the feeding and the
open-air life, the stars being our covering for the last few weeks. We
have seen some of the most lovely country imaginable. Some of the hills
were four miles long, with about eight S-bends in them. The people over
here go half mad when we go through the villages and towns. They throw
fruit and flowers at us, give us wine, and goodness knows what. If we
happen to stop they run out to shake hands and hang round us as if we
were supreme beings: _Driver L. Finch_.
“Who Goes There?”
I was posted on guard, and after about an hour I began to feel sleepy,
so I went to stand beside a wagon, when suddenly I heard a noise. Then
I shouted, “Halt! who goes there?” But there was no reply. Again I
shouted. Still there was no response. Then I saw a figure move about
five yards away from me, but as it was so very dark I could not tell
whether it was one of our own men or not, so I shouted for the last
time, and as there was no reply I fired. The guard turned out and ran
to the place, bringing back the victim, shot through the shoulder. He
was a German spy: _Driver Renniberg, Army Service Corps_.
“Mum’s the Word”
Wish I could describe all I have seen to you; but have not the time,
for one thing, and not allowed to give anything of importance in our
letters, of course. The French are fine, generous people. Have seen
and conversed as well as possible with their wounded, as we have
passed some quantity on our way in trains, and German prisoners with
them. From what I have seen of them so far, especially those returning
from the front, they are fine fellows. Taking them all round, I
believe they are bigger than our fellows. The Germans appear similar
to ours, although I could only see them by lantern light for a few
seconds as they were lying down in railway goods wagons--they may have
been wounded. The French appear to be treating them well. This is a
beautiful country--rather flat what I have seen, but well-cultivated
soil similar to round Cambridge: _Private H. J. Charity_.