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[Page 22]
Amiens
28/3/16
Amiens is a large town with big railway yards. We notice canals and more soldiers. The men cheering great deal. Noticed in the town quite a quarter devoted to sage femme. From here on the country became far more open with very few people about and very flat and low lying. We saw a Dutch looking windmill. A few English tommies about.
From now on our journey with lights out. The whole aspect of the country is altered here we have big open spaces and a deserted land upon which a blight seems to be. There is no one about and creeping alone at snails pace through the dark in pitch dark silent carriages reminders of our trip to Gallipoli beach in the dark [indecipherable].
After a very tiresome slow journey in the dark we pulled up at a siding. All the railway lights were shaded overhead and gas lights used. It was bitterly cold and into the darkness outside we could see the white flakes of snow falling. Slept fully dressed fitfully until midnight.
29/3/16
Roused by Adjutant and turned out in freezing wind and sleet. Detrained and waited for guides in the railway yards at Aire.[Aire-Sur-La-Lys] Brigade Major left orders. Intense cold felt very much by the men who wore full kit. We were kept standing there waiting and one wag suggested it was to permit us to become acclimatized. Marched through sleeping town along country roads and lanes to Linge Roquetoire,a village upon which we were to billet. Halted in the village streets and dawn broke extremely early in being quite light at 0430.
Early dawn perhaps accounted for by the extremely flat country. Moved out with "D" Co and proceeded to billet. Marched along in fours and at each house with guide and interpreter dropped so many men. A long business especially as the billets for "D" Co were mostly small, - "I was lucky".