Item 01: Clifford M. Geddes diary, 31 March-1 August 1918 - Page 143

[Page 143]

enemy's artillery fire, & the poor old infantry advancing with them get pie. We had some lunch we took & came back by the lorries to Daours, & walked the rest. Amiens is a big city, all but a few of the 90 odd thousand people have had to leave there, as Fritz is not far away & shells & bombs it, "but he'll never take it while we're here", say the Aussies. When we got back to our spot, there were a lot of Yanks there, they will be mixed up with us, good style of chaps they look too, as they ought to, as America hasn't lost her best men yet like the other Allies. Saw Boo again this evening. Wrote to Bon at night. Monday 1 July Well, we are in for a hop over alright. Lt. Col. Marks addressed the Battalion under the trees this evening, & explained the part the battalion is to play in the attack. My Company D is to go over first, take the first two trenches, & stay there, & A, B, & C companies will go on past us, our battalion will have three tanks, & aeroplanes will take part too. It is to be hoped Fritz doesn't get wind of it, if he spots the extra artillery & tanks beforehand, things will be only middling. There is a fearful lot of thinking to be done by the heads preparing for it, the good old Brig. (Brig. Gen Brand) rode along, & the boys cheered him, he got