Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 445
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Transcription
[Page 445]
the event of anything happening to the Corporal.
Owing to sickness, bad feet, accidents etc, the Company, normally 240 "strong", could only muster on the night of the action 187 men.
Shortly after the evening meal was served at 10.30, an order was passed along to each section, "Dress for parade!" then "Prepare to move"!! Almost immediately afterwards, "Fall In"!!!
Instinctively conversation became subdued, men moved away silently through the old "broken down" billets to "fall in" to their places in their Companies, on the muddy road. Of course mud did not matter now, men simply stood in a straight line whether the slimy mud was over their boots or not, it made no difference then.
Quietly each name was called, the roll checked & all were now ready. Officers & NCOs fell into their places & silently the march began Passing the end of the village the Column formed "single file" & each man, alternately, was issued with a pick & shovel. Silently they formed up again into "fours" & marched out into darkness, not along the road, but across a muddy field.
For about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour scarcely a word was spoken & even then almost in a whisper, but after that the men commenced to complain to each other, about the very fast rate at which the Company was moving.+ "Who is in the lead to set such a pace as this"? Word came back, – of course all communications, orders, etc are passed along from man to man, – that the O/C was leading armed not with a rifle, ammunition, bombs shovel etc, but with a walking cane!
No wonder the speed was hot – him! said the men, & immediately afterwards the Column started to "straggle out" The officer in charge of the rear one of the new men, in fact the same officer
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