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[Page 449]

Although looking "as mad as a hatter" the men "guessed" the O/C was "frightened" to go back & reprimand the Officer. He already could see the men smiling at him & while saying nothing, passively refusing to march at his pace, but at the Officers, which was their own.

The O/C would slow down for 5 or 10 minutes, & then would "rush off" again, but whenever he did this, "his rush" was only accompanied by the few men near him, the others were all taking the march very leisurely, not caring or bothering in the least where the O/C was, or what he was doing.

After the march had continued for over an hour the O/C halted but it was only after 6 messages from the officer had been sent before this was effected & the men themselves had decided, to have a rest & some had already "flopped down" so the O/C gave the word for all to rest & have a smoke but to make no noise.

During this rest the "burst" of occasional Shells could be heard & seen quite close so the men knew they were approaching the place from which a dash for the Hun line would be made.

After the rest & smoke, the march was continued but this time at a pace more in keeping with common sense.

The men could "make out" that they were marching along a shallow valley & that the Hun could have no idea that an attack was likely, for the shells then bursting were just such as would be fired on any ordinary "quiet" night & were evidently sent over just haphazardly for none fell close enough to do any damage to those going in to attack.

The march had continued for about half an hour when a message was passed from mouth to mouth to "hush" all talk. This of course

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