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 543
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[Page 543]
went short the men were "fed" first.
Such a "virtue" would "cover" a number of shortcomings on parade. This officer had also the reputation for military zeal, discipline & exactitude, down to the minutest detail. In the action this officer was badly wounded, it was said in the foot, & when approached by a stretcher bearer party, absolutely refused to be carried & managed to "hobble" his way to the Aid post. On arrival there with a view to avoid giving the officer any unnecessary pain & to "get at" the wound as quickly as possible, the AMC attendant ripped the officers boot open with a knife. When seeing what was done the officer wanted to "crime" the AMC man for, "maliciously destroying property belonging to the Army"
By the time Bapaume was reached excepting for the appearance of their tattered & muddied clothes, no one would have thought these laughing, joking, merry men had lately come through a very gruelling forty eight hours ordeal.
The town of Bapaume became more than ordinarily interesting for 8 days after the Australians had taken it & occupied what remained of it, the Town Hall, almost intact & used as a Brigade Headquarters, was mined, & suddenly collapsed.
Naturally most of the men (A Coy's) wanted to see the result of this Hun mine catastrophe (as some of them had heard the explosion) but they could scarcely be brought to believe that what, looked like a huge heap of bricks, was the remains of the fine Town Hall.
Walking at ease through Bapaume gave time to see the result of British Shell fire of even short duration which certainly caused a terrible wreckage.
For months the British were said to be avoiding bombarding Bapaume, with the hope that the buildings in the town would be saved but this really is a mistaken forbearance for during a retreat whatever places have been spared by British Artillery, are always properly wrecked by the Huns & each town & village passed is an example of this ever present destruction from pure wanton spite