Cocks letter diary, 1916-1919 / Verner Cocks - Page 280
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[Page 280]
had much to do picking them up.
29.9.17
Nothing doing - waiting for orders - was about to start a cricket match against the officers & NCO's when orders came & we had to get ready to leave at once in lorries. The lorries did not turn up till 9 am the next morning so we went up then into the line passing through a famous town which is now bricks only- "'eaps & 'eaps of 'em". You couldn't credit the destruction. Not one house in all the town - & it is a pretty big one - has a roof & what remains of a couple of the famous buildings is unrecognisable with the pictures. This town has suffered dozens of bombardments & still Fritz drops a few long distance shots into it besides bombs of a night. We passed right through this & through about 4 miles of desolate & shell torn country. Thence on foot into the line - not trenches just shellholes. There were many pillboxes about & we made our home in one of them. They are as safe as a bank, built of reinforced concrete
3.