Geoffrey Bell Hughes diary, 1 January 1916-31 December 1916 - Page 60
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[Page 60]
27 March 1916 Mon 28 March 1916 Tues
Could see the lights of Paris last night as we were within 3 miles of it. Slept in Railway Yard about 4 miles out of Paris last night side by side with French soldiers who were resting there too. Very cold at 4 am this morning when we marched to our railway carriages. Passed through Chantilly Frances great horse racing centre. Then on to Creil. Arrived Amiens 2 pm. Wine 1 Franc a bottle. Abbeville, Boulogne, Calais. Just fancy 20 miles from old England.
Arrived Dunkirk 11 pm. Slept in carriages. Up early coffee with railway employees. Women here are numerous working on railways. Left Dunkirk 6 am & arrived Hazebrouck 11 am. changing trains to Thiermies where we disembarked. Marched through the village to our billet about two miles down the road. Large barn straw all going well.
I write this in a tavern in Flanders sitting by a big fire induling in beer 1d. a glass & wine 2d. One hears the big guns booming again out at the firing line which by what I can gather would be at La Bassee or around it.
[Note in margin]
Wounded [indecipherable] coming through