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[Page 14]
where he got it and she sent the girl back with it and got it for ½ Franc she told the paper boy to bring the English paper for us every morning nothing was too much for them to do for us. One night the gas alarm was sounded from the line and it carried on for miles behind the line. It was about 11.30. We were sound asleep and the girl rushed in in her night dress with the baby in her arms, singing out gas at the top of her voice and she is trying to put her gas helmet on curseing the Huns for all she was worth well we got up and tried to pacify her but it was no use she would have that the gas would get her and the baby. The gas came over one night before and she got up in the loft and saved herself mother and the baby. The C.O. and the Padre came around one day and caught us peeling spuds in the house but as everything was alright the C.O. did not say anything but the Padre said if there is any business to be done he could do it as he had the book and papers with him. Well on the 15/5/16 we were releived by another party from the 5th Btn. And when we were saying good bye the old woman started to cry and told us to come and see them as soon as we could. And Benning and I went down once since. We went back to our Btn which was billeted at a farm house on the road between Sailly and Dulue [Le Doulieu?] and that night we had to go and build trenchs at a bombing school where later on Mr. Hughs was looking over these trenchs and we were throwing bombs and the Sydney Mail had it Mr. Hughs looking over the front line.
And on the 16/5/16 we were told to do our selves up nice and clean in full marching order to go and be inspected by W. M. Hughs and Andy Fisher and some more heads well he was to be there at 11.30 and he came at 2.45. Of course it did not matter we could wait for our dinner and when he did come he never looked at us. But he said that he would see that we got our own uniform. At this time we were half Tommy and Aussie I lost my hat in the line and I had a Tommy cap so I seen a box of hats in the 2 M. Stores and I asked Luit Graham to get me a hat and he said there was none. I told him there was a case full at the 2 M. Stores he said well you cant get one. But I got one for I was on 2 M. Fatigue and on the 17/5/16 and I waited my chance. And it came. It was on the 17/5/16 that we moved to Fluabaux [Fleurbaix] we stay there for 2 days then up the line again in front of a very big convent which was all blown to bits. And was also blown down in Franco-German war. We stayed there till the 24/5/16 when we were releived by the 4th Division and we went back to our old billet between Sailly and Dulue [Le Doulieu?] where we stayed till the 29/5/16 when we started to be real soldiers we marched to Bailaull [Bailleul] station where we entrained for the Some [Somme]. We went through Hazelbrook [Hazebrouck]. And while we were stopped there the C.O. came around and asked how we were getting on and McCowan asked him where we were going but all he said was you are going to a much warmer place than the place we have left. And we found out that it was true. We landed at Le Sel [?] where we detrained. There was 100 of us left behind to unload the 1st Division which took 2 days but we had a good time there. We lost the Battalion, then we did not know where they had gone till the Officer in charge of us got a wire from the CO to meet the Btn at Vignacourt at 12 oclock and on the 1/6/16 and so we did and when we got there the Btn. was just
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