Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 49]
After we came out from Ypres about July we were sent up by Trooptrain towards the Somme where after being in Billets at various places we finally arrived at a Place called Warloy a days march from Albert & after being at Warloy a time we one afternoon started on the march for Albert & we arrived there & rested in some fields not very far from Albert Cathedral & as we looked towards the front we were on the left of the Cathedral just under the crest of the Hill.
On top of the Cathedral was more than a life size figure of the Virgin & child & the Huns had put a shell right in where the supports were holding it up & caused the figure to lean right over & if you happened to pass the Cathedral & looked up, it seemed to me that the figure of Christ was going to drop any minute into your arms as you looked up at the figure. The poor french peasants used to say that when the figure of Christ fell the war would end & I believe since that the Huns did put another shell into the Cathedral & that was the end of the figures as they came down with a crash.
We stopped in the fields one night & a day & next evening we started on the march again going right Albert towards the front, we went a little way & then as we were under shell fire now we halted & small parties were sent up, 50 yards between parties so that if a shell landed amongst us it would not get as many as a company marching together. This was a march that was the last for a good many of us I am sorry to say, as we lost heavily on the