Item 01: Clifford M. Geddes diary, 31 March-1 August 1918 - Page 14
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[Page 14]
& we could buy a drink of nice hot tea. Got into horse waggons, there were about 40 of the chaps in the waggon Aubrey & I were in. The train went slowly along. I saw women loading sand, & wheeling it in barrows at one place with men - poor old France is suffering alright, & one never sees an able bodied man anywhere, they are all at the front fighting the invader. We passed on through Etaples, where there was a huge camp, Tommies & New Zealanders, also hospitals, & nice Red Cross trains. I am writing this as the train is rolling on, hence the scrawly writing. The country is lovely, all is cultivated, the lines of trees are dead now, but when they are in leaf it must be a picture. Passed many small villages & farm houses, & our chaps waved & threw Kisses to the French women. All the trucks on the train are marked "Hommes 40 Chevaux 8" so 5 poor soldiers are equal to 1 horse. The fellows looked