Item 01: Clifford M. Geddes diary, 31 March-1 August 1918 - Page 26
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[Page 26]
told madam we had to go, she said "parti no bon, Candas tres bon". I said "oui" & inwardly cursed the Hun. Said good-bye to the French village folk, they said "au revoir, monsieur", Bon sante," and once more we fell in with this awful load like a pack-horse, & set off in the pouring rain for the town of Vignacourt where we arrived at 2.45 p.m. after a march of about 6 or 7 miles in the mud & rain. Passed through several villages, & blowed if we didn't go through Canaples on the way. As we arrived there by train last Thursday night, it shows the way they mess you about, we've been marching about France with a pack up since then. The only way in the army is not to give a dam about anything, or care what they do, & then nothing worries you, otherwise their methods would drive you dilly. We had several halts by the wayside & sat on the wet ground. Passed some Indians carrying picks & shovels & wrapped up in their waterproof sheets – a more forlorn, miserable, fed up crowd of human beings one never saw. The pack was a fearful weight, & the Braces cutting our shoulders, when at last we reached Vignancourt. There