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[Page 27]
We came in contact with many interesting figures during our stay. None liked to talk of their experiences during the battle. Most of them were the belonged to Battalions who had been decimated during the advance, but who spoke rightly with pride as they detailed the how the various attacks of the crack Prussian & Bavarian Regiments broke before the steadiness of the "contemptible little army."
We marched from Walloy at 4.39 P.M. of on Wednesday 19th reaching the town of Albert, at about 6.30. The whole of the town is practically in ruins including the beautiful church on the top of the tower of which the brazen statue of the Holy Mother, its footwork shattered by a shell clings in a diving position over the street. Marching in through countless numbers of batteries we took arrived at the head of the communication trench to the old line just at dark. Here we took our guns from the limbers & carried them forward. As usual we took the wrong road & had advanced about three miles over the old firing lines before we discovered our mistake. There was nothing to do but return & this was no pleasant job what with our heavy & awkward loads & the shells bursting continually on the road. However we got back & and lay down for a little rest while our O.C. went to look for the route the Brigade had taken.
A guide was found at about 6 A.M. on Thursday 20th & we again started. The freshly made road lay over the country where some of the most severe fighting had taken place. The original German line was almost levelled. Barb-wire lay strewn about, unexploded shells, Mills grenades, equipment rifles both German & British, limbers & clothing were scattered between the lines where