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[Page 100]
into closed in trucks of a waiting train which was soon on the move, going at an exceptionally great speed for a troop train. Early next morning we disentrained at St Roach the main suburb of Amien when we immediately set off on the march. During this march we passed through Amien it being so different to the Amien we used to know for the place was practically deserted of inhabitants, but here & there French civilians lined the roads cheering & shouting "Viva la Australien", meaning long live Australia. In some places the women were so overjoyed that they rushed our boys shaking hands & kissing them for at that time the "Aussies" were thought a great deal of by them. By this time we were beginning to realize that the Huns offensive had caused a considerable amount of disorder for every step seemed to bring something of a depressing nature with it. We also learned from other troops that our 4th Division had succeeded in checking the Huns advance after some very heavy fighting with great odds against them. After a very long march we were put into billets at Cardonette which was also practically deserted. During the stay of a couple of days here we kept hearing more about the front so everyone started to prepare themselves for the strenuous future & I do not think there was a man amongst us who was not prepared to go through any task that was set before him for all realized that this was the crisis of the war which meant a win or a lose. The next move took place on the 7th April when we marched to Flenchacourt where we stayed for the night. The following morning saw us on the move again this time going to the village of Baizaux where we found this village absolutely deserted for the French people had gone leaving everything behind them except little things that could be carried. it was a terrible cruel sight for although only a deserted village it was the collection of homes of many years hard striving which provided shelter for the women & children of the villages while their husbands & fathers were fighting a just cause for the sake of humanity. It was about 4AM when the troops were put into billets in Baizaux then when the troops were fixed up all officers & N.C.O.s were taken to the eastern side of the village to receive orders. The Colonel informed us that the enemy was only four miles away straight ahead with our 4th Division holding him at Dernacourt a village to the right of Albert. We were standing on the top of a big ridge at the time & the Colonel pointed out the route to the front line, which could almost be seen, in case we should receive orders to reinforce the front line before the time came for us to move forward to relieve it. Before the parade was dismissed we were told to see that every man had his gear properly assembled so as to be able us to move forward at a moment's notice should we be required too. About 9 P.M. that night when the boys we just comfortable in bed I received orders to fall my platoon in on the road with full gear on; this order seemed strange for I knew that if we were going forward to the front line the packs would not be carried by us. However when the fall in had been completed the battalion started to move back along the same road we had come that afternoon this being away from the front line. I was a very monotonous march the boys being kept going without a spell for we were informed that our Division was under urgent orders but nothing about where we were going. This march proved to be a very long one but the troops were eventually put into billet at Veauxcourt about 2 A.M. next morning. Reveille was very early & as soon as the troops were up orders were received to take our packs to the square near the village church, stacking them in company heaps. it was not very long after breakfast we the battalion started off on the move going back towards Amien being