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[Page 132]

all 1914 men left for 2 months leave to Australia.
We have made a start on the new A.I.F. Education Scheme in the Unit and the chaps are coming forward well to join the classes. I have taken on teaching French with the assistance of two "offsiders" and we have fully 60 officers, N.C.Os. & men who are taking it up. It is surprising the very few Austs. who know anything about French although the fact of being so much away from civilization has a lot to do with it.

Thurs. 26th Sept.
The Ambulance is still near Le Mesnil but an early move is expected. Another ten 1914 chaps have gone & I expect to be away within a fortnight. Our camp is on the side of a sloping rise and about 4 kilometres away from us across the marshes is Peronne with the famous Mount St. Quentin in the background. A few days ago I walked along the Somme bank into the old town which has of course been considerably knocked about. Railways & bridges had been blown up by the Germans before they fell back and British, Canadian & Australian Engineers & railway troops are busy on reconstruction work. The broad gauge railway now runs further forward than Peronne and several C.S.Ss. have been established in the locality. Fritz planes come over practically every night bent on bombing, but we have a very good system of searchlights & anti-aircraft guns to keep them off. I have seen several enemy machines brought down in flames lately. Our Educational Scheme is still going strong – classes & lectures are taking the place of some of the parades. The A.I.F. is putting the scheme on a sound basis with officers to act as organisers. Several of us in the Ambulance have applied for these commissions.

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