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[Page 43]
52.
Evening 10 p.m.
April 14
A.D.S., Borre
A moving up from by St. Silvestre at 3 this afternoon: the morning a sharp long route march with Capt. Blackall – severely criticised by Georgie Parker for galloping: but a good morning's march. Through one of the villages a column of French passed: they splendid men, and full of smiles for us passing. There's a great feeling between they and ourselves – for the first time of two years we're recognising each other.
Back to Billets orders to A. Sect. Tent for A.D.S.
The A.D.S. again in a Brewary. Brewaries are our strong point, we are night duty relieving C.
On our left is the 29th Division, on our right the 33rd, Tommies. In command of the three is our 1st Brigade Brig., General Leslie. There's not the slightest doubt in our Infantrymen's minds that our arriving here was only just in time. Seemingly the retreat by the Tommies has been another stampede: B.G. Leslie rounded up here over a Batt. of stragglers – Tommies, N.Z.'s, Americans and Australians, including about 39 Tommy officers who'd but the vaguest of notions of their Companies and Divisions whereabouts, and the net result is Australia's in charge.
53.
Blue H. blew in an hour ago, full of a happy confidence and elation at a day of excitement: he's attached to 1st Bgde. Sigs. The greatest telling of 7 waves of Boche, coming against the 3rd Batt., about 70 prisoners taken, and same Machine Guns. He tells a yarn of some Tommy Artillery: he with the Sigs. were attached to the first of reserves from the Somme. Here they found chaos. By Strazeele yesterday, he tells of an R.F.A. Capt. hailing him:-
"I say Australia, are the Boche where they were two days ago? I'd like to have a pot at them with my eighteen pounders!"
54.
After tea walked over to the Church: an old stolid Flemish building of the 17th Cent.: inside a well arranged number of plaster coloured saints and pictures, just as after an early Mass the whole church stands, its vestry chests full of stiffly poor materialed capes of red and purple heavily embroidered, and censors and great candlesticks, one window of the High Altar apse smashed through.