Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 37]
and Lens to the Australians. Also that we have advanced 12 miles at Passchandale. In the retreat here the Germans claim to have captured 45,000 prisoners.
There was a terrific bombardment at midday which lasted a few hours. The Germans attacked in ten waves, and were mowed down by machine guns and artillery at point blank range with two second fuses. There was light rain all the time which continued most of the evening. The bombardment was again resumed in the evening.
We had poultry for dinner & tea. I had some good cider this evening and when I was on second picquet I had half a bottle of champagne which was carried from a factory in a deserted village near the enemy. There is a distillery in no mans land said to contain @pound;5,000 worth of champagne wine etc. This part of France is a wine producing district.
Sunday March 31. 1918. 1336.
Quiet this morning. The horse lines are terribly cut up since the rain for we are camped in a ploughed field that had a young crop of