Lewis war diary, August 1917-March 1919 / James Ray Lewis - Page 50
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[Page 50]
very miserable soldiers indeed.
The training is pretty strenuous, one is fairly well fed but not overfed, and the are hours fairly long.
On New years day we had some snowballing, and the boys were snowballing for all they were worth. Some also celebrated the eve by getting in a maudlin condition and wanting to fight, sing and do a few more idiotic things "Civilisation ye Gods.
Saturday is route march day; we tramp out some 5 miles or so and tramp and back again before dinner. We march by hedges, by brooks, streamlets, ditches, fields & forests, and through villages.
As one tramps along with his feet getting sorer every yard, you pretty soon realize that this is a land of the olden time. The signpost; to Sarum the old castle, the old buildings, and the Roman camp all make one think and wonder; what these old Romans were like? how they drilled, what they ate and did they have any fatigues to do of their wonderful influence in the land, one can see evidence on every hand. The elms by the roadside were introduced by them and many of the roads were laid originally by them. Under Rome Britain was