Lewis war diary, August 1917-March 1919 / James Ray Lewis - Page 90
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[Page 90]
the right in France.
Of course Camon and Riverie are knocked about a lot from the shells Fritz has thrown into it. Strange to say he had got very few direct hits onto the Gare (railway station) at Riverie. According to an estimate given 1 house in every 7 is smashed and 10,000 shells have been thrown into the city of Amiens.
While at Glisy we used to have to do picket on the road near Lamotte Brebiere Cemetry. Our A,S,C, used to take a shortcut across the wheatfields, and knock down the telegraph poles, and we were stationed there to prevent them and make them go about a mile round by road. Oh! usen't they abuse us ."We'll see you going along the road with your packs up till you drop", they'd say. Poor old tottering frenchmen used to weed their crops here, with a little spade, such old men all alone, their sons gone to the war or killed I suppose. This sight hurt me worse than all the deadmen I have ever seen.
The same weeds grow in the fields of wheat as at home, Ironweed, Curse, Cobblers pegs and of course poppies. They seemed so alone these old people living on here half the people around gone, and some houses smashed and (foreign if allied) soldiers everywhere.
About 10 oclock the German long range gun would start to fire