Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 25 of 26

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • ANZAC
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000335
Difficulty:
3

Page 1 / 10

239 22/6/18 Vey dull days, with uerial activity, we naw occup a josition more directly in front of Meteren. Jas benvvedment on our prent dyging thenches all night 23/4/18 Sunday Yee beight day, san shining all days Plliaed by I cay who ore to suport the 2nd B wo are advancing 500 joeds tonight. Attached to the 2nd 23d are some Amercan NC0 who are in the prent area for the first time. getting a little autfort experience. Advance to bes place at N.30 24/6/18 After bein relieved we accived at our trenches outside Borre midney to Badelles. Ramin in the morning making the trench vey muddy, later the sun shore drying thing upabit. Fatyue at night wirng in grent of the supprt tine left at gpo 25/6/18 Brifht surshine today. Orders to more by 3 pm further to the righte across the Booe Bdelles Rd, we are taking ever Blys position. dy dujouts all night as there is no accomodation for us 26/4/18 Quit day, only lipt artitley fire. much cereal actuity all days. Falyae at night to the sapport line, dugging a widening trench 27/6/18 Bright sunshine all dar. Bembing arcoglanes visited us at sam deoppy a few lembs behind us searctin for the gun jositions, no damge done, we are relieved at 6 pm G. the 5th Bn emarched to a new camp in a from between Hagebrouds + Kondeghem arevy just befse dark 28/6/18 Varade of zaam. Yorts in afternoon 230. Alox
IAN 240 plagiry Blezot pottall. A ca won 10-5 29/6/18 Sarades 930e 2 pm. Visited Nagebrenck in the evening, the town has been under a good deal of gun pire e being certinually subjected to air raids at night, it is now comptetel evaciated, onl a few enitians being left in the subests, the town being vez much damezed, expecially around the railway station 30/6/16 Sunday Bn church jarade 9.30, at 2 pm the lex praded to the 1st t baths where we get a good with a complete change of understothing. Visited Wondehem in the evening, this village her been tenlorled a good deor, a few shills falliy there dweins the ofteroon, there are still several evrilians left including many women a children 1/7/18 Ve wormdg, sun veg hot. B0st. mounted with guard 3.30 pm 2/7/18 B0 Set allday, demounted 4 pr 377/18 Barade 9 - 12 am Brsgats in afternoon with a concert in the evening & prize disterbution by Maj Llogd 4/7/18 Darade 9-ram. Naperade in ofternoon leasny tondrow for the line, to relieve the 3 Bryade 5/7/18 Short prade in meening, All packs dumged at the 1st on transfrt, warned for the line at 6 pm fell in 7.30e merched through Boere e Raidelles to DRII
241 the line. A cC. Cors gaing right on to the outforts We relieved A la of the 10th Bn. Our psition is on the left of Strajeell being further to the Pr ofour last outst. Aelief coered out safely, just as the relief was comslite, heart shellin troke out cansing few casnatties, intermittant shelling throughout the night. This jost appears to be a ver lively one 6/7/18 Day fanly quiet, with some shilling awound the jost. Durng the evenig we got some heary shelling We hove two American of C.Q on gost with us, who are in a feward orea for the fast time, they ae getting practical instruction on night patrol wilh the eaee nateting the proceedings, with the idea of insteuding their own men lote 7//18 Sunday Heary shelling behind the post all day, stated at day break, no cosnatties to us. A patral left our lines at night e coptaced a muchine gun, so we have descided to raid the jest in the morning 8/7/18 Machine gunjost raided gain, two peesones token 1gt e1 private. Ret of the day quiet, we exject to get relieved tomosrow. Olained heorily during the night, making the teench vey stiely e muddy, it cleared up in the eary hours of the meening 9/7/18 The day vey quiet. At 11 pm a deary shelling ofened. then advanced eceptured3o4 jorts a so steerythened our pertion e stragttered out the line a little, meanwhile Feity efened a heary counter benlardment on us, hundreds
242 of shells falling near ue, and not one hitty the jest turin this tenbordment a Feits lost in womans land stumbled into our jort sverendered. All objective were token by C loy except one pst Relieved at I am the rest monin by D Cay 10/7/18 Relieved I am e moved into supports in prent of Sazeele. Tatynes at night as a careging party to eC Coys. Rained heovey all night 11/7/18 Geveral showers of rain durin the day, trench very mudd a strety. The 1st Bryade did ver well today, the 1st e47 Bns teking neary 200 peisonerse raided their outforts several times in doliht the occupants often officing no resistance, easily surrendery Gy Cogs, most of them being the 9th Bararans who are holding the pent opirite to us, they are conjosed of youry bors eord men a have not the slighted intertion of fiftting being onl tooglod of the opportunit to sueender 12/2/18 Gererol showers of rain, the trench has new become very muddg, We were relieved ot I1pm by the 2nd Bn e morched to billetz by the railwey une the other side of Bove 13/7/18 After being attated to our billets corl this maning the O slest ustill 12 neon. In the eftenion rorade to the J.M.C.A. Braths at Borre rest of the day off 14/2/18 Sundery Fatigues at Bryade all the morning 130-12, rest of the dey off
243 Fatiques at Brigade advance dressing station at 157/18 Bovre beeivery. We are relieved at 3 pm promour reserve psition ly a Bn of the R.O.S.B and marched back old camp near Nazibreuck to over A ver heary thurdersterm backe at day break 14/7/18 with md lightening a hear thunder, the camp being swarged. Harade in morning 10.30 fa half an hour only bricket a pelball in the afternoon, sxets frmin new a port of our plysied exercise. Petailed 66 Sgt 17/7/18 Parades os usual. 60 Sgt c 18/7/18 is 19/7/18 - 00 20//18. co 21/7/18 Sunday Church jarade 1039. Parade 1.30 to the Pw Belthe for a complete change ite, vegowrry day 22/7/18 borades as usual. CO. Set. Pvein the nyght the camp was shelled about s loge shells fullin fulling just outside the tents, we must have been under obseration dueing the dar. ptundty there were no cesualties os we took to the shelter trenche paided for this emergency 23/7/18 Usual peades. Cunp shilled again during the night, 4 fell this time in the camp fortunitely without damage or casualties, ordered into shetter trenches as a fesecution. Obeut 6or 8 shells wee fired
244 24/7/18 Parades as usual. No shelling tonight 00 25/7/18 + 24//18 No parades today, raining hearil all day the canp is vey muddy 27/7/18 No jurades, raiming centinually all day a night the camp is new in a very muddy state 28/7/18 Sunday Church jerace. Plenty of sunshine today camp dying up. Trained tody to proceed to the 2d Arm School of Musketz ar Lumbees tomerrow 2917118 Left the O at I1 am. Caught a GS Wajon to Eblinghem where I received a new cutfit from the. D.R.O.O.S. Loter met the officer in charge of the school parte at Wardeeques. Left at 630 pm acciving at sumbres about gpm e marched up to the school 39/7/18 Storted the school routine Parades 8.30- 12.45 e2-4 pm 31/7/18 Settling down to the school routie, all parades tte the same each day, no variation in anything. Scheol ends 18/8/18 18/8/18 Sunday Left 2nd Army Musketz School at aumbres by moter lovy which took us to Ellingheim to the 15th vorps receptton camp, remaining there all day, leaving towolrow 19/8/18 Left Eblingheim for Longpric ct 830am, where we remained for the night in a shed on the railway
245 plettorm no bittets being provided 20/8/18 Left Longpree 8.30am e detrained at Dernois where we found the 1st Dw Wing Reception Camp 21/8/18 Left Dernois 645am & marched to Vignicourt where we entrained in a narrow gaque military railway. Detrained at Davurs where I menajed to pimp a lovy e jained up with the nchous Bnat Corbie. Colbie is vey much precked about a totally deserted by the civilian japulation 22/8/18 Very warm today. I have to remain here until the Bn is ecluved from the line, or until I am sent for. The town was shelled during the night 23/8/18. The weather has now grown vy hot. We were shelled again during the night ly a very heary gun that is searching for one of our hearies on the railway line 24/8/18 Ver hot again today. Town hearily bomborded diving the night. No cosnatties to our camp 25/8/18 Sunday Still very worm all day, plerty of suimming in the Same. Several laze conys of prisonels hove pssed through the town, during the last three days. A ver loge comg possed through today. Vy good news reoue new admince hos reached us, sevoral mily hove been advanced a may thousand prisones taken, good prossess is stite maintained EM
246 Fall 26/8/18 Under orders to roin the Bntoday in at I am e marched through bering to Merccourt where we found the Bn who are comped in a field just outside the village which has been very much knocked about, and on lately retoken from the Geemans 27/8/18 In the village all day, everything very quiet, nething doing 28/8/18 Veey worm day. Charged our camp to a haddoc the operite side of the village near a lage loke. Aounted BOS. 4pm 29/8/18 B0 st all day, very quiet, nothing doing 30/8/18 Twe prades today 9.30 - 11.30 e2-3 pm 10 31/8/18 1/9/8 Sunday Mornmy Church jurade. Dwin the oftenoon visited Prosart to see the 15th gun ceptured by the 4t hm 1st Beyade a few days aps during ther lost advance. Beprecepture it had been bust near the beach snopping in helves. The gun had been ver clusal condated being d into the earth & camonflayed in a small wood, being completely hidden from the ate, this gun has been benbarding Amiingeis the loyst field gun taken b the A..F. We pssed over the old battle pent, the fary line bein now several miles in prent of us. A by shell dump is still burning with man railway carreages, Imaghed tanks Acregeanes etranspets ite this railing siding has
247 been one of their advance depts he artitley e engineed stores, new the whole of the immense stock is a moss of slames or is srowly burning itself out, the fire hoving started mak days ago peturned to camp 6 pm Two prades toda 9.30-11.30 _23 pm nap reading 2/9/16 e 3/9/18 " a Geviny prade 2 pm 4/9/18 0 Gwimming prade 2 pm ver hat day the 5/9/18 suming in the semme avy enjogable laing tomow 6/9/18 Under orders to leave here today. Fell in full marching order ot 12 midday Marched into Marccourt where metar busses were baiting for us which took us through Bray and Sensanne to Clevy where they dapped us about 2 Kilometies outside the veillage, we then morched 6 Kilometees to Heronne where we occupied Millets in a beick kiln on the I side of the town which had been only a few days ago in firman hands. We are now vely close to the firing line, the county here been wrely egreen a full of regetation so diffircest to the shell romn oreas from which we hare come The village of Quincence where we are billited overleoks the town of Bironne which has been reg much knocked about the town has been token a netcken 30r4 times during the nez e bemborded each time The whole of A lor detaited as a burinl party 7/9/18 to Bury the men of the 14 Brigade 5th Pivision may of whom are still lying about us they fell hovng been
248 cought in a trap e fired on promall sides. We found many of the 56 Bn including many of our original men who gained the 56h, when the wsee formed at Felal Rever in 1916. We buried them all in one loge grave in the county cemetory by the side of our billets. Puing the afternoon the Cor were detailed for salvaying enecovered man gurs, lembe, itmuchamunition Petailed as lor OSgt, We are under orders to more off gain tomorrow nearer to the line, as rapid progress is new being made we hope to be at the Kindenbury Line before the end of the month. This is the stran line of defence to which the whole of the feeman Arm is new concenteating itself. The line is now severd miles in pront of Vironne e is moorry up vey repidly, nearly as just as we can much towards it. 8/9/18 Sunday Left Qninconce 10.30am c marched through the town of Rironne, which is new obsolutel in ruins without even a single enitian. Mary of the ruins are still burning as the town was only ceptured a few days ago. This town has been subjected to 4 different bemberdments having been ceptueed 4 segerote times, each Comborelment cousing were distruction to be added to the prenious one, new there is nothing left excert heaps of ruing e smaking debeis. Ferm the merch, it rained very heavif thus loging the dust which is very think ecausing clads to eise while on the morch. It rained all das giving us a good withing through. We camjed ar night autsidl the village e to the 1 of Courcelles in a josition lately exacuated by the Germans, which they buent besse eracuating, his old huts were still hot esmolderin when we arcived, eveything that

239 
22/6/18   Very dull day, with aerial activity, we now 
occupy a position more directly in front of Meteren. Gas 
bombardment on our front. digging trenches all night 
  
23/6/18  Sunday Very bright day, sun shining all day 
Relieved by D Coy who are here to support the 2nd Bn who 
are advancing 500 yards tonight. Attached to the  
2nd & 3rd are some American NCOs who are in 
the front area for the first time. getting a little 
outpost experience. Advance takes place at 12.30 
  
24/6/18  After being relieved we arrived at our trenches 
outside Borre midway to Pradelles. Raining in the 
morning making the trench very muddy, later the sun 
shone drying things up a bit. Fatigue at night 
wiring in front of the support line. Left at 9pm 
  
25/6/18  Bright sunshine today. Orders to move by 
3pm further to the right across the Borre Pradelles 
Rd, we are taking over B Coys position. dig dugouts  
all night as there is no accomodation for us 
  
26/6/18  Quiet day, only light artillery fire. much aerial 
activity all day. Fatigue at night to the support 
line, digging & widening trench 
  
27/6/18  Bright sunshine all day. Bombing aeroplanes 
visited us at 3am dropping a few bombs behind us 
searching for the gun positions, no damage done, we 
are relieved at 6pm by the 5th Bn. & marched to a  
new camp in the farm between Hazebrouck & 
Hondeghem arriving just before dark. 
  
28/6/18  Parade 9.30am. Sports in afternoon 2.30.  A Coy

 

240 
playing B Coy at football. A Coy won 10-5 
  
29/6/18  Parades 9.30 & 2pm. Visited Hazebrouck in 
the evening, the town has been under a good deal 
of gunfire & being continually subjected to air raids 
at night, it is now completely evacuated, only a few 
civilians being left in the suburbs, the town 
being very much damaged, especially around the  
railway station 
  
30/6/18  Sunday Bn Church parade at 9.30, at 2pm the 
Coy paraded to the 1st Div baths where we get a good 
bath & a complete change of underclothing. Visited  
Hondeghem in the evening, this village has been 
bombarded a good deal, a few shells falling there 
during the afternoon, there are still several 
civilians left including many woman & children 
  
1/7/18  Very warm day, sun very hot. B O Sgt. 
mounted with guard at 3.30pm 
  
2/7/18  B O Sgt all day, dismounted 4pm 
  
3/7/18  Parade 9-12am Bn sports in afternoon 
with a concert in the evening & prize distribution 
by Maj LLoyd 
  
4/7/18  Parade 9-12am. No parade in afternoon 
leaving tomorrow for  the line, to relieve the  
3rd Brigade 
  
5/7/18  Short parade in morning, all packs dumped 
at the 1st Bn transport, warned for the line at 8pm 
fell in 7.30 & marched through Borre & Pradelles to

 

241 
the line. A & C Coys going right on to the outposts 
We relieved A Coy of the 10th Bn. Our position is on 
the left of Strazeele being further to the R of our  
last outpost. Relief carried out safely, just as 
the relief was complete, heavy shelling broke out 
causing few casualties, intermittant shelling throughout 
the night. This post appears to be a very lively one 
  
6/7/18  Day fairly quiet, with some shelling around 
the post. During the  evening we got some heavy shelling 
We have two American NCOs on post with us, who 
are in a forward area for the first time, they  
are getting practical instruction on night patrol 
work etc & are watching the proceedings, with 
the idea of instructing their own men later 
  
7/7/18  Sunday Heavy shelling behind the post all 
day, started at day break, no casualties to us. A 
patrol left our lines at night & captured a machine 
gun, so we have decided to raid the post in the 
morning 
  
8/7/18  Machine gun post raided 9am, two prisoners 
taken 1 Sgt & 1 private. Rest of the day quiet, we 
expect to be relieved tomorrow. Rained heavily 
during the night, making the trench very sticky 
& muddy, it cleared up in the early hours 
of the morning 
  
9/7/18  The day very quiet. At 11pm a heavy shelling  
opened. C Coy advanced & captured 3 or 4 
posts & so strengthened our position & straightened 
out the line a little, meanwhile Fritz opened  
a heavy counter bombardment on us, hundreds 

 

242 
of shells falling near us, and not one hitting the post 
During their bombardment a Fritz lost in "No mans 
land" stumbled into our post and surrendered. All 
trenches were taken by C Coy except one post.  
Relieved at 1am the next morning by D Coy. 
  
10/7/18 Relieved 1 am & moved into supports in 
front of Strazeele. Fatigues at night as a carrying 
party to D & C Coys. Rained heavy all night 
  
11/7/18 Several showers of rain during the day, trench 
very muddle and sticky. The 1st Brigade did very well 
today, the 1st & 4th Bns taking nearly 200 prisoners & 
raided their outposts several times in daylight 
the occupants often offering no resistance, easily 
surrendering to Coys, most of them being the 9th 
Bavarians who are holding the front opposite to 
us, they are composed of young boys & old men &  
have no the slightest intention of fighting being 
only too glad of the opportunity to surrender 
  
12/7/18  Several showers of rain, the trench has now 
become very muddy, we were relieved at 11pm by 
the 2nd Bn & marched to billets by the railway line 
on the other side of Borre. 
  
13/7/18  After being allotted to our billets early this 
morning, the Bn slept untill 12 noon. In the 
afternoon parade to the Y.M.C.A. Baths at Borre  
rest of the day off 
  
14/7/18 Sunday Fatigues at Brigade all the 
morning 7.30-12, rest of the day off

 

243 
15/7/18  Fatigues at Brigade advance dressing station at 
Borre brewery. We are relieved at 3pm from our reserve 
position by a Bn of the K.O.S.Bs and marched back 
to  our old camp near Hazebrouck 
  
16/7/18  A very heavy thunderstorm broke at daybreak 
with vivid lightening & heavy thunder, the camp being 
swamped. Parade in morning 10.30 for half an hour only 
Cricket & football in the afternoon, sports forming now 
a part of our physical exercise. Detailed C O Sgt 
  
17/7/18  Parades as usual   C O Sgt 
  
18/7/18       "               "               "     " 
  
19/7/18       "                "              "     " 
  
20/7/18      "                "              "     " 
  
21/7/18 Sunday Church parade 10.30. Parade 1.30 to 
the Div Baths for a complete change etc, very sunny day 
  
22/7/18 Parades as usual. C O Sgt. During the  
night the camp was shelled about 8 large shells falling 
falling just outside the tents, we must have been under 
observation during the day. fortunately there were no  
casualties as we took to the shelter trenches provided 
for this emergency. 
  
23/7/18  Usual parades. Camp shelled again during the 
night, 4 fell this time in the camp fortunately without 
damage or casualties, ordered into shelter trenches as  
a precaution. About 6 or 8 shells were fired

 

244 
24/7/18 Parades as usual. No shelling tonight 
  
25/7/18        "               "              "                   " 
  
26/7/18 No parades today, raining heavily all day the 
camp is very muddy 
  
27/7/18 No parades, raining continually all day & night 
the camp is now in a very muddy state. 
  
28/7/18 Sunday Church Parade. Plenty of sunshine today 
camp drying up. Warned today to proceed to the 
2nd Army School of Musketry at Lumbres tomorrow 
  
29/7/18 Left the Bn at 11am. Caught a G S Wagon 
to Eblinghem where I received a new outfit from 
the D.A.D.O.S. Later met the officer in charge of the 
school party at Wardricques. Left at 6.30pm arriving  
at Lumbres about 9pm & marched up to the school. 
  
30/7/18 Started the school routine Parades 8.30- 
12.45 & 2-4pm 
  
31/7/18 Settling down to the school routine, all  
parades are the same each day, no variation in  
anything. School ends 18/8/18 
  
18/8/18 Sunday Left 2nd Army Musketry School at 
Lumbres by motor lorry which took us to Eblingheim 
to the 15th Corps reception camp, remaining there all 
day, leaving tomorrow 
  
19/8/18 Left Eblingheim for Longpreē at 8.30am, where we  
remained for the night in a shed on the railway

 

245 
platform no billets being provided. 
  
20/8/18 Left Longpreē 8.30am & detrained at Pernois 
where we found the 1st Div Wing Reception camp 
  
21/8/18 Left Pernois 6.45am & marched to Vignicourt 
where we entrained on a narrow gague military 
railway. Detrained at Daours where I managed 
to jump a lorry & joined up with the nucleous 
Bn at Corbie. Corbie is vy much knocked about  
& totally deserted by the civilian population. 
  
22/8/18 Very warm today. I have to remain here 
until the Bn is relieved from the line, or until 
I am sent for. The town was shelled during the 
night.  
  
23/8/18 The weather has now grown very hot. We 
were shelled again during the night by a very heavy 
gun that is searching for one of our heavies on 
the railway line 
  
24/8/18 Very hot again today. Town heavily bombarded 
during the night. No casualties to our camp 
  
25/8/18 Sunday Still very warm all day, plenty 
of swimming in the Somme. Several large convoys 
of prisoners have passed through the town, during 
the last three days. A very large convoy passed 
through today. Very good news re our new advance 
has reached us, several miles have been advanced & 
many thousands prisoners taken. good progress is still 
maintained.

 

246 
26/8/18 Under orders to join the Bn today. Fall 
in at 11am & marched through Cerisy to Merecourt 
where we found the Bn who are camped in a field  
just outside the village which has been very much 
knocked about, and only lately retaken from the 
Germans 
  
27/8/18  In the village all day, everything very 
 quiet, nothing doing 
  
28/8/18  Very warm day. Changed our camp to a 
paddock the opposite side of the village near a large 
lake. Mounted BOS. 4pm 
  
29/8/18  BO Sgt all day, very quiet, nothing doing 
  
30/8/18  Two parades today 9.30-11.30 & 2-3 pm 
  
31/8/18     "             "              "               " 
  
1/9/18  Sunday  Morning church parade. During the 
afternoon visited Prozart to see the 15th gun 
captured by the 4th Bn 1st Brigade a few days ago 
during the last advance. Before capture it had  
been burst near the breach snapping in halves. 
The gun had been very cleverly concealed being 
dug into the earth & camouflaged in a small  
wood, being completely hidden from the air, this 
gun has been bombarding Amiens & is the largest 
field gun taken by the A.I.F . We passed over 
the old battle front, the firing line being now several  
miles to the front of us. A big shell dump is still 
burning with many railway carriages, smashed tanks 
aeroplanes & transports etc this railway siding has

 

247 
been one of their advance depots for artillary & 
engineering stores, now the whole of the immense 
stock is a mess of flames or is slowly burning itself 
out, the fire having started many days ago. 
Returned to camp 6pm 
  
2/9/18 Two parades today 9.30-11.30 & 2-3pm map reading 
  
3/9/18         "               "                  "                 " 
  
4/9/18         "              "               swimming parade 2pm 
  
5/9/18  Swimming parade 2pm very hot day, the 
swimming in the Somme is vy enjoyable. Leaving tomorrow 
  
6/9/18  Under orders to leave here today. Fell in full 
marching order at 12 midday. Marched to Morecourt 
where motor busses were waiting for us which took 
us through Broz and Sousanne to Clēry where they 
dropped us about 2 kilometres outside the village, we 
then marched 6 kilometres to Ceronne where we occupied 
billets in a brick kiln on the L side of the town which 
had been only a few days ago in German hands. We 
are now very close to the firing line, the country 
here being lovely and green & full of vegetation so different 
to the shell torn areas  from which we have come 
The village of Quinconce where we are billeted overlooks 
the town of Peronne which has been vy much knocked 
about the town has been taken & retaken 3 or 4 
 times during the war & bombarded each time 
  
7/9/18  The whole of A Coy detailed as a burial party 
to bury the men of the 14 Brigade 5th Division many of  
whom are still lying about as they fell having been

 

248 
caught in a trap & fired on from all sides. We found 
many of the 56 Bn including many of our original men 
who joined the 56th, when they were formed at 
Tel-el-Kebir in 1916. We buried them all in one large grave 
in the county cemetery by the side of our billets. 
During the afternoon the Coy were detailed for salvaging  
& recovered many guns, bombs, etc & much amunition. 
Detailed as Coy O Sgt, We are under orders to  
move off again tomorrow nearer to the line. as 
rapid progress is now being made we hope to be 
at the Hindenburg Line before the end of the  
month. This is the strong line of defence to which 
the whole of the German Army is now concentrating 
itself. The line is now several miles in front of  
Peronne & is mooving up very rapidly, nearly as fast as 
we can march towards it. 
  
8/9/18  Sunday  Left  Quinconce  10.30am & 
marched through the town of Peronne, which is  
now absolutely in ruins without even a single  
civilian.  Many of the ruins are still burning as the 
town was only captured a few days ago. This town 
has been subjected to 4 different bombardments having  
been captured 4 seperate times, each bombardment causing 
more destruction to be added to the previous one, now 
there is nothing left except heaps of ruins & smoking 
debris. During the march, it rained very heavily 
thus laying the dust which is very thick & causing  
clouds to rise while on the march. It rained all  
day, giving us a good wetting through. We camped  
at night outside the village & to the L of Courcelles in 
a position lately evacuated by the Germans, which they 
burnt before evacuating , his old huts were still 
hot & smoldering when we arrived, everything that

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