74
THE YPRES TIMES
periods, an enormous gun on three trucks glided past. This was fired somewhere
near, one round only at night, and shook the billet to its foundations. A motor
car, under its own power with steel tyres, passed up and down the railway, and
was a novelty to us.
Constructing some sidings near allotments, the latter came in for our special
attention. By throwing a heap of dirt between them and the sentries we were able
to obtain quantities of fresh vegetables which were taken back to billets, and eaten
with great relish. This did not last long, however, the French owners protesting
to the Kommandant. After this we were searched before returning, but it did not
prevent us from obtaining and eating them raw on the spot.
The last time we went to St. Amand for baths we saw a most pathetic sight.
Hundreds of refugees, mostly from Lille and Douai, scattered about the market
square with their few possessions, looking the utmost picture of misery. Even
our plight was not so bad as theirs, and yet they wanted to give us food. An old
lady in a lace cap, wheeling a barrow, was the saddest sight of all.
Towards the end of September the sound of gunfire drew near, and by the
signs that passed before us we knew the Germans were retreating. Troop trains
and guns came back from the front, and whole train loads of looted furniture,
bedsteads, mangles, pictures, even to the family washing, went back to Germany.
The guards now became easier towards us, and did not use their rifle butts
so much. One day the Kommandant paraded us and said Germany had applied
for an armistice, and that, if it was refused, it would be no use asking him for a
new shirt or complaining. We did not attach much importance to it, suspecting
it to be another bluff on his part to refuse us something.
During an air raid a terrific explosion happened, and on rushing into the
compound we saw a heavy pall of smoke hanging over it. An ammunition dump
on the railway had been hit.
Rations were very uncertain now, sometimes being a few days in advance and,
at others, in arrears. We were supposed to receive so many grammes of bread
per day, but by reducing the allowance the German quartermaster had several
left over, which he would sell at six marks eachthree weeks' pay.
Preparations to evacuate were now being made by the troops. The railway
and bridges were mined, and coal pits in the neighbourhood wrecked with
explosives, which smoked for days. Work was only half-heartedly carried out, and
general suspense was in the atmosphere. Thousands of refugees were passing
through the town daily, and more on the railway. The latter asked us to join them,
but, of course, we could not do that. The people of Raismes received the order to
evacuate, and we thought it would soon be our turn. We went to work as usual
on the Friday, October nth, but a message from camp recalled us before the
usual hour. On our return we were told we should be moving off the next day.
This news called up a host of questions. How far we should be able to walk?
How to manage without boots, and for how long we should be able to stick it?
We were given one and a quarter loaves to last us till the following Wednesday,
but I don't think much could have been produced the next day. Early next
morning all began to get ready, and sundry remarks were passed to sentries who
were trying to hurry the job. The sick were placed on wagons, and the
remainder fell into fours with our belongings tied to us. Kettles, pans and sand
bags hung anywhere, and rattled at every movement. Degrees of footwear
consisted of poor boots, sabots, and footrags.
Our faces turned towards Germany, the Kommandant barked out,
Mar-r-sch," and we joined in the great German retreat.
(To be continued.)
