An ammunition train
standing in the station, was hit, and the terrific explosions that
followed at irregular intervals accompanied by huge fires added to the
evening's excitements. Next day, wires from G.H.Q. enlightened us. The
German offensive opened on the morning of March 21st, the fifth and
third armies being engaged. The front line defence had been overwhelmed,
but we were led to suppose that the enemy was being held up amongst the
defended localities.
We afterwards learnt that intensive bombing of back areas and
particularly of railheads and junctions had taken place that night in
the whole of the British area. One of the objects of this was to impede
the movements of reserve divisions, and when it is known that detailed
instructions had been issued for the entrainment of the 42nd at Lillers
in case we should be required at some distance, such a policy as this is
easily understood. But the German had reckoned without the London
omnibus driver, who before the war had served another kind of "General."
Arrangements were rapidly completed in twenty-four hours, so that on
the morning of March 23rd the whole division, in battle order, found a
huge fleet of buses ready to convey them to--"Somewhere in France." The
French villagers smiled confidently at us as we journeyed northwards in
the direction of the Portuguese front, but they did not know, poor
souls, that this was the only way the large convoy could "about turn,"
nor did they know, although perhaps they guessed, that the Portuguese
front would collapse the following month and they would be fleeing for
their lives before the blonde beast.
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