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8/ the Infantry in single file, dodging under horses heads, climbing down into and out of the ditch, to get round some vehicle. Platoons going into the trenches, and platoons coming out, all deadly tired and bowed down under the weight of their packs and equipment. I said "marched", but that is a totally erroneous term to use. It should be slouched or crawled, for it is an extremely slow pace, more of a shuffle than anything else, whilst such a thing as keeping step is of course out of the question. The Infantry man is indeed a beast of burden, and covered with mud he stoops forward to get the weight of his pack on his back and so relieve the strain on his aching shoulders.

As we got nearer Neuville St. Vaast, the road got muddier and still more congested, and all the time behind us was the continuous thundering roar of our guns, and above, the shriek & hiss of the shells speeding on their deadly mission, and the flash of the guns like sheet lightning sometimes made the scene like broad daylight. And in front the German flares were going up like bright white stars.

Then, all of a sudden, a shriek and hiss just above our heads made all duck, and the horses reared and got out of hand, and the traffic got into hopeless confusion. Immediately after 5 more German shells dropped each side of us, but luckily, missed the road. The confusion was awful, men shouted and cursed, each fearing the next would hit the road, but no more came, and just the old roar hiss and shriek went on as before. I don't know which was the worst, the vicious scream of the shells, the terrific ear splitting explosion, or the confusion and tumult of that congested road, but anyhow I'll never forget it. The whole business seemed so strange

BC Archives, MS-0089 Box 1 File 5 GLASSFORD, Deborah Florence (Leighton). Vancouver Correspondence inward, 1917.

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