Friends of France; . eep. About4 we started out to find something to eat. Aproblem this, for the only shop still open was run byan old couple too scared to cook. No food for hoursat a time gives desperate courage, so on we wentuntil we found in a farmhouse some ham and eggswhich we cooked ourselves. It was not altogetherpleasant, for the whole place was filled with dust,the house next door having just been demolished bya shell. However, the machines were untouched,although a shell burst near them, and we hurriedback for another nights work. The following morning we decided to stay in Elve
Friends of France; . eep. About4 we started out to find something to eat. Aproblem this, for the only shop still open was run byan old couple too scared to cook. No food for hoursat a time gives desperate courage, so on we wentuntil we found in a farmhouse some ham and eggswhich we cooked ourselves. It was not altogetherpleasant, for the whole place was filled with dust,the house next door having just been demolished bya shell. However, the machines were untouched,although a shell burst near them, and we hurriedback for another nights work. The following morning we decided to stay in Elver-dinghe and try to get a little sleep, but no sooner hadwe turned in than we were awakened by the orderto get out of the chateau at once, as we were underfire. While I was putting on my shoes the windowfell in and part of the ceiling came along. Then anorder came to evacuate the place of all its wounded,and we were busy for hours getting them to a placeof safety. Shells were falling all about. One great 124 xoncoflo. THE SECTION IN FLANDERS tree in front of me was cut completely off and anauto near it was riddled with the fragments. Fortwo weeks this battle lasted. We watched our littlevillage gradually disintegrating under the Germanshells. The cars were many times under more or lessheavy artillery and rifle fire and few there were with-out shrapnel holes. The advantage of our little cars over the biggerand heavier ambulances was demonstrated manytimes. On narrow roads, with a ditch on each side,choked with troops, ammunition wagons, and ve-hicles of all sorts moving in both directions, horsessometimes rearing in terror at exploding shells, atnight in the pitch dark, except for the weird lightfrom the illuminating rockets, the little cars couldsqueeze through somehow. If sometimes a wheel ortwo would fall into a shell hole, four or five willingsoldiers were enough to lift it out and on its wayundamaged. If a serious collision occurred, twohours work sufficed to repair it. Alw
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectworldwar19141918
