Chapter 16. Flux

Returning to the front, the train station Winston got

off at was more than 20 miles short of regimental

headquarters. He cadged a lift with a munitions truck

and walked the last 8 miles.

Beside a row of split and shattered trees he stopped at

a makeshift military cemetery when he saw horse draw

carts full of bodies ready for burial. There was rows of

bodies already piled into open pits and covered with lime.

Winston shook his head. "What a waste."

*

When he reached the regiment Winston was surprised to

find Harry Patch had volunteered to be a stretcher bearer.

"What made you do that Harry?"

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"Look around Winston, how many old faces do you see."

Winston didn't recognise anybody, they were all new.

"What happened?"

"The regiment was part of a big push. We spent a week

going forward, regardless of losses and gained about 500

yards. We dug in and formed a line, and held the position

until a there was an almighty German counter attack.

After a day and a night, what was left of the regiment fell

back to the same position the push had started from."

Winston felt sick. "Where are the lads then?" .

Harry didn't answer him.

"Unpack your kit if you want to Winston, but don't get too

comfortable. We're coming off the line tomorrow and moving

up to Arras."

"For another push?" Winston asked.

"They're not saying." Harry groaned. "but I have a bad feeling

about it."

*

Under heavy enemy fire the soldiers moved through the

village and crossed the river at a bridge the retreating

Germans had tried to destroy. The stretcher bearer squads

followed in the second wave of troop movement.

Winston and Harry took cover behind a broken wall on the

riverbank and waited for their turn to cross.

"There's not much left of that bridge." Harry said.

Artillery shells fired in support, whipped through sky above.

In return, Germans shrapnel shells burst and cracked

around them.

The bridge was a tangled mess of ironwork that had partly

fallen into the river. Duck boards, that could be crossed in

single file, had been roped to what remained of the metal

girders. Crossing was possible, but it was slow and exposed.

Harry tapped Winston. "We're up."

The duckboard walkway sloped down to almost river level

before it climbed up to the other bank. As he and Harry

began to across, Winston saw bodies in the water held

against the bridge wreckage by the current.

*

Author's Note

This chapter is a work in progress and I will add to it in the

next few weeks. Thank you for reading what I have written

so far. Any feedback or ideas you might have would be

welcome.