two dead officers (freemasons) 10 of them get knocked out. Thursday & Friday Nov 23/24 Lay around camp expecting to go up the line at 4 AM on Sunday morning to relieve 8 squads of the 13th on Sat noon we get word to pull out to Val de Mason, its raining pitchforks, we are all anxious to pull out from there only 36 of us left. all the lead swingers, cripples, & Hanks pets have long been in this haven of refuge. we struck all our tents except one, piled our packs & tents into the one left standing we cut to see who stays & looks after the tents & packs. I get away in the in the third sit. So glad to get away from this terrible Somme front, we have had six weeks & three days of it our division is all cut to hell. most battallions have from 200 to 500 men, the 34 are 158. We go to 5 miles out Val de Mason & land there just in time for supper, wet thro to the skin & plastered with mud. When
