October 21, 1916
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We left Dernancourt at 11a.m. wending our way through the everlasting mud and being blocked every few yards by the huge transport on the roads. Motors were passing in their thousands without exaggeration, and we, the new troops marching out, made a tremendous mix up. We passed Albert and went on to Fricourt, now nothing but a name, no buildings now standing.
The railway extends past here to the trenches. Our march of 4 miles took us 3 hours to perform owing to the traffic. Here I had my first view of the German dugouts we had read of. Their entrances went down very steeply to a depth of 20 ft. or more into perfect rooms lined and floored with wood. In many they were lined with green and red cloth, picture-framing round the sides and electric light throughout, absolutely luxurious.
These dugouts were plentiful, many extending into one another, all dry and fitted with beds, shelves, pegs, etc. Saw a few English shells lying about, duds, notably some 9.2 in. howitzers, enormous things, and lucky for somebody that they did not burst. Slept at night in one of these.