De Wet was
captured and is now under military control, and still we waited orders
to move from the comfortable billets and crowded streets of our town.
Dry eyes would see us depart, mocking children would bid us sarcastic
farewells, the kindly landladies and their fair daughters would laugh
when we bade adieu and moved away to some destination unknown. We had
already taken our farewell three times, and on each occasion we have
come back again to our billets before the day that saw our departure
came to an end.
The heart of every man thrilled with excitement when the announcement
was made for the first time, one weary evening when we had just
completed a ten-hour divisional field exercise. Our officer read it
from a typewritten sheet, and the announcement was as follows:
"All men in the battalion must stand under arms until further
orders. No soldier is to leave his billet; boots are not to be
taken off, and best marching pairs are to be worn. Every unit
of the company who lacks any part of the necessary equipment
must immediately report at quartermaster's stores, where all
wants will be supplied. Identity discs to be worn, swords
must be cleaned and polished, and twenty-four hours' haversack
rations are to be carried. The battalion has to entrain for
some unknown destination when called upon."
The news spread through the town: the division was going to move! On
the morrow we would be sailing for France, in a fortnight we would be
in Berlin! Our landladies met us at the doors as we came in, looks of
entreaty on their faces and tears in their eyes.
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