This wasn’t the first time the platoon had seen civilians running back through their lines, so that didn’t shake them too badly. They’d been rushed from reserve trenches straight into the open fight and they were filled with the sick, excited feeling that today something big might happen. The unbearable noise, the shuddering ground, the smoke-filled air, the stench of cordite, and the drunken staggers of the walking wounded were all as familiar as sunrise. Nothing pleasant about any of that, but none of it a reason to pull out. What made them falter was the screaming and the desperate gasping terror on the faces of the British troops who lurched toward them, dragging their gear away ahead of the oncoming Germans.
‘Jesus Christ!’ said Bert Carter. ‘Will you look at these blokes? What the f
