72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADAhad a remarkable object-lesson as to the abandoned impedimenta of a beaten army. They had seen evidences ofthis accompaniment of defeat on their way. Disabledtraction engines, field-kitchens, ambulances and staff-cars-the latter bearing the eagle crest of Germany had beenseen in various places. But at Fleurus, in the railwayyards, there were mountains of destruction. There hadevidently been about five long trains loaded with everyimaginable kind of war munitions, standing on the tracksready for transportation to Germany. Surprised by thearmistice, the Huns had wrecked the trains, and the ex1ploding ammunition had wrought terrific havoc. Thegreater part of all the trains lay in long lines of twistedand partially fused steel, among which were the cratersmade by exploding shells. Unexploded shells lay everywhere. The wrecked trains had apparently contained agreat variety of war material. Rifles, bombs, steel helmets,gas respirators, stoves, machine guns, sewing machines,everything had been piled into the cars. On a separatesiding stood an untouched train containing a completeaerodrome :planes, hangars, and all their appurtenances.And this was but one example of the hundreds of suchstores, many of which the enemy had failed to destroywith the thoroughness that marked this one.A stay of one day in Fleurus was enough to leave anuneffaceable impression of the inevitable and immense lossesincurred by a beaten army in modern w r ar, and theBattalion moved on again and spent the night of December 16th in the tiny farm village of Grand Leez. Thename implied the existence of a still smaller Leez. Themembers of the 72nd who settled into their cramped quarters for the night were, however, doubtful on this point.At any rate they had no wish for anything more restricted.The following day the Battalion marched eight miles toOpprebais, south of Louvain. Here, on account of thescarcity of accommodation, the billeting had to176be divided