Note 14 — Chapter IX · OPENING OF THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE (March 21—April 9, 1918)

The Dispatch Riders sometimes had the luck that dash and courage deserve. But not always! A corporal writes: “We were passing the canteen at Achiet-le-Grand as it was about to be burnt, so of course we looked round for what we could win, and in the dark stumbled over a box. When in the dim light we made out the name Abdullah on the side, we quickly strapped the box to a carrier. On arrival at Headquarters the box drew a crowd, and we learnt for the first time what decent fellows we were, and how everybody liked us. What was more to the point, we were offered up to five francs a tin for the contents. After a struggle with jack-knives, willingly lent, we got the box open. It was full of the cheapest kind of razor-strops.... During four years in France as Dispatch Rider I have been with several Divisions, and never met better sports than the Dispatch Riders and Headquarter staff of the 42nd. I tried hard to get back to the 42nd later, but couldn’t manage it.”