JOHNNYGETYOURGUN

JOHNNYGETYOURGUN

A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OFTHE SOMME, YPRES & ARRAS

J O H N F T U C K E R

Pen&SwordMILITARY

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin1978byWilliamKimber&Co.Limited

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Contents

Chapter Acknowledgements ForewordI Diversion–TheAwakeningII TheWeaningPeriodIII GrimRealityIV AQuietFrontV TotalDedication–SpannersintheWorksVI WillItNeverEnd?VII Blighty–EndofDiversion BriefRe-union Epilogue Index AmapoftheBritishsectorofWesternFrontappearsonpage52

BycourtesyofAlbertOborn,Esq

BycourtesyofMrsD.Danby

ImperialWarMuseum

ImperialWarMuseum

ListofIllustrations

TheauthoratBrightonthedaywarwasdeclaredTheauthorinhisfirstuniformThedraftenroutetoWatford,earlyin1915TheKensingtonsatLaventie,fromthepaintingbyEricKenningtonWithBillyHewittandArthurBudgeatMervilleSergeantOborn’scrossMajorDickens’crossThePioneerSection,Arras1918‘Gassed’fromthepaintingbyJohnSargentHelpinganambulancethroughthemudTheauthorandhisfather,September1918IntheStokeWarHospitalBackinCivvyStreet

Acknowledgements

I must first acknowledge the debt I owe to my wife Lilian, who originallyencouragedmetoputtheseexperiencesinwriting.In1914shewasoneofthelittlegirlswatchingoverthewallsofherschoolatSudburyasmybattaliononedaymarched past on theway toHarrow; neither of us aware thatwewere tomeetandmarryabouttenyearslater.OurdaughtersPamelaandJoanhavealsogivenmemuchhelpandencouragement.Pamelaaccompaniedmeonashorttripto France, where we paid hurried visits to St Omer, Arras, and Amiens,including the site at Beaurainswhere I waswounded. She has spent valuablehours in searching for and obtaining official war maps and in vetting themanuscriptandrenderingadviceandhelpwiththedesignforthebook-jacket.Iamsograteful for thekindnessshownbyMissMonicaDickens,hersister

MrsDorisDanby,andcousinMrCharlesCedricDickens,whohavegonetosomuchtroubleinsearchingforandeventuallyfindingtheprintofthecrosswhichIinscribedfortheiruncleMajorC.C.Dickens.ThanksarealsoduetoMrAlbertObornforthephotographofthecrossofhis

brotherSergeantF.S.Oborn.MrS.G.(Stan)White,MBE,formerlyHonSecofthe Kensington OCA has been most helpful in providing photographs. MissV.M. Palmer and Mr F.W. Milsom kindly made excellent copies of severalphotographsforreproduction.IamalsomostgratefultoMrNormanSewellwhosuppliedmuchvaluabledatawithoutwhichitwouldhavebeendifficulttohavedrawnmymapinsuchdetail.MypublishersMessrsWilliamKimber&Co.Ltd.,(inthepersonofMsAmy

HowlettandMrOliverColman)havemygratefulthanksforthekindlyguidanceandadvicegivenduringtheproductionofthisvolume.AboveallImakehumbleacknowledgementtothemillionswhoparticipated

withsuchfortitudeintheholocaustoftheso-calledGreatWar.

JOHNFRANCISTUCKERJanuary1978Wembley

Foreword

Thisisthenarrativeofayoungman’slifeduringthefouryearsoftheGreatWarfrom1914 to 1918. It is by nomeans intended as awar history,which couldbetter be derived from official and other sources, but it is a purely personalexperience as remembered after an interval of about sixty years. During thisperiod isolated incidents have come tomind from time to time inmost vividform, exactly as experienced and in great detail, without exaggeration oraddition of any kind. Recently having been presented with a tape-recorder Idecidedtodictateafewsuchreminiscencesandtomysurprisefoundthatlongforgottenmemorieswerebeingbroughttothesurfaceandfollowedeachotherinamoreor lessconsecutivemanner.Asfluentspeechhasneverbeeneasywithme,Icommencedputtingmystoryintowriting,withtheensuingresult.With the exception of a few quoted official statements, confirmation of

severaldatesandreferencetosketchmapstorecallplacenames,thenarrativeisalmostwhollyfrommyownmemoryandconclusions.Inmyefforts topresenta truepictureofeventssomeofmystatementsmay

possibly cause offence to particular individuals, but I believe that in any suchcasesthefactshavealreadybeenfullypublicised.Someofthedetailsmaybegruesomeanddistressing,butIhavefeltthatmy

storywouldbeincompleteorevenmisleadinghadtheybeenomitted.I must be forgiven if many of the episodes are not strictly in their true

sequence,timehavingtendedtomisplacesomeoccurrences.Alsoduringsomeof themajor battlesmovements andoperations sometimesbecame so frequentandinvolvedthatitisnowalmostimpossibletorecalltheminpropersequence.Indeedthephysicalandmentalstresseswereat timessogreatas toleavelittleimpressiononthemind.Itwillalsobeunderstoodthattheinfantrysoldieroftendidnotknowmuchofwhatwasgoingonaroundhimbeyondthespaceofafewyards.Wehadnomapsandreliedmostlyonhearsayandrumour.Ofthetenmenshown in the two group photographs reproduced in this book eight becamecasualties fromwounds.This gives some indication of the losses sustainedby

theinfantry.Theareacoveredinthesereminiscencesstretchedoverthewholelengthofthe

British line, fromYpres to the Somme and included operations on almost allsectors.Theexcitementandheroicsofmychildhood imaginationhavesubsidedand

leftmewiththerealitiesanddisillusionmentofwar,thefears,horrors,filthandstench.NowthatIhaverecordedmymemoriesperhapstheghostswillrest.

I

Diversion–TheAwakening

Iwasabout17½yearsoldwhentheGreatWarbrokeout,whileIwasspendingtheAugustBankHoliday1914atBrighton.Weallthoughtitwouldbeashortandsharpwar,butafterabouttwomonthsitwasobviousthatitwasgoingtobea longdrawnoutaffair.MycousinFrankieJoneshadgoneout toFrancewiththe firstcontingentasasergeant in theGrenadierGuards.His father,a formerstaff sergeant and a veteranof theSouthAfricanWar,went out early on as acaptaininaSuffolkterritorialbattalion,butwassoonwoundedandreturnedtoEnglandfordischarge.AppealswerebeingmadeforvolunteerstoreinforceoursmallExpeditionary

Force,andmenofallageswere turningupat the recruitingstations in tensofthousands.Moraleandpatriotismweremarvellouslyhigh.ThegreatmajorityoftheBritishpublicwastremendouslyproudofourheritageandofourenormousworld-wideEmpire.The greatest incentivewas of course the determination toprotectourfamiliesandhomesfromforeigninvasion.Thepossibilityofdefeatwas not for one moment entertained, so great was our faith and trust in ourNation. Spiritswere high andmuch encouragementwas given by the popularsongsofthetime,suchas:WherearetheladsofthevillagetonightWherearetheladsweknow.InPiccadillyorLeicesterSquare?Nomychild,nonotthere.They’vetakenatriptotheContinentWiththeirriflesandtheirbayonetsbright,Facing danger gladly, where they’re needed badly That’s where they aretonight.

Iwas under age at the time and had a disability inmy rib-cage,whichmadesustainedeffortsuchaslongdistancerunningorfootballdifficult,causingmuchshortnessofbreath.ItwasnotverylikelyatthattimethatIwouldbeacceptedin

aregularbattalion.Ifelthoweverthatitwasuptometotakemyplacebesidethose who were sacrificing life and limb to protect our homes, families andcountry from the enemy. I therefore decided to try a Territorial unit wherestandardswerenotsohigh.AsmyfamilyhadassociationswiththeKensingtonBattalion, 13th London Regiment, my father and two uncles having beensergeantsintheoldVolunteerdays,Ideterminedtotryandjointhis.Iwouldliketosayherethatmilitarymattersweresomethingofanobsession

withme.MyearliestmemorieswereoftheBoerWar,andIwasintriguedwiththe fine figure anduniformofmyuncleFrankonhis return fromwar.Also Ispent many a holiday in the Guards’ barracks in the Tower of London,Wellington Barracks, Windsor and Aldershot, seeing the fine parades andbrilliant uniforms and getting an insight into the everyday life of the Britishsoldier in peace-time.Much of my reading time was devoted to studying thehistory of British battles, both ancient and modern. I had also gained someelementaryknowledgeofdrillandthehandlingofarifleintheLads’Brigade.The strict disciplineof army life appealed tome, as did the sport, particularlyboxingatwhichIattainedsomesmallskill.MyemployerswereafirmofEastIndianexportagentsintheStrand,whereI

wasworkingasajuniorclerk.OfficelifewasrepugnanttomeandIwouldhaveenjoyedbetter anoutdoorexistence,or tobe inamore interestingoccupation,butmyfatherpreferredmyworkinginanofficejob,consideringthistobemorepermanentandsecure.Mymother’sfamilyhadallbeenintheartline,mainlyaspicture restorers,oneor two inalliedoccupationssuchasarchitects, and therehadnowbeenfourgenerationsengagedinartisticpursuits.However,myuncleshadsonsoftheirowntoconsiderandwerenaturallyaversetoencouragingtheirsister’soffspringascompetitors.On14thNovember,aSaturday,Ilefttheofficeatlunchtimeandwenttothe

AdamandEveMews, offKensingtonHighStreet, and entered theDrillHall,emptyexceptforasergeantseatedatatableinthecentre.Iansweredthevariousquestions,givingafictitiousageof19,andwassentupto thegallerytoawaitthe Medical Officer, who eventually turned up, evidently from his enjoyablelunch.Itookoffmyjacketandwastoldtoholdoutmyarms,openandclosemyfingers;theMOsaidOKandturningonhisheelwalkedoff.Nostethoscopewasused and no pulse rate taken. I assumed I had passed this farcical medicalexaminationandwentbackto the tablewhereIwassworninandsignedon.IdidnotgettheproverbialKing’sShillingandassumedthesergeanthadkeptthisashis‘perks’.IwastoldtoreportbackonMondaymorning.Iwenthomeandbrokethenews,whichwastakenratherbadlybymymother,

andinsilencebymyfather.Ihadjoinedthe3rdbattalion,our1stbattalionwasinFrance,the2ndbattalionbeingahomeserviceunitwasatWatford.We in the 3rd battalion had then no uniforms or rifles, except for a few

wooden dummy rifles. We drilled in Holland Park and Hyde Park, withoccasional route marches and field exercises in Richmond Park or BarnesCommon, going home each evening. We drew 7/- a week pay, less 4d forNational Insurance, plus £1 per week subsistence allowance and travellingexpenseswhile living at home.After a fewweekswewere issuedwith khakiuniforms. We felt privileged to get these, as the newly formed Kitchener’sArmy,ofwhichtherewasaKensingtonBattalion,hadtobesatisfiedwithblueuniformsmadefromPostOfficecloth.WefeltveryproudaswemarchedalongHighStreet,Kensingtonsinging:WearetheKensingtonBoysWearetheKensingtonBoys,WespendourtannersWemindourmanners,Wearerespectedwhereverwego,Whenwe’remarchingdowntheHighStreetKen,Doorsandwindowsopenwide.Youcanhearthesergeantshout,PutthosebloomingWoodbinesout,WearetheKensingtonBoys.

Our1stBattalion,beforegoingtoFrancehadbeenbilletedinthestadiumoftheWhite City. A very celebrated firm of caterers had supplied their food,eventuallyresultinginabadepidemicoffoodpoisoning.OurcolonelseemedtotakeadelightinleadingthebattalionpastCadbyHall,wherewewouldmarchtotheaccompanimentof loudboos,muchto thedelightof thefemaleemployeeswhowouldleanfromthewindows,dressedincottonoverallsandcaps,wavingtousaswepassedby.Some of our more ribald songs were much appreciated by many of the

spectators lining the kerbs, but looked onwith distaste by a few of themoresnobbishresidentsoftheRoyalBorough.Anothersatiricalsongwas:

WeareFredKarno’sarmyAscruffylotarewe.Wecannotmarch,wecannotfightWhatbloominggoodarewe?

AndwhenwegettoBerlinTheKaiserhewillshout,‘MeinGott,MeinGott,WhataruddyfinelotAretheBritishAr-Armie.’

IwasalsoveryproudtowalkintheeveningandatweekendswithmyfriendsalongGreenLanes,Harringay.Most had now joined up, two inmy battalion,oneintheNavyandoneartillery.At a concert in the drill hall one night I hadmy first experience in getting

completely blotto on neat whisky, under the tuition of a young fellow whoclaimedtobefromTexas.Hepossessedacheapandantiquatedrevolverandaphoney American accent to prove his story. We imbibed extremely largequantities in quick succession, ignoring the kindlywarnings from the canteensergeant’swife.Iendedupfeelingterriblyillandsleepingonthedrillhallfloor,someonecoveringmeupwith theheavyandfilthycurtain fromthestage.My‘Texan’ friendwokeme in themorning (Sunday) andescortedme to a coffeeshopwhere I was handed a plate of fat bacon and eggs with coffee, which Ifoundverydifficulttodigest,afterwardsstaggeringtoSouthKensingtonStationandthencehome.MyparentsandsisterweresittingdowntoSundaydinner,asIpokedmyheadinthedoorandmumbled‘Hello–I’mgoingtobed.’IsworetomyselfthatIwouldneverpartakeofstrongliquoragain,buthavetoconfessthatthisvowwassoonbroken.Christmas1914wasspentathome.Here Imust recount the episode of theGerman spy, a hairdresser inGreen

Lanes, Harringay. One day I entered for a trim up, and the barber, a typicalTeutonictype,startedaskingverypointedquestionsaboutmybattalion–ifwehadriflesetc.BeingsuspiciousofhimIgaveverymisleadingreplies,sayingwedid indeedhaverifles.Did theycomefromtheTowerofLondon?Isaid Ididnotknow.Infacttheoldsurplusrifleswereoriginallystoredthere,buthadnowbeen issued to thenewarmy.Ourbattalionhadno riflesat the time– the2ndBattalionhad Japanese rifles andbayonets,madebyBSA inBirmingham,butconfiscatedbyourGovernmentontheoutbreakofwar.The barber’swife, a large darkwoman, peeped through the inner door and

lookedatmewithaveryscaredexpression,thenquicklydisappearedbehindthescenes. I did think of reporting the incident to the police, but decided that itwouldmostlikelybeawasteoftime.IreadafterthewarthathewasindeedaGermanspy,andknowntotheauthorities,andincommonwithotherspieswasleftalone;as theywerebeing fedwithconflicting information, their reports toGermanywere confusing and useless. He had a wireless set in his roof, very

littlebeingknownaboutwirelessbythegeneralpublicinthosedays.IhadtwomoreencounterswithspieswheninFranceasIwillrelatelater.OnemorningweentrainedtoaplaceinEssextodigtrenches(partofdefences

againstpossibleinvasion).Ilearnedthisdittyonthetrain:IwaswalkingwithasoldierinthePark,Iwastalkingtoasoldierforalark,WhenhekissedmeandtoldmeThathe’dmarrymeaswell,ThenheborrowedmypurseandleftmeAsoldier’sfarewell.

Ifoundtrenchdiggingveryexhaustingintheheavywetclayandwasthankfulwhenthetimecametoreturnhome.Myefforts,likethoseofmanyothers,wereveryunimpressivewhencomparedwiththoseoffellowsusedtomanualwork.Nooneinmysquadhadanyexperienceofdrill,andIwasappointedassquad

commander for a short time, owing to having had some small training in theLad’s Brigade, although I felt a little embarrassed because of my extremeyouthfulness andbeingat the timevery immature. I had,however, bought thestandarddrillmanualsoncompanyandbattaliondrill;alsomyfatherhadgivenmeaverygoodbookonmap reading,allofwhich Ihad thoroughlydigested.Thissmallpromotionhoweverwas tobeveryshort-lived,asafterChristmasaparty of us were entrained to Watford and transferred to the 2nd Battalion,mostly composedofHomeServicemen. I had of course enlisted for overseasservice,hence the reason foroverstatingmyage.Theminimumage forHomeServiceenlistmentwas18,andforOverseasService19.We were now issued with the Japanese rifles and bayonets and leather

equipment,besideswhichwewereprovidedwithalongcanvaskit-bagforourpersonalbelongings.The2ndBattalionwereremarkablywelltrainedanddisciplined,reallyupto

Guards’standard,andregimentalprideandespritdecorpswereextremelyhigh.Manyofthemenhadpreviouslybeenemployedatlocalfirms,suchasBarkers,Pontings, Holland Hannon and Cubitts, and so on. We drilled in CassioburyPark, and did long route marches and field exercises in the surroundingcountryside.Iwasbilletedinafurnishedbedroomwithaverynicefellow(PeterLing)a

teacher by profession. We spent most our spare time together, exploring thetown and sampling the local (Watford) brew in a temperatemanner, the townbeingfamousforitsbreweries.

AfterchurchparadeonSundaymorningstherestofthedaywasusuallyourown and several times I and another fellow, in common with others, brokeboundsanddodgingtheregimentalpolice,wouldmakeourwayacrossthefieldscatchingatrainfromWatfordStationenablingustogethomefortea.OncethetraindidnotstopatTottenhamHaleandwebothjumpedfromthemovingtrainto the platform. I fell, badly bruisingmy knee cap and tearingmy trousers. ImanagedtheseveralmileswalktogethometoHarringay.

We eventually leftWatford for SaffronWaldon, marching long distances forthreedays,stoppingatWareandHertfordinbarnsorbilletsforthenights.Therewas much competition between the four battalions of the Brigade, for marchdiscipline, etc., our battalion being thewinners, to the chagrin of the LondonScottishwhoprided themselveson theirmarchingability;wehad the smallestnumberofmenfallingout.NodoubttheLondonScottishwerehamperedinthehotweather by theweight of their kilts. TheScotswere very cunning, hidingtheircasualtiesbehindhedgesandhaystacks,butwerediscoveredby theeagleeyeoftheBrigadierGeneral.ItwasatHertfordIbelievewheremysectionwas luckytobebilleted inan

emptyroomaboveanoldinn.Wespentaconvivialeveningintheprivateroomof the innkeeper’s family, retiring late toourbareatticabove. In thenightwetippedourdirtywaterandslopsoutofthewindow.Therewasahardfrostandourslopsrandownthefrontwindowofthebarbelow,muchtotheannoyanceoftheinnkeeperwhodiscoveredthestateofhisfrozenwindowsinthemorning.We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Saffron Waldon, then a

lovelyoldtowncomposedmainlyofmediaevalbuildingsandtimberedhouses,theentrancesofmanybeingvery low, the floorsoftenbelowstreet level.Theinhabitants were mostly Quakers, who kept their daughters out of sight. Wehardlysawayounggirlallthetimewewerethere.Mysectionwerebilletedinafine,empty,largemodernhouseontheoutskirts

ofthetown,withthecompanycooksinstalledbelow.Wesleptonbunksmadeofthreelooseplanksraisedonverylowtrestlesandwithstrawfilledmattresses.Wehadasusual tokeepourquartersscrupulouslyclean, for inspectionby theorderlyofficereachmorning,andifasmuchasamatchstickwasfoundonthefloorwemissedourbreakfast.Eachmorningweranamileorsoinshirtsleevesbeforebreakfast.Some fellowswould fall out, but I alwaysmanaged to finishtherun,althoughwithmuchdistressthroughwantofbreath.OnemorningIwokewithaviolentattackofdysenteryandstayedinmybunk,

but was severely reprimanded by the Orderly Officer for not first attending

paradetogetpermissiontogosick.ImanagedtogetbeforetheMedicalOfficerwithoutmishapandwasgivena largedoseofpeppermintand lightduty.Thisentailed sitting on the guard room floor and undertaking various choresthroughouttheday.Iwascuredbyevening.OnedayweweresenttothefiringrangetotryournewJapaneserifles.While

waiting Ientered thecanteenanddrankapintofgingerbeer (verygassy).OnemergingIsawacrowdofLondonScottishroundafellowwhowasbrandishinga pair of boxing gloves and challenging anyone to go three rounds. No oneseemedeagertoobligehim,sobeingfondofthesportIagreedtohaveago.Iheldmyownverywellforthe3×2minuterounds,butthegingerbeerleftmesowindedthatIwasnotdispleasedwhentheboutwasover.Naturallymyefforton the firing range immediately after was not at all impressive, althougheventuallyIbecameafirstclassshot.A fewdays after this I ran intomyopponentwho congratulatedme onmy

performance and said I had given him a few good knocks and that it wasevidently not the first time I had the gloves on. I did not disillusion him bysayingthatmypreviousexperienceswereverylimited,beingmainlyobtainedina Church hall with various keen companions, very rough and earnest bouts,sometimescausingmuchconcernanddistresstothevicarwhowouldbeseechustobemoregentle.IttranspiredthatmyopponenthadbeenrunnerupintheABAlight-weightchampionships.Hewouldthushavebeenaboutmyownweightatthe time,myonlyadvantagebeingheight.Hewouldundoubtedlyhavebeatenmeinaseriouscontest.However,Iwaswellpleasedwithmyperformance,andseemedtohaveimpressedthespectators.Wewentthroughverythoroughtraininginbattalion,companyandarmsdrill,

becomingveryproficientandsmart.Disciplinewasextremelysevere.Ioncehadtheopportunity ofwatching the battaliononparade froman excellent vantagepoint above the field. All the movements including presenting arms, fixingbayonets, etc. were most impressive and perfect. I was a good judge of this,havingseensomuchofitperformedbytheGuardsduringmyboyhood.Icouldnotfaultthedisplay.Asfarasactualwarfarewasconcerned,however,thiskindof training was only of use in instilling immediate obedience and discipline.Apart froma few feeble lecturesand fieldmanoeuvres,moreor lessoutdated,wehadnotrainingapplicabletotrenchwarfare,whichwehadtolearnlaterthehardway,byactualwarexperience.One daywewere drilled and inspected before the Brigadier General; there

wereabout700or800ofusintheranks.AttheconclusiontheBrigadeMajorcameacross thefielddirectly tome,muchtomyconsternation, thinkingthatI

was about to be criticised for some fault. He asked if I had ever consideredpromotion and advisedme to do so.This gavemequite a thrill, but I did notwantpromotion,feelingratherimmatureandinexperienced,andalsopreferringfreedomwhenoffduty.Ihadnoticedthatourcorporalsseemedtohaveaprettythin time, getting frequent extra work such as orderly corporal, etc., andappeared to be used as general dogsbodies. I preferred to stay as an ordinaryprivate. However, later on when in France I sometimes had to take overresponsibilityasseniorinservicewheneveranNCOwasnotavailable.ThiswasthefirstofthreesimilarcontactsatBrigadelevel,asIwillrecountlater.Our2ndbattalionwasveryfortunateinhavingoneofthefinestbrassbandsin

theTerritorialArmy,mostlycomposedofprofessionalmusiciansfromLondontheatres, completewithmagnificent instruments.Alsowehada finedrumandfifeband.Wewere livenedupwithmarching tunesonour routemarches andChurchparades,andthebandwasoftenloanedtootherunitsintheBrigade.Themostpopular tunewas ‘TheUniformGrey’,which incidentallywascomposedbyourfierceoldColonelMacLean.Idonotremembertheverses,butthesongstarted off with our Regimental Call ‘Daa Daa Daa – Daa daa dada dada daDah,’thechorusbeing:Here’ssuccesstothethirteenthGreyAregimentfinedownKensingtonway.AsmartercorpswasnevermadeThanthatwhichleadstheGreyBrigade.Westminsters,Civils,Scotsandtherest,ArtistsandDevilsareallofthebest,Where will you find such men displayed Except in the ranks of the GreyBrigade.

Dah,Dah,Dah.(That’sallrot).

thelastwordsbeingintroducedsatiricallyinordertosaveourfaces,theBritishsoldierdelightingtopokefunathimself,andhatingtosoundboastful.We had one or two old soldiers in the battalion, very similar in type and

lookingwelloverage.Theywerethin,wirymenofundernourishedappearanceandwithwhitishcomplexions,apparentlyexistingoncopiousamountsofbeerof which they consumed twenty or more pints a day whenever available,neglecting solid food. They spent hours daily in cleaning their equipment,polishing and ‘boning’ their boots and leather belts to amiraculous brilliance.They were much given to bragging and at times inclined to be touchy andaggressive.Weyoungermenheldtheminsomeawe,especiallyastheygavethe

impression of being dangerous men to quarrel with, having no respect forQueensberryRulesor such fine aspects as fair play.Following the theory that‘oldsoldiersneverdie’theyusuallymanagedtogetontoheadquartersdetailasregimental police, cooks, grooms or the like. They showed great aptitude inrunninggamblinggamesor‘schools’,suchas‘pontoon’, ‘housey-housey’,and‘crown-and-anchor’, the latter surreptitiouslyas itwas for some reasonstrictlyforbidden.Theseactivitieskeptthemwellinfundsandpaidfortheirbeer.Theoriginaldrumandfifeband,mostlyyoungboys,withtheirwhitehaired

old Drum Major Skinner, a very ancient Grenadier Guardsman, were out inFrancewiththe1stbattalionandwereengagedoncarryingparties,etc.whenintheline.Havingtheirdrumsandfifeswiththemwhenoutatrest,theypolisheduptheirinstrumentsandgavefineperformancesupanddownthevillagestothegreatentertainmentofbothourselvesandtheFrenchcivilians.Theyalsoformeda concert party, one popular farce, a trench play, beingwritten by one of thedrummers.ImethimagainaftertheWar,onholidayatShanklin.Hehadbeenburiedbyashell inFrance,dugoutandsenthome toapsychiatrichospital inScotlandtorecoverfromthedreadfulshock.ColonelMacLeanwas a rather aged and violently tempered old gentleman.

Weonlysawhimonbattalionparadesandmanoeuvres–thankgoodness.Withhis small pointed moustachios he reminded me of Mephistopheles. He wasalwaysmountedonhishorseandfromthatvantagepointwouldscreamatusinaveryshrillandterrifyingmanner,callingusallthefoulnameshecouldmusterup.Ifhecouldfindnovalidexcuseforthishewouldsoonmakeoneup.Woe-betide anyone who had the misfortune to go before him on a charge – hissentencewasalwayssevere.Probablyhisirascibilitywasduetothefactthathisadvanced age prohibited him from going to France, in spite of his numerouspleas. After the War the old rascal took up Holy Orders and one day thenewspaper placards bore the legend in huge type ‘Clergyman Assaults hisHousekeeper’.Idonotremembertheoutcomeofthecase.Whileherewelearnedofthesplendidfeatsofour1stBattalioninFrance.At

NeuveChapelletheylost160men.TheattackhadbrokentheGermanlinesforthe first time in the war. Later at Aubers Ridge the losses were 436 men,reducing the battalion strength to 30%. As a fighting force the battalion waspractically non-existent. Our battalion was the only one which managed topenetrate theGerman lines and gain all its objectives. Among several awardsgrantedforthegreatgallantryshowninthisactionwasaDSOtoCaptain(laterLieutenant-Colonel)E.G.Kimber.Sir H. Rawlinson commanding the IV Corps met the survivors and

congratulated them on their excellent work, which had not been in vain, theterriblepressureonYpreshadbeenrelievedandtheFrenchenabledtogainthevictoryaroundArras.Hecontinued, and Iquote from theRegimentalHistory,TheKensingtons:

Byyoursplendidattackanddoggedenduranceyouandyourfallencomradeswonimperishablegloryfor the13thLondonBattalion.ItwasafeatofarmssurpassedbynobattalionintheGreatWar.Thoughnoaccountsofyourworkonthatdayhavebeenpublishedinthepress,donotthinkthatitisnotknownand fully appreciated. It isknownand fullyvalued in thehighestdegreebymyselfandtheStaffoftheIVCorps,byGeneralSirJohnFrenchandtheH.Q.Staffandbytheauthoritiesathome.

Owing to the heavy losses the Brigade was pulled out of the trenches untilsufficient reinforcements could be sent out from England, and was put on toLinesofCommunication,whichconsistedmainlyof railheadduties invariouspartsofFlanders.MyfriendPeterLingwasnowinanotherbilletinSaffronWaldon,butwestill

met and spent our evenings andweekendswandering about the old town andsampling themanyold inns.OneSaturdayafternoonwewalked toavillageafewmilesdistanttovisitafriendofmineathisartillerycamp.Thiswasratheradisappointingvisit asmyoldacquaintance seemed tohave little interest inus,evidently being fully employed in chasing the young girls whowere hangingabout the camp.However, ourwalk proved enjoyable, as the country scenerywasveryfineinthislocality.One Sunday afternoon Peter Ling and I visited Cambridge, about 20miles

distant by train, andmy companion showedme some of the colleges.He hadbeenhereduringhistrainingasateacher.Theweatherwasperfectandwespentan enjoyable hour rowing on the river. Living in country surroundings was agreatpleasuretome,asexceptforaweekortwoeachyearonholidaysmylifehadbeenmostlyconfinedtothebuiltupareasofLondon.Iparticularlylikedtheroutemarchesandthetacticalexercisescarriedoutinopenfieldsandparkland,sometimesinthevicinityofAudleyHouse.Weeventually left our comfortable billets andwent under canvas in nearby

pleasantparkland,wheremyparentspaidashortvisit,onlyanhourorsobeingallowedforthis.IwasnowanxioustogetouttoFrance,andonedayvolunteerswereaskedfor

adraftof40men.Therewasanimmediaterushforthisfromwewhohadsignedfor overseas service, but the listwas closed before I gotmy turn. Thiswas a

terribledisappointmenttome,andIhauntedtheOrderlyRoompleadingwiththeAdjutantforaplaceonthedraft.Myopportunitycamewhenthemotherofoneboygavehisrealageawayto theauthoritiesandhewastakenoff the list,mynamebeingacceptedinhisplace.IwasthelastprivatetogoouttoFrancefromthe 2nd Battalion to the 1st, although when conscription came into force theHomeServicemenwereindeedsentoutasour2ndBattalion.OtherwiseIwouldhavegonewiththemtoIreland,France,Salonika,PalestineandtothecaptureofJerusalem when they drove the Turkish Army out of Palestine acquittingthemselveswithhonour.Weonthedraftweretheninoculatedandvaccinated,receivingthecustomary

thirty hours’ excuse from duties in order to recover from our stiff arms.Unfortunatelysomeonestartingasparringmatchwithmeandthedressingwasknocked offmy vaccinated arm,whichwent septic. I was unable to carry onwithbayonetexerciseinthemorning,thesergeantsendingmeoncemoretosickparade. A fresh dressing was applied and light duty prescribed. This entailedscrubbingtheOrderlyRoomfloor,badarmornot.Ithoughtthiswasaboutthelimitandattendednormaldrillsthenextday.NeedlesstosayIneveragainwentsick.Thearmycertainlydidnotencouragementoreporttothedoctor.Havingheard (erroneously) that buttons andbrasseswerenot allowed tobe

polished inFrance, Iobstinately refused tocleanmine,which soonassumedaverydirtygreencondition.Theplatoonofficerreprimandedmeoverthis,butdidnotknowifmyclaimhadreallyanyofficialbacking.Iwastheonlymaninthebattalionwith dirty brasses, andwas allowed to get awaywith it. I was veryproudofmygreenbuttons,butwastoregretthislater.Shortly after this the draftwas given the customary four days’ leavebefore

embarkation. I returnedhomewithmykit-bagcontainingpersonalbelongings,beingallowedonlytotakeregulationarmyequipmenttoFrance.ThusIwasableto see my parents, sister, aunts and uncles before departing on the greatadventure.Mydear fathergavemea solemn lectureon thegravedangersandtemptationsawaitingmefromthewickedforeignwomen–allofwhichIwasofcoursefullyawareof.ReturningtocampatSaffronWaldonwewereissuedwiththeoldLongLee

Enfieldriflesandwebbingequipment(plustheFirstFieldDressingfittedintoapocketunder the tunic),andtold tochangetherifleandbayonetfor thenewerShortLeeEnfieldassoonaswecouldgettheopportunitytopickoneup.ThedraftthenentrainedtoVictoria(orWaterlooStation–Iforgetwhich)and

thencetoSouthamptonunderthewingofayounglieutenant.Weweremarchedtoahugecampoftentsonahilloutsidethetown,andspenttheeveningvisiting

Southamptonandreturningtocampbytram.InthemorningwemarchedofftoSouthamptonDocks,escortedbyouryoung

lieutenant,who in somemysteriousmanner had got prints of our photographswhichhehadtakenthepreviousday.Istillhavemycopyofthetinyprint,nowrather faded. The officer then bade us farewell and we embarked on a largesteamerwhichwassocrowdedwithtroopsthatitwasdifficulttofindspacetolaydownontheupperdeck.Itwasimpossibletogobelow,thestairwaysbeingcrammedwithsleepingmen.Itwas16thAugust1915.

Paree,that’stheplacetobe,JustacrosstheseafromDover.Paree,that’stheplacetogo,Oh!Oh!Oh!Oh!Oh!whatashow.DancingontheboulevardLotsofprettysightstosee,Overthere,we’vebeentoldMakesyoufeellikeatwoyearold,Who’llgotoFrancewithme.

NotthatweeverhadthelucktoseeParis.The journey over was uneventful, our ship being accompanied by a naval

vessel as protection against submarine attack. We reached Le Havre nextmorningafteravoyageofabouttwentyhoursorso,andproceededupthemouthoftheRiverSeine.Theestuarywasverywideandflatforsomemiles,untilthebanksnarrowedandhillsroseupfromtheriverside,thicklywoodedwithgreentrees.Prettyvillageswerenestlingamongstthetreesandaswepassedthemtheinhabitants crowded the landing-stages and quaysides waving and cheeringwildly. It is good to remember that the French welcomed us with suchenthusiasminthosedays.

II

TheWeaningPeriod

ArrivingatRouen,wedisembarkedandweremarchedthroughthetownuptoacamponahill,andallocatedtotents.Thecountryaroundwascoveredinscrub,verywildandrough.Sergeantinstructorsgaveusatalk,mainlyonthedangerslayinginwaitforusfromtheLadiesoftheStreets,andthefearfulresultstobeexpectedforthosewhoconsortedwiththem.Wewerethenallowedouttovisitthe town. I and a companion made our way into Rouen, which was wellpopulatedwithciviliansandtroopsofmanyunits.AnelderlyFrenchmaninvitedus into his evidently bachelor flat for a glass of wine, much appreciated,althoughwewereunabletoconverse,andsoonlefttolookaround.IremembertheJoanofArcmemorialbehinditsironrailings.OutofcuriositywevisitedtheRedLampdistrictandenteredoneestablishment,a largealmostbarehallwithredwallsandsomevery insipidwallpaintings. Itwasquitedeserted for somereasonandlookedverydingyandwesoonleft,makingourwaybacktocamp.Incidentally throughoutourvisitwehadconstantly to shoo-offnumerous littleboysofferingtoleadustoenjoytheblandishmentsoftheir‘sisters’.Next morning was medical inspection, the first real one I had received,

includingstethoscope,pulsereading,havingtocoughandsay99,aformfilledand that was over. No comment was made about the depression in my ribs,whichIwasafraidmightbarmefromgoingtothefront.Wenexthadahair-cut;Ichoseashort‘convict’crop,whichIimmediatelyregrettedasitmademelookmorelikeaconvictorGermanthananEnglishman.Forseveraldaysweweregivensomewar-likeandblood-thirstyinstructionby

old army sergeants. This entailed simulated attacks over barbed wire andtrenches,bayonetfighting,grenadethrowing,etc.We were then entrained in primitive looking railway carriages with plain

wooden seats, packed in tightlyon topofour equipment, spendinghoursoverour journey to St Omer, which was then the BEF Army Headquarters. Wepassed the outskirts of Paris, and my neighbour pointed out the famous race

course(Ithinkitwascalled‘Chantilly’)andsaidhehadbeenajockeyandknewit well. The French railway stations in the larger towns were generally veryimposing looking examples of architecture and much superior in appearancethanourown.Thecountry inFlanderswasmainlyvery flatanduninteresting.Therewere very few hedges, the fields being divided by shallow ditches.Wesometimespassedsmallorchardsloadedwithlovelyripeapples,andwouldhaveloved to be able to alight and help ourselves to a few. Penalties for looting,however,were extremely heavy andwould have deterred us even if given theopportunity.Fruitwassomethingwewerehardly,ifever,toenjoyinFrance.OurdraftarrivedatStOmerstation,andwemarchedthroughcobbledstreets

toa largecampon theoutskirtsof the town.Throughagatewayranastraightroadontherightofwhichwasahighbrickwallborderingthetown.Waggonsand limbers lined this wall. On the left was an extensive area of flat muddyground interspersedwith shallowdrainageditches and coveredwithgroupsofbell-tents,fittedwithwoodenfloorboards,eachtentaccommodating8men.Wewere issuedwithblanketsandallocated to tents.Thewholeof thegroundwasdeepinmud.Therewere,Isuppose,about50orsoofthe1stBattalionmenincamp,many

others being dispersed in various parts of Flanders on railhead duties. Thesewere theremnantsofouroriginalforce. Iwasatonceawareof theirgenerallyquiet and serious demeanour, different from that of the yet untried fellows athome.Theywere,however,veryconsciousof the fine record theyhadearnedforthemselves,butwelcomedusinagenerousandfriendlymanner.Muchinterestwasdisplayedatthesightofmylovelygreenbrassbuttons,and

Iwastoldthatitwouldbeimpossibleformetopasstheguardatthegateforanevening visit into the townunlessmy equipment and bootswere scrupulouslycleanandpolished.Ihadleftmybutton-cleaningkitinEngland,andoneofthechapskindly lentmehis until I couldbuymyown in the canteen. It tookmehourstogetthedirtandcorrosionoffbuttons,capbadgeandbucklesandobtainthe necessary brilliance once more. Also it was quite a problem to traversehundredsofyardsoververydeepmudandditcheswithoutunduly foulingmyboots.However,withacompanionImanagedtopassthesentryatthegateandproceedintothetown.Theroadswerecobbledwithstonesaboutthesizeoflargeoranges,andone

had to step very cautiously in our thick iron-studded boots to avoid a slip-up,untilusedtothesecobblestones.Therewereplentyofshops,afewverysmart,especiallyonesportsgoodsshopwhichIwassurprisedtosee,withabeautifuldisplay for a small provincial town. Some of the butchers had queer looking

carcasses hanging outside, which I later discovered were horse meat, verypopularwiththethriftyFrench.Thecafesandestaminetswereinterestingandsodifferentfromourownpublichouses,havingmarvellousselectionsofwinesandotherdrinkswhichweresofarunknowntome,givingawonderfulopportunityto sample the delights, the prices of which were unbelievably low. A verypopular teetotal drink was the sweet and sticky Citron and also Grenadine.Nowadaysofcoursemost ifnotallof thesebeveragesareavailable inEnglishpubs,butatveryenhancedprices.Back incampwesettleddownon thehardboards for thenight.Thebugler

havingsounded‘LightsOut’wesoonheardtheSergeantMajortrudgingroundinthemudandbanginghiscanefuriouslyonthetentsideswherevertherewasacandlestillalight.Iwaswarnedtokeepmybootstuckedoutofsightatnight,asthere were one or two chaps with disgusting habits who would use theirneighbour’s boot rather than get up and go outside the tent in the mud. OnefellowthrewthecontentsofabootthroughthetentflapandscoredahitontheSergeantMajorwhowasdoinghisnightlyrounds.Therewasofcourseaterriblerowoverthis.A few weeks prior to my arrival, Eric Kennington, later to become a

celebrated war artist was invalided home from my section, having beenaccidentallyshotthroughthefoot.HiswellknownpictureoftheKensingtonsatLaventie,paintedonglass,depictedagroupofmenrestinginthesnowafteranarduousspellinthetrenches.TheirfeaturesaresowelldepictedthatIrecogniseallofthem.IregretthatImissedmeetingthisartist.The field kitchens were positioned alongside the road, and were kept

scrupulously clean, the big iron dixies being greased and set alight,wiped offwhilehotandleftshininglikesilver.Unfortunatelywhenlateronthebattalionwent back to the fighting area this cleanlinesswas not continued. The cooks,including their surly sergeant, were a filthy lazy lot on the whole. We oftenfoundnailsandfagendsinthestew.Atonetimethetea,whichoftentastedofstew,wasveryhighlyscented,anditwasfoundthatthecooksusedtowashandshaveinwaterfromthedixies,andinonecaseacookwasseenscrubbingthelice from the seams of his shirt, the dixies standing under the bench andreceivingtheresultsofthebrushing.Menonlightdutyfromsickparadewouldbe put to work with the cookhouse chores, and we once saw a man with ashockinginfluenzacold,slowlystirringadixieofboiledrice,hisnosedrippingintothedixie.Icouldneverunderstandwhymoresupervisionwasnotexercisedover the cooks. This was a terrible reflection on our once proud and smartbattalion.

TheLondonRifleBrigadeandtheRangerswereintentsadjacenttoours.Onleaving camp for our evening outings we would generally see one or twounfortunatesundergoingfirst fieldpunishment,being tiedbywristsandanklescrosswisetowagonwheels.Theywouldcalltoustoloosentheirbondsalittle,and ifnoone inauthorityhappened tobeabout,wewoulddo this for them. Iunderstand that nowadays this form of punishment, as well as pack-drill, hasbeenabandoned.ThebattalionasIhavesaidwasnowonLinesofCommunication(Railhead

duties),beingonlyabout150strong,mydraftbeingthefirstouttoincreaseitsstrength.ThedutiesentailedsendinganNCOandabouteightoradozenmentodotemporaryormorepermanentjobsindifferentpartsofFlanders.Therewereguardstobeprovidedatrailheads,partiesfordetraininggunsandwaggonsfromrailway trucks, guards for prisoners both British defaulters and Germans,hospitals,escortingprisonersandsoon.Manyofthesejobswereinmoreorlesspleasantvillages,someinStOmeritself,andwereawelcomechangefromthefront line. We knew however that when the battalion was once more at fullstrength a return would be made to the battle area, being replaced by otherbattle-wornanddepletedunits.Beyondoneortwotokenparadesthoseincampwereleftmuchtotheirowndevices,andmanyanhourwasspentinexploringthetownandvisitingthenumerouscafesandestaminets.Someof us visited theRedLamp to satisfy our curiosity.Therewas also a

GreenLampwhichIbelievewasreservedforofficers.Insidewasalargehallorroom,withastaircase.Themadamesatataraisedcashier’sdesktocollectthefiveortenfrancs.Theplacewasfairlyfulloftroops,sittingaroundonchairs.Afewgirlswerewalkingaboutinshortfilmyshifts,andoccasionallywouldescorta client upstairs. Those descending would make their way out or join theirfriends,moreorlesssheepishlyandthegirlwouldsitonakneehereandthereseeking another client. We cleared off after a minute or two, having noinclinationtojoininthesordidproceedings.Very rarely aGermanplanewould visit us anddrop a small bomb to liven

thingsupabit.OnehitthehospitalshelteringGermanwounded.Ididdutyonenightatthehospital,wherewesleptonstretchersatoneendoftheward,fullofGermanwounded.Ouronlyjobwastoescortoneofthesementothetoiletwhennecessary.Theywere inno condition, or even so inclined as to cause trouble.Thiswaswhere the bomb had fallen a few days before.We had a giant of afellowwithuswhowasagoodGermanlinguist.Iaskedhimwhattheprisonersweretalkingabout,butheabruptlytoldmetoshutup.Hewasnodoubttheretolistenintotheirconversationforofficialpurposes.

Aboutadozenofusunderasergeanthadapleasantbreakatadelightfullittlevillage calledWatten, about five miles away from St Omer. Our job was todetrain18pounder artillerygunsand limberswhen the trainarrivedeachday.Thesegunswereloadedoneoneachrailtruck.Wehadtoknockoutthewoodenwedgesnailedtothefloorateachwheel.Theworkhadtobedonequicklyandwasquitehard,usingsledgehammers,anditwastrickyjumpingfromtrucktotruck across the buffers – a fall betweenwould have broken some bones.Wetooktheopportunityofgoingthroughthecarriagesusedbytheartilleryofficers,searchingforcigarettepacketsanditwassurprisinghowmanystillcontainedapreciouscigarette.Wesometimeshad tounloadand stackbalesofhay (1cwteach,but a few

weighed2cwt).TheycamemostlyfromAmerica.Ihadgreatdifficultyatfirstinhoistingtheseontomyback,butsoongottheknackofit.Ioftenwonderedhow we managed to avoid a rupture. There is no doubt that this hard workcoupledwithsimplefoodandfreshair,strengthenedmyratherfrailframeuntilIbecamereallytoughandwasafterwardsabletowithstandsomuchfatigueandstrenuouswork.Our time atWattenwas our own every day after unloadingwas done.We

werethereforoveraweek.There had been no pay since coming to France, so by now we were

completely broke. Two of us met a very nice French soldier who was in theFrench medical corps. He spoke excellent English and kindly treated us toseveralcoffees.Healsogavemeabook,theMasterofBallantraeIthink,whichunfortunately my sergeant borrowed and left behind when we moved. By astrangecoincidenceheknewtwoladiesacrosstheroadfrommyhomeandsaidhesometimesvisitedthemwheninEngland.Weexchangedlettersonce(beforetheSommeBattleobliteratedourthoughts,butnotIhopemyfriend’slife).SomeonelentmeafrancandIboughtasimplefishing line, floatandhook,

and the twoofusfished in the lovelycanal runningbeside the tilewarehouse,completewithbargewherewesleptandfedintheloft.Ionlycaughtoneverysmallperchwhichwefried,butitwastoosmallforevenonedecentbite.Onefellowhad,againstregulations,apocketKodak.Hesatontheendofthe

barge to take our photograph and in his eagerness slipped off into the canal,soakinghimselfandruininghispreciouscamera,whichhoweverhecouldhavebeenshotforpossessing.TheweatherbeingverywarmItriedsleepingunderthestarsonthebarge,butnotforlong,ashugewaterratsweresoonrunningoverme.Another fellowand I foundapunt,andafteranerratic start soon learned to

manipulateitupanddownthepicturesquecanal.Wewereeatingtwolovelybigapplesgiventousbyayoungboy,whenonthebankofaprivateestateappeareda very elegant lady who accosted us and in beautiful English accused us ofstealingherapples,demandingthemback,halfeatenastheywere.Werefusedtogivethemupmuchtoherindignation.Speaking of apples, one villager had an enormous tree in his front garden,

loadedwithhugeredapples.Heinvited twoofus tohishouseforcoffeewithhis family, on condition that we brought some tins of bully beef – greatlyappreciatedby theFrench.Wearrivedwithacoupleof tinsanddepartedwithtwoappleseach.Nextdaywemetanotherpuntalongthecanal,poledbyaverygoodlooking

French girl of about 20, dressed in the usual black blouse and skirt of thepeasant.Shepulledupatthewoodenlandingstageofaprettylittlecottageandinvitedustodolikewise.AlthoughshedidnotspeakEnglishweallseemedtounderstandoneanother.Shewascuriousaboutourciviljobsandearnings.ApeculiarthingabouttheFrenchpeasantswasthattheyimaginedtheEnglish

tobewealthyandthatweallhadservantsathome.Shewasratherflirtatiousandmadeadeadsetatme,afterdeliberatingbetweenthetwoofus,kissingmeandinviting us into the cottage where her old mother was sitting, her foot veryswollenandswathedinbandages.Theyoungbrotherwassenttothevillagefora tot of rum. Thiswas the boywho had given us the apples.Wewere givencoffeeandrumandshownphotographsofherfiancéwhowasawayinthearmy.Shestoleoneofmyphotographsandwouldnotgive itback,andaskedme tocomeandsleepatthecottagethatnight.That evening I got permission from the sergeant to absentmyself for a few

hours.ItwasdarkandIcouldnotfindanypathleadingtothecottage,thefieldsbeingdividedbywideditchesandmarshy,andIdidnotfeelinclinedtoattemptthepunt in thedark, sodecided tostay in thebillet. Iwonderwhateventuallyhappened to Rachel Hendrique. I have since read a book by a young officernamedEdmundBlunden,whoalsospentafewdaysatWatten,andhedescribeshis romantic affair with a young girl at the railway station. This seems aremarkablecoincidence,astherewasalsoanotheryounggirlwho,armedwithaFrench-Englishphrasebookaskedmetositontheplatformwithherandstudythistogether,butwebothsoonbecameboredandshewanderedoff.There were several children who hung about worrying us for buttons and

badges or other souvenirs, as was quite usual in these villages, but we weremuchshockedsometimes tohear respectable lookingyounggirls reciting longstringsofthefoulestkindofEnglishandwaitingforustolaugh.Ibelieveand

hope that they did not realisewhat theywere saying, and I felt disgusted andashamedthattherewereBritishsoldierswhowouldstooptoamusethemselvesinthisway.Therewasanicehouseinthevillagewherewecouldbeservedwithacoffee.

Onedayweenteredthenicecleanlivingroomandinanarmchairinthecentrewas seated an upright and dignified young woman, tall, dark and handsomelooking.Shesatverystillandcalm.Severalneighbourscameinatintervalsandsat silently in frontofher for awhile. Itwasmuch like a religious ceremony,withpeoplecoming topayhomage to theVirginMary,andwefelt rather likeinterlopers. Shewas evidently soon to become amother. This seemed quite anormalcustom,asIafterwardssawsimilarinstancesonseveralotheroccasions.OnedayIwasdetailed tofetchourrationsfromStOmer.Icaught the train

andwalkedtoourHQstoresandwassuppliedwithahugequantityofsupplies,quite impossible for oneman to carry.A storeman kindly fetched a hand-cartandwepushedtheloadupoverthecobblestotheStationandloadeditontothetrain.OnarrivalatWattenIjustmanagedtogetthesacksoutontotheplatformintime,wenttothebilletandgotsomeonetogivemeahand.Therewasenoughfoodtosatisfyabouttentimesournumber.AfterafewdayswewentbacktoStOmer,much tomy regret.Theweatherhadbeendelightfulandsunnyand thesurroundingsverypicturesque.

ThebattleofLooshadjusttakenplaceandalargepartyofusweresentbyrailto a destination where we took charge of about 1,000 German prisoners.Wewere allocated 4 men and about 30 prisoners to each cattle truck. When theGermans had been crowded into the truckswe fixed bayonets and loaded ourrifles.One ofmy detail accidentally fired a round justmissingmy head. TheJerries looking down from the truck doors appeared terribly startled. Theyprobably thought they were due to be shot, but realising what had happenedseemedamazedthatnodisciplinaryactionwastakenagainsttheculprit.Weenteredthetruckandsettleddownbythedoor,allpackedveryclose,and

itwasevidentthattherewouldbehardlyroomtouseourriflesintheeventoftrouble.Thenbegan a very slow journey toLeHavre, the trainmoving like atortoise,sometimesgoingbackforsomereason,andmakinglongstopsbothatand between stations, typical of the French railways during the war. Theprisonerswereamixed lotand includeda fewartillerymen,whichproved thattheBritishmusthavepenetrateddeeply through the enemy lines.Someof themen were wounded. They all wore big Blücher boots, something likeWellingtons,andinsteadofwoollensockstheirfeetwereboundinstripsoflinenandrags.Theymadethemselvesascomfortableaspossibleonthefloor,except

fora tallandarrogantseniorNCOorsergeantmajorprobably–whostoodupstraightbythedoorduringthewholejourneywhichtookabouttwentyhours.Hedid not look at us and never spoke except once to reprimand the artillerymanwhowastryingtoexplaintomehowhewascaptured.Ahugeblack-hairedsurlyman,probablyBavarian,satopposite,hardlytakinghiseyesfromus,andglaringwith hatred. It gaveme a very uncomfortable feeling. The others seemed justordinary docile types. One man groaned most of the time and kneeled headdown,hisbackbaredandcoveredwithdozensofopensores;whetherwoundsorsomehorribleskindiseaseIdonotknow.Wehadtoletseveralmenoutatmoststops to attend the calls of nature, but they all came back docilely and noneattemptedtogetaway.Wewereorderedtorelievethemoftheirpocketkniveswithwhichtheygrudginglyparted,althoughIhadtostoponemanIsawtryingtohidehisknifeinhisboot.Therewasamanwhotriedtoinsistonmetakinghissilverwatchandchain,andseemedamazedwhenIrefused.Atonestopwewereissuedwithrations.Hardbiscuitsandcheeseforus,but

tins of bully-beef and loaves of bread for the prisoners, who seemed verysurprised and puzzled to receive such preferential treatment. However, wemanaged to get hot water from the engine driver to make tea with our iron-rations(againsttherules),buttheprisonershadtomakedowithwater.Wehadtolendtheprisonersbacktheirknivestoopenthebully-beeftins,asitwasrarelypossible to open them with the key provided. Some of the Germans madecigaretteswithnewspaperandcoarsepipetobacco.TheyhadnocigarettesandIgaveoneofmyfewfagstotheartillerymanwhobrokeitintwotosharewithhiscompanion–theyseemedbothverygrateful.TheFrenchdriversofpassingengineswouldbombarduswithlargelumpsof

coal, andwe had often to close the doors to avoid injury. One stopwas at atrainingacademyforFrenchofficercadets(StCyrIbelieve).Hundredsofyoungcadetsstormedthetraintodoviolencetotheprisonersandwehadtobeatthemoffwithourriflebuttsbeforeclosingthedoors.WearrivedatdaybreakatLeHavre,formedtheprisonersinacolumnoffours

andmarchedthroughthetowntothecamp.Althoughsoearly,thestreetswerelinedwithcivilians,menandwomenjeeringandbooingandwehadtopreventmanyofthemfromphysicallyattackingprisoners.Thecampwasinalargeflatfieldwithhundredsofbelltents,andtheprisonerswereherdedtwentytoatent,almost impossible to squeeze them in as the tentswere only intended to holdeight men. Some of the Germans protested and pointed to their woundedcomrades,butwecoulddonothingaboutit,althoughIfeltrathersorryforthem.WethenentrainedandreturnedtoSt.Omer.

SoonafterthisadozenormoreofusunderSergeantInnisandacorporalweresent to the railhead atMerville, near Hazebrouck.Merville was a good sizedcountrytownwithastation,awidecanalwithwharves,andplentyofestaminetsandshops.ThiswasseveralmilesbehindthelinesatLaventie,LaGorgueandEstaires.Wewereatfirstlodgedinbelltents,theweatherbeingveryfine.Aftera tokenparade in themornings the restof thedaywasourown.Wemountedguard at the railway about every other night. Otherwise we enjoyed a verypleasantand relaxing time.Therewerea few Indian troops in thevicinityandtheywould creep about in thenight silently likeghosts –goodnessknows forwhatpurpose,anditisamiraclethatnoneofthemwasshotastheycreptacrosstherailwaylinesbetweentrucks.Thesetrucksmainlycontainedcoal,cokeandrationsforourarmy.Wemadeourselvesascomfortableaspossibleintherailwayshed,sometimes

sleeping on the nobbly sacks of loaves, much I fear to the detriment of thecontents.Onemanwouldpatrolthetrucks,twohoursonandfourhoursoff.Weweresometimesinamerrystateafteraconvivialeveningonbottlesofcheapbutpotentwhitewine.TheFrenchmusthavebeenused to seeing theguardoftenstaggeringalongtheroadwithfixedbayonets.Oneverycoldnightwehadaredhotcokebrazierintheyard.Thisfirewasfoolishlyplacedinabaymadefrombalesofhay.Isatdownforarestatthebrazierandfellonit,knockingitover,butdoingnodamagetomyselforthehay.Thissoonsoberedmeup.AnothertimeatrainwhichusedtostopatMervilleeverynightwasfiredon

byanintoxicatedsentry,thebulletpiercingtheengineandscaringthedriversomuchthatfornightsafterwardshedrovethroughMervilleattopspeedwithoutstoppingatthestation,untilhegottoHazebrouck.The Indianswould sometimes play football in bare feet andwould give us

some of their very strong black cheroots. Once or twice we disturbed onecreepingaboutinourtents.Webelievedtheyweresearchingforrum,whichwedidnotpossess,butweneverfoundanythingmissing.My friendswereBillyHewitt (almost a teetotaller) andArthurBudge, both

severalyearsmyseniors.Budgehadbeenaprofessional teacherof tennis,andcouldspeakFrenchperfectly,havingtaughttennisinFrance.BillyHewittwasaquiet chap who had owned a draper’s shop in partnership with his brother,CorporalHewitt,acheeryandwelleducatedchap,greatlyrespectedbytheoldhandsforhisheroismatAubersRidge.TheyallsaidheshouldhavereceivedtheVC,butasfarasIknowhehadnotbeengivenanydecoration.Helaterleftthebattalion to take up a commission in another regiment. A man receiving acommission seldomcameback to his old regiment – I suppose for reasons of

discipline.Weweresoontobebilletedinhouses.BillyHewittandIwerelucky,being

ensconced in a cottage occupied by a dear old lady and her young grand-daughter (a schoolgirl –very shy).Billy and I shared a largedoublebedwithstrawmattressandcanopyupintheloftofthehouse.Thetopofthecanopywasan inch deep in old rat droppings, which we decided not to disturb. In themorningstheoldladywouldcallout‘Làbas’andwewouldgodownandsitinherwarmkitchenandbegivenacoffee.Shewasadearoldsoul,andmymothersentheroutapacketofhandkerchiefswhichshetreatedasagreattreasureandwouldbringthemoutproudlytodisplaytohervisitors.Oneofthesewomenwasterriblyvoluble, rattlingoffFlemishpatois at a terrific rate.When she left theold lady would say in a deprecating tone ‘Flammande’. The French peasantsoftenseemed todespise theFlemishasofan inferiorbreed to themselves.Wecould not converse either with the grandma or grand-daughter, as they neverwereable tounderstandourattemptseitheratFrenchorpigeon-french. I thinkthat mentally they were very simple and probably only used a sort of patoisdialect.Thedearoldladyondiscoveringthatwehadjoinedthewarofourownfree

will,foundthistobeincredibleandastounding.Shewouldfrequentlyrepeatthewords ‘Vous volunteer!’ in amazement.We found this attitude quite commonwith theFrenchpeasants. I suppose thiswasonly tobe expected in a countrywhere conscription prevailed, and the compulsory national service wassomethingtobedreadedandavoidedifpossible.TheyouthfulnessofsomanyoftheBritishtroopswasalsoamatterofsurpriseandcomment.Idonotthinktheyrealizedthatoursenseofpatriotismwentdeeperthanthepurelyemotional.The littlegirlworkedveryhardatherhomework fromschool, seatedat the

table in the living roomwindow.Thecentreof the roomwasoccupiedby theusuallargeroundironstove,thesmokepipegoingupandoutofonewall.Thecoffeepot,asinmostofthesepeasanthouses,wasalwayskepthotonthestove,a little home ground coffee being added from time to time. The meals weremainlyofaboiledegg,breadandbutter,andvegetablesoup(Julienne).Ineversawmeatbeingeatenby thepeasants.Coffeewas takenblack,withabrandy-ball or peppermint bullseye in lieu of sugar.Whenever sugar appeared on thetable,itcontainedasprinklingoftealeaves,andhadundoubtedlybeenobtainedon the black market from British Army iron rations. The place was keptscrupulously clean by the old lady who seemed to spend most of her timepotteringaboutat thesink.Therewasasmallgardenwitha toiletat theback.Across the road was a large flat field divided off into allotments, full of

vegetables,eachallotmentbeingborderedbyashallowditch.The Grenadier Guards came for a short while to an adjacent village called

Paradis,andmycousinSergeantFrankieJonesmadeasurprisevisittome,andinsistedbeingtakentoseethefarmwherewehadourmeals.Oursergeantandcorporalwerebilletedhereandleftusprettymuchtoourowndevices.TheRailheadTransportOfficerlivedinarailwaycarriagenearthestation,his

officebeinginanothercarriage,completewithorderlyandtelephone.Onedaythe orderly asked me to mind the telephone for an hour or so while he wasabsent,tellingmetoreportbyphonetoacertainaddressifIreceivedacallorspottedaZeppelin,whichwere thenpassingoveroccasionallyon theirway tobomb London. One did pass over and I phoned the position and direction asinstructed. I thought this very exciting and important, butmy enthusiasmwasrather damped by the casual and apparently disinterested way in which mymessagewasreceived.Therewere two estaminets outside the station, the less imposing one being

nearourcottage.Thiswasrunbytwosisters,ofwhommoreanon.Wewouldtryoutourlinguisticeffortswiththemandtheywerequitefriendlyandjollyyoungwomen.Ayoung railway porterwas keen on one of the girls, andwishing toshowoff, he entered one day and ordered a glass of stout,whichwas usuallyonlydrunkbytheBritish,notsuitingthepalateoftheFrench.Withaswaggerhetookagulp at the stout, and immediately ejected itwith agrimaceofdisgust,and retired sheepishly to the station, his ardour and arrogance evidentlydampenedforthetimebeing.Billy, Budge and I had our photograph taken in the town by the local

photographer.Theresult,whichIstillhave,madeuslookratherdrawnandwoe-begone,althoughwewerehappyenoughatthetime.We sometimes visited an estaminet in the town. Thiswas run by two fair-

hairedsisterswhomIthoughtlookedmoreGermanthanFrench.Theywerebothveryaustereandreservedanditwasimpossibletotryandgetintoconversationwith them.Iused toenjoytheglassofMalagawineandtheDutchcigar,bothonly costing a copper or two.We also took several walks to La Gorgue andEstaires,afewmilesdistant,butfairlyneartheline,whichwasquietatthetime.In fact the artillery were so short of ammunition at that period that only oneroundadaywasallowedtobefiredfromeachgun.OntwooccasionsaprisonerhadtobeescortedtoStOmerbytrain.Oncea

GermanandonceanEnglishprisoner.Forsomereasonourcorporalchosemeeachtimetoaccompanyhim(probablybecauseofmyheight).Neithergaveanytroubleandwemarched them through thestreetsandhanded themover to the

appropriateprisonsatbothofwhichIhadpreviouslydoneguarddutieswheninStOmercamp.IwastoldthatonaformeroccasionacorporalandprivatehadgotoffthetrainatHazebrouckandtakentheirGermanforadrinkattheadjacentestaminet, theGermanmakingagetaway.Enemyprisonerswereusuallyquitedocile–happynodoubttobeoutofthedangerzone.TheBritishprisonerswereamuchdifferentpropositionandhad tobewatchedcarefully,beingdefaultersandmanywithbadorcriminaltendencies.WhileatStOmerItooktheopportunitytocallonourQMstorestotryfora

new pair of boots,my own beingworn right through at the soles, in spite oforiginally being fittedwith iron studs. Iwas in factwalking onmy bare feet,with cardboard in the soles. Supplies were very scarce at the time and myrequestwasrefused.ImanagedafterwardstobribeastoremanataGuardsdepotwith5francsforagoodsecondhandpair,nodoubtfromacasualty.Thesewereenormous,size12,andraisedmanyablisteronmyheelsuntilIwasabletogetareplacementmonthsafterwards.Iwasstandingbytheroadsideonedaywhenasmallopencarstoppedanda

mandressedasanairforceofficer,gingerhaired,butnotwearingacap(whichwas unusual for an officer), asked me if I could tell him how to get to theairfield. There were a few planes in a field a mile or so away, but for somereason I was suspicious of him and said I did not know, and he drove off. IlearnedafterwardsthattherewasindeedaGermanspy,redheaded,whoposedas an air force officer and drove about getting information on our planes andairfields–hewentbythenameofMajorSamson.CorporalHewitt turneduponedayand tookBilly,Budgeandmyself to tea

withanicemiddleclassFrenchfamilyamileorsoaway.Theygreeteduswithafinemeal and a pleasant afternoon,CorporalHewitt acting as interpreter. Theelderdaughter, averygood lookingandwellmanneredgirlof about17or18ratherintriguedme.AfewdayslaterHewitttoldmethattheyhadenquiredafterme,callingme‘Legrandsoldatdix-huitans’.Sometimes units of the Indian army would pass by, mostly Sikhs and

Punjabis.Theywere tall taciturn fellows, and somewould light a smallwoodfire to sit around during their ten minute halt. These chaps were alwayscomplaining,andsaidtheyhadtosleepinpigstieswhilewesleptintents.SoonImyselfwas only toopleased to take shelter in a pigsty.As amatter of fact, aplatoonofGhurkaswere ensconced in pigsties nearby.Thesewere happy andfriendly little men, always laughing, and would willingly let us handle theirkhukri knives, without the obligation of drawing blood as was commonlysupposed.Thereweretalesofthemcreepinguptotheenemylinesatnight,and

killingaGermanwiththeirkhukri,andcuttingofftheirears,whichtheyprizedassouvenirs.TheSikhsandPunjabiswouldmarchtothetuneoftheirpipes,akindofsmall

versionoftheScottishbag-pipe.Itissaidthattheywouldsetupanawfullotofhowling and wailing if wounded. The Indian cavalry were very smart andefficientunits, andofcourse theGhurkaswereparticularly renowned for theirdashandbravery.WenoticedthattheIndiansdidnothavemeatrations,buthadtheirownlive

goats,which theywouldbutcher themselves.Also theywouldnot touch lime-juicewhichwassometimesissuedtous,astheybelieveditinterferedwiththeirvirility.InNovembera fat little sergeant, anoldarmy type,wasbilleted in theneat

little bedroom downstairs. He was in fact a quarter master sergeant in theartilleryandinchargeofstores,evidentlypayingwellforhiscomfortableabode.Thischapwasalwayshalfintoxicatedandhadamplesuppliesofarmyrum.HewassodrunkonenightthatItookoffhisbootsandhelpedhimtobed.Thelittlegirlcriedalotatthistime,eitherbeingscaredofhimorhearingthatBillyandIwere leaving to join the other chaps in their bare attic at another house – nodoubt for reasons of economy.The old ladywas very upset believing thatwehad asked to leave, andwe couldnot convinceher that the decisionhadbeenmadebytheRailheadTransportOfficer.Iwastoseeheragainayearlater,butnotsoBillyHewittwhowaswounded(throughthelunginexactlythewayasIwastobe),norArthurBudge,killedatHebuterne.Ournewquarterswerenotsocomfortableasthosewehadleft,andweslept

onthewoodenfloorinsteadofacomfortablebed.Thehouseownerwasalittlefellow(aminer)withonlyonearm,andwenicknamedhim‘Nelson’.Wewouldcomedownintothelivingroomandamusethefamily(wifeandtwolittlegirls)withourantics.Iwoulddanceaboutonbendedknees,cossackfashion,pullingawfulfaces,andthegirlswouldshriekwithlaughtersaying‘Vouscomique’.Aboutsixofusweredetailedonedaytounloadabargeofhayataplacejust

outsideMervilleandadjacent toanestaminetwhich if I rememberrightlywascalled‘lePaquetBot’,or‘LeGrandPaquet’,Iforgetwhich.Therewasa9inchplank, very muddy and slippery, from barge to bank. It was jolly hard workhumpingthehundredweightbalesacrossthisplank,whichjumpedinthemiddlelikeayo-yo.Itissurprisingthatnoneofusendedupinthecanal.Afterfinishingwe entered the estaminet for a drink, and in therewas the hugemanwhom IhavebeforementionedassuchagoodGermanlinguist.Hisfavouriteoccupationwastodownasmanybeersinonegulpasonlookerswouldpayfor,andwelined

uphalf-a-dozenglassesfull,whichheconsumedwithouteffort.Hesoonleftthebattalion, no doubt going on a special security job, either as a spy or aninterpreter.Our lettershomehad tobecensoredbyoneof the juniorofficers.Thiswas

doneinamostridiculousmanner,aperfectlyinnocentwordbeinghaphazardlybluepencilledfornoapparentreason.Another idioticpracticewastocarefullyscratchoutthenameofavillageortownprintedonthepicturepostcardsoflocalviews;theseweremostcertainlyknowntotheenemyasthousandsofthemweresold in the local shops. About once a month we were issued with a ‘greenenvelope’, not subject to censorship, but we had to declare that nothing butstrictly personal correspondence was contained therein. Dire penalties werethreatened for infringement of this rule. No diaries were to be kept and nocameras were allowed under penalty of death. I have, however, known theseorders to be disobeyed, especially by officers, many of whom openly quotedpassagesfromtheirdiarieswhenwritingforpublicationafterthewar.Amongthenewdrafts fromEnglandwereanumberofoursecondbattalion

(homeservice)men,whohadvolunteeredforFrancenowthatconscriptionwasintheoffing.Therewassomeresentmentfeltbyour‘veterans’onfindingthatamongthesenewarrivalswereofficersandnon-comswhowereallowedtokeeptheirrank,therebyholdingbackpromotionofourmoreexperiencedmembers.Itiscurious thatmanyofus suffered from theold-fashionedprejudice regardingofficerswhowerenotdrawnfromtheupperechelonofsocietyorwithoutpublicschooleducation. I rememberoneyoungsubaltern,a formerbankclerkwithaslightcockneyaccent,whowaslookeddownonbythelowerranks–acaseofinverted snobbery? This absurd attitude was not adopted during the SecondWorldWar, when officers weremainly chosen for their power of leadership,efficiencyand intelligence,whichwasaswell, as themenwatch theirofficerscloselyforanysignofweakness,inefficiencyorindecision.Lackofconfidenceinone’sleadercanhavedisastrouseffectsonmorale.Thewinternowsetinwithavengeanceandwehadagooddealofsnowand

ice.WiththehelpofothersIfilchedasackofcokefromthetrainandstaggeredtomyoldbillet,buttheoldladydidnotshowanyappreciation,sayingitwasnogoodforherstoveandthatshepreferredcoal.Iwasfoundoutandtakenbeforetheofficer,whohoweversaid,‘Ifyoudoitagaindon’tletmeseeyou.’OnChristmasEve1915adozenofusweresent to thestationatEstaires to

clearawaytheheavysnowfallfromtherailwayyardWesleptinacattletruck,itbeingbitterlycold,andspenttheafternoonandChristmasmorningworkingveryhard tomakeaclearance. In theeveningwewent to theestaminetoutside the

stationandsatatalongtable,eachdrinkingabouttwentyormoreglassesoftheweakFrenchbeer,butwithnomoreeffectthanifithadbeenwater.Afterasing-song we went back to our truck and next day returned toMerville. I do notrememberhavinganythingspecialinthewayofaChristmasfeast.Soonafter thisacontingentofScottishHighlandersarrived to takeoverour

jobs and billets. The inhabitantswere horrified and disgusted at thesemen inkiltsandatfirstrefusedtoletthemintotheirhouses,saying‘C’estpaspropre’.TheywerefinallyappeasedbytheofficersandweleftforthecampatStOmer.OfthetwentyorsoofthefellowswithmeatMerville,Icanonlycalltomind

thenamesofnineofus.Itissignificantofthehighrateofcasualtiesinthedaysto come to recall that of these nine, every one was to be killed or seriouslywoundedbeforethewarwasover.The brigade had now received large reinforcements fromhome, and having

reachedfullstrengthwasdestinedtogointotrainingforthefightingline.ItwasearlyinFebruary1916,andourreformedBrigade(168th)wascomprisedofthe4thLondons(Fusiliers),12thLondon(Rangers),13thLondon(Kensington)and14thLondon(LondonScottish),namely the168thBrigadeof the56thLondonDivision. The artillery were also Londoners, besides which we had a pioneerbattalion,the5thCheshires.The newly formed brigade entrained for Pont Remy and from there we

marchedinpouringraintoCiterne,avillagesurroundedbyundulatingcountrythinlypopulatedbypeasantry.Theweatherwasverycoldwithheavysnowfalls.Wenowcommencedserioustrainingforwarfare,practisingmodernmethodsofattack, weapon training including the new Lewis gun, grenade priming andthrowing, use of the new gas masks, and so on. Another move was made,entailingamarchofabout25milesinsnow18″thick,withequipmentweighingover60lbs.strappedtoourshoulders.Thisprovedveryexhaustingandanumberof men fell out on the way. Our transport’s mascot, a sturdy black retrievernamed ‘Nigger’, accompanied thebattalion, running in the snow from front torearofthecolumn,apparentlywithnoeffort.Hemusthavecoveredahundredmiles or so backwards and forwards.Much of our horse driven transportwasstuckonthehillsanddidnotarriveuntiladaylater.Iwasutterlyexhaustedwhenwearrivedatourdestination,alargefarmnear

Longpré,andaswecame toahalt, feltmyself swayingonmybadlyblisteredfeet. Our section entered a large and leaky barn and no sooner sank downthankfully into the strawwhen the sergeant entered and detailed those nearesthimforguardduty.Iwasveryfortunateinbeingpostedasthefirstsentry,twohoursonand fouroff.Noblanketsor foodarriveduntil thenextday,when it

wasplannedforus tomoveoff.Howeveras theroadsweresocongestedwithFrenchtroopsandwaggonsontheirwaytotheragingbattleatVerdun,wewereabletogetafewdays’comparativerest,interspersedwithperiodsoftraining.Wethenmarchedanother16milestoDoullens.Thereweenjoyedacoupleof

days’restandwereabletoexploretheattractivetown.AfterthiswemarchedtoMagnicourt, getting a demonstration of the German flammenwerfer or flamethrower, crouching in a trenchwhile the terrifyingweaponwas jettedoverus,the container and apparatus being strapped on the operator’s back. We thenmovedtothevillageofLignereuil,ofwhichweweregoingtoseeagooddeal.Thiswas a collection of rather primitive dwellings and barns, some brick andsomemud and plaster or clay. The barnswere terribly infestedwith rats, thefloors being covered in old andvery filthy straw, containingold tins, buttons,cartridges,fag-endsandpacketsandgoodnessknowswhatelse–commontoallbarns behind the lines. The rats were very bold. As soon as lights out theyjumpedby thehundred from the roof andholes in thewallwith loud squeaksandthuds,quarrellingandfightingeachother.Theyranalloverusandgotintoourhaversackssearchingforfood.Wehadtokeepkickingthemoffourblanketswhentheywoulddroptothehard-packedstrawwithabump.Oneortwoofthemenwerenibbledonthenoseorear.HerealsoIwasfirstinfestedwithlargelice.Ihadbeenimmunefromthemup

till now,butwasnever after free from themexceptwhenon leave anduntil IenteredhospitaltowardstheendoftheWar.Weusedtosearchourclothesandhavecompetitionsoverthenumbercaughtandkilledonthumbnailswithaloudcrack.Sometimeswewouldrunalightedcandledowntheseamsofourclothestodestroythemandtheireggs.Wewouldoftenkillabout40or50atasitting,but still they thrived.The irritationwas terrible andwe could hear each otherscratchingwildly at our skins in the night. One favourite place for themwasaroundourknees,adifficultplacetogetatthem,beingjustabovethetopsofourputtees. This and the fact of being unable to wash our bodies or change ourclothes for very long periods caused many fellows to get scabies, a veryunpleasantaffliction.Peculiarlyheadpestsandfleaswereunknown.Therewere also other unpleasant skin afflictions andboils, probably due to

overmuch bully-beef and lack of green vegetables and fruit. When we didmanagetogetlaunderedshirtsandsockstheywereoftenfullofsomeoneelse’sdead insects, and so badly shrunk they would not fit. My socks were oftenLilliputian,theheelsundermyinstep,whichmademarchingatorture,withhugebroken blisters onmy heels.We had always to keep properly shaved and ourbuttonsandbucklesbrightlypolished,clothes,weaponsandequipmentasclean

andsmartaspossible– inandoutof the lineunderallconditions,although inmuddytrencheswewerecoveredfromheadtofootinthickclayorchalk,whichmade things impossible.Our chief troublewas in keepingour rifles clean andfreefromclay.Weweresoontogetsteelhelmetstoaddtoourdiscomfort,butweregrateful

for them when under fire. They were more efficient than their Germanequivalent against rifle and shrapnel fire.We had now a new weapon in theStokesgun,averyusefultrenchmortar.InAprilwemoved toDainville, nearArras, under observation from enemy

sausageballoons.Movementandrationshadtogoupatnightfall.HerewewereengagedindiggingreservetrenchesunderthedirectionoftheRoyalEngineersatnight.Thiswasveryhardworkintheheavyandstickyclayandchalk.AfterafortnightofthiswethankfullymarchedbacktoLignereuil.HereweheldBrigadesports,theKensingtonswinningtheparadeandlimber

turnoutsandthedrivingcompetitions.Someonehadthebrilliantideaofpaintingtheedgesof thehorseshoeswithaluminiumpaint.Naturallyowingtomyskillwith a brush Iwas given this rather hazardous job.With little time to spare Imanagedthetask,fortunatelywithoutmishapfromthehorses’hoovestoeithermyself or the paint pot. No sooner was I finished than it was found that thedevicewouldbedisallowed,andfranticeffortsweremadetoobliteratemyworkwithtuftsofgrassandearth–notentirelysuccessful,butneverthelesssufficienttoallowourteamtowinthecompetition.Wealsocarriedoutanexerciseattackusing a smoke screen.We thenmoved to Souastre, near theHebuterne front.More training and some football matches, beating the London Scottish anddrawingwiththeRangers.Wealsohadanexercise infieldsketchingtheviewbeing over a valley and on to villages, churches, bridges, etc. I did a verycreditable drawing, gauging distances andmarking such details on the sketch.The Brigadier General came by to inspect the results and seemed muchimpressedbymyefforts,suggestingthatIshouldapplytobetransferredtotheFieldSurveydetachment.IdidnotfollowhisadviceasIwishedtoremainwithafightingunit.Idonotrememberexactlywherethisexercisewascarriedout.AlsoataparadebeforetheBrigadier,theBrigadeMajorapproachedmeand

asked why I did not put in for promotion. I preferred to remain an ordinaryprivate in the ranks, for reasonsasstatedon thepreviousandsimilaroccasionwheninEngland.Iwasmoreself-confidentandambitiouslaterinlifewheninthe Home Guard, going through all ranks to become a first lieutenant andplatooncommander.SinceleavingMervilleIhadbeenpartedfrommyoldfriendsandhadnotas

yetmade any new ones inmy present section. There came a night aswe gotnearer to the line, when we were billeted in a barn, and I suddenly felt verylonelyandforthefirstandonlytimeadreadfulfearandhome-sickness.Itwasahorriblefeeling,butIgotoverthisbymorning.Ithinkitwasaturningpointinmylife–Ihadchangedfromaboytoaman.

OnedayIwasdetailedtojointheRegimentalpolice.Whetherthiswasbecauseofmyheight,orthatmyrealagehadbeengivenawaybysomeoneathome,oranadversemedicalreportarrivedfromRouen,Idonotknow.However,Ihadtoobeyorders,andspentafewweekswithabouteightothersunderaverynasty-natured and aggressive little police sergeant. I did not like the job, especiallystandingaboutwithbeltandbayonet,bossingothersaboutandordering‘Time’at thevariousestaminets.Twoofuswereof likemindanddecided toask theRegimentalSergeantMajortoletusrejoinourcompanies, towhichheagreed.Incidentallywhenwearrivedinthebattlearea,thebullyinglittlefire-eaterofasergeant got the wind-up so badly that he was sent home with a mentalbreakdown. I ran into him soon after the war ended. He was servingmeeklybehindthecounterofastationer’sshopinLondon.While at Souastre I was detailed to the battalion transport section, as a

brakesman.AlthoughIknownothingabouthorses,Iwassoonputinchargeofapackhorse– a lovely creature– chestnut colour andprobably a huntinghorse.HisnamewasJack.Ilearnedtolikethisworkverymuchandsoonwasabletoridequitewell–barebackofcourse,withnosaddleorstirrups.Wewouldriseatdawnandrideseveralmilestowater,thenreturnandfeedhaybeforegettingourownbreakfasts, afterwhichwegroomedour charges thoroughly.After dinnerwehadtocleanharness(veryboring),feedcornandtaketurnsatnightpicket.Therewasverylittletimetoourselves.Myfirstattemptsatridingbarebackmusthavebeenamusing,asIwouldslip

sidewaysandenduphangingonunderthehorse’sneck–verylikeJohnGilpin.However,when I becamemore proficient Iwas delightedwith riding, feelinglike a king, especiallywhen passing through a village or riding down a steepbank,leaningbackcowboyfashiontokeepperfectbalance.Atoneplacewehadtorideaverylongdistancetogettowater,andtheweatherbeingverywet,weall developed huge blisters on the cheeks of our posteriors,which turned intoverynastyrawwounds,makingfurthertripsexceedinglypainfuluntilhealedup.Minewasoneofeightpackhorses, including twomules.Thesmallonewas

veryplayful,andledtheotherchapsadevilofadance,gettingthebackoftheirshirts in his teeth and trying to lift themwhen being groomed, or seizing thereinsinhisteethandplayingtug-of-warjustlikeadog.Peculiarlyheseemedto

likemeandbehavedasgoodasgoldwhenIwashandlingorridinghim.Onmyfirstnightwehadtosleepinastablewith thehorses,andIwoketo

find that one had got loose andwas standing right overme. I did not dare tomovein thedark incasehegotstartledanddidmesomedamage.Fortunatelyoneofthechapswokeandlitacandle,andmanagedtogethimsecuredagain.Wehadoneortwohorseswoundedbyshrapnel,andtheyhadtobetreatedbythe vet. Most of the other horses were heavy draught animals, used for thewagonandlimbers,fieldcookersandwaterwagon.Therewerefortyhorsesinall, and I got to know the names of all of them. The draught horses weregenerallyinpairs,oneofeachsex,andwerenamedJackandJill,AdamandEveandsoon.Ononelongroutemarchmyhorse’spack,alargeheavyboxofammunition

hungfromeachsideofthepacksaddle,musthavegotloose.Thehorsesuddenlyturnedandbolted towards therearof thecolumnwhile I,withmyheavypackandrifle tocarry,wasunable torestrainhim,butmanagedtokeepholdof thereins.We rushed past theBrigadierGeneralwho yelled ‘Stop that horse’.Heeventuallystoppedbyahaystackwhichhehadnodoubtnoticedinpassingandthoughthewouldlikeafeed.Theammunitionboxeshadbythenslippedunderhisbelly.Thecorporalsoonarrivedandwegotthepacksecurelyinposition.Ihadtohurryaverylongwaytocatchupwithourmovingsection.Atonevillageourwagonswereparkedinthelargecourtyardofafarm,where

thetransportofficer,thenCaptainHolland,wasbilletedinaroomopeningontotheyard.Thedriverswouldconverseinloudvoicesandeveryfewwordswereaccompanied by a very coarse and obscene four letter expression. One dayCaptainHollandcameoutandtoldthedriverstomodifytheirlanguage,saying,‘Ifyouwanttohaveanaffairthenhaveone,butdon’tkeeptalkingaboutit.’‘Hookey’Hollandwas abig, rather handsomemanwith averypronounced

RomannoseandareputationofhavingservedwiththeMexicanarmy.Forsomereasonhewasgreatlydislikedbyourdrivers.Onenighthevisitedoursleepingquartersafter‘lightsout’.Ashelefttherewasachorusofshouts,callingoutaratherfilthyinsult.Heturnedtothesergeantandaskedwhatthewordswere,andthe sergeant tactfully replied ‘Git back, I think, Sir’. It certainly rhymedwiththat.OncewhenIwasengagedonalonelynightpicketonthehorselines,Ileftmy

post for aminute or two to cadge a cup of tea atmidnight fromour adjacentcookhouse.Asluckwouldhaveit‘Hookey’chosethismomenttorideuponhischarger tomakeararevisit to the lines.Entering thecookhouseheaskedwhytherewasnopicketonduty,andIrepliedthatIhadslippedintothecookhouse

foramomenttoaccepta‘sup’of tea,andIhadtoexplainthat theword‘sup’wasintendedfor‘sip’.Hedidnotreprimandmebutsaidthatahorsewasloose.IthinkhehaddeliberatelysetitfreeandIspentastrenuoushalf-hourtryingtocatchtheanimal.Atanothertimeseveralofusweretryingtocleanwagonsataslimystinkingpond.Wesatdownforasmokeandrestwhen‘Hookey’Hollandcameinsight,whereuponwealljumpedupandlookedbusy.Wehad,however,beenseenand receiveda severe reprimand forbeingdeceitful, and told that ifwewanteda rest to takeoneandnot tobedishonestabout it.WhyhewassodislikedIdonotknow–personallyIthoughthetreatedusquitefairly.Hewassoon to be transferred to Brigade transport and was superseded by CaptainPrynne,anicegentlemanlyyoungofficer,thesonofaclergymanweweretold.The battalion took over positions in the firing line at Hebuterne, opposite

GommecourtwhichwasheldbytheGermans.Wehadtotaketurnstogouptothe village every evening, a distance of several miles from Souastre, withwagonsandlimbersfullofrationsandammunition,water,etc.Theroadupwasopentoflatcountryonbothsides,andallthewaywecouldseetheflashesofthegunsandshells, shrapnelbursts in thesky,andoccasionalVery lightsand redand green signal rockets, both British and German. Often the main road inHebuterne parallelwith the trenches,was rakedwith long rangemachine gunbullets, zipping past like bees,with an occasional ricochet ‘Trr, Trr, Trr’, andthudsastheystruckthetreesandwalls.OnceIrodeontopoftheGSWagonwhichwaspiledhighwithrations,and

feltveryuncomfortableandexposedtothefusillade,whichfortunatelydidusnoharm.OnthewaybackIsatonthehighseatnexttothedriver,whenthewheelswentintoashellholeandthedriverwaspitchedoutintoaditch.FortunatelyhewasunhurtandwemanagedtofreethewagonandgetbacktoSouastre.Itwasnotunusualforadrivertobepitchedoutintoaditchonadarknight.Thedriversofthelimbersofcoursewereseatedonhorseback.Ayoungdrivermanagedtoborrowasetofboxingglovesandstruttedabout

withachallenge,butasnoneof theotherswouldhaveago, Ididacoupleofrounds and made rings round him, to the enjoyment of the spectators, thusearning a good deal of respect for the future. Afterwards, however, I sparredwithastockyfellow,aformerbrewer’sdrayman,aboutthreestonesheavierthanme, and soon found I did not stand a chance against his powerful punchingability.Opportunitycametopaintourwagonsandlimbers,andIvolunteeredtopaint

thedivisionalsign,adaggerandthewordsB3onthesides,aswellasoneortwoother signs, and obtained a reputation as a signwriter which was to come in

usefullateron.Several of the brakesmenwere nowmade redundant and sent back to their

companies.Ifeltsorryforoneveryyoungandsimplecountryfellow,andaskedifIcouldgobackinhisplace,butmyrequestwasignored.Thisboywaskilledafewweekslater.The transport officer took a fancy to my lovely horse ‘Jack’ and

commandeeredhimforhisownmount.Iwasverydisappointedtohavetopartwithhim,butwasgivenanother,darker,butequallygood.SoontherewasgreatactivityinthefieldsbehindHebuterne–greatgunpits

weredugandthenumberofartillerygunsincreased,soweknewthatsomethingbigwasabouttocommence.Foraweekor twobeforetheassaultourmachinegunners,positionedin the

rearofthetrenches,wouldamusethemselvesandusatoddtimesbytappingoutadittyontheirgun.Byskilfulmanipulationof their thumbonthe trigger theywould fire several roundsof tat-tats, emulating ‘Bom-tiddy-Bom-Bom–Bom-Bom’.TheGermanmachinegunners,probablyamileorsoaway,wouldreplyinlikemanner,butalwaysendingwithanextra‘tat’.Theenemylines infrontofGommecourtwereabout700yardsdistantfrom

ours. One night 3,000 men were sent over in the dark and dug an advancedtrench(knownasanassaulttrench)about300yardsfromtheenemylines.Thiswas done under cover of a huge barrage of shell-fire,whichmade it virtuallyimpossible for the Germans to see what was going on. This operation wasperformedwithouta single loss. Iwasup inHebuterne thatnightwith theGSWagon.Thewholeplacewaslitupbrilliantlybythelightoftheburstingshells,andthethunderousdinwasamazingandawe-inspiring.Howthedrivermanagedtocontrolhishorses Idonotknow,and Iwasgladwhenwewereable togetbacktoSouastre.Thenextnightanotherpartywentouttodeepenthetrench,andonlyafewcasualtiesoccurred.Thetransportwerenowlivingintheopen,thehorsestetheredtoalongrope

line or lines in a large green field.Wewere ensconced in shacksmade fromoddmentsof timberandcorrugated ironorpiecesof tarpaulin.Theweatheronthewholewassunnyandwarm,withoccasionallywetperiods.Ilikedthissortofexistenceandwasinmyelementworkingamongsthorses–

soverydifferenttotheprison-likelifeofacityoffice,whichIhated.

Sergeant,sergeant,givebackmystirrupstome-ee-ee,Sergeant,sergeant,givebackmystirrupstome.I’vebeeninthesaddleanhour,

I’vestuckitaslongasIcould,I’mnotgoingtostickitmuchlonger,Mybacksideisnotmadeofwood.Youhavetobecrueltobekind.

Wehadonelankyfellowwhosufferedfromsomeformofsleepingsickness.Hewouldsometimesfallasleepstandingup,whilegroominghishorse,andhadtobewokenup.Wehadaveryniceyoungcaptain,asergeant,twocorporalswhohad some sort of bitter feud between them, a farrier, awheelwright, a saddlerandacook.

III

GrimReality

WelearnedthatanassaultwasabouttobemadeonGommecourt.Adetachmentof men, about 100, was to remain behind in camp, as a nucleus in case thebattalion were annihilated. The night before the attack we took most of thelimbers, GS wagon and pack ponies up to Hebuterne, loaded with supplies,ammunition,handgrenades,picks, spades,axes,etc., and foodandwater.Thesupplieswereunloadedin themainroadandsomeofushadtocarryboxesofammunition down a lane leading to the front line and dump them in a ruinedbrickshed.Afusilladeofmachinegunfirewasbeingdirectedatthespotwhereweapproachedtheshed,thebulletszippingpast,andcausingafewcasualtiesaswedartedacrossthelane.Iwasgladwhenthejobwasfinished–fortunatelytheenemywasnotawareofwhatwasgoingon,orwewouldhavebeenshelled.

Nextmorning,1st July1916, theSommebattlecommenced.Ourdivisionwason the left or northernpart of the attack.TheLondonScottishwent over first(that is of the Brigade), and got into the German front line, behind a terrificbarrageofshell-fire.TheJerrieshoweverwerewellpreparedandemergedfromtheirdugoutsinthesupportlinestoresistfurtherprogress,theenemyshellandmachinegun fire being terrible in intensity.TheKensingtonswere in support,and endeavoured again and again to reach the Scottish, only one small partymanaging toget through.Valiant effortsweremade to reach theScottishwithfresh supplies of rifle ammunition and grenades, the Scottish running out ofsupplies.ExceptforafewtheKensingtonsweremowndowntryingtocrosstheoldno-man’sland.Theattackontheleftwasreallydesignedtotakesomeofthepressureoffthemainattackfurthersouth.

Some of the companies, 150 strong, came out with only 20 men. TheKensingtons’ fighting strength of 600was reduced to 300, thus losing half itsstrength, the brigade having to fall back to its original positions. The enemyopposite were Saxons, whowere generally considered themost decent of the

bunch.Ourstretcherbearersandotherswereoutinno-man’slandcollectingthewounded andwithoutmolestation from the enemy. Some of the Saxons evenbroughtwoundedmenuptoourtrenchesforustocollect.The8thDivisionhadalsoattackedtothenorthbutwithnobettersuccess.Allwasnowmoreorlessback to normal, except that we had to stand-to for two hours each morninginsteadoftheusualonehour,incaseofacounterattack,whichfortunatelydidnotmaterialize,owingnodoubttotheterriblebatteringtheGermansmustalsohaveendured.Theoldtrenches,somebeingtheoldFrenchfrontline,werenowsosmashed

byshellfiretobealmostunrecognisable,anddeepwithmud.Our old Regimental Quarter Master, Captain Ridley, a South AfricanWar

veteran,brokedownandweptoverthelossessustainedbyourfinebattalionofwhichhewassoproud.

IforgottotellofaratheramusingincidentthatoccurredduringoneofourfirstnightsintheHebuternetrenches.Ayoungfellowwenttothelatrinebayandlefthisrifleagainstthesideofthepit,whensuddenlytwoGermanswhohadcreptupunobserved,crawledover theparapetandstole therifle,decampingrapidlywithout attacking its owner. I expect they were sent over for the purpose offindingwhetherwewerearmedwith theJapaneserifleusedbyus inEngland.Thepooryoungchapwasscaredoutofhiswits.Ipassedhimthenextdayandhewasstillinastateofshock,staringaheadwithaglazedexpressionasthoughhehadseenaghost.TheGermansalwaysseemedtoknowtheidentityofthetroopsoppositethem.

Indeedsometimesinothersectorswherethelineswereonly40or50yardsaparttheywouldgreetuswithshoutsof‘HelloKensingtons’.I had already tried to get back to my company, but the corporal told the

TransportOfficerthatIwasoneofhisbestpack-animalmen,somyrequestwasunsuccessful.However,my reputation as a signwriter eventuallyhelpedme toget up to the line, as I was sent for to proceed to the Pioneer Section inHebuternetopainttheinscriptiononablackcrossforaGermanairmanrecentlyshotdown.Airmenwerealways treatedwithgreat respectandhonourbybothsides.IncidentallythecrossesforGermandeadwerealwayspaintedblack,thoseforBritishbeingwhite.AfterthisIwasgiventhetaskofpaintingthetrenchnamesondozensofsmall

pieces ofwood for theY andW sectors, such asYellow Street, York Street,WoodStreet,WineStreet,etc.TheRegimentalSergeantMajorBlakecameintothebarntoinspectprogressandItooktheopportunitytotellhimIwantedtoget

backtocompany.Hesaid,‘Why?Istransportworktoohardforyou?’andIreplied‘No,Ilikeit

verymuch,butIwouldprefertobewithmycomradesinthetrenches.’He said, ‘Wewill see’, andnext day Iwas attached to thePioneerSection,

comprisingasergeant,corporalandabouthalfadozenmen,allsomewhatolderthanmyself,althoughIwasseniorinservicetotheprivates.Threewereskilledcarpenters,twoasbricklayersandoneaplumber.Wesawlittleofthesergeantwhowasusuallybackinthetransportlinesandstores,togetherwiththesergeanttailor,shoemakerandarmourer,nodoubtlookingafterthesergeants’mess.When in the linewewere engaged onwork in and about the trenches and

battalion headquarters. This entailed carrying-parties for food, water andammunition, taking barbed wire and timber to the front line, repairingrevetments to the trench walls, repairing and laying duck-boards, sometimeswiringandsandbagginginno-man’sland.Thisexperiencewasusefultomeinafter life, as I learned quite a bit about carpentry, brick laying, soldering andconstructingtimberhuts,etc.Itwasafairlyfreeandeasyexistencewhenoutoftheline.Wehadhardlyany

paradesorexercisesandplentyofopportunityforexploringbothinthetrenchesand in the rearareas, sometimesusingour localknowledgeasguidesorbeingsent to isolated spots for about 24 hours, where we were often spotted andsubjectedtosomecloseandunpleasantshellfire.Althoughwecouldnotseetheobjectofthisatthetime,itmusthavebeeninordertofindifsuchpositionswereunderobservationbytheenemy.Thebattalionnowbeing sodepleted innumbers,wehad to takepart in the

stand-to in the front line for two hours everymorning at dawn, a boring andunpleasant chore,particularly inpouring rain.This entailed standing still for acoupleofhours,with fixedbayonets, incaseof anenemyattack,whichup tothatperiodwouldalmostinvariablybemadeaboutdawn.

Now a word about Hebuterne itself. This must originally have been a verybeautifulvillage,withitslongmainroad,linedwithpleasantcottagesandafewhouses, surrounded by orchards and gardens, an old church with tower, andseveral farmhouses. The main road ran parallel with the front line, that sidebeingoriginallywellwooded.AttheTroadjunctionwiththeroadtoSailly-au-bois,(about2or3milesdistant)wasasmallRoyalEngineersunitwithalargecircularsaw,ofteninusecuttingtree-trunksintopostsfortrenchrevetmentsandduck-boards,etc.How it escapedbeingdestroyedby shell fire Idonotknow.Alongtherightofthemainroadwasabrickmillbuilding,usedasouradvanced

battalionheadquarters,withcooks,signallers,runners,andsoon.Leftwardstheroadwaslinedwithcottagesandhouses.Wewerebilletedinaderelictfarmhouseattheendofthevillagealongsidethe

road.An archway led into the usual square courtyard, a huge cess-pool in thecentrewithawidepathwayallroundandawaterpumpfacingtheentrance.Thewater,incommonwiththatofallFrenchfarms,wasonlyafewfeetdistantfromthecess-pool,thewaterbeingquiteyellowandundrinkable.Thesurfaceofthecess-pitappearedsolid,butwoebetideanyonewhosteppedonitandbrokethesurface, for theywould sink into the liquid contents and the stenchwould behorrible, being composed of centuries of stablemanure, cow dung and houserefuse.Deadanimalswereoftenlefttorotandsinkintothesepits,whichcouldbesmeltformilesaroundwheneveropenedupandcontentsextractedandspreadoverthefields.The entrance side of the building was an open shed with lofts above. The

otherthreesideswerelivingquarters,barns,stablesandcowsheds,allfacingthecentralcess-pit.Thisvillagewasofcoursedeserted,butintheoccupiedfarms,nearly all of this type, the farmer and familywould sit atmeals at awindowfacing on to the courtyard, oblivious to the sight and effluvia of the pit.Practically every dwelling and building in the village had been damaged byshellfire.The churchwas in ruins, but the tower,whichmust have afforded amagnificentviewoverthebattlefieldandbeyond,wasmoreorlessintactinspiteof frequent shelling. It was unhealthy to linger in its vicinity owing to this,althoughIventuredalookarounditacoupleoftimes.BattalionHQhadawallofsandbags infrontof itasprotectionfromthenightlystrafefromlongrangeGerman machine guns, which would traverse the whole length of the road,probablyhalfamilelong,anditwasverydangerouswalkingalongitatnight,thebulletssoundinglikebees,Tz,Tz,Tz,withoccasionallyTrrr–Trrrastheyricocheted off walls or trees, and thudding into walls as one passed, keepingfingers-crossedhopingnotto‘stopone’.I hadmany a longwalk along this road in the evening,whenwe took it in

turnstofetchrationsandpostfromHQ.OnenightasIapproachedHQIheardmoans coming from the ditch alongside, and found amanwounded badly bymachine gun bullets.Twoother chaps happened to be passing and recognisedhimasoneofthecooks.The surrounding fields and remains of orchards were inundated with shell

holes,smashedtreesandoutbuildings.Thereweremanyunexplodedshellslyingabout, someof large calibre. I sawone stupidman trying to remove thebrassnose-cap from one with a chisel. We gave him and the shell a wide berth.

Perhapshewasfed-upwithlife!Atfirstwesleptinalargebarnbehindthefarm.Onenightawhizz-bangshell

hit acornerof the roof,blowingahole through it.The funny thingwas that Islept throughthisepisodeandonlyknewabout it in themorningwhenIwokeand asked about the hole. The other occupants were amazed that I had sleptthroughtheexplosion.Afterthiswemovedintowhatmusthavebeenastableinthefarmcourtyard.InsidethistheFrenchsoldiers,whooriginallyheldthelinehere, had dug about 3ft. down from floor level and built a dugout neatlyconstructed of sand bags. One of them had left a blue French overcoat in acornerontopofthedugout.Wesleptonthefloorofthestableandonlyusedtherathercrampeddug-outifshellingwastoonearandsevere.The latrinewas in the orchard at the back of the farm, and everymorning,

whenitwasmost inuse, theGermanswouldfireoneor twowhizz-bangs intothe orchard.Thedevilsmust haveknownwhatwas there.Naturally our visitswere made very hurriedly and brief. The enemy seemed to know almosteverything about us and our movements. An observer plane was frequentlyoverhead,andonewasactuallybroughtdowninanadjacentfieldandwehurriedoverandhadalookattheairman,whowasuninjured.OntheothersideofourcourtyardtheRegimentalPolicewereensconcedina

similarroom,neartheentrancearchway.Thedoorandtheentrancetotheinnerdugoutwasadjacenttothearchway.Thesechapssleptinthedugoutwhichwaslargerthanours.Two fieldkitchensweremoved into theyard, andwehoped thesewerenot

spottedbytheenemyairmenandmistakenforguns,therebyinvitingunwelcomeattentionfromshells.Wewereinstructedonedaytoenteracommunicationtrenchontheotherside

of the road. This trench was now out of use as it was under observation indaylight.Muchof it hadbeendestroyedduring the recent battle, and affordedlittleornocoverfromtheGermanlines.Wemustsoonhavebeenspottedasaheavyshellfirewasputdownalongthetrench,butwemanagedtogetthroughandwere glad to get into the deep cover of the front line,where the corporalreported and we were immediately sent along to another point and along adesertedandbatteredcommunicationtrench.This ledthroughtheremainsofasmallwoodandouttoanarrowsunkenlane.Weturnedleftandproceededdownthislane,passingsomedesertedtrenches

crossing the lane,andcoming toapoint looking rightoverno-man’s landandthe German trenches.We were evidently spotted here as we came under firefrom a machine gun. There appeared to be no troops holding this particular

section.Idonotknowwhatinstructionsthecorporalhadreceived,butweturnedandmadeourwaybackup the lanewhich led to themain roadof thevillage.Ourlittlejauntmusthavebeentofindoutiftheseroutesweresafetouse.Onapproachingourfarmarchway,wecouldsmelltheacridfumesofashell,

andaswewent through theentrancea strongand sickly smellof freshblood.Therewere several bodies lyingoutside thepolicedugout, thekhaki uniformsdarkwithblood.Severalstretcherbearerswerestillatworkbringingoutgrislyremainsfromthedugout.Ashellhadpiercedtheroofandwallofthebarn,crossedthearchedentrance,

andthroughthedoorwayoftheroomcontainingthepolicedugoutandthroughthe entrance of the dugout which was only about 4ft. high. Two cooks weresittingonthetopstepofthis,watchingthepoliceinsidewhowereplayingcards.Thepolicesergeant,anoldKensingtonhadjustpoppedinforawordwiththem.Heandfourofthepolicewerekilledoutright,andbysomemiraclefourotherswere only slightly wounded or shell-shocked, in spite of the confined spaceabout 8ft. square. The shell had passed the heads of the two cooks withoutharmingthem.Thefivebodieswerelaidoutonstretchersinanopensidedshedwherethey

remained uncovered until the next day, and Iwas appalled at the sight. Somewere headless, one blown off at the shoulders, some limbsweremissing, justlikecarcasesinabutchershop,withthewhiteofbonesshowingoutofthetornred flesh. It was ghastly and impossible to identify them. One of the youngstretcherbearerslaughinglytoldusthathehadpickedhandsandfingersoffthewallsof thedug-out.Thisseemed terriblycallousbehaviour,but Inowrealisethathismindmusthavebeenshockedandunhingedatthetime.Therewasabeautifullargecherrytreeinthegardenbehindthefarmhouse.It

wasloadedwithripecherries,andhadbeensparedbytheprotectionofthewallsofthebuilding.Theladssoondespoiledthistreeofitsfruit,onefellowsawingoffthethickbranches.Thetreewasruinedintheprocess.TheGermanairmanhadbeenburiednearthistree.Runningalongagainstthefarmwallwasanarrowtrenchwhichhadbeendug

by theFrench troops.Stickingout from the trench sidewere the remains of asoldier,partsoftheblueuniform,thedecomposedremainsofakneeandahand.ItwasquiteusualfortheFrenchtoburytheirdeadinthetrenchsides,andwewouldsometimesuncoversuchgrizzlyremainswhendigging.

Aratheramusingincidentoccurredatahouseafewdoorsawayfromthefarm.Thiswasusedasasergeants’mess,andtheyhadfittedupa table inwhathad

beenthefrontgarden.Fromsomemysterioussource theyhadacquireda largewhitetableclothandoneafternoonasumptuousteahadbeenlaidforthem,whensuddenly awhizz-bang landed in thegarden, demolishing the splendid spread.Anairmanhadnodoubtspottedthewhiteclothanddirectedtheartillery.Itwasaremarkablyfinepieceofaccurateranging,butnotsosurprisingastheGermansmusthavebynowbeenfamiliarwitheveryfootofthevillage,bothfrommapsandairobservation.Therewere several trench raids carried out at night-time at this period, the

objectbeingnotonlytoharasstheenemy,buttocaptureoneortwoprisonersforidentification, or to destroy machine gun posts, etc. There were also fightingpatrolstomeetandattackGermanpatrols,andreconnaissancepatrolstoobtaininformationbutavoidcontactwith theenemy.Also therewere listeningposts,forlyingwithanearagainstabayonetstuckinthegroundforsoundsofactivitysuchasdiggingorwiring.Therewerewiringpartiestorepairorlaybarbedwireentanglements.Thenoisymethodofhammeringinangleironstakesforholdingthewirewas

tobesupersededbyscrewpickets,amuchmoreefficientandquietermethod.Inadditiontothistherewassentrydutyonthefire-step,‘standing-to’foranhourorsoeverydawnandsunsetandsuchchoresasdiggingandrepairingtrenches,revetments, duck-boards and sumps, carrying parties for rations, ammunition,wireandsoon.Thetroopswerethereforeprettywelloccupied.At first the men for bombing raids were volunteers. Before the raid all

identification symbols such as regimental flashes were removed, personalbelongings such as pay-books, letters, etc. had to be left behind. Faces wereoften blackened, noisy accoutrements left behind, weapons would be handgrenadesandcoshes,somecarryingrifles,alightmachinegun(Lewisgun)forcovering fire,wirecutters, soft caporwoollenhelmet, andsoon.Lateron, insnowyweather,whiteoverallswouldbeissued.We had a very braveMajor (Campbell) who used to wander about in no-

man’s-land at night time,with hiswalking stick andbatman for company.Hewas wounded seven times and seemed to bear a charmed life. He was veryhighlyadmiredbyall.AnotherfinemanwasourCofEpadre,whowouldgooutintono-man’s-land

atnightwiththeburialpartiesandsayafewprayersoverthedead.Atonetimewehad aRCpadre,whowas not popular, as far as I knownever leaving thesafetyofthetransportlinesanddrinkingcopiousbottlesofwhisky.WewerenowgettinglargedraftsofmenfromEngland,somereturningfrom

hospital. Many of the new arrivals, much to our dismay, were from other

regiments,buttheysoonsettleddownasKensingtons.Weactuallyhadadraftof20menfromtheBantams,muchtoouramusement,but theyalsomergedwellwithus.Onedraftof200menwasentirelycomposedofmenfromotherunits,while an equal number ofKensingtonswent to other battalions. Thiswas notgood for ‘esprit de corps’ and seems incompetence by higher authorities.However, later onmisplacedmenwere able to apply for transfer to their ownunits.Grisly warnings were sometimes left at the roadside as reminders of the

dangerofcarelessnessagainstsnipers.Onceamanwasleftontheroadallday,quiteuncovered,hisskullbeingsplitbyasnipersbullet,exposingthebrainsforalltosee.Anothertimeasteelhelmetwasmountedonastickshowingtheholemadebyabullet.Hebuternemadeahauntingimpressiononme.AsIhavesaidbefore,itmust

have been a beautiful village before theWar. It bore evidence of the Frenchtroopswhohad fought therebefore theBritish tookover.Thiswas adesertedghost-likevillage,veryeerie,butIwas,andstillam,endearedtoitinspiteofitsterriblehistory. Iwould like tovisit it again,but itwouldofcoursehave longagobeenrebuiltandlostitsoriginalcharm.

AttheendofAugust1916wewererelievedbyaYorkshirebrigade,freshfromtheSommebattlefield further south,wherewewere now to go.Theygave usmuchforebodingwhentheytoldusofthehorrorsandstressawaitingus.After being relieved wemoved to the Abbeville area for rest and training.

Theseso-called‘rest’periodsweresometimesmoreexhaustingthanwheninthetrenches,withlongroutemarches,drillsandsoon.Itwasoftenfoundthatafterbeinginthetrenchesmenwerereallyunfitformarchingandotherexertions.Wehere saw the tanks for the first time.Theseearly tankswerevery slow,

aboutfourmilesanhour,andoftenbreakingdown.Theyweretreatedmoreasajoke by the infantry, causing much amusement and ridicule, although weappreciated their probable usefulness in smashing a path through the enemywire, if they ever got so far.Thesewire entanglementswere often very denseandwide,sometimes40yardsorevenmuchmore.Ifnotdestroyedbyartilleryfire they hampered our attacks, making impenetration virtually impossible.Many a man was caught up by barbed wire and killed, left hanging on theterriblebarbs.TheGermanwirehadbarbsabout1inchlong,muchstrongerandmoreformidablethanours.We soon moved to Corbie and on towards Douars, but suddenly received

orderstomarchbacktoSailly-le-Sec,quiteclosetotheRiverSomme,ofwhich

we caught glimpses between the trees. The roadswere crammedwith Frenchtroopsandtransport,thecountrymuchpittedwithshell-holes.ThelongmarchtoBrayinthehotsunwasoneofthemostexhaustingIhadsofarexperienced,alargenumberofmenhavingtofalloutontheway.Wewereneverallowedtodrinkwaterwhileonthemarch,butwereallowedthetenminuteresteveryhour.Forthelastfewmiles,whichseemednever-ending,Ifeltateachstepthatitwasimpossible togoanyfurther,butkeptsayingtomyself‘Justonemorestep’ateachstrideandwasneversogratefulaswhenatlastwereachedourdestinationandgotawelcomemugofteaandsomebread,butterandjam.We spent the night here before proceeding to the Citadel Camp the next

morning.Thiswassituatedinavastflatplain,devoidoflandmarksandbareanddesert-like.Weshelteredincontraptionsratherlikechickenhutches,withrabbitwirewalls.Thiswas the site of the oldBritish front line fromwhich the firstassaultwasmade.The ground was badly smashed up, and covered with horse lines and

transports of other units.A huge French gunmounted on railway lineswouldarriveandfireashell,immediatelypullingawaytosomeplacefartherbackbyasteamengine. Iwouldnothavecared tobeaGermanin thevicinityofoneofthesegiganticshellswhenitburst.ThatafternoontheKing,ridingahorse,camesight-seeing,butgotnofurther,

the front line being some seven to eight miles from the camp and much toodangerous to chance losing our monarch. His son, Edward Prince of Wales,afterwards Windsor, was soon to join us under the wing of the GrenadierGuards.Iwastopasshimquitecloselyonseveraloccasionslateron.TherewereoneortwointriguingsightsfortheKingtosee.Onewasthebody

of a German transfixed by a bayonet through his body to a wooden trenchsupport.Another(whichIdidnotgotosee)wasadug-outcontainingthebodiesof aGerman officer and two deadGermanwomen in nurses uniforms. I verymuch doubt if thesewere genuine relics, and am sure theywere placed theredeliberatelyfortheedificationofHisMajesty!While herewe saw contingents of theAustralian army, and a fine body of

men they were. I had seen a few Australians in England at SaffronWaldon,wheresometimestheywouldstandaboutintheroadspractisingtheirskillwithlongstock-whips.After anightherewemarcheda shortdistance to a campofNissenhuts at

eitherFricourtorMaricourtSiding,Iforgetwhich.Thiscampwasattheedgeofaplateauwithamainroadrunningpastat thebottomofacliff-likebank,andreached by a lane descending steeply at right angles to the face of the

embankment. Therewas a great deal ofmovement along this road,which ranroughlyparallel to theBritishandFrench front lines, about sevenmilesaway.PartiesofFrenchinfantry(poilus)wouldpassby,withtheirquicklurchingstep,leaningforwardunderheavypacksandinlongsky-bluegreatcoats,thebottomsofwhichwerebuttonedbackatkneeheight.Ontheothersideoftheroadwereafewruinedbuildings,twoobviouslybeingtheremainsofestaminets.A frequent sight was a medley of horse-drawn vehicles, some being farm

carts,allloadedwithbandagedwoundedBritishsoldiers,cominguptheinclinedlanefromtheroadandproceedingpastthecampontothefieldhospitalsintherear.Thereweresomanyofthemthatwehadanuncomfortableforebodingofwhatwasinstoreforus.Oneofourfavouritesongswas:

Idon’twanttodie,Idon’twanttodieIdon’twanttogotothosetrenchesagain,TheAllemeinsniperstheydrivemeinsane,Iwanttobe–wherethoseJerriestheycan’tsnipeatmeOh,My–Idon’twanttodie.Iwanttogohome.

Ithinkwespentanighthereinthehuts,thenextafternooncrossingtheroadandenteringwhat appeared to be a valley or large quarry,wherewe dumped ourpacks and overcoats and changed to battle order, with haversack andgroundsheet on our backs, water bottle, bayonet, entrenching tool, gas-masks,rifle,steelhelmet,ammunition(60rounds)inourpouches.Wewerethenloadeddown with other paraphernalia, such as extra cartridges in bandoliers, millsbombs,rocketsandflares,somepicksandshovelsandsoon.Weweretorelievethe7thRoyalIrishFusiliersintrenchesnearFalfemontFarmandLeuzeWood(knowntousas‘LousyWood’).

Wewerenowtoenteranentirelydifferentterraintothattowhichwehaduptonow been accustomed. Before we had been used to seeing green and fertilecountrywithgreentreesandwoods,withvillagesoftenstilloccupiedbyatleasta few civilians within amile or so of the trenches. From here onwards for adepthofaboutsevenmilesthelandwasentirelybareanddevastatedallround,withplainsandlowridges,withnogreenery–mostdesert-like,thegroundtornup and coveredwith shell holes, onemerging inwith another. The earthwasgreyish,withwhitechalkshowingwhere thebatteredand flattened remainsof

trenches existed.The former roads and lanes no longer existed as such, roughtrackshereandthere,cutupandtroddenbytransport,gunlimbersandinfantry.There was a great deal of debris on the surface, the remains of barbed wire,smashed vehicles, weapons and broken timber. Woods and copses weredestroyed.Villagesandfarmswerenonexistent.Hereandtherewerebatteriesofgunsofallcalibres,somefullyexposedinthe

open, many without cover or camouflage of any kind. There was an almostcontinuousroarofartilleryfireinthedistanceandthesharperexplosionsoftheguns around us. Overhead could be heard the whistle and scream of passingshells,thelargershellsroaringalongwiththerumblingsoundofrailwaytrains.Occasionally there would be a lull in the bombardments, but gunfire wouldalways be heard even when in more distant sectors. The expenditure inammunition must have been colossal. Dead bodies were still lying about indifferingstatesofdecomposition.TheseweremainlyGerman, theBritishdeadhaving been mostly buried or disposed of, although there were still many ofthese lying around. Dead horses were to be seen along the tracks, sometimeswhole teams of them, horribly mutilated. The stench was awful. When onerealises that theBritishalonesuffered60,000casualtieson the firstdayof theSommebattle,andthefightinghadbynowbeengoingonfortwomonths, thedevastationwasperhapsnotsurprising.Ascending from the quarry we emerged onto a large flat plain which had

apparentlybeenclearedofthedebrisofbattle.Thereseemedatfirstnothingofinterestaroundus,exceptthatInoticedlyingonthegroundafewsmallbones,undoubtedly finger bones, looking rather old and brown. I wondered whetherthese were from a casualty, or if the site had been an old cemetery nowobliterated.Furtheronwecameacross thebodyofayoungFrench soldier, inbluegreatcoatandhisriflebesidehim.Hisbodycouldnothavebeenthereverylongandhehadprobablybeenkilledbyshrapnel.Itwasrathermystifyingwhyheshouldhavebeenthereandwhyhehadnotbeenfoundandremoved.Wewentonpastashatteredwoodandontoaroughtrack,gunsandlimbers

movingbothupanddownthisthoroughfare,withoccasionalwalkingwoundedandstretchercasescomingdownfromtheline.Wewereledoffinsinglefilebyguides from the Irish Rifles, and headed by our officers. Darkness had nowfallen,andwewere told to tryandkeepahandon theshoulderof theman infront,soasnottolosetouch.Thehorizonaheadwaslitupformiles,aswecouldsee whenever we passed over a ridge, and around us were the flashes anddetonationsofourownartilleryastheyfired.Figuresofstretcherbearerscouldbe seen strugglingwith their burdens, silhouetted against the sky – the going,

overgroundpittedwithshellholes,wireanddebris,beingsoarduousoverthemiles thateightbearerswerenecessary foreachstretcher.Thesufferingof thewoundedmust havebeengreat, as the bearers often stumbledor fell in to theholes or old trenches. The passage of some of the shells overhead could betracedbywhatseemedaredspark.Thisshouldhaveseemedterrifyingtome,butIhadnotyetlearnedthecold,

belly-gripping fear, almost paralysing the senses, that I was at times later toexperience. Peculiarly enough, I was not to encounter this extreme fear untilaboutayear later. I think thiswasfairlycommon, the longeronesurvived themore the fear would be felt. It is well known that often young inexperiencedtroopswillattackwiththeutmostabandonanddash,thesurvivorsbecominglessenthusiasticandmorecautiousasexperienceisgained.Thenoveltyandstrangeandinterestinghappeningshelpedtokeepone’smindofftheimmediatedangersuntil theybecamemorecommonplace. Imustconfess thatat that timewarfareseemed rather thrilling and heroic tome. Iwas soon to realize that therewaslittleornogloryinwar–itwasahorribleandevilthing,carriedoutinthemidstofcorruptionandfilthdefyingdescription,andashockingwastageofyounglife.The tales of glorious battles, heroic deeds, martial music and smart parades,which I had read of and seen in my boyhood days were shortly to bringdisillusionmentandsadnessintomylife.Theroutewasmorethansevenmiles,butittookusoverfifteenhourstoget

toourdestination.Wecouldonlyproceedatasnail’spaceinthedark,stumblinginto and around shell craters, trippingover barbedwire andother debris,withfrequent stops as those in the rear called for a halt to enable the stragglers tocatchup.Wewerecontinuallypassingbackmessages to thosebehind,suchas‘Mindthehole’,‘Mindthewire’,purvoicesbecomingmechanicalmumblesaswegotweakerandsleepier.Therewereoccasionallongstopswhentheguideslosttheirway.Someofthemenactuallyfellasleepwhilestandingandhadtobeproddedawake tocarryon.Atone longstopIsatdownfora rest in thedark.WhenitwastimetomoveonIshooktheshouldersofthefellowlyingnexttometotryandwakehim,andrealizedhewasstiffanddead.Whenreturningpastthisspotsometimelater,Isawthathewasnotonlydead,butonlyhisupperhalfwasthere,hislowerhalfhavingbeencompletelyblownaway.HewasoneoftheIrishmenandhadbeenkilledbeforeourarrival.Wewerenowverynearourdestination.Dawnfoundusattheendofavalley.

Turning left we entered another long narrow valley with steep sides to bothflanks.ThiswasnamedAngleWoodValley,knowntousas‘DeathValley’.Thetopof theridgeonour lefthadshallowdugoutsandstrongpointsoverlooking

the huge plain over which we had travelled. On the right was a steepembankmentfacingtheenemylines,andhalfwayalongtheridgeofthevalleywas a small shatteredwoodor copse calledWedgeWood.The far end of thevalleyrosetoLeuzeWood,oraswecalledit,‘LousyWood’.As we entered Death Valley there lay the bodies of two Germans, one an

NCO and the other either an officer or Regimental Sergeant Major of thePrussianGuard,wearingaveryfineuniform.Hewasamagnificentfigureofaman, fairhairedand inhisprime. Ihada feelingof sadness to see the endofsuchafinespecimenofmanhood.Nearby was a small steam engine. A light railway had evidently once run

through thisvalley,but the railswerenowmissing,probably sent toGermanyfor turning intogunsor shells.Behinduswecould seea sunken road runningup-hillandshelteringabatteryofheavygunsof theFrenchartillery.BigJackJohnson shellswould occasionally burst near themwith large clouds of blacksmoke. These gunswere about 400 yards away andwe could see the Frenchartillerymenrunninglikerabbitstotheirdugoutsassoonasashellarrived.Wewerehereontheextremerightof theBritisharmyandnext toaFrench

battalion. At the junction of the two valleys was an abandoned machine gunpost,nowonlycontainingapileofemptycartridgecases.HereandthereweresmallheapsofthelightblueFrenchhandgrenadesaboutthesizeofsmallroundoranges.Notunderstandingtheirmechanismwegavethemawideberth.Aswecommenced therelief in themorning theremnantsof theRoyal Irish

FusilierscamedriftingbackovertheridgeintoDeathValley,intwosandthrees.Manyofthemwereinaveryexuberantandexcitablemood,claimingthattheyhad advanced a mile over their objective, which later proved rather anexaggeration,althoughIbelievetheyhadindeedpassedtheiroriginalobjectiveforaconsiderabledistance.Theirlosseshadbeenheavyindeed,350casualties,whichwas half their strength.Their attack had reached a cornfield in front ofCombles, the corn concealing a trench protected by a formidable barbedwireentanglement, and they had been forced to retire some distance and take apositioninshellholesaboutFalfemontFarmandinLeuzeWood.Therewerenodugouts or other shelter available and advanced battalion headquarters had tomake do with a shell-hole, a most inconvenient and unsuitable place for theColonelandhisstafftooperatefrom.My section filed to the top of the ridge and emerged on to an open slope,

muchcutupbyshellfire,andoverlookingawidevistaofcountrydescendingtolowground,beyondwhichweregreenfieldsandthickwoodedhillsrisinginthedistanceseveralmilesaway.Thiswasthefirstgreencountrywehadseensince

our leaving theCitadel, sevenor eightmilesbehind.Theground justover theridgeofDeathValleywasscatteredwith the Irishdead,mainlyyoung fellowswhomostly appeared tohavebeenkilledby concussion, tiny streaksof bloodhavingissuedfromtheirearsandnoses.Othershadbeenkilledbymachinegunandshrapnelfire.Therewerehundredsofbrightunexplodedshellslyingaround,allpointingtowardsourposition.TheseapparentlyhadbeenfiredpointblankattheIrish,andduetotheflattrajectorythenosecapshadnotstrucktheground,thusfailingtoexplode.OnemiddleagedIrishmanwassittinguprightinashellhole,onesideofhisheadshiningpink,wherehalfhisscalphadbeentornoff.Itwas a mystery how he was in a sitting position, as normally he would havecollapsedonbeingkilled.Perhapshisbayonet scabbardwasproppinghimup.Nearbyapurewhitewoollentoydogwaslying.Thishadprobablybeentakenoverbyoneoftheattackersasamascot.On the left of the ridgewas the remains of a smallwood or copse,Wedge

Wood if I remember rightly. We turned left and entered a trench runningalongside. This trench was full of German dead, Prussian Guards. For somepeculiar reason they were minus their tunics, wearing new white vests. Thebodieswerelyingseveraldeep,andwehadtowalkontheminordertoproceedalongthetrench.Itwasapparentthattheyhadonlyarrivedinthelinejustbeforetheattack,otherwisetheywouldnothavebeeninsuchacleancondition.Itwasamostunpleasantandqueazyfeelinghavingtosteponthesebodies,butIwastobecomeusedtothissortofthingbeforelong,whenwebecamehardenedtosuchconditionsandlostourfeelingsofrevulsion.Someofthedeadhadtheirclothingburntoffthem.We reached the line of shell-holes running at right-angles to the trench and

tookoverfromtheremainderoftheIrishmen.Theimmediatetaskwastojoinupthe shell holed positions by diggingwith our entrenching tools and forming aroughtrench–nowourfrontline.Ourpioneersection,acorporalandeightmen,includingmyself,wereinstructedtosetoffbackthesevenmilestothecampatMaricourt. I cannot remembernow forwhatpurpose,but think itwas to fetchrations andwater back to the line.Wehad received no food for about twentyhoursandfeltfamished.OnreachingtheridgeaboveDeathValleywestoppedandsearchedsomeof

thedeadmen’shaversacksforfood.Ifoundatinofsardines,armybiscuitsandbutter.Wefelt ratherguiltyandsqueamishabout this,butwedidgetabiteoffood.Anofficerpassing in thevalleybelowshouted tous togetdown,aswewould be seen by the enemy.We probably had been, but were mistaken forstretcherbearersandleftunmolested.Isharedthesardineswithmychum,Dick

Sweet, a sturdy young fellow of aboutmy own age.We had all paired off incouples.Thesittingcorpsehadnowcollapsed.Going down to the floor of the valleywe passed one or twoGerman dead,

including the aforementioned officer and anotherNCOwith a red cord at hisshoulder,whichIwastemptedtocutoffasasouvenir,andaswepassedtheoldsteamengineaJackJohnsonshell landedabout30yardsaway,explodinginahugeblackcloudofsmoke,butfortunatelydoingusnoharm.Wehadprobablybeen seen while on the ridge, or more probably from the German ‘sausage’balloon, a good distance away, but with a clear view down the length of thevalley,andupthesunkenroadoccupiedbytheFrenchartillery.Attheendofthevalley was a small dug-out, passing which we heard some feeble groans.LookinginsidewefoundabadlywoundedGerman,butheseemedfartoogoneforus todoanythingforhim.Weturnedrightandcommencedthesevenmilewalkbacktocamp–thistimeindaylight,comingacrossthetrunkofthesoldierIhadendeavouredtowakeupthepreviousnight.Onthewaybackwehadagoodviewoftheoldbattlefieldandtheevidenceof

thefuriousandstubbornstruggleswhichhadsorecentlytakenplaceoverit.Thedebris of broken rifles, remnants of barbed wire, pieces of shell – someenormousandbigenoughtocutamanin two.The landwasrolling,with lowridges,andoccasionaldevastatedwoods,allthatwasleftofthembeingstuntedandsplittrunkswithnofoliage.Therewerenobuildings,anyhouseorfarmnolongerexistentexceptasbrickrubbleandwood,shelledlevelwiththeground.Batteriesofartillerywereexposedintheopen,someofthemfiringsalvosor

drumfire,thegunnersworkinglikefuriesattimes,strippedtothewaist,carryingshells, loading and firing; themen on the big howitzers turning and coveringtheirearseachtimethegunnerholdingthefiringlanyardmadeahalf-turntofirehisgun.Ifonestoodimmediatelybehindalargehowitzertheshellcouldbeseenrising like a cricket ball on its journey to the Jerries. Some batteries wereconcealed in camouflaged gun pits and were almost impossible to see unlessclose up. Crossing a track within a yard or so of one battery, which did notappear tobe inactionat the time,Iwasfollowingafellowabout twoyards infrontofmewhenthegunfiredimmediatelybetweenusataboutwaistlevel.Theblast was terrific and unexpected. One step forward and I would have beenblowninhalf.Idonotknowwhetherthegunnerswerenotawareofusorcouldnotcareless.We arrived at the quarry, passing our dumped packs, crossed the road and

ascendedthepathtothetopoftheembankmentandontothecamp.Herewegota hot meal and a welcome rest until later in the afternoon we gathered our

burdens and returned to Death Valley before nightfall, having traversed overtwentymilesofroughgroundwithnosleepforthirty-sixhours.Wesettleddownon the ground at the side of the valley and slept, although therewas a heavybombardmentgoingoninthevicinity.Severaltimesafterwardweweregoingtogoforseventyhoursorsowithoutsleep,thefeelingofcarryingonwhiletotallyexhaustedbeingprettyawful.There now began a period of confusion and muddle, due to the shocking

incompetenceandworsebyBrigadeHeadquarters,situatedseveralmilesbehindthelineandcomfortablyinstalledindeepdugoutsofGermanorigin.Itappearsthatourbattalion, since takingover from theRoyal IrishFusiliers,wereundertemporarycommandofanotherbrigade, therebeingnoproper liaisonbetweenthetwo.Wewereinstructedtosendareconnaissancepatroltofindiftheenemytrench behind the barbedwire in the cornfieldwas occupied. The patrolwentforward,butreportedthatthewirewasintactandthetrenchinfrontofCombleswas indeedoccupied.This informationwasreportedbacktobrigade,whosentus an operation order to the effect that the air-force had reported the enemytrench to be unoccupied,which our patrol, having come under heavy fire andlosingoneman,contradicted.TheFrench,onourright,whomwefoundwerenotnearlysofaradvancedas

wewere told,contactedusandsupplieduswithaplanshowing theirposition,whichwe sent back toBrigadeHeadquarters.TheFrenchmade an attack thatnight towards Combles, which failed. We moved forward in the night toendeavourtotakeComblestrench,buttheGermansweretoostrongtobedrivenout,althoughwemanagedtokeeponecompanyforwardinLeuzeWood.Amessagewas received from the 169th Brigade (wewere by now getting

ordersfromthreedifferentbrigadesallconflicting),thelatteraskingwhywehadnotoccupiedCombles trenchasordered,and that theyhadreceivednoreportsfromus.Ourcolonelhadsentreports,butthesehadevidentlygottothewrongbrigadeandhadnotbeenpassedon.Alsowehadnotbeeninformedwhenthechangeofbrigadeshadtakenplace.NooneofanyoftheBrigadeHeadquartershadbeensentforwardtoseewhat

washappening,apparentlystaying in thesafetyof theirdeepdugouts.Mostofthejuniorstaff-officerswereveryyoungandinexperienced.Someoftheseniorstaff, theBrigadier,BrigadeMajor andCaptain are known to have stayed thewholeofthetime,whentheirbattalionswereintheline,indeepdugouts.Thishas been verified later in print as craven and callous behaviour. From thesedugouts theywouldplanoperationsbymap,nevergoingout to see the actualconditionsthemselves.Thiscausedmuchbitternesstoourownofficersandmen

anddidnottendtoraiseconfidenceormorale.Thisbehaviourjustifiedthewordsofoneofourfavouritesongs:

IfyouwanttofindtheColonelIknowwhereheis,Iknowwhereheis,Iknowwhereheis,IfyouwanttofindtheColonel

IknowwhereheisDowninthedeepdug-outIsawhim,IsawhimDowninthedeepdug-outIsawhimDowninthedeepdug-out.

Itmustbestressedthatsuchincidentswererareandisolated,asmanybrigadiergenerals and also their staffs suffered a very large proportion of killed andwounded as shown in official records. This was especially so on the Ypressector.OneofourcompanieshadgreatdifficultyingettingintoLeuzeWoodonour

left,buteventuallydrovetheenemyout,bombingalongthetrenchandmakingcontactwiththeLondonScottish.TheFrenchoncemoreattackedComblesbutagainfailed.Brigadetoldusthat

thevillagewasoccupiedby theFrenchand theGermanshadwithdrawn.Thiswasutternonsense.Itwasnevertakenbyfrontalattack,butlater,asIwilltell,wasoutflankedoneithersidebyBritishandFrenchinunison,makingtheenemywithdraw.Fromallthisyoucanseehowmuddledthesituationwasfromthestart.Iam

afraidthatmymindalsoisverymuddled,theseincidentsandwhatfollowedforthe next six weeks or so, together with the appalling conditions making itimpossible to recall what really happened. Incidents become isolated andconfused.We in the ranks, havingnoknowledgeof the battlefield as awholeandwithoutaccesstomapsofanykind,hadverylittleideaofourwhereaboutsandonlymeagresnippetsofinformationorrumoursofwhatwasgoingoninourownsector.Oftenoneknewnothingofwhatwashappeningbeyondafewyardsaway.Aftera lapseofoversixtyyears,somedetailscomebacktomevividly,whileothersarelost,andthesequenceofeventsprobablyfarfromaccurate.ManyofthethingsImentionareofcourseverygruesome,butIwantthisto

bea true recital of the facts, so far as I remember them,otherwise thepicturewouldbe incomplete.Afewof thedatesandfiguresIhavemanagedtoverifysincetheWar.AlsothefewsketchplansIhavesincecomeacrosshavehelpedinclarifyingoveralleventsandsituationswhichwerenotfullyunderstoodbymeatthetime.The strain of being subjected to heavy shellfire for sustainedperiods, hours

and sometimes days and nights almostwithout cessation,was enormous.Onehadtotryandshuteverythingfromone’smindandtobecomeoblivioustowhatwasgoingonaround.Therewasafeelingofhavingatightviolinstringinone’s

headwhichwasduetosnapatanyinstantanddriveoneinsane.TheGermans of course, having occupied all this territory for a year or two

before being driven back, knew the positions of all their old trenches anddugouts aswell as landmarks and could range their artillery firewith extremeaccuracy.Theywerealsoabletoretiretostrongandcarefullypreparedtrenchesanddugouts,alsowellprotectedandconcealedgunpositions.Weontheotherhandwereexposedindesolatedterritory, terriblycutupby

shellfire,allroadsandhousesdestroyed.Alsoourartillerywereexposedintheopen formilesbackandunderobservation fromaircraftandsausageballoons.Our supplies and ammunition were extremely difficult to get up to the line,particularlyinwetweatherandinthenight,inthickmudandwater-loggedshellholes.Guns and horse-drawn vehicleswould get stuck or overturned in shell-holes.MotorisedtrafficwasanimpossibilityontheSommeandonlyusedonthemoreorlessintactroadsmanymilesintherear.Theprocedureofthewalkingwounded was pitiful indeed as also for the stretcher cases and their bearerswhose hands were often blistered and bleeding. Conditions therefore werealwaysahundredtimesworseforadvancingtroopsthanfortheiropponents.One difficultywas the passing back ofmessages and receipt of instructions

fromBrigade.We had nowireless at this period and the signallerswere keptbusy continuously in repairing and laying telephone wires along or in theground, these being cut by shellfire almost as soon as they were laid. Thesignallers’ job was not to be envied, with constant hard work often in verydangerousconditions.Averyexasperatinganddiscouragingjob.Messageshadtherefore to be carried also by runners, who often had to go through severalheavy barrages both during the day and at night. Each company and alsoBattalion headquarters had its own runners. Pigeons were sometimes used byBrigade and Divisional headquarters, but not very successfully.Messages didnotalwaysgetthroughforobviousreasons.TheoldGermandugoutshadbeenverywellconstructed,butmosthadbeen

destroyed or blocked at the entrances or steps, and sometimes befouled withdead. Also the entrances faced the wrong way for us, being vulnerable toshellfire.Therewasalwaysthenastyprospectofbeingburiedaliveinthem.Afewof thelargestanddeepesthadtwoentrancesto them.TheGermanswouldusually shelter thebulkof their troops in thesedugoutsduringheavy shelling,comingtothesurfaceatthelastminuteortwotoopposeourattacks.Shelteringinadug-outhadaverydemoralisingeffect,asfeelingcomparativelysafewhileunderground, it gave one a horrible and terrifying feeling to emerge into thedanger, and it needed all one’s willpower to do so. Many a time the enemy

refused tocomeup to the trench to surrenderor fight, inwhichcasegrenadeswouldbepitcheddowntheentrancestokilltheinmates.Itwastoodangeroustoleavearmedenemyintherear.Thesupporttroopsfollowingcloselyonthefirstlineswouldcompletethistask,called‘moppingup’.Onlosingtheirfirstline,theenemywouldputdownaheavybarrageonthis,

andalsoonthesupportingtroops,endeavouringtopreventthemfromreachingtheassaulttroopswithreinforcementsandmuchneededbombsandammunition,andtotryandpreventthesecondwaveofattackersfromleap-froggingourfirstobjective and assaulting the enemy support lines. Very heavy casualties wereusually suffered by the supporting troops, as we had found to our cost atHebuterne. Counter attacks were then expected, launched from thecomparativelyfreshGermanreserveswaitingundercoveroftheirdeepdugoutstoemergeandattackourweakenedanddepletedforce.Thiswasmoreorlessnormalprocedurefororganisedattacks,buttherewere

verymanysmallisolatedengagements,oftenofintenseferocitytotakeorregainpartsoftrenchesoroutpostswhichintrudedintoorthreatenedthecontinuityofaline. Often contact became broken between different units, or even betweencompanies of the same battalion, one party having no idea of the position ordistanceseparatingitfromthenext,leavinggapsinthedefenceandthedangersofenfiladefireorattack.Effortswouldhavetobemadetoestablishcontact,andledtoclosecombatwithhandgrenadestodrivetheenemyoutalongtrenchesorfromshell-holepositions.Unfortunatelyitwasseldomthatamajorattackproceededassuccessfullyas

originally planned. Onmany sectors the attacking force would be held up orevendrivenfurtherbackbyenemycounterattacks,resultinginmuchconfusionand loss of contact. There being no such thing as wireless communication inthosedays,contacthadtobeattemptedbyreconnaissancepatrols.Aninstanceofthisoccurredduringoneadvanceplannedtostraightenoutthe

line between LeuzeWood and Ginchy. Our ‘B’ Company lost touch with anIrish battalion on our left, which was afterwards found not to have reachedanywhere near the position itwas intended to take, having been held up by avery strong German position known as the Quadrilateral. Major Dickens (agrandsonofCharlesDickens)endeavouredto leadapartyfurther to the left tocontacttheIrish,butwasunsuccessfulandwaskilledintheattempt.AyearlaterIwastorevisitthisplaceandhelptoerectawoodencrossandrail,whichIhadpaintedwithaninscriptioninOldEnglish.Beforeanattackislaunchedonaheavilydefendedpositionitismostessential

that the wide band of barbed wire entanglements is breached, very heavy

bombardmentsbeingnecessaryforthis,oftenoverseveraldays’duration.Alsothatthetrenchisdestroyedasmuchaspossibleandmachinegunemplacementsobliterated, long rangegunsbeingemployed in trying to locate andknockoutenemybatteriesintherear,overadepthofseveralmiles.Unlesswireisproperlydestroyedorlanescutthroughitisalmostimpossiblefortheattacktosucceed,andveryheavylosseswillbesustained,alltonopurpose.Patrolsaresentoutatnight to try and cut through the wire, a highly dangerous operation. Theattacking force held up bywire can bemown down bymachine gun fire andgrenades thrown or fired from the trench. Very often it was found that theentanglementshadnotbeenproperlydestroyed.Since1stJulythebattlehadragedbackandforth,eachsidecontestingevery

yardof the terrain,manyplacesbeingfoughtonoverandoveragain,until theBritishandFrenchgradually forcedback theopposing forces.SodreadedwastheSommebattle that itwasdescribedby theGermans in lettershomeas ‘thebathofblood’.Weburiedourdeadinthevicinityofthetrenches.Itwasdifficultenoughto

getourwoundedbacktotherearareas,andimpracticableifnotimpossibletodoso with the deceased. The German dead were left where they fell, and onlyremovedtoanearbyshell-holeiforwhentheirpresencebecametooobnoxious.Wehadneither the timenorenergy toexpendon themotherwise. I rememberfour of us being detailed to bury a young fellow lying at the edge of LeuzeWood.Wedugashallowgraveforhim.Mycompanionswereloathtoput thefirstspadefulofearthoverhimandwehadnothingwithwhichtocoverhisface.Thejobhadtobedone,andIplacedthefirstfewspadefulsofearthin,keepingmy eyes averted, and thus buried my first man. A fewminutes later we hadcompletelyforgottentheincident,therebeingotherandmorepressingeventstooccupyourattention.Ifoundthathoweverbadorterrifyinganythingwas,itwasrapidlyforgotten–therewassomuchelsetodivertourthoughts.One grisly experiencewas that of a youngmanwho crawled back into the

trenchthedayafter takingpart inanattack.Hehadbeenconcussedbyashellandcame towithhis facesticking tosomethingandnaturallyassumed thathehad beenwounded in the head.He found however, that he had fallen on to adeadGermanwhose scalp had been blown off, his cheek sticking to the deadman’sheadby congealedblood.The shell burst hadotherwisenot injured thefellow,who appeared to have taken the shock verywell except for somewhatexcitedrepetitionsofhisstory.Weneverknewwhatdayitwas–exceptwhenoutofthelinechurchparade

wasordered.IamafraidIdodgedmostofthese,declaringthatIwasanagnostic,

in spite of theCE stamped onmy identity disc,which sometimes the orderlycorporalinsistedonverifying.Imust tellhereof thecuriousepisodeof the IndianCavalry.Whenwe first

entered theLeuzeWoodendofAngleWood(orDeath)Valley, itwas litteredwithcavalryswordsanddozensofroundfoldinghelmets.Ithoughtatfirstthatthese were German Uhlan helmets, but these on examination were found tobelongtoIndianCavalry,thenamesofthenowdefunctownersbeingwrittenontheinsides.Manyoftheswords,andalsosomerifleswerestickinguprightintheground,evidentlymarkinggraves.Therewerenobodiesorhorseslyingabout.These latterprobablyhadbeendraggedawayby theGermansfor their fatandhides,whichwereinaveryshortsupplyinGermany.Therelicswerescatteredonthefloorandsidesofthenarrowvalley.TherighthandembankmentrosesteeplytoLeuzeWood,whileatthisendthe

oppositebankwasshallowleadingtoaplaintowardstheGinchyandLesBoeufssectors.Scatteredoverthefloorofthevalleyatthisplacewerealargenumberoffourprongedironspikesabout4incheslong.Ihaveneverbeforeorafterseentheseobjects,whichweassumedhadbeenintendedtocripplethehorses,andtheenemyhadobviouslybeenwellawareinadvanceofthelikelihoodofacavalryattack.Thewholeof thisepisodewasamystery tome,andIhaveneverbeenabletofindoutthetruestoryoftheoccurrence.Iwastemptedtokeeponeofthesmall folding helmets as a souvenir, but every one I examined had beenbefouled.TheIndianshadevidentlybeentrappedhereandmowndownbythemachine gun fire from Leuze Wood. Cavalry were on the whole completelyuseless in this war owing not only to the shell torn ground and wireentanglements,butalsotheirextremevulnerabilitytoshellandmachinegunfire.

Ihadbythistimebecomepracticallyimmunetothesightofdeathandterriblewounds.Itwouldhavebeenimpossibletokeepsaneotherwise.A shell one day fell into a trench nearby, partly blowing off a man’s arm

above the elbow. Someone fixed a tourniquetwith a putty andwith his jack-knife cut off the arm completely, as it would evidently have to be doneeventually.IamsureIwouldhavejibbedatdoingthis.Besides the mud and discomfort, the horrible stench of corruption, high

explosiveandchloridewasalwaysinournostrils.Ourclothingwaspermeatedwith thesmell,whichwould remainevident foraweekor soafter leaving thebattle area. Iwas very surprised to see the change of colour in the corpses atvariousstagesofdecomposition.Thiswouldbeeitherwhite,yellow,green,blue,red,brownandevenblack.Somewereskeletonswithaparchmentlikecovering

ofskin.Maggotsandblue-bottlesfilledtheeyesockets,nostrilsandmouths.Thesightofblue-bottlesalightingonusorourfoodwasnauseating.OurRSMwouldsometimeshaveabiscuittinofchlorideoflimeandwouldhimselfscatterthisinadjacentshell-holesandpollution.Weallsufferedbadlyfromdysenteryduetothedirtywaterandcontaminatedfood.Wewererelievedfromtimetotime,goingbacktoreservetrenchesforafew

hours or a day or so, butwere still under shellfire. These placeswere namedMaitzhornFarm,CasementTrenches,ChimpanzeeTrench,andWaterlotFarm.Iamconfusedtodayastowhichwaswhich,butgotaverygoodideaofthelieofthelandandasenseofdirectionforsomemilesaround,whichwasusefullateron, especially at night time,when a couple of uswould sometimes be sent asrunners with messages to Brigade headquarters or to collect something at adump, such as rations, ammunition or water in petrol tins. Water was veryscarce,taintedwithpetrolandchlorinated.Thechlorideoflimewasoftenoverstrong,oftenbeingaddedtwice–onceatBrigadeandagainbyourownmedicalorderly,andalmostundrinkable.Therewasneverenoughtowashwithandwewerealwaysfilthy.Sometimeswewouldtrytowashwithwaterfrompuddlesorshell-holes, once or twice risking tea-making from shell-hole water, which ofcoursewasalwayscontaminated.It isagoodjobthatourinoculationsweresoefficient.Wewereneverallowedtoremoveourbootsandafter2or3weeksourfeet

wereinanawfulstate.Ididchancetakingmybootsoffonce,butmysockswerestuckhardtomyfeet,whichwerebleedingandsoswollenthatitwaswithgreatdifficulty that Imanaged togetmybootsonagain, in spiteof their largesize.Many men suffered so badly from ‘Trench feet’ when the weather and mudbecame really bad, that they had to become casualties. One had to be in anabsolutelyhopeless condition for this.Mostofuswerehalf crippledwhenwefinallylefttheSommeandcouldonlyhobblealong.Irememberthedaywhenthepioneersectionweresenttoanisolatedposition

on a high ridgebeside a track alongside the remainsof a farm,onlypart of alongbrickwallstillstanding.About50yardsfromthiswallwasashorttrenchatrightangles to the topof theridge, the trenchbeingfullofGermandead,withsomelyingontopoftheparapet.Wesettleddowninasmallpieceoftrench,butsoonmoveda fewyardsaway,as therewasadeadhorseon the tracknearby,makinganappallingstench.WecouldseeoveranextensiveareaontheBritishside, which seemed deserted, with no movement or sign of life. We did notattempttolookovertheothersideoftheridge.Afterawhileweweresubjectedto some uncomfortably close shelling, evidently having been spotted. I had

reasontobegladofmysteelhelmet,asapieceofhighexplosiveshellhititwitha‘clonk’.Ipickedupapieceofshell,droppingitimmediatelyasitwasstillhot.Intheeveningarunnerarrivedtotellustogetback.Thisseeminglyuselesstaskmusthavebeentodiscoverwhethertheposition

wasunderobservationbytheenemy.Wewereinfactusedassittingducks.Weweremoved todifferentpartsof the linebetweenLeuzeWood,Ginchy

andLesBoeufsand tookpart innumerousoperations. Iamand indeedwasatthetimeveryconfusedaboutthewholething–quiteunderstandablewhenevenourownbattalionofficersoftendidnotknowexactlywherewewere,whatweweresupposedtobedoing,andwhatwashappeningoneachsideofus.Therewereoftenlargegapsbetweenunits.Wehadadraftof50menandtwoofficersfreshfromEnglandandquiteinexperienced.Theirguideseitherlosttheirwayordisappeared and the whole draft walked straight into the German lines – weneverevensawthemorheardofthemagain.Thebattalion’scomplementof toolshadnowbeenmostly lostordestroyed,

and Dick Sweet and I were sent back some miles to an Australian camp toreplenishthese.Wearrivedatwhatlookedlikeaonestreetwoodenshantytown,reminiscentofawildwestcowboytown,withvariousstores,ablacksmithshopandsoon.ThisplacewasfullofAustralianpersonnel,wagonsandhorses.Oneofourlimberswaswaiting,andweloadedthiswithabout40spades,picksandaxes. Before it drove off a German plane flew close overhead and dropped asmallbombalittlefurtheroffuptheroad.Idon’tknowifitcausedanydamage.Before trudging back we found an Australian canteen built in a small copse.Hoping to buy something to supplement our meagre rations we weredisappointed when the surly canteen sergeant refused us, as we were notAustralians.Theonlythingheletusbuywasapackofplayingcards.Inthefirstweekwelostover300men,including15officers,andanother50

men when out in reserve trenches. One whole platoon was destroyed by onehugeshell,aJackJohnson.Further frontal attacks were attempted by our division and the French on

Combles, but again without success. It was then decided to attack it on eachflank. The London Scottish and the Fusiliers led the attack around BouleauxWoods,theFrenchattackingtheothersideofCombles.TheQuadrilateralstrongpoint had by now been captured by theGuards, thus protecting our left flankfromenfiladingfirewhichhadhelduppreviousassaults.Fourtanksweretotakepart,butthreeofthembrokedownatthestartandthefourthwassoonhitbyashell. The Kensingtons were in support. This time everything went well. TheBritishandFrenchbrokethroughoneachside,forcingtheGermanstowithdraw

fromthevillage,theLondonScottishjoiningupwiththeFrenchinCombles.I shallalways rememberaLondonScotbeingcarriedbackona stretcher,a

blanketoverhislowerhalfsaturatedinblood,butsinginglustily:

Ifyou’regoingbacktoBlighty,Ifyou’regoingbacktoTown,InTrafalgarSquare,greetthelionsthereShout‘Hallo,‘HalloLondon,GivethemaninblueafiverKissthegirls,don’tbeafraid

TelleveryWesternPetThatshe’snotforgottenyetBytheboysoftheOldBrigade.

Idonotknowwherehegot the strength to sing so lustily– itmayhavebeenfromatotofrumwhichcanattimesworkwonders.Another thingwhich Iwill never forget is a partyofQueen’sWestminsters

comingdownthroughWedgeWood.Conditionshadbeenverywetandthemudawful. They filed painfully and slowly down the slope, between the shatteredtreestumps,likesomanylivingcorpses,theirfaceswhite,witheyesfixedandstaringasiftheyhadjustseenintothedepthsofhell.Godknowswhattheyhadbeenthrough.AlargeareawaspreparedtoholdGermanprisonersacoupleofmilesorso

behindourlines.Thiswascordonedoffbyahighbarbedwirefence.Afterthecapture of Combles this was filled with hundreds of prisoners.Most of theseseemedquiteresignedandobviouslygladtobeoutoftheturmoil,buttherewerea few, mainly dark haired Bavarian types, sitting sorrowfully with heads inhands – surly and morose. The bulk of the prisoners appeared to be mild,harmless looking persons, who would be better spending their time in theircivilian occupations, and seemed out of place in the sloppy ill-fitting greyuniformsoftheGermanarmy.TheGermanfieldserviceuniformalwaysseemedtometobemostdepressingandconvictlike.TheBritishandFrenchuniformsweremuch smarter, even in theworst conditions, andmuchmore inducive togoodmorale.OnedaywhenIwaswiththepioneersectioninDeathValley,arunnercame

from the Regimental SergeantMajor asking for two men to report to him inLeuzeWood.IandanotherfellownicknamedTubbyweredetailedtogo,andwesetoffwiththerunner.Muchtohisobjectionwechosetogoalongthetopoftheridge(averyfoolishprocedure),andtherunnerleftustomakeourownway,hechoosingthesaferroutealongthebottomofthevalley.FromtheridgewecouldseeoverthedescendinggroundtothedistantforestbeyondtheGermanlinesonourright.Anofficerspottingfortheartillerywaslyinginashell-holeabout50yards away observing the shell bursts on the enemy positions. He wavedfranticallyforustogobackdownthevalley,butwecontinuedonourway.Near theendof thevalley, justbelowLeuzeWoodwasabatteryofFrench

75’s, their lightquick-firingguns.Thesegunshadonly justbeen installedandthe Frenchmen were erecting tall poles, probably for ranging purposes. Theystoppedworkaswepassed,lookingatusinamazement.Theyprobablythought

weweremadtobeontopoftheridge.AsusualwiththeFrench75’s,halftheirshellsseemedtobefaulty,astheywereexplodingintheairalmostimmediatelyon leaving the guns, being more dangerous to our own troops than to theGermans.AsweapproachedthecornerofLeuzeWoodaheavyfusilladeofshellsburst

onthewoodatthepointwewereabouttoenter.Isupposeitwouldhavebeenwiserforustohavewaitedalittle,butwechanceditandscamperedforwardtothelowparapetandintoaclearingsome50yardssquare,whichhadbeendugabout6 feetbelow the surroundingground inside thecornerof the remainsofLeuzeWood.Theshellswerefallingfastandfuriousandmuchtooclosetobehealthy.We

dived towards the entrance of the first of two dugouts on our left. Tubbyhesitatedattheentrance,soIdarteddownthefirstfewstepswhenashellburstrightoutsidetheentrance,andIheardmycompanionslitheringdownthestepsbehindme.Ithoughthemusthavebeenhit,soturnedandcalledout,‘Areyouallright,

Tubby?’andwasrelievedtohearhisreplyintheaffirmative.Wegotdowntothebottomofabouttwentystepsandenteredthelargedug-

out.TheRSMand a few runners and signallerswere seated around a table incandlelight. They said that Jerry must have seen us coming (which was notsurprising) hence the shellingwhichwent on for quite a long time.TheRSMhandedus each amugwith about⅓rdpint of neat rum, really firewater.Twoshells landed immediately on top of the dug-out, each time blowing out thecandles and seeming like a sledge hammer driving our heads down about sixinches. The roof was about 15 feet thick and luckily stood up to the highexplosive.Wespentthetimechattingandourmugswerereplenishedwithrumseveraltimes,theRSMofcoursebeinginchargeoftherumration.Itisamarvelwewereabletokeepsober.Thenextdug-outwasoccupiedbytheColonelandhisstaff.Thetwodugoutswerenodoubtconnected.After the bombardment had subsided the RSM told the two of us to come

outsidewithhim,andwestoodattheentranceforafewminuteswhilehegazedaround.TherumhadamarvellouseffectonmeandIremembersaying,‘Whereare those ruddyGermans, let’sgetat them.’ Iwas reallywanting toattack thewhole German army single handed, and had to be restrained by the sergeantmajor,who handedme his sandbag, of ‘moshings’ to look after. Therewas abundle of candles in the top (as precious as gold) and I slipped a couple ofhandfulsintomypocketswhenhisbackwasturned.Iwouldnothavedaredtodo this if I had been sober, for we feared the wrath of the RSM more than

anything. I know now that given a large tot of rum and the opportunity, howeasyitwouldbetoearnaVCorDCM.Averydifferentmatterhoweverwithouttherum.TheRSMaskedwherewasoursergeant!Incidentallyjusthereatthecornerofthewoodstood,amongstotherstumps,a

tall tree-trunk with a wooden look-out seat high up. It must have given awonderfulviewof the territory formilesover thegroundonwhich theBritishhad advanced.Even fromground levelwe could see the vast devastated plainbeyondAngleWoodValley,towardsGuillemont,GinchyandLesBoeufs.Theplacehadmost likelybeenusedasanartillerypositionbytheGermansbeforetheBritishgottooclose.Over the plainwe could see parties of infantry approaching inwide spaced

artilleryformation,evidentlyourrelief.Theiradvancemusthavebeenobservedfrom the air, but they had no interference from shellfire and everything wasprettyquietbynow.TheGermanswerenodoubtwaitingfornightfallwhenthereliefwas likely to be in operation and our trenches packedwith ingoing andoutgoingtroops.Wedescended intoDeathValley, turned left andhalfway along found that

two of our cooks had managed to get there with a field cooker. The RSMdemandedamugofteaforus,andfindingthatnonewasontaphesoundlyratedthepoorcooksandthenproceededtothepioneersection,whohadmanagedtoriguparoughshelterforthemselvesfrombitsoftimberandcorrugatediron.Wewere thenall led to the endofDeathValley, turning right andontowhatwasoncetheroadtoGuillemont.OnthewaywepassedalargeelephantironsheltererectedbytheArtilleryasastore.Thisprovedlaterasausefullandmarkinanalmostfeaturelesslandscape,theroadbeingalmostunrecognisableexceptwhenhereandtheremarkedbytheshortstumpsofwhatwereoncetrees.Wecameatlasttoourdestination,agroupofmakeshiftsheltersofoldwoodandcorrugatediron.ThiswascalledWaterlotFarm,thebuildingsnowbeingnonexistent.AfterashortresttheRSMpickedthreeofthepioneerstoaccompanyusback

toLeuzeWood.Itwasnowfairlylateafternoon,andthistimeweproceededinadirectlineto

theWood, alongwhat appeared to have been some sort of road or track justbelowthesummitofalongridge,whichmusthaveoverlookedtheQuadrilateralandBouleauxWood.Therewasmuchevidenceoffiercefightinghavingtakenplace along this ridge. There were numerous bodies of dead Germans lyingabout,somehalfburiedordrownedinshellholes,hands,headsandfeetstickingoutofthechurnedupground.Manyoftheshellholeswerehalffullofscummyand filthywater, some reddishbrownwithblood.Oneman lyingon the track

hadevidentlyhadhisheadsmashedbypassingwagonorguncarriagewheels,although therewas no sort of traffic along here now. It would have been toodangerousindaylightandveryimprobableatnight,beingtoonearandexposedtotheline.TherewerefewBritishdead,theseapparentlyhavingbeenburiedorremoved.Onarrivalatheadquarters’dugoutsinLeuzeWoodweweretoldthatwewere

toberelievedthatnightby,Ibelieve,aYorkshireRegiment,whichwehadseenmoving up over the plain that day. The four chaps withme were detailed asguides,onetoeachofthefourcompanies,andIwastowaitandguideBattalionheadquarterstaffoutofLeuzeWoodandbacktothereservepositionatWaterlotFarm.Wewaitedatthetopofthedugouts.At dusk the relief started arriving and soon our companies commenced

stragglingintothepit,tellingusthattherewasterrificcongestioninthenarrowtrenches,makingitverydifficultforthetwounitstopasseachotherandcausinga lot of blockages. To make matters worse the enemy guessed the relief hadstarted and began heavy shelling on the trenches and communications. Oneyoungfellowlosthisreasonandcamerushingalongthetopofthetrenchyellinginaterrifiedvoice,‘Sergeant’sdead–they’vekilledSergeant.’Wetriedtocalmhimdown,buthe seemedcompletelycrazyandwent rushingover theparapetandawaytotherearonhisown.WhereheeventuallygottointhedarkIdonotknow.Asthehourswentbythefourcompaniesinturnwereledawaybytheguides,

going along the straight route on the ridge, which was quiet enough and notunderfire.Iwaitedaloneforwhatseemedaninterminabletimeatthetopoftheheadquarters dugout, the relieving officers having gone below to obtain thenecessary informationfromourcolonelandtheadjutant,andnodoubta totortwoofwhisky.Incidentally theeffectsofmymorningdosageofrumhadlongwornoff.Theheavyshellingonthetrencheshadnowdecreased.AtlasttheColonel,MajorandAdjutantemergedaccompaniedbytherunners,

signallersandbatmen,abouttwentyorsoinall,andIledthemovertheparapetat the corner of the wood. To my discomfort I could now see that a terrificbarrage of shell firewas being laid down all along the top of the ridge and IstoodforawhiledecidingwhatIhadbetterdo.Ifelttheheavyresponsibilityonmyshouldersofgettingthispreciouspartybackinsafety.Althoughwehadnotbeen told which route to take, I assumed that we were meant to proceed theshortestwaywhichwas straight along the ridge, as theRSMhad brought theguides.Imyselfcertainlydidnotrelishgoingthroughsuchhellishshellfire,thewholeridgenowaninferno,litupwithcontinuousflashesfromtheexplosions.

It seemed impossible that we could traverse along that terrible line of firewithoutgettingwipedout.I thereforedecided tocutdiagonallyacross theplain to the leftandhope to

recognise the Guillemont road which we had traversed in the morning. Thatroute had been two sides of a triangle andwas rather a longway.By cuttingacross the plain the angle would be narrowed and the journey considerablyshortened.While Iwas considering this, oneof theofficerswhowas in abadstateofpanicaskeddid Iknow theway,andseveralof themenwereafraid Iwouldlose them.Ididnot tell themthealternatives,andtheycertainlyhadnoideaoftheoriginalintentionofusingtheridgetrack.PerhapsifIhadtoldthemtheymighthavebeenmoredocile.Istartedoffdowntheslopetowardstheotherside of the valleywhere the bankwasmuch lower and almost level with theplainatthispoint.As soonas Imovedoff thewindyofficer startedwailing that Iwas leading

them into theGerman lines,when actuallywewere going away from them. Iwas astounded that these officers of rank, and also the signallers and runnersweresoignorantoftheterrain,astheyhadmapsattheirdisposal.Someoneasked‘Howdoyouknowtheway?’TopacifythemIlied,‘Bythestars.’‘Butthestarshavemoved,’saidanother.Thecolonelwhowasquitecoolandquietturnedtothewindyofficerandsaid

sharply,‘Bequiet–heknowswhatheisdoing.’PerhapsheknewthatIdid.After a fewhundredyardswe came to abatteryof fieldguns.The artillery

officerwasstandingwithagroupofgunners,awaitingourapproach.Theywereall wearing gasmasks and the officer, who appeared to be very scared, said,‘Gas, Gas, put your gas masks on.’ There was no smell of gas or evenexplosives,andourcoloneltoldtheofficersharplytotakehisgasmaskoff.Heandhisgunnersdidthis,hismenlookingveryfoolishanddeflated.Ifancysomeof themwere grinning, but it was difficult to see in the dark. I feel sure thisofficer had mistaken us for Germans and was preparing to surrender. If theartilleryhadmanyofficersofthiscalibreIdonotwonderthattheinfantryweresooftenshelledbyourownguns.Keeping straight on across the plain, with my fingers crossed, and hearing

occasionalwails that Ihad lostmyway, Iwasmuch relievedwhenweat laststrucktheroad,almostindistinguishableinthedark,andturningrightwerenowin a straight line to Waterlot Farm. We soon reached the aforementionedelephant ironhut,whichprovedtomethatwewereon therightcourse.Therewas a light in the shelter and a few men sitting inside. One of the runners

insistedongoingovertoconfirmourdirection,muchtomyannoyance.IwouldliketosaythatIhavenothingbutpraiseforthedangerousandbraveworkdoneby our runners in the line, but was amazed at their ignorance of the terrainbehindthelinesontheSomme,andwonderedifthiswasoneofthereasonsformessagestoBrigadesometimesgoingastray.ItwasnearlydawnwhenwearrivedatWaterlotFarm.Anumberofofficers

and NCO’s were standing to greet our arrival, which owing to the long timetakenbefore thepartyhad finished their conferencewith the relievingofficersandtheratherlongrouteback,hadnodoubtcausedsomeconcern.Ifoundthepioneers inasmall shackandwaspleased to learn that thecompanieshadgotbacksafely,having leftLeuzeWood longbefore thebarragehadfallenon theridge.Soonafter,a runnercamealongand toldme to report to thesergeantmajor

withmymesstin.Ifoundhimsittingonthegroundoutsidehisshack.Hepouredmeaverylargeportionofrum,saying,‘Ifyouwantanymorecomeback,butdon’tmakea foolofyourself,’which Iundoubtedlywouldhavedone if Ihaddrunksuchaquantity,whichafterwardsIsharedwiththeotherchaps.Ididnotgivehimanaccountofwhathadoccurred,andwonderedwhathis

reactionwouldhavebeenifIhadtoldhimoftheroutetaken.Anywayhemusthavelearnedofthisfromthecolonelortherunners.Hetoldmetostaywiththepioneersection,whowereoftenentrustedbyhimtocarryoutspecialorunusualtasks.Heprobablyfelthecouldrelyonus,allnowbeingfairlyoldhandswithagooddealofexperienceandconfidence,andnodoubttougherandsteadierthanmanyofthenewlydraftedmen.Nextmorningwemoved back toMaricourt Siding and retrieved our packs

and overcoats.We felt half starved, having livedmostly off hard biscuits andcheese,withanoccasional tinofbullybeeforbakedbeansbetweenseveralofus,andnothingtodrinkbutsmallrationsofwatertastingstronglyofpetrolandchloride.Wewerenowhandedoutachunkofporkeach(theonlytimewehadthis issued).Minewasagreathunkof rancid fatwithnomeat to it.Thiswasmost horrible and nauseating, but I gobbled it up, feeling terribly sick in thestomachfortherestoftheday.Wewent along to the fieldcookers for awelcomepintof tea.The sergeant

cookwas a hulking, black lookingmanwith an ever scowling expression.Hewasbullyingoneofthechapsaboutsomething,andfeelingangryIsaid,‘Leavehimalone,he’sjustcomebackfromtheline.’The sergeant said, ‘I’ll put you on a charge if you’re not careful,’ and I

replied,‘Idon’tcareifyoudo–whydon’tyougobacktocompanyorareyou

tooscared?’Hewasstaringpastmyshoulder,hisfaceredandscared.Iturnedandfound

the RSM standing behind me, looking at the cook with a sardonic grin, butsayingnothing.TheRSMseemed tohave thoroughlyenjoyed theepisodeandthe sergeant cook must have been frightened stiff of losing his cushy job. Idiscreetlyfadedoutofthescene.Thebattalionreformedandmarchedoffpast theCitadelcampandontothe

village of Morlancourt. On the way we halted in a field opposite anotherbattalionwhoweregoing in the reversedirection towards the line.About fiftyyardsawayIsawayoungfellowIknewfromschooldays,andbysomestrangecoincidence he recognisedme at the same time.Hewas a good looking curlyheadedboynamedGilbert,mylastrecollectionofhimbeingofafightheforceduponmefornoreason,exceptthathefanciedhimselfatfisticuffs.Wewerethenabout fourteenyears old.We crossedover andmet between the two columns,shookhandsandwentbacktoourrespectiveranks.Ihadmetanotheroldschoolfriendaweekorsobefore.Hewaswithasmall

groupofartillerypreparingagunpositionjustbelowLeuzeWood,probablythesamebatterybeforementioned.Iwentovertogreethimandcadgeacigarette.Hepressedawholepacketontome.Ishallalwaysfeelgratefulforthis.Imethim soon after the War in the lift at Leicester Square station. He had norecollectionoftheincident,myfriendAlecLindsey’sattentionbeingrivetedonayoungwomanpassengerinthelift.AtMorlancourtwewereinstalledinnicedrybarns–aheavenlyfeelingafter

threeorfourweeksintheopen,exposedtoallweathers.Ibelievewewereableto get a hot bath in tubs –were issuedwith new shirts, vests and socks, newtunicsandtrousers.Thisseemedagoodomenandwefeltsureofgoingbacktocivilisation and rest in a quiet area.Most of that daywas spent in sewingourshoulderflashes,thereddiamondandstripes,etc.ontoournewtunics.Wehadagoodhotmealor two,when toourdismayanorder arrived forus tomarchback to the Citadel Camp once more, for a further spell on the Somme.Wereturned,feelingverydepressedanddisappointed.Adraftof6officers and200menarrived straight fromEngland, all having

hadaveryshortperiodoftraining,aboutthreemonths,andnotreallyhardenedenoughtowithstandtherigoursinstoreforthem.We had only about six officers altogether to command the four companies,

instead of the original two dozen, and most of these were young andinexperienced.SeldomduringtheSommebattledidwehavemorethansix.Ourfinestofficerswereallpromotedtootherunits,confiscatedbyBrigade,killedor

wounded.Thecolonel,whohadonlybeenwithusforabouttwomonths,wasIbelieve,fromaYorkshirebattalion.Heseemedanice,quietmiddleagedman,butperhapsnotruthlessenoughforharshwarfare.Ithinkhehadthewelfareofthemenverymuchinmind,andheardthatinthelastfewdaysofthebattleheremonstrated very strongly against sending the utterly exhausted and halfcrippledbattalion intoafurtherattackovermuddytorn-upgroundandwithouttheslightestpossibilityofsuccess.Hewassoontakenawayfromusandtoourgreatsatisfactionwegotbackoneofourmostpopularofficers,CaptainShaw–now to become Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw. Hewas killed by a sniper on 23rdAugust1918,whengoingforwardwithhisrunnerandsignallertoreconnoitreinfront of our advancing lines.A very fine and gallant officer and gentleman. Iremember the date, as it was the day after I obtainedmy discharge from theArmy.Wespent a coupleofdaysunder canvasat theCitadel campandwere then

sent forward to relieve theQueen’sWestminsters in the oldGerman 3rd line.Theprogressovertheoldbattlefieldwasverydifficultandarduous.Heavyrainhadmadeaquagmireofthegroundwiththickmudandwaterfillingtheshell-holes,whichwere sonumerous that theymerged intoeachother.OrderswereagainsuddenlychangedandweweresentbacktoCitadelCamp–onreachingwhichwewereatoncetoldtomoveforwardagaintothefront.Thegroundwasso bad that it took us from 10 o’clock in the evening until 3 o’clock thefollowing afternoon, about seventeen hours without respite of any sort. Theweather worsened and the mud and water were atrocious. This time we hadgreatcoats with us, but these were almost worse than useless as we wereabsolutelysoddenwithrain,andthewetcoatsbecameintolerablyheavy.Aplannedattackhadtobepostponedfor48hours,butwesent2companies

forwardtodiganassemblytrenchfor theassault.Thiswasamuddlefromthestart,theguideslosingtheirwayanddisappearinginthenight.Theofficerstriedallnighttolocatetheposition,buthadtoreturnwiththetaskunaccomplished.Sleeping on the ground in these conditionswas extremely uncomfortable to

say the least.Wewere already absolutely soaked, and our groundsheets wereuseless.Ifwelaidonthemtheybecamebasinsofwater,andservedlittleornopurposeontopofusaswewerealreadysaturated.Alsoitwasextremelycold.Twomen of the new draft were found dead of exposure in themorning, nothavingbeenhardenedtothiskindofexistence.Nextnightwerelieved theLondonScottish in the front line. Inowhaveno

ideawherewewere,exceptthattheattackwastobemadetowardsLeTransloyanditssugarrefinery.Twocompanieswereagainsentforwardtodigtheassault

trenches,butagainwithoutluck.Thepositionsgivencouldnotbefoundinthedark,andprobablydidnotactuallyexistexceptasmarksonamap inBrigadeheadquartersdug-out,madebysomeonewithafertileimagination.Thecolonelwentoff toassist in the searchandonecompanycommanderwent forward toreconnoitre, butdidnot return, havingbeenwounded.Noonehad the faintestideaofwhatwasrequired,sothetrenchwasnotdug.Nextnighthowever,anewassemblylinewasdugandthefollowingafternoon

theattackcommenced inconjunctionwith theFrench troopsonour right.Theshocking state of the ground made movement very difficult and things wentbadly, although some advance was made. The Rangers and Fusiliers metdevastating machine gun fire and their leading companies were almostannihilated. The Germans made fierce counter attacks and by nightfall ourbrigadewere all back in their original positions. The French on our right hadalsofailed.Thefollowingdaytheattackwasresumed,butbyeveningwewereagaindrivenback.Theoperationhadfailedowingmainlytotheweatherandthepoorartillerysupportduetotheuncertaintyofourpositions.Thiswas our last effort on the Somme andwewere relieved by theRoyal

WarwicksandRoyalIrishRifleson9thOctober1916.Thebattalionstaggeredback to the rear areas andwewere taken byFrenchmotor buses toVaux-en-Amiens.‘The efforts of all concerned had been prodigious.’ The terrain and tracks

wereinaterriblestate–gunsandlimbersbeingboggeddowntotheiraxlesinmud,manyhavingtobeabandonedinshell-holes.Menandhorsessweatedandstruggled to get guns, ammunition and rations to the troops in the line. Thetransportwere no sooner back to their quarters than they had to start all overagain. It was now that I learned of the death of my old packhorse, it beingwoundedintherumpandhavingtobeshotbythecorporal.Oneofthetransportbrakemencouldnotstandthestrain,andcrushedhisfootunderawagonwheelinordertogetbacktoEngland.Inthislastperiodthebattalionhadlostfourmoreofficersand180meninsix

days,allwithnothingtoshowforit.SirDouglasHaigexpressedgreatdisappointmentoverthislastbattle,saying

that if successful itwouldhaveyieldedmuchgreater results thananythingwehadasyetattained.AsfarasIknowhehadneverbeenuptothebattleareaandseenforhimself

the insurmountable difficulties and terrible conditions of his troops. The 8thDivision attacked over the same ground at the end of October, but with onlyslightgainsandatheavyloss.

WespentafewdaysatVaux,re-organisingthebattalionandsortingoutthebelongingsofthecasualties,eitherforredistributionorsendingbackofpersonaleffectstorelativesinEngland.WhentherollwascalledIdiscoveredthatofthe25orsoinourplatoonatthe

commencement of the battle, only the sergeant and myself were left of theoriginal platoon. I was very lucky in having spent some of the timewith thepioneer section, which although having been under much heavy shellfire attimes,hadescapedsomeoftheassaults.

IV

AQuietFront

OurnextdestinationwastobethedesertedvillagesofWanelandSorel,abouttwenty miles march distant. We here made ourselves comfortable in emptycottagesandbarns.Iwasbilletedinanoldcottage,beddingdownonthebrickhearth of the old fireplace. During the night I had an uncomfortable crawlyfeelingandgotoutofmyblanket,litapieceofcandleandremovedmyshirt,outof which fell dozens of large black beetles, which soon scuttled away. I laiddownagainandwenttosleep,andasfarasIknowtheseunwelcomeguestsdidnotreturn.Wedid,however,meetourfriendstheratsonceagain.WhileontheSommeI

didnotseearatorindeedanylivinganimal,orevenbirds.Therewereofcoursethe ever present lice and also maggots and blue-bottles. The shell-fire wasevidently toomuch for rats and birds to endure. A year later however, whenreturning to theSommebattlefieldwe found ratshad returnedandmadeentryintoallthegravesofthehastilyburieddead.We thenmoved toLongpré andentrained forMerville, behind theLaventie

front,wherethebattalionhadreceiveditsfirstexperienceofwarfare,andwhereIhadspentsuchapleasantsojournthepreviousyear.Weusedtogetmuchfunontheserailjourneys,slowastheywere.Ateachcountrystationthetrainwouldstopandwewouldsometimesbeghotwaterfromtheenginedrivertopouronourmixedteaandsugarration.When the train was due to start the porter (or station master-cum-porter)

would emerge on the platformwith a small flag and trumpet, andwithmuchfranticwavingofarmsandflagandblowingofhorn,engageinwhatseemedaviciousshoutingmatchwiththeenginedriver.Wealwaysexpectedthistoresultinapunch-upandwouldleanoutofthewindowsordoorswithcheersandjeers,eggingthemonuntilthedrivereventuallystartedoff.Thiswas,however,quiteaharmlessandnormalprocedure.Sometimes we would pass a party of Chinese labourers repairing railway

lines.Theylookedandbehavedlikemonkeys,laughingandfooling,pretendingtoattackeachotherwithspades.TheseChinesewerepassionatelyfondofbully-beefandwouldofferafivefrancnoteforatin.Fivefrancswasalotofmoneytous,andmanyaniron-rationchangedhands,althoughitwasapunishableoffencetogetcaughtusingourironrationwithoutorders,whichwouldonlybegiveninextremecircumstances.Thisrationconsistedofatinofbully,acubeofOxo,acoupleofhardbiscuits(similartodogsbiscuits)andasmallbagofteaandsugarmixed.Weoftennoticed the sugar bowl in a peasant’s cottage containing thismixture and alsoOxo cubes, and guessed theremust have been quite a blackmarketrunbysomeoftheASCmen.AfterdetrainingatMerville,wemarchedafewmilestoEstaires,whichwith

LaGorguelayaboutacoupleofmilesbehindthelineatLaventie.Therewerestill civilians in Estaires and a few estaminets open. The best estaminet wasalwaysreservedfortheofficers,andstrictlyoutofboundstootherranks.Ionlyknowof one officerwhowould enter one of our estaminets and have a drinkwiththemen.My company was billeted in what had been a small theatre or cinema,

providedwithstrawpalliasses–anuncommonluxury.Itwas round about this time, the end ofOctober or earlyNovember, that I

wentonmyfirstleavehomeafteraboutfifteenmonths.Ithinkitwasfortenortwelvedays.Idonotrememberverymuchofit,beingrathermixedwitheventsfromthesecondleave,thirteenmonthslater.Aboutahalfdozenofusentrainedfrom Merville to Boulogne, where we spent the night under canvas withhundredsofleave-goersfromotherunits.Severalofuswerepickedhaphazardlyascooks,sohadnoopportunitytogo

intotown.Ourdutywastocookhamsandbrewteaforthemorrows’breakfast.Noneofusknewanythingaboutcooking. In thecookhousewereanumberoflargecoppers,similar to theoldfashionedkitchencopperaswas thenusual inourhomes.Wefilledonewithwater, lit the fire,andput in severalhams.Wethenleftforastrollaroundthecampandtosleepinourtents,leavingthehamstoboilallnight.Inthemorningwemadedixiesofteaandinspectedtheresultsofourcooking.Weweredismayedtofindonlyhambonesandmassesofwhatlooked like wet string floating about in the copper, and we fished out thebedraggled remains of the ham and served eachman, about 30 or so, with aportion. A second party arrived andwere servedwithmost of the remainder,whentoourconsternationathirdpartyarrivedandtherewaspracticallynothingleftforthem.Therewasagooddealofannoyanceandbadlanguageoverthis,andittranspiredthatmanyofthefirstpartycunninglyjoinedthesecondgroup

andobtainedsecondhelpings.Wehadnoneleftforourselves,andfeltluckytogetawaywithoutassaultandbattery.Wewere thenmarched off to a largewarehouse to get a good hot tub and

completechangeofunderclothingandsocks,senttothedocksandembarkedforhome.IarrivedatHarringayintheevening,adarknight,andasIwalkeddownChesterfieldGardensmetmymotherwhowasgoingtotheshops.Inthosedaystheshopswereopentill lateatnight.WegothomeandIimmediatelystrippedoffallmyuniformandunderclothesontothesculleryfloor,incaseIhadbroughthomeanylivestockandchangedintomyoldcivvies,thesuitnowbeingatightfit.Myfatherandsisterarrivedhomeandwehadplentytotalkabout,butIamafraidIwasnotveryarticulateinthosedaysandmusthavegivenaverygarbledaccountofmyexperiences.Youcan imaginehowwonderful itwas tobebackwithmybeloved family

again. Iwentup toPiccadillynextdaywithmymother,visited thePaymasteranddrewoutthe£8duetometogetherwithsubsistenceallowancefortheleaveperiod. A good deal of leave was spent going about with my mother to seerelatives,andI thinkweallwent to theWoodGreenEmpire,whichwefoundfullup,but Imanaged toget seats in thecircleafterbribing thedoorman (theartfuldevil). Itwasmarvellous tobebackagain amonst those I lovedand thetimewentalltoosoon.Weotherrankshadtosaluteanyofficerwepassed,eveninthecrowdedWest

End.InPiccadillyIdidnotbothertosaluteoneofficerontheothersideoftheroad, but themilitary policewere everywherewith their beady eyes, and oneapproachedmeandthreatenedtogetmyleavecancelledforthisomission.IfeltI could have killed the swine – he had probably never been near a battlefieldhimself,besideswhich theWestEndwas teemingwithofficers.However,myleavewastooprecioustolosesoIhadtokeepmythoughtstomyself.The time came all too soon to say good-bye, and I left one morning,

accompaniedbymyfatherwhowasonhiswaytotheoffice.Iwasofcourseinfullmarchingorderwithrifleandpack.IlefthimatKingsCrossandwentontoVictoriawhereImettherestofmypartyandentrainedforDoverwithhundredsofothersembarkingforBoulogne,marchinguptothecamponthehill,spendingthe night in tents. Incidentally I found that one of the chaps, a corporal, hadvisitedtwosisterswholivednextdoortousatChesterfieldGardens,whileIwasoutwithmymother. I thought thisaremarkablecoincidence,especiallyasourregimentwasfrommilesawayontheothersideofLondon.OnmyfirstnightofleaveIfoundIcouldnotsleepintheunaccustomedsoft

bed,andlikeotherswhohadexperiencedthesamedifficulty,laidonthefloorin

ablanket.MymotherwassodistressedtofindmethusthenextmorningthatIusedthebedduringtheremainderofmystay.After spending the night at Boulogne, wewere sorted out for our different

destinations and entrained oncemore for the front. The battalion thenwere atLaventie,abouttwomilesfromtheline,mysectionbeingbilletedontheupperfloor of an empty house – quite dry and comfortable. There were still a fewciviliansinthesmalltownandafewestaminetsopen.I often heardmention of a certainMadame Laventie, sometimes known as

MadameBully-Beef,who lived in a little cottage nearby.One of the pioneersnamedHarryKaysuggestedIshouldgowithhimtoseeher.Sheturnedouttobeanenormouslyfatoldwoman,slumpedinabigarmchairinthemiddleofthelivingroom,withtwolittleboysofaboutfouryearsold,towhomshewasactingas foster mother. She apparently was willing to sell us some French beer ofwhichtherewereseveralbottlesonthetable.Assheseemedeitherunwillingorunable to make the effort to raise her great bulk from her chair, we helpedourselves,leavingthemoneyforthemonthetable.Ineverunderstoodwhyshewassuchacelebrity,assheseemedquitestupid

andmadenoattempttoconverse,justsittingwithacontentedandsmuglookonherface.Itwasquiteusualinthesevillagestofindoneortwowomenwhoactedas foster mothers to youngsters, no doubt deriving their livelihood from thissource.Someofthehousesandgardenshadbeendamagedbyshell-firebutthesector

was very quiet now.We couldwalk intomost occupied houses or cottages inFlandersandgetservedwithcoffee(andsometimescafe-rhum)foracopperortwo, and often eggs or omelette and chips.The inhabitants seemedquite poorandonlytoopleasedtomakeasmallprofitforthemselves.Nowandagainwegotacigarettteissueoratinofpipetobacco.Ifnearanarmycanteen(whichwasveryrare)wecouldbuyatinof50Woodbines,whichweremuchpreferredtotheissuecigarettes.IntheestaminetswecouldbuyasmallDutchcigarforabout1d.Malagawineorliqueurwasabout2d.,alsocognac.Abottle(litre)ofredorwhitewinewasabout10d.(onefranc),sowemanagedquitewellforafewdayson ourmeagre pay of 3s 6d. aweek, especially aswewere generally paid atintervalsofseveralweeks.There was of course plenty of card playing and gambling, some fellows

stayingupnearlyallnight toplaybragorpontoon.Ididnot jointhesegames,butwouldsometimesplaysolo-whist.Thereweretoomanyexpertsatpontoonwhoalwaysseemedtobeinfundsattheexpenseofmugs.Attimestherewouldbeshoutsof‘Housey-Housey’andastampedetotheroadsidewouldbemadeto

squat around and playHouse orwhat is nowknown asBingo.Another gamecalled‘Crown&Anchor’wasplayedwithdiceonamatmarkedoff insquaresymbols.This gamewas forbidden by the authorities, but the gamewas oftenplayed in some out-of-the-way corner. One could lose money too fast at thisracket. Sometimes fellows would play ‘pitch and toss’ with horse-shoes forquoits. This was a favourite pastime with the Australians. Several games offootball were played when opportunity occurred, our battalion being Brigadechampions,beatingtheRangers,the4thLondonsandtheLondonScottish.WehadaveryfineplayerinLieutenantLester,ahugefellowandauniversityman.Ibelievehewaskilledlaterinthewar.Hewasaverypopularofficer.Thingssoonbecametoostrenuoushoweverforexhaustingsports.Weserved

onthisnowfairlyquietfront,4daysfrontline,4dayssupportlineand4daysinreserveatLaventie.ThereserveatLaventiewasreckonedasa‘rest’period,butwasanything than that.Drillsandexercises in theday, rationpartiesup to thelineatnight,carryingrations,water,ammunition,duck-boards,barbedwire,etc.SometimesguarddutiesinLaventie.Thisdidnotallowofmuchsleepanditwasindeedmucheasierintheline,exceptforbombingraids,etc.Wewereworkedsohardandkeptsobusythatwebecameutterlyfedupandbegannottocareatallwhathappened tous.Perhaps itwas theirmisguided ideaofkeepingusonourtoes;thispolicyhoweverhavingexactlytheoppositeeffect.During the spring and summerweweremostly engaged inoneof thegreat

assaults,butwheninreservewedidoccasionallyleadafairlytolerableexistenceiftheweatherwasgood,andsometimesevenhadenjoyablemoments.In winter we were occupied in holding the line and in bad weather would

enduremuchdiscomfortandboredom,occasionallylivenedupwithpatrolsandraids, the latter generally causing what seemed to be needless casualties. Asimplewoundsuchasabulletinthethighcouldandoftendidprovefatalduringthe cold wet nights. These periods were so commonplace as to call for noparticularcomment.Intheserelativelyquietperiodswewereusuallyabletogetsomeprotection from the elements in a flimsy shelter built into the sides of atrench,oreveninasmalldug-out,andsometimesmanageasmallcokefireinaperforatedoildrum.Infavourablecircumstanceshotstewandteacouldbebroughtuptotheline

indixiesorcontainers,otherwisewesubsistedoncoldhard-tackandwaterforseveraldaysatatimebeforebeingrelievedforafewdaysinreserve.There were rats in these old dug-outs, very bold and almost tame. I have

knownoneortwoventuresomeenoughtocomeandtakefoodfromourhandsifkept perfectly still. They would sometimes sit in their holes staring at us for

hours,quicklyreturningifdrivenaway.Manywerecoveredinmangeandsomeofuscontractedarashonthebackofourheads,whichIthinkmusthavebeencausedbytheseghoulishcreatures.Thegroundinthelinewasterriblywaterloggedandinfact,astheenemywas

onslightlyhigherground,theirwaterdraineddowntoourtrencheswhichwereimpossible inwetweather, being completely filledwithwater.Therefore highbarricades or parapets were erected, composed of sandbags – very thick andbullet-proofwithwooden revetments andhurdles, fire steps andport-holes forobservation,machinegunsand snipers. Itwasverydangerous toexposeone’sheadindaytime,andperiscopeswereoftenusedforobservationpurposes.Thesehighbarricadesnotonlyallowedwalkingoncomparativelydryduck-

boards, but trench shelters were erected in their sides. These shelters or mis-named dug-outs were constructed of timber, sandbags and elephant orcorrugatediron,reinforcedontopandsideswithsandbags.Gascurtains,madeofblanketssoakedinachemicalsolution,werehungattheentrances,withgas-gongsmadefrombrassshell-casessuspendednearbytobestruckaswarningsintheeventofagasattackorgas-shells.Therewasoccasionalrifleormachine-gunfire,butnotusuallymuchshell-fire,exceptfromtrenchmortarsandoccasionalwhizz-bangs. The minnenwerfer (mine thrower) was perhaps the most hatedmissile,thisbeingsomethingoftheshapeandsizeofanoildrum.Thiscouldbeseenapproachingalmostslowly,tumblingoverandoverintheairandmakingaterrifyingnoise,explodingwithanenormouseruption.Unless they fell intoorontheedgeofatrenchtheywouldnotcausemuchharm,andifoneweresmartit was usually possible to judge where they would fall and give one time tododgeroundintothenexttraverse.The high parapets were useful in this flat territory, as they gave some

concealmentingettingsuppliesuptothefrontlinewithoutenemyobservation.Indeedinonesectorwehadalightrailwaytrackalmostuptotheline,onwhichwecouldpushsmallladentrucksbyhand.WhileontheLaventiefrontasmallsectionofventuresomechaps,knownas

‘scouts’ was formed. They would go over to the German lines at night andgettingbeyondthefronttrencheswoulddowhatevermischieftheycould,oncepushing the trucks off an enemy rail track, and so on, with the object ofdisturbingtheGermans’peaceofmindanddamaginghismorale.OccasionallyaGermanwouldmakehiswayovertoourlinesatnightandgivehimselfup.OneeveningahugesheetofironwasbroughtintoourshelterandIwastold

topaintthefollowinginscriptioninlargewhiteletteringinGerman:

TheAmericansarewithusnow.Comeoverhereandwewillfeedyouandtreatyouwell.

Thiswas of course untrue at the time, as theAmericanswere not to arrive inFranceuntilayearor so later.However,we fixed this signabove theparapet,butbydaylight theJerrieshadblown it tosmithereens.Themessagenodoubtdid something towards lowering their morale. Any prisoner was firstinterrogatedbyourcolonelbeforebeingsenttotherearforfurtherexamination.Sometimestheywouldgiveusefulinformationastoprospectivemovementsandsoon.Inspiredbytheconstantpassingtoandfroalongtheduck-boards,wewould

sometimessing:

HaveyouseentheducksgobyFortheirmorningwalk?WaddlingalongtheygoAsthelanestheyroamThere’stheMaduck,thePaduck,TheGrandOldDrakeWaddlingalong,whatanoisetheymake,Haveyouseenthem,haveyouseenthemHaveyouseenthoseducksgoby?

Atnightonecouldhearthetransportwagonsfromquitealongdistanceawayastheycameupoverthehardroads.WecouldalsoheartheGermantransport.Itwasaperiodof liveand let live, andneither sidemadeahabitof shelling theroadsatnight.Onenighthowever,ashelldidfallontooneofourrationparties,causing several casualties, one man being killed, the stretcher bearers goingalongindaylighttocollectthepiecesofhiminsandbags.Anepisodeoccurredhere,whichalthoughunpleasantfortherecipient,caused

much amusement to us. A part of the German trench was open to our view,obviouslynot suspectedby theenemy.Oneofour snipers sawsomeGermanssittinginthistrenchbeingservedwithamealbyamanwithadixie,whichhewasbendingover.Oursniperfiredashotatthisfellow’sposteriorandobtaineda direct hit,which laid out the unfortunateman.Our sniper of coursemade ahasty retreat, aswasusual, for the enemywouldoften locate the rifle fire andwouldretaliate.

TheGermanshadmanysausageshapedobservationballoons,eachspacedafewmilesapart, justbeyondtheirtrenches.Wecouldseetwoorthreeoftheseand would get great entertainment on clear days when one of our aeroplaneswouldflyoverandaroundoneofthem,firingincendiarybullets,oftenbringingthe balloon down in flames. The occupants would fling out their papers anddescendbyparachute.Sometimesanenemyplanewouldarriveandtherewouldbeadog-fightintheair.The country herewas very flat and almost featureless, a tree or stumphere

and there and perhaps a bit of a rare hedge or a ditch. There was not muchactivitybeyondarifleshotnowandagain,orashortburstofmachinegunfire.Sometimes amachinegunwouldplayononeparticular part of theparapet orbarricade,inanefforttocrumbleawayanopening.Anoccasionalwhizz-bang,or trenchmortar shellwouldbe firedbyeither side.Atnighta flarewouldbeshotintotheairfromaVerypistol,lightingupthesurroundingno-man’s-land.If one were out in no-man’s-land when this occurred, it was policy to freezemotionless until the light had died down, as any movement would easily bespotted under the flare. A sentry would be posted on the fire step every fewyardstokeepobservationincaseofanenemyraidingpartyorpatrol.Ifanyofour men were sent out on patrol a password was to be used to identifythemselvesonreturntothetrench.Thispasswordwouldbenotifiedtothetroopsoneachsideof theoutgoingpatrol.Thewordwouldbesomethingsimpleandeasily remembered such as ‘High Street’, ‘Tower Bridge’ and so on. If thepasswordwas forgotten itwouldprobablymeanabulletdirected to theabsentmindedunfortunate.

Thepowers that bedecidedon apolicyof aggression to constantlyharass theenemyandkeeptheinitiative.Frequentbombingraidswerecarriedoutatnight,fightingand reconnaissancepatrolsand listeningposts sentout intono-man’s-land. The fighting patrols were to intercept and attack enemy patrols, thereconnaissance patrols to avoid contact with the enemy, but to bring backinformation.Wiringpartieswere alsoout at night to fix or repair barbedwireentanglements. The listening patrolwas often a cold job, lying on the groundgenerallywithanearclosetoabayonetstuckintotheearthtoactasaconductorofsound.The bombing raids, led by junior officers, were made with the object of

capturing one ormore prisoners for future interrogation, or destroying enemymachinegunsoremplacementsandgenerallyharassingtheenemy.Enemyraidson our linesweremuch less frequent, and I think,wisely so.This policywasvery questionable and not worth the very heavy losses sustained. Young

lieutenants,manywith only a fewweeks’ experience in the line,weremostlysentontheseraids,andwelostagoodmanyofthesekeenandbraveboysandalso someofourbest andmost experienced sergeants andotherNCO’s, somebeingcaughtupand lefthangingon theGermanbarbedwire. I rememberoneyoung man named Sergeant Oborn, who although wounded, made severalattempts to get into theGerman trench, butwas killed on the parapet.Nearlysixty years later a new neighbour of mine at Bembridge showed me aphotographofhisbrotherandoneofthecrossonhisgraveatEstaires.Iinstantlyrecognised the photograph as that of Sergeant Oborn and also the cross, onwhichIhadpaintedtheinscription.Thisseemedaremarkablecoincidence.Thiskindof thing seemedadreadfulandcallous sacrificeof somanyofour finestyoungmenandIamsuretheresultsdidnot justifythelosses.SergeantObornwasnodoubtendeavouringtotakea‘live’prisoneraswastheobjectoftheraid.ThefollowingletterwassenttohismotherbyCaptainClarke:

Trenches,B.E.F.With very deep and personal regret I have to inform you of the death in

actionof3302,Sergt.F.S.Oborn,1/13th.LondonRegt.Hewaskilledabout3.45onthemorningofthe19th.inst.AraidwasinprogressandSergt.Obornwas in charge of the leading party when the raiders were spotted by theGerman sentries. He charged one of them, was wounded in the chest andstaggeredback.Hechargedagainandstruckthesentryontheheadwithhisrifle,butwasagainhitinthechest.Athirdtimehechargedandwashitinthemouth.Hewasledbacktothecentreofno-man’slandbyasapperandtherecollapsed and became unconscious. He was removed on a stretcher butremainedunconsciousanddiedbeforehereachedourlines.Hediedthebestdeathpossible,thedeathofafinesoldierandaverygallant

gentleman. Believe me, I feel his death as an irreplaceable loss to thecompanyandmyself.HewasthebestsergeantIhaveeverhadandIlookedforwardtothetimewhenhewouldbeanofficerinhisbattalion.ThroughoutthetimeIhaveservedwiththebattalionintrenchwarfareandontheSomme,his conductwas irreproachable.Hewaskeen, as capable and as forceful anN.C.O. as I have known. In addition hewas always cheerful,willing and Ivalued him as a friend as much as I respected him as an N.C.O. I haverecommendedhim to theCommandingOfficer for aposthumousdecorationbutIdonotknowwhetheritwillbepossibletogiveittohim.Please acceptmy sincere sympathy at his death and believeme, I am as

sorrowfulathisdeathasanyonecanbewhoisrelatedtohim,butIamveryproudthatanN.C.O.ofmycompanydiedsogallantly.

Yourstruly,(sgd)E.F.Clarke,Captain.

P.S. Sergt. Oborn will be buried in a military cemetery tomorrow withmilitaryhonours.

Incidentallyhedidnotreceiveaposthumousaward.Someoftheraidswerecarriedoutinthesnowfall,theraidersbeingdressedin

whiteoveralls.Weweresentforashortspelltoanother,butadjacentpartoftheline,where the trenches and communication trencheswere floodedwithwaterandbrokenicefloatingonthesurfaceandthighdeep.WewereissuedwiththighlengthWellingtonsorwaders,forthefirstandonlytime.Iwasunlucky,astheyweremostlyofsmallsizeandnonewouldfitme.Thiswasperhapsjustaswell,as thosewhowore themgot the boots full ofwater,making themworse thanuseless.One of the companies made a bombing raid in the snow-covered terrain

duringthenight,whichturnedouttobeunsuccessful,andtherewereanumberof casualties. Several of us went out and fetched two of these in. One wasunconscious, and was laid out on the firestep, groaning in a mechanical andregular rhythm,awaiting thefirstaidmen.Theothermanwaswounded in thethigh,butdied.Athighwoundwasoftenmortal,especiallyincoldweather.Fourofus tookhisbodyback through thefloodedcommunication trench to

theroadrunningabout300yardsorsoparalleltothefrontline.Weputhimonastretcherandstruggledalongthetrench,overourkneesinfreezingwater,lumpsof ice floating on the surface, and into the communication trench, whichwassimilarly flooded.This trenchwasverynarrowandbrokendown inplaces, aswas someof the front line,whereonewas exposed to enemyobservation andfire.Ithadbynowbecomedaylightandeveryfewyardswehadgreatdifficultyingettingroundthecornersofthetraverses,eachtimehavingtoliftthestretcheroverthetopofthetrench,averyexhaustingprocedure.Itmusthavetakenabouttwohourstocoverthisdistance.Weat lastgotontotheroadbyaruinedfarmbuilding,dumping thestretcherand itsburden inashedamongstseveralothercorpses.Therewasasmalldug-outnearbywithseveralofourfellowsshelteringround

afirebucket. Igotontoawirebunk, theroofof thedug-outbeingonlyafewinchesabovemyheadwhenlyingdown.Thecokefumeswereawfulanditisawonderwewere not all suffocated.My legs and feetwere awfully numb andcold, and although I slapped and punched them itwas about six hours before

therewasanyfeelingbackinthem.Thateveningwefetchedthebodiesfromtheshed,wherethefirstaidmenhadsewntheminblankets,andloadedthemontoatransportlimber.Inthenighttheratshadeatentheirwayintotheblanketstogetat the corpses inside.We were relieved the following evening and gratefullyreturned to the rear. Incidentally, the troops were issued with whale oil forrubbingintotheirfeettopreventfrost-bite,whichbecameapunishableoffencetoacquire.Ineverresortedtotheuseofwhaleoil,anditwaslaterdiscardedasauselessremedy,doingmoreharmtothefeetthangood.Ononesectorapartyofuswerebilletedinadesertedfarmhousenearacross-

roadontheLaBasséeRoad–IthinkitwascalledCrucifixCornerorsomethingofthesort,asithadoneofthelittleroadsideshrinesnearby,sofamiliarintheFlemishcountryside.TheroadoppositeledstraighttothefrontlinenearAubersRidge,abouthalfamiledistant.Therewasa small ruinedorchardat thebackandweobtaineda fellingaxeandcutdowna fewof theapple-tree trunks forfuel.Nowandagainwefoundacopper-coveredFrenchriflebulletinthewood.Iwaschoppingupalogonthebrickhearthwithalongaxe,notbeingusedtohandlingthetool,whenitslippedandstruckthebrickfloor,theedgecuttingintothesoleofmybootsbetweentwotoes,butwithoutdamagetomyfoot,thebrickbeinghardenoughtostoptheaxe.Thismademeverycautiouswhenhandlingafellingaxeinthefuture.Asamatteroffactthatveryweekoneofourchapswasinjured badly in the back by an axe-wielding companion – evidently anothernoviceatthewoodman’scraft.There was a brick-walled yard at the front of the house and some of the

fellowswould takepotshotswith their riflesat therats therein,butas faras Iknowwithoutsuccess.Somewherealong theLaBasséeRoadoverlooking theNeuveChapellearea

was a groupof buildings and trees,with onebrick edifice the upper storeyofwhichwasa largish roomoriginallycontainingawater storage tank.Thiswasnowusedasanobservationpost.Thefellowinchargeinvitedtwoofustogoupandlookaround.Therewasasmallapertureoverlookingthebattleareaacrosstheroadandamileortwooftheflatalmostfeaturelesscountrysiderisinggentlyto a low ridge occupied by the German trenches. The no-man’s-land seemedverydesolatedandquiet,withatreestumporremainsofahedgehereandthere.Wewere told thata fewof these tree-trunkswereactuallysteelsnipers’posts,oneinparticularbeingpointedout tous.Itwasaveryconvincingimitationofthe real thing. It seemed surprising that this small water-tower had not beendestroyedbyenemyartillery,as itmusthavebeensoobviousfromtheenemyposition in the almost featureless countryside, and except for its vulnerability

madesuchanexcellentlook-out.This isonlyoneof several instanceswhere seeminglysplendid targetswere

ignoredbyenemyguns.Isupposetheremusthavebeensomereasonforthis,butitisbeyondmykentoimaginewhy.Incidentallyitwasrathereerietolookoverthisquietandseeminglydesertedlandscapeandalsobeawarethatitconcealedhundredsoftroops,alertandreadytoshootdownanyoneattemptingtotraverseitssurface,ordangerouseventoraiseahandaboveaparapet.I am,however, gallopingaheadof events, asbefore thehotted-upperiodof

raids commenced, thedivisionwas, to our delight relievedoverChristmas foraboutafortnightandthebattalionmarchedtoMerville,thefairsizedtownsomefewmilesfurtherbackwhereIhadspentsuchacomparativelypleasantsojourntheyearbefore.WewerebilletedinlargeNissenhutsandbarnsintheLeGrandPacautareanearthestationandtheplacewhereIwasbilletedbefore.Newsofourarrivalmusthavebeenknownbeforehandbytheinhabitantswho

lined the roadside to greet us, and we recognised many old friends. Amongotherswas thewoman Iused to teaseby turningout thegaschandelier inherestaminet,andwhocalledouttomeaswemarchedpast.My section was billeted in a comfortable barn or large stable. I took the

opportunity of visiting old French acquaintances. These included the old ladyand her grandaughter where I was first billeted and who treated me and acompaniontoatinyglassofherpreciouslittlebottleofhomemadeliqueur.Wedrew severalweeks’ back pay andwere thus able tomake a few visits to theestaminetsintheevenings.Thebattalionwasparadedfor inspectionbytheBrigadier,whoreprimanded

meforpolishingmybayonetwithemerypaper,thusdestroyingitsoriginalmattsurface.

OnChristmasdayweassembledinthelargeNissenhutsandseatedonbenchesat long tables. The cooks had excelled themselves by providing a gloriousdinner.IfIrememberrightlythiswasturkey,butmayhavebeenroastbeef–Iforgetnow–withChristmaspuddingandothergoodthings,servedtousbytheofficers. We were of course in a highly exhilarated state, especially as ourfootballteamhadbeatentheRangersthatmorning,tobefollowedbybeatingtheFusilierslaterintheweekbyfivegoalstoone,therebygainingtheBrigadecup.That evening severalofusvisitedestaminets in the town, including theone

run by two very prim and reserved young sisters. The placewas packedwithnoisy troops. Among these was a Maltese chap in our battalion, who hadrecentlystabbedanotherfellowthroughthehandwhilstplayingafoolishgame

ofdare,keepinghishandonthetablewhiletheMaltesestabbedhisjack-knifeinto the table top. This chap was reputed to be very fiery tempered anddangerous.Hewasrough-handlingoneofthetwosistersandIgotupandtoldhimtostop itas Iknewthegirlswell.Hechallengedmetoafight,andbeingratherhappyonthewhitewineandstoutlacedwithchampagne(knownasblackvelvet)thetwoofuswithourcompanionswentoutside,butwaitingforusweretwomilitarypolicemen,whonodoubthadbeenkeepinganeyeontheestaminet,knowingthegirlswererunningitontheirown.Wewerereprimandedandmadeto depart in opposite directions. I was probably very lucky, and although wepassedeachotherseveraldayslaterwedidnotcontinuethedispute.Ongettingbackto thebillet thesergeantaskedmetocallontheregimental

policeandget them togiveusacall in themorning.Thepolicewere lying intheirblanketsupinabarnloft,reachedbyaladder.Iwentup,leftmymessageandturningtothedoorway,steppedoutintotheblacknight,faceforwardasifgoing down a staircase, placed my foot on the top rung of the ladder andimmediately pitched over the side onto the muddy cobbles about twelve feetbelowandthoughtIhadfracturedmyskullandbrokenmyleftwrist.TherewasapumpintheyardandIputmyheadunderthisanddouseditwiththefreezingcoldwater.In the morning I had to visit the medical officer who bandaged my badly

sprainedwrist,putmyarminaslingandsaiditwasapityIhadnotfallenabitharder and brokenmywrist which would havemeant going back to Blighty.However,thesprainrecoveredinaboutaweek’stime.WhileatMervilleIalsowenttotheestaminetbythestationandsawtheother

twogirlsmentionedbefore,oneofwhomwasdyingofTB.AfterthisenjoyablespellatMervillewewentbacktotheLaventiesectorand

thehottedupprogrammeoftrenchraids,etc.Itwasrumouredthattheenemyvacatedtheirfrontlineatnighttime,retiring

to their support line owing to our bombing raids, although some rifle andmachinegunfirestilltookplace.Thetalewasthatriflesandamachinegunwerefixed in their trench and eachnight a beardedold soldierwouldgo along andpullstringsattachedtotheguns,thusfiringthemoff.Oneofoursergeantsvolunteeredtocrawloverandtrytoconfirmthisrumour,

which he did, and got back safely. A raiding party was sent out one night,arrived and found the trench empty, put a fused explosive charge under themachinegunandretired,leavingalightedfusewireontheway.Unfortunatelyone of the raiders coming back from the German trench called out ‘Here hecomes’andtrodonthefuseinhishurry,andthatwasthat.

On another occasion a fighting patrolwas sent out in charge of a sergeant,who mysteriously disappeared in the dark. The patrol did come up with anenemypatrol,butbothmadeahastyretreatfromeachother.Ourchapsgotbacksafely,minus thesergeant,whocreptbackatdawnsaying thathehad losthiswayandhadshelteredinacrateruntildawn.TheRegimentalSergeantMajor,towhomhehad to report,gavehim thechoiceofbeingdealtwithbyhimselforbeing sent for courtmartial, whichmight have resulted in his death by firingsquad.HechosetheformerandtheRSMlaidhimoutwithabeautifulpunchonthe jaw, which not only saved the sergeant’s life, but also the honour of theregiment.We heard that a daylight bombing raid, (the first of its kind) had just been

successfullymadebytheAustralians.TheKensingtonswereorderedtomakeasecondandsimilarraidtothis.Apartyofabout150ofuswerepreparedforthis,andanewformofbarrage

wasarranged,knownasa‘boxbarrage’,thatisheavyshell-fireintheformofathreesidedboxontheenemyfrontlinetrenchandoneachflank,cuttingoffanyattempt by the enemyof getting round the sides of our raidingparty and thusenfilading them.We formedup inour front lineandweregivena large totofrum. The inevitable nervous tension and fear of the unknown was somewhatrelievedbythefeelingofpridethatweshouldhavebeenchosenforthisspecialoperation,onlythesecondofitskindintheBritishArmy.Aninnovationwasforabuglertogooverwiththepartyandsoundthe‘retreat’attheendoftheraid.At about 7 o’clock in the morning after ‘stand-to’ a heavy barrage began

alongabout200yardsofGerman trench,wegoingover the topandfollowingclose behind our barrage,which then lifted on to the enemy second line. TheGermansweretakencompletelybysurpriseanddiveddownintotheirdug-outs,leaving some of their equipment at the entrances, they having apparently just‘stood-down’.Wemanagedtopersuadefiveprisonersupfromonedug-out,butin theothers theenemyrefused tocomeup, sowepitchedgrenadesdown theentrancestofinishthemoff.Someofourpartywentofftothesecondline,butfounditvacant.Whistleswereblownandwereturnedasrapidlyaspossibletoourownlines,takingthefiveprisonerswithus.Amazingly the enemy being so surprised and unprepared we all got back

without loss, but once in our own trench the Jerries had commenced heavyshelling on the front line and communication trenches, causing us about 30casualties. The bugler never sounded the ‘retreat’ as planned. He told meafterwardsthathewassonervousthathecouldnotsoundanoteonhisbugle.Itwas estimated that about 40 Germans were disposed of in addition to the 5

prisoners.HighCommandwereverypleasedwiththeresultofthisraidandsentcongratulationstoourbattalion.Wehadnowreceivedlargereinforcements,bringingournumbersuptoover

30officersand1,000men.Therestofthebrigadewerealsowellreinforced.TheLondonScottishwere

particularlylucky,manyoftheirnewarrivalsbeingtransferredfromvolunteersfromtheLondonpolice–naturallyofgoodstature,physiqueandquality.TheGrenadierGuardswerestayingnearbyatthevillageofParadis,andIwas

abletoseemycousinFrankieJones(nicknamed‘Wacky’)onseveraloccasions.On going to visit him one cold day, andwalking down the completely emptyroad, there emerged fromoneof thehouses a small and rather fragile lookingyoungofficer,hishead tucked into the large, turned-upcollarofhisgreatcoat.There was nomistaking him from being Edward, Prince ofWales, and I feltquiteathrillashereturnedmysaluteaswepassed.Isawhimacoupleoftimesmorewhile in thevicinity.Frankie toldme thathesometimesvisited thefrontline, but theGuards of course looked after his safety verywell.A newspaperreporter once referred to him as a ‘half-baked rabbit’, but he did have thecourage to go outwith a fighting battalion, an experiencewhich no doubt thereportertookgoodcaretoavoid.IrememberanembarrassingexperiencenearMervillewhenwewerebilleted

inanemptysemi-detachedhouse,nextdoorbeingaFrenchfamilywithaverygood-lookingdaughterofabout17.Theprimitive looat theendof thegardenaccommodatedbothhouses,thewoodenseatsbeingseparatedbyapartitiononly4ft.high.Iwasseatedmoreorlesscomfortablywhenthegirlmarcheddownthepath,lookingstraightaheadasifIhadnotbeenpresentandtomyconsternationenteredandseatedherselfwithinabout18inchesofme.Iwastoosurprisedandembarrassedtomoveuntilshehadleft.TheFrenchweremuchmorenaturalandbroad-minded than us. The French soldiers seemed on the whole much morecoarse and lewd in front of their women folk, who seemed to take theirbehaviourasamatterofcourse.Incontrasttothisweoncespentanightataverysmallandisolatedvillage,

the inhabitants all very poor peasants. There was a tiny hall with musicemanating fromwithin. Thinking it to be an estaminet I entered a small bareroomwithamusicalmachineatoneendandawoodenbenchalongeachside.Youths were seated on one side, girls on the other. As each dance tunecommencedtheygotupandmettheiroppositepartnerstodance,thenreturnedsedately to their seats. The whole procedure was performed with the utmostsolemnityandnotawordwasspoken.Itseemedamostmechanicalandboring

wayofspendinganevening,butIsupposeinthisisolatedandbarrenvillageitwastheonlysourceofentertainmentandlocaletiquettewasverystrict.In many parts of Flanders the farms and cottages were very ancient and

primitive.Manyof the interiorswereexactlyasdepictedby theartistsof longago, such as Teniers and Brouer. A large room with tiled or flagged floor,sometimesevenofearth.Alargecanopiedbedatoneend,awoodentablewithchairsorbenches, a largeopenhearth,or sometimesa round iron stove in thecentreof the room, its iron fluegoingup through the tiledor thatchedroof.Averyhighceilingwitholdwoodenbeamsfromwhichhunghamsandstringsofonions. Sometimes a recess in the wall containing a sleeping place, often ofbrickandheatedfromthehearthinsomeway–akindofovenIsuppose.Veryoftenanelderlymanwouldbeseatedinawoodenarmchairbythefire–moroseandbrooding,cuttingslicesofhisplugtobacco,oftengrownfromtobaccoplantsinthegarden.HewouldnodoubtbemourningforasonkilledatVerdunortheSomme.Thewomenseemedtodoalltheworkonthefarmandinthekitchen.Theywore long black skirts and usually greywoollen army socks and boots,being mostly far from enticing or romantic. Occasionally a German prisonerwouldbeemployedtohelponthefarm,andwouldfeelveryluckytobeengagedinsuchpeaceful,ifboring,occupationaftertherigoursofwarfare.Veryrarelyayoung French soldier, invalided from service with severe wounds would behomeandworkinginhisfields.Many of the cottageswould be open to us for the sale of coffee, eggs and

chips and sometimes rum. The peasants would often prefer a brandy-ball orbullseyewith theircoffee insteadof sugar,whichwasbeet-sugarandnotverysweet. Water was nearly always discoloured and polluted and only used forwashing, unless boiled for making coffee. It was much too unpalatable andunsafe todrinkotherwise, unless chlorinated,whichmade it taste evenworse.The refreshments were very cheap except when Australians, who were muchmore affluent than us, had previously been in the village,whichwould causepricestoriseastronomically.Peculiarly the English and Australians always ignored each other. I do not

knowtheAussies’pointofview,butwewerecertainlyjealousoftheiraffluenceand the effect it made on local prices. They seemed to us an undisciplinedcrowd,withlittleornorespectfortheirofficers.Ourdrumandfifebandwouldsometimes play the National Anthem in the evenings, and while we wouldalways stand strictly to attention the Aussies would loll about with hands inpockets.Incidentallyitwasconsideredapunishableoffenceforustoputhandsinourpocketsortohaveatunicbuttonundone.

TheAustralianswere of course second to none for dash and bravery in thefield,andwehadgreatrespectfortheminthisregard.Ithinktheyratherlookeddown on us as Pommies who could not match them as a whole in regard tophysique,butdidnotrealisethatwehadlosttheflowerofournationintheearlybattlesoftheWar,theSommebeingthedeathknellofourfineregiments.Thegreatmajorityofourtroopsnowwereconscriptedmen,andincludedmanyC3men and those wounded but returned for a further spell of warfare. ExceptbetweenthefeworiginalKensingtonsleft,theoldespritdecorpswaspracticallynonexistent,andeventhesefewofuswerenowwar-wearyandconsignedtoourfate,thewarappearingtobeadeadlockwithlittlehopeofendingbeforewegotourown‘cum-uppence’.Theonlyhopewehadwas togeta ‘blightyone’andreturntoEnglandonastretcher.

TakemebacktodearoldBlightyTakemebacktodearoldLondonTown.Takemeoverthere,takemeanywhere,Birmingham,Leeds,orManchester,Idon’tcare.Ishouldliketoseemybestgirl,Cuddlinguptomeshesoonwouldbe.CarrymebacktoBlighty,Tiddly,IddlyItee,Blightyistheplaceforme.

Imaginearrivingatafarmhouse,soakedthroughandtired,gladtogetshelterinacolddamppigsty,aboutthesizeofaone-toncoalbunker.Wewouldcramin,severalmentoasty,withallourequipmentandrifles,lyingcrampedupinwetuniforms,putteesandbootswithlegscrossing.Luckyifonemanagedtogethislegsontopoftheothers.Therewewouldactuallysleep,wakinginthemorningtoarasherofbacon,breadandapintoftea.Fallinandcommenceanotherlongmarchintheraintoournextdestination,hopingtobefortunateenoughtospendthe night in a comfortable dry barn with filthy straw and a horde of rats forcompany.At one tiny village,wherewe stopped for a fewhours, a dozen of uswere

invitedintoahouseforamealwiththeverylargefamilyoffather,motherandahordeofchildren.Thiswasaverygenerousgesture,muchappreciatedbyus,asthis familyseemedverypoor inspiteof thegoodspread theyarranged forus.This was a great contrast to the behaviour of a young farmer just behind the

Somme,whowouldnotletusdrawwaterfromhiswell,butchargedusafranc(about10d)abucketforit.Wealsoexperiencedthistroubleatanotherfarm.Waterhadbeen so short on theSomme that inoneplace therewas a small

tank by the roadside where hundreds of men washed their shirts and socks,besidesfacesandshaving,thewaterfinallybecomingaglueymessofsoapanddirtinthebottomofthetank.TheMOissuedanorderthatthistankwasnottobeused,whichwasbythentoolatetobeeffective.Wepassedthroughmanyremotevillagesonourmarchestovarioussectorsof

the line, most of them being only a cluster of about a dozen or so simplepeasants’cottages.Irememberonedecrepitcottageoccupiedbyanoldmanindirtyandtatteredclothingandwassurprisedtofindthathewasdignifiedbythetitleof‘Mayor’,acertificateverifyingthisfactwasdisplayedonhislivingroomwall.Quiteoftenwewouldcomeacrossawomannursingababyoryoungchild,

andshewouldtellusthatthechildwasnothers,butthatshewasonlyitsfostermotheror‘wet-nurse’.Afavouritelullabywasthesong:

Aprèslaguerrefinit,TouslesAnglaispartis,Mademoiselleavecbeaucoupdepleuse(picanniny)Aprèslaguerrefinit.

OneortwowomentoldusthatwhentheGermanshadoccupiedthevillagetheywouldholdbabiesoverthefireandburnthem.Ithinkwetookthistalewithapinchofsalt–itwasmostlikelyapropagandastunt.Someofthevillageshadasmallbrewery,andweheardthattheGermanshad

smashedthebarrelsofbeeratonebrewery,thebeerflowingdowntheguttersinastream.Weweresometimesprovidedquiteunconsciouslybythevillagerswithlight

entertainment, as for instance when the local veterinary surgeon arrived andgelded a young horse on the refuse heap in the middle of the farmyard. Thepeasants, men, women and children, would stand by solemnly and watch theproceedings, but I must confess that I myself felt rather nauseated by thespectacle. On one or two other occasions it was curious to observe a youngwomanencouragingandactuallyassistingabullinitsmatingprocess.Thiskindof thing was perhaps only to be expected, as in many instances all the able-bodiedmenwere absent from their farmsonwar service, although theFrenchwomen on the whole seemed much closer to mother nature and much less

inhibitedthantheirEnglishcousins.Atonevillage,wherethechiefoccupationwastheweavingofclothinalocal

factory, several of uswere billeted for the night on the floor of a front room.This room was devoid of any furniture. In the back room lived a youngFrenchman, invalided from the army and his wife, a dark, handsome youngwoman who worked at the cloth factory, and who had, like many of herneighbours, a large hand loom in the living room. Theywere an exceedinglynice young couple. The husband was badly crippled by a bullet received atVerdun.Hiswoundswerethemost incredibleIhaveeverseen.Thebullethadperforatedhisrightforearm,hisupperarm,histhigh,hiscalfandhisfoot,andheshowedusthetenscarstoproveit.IwouldnothavebelievedthispossibleifIhadnotactuallyseentheevidence.Mostof theoldmenwecameacrossseemeduncommunicativeandmorose,

butafewwouldtalkabout‘lesalBoche’andmakeacuttinggestureacrosstheirthroats.Afterafewdrinkstheywouldgetintoafiercelypatrioticmoodandsing‘LaMarseillaise’.Someofthepeasantsseemedveryprimitiveintheirhabits,andonceIsawthe

wholefamilycomeoutandrelievethemselvesonamanureheapinfrontoftheircottagebeforeretiringforthenight.Therewasevidentlyagooddealofinbreedinginoneortwoisolatedvillages,

asmostofthewomeninavillagewouldbelarge,handsomegirlswithblackhairandofveryLatintype.Inothervillageswewouldseemanywomenwithauburnorgingerhair.Veryfewmenwouldbeseen,exceptfortheelderly.Mostoftheyoungermenwouldbeinthearmyoronmunitionwork.Thewomenseemedtodomostoftheworkonthefarms.ThewarmusthavestretchedthemanpowerofFrancetotheutmost.Iwassurprisedtofindthattherewasanentireabsenceofpetdogsinthesmall

townsandvillages.Therewerefierceguarddogsatsomeofthefarms,andthesepoor animals seemed to be permanently chained to kennels at the farm gates.Others were used to work small treadmills on outside walls, which operatedbutterchurns inside thefarmhouses.Dogswouldalsobeharnessedunderneathhandcartstohelppullthevehiclesalongthestreets.NeitherdoIrecallseeingapetcat.Itseemsnowonderthatthecountrywasrunningalivewithrats.Theremusthavebeenafewcatsabout.TheonlyoneIrememberwaslivingwildinasmallbomb-shelterdugintothesideofacommunicationtrenchnearLaventie.Ithad made its home amongst the wooden boxes of hand grenades. I tried tobefriendit,butitrushedawayscaredandswamrapidlyalongthefloodedtrenchbottom,beneaththeduckboards,andintoasump,thesidesofwhichweretoo

steep and slippery for it to climbout. I tried to extricate it, but hadmyhandsscratchedandbittenbadlybythefranticspittingandswearinganimal,sohadtoleaveittoitsowndevices.IwouldliketotellyounowofaweirdexperienceIhadontheLaventiefront.

Oneeveningfiveofusweredetailedasacarryingpartytofetchsomereelsofbarbedwirefromanengineers’dumpontheroadrunningbehindandparalleltothe trenches.Thiswasat theendofacommunication trench, the topofwhichwasaboutsixfeethigh.Darknesshadfallenandwewerestandingtalkingattheroadside.Asectionofthefrontlinetrenchhadbeenleftunmannedforabout40yards,asitwasbelievedtohavebeenminedbytheenemy.Suddenly our conversation stopped and everythingwas still and silent. The

figureofatallmanpassedalongthetopofthetrench.Hewasaboutfiveyardsdistant, striding steadily and as if absorbed in thought, towards the rear areawherestoodaderelictfarmhouse.Thefigureappearedasasoliddarksilhouetteagainst the lighter night sky. It seemed to be dressed in a German type fielduniform and round field service cap, andwas not carrying equipment or rifle.Peculiarlyenoughtherewasnosoundofhisprogress,whichwasunlikelyontheroughground.Theincidentcouldhaveonlytakenabouthalfaminuteorless.Thesensation

feltwasextraordinarilyuncannyandIwasquitecertainthatthefigurewasthatof a phantom, although it appeared opaque. I was momentarily frozen andincapableofaction,althoughtherewasnoquestionoffear;wewereallarmedandexperiencedmen.After ithadpassedourconversationwasresumed. I felttooawedandembarrassedtomentionthesubjecttomycompanions,althoughIwascertaintheyalsohadseenthesamethingbutdidnotcaretomentionit.Theepisode was, as usual, soon forgotten. When passing the farm some timeafterwardsafellowinanothercompanytoldmethatearlierintheWaraGermanspy used to get over our lines and visit collaborators at this farm to passinformation,butwaseventuallycaughtandshot.Ididnottellthisfellowofmyexperiencewiththephantom.The placewhere I had the near accidentwith an axewas alongside the La

BasséeRoad.This roadwasparallel to and about a halfmiledistant from theGerman line, and being in very flat country was under observation in thedaytime. One evening I was sent to meet a young storeman from thequartermaster’s store in Laventie at a point about a quartermile distant alongthisroad,whereoneofour light rail tracksended.Hewasaratherbrazenandshowyyoungfellow,evidentlythrilledbyprobablyhisfirstvisittotheline.Aswewalkedalonghelitacigarette,ignoringmywarningthatthelightcouldbe

seenfromtheenemytrenches.Suddenly‘zipp’,asniper’sbulletjustmissedusand he dropped his cigarette hurriedly and said not aword for the rest of ourjourney.InthosedayswewerenottrainedsostrictlyasinthelastWarinthenecessity

forconcealmentandtrackdiscipline,beinglefttolearnbyexperienceoftentoolate.Apropostothis,Irememberbeingbilletedinanoldfarmbuildingalongsidea

similarroadatFoncquevillers,nearHebuterne.Partofthisroadwasscreenedbyvery high camouflaged netting on tall poles. Being curious I ventured a shortdistanceon the enemysideof thenetting and stood lookingaround.Suddenlyfour shells whizzed over and exploded about thirty yards short of me. I wasobviouslyobservedandsowalkedbacktothebarn.Irememberthinking,‘Thatmusthavecost the Jerriesa£100or so.’How ignorantandcarelessofdangersomeofuswereinthosedays.Shortly before leaving Laventie it was rumoured that a battalion of New

ZealandMaoriswastoshareourbillets.Thiscausedusmuchconsternation,aswedidnotrelishtheideaoflivingincloseproximitywithwhatwethoughtwereprimitiveanduncouthsavages.Asamatteroffacttheywereactuallybilletedinanotherpartofthevillage.Iwentintoanestaminetonedayandtherewereaboutahalf-dozenoftheseMaorisinthere.Isatatatablenearthemandwasamazedto find themall talking together in impeccableEnglish accents, evidentlywelleducatedandcultured.Theywereall tall,offinephysiqueandsmartlydressedin their khaki uniforms. Theywere remarkably handsome of feature. I do notknowifthesefellowsweresomethingspecial,oriftypicaloftheMaorirace.AsI was never in contact with New Zealand troops again I did not get theopportunity to find out. Anyway, I felt that I would be proud to be in theircompany.ItwasearlyinMarch1917whenwelefttheLaventieareafortheArrasfront.

Whenonlongmarchestheseniorofficersweremountedonhorses,theColonel,Major, Adjutant, Quarter Master and Medical Officer, and also the fourCompanyCommandersorCaptains,thelatteronhorsesborrowedfromBrigade.Oneyoungofficerwasneverabletocontrolhismount,whichwouldsometimesrunawaywithhimandhadtobecaughtbythetransportcorporals.Thiswouldcausemuchmerrimenttouslessfortunatefoot-sloggers.TheMOwouldrideattherearandforceonthoseunfortunateswhohadfallenout,sometimeswiththethreat of his revolver. I remembermentioning this to an elderly doctor on themedicalboardattheendoftheWar.Heseemeddeeplyshockedandwouldnotbelieveme.

Wewere relievedbyaYorkshire regiment,andspentournightsen routeatvariousvillagesand towns,mostlybymarching,butby train fromMerville toDoullens and Ivergnywherewe endured a session of hard training inmuddyfields.Atonevillage the local farmerhad insomewayannoyedourBrigadierGeneral,whoafterChurchParademadeourbattalionmarchanddrillbackwardsandforwardsoverhisimmaculatelyploughedfield.Thispunishedusasmuchasthefarmer,forthegoingwasveryhardinthetrampledandmuddyfurrows.Thisfoolish action was typical of some of the old die-hard officers, and hardlycontributedtotheWareffort.Thebattalionwasnowuptofullstrengthandproperlyorganisedoncemore.

Themediummachine gunners (Vickers Gun)were now detached and formedintoaseparatecompanyundercontrolofBrigade.TheLewisguns,onetoeachplatoon with its team, the StokesMortar sections, bombers and their bayonetmencarryingextrasatchelsofgrenades,theriflegrenademenwithriflesfittedwithcupsat themuzzleand thebarrels reinforcedwithwire, themarksmenorsnipers, the stretcher bearers largely composed of themen fromour old brassband, the CompanyQuarterMasters and their storemen. Each officer had hisownservant, theRegimentalSergeantMajorhisbatman,theHeadQuarterandCompany runners, the signallers, and soon,nearly allmen falling intooneorotherofthesecategories.We heard rumours that we were soon to take part in another big attack at

Arras.Weold soldiers did not relish this prospect verymuch, especially afterourterribleexperiencesoftheSomme.However at Ivergny a battalion sports day was organised and was enjoyed

immensely. The transport provided amock general, red tabs and all, riding ahorseandaccompaniedbytwofellowsdressedasgirls.Passingtheguardhouse,the sentry suddenly confronted with this spectacle and seeing the red tabs,presentedarmsandturnedouttheguard.Thereweretheusualrunning,jumping,tug-of-warandothercompetitions,thetransportgivingaverycreditabledisplayofhorseriding,cowboyfashion,oneortworidersevenleaningdownfromthesaddleandpickinguphandkerchiefsintheirmouthsfromtheground.Ithinkitwasherethatweweretobeinspectedbyaveryhighrankinggeneral

(itmay have beenHaig).OurColonel had the brilliant idea of outshining theother participating battalions by painting our steel helmets a khaki colourcompletewiththereddiamondpatchesonthesides.Alargequantityofbrownandscarletpaintwasconjuredupfromtheengineers,togetherwithbrushes,anddetailsofmenweresettoworkonthejob.ThewethelmetswerethenpassedontothePioneersectiontopaintthereddiamonds.Icutoutsomestencilsandwe

got to work on the almost impossible task of completing it before daybreak.Therewerenothinnersforthepaintandoneoftheofficersusedparaffinoilforthe purpose, the result of course being that the paint would not dry. Thehundredsofsteelhelmetswere laidout in the field to tryanddry them.HarryKayvolunteeredtokeepthefarmer’schickenfromroostingonthetops.Armedwithapileofstoneshisaimwastootrueandheaccidentallyknockedoneofthebirdsout.Wehadchickenforsupper thateveningafterhurriedlypluckinganddisposingofthefeathersbeforethefarmerstartedinvestigations.Needless to say there was much grousing when the troops collected their

stickywethelmets,whichsoonbecamemessedupandsmudged,tosaynothingofhandsanduniforms.Toadd to the indignity the inspectinggeneral severelyreprimandedourColonelandorderedtheremovalofthepaintbyrubbingitoffwithmud.Oursleeplessnight’sworkhadbeeninvainandtheairwasthickwithblasphemy.

AtBrightonthedaywarwasdeclared,4thAugust1914.

Firstuniform,November1914

ThedraftenroutetoWatford,earlyin1915.Theauthorisinthebackground,markedwithanarrow.

‘TheKensingtonsatLaventie’fromthepaintingonglassbyEricKennington.CorporalJ.Kealeyisabouttogivetheorder‘FallinNo.7Platoon’.InthefirstfourreadingfromrighttoleftarePrivateSlade,restingwithbothhandsonhisrifle;LanceCorporalWilson,PrivateGuyandPrivateMcCaffertywhoisturningtolookat theothermenfalling inbehind.Ontheextremeleft isPrivateH.Bristol.DirectlybehindPrivateGuyare twomen inwaterproofsheets,PrivateKennington(theartist) ina trenchhelmetandPrivateW.Harvey.OnthegroundisPrivateA.Todd—hehasfallenexhaustedbycontinualsickness,hardwork,lackofsleep,andlonghoursof‘standing-to’andobserving.

Merville 1915.From left to right: BillyHewitt (laterwounded), the author (laterwounded) andArthurBudge(laterkilled).

SergeantOborn’scrosswiththeinscriptionpaintedbytheauthor.Estaires,1917.

Major Cedric Charles Dickens’ cross. He was killed at Leuze Wood on the Somme on 9thSeptember 1916. The author painted the cross and helped to erect it when he was again in thevicinityin1917.

The Pioneer Section, Arras 1918.From left to right: the author, Sweet, Turner, Lance CorporalGreenhill, Maynard, Potter, (at front) Gray, Sparrow. All except Turner and Greenhill werewoundedshortlyafterwards.

‘Gassed’,fromthepaintingbyJohnSargent.

Helpinganambulancethroughthemud.

Backhomeagain.Theauthorandhisfather,September1918.

IntheStokeWarHospital,Newcastle-under-Lyne,June1918.Theauthorisonastretcherinthefrontrow.

BackinCivvyStreet.

V

TotalDedication–SpannersintheWorks

WemarchedfromheretowardsArras,stoppingatasmallvillageforthenight.Itbegan raining very heavily at mid-day and when we had become thoroughlysoaked through the order came to don our groundsheet capes,whichwere bythenquiteuseless.Ihadtosleepwithotherspackedontheslopingcobblestonesunderthearchwaytoafarmyard.Thewaterwaspouringdownthecobblesinastream.Itwasstillpouring thenextmorningwhenweresumedourmarch toArras.

Onourwaywecouldhear theheavygunfire increasing in loudnessaswegotnearer.Afterthenicerestperiodwehadrecentlyenjoyedwefeltabitqueazyatthethoughtofgoingintoactionagain.Thelongeronesurvivedthemorewindyonefeltofgoinguptothelineagain.Luckcouldnotlastforever,althoughwewouldjokethat‘theyhaven’tputournameononeyet’.Peculiarly thisfeelingwouldpassoffoncewehadarrived, so longaswecouldkeep fairlyactive. Itmight be mentioned here that dugout life could have a rather demoralizingeffect, and no doubt this was one reason that our Higher Command did notconstructmanydeepdugoutsasdidtheGermans.Alsoourpolicyseemedtobeone of constant aggression, whereas the Germans concentrated more on verystrong defensive positions such as theHindenburgLinewith its concrete pill-boxes,exceedinglydeepandoftenimmensedugoutsandbroadbandsofbarbedwirewhichinplaceswereprobablyfortyyardsinwidthandhadtobedestroyedorpiercedbyheavyartilleryfireandothermeanstopermitasuccessfulattack.We arrived at Arras in the afternoon andmarched through the townwhich

showedsurprisinglylittledamageconsideringthatithadbeenoccupiedinturnby the Germans, French and British. The worst damage seemed to be to therailwaystation,whichwasaruinandalsotheCathedral.We soon found, however, thatmany of the houseswere a shambles inside.

Therewerestillafewciviliansaboutandsomeestaminetsopen,butmostly in

the part of the city furthest from the line.Manyof the houses on the extremeoutskirtshadbeenshelledand ruined,and it seemed tous thenpeculiar toseehouses with walls blown down and the bedrooms still fully furnished andexposed toview.Nowadaysof course thishadbecomea familiar sightduringtheaerialbombingsofthelastwar.We were ensconced in the Schramm Barracks with its large empty rooms

overlooking a central cobbled court yard.Herewedrewblankets and strippedoffour soddenclothingwhichwehungabout in anendeavour todry it off asmuchaspossible.Somewereluckyenoughtotakeadvantageofthelargewarmcookhouse,whereourcookshadmanagedtolightupthefiresandovens.Nextdaythesuncameoutandwefoundasmallpondoutsidethefurthergate.

Manyofthechaps,includingmyself,jumpedinforaswim.Thewaterwasfilthyand fullofold ironandother refuse,draining the roadas itdid.However,wemanaged a bit of a swim before the MO put it out of bounds on hygienicgrounds.WethenmarchedoffacoupleofmilesorsotothesuburbofAchicourt,the

routebeinglinedwithhouses.Thisvillagewassurroundedbyfields,anumberofwomenworkingonthecrops. Itcontaineda largesquarewith theMairieatoneend,andseemedpeacefulenoughatthetime,andmostofthehouseswerestill occupied by civilians, although only a mile or so from the front line atBeaurains.Itspeace,however,wassoontobeshatteredasIwillrelate.Thebattalionwasdispersedtovarioushutsandbuildings,mysectiongoingto

thecellarofasmallhouseinthesquare,closetotheMairie.Therewereoneortwo tiny shops with nothing but a very few goods for sale, such as bread,tobacco,chocolatemeunierandtheusualcentrepieceofveryold,dryandfly-blowngingercake.Batteries of artillery guns, some of huge calibre, and lorries of ammunition

werepassingthroughthevillage,andalsoacontingentofcavalry.ThenexteveningwestartedofftowardsBeaurains,oursectiongoingthrough

thesmallgardensbetweentwocottagesandcomingoutontoaroad,crossingabridgeoveradeeprailwaycutting,nowtobeusedasbattalionheadquarters.WefoundBeaurainstobeasmallvillagesurroundedbytreesandperchedonaridgeoverlookingawideexpanseofplainfallinggentlytowardsanothervillagecalledNeuvilleVitasse, amile or so away and occupied by theGermans.Beaurainswas to have been attacked the week before by the Rangers, but had beenevacuatedbytheenemywhohadnowtakenupaheavilywiredtrenchinfrontofNeuvilleVitasse. Imistook thiswireas a longnarrow field, rustybrownuntiltold what it really was. Heavy barrages were put down on this broad belt of

barbedwiretotryandsmashitup,butnotverysuccessfully.Anofficerandapartyofmenwentoverno-man’s-landatnightwitha few

bangaloretorpedoes,asectionofwhatseemedirondrainpipewhichwasfullofexplosive, tocut three lanes through thewire. I carriedoneof these torpedoesforwardanditwasplacedinpositionanddetonatedbychapstrainedforthejob.Thesedevicesprovedverysuccessful.Thejobwascarriedoutwithoutlossandapparently undetected by the enemy.We alsomoved downone night into thevalleyandduganassemblyorassaulttrenchnearertheenemyline.Owingtoheavyraintheimpendingattackwaspostponedandwemovedback

toAchicourt fora fewdays.Movingup toBeaurainsoncemoremycompanytookupapositioninsupportontheridgeandjusttotherightoftheroadwhichranstraightaheadtoNeuvilleVitasse.Wecrossedtheroadpastasmallbuthighbrickwallandintoashallowtrenchwhichwaslittlemorethanaditch.Weweresoonmoved forward towhatmust have been a strongpoint, being a series oftrenchesroughlyintheshapeofasquare,andjustoverthetopoftheridge.Thisposition afforded a fine view of the sloping ground leading down toNeuvilleVitasse,butveryexposedtoobservationfromtheGermanlines.Overtotheleftandslightlybehindwecouldseesomebuildings,obviouslytherailwaystationandsometilefactoriesontheoutskirtsofArrasandsomemorebuildingsamileor twoon the right. Immediately in frontwasNeuvilleVitasse,with itsmanynowruinedredbrickhousesandtrees,showingupquiteclearly,thelongbrownfieldofrustybarbedwirerunninginfrontofthevillage.Therewasan immenseconcentrationofartilleryguns in thecountrybehind

the lines, and more still coming up from the rear areas. These were of allcalibres, 18 pounder field guns, 6-inch howitzers and heavier, and also to oursurprisesome16-inchnavalguns–throwinganimmensearmourpiercingshell.Wehadnever seen somany, evenon theSomme, and itwas said that if in asinglelinetheywouldhavebeenwheel-to-wheel.Therewerethousandsofthemfor miles along the front to be attacked. There were also great ammunitiondumps,witheverykindofshellstackedhigh,oftenwiththebarricadesofearthbetweenstacks,eachdumpappearingtocoveracresofground.Itwasamazingto think of the colossal effort our country and America must have made tomanufactureandshipthisgreatarsenal.During theafternoon– itwasEasterSunday1917– there suddenlyerupted

themostterrificbarrageonandovertheenemylinesthatIhadeverexperiencedandwouldneverbeforehave thoughtpossible.Thousandsof gunswere firinghundreds of thousands of shells. The dinwas terrible and unbelievable, like ahundred thunderstorms rolled into one, goingonwithout pause for an hour or

two.Besides theexplosionsof thegunsand thedetonationsof theshellburstsonecouldhearthetrain-likeroaroftheheavyshellsandtheshriekandwhistleofthesmallercalibresastheypassedoverhead.Thesightthatmetoureyeswasevenmoreamazing,theGermanlinesandthe

villagebeingcoveredwiththesmokeoftheexplodingshells.Housesandtreeswere rapidly being demolished and it seemed impossible that anybody couldremainalive in thathell.The shellburstsweremostlywhite cloudsof smoke,some black, andwherever a brick buildingwas hit the brickdust coloured thesmoke red. Itwasmarvellous to know thatwewere nowgetting some of ourownback.Weweresoexhilarated thatmostofuswere jumpingupanddownwith excitement. I did not notice any retaliation from the enemy artillery, andour tremendous barrage must have silenced their own guns and no doubtdestroyedmany.Apartyfromheadquarters,includingthebrigadierhimself,cameandstoodon

the ridge observing the barrage. They stayed in the open until things hadquietened down again, when suddenly a dozen or so shrapnel shells burstoverhead, and a few sniper’s bullets passed too close for their liking and theydisappearedquickly to their dugoutswell to the rear. In spiteof theholocaustsomeatleastoftheenemyhadmanagedtosurviveintheirshelters,topopupassoonasthebarrageceased.Remembering that it was Easter Sunday, I wondered what my parents and

sisterweredoingonthatday,andwhattheir thoughtswouldhavebeenif theyhadknownwhatwasgoingonaroundme.Later in the afternoon there was a slight fall of snow. What we had

experienced on that afternoon, exhilarating as it had been, gave one theuncomfortableandawesomefeelingthatmanhadchallengedandevensurpassedtheAlmighty in creating the ultimate horror of violence and destruction in soshortaperiod.Itmustofcourseberememberedthattheatombombhadnotthenevenbeenthoughtof.Wewere to attackNeuvilleVitasse soon after dawnon themorrow,Easter

Monday,9thApril1917.Awarenowthatwewouldgetstrongartillerysupportandbeingwellbriefed in regard toourplanofactionand theobjectives tobeaimedat,wefeltmuchmoreconfidentthanduringtheSommebattles,wherewewere nearly always engaged in muddle and inefficiency from the topdownwards.ItappearedthatHigherCommandhadlearnedagreatdealfromtheformer battles and could nowplan out the various stages of assault in amorethoroughandefficientmanner.The scientists had discovered much more accurate ways of spotting and

rangingonenemygunpositionsfromfarbackandevenuptoandincludingtheforwardmachinegunemplacements.Whatwasperhapsequally importantwasimprovement of the means of communication, a primitive type of wirelesshavingbeenadopted,whichtogetherwithfieldtelephones,telegraphy,runners,signallers and even pigeon carriers had made contact between companies,battalionandbrigademuchmoreefficient.Thereweremilesofgoodroadsbehindthelinesandmanyengineers,labour

battalionsandevenChinese,wereincessantlyatworklayingandrepairingmilesofwoodensleeper tracksfromtheroadsandupas faraspossible to thebattlearea. These heavy wooden sleepers were found to be superior to rubble orhardcore,floatingontopofthemudinsteadofsinkingdownintoquagmiresandshellholes.Theseroadsandtracksenabledmotordrivenlorriestocomenearerthebattlearea, thusgettingsuppliesandshellsupmorequicklyandefficientlyandalsopermitting theuseofmotorambulances fromadvancedaidposts anddressing stations. Thewounded, however, still had long and arduous journeysbeforearrivingatpick-upstations.Wemoved up to the assembly positions during the night, received a good

issueof rumandwaited for zero hour.Thewait before zero hourwas amostmiserable and nerveracking experience, and in spite of the rum the suspensegave one an awful feeling as of a cold stone in the pit of the stomach. Thebarrage ahead started with a terrific roar and it was obviously tearing theGermanpositionsapart.Thishelpedtoputalittlemorehopeandconfidenceinmymind.The Rangers were on our left; all our four companies were to go forward

straightthroughthebarbedwireandenemyfrontlineandthroughthevillage–two companies leading and two companies (includingmy own) following up,bothinfourlines.IwasinthesecondlineofBCompany.Fourtanksweretogointoactionwithus,butagaineitherdidnotgetstartedorweresoonstopped.Beforeourzero-hourwelearnedthattheCanadianshadbynowstormedand

takentheformidableVimyRidgeontheextremeleftandsoonafteranEnglishdivisionhadover-runTelegraphHillontheimmediateleftofNeuvilleVitasse,thus covering our left flank. Whistles shrilled along our trench and as weclambered out and lurched forward, bayonets fixed, themovement seemed toease the tension. The inactivity of the waiting period was themost trying. Aheavy creeping barrage fell on the enemy front-line towhichwe advanced asclosely as possible behind the barrage, which then lifted onto the village, wefollowing as each stage of the barrage lifted further forward. This time theartillery performed perfectly. Therewas little difficulty in getting through the

gapsinthesmashedupwire.Inspiteofthebarragewewerefacedwithaconsiderableamountofmachine

gun fire, but the shell firewasmuch less thanwehad expected, owing to thegoodworkofourownartillery inkeeping theenemybatteries subdued. Iwasnotundulyworriedbymachinegunfireorbytheshrapneloverhead.Itwasthehigh explosive shells thatweremost terrifying, screaming down and bursting,throwingupgreatgeyzersofearthandsmoke,fillingtheairwithacridfumes.Itwasamatterof following theextended lineaheadand trying tokeep in touchwiththechapsonone’srightandleft.Therewasneithertimenorinclinationtoobserve what was going on around. Aman would fall or disappear here andthere.Ifamannearbywashitwewerenotallowedtostopandhelphim–ourjobwastogoontoourobjectiveswithoutdiversion,andindeedourmainwishwastogetoutofthisopengroundandintosomesortofcoverfrommissilesassoonaspossible.Ashellburstjustaheadonmyrightandamanfellonhisback,hisheadturnedtooneside,hisfaceandshoulderahorribleredmess.Mymindwas of course concentrated onwhatwas immediately aroundme,

butIsawseveralmenpitchforwardastheywerehit.NearingtheGermanfronttrenchIfeltajerkatmyrighthipandthoughtIhadbeenhit,andjumpingintothe demolished trench saw the bodies of several Germans, and a couple withtheirhandsupinsurrender.Theylookedterriblyshaken–onewasquiteayoungboy.Theywereatoncesenttowardstherear,wheretheywouldbetakenoverbythe4thLondonswhowereinsupport,theLondonScottishbeinginreserve.Ifeltsomethingcoldrunningdownmyrightlegandlookeddownexpecting

toseeblood,butdiscovered thatabullethadpiercedmywaterbottlenear thetop,spillingwaterdownmythigh.Wemovedforwardasthebarrageliftedandgotamongsttheremainsofhousesandgardensattheleftofthevillage,passingthebodies of a fewmen, bothours and theGermans, and somewounded andprisonersmakingtheirwaytotherear.Thosewoundedunabletogetup,wehadtoleaveforthestretcherbearerstodealwithlater,aswehadstrictordersnottostopouradvance–thenormalinstructionsbeing‘Everymanforhimself’.Scramblingthroughthesmashedandruinedbuildings,overshellholes,brick

rubble and broken timbers, we reached our final objective known as MossTrenchat the farsideof thevillagewherewescrapedanddugwhatcoverwecouldinthisnowshallowditch.AconsiderableamountofmachinegunfireandriflegrenadefirecomingfromwhatweknewtobepartoftheHindenburgLineknown as the Cojeul Switch, a short distance to our front. This caused us anumberofcasualties.WelearnedthattheRangershadalsogotthroughandcontactedusonourleft.

However,ourrightflankwasexposedastheMiddlesexhadbeenheldupandaparty,includingLewisgunnersandbombersformedashortlineonthisflanktogive covering fire to theMiddlesex.Therewas an enemy strongpoint severalhundredyardstotherightatNeuvilleMill.TheTanksmanagedtogetthroughthereandsoongavevaluableassistanceinovercomingthisobstacle.Beforemid-dayitwasreportedthatallobjectiveshadbeengained,andtheLondonScottishpassedthroughusandattackedandtooktheCojeulSwitch,passingontotheirfinalobjectivetowardsWancourt.The Kensingtons’ losses we learned later had been about 130 including 6

officersandwehadcaptured100prisoners,6machineguns,2heavyand3lightmortars.WeweretorelievetheLondonScottishlaterintheday,butsomeofusweredetailed to escort prisoners to the rear.Manyof thesewere employed asstretcherbearers,someevenvolunteeringforthejob.TheRSMtoldmetoreporttothePioneerSection,asIwouldbewantedtopaintinscriptionsonsomeofthecapturedmortars. I found the section sheltering inwhatwas left of aGermandug-outbesideruinedbuildingsontheroadsidethroughthevillage.Therewasacorporalandsixorsevenmen,allofwhichIknewwellfrompreviouscontactswith the pioneer section at Hebuterne. That evening the Sergeant arrived andtookusbacktoAchicourt.

Something terrible had happened here. We entered Achicourt this time at adifferent point, going along a road running parallel to and between the mainArrasRoad and the railway line. Itwas darkwhenwe arrived and passed thesmall working class houses, most of which were in ruins and smoking, theinteriors looking like red hot firegrates. Small groups of frightened men andwomenwerestillhurryingawaywithhandtrucksandperambulatorsfilledwithwhatever of their simple belongings they had been able to salve from theirdestroyedhomes.Attheendoftheroadweemergedonthesquarewhichwasalitterofdestruction.Onerowofhouses,about6or8,borderingthesquarewerein ruins. A whole platoon of about 30 or so Queen’sWestminsters had beenbilletedintheseandwereallkilled.Wetriedtoexplorethemthenextday,buttheywereintoodangerousacondition,ceilingsandroofsduetocollapseatanyminuteandstaircasessmashed.TheMairiehadsufferedsomedamagefromshell firebutwasstillstanding,

andIfoundthecellarwhereIwasbilletedafewdaysbeforeinthecornerofthesquare to be quite undamaged and we settled in there for the night. In themorningwevisited the transport section, about400yardsdistant inapleasantfield,andlearnedwhathadhappened.ItappearsthatonEasterSundayaconvoyof about 20 motor lorries, containing shells, had been parked in the square.

Thesehadbeen spottedby aGermanairman and reported tohis artillerywhosent over salvos of shells, their fire being directed from above by the airman,destroyingmanyhousesandexplodingaloadofhuge9-inchshellsononeofthelorries,settingfiretoothervehicles.Someofourtransportpersonnelwenttodowhattheycouldtohelpextinguish

the fires on the lorries under thedirectionofMajorCampbellwhowas in thevillageatthetime.Theydrovesomeofthelorriesawayoutofdanger,sometoapondjustoutside thevillage,andmanagedtoquenchthoseonfire.Oneof thecorporalsreceivedtheDCMforthisandanotherman(Ithinkthewheelwright)gotaMilitaryMedal.Greatpiecesofshellandironworkwereblownasfarawayasthetransportlines,overaquarterofamiledistant.Manyofthecivilianswerenotrescuedfromtheirruinedhomesuntilhoursafterwardsandtheirlossesmusthavebeengreat.ImanagedtogettwosmalltinsofRipolinenamel,blackandwhite,fromthe

stores. I had fortunately got a small goose-quill lettering brush in my pocketbook,sowasnowequippedforthejobtowhichIhadbeendelegated,thatis,topaintinscriptionsonthemortarsandmachinegunsrecentlycapturedandsomeofwhichweresenthometobedisplayedinourdrillhall inKensington.Ialsotooktheopportunitytogetareplacementformywater-bottle.WewentbacktoNeuvilleVitassethatafternoonandfoundapartdemolished

Germandug-out inwhat hadbeen agarden close to a ruinedhouse.Wewerelucky as all other shelters appeared to havebeen smashed in by shellfire.Theroofwasonlyabout2ft.thick,slopingdangerously.Itwaspitchdarkinside.Welit candleendsand sawabare spacewith shelvesonone side, still containingsome of the unpalatable black bread issued to the Germans. We were nottemptedtosamplethis.Thedug-outstankwiththesharpandunpleasantodourpeculiar to these German dugouts, no doubt due to the effects of their blackbreadandotherfood.ThesmellwasquitedistinctfromthatoftheBritish.Therehadbeensomedrizzleandsleet,soweweregratefultogeteventhisshelterforthenight.Nextmorningwe looked around the ruins, finding the remains ofwhat had

been the Town Hall or Mairie. There were several huge unexploded 16-inchnavalshellslyingnearby,whichowingtotheirlowtrajectoryhadnodoubtslidon their sides along the ground instead of falling nose down and detonating.Rudemessageshadbeenchalkedononeofthembysomewit.AlsoinabatteredtrenchIfoundamostcuriousGermanrifle,themetalparts

beingbrightand silvery–nodoubtchromiumplated. Itmusthavebeen someregimentaltrophy,asthebrilliantsilvercolourwouldhaveshownuptoomuch

for it tohavebeenofanypracticaluse. Iwouldhave liked thisasa souvenir,which was of course out of the question owing to its cumbersome size andweight.Wehadmorethanenoughtocarryasitwas.Idid,however,removetheboltwhichIslippedintomypocket,buthadtodiscardit laterforconveniencesake.Weweresooninstructedtotakesome2gallonpetrolcansfilledwithwaterup

to thebattalion,whowerebynowadvanced to aposition several hundredsofyardsbeyondtheHindenburgLineandnearthevillageofWancourt,thisvillagestillbeinginGermanhands.OnthewaywesawadeadGermanbytheroadside,stillwearingagoldringononeofhisfingers.Oneofthefellowstriedtoremovetheringbutcouldnotgetitoffthenowstiffenedfinger.Just beyond Neuville Vitasse we crossed the part of the Hindenburg Line

recentlytakenbytheLondonScottish.Thiswasbuiltupbehindaverywideanddeep trench, a kind of moat, intended to prevent the passage of tanks. Animmenseamountofconcreteandsteelhadbeenusedinthissystem,withmanystrongpill-boxes andother structures slotted formachineguns, trenchmortarsandotherweapons.Therewasamarvelloussystemofverydeepdugoutshavingabout50stepsdowntolonggallerieswithundergroundrooms,somecapableofcontaining a hundred or more troops, with first aid rooms, officers’ quarters,kitchens and all kinds of amenities. Many of these galleries had about sixentrances, ensuring exit and ventilation in the event of one ormore entrancesbeing blown in. TheGermans had evidently expected a very long stay in thisline.Beyond this we proceeded over open ground to a ridge before Wancourt,

passing a damaged and deserted tank. There was a pile of machine gunammunitiononthegroundinashellholeimmediatelybelowthedoor,wheretheteamor following troops had beenusing theirLewis gun.Wherever the tankshadbeenengagedwewouldseemanyverysmallcalibrebrightsteelshellswithpointednoses,whichnodoubtwerearmourpiercingshellsofnavaltypeusedbythe tanks. There was no sign of life around this open countryside which wasquitefeatureless.Thegroundwastornupandpittedwithshell-holes,butnothinglikewhatwehadbeenusedtoontheSomme,whereeveryyardofgroundwasfoughtoverstubbornlybackwardsandforwardsuntilfinallyovercome.TheGermanshadnowlearnedtoretiretowellpreparedpositionswhenhard

pressed, and except for valuable strongpoints and positions not to engage infruitless slog-outs.Theymust havebeen feeling theheavy losses sustainedonthe Somme and at Verdun in addition to those on the Russian front. Thereseemedagoodproportionofmenofadvancedmiddleageaswellasyoungsters,

manylookingnomorethan17yearsofage,andofquestionablephysique.Theirbest regiments, however, were composed of very sturdy specimens andsplendidlydisciplinedandformidable.AfterdeliveringourloadsofwatertothevariousQMpositions,wereturned

toNeuvilleVitasse.TheGermanbodywehadpassedon thewayupwasnowminusnotonlythegoldring,butthefingeralso.Someonenotsosqueamishasushadbeenatwork.Whenwegottoourovernightdug-outwefoundthatithadnowcollapsed,the

flat roof having fallen in.We realized how lucky we had been. As we stoodlooking at this a riflewas fired from somewhere amongst the ruins, the bulletpassing quite close. The ground here was so broken up and littered withcollapsedbuildingsanddebris that therewaslittlechanceoffindingthesniperanditwasnotpossibletodeterminetheexactpositionfromwhichtheshothadbeenfired,soweshiftedtoaspotfurtheralong.Astrangeevent,butitmayhavebeenawoundedGermanwhohadbeenoverlookedorhadhiddenawayfromthemopping-upparties.Thesergeantarrivedandshoweduswheretwoofthemortarswerepositioned

inafiringpit–onelargeminnenwerferandonesmallermortar.Theseweretheonly two to be inscribed and I was given a piece of paper with the requisitewording, as far as I remember ‘Captured at Arras 9th April 1917 by theKensingtons,13th.LondonRegt.’IpaintedthesewordsinwhiteRipolinoneachweapon,joinedtheotherchapsandwesearchedforanotherplacetosettledown.Thiskindofmore-or-lesseasygoinglifewasmuchbetterthanbeingwiththe

company. We got on very well together, did what we wanted and wanderedaboutatwillsolongastherewasnojobtodo.Nostrictdisciplineorexercises,noguardorsentryduties,andnostand-tomorningandeveningunlesswewereengagedinthefrontline,whichwasnotoften.Thesergeantweseldomsaw,ashewasmostlybackinthetransportlinesorHQstoreswithotherdetailssuchastheTailor,Shoemaker,OrderlyRoomSergeant and soon.As far aswecouldtelltheydidnothingmuchbuteat,drinkandplaycards.Ourcorporal,whowasalwayswithus,wasapleasant,good-naturedfreeand

easyfellow.WealladdressedhimasCharlie.Hewasafinelybuiltandstrongyoungman,andalthoughsochummycould,ifnecessary,beverytough.OntwooccasionsIsawhimliftamanupatarm’slengthabovehisheadandthrowhimto the ground. Incidentally I saw him in the Kensington Drill Hall after theSecondWorldWar.HewasservingasCanteenSergeant,andhadbeenoutagaintoFrance,beingmadeprisoneratDunkerque,spendingtherestofthatwarinaGermanprisonerofwarcamp.

We got our share of hard work and danger when up the line, so had thesatisfactionthatwewereengagedinusefulworkinthebattlearea.Thefreedomfromstrictroutinegaveusasplendidopportunitytoobservewhatwasgoingonbothinandbehindthefrontlineandhowtheworkofthevariousunitslinkedup– the infantry, transports, supply of food and ammunition, the tasks of theartillery and engineers and so on. In fact, how the greatmachine ticked over.Manyatimeaftergettingfood,waterandammunitiontothefront,overmilesofdeepmud and shell-holes, during the night as well as daytime, often throughheavyshellfire,Ifeltgreatsatisfactioningettingthejobcompletedsuccessfullyandontime.Weneverletconditionsordangerholdusup,evenforashorttime.Itseemsacuriousthing,butsometimesamancomingdownfromthelineon

some errand or other would say that he preferred the trenches to our usuallyexposedpositioninopenground,andwouldhurrybacktothelineasquicklyashecould.Weseldomgotmuchdangerfromrifleormachinegunfire,butwereveryexposed to shell fire from theheavierguns, searching theground forourartillery positions, tracks and road junctions. Many chaps thought we had acushy time asHeadquarters details, and sowe did in some respects, althoughsuch details as regimental police, drummers, signallers and pioneers sustainedconsiderablelosses.Forinstanceourregimentalpolicenumberingabout8menat a time, lost in all 2 sergeants and 5 men killed and 3 or 4 wounded. Ourdrummers, I supposeaboutadozenstrong,hadseveralmenkilledandquiteafewwounded.Our pioneer section, normally about 8 strong, eventually lost 6men (myself included). Itwas therefore not so cushy a job after all.This alsoapplied to other regiments, the Fusiliers for instance having many of theirpioneerskilledorwounded.Sustainedshellfirewasthemosttryingandterrifyingthingtobefearedbyall.

Manyofuswerenaturallypreparedtofaceuptorifleorevenmachinegunfirewithoutmuch trepidation, as one felt therewas a sort of sporting chance, andevenanopportunitytohitback,asalsowithhandgrenades.Shellfire,however,wassomethingdevilishandbeyondcomprehension.Therewasnochanceatalltotakereasonableshelterfromthehorrifyingeffectofadirectoranearhitevenifinadug-outwhereonecouldbeburiedalive,andevenbyatrenchwall.Thereallybravemanisonewhoknowsfear,butisabletoconquerit.Ihave

known some men who have crouched under close shellfire with their teethchatteringuncontrollablylikecastanets,andstaringinfrontofthemwithwhitefaces, eyes openedwide with fright. The fellowswould, however, manage tocontroltheirfearoncetheygotactive.Weallfeltterriblefearattimes,eventhebravest,but the thingwas to trynot to show thisand so spread fear toothers.

Therewereonoccasioncaseswhereaman’sreasonbrokedownandhehadtobesentbackwithshell-shock.Irememberseeingoneparticularsergeantwhosebravery had always been admired, butwho eventually broke downwith shell-shock,weepinguncontrollablyonhiswaybacktothedressingstation.However, to get back tomynarrative, the nextmorningwewere sent on a

missiontothetopofTelegraphHillontheleftofNeuvilleVitasse;thishillhadbeencapturedafewdayspreviously.Theeightofussetoffoveropengroundandascendedthehill,shapedlikeahugepimple.Atthetopwasalargecircularspaceof thickconcrete, evidentlyusedonceby theGermansas thebase for alarge gun. There were a couple of coffin shaped shelters, mere concrete slitsabout6feet longand2ft.6ins.wideandroofedwithconcrete.TherewasjustenoughroomintheonewhichDickSweetandIgotinto.DicksqueezedintoasmallhollowedoutledgeandIcrouchedonthefloorforthenight.Theentranceofcoursefacedthewrongway,beingexposedtoenemyfire.Indaylighttherewasamarvellousviewfromthispositionoverthevalleyand

plaintowardsArrasitself.Onecouldseeformilesaround;itmusthavebeenawonderfulandcommandingpositionfortheGermans,bothforobservationanddefence.Ontheenemysideofthecrest,about50yardsorsoaway,wasthemostintriguing trench system Ihadyet encountered, andcommanding thewholeofthetopofthehill,withaclearfieldoffireagainstunsuspectingtroopsattackingover the opposite crest. These trenches were well protected by concreteembrasures.The tops of all trenches and approach or communication trenchesleadingdown thehill at the rear,werecoveredcompletely.Very littledamagehadbeendonetothembyshellfire.Weexploredthefronttrenchwhichwaswellfitted up with cubby holes and resting places, and must have been verycomfortablefortheformeroccupants.Thepassagesortunnelsleadingtotherearwerepitchdarkandwedidnotfeelatallinclinedtoventureintothemwithoutalight,sowentbacktoourconcretedposition.Wedidnotexploreoverthetopsofthesetrenches,asnodoubtwewouldhavemadesplendidtargets,althoughtheremusthavebeenavery interestingviewover the country towardsMonchyandWancourt.Towards evening it was pretty obvious that we had been spotted by the

Germans,assalvosofheavyshellsarrivedonourposition,causingustocrouchinourshelters.Thisshellingwenton formostof thenightandput the fearofhell intous, so accuratewas the ranging.However, bydawn the firing ceasedandallwasquiet.Itseemedevidentthattheonlyreasonwehadbeensentherewas forDivisionHeadquarters to see ifwewould be spotted as theywere nodoubt considering the possibility of utilizing the hill for observation or other

purposes.Idon’tthinkitwaseverused,beingtooexposedanddangerous.Wehadoncemorebeenusedas livebait.TheRegimentalSergeantMajorhimselfarrived alone in the morning and led us down the steep hillside to the plainbelow, on theway toArras. Aswewere crossing an old trench half a dozenshrapnelshellsexplodedjustaboveourheads, thenosecapsmakingthatnastywhirring sound as they sped down. Shrapnel did not worry me to any greatextentasdidhighexplosive.Ifdirectlyoverheadthechanceofbeinghitwasnotgreat,asthebulkoftheshrapnelwassprayedforward,althoughthesteelshell-case often did not disintegrate, but came down intact. The nose cap wasparticularlydangeroushurtlingdownwithaviciouswhirr, andwascapableofdecapitatingaman.Westoodontheparapetoftheoldtrench,buttheSergeantMajortoldusto

getdown,buthehimselfstoodupontopuntiltheshellingstopped.Beinganoldguardsman, I believe he took a pride in showing defiance and in setting anexampletohismen.Hewould,however,stronglyreprimandanyone,includingofficers,forshowingtheslightestfearorduckingunderfire.Intheolddaysanyflinching from danger was considered a disgrace. In the last war much morecommon sense was used, and concealment and evasion from unnecessaryexposuretodangerwastaughtandencouraged.Afterall,alivesoldierwasmoreuseful than a dead one. We were on the whole very naïve in respect ofconcealment, taking it for granted that if wewere not actually in the linewewere free from observation, which of course was a fallacy. The art ofconcealmentandtrackdisciplinewasnottaught,asitisnowadaysandpractisedintheSecondWorldWar.However, looking back to the event, I am certain that this route was

deliberatelychosenaspartofour task todiscoverwhether theareawasunderenemyobservation.Thesurroundinggroundasfaraswecouldseewasdesertedand not even containing artillery positions. The Germansmust have had pin-pointrangingofthearea,andwaiteduntilwewereactuallyonthetrenchbeforeopening fire, hence the accuracy of the shellfire.Wewere fortunate that highexplosiveshellswerenotused,otherwisewewouldhavebeenobliterated.

We arrived inArras and directed to take quarters in a damaged house not farfrom the railway station, the Rue du Saumon. This had a large cellar whichconnectedtothecellarsofadjacenthouses,andonecouldwalkforconsiderabledistances through them. Although we explored these thoroughly, as also therooms of the house, we found nothing of use or value. The houses had beenoccupied by Germans, French and British troops in turn, so had been wellransacked. Drawers and desks had been turned out and their contents strewn

about the floors.All I have now are a few picture post-cards salved from thelitter.Manyof thepaperswerebillsandorder forms forearthenware tilesandbricksforwhichArraswasfamous.Paperssuchasthesewerefoundinquiteanumberofthehouses,whichindicatedhowlargethelocalindustryhadbeen.AfewyearsagoIagainvisitedArraswithmydaughter,Pamela.Wesawthis

house and also the houses inAchicourt. Iwas surprised to see how faithfullythesebuildingshadbeenrestoredtowhatmusthavebeentheiroriginalstyleandindeednotmuchifanymodernisationoralterationsseemedtohavebeencarriedout,thecharacteroftheoldtownanditssuburbshavingbeenretained.TherailwaystationatArraswasashamblesandthelineofcourseoutofuse.

Therewere a number of small unexploded aerial bombs lying about, being ofbrasswithbrassfins.Thesesmallbombswouldatthattimehavebeendroppedoverthesidebyhandfromfighterplanes.Weslepton thefloorof theemptyfront roomof thehouse.Onmostnights

thestationandvicinitywereshelledorbombed,andmycompanionswouldtaketheirblanketsdown to thecellar,but Ipreferred to stay in the room,probablyfeelingtoolazyorsleepytotrouble.Thebattalionwasnowoutofthelineandensconced in the Schramm Barracks. The city was crowded with troops ofvariousunits includingCanadiansandSouthAfricans,buthardlyanycivilianshadasyetreturned.Wesoonleftforotherareas,movingfromplacetoplaceandeventuallyonce

morebacktoArras.IfindthataboutthisperiodIhaveaveryhazymemoryofevents, everything now being mixed up as regards places and sequence ofevents.Iwill,however,endeavourtotellofwhatIcanstillrecall.WewereforatimeencampedinwoodenhutsbesidetheLens-Arrasroadand

afewmilesfromthecity.Ourcarpentersmadeawoodencross,whichIcoatedwithwhitepaintandinscribedinblackletteringtherank,nameandnumberofeachof the30menkilledatNeuvilleVitasse,9thApril1917,withRIPat thetop,andunderneathIaddedthewords‘Dulceetdecorumestpropatriamori’.Thiswasonlyone crossof themany Iwas to inscribeduring thenext twelvemonths. I also painted signboards for the various messes for the officers andsergeants,andforthecobbler,tailor,QMstores,etc.etc.,anicequietoccupationwhichrelievedmeofmanyotherboringparadesanddutieswhilstthebattalionwereoutofthelineatsocalled‘rest’.Weweresoontobemoveduptothelineagainindifferentsectorsfromtime-

to-time.WhenrelievedwespentmoreorlessquietperiodsbothinArrasandinvariouscamps,mostlyinNissenhutsoutinthesurroundingplains,butadjacenttotheLens-ArrasRoadortheCambraiRoad.Thefrontlineperiodswereinthe

WancourtandMonchyareas.AnattackwasmadeonCavalryFarmatMonchy,butwasheldupbyheavymachinegunfire,someofourmengettingthroughtoourobjectivebuteventuallyhavingtoretiretoouroriginalpositions.Itwasherethat one huge shell buried a whole platoon of 20 Kensingtons, who were,however,dugoutunharmedexceptforafewbadcasesofshell-shock.Welostabout90meninthisoperation.Aboutthistimewehadbadnewsofseveralverygraveanddepressingevents.

FirstthemutinyoftheFrenchArmy,exhaustedanddispiritedbytheirfrightfullossesandstrainsatVerdun, theSommeandChampaigne,andwhorefused totakepartinanymoreattacks,beingwillingonlytoholdthelineasitwas.Thenthe news that the Russians were weakening and if defeated would release amillionGermanstofightagainstourfront.ThenthatsomeoftheAustralianshadmutiniedagainsttheirofficersforsomereasonorother,andactuallysetfiretocamps,English battalions having to be sent to quieten themdown and restoreorder.Oneoftheworstpiecesofnewstouswasthatofthestrikebycoalminersin

England. This really did shock and disgust us. We, including many of theseminers’ sons and relatives were sacrificing our lives and limbs and enduringunspeakablehorrorsandconditionstoshieldtheBritishpeoplefromslaveryorworse.Thesestrikersweredeliberatelyputtingaspokeinthewheel,holdingupthemanufactureofweaponsandammunitiontosaynothingoffuelforournavalandmerchantshipsbringingvitalsuppliesofarmsandfoodacrosstheoceansatgreatdanger to themselvesfromsubmarineattack.Whenquestionedabout thistheirmiserablewhinewasthattheywereactingintheinterestoftheirsonswhentheyreturnedfromtheWar,while infact theyweredoingtheircallousbest todestroythem.Many of us will never forget or forgive this betrayal. However badly the

minersmayhavebeenpaidat that time,others including theirmatesand sonswhowere doingmagnificent tunnellingwork in the trenches,were sacrificingthemselves and everything they cherished getting a pittance of a very fewshillingsaweek.Thetimetostrikeisnotwhenthecountryisinperil.Yetanotherpieceofnewswhichdisgusteduswastheincredibleactionofour

GovernmentinsellinghugequantitiesofcementtotheDutch,knowingthatthiswas to be passed to the Germans for the construction of their much vauntedHindenburg Line, against which we were expected to, and did, sacrificethousandsoflivestoattackandoverwhelm.You may imagine the effect on us of these unpleasant pieces of news. It

seemedthatwewereindeedoutonalimbandwouldhavetocarryontheWar

byourselves.Mostofuswerebythenalreadyresignedtoourfate,thereseemingtobenolikelihoodofpeace,thewarbeingadeadlock,andthatwewouldneverseeEnglandagain,unlessonastretcher.InspiteofthisIamsurethatweweregrimly determined to stick it out to the end, and in fact I never heard anyoneevensuggestingthatweshoulddootherwise.

Under the City of Arras there were many long tunnels and caves, partlyconstructedasa sewagesystem.These tunnelswereconnected tomanyof thecellarsandwereinthepastlitbyelectricity.Therewasalsoalightrailsysteminstalled therein.These tunnels ledoutsideArrasandopened to theoldBritishtrench system. There was room to accommodate thousands of troops and onoccasionshelteredourbattalion.Itooktheopportunityoneafternoontovisitthecentreofthecitywhichatthe

time was crowded with thousands of men belonging to various units, mostlyCanadian,withsomeSouthAfrican,ScottishandWelshregiments.Thewallsoftheoldtheatrewerestillstanding,withremainsoftheatricalbillsstilladorningthem. An army concert party were performing inside. I entered the largeenclosure,itswallstatteredandopentothesky,theroofbeingentirelymissing.ThecrowdedaudienceseemedmostlyCanadian.TheonlyturnIrememberwasaremarkablygoodimitationofCharlieChaplin;itwassoveryliketherealthingthat I still wonder if it was indeed the famous comedian himself giving theperformance.Althoughafewlongrangeshellsoccasionallyfellonthetown,Iwasamazed

that the Germans missed such a marvellous opportunity to bombard itthoroughly.Thiswouldhavecausedenormouscasualtiesinsocrowdedanarea.Perhapstherewassomemysteriousreasonfornotsodoing.DuringoneperiodofrestintheSchrammBarrackswehadexperienceofthe

newlongrangeshellsnowbeingusedbytheGermans.Severalofthesefell inthevicinityandwewereintriguedathearingtheshellburstsbeforethesoundoftheirapproach,duetothevelocityofthemissilebeingfasterthanthespeedofsound.Afewofthesewouldarriveeachevening,oneexplodinginthekitchensjustacrosstheyardoppositeourbuilding.Fortunatelytherewerenocasualties,althoughsomeoftheovensandcookerswereruined.About this time I heard that my young cousin Johnny Reeve was now in

Rouen,hehavingjoinedacyclistbattalion.IwasgladthathehadnowcomeouttojoinFrankieJonesandmyself,buthopedthathewouldnoteventuallybesenttothebattlearea.IhavenottoldaboutourownDivisionalconcertparty,called‘BowBells’and

made up of a professional entertainer namedHarryBrandon and three others,two being female impersonators (one being appropriately from the LondonScottish)andveryliketherealthing,infactsimilartoandaforerunnerofDannyLaRue.Hisfavouritetunewas:

Doyouremember,whenIfirstcametotown,takealookatmenow.Doyouremember,myfirstsimplegown,takealook…etc.etc.

Theygaveusquiteafewenjoyableevenings,wheneveropportunityoccurred,invariouscamps–sometimes inahutor largemarqueeandsometimesfromthetopofaGSwaggon.TheirofficialdutywasthatofDivisionallaundryandtheywereemployedinfumigatingourblankets–averyusefulandeffectivejob.Iamafraid their rare efforts on our socks and shirts were not so successful – theshrinkageofthesearticlesbeingdisastrous.At one of the camps near a village behind Arras we had some rather

embarrassing visitors. Our latrinewas the usual deep trench surmounted by apole supported by trestles, the area being screened by canvas. Two or threeyoungwomenwouldarrivefromthevillageandwalkalongtheseatedoccupantssellingchocolate from the trayshung from their shoulders.This theydidquiteunconcernedlyjoininginwiththeinevitablebanter.Whatintriguedusmostwasthat they thenvisited theofficers’quarters,spendingaboutanhour in thehutsbeforeleavingwiththeiremptytrays.Therewasofcoursemuchspeculationonourpartastowhattranspiredduringtheseperiods.WhileonthesubjectImustmentiontheoccasionwhenoneofthesmallmen

draftedtousfromtheBantamRegimentandwhosebootswereatthecobblers,borrowed thoseofacomrade.Visiting themuddy latrineandperchinghimselfonthepole,hisshortlegspreventinghisfeetfromrestingontheground,helostbalanceandfellbackwardsintothedisgustingcontentsofthepit.Hehadtobehelpedout,leavinghiscompanion’sboots,whichwereseveralsizestoolargeforhim,inthebottomofthemorass.WhatoccurredafterwardsbetweenhimandhispalIneverlearned,butexpecttheairwasprettythickandnodoubthisearalso!Incidentssuchasthis,althoughoftenrathercrude,gaveusmuchamusementandhelpedtorelievetheotherwisedreadfulmonotonyanddiscomfortofourlives.TherewasarumourgoingthattheGermanswereleavingboobytrapsasthey

retreatedandwewerewarnedtobeonourguardagainstthis.Therumourturnedouttobeafact.Oncewhenoccupyingtheruinsofalargefarmjusttakenfromtheenemywefoundthatanopenwellinthefarmyardhadbeenpoisonedandahuman carcase had been thrown into thewell. Ourmedical section tested thewaterandcondemned it.Also inanouthouseof the farm,whichhadbeen the

sleeping quarters of some German troops, was a small home-made oil lamp,whichwhenlitbyoneofourmen,exploded,turninghisface,handsanduniformabrightyellow,butotherwisenotharminghim.AlsoinanabandonedGermantrenchabuttingtheArras-Cambrairoadwasatripwirestretchingatkneeheightacross the trench bottom, attached to a cluster of several stick-bombs halfconcealed at a dug-out entrance. There was no one in authority available toreporttoatthetime,andIleftwellalone,themattersoonescapingmymemory,there being plenty to occupymy attention in other directions.Anyway, itwasprettyobviousinthedaylight.Inotherinstancesgrenadeshadbeendiscoveredattachedtodoorsandotherobjectslikelytobemovedbytheunwary.Itpaidtobesuspiciousofanythinglyingaround.Artilleryweredottedaboutoverthedesertlikeplainsandlowvalleys,andwe

would sometimes experience the thrilling sight of teams of artillery horsesgallopingattopspeed,takingfieldgunstotheirpositionsorwithdrawingthem.The speed and efficiency of these operations was amazing, the guns beinglimberedupandrushedawayinthematterofaminuteorso,thegunnersseatedon the limbers and gun carriages. Thiswas reminiscent of the displays at themiliaryTournamentinpeacetime,andalsoofthepicturesbyWarartistsofoldtimebattles.Wewouldsometimeshearofatrocities,butIneverhadfirsthandexperience

ofany.For instance,wewere toldof theAustralian soldierwhowascapturedandcrucifiedonabarndoor.TheAustralians, incensedby thisepisode tookaterrible revenge on a company of Germans trapped against barbed wireentanglementsandwhotriedtosurrender.TheAussiessetuptheirmachinegunsand mercilessly annihilated them. Another time a German raiding party wascapturedbyaScottishregiment,whomadetheunfortunatemenreturntowardstheirownlinesandshotthemdownastheytriedtogetthroughthebarbedwire.Therewereofcourse the talesofGermanbrutality toldbysomeof theFrenchvillagers, butwedid not knowhowmuchof thiswas fact or fiction. In thosedaystherewasoftenagreatdealofchivalryshownbybothsides,particularlyinregardtocapturedairmen.The telling of the narrative may seem rather erratic and disjointed, but so

indeedwas our own experiencewith its frequent and shortmoves to differentsectorsoftheline,periodsofrestinvariouscampsandvillages,daysandnightsof acute discomfort in and about the line; often in heavy rain,mud andwaterwithout cover, meagre rations and foul drinking water, to say nothing of thedanger and noise of bombardments. Death and wounds, some hideous, werecommonplace.Illnesssuchastrenchfever,trenchfeetandcommonailmentshad

tobeendured,andeven theworstcasescouldhavenoattentionuntilwewerebackinarestarea.Thenunlessamanwasreallyseriouslyill,theonlyremedyseemedtobethewell-known‘number-nine’pill,prescribedasa‘Cure-all’.Gasshellingwasnowbecomingincreasinglyintensecausingmanycasualties.

Onecoulddetectgasnotonlyfromthecurious‘plop’oftheexplosion,butalsofromthestrongsmellwhichpersistedlongaftertheshellhadfallen.Peculiarlythissmelldidnotseemthesametodifferentpersons.Tomeitwasrather liketangerines,tootherslikeonions,ormustardandsoon.Thegasinconcentrationwould affect the eyes, often causing temporary blindness, the nose, throat andlungs,alsoanypartofthebodydampfromperspiration,causingmuchsorenesswith red and inflamed patches. We often had to don our gas-masks, thesesomewhatcloudingthevisionandslowingdownprogressowingtothedifficultyofbreathingbymouththroughthetube.The entrances to dugouts and shelters would, when occasion permitted, be

draped with blankets saturated in a smelly chemical and would be sprayedoccasionallybymendeputisedasgasorderlies.Therewouldbeanemptybrassshell-casehungoutside,whichwhenbeatenwouldactasagongtogivewarningof gas. At some of the reserve camps a few miles behind the line theseprecautionswerealsotaken,asgas-shellingwasbynomeansconfinedonlytothetrenches.Itwasquiteusual tohearandevento lookbackandseehugeexplosionsas

the enemy guns found the immense dumps of shells stored behind the lines.Someofthesedumpsmusthavecoveredanacreortwoofground,stackedhigh,andoftenwithdividingearthwalls.Itwasdishearteningtoseethedestructioninthespaceofafewsecondsofenormousmassesofammunitionandtothinkofthegreatlabourandcarethatmusthavegoneintoitsmanufactureandtransportacross the sea from Britain and America. This destruction was not of courseconfinedonlytoourowndumps,wecouldobservethesamethinghappeningontheGermanside,amuchmorecheerfuleventforus.There was one such explosion on the Cambrai-Arras roadside, just on the

outskirtsofthetown,manyoftheshells,includingthehuge‘flyingpigs’lyingscattered about unexploded; the ‘flying pig’ was a great fat sausage shapedmortarbomb,ourownequivalentoftheminnenwerfer.In the forward areamanyof the recently abandoned trencheswere used for

accesspurposesandforshelteringthesupportandreservetroops.Thesebecamethickwithmud,coveringallkindsofdebris,oftenwholeboxesofammunition,cartridges, hand-grenades and so on. Often there was a soft, rubbery feelingunderfootsimilartostandingonaninflatedmattress;thiswouldindicateadead

bodyinthebottomofthetrench,havingbeentrampleddeeperinthemudbythefeet of perhaps hundreds of men passing over it. Sometimes an arm or a legwouldbeprotruding.Noonehadtimeorinclinationtodoanythingaboutthis.Itsoonbecameacommonexperienceandacceptedwithindifference.On takingoveranenemy trenchoneof the first taskswas todigorcut fire

steps into the sidenow facing theGermans, as of course theoriginal fire stepwasonthewrongsideforus,andtheparadoswouldhavetobeconvertedintoaparapetwiththeearththrownout,makinguseoftheemptysandbagscarriedbytheassaultingtroops.Theheart-shapedspades,calledgraftingtools,wouldherecome into use, together with our entrenching tools which were part of ournormalequipment.Weallhadextraburdensofonesortoranothertocarryintoaction. Therewere hand grenades, spades, extra ammunition, sometimes shortscaling ladders, rockets, stokes gun shells, LewisGunswith tripods and extrapans of ammunition; all this in addition to our own equipment includinghaversack, ground sheet, water bottle, entrenching tool, gas mask, cartridgepouches,rifle,bayonetandsteelhelmet,tosaynothingofpoundsofclayaroundourheavybootsandonourclothing.Inadayorso,oftenbefore,themomentumoftheadvancewouldslowdown,

theenemyfallingbacktowellpreparedpositionsandusuallycounterattacking,sometimes retaking part of the ground. Dangerous salients and gaps betweenunits would occur andmanyminor engagements would take place to try andeliminatethesesalientsandsostraightentheline.Someoftheprisonersappearedtobeveryyoung,almostboys,andalsothere

wereolder,beardedmen,somelookingwellpasttheirprime.TheGermansmusthave been feeling the effects of these fierce battles combined with their veryheavy losses on the Russian front. Their best regiments, as I have said, werecomposed of fine physical specimens, tough and stubborn fighters, their non-commissioned officers seeming very proud and arrogant, strictly trained anddisciplined.Manyofthedeadandalsoprisonershadtheblack-and-whiteribbonoftheironcrossshowingatabutton-hole.Theseseemtohavebeenhandedoutfairlyliberally.Iwassometimestemptedtotakeoneasasouvenir,butcouldnotatthattimebringmyselftodespoilabravemanofhishonours.Icouldnothelphavingrespectfortheslain.Afterallmostofthemwere,andlooked,harmlesslittlecitizensuntildraggedwilly-nillyintothissenselessholocaust.Iwouldlookdown at the body of a young man; just a useless carcase. Someone at homewouldnotyetknowtheywerenever toseehimagain.Parents,perhapsawifeand children, would grieve deeply over him.Only a short time ago this deadthing would have been talking, laughing and joking with his companions, or

writing a letter home. Now it was suddenly and hideously finished, not byaccident but by design. And for what?We began to curse all politicians andrulers,feelingthatifwecouldgetthemoutheretoseeatfirsthandthehorribleresultsofgreed,ignorance,incompetenceandambition,theywouldtryandstoptheslaughteratonce.Inthemeantimewewouldhavetocarryontotheendinthe‘WartoendWar’.Howfarcical!Althoughitisdoubtfulifthereweremanyunbelieversonthebattlefield,there

musthavebeenmomentsofdoubt. I oftenwonderedhow theAlmighty couldcondone such suffering and distress, particularly on so vast a scale. Many amortally wounded man lying in agony for hours or even days and nightsunattended in no-man’s-land must have cried ‘Oh God, why hast thouabandonedme’.Thesemenalsoboretheircross!OnenightIhadthealmostuniqueexperienceofgettingagrandstandviewof

aduelbetweentwoopposingfront-linetrenches.Fourofushadbeendetailedtotake stone jars of rumup to the support line, extending acrossboth sidesof alongstraightroad, ifIrememberrightlytheArras-Cambrairoad.Itwasadarknight,theroadshowingfaintlybeforeus,thecountrybeingflatandbareoneachside. We reached a point where the road sloped slightly downwards, beingelevatedafewfeetabovethesurroundingcountryside.Wewerenotsureofthepointtowhichwehadbeendirected,butshouldhavebeenmettherebyoneofthemen.Wepassedthispoint,notnoticingthetrenchinthedarkandcametoatrestleofbarbedwirerightacrosstheroad.Somedistancebeyondthisbarrierwestopped for a moment wondering if we were walking into the German lines.Everythingwasuncannily silent, the faintwhite of the road stretching straightahead.Suddenlyaterrificdinandflashesoflightoccurredonbothsidesoftheroad,immediatelyansweredbyasimilaroutburstalongaparallellineabout50yardsorsoahead.Brightlightsandsparkswerearchingupfrombothlinesasallmannerofmissileswerebeingfiredoffand landingwith loudexplosions.Thefiringseemedtocommencefromabout20yardsawayoneachsideoftheroad,nothinglandingonorneartheroaditself,wherewewerestandinglookingdowninto the British trench on each side, all brightly lit up. It was exactly like animmensefireworkdisplay,andwecouldseethemenbusilyatworkwiththeirtrenchmortarsandriflegrenades.PeculiarlyIfeltperfectlysafe,likeaspectatoratafireworkshow.IwassointriguedwiththescenethatIfeltnoanxietyaboutmyownsafety.I

cannot understand why we were not perceived and mown down. Perhaps theJerries had indeed seen us butwere not sure towhich sidewe belonged. Theabsenceofshellfiremusthavebeenduetothecloseproximityoftheopposing

trenches,theartillerynotfiringforfearofshellingtheirownmen,orforthefactthatthesuddenoutbursthadnotgiventhemtimetogetintoaction.However,wesooncametooursensesandmadeourwaybacktothebarbedwirebarrier,whentheengagementstoppedalmostassuddenlyas ithadstartedandallwasagainsilent.Ashortwaypastthebarrierwewerechallengedbythemanwhoshouldhaveinterceptedusbefore,andweleftourjarsofrumtohiskeepingandsetofftojoinoursection.Almost daily during fineweatherwewould be entertained by one ormore

duels between a couple of airmen, sometimes so low thatwe could hear theirmachinegunsfiring.Largegroupsofshrapnelwouldbespattertheblueskywiththeir tiny white clouds of smoke. Occasionally one of the planes would bebroughtdowneitherbyshrapnelortheopponent.Theseairmenwouldinciteouradmiration – they would fight to a finish or until one would run out ofammunitionand turnoff forhomewith itsopponenton its tail.Onmore thanone occasion we would see one airman deliberately fly into the other, bothcoming down together. The German Fokker planes at that time had a greatadvantage,beingabletofiredirectlytothefrontthroughtheirpropellerswhichweresynchronisedwiththeirmachineguns,thenaninnovation.WewouldsometimesbecampednexttotheLondonScottish.Iwouldliketo

saythatIfindmuchofthepipers’musicverystirring,butweweresometimestreatedforhourstomosttunelessandmonotonousdirgeswhichIcanonlythinkwere practice exercises. Several times I ran into an old school friend, AlecCampbell.HetoldmeofarecentdaylightraidinwhichtheScottishtookovercansofpetrolwhichtheypitcheddownthedug-outentrances,followedbyhandgrenades.ImetCampbellontherailwaystationatRuisliponedaylongafterthewar.AtavillagenearArras I ran intoanotheryoungschoolacquaintancenamed

Pearce.Hisbrother,acockyandaggressiveboy,hadforcedafightonme,eggedonbyhisheroworshippingparents,whoquicklycalledhimoffwhentheysawhewasgetting theworst of the encounter.Amostuncalled for attack.Why itwasIdonotknow,butmostofmyscrapswerebegunbyyoungbraggartsandbullies,butIalwaysseemedwellabletoholdmyown,especiallylateronafterIhad gained experience in friendly (although sometimes rather rough) boxingbouts with my companions. I must have appeared simple in those days, andnever quarrelled unless provoked. One young bully said in surprise, ‘I didn’tknowyoucouldfight.’NeitherdidIatthetime.InFrancetherewasabigyoungfellowwhohadrecentlybeendetailedtoour

Regimental police.Hewas very arrogant andwas soon dominating the others

and evidently not popularwith them.One day he stood at the entrance to ourshack, making sarcastic and derogatory remarks. I was sitting on the groundwritingaletterhome,andfeelingveryirritatedwithhisbehaviour,Igotupandtoldhimtobuzzoff,strikinghimheavilywithmyshoulder.Hewentbackwards,catchinghisfootonapieceofwoodbythedoor,fallingfulllengthonhisback.Isquaredupexpectinghimtogetupandattackme,buttomysurpriseherefusedtofightand tried tomakefriendswithme.Mycompanionsafterwardswarnedmetobecarefulasthisfellowwasastokerincivilianlife.ThenextdayoneofthepolicetoldmehehadheardwhathadhappenedandwasverygladIhaddealtwiththechapandthatitwastimesomeoneputhiminhisplace.IfIrememberrightly, itwasalongtheArras-CambrairoadtowardsMonchy

thatwecameacrossasmalldefileorvalleyleadingoffthemainroad.Itwasnotmuch more than a sunken track, surprisingly green with grass and enteredthroughafieldgate.Itledperhapsacoupleofhundredyardsbeforeturningrighttotheplainbeyond.Thewholelengthofthistrackwaslitteredwithdeadcavalryhorses,swordsandrifles.Obviouslyatroopofcavalryhadbeenambushedfromthe farendbymachinegunsandannihilated.Thiswasanother instanceof thefutility of using cavalry inmodern trenchwarfare. Unfortunately Sir DouglasHaig, being a cavalryman himself, was obsessedwith the dream of a cavalrybreakthrough,whichof coursewasnever tobe fully realised.Horseswere fartooconspicuousandvulnerabletomachinegunandartilleryfire,althoughtheydidoncehave somemeasureof successduring theattack lateronatCambrai.Manyofthehorseregimentsweredismountedandusedasinfantry.Troopscomingoutofactionforashortspellinreservehadtobecontentwith

livingintheopen,sometimesintheremainsofoldbatteredtrenchesandshell-holes, often under long range shellfire. In wet muddy weather this can be amiserable hell. Often the so-called ‘rest’would only be for a few hours, or anightortwo,orderscomingforareturntothefrontline,eithertothesameoranearbysector,untilatlastrelievedforaspellinthebackareas,sometimesinanevacuatedvillage,orifluckywheretherewereafewciviliansandanestaminetortwo.Iwould sometimes thinkofmyparents athomeandbeglad tobelieve that

they were snug and warm, and wonder if they ever imagined what we wereenduring over here. The plaintivewail of our fat little Bantam exclaiming ‘Ifonlymymuvvercouldseemenow’seemedveryappropriateandaffordedsomecomicrelief,inspiteofthepathos.Ofcoursethingswereagooddealbetterinthedryweather.Itisremarkable

howweescapedcripplingrheumatismandeventhecommoncold,whichwasa

rarecomplaint.Thismusthavebeenduetothehardliving,freshairandsimplefood,tougheninguptheconstitution.Oneinstancecomestomind,butIcannotrecallexactlywhenorwhere.We

hadexperiencedaverytryingtimeinandaboutthelineduringwetweather.Wedragged back some miles, soaked and heavy with mud, arriving totallyexhaustedataderelictfarm.Thebarnsandshedswerequiteextensive,theroadthrough the farmresemblingasmallvillage.Mycompanywerebilleted in theloftofahugebarn,withascatteringofdirtystrawonthefloor.Wehadarrivedatduskandsoonhadourpiecesofcandlealight.Ialwaysmarvelledthatthesebarns did not catch fire from the candles and cigarettes among the straw andwoodwork. The field kitchens had arrived from the transport lines and wequeuedupforapintofhotcocoaandsomebreadandcheese.Itwasthefirsthotdrinkwehadreceivedforaweekormore.Assoonaswegotbacktoourbilletsanothercallcametofetchourmess-tinlids,andwewereservedwithawelcomelargetotofrum.Afteragoodnight’ssleep,baconand teaforbreakfast,wefell in toresume

ourmarchtotherearareasandasomewhatmorecivilisedexistenceforawhile.Thisgaveusachancetocleanupandfeelmorelikelivinghumanbeingsoncemore.Untilnexttime!Thiswastypicaloflifeduringthebigbattlesandmuchdifferent from themoreorderlyexistencewhenservingonquiet sectorswherethingsweremoreorlessstatic,witharegularroutineoffourdayseachinfrontline,supportlineandreserveinasmallvillageorcamp.Onedaythepioneersergeant,whomwerarelysaw,arrivedandledustoan

apparently deserted localitywhich had been recently evacuated by the enemy.Thecountrywasflatandfeaturelessexceptforacoupleofruinedhouses,oneoneach sideof anopen road.Wesettleddown inoneof thesehousesandHarryKay and Iwere told to commence digging a tunnel from the cellar to stretchundertheroadandconnectuptotheotherhouse.Armedwithpickandgraftingspadeswestartedwork,anditwassoonapparentthatHarrywasconversantwithtunnelwork.HeworkedonthefaceandIclearedtherubble.Afterafewfeetthetunnel roofing began crumbling and falling in. The chaps upstairs were busycuttinglengthsof4″×2″quarteringwhichhadbeendumpedatthesite,Harryexpertlyinsertedthesewoodenpropsintothesidesandroofofthetunnel,butasthe falls were getting dangerous hewould not letme into the short length oftunnelnowformed,and insistedonworking insidebyhimself.Oneheavy fallpartiallyburiedhimandafter Ihadhelpedhimout thesergeantcamealong tocancelthework.I believe the idea had been to use the buildings as a battalion or brigade

headquartersbutthepositionwastooobviousinthemiddleofsuchfeaturelessland, besides which our activities had no doubt been observed, as we hadreceived the attention of several salvos of shells from the enemy artillery andweregladwhenafterafewdaystheoperationwascalledoff.Iamtellingthisasitwas oneof several instanceswhereHarrywould take ondangerous jobs byhimself.Inspiteofhisoftenunscrupulousbehaviourtowardsoutsidersandtheirbelongings,hewasloyaltohispalsandareallyroughdiamond.

WestayedontheArrasfrontuntil thebeginningofJune.I remember the timewhen we were relieved. Our section was occupying a flimsy corrugated ironshelterinthesideofashallowditchorhalf-dugtrenchontheridgeatBeaurains.That late afternoon a section from the relieving battalion arrived to take over.Theenemymusthaveseentheactivity,astheystartedshellingthevicinity.Westopped about a hundred yards away while one of our chaps went back toretrieve, I think, his cigarettes. After a few minutes he returned and said theshelter had received a direct hit which killed the new occupants. That was aluckyescapeforusandwehadgotoutjustintime.WespentthenextweekorsoinvariousquietvillagesbehindArras–arestful

changeingreensurroundings,butthenreturnedtotheBeaurainsareainreserve,a camp now having been erected near this village on the site of the oldbattlefield. The weather had turned appalling and everywhere was flooded.Trenchesinthefrontlinewereconfused,enemypositionsnotproperlyknown,our trenches in places being very exposed to observation, but thanks to theweatherthingswerefairlyquiet.Itwashoweverutterlymiserableintheheavyrainandwewerecompletelysoakedandcoveredwithmudfromheadtofoot.WewerenowintheWancourtarea.Therewasgreatdifficultyingettingfood

andwateruptotheline.Althoughthisperiodwascomparativelyquiet,wedidsustain a number of casualties, mostly from machine gun fire when gettingacrossexposedgapsbetweenuncompletedorbrokendownsectionsoftrench.Iremember one very exposed place onwhich amachine gun had been trained,probably with fixed sights. We had to carry supplies over this at night, andwouldthrowthemoverthegapandrunacrossasquicklyaspossible.Therewasa strong smell of rum here, several of the jars being broken from this roughtreatment. The battalion was relieved at the beginning of July and we wereutterlyworn out during the drag backviaNeuvilleVitasse andBeaurains, theroad and tracks being quagmires. Many of the fellows were suffering fromtrench feet. We thankfully sank down to rest at the new camp at Beaurains.Manyofthechapshadsuchbadfeetthattheywereforcedtousetheirriflesaspropstohelpthemselvesalong.

Aseveryonewasdead-beatwewereallowedthewholenightandnextdaytorest and get as dry as possible. Then for two daysweworked hard at gettingourselvescleanedup.Thefirstdaywasspentingettingthethickcoatingofmudoff our clothing, boots and equipment with the aid of our jack-knives. Thefollowingdaywewereexpected tocompletecleaningclothingandequipment,have weapons thoroughly cleaned and oiled, buttons and buckles brightlypolishedreadyforeveninginspection,afterwhichsomegeniusissuedlumpsofkhaki‘bianco’tomixintoapasteandapplytoourwebbingequipment.Allthiskeptusverybusy,buttheresultingsmartappearancenodoubthelpedtoboostour morale. We then literally hobbled painfully through Arras and eitherembussedorentrained(Iforgetwhich)toLiencourt.Wepassedananti-aircraftgun outside Arras, which was firing at a German plane overhead. The shellswere bursting very near the planewhich came immediately over the gun andsuddenly dived straight down to within about twenty feet of it, scattering thecrewinalldirections,whentoouramazementitsuddenlydartedoffandaway.Averydaringpieceofairmanship in thosedaysandprobably theonlyway tostopthegunfromfiring.

VI

WillItNeverEnd?

From Liencourt we entrained to St Omer, thence marching to the villages ofHouleandMoulefortrainingandarestfulperiodofafewdaysinthebeautifulJulysunshineamidstlovelygreenmeadowsandriver,wheresomeofusbathedandfished.Ihadaline,floatandhookinmypocketbook,andcuttingabranchfor rod, fishedwith another enthusiast, but caught nothing, althoughwe couldseeshoalsofverylargebreamintheclearwaterclosetothebank.Someofthefellows were more successful, using hand grenades to stun the fish – a veryunsportsmanlikemethod,besidesbeingawasteofgoodammunition.Onechapmadeaveryfinewatercoloursketchofapicturesquestonebridgeoverastream.WeleftMouleandembussedforAbeeleandthencetowardsthethirdbattleof

Ypres.OurvehicleswereoldLondonbusespaintedgrey.Ihadaseatontopofan open double-decker. Itwould have been like a holiday outing if it had notbeenfortheknowledgeofourdestination.Wepassedalonggoodcountryroads,past delightful green meadows and woods. There were many low telephonewirescrossingtheroadsandwehadtokeepaverysharpeyeopenandpreparetocrouchinourseatstoavoidbeingdecapitated.IrememberreachingthevillageofAbeeleandcrossingastonebridgeovera

river,asentryboxateachendofthebridge.ThiswastheFranco-Belgianborderand we were in Belgium for the first time. From here we marched toSteenvoorde.TheBelgian inhabitants did not seem towelcomeus and lookedverysurly,perhapsnottobewonderedatasFlandershasbeenthebattlegroundofEuropeoverthecenturies.Weweretoldthatmanyofthemweresuspectedofbeingspies.Theinmatesofanestaminettolduswhenandwhereweweregoingand seemed toknowagooddealmoreofourbusiness thanweourselvesdid.Thepeasantswouldstandat theircottagedoorsscowlingatusaswemarchedpast.ArrivingatMic-MacCampnearDickebuschwestayedforaboutthreedaysin

Nissen huts. The surrounding fields were flat, bleak and muddy with many

water-filledditches.Thehutswere fittedwithdouble tiers ofwirebunks.Thetop bunks were the best as the whole place was alive with fat lice and thesewould fall like raindropsonto theunfortunatesoccupying the lowerbunks.Atnightwewerevisitedbyoneortwoenemyaircraftwithbombs.ThevillageofOuderdomwas amile or two away, over which a huge shrapnel shell wouldoccasionallybursthighinthesky,leavingbehindalargeblacksmokecloud.Weweremarched in platoons to this village and sent into a big disused brewery,gettingabathinwoodentubsfilledwithhotwater,withplentyofsoap–araretreat.Acleansetofunderclothesandsocks(muchshrunken)wereissuedandwefeltwonderfullycleanoncemore.However,wereturnedtoourhuts,whichhadbeen thoroughly drenched in our absence with what I was told to be D.D.T.,immediatelyfeelingplopsfallingontoourcaps–thelicehadfoundusagainandweweresooninfestedevenmoresothanbefore.Journalists and writers of popular songs fostered a rather false, if romantic

idea among civilians, of our soldiersmarching into battlewith cheerful songsandjokes.Whilethiswastrueuptoapoint,itcertainlywasnotthecasewhentroopswereapproachingtheactualbattlezoneswhereattackswereimminentorinprogress.Asonegotnearertheline,withitsominoussightsandsounds,theatmosphere became one of grim reality and men’s thoughts tended to turninwards. This was most marked on many individuals, the strain and anxietyshowingintheirfacesandbytheirquietandthoughtfuldemeanour.Thisattitudewasquitecommonjustpriortotakingpartinanassault.Nodoubt the first-time experiencewas theworstwith the thought of going

into the unknown, of unseen dangers and horrors yet to be faced. I haverecounted my own sudden feeling of fear on that one night when the fullsignificanceofwhatlayaheadstruckmewithsuchsuddenforce,butwhichhadvanishedbynextmorning,nevertoreturnwithsuchintensity.Thisfeelingwasreplaced by the gnawing anxiety which every virgin soldier must experiencebeforehisfirstencounter;thatis,howhewillreacttotheoccasion–wouldhebeable tofaceupto thedangersorwouldheshowcowardice?Thisparticularanxietydoesnotrecurafterhisfirstbattle,forhehasbythenfoundtheanswer.Afterwithdrawalfromthebattlearea,iftherehadbeenheavycasualtiesmany

of the fellows would again be quiet and withdrawn, thinking of their awfulexperiencesandofthecompanionslost.Thiswasparticularlynoticeableamongtheolderandmoresober-mindedmen,someofwhomhadwivesandchildrentoworry about. Most of the younger men and the hardened veterans quicklyrecoveredtheirspiritsandmorale.Onthe thirddaywegirdedupandcommencedourmarchtoYpres,passing

BrigadierGeneralLewis,aformerKensington,nowwithanotherbrigade.Itwas15thAugustandtheweather lookedverydullandthreatening.WeapproachedYpres through the flat countryside untilwe reached a junctionwithwhatwasapparently a main road, and turning left proceeded in open formation with agood interval between platoons. We were told that we were about to passShrapnelCorner.Ontheleftwasthelonghighwalloftherampartsurroundingthecity.Iamnotsurenowwhetheritwasbrickorstone,butbrickIbelieve.Theright-handsideof theroad,alongsideamoat, ranparallel to thebattlefront. Itwasborderedbythestumpsofsmashedtrees,beyondwhichandacrossthemoatwere large pools and muddy shell-torn earth with here and there duckboardtracks leading off to the battle area. The roadside was littered with dozen ofoverturnedand smashedupvehicles andguns, the teamsofhorriblymutilatedhorseswithhugegapingwounds,oftencompletelydisemboweled.Thesesightsshouldhave filledmewith terror,butactually I feltquitecalm

and fascinated at being in the famous battlefield of Ypres where British andFrench had struggledwith Germans, backwards and forwards for three years;never letting the Germans gain control of the City, but being unable to drivethembackformore thana fewmiles.Thishadentailed terrible lossesonbothsides, but Ypres was a key point to be defended against any attempt by theenemytoattacktheChannelports.WereachedalargegatewayintherampartwhichIthinkmusthavebeenthe

MeninGate.Wedidnotenterthis,andindeedneverdidentertheCityitself.Weturnedright,acrossacrudewoodenbridgeoverthemoatandontoaduckboardtrack crossing flat marshy ground, and a few yards to the left of the largeZillebekeLake.SomeonesaidwewerenearHellfireCorner.Asweproceededinsinglefile,severalshellsfellcloseby.Ourpartywereledbyayounglieutenant,theRSMbeingwithus.Theofficer

duckedeverytimeashellburstnearus,andthesergeantmajorshoutedangrilyathimeachtimehedidthisandtoldhimtokeephisheadup.Thepoorfellowmust have felt very scared and also humiliated, but I must say I felt rathercontemptuousofhimforshowinghisfearinfrontofthemenhewassupposedtobeleading.Fortunatelymostofourotherofficerswerebraveanddisciplinedmen,manyofthemexceptionallyso.Ahead of us the ground rose and we arrived on top of a mound or hill,

enteringadeeptrenchsystemwhichappearedtobesomekindofredoubt.Ithadnow become dark and a furious bombardment commenced, fortunately fallingjust short of our trenches.Huge flashes of yellow and reddish explosions justbelow the edge, the ground sloping fairly steeply downwards. These glimpses

wereenoughand I settleddownwith theotherchapson thebottomof the sixfoot trench. The shelling ceased after a while, and during the night a tankcrawled onto the ground above, stopping just a few feet from the parados,loomingjustabovemeasadarksilhouette.Ifeltabituncomfortableaboutthis,andhoped thedriverwasable towell control the steeringof thiscumbersomemachine. Imusthavesleptveryheavily thatnight,asbymorningI found thatthetankhadgone.Thesetanksmadeaterriblenoisewheninmotion,andcouldbeheardmilesaway,soImusthavesleptverysoundlyindeed.Theweatherwasstilldullandthesurroundingcountryverybare,theground

having been pulverised, and churned up, full of shell-holes and craters,waterlogged,withafewduckboardtracks,runningtowardstheWesthoekRidgeahead. Batteries of artillery guns were firing from their positions in the openwith no attempt at camouflage. Someone said that our overnight positionwasknown as Half-way House. I am not sure even today – it might have beenStirlingCastle.Ourbattalionheadquartersstaffwereintheentrancetoasortofcaveortunnel,whichwassaidtoleadintoYpresitself,althoughIdoubtthisastheterrainbelowwassowaterlogged.Thecompanies startedmovingoff towardsWesthoekRidge,whensomeone

broughtthenewsthatashellhadfallenjustroundthebendofourtrenchandthatourcommandingofficerMajorFlowerhadbeenkilled,theBattalionMajorandtheAdjutant,togetherwithRegimentalSergeantMajorBlakewounded,leavingus therefore with no senior officers. Command was taken over by CaptainVenables temporarily untilCaptainShawwas sent fromBrigade to take over.HeavyfirewastakingplaceontheWesthoekRidgeandweunderstoodthatanattackwasinprogressbytwootherbrigades.TheGermanswere shelling thewhole area in front of us, aswe started off

downtheslopetothelowgroundbelow,makinguseofasingleduckboardtrackbefore it disappeared andwehad tomakeourway through themudand shellholes.Wewent in small parties of four or fivemen andwere told to keep30yard intervals between each squad. I had charge of three other men and thecorporal followedwith fourmen.Thegroundwas in a shocking state, butweemergedintotheYpres-MeninRoadwhichledstraightontoandovertheridge.This roadhadbeenconstructedvery solidly andwas raised several feet abovethe surroundingmarshy land, the road being comparatively dry underfoot andwithstandingshellfiremuchbetterthanthesoftersurroundings.Therewasawideviewoneither side.Batteriesof fieldguns, fullyexposed

without any cover or camouflage were firing, sinking deeper into themud ateach discharge. The craters and shell-holeswere full ofwater, the remains of

shattered guns, debris and dead bodies, bothBritish andGerman, lying about,somehalfsubmergedinwater.Manyofthewoundedandevenunhurtmenweredrowned in thesemud andwater filled holes, being unable to pull themselvesout, loaded as theywerewith equipment andweapons.Teams of horsesweresomehowmanagingtogetgunsintothemorass,heavenknowshow.Over on our left was what remained of Hooge, and just off the roadside a

ruinedbuilding(whichincidentallysomeonealsocalledHalf-WayHouse)nowbeingusedasadressingstation. In frontof thisweredozensofwoundedmenlyingonstretchers,awaiting tobe takenfurtherback to theambulances.Somewerecompletelycoveredinblanketsandsowouldbedead.ManyGermanswereamong thewounded.Numbersofwalkingwoundedwere arriving andwaitingabouttohavetheirwoundsattendedto.Weproceededuptheroadkeepingtherequired30yardsbehindthesquadin

front, which was led by one of our oldest soldiers, Sergeant Bryant of theregimental police. Shellswere falling all over the area, some on the road andverges.Hereandthereatreestumpwasstandingalongsidetheroad,notmanymorethanafootorsohigh.Hundredsofshellswerefallingintothepoolsandholes,manyofthemfailingtoexplode,butsendinguphighgeysersofwaterintothe air. Lines of German prisoners were filing down from the ridge ahead,passing uswithout a glance and all apparently immune to their own shellfire.Theywere no doubtmostly in a state of shock and glad to be going towardssafety.ThestrainofthebarragewassogreatthatItriedtoshutmymindfromallthat

was going on around,making it as blank as possible and looking only at thegroundimmediatelyinfrontofme.Everynowandagainthesquadaheadwouldstop,andwewouldgetintothenearestshellholewaitingforthemtogetgoingagain.Fortunatelymostoftheshellholesalongtheroadwerefairlydry.Onlyafewkhaki-cladmenpassedus,andthesewereallwalkingwounded.Wedidnotstoptoassistanycasualties,asthiswasnotallowedwhengoinguptotheline,andthistaskhadtobelefttowhateverstretcherbearersmightcomealong.Aswegotnearerthetopoftheridge,wepassedseveralabandonedGerman

concretepillboxes,andwelookedintosomeofthese;theynearlyallcontainedthe bodies of one or two British dead, some obviously abandoned there onstretchers. Therewere deadmen ofmany different units, showing that assaultafterassaultmusthavebeenmadeinattemptingtocapturethisWesthoekRidge.AswegotnearthetopwesawtheremainsofInvernessCopseabuttingtheroadontheleft,andwhatappearedtobethebatteredparapetofatrenchoneachsideoftheroadandalongthelengthoftheRidge.

SergeantBryant’ssquadstoppedjustshortofthewoodandhewavedtometocomeon,butobeyinginstructionsIrefusedtomoveuntilhehadgoneforward.Theridgewasstillbeingheavilyshelledandasweapproachedthetop,machinegunfirewaszippingpastourheads.Someonetoldustoenterthetrenchontheright, where we found a very large concrete pill-box, still intact, the narrowhorizontalfiringembrasuresfacingtowardstheBritishside,andblindtotherear(Germanfront),whichwasjustaswell.TherewereseveralotherKensingtonsinthis pill-box, but the body of a man from some county regiment lay on astretcher on top of a concrete shelf,where it remained for some hours beforestretcherbearersarrivedandtookitaway.Wesettleddownonthefloor,andInoticedseveralfatmaggotscrawlingabout.IpickedupaGermanfieldpostcardforasouvenirwhichIstillhave.Itwasverysimilartoourown,withthestiltedsentencestobetickedorcrossedout.Afellowcameinand toldus thatSergeantBryanthad justbeenkilled–he

wasthesecondsergeantthepolicehadlost.ItseemedthatitwasjustaswellIhadnottakenmysquadforwardtojoinhisashehadsignalled.Theshellingwassonearandheavythatnoneofusventuredoutside.Atleasttwodirecthitswerereceivedwithterrificimpact,oneinfrontandoneontop.IwasneversogratefultotheGermansforprovidingsuchastrongpieceofconcretework.Ireadsometime ago that the British had tried to destroy this particular pill box whichdominatedtheYpres-MeninroadfromthecornerofInvernessCopse,butthatithad withstood the high explosive 18 pounder shells, which were not largeenough todo the job. If it hadbeendestroyed it isunlikely that Iwouldhavesurvived to tell the tale. The shelling stopped towards late afternoon, and weventuredoutandlookeddowntheslopeontheothersideof theridge,anotheralmostfeaturelessmorasswithalowridgeinthedistanceandontherightwas,sowewere told, thefamousHill60, theremainsofGlencorseWood,ChateauWood and Tower Hamlets. We must have slept soundly during the night,althoughIhavenownorecollectionofthis,orofreceivinganyrations.Weweretoldthatinthemorninganattackwastobemadebyanotherbrigade

in front of our position, and that if successfulwewere to follow this up.Ourbarrageopenedupatdawn,andsurprisinglytheenemyretaliationdidnotreachour position on the ridge except for an occasional shell and a few bursts ofmachine gun fire. We had a grand-stand view of the proceedings, the heavybarragebeingalongalineprobablyaboutfivehundredyardsawayontheplainbelow.Wecouldseeverylittleofwhatwashappeningontheground,owingtothesmokeoftheshellfire.An aeroplane was flying backwards and forwards along the line of the

barrage,very lowandactuallyamongst theburstingshrapnelshells.Hewouldbe spotting and reporting the progress of the action. We were admiring thebravery anddaringof this pilot,when suddenlyoneof thewingsof theplanewasblownoffandheplummetedtotheearthinthemidstoftheattack.Allwecould see of the action were small groups of men in khaki moving about,apparently with no co-ordination, going in various directions and suddenlydisappearing into the ground, then again emerging and going into anotherdirection, todisappearoncemore.All verypuzzling.Weheard that the attackwasunsuccessful,mainlyduetotheshockingstateofthemuddygroundwhichmademovementalmostimpossible.Theweathernowtookahandandstartedtodrizzle,turningtosteadyrain,and

wewere told that further operationswould have to be called off.Also to ourreliefthatourbrigadewastobewithdrawnfromtheline.Thiswasjustaswell,aswelearnedthattheotherbattalionsinourbrigadehadalsolostsomeoftheirsenior officers and were in no condition to take part in an assault withoutadequateleadershipandcontrol.At dusk a runner arrived and told us to go back by the road to Ypres in

independentsections.WefoundourcorporalandhispartyandsetoffthankfullydowntheMeninRoad,beinggivenafarewellsprayfromaJerrymachinegunaswelefttheridge.Itwasbynowpouringwithrainandwehopedthatthiswouldindeedpreventanyfurtherlikelihoodofcontinuingthebattleforthetimebeing,asthepassageoverthealreadymarshygroundwouldbemadeimpossible.ItwasnowdarkandaswenearedHalf-WayHousedressingstation,salvosof

shellsfellonandbesidetheroadaheadofus.Wehesitatedtodecidewhethertomakeadash through thisbarrage,walk,or stay-put for awhile. Ifwemadeadash for itwemight very likely run into a shell-burst, sowe decided towalkthrough normally. We passed the ruined building which had been used as adressingstation. Ithad receivedanotherhitand the ironchimney-stackpokingoutoftheroofwasleaningover,butstillsmoking.Theplacewasnowdeserted,no wounded or stretchers about. We should have turned left here on to theduckboard track by which we had previously approached, but this was nowunderheavyshellfire,althoughtherewasnooneabout.The road ahead appeared to be fairly quiet, so we went straight ahead to

Ypres,emergingat theroadjunctionopposite theMeninGate.HereweturnedleftalongthecitywallandproceededtoShrapnelCornerandturnedrightalongtheroadtoDickebusch,butcomingacrossourtransportlinesinafieldbesidearuinedfarm,decidedtostophereandtrytoshelterfromthedrenchingrain.However,everyinchofcoverinandunderthelimbersandlorrieswaspacked

withmen.Wewereabsolutelysoakedthroughbutratherthansettledownonthesodden ground I spent the rest of the night walking about, tired out andmiserable.At dawnwe continued on to the campnearDickebusch, passing a staff car

completewithred-tabbedgeneralonhiswaytowardstheCity.Wewereindeedthankful tosettledownoncemore, this timeina tent,wherewestayedfor thenextdayorso.Weheardthatweweretobewithdrawnfromthearea,theThirdBattleofYpreshavingtobeabandonedforthetimebeingowingtothechangeinweatherconditions.Althoughwe had taken no active part in the fighting, our losseswere over

100, includingallourseniorofficersandRSM.Onceagainwehadonewholeplatoondestroyedbyasinglelargeshell.Nextnighttheareawasagainvisitedbyenemyplanesandabombwasdroppedonanearbyammunitiondump,whichexploded with a terrific roar, waking and shaking us all. In the morning westrolledovertotheadjacentfieldandfoundthatwherethedumphadbeenwasnowalargecraterintheground.Thelossofourcommandingofficer,MajorFlower(anoldKensington)andof

Sergeant‘Daddy’Bryantashewasaffectionatelycalled,wasparticularlyfeltbyus.IwasalsoverysorrythatRSMBlakewasnolongerwithus,asinspiteofhisbullying manner, common to all sergeant majors, I must admire him as adisciplinariananda trulyprofessional soldier. In factmyownencounterswithhimwereneverunpleasant,ratherthecontrary,althoughhewouldinsistthatmynamewasSully,afellowwhowasrathersimilar tomeinappearance,buthaddepartedfromthesceneayearortwobefore.Healways seemed tohaveagenerous supplyof rum, towhichheappeared

verypartial,andonseveraloccasionswhenIhadtoreporttohimhepouredmeoutaliberalportion.HewasverystrictwiththejuniorofficersandIremembertheoccasionwhena lieutenant loadedapersonalboxon to theGSwaggon indefianceofregulations,andthesergeantmajororderedamantosmashtheboxupwithhis foot,much to thechagrinof theunfortunatesubaltern,whohad tobear the embarrassment in silence.He seemed to bear a grudge against youngofficers,buthecertainlykeptthemontheirtoes,especiallyonparade,whenhewould at times give them a severe dressing down in his loudest voice and infrontofthemen.We were pleased to say good-bye to this awful sector and entrained for

Watten,nearStOmer,whereIhadpreviouslyspentsuchapleasantweek,andthencetoHouleandbytraintoBapaume,thelatterjourneytakingover12hourssoslowthetrain.

Bapaume was on the old Somme battlefield, the country still bare anddevastated.Theenemyhadnowwithdrawntohighgroundsomemilesbeyondthis.WewereencampednearLeTransloywiththeruinsofitswellrememberedsugar refinery.Herewemade thewooden cross completewith rail forMajorDickenswhohadbeenkilledthepreviousyearonwhichIpaintedtheinscriptioninOldEnglishlettering.Aphotographofthecrosswastaken,butunfortunatelyIdidnotreceiveaprint.Iwroterecentlytohisniece,MissMonicaDickens,andhersisterMrsDanbysuppliedmewiththephotographreproducedinthisbook.Severalofusborrowedbicyclesfromthesignallersandtookthecrossseveral

milesawaytohisgravewhichwefoundmarkedontheridgenearLeuzeWood.A number of other bodies were buried nearby, but were now unable to beidentified. While there we took the opportunity to explore the vicinity oncemore. Long grass and weeds now covered the ground and some of the treestumps in thewoods had even sprouted green leaves.Much of the debris hadevidentlybeenclearedawayandbodiesdisposedof.Ratshadreturnedandhaddugholes into theunmarkedgravesscatteredabout.Wedidfindoneskeleton,thatofaGermanlyingfacedownwards,stillwithhissteelhelmetandonlyafewmetal buttons lying under the bones. The uniform and other clothing hadcompletely disintegrated. This body had evidently been overlooked by theclearingparties,probablyChineselabourers.WevisitedtheruinsofLesBoeufs,thesmallchurchonlyamoundofrubble,

andsomeonehadplaceditsbellontopofthemound.Nearbyweretheremainsofasmallroundabout,stillstandingbytheroadside.AshortdistanceawaywasabatteredtrenchwithaBritishtankstilllyingacrosswhereithadbrokendowntrying togetoutof the trench.A fewyardsawaywasa smashedshelter–wemovedacorrugatedironsheetandfounditcoveredwithamassof largeblue-bottles.AfewMillshandgrenadeswerelyingabout.Ipulledthepinofoneandthrewit,butitfailedtoexplode–theleverandspringhadnodoubtrustedup.Ihope that no French farmer eventually hit thiswith his plough.AtAeroplaneTrenchtheplanewasstillstanding,lookingquiteserviceable.Germandug-outslookedtemptingtoexplore,butwereprobablybynowindangerofcollapse.Ourcorporalmadeoneor two tentativeefforts todescendadug-out,but found theairtoofoul,soweleftthesewellalone.WepassedCombleswiththeruinsofitssugarrefineryandontoanothertown,probablyPeronne,whichhadbeenintheFrenchsector.Thisseemedfairlyintactandhadnotsufferedsuchdamageastheother villages.We turned here andmade ourway back along the road to ourcamp.Theweatherwasnowdryandsunny,andthesectorveryquiet.Thecountry

wasflatandfeaturelessformilesaround.Itwasquitearestfulperiodafter thehectictimeswehadrecentlyendured.Therewerenociviliansandofcoursenoestaminets.Weheard thataconsignmentof rabbitshadarrived fromAustraliaandwelookedforward toawelcomechangeofdiet,butonexamination theseproved tobeabout thesizeofsmallstarvedrats.Theywereboiledandservedup, but found practically useless as food, there being hardly any flesh on thebones.One day itwas our turn tomarch a fewmiles to a small villagewhichwe

foundtobesurprisinglypicturesqueandgreen,withasmallstreamrunningby.Here was a corrugated iron shed fitted with an overhead tank and piping asshowerbaths, thewaterbeingpumped from the stream.Toourannoyance thepump had broken down; only a few drips ofwater could be coaxed from thetank. We did, however, get some compensation, as on the way back wediscoveredalargebedofwatercressinthestream,whichwegatheredandtookbacktosharewithothercompanions.Itwasrareindeedtogetachangefromourarmyrations–neverfreshgreenstufforfruit.The village, like a good deal of the land on this sector had been evacuated

withoutfightingbytheGermanswhentheyretiredtonewandstrongpositionsintheirrear.Thesenewpositionsweresitedonhigherground,givingthemgoodobservationoverour trencheson theplainsbelow, thuscounteractingmuchofthe advantage we had gained on the Somme by reaching higher groundoverlooking Bapaume and Le Transloy and the vast plain beyond, which wewerenowoccupying.I think it was about this time when leave was given to chaps with longest

overseasservice,tospendaweekattheseasidetownofEtaples,withadditionalpaytospendduringtheholiday.AsIwasseniorsoldierinmysectionIshouldhaveobtainedthisprivilege.Iwas,however,outsidethehutdoingajobofsignpaintingwhenourSergeant enteredwith the pass and gave it to anotherman,HarryKay. Iwasveryannoyedwhen I learnedwhathadhappened.However,HarryseemedsopleasedwithhimselfthatIdidnothavethehearttopressmyclaim and disappoint him. Also, although the holiday would have made awonderfulbreak,Iwouldhavehatedtoenjoyaprivilegewhichtheotherscouldnot share, and in fact I had no great longing to go, having resignedmyself towhat now seemed inevitable. Somehow I do not think he enjoyed his holidayverymuchashewasverysilentaboutitonhisreturn,althoughhemayhavefeltratherguiltyaboutacceptingit.I think the sergeant deliberately passed me over from personal spite, as I

sensedthathedislikedme.Atonetimehewouldsendforoneofustocleanhis

boots and equipment. Onemorning he sent forme. I reported to his tent andfoundthatalthoughitwaslongpastreveilleandwehadalreadybreakfasted,hewasstill lying inhisblankets,alongwithhiscronies, thesergeantcobblerandsergeanttailor.HetoldmetocleanhisequipmentbutIflatlyrefusedtodoso,tellinghimtogetsomeoneelsetodohischores.Hewasrathertakenabackandsaidnothingmore,knowingthathewasbreakingregulations,fornotonlywashe lying inbed longafter reveille,but sergeantswerenotallowedbatmen.Henever showed open resentment to me afterwards, but I felt that he was onlywaitingtheopportunitytogethisownback.ThefellowHarryKaywasablack-hairedgypsy-likerogue,atinkerbytrade,

whoIamsurewouldbedelightedbythisdescription.Nothingwassafefromhisfingersandhewouldgetuptoallsortsofescapades.Hehadplentyofgritwhenrequiredandwouldtakeunnecessaryriskstoobtainanythingheoroursectionwanted.SurprisinglyheandIhadanaturalaffinitytoeachother,oppositetypesaswewere, andoftengot into somepieceofmischief together.Hewas someyearsolderthanme.Iseemedtobetheonlyonewithanysortofinfluenceoverhim; whenever anyone missed some personal item from his haversack IimmediatelysuspectedHarryandaftersaying,‘ComeonHarry,handitover’hewould,afterasheepishdenial,eventuallyreturnthemissingarticletoitsrightfulowner.Whenopportunityoccurredandfundspermitted,wewouldgoonareal‘binge’ together, sometimes walking miles to visit a distant estaminet andsampleitsFrenchbeer,usuallyverypoorstuff.MychieffriendandcompanionhoweverwasDickSweet,asturdyyoungman

ofaboutmyownageandsize,perhapsalittleheavier.Wewouldshareourfoodandsometimesourmoneywhenonewasshortofcash,whichwasmosttimes.Oncewecarriedhalfasandbagofsugarwefoundonthebattlefielduntiltheraindissolved it, our clothing becoming permeated with sweet, sticky mud. AtanothertimewefoundahalfjarofrumandDickfilledhiswater-bottlewiththepotentliquid,mixingitwiththestaleandheavilychlorinatedwaterfrommine.Wewouldmakeporridgewithsmasheduparmybiscuits,usingatrenchingtoolhandleandafilthykhakihandkerchieftopulverizethem,boilingorheatingtheresultinamess-tinwithsugarifavailable.Oncoldwetnightsintheopenwewouldsleeptogetheronthesoakingmud,

usingonegroundsheetunderandoneoverus,mainlyalltonopurpose,asitwasgenerallyimpossibletokeepdry.IfindthatmymemoryofeventsandplacesafterleavingBapaumesectorare

very vague and disjointed.We served onmany different sectors in and aboutArrasandhavingnoaccesstomaps,someoftheplaceswereonlymeaningless

names to me and to my companions. Sometimes we were in more or lesspeacefulvillagesandamongstafewciviliansonceagain;sometimesforwardongroundthathadonlyrecentlybeenfoughtover,andthusdevoidofbuildingsandcertainly miles from civilization; often in the open or in camps situated incountry that was flat and desert-like, with a few roads or sleeper trackstraversingthewasteland.IrememberwewereatFremicourtandLagnicourtandtook part in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, returning to the ArrasfrontinDecember.

Iwill take thisopportunity todivergea littlehereanddealwithoddmentsandgeneralities that come to mind. For instance evidence of the artistic abilityshown by some of the French soldierswhichwe came across now and again,particularly aroundArras and on the Somme. Thesewere examples of skilfullittlesculpturesleftinthedug-outsandshelters.Thesewerecutfromblocksofchalkdugfromtheground.Alsomanybrassshellcasesfinelyengraved,foruseasvases.AfewoftheBritishwerealsoveryaptatengravingonbrass.Hereandthereonewouldcomeacrosscleverfiguredrawingsinblackchalkonthewhitewalls of cottages. British efforts were mostly confined to rude messages orrhymes.Singingwas a very popular pastime, especially on the rare occasionswhen

therehappenedtobeapianoavailableinanestaminet.Wewouldsingatalmostany timeon themarch, inbilletsor estaminets and sometimes in the trenches.Therewouldbepopularsentimentalsongsofthetime,orribaldones,including“KeeptheHomeFiresBurning’,‘PackupyourTroubles’,‘RosesareBloomingin Picardy’, ‘Tipperary’, ‘Every Cloud has a Silver Lining’, and the coarservariety such as ‘Mademoiselle from Armentières’, ‘Landlord have you adaughterfair’,‘WhiterthantheWhitewashontheWall’andacrudeparodyon‘Sinbad the Sailor Man’. French soldiers would sing ‘The Marsellaise’‘Madeleine’, ‘Alouette’andsuchsongswithmuchpatriotic fervour,especiallyafterafewdrinks.ItwasnoticeablethattheFrenchmanwouldalwaysbuyhisowndrinks,unlike

the British who would stand treat in turns. This may have been because theFrenchsoldieronlydrewaboutahalf-pennyaday inpay,sowasalwaysveryhard up. When on leave in England we found that treating in pubs wasforbidden,althoughthisrulingwaslargelyignored.Inthevillageswenoticedthatthelocalpostmanwouldmakehisdeliveriesby

bicycle,blowingalittlehornfromtimetotime.Ifnearaboulangeriewecouldsometimesbuyaloafof thedeliciouslylight

Frenchbread,whichmadeawelcomechangefromourowndoughyration,butthishadtobeconsumedonthedayitwaspurchased,asitwouldbecomesourandstalebythefollowingday.Someofthefarmsmadedeliciouswhitebutter,butcouldonlyveryrarelybepurchasedfromthem.Probably itwas illegal forthemtosellittous.Thebeerwasusuallyverypoorandweak,theredorwhitewinebeingmuchmorepopularwithus.WhenontheSommewesometimessawaFrenchsoldiertakingrationstothe

trenches.Hewouldhaveanumberofroundflatloaveswiththenormalholeinthe centre, a string threaded through the holes and slung over one shoulder,about a dozenwater-bottles containing the redwine issue suspended from theother.We envied them theirwine.Generally our breadwas quite good if notsoakedthroughorsmashedupintransit,beingcarriedinsandbags.Sometimeshowever itwas just ahardpelletofdough,nodoubtdue to lackofyeast.WewouldgatherroundandwatchcloselyasourNCO’scuttheloavesintoportions,toseethatwegotafairshare.Attimesourrationswereverymeagre,butafterheavycasualtiestherewouldbeplentyforall.Wewould,however,thinkofourmissingcomradeswhosefoodwewerenowsharing.When in rest areas we would usually get bacon and sometimes freshmeat

stewed with onions and potatoes, but never green vegetables or fresh fruit.Sometimesthemealwouldbebullybeef,ortinned‘Machonochie’(tinnedmeatand vegetables)whichwould not be very palatablewhen eaten cold.At othertimesthemainmealwouldbeatinofbakedbeanscontainingaminutecubeofporkfat.‘Afters’wouldbeboiledricewithcondensedmilkandsugar.Wealsohad tinned butter, cheese and plum-and-apple jam. There was never fish. Onveryrareoccasionsifwewerenearacanteenwecouldbuyatinofpilchardsorsardines.Thisallsoundsnodoubtquitealavishamount,butitwasseldomthatwegotmorethanafewoftheseitemsatanyonetimeandindeedwereluckytogetanywheninadifficultpartoftheline,exceptperhapsforacoupleofveryhardbiscuits,whichmusthavebeendog’sbiscuits.Infactsomeofthemactuallyborethename‘Spratts’indentedonthem.IthinkIcrackedoneortwobackteethonthese.Ourwateralwaystastedstronglyofchlorineandoftenofpetrol.Araretotof

rumwouldsometimesbeissued,andinthesummeralotoflimejuicewhichasImentionedearlier the Indian troopswouldnotdrink,as theybelieved itwoulddestroytheirvirility.A parcel from home would be received with delight, some of the contents

usuallybeingsharedwithclosecompanions.Whenthepostcorporalvisitedeachcompanywithlettersandparcelsthemenwouldstandaroundeagerly,hopingto

heartheirnamescalled,anditwassadtoseesomeoftheunluckyonesturningawaywithdisappointmentsoevidentontheirfaces.Thenewsfromhomewasofcourse not always good. I remember when Dick Sweet heard of his father’sdeath.Twoofustookalongwalkwithhiminsilencethatevening.Atonevillagethesectionwasbilletedinastableintheyardofafarm-cum-

estaminet.AsmalldarkFrenchmancamealongonedaytokilloneofthepigs,andaskedforoneofustoholdsitslegs.Theotherchapswereloathtodothis,evenHarryKay.NotlikingthethoughtofanEnglishmanlookingsqueamishinfrontofaforeigner,Ivolunteeredtodothis,andwasamazedat thespeedandskill shownby thisman.Onequick stab through the sideof theneck, and theanimal was killed instantly with only a slight shudder. It was then tied to aladder,singedwithapapertorchandopenedupinamatterofminutes.Intheeveningwewentintotheestaminetforadrink,andinsteadofdeparting

bythefrontdoor,followedthecorporalthroughthekitchen,wherethevariouspartsoftheanimalwerelaidoutneatlyonthetable,lookingverytempting.ThecorporalandHarryquicklygrabbedenoughporkchopsforallofus,whichwecooked on our coke fire drum and devoured with relish. There were nocomplaints from the landlord, but the smell of our cooking must have beenobvious.Inonecornerofthestablewasaroundpool.Weweresleepingonwirebeds.I

woke in thenight feeling that somethingqueerwasgoingon,and litacandle.Thewhole floor seemed tobemoving.Therewere thousandsofblackish-greycreatures, somewhat resembling tadpoles, advancing over the floor, but onseeing the candle-light they turned and rapidlydisappeared into thepool. I donot knowwhat theywere, but once saw a few similar creatures comeup in abucketofwaterfromawell.Themedicalorderlycamealongnextdayandputsomethinginthepuddleafterwhichwedidnotseethesecreaturesagain.Therewasa tub fullofGerman ‘stickbombs’knownas ‘TaterMashers’ in

this stable.Thesewereshapedsomewhat likeabakedbean tinwithawoodenhandleandabuttonendedcordfortriggeringoffthedetonator.HarryKaytriedoutoneofthese,butitdidnotexplode,probablynothavingbeenfused.Hetookit away and opened it with a chisel, emptying the contents. We kept it as asouvenir.ThiswastypicalofKay’srecklessness.Wehadaprofessional lightweightboxer in thebattalion,FredPreston,who

saidhewasarelationofthewell-knownsportingpersonality,HarryPrestonofBrighton. There was also a good amateur welter-weight in theMachine GunCompany.Ourofficersputupapurseof200francsfora15roundboutbetweenthesetwo.Prestonwasapleasantlookingandmildspokenfellow,whohowever

threatenedallkindsofmayhemandmurderduringtraining.Hisopponentwasadark, dour looking chap. A proper boxing ring was brought from Divisionalheadquarters and erected in the open, with ringside seats for the officers.AlthoughIhaveseenhundredsofboutssince,thiswasoneofthemostexcitingIhaveeverexperienced.Theywereequallycleverboxersandfighters.Inthe14throundtheystoodtoetotoe,bothutterlyexhausted,notapintochoosebetweenthem,whenalastfeebleblowdroppedPrestontotheboards.Hisopponentstoodoverhimforasecondandthencollapsedontopofhim.Theywerebothout,andhad tobecarried from the ring.Severalofusclimbed into the ringafterwardsandfoundatoothonthebloodspatteredcanvas.Prestonwaskilledshortlyafterthis.WhileinthetrenchesontheLagnicourtsectorwewerevisitedseveraltimes

atnightbyadogfromtheGermanlines.Hewouldarriveoverno-man’s-landintheeveningandgobackbeforedawn.HewasakindofAlsatian,probablywhatis known as a German police dog, very friendly and he enjoyed sharing ourrations.Heevenvisitedthesupportlines.OnedayanEnglishairmanwasshotdowninno-man’s-land,beingbroughtin

by two of ourNCO’s bearing awhite flag. Colonel Shaw andCaptainHeathwerebothwoundedbyasniperwhiledirectingtherescue.TheplanewaslaterdismantledanddestroyedbytheRoyalEngineers.TheLondonScottishwereraidedherebytheenemyandlosttwomentaken

prisoners.In November we heard that we were to take part in an attempt to break

through on awide front of about eightmiles and to captureCambrai, severalmilesbeyondtheHindenburgLineandtheCanalduNord.About this timewehada floodofpink leaflets sentoverby small balloons

fromtheGermanlines.ThesecausedmuchamusementastheywereprintedinFrenchexhortingustolaydownourarmsandsurrender.IwishIhadkeptoneoftheseasasouvenir.Theenemywouldhavebenfurioushadtheyknowntowhatusetheywereput.OnedaywhileincampatFremicourtwereceivedabout40woodensleepers

toeachofwhichwereattachedabouthalf adozenwaisthigh figuresmadeofwireandcanvas,representinginfantrymencompletewithhelmets.Severalofuswere engaged in daubing them with roughly painted features and buttons.Severalwaggonspassedbycontainingroughlymadewoodenandcanvasmodelsof tanks.Thesewere tobeplaced inno-man’s-landovernight toactasdecoyswhentheattackcommenced.Theywereconstructedsothattheycouldberaisedandloweredbystringsfromthefrontlinetrenchtorepresenttroopsadvancing

by sections. Two of our brigades were on the extreme left of the attack, ourbrigadebeinginreserve.Dawnbrokewithaheavymist.Therewasnopreliminarybombardmentthis

timeandtheenemyweretakencompletelybysurprise.Theassaultwasatonceasuccess;theinfantryfollowingthetanksintoandovertheHindenburgLine.Thedummymenandtanks,onlyhalfvisibleinthemist,drewmuchoftheGermanfire away from the assault on the right, until the hoax was discovered, thedummies having caught fire, but they had achieved their purpose at the vitaltime.The battalion now took over positions in and aboutBourlonWood and the

capturedHindenburgLine,theenemyoccupyingtheirsupportlinesandsomeofthe communication trenches connecting these two systems, bombing blocksbeing established in the latter. In many cases the opposing troops were veryclose,onlyabout40or50yardsapartand inoneor twoplacesonlyabout20yards, and could be heard talking. The opposing troops sometimes shoutedgreetings toeachother.Assooften theGermanswouldknowthenameof thebattalionsopposingthem.TheywouldshoutinEnglishduring‘stand-to’calling‘GoodmorningKensingtons’.The captured German dug-outs were remarkably well constructed and

evidentlyintendedforalengthyoccupation.Theywereverycomfortable,beingfurnished from the spoils of adjacent villages. Some evenhadwoodpanellingandwallpaper.Ourmen,howeverwerenotallowedtousethese,theentrances,facingthewrongwayforus,beingtoovulnerabletoshellfireormortarfire.Thishoweverwasfairlylightowingtothecloseproximityoftheopposingtrenchesand the danger of shelling one’s own men. Action was mostly confined toattemptsatbombingalongthetrenchesatcertainpoints,withalsoalittletrenchmortarandriflegrenadefire.Duringoneenemyassaultseveralofourbombingblockswereshelledbyour

ownartillery, causingmany casualties, untilmessages could eventuallybegotthroughaskingtheartillerytolengthentheirrange.Apartfromtheseorganisedassaults both sides very sensibly did little to provoke their opponents, whichwouldotherwiseentailimmediateandpreciselyaimedretaliation.Itwasacaseof‘liveandletlive’.Severalofuspioneersweresentupwithbandsawstocutthroughathicktree

trunklyingacrossthetopofthefrontlinetrench,beingahazardtothosepassingalongthetrenchatnight.Itwas,fortunatelyforus,abandonedatthelastminute,astheoperationwouldcertainlyhavebeenheard,ifnotseen,bytheJerrieswhowere only about 20 or 30 yards away, andwould have brought down prompt

catastropheonourheads. Itwaseventuallyremovedwithanexplosivecharge.Proceeding along the trench amortar bomb exploded ahead andwe heard theominousandcustomaryshoutsfor‘stretcherbearers’.RoundingthetraversewesawanNCOsittingproppedupagainstthetrenchside,hishandspressedtotheground trying to keep his body off the ground and staring with a dreadfulpuzzledlookattheplacewherehislegsshouldhavebeen.Weweregladtogetbacktothecomparativelyquieterquartersinsupport.The nightly carrying parties herewere fairly short, as the transport limbers

andpack-horseswereable tobringsuppliesupovergenerallygoodroutesandwellupneartothesupportlines.Thepreliminaryattackhadbeenhighlysuccessfulalongtheeightmilefront

on the right, notonlyoverruning theHindenburgLine and theCanalduNord(whichtheEngineersbridged),buton to theoutskirtsofCambrai.Thecavalryforoncemadeasuccessfulbreakthrough.UnfortunatelyourHighCommandhadnotforeseenthepossibilitiesopenedup,andhadnotprovidedsufficientreservestoturntheoperationintoaverymuchgreaterbreakthrough.Afterafewdaystheinitial impetus came to a standstill and the enemy had gained time to call upreservesandpreparetocounterattack.Thistheydid,drivingbackourforcesandregaininggroundforseveralmilesbackonourright.Theattackwasheldonoursector,BourlonWood,inspiteofheavyassaultsonourpositions.Attemptswerethenmadeby theenemy todriveback the flanksof the salient anddestroyorcaptureourdivisions,but in spiteof strongassaults, penetrating intoour frontline at one or two points, they were driven out and the ground held andconsolidated.At the end ofNovemberwewere relieved by theGordonHighlanders and

BlackWatch, going into reserve camps at Roclincourt and near Arras on theLens-ArrasRoad.FromnowonthebattalionwasmovedfromfronttofrontandIfinditquite

impossibletorememberallbutaveryconfusingnumberofepisodes.OftenIandmycompanionsdidnotknowinwhatparticularsectorwewere,havingaveryvague ideaof thebattlefieldasawhole. Imustaskyou therefore tobearwithme, as this narrative deals onlywithmy personalmemories, and if a detaileddescriptionof thevariousengagements is required,must referyou towhateverhistoricalorofficialrecordmaybeavailable.In December wemoved to Bailleul and to the Oppy sector south of Vimy

Ridge.Themain lineherewas called theRedLine and forwardof thiswas aseriesofcommunicationtrenchesleadingtoanumberofisolatedoutposts.WeexpectedtospendXmasintheline,buttoourdelightwererelievedafewdays

beforeandwentbacktoRoclincourtCampandthecomfortofthehuts.There was now a heavy snow-fall, thus adding to the atmosphere of the

season.ThebattalionwasfortunateinnowhavingthreeofitsfourChristmasesoutoftheline.

Oh!Oh!Oh!whatalovelywar,Oh!Oh!Oh!whatalovelywar,WhatdowewantwitheggsandhamWhenwe’vegotplumandapplejam,AssoonasreveillehasgoneOurheartsareasheavyasleadWewon’tgetuptilltheSergeantbringsOurbreakfastupinbed.

Oh!Oh!Oh!whatalovelywarOh!Oh!Oh!whatalovelywarFormfours,RightturnHowcanwespendthemoneyweearn?Oh!Oh!Oh!whatalovelywar.

Ourpioneersectionoccupiedafairlylargecorrugatedironhutfittedwithwirebunks,alongtablemadefromafewboxesandplanks,withboxesforseats.Astheofficers’servantsweretakingtheirmess-carttothelargeYMCAcanteenatArrasfortheirChristmassupplies,wepersuadedthemtobringustwocasesofportwine,someVermouthandtolendusadozenglasstumblers.Thecooksdidanexcellent jobandconjuredupa largeroastdinnerof turkey,vegetablesandChristmaspudding.EverymanwasgivenasmallBiblefromtheQueen.Thesecame in useful later as cigarette papers.We alsomanaged to get a fewDutchcigars. We settled down at our table after dinner, with tumblers full of port,plenty of bread, cheese and pickles, and naturally all got very jolly. TheQMstores cook came in to greet us. Hewas a small tubby little fellow, formerlyfromtheBantamregiment,whowheninthewetandmudoftheSomme,beforegettinghispresentjob,wouldcauseusamusementbysayingmournfully‘Ifonlymymuvvercouldseemenow’.Wegavehimadrinkandhestoodatthefootofthetable,singingoneofhisfavouritesongs,‘Beer,Beer,gloriousBeer’andashegottotheline‘DownbythesideofitI’malwayswillingtolie’,HarryKayhurleda loaf from the far endof the table catching thepoor fellow full in theface,causinghimtocollapseontothefloor.Thiswasaparticularlynastythingtodo,and theCorporalgrabbedHarry,swinginghimatarms lengthabovehis

headandthrewhimcrashingintothecornerontoaheapofemptyportbottles,someofwhichbroke,fortunatelynotharmingHarry,whowasprettyintoxicatedbynow.Iwentoutsideinthesnowtoclearmyheadalittle.Outsidewasaboxoneach

sideofthedoor,ononeofwhichstoodabasinfullofdirtywater.Iattemptedtosit on the empty box, but somehow sat down in the basin of water on theopposite side. Getting up I reached for the door, but it was just out of arm’sreach,andtryasIcouldwasunabletogoforward,tippingbackonmyheelsasIstretched forward.Someoneheardmyshoutandhauledmeback inside.Harryhad now revived and was pumelling a small chap named Swallow, who washelplessly lying back on his bunk. I managed to drag Harry off and separatethem.ThenextmorningIsaton thesideofahugeshell-holeoutside thehut.The

hole was full of snow, at which I sat gazing, trying to clear my head. Idiscovered that large tumblers full of port wine played havoc with theconstitution,andIdidnotgetridofmyhang-overforaboutaweek,whenIwasdetailedformyleavehome–thesecondleave,thedatebeing1stJanuary1918.About a half-dozen of us were taken by lorry to a railhead and entrained forBoulogne.Ihadwaitedabout14monthsforthissecondleave,whichwasfor14days.IrememberchattinginthetrainwithaCanadiansoldier,whogavemeapipefulofhisCanadiantobacco,whichIfoundverypleasant,andheshowedmeagoodmethodoffillingmypipe.WespentthenightinthecampaboveBoulogne.Itwasverycold,andIwas

gladofthetotofrumwhichIhadsavedinthesilverflaskmyfatherhadgivenme the previous year, and strolled about talking with another chap, who likemyselfhadneithertheinclinationnorthecashtogointothetownasmostothersdidfortheevening.Inthemorningweweregivenalargetubofhotwaterandsoapandafterbathing,acompletesetofnewunderwear,somanagedwithlucktogetridofourverminbeforeembarkingforEngland.BeforeleavinganNCOmounted a table and warned us that if we were discovered taking home anyweaponsassouvenirswewouldhaveourleavecancelled.Ihadconcealedinmypack and aboutmy person, a fine collection, including a French bayonet, twoGerman bayonets, one being a saw-edged pioneers bayonet, a German stickbomb(defusedofcourse)andtheboltofaGermansniper’srifle.Notwishingtorisklosingmyleave,Idisposedoftheseintheloo,whichIregrettedlater,assofarasIcouldseenoonewassearched,andIsawseveralchapsactuallycarryingwhatwerenodoubtGermanrifles,wrappedincloth.ArrivingatWaterlooStation,orwasitVictoria,Iforgetwhich,Isaidfarewell

tomycompanions,whoatmysuggestionsolemnlyagreedto takeadayextra.Theweatherwasvery foggyandwhenIgotoutatStroudGreenStation therewasarealLondonpea-soupfog,andIcouldnotevenseethestreetlightoutsidethestation.MyparentshadnowmovedtoahouseinRidgeRoad,Hornsey,andIhadnoideahowtofindmywaytothisstrangeaddressinthefog.Fortunatelyaboycamebyandhekindlyguidedmeupthehillandtothehouse.Imountedthesteps to thefrontdoor,realizingthat itwas2ndJanuaryandmy21stbirthday.AsIknockedthedoorIrememberedthesong‘I’mtwentyonetoday’,butIhadnotgotthekeyofthedoor.Myparentsandsisterwereathome,havingbeenadvisedofmyleave,butnot

knowingtheprecisedayandtimeformyarrival.Itwasmarvelloustoseethemagainafterwhatseemedaneternity.InfactitwasgenerallyagreedthatayearinFrance seemedmore like ten years. Theywere naturally eager to hear ofmyexperiences,butIamafraidIwasabletogiveonlyavagueandjumbledaccountwith much repetition. My recent experiences had been so many and eventsfollowedeachothersorapidly,thatitwasyearsbeforeIwasabletomemorizethingsinamoreorderlyfashion.BeforeretiringthatnightIkissedmyfatheronhisforeheadasIhadalwaysdoneinthepast.Ithinkhewasslightlysurprised,but not displeased. My mother was greatly distressed when she once againdiscoveredmesleepingonthebedroomfloorinthemorning.Mymother and I made various visits to see relatives and friends, and one

eveningwetookmyfathertotheFinsburyParkCinema,hisfirstexperienceofmovingpictures,wherewesawaCharlieChaplinfilm.Myfatherdidnotseemveryimpressedandwasdisgustedattheanticsofthiscomedian,whichseemedhilariouslyfunnytomeandquiteinnocuous.OnthemorningofmydepartureIpreferred to say farewell at the door and go off to the station alone. I had aforebodingthatthiswouldbemylastleaveandthatifIdidindeedreturnhomeitwouldbeonastretcher.Ihadbeenveryluckysofar,somanyofourfellowshadbeenkilledorwounded,veryfewof theoriginalmembersof theregimentbeingleft.Luckcouldnotholdoutmuchlonger,aseventsweresoontoprove.Ihad a bad omen at Finsbury Park Station. Striding proudly down the slopingsubwaywhichwasbusywithofficeworkershurryingalongtocatchtheirtrains,mysteelstuddedbootsslippedontheconcreteandIfellonmybackwithaloudcrash, loaded down with my pack, equipment, rifle and steel helmet. I feltterriblyhumiliatedat this indignityandamafraidwasvery rudeandabrupt tothosegoodcitizenswhorushedtohelpmeup.Ourparty,thehalf-dozenwhohadpromisedtostealtheextradaysleave,met

atVictoria Station andwith hundreds of others,many ofwhomwere bidding

farewell to their friends and relatives, entrained for Dover and the boat toBoulogne.Herewespentthenightincamp,beingsortedoutinthemorninganddespatched to our various units –we getting back to camp on theLens-ArrasRoadafewmilesbeyondthecity.EverynightwewouldseeandhearrevellersreturningfromaconvivialeveninginArras,singingandshoutingandsometimesdraggingatipsycomradealongonhisheels.WeweresoononceagainsentfurthernorthtowardstheBailleuldistrictand

on to the Oppy and Vimy Ridge fronts. I can clearly recall one particularlyarduousmarch of somemiles over roads and rough sleeper tracks during thenight.Theroutewashardgoingalongthewaterloggedandmuddyroad,muchcutupbyshellfire.Longlinesofhorsedrawnguns,limbersandwaggonswereconstantlypassing,causingusoftentostepoffthetrackasthewheelsofthesevehicleswouldcatchoneendofasleeper,manyofwhichwereactuallyfloatinginmudandwater, swinging it roundkneehigh,across the track, threateningabrokenleg.Manygunsandlimberswerestuckinmuddyshell-holes,horsesandmenstrivingfuriouslytogetthemfree.Aswegotnearerthelinethegroundaheadwaslitupwithhundredsofshell

flashesandredandgreenstarshellsandthewhitishilluminationofverylightsand shrapnel in the sky around us.We realized that we were in a dangeroussalient,with shelling coming from front and sides. Large numbers ofwalkingwoundedwere struggling past us,manymuttering the customary ‘Good LuckChum’, and telling us that it was hell up the line, and that Jerry was on theoffensive.Theprospectswerefarfromcheerful,especiallyafterourspellofrest.I once more felt that dreadful sick, empty feeling at the pit of my stomach,knownas‘windup’.Itwasverylikeavisittothedentist,onlyahundredtimesworse.We reached our destination at dawn, by the track-side, in open plain.

Occasionalshellsseemedtobecomingfromalldirections,andwelearnedthattheenemyweretryingtobreakthroughatbothsidesofthesalientandtotrapus.ThispositionwasnearOppyandwhatwasknownastheRedLine.Iamnotsuretothisday.Ourcompanieswentoffaheadlaterintheday,oursectionbeingleftbythetrackside.Manywoundedwerestillcomingdown,someonlimbersandlorries, many walking, some hobbling along with leg wounds, others withbandagedheador limbs.Wewouldoccasionally help oneon to the backof apassingvehiclewhenspacewasavailable.Our companies took over the Red Line, which had been strengthened, in

support, and then passed forward to the front line in the oldHindenburgLineand to outpost positions in shell holes and trenches beyond.Here the brigade

withstood several vicious attacks in an enemy endeavour to recapture theRedLineandretakeVimyRidge.TheseattackswerebeatenoffbyourtwodivisionswhichwelearnedlaterhadactuallybeenassaultedbynolessthanfiveGermandivisions.Thefront linewaspenetratedinplaces,butwereheldupbycounterattacks; but the front positions were becoming so smashed up that a shortwithdrawal was eventually made to the Red Line, where a strong defensivepositionhadnowbeenprepared.TheGermandug-outs in thispartof theHindenburg systemhadbeenmade

verycomfortablebytheenemy,withtablesandotherfurniturefilchedfromthevillages.AtthebeginningofFebruarywewereagainintheRedLine.Theweatherwas

nowverycoldandfrosty.Theareawassubjectedtoagooddealofgasshelling,thegasbeingheldinthefrostyground,whichonthawingoutreleasedgasfumescausingmanycasualties.Onedaywewererestingbesideafielddressingstationashortdistancebehindtheline,aduckboardtrackrunningtothedressingstationtent.Groupsofmenwerestumblingblindlyalongthistrackwithbandagedeyes,ledbymedicalorderlies,eachmanholdingontotheshoulderofthemaninfront–acaseofthe‘blindleadingtheblind’,reminiscentofthewellknownpictureby the Flemish artist, PeterBreughel. The artist JohnSargent has painted thissceneentitled‘Gas’.ItisaremarkablepaintingandsoexactlyasseenbymethatIthinktheartistmusthavewitnessedthisverysameincident,possiblytakingaphotograph for detail. It even shows the wounded and gassedmenwhowerelyingaboutonstretchersawaitingattentionorambulances.I would like to mention here how irksome was the wearing of our

cumbersomegasmasks.Thiswasworn in thealertpositiononourchests,notonly restricting our breathing, but inducing perspiration and causing a greatdecrease inmobility, serious enough as it was when added to the rest of ourheavy equipment. Its position on the chest was no doubt decreed by someignoramus inacomfortableWhitehalloffice. Ifhegets topurgatory Ihopehewill be sentenced to wear a gas mask for eternity. There was more commonsenseused after thewar,when themaskwas slungon topof the pack exceptwhenagasalertwasinoperation.During one of our periods back at a rest camp we were given another

inoculation,andaswelinedupforourturnwiththedoctor’sneedle,severalmenactuallyfainted.Afterwhattheyhadbeengoingthroughitseemedsurprisingtoseemenpassingoutfromfearofatinyneedleprick.One day the doctor offered to pull teeth if required. I had recently been

troubledwithabackmolar,nodoubtcrackedwhiledealingwithourharddog’s

biscuits,solinedupinthebarnformyturn.Therewasanupturnedtubtoserveasdentists’chair,andoursmalldoctorflourishinghisoneandonlyhugepairofforceps,evidentlyenjoyinghisgruesomepastime.Therewasnoanaesthetic,andthe victims seemed to be suffering greatly from his ministrations. One afteranother prospective patient was quietly slipping away, myself included. I amgladtosaymytoothachedisappeared,nottoreturnuntilafterthewar.From time to time amanwouldhave to be sent awaywith shell-shock, his

nerve having broken down under the strain of warfare, close proximity to anexplosion,orevenhavingbeenburiedalive.Afterone rather trying tour in the trenches,wecameback toaquietvillage

andonechapchosethisopportunitytodesertandhidinanearbywood.Afteradayortwohewascaughtandcondemnedtodeath.Asmalltinlidwashandedtometopaintwhite.Thefiringpartymarchedoffnextmorning,thetindiscfixedto his chest, and he was shot. The sentence seems very savage, but wascustomary,asdesertionorcowardicehastobedealtwithdrasticallyinwarfare,notonlytodiscouragewaverers,buttopreventthespreadofpanic.Inthiscasethesentencewasverydrastic,astheoffencewasnotactuallycommitted‘inthefaceoftheenemy’.Infacthemayevenhavegotawaywithshell-shockifhehaddisappearedduringbattle.IrememberthatatArrasduringthepreviousyearamanwasbroughtbackto

thebattalionfromLondon.Hewasoneoftwomenwhodesertedearlyin1915andmanagedtogetbacktoEngland,buthewouldnotsay,onlytellingmethattheauthoritieswereverycurioustofindhowhehadaccomplishedthis,andhehadgiventhemtheinformationinreturnforhislife.MilitaryPolicewouldcarryout spot checks in pubs and cinemas in England to try and discover anydeserters.Theyhadcaughthimasleepinbedonenight.We had several cases of self-inflicted wounds. For instance, there was the

transportmanwhohaddeliberatelycrushedhis footunderawaggonwheelontheSomme.TwomencuttheirhandsbadlyonopeningbullybeeftinsatArras.Anotherman,who later became awell-knownwar artist,was reputed to haveshothimself through the foot; thiswasawellknownwayofgetting invalidedout,butthebootwouldshowburnmarksfromtheriflemuzzle,sosomecunningculpritswouldfirethroughasandbagplacedoverthefoot.Anothertrickwastoholdahandupabovetheparapet,hopingtogetitshotbyasniper.Thenthereweremenwhowouldkeepwhackingtheirknee-capwithawettoweltoinduceasynovitis knee. Chewing cordite was said to cause a rise in temperature,simulating fever. Others were very clever at pretending deafness, but weremostlydetectedfairlyeasilybydoctorstrickingthemintoamistake.Iheardof

onemanwho although suspected by the doctors ofmalingering, could not becaughtout,untilsenttotherailwaystation,accompaniedbyamedicalorderly,ostensibly to go to London for his discharge.As theman entered the railwaycarriagetheorderlysuddenlyaskedifhehadhisrailwayticket.Thefellowwassojubilatedatthethoughtofgettingawaythathecarelesslysaid,‘Yes’.Asregardsgenuineillnesses,themostusualwouldbethemysteriousailment

called trench-fever, trench-feet and scabies, the latter usually caused by lice.Boilswere very prevalent, no doubt due to lack of green stuff and overmuchtinnedmeat.Itwasnotworthwhilegoingonsickparadeforminorailmentssuchascolds,influenza,andsoon,asthesemeritedlittleornoconsideration,theonlyremedygivenforalmostanycomplaintbeingthenotorious‘NumberNine’pill–whichwebelievedthispilltobetheonlymedicineavailabletoourdoctors.We spent a few days in the line at Vimy Ridge, taking over from the

Canadianswhohadmadethemselvesfamousbyitscapture.Oursectionwereinasupportlineinoldbrokendowntrenchesjustbelowthetopoftheridge,whichwasquitebareandpittedwithshell-holes.Iwouldliketohavegotaviewoftheenemysideof theridge,butas thegroundinfrontwassoopenanddesertedIcould notmakemyself too conspicuous bywandering off onmy own up thehundredyards to the top.Wehada thoroughlymiserablefewdaysandnights;thegroundwaswetandmuddyandentirelywithoutshelterofanykind–wehadnorationsandnowater,butsomeofuschancedmakingteawithwaterfromthebottomof the trench,muchbefouledas itwas.Itwasdifficult toget thewateranywherenearhot,asweonlyhadoldlettersandenvelopesandwhateverscrapsofwettimberwecouldfindlyingaround.WehadasurprisevisitbytheBrigadierGeneral,whocamejustatthebackof

meandsaidtous,‘Nevermind,youwillsoonberelieved’,afterwhichheandhispartyhurriedbackagain to the rear.Wenoticed thathedidnotgo furtherforwardthanoursupportline,andshowednoinclinationtotakealookoverthetop of the ridge.However, ‘hiswordwas as good as his bond,’ andwewererelievedlaterinthedayandmarchedbacktoareservecampnearArras.TheCorporalandhalfadozenofusobtainedaday’sleaveinArras,managed

togetaliftinalorry.Quiteanumberofcivilianshadnowreturnedtothecity,andseveralshopsandestaminetshadopenedup.Wehadquiteanenjoyabledayincludingamealofeggsandchips,plentyofwhitewine,andactuallyfoundaFrench photographer in business.We took the opportunity of having a groupphotograph taken, a really first class effort, I stillhaveacoupleof copies, theprintsbeingreadybeforeourreturn.The streets in the busy part were packed with troops of many different

regiments, includingEnglish,Scots,Welsh, Irish,Canadians,Australians,NewZealanders and SouthAfricans.Away from the shopping areas the rest of thestreets and squareswere almost deserted. In themiddle of one large desertedsquare,was a garden seat under a groupof trees.Reclining on the seatwas aScottish soldier, apparently getting over a debauch. He was busily searchinghimself for pests, at the same time solving once and for all the interestingproblemofwhat theScotsworeunder theirkilts.Wehadno transportback tocamp,socommencedourlongtrampoverthefields,fortifyingourselvesonthewaywithseveralbottlesofwinewehadacquiredbeforedeparture.We were soon to hear the disquieting news of the collapse of the Russian

armyand the inevitable releaseof perhaps amillionGermans to reinforceouropponentsandenablethemtomakeanenormousassaultagainsttheFrenchandourselves,nowmuchweakenedanddepletedbyourrecentefforts.ItistruethattheAmericanswere about to enter thewar onour side, but only a very smallnumber had so far arrived in France, and itwould no doubt bemanymonthsbeforetheywouldbeoverinanystrength;andevenso,theywouldbegreenandinexperiencedinwarfare.ThequestionwaswhetherwewouldbeabletolastoutagainsttheoverwhelmingnumbersandarmamentsshortlytobethrownagainstusuntiltheAmericanscouldarriveinstrength.Atabout this time itwasdecided toconvertourbrigade toa threebattalion

basisinsteadofthefourbattalionformation,thusputtingourarmyonthesameprincipleasthatoftheGermans.Thiswouldservenotonlytoincreasetheman-powerofeachbattalion,butmakepossibletheformationofextradivisions.Thismovewasreceivedbyuswithsomemisgiving,asitwouldnodoubtmeanmorefrequentperiodsinthefrontlineandlessinreserve.Therewasmuchspeculationand rumour as to which of our battalions would lose its identity, and thiseventuallyturnedouttobetheRangers(12thLondon)thusleavingourbrigadecomposedoftheLondonScottish,the4thLondon(Fusiliers)andourselves,theKensingtons. We received about 150 men from the now disbanded QueenVictoriaRifles.On21stMarchtheGermanslaunchedtheirgreatoffensiveonafrontofabout

40miles,withanenormousforceofabout70divisions.Theblowfellwhereitwasleastexpectedandwherethelinewasonlythinlyheld.InaboutaweekthewholeoftheoldSommebattlefieldwaslost,theenemyattackinginhugemassesofmen, completely over-running our troops in spite of magnificent efforts toresist.Manyofourbattalionswerecompletelyannihilatedwithina fewhours.TheadvancewasfinallyhaltedbeforeAmiens.ThenextattackwasexpectedtofallontheArrasfront,whichnowpresenteda

threattotheGermanflank.Trenchesandstrongpointswerepreparedhurriedlyin the back areas, the strategy now being to fall back gradually to these newpositions, hoping that the enemy would eventually become exhausted. Theirlinesofcommunicationwouldnowbegreatlyextendedandifwecouldholdouttheywouldhavegreatdifficultyinmaintainingtheirsuppliesastheygotfurtherfrom their bases. Many of our dumps of food and ammunition had to beabandonedandfellintotheenemy’shands.ItwaslaterfoundthatmanyoftheGerman troops were dismayed and discouraged to find how well we weresuppliedwithfoodincomparisonwiththeirownmeagrerations,andwerefacedwiththeproofthattheirsubmarinecampaignhadfailedinitsattempttostarveusout.Arraswasevacuatedofciviliansandthehugearmycanteenestablishedthere

wasabandoned, leavinggreatmassesof foodanddrinkbehind.Thesewereofcourselootedbythelargenumbersofmenofdifferentregimentsontheirwaytothe rear, and as may be imagined there was much intoxication among theretreating troops,both from thiscanteenandmanyother sources.This stateofaffairsmusthavecausedmuchanxiety toourHigherCommand,butnodoubtthe advancing German forces were faced with a similar problem. As far as Iknowourdivision tooknohand in thesedebauches,disciplinebeinghigh,andalso that our task was to stand and defend Arras, so had no opportunity ortemptationtoraidthesetreasures.WehadnoticedsometimebeforethisthatthegreenfieldsbehindArraswerebeinghurriedlyploughedinpatches,theobjectofwhichwasobscure,butnodoubtintendedtoassistinrangingforartilleryfire,orairobservationpurposes.As mentioned, our division was to remain on this front and cover the

anticipated enemy attack on Arras. Orders were read out to us from GeneralHaigthatwewerenowtofightwithout‘backstothewall’,therewastobenoretreatandweweretoholdontotheend.Theword‘retire’wasnottobeused,particularlyasitwasrumouredthatGermansdisguisedasBritishofficerswereorderingretirement,thusaddingtotheconfusion.It is surprising that all ranks were behaving with great coolness and

steadfastness.Ithasalwaysbeensaid that thisattitudeis typicalof theBritish,whofightbestwheninaseeminglyhopelesssituation.Idonotthinkitoccurredtoanyofusthatwecouldeverbedefeated,sogreatwasourprideandfaithinthe strengthof theBritishEmpirewith all its great traditions.As formyself Inowfeltcompletelydedicatedtothewarandgaveupallthoughtofsurvivingit.Ihadnotrepidationsastoourfinalvictoryandfeltcompleteconfidenceinthedeterminationandsteadfastnessofmycomrades.

While in reserve we were set to work in encircling all huts and tents withshallowtrenches.ItwasusualforallcampstohaveaLewisgunmountedonapost, with a gunner in constant attention to deal with any German aeroplaneappearing in the vicinity. These planes were now visiting us frequently,evidentlyforobservationpurposes.OnedayaGermanplanecameswoopingdowndirectlytowardsusaswewere

standingoutsideourhutwatchingitsapproach,thinkingithadbeenhitandwasabout to land. It came to within about 50 yards of us and we could plainlydistinguishthefeaturesofthepilot,whensuddenlyitshotupandawaywithitsinformationandprobablyphotographs.Forsomereason theLewisgunnerwasnotathispostatthetime.KnowingwhatIdonow,Irealizethatweshouldhaveshotat it; itwassonearandas itwascomingstraight towardsuswouldhavebeenimpossibletomiss.Theseairmenwereremarkablyaudaciousandplucky.Wewerenottrainedtodealwiththemortheirwiles.

VII

Blighty–EndofDiversion

On 7th April 1918 we were moved to the Beaurains-Tilloy sector, nearTelegraphHill.TheGermanswerenowinpossessionofNeuville-Vitassewhichwehadattackedandcapturedthepreviousyearalmosttotheday.Wetookoverfrom theCanadiansandSouthAfricans,mysectionentering thesameshallowtrench on the ridge immediately to the right of Beaurains, which we hadoccupiedon theeveofourattack twelvemonthspreviously. Itwasnight timewhenwemadetherelief.ThesectionofSouthAfricansrelievedcouldnotgetaway quick enough and seemed to be in a bad state of nerves, hurrying offwithout aword to us. Theymust have had a pretty bad time, although thingsseemedquietenoughthatnight,buttheirattitudedidnotseemtobodewellforourfuture.The followingdaywasuneventful until in the late afternoon sixof uswere

orderedtoactasarationpartyandgobackalongtheroadtocollectrationsandreturn to Beaurains where we would be met at the old British front line anddirected to the company quarter-master’s dug-out. The corporal, who shouldhavebeeninchargeaswasnormal,stayedbehindwithHarryKay,andwesetoffwithoutanNCO.WereachedtheroadwhereitwasdecidedthatIwouldbeincharge,havinglongestservice,althoughtheyoungest.We set off down the road towards Achicourt, finding the pile of rations

dumpedinashellholebesidetheroad.Thereweretwodozensandbagsfulland12 petrol cans ofwater.Wehad left our equipment behind, carrying only ourloaded rifles, which incidentally never left our handswhen in the battle area.Duskhadnowsetin,andwhilewewereengagedintyingthesandbagsinpairsto slingoverour shoulders, theenemycommencedshellingalong the roadweweretotraverse.Abatteryofartillerycamebyatatremendousgallop,thefourteamsofhorses tearingalong,panic-stricken,eyesbulgingandnostrils flaring,thedriverscrouchedovertheiranimals.Ihadseenpicturesofhorsesgallopingintoaction,butneverthoughtIwouldeverseetheactualthing.Theimpression

wasexactlyaspicturedbywarartists.Theartillerywereevidentlyretiringtopositionsinthereartopreventcapture.

Ithought,‘Thisisit’andfeltthattheinfantryinfrontwerebeingabandonedtotheir fate and we would have to bear the brunt of an attack without artillerysupport.Theenemynodoubthadobservedthewithdrawalandwereshellingtheroadunmercifully.ThebombardmentcontinuedwithoutpauseandIdecided itwouldbeaswelltocarryonwithourjobandgetitover,ratherthanstayputandprobablygethitanyway.Isuggestedtryingtocarrythewholeburdeninonetrip,asalthoughwemight

withluckgetthroughandbackinonego,thereseemedlittlechanceofourluckholding out a second time.However, a couple of our shortest chaps said theycould not manage the four sandbags and two petrol tins, in addition to theirrifles,soIreluctantlyagreedtomakethetwojourneys,andweshoulderedfoursandbags each,whichwere difficult enough tomanage, as they and our rifleswouldkeepslippingfromourshoulders.Ifourhandswerealsoengagedwiththepetrol tins(twogallonseach tin) itwouldhavebeendecidedlyawkward to tryand stop everything sliding off every fewminutes. Itwas by now quite dark,exceptfromthelightoftheburstingshells,fallingoneachsideaswellasontheroaditself.Aftersome500yardswereachedthetrenchwhereweweremetbythelook-outanddirectedtothedestinationabout100yardsalongthetrench.Wewereadvisedthatowingtomudandotherobstructionsitwaseasiertogoalongthetop.Weturnedleftwithopengroundononesideandtreesontheright.Wecame

toalargepitordepressionwhichlookedlikeanoldartilleryposition,nodoubtfromwhichthegunswesawontheroadhadjustbeenwithdrawn.Weweretoldtoleaveourburdensattheentrancetoadug-out,andmadeourwaybackontotheroadandtothedump.Theroadwasstillbeingshelled,butwegotthroughwithoutmishap,gatheredupthepetrolcansofwaterandreturnedtothetrench.Itwasnowverydarkindeedandstartingtorain, theroadstillundershell-fire.Therewasnoonenowatthetrenchentranceandwemovedalonganddumpedourburdensasbefore,meetingapartyofourdrummerswhoevidentlyhadbeenonasimilarjob.Suddenly a barrage of shells came screaming over and dropping a short

distancebeyondus, severalburstingquiteclose.Wemoved to the trenchside,bunchingtogetdownataconvenientplace.Itispossibleafteralittleexperiencetotellfromthescreamofanoncomingshelltoknowifitisgoingtofallwithinafewyardsortopassoverone’shead.IheardonecomingthatIknewwasgoingto landonus. Ididnothear the final screamof theshell,norwhatmusthave

beentheawfulnoiseofitsexplosion.Ifeltaterrificblowontheleftsideofmyback, like the kick of a horse, felt my knees buckle under me and lostconsciousness.IhavenoideaforhowlongIwasinthisstate,butcametowithanawfulpain

inmy back and stomach, and hearing a lot ofmoaning noises. Realising thatsomeofthemoaningwascomingfromme,Ishutup,buttherewasmuchofitstillgoingonaroundme.Therewasasuffocatingfeeling inmychestandIhad toforcemybreath in

short gasps, each gasp causing much pain. The worst pain was across mystomach and I was reluctant to put my hand there, being sure that my mid-sectionhadbeenblownaway.Myfeetseemedtobemovingupanddown,asifon a bicycle, making me think that my spine had been broken causing thisreaction.ItriedtokickouttofindifIhadanycontrolovermylegs,andheardaclonk

as my boot must have contacted a steel helmet. One source of groaningimmediatelystopped,asalsodid thecircularmotionofmyfeet,andI realisedthatsomepoorfellowmusthavebeengraspingmyanklesabovehisheadinhisagony.Icouldhearandseetheshellsstillburstingallaround.Now convinced that I was dying I had a peculiar hallucination of a light

openingbetweencloudsintheskyandvoicessingingandcallingmein.Iwasnotatallscaredduringall this,butapartfromthepainfeltquitecalm.AfterawhileIbegantothinkhowmuchIwouldliketoseemymother,fatherandsisterjustonceagainbeforeIdied,andthen,ofallthings,alongingtowalkoncemoreatnightalongbyFinsburyPark,andbecamedeterminedthatIwouldlastouttodothesethings.AnothershellcameparticularlycloseandI thoughthowsillytostayherein

theopenwhenonlyayardortwofromtheedgeofthetrench,wherenowIcouldhearvoicesandmovementsofpassersby.Therewereseveralcallsforhelpfromwoundedmenlyingaround,butnoonecame,andweheardonevoicefromthetrenchsaying,‘Weareallwoundedourselveshere.’Althoughitwasterriblypainful,Itriedbydegreestoinchmywaytowardsthe

trenchbyusingoneelbow,eventuallymanaging to reach theedge, landingonwhatmusthavebeenacorrugatedironshelter.Therewerevoicesquietlytalkingunderthis,butasmyweightwasshakingthisfeeblesupportthemenunderneathmusthavebeenscared,astheirvoicesstopped.Several fellows passed, and I tried to call their attention, but theymade no

effort to helpme althoughwithin arm’s reach. At last twomen came by andliftedmedowntothebottomofthetrench,whichwasinchesdeepinmud.The

rainwasstilldrizzlingdown.Justnearmewasadug-outentrance,andfromthesounds the dugout stepswere full ofmen, somewounded. I could hear otherwoundedmen lying nearby in the trench.The two fellowswere awfully goodandstayedwithmeallnight.Therewasayoungmanlyingbesidemeandwhowasgaspingforbreathjust

asIwas,butafterawhilethegaspingstoppedandIheardsomeonesayhewasdeadandnamedhimasDrummerStroud.Iwasdistressedtohearthis,ashewasafine,wellbredandprincipledfellow,muchlikedandrespectedbyall.Iatlastventuredtoplacemyhandonmystomachandwasagreeablysurprisedtofinditstillthere.Therewasawidecanvasbeltundermytunicandinordertorelievemy breathing I tried to unbuckle this, but found that my fingers would notfunction. One of the fellows undid this for me. There must have been abouttwentyofuscasualties.Ilearnedthatallsixofmypartyhadbeenwounded,butdonotknowifany

hadbeenkilled.Severalhadlegwounds,includingmypalDickSweet,whomIranintoseveralyearslaterwhenvisitingthelibraryinWestminster.Towardsdawnstretcherbearerswerebusytakingawaysomeofthewounded.

Atday-breakanofficercamealongandsaid that Iwas togonext.Some timeelapsed before the two stretcher bearers arrived. They said they had beenworking all night and could not take any more as they were completelyexhausted. However, they evetually said they would take just one more, andlifted me onto a stretcher, struggling along the muddy trench. Each time thestretcherwasloweredtothegroundontothethickmud,thelumpswouldpressintomybackcausingintensepain.Aswenearedtheroadwepassedunderacoveredtunnel,causingthebearers

to stoop and drag me along the trench bottom. They got me to the roadside.There was still some desultory shelling along the road and several motorambulancescamebydrivingveryfast.Theywouldnotstop,probablybeingfullup.Thedriversmusthavebeenveryplucky,evidentlygoingquiteclosetothefrontlineatthefarsideofBeaurains.Eventually one ambulance stopped and I was slid aboard amongst several

other casualties, and we set off at a cracking pace towards Achicourt,accompaniedbyshell-burstsenrouteandnegotiatingthemanyshell-holesintheroad.TheambulanceenteredAchicourtandstoppedbyacellarentrancealongthemainroad.Severalstretchercasesweretakenaheadofmeheadfirst.Itriedtoimplorethestretcherbearerstotakemedownfeetfirst.However,headfirstIwent,andnaturallylostconsciousnessatonce.Icametolyingonsomesortoftable,thecellarincandle-light,andamedical

orderlybindingupmytwohands.Ihadnoideawhy,asIhadnotrealizedorfeltthatmyhandsweredamaged.Hesaidtherewasalsoasmallwoundabovemyleftear,andaskediftherewasanywhereelse.Isaidmybackandstomach.Heslitopenmytunicandfoundawoundinmyshoulderaboutthesizeofapenny.Acupofwaterwasplacedatmy lips,but Iwasonlyallowed towet them,

thirstyasIwas.Ifoundafterwardsthatmymedicalcardwasmarked‘Gunshotwoundsinhandsandstomach’.Iwastakenupandputintoanotherambulanceanddrivenofftowhatturnedouttobeonlyoneofseveraldressingstationsenroutetoarailhead.Iwasonlysemi-consciousandmusthavesleptmostofthetime.Onestopwas

inahugewarehouseorbrewery,fullofwarmwaterradiatorsontopofwhichwewereplacedonstretchers.Theremusthavebeenahundredormoreofus.Anorderlyarmedwitha largepairofscissorsswiftlyripped throughmyclothing,leavingmelikeapeeledbanana,andwrappedmeinablanket, thecontentsofmypocketsbeingplacedinacottonbagandtuckedinwithme.Iwasthenforthefirsttimeallowedatinysipofteafromalargemugandslidintoaconvertedcattle truckwithother stretchercases.Anorderly flungapaper-backnovelonmyblanket.Itwasdifficult tousemyheavilybandagedhands,butIfoundthebook tobe a luridmurder storywhichhardly appealed tome at the time, andanywayIwasintoodazedastatetoread.WearrivedatEtaplesandweretakenbymotorambulancestothehospital,a

largecollectionoflongwoodenhuts.IwasputintoabedintheSouthAfricanWard.Therewereprobablyabout20orsobedsinthewardattendedbyseveralwhite South African nurses and a male orderly. Thousands of wounded menwerecomingdownfromthelineatthistime,manybeingshippedoffasquicklyaspossibletoEngland.Thesefinededicatedwomenwereworkingtwentyhoursaday,butweretobekilledafewweeksafterwardsasIwillrelate.MybreathingwasnoweasierbutstilldifficultandIwasfairlycomfortablein

bedso longas Ikeptperfectlystill.Myrighthandhadswollenuntil it lookedlikeasmallfootball.Ihadreadinanovelaboutamanwholaidonhissideinordertokeepclosedawoundinhischest,soIlaidonmyleftsideasmuchaspossible.TheonlythingIdreadedwasthebed-makingroutine,whentheorderlywouldpickmeup,aidedbythenurseandholdmestretchedoutacrosshisarmswhilethebedwasmadeup.Thiscausedmethemostagonizingpain,likelyingonaredhotgrid-ironandIwasforcedtoclenchmyteethinordertostopcryingout.They insisted on carrying out this routine in spite ofmypleas. I am suretheydidnotrealisethepaintheywerecausing,tosaynothingofthedamage.ItwouldprobablyhaveservedmebetterifIhadindeedyelledout.Thereweretwo

holes in my right hand, each as big as eggcups, on the knuckle part of myforefinger, and a smallwoundonmy leftwrist; also a tinywoundonmy lefttemple.Woundswereuncoveredbyallinthemornings,whenthedoctorwouldmake

hisroundofinspections,sometimesattendingtobadwoundshimself,butmostlyleavingthedressingstothenursesandtheorderlytosee.Manyofthewoundswereterrible,thewardlookinglikeabutchershop.Somewithamputatedarmsandlegs,thepoorfellowoppositehavinglostbothlegs,anarmandahand.Inthenextbedtomewasayoungsterofabout18,whoseheadwasswathed

inbandageswhich,whenremovedexposedthesideofhisface,onesideofhisjawboneandteethmissing.Heseemedremarkablycalmandcheerfulinspiteofthis,nodoubthavingbeendrugged.Noattemptwasevermade toscreensuchcasualties.Thewoundedmenwereverystoicalandonlyoccasionallywouldamoan be heard, usually from an amputation case. One or two patients passedawayinfullviewoftherestoftheward.A clergymanvisitedus oneday andoffered towrite home. Iwas only half

consciousatthetimeandcouldsaynothing–hesuggestedsendingmylove.Helookedratherpuzzledatmylackofresponse.IfelttooweaktosayanythingbutacquiescetohissuggestionandIthinkhegavemeupasahopelessjob.NextdayIwaswheeledintoadarkroomattheendoftheward.Thiswasthe

X-rayroom,theonlylightcomingfromanenormousglassbowl,apalemauvishlight.Iwasleftwiththeyoungradiographer,whohadgreatdifficultyinliftingmeupright ina sittingpositiononanarrowshelfagainsta largeblackscreen.SomehowImanagedtoremainuprightforafewseconds,withoutslippingoff,or fainting, while he took the necessary picture. This was, he told me, todeterminethelevelofbloodinmylungandtolocatethepositionofthepieceofshellorshrapnel.Nextmorning two doctors and a nurse arrivedwith a hand pump, tube and

glassjar.Theyoungerdoctorproceededtopushwhatlookedlikealongknittingneedleinbehindmyshoulder,justbelowtheshoulderblade.Hesoonsaidthathecouldnotget itanyfurtheranditmustbeinthescapula,but theeldermansaid, ‘No, go on, push, push.’ Then the pumping commenced and I feltsuffocating,gaspinghorriblyandfightingforbreath.Thenursewasholdingmyhand,andalsoaglasswithsomething tasting likechampagne togiveafter theordeal.Icouldseethejarnowthree-quartersfullofblood,andheardthenursesay a pint and a half. I felt thoroughly exhausted, but soon found it easier tobreathe.The apparatus was known as an aspirator. I understand that nowadays an

improvedinstrumentisusedwhichpumpsairoroxygenintothelungstoreplacethebloodandsoeliminatethedistresscausedbytheoldmethod.A new medical card was now fixed to me reading ‘Haemothorax: foreign

bodyliesattheheadoftheseventhrib,partiallyimbeddedintheeighthdorsalvertebrae.’Soon I was feeling a good deal better and no longer getting blood in my

mouth.Ihadalwaysbeenaheavysmoker,andtherewereafewcigarettesinmylittlecottonbag.IaskedthedoctorifIcouldsmoke.Afterthinkingamomenthesaid,‘Yes,ifyouwantto.’Idid,settinglighttothelargebunchofcottonwoolonmybandagedhand.I

had thepresenceofmind to snatch thebandageoff, but apparentlyopenedanartery, as the blood spurted frommy hand in jerks, several feet distant to thefloor.As I stared stupidly at this, oneof thepatients shouted forhelp and theorderlycamerunning,stoppedtheflowandbandagedmyhanduptightlyagain.Notawordwassaidinreprimand.AfterIhadbeeninthewardabouttendaysthedoctorcameandaskedmeifI

wouldliketogotoBlighty.AlthoughIdidnotfeelfitenoughforsuchavoyage,Ieagerlysaidyes,andthenextdaywastakentothedocksandsliddownashutetobelowdecks,beingverygentlyhandledbysturdylookingGermanprisoners,actuallyPrussianGuards, actingas stretcherbearerson thehospital ships.TheseaoutsidetheharbourlookedveryroughandIwonderedwhatwouldhappenifIbecamesea-sick.Belowdeckswascrammedwithhundredsofstretchercases.Iwas given a bowl of soup, which must have been drugged, as I went offimmediatelyintoasoundsleep,wakingupjustaswewereenteringFolkestoneHarbour.ThereIwaslaidonthestationplatformandtwoladiescametoaskifIwantedanythingtoeatordrink,butwentoffassoonastheyreadmylabel,asalsodidamanincivilianclothes.Ifoundthatinmysemi-consciousstateIhadafeeling of irritation and intolerance towards these well meaning and kindlypeople,asalso in thecaseof theclergymanatEtaples,wishingonly tobe leftalone. I had probably been doped and found it difficult to respond to theirministrations,althoughIfeltmoregratefulandateasewithserviceandmedicalpersonnel. A great gap had grown between the service man and the civilianwhich took years to eradicate. Perhaps one of the most profound things thatevolved from the war was the almost unbelievable loyalty and comradeshipamongstthosewhoservedinthetrenches.Wewereputonto ahospital train, in chargeof avery fierce andmasculine

matron.WepassedthroughLondoninthenightwithoutstopping,muchtomydisappointment, and on toNewcastle-under-Lyme, near Stoke. Iwas taken by

motor ambulance from the station to the Stoke War Hospital, actually atNewcastle.ItwaslateatnightandIwasputintobedandsoonabuxom,goodlooking Irishnurse,youngand rosycheeked,camealongandgavemeagoodspongeover. I felt very embarrassed as Imust havebeen in a filthy state, nothavingbeencleanedup in thebusyhospital atEtaples,where thingswere toohecticforsuchrefinements.Ithenhadmytoenailscut,wasgivenafeedandadrink,andfellsoundlyasleep.Inthemorningayoungnursecameuptoinspectmylabelandwentsquealing

away excitedly saying, ‘Tommy Tucker, we’ve got Tommy Tucker’, othersquealscomingfrombeyondthedoor.HenceforthIwasknownas‘Tommy’,anicknameIdidnotappreciate.However,‘Tommy’itremained.InFranceIwascalled‘Tuck’.Myback and ribs still felt painfullybruised, but itwasnot sobad if I kept

still.Myrightfistwaslikeabandagedfootballandtherewasasmallbandageonmyleftwrist.AfteradayortwoItaughtmyselftowritewithmylefthand.Atfirsttheletterswerehugewithastrongtendencytowritebackwards,butsoonIwasabletomanagetolerablywell.InowhaveanexampleinthecongratulatoryletterIsenttomycousinBettyThringonhermarriagetoMajorStrubbeoftheCanadianEngineers.Howpeacefulandrelaxingwasthislife.HereIwastolie,eventuallytositup,

foraboutsixweeks.Thehospital,setinneatgroundssurroundedbyahighwall,wasoriginallytheStokeWorkhouse.Itwasagroupofverymodernbrickwards.My ward was a light, high ceilinged room, holding probably about 16 or 18beds.Thewallsweredovegreydistemperedwithwhitewoodworkandahighlypolished pine-wood floor. The iron bedsteads were covered with very cleanwhite counterpanes, which the nurses would fuss over almost each time theypassed,tuckinginandsmoothingout.Thewardwaskeptimmaculatelyclean,aswerethewashandbathrooms.Patientshadtomindtheirstep,thefloorsbeingsohighlypolished.Icametogrief,slippingontomybackshortlyafterIwaswellenough towalk about.On the right of each bedwas a smallwhite cupboard.Very large windows ran along the wall on my side of the ward, giving anexcellentlightforreading.Matronwasaverystern lookingandstrict littlewoman;nursesandpatients

aliketreatedherwithaweandinstantobedience.Therewerefourorfivenurses,allveryniceyounggirls.MynursewastherosycheekedIrishgirlnamedNurseCallan who had first attended me. She was about 24 years old, highcomplexionedand roundish,good looking face–averycapable typeandwelleducated.Iseemedtobeherfavouritepatient,gettingmostofherattentionand

the best of the bowls of flowers. My only complaint was that she wouldsuddenlypinchmytoeinamostcruelmanner,makingmeverycross,asIdidnotfeeluptosuchtreatmentatthetime.I heard from my mother and father, whose letter in beautiful copperplate

writingIstillhave.TheyhadreceivedanofficialtelegramtotheeffectthatIhadbeen dangerously wounded.My mother obtained a pass and came to see metwice,gettingabedroominthevillageovernight.Thewardcleanerwasadearoldsoul,veryIrish,smallandbubblingoverwith

cheeriness.Ithinkshereallylovedusallandwouldregaleuswhilepolishingthefloorwithher two songs, ‘When IrishEyes areSmiling’ and ‘Tipperary’.Shewoulddoanythingforus,bringinginthingsfromtheshops,suchascigarettes,chocolateandstationery.In thebedonmy leftwas ayoungchapwithhisknee-cap shotoff.On the

right another boy with a small round shrapnel wound in the cheek of hisposterior, causing some amusement when he laid on his face exposing hisembarrassing wound to the nurse for the daily dressing. There were a fewamputationcasesandaverybadlyscaldedman,alsoarathernastygascasualty,grosslyswollenandinflamed.Wewereallsurprisinglycheerfulandfriendly.Itisacurious thing,but Ihavegenerallyfound thatbeyondsayingwhatunitwehadservedwith,littleornomentionwasmadeofourexperiences;infactIthinkwehadputtheminthebackofourminds.Ialsofoundthesamethingafterthewar.One lively youngster swore hewould never be sent out again.He had adamaged knee, and after the morning inspection when the ward was clear ofnurses,hewouldgetoutofbedanddanceaboutwithhisswollenknee,whichmust have been painful, bashing it with his wet towel in order to simulate asynovitisknee.AfteraboutamonthIwasplacedonastretcherandtakenacrosstheyardto

theX-ray room,where a young radiographer examinedmy back underX-rayandpencilledablue triangleover thepositionof theshrapnel inmyspine.Hesaidthiswastolocatethepositionforanoperationtoremovetheforeignbody,whichwas 2½ inches below the surface. However, the doctors decided to letwellaloneandsotherewasnooperation.I would like here to pay homage to the radiographers,many of them quite

youngmenwhoknowinglyriskedtheirlives,duetotheprobabilityofanearlydeath from prolonged exposure to radiation. Also the doctors, nurses andorderlies,whooftenworkedverylonghoursinhazardousconditions.Thedoctoronhis rounds in themorning looked atme in surprise and said,

‘You’vebeenoutofdoors,’andinstructedthatinfutureIshouldbeputoutin

the sunshine every day. Just those few yards in the open airmust have had aremarkableeffectonmyappearance.Thereafter Iwas taken into theyardonastretcher for a few hours each day, which must have greatly hastened myrecovery.SoonIwasabletogetupandgotothediningroomformeals.ItwasmarvellouswhenIwasstrongenoughtoventuredownthehilltothevillageandback,andafterawhilewasable towalkquiteadistancewithoutdistress.Ourmainmealwasusuallyavery smallportionof tastelessboiledchickenor fishandboiledrice.Isoondevelopedahealthyappetiteandappliedformybackpayofseveralpounds,andwithmycompanion,aDurhamminer,wouldbuyamoresubstantialmeal in the village and sometimes a beer at one of the local inns,where we were not supposed to be served.We were dressed in the blue andwhitehospitalclothes–minewereenormous,makingmefeelveryawkwardandself-conscious.OnedayafewofusweretakenoveranironfoundryatStoke;itlookedlikea

fiery hell tome and Iwas glad to get out again. I could not understand howanyonecouldspendhislifeworkinginthefierceheatandsparksfromcauldronsofmoltenmetal passing overhead, tending furnaces and guiding huge red hotgirdersalongwithsteelpoles.I met a buxom young woman who was employed as cook by one of our

doctors.Wewouldgotothecinemaintheafternoon,whereshewouldinsistonpayingherownway,andsitholdinghands.Ifoundthatshewastakingmetooseriously,andnotbeingpreparedfor thisand indeedwithnoprospects for thefuture, Iwroteendingourassociation, receivingaheart-rending letter in reply.Therewasaveryprettyfair-hairedyoungnurseinthewardandwewouldflirtratheroutrageously.Althoughstrictlyforbidden,I tookhertoteainthevillageone afternoon. If caught this would have meant her transference to anotherhospital,regulationsinthisregardbeingverystrict.Istillhavethe‘kiss-curl’cutfromher foreheadwithmy jack-knife.Aftermydischarge Iheard fromNurseCallanthatthegirlhadgotatransfertoCharingCrossHospitalinLondonandsuggestedthatIget intouchwithher there,whichhoweverIdidnotbother todo.Thereweretwosisters,onemarried,workinginthecateringdepartmentofthe

hospital. They invited me, with a South African and another patient to theirhome in Silverdale for tea one Sunday. Their father was a very nice manemployedasacolliery fireman.The familygaveusamostelaboratehigh tea,whichwasquiteafeat inwartime.Weacceptedanother invitationfor thenextSunday,andmuchappreciatedthecourtesyofthesekindpeople.Intheyardoutsideourwardwasalarge,open-sidedsummerhousemounted

onaturntable.Thiswasoccupiedbyaswarthyandstronglookingyoungman,whoneverthelesswassupposedtobedyingofTB.Whenthedoctorprescribedfreshairtreatmentforme,thematronmovedmeintoabednexttothisfellow,butnextmorning,thedoctorhearingofthis,soonhadmeremovedbacktotheward.Thismanwasarealgypsy–quiteapleasantchapwhoknewandacceptedhis

fateapparentlyquitecheerfully.Hesaidhewas related to thecircus familyofBostock and Wombwell and that his aunt, of whom he spoke with greatdeference,wasagypsyqueen.ShearrivedoneSundayonavisittohim.Amostelegantlydressedandregallookingoldlady,drivingabeautifulponyandtrap,andevidentlyquiteawareofherimportanceinlife.The patient appeared to be making a recovery and was allowed up and

dressed.Hewouldcomeintothewardandentertainuswithtricks,kickingupacigaretteandcatchingitinhismouthandsoon.However,hesoonhadarelapseanddiedbeforeI lefthospital.Heusedtopasshis timedoingfineembroideryworkandIsometimesboughtcolouredsilksforhiminthevillage.Some of the patients were being sent to a convalescent hospital on the

LancashirecoastandIwashopingtogetmyturn.However,IlearnedthatIwastogo toHampsteadwith aview togettingmydischarge from the services. InAugustIwasgivenamedicalcheck-upandinterviewbyadoctorwhopretendedhehadmislaidmypapers.Heseemedsurprisedwhen I repeated ‘verbatim’ tohim, parrot fashion, the details of mymedical report, and asked where I hadgainedmymedicalknowledge.HetheninterrogatedmeregardingthelocalityinwhichIwaswounded,butcouldnotfindthisonhismapuntilIpointeditouttohim.Onemorningaciviliancalledforme inhiscarandchattedup thenurse till

longafterweshouldhaveleft,muchtomyanxietyandannoyance,thendroveina hair-raising and dangerous manner to the station, where I rushed and justcaughtmytrainasitwasonthemove.OnarrivalinLondonIfoundmywaytothe hospital atHampstead, a dismal looking place after the one atNewcastle.Here Iwas again interviewedby adoctor,whoalso appeared tohave lostmypapers, and was impressed by my parrot like recital of the medical details. Ithink that inbothcases thiswasa ruse to testwhether Iwas the rightman,asthereweresomanytricksplayedbymalingerersanddodgerstryingtogettheirdischargedishonestly.However,heshowedmeanX-rayfilmofmychestandpointedoutthepieceofshellembeddedinmybackbone,sayinghowluckyIhadbeenasthemissilehadonlymissedmyheartbyafraction.Next day I went before a tribunal one young doctor saying that I was

experienced in clerical work, or perhaps I could be useful with a broom. Heseemed intent on keeping me in the services. His suggestions however wereignoredbytheothers,andmydischargepaperssigned.Iwentdowntothestoresand was fitted out with a very serviceable herring-bone suit and a cloth cap.WithakitbagofbelongingsonmyshoulderIsetoffjoyouslyforFinsburyParkandthencehome,acivilianoncemore,thedatebeing22ndAugust1918.Itwasawonderfulfeelingbeinghomeagainwithmymother,fatherandsister.Idrewmygratuityof£17,mostofwhichhadtobespentonaraincoat,shoes,hatandunderwear.Ialsodrew£1aweeksubsistenceallowanceforamonthorso.Ihadto attend the Great Northern Hospital several times a week at Holloway forelectricmassageformyright-handandforearm.Myrightforefingerwasuseless,hangingdownandincapableofmovement.IhadrefusedtheofferatNewcastletohaveitamputated.ADoctorRose said that the doctor atNewcastlewas a fool, and asked if I

would consent to an operation known as a tendon graft, whichwas then in aratherelementarystage,althoughhesaidhecouldnotpromisesuccess.Iagreedandtheoperationwascarriedout,thedoctorexpressingdisappointmentwiththeresult.PersonallyIwasdelighted,asIcouldnowextendthefingeranduseitforwritingandsoon,althoughitcouldonlybeclenchedhalf-waywhenclosingmyfist.InthewardIwasgivenalargedinnerandtoldtheoperationwouldnottake

placeuntilthenextday.However,immediatelyafterthisheavymealIwassentuptotheoperatingtheatreandputundersedation.Icametointhemiddleofthenightfeelingdreadfullysickandbeingawareofaverypainfulleftthigh.Therewasa largebandagearound the thighandIhada terrible fright,believing thattherehadbeenamistakeand thatmy leghadbeenamputated.Furtively I feltbelowthebandageandfoundtherestofmylegstillthere–perhapsthesurgeonhadrealisedhiserrorintimeandonlypartiallycutoffmyleg.Anursepresentlycame along and toldme not to worry, as a piece of the silver skin had beenremovedfromathighmusclewithwhichtojoinupthetendoninmyrighthand.Theleg,witha7inchincisionand8stitches,wasextremelypainfulandkeptmeinbedinhospitalforaboutaweekbeforeIwasabletowalkabout.Ithenleftforhome with my bandaged hand in a sling until it finally healed. I have aphotographofmyself,arminsling,standingbesidemyfatherinthegarden.Before ending treatment atHolloway I had to report to a doctorwho I had

recognisedatonceashewhohadusedtheaspiratoronmylungatEtaples.Hesaid, ‘I’ve seen you before somewhere, and when I told him, he said herememberedandwassurprisedtoseemelookingsofit,askingifIwouldmind

himexaminingme.IstrippedoffcoatandshirtandheturnedtothenurseandtoldherhowwonderfulthatIhadmadesucharecoveryafteronlyafewmonths.Hemusthavehadaphenomenalmemory,asheprobablyattendedtohundredsofwoundedmenaweekatthetime,andIwouldhavelookedaverysorrysightatEtaples.ThenhetoldmethataboutaweekafterIleftEtaplesHospital,alongrange shell destroyed the SouthAfricanward, killing all the nurses. Thiswasverysadnewstome,asIsomuchadmiredtheeffortsanddevotiontodutyofthesefinewomen.Ithadbeenanotherandfinalluckyescapeforme.MycousinFrankieJones,whohadbeenasergeant in theGrenadierGuards

fromMonsonwardandwasmentionedindespatchesseveraltimes,hadrecentlytaken a commission in a Welsh regiment, gone to Ireland and then back toFrance.AboutaweekbeforeArmisticeDaymyAuntSquibcameand toldusthatFrankie,herstepson,wasassumedkilled,havinggoneforwardbyhimselfafter the retreatingGermansandwasnever seenorheardof again.His father,UncleFrank,anoldGrenadierGuardssergeantandaveteranoftheBoerWar,hadearly in thewarbecomeaCaptain inaSuffolkregiment,waswounded intheheadandnowdischarged.Hissecondson,followinginhisfamilytraditionalsobecameasergeantintheGrenadierGuardsafterthewar.Glad as I was to be home and away from the turmoil of war, I found it

somehow rather strange and disturbing at times. I would at first find myselfwalkinginthemiddleoftheroad,beingunusedtopavementsandunconsciouslyadopting the habits I had become accustomed to. I found that the civilians athomehadaverydistortedvisionof the lifeof an infantry soldier inwar.Theprevailing idea was of smart soldiers spending all their time standing in neatrows in a trench, facing the enemy, sometimes making spectacular bayonetchargesforachange.Theydidnotrealisethatasoldierhastoliveandworkaswellasfight.There

is no one to do his chores for him. In fact most of his time is spent in suchunromanticoccupationsascarryingup rations, ammunition,barbedwire,duckboards and so on; digging and repairing trenches, fixing barbed wireentanglements, digging drainage sumps and latrines, priming hand grenades,sentry duty on the fire-step, going on night patrols or listening posts in no-man’s-land,bombingraids,andsoonwhenintheline.Whenbackinreserveforafewdaystherewouldbedrillingandtraining,guarddutiesandcarryingpartiesduring the night, taking food and stores up to the support lines.The so-called‘restperiod’wasinnameonly.Sometimesitwasmorerestfulinthetrenches,ifmoredangerous.This was a very different life from that conjured up in the civilian’s

imagination.Nowadays I suppose the general public havebecomemuchmoresophisticated in this respect, havinggleanedmuch information from films andtelevision of actual events and conditions. I found it irritating to mix withcivilianmen, feeling that thosewho had been in the serviceswere a differentbreed, with nothing in common with me. They did not belong to the greatbrotherhoodandcouldnotpossiblyunderstandus.Ithoughtthatmyspiritwouldalways remain inFrancewhere the flower ofmygeneration hadbled into thesoilofFlanders.AfteroverhalfacenturyIstillgetthisfeelingattimes.AlsoIfelt disappointed that I had been unable to take part in the final victoriousadvance and the liberationofFrance. Itwas a long timebefore this obsessiongrewthin.As regardsmy future, bothmymother and I hadbeenwarned that Iwould

probablynotenjoyalonglife.Howwrongthisassumptionwastobe.Inspiteofhaving originally a rather groggy left lung, now perforated, aspirated andsubjectedtoheavychainsmokingsinceschooldays,Iamstillgoingstronginmyeightiethyear.Ihadalwaysdetestedworkinginanoffice,andafterfouryearsofopenair lifewasinclinedtofindanoutdooroccupation.Howeverthiswasnoteasy,notonlybecausemywoundshadnotasyetreachedastagetostandmuchphysicalexertion,butjobswereverydifficulttoobtainanditwasimperativeforme to earn my living, there being no generous dole in those days. I wasreluctantly persuaded to return to my old job in the office of an East IndianExportAgent in the Strand. I hadmade several enquiries about emigrating toAustraliaandforpostsinWestAfricaandtheMiddleEast,buttonoavail.OnehadtohavesomecapitalforAustraliaorSouthAfrica,andcompaniesinothercountrieshadtheirownstaffofyoungmentrainedforpostsabroad.Iwasaskedtoreporttomyoldofficeonthemorningof11thNovember1918

to commence work. On the way I heard that the Armistice had been signed.Arriving at Aldwych I found that I could not cross the Strand to my officedirectly across the road. The streets were lined deeply with cheering crowds,groupsofhilariousflagwaversgoingbyonthetopsoftaxisandothervehicles.Peopleweredancing in the side streets andLondonwas in chaos.Passing theDukeofWellingtonpubintheStrand,afavouritehauntoftheAustralians,Ifelttemptedtogetadrink,but thebarwaspackedwithdrunkenAussies,shoutingand throwing glasses about. The sounds of smashing glass deterredme and Idecided thatdiscretionwas thebetterpartofvalour, somademyway throughthe throng toLeicesterSquare.CrowdsofpeoplewerepouringoutofCharingCross and Leicester Square stations. Girls were grabbing at men, kissing anddancingwith them – I had to undergo some of this treatment, and decided to

makemywayhomeasitseemedtherewouldbedifficultyingettingbacklateronwhenthecrowdstriedtowendtheirwayhomewards.I joined theRegimentalOldComradesAssociation andwithmy father and

uncleattendedmanyoftheAnnualreuniondinnersandotherfunctions,meetingmany ofmy old comrades. One of the stretcher bearerswhose face I did notremember, and theCompanyQMSergeantwho said he had stepped overmybody at Beaurains,were surprised to seeme, as they both thought that I wasfinishedandwouldnotsurvivetogethome.Iwas still to be of some assistance to theRegiment, drawing the campaign

mapsforour2ndbattalion’spart inourregimentalhistory.The1stBattalion’smaps(France)hadalreadybeenprepared,otherwiseIwouldhavebeendelightedtohavedrawnthese.Imustendmynarrativehere,atthefinishofwhatIconsiderthesecondstage

ofmylife.Myentrybacktonormalitywasmadedelightfulbymymother,fatherand sister, andwe spent severalbeautifulholidays in the IsleofWight,whichweretobesharedafewyearslaterbymysweetheart,soontobecomemywife.Butthatisanotherstory.WhenmydaughterPamelaandImadeourshortvisittoFrance a few years ago we were able to visit some of the old and wellrememberedsites.PerhapsImaybeabletodolikewisewithmyotherdaughterJoansomeday,timeandenergypermitting.

‘Greaterlovehathnoman…’

BriefRe-union

A young man stood by the railway line at London’s Leicester Square, withbowler hat, brolly and briefcase. I last remembered the youth, a signaller,dragging his khaki form through the grey slime of ‘Lousy Wood’, his facehaggard and white with exhaustion, a haunting fear in his eyes, but doggeddeterminationinhismovements.Fordaysandnightswithoutrespiteheandhiscomrades carried out their hopeless task, searching for the broken wires thatlinkedtheunittobrigade.NosoonerwerethebreaksrepairedthanJerry’sshellsoncemoredestroyedtheireffortstomaintainliaisonwiththerear.Terrorfilledtheair,shortsilencesbrokenatintervalsbythewhineandshriekofapproachingdemonsendingwithhorribleroarsandcrunchesasshellseruptedtearingcratersinthealreadytorturedground,clodsanddebrisflyingupwardstoscatterdownagain onto the shuddering earth. A putrid smell of corruption and explosivesassailed the nostrils. Flesh and bones of both living and dead were torn andshattered.Nerveswerestretchedtobreakingpointasthehellishmaelstromhaditsway.Attimesaravingmanwouldrushheadlongaway,oranotherwouldsitquietlysobbing.Iffortunatesuchwouldbesentbackasshell-shockcases.Therewasnorelief–menwoulddropwithexhaustionintothemudofsomeholeorcornerandmercifullyloseconsciousnessforashortwhileinfitfulsleep,onlytoawakeoncemoretothehorrorsahead.Theday’srationwasoftenonlyahardbiscuit,a lumpofcheeseandhalf-a-

pintofwaterfoulwithchlorideandpetrol.What made men face up to such conditions?Was it because there was no

escape,loyaltytotheircomrades,prideintheircountry,thefearanddisgraceoflosingtheirmanhood?‘Hello!Howareyou?Whatareyoudoingnow?Oh!herecomesmytrain–

gladtohaveseenyouagain–good-bye.’The crowd jostles forward unaware of the sacred bond just reawakened

betweenthesetwo‘ancient’youngmen.

Epilogue

Nowthatmyreminiscenceshavebeencommittedtopaperthesenseofrealismhasmysteriously disappeared, events becoming almost dreamlike. The woundscars are there to convince me, but even these are becoming faint with thepassingoftime.Neverthelessthememoryoffallencomradeswillalwaysremainclearandbittersweet.These four years witnessed the destruction of the flower of the finest

generation ever to grace our nation. I pay homage to all those youngmen ofwhatever nationality who chose to go forward, often time and again, into thefurnaces of hell in order to uphold their beliefs in the righteousness of theircause.Thesemenborenopersonalenmityagainst theirneighboursandwouldhave been content to live in peace. The culprits were the ambitious rulersgrasping for yetmore power, the greedy financiers and industrialists, and themisguidedandoftenignorantpoliticians.Millionsoftheirpawnswerekilledandmaimed.Dreadfulalthoughtheexperiencewas,Iwouldnothavemissedit.Iamgrateful that I was privileged to be able to take even my small share in theordeal.Therecuperativepowersandresilienceofthehumanbeingareremarkable,as

provedbythousandsofoldservicemenwhoyearslatervolunteeredtofacewaronce more, although now aged and often disabled. Eventually all civilians,especiallythosedwellingincities,hadnochoicebuttoendurethehardshipsandbombing,neithermen,womennorchildren,thehelplessandinvalidsincluded.Perhapsthegreatestsuffererswerethosemotherswhohadgivenbirthtoand

nurturedtheirsonsthroughyearsoflovingcare,onlytolosethemunnecessarily,notthroughthenormalhazardsofaccidentorillness,butbythedeliberateandviolentdecisionsofthoseinpower.

‘Weshallrememberthem.’

Index

Abbeville,60Abeele,149Achicourt,119,120,125,126,181,185AeroplaneTrench,159Aircraft,72,99,143,148,150,156,157,166,179America,30,121Americans,98,177Ammunitiondumps,140AngleWood(Death)Valley,66,67,68,69,76,80,82Anti-aircraft,148ArmisticeDay,197Arras,44,115,116,118,119,133,134,136,146,162,169,172,177,178,179Artillery,63,66,68,69,72,80,81,87,119,121,122,123,127,130,136,138,153,155,182

Atrocities,111,138AubersRidge,21,103AudleyHouse,22Australians,62,78,79,95,106,109,135,139,140,197

Bailleul,168Band,19,20,116Bantams,60,137Bangaloretorpedoes,120Bapaume,158,160,161Bavarians,80Beaurains,119,120,147,181Belgium,149BlackWatch,168

Blake,Regt’lSgtMajor,153,157‘Blighty’,110,188Blunden,Edmund,31Bombingraids,99,100,105Boobytraps,138BouleauxWood,79,83Boulogne,92,94,172BourlonWood,167,168BowBells,137Bray,61Breughel,Pieter,174Brigade,70,72,73,88,89,95,156,177Brigadier,19,44,45,47,70,71,104,115,121,176Brighton,11Brouer,Adriaen,108Bryant,SgtO.,154,155,157Budge,Arthur,35,37,38,39Burdens,140,141

CadbyHall,14Cambrai,144,162,166Cambridge,22Campbell,Alec.,143Campbell,Major,laterLtCol.H.,DSO,OBE,59,126Canadians,123,134,176,189CanalduNord,166,168CasementTrenches,77CassioburyPark,16Casualties,64,67,79,90,102,125,130,134,151,154,157Cavalry,76,144,168CavalryFarm,134Censorship,40ChateauWood,155Cheshires,42ChimpanzeeTrench,77Chineselabourers,92

Christmas,15,41,104,169Churchparades,75Citadel(Somme),61,67,68,88Citerne,42Clarke,CaptE.F.,100Coalminers’strike,135CojeulSwitch(HindenburgLine),125Combles,67,70,79,80,159Communications,73,77Concertparty,137Conscripts,110Cooks,56,58,82,86,92,169Corbie,61Crosses,54,74,100,134,158

Dainville,44Daylightraid,106,107DeathValley(seeAngleWood),Decoys,166Deserters,175De-training,29Dickebusch,150,157Dickens,MajorCedricCharles,74,158Dickens,MissMonica,158Discharge,193Douars,61Doullens,43,115Dover,94,172Drummers,130,183,184Dug-outs,128,167Dysentery,18,77

Easter1917,121,122Essex,15Estaires,34,37,92Etaples,186,195

FalfemontFarm,63,67Firingparty,175FirstBattalion,20,26Flame-thrower(flammenwerfer),43Flower,MajorV.A.,DSO,153,157Foncquevillers,114Folkestone,188Franco-Belgianfrontier,149Fremicourt,162,166French,SirJohn,(General),21Frenchtroops,42,56,58,60,61,62,66,70,71,75,79,89,134,162Fricourt,62Fusiliers(4th.London),42,79,89,95,105,124,130,178

Gas,85,97,139,140,174Germanairman,54,59Germanoffensive,178,179Germanprisoners,38,188Ghurkas,39Gilbert,87Ginchy,74,76,78,82GlencorseWood,155Gommecourt,49,51GordonHighlanders,168Grand-stand-view,142,156Greenhill,LCplCharlie,129,181GreenLamp,29GrenadierGuards,20,36,62,107,195GreyBrigade,20Guards,18,19Guides,64,83,84,88Guillemont,82,84

Haig,SirDouglas,90,116,145,179Half-wayHouse,152,153,156Hampstead,183

Harringay,14,15,17,93Harris,Charlie,(Sgt),82,160Hazebrouck,34Heath,CaptF.W.,MC&Bar,166Hebuterne,39,44,48,49,51,53,54,55,60,73,114HellfireCorner,152Hendrique,Rachel,31Hertford,17Hewitt,Billie,35,37,38,39,(photo.)Hewitt,Cpl,laterLt,35,38Hill60,155HindenburgLine,118,127,128,166,167,168,173Holland,Capt,H.E.,MC,47HollandPark,13HomeService,16,22Hooge,153Houle,149,158HydePark,13

Indians,34,35,39,76Innis,SgtR.B.,MM,34InvernessCopse,154,155Irish,67,74Ivergny,115,116

Japaneserifles,16Jones,Capt,Frank,11,12,195Jones,Frankie,(Sgt,laterLt),11,36,107,136,195

Kay,Harry,94,116,146,160,161,165,170,181Kennington,Eric,27Kensington,12,13Kensingtons,12,21Kimber,Capt,laterLtColE.G.,CBE,DSO,21King,H.M.the,62Kitchener’sArmy,13

LaBassée,103,114Lads’Brigade,16Lagnicourt,162,165LaGorgue,34,37,92Laundry,43,137Laventie,34,91,92,94,96,97,106,114,115Leave,92,170,177LeHavre,24,33,34LeicesterSquare,87LesBoeufs,76,78,82,159Lester,LtA.E.,MC,95LeTransloy,89,158,160Leuze(Lousy)Wood,63,66,67,70,71,74,75,76,78,80,81,83,86,87,158Lewis,BrigGeneral,F.G.,CMGCB,151LewisGun,42,116Liencourt,148Lignerouil,43,44Lindsey,Alec.,87LingPeter,16,22LinesofCommunication,21,28LondonRifleBrigade,28LondonScottish,18,42,44,51,71,79,89,95,107,125,127,143,178Longpré,42,91Loos,32‘Lousy’Wood(seeLeuzeWood),

MacLean,Col,W.R.J.,CBE,21Madame‘Bullybeef’,94Magnicourt,43MaltzhornFarm,77Maoris,114,115Maricourt,62,68,86Maynard,(photo.)MedicalOfficer,18,23,25,115,174,176,187,191,194,195MeninGate,152,157MeninRoad,155,156

Merville,34,35,40,41,91,92,104,105,108,115Mic-MacCamp,150MiddlesexRegiment,125Mine-Thrower(Minenwerfer),97,129Monchy-le-Preux,132,134Morlancourt,87Mortars,129MossTrench,124Moule,149Mutiny,134

‘Nelson’,40NeuveChapelle,21,103NeuvilleMill,125NeuvilleVitasse,120,121,122,123,126,134,181Newcastle-under-Lyme,189NewZealanders,114‘Nigger’,42Nurses,186,187,189,190,192,195

Oborn,Sgt,F.S.,100,101Observationposts,103,131,133Observation(sausage)balloons,72,99OldComrades’Association,197Oppy,168,172,173Ouderdom,150

Padre,60Paradis,36Paris,24,26Patrols,74,99,100,106,107Pearce,143Peronne,159Piccadilly,93Pigeons,73Pill-boxes,118,154,155

PioneerSection,54,130,169PontRemy,42Preston,Fred.,165PrinceofWales,Edward,62,107,108Prisonersofwar,80,97,98,107,124,125,141,154Propaganda,98,111,166PrussianGuards,66,67Punjabis,39

Quadrilateral(Combles),74,79,83Quakers,17Quarrels,105Queen’sWestminsters,80,88,126QueenVictoriaRifles,178

Rangers(12th.London),28,42,44,89,104,120,123,125,178Rawlinson,General,SirH.R.,21RedLine,168,173Reeve,Johnny,136RegimentalPolice,45,57,58,130Reservetrenches,145RichmondPark,13Ridley,CaptA.,MBE,53Roclincourt,168,169Rouen,25RoyalEngineers,55RoyalIrishFusiliers,63,66,67,68,70RoyalIrishRifles,64,89RoyalWarwicks,89RuedeSaumon,Arras,133Rum,81,82,86,123,142,147,158,161Russians,128,135,177

SaffronWalden,17,22,23,62Sailly-aux-Bois,55Sailly-le-Sec,61

StCyr,34StOmer,26,28,32,34,38,41,149,158Samson,Major,(spy).,38Sargent,JohnS.,174Saxons,53SchrammBarracks,(Arras),119,134,136Scouts,97SecondBattalion,22Seine,River,24Self-inflictedwounds,175,191Shaw,LtCol,R.E.F.,MC,88,153,166ShrapnelCorner,151,157Shell-shock,175Signallers,72,73,81,130Signpainting,48,54,125,129,134Silverdale(Staffs),192Skinner,Drummajor,20Somme,51,60,72,75,87,88,89,110,158,160,178Somme,River,61Sorel,91Souastre,44,45,48SouthAfricans,134,181,192SouthAfricanWard(Etaples),186,195Southampton,23,24Spies,15,38,114Steenvoorde,149SterlingCastle(Ypres),152StokesGun,44,116Stoke-on-Trent,189Stretcherbearers,64,65,72,154,184Stroud,F.W.,Drummer,184Strubbe,Major,189Sweet,Dick,68,78,131,161,184,(photo)

Tanks,61,123,125,127,128,129,152,159TelegraphHill,123,131,181

Teniers,David,108Tilloy,181TowerHamlets(Ypres),155Trenchraids,59,96,100,101,102,106Tunnelling,146TunnelsatArras,136Turner,‘Tubby’,81

‘UniformGrey’(GreyBrigade),19

Vaux-en-Amiens,89,90Verdun,42,112Vermin,43,91,96,110,150,159,164,165,170Venables,(Capt),153VickersGuns,115VictoriaStation,23,94,172VimyRidge,123,168,172,173,176

Wancourt,125,127,128,132,147Wanel,91Watercress,160WaterlotFarm,77,83,85Watford,13,16,17Watten,29,158WedgeWood,67,80WesthoekRidge,152,153,154WhiteCity,14Wireless,15,122Wireentanglements,59,61,74,100,118,120,121,123

Yorkshiretroops,60,83,88,115Ypres,71,151,156,157

Zeppelin,37Zillebeke,152