Pommier was much pleasanter, and was very seldom shelled.  Brigade Headquarters lived there, and, with the aid of an energetic Mayor and our invaluable interpreter, M. Bonassieux, had done much to improve the billets.  There were plenty of civilians who were good to us, though, to quote the War Diary again, 26th August, “A complaint was made by the Maire that certain of our officers were bathing in the open, and that this was not counted amongst the indecencies the French permitted.”  At about the same time, during one of our rest periods, we were inspected by General Thwaites—­a full ceremonial inspection, the first of many of these much dreaded ordeals.  Again it is impossible to improve on the account given by the War Diary.  “At 2-30 we were drawn up in close column in Ceremonial—­Companies sized.  We received the new G.O.C. with several salutes, the last was probably the worst.  The Battalion was then closely inspected, and a few names taken for unsteadiness, dirty buttons, badly fitted packs, and the like.  A slight confusion between the terms packs and equipment led us to take off equipment, and we then formed up as a Battalion in Brigade.  We saluted again, this time we had no bayonets, and then marched past by Companies and back in close column several times.  Then, by a questionable, though not questioned, manoeuvre, we came back again and advanced in review order.  The Brigade Band was in attendance and played the Brigade March in place of the Regimental March, because it did not know the latter.  While still in Ceremonial order, we finished by doing Battalion drill, under the general idea ‘keep moving.’  We kept moving for two hours in all, and it was universally conceded that the men moved very well.  One or two of the newly arrived officers were unequal to the occasion.  It was a good day in the country, and, in the senior officers, stirred up pleasant memories of old peace time annual inspections.”  The exceeding fierceness of the General on this Inspection had an amusing sequel when, a week later, two of our soldiers were repairing a road outside the Brigade office.  One regarded the other’s work for a few minutes critically, and then exclaimed fiercely, “Very ragged, very ragged, do it again!” It is only fair to add, that, terrible as was the ordeal of a Divisional Inspection, the General kept his original promise, and spent many hours in the foremost trenches, “that he might know us well.”

The evening of this same inspection was one of the few occasions on which Pommier was bombarded.  A sudden two minutes’ “hate” of about 40 shells, 4.2 and 5.9, wounded three men and killed both the C.O.’s horses, “Silvertail” and “Baby”; both came out with the Battalion.  We still, however, had some good animals left, as was obvious at the Brigade Sports and Race meeting held on the 11th September at la Bazeque Farm.  This was a most successful show, and the only pity was that we were in trenches at the time, and so could only send a limited number of all ranks to take part.