“We have had hardly a moment to ourselves during the last two days.  At 9 yesterday morning we walked to the training area, as all officers and N.C.O.’s had to reconnoitre the area in which the Brigade stunt was to take place to-day.  When we got a little beyond the aerodrome, Allen, Verity, Barker and I got a lift in a Flying Corps tender as far as (Cormette), the little village where we had to assemble at 10.  We then went over the area using maps, and the scheme was explained.  The area was exactly the same in dimensions as that with which we shall have to deal in the great battle, and positions were named by the names of positions which we shall attack then; strong points were marked by rings of flags.  We spent a terribly long time up there; we sat down waiting for company commanders to return for about two hours.  The whole thing, I am sure, could have been done in much less time.  The position of advance allotted to our Battalion was on the extreme left of the Brigade, B Company on the left of the Battalion, and 8th Platoon, therefore, on the extreme left of the Brigade....

“It was nearly 5 p.m. before we got back, having had no lunch.  We had some then.  At 6.30 we had to attend a conference at Battalion Headquarters.  It was 8 when we got back to B Company Mess, so then dinner; and at 9.15 we were on parade for marching off on this Brigade stunt!  It was midnight when the Battalion reached the village where we had assembled in the morning; we felt very tired and sleepy.  The first thing we did was to get all the dispositions of the Battalion (the same happened throughout the whole Brigade) effected under darkness, every section in its correct place.  The dew had fallen very thickly and the long grass and corn were wringing wet; consequently we all got our feet and legs soaked.  Then dummy ammunition was distributed.  At about 2 a.m. we had permission to lie down where we were and get some sleep if we could!  I lay down in the dirt at the roadside and had an hour or two’s sleep.  At about 3.30, when it was becoming light, I was awakened, my teeth chattering horribly, hearing the Brigadier-General strafing somebody!  General Stockwell and his Staff seemed to be walking up and down all night.  I saw them just before I went to sleep, and the first object which I saw on opening my eyes again was General Stockwell.  I hear that poor Best-Dunkley got it hot again from the Brigadier about something during the night!  The fiery young General seemed to be on the war-path.

“At 5.15 we had breakfast, cooked in the travelling cook-waggons.  We had to keep going up and down the line most of the time, explaining the scheme to the section commanders.  Then Colonel Best-Dunkley went along the line asking questions.  The first section commander he dropped on was poor Topping, who had only been put on the particular job last night; he had been somewhere else yesterday when it was all explained.  The Colonel asked him what was the interval between his section and the section on his right; he did not know!  ’You see, your section commanders don’t know their orders,’ blinked the Colonel.