“I am now back with B Company, as D Company have come out of the trenches.  Dickinson has been transferred from D Company and appointed second-in-command of B Company in Halstead’s place; and he is to be in command of the Company in the push.  Captain Andrews will be, in the push (not before:  Major Brighten is back and is on ’battle reserve!’), second-in-command to Colonel Best-Dunkley—­’the man who stands by waiting for the other man to die,’ as Colonel Balfour has wittily remarked to Captain Andrews upon the arrangement!  Captain Andrews is really a very smart man; he could have been a staff officer once, but Colonel Best-Dunkley would not let him go in for it.  He did not want to lose him.  Colonel Hindle stands in a similar position to General Stockwell.

“Gratton has gone to Headquarters (as Assistant Adjutant), so the officers in B Company Mess now are Captain Andrews, Dickinson, Giffin, Allen and myself, also an M.O.  I had dinner in this dug-out and then wrote a letter or two.  Things were moderately peaceful at dinner-time, and for an hour or two after.  At 11 p.m., the relief having been carried out, Captain Andrews, Dickinson and I, with Sergeant-Major Preston and a few runners, proceeded to Battalion Headquarters, which are at a strong point a little nearer the line.  Then we turned back and proceeded to the dug-outs where we were on July 1 and July 2.  Allen had preceded us to take over, and Giffin was with a working party in the trenches.  While we were on our way a deuce of a row began on the north; it was a German raid on our trenches.  So we watched it all the way.  We got along quite well until we were almost here.  Then two shells burst just in front of us.  But we managed to get in quite safely.

“I am now in the same dug-out as Giffin and Allen.  We did not get up until midday to-day.  Giffin made himself quite unbearable, and eventually remarked that we would be having a scrap soon.  ’Yes.  I notice that you seem to have been trying to make yourself as objectionable as possible!’ I dryly replied.  He then declared that he was only pulling my leg, and he has not been quite so bad since then.

“This afternoon we had platoon inspections.  Sergeant Baldwin carried on with 7 Platoon.  Then Giffin came on the scene and said that he wanted him in 8 Platoon because, since he is to go over the top with 8 Platoon he ought to be with them now in order to get to know the men.  Now, as you know, Baldwin was in 7 Platoon as a corporal, so he naturally knows the men in 7 Platoon very well indeed; also, he himself prefers, I believe, to be in 7 Platoon; also, I want him as my platoon sergeant:  three excellent arguments why he should remain, as Captain Andrews has ordered to-day.  Giffin said that he would see Captain Andrews about it.  Then we fell to discussing the matter.  The cause of the controversy is really to be traced in a lack of sergeants now in B Company.  The Quartermaster-Sergeant having been wounded, Sergeant Jack has taken his place; Sergeant Butterworth has been wounded; and Sergeant Williams and Sergeant Dawson are on ‘battle reserve.’  There, therefore, remain only three sergeants to four platoons; and all the N.C.O.’s in my platoon are lance-corporals and cannot, therefore, very well be promoted to sergeant at a bound....