“I have since discussed the matter with Allen.  He sees in the difficulty the chance of a solution which would give me what I want, and also secure something which he wants.  At present he has got Sergeant ——­ as his platoon sergeant.  He says that he would not go over the top with him for worlds; so he suggests that that sergeant should be put on ’battle reserve’ in place of Sergeant Williams and Corporal Stokes be promoted platoon sergeant of 5 Platoon; that Sergeant Williams should take 8 Platoon; and that I should thus retain Sergeant Baldwin for 7 Platoon.  Personally I think that would be quite a good solution of the problem.  I hope it will, when put forward, meet with the approval of Captain Andrews.”

“July 10th (later).

“I have won!  Captain Andrews has just been into our dug-out to give us our orders as to working parties for to-night.  Giffin brought up the question of the platoon sergeants, and Captain Andrews immediately replied:  ’Oh, you will have to carry on with Sergeant Williams at present; Sergeant Baldwin is going to remain with his old platoon’—­7 Platoon!  Giffin then asked whether Sergeant Williams would be going over the top with him; Captain Andrews replied that it would probably end in his doing so.  Anyhow, Sergeant Baldwin is now definitely appointed to 7 Platoon.  That is satisfactory.  I am also quite satisfied with my section commanders—­Lance-Corporal Livesey (Bombers), Lance-Corporal Tipping (Riflemen), Lance-Corporal Topping (Lewis Gunners), and Lance-Corporal Segar (Rifle Grenadiers).  The men in my platoon are practically the same as they were when I first had 7 Platoon.  So things are now much more satisfactory.  I hope they will continue so.

“While here we are under direct orders from Brigade.  The Brigade-Major has just been in with detail of working parties for this evening.  I am to take Sergeant Clews and a party of thirty men to carry ammunition from one dump to another.

“I must now close.  It is nearly dinner-time.  It is 7.20 now; dinner at 7.30.  I start with my party at 9.25.”

My diary of July 10 states: 

“Working party in the evening with Sergeant Clews—­carrying ammunition from a dump near White Chateau to a Brigade dump further on to the left, behind Congreve Walk.  A very quiet night.”

On July 11 I wrote home as follows: 

“We had Major Brighten and Captain Blamey in for dinner yesterday evening.  Major Brighten is delightfully optimistic; he is, like Captain Andrews, positive that the war will be all over by October.  He thinks that the coming offensive will settle the dispute.  We discussed the war, its duration, and the coming battle.  The other day I remarked to Captain Blamey that a landing ought, during the heat of the action, to be effected at a certain place, and that a certain famous General would probably be chosen to do it, because he has already done it (but under easier conditions!) on a former occasion.