“Whenever Colonel Best-Dunkley or Major Brighten come into our Mess they always ask me what I think of the war and when I think it is going to end.  They came in yesterday.  Colonel Best-Dunkley, with his customary squint and twitch of the nose (I have been told that he contracted this habit as the result of shell-shock on the Somme), said:  ’Well, “General Floyd,” what do you think of the war?  How long is it going to last?’ I replied:  ‘February, 1918.’  They then always give vent to great amusement, especially when I mention Palestine; but I really think this sinister commanding officer is not at all badly disposed towards me; in fact I am inclined to think that he likes me!  I do not dislike him at all.

“I am Orderly Officer to-night so am now going to bed.  The Germans are sending copious gas shells over while I am writing this, but we have got the gas curtain down in our dug-out and it has been sprayed; all precautions have been taken; so we ought to be all right.  There is also a good deal of shelling of a heavier kind going on; our guns are giving the German trenches hell at present; we have kept up a consistent bombardment all day.  The Germans are giving us some back now; but I feel quite safe in this dug-out!  I am glad I am not on a working party to-night.  So good night!  Again I say, ‘cheer up!’ It’s a funny world we live in!”

My diary of July 17 states: 

“Up 11 a.m.  Had breakfast while dressing.  Reconnoitred the road; all correct.  At 1.10 p.m.  I reported to Captain Warburton at Brigade Headquarters about a working party for which I was detailed.  Carberry, the Brigade bombing officer, explained to me what was to be done.  At 1.30 I set off with a party of Sergeant Clews and thirty-four other ranks including Corporal Chamley and Lance-Corporal Topping.  The job consisted of carrying boxes of bombs from a dump at the junction of Milner Walk and the road to White Chateau; then detonating bombs which were not already detonated; then carrying S.A.A. from one spot to another about twenty yards away.  I left Corporal Chamley in charge of the first dump, where the men left their equipment.  I went backwards and forwards myself.  On one occasion, while I was at the junction of Milner Walk and the road, General Stockwell appeared.  He asked me what we were doing; I told him; he expressed himself satisfied and proceeded up the trench.  It was a very hot day and I felt very tired.  My head began to ache.  We finished at 5.30 p.m.  Then we came back.  Our guns were blazing away all day, making a great row.  It was 6.30 when we got back to the Ramparts.  I reported to Carberry at Brigade.  I felt very bad indeed now.  The exercise in the heat, after gas, was taking effect upon me.  I did not have any dinner, but lay down.  I was told that I looked white.  I felt rotten.  Giffin also is bad; he got some more gas last night.  A good many more have reported sick with gas to-day.  I think I have got a slight touch of it now.  However, as the evening advanced I began to feel much better.  By midnight I felt quite well again.”