FOOTNOTES: 

[9] This refers to the newspaper controversy in the Middleton Guardian in which I had been engaged throughout the whole time I was at the Front.

[10] He afterwards won the D.S.O. and Bar, Belgian Ordre de la Couronne and Belgian Croix de Guerre.

CHAPTER XV

THE DAYS BEFORE

On the evening of July 25 the 164 Brigade marched back from the Watou area to the camps behind Ypres; we went to Query Camp.  In my tent at Query Camp on July 27 I wrote my last letter home before going into action.  It ran as follows: 

“I have received all letters up to date:  I got father’s letter of July 23 this morning.  I am still very busy, but have found time this afternoon to send a reply to ‘Bumjo’s’ insolent letter to the Middleton Guardian and to write this.

“We left the last camp at 9.30 on the evening of July 25 and marched back here.  We are now in a camp behind the line.  We got here at 1 in the morning.  Then we had dinner.  A and B Companies mess in the same tent, so we had the two new officers—­Barlow and Smith—­who arrived just before we marched off from the other camp....  They have just come out from Scarborough.

“We went to bed at 2.20.  Allen and I had a tent to ourselves, but were yesterday joined by Harwood, a new officer who arrived yesterday and has been posted to B Company.  He seems all right.  The new officers are all fresh from cadet battalions via Scarborough.  Captain Cocrame, who has been at the Army School since June, has returned to-day, so our mess is increasing.  A and B Company Mess now consists of Captain Briggs, Captain Cocrame, West, Barlow, Smith, Young, Dickinson, Allen, Harwood and myself.  Captain Andrews has gone to Headquarters.

“The weather just now is glorious—­too hot to move.  Just by our tent there is a military railway constantly carrying things and men up to the front line.  The engines and trucks are quaint little things.  They have a bell which sounds like the trams running from Blackpool to Bispham and beyond.  One expects to see the sea when one hears the tinkle, but one merely sees—­well!  One sees life at the Front; one hears the roar of the guns; and if one cares to lift one’s eyes to the sky one sees copious observation balloons and aeroplanes.  The day is very near now.  This will probably be my last letter before going into action, so do not worry if you do not hear again for a week.

“Cheer up—­all’s well that ends well!”

And in a P.S.  I said, “I cannot guarantee even field-cards regularly.”

My diary tells the story of these last days until I packed it up with my kit which I handed in when we reached our concentration area in front of the Cafe Belge on the right of the Vlamertinghe-Ypres road on July 29.

“July 25th.

“We marched off from Watou at 9.30 p.m.  We got along very slowly; the North Lancs in front kept halting.  However, it was a nice cool evening.  We got to Query Camp at 1 a.m.  We had dinner and then went to bed in tents at 2.20.  Allen and I have a tent to ourselves.”