We arrived at the station of de-training about 5 p.m. on Wednesday,
after a railway journey that we all enjoyed. It was a great change
for all of us, and the country was looking at its best. From the
station we had to march for about six miles to a billeting area where
we are now. The headquarters is in a very nice old French Château,
owned by an old lady, but ruled by her manservant. The house has not
been properly cared for and is falling to pieces, but there is a
beautiful garden and beautiful trees round it. The orchards in this
country abound in fruits--apples, pears, plums and peaches--but
chiefly apples and pears. Of course nothing is ripe yet. There is a
pond literally covered with water-lilies and green stuff, and alive
with green frogs with black spots on them. If you run your stick
along the edge of the pond a dozen of them will jump into the water.
We have had the luxury of beds with sheets on them these last two
nights. I have not experienced that all the time we have been in
this country, and that is over four months now. We leave this place
this evening immediately after an inspection by our Army Commander,
and that takes place at 4 p.m. to-day. We go to a forward area, and
spend the night in Billets there (it is about six miles away from
here), and then on Saturday night we take over our portion of the
trench line from the French Army. Our Battalion is just immediately
behind the front line in support of other Battalions. We shall be in
'dug-outs' probably for a week or ten days, I expect, and just a few
hundred yards behind the front line. Since Graham left I command the
Battalion, and this taking over from the French Army is a little more
difficult to arrange than usual, and of course the country is new to
all of us. It is much more pleasant country to look at than the
country we have left. It is more hilly and much more closely wooded.
The harvest is getting ripe, and in some parts is cut already. Old
men and boys do the reaping of it, and in some cases, where even
these are not available, soldiers are set to do it.