Two days ago, our troop, consisting of twenty-eight men, was billeted
in a farmyard. We were trying our best to make up a bit of a dinner
by collecting potatoes, carrots, etc., when a shell struck the roof
of the building and set it on fire. Fortunately the only casualty was
a wounded horse, although several of the men got shaken up a bit. The
only thing that worried us was that we lost our dinners, because I can
tell you we had to get out of it quickly--it was a bit too warm for
Tommy Atkins. The country here is thick with woods, which makes it
very dangerous for cavalrymen. We are fighting side by side with the
French troops and we get on very well together. Lots of them speak good
English: _Pte. Martin, 16th Lancers_.