One Saturday evening I was standing by my dug-out in Sausage Valley,
near Fricourt, when a draft of the Middlesex Regt. halted for the guide
to take them up to the front line where the battalion was. I had a chat
with one of the lads, who told me he had left England on the Friday.
They moved off, and soon things got lively; a raid and counter-raid
started.
Later the casualties began to come down, and the poor chaps were lying
around outside the 1st C.C.S. (which was next to my dug-out). On a
stretcher was my friend of the draft. He was pretty badly hit. I gave
him a cigarette and tried to cheer him by telling him he would soon be
back in England. With a feeble smile he said, "Blimey, sir, this 'as
been a short week-end, ain't it?"--_Pope Stamper (15th Durham L.I.),
188A Upper Richmond Road, East Sheen, S.W.14._