o had just been killed. I got to the village
of Rouvroy about noon and made my way to a dugout under the main
road, where the colonel and some of the officers of the 3rd Battalion
were having lunch. They gave me a cup of tea, but I told them I had
taken my food on the journey, so did not want anything to eat. They
looked much relieved at this, because rations were short. Their
chaplain was there and gave me a warm reception. I was feeling rather
used up, so lay down on a wire mattress and had an hour's sleep. When
lunch was over the chaplain and I went to see the sights of the town.
The ruined church was being used for a dressing station and it seemed
to me it was rather a dangerous place, as the Germans would be (p. 286)
likely to shell it. We found an old bookshop which was filled with
German literature and writing paper, some of which proved very useful.

We had a good rest in a dugout, but I felt so seedy that I told him,
if he heard that I had gone out of the line, not to think it was
because I was suffering from "cold feet". We went back to the village,
and there we found shells dropping in the main street not far from the
church. In fact, one came so close that we had to dive into a cellar
and wait till the "straffing" was over. Then I bid my companion
good-bye and started off over the fields back to Warvillers. By this
time I felt so unwell that it was hard to resist the temptation to
crawl into some little hole in which I might die quietly. However,
with my usual luck, I found a motor car waiting near the road for an
air-officer who had gone off on a tour of inspection and was expected
to return soon. The driver said I could get in and rest. When the
officer came back he kindly consented to give me a ride to my
Divisional Headquarters. We did not know where they were and I landed
in the wrong place, but finally with the assistance of another car I
made my way to Beaufort. There I found our Division had established
themselves in huts and dugouts at the back of an ancient chateau. With
great difficulty I made my way over to General Thacker's mess and
asked for some dinner.

During the meal, the General sent off his A.D.C. on a message, and he
soon returned with no less a person than the A.D.M.S., who, to my
dismay, proceeded to feel my pulse and put a clinical thermometer in
my mouth. My temperature being 103-1/2, he ordered me at once to go
off to a rest camp, under threat of all sorts of penalties if I did