was
polluted by a horrible stench, and as soon as one's eyes got
accustomed to the gloom there became visible silent twisted forms
that used to be men. But enough; I dare not tell you of the
ghastly scenes on that historic battlefield; it would give you
nightmare for weeks to come if I did.

Out here one gets into a callous state, in which these things,
while unpleasant, are scarcely noticed in the whirl and confusion
of events. Personally at the time, in traversing this
battlefield, I was slightly horrified at first, but chiefly
conscious only of the frightful odour of mortality. It is on
thinking the thing over in retrospect and with cold blood that
the real sense of horror begins to creep into one's soul. Such
is the so-called "ennobling influence of war"! As I went over
this grim battlefield, with all its tragic sights, I reflected
bitterly on the triumph of twentieth-century civilisation.

Our work occupied us about five hours, and we trekked for home
before dawn. Through the night there was movement and
activity--ration parties, walking wounded, stretcher-bearers,
reliefs, all moving silently in the darkness like so many
phantoms. I have picked up a number of souvenirs from the old
Boche trenches, including a Boche steel helmet, with a shrapnel
hole in the side as big as a crown-piece. Its wearer must have
"gone West" instanter.

_September 21st, 1916._

In the last few days two other officers and myself have been in
charge of working parties. Starting out at 8 A.M., it is our
habit to proceed on foot to places distant anything up to three
and four miles, returning in the late afternoon. Yesterday we got
to our destination about 9 A.M., and found the Boche "crumping"
with fair regularity the vicinity of an apology for a road.
Though little more than a muddy track, and only recently captured
by us, this road is full of traffic most hours of the day. The
"Hun" knows this and acts accordingly. As we were marching gaily
up about 9 A.M. he began a "strafe" of the district with pretty
heavy shells at intervals of a couple of minutes. Suddenly came a
bang about thirty yards in front of us on the road, and he put a
beautiful shot almost under the wheels of a lorry, digging a huge
crater in th