ouen--The young officers.

_Friday, December 18th_, 10.30 A.M.--We've had an all-night journey to
Rouen, and have almost got there. One of my sitting-ups was 106 deg. this
morning, but it was only malaria, first typical one I have met since
S.A. A man who saw the King when he was here said, "They wouldn't let
him come near the trenches; if a shell had come and hit him I think the
Army would 'a gone mad; there'd be no keeping 'em in the trenches after
that."

This place before Rouen is Darnetal, a beautiful spiry town in a valley,
pronounced by the Staff of No.-- A.T. "Darn it all."

6 P.M.--We unloaded by 12, and had just had time to go out and get a
bath at the best baths in France.

Shipped a big cargo of J.J. this journey, but luckily made no personal
captures.

Got to sleep this afternoon, as I was on duty all yesterday and up to 2
A.M. this morning.

Pouring cats and dogs as usual.

No time to see the Cathedrals.

We had this time a good many old seasoned experienced men of the Regular
Army, who had been through all the four months (came out in August).
They are very strong on the point of mixing Territorials (and K.'s Army
where it is not composed of old service men) and Indians well in with
men like themselves.

One Company of R.E. lost all its officers in one day in a charge. A
H.L.I. man gave a chuckling account of how they got to fighting the
Prussian Guard with their fists at Wypers because they were at too close
quarters to get in with their bayonets. They really enjoyed it, and the
Germans didn't.

_Saturday, 19th._--We are dry-docked to-day at Sotteville, outside
Rouen. Z. and I half walked and half trammed into Rouen this morning.

It is lovely to get out of the train. This afternoon No.-- played a
football match against the Khaki train and got well beaten. They've only
been in the country six weeks, and only do about one journey every eight
days, so they are in better training than ours, but it will do them a
lot of good: we looked on.

_Sunday, 20th_, 6 P.M.--At last we are on our way back to Boulogne and
mails, and the News of the War at Home and Abroad. At Rouen, or rather
the desert four miles outside it, we only see the paper of the day
before, and we miss our mails, and have no work since unloading on
Friday. This morning was almost a summer day, warm, still, clear and
sunny. We went for a walk, and then got on with painting the red crosses
on the train, which can only be done