Calais.

After some stiff marching, we entrained "somewhere." Our "camions" were
coal trucks, which had been only partially unloaded. Some of my more
hygienic mates who were under the impression that they did not have as
much grime-caked mud sticking to them as the rest, suggested that our
truck be cleaned out, but the general eagerness for a corner "doss" put
this suggestion out of consideration at once. There was a scrambling
match, and when our allotment got entirely in, the quartermaster was
soundly "cussed." It seemed as if the whole regiment had been detailed to
this car. Even in these circumstances, the whimsical philosophy of the
private soldier asserted itself. A little chap, jammed in a corner, said
he wanted a place by the side door, so that he could "see the scenery"!

We travelled all night, and on the following morning drew up at a junction
where a body of recruits joined us. They regarded us with staring eyes,
and I suppose we did look like a lot of cave men, being unshaven,
long-haired, grimy, and black as sweeps with the coal dust. We did not
mind this half so much as the recruits. At the junction, we got a sandwich
and a canteen of coffee which had a most exquisite flavour of rum. This
was so pronounced that some summoned their nerve sufficiently to go back
for a "double attack," but were met with "Napoo."

Conditions have changed now, so that Tommy is able to keep himself shaved
and personally neat, even in the mud of the trenches. It helps keep up our
morale and shatter that of the boches. There is a distinct psychological
effect on the enemy when clean-shaven, tidily-dressed men come up out of
the earth and fall upon them.

Very soon we commenced our journey again. How long we were on the train I
cannot recall, but finally we reached a large town where we got off. On
our arrival we could hear the incessant rumbling of guns, and knew we were
going to have another hot time of it. My face was better, but my beard! I
had not had a shave since before Mons! While on the retreat, most of us,
in order to lighten our loads, had thrown away the little items of our
equipment that we did not urgently need. We kept only our greatcoats and
such articles as we required for warmth.

We force-marched until early morning, when we halted for a rest, as the
feet of many of our men were skinned and in bad shape. For myself, I was
walking on my uppers, as the soles and heels of my shoes were completely
worn out.

W