on the mud flat
(it was once a field) outside the huts. In order to stimulate keenness
I organised a competition and gave one franc each day as a prize for
the best score. I soon found out who were the most expert throwers.

We had a Y.M.C.A. hut close to the camp, and it was interesting to
drop in and have a chat with the men in charge and a cup of cocoa.
There was an old gentleman there, in command, who was rightly proud
of being the civilian nearest to the front line. He displayed to us
with great pride a souvenir found in Ypres, the huge base of a 17-inch
shell--it was almost too heavy for one man to lift. We had our Church
Service and our concerts in the marquee attached to the Y.M.C.A. hut.

Most of the officers got leave to go to Poperinghe during these rests
out of the line, but I never went there myself. There was an
attraction there in the 'Fancies,' a fine concert party, many of whose
songs I learnt at second hand.

FOOTNOTES:

[3] Lieut. F.B. Cowen, a very cheery machine-gun officer, also 7th
N.F., had his quarters here.

VI

MOUNT SORREL AND CANNY HILL

When we went up the line again on January 31, it was to Mount Sorrel,
on the north of Hill 60. Here we had a good set of trenches, but they
were practically cut off from our trenches at Hill 60 by a swamp.
Through the swamp ran a watery sort of drain about four feet deep. It
was the old front line, now waterlogged and quite untenable. Although
the drain was not held by day, a patrol of bombers used to pass along
it at intervals during the night. And it was part of my duties to wade
through it every night. This was not a pleasant job, because you could
not show a light and the mud smelt abominably. We were provided,
however, with rubber boots reaching up to the thigh, so we did not get
very wet. The officers of A Company occupied an 'elephant' shelter
just behind the support line. All its occupants were killed by a shell
bursting in the doorway, just two days after we had left these
trenches. I first met Lieut. W. Keene here. He was the Brigade
Grenadier officer and had the supervision of all bombing arrangements
in the Brigade area, besides being responsible for the supply of
grenades. I always found him friendly and encouraging, and I was glad
to learn anything he could tell me. He asked me to send in a daily
report to B.H.Q.; and I have kept the copies of these reports to this
day.

During this stay in the trenches the Germans stuck up