heard--and I have listened to a good many famous public
speakers in my time--and it produced a very profound impression upon all
who heard it. I only wish there had been a reporter present to take it
down verbatim. But that could not be. Those were the days of that most
objectionable of all tyrants, the Censor! I can but quote from the
letter which I wrote home from Westbecourt on June 18:

"The Battalion paraded in a field just by my billet this morning.
General Stockwell arrived at 10.45. The General Salute, Present Arms,
was ordered by Best-Dunkley. The General rode up, and, facing the
Battalion, said to Best-Dunkley: 'All right; slope arms, order arms,
stand at ease, and close up your companies.' The Colonel gave the
required orders. General Stockwell then addressed the Battalion.
'Colonel Best-Dunkley, gentlemen, non-commissioned officers, and men of
the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers, I am very sorry indeed to have to say
what I am going to say to you now'--he began. He then spoke about the
march of Saturday, drew a vivid picture of the scene as it appeared to
him, said that he had had very great faith in the discipline of this
Battalion and was very sorry that under stress our discipline should
prove so weak; said that the Brigade had been selected for the most
difficult and trying part in the forthcoming operations (he then told us
what part: I cannot, of course, reveal what!) because Sir Douglas Haig
considers us the best brigade in the Division, and that if we could not
stick Saturday what would we do then? He remarked that the Lancashire
Fusiliers had won more V.C.'s than any other regiment in the British
Army, and he closed by saying that he would still trust us, and hoped
that we would act up to our traditions in the future.

"Having said his say he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared!

"We then carried on with training. We finished at 12. The weather is
still hot.

"I had a stroll about the village this afternoon, having some milk
again at the farm I spoke of yesterday.

"At 6.15 this evening we were all summoned to a conference at Battalion
Headquarters. Colonel Best-Dunkley told us all about a new scheme of
training which commences to-morrow and also explained to us the plan of
campaign and what part we are to play, with reference to the exact
points on the map, in the next great battle, which he said would be the
greatest battle of the war. It is a thing which I have always thought
ought to be do