nd
accepted Giffin's invitation to come inside B Company's Mess. He had a
drink with us there, and stayed a minute or two. He remarked that it was
a dirty mess, pointed out a match on the floor, and, with his customary
blink and twitch of the nose, asked how we dare ask him into such a
dirty mess; but he also paid us the compliment of saying that B Company
was the best working company in the Battalion! Then we walked up to
Headquarters with him as he wanted us there. He told us that Sir Hubert
Gough expressed himself pleased with the Battalion yesterday. When we
got to Headquarters he gave us a paper to answer--an account of an
operation upon which we were each to write a report. We then returned
and wrote out the reports. Then lunch.

"The weather has been glorious to-day--bright sunshine, with a
refreshing breeze, not too hot. This afternoon I had a walk in the
country beyond this village, and strolled about a thickly-clustered
wood, plucking wild strawberries and eating them. Then back for tea.
Then letter censoring.

" ... We are supposed to do an hour's reading per day of military
text-books, and have to send in to Orderly Room a certificate to that
effect every evening!"

"June 25th.

"We have been to the range again to-day. A and B Companies went later
than the others, so we did not leave here until 8.45. It was 11.45 when
we got there. The weather was glorious as usual; and, since there was a
slight breeze, it was not too hot. We got the men into details of eight
and fired this time. We had taken our lunch with us, and so we had it
there. The ground there (at Cormette) is very high, and there is a
splendid view. I put my glass on it. We remained there until 4. Then we
marched back....

"I had three sergeants with my platoon to-day--Sergeant Clews, the
platoon-sergeant, Sergeant Dawson, and Sergeant Baldwin. The latter I
like very much; he is a very pleasant youth; he was a corporal in 7th
Platoon when I first joined the Battalion. My four section commanders in
8th Platoon are Corporal Pendleton (Bombers), Lance-Corporal Morgan
(Rifleman), Lance-Corporal Flint (Rifle Grenadiers, and Gas N.C.O.), and
Lance-Corporal Riley (Lewis Gunners). Lance-Corporal Topping, of 7th
Platoon, lives in Oldham Road, Middleton; he is a nice easy-going boy; I
like him very much. He told me, when we were out on that working party
on June 9, that he knew my face.

"Since I am on this subject I might mention that there are the