were
whistling round us. We stayed at the job quite a long time. I was
beginning to wonder when Allen was going to pronounce it finished; the
men were obviously fed up. At last he let half the party go at 2.30 a.m.
and told me to take them back. We returned by the road all the way from
Potijze to the Menin Gate. It was 3 a.m. when we got back to the
Ramparts. It was getting quite light. Allen followed on with the
remainder about half an hour later; he came through the fields. We had
some refreshment and then went to bed."

"July 16th.

"I did not get up until 3 p.m. this afternoon. Since 8 Platoon has
practically ceased to exist owing to gas casualties, 7 and 8 are again
combined under Giffin, and I am second-in-command. Baldwin remains
platoon sergeant. If and when we get sufficient reinforcements the two
platoons will separate again.

"The Germans have been bombarding Poperinghe with very big shells
to-day. The shops, I hear, are all shut. It looks as if they intend to
destroy the town. Our great bombardment of the enemy trenches is in
progress."

That evening I wrote a lengthy letter home. In the course of it I said:
"The padre is in hospital at present, having been wounded by a shell in
the streets of the city the other day. It is only a very slight wound,
so he will not be in hospital long. With regard to the four officers who
were wounded on July 1--Ronald is in hospital in Bristol doing well;
Halstead, with a wound in the stomach, is going to 'Blighty' shortly;
Barker and Wood are very bad indeed, the former was given up altogether
the other day. They are much too bad to cross the water yet. We were all
amused to read in the _Manchester Guardian_ that Halstead had been
lately in the Army Ordnance Corps; it is, of course, incorrect.

"Whenever Colonel Best-Dunkley or Major Brighten come into our Mess they
always ask me what I think of the war and when I think it is going to
end. They came in yesterday. Colonel Best-Dunkley, with his customary
squint and twitch of the nose (I have been told that he contracted this
habit as the result of shell-shock on the Somme), said: 'Well, "General
Floyd," what do you think of the war? How long is it going to last?' I
replied: 'February, 1918.' They then always give vent to great
amusement, especially when I mention Palestine; but I really think this
sinister commanding officer is not at all badly disposed towards me; in
fact I am inclined to think that he likes me! I d