ack to the job. Just
before we got back an ugly instrument of death familiarly known amongst
the boys as a 'minnie' burst about the spot where our work was. That
was not encouraging! But we went back and set to again. One or two more
'minnies' burst not far from us while we were there. You should have
seen us duck! And the flares continued rising and falling. We constantly
heard the shells from the big guns screaming like express trains over
our heads; and every now and then a machine-gun or a Lewis gun would
spurt forth its bullets. We felt anything but comfortable! One man in C
Company was carried away with very bad shell-shock--a 'Blighty' all
right! None of us were sorry when 2 came. Major Brighten came along just
before it was time to stop. 'Is that you, Floyd? How are you going on?'
he inquired as he passed me. He is liked by everybody. He is awfully
nice.

"Major Brighten is the young Major who is temporarily in command of the
Battalion while the real Commanding Officer--the notorious Colonel
Best-Dunkley--is home on leave. By the way--I have not seen Colonel
Best-Dunkley yet. He was away when I arrived. I am told that it is a
treat in store for me! He is simply hated by everybody. His reputation
as a beast is famed in 'Blighty.' I heard about him in the 5th Reserve;
and Brian Kemp told me about him when we were in Harrogate. He is
discussed here every day. From what I hear he is a horrible tyrant;
nobody has a good word to say for him. So I am looking forward to
seeing this extraordinary man. He is only twenty-seven! His greeting to
Verity when he arrived a month ago was: 'Who the d---- are you?'

"As soon as it was 2 a.m. we set off back. Going back is generally
considered the most dangerous of all; it is then that most of the
casualties occur. When we were going along one winding communication
trench shells began to burst in front of us right in our course. We bent
down and dashed through the hundred yards or so which these shells were
sweeping as fast as we could go. It was very hot, but we did not trouble
about that; that did not matter; to get safely past the shells was the
important thing. We got through all right, and we managed to get all the
way back to the Prison without a single casualty. I can tell you we felt
very happy when we were safely inside. To think that one should look to
the cells of a prison as a haven of refuge!

"In Lieutenant Alexander's bombing raid five German prisoners were
captur