t, but his staff were
very charming. At dinner, we avoided war topics and shop, and talked
about things political and literary. The mess was in the farm building
and our sleeping quarters were on an island in the moat. My stay here
brought me into contact with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, and a fine
lot of men they were.

But a change in my fortunes was awaiting me. The Senior Chaplain of
the Division had gone back to England, and General Alderson sent for
me one day to go to Nieppe. There he told me he wished me to be Senior
Chaplain. I was not altogether pleased at the appointment, because it
meant that I should be taken away from my beloved 3rd Brigade. I told
the General so, but he assured me I should not have to stay all the
time at Headquarters, and could go with the 3rd Brigade as much as I
pleased.

This unexpected promotion, after what I had gone through, opened up a
life of almost dazzling splendour. I now had to go and live in the
village of Nieppe on the Bailleul-Armentieres road. Here were our
Headquarters. General Alderson had his house in the Square. Another
building was occupied by our officers, and a theatre was at my
disposal for Church Services and entertainments. The town was also the
Headquarters of a British Division, so we had plenty of men to look
after. I got an upper room in a house owned by an old lady. The front
room downstairs was my office, and I had a man as a clerk. Round my
bedroom window grew a grape vine, and at night when the moon was
shining, I could sit on my window-sill, listen to the sound of shells,
watch the flare lights behind Armentieres and eat the grapes which
hung down in large clusters. Poor Nieppe has shared the fate of Neuve
Eglise and Bailleul and is now a ruin. Everyone was exceedingly kind,
and I soon found that the added liberty which came to me from having a
definite position really increased my chances of getting amongst the
men. By leaving my clerk to do the work of Senior Chaplain, I could go
off and be lost at the front for a day and a night without ever being
missed. I knew that each brigade must now have an equal share of my
interest and I was very careful never to show any preference. A
chaplain had at all times to be very careful to avoid anything that
savoured of favouritism. I was now also formally inducted into the
membership of that august body known as "C" mess, where the heads (p. 099)
of non-combatant departments met for dining and wining. Somebod