easily worked; consequently a most elaborate and well made system
of trenches was established in front of Messines. The brown sides of
the trenches became dry and hard in the sun, and the bath-mats along
them made walking easy. The trenches were named, "Currie Avenue,"
"McHarg Avenue," "Seely Avenue," and so forth. The men had their
cookers and primus stoves, and occupied their spare time in the line
by cooking all sorts of dainty dishes. Near the trenches on the other
side of Hill 63 were several ruined farm houses, known as "Le Perdu
Farm," "Ration Farm," and one, around which hovered a peculiarly
unsavoury atmosphere, as "Stinking Farm." Hill 63 was a hill which ran
immediately behind our trench area and was covered at its right end
with a delightful wood. Here were "Grand Moncque Farm," "Petit Moncque
Farm," "Kort Dreuve Farm" and the "Piggeries." All these farms were
used as billets by the battalions who were in reserve. In Ploegsteert
Wood, "Woodcote Farm," and "Red Lodge," were also used for the same
purpose. The wood in those days was a very pleasant place to wander
through. Anything that reminded us of the free life of nature acted as
a tonic to the nerves, and the little paths among the trees which
whispered overhead in the summer breezes made one imagine that one was
wandering through the forests in Canada. In the wood were several
cemeteries kept by different units, very neatly laid out and carefully
fenced in. I met an officer one day who told me he was going up to the
trenches one evening past a cemetery in the wood, when he heard the
sound of someone sobbing. He looked into the place and there saw a
young boy lying beside a newly made grave. He went in and spoke to him
and the boy seemed confused that he had been discovered in his sorrow.
"It's the grave of my brother, Sir," he said, "He was buried here this
afternoon and now I have got to go back to the line without him." The
lad dried his eyes, shouldered his rifle and went through the woodland
path up to the trenches. No one would know again the inner sorrow that
had darkened his life. The farms behind the wood made really very
pleasant homes for awhile. They have all now been levelled to the
ground, but at the time I speak of they were in good condition and had
many large and commodious buildings. At Kort Dreuve there was a very
good private chapel, which the proprietor gave me the use of for my
Communion Services. It was quite nice to have a little Go