d Bird drilled us until we begged for mercy, while Borwick
strummed untiringly at the piano. At last the great night arrived.

A stage had been built at one end of a hangar, and curtains hung up.

The whole of the Staff and H.Q. had been invited, and the _maire_, the
_cure_, the _medecin_ of the village, and their families were also to
attend.

Promptly at eight o'clock, the concert began, with Borwick at the
piano. Everything went off without a hitch. Although "K" Company
provided most of the talent, the Battalion shared the honours of the
entertainment. Each song had a chorus, and so appreciative was our
audience that the choruses were repeated again and again. The one
"lady" of the Troupe looked charming, and "she" arranged for "her"
voice to be entirely in keeping with "her" dress and paint. The French
spectators enjoyed it hugely. They were a great encouragement, for
they laughed at everything uproariously, though it could not have been
due to their understanding of the jokes.

At ten o'clock we finished off with "God Save the King," and went back
to our billets feeling that our stay in the village had been
splendidly rounded off.

IV

MOVING UP THE LINE

Two or three days before we were due to leave, we had received orders
to pack our surplus kit, and have it at the Quartermaster's Stores at
a certain time. We drew a long breath. This meant that the actual
date, which up to the present had been somewhat indefinite, was close
at hand. We were given orders to draw our tanks and the whole Company
was marched over to work sheds about two miles away at E----, where
tanks and stores were issued.

The variety and number of little things which it is necessary to draw
when fitting out a tank for action is inconceivable. Tools, small
spares, Pyrenes, electric lamps, clocks, binoculars, telescopes,
petrol and oil funnels, oil squirts, grease guns, machine guns,
headlights, tail lamps, steel hawsers, crowbars, shovels, picks,
inspection lamps, and last, but not least, ammunition. The field-gun
ammunition has to be taken out of its boxes and placed in the shell
racks inside the tank. The S.A.A. (small arms ammunition) must be
removed from its boxes and stacked away. At the same time every single
round, before being put into the drum, must be gauged. All this has to
be done in the last two or three days, and everything must be checked
and countersigned. There is always a great deal of fun for Tank
Commanders