s.' There was a cavalry officer looking round the
Cathedral with me that day the guns were banging. I often wonder where
the Belgian woman is who showed me the way and wanted my S.A. ribbons as
a souvenir. She showed me a huge old painting on the wall of the
Cathedral of Ypres in an earlier war.

I all but got left in Boulogne to-day. We are dry-docked about five
miles out, not far from Ambleteuse.

It was bad luck not seeing the King. We caught him up at St Omer, and
saw his train; and from there he motored in front of us to all our
places. Where we went, they said, "The King was here yesterday and gave
V.C.'s." We haven't seen the "d--d good boy" either.

_Tuesday, December 8th._--Got up to Bailleul by 11 A.M., and had a good
walk on the line waiting to load up. Glorious morning. Aeroplanes
buzzing overhead like bees, and dropping coloured signals about. Only
filled up my half of the train, both wounded and sick, including some
very bad enterics. An officer in the trenches sent a man on a horse to
get some papers from us. Luckily I had a batch of 'The Times,'
'Spectator,' and 'Punches.'

We have come down very quickly, and hope to unload to-night, 9.30.

_Wednesday, December 9th._--In siding at Boulogne all day. Pouring wet.

_Thursday, December 10th._--Left for Bailleul at 8 A.M. Heard at St Omer
of the sinking of the three German cruisers.

Arrived at 2 P.M. Loaded up in the rain, wounded and sick--full load.
They were men wounded last night, very muddy and trenchy; said the train
was like heaven! It is lovely fun taking the sweets round; they are such
an unexpected treat. The sitting-ups make many jokes, and say "they
serve round 'arder sweets than this in the firing line--more explosive
like."

One showed us a fearsome piece of shell which killed his chum next to
him last night. There is a good deal of dysentery about, and acute
rheumatism. The Clearing Hospitals are getting rather rushed again, and
the men say we shall have a lot coming down in the next few days. A
hundred men of one regiment got separated from their supports and came
up against some German machine-guns in a wood with tragic results. We
are shelling from Ypres, but there is no answering shelling going on
just now, though the Taubes are busy.

We are wondering what the next railhead will be, and when. Some charming
H.A.C.'s are on the train this time, and a typically plucky lot of
Tommies. One of the best of their many best feature