ch, and the Q.M.S. dished out drinks for us to toast with, and we
had the King and all of ourselves with great enthusiasm. Mr T. had to
propose "The Sisters," and after a few trembling, solemn words about "we
all know the good work they do," he suddenly giggled hopelessly, and it
ended in a healthy splodge all round. Orders just come to be at St Omer
by 10 P.M. If that means loading-up further on about 1 A.M. I think we
shall all die! Too noisy here to sleep this afternoon. And the men are
just now so merry with Tipperary, and dressing up, that they will surely
drop the patients off the stretchers, but we'll hope for the best.

_Sunday, December 27th._--Had a grand night last night. Woke up at
Bethune. Went out after breakfast and saw over No.-- Cl. H., which has
only been there 48 hours, in a huge Girls' College, partly smashed by
big shell holes, an awful mess, but the whole parts are being turned
into a splendid hospital. Several houses shelled, and big guns shaking
the train this morning.

The M.O.'s went to the Orderlies' Concert last night, when we went to
bed. It was excellent, and nobody was drunk! We are taking on a full
load of lying-downs straight from three Field Ambulances, so we shall be
very busy; not arrived yet.

6 P.M.--Nearing Boulogne.

I have one little badly wounded Gurkha (who keeps ejaculating
"Gerrman"), and all the rest British, some very badly frost-bitten. The
trenches are in a frightful state. One man said, "There's almost as many
men drowned as killed: when they're wounded they fall into the water."
Of three officers (one of whom is on the train and tells the story) in a
deep-water trench for two days, one was drowned, the other had to have
his clothes cut off him (stuck fast to the mud) and be pulled out naked,
and the other is invalided with rheumatism.

Two men were telling me how they caught a sniper established in a tree,
with a thousand rounds of ammunition and provisions. He asked for mercy,
but he didn't get it, they said. He had just shot two stretcher-bearers.

_Monday, December 28th._--This trip to Rouen will give us a longer
journey up, and therefore some more time. And we shall get another bath.

The following story is a typical example of what the infantry often have
to endure. It was told to me by the Sergeant. Three men of the S.W.
Borderers and five of the Welsh Regt. on advancing to occupy a trench
found themselves cut off, with a 2nd Lieut. He advanced alone to