somewhere on the other side of Peronne, before March 21st, when he was
commanding the 16th (Irish) Division in the absence of General Hickey,
who was ill. He talked a good deal about the belief in a great German
offensive, and gave many reasons for thinking it was all "bluff." A
few days later the enemy had rolled over his lines... Out of thirteen
generals I met at that time, there were only three who believed that the
enemy would make his great assault in a final effort to gain decisive
victory, though our Intelligence had amassed innumerable proofs and were
utterly convinced of the approaching menace.

"They will never risk it!" said General Gorringe of the 47th (London)
Division. "Our lines are too strong. We should mow them down."

I was standing with him on a wagon, watching the sports of the London
men. We could see the German lines, south of St.-Quentin, very quiet
over there, without any sign of coming trouble. A few days later the
place where we were standing was under waves of German storm-troops.

I liked the love of General Hickey for his Irish division. An Irishman
himself, with a touch of the old Irish soldier as drawn by Charles
Lever, gay-hearted, proud of his boys, he was always pleased to see me
because he knew I had a warm spot in my heart for the Irish troops. He
had a good story to tell every time, and passed me on to "the boys" to
get at the heart of them. It was long before he lost hope of keeping the
division together, though it was hard to get recruits and losses were
high at Guillemont and Ginchy. For the first time he lost heart and was
very sad when the division was cut to pieces in a Flanders battle.
It lost 2,000 men and 162 officers before the battle began--they were
shelled to death in the trenches--and 2,000 men and 170 officers more
during the progress of the battle. It was murderous and ghastly.

General Harper of the 51st (Highland) Division, afterward commanding the
4th Corps, had the respect of his troops, though they called him "Uncle"
because of his shock of white hair. The Highland division, under his
command, fought many battles and gained great honor, even from the
enemy, who feared them and called the kilted men "the ladies from hell."
It was to them the Germans sent their message in a small balloon
during the retreat from the Somme: "Poor old 51st. Still sticking it!
Cheery-oh!"

"Uncle" Harper invited me to lunch in his mess, and was ironical
with war correspondents, an