nce behind the
front line, but working-parties were taken up to the forward area, and
I used to go and inspect them. Shortly after our arrival at Sailly the
enemy began to shell the back areas, causing great annoyance and some
casualties to the civilian population, generally to children. They had
been allowed to live here many months in peace, although not five
miles away from the enemy's trenches. Even Sailly-Labourse received
almost daily salvoes from long-range guns.

I had a very unpleasant experience myself in my billet, a brick
cottage, one night about March 12. I was in bed on the first
floor--the only person in the cottage except monsieur and madame who
slept in the cellar. About midnight the enemy's 4-inch naval guns
started shelling the place. Three shells in succession passed just
over the roof of my cottage, one smashed the next house to pieces; the
next fell into our little back garden, eight yards from the cottage;
and the third struck the road on the other side. After that I got up
and joined monsieur and madame for ten minutes in the cellar, until
the shelling had ceased. Then back to bed. But next day I took the
precaution of changing my billet--going to the cellar of the broken
house next door.

It was a piteous sight to see the poor French folk as they fled from
their homes, with their most cherished belongings packed on to small
carts.

About this time the 42nd Division decided to form a party of
observers, known as 'Divisional Observers,' who were intended to keep
a watch on the enemy during a battle and to report all sudden
movements to the Division. They were really intended to collect
information for D.H.Q. at times when the ordinary avenues of
information had broken down. At first the party consisted of one
officer and nine trained observers: but later on it was increased by
the inclusion of signallers and one or two additional men.

On March 15, 1918, I was instructed to return to Lapugnoy to Battalion
H.Q. in order to organise and command this new party of men. I
obtained this job through the kind recommendation of the Colonel and
Adjutant of the 7th N.F. Although this side of Intelligence was not
perhaps the one that I had most experience of, yet I hailed my return
to an Intelligence job with delight.

When I reached Lapugnoy no observers had yet arrived, but next day I
went to interview Capt. E.C.B. Kirsopp, M.C., the G.S.O. III, who was
the officer on the Staff directly responsible f