the
Somme, one of them being the Ulster Division that had seen hard
fighting south of Serre. We had a good idea whither we were bound. But
at first we moved off to the Meteren area, where B.H.Q. were quartered
in a camp of wooden huts for about five days. The censorship now
became very strict, no inkling of our movements was to be given to
anyone at home. Valises too had to be lightened by sending home all
spare kit; and all papers and maps relating to the Kemmel area had to
be destroyed or returned. Amongst other things I sent home my
'slacks,' and never wore them again in France. About August 11 we
moved off to Bailleul railway station and entrained there, leaving
about midnight. Next morning we reached Doullens, where we left the
train. The R.T.O. at Doullens was Capt. Rearden, whom I knew as a boy
at Wellington College and had not seen for sixteen years. But he
recognised me and claimed acquaintance.

We marched that day to Fienvillers, and stayed there two days in a
French house. The next move was to Naours where we spent one night;
and the next night we stayed at Pierregot. On August 17 we marched to
the wood at Henencourt.

The whole Brigade was encamped in the neighbourhood of the wood. We
had at last arrived in the rest area of the Somme front, and it could
only be a matter of days before we were involved in the great battle.
But before that could happen there was a great deal to do to prepare
the men for their ordeal, and perhaps not a great deal of time in
which to do it. The Division was served out with the short rifle for
the first time. Hitherto we had only had the long rifle such as was
used in the South African War.

XII

THE SOMME[7]

The battle on the Somme was to me the great tragedy of the war. A
glorious noble tragedy, but still a tragedy. Both sides of course have
claimed the victory, the British a tactical one, the Germans a
strategic one. The net result to the Allies from a material point of
view was the recapture of some hundreds of square miles of France, for
the most part battered to bits and as desolate and useless as a
wilderness; and the capture or destruction of so many thousands of the
enemy at a cost altogether out of proportion to their numbers. The
Germans claim, and claim quite rightly, that they frustrated our
attempt to break through their line. On the other hand it can be
little consolation for them to know that a nation of amateur
soldiers[8] drove them out of the