ards. I told him that this
general certainly had done this thing, and referred him to a certain
despatch of Lord French. So at dinner yesterday evening the subject was
again brought up. Major Brighten said that he had forgotten that this
general had done this thing before, but accepted my statement as
correct.[5]

"Major Brighten went on to say that the Colonel had been debating in
Headquarters Mess the question as to who was the countess whose garter
Edward III picked up, and nobody knew, could I enlighten them? I replied
that I recollected having read of the incident, but had forgotten the
name of the countess!..."[6]

My diary proceeds--under date July 11:

"Working party in the evening with Sergeant Clews. We drew tools at
Potijze dump, proceeded up Strand, which has been badly knocked about by
shells, and repaired the parapet and parados of the front line to left
and right of Strand. The Germans sent over trench-mortars on our left
(about ten yards to the right of Giffin's party) while we were at it.
Nobody was hurt. Dickinson had a party further to my right. It is quite
high ground up there, and the front line trench slopes down to the
right; over the parados the open ground is much lower, dotted with
trees; it looks quite quaint when a flare goes up. We left about 1 a.m.
and returned via Strand, Oxford Road, Pagoda Wood and Potijze. Then
along Track 4. A thick mist came on, and we very nearly lost our way; I
was with my party just behind Dickinson's party. We managed to find our
way in time. To bed, 3 a.m."

"July 12th.

"One shell during the morning so shook the place that my head bumped up
and down on my pillow. Before we were up the Brigade-Major (Thompson)
came to see Captain Andrews about working parties. Brigade are very
pleased with our work, especially as the ---- left their work
unfinished, owing to wind up about trench-mortars!

"Up 2 p.m. Platoon inspections. Then lunch. From the sound I should
imagine that our preliminary bombardment for the forthcoming offensive
is beginning. Our artillery here is sending a good deal of stuff over.
At 6 p.m. I commenced a period of twenty-four hours as Orderly Officer.
My main duty consists of seeing that the road outside is cleared after
heavy shelling: for this object, Baldwin has a party permanently on the
job."

FOOTNOTES:

[5] See Appendix III.

[6] See Appendix IV.

CHAPTER XI

MUSTARD OIL

"On the night of July 12th we were treated