nutsford we had tea and then proceeded to Pickmere where we had a row;
then on to Great Budworth, Arley, Rostherne and Ashley. The country was
glorious, a fine day, good roads, midsummer and Cheshire--the
combination needs beating.

"I may say that I am extremely pleased at Churchill going to the
Ministry of Munitions.

"Both Teddy and myself intend getting our photos taken this week, and I
will forward copies of both to Middleton Junction.

"Best wishes,
"Yours,
"KENNETH MARTIN."

The Marriott was destined to have a curious history. As these pages will
show, I got my "Blighty" in a fortnight all right. Meanwhile the book
was on its way from England. It arrived after I had left the shores of
France behind, me. I never received it. Kenneth Martin visited me in
hospital at Worsley Hall in August and told me that he had sent it. I
had to tell him that it had not reached me. When I returned to the
Battalion in the spring of 1918, Padre Newman informed me that a book
had come out for me after I had been wounded, that he had read it with
much interest, and that it was now in the custody of Captain J. C.
Latter, M.C. Latter was one of the original 2/5th officers who had been
wounded in 1916 and who returned to the Battalion immediately after the
Third Battle of Ypres, in August, 1917, and succeeded Reginald Andrews
as Adjutant. But when Padre Newman told me this Captain A. H. G. Griggs,
M.C., was Adjutant and Latter was away with Sir Herbert Plumer in Italy.
However, Latter returned once more in the summer of 1918, and mentioned
that he had a book belonging to me; but he disappeared again--first on
to the Brigade Staff and then to a Staff job further away--as suddenly
as he had reappeared. I did not see him again until we were both once
more in civilian clothes, and I called at the Barracks at Bury one
August afternoon in 1919. He again mentioned the Marriott, remarking
that he had discovered it in his kit in August, 1917, and had not the
faintest idea how it had got there!

FOOTNOTE:

[7] Edward James Martin, Second-Lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlanders,
afterwards killed in action, December 1917.

CHAPTER XII

THE CITY AND THE TRENCHES

After the bombardment of Ypres there still remained seven more days
before our memorable nineteen days' sojourn in the ghastly Salient was
to end. And memorable those days certainly were. Nearly every day
brought with it some fr