o not dislike him at
all.

"I am Orderly Officer to-night so am now going to bed. The Germans are
sending copious gas shells over while I am writing this, but we have
got the gas curtain down in our dug-out and it has been sprayed; all
precautions have been taken; so we ought to be all right. There is also
a good deal of shelling of a heavier kind going on; our guns are giving
the German trenches hell at present; we have kept up a consistent
bombardment all day. The Germans are giving us some back now; but I feel
quite safe in this dug-out! I am glad I am not on a working party
to-night. So good night! Again I say, 'cheer up!' It's a funny world we
live in!"

My diary of July 17 states:

"Up 11 a.m. Had breakfast while dressing. Reconnoitred the road; all
correct. At 1.10 p.m. I reported to Captain Warburton at Brigade
Headquarters about a working party for which I was detailed. Carberry,
the Brigade bombing officer, explained to me what was to be done. At
1.30 I set off with a party of Sergeant Clews and thirty-four other
ranks including Corporal Chamley and Lance-Corporal Topping. The job
consisted of carrying boxes of bombs from a dump at the junction of
Milner Walk and the road to White Chateau; then detonating bombs which
were not already detonated; then carrying S.A.A. from one spot to
another about twenty yards away. I left Corporal Chamley in charge of
the first dump, where the men left their equipment. I went backwards
and forwards myself. On one occasion, while I was at the junction of
Milner Walk and the road, General Stockwell appeared. He asked me what
we were doing; I told him; he expressed himself satisfied and proceeded
up the trench. It was a very hot day and I felt very tired. My head
began to ache. We finished at 5.30 p.m. Then we came back. Our guns were
blazing away all day, making a great row. It was 6.30 when we got back
to the Ramparts. I reported to Carberry at Brigade. I felt very bad
indeed now. The exercise in the heat, after gas, was taking effect upon
me. I did not have any dinner, but lay down. I was told that I looked
white. I felt rotten. Giffin also is bad; he got some more gas last
night. A good many more have reported sick with gas to-day. I think I
have got a slight touch of it now. However, as the evening advanced I
began to feel much better. By midnight I felt quite well again."

On July 18 I wrote home as follows: "More gas shells came over last
night. We had the gas curtains