main
road. Here we remained awaiting 'XY night.' 'Z day' was the day on which
the battle was to take place. On 'XY night' we left Query Camp and took
up our positions in our concentration trenches near Vlamertinghe. My
platoon and Allen's platoon were in a trench on the right of the
Vlamertinghe-Ypres road, across the field stretching from the road to
the railway. Sergeant Brogden's platoon (6 Platoon) was a little further
on. Dickinson was in command of B Company. We had our Headquarters in a
little wooden dug-out[11] in the centre of the field behind the trench.
Battalion Headquarters were at the Cafe Belge--a house on the right of
the road close by. 'XY night' was the night of July 29-30. We got a
little sleep during the morning.

"For the last fortnight the artillery had been preparing the way for us,
raids had been taking place, and conflicts in the air had been of
frequent occurrence; the Royal Engineers had been constructing roads and
other means of advance; miniature railways were running up to the front
line; and the road from Watou, through Poperinghe and Vlamertinghe, to
Ypres was simply thronged with transport. The weather had been fine and
hot. On 'XY night' troops were swarming round Vlamertinghe and there was
every sign that a great push was about to commence.

"During July 30, in our little wooden dug-out here, Dickinson held
conferences consisting of Allen and myself with Sergeant Brogden,
Sergeant Baldwin, Sergeants Stokes and, of course, Sergeant-Major
Preston and Quartermaster-Sergeant Jack. Did it occur to us that within
twenty-four hours we should all be scattered to the winds--some killed,
others wounded? I expect it did. But it did not worry us. We smiled and
discussed plans. During the day Colonel Best-Dunkley looked in and
chatted most agreeably; he was in a most friendly mood. Padre Newman
also looked in.

"At 8.55 p.m. I marched off with my platoon along Track 1. All units
were moving up to the line. After I had been going about a quarter of an
hour half a dozen shells burst quite close to us, badly putting the wind
up us. We all lay on the ground. When the disturbance had subsided we
moved on again along Track 1, leaving Goldfish Chateau,[12] the one
building in that region which stands intact, on our right, along Track
6, touching Ypres at Salvation Corner, along the Canal Bank, again
across the open and though La Brique, where the Tanks (commanded by
Major Inglis) were congregating rea