Item 01: Clifford M. Geddes diary, 31 March-1 August 1918 - Page 77

[Page 77]

ground for the wire, I grabbed the chance of going across from the wood to the chateau. From the distance the lovely building looked unharmed, but what a difference close. It was a cruel example of war's awful destruction. In front of the building was a winding pond with the fish all dead, poisoned by the gas shells. The walls of the building had many shell holes, & we mounted the stone steps & entered the drawing room. It was a shameful sight, sheets of music lay strewn all over the floor, pictures & costly ornaments broken by shell fire, lovely cushioned chairs broken, & a fine piano, open, had 4 shrapnel holes in the woodwork, & strange to say not one note was harmed. A billiard table was also untouched. I could have got some nice souvenirs if I had a motor lorry, but the place was ransacked pretty well. I went in all the rooms amp; up the stairs to the 3rd storey, there was even a lift in the building. In one room, evidently the daughter's, was a lovely big mirror with electric light bulbs in front & various powder boxes & feminine arts for making the beautiful more so. Some lovely cabinets & chests of drawers were unharmed by the shells, but I couldn't get any "souvenirs", they were all empty, others had been there before. In another room was an album of books on bird life, costly well bound.