Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 67]
A band practises in some far off wood. All sound carries wonderfully and speaking voices range from megaphone calibre to gramphone, or the telephone that the other fellow's listening to. A little while ago I went to have a look at a monster gun - some baby - the one best bet. Our diggers were thick as flies round it, sizing it up. The projectiles of course were enormous and one of our sad things gave them a disgusted look and said: "And they dish us out ---- tin hats to stop them blightersl" This is the gun for which the switch was made. I told you of it in yesterday's letter. Well, they finished this evening. The big creature just came up an hour ago. They say she is sixty feet long and throws a 13". something shell 40 kilometres (our fellows always call them "kilos". I don't know what they call a kilo), Well, to me she looks every bit of her reputed length. Her name neatly painted on her is "Mireille" reminding me of the little French baby at St. Gratien and she is in the hands of a most ingenious, capable-looking crew who, with their officer live in neat tunnels they've made in the cutting. They'll need them, for as soon as Jerry feels Mireille's might, his night bombers will be over very quickly, in swarms. The officer of this crew is a most fascinating looking chap. Imagine the head of a young Napoleon but with good colour, set on the figure of Marechal Ney. He wears a red and gold kepi, a black, well cut tunic, very neat corduroy riding breeches and one-piece top boots. His hair is like a black spaniel's, he's clean shaven but for little side boards, olive skin and ruddy cheeks and lips. I've never seen a finer looking chap. He might have stepped from a Goya picture. And he's so absorbed in his work that he takes no notice of anybody or any thing. The shells are as tall as a boy but 40 inches in girth! It's a clear night and the Hun will be over as sure as as anything can be. It's the only time he dare come. However this is an extraordinaryily interesting time and one day I'll tell you all about it, - intense in every sense. If when you go to town you see Frank Crozier tell him to tell Captain Treloar that, the probation has turned out, for me at any rate, to be just the thing to inhibit good work, not only because such a period inevitably tends to make a man nervous, from anxiety to do his best, but on account of the many changes and the consequent reluctance to begin work that cannot