Item 04: John Duncan McRae diary, 6 May-18 September 1917 - Page 13

[Page 13]

there invariably lies a great pack of manure straw etc. ready for use on the farms when necessary. A few fowls & a couple of dogs and a dozen or so pigeons and perhaps a cat as a rule disport themselves herein, while on either side are the stables for the horses and cows. Bails for cows seem out of the question. The milker merely ties the cows along a fence in the open field & milks them there quite easily.

In the middle of the village I saw the children playing in the school play-ground and managed to get a little boy to show me where I could get a bit of lunch. In a few minutes I found myself inside one of the village houses & Madamoiselle was not slow in placing a couple of eggs and a glass of café before me.

While trying to put myself outside the eggs etc. a Boch Aeroplane came into sight and from every side the anti-aircraft guns started