Item 04: Walter Bruce Rainsford diary, 3 January 1917-31 December 1917 - Page 99

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[Page 99]

by such "interesting" dull silhouetted notices as "English beer sold here", "Estaminet", "Coffee, washing done, fried eggs & postcards" etc etc. With the aid of a pocket torch which I always carry during the winter months, no difficulty was experience in gaining the Square and the road to Loire. Here I was able to get a lift on a Flying Corps lorry for several kilometres and walked the rest arriving at the Ambulance about 8.30 pm.

My holiday was simply great from start to finish. I talked French practically the whole time and felt quite like a respectable civilian again except when discussing more or less authoritively different problems of the war – the one and only topic of French conversation. No one thinks the war is anywhere nearly finished although all we hopeful of a successful conclusion. All eyes turn towards the Yanks who are expected to do great strokes but who have so far done nothing except to firmly establish themselves in Paris, Lyon and other such "strongholds".

Paris is still gay and will probably always be so – the most attractive city on the continent

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