Item 04: Walter Bruce Rainsford diary, 3 January 1917-31 December 1917 - Page 43

[Page 43]

Bonnay, Franvillers & Baizieux.

Tuesday, 24th July 1917
Went into Amiens on Sunday – seven kiloms in a motor amb. to a little railway station, and then 26 kilom. by train to the town. Went straight to an "Etablisemont' de Bains" and had my first hot bath for over six weeks. Not bad either! (I didn't say first bath). Spent the afternoon with the Eclaireurs Unionistes – French Boy Scouts belonging to the French Protestant Church. The Protestants are very few in number in France, nearly everyone being Roman Catholic. Their Church Service is all in French – no Latin at all. There are two Scout organisations in France – the official one being the Scouts of France (les Eclairians de France) anf the other the Unionist Scouts (les Eclaireurs Unionistes) formed in connection with the Protestant Church. Old Amiens is full of canals running off from the river Somme which passes through the town. Outside the town is the marshy district where market gardening is carried on by the inhabitants. The