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[Page 57]
France. Rue Dormoire near Erquinghem - Lys
2/5/16
Up at 5.30 and arranged men's breakfast at 6.15, left at 7.15 for the Divisional baths at Erquinghem in platoons in file at 2 minutes interval. Arrived there, after a pleasant sunny march and enjoyed hot baths. Soaked luxuriously in the water and had breeches disinfected. New clean underclothes were issued in lieu of the old ones. At 11.00 the company fell in for a rifle inspection and the platoon officers took their NCO's & coached them upon the afternoons work based on a syllabus drawn up by me. Fell in again at 1.30 a dull afternoon and first of all made all sprint 100 yards down the road then carried on with a varied afternoons work.
This place was looking delightful green and quiet to the eye lovely green hedges and trees. The enemy sent over some very large shells during the afternoon hurtling over with hissing sound. A little rain, after parade met Major Matthews and set out to walk to Armientiers. A fine town but very deserted. The approach is via old roads and the Rue de Lys leads right on to the heart of the city.
A fine park is now a mud trampled waste bare of vegetation and a mere bog from cavalry horses. Further on we passed a fine public school where soldiers were billeted and calling in at a few shops eventually reached the market place in the centre of the town. The town hall is an old picturesque building which has evidently been remodelled and added to. The date 1485 appears on the outside and I should say the greater part is of that age. 1746 & 1880 also appear possibly reconstruction dates. In this deserted place we saw utterly what it means to have "grass growing in the market place". There is quite a fine crop here and buildings are all knocked to blazes with shelling.
Prostitution is very rife most decent people have left, one is assailed by little boy touts who run up "You want mam'selle", "I show you officer's place" – so on. We saw some fine banks & other buildings all closed & the deserted post office is a shattered wreck.
Had a fine diner at "Au Bouef" with good beer but "poulet" was high, cost francs 5. Called in at a shop to buy some papers and the charming salesgirl produced a great array of indecent suggestive postcards and delated charmingly on the hot stuff "Look monsier, femme couchez". At another shop tried to buy a shirt but mademoiselle wanted 16 francs for it and another appeared and were prepared for amorous dalliance. We left them.
The place has been deserted by everyone decent only the dregs remain and it gives one the blues to see the weeds growing up in the streets of such a fine city. Returned home 9 and received orders to move off at 4 am.
Bed 1045.