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[Page 35]
April 10, 11
47.
Yesterday's rumour was of the French and English attacking on long fronts, and taking from the Boche, 7 and 5 kilos of his newly gained ground. And today she speaks cynically of the Portuguese being broken. And tonight: the Boche on Messines again: at Armentieres and Fleurbeaux [Fleurbaix].
48.
For a long walk after tea, met Murph by the first hill: around and through a lovely forest – lovely with a carpeting of yellow tall primroses – and the most wounderful of greens: the trees undergrowth a dull madder, and the trees only alive by a faint hazing about their branches.
No mail again.
April 11
48.
Morning: A copy of yesterday's Daily Mail arrives at the camp: in big headlines the Flanders fighting is dismissed: the greater part of the paper is full of a speech by Lloyd George – of the recall of General Goth and drastic man-power enforcements.
Two paragraphs of his speech I read, that at this time of the Boche offensive, we were as 3:2, and that the Boche success was explained partly by their having a supreme command.
It is the last damned English newsdoper [newspaper ?] I read, our only chance of any success in the war is by a compleat scrapping of all English staffs, and a supreme command all French.
All the tents are emptied, our packs lined outside. Last night at 10 orders came from A.D.M.S. of early moving off, and reveille at 5.30. Later they were altered, and now the rumour is of no move till tomorrow evening, then a march to entrain, and back to Flanders, possibly Hazebruck way.
In bed last night before orders came around of the early move, Basil to the tent, and a yarning over an issue of Gheitz, a new typewriter in the O.R. saves the printing.
Cover decided on – Neeve painting a binding – "Eat less" notice – just compleating the "and save shipping". Book sketch a few bell-tents and bivouacs. Writings, general rules – of McCrae's charmingly spoken orders – of Maj. McKillop's losing us yesterday afternoon – losing us with his map. Long discussing as to wether it would be desirable to use "Gheitz" to launch A.B. and C's complaints about slackness in cookhouse, and our never changing mince of stew and uneatable curry.
Early this morning a long heavy bombardment, the day dull with wet mists.