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[Page 73]
96.
April 30
118/551
Headquarters
27 April 1918
1st Aust. Division
I desire to express my deep appreciation of the work of the Division since it came into its present sector. The zeal and energy shewn by all ranks is beyond all praise. We took over a sector scarcely touched as regards defensive preparations. Tho' much remains to be done, we have now a position on which we can confidently engage and defeat the enemy should he be rash enough to attack us, and every day's work will add to our security. I thank all staff, Commanders, and the members of every unit for so ably maintaining and adding to the reputation of the 1st A. Division. Yesterday the Field Marshall Commander-in-Chief paid a visit to Divisional Headquarters and expressly desired me to convey his personal thanks to the Division for all they have done, and his confidence of their being able to hold their line against any attack.
I have the greatest pleasure in now conveying his message to all ranks of the division.
(Sgd.) H.B. Walker
Major General
Commanding 1st Aust. Division
On the notice board this morning.
April 30
97.
It now appears that the great bombarding of yesterday was about Zonnebeck and that the French have retaken Kemmel Hill with some prisoners, and have broken a big number of Boche counter-attacks.
The Generals of France – colour plates from "L'Illustration" – now decorate the walls of our Gas Treatment Dressing Room.
98.
T.L.S., April 18 reviews Leon Gellert's "Songs of a Campaign" and claim him,
"As a poet, in spite of many derived excellences of craftsmanship, he is nearer akin to the American Alan Seeger than to the more fastidious singers of the great war, whose eyes are so often reverted from the monstrous terrors of the half-mechanical struggle to the quiet and gracious loveliness of the great English countryside."
Obviously the critic has in his mind Rupert Brooke as representing the "singers of the great war" – but Rupert Brooke only wrote five sonnets of war, and who are the fastidious singers – 'of the great warr'. Frankeau is a singer – hardly fastidious. Sassoon is another, and Nichols, Graves. Only Leslie Coulson carries the reviewer's point, and why the American Alan Seeger. Alan Seeger would be quite sufficient – though possibly the paragraph