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[Page 55]
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be seen helping a poor old man or woman to trundle their burden, and thousands of the more comfortable citizen residents left Boulogne for the South of France. The weather was bitterly cold and wet, and we heard of the greatest hardships being endured for lack of accommodation. Troops were pouring across the Channel to reinforce. Every day brought boat loads of fresh young lads cheering and singing, eager to get into the fight, but little realising what was before them. That by contrast could be seen in the faces of those who marched from the convalescent depots to re-take their places in the firing line, men with two and three wound stripes, and some with four years service. They knew just what they were going to, and though they had the set look of determination there was no singing for them.
Our womens' help was splendid in this crisis, for with the abnormal crowds to be fed, there was a tremendous amount of domestic work to be done. In officers' clubs in camps and in hospitals they worked like trojans.
Our women motor drivers had also a heavy task, but there were none who shirked, some of these broke down under the strain but our women doctors were there to care for them, and a well equipped hospital, and later a charming convalescent home gave them all the essentials to restore their strength.
As the weeks advanced I felt a growing pride in my work. Acts of insubordination became fewer. The spirit of camaraderie developed in the unit, the women worked in more loyal co-operation and as the comfort of the hostels became manifest the women realised that I had their welfare at heart.
I had in the Royal Engineer Officer a most helpful ally for he often went beyond the street border line of militarism to help me in my scheme of furbishing the building, with the result that in a few weeks it took on the air of home comfort and a degree of cheerfulness, with the aid of some potplants that was quite surprising.
Always a believer in the effect of environment I could have no better proof of its influence than in the attitude of the