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[Page 9]
15/6/18
The place where I landed yesterday proved to be a railhead and big ROD engines of British make were hauling long trains of trucks, bringing up loads of road metal and shells; for a huge dump was here to feed a light railway that wound away to the east through the undulating country. The road bed of this light railway was of the whitest, most glaring limestone and the little engine belched out a huge volume of black dense smoke. It seemed to me to be an automatic guide to lead the hun to the dump. Some roadmakers of a Tommy labour battalion placidly toiled at pick and shovel work and but for their military caps, might have been in England in peace time. They relaxed, "man with the hoe" style, when asked the way and in kindly English fashion altogether told me of a short cut. This kept me to the fields for part of the way and then I struck a road full of traffic; teams clanking, straining, rattling and plunging up and down the road leading up to the chateau, our Headquarters. They were all supply wagons and limbers and followed each other as close as they could crowd. They were English drivers and horses and splendid brands of both. Some horses coming down to water were just groomed; and unsaddled and ridden barebacked by fresh young Tommies in the pink. The combination of cool, athletic humanity and satiny muscular equinity (?) was a thing to "buck" anyone. The boys controlling the traffic were Australians, in slouch hats and with slung rifles and they did their work on the puzzling cross roads with admirable ability and absence of "rattle". At last I turned down a road, lined with Foden road engines and steam rollers and found the chateau; and our headquarters. The whole of this village is dilapidated from sheer neglect, and I noticed - one couldn't avoid it - how flimsy French rural dwellings are. Just mud and lattice; with a tile roof giving a fictitious appearance of solidity. I was welcomed by Lt. L--- to whom Col. E.---- had written of my expected arrival. He was very kind and did many things for me, among others taking me to F.'s tent, where later in the evening I met several officers whom I indirectly knew and Capt. K---- an old 5th battalion fried. F--- who is an