winter time, we got thro OK. Monday Oct 2nd Rained all day. getting mail from Bill outside tent when I fell head over tip into the mud. Wrote Belle & Emmie, Tuesday OCT 3 No physical drill, still raining, put our packs into a loft over stables of chateau, struck camp about 10 AM. still wet & muddy. dinner 11.30 AM. Percy & I have a rare old scrap. Put my breeches on & ditch my slacks. Fall in at one PM. Parade ground very muddy left Eperleque on our final stage of the march to the Somme. Clears up a little, have supper on the road side near St Omer & reach Arques about 8 PM. Sang all the way, lead off with quite a few of Belles favourites. & feel good in consequence. got dark early, stayed on square at Arques until 11.30, got caught by Nick & his flash light when I was beating it to get some eats. Dent gets by him. Slept on depot from 11.00 PM to mid-night, then entrained pulled out in a cattle truck at 12.30 arriving at Fienvillers-Candas at 1 PM the next day Wed. OCT 4
