I go Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



April 27. — " It is very interesting here ; one hears a good 

 deal of information first-hand, but I am afraid it does not make 

 my letters more interesting, as I cannot pass the information on. 

 One thing I have learnt from personal knowledge, and that is 

 that the German communiques are guilty of direct lying. 



" Just been interrupted by ' Sigs ' (the signalling officer), 

 a nice boy who looks about fifteen. He wanted me to go out 

 and hear the cuckoo ; it is the first time I have heard it this 

 year. I also saw my first pair of swallows to-day." 



April 28. — " I don't think I have any news for you, as one 

 does much the same thing every day ; the only variety comes 

 from the way in which the enemy behaves. For example, this 

 morning he amused himself by throwing gas-shells over us for 

 about an hour. They have a nasty sickly smell and rather 

 spoilt the taste of my breakfast ; it is extraordinary, consider- 

 ing the amount of stuff they throw, how little damage they do. 

 They tell me the shells that are being thrown over are pretty 

 bad ones (I mean badly made), and there was not a heavy 

 charge in them. 



" We give him more stuff here than he gives us — bigger 

 stuff and better stuff. They say our shrapnel is infinitely 

 superior and does more damage, which I can quite believe. 

 Last night they were sending over quite a lot of shrapnel and 

 it was all of it bursting about a hundred yards up, which is, of 

 course, no good at all. 



"It is a lovely evening and there are a good number of 

 aeroplanes about of all sorts. I certainly think the German 

 aeroplane does not have nearly as much his own way as he did 

 when I was up before, which is satisfactory." 



May 6. — " We are near my old hut in the wood. This 

 morning I sent Williams over to get a change of clothes from it. 

 It seems that two days ago two shells dropped close to it and 

 all the inhabitants fled. They apparently managed to get all 

 their own things away, but they left mine. Reed's, and others'. 

 The Belgians broke in and stole the lot. I was a little bit 

 cross — all my spare clothes have gone ; I have only got the shirt 

 and pants that I stand up in." 



Happily a little leave home at this time enabled Mr. Inglis 



