Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) BATTLES AND BIVOUACS _OTHER NEW WAR BOOKS_ THE DIARY OF A FRENCH PRIVATE 1914-1915 By GASTON RIOU Translated by C. and E. PAUL _Large Crown 8vo, Cloth._ _5s. net._ "M. Riou is rather more than a simple soldier. He is a writer of great gifts--narrative power, humour, tenderness, and philosophical insight. Moreover, his exceptional knowledge of Germany gives special value to his account of his experiences as a prisoner of war."--_Literary Supplement of the Times._ MY EXPERIENCES ON THREE FRONTS By SISTER MARTIN-NICHOLSON _Crown 8vo._ _4s. 6d. net._ A vivid account of the author's experiences in Belgium and Russia and afterwards with the French and English troops. LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD. BATTLES & BIVOUACS A FRENCH SOLDIER'S NOTE-BOOK BY JACQUES ROUJON Translated by FRED ROTHWELL [Illustration] LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD. RUSKIN HOUSE 40 MUSEUM STREET, W.C. _First published in 1916_ (_All rights reserved_) _I' leur semble qu'i'faut parler de la Ramée, grenadier de Champagne, comme d'un prince dont auquel on ne risque rien de vanter toujours. I' vous lui mettent l'épée à la main qu'ça doit lui fatiguer le poignet furieusement et qu'on dirait qu'la Ramée n'a jamais fait autre chose d'aussi meilleur ... I'n'faut pas se battre tous les jours: i' n'y aurait plus de plaisir._ (LE CONTE DE LA RAMÉE.) CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. HUMES 9 II. IN LORRAINE 28 III. AT THE DEPOT 51 IV. EN ROUTE 58 V. A BACKWARD GLANCE--THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE 79 VI. BEFORE FONTENOY 88 VII. OUR FIRST TRENCHES 104 VIII. TWENTY-TWO DAYS IN THE TRENCHES 117 IX. A LULL 158 X. BOMBARDMENTS 196 XI. CHRISTMAS 208 XII. THE CROUY AFFAIR 229 BATTLES AND BIVOUACS CHAPTER I HUMES _Tuesday, 11th August, 1914._ Five o'clock in the morning. _En route_ for the Gare de l'Est. All the same, as I turn the corner of the street in which I live, I experience a feeling of heartrending distress. I stop and glance back. Then I wave my hand to the window. Bah! I shall come back.