and my platoon were billeted, had gone, and his wife cheerfully carried on in his place, and ran the farm. The country-side, however, seemed to be managing very well, and we found plenty of good fare in the little place. I had an attic all to myself on the farm, and spent a splendid night on a bed stuffed with straw, a Belgian boy refugee kindly turning out to make room for me. The men, as usual, slept in the hay barn. Having spent what was to be our last comfortable day for a long time to come, we started off again the next day (April 23) at about twelve noon, and soon crossed the frontier into Belgium. We met several refugees making their way to France, and a very motley crowd they appeared to be. They indeed could feel the realities of war! We passed through several villages, filled with war-stained British troops, and the civil population appeared pleased to see us. We also noticed that, once in Belgium, the male civil population was much larger than in France. In Belgium the conscription laws by no means include all males capable of bearing arms, whereas in France there are no exemptions whatsoever. The Flemish type became more prevalent as we proceeded, all the girls wearing the fringe which seems to be characteristic of Belgium. They certainly knew how to smile. After much marching and many halts, through the Flemish plain which had begun round Winnezeele, we reached the now famous Poperinghe, a fine old Flemish town with a beautiful church. In peace times the place could be compared with some of our rather sleepy cathedral cities, but now it was full of Yankee hustle. It was packed with French and Belgian soldiers, who all gave us a hearty welcome. We were in excellent spirits as we marched through the town, and poor Lieut. Bainbridge, the Brigade Signalling Officer, as he passed me on a motor bike, said, ‘Make as much noise as you can, as these people,’ referring to the civil population, ‘need cheering up.’ Certainly to them, with the Germans so close, the entry of more troops to keep back the swarms which had already wrought such havoc in most parts of their country must always have been a very welcome sight. On the march through the country-side, where there was not so much to interest us, we played the mouth-organ to cheer one another on, and I often took a turn myself, sometimes resting in favour of ‘Bob’ Young, who was soon to meet his end in the forthcoming battle.