The road past my house, which was a favourite walk of mine, went over
the hill, and at the top a large windmill in a field commanded a fine
view of the country for several miles. My garden was very pleasant,
and in it was a summer house at the end of a moss-grown walk. One
plant which gave me great delight was a large bush of rosemary. The
smell of it always carried my mind back to peaceful times. It was like
the odour of the middle ages, with that elusive suggestion of incense
which reminded me of Gothic fanes and picturesque processions. Many
elm trees fringed the fields, and made a welcome shade along the sides
of the road. A little stream ran through the village and added its
touch of beauty to the landscape. We were only a mile and a half from
Bailleul, so we could easily get up to the town either for a concert
or for dinner at the hotel. The Camp Commandant allotted me the school
house, which I fitted up as a chapel. It was very small, and not
particularly clean, but it served its purpose very well.
My only objection to St. Jans Cappel was that it was situated such a
long way from our men, for we still held the same front line near
Ploegsteert. It was now a ride of twelve miles to Hill 63 whither I
frequently had to go to take burial services, the round trip making a
journey of nearly twenty-four miles. The Bailleul road, which was my
best route, was a pave road, and was hard on a horse. I did not want
poor willing Dandy to suffer from overwork, so I begged the loan of
another mount from Headquarters. It was a young horse, but big and
heavily built, and had no life in it. I was trotting down the road
with him one day when he tumbled down, and I injured my knee, causing
me to be laid up with water on the knee for about six weeks. The men
used to chaff me about falling off my horse, but I told them that I
could sit on a horse as long as he stood up, but I could not sit on
the air when the horse lay down. I was very much afraid that the
A.D.M.S. would send me off to a hospital, but I got private treatment
from a doctor friend, who was acting A.D.C. to General Currie. Luckily
for me, things were pretty quiet at the front at that time, and my
being confined to the house did not really make much difference. I had
a supper in my billet one night for a number of Bishop's College (p. 114)
men. Of those who attended, the majority have since made the supreme
sacrifice, but it was an evening which brought back many pleasant
memories of our Alma Mater.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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