A month before I left France Lieutenant E. Bullard, of the Indian Postal Service, attached to the Corps, was killed by a shell whilst in his motor-car on duty well behind the advanced posts. Poor lad, he had done excellent service, and this will readily be understood when it is remembered that he was responsible for the distribution of letters, packages, post cards, and a hundred forms of correspondence and gifts written in innumerable dialects or wrapped in the most impossible covers, and despatched in a manner that no Westerner can conceive. Notwithstanding this, like other exceptional matters, there was always an officer ready and capable of carrying them out. Indian training in this respect is difficult to beat. [Illustration: TRENCHES. INDIAN CORPS. 27–8–1915.] During August a company of Bhutias from the Darjeeling district of Bengal joined us for ambulance work. Great Britain was indeed gathering her hosts from all parts of the world. I inspected them and never remember to have seen a more cheery detachment. They were accommodated in tents and plainly showed that they had come to enjoy the show, for they had no hesitation in calling the war a regular _tamasha_ (sport, fun). They changed their mind as to the _tamasha_ part of it, but were always in good spirits. The 12th August was a proud day for me, for I had the honour of receiving from His Majesty’s hands the G.C.M.G. he had been pleased to confer on me, and at the same time my son in the Black Watch was honoured by receiving the Military Cross. The King was kind enough to tell the boy that he was glad to see both father and son together, and after the Investiture I was summoned to an interview, when His Majesty told me he had heard good reports of the Corps and directed me to convey to the officers, N.C.O.’s, and men his good wishes. Of course this was speedily done, and little did I then realise that only three weeks later I was to leave my beloved Army Corps and field service for ever. I again saw Lord Kitchener and he asked me if I had any objection to releasing a thousand Gurkhas from the Corps for service in Gallipoli. He wished four companies to be taken from four different battalions, but I suggested one whole battalion being sent and made up to a thousand rank and file. He agreed to this and I selected the 4th Gurkhas. It was a blow losing them, but necessity demanded it, I suppose. Only a week later Lord Kitchener again visited us in France and saw all Corps Commanders of the First Army at St. Venant. On this occasion he informed me that it had been suggested to him to relieve the Indians, but he was determined they should stay on in France, and he said he was arranging reliefs of units.