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Updated: June 5, 2025
The girl in her sympathy comforted us with songs, one of which, "Les Serments," I translated for the benefit of Grimers, who knew no French. We sang cheerfully in French and English until it was time to return to our billet. In the morning a German aeroplane passed over at a great height. All the youngsters in the village tumbled over each other for shelter, shouting Caput! caput!
I retired thankfully to my bed under the stars, listening dreamily to Grimers, who related how a sentry had fired at him, and how one bullet had singed the back of his neck. We left Vinantes not too early after breakfast, a comfort, as we had all of us been up pretty well the whole night. Grimers was still upset at having been shot at by sentries.
It was about nine when we turned into Carlow Barracks. The company sighed with relief on seeing us. We completed the establishment on mobilisation. Our two "artificers," Cecil and Grimers, had already arrived. We were overjoyed to see them.
Grimers said my language might have dried them. Finally, that other despatch rider arrived swathed about with some filthy, grey, forlorn indescribables. We were quartered in a large schoolroom belonging to the Convent. We had plenty of space and a table to feed at.
I rushed back with Grimers on my carrier to fetch another bicycle. On my return my engine suddenly produced an unearthly metallic noise. It was only an aeroplane coming down just over my head. In the late afternoon we marched into Coulommiers. The people crowded into the streets and cheered us. The girls, with tears in their eyes, handed us flowers. Three of us went to the Mairie.
Two miles out I met George with Grimers' despatches. Neither of them had been able to find the 15th. I took the despatches and sent George back to report. I went down a road, which I calculated ought to bring me somewhere on the left of the 15th, who were supposed to be somewhere between Paturages and Frameries. There were two villages on hills, one on each side.
I collared an hour's sleep and, by mistake, a chauffeur's overcoat, which led to recriminations in the morning. But the chauffeur had an unfair advantage. I was too tired to reply. Grimers, who cannot see well at night, was terrified when he had to take a despatch through the forest.
When I came home I could not think what the delicious smell was in a certain street. Then my imagination struck out a picture Grimers laboriously frying a dab over a smoky paraffin-stove. On occasions after supper we would brew a large jorum of good rum-punch, sing songs with roaring choruses, and finish up the evening with a good old scrap over somebody else's bed.
We bathed ourselves in it. And the sanitary arrangements were good. Grimers arrived lunchless an hour later. He had been promoted to drive the captured car. We took him to the tavern where beauty was allied with fine cooking. There he ate many omelettes. In the evening he and I suffered a great disappointment.
The afternoon was spent on preparations for our great and unexampled dinner. Grimers printed the menu, and while I made some cold curried sardines, the rest went down into the village to stimulate the landlady of the inn where we were going to dine. In the village a brigade was billeted, and that brigade was, of course, "on the wire."
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