long to do great big stretches of this bleak brown land. Well, it can't
be helped, so it's no good thinking about it.


_October 29._

We are moving to a "back area" to-morrow.


[Illustration: A WOUNDED TANK
This Tank got hit as it was walking over a house in FLERS. They
covered it up with tarpaulins to prevent the Hun aeroplanes from
obtaining too much information about it. The black stuff is shrapnel.
The pink clouds are sent up by crumps as they explode amongst the
remains of the brick houses.]


_November 1._

It's a superb day, and we are back at ----, one of our old billets,
right away from the beastliness. And although leave won't be for another
week or two, still, it will come soon. And Swallow is in tremendous
spirits.

Here is a drawing done surreptitiously of a tank in full view of Fritz.
You see those little stumps of trees? Well, I'll tell you what those are
called when we meet, and also what village is just on their left. You
may say it was stupid to sit in full view of Fritz, but it was the day
after an advance, and there's hardly ever anything doing then in
the way of sniping. The guns, of course, are all pooping off, but they