2nd September 1914 

Reveille at 2 am and leave camp about 3.20 am, dead tired and half, asleep during this dreary march, more like a nightmare than actual experience. At 8 am we had a halt at the most pleasant bivouac so far. At what proved to be CUISY, in a large field, square in formation. To the rear an old high stone wall with the heads of fruit trees overtopping, on the right side an old farmhouse stands with a vegetable garden and an old well where we drew water, then on the higher part of this side a fine view over a long stretch of country of cornfields with a winding road over undulating country, at the front a wood and on the left a grand orchard of apples, pears, peachs, greengages etc. The lady of the farm brought us some fruit. The pears were delicious. I had a delightful tub down in the orchard in the warm sunshine and it was inexpressibly refreshing. We had large numbers of sick this day, 60 or 70 new cases, we sent 45 away to base with Capt. Darling in 4 motor lorries.

Extract from Daily Express 24.8.14, "The French nation has taken Tommee to its heart. The Entante Cordiale was the work of Statesmen, but the British soldiers in France have created between the two peoples an intimate and affectionate friendship which will remain long after this generation has passed away, and when this great war is only a memory. France has been amazed by the cool, businesslike courage of our soldiers, by their unemotional persistence in battle, by their good humour when the fight is over. It has learned to admire their cleanliness, their courtesy, their affection for little children and old women."