"Naught broken save this body, lost but breath.
Nothing to shake the laughing heart's long peace there,
But only agony, and that has ending;
And the worst friend and enemy is but Death."
William Blackwood and Sons
Edinburgh and London
1915
I. WAITING FOR ORDERS, AUGUST 18, 1914, TOSEPTEMBER 14, 1914
The voyage out—Havre—Leaving Havre—R.M.S.P."Asturias"—St Nazaire—Orders atlast.
II. LE MANS—WOUNDED FROM THE AISNE—SEPTEMBER15, 1914, TO OCTOBER 11, 1914
Station duty—On train duty—Orders again—Waitingto go—Still at Le Mans—No.— Stationary
Hospital—Off at last—The Swindon ofFrance.
III. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (1)—FIRSTEXPERIENCES—OCTOBER 13, 1914, TO
OCTOBER 19, 1914
Ambulance Train—Under fire—Tales of theRetreat—Life on the Train.
IV. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (2)—FIRSTBATTLE OF YPRES—OCTOBER 20, 1914, TO
NOVEMBER 17, 1914
Rouen—First Battle of Ypres—At Ypres—Arest—A General Hospital.
V. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (3)—BRITISHAND INDIANS—NOVEMBER 18, 1914, TO
DECEMBER 17, 1914.
The Boulogne siding—St Omer—Indiansoldiers—His Majesty King George—Lancashire
men on the War—Hazebrouck—Bailleul—Frenchengine-drivers—Sheepskin coats—A
village in N.E. France—Headquarters.
VI. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (4)—CHRISTMASAND NEW YEAR ON THE TRAIN—DECEMBER
18, 1914, TO JANUARY 3, 1915
The Army and the King—Mufflers—ChristmasEve—Christmas on the train—Princess
Mary's present—The trenches in winter—"Atypical example"—New Year's Eve at Rouen—The
young officers.
VII. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (5)—WINTERON THE TRAIN AND IN THE TRENCHES—JANUARY
7, 1915, TO FEBRUARY 6, 1915
The Petit Vitesse siding—Uncomplainingnessof Tommy—Painting the train—A painful convoy—The
"Yewlan's" watch—"Officer dressed inbandages"—Sotteville—Versailles—The Palais
Trianon—A walk at Rouen—The German view,and the English view—'Punch'—"When you
return Conqueror"—K.'s new Army.
VIII. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (6)—ROUEN—NEUVECHAPELLE—ST ELOI—FEBRUARY 7,
1915, TO MARCH 31, 1915
The Indians—St Omer—The Victoria League—Poperinghe—Abad load—Left behind—Rouen again—An "off" spell—En
route to Êtretat—Sotteville—Neuve Chapelle—St Eloi—TheIndians—Spring in N.W. France—The Convalescent Home—Kitchener'sboys.
IX. WITH NO.— FIELD AMBULANCE (1)—BILLETS:LIFE AT THE BACK OF THE FRONT—APRIL 2,
1915, TO APRIL 29, 1915
Good Friday and Easter, 1915—The Maire'sChâteau—A walk to Beuvry—The new billet—The
guns—A Taube—The Back of the Front—Asoldier's funeral—German machine-guns—Gas
fumes—The Second Battle of Ypres.
X. WITH NO.— FIELD AMBULANCE (2)—FESTUBERT,MAY 9 AND 16—MAY 6, 1915, TO MAY
26, 1915
The noise of war—Preparation—Sunday,May 9—The barge—The officers' dressing-station—Charge
of the Black Watch, May 9—Festubert, May 16—The FrenchHospital—A bad night—Shelled out—Back at a Clearing
Hospital—"For duty at a Base Hospital."
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