TO
THE PEOPLE AT HOME
WHOSE UNBENDING RESOLUTION
AND UNGRUDGING GENEROSITY
UPHELD THE SOLDIERS' CONFIDENCE
THIS BOOK IS GRATEFULLY
DEDICATED BY THE
AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER | PAGE |
| I.—Before G.H.Q. went to Montreuil | [1] |
| The first stages of the War—"Trench War," a good German | |
| invention—The Battle of Eyes—Waiting for the Big | |
| Push—The Loos disappointment—Moving G.H.Q. to Montreuil. | |
| II.—Montreuil and the Montreuillois | [16] |
| How the Montreuillois once learned to hate the English—Early | |
| history of the famous town—Its link with the early Roman-British | |
| Empire—A border town in the Anglo-French Wars—When G.H.Q. | |
| was bombed. | |
| III.—G.H.Q. at Work | [29] |
| The Functions of G.H.Q.—The varying conditions to be met—The | |
| working hours—The organisation of a branch—The Chief's | |
| system. | |
| IV.—G.H.Q. at Play | [47] |
| The walks on the Ramparts—The "Monks" of Montreuil had little time | |
| for sport—Precautions against "joy-riding"—The jolly | |
| Officers' Club—Watching the Map—Ladies at G.H.Q. | |
| V.—The Munitions of the War | [66] |
| The Shell shortage—When relief came—The dramatic | |
| Tanks—Bombs—Some ammunition figures—The ingenious | |
| inventor. | |
| VI.—The Medical Services | [80] |
| The magic-workers of the war—Fighting the Germans—Concerning | |
| the Victorian primness of conversation and the present popularity of | |
| "v.d." as a theme for small talk—The Army and "v.d."—The | |
| etiquette of hospitals and the ways of matrons—The war against | |
| Trench Feet—Mustard gas in 1918. | |
| VII.—The Animals of the Force | [98] |
| A happy lot—The mud season in Flanders—The effects of | |
| mustard gas—The character of the mule—Forage | |
| difficulties—The French object to our horse ration—The | |
| Americans side with us—The animal record in 1918. | |
| VIII.—The Financial Services | [116] |
| The generosity of the British People—G.H.Q. was not a | |
| spendthrift—The Pay system—Curiosities of banking in the | |
| field—Claims of the civilian inhabitants—The looted rabbit. | |
| IX.—The Economy Services | [129] |
| What the German submarines taught us—The Salvage | |
| Organisation—O.C. Rags, Bones and Swill—Agriculture's good | |
| work and hard luck—The Forestry Directorate—Soldiers learn | |
| economy in a stern school. | |
| X.—The Comforts of the Force—Spiritual and Other | [144] |
| The Padres—The semi-religious organisations—E.F.C. | |
| Comforts—Studying the Fighting man—The Great Beer Save. | |
| XI.—The Labour Auxiliaries | [155] |
| The queer ways of the Chinks—How to bury a Chinaman | |
| properly—The Q.M.A.A.C.s and their fine record—Other types | |
| of Labour auxiliaries—The Labour Directorate. | |
| XII.—G.H.Q. and the "New Army" | [169] |
| What G.H.Q. thought of the "Temporaries"—Old prejudices and their | |
| reason—The material of the "New Armies"—Some "New Army" | |
| Officers who did not play the game—The Regular Army Trade Union | |
| accepts its "dilutees." | |
| XIII.—G.H.Q. and the Dominion Armies | [183] |
| Our Parliament at the Club—A discussion of the Dominions, | |
| particularly of Australia—Is the Englishman shy or | |
| stand-offish?—How the "Anzacs" came to be—The Empire after | |
| the War. | |
| XIV.—Educating the Army | [197] |
| The beginning of an interesting movement—The work of a few | |
| enthusiasts—The unexpected peace—Humours of lectures to the | |
| Army—Books for the Army—The Army Printery. | |
| XV.—The Winter of our Discontent | [209] |
| The disappointments of 1916 and 1917—The collapse of | |
| Russia—The Cambrai Battle—The German propaganda—Fears | |
| of irresolution at Home—Reassurances from Home—Effects of | |
| the Submarine war—An economical reorganisation at G.H.Q.—A | |
| new Quartermaster General—Good effects of cheerfulness at Home. | |
| XVI.—Enter the Americans | [235] |
| How the Germans were misled about the Americans—Early American | |
| fighters—The arrivals in May, 1918—American | |
| equipment—Our relations with the Americans and what they thought | |
| of us—The Portuguese. | |
| XVII.—The German Spring of 1918 | [254] |
| Was G.H.Q. at fault?—Where we could best afford to lose | |
| ground—Refugees complicate the situation—Stark resolution of | |
| the French—All Pas-de-Calais to be wrecked if necessary—How | |
| our railways broke down—Amiens does not fall. | |
| XVIII.—The Motor Lorry that Waited | [272] |
| How a motor lorry waited at the Ecole Militaire to take away the maps to | |
| the Coast—The Motor Lorry Reserve—An "appreciation" of the | |
| position—Germany lost the War in the first three months—Some | |
| notes of German blunders. | |
| XIX.—The Unity of Command | [283] |
| Was it necessary?—Was a French Generalissimo inevitable?—Our | |
| share in the guiding of the last phase of the campaign—Points on | |
| which the British had their way. | |
| XX.—The Coming of Victory | [293] |
| The June Position—German attempts to pinch out our lines of | |
| supplies—The attacks on hospitals—The glorious last 14 | |
| weeks—G.H.Q.'s share. |