and conditions were far less comfortable that they are this time. Of course it is a time of great anxiety + strain - one has only to look at the paper + the daily reports of the struggle to realize that. While our former C.O. used to say "the worst never happens" still what must be expected to happen is sufficiently serious to make one do a bit of thinking.

We are holding a part of the line which is considered to be of great importance + you can readily read the real meaning of those words. The Boche never knows quite where to find us but he knows very well by now that if there is some particularly hard work doing we shall probably be in it + he is rarely mistaken.

We missed the Cambrai show by the skin of our teeth but only I think because