Diary Entry - 3rd December, 1916

Bee:  We were the last battery in the Division to move today and started at nine a.m. It was a good day but very cold, freezing all the time, but the roads were in good condition. We marched very slowly, came by Doullens, Frohen-le-Grand, Bealcourt, and finished up at Maiseon [?]. We expected to go back as far as Atheuille[?], but our Colonel told us while on the march that we would reach our final destination today. The billeting was done very badly. The party left at eight a.m. and came straight across bu,t as they had not fixed up the Coops [?], evidently put us into this village on second thoughts. Evidently looked on the map and said, 'Oh, there's a village, put them in there', regardless of whether there were enough billets or house lines. As it turns out, there are not enough billets. And, of course, no horse lines or water. We got in here about three p.m., all feeling more or less hungry. We came off best with the horse lines, as have got roofed shelters for about 30 horse, but we are going to use them for harness rooms and blacksmiths. The 64 division passed through here before us, and we found things in a disgraceful condition. In our lines we had one dead horse unburied and no end of garbage left about. The Brigade HQ found one dead horse and two lame in their billet. And trust we never leave our billets in the same condition. We had hard work to find a Mess, but the woman in the house we finished up in is a most obliging woman; she can't do enough for us. Her husband has been a prisoner of war for over a year, and she has four children to look after. It is only a small house and she has to give up two rooms solely for our use and also let's the servants have the use of another room and fire, which she uses herself. These people, of course, have not had many troops billetted on them so haven't learnt the trial of the British Tommie.