The Henson Journals

[160]

Thursday, December 14th, 1916.

864th day

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The weather was detestable, being very gloomy and wet. I did not leave the house save for Mattins and Evensong. I wrote many letters. George came in, & helped me clean up my study. Also, I finished Well's very striking war–novel, "Mr Britling sees it through." It relieved the tedium of yesterday's journeys.

At Thirsk I fell in with a pleasant Highland officer, who was my companion as far as Durham. He had been 14 months at the front, and had received no injury. He now hoped for a home appointment. I asked him about the relations of our troops with the French population. He said that there had been some friction in the case of freshly–arrived soldiers, who were apt to treat the French civilians as conquered folks; & even to take away their goods: but this had been severely dealt with, & for the most part the relations between British soldiers and French civilians were excellent. We had lent horses, waggons, & men to gather in the harvest, and made ourselves useful in many other ways. The new army contained many skilled tradesmen, who repaired promptly & effectually any incidental damages to property. When his battalion came back to the village which it had formerly occupied, the inhabitants welcomed them with demonstrations of joy. He gave a good account of the chaplains. The troops will not attend voluntary services; but seem to like parades. In his opinions the chaplain was a very valuable officer. There were scarcely any young girls left in the villages, for all of them had gone off to the towns to work in the munitions factories. Only the older folk remained at home.

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