11 August 1917; Saturday

Arrived at Lumbres1 about 2.30. Raining and dark. Lay in the trees and slept for about an hour. Woke with the cold and tried to get some coffee but failed. Marched off about 6 o’clock and arrived at our destination about noon. Had breakfast on the way. Rained heavily several times on the way and we were fed up and pretty dejected when we arrived. Slept during the afternoon and immediately after it the S W B’s2 took over our billet and we had to go further up the village. I moved again into a guard room sort of place and we got some straw and had softer† beds.

Name of the village is Nielle-le-Blequin3.


  1. Lumbres (A) is about 50km W of Bailleul and 11km WSW. of St Omer, off the N42 to Boulogne. 

  2. South Wales Borderers. 

  3. Nielles-les-Bléquin (B) is a further 7km in the same direction: 18km WSW. of St Omer, 30km from Boulogne – and just over 60km W. of Ypres; Michelin square E3.