R. S. PARTRIDGE, serving in the 48th Divisional Cyclist Company, writing on June 14, says: –

I thought you might like to hear of the O.WW.’s I’ve run across out here. I met Q. C. D. Bovey, of Rigaud’s, in Armentieres about three weeks ago ; he was in the 8th Gordons, gth Division, the first K.’s Army to come out here. R. E. D. Cargill, of College, I saw in Bailleul about the same time ; he is a despatch-rider to the 3rd Corps, my own. Yesterday, when I was in Armentieres, I saw both Ainsworth-Davis and Charlton ; Davis is in the 4th Rifle Brigade, now only been out ten days, while Charlton is one of the 12th Division, another K.’s Army formation. Neil Little is in the 1st Bedfords, 5th Division, and has been gassed, but recovered almost immediately. Early in April I ran up against the younger Bird, of Rigaud’s, a senior subaltern of gunners.

Myself I came out with my Division at the end of March. We are holding the line just S. of the N. Midland (47th) Division. The Cyclist Company to which I’m attached does not do regular trench reliefs with the infantry battalions. We go up into the front line now and then for our edification, but most of our time is spent on working-parties or making road-reports. The Cyclist Officers have quite a lot of leisure and can get about quite a lot. I’ve been up to Ypres on my own since it was blown to bits ; it was still being shelled though there was nobody in it, and a few fires were smouldering—any number of dead things under the ruins and a most overpowering stench.’

I hope Westminster is doing well. I get the ELIZA. at rare intervals.’