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War Diary of Colonel Pratt
51

their cups. The train ride was only forty minutes, but before we reached our destination most of the men had eaten all their food. We marched about three miles to a little village called Nortkerque, where we were billeted for the night. The men were billeted in barns, from twenty to sixty to a barn. Clean straw was on the floor and the men were comfortable. All officers were billeted in houses. I was well taken care of. At 8:30 we had an officers' meeting and decided on the time of departure, etc., for the next day. Our rations for the next were to us at Nortkerque, but we had no range or anything to cook them. Arrangements had to be made with the people to let us make coffee and cook bacon on their stoves. About 9:30 p.m. Captain Humphries came over from Division Headquarters in a car to take to Nordausques, where Colonel Ferguson was located. We reached there about 10:00 and I was glad to see him again. He has been made Corps Engineer and I become acting Divisian Engineer.


Major Herr, Chief of Staff.

Lieutenant-Colonel Burnett, G. 3, Billeting.

Skinner, G. 2.

Major Pope, G. 1, Transportation.

Major Perkins, R. E.

Aid to General Blacklock of 39th Division, to which we are attached.

Lieutenant-Colonel Couchman, C. R. E.

General (or Colonel) Rabington, Army Corp Engineer.

Nordaudques

Guard on Division Dump.

Infantry Unloading Detail, 36.

Each Engineer Company in line, 700 laborers.

Liaison for Engineers.

Army Dump 10-12 miles back of line.

Corps Dump 6-7 miles back of line.

Division Dump 4-5 miles back of line.

Engineer Supplies: Topographic, Pontoon, Roads, Bridges, Trench Camouflage, Mining Obstacles.

June 8, 1918, Tuesday. Colonel Fergusun told me this morning that we were going out to the second line trenches beyond Cassel. We were accompanied by Major Herr, Chief of Staff, and a British officer. We went via Watten, St. Omer, Argues to Cassel. It was a long wya around but we, in trying to take a short cut, struck a road that was closed for repairs, and we