so as to cross the lines in the shortest possible time. The first Hun scout continues the dive to within three hundred yards, at which range I fire a few short bursts, by way of an announcement to the Boche that we are ready for him and protected from the rear. He flattens out of the dive and sits behind our tail at a respectful distance, until the second scout has joined him. The two separate and prepare to swoop down one from each side. But we are now passing the trenches, and just as one of our attackers begins to dive, a formation of de Havilands (British "pusher" scout mashines) arrives to investigate. The second Boche plants himself between us and the new comers, while his companion continues to dive until he is a hundred and fifty yards from At this range I rattle through the rest of the ammunition drum and the Hun swerves aside. We then recognise the machine as an Albatross scout or "German spad," a highly dangerous type that entered the lists quite recently. Finding that they

us.

We pass through the clouds for the last time cn the trip, and fly home very soberly over friendly territory, while I piece together my hurried notes. The squadron commander meets us in the aerodrome with congratulations and a desire for information.

"Seen anything?" he asks, "Fourteen trains and some M.T.," I reply.

"And a few thousand clouds," adds the flight commander.

By the time I have returned from the delivery of my report at G.H.Q., the wing office has sent orders that we are to receive a mild censure for carrying out a reconnaissance with only one machine. squadron commander grins as he delivers the reproof, so that we do not feel altogether crushed.

The

war on the common enemy in the country of an Ally is rather a delicate one. Its men and horses and guns want accommodation, and its horses want a certain amount of fresh fodder. And although, as the French Government has done with us, the same facilities and powers of requisitioning such necessaries on payment are granted to the foreign army as to their own, yet the inhabitants, however friendly, can hardly be expected to look with the same leniency on the occupation of their property by foreign troops as they do when it is occupied by their own army. Add to this the traditional belief in the depth of John Bull's pocket, and the undoubted fact that nine Englishmen out of ten would rather pay what they are asked than make a fuss, and you have the train of circumstances which leads to Claims being made.

Let us picture to ourselves what happens on the arrival of a battalion in a village where it is to be billeted. An officer will have been sent on to allot the billets in the village to the various companies. It is dark and probably raining. "A" Company Commander is told to put his men into the buildings of a large farm. He marches his company to the farm gates and halts them, goes inside with his SergeantMajor and his Platoon Com

30

manders, and makes a survey of the buildings, flashing his torch into dark and possibly not very clean barns and sheds. He hastily allots the various shelters to his Platoon Commanders, and tells them to put their plateons in. This they proceed to do. The men, tired and wet, file into the dark cavern allotted to them. Some one produces a candle, and first here, then there, a faint light makes the darkness a little more visible. The men select their pitches, and divest themselves of their equipment, while the orderlies proceed to the Field Kitchens or Cookers to draw the hot tea which has been preparing on the march. After tea the men proceed to try and make themselves comfortable for the night. Overhead some man espies something which looks like straw. Perhaps it is straw, is straw, perhaps it is unthrashed wheat or oats-it is too dark to tell the difference. Anyhow it wont hurt to take a little,the inhabitants whose hearths and homes they are defending surely wont grudge them a little straw. So the damage begins. Next door there is a shed, half of which has been used for storing field peas. Probably the owner has explained this to the officer in command of the platoon, but he has imperfectly understood, or in his hurry to get his men settled has forgotten it, and the men stumbling into the darkness find one half of their billet covered with something which they don't recognise as ordinary farm orops (more par

But

ticularly if they are men from a town-raised battalion). Who can blame them if they regard themselves as providentially guided to a soft bed? next morning the peas are practically ruined, and no one can blame the French peasant for feeling he has a just claim against L'Armée Britannique for loss of some of his hardwon crops.

Or, again, picture the case of a battery of artillery put into a farm. It is not often that stables, such as we understand them, are to be found in a French farm, or if there are any, they are probably being used for the farm horses or the cattle. Therefore other farm-buildings are put under contribution for the purpose. These will be either barns or outhouses. The French barn is generally a building divided into three compartments, the partitions being low brick walls, with a stout beam laid on the bricks, which supports the beams holding the roof. Such a barn forms an admirable billet for an infantry company, as the partitions add to the comfort and warmth of the The walls of these buildings are generally of brick to the height of two or three feet, with the upper parts made of "torchis," a kind of wattle and daub. These were These were never meant to house big, strong, healthy horses. The inevitable result is that they are soon kicked to pieces. It is difficult to blame the gunners for putting their horses under shelter until proper lines can be built, or if they are only staying in a

billet.

And

village a night or two. yet the damage done is real, and, after the occupation of a village by a succession of artillery units, considerable. Enough has been said to show how easily claims for damage may arise in the ordinary routine of daily life, without any wilfulness on the part of the British troops, but merely due to ignorance or lack of imagination.

The proper procedure on leaving a billet is for an officer of the unit to go round the property with the owner and an interpreter, and find out what complaints of damage he has to make. Where damage is admitted by the officer, it is his duty to pay for any wilful damage, and to report on any other damage to the Divisional Claims Officer. This at all events is what is laid down as the proper procedure. But it so often happens, especially in these latter days, that orders to move at very short notice, or orders to move at a very early hour, are received, either of which makes it difficult to carry out the regulation. Or again, it is often found that the mere asking if there is any damage to complain of, suggests the making of claims to inhabitants who would not otherwise have thought of it, and officers, rightly or wrongly, decide that it is better to leave well alone. In such cases the inhabitant lodges his claim with the Maire of the village, and if the claimant or the Maire knows the unit concerned, it is sent to the Divisional Claims Officer, or

else reaches him through the Claims Commission.

Having received a claim, the Claims Officer's first duty is to obtain a report on the claim from the unit concerned, and having received that, personally to investigate the damage complained of, and adjudicate thereon. He is not allowed to pay more than francs in cash. For any larger sum he must send a report in to the Commission, who deal with it on the report. This "power of the purse" up to francs is a great stand-by. The sight of a bundle of fresh notes all ready to be transferred to his own pockets acts as a great stimulus to a French peasant to accept a sum down.

It is very important that the Claims Officer should receive a careful report from the unit, as otherwise he has only the claimant's word to go on. It is a simple and easy way to get a cart repaired or broken windows mended, to put it down to British troops-and such things as buckets, tubs, ladders, and tools are known to have been "lost" even before the rural innocence of France and Flanders was invaded by a "brutal and licentious soldiery" from the North. But such reports are not always easy to obtain. There is a class of person who, if you suggest that he or his men have perhaps unwittingly caused some damage, at once assumes an air of injured innocence, and seems to think you regard him as a thief or housebreaker. Others again are cursed with extraordinarily

short memories, or look on the whole thing as a "d-d nuisance." They have come out here to win the war, and not to discuss "dégâts" that may have been done to the property of French peasants. Between these various types the Claims Officer has to walk warily. The writer was greeted once by an officer, who exclaimed, "Hullo, going about making yourself a nuisance, as usual." The retort that the policeman is no nuisance to the law-abiding citizen was too obvious. But, on the other hand, there are plenty of officers who take a great deal of trouble to find out the truth, and are of the greatest assist

anee.

The actual investigation of the claim is perhaps the pleasantest part of the Claims Officer's work. It brings him into touch with the French peasant, and a delightful class they are to have to deal with. It is extraordinary, when one considers that for two years and more they have had a succession of units billeted on them,-men speaking an unknown tongue, and understanding little that is said to them men with strange habits, and ideas on rudimentary subjects entirely different from their own,-that they are so kindly disposed towards them still, and retain so little resentment for all the damage that has been committed. It really reflects the greatest credit on both sides. True, the British Tommy spends his money freely, but he has three qualities which especially en

dear him to his French hosts and hostesses. One is his cheery good-humour and his readiness to help; another his honesty; and the last his leve of children, There are, of course, black sheep in both folds. But, taken altogether, the occupation of a large area of France by the British Expeditionary Force has worked wonderfully smoothly, and speaks volumes for the patience and tact of the French peasant, and the inherent goodness of the English Tommy.

There are naturally many "dégâts" caused. These, in the summer and autumn, consist chiefly of damage to crops. All such wilful damage it is the duty of the Claims Officer to bring home to the guilty party, and make the man or his officer pay.

But even with the best will in the world, the Claims Officer is often unable to bring home to a unit or individual the responsibility for an act of damage. Either the claim has taken a long time to reach the Claims Officer, or he is unable to visit the scene of the damage for some time after, and meanwhile the building in question has been occupied by other units, or the report from the unit may circumstantially deny that the damage was done by them, as it already existed when they took over the billet. Under such circumstances the Claims Officer has to use his own discretion, and decide whether the damage has clearly been done by British troops, in which

case the cost is added to our little War Bill. A short time