Continuing the diary of John Sangway, dispatch rider with XVII Corps. The Corps Signal Company were in a new office just east of recently captured Cambrai.

21^st Oct

Still working very hard – but winning! Signal Office & billet good – makes me smile now at thought of awful stink of burning offal & disinfectant when we arrived. Country very open like Salisbury Plain but flatter, nearer Fen type but no dykes & not so flat.

True story of one of our Co[mpan]y officers. Coming down the line an Corp[ora]l asked him for a light, remarking “You don’t smoke do you, sir?” The answer was “No but I am missing my sweets.”

Another:- A line was earthed slightly & a linesman reported that fact & said it was all right except that the Div[ision] had superimposed a current & that was what was break [sic]. “Serve them right” says the officer “they shouldn’t interfere with the line!”