'Once or twice I left the safety of the trench and went out alone, down the hill towards Sailly-le-Sec ... I told myself that I might obtain some useful information ... But I saw no-one and it was frightening ... I stopped going out on these adventures. I talked to my signallers instead, I read my book. I reckoned I could read a book a day at the O.P. [observation post], the kind of book I took with me, I did not feel able to read any other sort.'