1. General Gough’s words are quoted from his book The Fifth Army (Hodder & Stoughton, 1931).
1. Days later, when at last there was time to write letters, Howitt regaled his friends and family with the tale of his adventures. There was an unexpected outcome: ‘I received a letter some time afterwards telling me that in a newspaper serial entitled “Mr. Standfast” there was a description of an incident somewhat similar to the one I had written about. I couldn’t understand this, but later, when I was on leave at home, I happened to mention it to my Brigadier when I went to visit him in hospital. He roared with laughter and confessed that a friend of his – John Buchan no less! – had called on him and said that he was hard up for copy for his next instalment and he was hoping that Bobby, just back from the big attack, might have a story for him. The Brigadier explained that he hadn’t, because he had been wounded early on, but that he would show him a letter he had received that morning from his Brigade-Major (me!) who had had an exciting experience. So that’s how it came about. And after the war Buchan asked me to take tea with him at the House of Commons, so that he could meet “Lefroy” – which was the name he gave “my” character.’