ssued out to all, and when fresh meat
came up from the base, the members of the Squadron felt that they were
enjoying luxury indeed!

December 21st brought a draft of 18 good fellows; the N.C.O.'s included
Lance-Corpls. Gage, Laycock, Peach, Prior and Salter.

December 22nd saw the return of six old members of the Squadron who had
gone to hospital during the last days of the "stunt," including Corpl.
Franklin; he, however, had only been away a fortnight. Lieut. Millman and
the personnel of "F" Section who went to Gamli from Amr, and afterwards to
Belah, re-joined the Squadron at Esdud.

The Officer Commanding now grouped the Sub-sections together to form three
sections. "No. 1" Section (consisting of "A" and "C" Sub-sections), under
Lieut. Cazalet and Lieut. Oakley; "No. 2" Section ("B" and "D"
Sub-sections) under Lieut. Hibbert and Sec.-Lieut. Kindell (now returned
from hospital); "No. 3" Section ("E" and "F" Sub-sections) under Lieut.
Millman ("F" Sub-section was still without horses). Sergt. Fleet, M.M., of
"D" Sub-section had been promoted S.S.M., after S.S.M. Larwood had been
wounded. Sergt. Knowles took his place in "D" on arrival. Reinforcements,
and the Belah party, brought the five Sub-sections up to a reasonable
strength: such was the position of affairs when Xmas drew near.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] _Esdud = Ashdod of the Bible, one of the Philistine cities: See
Joshua xiii, 3; I Samuel v; II Chron. xxvi, 6; Isaiah xx, 1; Neh. xiii,
23; Jeremiah xxv, 20; Amos i, 8, iii, 9; Zeph. ii, 4; Zech. ix, 6. In
New Testament called Azotus, Acts viii, 40._

A "MERRY" XMAS, 1917.

Everyone had been hoping to have _a real good time_ this Christmas, to make
up for the hardships endured through the "stunt". Puddings, beer and other
good things, it was known, were on the way up, but, owing to difficulties
with the bridge over the Wadi Ghuzze which interrupted railway traffic,
when the day arrived, nothing had reached camp! The "goods" eventually
turned up in time for the New Year but, there being a not very large
percentage of Scotsmen in the Squadron, this did not make up for the
disappointment at Xmas. Further, the weather on the day itself was
certainly about the worst of the whole winter; blowing hard and raining
incessantly, it was scarcely with a feeling of contentment that the men
"turned in" that night--all doubtless thinking of brighter surroundings in
the old country!

A BAD START IN 1918--B