troublesome. They lose
themselves and fall out on every pretext.... A Colonel came up
yesterday and said: "You back from Aden?"...

I hear a rumour that John is off to India and my brother Kenrick a
Major already. He is a lucky fellow! Glad you saw me off on Wednesday
at Winchester. I looked up at your window, but could not see you....

[_Note._--The position of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was, at
this period of the war, about 20 miles from the town of Ypres, and the
billets mentioned in the letters were mostly in and around the little
town of Estaires.--F.V.L.]

IN BILLETS.
_November 11th, 1914._

I wrote to you last Monday from our camp where we landed. We left
that, being put into our train by an old gentleman of your uncle's
(Sir John Ross) Brigade. Having told us everything he could, he then
went to dinner. In the meantime, we had to put the loaded Army wagons
from the ground on to the railway trucks. We finished in about four
hours' time, and went off in a very cold train of nearly fifty
carriages. Biscuits and tinned meat were distributed to us, and we ran
on practically without a stop until 12.30 a.m. Wednesday morning. I
say practically, for we halted nearly an hour at one station and got
the men some tea. We had no means of washing, so you may imagine we
looked like black men in a very short time! Next, we got out of the
train and unloaded it in rain, went into some barns and slept until 5
o'clock.... I was in a cart shed much like the one opposite the large
barn belonging to the "Park Farm" at Carlton. I had some doubtfully
clean straw and my coat and waterproof, but I found it cold all the
same. However, as I was only allowed to remain in till 5 a.m., it was
not as bad as one might have expected. Marching again at 9 a.m. I went
into billets after passing a church badly knocked about by German
shells, and a burnt-down house, which owed its departure to the French
shells. Here I am in a building very much resembling Willoughby Farm.
In the hay barn I have 50 men, 100 men and 11 horses in the stables,
and 16 officers in the house, with all the remainder somewhere near
me. It is colder and has been blowing a gale up to now, but I expect
it will turn to rain again when the wind drops. I was inspected this
morning by a superior General: am rather tired of inspections! From
where we sit we can see the flash o