necessaries of life: the most formidable of these was
undoubtedly the housewife. I confess to a faint heart when I think of
myself darning my socks in off moments between battles.

From the Infants School we went to the Town Hall to join the Battalion,
and the thousand of us marched to our war station, some thirty miles
away. I hope I looked like a soldier as I stepped out, but I felt more
like a general stores with all my stock hanging in my shop window. Next
time I do this sort of thing I'm going to have a row of pegs on my back
and an extra storey in my head-gear for oddments. There is no denying
that the whole arrangement is an efficient one, the only failure being
the cellar equipment. It seems to me that the War Office ought to have
discovered some shady nook about the human body where one's drinking
water could be kept cool. Also I think they have wasted space by not
utilizing the inside of one's field-glasses for the carriage of
something or other. A combination sword and razor would also be an
economy.

We increased in numbers as we progressed. At our war-station we joined
the Brigade, making us four thousand in all, and from there we joined
the Division, becoming about sixteen thousand. If we go on at this
pace, we shall be getting into the millions soon, and then I think
somebody's meals _must_ be overlooked. There's bound to be some limit to
the capacity of these organizing people, although it certainly hasn't
appeared yet. They moved our Brigade two hundred miles by train with
less shouting and fuss than is usual with the single British family
mobilising for its seaside resort. Their system of train-catching
however is worth mentioning.

Section Commanders were told to have their section ready by six-thirty.
That was the order issued by us Lieutenants responsible for
half-companies. We had been told to be ready by seven o'clock, under a
threat of execution on the following dawn. Hence the margin of half an
hour. We took our orders from our Captains, who had them from the
Majors, who had them from the Adjutant, who had them from the C.O., who
had them from the Brigadier, who had them from goodness knows where.
Every rank is prepared to be shot, if need be, but desires, if possible,
not to have it happen at dawn; so each officer, taking his order from
his superior, puts on his margin before instructing his inferior.

The Brigadier came round this morning to have a look at a guard. He
found our one and onl