see
that orderly officers, orderly sergeants, and orderly corporals
performed as many of their proper duties as, with their inexperience,
could be fitted into the twenty-four hours. By the end of three days
order was beginning to spring out of chaos, and the adjutant never did
a better bit of work--and that is saying a great deal--than he did in
hunting all and sundry during those first few days.

A depot for recruiting was formed at Kirkcaldy and men quickly swelled
our reinforcements there. After a few days at Blairgowrie, the
Regiment entrained for the Brigade Concentration at Huntingdon; but as
it was found there was insufficient space for a whole brigade, we were
moved to St Ives, about six miles off, where there was a splendid
common for drilling and good billets for the men. Very strenuous
training occupied our two months there, and the expectation of going
abroad at a moment's notice kept us up to concert pitch. An inspection
by H.M. the King of the whole Brigade on the common at Huntingdon, and
another by Sir Ian Hamilton, helped to confirm our expectations,
and when we suddenly got orders one Sunday at midnight that we were to
move to an unknown destination few doubted that we were bound for
Boulogne.

[Illustration: H.M. THE KING, WITH BRIGADIER-GENERAL LORD LOVAT AND
MAJOR-GENERAL BRUCE HAMILTON.
_To face page 4_]

[Illustration: THE REGIMENT IN COLUMN OF TROOPS AT ST. IVES.
_To face page 4_]

What a bustle we had that Monday. We had built a fine range of stables
on the Market Square, which were completed all except the harness
rooms on the Friday, and on the Saturday all the horses were moved in
except those in the sick lines. We had just received a consignment of
about 100 grass-fed remounts which had been handed over to squadrons
to look after, but not definitely allotted. Consequently when we
received orders to move we had horses in the Market Square, saddlery
about a mile away up the Ramsey Road, and horses in the sick lines
which belonged to no one in particular and had never been fitted with
saddlery at all. In addition, every one had been collecting every
conceivable sort of kit "indispensable for active service," presents
from kind friends and purchases from plausible haberdashers, with the
result that quite 50 per cent. of our gear had to be left behind or
sent home. To add to our confusion a draft arrived from our second
line to bring us up to War Establishment, and they had to be fitted
o