e miles in all, but so weak were the majority of the men
that they could not carry their packs and at the same time keep their
positions in the ranks. The camp site was eventually approached in a
kind of skirmishing formation of many lines. Numbers of men had fallen
out on the way--catching up again as best they could--whilst some, game
to the end on the Peninsula, had at last to give in and were handed over
to hospitals on passing through.

It was understood that the halt at Sarpi would be only temporary. The
area belonged to the 1st Division and was already occupied by the 3rd
Brigade. Communication was very soon established with the members of the
11th Battalion--notwithstanding the fact that they were in quarantine on
account of an outbreak of measles.

The accommodation in the camps was that furnished by tents only. In this
instance they were not very plentiful at the moment and a good
proportion of the men had to sleep out in the open. However, the air was
still warm and another mild hardship at this stage was neither here nor
there.

Having noticed a large canteen near the landing pier, the C.O. decided
that the Battalion's long divorce from good ale might reasonably, and
with great advantage, be brought to a close. Transport was the
difficulty. The canteen was over three miles away and the unit possessed
neither horse nor cart. Recourse was had to an officer of considerable
powers of initiative who, in civil life, held a master mariner's
certificate. He knew little about horses but a saddled one was borrowed
from the 3rd Brigade and given to him with instructions to purchase the
beer and bring it back to camp. He disappeared at a gallop over the
skyline and returned about two hours later with a wagon load of full
barrels. He had discovered a detachment of the Royal Army Service Corps
and, posing as an orderly officer or a.d.c., had told its officer a
distressing story of a brigadier who for several hours had been
separated from his personal baggage. The arrival of the wagon was
greeted with cheers and after its load was taken off, the men came up
and gazed reverently on the barrels until they were tapped and the
contents distributed.

Lieut.-Colonel G. H. Ferguson now being temporarily in command of the
Brigade, Major C. R. Davies was detached to succeed him in command of
the 26th Battalion.

On the 15th December the Battalion moved down the western side of the
bay to a locality termed "Z Valley"--near the