3.45 p.m. Had a Bde. day from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m., fairly near at hand; fine except for one bad hail shower. Weather unsettled; such a cold night and the men without blankets. The ground very heavy.

9.45 p.m. We seem to be getting your rain. After a fine p.m. it has begun to rain steadily. Holt came over to see me today, and brought the news of K’s loss in [HMS] Hampshire. Cruel luck for his boat to strike a mine. I feel he had really completed his great work and died perhaps at his zenith. With fuller accounts to hand the Battle Cruiser Squadron seem to have lived up to the best traditions of the Navy, and Beatty to have acted with the old Nelson spirit. Really splendid and inspiring reading. Holt is attached to this Division, and has already been strafed by Oliver! The brutes have cut down leave to six days, and halved the number allowed away. G.N. very affable. Pratt and I dine there tonight. Wonder what will be the outcome of the Irish Question?

Footnote

HMS Hampshire

At about 9.30pm on 5 June 1916, HMS Hampshire was travelling alone in heavy seas from Scapa Flow to Russia when she hit a mine off Orkney. She was carrying Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, and his staff on a diplomatic mission. The cruiser sank quickly with the loss of over 660 men; only 12 members of her crew survived.