Wet again today. A great dinner. I enclose menu. Each officer had a different picture on his. Pratt, Berry, Cole-Hamilton came. No speeches. just “The King” and “Absent Comrades”. The Band played during and after dinner, and assisted at the concert, and played at church parade this morning, so we got good value out of them. Seven new officers joined last night, all from Newtownards [i.e. the 10^th (Reserve) Battalion]. Have just given them an hour’s talk.

5.00 p.m. Turned out fine after all. Still find there’s heaps of work to do and am scrambling to make up arrears. Our mess is improved here, though not finished, and the accommodation for officers and men generally is better. Still wants improving. A few more huts. We have turned an old hut into a men’s recreation room. The sports and boxing went off very well, thanks to Fergie’s arrangements. I was not able to be long there, as I was busy writing all day. Wonder will you see Pratt; he was going to look you up.

Footnote

The dinner held on the evening of 7 October was for the Battalion officers, including a number of those original members who were serving elsewhere, and guests from other battalions in the Brigade.