Draft arrived last night and am going to see them this p.m. Tom Stewart is back, I hear. 34 from 10^th Battalion, and remainder English. Padre deserted us today for the back areas. His subaltern, quite a nice fellow, took our service. Stephen Gwynn and Willie Redmond, both over 50, are Coy. Commanders in 16^th Div. Really rather fine. They say W.R. [Redmond] is a most excellent personality. Fine day, but river in flood, I hear. Sergt. Lucas, who got M.M., shot the pigeon.

9.45 p.m. I have to be off early in the morn, as Gen. N. is inspecting the new draft. I saw them this afternoon. Three of our old men, 34 from the 10^th Battalion, and 100 from London Territorials, with an average of four months’ service. Not a bad lot I think; one Russian amongst them. Padre delighted in ‘Student at Arms’.

Footnote

This reinforcement draft was the second to include English soldiers (see Tuesday, 8 August). These were men from 3/7^th or 3/9^th Battalions, The London Regiment, and had arrived in France having been posted to the 1/7 (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment or to the 1/9^th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) before being reallocated to 36^th (Ulster) Division and posted to 9^th Royal Irish Fusiliers. You can read more about this draft here. The Russian was 43314 Private Mat J Pyanowski, who served with the Battalion for the rest of the war.