something of a compliment that we in our half trained condition should be selected in preference to those officers who have been training here for months. We are working hard at musketry from 3am until dark with a few hours off at midday + we are getting on with it well.

The spell of fine weather we have had recently had made this a pleasant camp on the whole + it has been a great relief to have Carew Martin as O.C. the detachment of 600.

It seems extremely probable that we shall have many of our own men with us wherever we go.

I have asked Janson Cobb to place £ 10 to my credit at the Bank + to charge it to you but I doubt if I shall have time even to make purchases. Again I say that the sleeping valise which Hugo gave me has been splendid + it is going to the front with me.

There are a thousand things I want to say but it is impossible in this whirlpool of movement to concentrate sufficiently + express oneself coherently. There are one or two things which I can tell