8 Sun Jan 31.]
Went to tea a the Spooners with Beach and Michelmore. Said good-bye to Miss Spooner & her friend Miss who leave tonight for Calcutta en route to England. The Padre has gone to Calcutta with them. So Beach had to take the Evening Service. He got in quite nicely except that he left out "The Lord be with you" & I did not keep "The Grace" for the end. The Organist was not quite up to his job. No sermon.
Michelmore came back with us and we talked shop till time for Mess. It is quite interesting having the artilleryman's point of view especially as they so to be rather top-dog in this present war.
Mon. Feb. 1.
Paraded at Victoria Bcks at 8.15 for Route March. We went down to Khagol & back. We got back about 11.30. It was quite pleasant marching. I inspected barracks when we got back & hauled up four unlucky blighters.
Parade at 230 in the aft. Switched most of the men on to Semaphore under Sgt. Prowse. The N.C.O.'s & selected privates then adjourned to the church where Beach explained the general scheme of tomorrow's operations. The scheme is an Advanced Guard to a force advancing from the Sou to Khagol, & then C.O. had to tell of the A.G. & State where the various parts of it would be when the Main Guard left the ch. On the whole it was quite an interesting aft.
There was a Lekke by the Major at 6.0 on Rear Guards. He had quite a nice piece of country in the sand model