Monday Sept. 18th 1915.
Much excitement last night. We suddenly got orders to send 150 men to the top of Mockspuri to dig trenches for the benefit of the Changlia Gali Senior Officers' Course.
"B" Coy. have been detailed for the job. Their advance party went over this morning. They are going to live in 160 lb. tents at Dunga Gali for the week.
Most of the Transport Mules are out of the Station so I had to let them use my mules as well.
The departure of "B" Coy will leave me practically the only officer in Khanspur!
Thursday Sept. 19th
The rest of "B" Company went over this morning leaving here at 8.0. This leaves me:-
Captain of the week Subaltern of the day
P.R.I. A/P.R.I. Khanspur
O.C. Attached Section Transport Officer
(45 mules)
P.M.C. Khanspur. O.C. M.G. Section.
as Harris and Fox, the two "C" Company Officers who would otherwise be here are on three day's leave.
Potts and I were the only two officers in Mess to-night, and as Potto was very worried over a case in Hospital he was not very cheerful company.
Wednesday Sept. 20th.
Lost one of my jobs to-day as the last of the Attached Section departed to his own country. Also Harris and Fox came back from Dunga after Tea, which deprived me of P.M.C. and will to-morrow deprive me of perpetual Subaltern of the day, for which I am duly grateful.
Had my first game of Footer for days, or more nearly weeks, to-day. Played for the M.G. First!
There are so many of the Section away either on leave or on duty that the explanation is obvious. We lost 8-0 though we didn't deserve to. They got away in the first quarter of an hour but after that we had more then held them.
I have had to add another to my past and present jobs: Veterinary Specialist. When I came back from the Footer I went to Harris's tent and while I was there along came the syce to say that their (Fox and Harris's) pony was ill and lying down. It would be more correct to say that my bearer came, as although the syce came with him it was the bearer who did all the talking.
Of course I had to visit the stable "Ake dum!" It did not take more than 1/2 min to confirm my suspicion that it was a touch of Colic, which happens to be the one disease that I do know something about, and although I have never tackled a sick horse before and have always had somebody about who knows more about animals than I do when Mules have been sick, I had to attack this pony for the simple reason that there was no one in the place, except myself who knew anything at all about horses.