A Story of War

Went out to Chapao on the night of 21st – two platoons went out and one lined the wall, standing to. Lay out for about two hours, 8.15-10.15pm, and saw two jackals in the light of Rifleman Towers’ searchlight. Some Gurkhas also went out all night up Green Dome way to see if they could catch anything. Went down and talked to Rajput Indian officers yesterday and ‘parson’, but I haven’t yet the gift of the gab in Urdu, as have Donald and Mac. I could understand most of what was being said, but could not roll my thoughts out so fluently.

Yesterday I received a bill for Rs 16/- from the “Piffer Mess”.

Out collecting detail of a demonstration today, for when the Suffolk’s tactical party comes up here. “D” company do three ways of piquetting a hill from a column. The first is bloody awful, and we shall all be killed, the second is a bit better but the chaps have grown “familiar through contempt”. The third is the correct way, and no one is killed. An awful lot of bloody rain just now, and a thunderstorm is overhead. I am attached to the Quartermaster for a week, and its quite an interesting job.