8th December 1916
Arthur is still in trenches on the front line and the weather is wet and miserable. The Cadets have now left his charge and by happy coincidence one of them was a brother of one of his Serjeant-Majors. Alfred has been up to the lines twice recently to see Arthur, and expects to have command of the battalion when their CO departs on leave tonight.
Arthur to Dollie
Fri. even. 4.20pm
Your dear letter of Monday arrived last night… I am very anxious to hear that you have had no news for so long & cannot make it out: for I wrote every day. I do hope the missing letters have turned up all right, & that you know once more that I am fit & well.
The weather has been rather dull & wet these last twenty-four hours. It rained fairly hard this morning. My cadets left to-day. Did I tell you, dear, that one of them was a Cavalryman names Walsha – brother of one of my Serjeant-Majors, who left some time ago & took a commission. It is a coincidence that his brother should have been posted to me for instruction.
Alfred came up to see me last night, and Jones. Alfred was up here again to-day. I went round the line with him. He had no news from home yesterday. The CO is off to-night, I think or early to-morrow. Alfred will then be in command…