14th December 1916
Arthur has been at the Brigade all day – sitting on a Court Martial. During lunch there is a spirited conversation with the Brigadier about who would go home first if peace is declared: “… Regulars, Territorials or Ks & Derby men. All then said what an unpleasant job it would be to be left behind, filling in trenches, no baths (for our baths are generally in breweries!) and no leave! Anyway the Brigadier exclaimed with a broad grin, “Oh yes & Agius is in for a month’s leave: if we have peace now, no leave! & you’d lose your month, Agius”. So apparently it has gone in all right & I am just longing for news of it”.
Arthur to Dollie
Thurs. even: 8.30pm
… I have been away at the Brigade all day sitting on a Court Martial. You may imagine how glad I was to find a letter from my darling awaiting me on my return. Thank you a thousand times, dear; I had been looking forward to it all day.
I left to go over to the Brigade about 9.15 & wasn’t back till a quarter past six. I had lunch & tea there. The Brigadier was there at lunch & we were discussing these infamous ideas of peace in fact we were having a polite argument as to who would go home first; Regulars, Territorials or Ks & Derby men. All then said what an unpleasant job it would be to be left behind, filling in trenches, no baths (for our baths are generally in breweries!) and no leave! Anyway the Brigadier exclaimed with a broad grin, “Oh yes & Agius is in for a month’s leave: if we have peace now, no leave! & you’d lose your month, Agius”. So apparently it has gone in all right & I am just longing for news of it. The Brigadier was very affable.
This morning when I got to HQ I found Sammy there with Garrard back from leave. Sammy is not staying with the battalion but has been sent off to train some drafts near here. I imagine this will only be a temporary job. It may of course develop into a permanent one, if the experiment in training proves a success. That is all in futuro.
It has begun to rain again this evening. This afternoon, dear, there was a battalion football match against one of the Ambulances. I think Alfred played – the result was drawn one all.
I am feeling rather sleepy to-night, dear. I really don’t know why for I’ve been sitting down all day. To-morrow again, I shall be pretty busy all day; bayonet fighting in the morning & on the range in the afternoon. I am all anxiety these days, hoping for my leave to come through …