p.

5. I am determined to make the most of this 3 months training & try & make soldiers of them. So my training programme gives them organised games on Wednesday afternoon a half day on Saturday - & all other days, including Sunday are work from 6 to 6. And the officers & N.C.Os are so hopelessly gutless & unwilling to shoulder their responsibilities that I am like a big policeman in the Coy & seem to spend much of my time shouting at the men: platoon commanders & sergeants - work. And then, as I told you before, they compare notes with other Coys & find that they are having it harder. The last Coy here. for example - they just seemed to more or less please themselves, & so my people want to do the same. And do the result is, I am informed by Ben & the C.S.M & C.Q.M.S - they just think that they are very unlucky to be in No. 6 Coy, & to have a hard Major. And I am cordially disliked. That does not worry me for one moment, & just makes me all the more determined to keep them at it. But what does worry me & annoy me, is the bloody state of mind of these people, & complete selfishness & lack of spirit & determination & effort to win the war. And also the rotten slackness of the other Coy Commanders, which allows them to drift on in such a way. I've seen a number of them now & I know how they go on. There were two in the barracks when I was there - & I have seen & heard others. They all have a good old fashioned lunch from about 12-30 until 2-0 - & lots of beer & sherries