p.

4.
he could get away with it, because since the report went in, he
has been trying in his silly way, & snivelling & whining round
me. But he is just no use, - he will be lucky to go elsewhere
& be a 2 Lieut & a glorified clerk why the hell should I work
like a bloody nigger, & have no time to write to you,
he floats uselessly about all day - then goes off home to his
wife at about 6.0pm. Crikey! Wherever I go, there seems to
be another Willie McClellum. but, thank goodness, there is a
better system in the army for sending away people like that,
than there is in the B.C.R.W.D.A.L d.
Its a strange thing, you know - but when I was writing out the
report about the man, I was shaking all over, & I could hardly
write, & the writing was very bad. I don't know which or what
emotion or feeling caused this - but I should like to know I think
perhaps it was anger, as much as anything - but it must have
been something else as well, because I felt so angry
writing the last few paragraphs, but not shaky. Ah well.

But everybody else is more or less pleasant. I have toldyou
something about the S.S.M from the Black Watch: he is still
a very fine man, but I find him incredibly dull & stupid. But
the C.Q.M.S is also regular army & is from the Royal
ideas about being an officer. But he is very able - & a very
nice chap & most amazing. Of the sergeans - two are
from the Cheshire Infantry: they are both lean & lanky &
about 40, & very alike at first I kept getting their names wrong.
They are very sound & reliable, fine men to have.
One is from the Beds & Herts - there is not much to
say about him - & the other - from the Buffs - is a