p.

2.

the weather is lovely & the moon full & high. It will
be a grand change.

To bed now & continue on Friday - good night
sweetest Barbara - XXXX H.

Sunday - Nov. 9th - My two day's march turned out to be
quite a gruelling affair, & only about now I am sufficiently
back to normal to carry on my letter to you.

On Thursday, we covered 18 miles, our objective was 2000 ft
higher than the starting point & the going was rough
& rocky. This was my first march since N. Ireland & so
I felt pretty ruined by the end of the day & my
poor feet were about raw. The weather too, was as
trying as it possibly could be - frightfully hot & a
blazing sun, & one of these foul Khamsseir had
to appear & blow all the time. I was very
sorely tempted to make the return journey by
track but felt that I must go on in some
way or other. The return was 14 miles & cross
country all the way & hotter than ever. I really
thought I was not going to make it, but
somehow I did. Never have I been so pleased & relieved
to reach home - even if home did consist of my own
bloody barrack square in the bloody camp. It really
was very arduous & the men did well. They have
been on training for two months & doing 4 or 5 mile
marches several times a week. It was all a bit too
sudden for me. And it is always much more difficult
when you have to go to the head & be responsible