p.

9.

Frank had met various people in Cairo. Eric (Blake) James
who after six months on the staff has trebled his pomposity -
he had dinner with him once & arranged to meet him
again but at the last moment could not face
it & rang up & made excuses. He also met Terence
Waters just back from Abbysinia & who now imagines
himself as a form of Lawrence of that country, & was
so far back & pleased with himself. That Frank found
him virutually impossible to talk to - in fact, he would
hardly speak to Frank. It really is ridiculous - he & Eric
should have their heads knocked together. He also met
Bob Gentles, who is now a captain, & something in the
C.M.P. ie Corps of Military Police. And did I tell you
that I had heard that Gordon Dunbury & Tomlinson were
dead? This news is confirmed & the reason was - drink.
Dreadful isn't it? And what a way in which to meet
one's death in mankind - an excess of gin & whiskey
- rationed in the U.K. & brought to the M.E. under
Royal Navy convoy in invaluable shipping space. I had
also heard that John Fox Strangways was riddled with
bullets & dead - but apparently only the former is the
truth, & he is very much alive in hospital.

And then there was news of Rex - he has just gone
to the Staff College at Naifa, so I expect I shall
be seeing him. But it really is remarkable - the
Staff College is supposed to be reserved for officers
of the higher intelligence, ability & promise & we
always thought of Red as being pretty muscle bound
between the ears. it is no blasted wonder that
the British Army muddles through & it take us
donkey's years to win a war. It really is so