p.

me & came so low, I had to duck down to avoid
being struck. They really are crackers, those young pilots.
That ended the sports & parades - & music & dancing &
food & drink followed. These took place in the dining
hall, & one of the barrack rooms which had been
cleared for the occasion - both large dreary places on
exactly the same pattern as my own room, which I
have described to you - but a number of the men had
made a really fine job of decorating them, with greenery
from a nearby forest & wild flowers, & the Corp's name
printed up, & the Royal Arms, & blankets hung over
the rather dilapidated black out screens. Pilz Band
started off & played like hell for 2 hours from 5-7.
We had lots of cakes & sweets & fruits, & all the
cooks & a few extra helpers had stayed up until after
midnight the previous night, making meat pies &
sausage rolls & jam pastries - & another party had
been up at 5-0 am cutting sandwiches. And the
Welfare Committee did me quite proud with wine.
The men & their girls all danced & sang & enjoyed
themselves - I beamed about the place.
By this time, all the notables had left, except Mrs
Samuel - The Hon Edwin having to go & give a lecture
somewhere, about colonisation in Palestine. I had a
long talk with her in the Mess, mostly about you
coming out here, darling - & I now know just how
hopeless it is. Her trip to London has never come off,
because she just cannot get there - in spite of
having tried very hard. (And Ben-Ammi's trip never
came off either). She told me that Dr [Weigman ?]
had been very anxious to come to Palestine, &