table site
for the huts we were to have to replace our tents.

My jobs on the little lorry were many and varied; getting the weekly
beer for the Sergeants' Mess being one of the least important. I drew
rations for several hospitals as well as bringing up the petrol and
tyres for the Convoy, rationing the Officers' Mess, etc.; and regularly
at one o'clock just as we were sitting at Mess, Sergeant Brown would
appear (though we never saw more of him than his legs) at the aperture
that served as our door, and would call out diffidently in his high
squeaky voice: "Isolation, when you're ready, Miss," and as regularly
the whole Mess would go off into fits! This formula when translated
meant that he was ready for me to take the rations to the Isolation
hospital up the canal. Hastily grabbing some cheese I would crank up the
little lorry and depart.

The little lorry did really score when an early evacuation took place,
at any hour from 4 a.m. onwards, when the men had to be taken from the
hospitals to the ships bound for England. How lovely to lie in bed and
hear other people cranking up their cars!

Barges came regularly down the canals with cases too seriously wounded
to stand the jolting in ambulance trains. One day we were all having
tea, and some friends had dropped in, when a voice was heard calling
"Barges, Barges." Without more ado the whole Mess rose, a form was
overturned, and off they scampered as fast as they could to get their
cars and go off immediately. The men left sitting there gazed blankly at
each other and finally turned to me for an explanation--(being a lorry,
I was not required). "Barges," I said; "they all have to hurry off as
quickly as possible to unload the cases." They thought it rather a
humorous way of speeding the parting guest, but I assured them work
always came before (or generally during) tea in our Convoy! Major S.P.
never forgot that episode, and the next time he came, heralded his
arrival by calling out at the top of his voice, "Barges, Barges!" with
the result that half the Convoy turned out _en masse_. He assured his
friends it was the one method of getting a royal welcome.

I shall never forget with what fear and trepidation I drove my first lot
of wounded. I was on evening duty when the message came up about seven
that there were eight bad cases, too bad to stay on the barge till next
morning, which were to be removed to hospital immediately. Renny and I
set off, each driving a Nap