1908-9; a member of the gymnasium XVI in 1907-8, and won the
Swimming Challenge Shield in 1908.]

_November 22nd, 1916._

I have been up to the neck in work, having temporarily to do what
is really three men's work--Brigade Supply Officer, Brigade
Requisitioning Officer, and Divisional Forage Purchasing
Officer--the last a newly-created post under the direction of the
Corps H.Q. It is no joke personally arranging the payments for
all the forage in an area fifteen square miles by ten. To-day I
found it impossible to continue and do the work efficiently
without assistance. It is not so much the getting the forage as
the amount of accounting that is involved. I fear I am a poor
accountant at best, and the figuring involved in the new scheme
(there are five enormous Army forms to fill up weekly, in
addition to the ordinary business side of the transactions) has
been taxing my energies and has taken up my time long after
working hours. Major Knox, Senior Supply Officer of the Division
(an old Dulwich man, at one time the Oxford Cricket Captain, and
a splendid fellow to boot), spent about six hours to-day with me
in completely checking our available resources. The fact is that
the hay ration from England has been very considerably reduced
for some reason, and we have to make up the deficiency out here,
permission having been obtained from the French authorities to
purchase and requisition in various Army areas. This permission
was for a long time withheld, as the French wanted the local
supplies for their own troops.

I am finding the War a boring business; the glamour has decidedly
worn off. Oh, if we could but get through the Boche lines! As
things are at present, there is no thrill and not much scope for
initiative. It is just a sordid affair of mud, shell-holes,
corpses, grime and filth. Even in billets the thing remains
intensely dull and uninspiring. One just lives, eats, drinks,
sleeps, and all apparently to no purpose. The monotony is
excessive. My chief function in life seems to be the filling up
of endless Army forms. I thoroughly sympathise with the recent
protest from military men in the _Spectator_ about the "Military
Babu," who is occupying an ever larger and larger place in the
life