s and
men, and it cost me many a pang to bid them good-bye. All
partings from old associations are hard to bear even when the
parting leads up, as in my case, to the fulfilment of one's
greatest ambition. My delight knows no bounds at my new
appointment. I really am asking myself whether I am awake or not.
It almost seems too good to be true.

I am writing this letter in my new mess which is in a Neissen
hut. For the present I remain Lieutenant A.S.C.--till the period
of probation is past. But that's no matter, for the acme of my
military ambitions is now attained. My new messmates are almost
all ex-infantry men, many of whom, most in fact, are here
learning their new job. Strangely enough, I am the third Senior
Lieutenant in the company, and in point of active service, with
my twenty months in France, I stand well in front of almost all
of them. The O.C. of the company, stroke of good luck for me, is
an old Hussar officer and ex-member of the Cavalry Brigade which
I have just quitted. It was a joy to meet him again. I was able
to give him a lot of news about his old pals.

All the fellows in the new mess are amazed that I have been
without leave since the beginning of May, 1916. I must not set my
leave before my work, however. I have already started my new
labours. Altogether I am in luck all round. I verily believe I am
the luckiest man in the B.E.F. to-day. Congratulate me! You will
be interested to know that an old Dulwich boy, Ambrose, to whom I
gave 2nd XV Colours in my year of football captaincy, is in the
same battalion, but I have not met him yet.

TO HIS BROTHER.

_February 17th, 1917._

I am getting on splendidly. I can't tell you how bucked I am with
life. It was my third shot to get out of the "great Department,"
and not only did I succeed in this, but I have obtained that
which I had most desired. I had really hardly dared to hope that
I should succeed in getting into the Tank Corps. There are a lot
of Rugger men among the officers here, including an O.A.,
Ambrose, who was one of the best of the 2nd XV forwards in 1914.
In our company is a splendid fellow called Hedderwick, who played
for Loretto and was tried for Cambridge; and a man called
Saillard, who was the Haileybury