thing to put on over the top
of everything else, to render us invisible against a snowy background. I
used to hear some amusing comments in the Battery on our Alpine
situation. "This is the sort of thing you see pictures of in books,
but...!" "I suppose folks would pay quids in peace time to see this!"

"Why, it's like a blooming Cook's tour!"

Being the first of the British who had been seen in these parts, we were
objects of great interest to the Italians, who used to collect in crowds
to watch our guns firing. We became great friends with the members of a
mixed Mess not far away, consisting of two Anti-aircraft Batteries and
the personnel in charge of a large ammunition dump. Between this Mess
and our own there were frequent exchanges of hospitality.

One day an Italian General's car skidded into a ditch close to our
position. We supplied a party of men to get it out again and the
General, thanking us, asked if there was anything we wanted. The Major
told him that we should like two or three more huts and two good stoves
for cooking. A few days later these were delivered by the Italian
authorities. Our own Brigade Commander, who had now followed us up the
mountains with his two other Batteries, noticed these things and asked
how we had come by them. When we told him, he seemed displeased, and
next day we got an official letter to inform us that "it has come to
notice that British units have in some cases recently been approaching
the Italian authorities direct.... This practice is irregular and must
cease.... Indents must be submitted through the proper channels." We
smiled and obeyed. But we kept our huts and stoves which were better
than any which we should have been likely to get "through the proper
channels."

We were very short of water except snow water, there being only one
waterpoint for all troops within several miles. Here there was a long
queue waiting most of the day. It is probably not generally known that
it takes ten dixies full of snow, when melted down, to make one dixie
full of water. For this and for hygienic reasons snow water was not much
use to us. We were not at this time required to fire very much, but we
were warned to get acquainted with the surrounding country, as an action
of some importance might be coming off before long. This provided the
occasion for several reconnaissances.

On January 15th the Major and I went up Monte Costahmga, a few miles to
the west. It was a ziz-zag, scramb