he famous 51st.

[Illustration: N.C.O.'s AT FAKENHAM, 1915.
_Back Row (left to right)._--Sgts. Edmond, Petrie, Annand, M'Niven.
_Second Row._--Farr.-Sgt. Lindsay, Sgts. Inglis, Gourlay, Farr.-Sgt.
Renton, Sgt. Abbie, Saddler-Sgt. Smith, Sergt. Kirk, F.Q.M.S. Allan,
Sgts. Hood, Walker, Colthart, Haig, Lumsden, Thorp, Dougall, Couper,
Bradfield, Craig. _Third Row._--Sgts. Thornton, Aitken, S.Q.M.S.
Craig, S.S.M. Edie, S.S.M. Ogilvie, Capt. and Adjt. M.E. Lindsay,
R.S.M. R.G. Rapkin, Capt. Jackson, S.S.M. M'Laren, S.S.M. Adams,
S.Q.M.S. W. Birrell, Farr.-Sgt. W. Guthrie, Sgt. J. Wilson. _Front
Row._--Sgts. Scott, Stewart, Gair, Duff, Hair, Adams, Kidd, and
Henderson.
_To face page 2_]

During this first week squadrons had to arrange for their own
billeting, forage, and rations; take over, shoe, brand, and number the
horses as they were sent up in twos and threes by the buyers; mark all
articles of equipment with the man's regimental number; fit saddlery;
see that all ranks had brought with them and were in possession of the
prescribed underclothing, boots, and necessaries; take on charge all
articles on the Mobilization Store Table as they arrived in odd lots
from Stirling; and, beyond the above duties, which were all according
to regulation, to make unofficial arrangements to beg, borrow, or
steal clothing of sorts to cover those who had enlisted, or
re-enlisted, to complete to War Establishment, and to provide for
deficiencies in the saddlery and clothing already on charge.

The result of all the hard work was that it was practically a complete
unit which came together at Blairgowrie about the 12th of August. Our
Mobilization Orders had been thoroughly thought out and the general
outline made known to all ranks, so that no time was lost in getting a
move on. At Blairgowrie we were billeted in a school, and would have
been very comfortable if we had been older campaigners, in spite of
the fact that our horses were about half a mile away, up a steep hill,
in a field which looked as if it had been especially selected so that
we might trample to pieces a heavy clover crop, and at the same time
be as far as possible from any possible watering place for the
horses. It meant also about as stiff a hill as possible up which to
cart all our forage from the station below. Here our adjutant, Captain
M.E. Lindsay, who knew the whole business of regimental interior
economy from A to Z, started to get things into proper form and to