Item 02: John Duncan McRae diary, 11 December 1916-9 February 1917 - Page 91

[Page 91]

I received 19 letters in all & also a large parcel of sweets etc from Aunts Jessie & Agnes. Their letters were very welcome especially as we had not heard of home for over eleven weeks. The sweets were also very acceptable because Alan & I had only two half-pennies between us & pay did not seem to be forthcoming. We had not been paid since leaving Cape Town. Our funds were increased to 4d by the addition of 3d which I found on the Y.M.C.A. floor. This sum of money we guard jealously until our stores run out.

Feb. 1. Snow was falling lightly during the parade this morning. We were issued with straw beds & also boards & small stools on which to sleep. Alan & I have an ingenious way of making our beds, by which we sleep in a kind of Shallow box like a ship's bunk & in this way keep much warmer than we would otherwise be. We were medically inspected in the afternoon. Our teeth were also inspected by