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[Page 9]
While training here, I first came in proper contact with drink, & my determination never to touch it was strengthened properly, I saw enough to convince me for the rest of my life of the evils arising from the curse, lots of our chaps only lived for pay-day, & as soon as they got their money, off to town, & straight to the pubs, they would go, next morning would find them with a big head, a terrible thirst, & empty pockets, & they would be humming for the rest of the week, it used to be funny some nights, when the chaps would be coming home late, & had to pass through the guard at the gate, the majority of the revellers would have bottles with them, & if the sentry was a thirsty soul, he
he would give the order "halt bottle pass soldier", & if they had a bottle with them they were right, & if they could not produce the needful, well into the guard tent he would go. One night we had a terribly heavy thunderstorm, the rain fairly fell down, & in about an hour's time the whole of our camp was under water most of us laid in bed till the water started to carry us off, & then we were forced up, the drunks got a terrible ducking that night, one of them came into our tent with only his shirt on, & an entrenching tool in his hand, & started to dig a gutter round the tent pole to let the water off, not bad was it we got a proper soaking that night all our clothes & equipment were carried