Item 04: G. O. Hawkins letters to his family, 2 January 1915-November 1917 - Page 227
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[Page 227]
2
Soon our blankets are rolled up and our packs strapped with all our few belongings therein
We clean out our sleeping quarters ready for those coming in
Now we are waiting for our lorry
Lorries are already here for G staff and Q staff and the privates of those departments are loading up their gear and effects.
There is much carrying of baggage, books and cases from the quarters down the duckwalk and muddy track through debris of ruin to where the lorries stand.
The coming and going of soldiers makes a busy scene
From the waggon cookhouses the [indecipherable] cooks are removing their gear stoves dixies etc.
The sky drizzles slightly now making the muddy tracks [indecipherable] and slippery.
Officers are standing about chatting in groups all spruce and clean. The Generals staffmen lending color to the scene with their arm bands cap bands and tunic collar lappells of scarlet. The camp Commandant is everywhere directing the men
Officers of the new division are arriving motor lorries are being unloaded of their effects