12th January 1916
Road making again. Weather very cold with strong wind. House to house search made of the villages round here with little result.
Large parcel post in with one badly mashed parcel of foodstuff from Father. Wonderful how badly [?]Weirs can pack a parcel when they are put to it!
Bright clean night – very different from England at this time – and as for France!
See the medical officer and a subaltern of Wilfie’s Regt won the Military Cross on the day he joined them.
Found a number of croci or crocuse today on the hillside – the only flowers I have seen in this blighted land. Dempster went down to Salonika today – probably the last we will see of him. Cross [?] in Akbunar recovering his valise – the only thing we lost in the retreat.
The mess is becoming a rather respectable place these days of Christmas parcels. Dinner tonight hors d’oeuvres (sardines on toast), soup, stew, raisin and fig pudding, cheese, dessert (oranges, figs, dates, walnuts) and coffee. Not simply bully and biscuits! Like mess President like mess!
Turn in 10pm