TCD MS 10821 folio 58 recto
[August 31st 1916] & went up a branch line to Airaines where we detrained & then had a rather tiring march of 11 kilometres to St Maulvis. Many of the new draft fell out on the way. The country was very pretty & quite hilly & eventually about 5pm we reached our destination. St Maulvis is the most comfortable village that we have yet struck: there is no one else here so we have plenty of room.
Sept 1st. The villagers tell me that this place is renowned for its eggs & certainly they are excellent. I have a fine billet in a large house & with a very fine & well kept garden, which is at present full of flowers. A comfortable bed & sheets were a welcome luxury, also a bath. This is a most old fashioned & out of the way place. There is a town crier who goes about with a drum, crying out the price of eggs or any other news of interest. The baker has a bugle to announce his arrival & the butcher a bell. I spent all the afternoon on a tiresome court of enquiry, on some officers which we were unable to finish
Sept 2nd. This rest here is delightful. As Porter was away, I was left in command. I inspected a new draft of 200 men that had just arrived: most were from the 5th & 6th Bns. They seemed quite a good