Wednesday 4th December 1935

West-East journey with White. When I got to the Harrow Road depot, the delightful girl said I was to ring Mr Val at once. (“Something exciting is to happen!” I thought.) Mr Val told me to wait until Driver Scott arrived and then give him a hand with the lumber at Edgware Road. So White went and I waited; sometimes helping with the stock, sometimes talking to the D.G. in the basement. (I said she must be a witch and she giggled.)

Scott arrived in mid-afternoon and we loaded his van with remarkably heavy radiators and other junk. Delivered a few west end orders and returned, he talking about his “birds”, most volubly. Left him in Staines.

Dashed up to town for my 25th and 26th drills. Jellicoe class passed out for Discipline. I’m getting to know several of them now. Bell aspired to be a Writer – he looks the type. Levey, public school-boy, and self-contained; typical. Cresswell, always swigging beer; Richmond – he’s 35 but gave his age as 26. Berryman, only 16, entered as a Boy. Smith, friendly, talkative, keen. A bakers boy or something (speaks it but doesn’t look it). His cousin, Cooper, will I think, be the best of us all. A good man, in all ways. Nutting is quite young but shapes pretty well…

Start field training next week. Bell says he knows enough about rifle-drill to be put in charge of Jellicoe.