"On the 1st of March I joined the 1st Battalion Civil Service Rifles at Watford, after a week’s ‘recruiting’ with the 2nd battalion, having been in training with the 2nd battalion since 31 August 1914 at Somerset House, the White City and Dorking. During the first and second weeks of March the battalion was engaged in strenuous work equipping itself for service overseas. New rifles, equipments, boots, clothes, limbers, horses, mules, waggons, identity discs, 1st field dressings etc etc. had to be collected and distributed.Being a recruit I had about a dozen fatigues in the first few days, but soon learnt never to have tea at the company billet, as fatigue parties usually consisted of the men who chanced to be in or near the billet when men were required!