TheCompleteMemoirsOfGeorgeSherston

was a reserved and dignified man, much more so than
the other Majors. These convivial characters were
ostensibly directing the interior economy of the Camp,
and as the troops were well fed and looked after they
must be given credit for it. The training of recruits
was left to sergeant-instructors, most of whom mainly
were Regular N.C.O.s of the best pattern, hard-
worked men who were on their legs from morning to
night, and strict because they had to be strict. The
raw material to be trained was growing steadily
worse. Most of those who came in now had joined
the Army unwillingly, and there was no reason why
they should find military service tolerable. The War
had become undisguisedly mechanical and inhuman.
What in earlier days had been drafts of volunteers
were now droves of victims. I was just beginning to be
aware of this.

But Clitherland had accessible compensations. One
of them was the Golf Course at Formby. The electric
train took only twenty minutes to get there, and Form-
by was famous for its bracing air, comfortable Club
House, and superlatively good war-time food. I went
there at least one afternoon a week; usually I played
alone, and often I had the links to myself, which was
no disadvantage, since I have always been consider-
ably addicted to my own company.

My main purpose, however, was a day with the
hounds. For this I was readily given leave off Satur-
day morning duties, since an officer who wanted to go
out hunting was rightly regarded as an upholder of
pre-war regimental traditions. The Saturday Meets of
the Cheshire Hounds were a long way off, but nothing

467