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stand another dose of France. Funny to think that I
tried to get sent there in January.

April 5- Last night after dinner (we all have it
together in a big Mess Tent) there was an episode
which is worth recording. The Colonel announced
that he was going to have "a selling sweep on where
we are going to". The procedure for a "selling sweep"
was unknown to me, but there seemed to be a general
notion thai it was rather a dashing affair to take part
in. We all sat round the table and the C.O. acted as
auctioneer. First of all everyone took a ticket, and
then there was a "draw" and the lucky ones drew a
bit of paper with a word on it. (France, Salonika,
Mesopotamia, Italy, Palestine, Ireland, Submarined
and Home were the words.) The whole thing put my
back up properly and the C.O. looked none too
pleased when I declined to take a ticket, (Now I
come to think of it, it must have been the first time
I've been really annoyed since I left England!) The
auction then started, and I must say he did it in a
most lifelike manner, with appropriate witticisms
delivered in flashy style. Most of the junior officers
have no money except their pay, but they felt it
incumbent on them to bid, either through a syco-
phantic desire to please, or because they dared not
refuse. France fetched £15; Home £14; and Pales-
tine /*o. When he put up Submarined there was a
pause, and then I bid ten pounds for it (which was
my one bid during the auction). There was no ad-
vance on this and it became my exasperating pro-
perty. At the end there was £94 m the pool, and
France had been bought by Major Evans  Second-
in-Command) who had also drawn it   (Being;a
thoroughly decent man he will probably pay back
all the money spent by those who cant afford it.)

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