Overview
Wed Nov 12
News in this morning’s “Dominion” of the arrest of R Semple, H Holland, P Fraser + G Bailey, Strike leaders etc. Howling storm al night + continued rain during morning. Six of us including Tom Vincent, Freyberg, Mr Elsden Best, Jack Bartholomew + self kept in camp for fatigue duties – cleaning up sleeping quarters, preparing vegetables for dinner etc. By some mismanagement our party had to do the work for about 4 squadrons – we also did a lot of swearing gratis. We inspected the monoplane “Britannia”, the gift to NZ by the Imperial Air Fleet Committee – a Bleriot monoplane, fitted with a 7-cylinder 80-hp [horse power] Gnome engine. Length 28ft, span 31ft, weight 860 lb – guaranteed speed in calm weather 70 miles per h[ou]r. Cost £1500. After dinner the fatigue parties + inlying squadron rode out to Miramar peninsula to exercise horses. On return had to move horses of “F” squadron to opposite
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side of barracks yard + when the other squadron returned from the wharves there was a great mix up – more bad management. At 7 pm Tom Vincent, Holder, Freyberg, Briggs + Mr Elsdon Best + I had to miss concert + go on night picket duty with rifles + fixed bayonets – Mr Best + I were on from 9 to 11 pm + 3 to 5 am – the beat was in front of the school on east side of camp. A rather slow tiring job but it had one redeeming feature in the shape of a hot fish supper brought to us by one of the “specials”. Fine night so we had a fair time.