It did not demand much wit to foretell that sooner or later we should be
asked to offer ourselves for service abroad. The question was put for
the first time on the 13th of August, at Duffield. A rough estimate was
made that at least 70 per cent. would consent gladly and without further
thought, and of the others hesitation was caused in many cases because
men wondered whether in view of their positions in civil life they had
the right to answer for themselves. It should be understood that a very
large number were skilled men, and had joined the home army merely
because they thought it a good thing to do. And because they liked it,
and knew it was a good thing to do, they were content to accept humble
places in a force formed for home service and home defence only. Also,
at that stage it was not perfectly certain that everyone would be
wanted, and when the question of war service abroad was raised, and
other men were not serving at all, it is only natural that the thought
passed through some men's minds that the appeal was not for them. We
think that the battalion might be congratulated upon the general spirit
of willingness shown, especially as in the 17th August when the question
was put again more definitely, the percentage of those ready to extend
the terms of service was estimated at 90.

There were other phases of this call for extension of service, too
numerous to detail here; for example, on one occasion we were asked to
get six companies ready at once. This for a time upset everything, for,
as we have said, the original eight companies were taken from different
parts of the county, and there was a strong company comradeship, as well
as a battalion unity; and if six be taken out of eight it means
omissions, amalgamations, grafts, and all sorts of disturbances.

We left Duffield on the 15th of August, and marched to Derby Station.
Our train was timed to start at 11 p.m., and seeing that we arrived at