move to an unknown destination few doubted that we were bound for
Boulogne.

[Illustration: H.M. THE KING, WITH BRIGADIER-GENERAL LORD LOVAT AND
MAJOR-GENERAL BRUCE HAMILTON.
_To face page 4_]

[Illustration: THE REGIMENT IN COLUMN OF TROOPS AT ST. IVES.
_To face page 4_]

What a bustle we had that Monday. We had built a fine range of stables
on the Market Square, which were completed all except the harness
rooms on the Friday, and on the Saturday all the horses were moved in
except those in the sick lines. We had just received a consignment of
about 100 grass-fed remounts which had been handed over to squadrons
to look after, but not definitely allotted. Consequently when we
received orders to move we had horses in the Market Square, saddlery
about a mile away up the Ramsey Road, and horses in the sick lines
which belonged to no one in particular and had never been fitted with
saddlery at all. In addition, every one had been collecting every
conceivable sort of kit "indispensable for active service," presents
from kind friends and purchases from plausible haberdashers, with the
result that quite 50 per cent. of our gear had to be left behind or
sent home. To add to our confusion a draft arrived from our second
line to bring us up to War Establishment, and they had to be fitted
out with horses, etc. However, we got off up to time and entrained at
Huntingdon, wondering if it would be three days or a week (at most)
before we were charging Uhlans.

But our destination was only the Lincolnshire coast--Grimsby.