Unit Administrator WAAC
Command Depôt Camp
Sutton Coldfield
Oct 2nd 1917
My own dear Cyril
Behold above my present rank and address. I was wired for last Friday and have been up to my eyes in work ever since, but I am thoroughly enjoying the work.
I am in command of a regiment of women cooks, waitresses and housemaids working in place of men in this camp. At present our strength is only 110 but it will increase when we take over the clerks in all the departments and other women working in the camp. We are living in hostels, four in number, very nice private houses with large gardens, and the women go daily to the camp to work.
My office is in camp and my work is to run the hostels, the messing, spend (or save!) the rebate, and generally organize all work in connection with the health and discipline of the women.
At present I am very busy but am expecting an administrator to be sent down from Headquarters quite soon to assist me. She will act as my adjutant and messing officer – (I shall have the responsibility but she’ll do the work!).
Mrs Becher, the Brigadier General’s wife, called on me this afternoon. Both he and she are exceedingly nice. She asked me if I would consent to a club being run for the girls and would I be on the committee, so we had a lot to talk about.
Altogether I am just loving the work, and the officers on the staff with whom I have any dealings are most agreeable men to work with, and give me every assistance in their power. It naturally makes all the difference in the world having men of the right sort to work in with.
Juliet wrote and said she was too busy to fulfil her promised visit to Marlow, but I believe she is going at half-term.
I am sorry neither May nor she were able to fulfil their visits to Mother, because I think she would have been glad of the opportunity to know them more intimately.
I know, darling, you’ll forgive a hasty scrawl this week. We have not yet received all the furniture for the Hostels yet, so what with checking and receiving the goods, and doing all the correspondence in camp and inspecting the kitchens, and preparing for the women, who are now in the Women’s Legion, to become absorbed into the WAAC, my hands are full. Getting them into uniform, getting them transfers and hearing their complaints and settling the disputes are also a few of my duties for the day!
Your suggestion about my getting a few things together for use in my own rooms now, and which will be useful to us later, is one which appeals to me as a sound one and one which will make things very comfy for me. I have a nice …
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