"By Hook Or Crook”

The training of the Cambridgeshire Battalion was gathering pace. 
By New Year over 1300 men were under arms and by mid-January, the Battalion was at full strength. 
Supplies of uniforms were not forthcoming. Other than the basic suit of blue service dress and boots, hardly any other clothing arrived. The men could survive in their own shirts, but essentials such as gloves were urgently needed.
In an attempt to look after their men, enterprising young officers, many of whom had been Cambridge undergraduates until just a few weeks before, sent letters out to many prominent local people asking for their assistance.
Lieutenant R.C. Grey, who was later to become Adjutant of the Battalion, sent the above letter to a family friend asking them for assistance: “Dear Day, Could you by hook or crook possibly procure me 70 pairs of mittens for my men? RCG” His call was duly answered and by 27th January 1915, a total of 30 pairs of gloves had been sent to him.

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