Christmas leave was our great anxiety at this time, and, after having been at first disappointed, we were at length allowed to go in batches to our homes. From Christmas till the move down south we were actively employed--guards on the pierheads, piquets on the North and South Shores, drill, and, later, musketry with real rifles at Fleetwood. The battalion was now organized into four companies in accordance with "Infantry Training, 1914," which were respectively commanded by Major H. K. Wilson ("A" Company), Captain C. W. Wilson ("D" Company), Captain G. L. Fletcher ("C" Company), and Captain Lawrence ("B" Company). Colour-sergeants were divided into company sergeant-majors and company quartermaster-sergeants to meet the new organization; and R. Smith was appointed regimental sergeant-major, Kelly being made company sergeant-major of "B" Company. Many more officers meanwhile had joined--so many, in fact, that we were for a time over strength. Captain Wurtzburg was attached as Acting Staff Officer at Brigade, and was subsequently gazetted as a Brigade Major. On January 12th a draft of 210 men were dispatched to Canterbury, many N.C.Os. gladly giving up their temporary stripes to join the draft. That was ever the spirit. Two days later General Sir R. Pole Carew, Inspector-General, Territorial Force, inspected us on the South Shore field, and expressed himself much pleased with our steadiness on parade. Transport, consisting of requisitioned civilian vehicles, had recently arrived, and Lieutenant L. G. May was appointed as Transport Officer. His men were not long in appearing clad in riding breeches and spurs, and lent a slightly military aspect to their antique civilian carts.