21 April 1916

This diary has been written for your benefit, Dad’s, Lil, Claud, Gus, Clyde and Vera's and as each days events has been entered my thoughts have always been with you all. That is why I have kept this diary going. Letters that I have received from you all have been most encouraging and I feel proud to belong to such a spartan family. I am glad to know that you take a pride in having Reg and I over here fighting instead of staying at home. And you can rest assured that Reg and I will do everything that is honourable and shun all that is not. However I must get on with this summary.
(Later) The Postal Department. Papers very seldom reach their destination and thousands of letters must have gone astray.  If one gets a parcel he his lucky.  Out of 32 parcels that I know of being sent to me, I only received 13.  The rest couldn’t have gone astray and I have noticed that the postal clerks never want for anything.
One day at Lemmos  I caught one red handed. I walked into the tent and one of the clerks was hastily disposing of the contents of a parcel.  I snapped the paper (the wrapper) from him and it had the address of a friend of mine on it. That is the way parcels disappear.  There are other instances too numerous to mention.
Something might also be said about the gift stuff.  That was treated about the same way as the rations were, only they went through Divisional HQ, then Brigade, then Regimental HQs and finally to us.  After the various HQs had their pick you  will understand that there was not much left for us.  Say for instance, a bottle of sauce, pickles or a small tin of fruit would have to go round a troop (35 men). 
 J. A. Graham