January - On his return to France following leave George Mallory was transferred to Brigade Headquarters, 3 miles behind the front line. He was appointed as assistant to the Colonel but as the Colonel hated delegating he only had menial chores to carry out. He had to learn to ride a horse and accompany the Colonel on inspections. He had a batman who had been a barber in civilian life.
February – brief assignment as a liaison officer to a nearby French unit.
End of March – he applied to return to his battery which had moved to a new position. The Germans were starting to retreat and talk was of the Americans joining the war.
He was increasingly getting pain in his ankle making walking hard. The doctor said it was the result of a previous break in 1909 which hadn’t healed properly and he would need an operation after the war. The ankle worsened and he was sent home for the operation in London followed by recovery at Westbrook.
July - his ankle was better enough for him to visit the island of Arran with David Pye and Will Arnold-Forster [first time he had been to the Scottish hills] having first spent a few days with Cosmo Gordon's family.
September – army doctors passed him fit for duty. He was sent to an army camp at Avington Park, near Winchester, to train on the new sixty-pound guns. He borrowed a motorcycle and visited Ruth at the weekends at Westbrook. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy with their second daughter Berridge (known as Berry) who was born on 16 September.
Early Oct – made a full Lieutenant and undertook a course for newly promoted officers.
On his return from Westbrook on his motorcycle he cashed into a gatepost crushing his right foot. He was in hospital for a month and took another month before he would walk on it.
End of 1917 – passed fit for service but instead of returning to France he took a battery commander’s course at the artillery school at Lydd. This school came under the command of his brother-in-law Ralph Brooke. Ruth and the children went with him and stayed with Ralph, Mary and their three children.
Christmas 1917 – spent at Westbrook.
