With the Serbs in Macedonia

86 WITH THE SERBS IN MACEDONIA
entirely surrounded by motor transport officers
!
All the time, of course, we were daily expecting
a consignment of springs from England.
After three months of waiting, one day the W.O.
telegraphed
to know if it were true that more
than fifty per cent of our vehicles were out of
action, and if so what was the reason ! Then,
a few weeks later, a liner got through with six
hundred springs on board and our spirits rose,
till we found out they were rear springs !
As a matter of fact, though, the authorities
did their best. There were all sorts of difficulties
— Henry Ford wasn't an Ally then, and apart
from trouble about deliveries there were the
submarines to contend with. ^They were very
lucky with Ford spares, getting several boat
loads, and later bagging at one fell swoop the
plant and stock of a big heavy repair shop for
Fords which was being erected at the base.
But Christmas, 1916, must not be forgotten.
On one thing we were determined— that on
Christmas Day the men should have a good
time, as good a time as was possible in such a
desolate land. To Salonica, as before mentioned,
we sent our mechanist sergeant-major, with a
him in his
long list and a comrade to help
thankless task. The original scheme was to
have turkeys and pork, but Salonica prices