The men were on half rations, there was no coal for the stove in the cold grey huts, and they hadn't been paid for over a month. Forty-two had slept in a hut meant for thirty, so they each took turns sleeping on the floor, with one blanket each.
The soldiers were living on reduced food supplies, and their living quarters lacked heating due to a lack of coal, resulting in cold, Spartan conditions. The men had to share a hut meant for fewer than forty-two, leading to makeshift arrangements where they took turns sleeping on the floor with limited warmth.