France
26/12/16
Dear Everybody.
Here it is Boxing Day again & we seem to be as far from old N.Z. as ever. I have never spent a Boxing Day quite like we have spent this one. When last I wrote I said the Batt was to be out of the trenches for Xmas & N.Y., & so it is. However about 1/2 an hour after I had sent that letter off, it looked as if we were not, & it was not until the 22nd that we were sure we were going to be out. Just after finishing my letter on the 16th I think it was, we went up to mess, & the Col. dropped a bomb in our midst in the shape of the following announcement. “I have a bit of good news for you tonight Gentlemen, I have to detail one Coy. Commander for a months course of instruction, three officers for a Gas course, & the rest of the Battn goes back to the trenches tomorrow.” I can assure you we all looked as black as thunder & saw our Xmas arrangements vanishing into thin air. However the order was inevitable & in we had to go on the Monday. Fortunately we were relieved again on the 23rd, & the boys were able to have a decent time for the festive season.
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General Sir Douglas Haig’s inspection of the 2nd Bde. which was to relieve the 1st Bde on the 18th was what was responsible for sending us back to the line for the few days mentioned. The Coy Commander mentioned as having to be detailed to attend course of instruction at 2nd Army Central School of Instruction turned out to be myself & at time of writing I may say that I am duly installed in said school, & have commenced the course. I know you will think I am very fortunate but not more so than I do myself. This is credited with being the best Instructional school in France at the present time & that is no mean recommendation these days. Also it is just the course I require at the present time, seeing the way I have been placed. The instructors are all officers who have worked their way up the ladder during the course of the present war, so you see our teaching is not based on theory alone. The courses are many & varied, & extend over a period of a month. At that rate you see, I will not be back with the Batt till about the 20th of January. I was sorry at not being with the Batt for Xmas, but of course under the circumstances it could not be helped. I wanted particularly to be with the Coy. whilst it was out of the trenches
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so as to get an opportunity to get into closer touch with the men, however, fate decided otherwise & of course I had perforce so he contented. The school is many miles behind the line, so far in fact that we can not hear the sound of the guns. The school itself is a fine old Monastery, beautifully situated, commanding as it does a splendid view of the surrounding district, & over-looks the town from which we are only a few miles distant. The Monastery is a fine rambling old place but fearfully cold & drafty. That element however, does not trouble us a great deal for we are kept pretty busy morning, noon & night with parades, lectures etc. The lectures are most instructive & intensely interesting, dealing, as they do, with the leading subjects of the moment & with which we are in daily contact. I am getting further & further behind with my letter writing every day, & so long as I stay here, there will not be much opportunity of improving matters. I had a goodish mail from N.Z. some days ago & also from Blighty. Letters from N.Z. dating from 22nd Oct. to 28th. At time of writing, a good number of the 16th Reinforcements have joined us up, so you see we are getting along in that direction all right, & the Div. is getting back to fighting strength rapidly. Well I must be off to mess, & then some swat after. Great isn’t it! The further one goes, the more one has to learn. Hoping all have had a pleasant Xmas & looking forward to a bright N.Y. Am keeping as fit as a fiddle myself.
Affect Brother E.S. McI
