Sat. 24/6/16
Dear Everybody,
When did I write you last, not since I wrote on board the “Nile” I think. Since disembarking at Devonport we have been pretty busy, not altogether busy but unsettled. We landed at Sling Camp, Salisbury Plains at 3.30 A.M. on Saturday 10th June. Things seemed to move very slowly & we were a long time getting into stride, a stride which was destined not to last. After spending 12 days there, in which time the Details were broken up & sent to all quarters of the
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the globe. By that you will understand that my duties as an adjutant ceased. The various units that made up the Details have been sent to various schools of instruction, some at Bulford, on the Plains, some to Christchurch, & we the Mtd. Rifles have been attached for training to the 11th Reserve Cavalry Regiment Tidworth Barracks. We are really only 3 miles from where we were before, but Oh! what hot stuff we are with over here. The 11th Reserve Training Regiment is made up of the 10th & 18th Hu & quite a number of the old regular officers & N.C.O.s are here. Back from France, many of them medically unfit for further active service, but quite able to carry on
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with training. A great number of the officers are Lords and Sirs’ so & so & so on, eh! Jolly good fellows all the same and seem to be capable of holding out a brotherly hand to we common mortals. It is a great chance getting into a regiment like this for it is one of the best in the Kingdom. At time of writing I have just spent about 24 hours here, but have been able to have a good look around. Our training does not commence until Monday morn, then I suppose it will be a case of, look out! The whole system is entirely different to ours & much more thorough. Picture me getting round in a riding school for a day or two, we have got to go through it I believe & so have the men,
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& a very stiff test too, we were watching it this morning. Talking to the young subs. here the riding test is the dread of their stay here, & are awfully bucked when they are passed out as fit horsemen. The regimental sports are to come off on Thursday; & are an event to be looked forward to. Managed to get a few days in London last week, from Thursday night until Monday night. No need to say what a time I had; stayed with Hoopers of course, & all are all looking very well much better than when I left. Arrived back in camp at midnight Monday night, & the first thing I heard in the morning Tues. was that the Marama had arrived at Southampton.
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Had I known I could have had another day off & gone down to Southampton to see them. However, the opportunity is gone & unless they stay here about a fortnight I am afraid I will not get an opportunity of seeing them at all. Here it is the 26th & things have again been going very rapidly, so rapidly in fact that I can hardly keep count of all that is doing. Since writing the above I have seen & spent 24 hours with Kath. at Salisbury, A very pleasant surprise visit, did not know she was coming till she arrived. Telegrams she sent me did not reach me in time to enable me to meet her.
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Of the time we had I need say nothing for I know she gave you a very full account to which I contributed my share by buying the penny stamp; there by ensuring its safe passage to N.Z. Eh! Awfully decent of these people here to let me go, did not expect it, they were very keen that I should invite her over for the regimental sports, but her time being uncertain it could not be arranged. Arrived back from Salisbury Sunday night 9.30 P.M. fit for the day Monday morning. Started off with a tactical scheme, very small & very simple one, not nearly so formidable as I expected, well within the grasp of my uptake, & I should think the same of the others that
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were out also, unless of course they were beyond the pail altogether. In the afternoon we did sword drill, a new field for me & one in which I will have to spend a little thought, am not afraid of it though. Had a horse handed over to me this morning, a fair beast only, certainly very good for drill purposes & good to look at but could be better to ride, however it is a horse & fills a want that has been rankling us for some time. The weather up to the present has not been brilliant. Yesterday, Sunday at Salisbury was really glorious, but today is showery & altogether rather unpleasant, may be it will clear up for tomorrow.
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It will be rather fine if Kath manages to remain in England, won’t it? She was not absolutely certain that it was coming off when I saw her on Sunday but there are 999 chances out of 1000 that it will be all right. She thinks that it might be Walton Thames but herself would prefer Brockenhurst. Brockenhurst certainly will be very fine but so is Walton ___. Have had no letters now for about, oh! must be 8 or 10 weeks, not from any of you, can’t make out where they are going. They ought to turn up shortly now that we have more or less landed in a permanent camp. I mean, of course the camp at Sling, not here at Tidworth. Have got all behind with writing lately simply can’t get on with it. Haven’t written to
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Diack for ages. I intend doing so tonight if nothing else comes in my way. In case I do not manage it, please let him know that I haven’t forgotten him altogether, although I believe he would be completely justified in thinking so. From him I have not heard for ages & ages, perhaps he has left Thornbury I.D.T. Of any of the fellow from in & around Thornbury that are over here I have heard never a word, but they are in France somewhere, & not very far from Ypres. They are holding (I mean N.Z. division,) the trenches somewhere near Ypres, but not exactly in the salient where the Canadians have been getting it so hot this last few weeks. Casualties we have be getting as you will be probably
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see by the papers, but not very many. For some reason or another it is very hard to get information about our division & exactly where it is stationed. All men coming on leave seem to be sworn to secrecy, for it is very hard to get them to talk. We have heard that all leave has been stopped for six weeks pending a push about to be made, can not at present moment vouch for accuracy of report, but should not be surprised if it is true. Two days ago we received a report that the British had commenced an offensive on the Western front, & had taken 80000 prisoners, at the same time breaking through German lines. This has never been confirmed, yet people were very much inclined to believe it, but I am afraid it is dame rumour keeping up her reputation, really too good to be true. Some of our Otago Mtd. Officers that were transferred to the infantry in Egypt have come to grief in France. You will know
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them by name even if you have never met them. Lieut. Ally who received his Captaincy on joining infantry has been killed, & Lieut. Black, who was promoted from Sgt, very badly injured. Do not know how they occurred, whether they were sniped or whether they had been attacking. Quite likely there has been some others since, for these were reported some time ago. Received from Kathleen yesterday one of the latest Press’s, April 12th. There in nominations of Riverton races, but not results of Ingill ones. Am looking forward to results of both. She was going to bring her latest letters down too, but managed to forget them. How is old Hector getting on, still in the land of the living? Tell the old fellow I was inquiring
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about him. Have heard nothing about him for many months. Well, I guess I have said enough for this lot, expect another letter when you get it, that is how I am placed now-a–days. Will try & write every fortnight at least. My being attached here for training does not prevent me from being called on to proceed to France. May have to go any day if they want an officer over there, that is for the O.M.R. They too I believe are being trained as cavalryman. For myself I never was fitter for a fray in my life, Englands weather conditions suit me much better than Egypt. Trusting that all are in best of health & spirits I will bid Au Revoir. Would like to drop Charl. a line but have no idea where to address him yet. Cheer oh!
Your Affect.
Brother, E.S. McI.
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Address.
I believe it will be much better to send them c/o Hoopers I can alway give them my change of Address.
E.S.
