Transcription
Dear Papa,
I got your letter of June 20th and a few days latter two from Blauche dated the 18th & 25th. I also got your parcel and a parcel from Trinity. Miss McCartney wrote me a letter on behalf of the Trinity Patriotic Society & also Dr. Hincks wrote his usual bosh. I have received letters from Rebecca. So this week has been good to me in the mail line.
I told you that there was to be a [????????????] Of the Brigade, well there was and Kirkman & I were hoping to go with major Havens to his new battery here. We were posted to him too, but a vow took place evidently through jealousy * we had to stay where we were. I am still in the Centre Section of "C" battery and my immediate O.C. in Lieut. Auson who is at this billet also. After the changes I [?????] Actually become senior officer under Auson. Therefore I have had lots of work which was what I wanted. I had to take the gun drill of the entire section this week, I got along all right & both the O.C. of our battery & the O.C. Brigade watched me at work & offered no criticisms. I wont have so much work here after though, as some N.E.O. permanent instructions came back to us & it is my duty to suprise them but let them do the drilling. I like to the latter myself, and I can sympathize with the officers of my old company who ere tired of just looking on watching us sergeants drill the men when they wanted to get into the game themselves. We had an inspection today by the G.O.E. (General officer commanding) of this division. It didn't amount to much, I acted as a section commander (a section consists of 2 guns + their ammunition wagons, which is what a Lieut. commands in the artillery)
You ask me what special reserve of officers in + about this Reserve Brigade, well there are two classes of commissions which cadets get - one a temporary commission in the Regular army, the other in the special Reserve which is only a name + is no different. It means that officers are trained and proceed to the front when + where needed, they are unattached. The Reserve Brigade are bases organized in the same the same way as fighting units and officers + men are trained and when reported fully trained are sent over in drafts. The Brigade itself does not go (of course it could be ordered over but that is not the idea, it is a training base.) young officers are sent to the Reserve Brigades, are given duties there they will perform in future at the front and are in their own drafted overseas.
At the present time there are only 3 of those who came here with me from the school who are either not overseas or who have not been given [???????????] Leave. Cockburn who came here over to England with me has had his leave and is [?]arned for Salonika with 3 others. One is in France and 3 on last leave. I therefore think I will get my leave in a few days, the leave is for 5 or 6 days and you report back after to await [???????????] Orders which may come in a week or perhaps not a month. You see there is no likelihood of being kept as an instructor for there is naturally a desire to give such posts to men who have sent service, and the latter is a silent though practically necessary condition. But what I want you to do Papa is not to worry, the artillery is a fine branch of the service and offers a good chance of absolute safety. I don't want you to get hoping I won't be sent over and I could not help getting that idea from your inquiries about the Reserve Brigade matter, for I feel certain of not being here more than another month or 6 weeks. But I don't want you to get thinking & worrying for it is not as if I was in the infantry.
I am glad you enclosed the report of Vierani's speech, it must have been a red letter day in our English - French Parliament. Vierani is certainly very eloquent and gets at the pith of things in an curious manner. I wish you would give me an idea of the situation over the conscription matter + if possible an editional by a reputable Brit paper like The Star. I think The Globe is not very sound editorially after S.A.M. left it.
I am glad you are getting the book under way and the circular campaign, the latter always proved a good time and I hope it will again. If you can sell 1000 at $2.50 it will be a goodly sum in the bank. I am also glad that [???] The [???] Is back. The [??] certainly a nice person to have about the house, is there any chance of getting her as a regular house keeper?
Kirkman and I are on aircraft duty again this week and sleep in camp on Wednesday afternoon, there being no work to do with my squad (I have charge of the [??????] Squad - about 40 - men returned from France) I got a horse and went alone for a ride into the country + discovered villages I didn't know exist about here. I rode down a shady bridle path into a woods + gave my horse a good feed on grass + a rest, we were both quite refreshed then for a gallop home.
About socks all I can say is that I have more then I could use in England but once overseas socks are invaluable & don't take up much room. So let people make them for me in medium and heavy weights but no more light weights. I will certainly be able to use them in France or Salonika.
About the [??????] I wish I had let you el it for I can see it is going to be a trouble for you. However it won't need water - soaking only once in a while during the hot weather.
Tomorrow I am Brigade Orderly Officer which will spoil my Saturday afternoon but the bitter must be taken with the sweet.
I hope you got the photos all right, it would be a shame to have them sunk.
You know Camilla is to be married in August, I want to give her a present and pay for it myself. I am not sure whether I can take it out of this month's pay or not but will you or can you get something for about $10 or so and I will send you the money when I can [?????] My accounts. If I wait for the latter before asking you to get the resent the letter might be delayed or sunk + the wedding come off without any present from me. Please get Blauche to help you pick something useful that Camilla won't have from some other sources. You see we don't get pay books from the Cox & Co the army bankers so don't know how we stand without uniting and as I have some board bill to pay + mess bills I am afraid my July account will be just about even as if I bought several things. But I can afford the present out of August pay + can reimburse you easily then.
This is a disjointed letter but there is really no news to tell you. The landlady has just brought my cocoa cake in + it is 10PM as I have to be up at 6AM tomorrow I will go to bed early.
Goodbye for the present,
Harry.Transcriber
Victoria StewartLanguage
English
