Transcription
Dear Papa,
Once again I missed getting a letter off last week. But as that is only the second time since I came over I hope I may be forgiven. We were quite busy Saturday and Sunday last which took away my chance of getting a letter off. But now I am in definite leave pending gasette so will be able to write you lots more.
To take up the stay where I last left off - on Tuesday the 8th we had an oral exam on [????]ing the nights of both of the 18 powder and 4.5 [???????], I did fine on each. That is one thing the [??????] At LarkHill was very particular about - testing sights. It seems that everyday sights must be tested in the battery under our supervision so we must know our job well. There are about 10 or 12 different things to test about each gun. There are periseopie sights for use when the [?????] cannot be seen and you lay your gun pointing at an angle right or left of a aiming point that you can see through the sight. There is the one sight, notch and acorn like on a rifle. There is the teleoscpic sight for use when the [?????] Can be seen - and all sorts of things. We have to know how to take them all apart, adjust them till perfect and then put together again, as I say I know that work and did all right on both guns.
On Wednesday I received a letter from Blanche. On Thursday we had "lecturettes" our exam. Consisting of suddenly being asked to give a little talk to our men using diagrams on the blackboard on some topic that we have learned. Most of the men did extremely well. I was not called upon, as of course it took time and not more than half the squad were asked. The rest of us had our note books examined + Marks instead, as mine was such divided very well and I had some excellent drawing in it (which I always like to do) I guess I got a pretty good mark. The same day I got a letter from Harry Potts. He says he will not sell the [??????] Since I want to keep it. I think it best to keep it as it is a good little [??????] And I could not get a better one if I bought a new one where's I could not get from a sale what mine is really worth. It has been tried in a hundred ways and has never failed me yet. Harry says he will keep it for me, I think that during the winter you could get the loft of [??????] [????] As I did before. He refused to take any money before so it wont be expensive.
On Friday the 11th we were out all day on open warfare stuff. I was any number of ranks that day and it was fine being mounted all day. We [?????????] At noon in a valley near the river avon. We learnt a lot of what we will be responsible for later on as section commanders, as those of us who were section commanders that day were made responsible for the horses of the whole section, and all the [????] Too. I learned what is done about watering and feeding horses on the line of march and how the horses are examined for [?????], [????????] etc.
We all wore our walking out "joy-rags" as in the afternoon we were to be inspected by Lord (several) French. He surprised me. He is as short as Lord Roberts was though quite sturdy and thick set. He is considerably stooped with years and his hair and moustache are snow white. I guess it was his age as much as anything that [????????????] A strong younger man like "our Haig" to take the reins. Hasn't Haig done splendidly. He is a soldier, every inch of him, and I learn is idolized by the men at the front. He has the supreme confidence of all ranks that Kitchener had and I think will in time [????????] Almost as magic a name.
On Saturday we had a written exam, I did all right on it. They do not give out the marks at Lark Hill, but the Captain told me on [???] [????????] Our day, that I had done "very well indeed." I received a letter from you dated the 13th April and one from Rhea also.
On Sunday we changed our quarters and moved about half a mile away to no.18 camp for our four day firing course. Our guns alone fired over 70 rounds while I was on it, I did not wear anything in my ears at first. The [???????????] Did not deafen me in the least but it hurt the eardrums to much, so I stuffed the full of cotton battery and after that I didn't feel any of the [???????????]. We always keep our mouths open which aborts the inhalation of the air. The gun has a terrific [??????]. It is kept from running backward by the wheels being braked and a steel arm called a "trail" (which acts as a pevit when travelling) sticks out behind and has a spade shaped affain on its end. On [??????] The spade [?????] Itself and after that the gun cannot move backward. It takes a [????] Of a foot or two to bury the spade. I was no.2 sitting on the eat on the gun, gunning the range indicator and opening and closing the breech before and after firing, it was good sport. We fired lots of rounds during the four days and had almost every position on the gun [????]. (Six positions in all)
Verso and I worked together in acting as battery commanders forward in the abservation post. The first day he got the approximate range by firing, and I worked the "corrector" that is ordered the ranges and fuses to get a burst of [?????????] At an effective height. We sent our orders down to the battery by tilld telephone. The [??????] Were demanding batteries or infantry etc anywhere from 3000x to 5000 yards away. It was good stuff and we soon got on to it. Our card showed a good second, you absene the burst though tilld [???????]. You see you cant just measure the distance to the target on the map because ten chances to one that will not be the correct range for the guns that day because atmosphere conditions prevailing might make a difference of hundreds of yards in the distance a shell will travel. On a hot day the shell will travel farther because the air is [?????] And often less resistance and also because heat makes the explosive more powerful. The [?????????] Of course is very important as it [????????] The pressure of aim. Wind also comes into the question. The system therefore is to measure the distance on the map, shoot two rounds at an exaggerated and a short range, 300 yards difference. Of one is over and one is short of the target, you cut the difference down and shoot till you have a hundred yard "bracket" round the target, one round over and one short. The exact range for the day is therefore somewhere between [????] You at set sharpened out and adjust the fuse and range by experimenting rounds till you can see the bullets splashing the target after the shell bursts in the air. Then you give the enemy something "hot." It is very interesting work and the whole course did extremely well and could go to France now as good gunners. The course did very well all through and set a record. Of 60 men only 3 failed, where as in the previous course 13 of 25 sent from London alone failed. All my bunch came through intact.
We left Lark Hill for London on indefinite leave pending receiving our commissions, we may be together in a week or perhaps not for three or four weeks, in the meantime we can go anywhere we like. I have a warrant (half fare) to Deron - there [???] I expect to go the latter pernt of next week when the other boys get back from seeing their relatives over here, about 4 or 5 of us are going to Deron and then will come the sad part - the parting of the ways. I have made some friendships over here which will last all my lifetime I expect and we are all going to feel pretty blue when we shake for the last time. Verso the Australian will go to the Australian Army, Kirkman the South African to his army, the English boys with whom we have become intimate are already gone, their warriors way. But for about a week in Deron we will all be together, Verso, Kirkman, Cockbum Bueauer and I.
Verso, Kirkman and I came here. The house is own by the sister of the lady we used to room with in Bloomsberry st. as the latter was [?????????] She had no room for us and sent us here, we have just as many rooms here and the landlady is equally adulate. It is really a wonderful room we have, as nice a room as I was ever in. Verso has gone out of the city till the middle of next week. Kirkman and I am here alone now for a few days.
I saw E. C. Smith of my old company last night. He left this morning for Egypt, taking a draft to the field artillery over there, as lots of men are being sent there and to India for mesopotamia, it looks as if we have a chance of going there. I would be glad to be sent to Egypt instead of France. He says we will have to put up with a lot more bull-doging from the instructors in the training battery to which we will go after being [????????], for a month or so. So we still are not away from that sort of things I guess.
I have also seen Morsman's younger brother who came over from the company on a draft before I did, got commissioned, went to France with the infantry and got wounded with shrapnel in the hand. It was not severe but he was sent home om "blighty" because of poisoning setting in. He is all right and will go back in a couple of weeks more. I have also seen about 6 or more of the company men, some just arrived for the flying Corps, and one back from Italy.
Hert Sardmen who was a corporal with me in the company + who came over from the flying corps had a fall the other day and is thought to be dying. He fractured his skull and has been unconscious for over a week. His mate, MacLaren, also from the company had a fall some time ago too and is still in the hospital, though not serious. So I guess it is as well for me that I missed the flying department for both were good men.
Yesterday I got the parcel without the tabacco in it and your letter of the 23rd April and just this minute the parcel with the tabacco in it came. It has been held up by the P.O. as apparent of the duty on it. I am afraid there is not much chance of my excaping duty although it was not addressed to me in my military style. From some particulars I asked for from the customs dept. I think I can arrange for exemption from duty on gift parcels through the Canadain [?????]eiation. After I am [????????] And posted to a battery and am something more than a cadet.
Thanks awfully for the good things in the parcels, I will have many nice snacks out of them. I hope I can manage to get something in the nature of biscuits to eat with the cheese and meat, which I have decided is dried beef and not smoked ham, though I may be wrong.
Wasn't that wonderful dream of aunt Birdie's. I got that letter shortly after I awakened in the early morning with a startling sense of the measures of Mamma and Roy. I got up with the most poignant sense of their absense, and must have been dreaming of them, you know how at times you have a fresh realization that they are gone, well that was the feeling but I woke because I thought I was home and that Mamma was getting breakfast and would soon call me because I had overslept. Of course there is no connection between the two incidents but I think as you do that Mamma and Roy see everything we do.
It is too bad about Auntie Brown but she had reached a stage when there was very little pleasure left for her execpt when her people visited her and as time went on she would have been in greater pain, and it is best she should miss that.
I am [?????????] Auntie Birdie's letter as you asked. There is no more news to tell you at present but I will write quite often during my leave on the chance that you will get them separately on some ship. Like you I do not know when ships leave. Take the very best care of yourself, as I am doing on my part.
Yours affectionately,
Harry.Transcriber
Victoria StewartLanguage
English
