January 5th 1915: at Warley

Next letter, February 6th ...

“Yesterday we went out in the drizzling rain a draft of one hundred men and eight officers. I should be in the next half dozen. They are keeping strictly to the rule of seniority, bless ‘em.”

“it is a good life here - more like a holiday than anything else. I am teaching the N.C.O.s map-reading and field-sketching. Our men are really excellent. Even the General had to admit on parade that we were perfectly magnificent, and didn’t we smile? Not a single man was drunk during the Christmas holiday, which constitutes a record.

The men back from the front are ripping, and some D.C.M’s among them. They are just out to beat the germans well, and don’t you think everything is going well? We are feeling very happy about it all!

I am thoroughly happy, except that at present there are not enough towels - for ourselves or the men!

I am all in favour of making my platoon (i.e., when I get one) do any amount of extra work. I found that there were any amount of lazy men in the ranks, and I shan’t be content till they have shown up the rest of the Battalion. I don’t think we can do much better than give them a modified Boy Scout training. My half dozen Scout boys whom I left behind in Stratford were one of the joys of my life. Their brightness and general intelligence was a relevation to all Oxford men."

Letter to a friend, after inspection by Lord Roberts

‘Bobs’ asked me where my country home was and seemed amused wat the mention of the East End. The men were superb at this, our annual inspection - not a single button cleaned for the occasion … After three cheers were given for ‘Bobs,’ one bave Tommy in the rear rank gave three cheers for Kruger, which all the men took up. The man was spotted out and hauled up immediately at a court-marshall. He preferred to conduct his own defence, and on being ake why he had given three cheers, answered, ‘And, begorrah, if it wasn’t for Kruger there would have been no war.’ The case collapsed at this point.

To the same after receiving a pair of socks

“I have painful recollections of my efforts in this line (mufflers) in the South African War, and for the Tommy who had to wear mine more painful thoughts still … We have our backs to the wall at Ostend; there is sure to be some very heavy fighting there … your socks are quite the choice of my selection."

"We are sending out a tremendous draft this week. I am still to be left behind, alas! Good news from the front tonight!”

Watching a draft off 

"It was a glorious sight in the snow, and the silence of the tramp of the feet to which one gets so accustomed."