Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 67]
a Bombardier, a chap with plenty of guts and a good quiet style with men, soon picked up a sergeant's job, and had a crack detachment. I did have a very fine lot of sergeants a bit back, I sort of boomed Simson for the first commission on going, and he's got it now, and while on the gun in the battery got whats more than lot do that gets stars, all good grounding on the gun, adjusting sights and so on, which can really only be learnt on a gun floor, under present conditions. I think it is the bloody limits for men of any capacity to go to England and say I am an Anzac, give me a commission, when I think of the lads that were in the rank and file of the first Anzacs, and didn't care if they had a commission or not. Australian whom we meet in the English army all seem rather apologetic – got ever so many reasons why etc., Some say straight out they didn't think our force was going to be any good! I see young Gordon Linsley has a commission in Rosie's crowd, the other day. I sent photo from Malts of Pat Hare – the big parson from M. Morgan – he is Herb's McL's double, and before we went out last time just came over to tell me he had seen Herb, that he was O.K. and sent his regards to me. Soon after a shell lobbed over and knocked Pet's right arm off. He died – I suppose from shock. I was very fond of him and had kicked round with him in Malta while there. He was married but I don't think had any kiddies – in fact I know he had not. Suppose you wonder if I saw the king – well tell Idie I did ----------- NOT. Passed Birdie on the road up, as smart and smiling as ever. The Tommies have a yarn that he was offered an army, but wouldn't leave the Australians.
3. p.m. Stopped for lunch. I asked the Adjutant Teddy Randall and Harold Riggall round. Grilled steak and onion and mash. Asparagus and tinned fruit. Killed the latter out of our battery canteen. Great success. When we were out sent the cart to the B.E.F. Canteen about 6 miles away for eggs cigs, time fruit, fish, choc., got a big cask of English not French much – by slight increase to even money and the discount for the quantity made about 200 francs even after buying about 2 dos tins, saddle soap and electric torches and things. You know the Frenchies charge double, whether it is pure greed or duty, I don't know. Anyway we are keeping it going, and the chaps live decently on their pay. Keeps them in the lines instead of bringing crook wine and getting mad drunk as some of it makes then in one drink, something like the Arabs. Anyway my crowd are uniformly a good lot, a quite contented hard working crowd that dislike any hoodlumism, as much as I do. Even here we are keeping the canteen racket going, not beer of course but food, porridge & smokes and anything they want. You know for a long time British troops here were getting mucked till they started these canteens everywhere in the big base towns, duty free and things come out fairly cheap. Hundreds of tons of tinned fruit must be eaten here every day. Piity Australia doesn't go in for it. Also for tinned beef, the bully is every bit as crook as at Gallipoli, and rarely eaten when fresh no available. Young Saunders in the A.S.C. sends me a roast now and then and once some lamb chops tres bon. By the way you don't want to know much French to "bump along" here – it is like Egypt