

### BEING AN ACCOUNT

### BY

## ERNEST LYCETTE

### OF HIS LIFE

### AS A YOUNG MAN AND SOLDIER

### IN THE YEARS BETWEEN

1911 AND 1921

## ARMY OF OCCUPATION – RHINELAND

## AUXILIARY CORPS – IRELAND

For His Children and Grandchildren

### 1966

# Contents

Prologue 5

Memoirs 8

SCOUTING 8

CLOUDS OF WAR 9

WAR IS DECLARED 11

ENLISTMENT 11

PROMOTION 13

SERGEANT 14

TAVISTOCK, DEVON 14

SPIC 'N' SPAN 15

TRAINING 16

STAFFORDSHIRE 18

MEDITERRANEAN 20

EGYPT 23

FRANCE 30

ETAPLES 31

6th ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT 35

LEVANTIE 36

SOMME 40

VIMY RIDGE 46

HOME LEAVE 50

MARCH 1916 54

ITALY 55

MANTOVA 58

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR 73

BACK TO WORK 74

HOUSEKEEPING 75

ROME 78

THE OPERA 81

RIDING BREECHES 89

TOWN MAJOR 90

PIAVE SECTOR 90

CHRISTMAS CHEER 92

51st ROYAL WARWICK REGIMENT 94

ARMISTICE 95

THE RACE 97

BINCHE 99

PEACE TREATY 99

CLEAN-UP AND SALVAGE 103

BERGISCH-GLADBACH 105

COLOGNE SOCIAL LIFE 108

NEUTRAL ZONE 110

ARMY OF OCCUPATION IN GERMANY 124

UNREST 125

RUHR VALLEY 127

THE BAYER FACTORY AT LEVERKUSEN 127

FLITTARD 129

HIGH INTEREST RATES 130

RECOVERING COMMERCE 131

BONN, KOBLENZ 132

SHOPPING 133

DEMOBILISATION 135

FAREWELL 136

DEPARTURE FROM CHARLEROI 137

MEDICAL CLEARANCE 139

FUMIGATION 140

TREATMENT 141

GOING HOME 141

SOCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE 143

MOVIE HEROES 143

QUOTA SYSTEM 144

AFTER THE WAR 145

DIEPPE 146

HOME AGAIN 147

FAMILY 150

CATCHING UP 152

GOOD DOG, BRIN! 152

MARKING TIME 155

INTERVIEW 156

AUXILIARY CORPS IN IRELAND 159

CHARGE IT TO THE IRA! 161

ON PATROL 162

POOR CONDITIONS 163

ST MICHAN'S CHURCH 166

BURIAL VAULTS 167

LIGHTER ENTERTAINMENT 168

CURRAGH CAMP 169

TRAINING 172

IRISH NATIONAL STUD 174

A DAY AT THE RACES 177

ON GUARD 181

DONEGAL TWEEDS 182

CORK 184

MACROOM CASTLE 185

TO MARKET 187

FISHING 189

CENSUS 190

KILLARNEY 198

HOME VISIT 202

WALKING FROM LONDON TO BRIGHTON 203

TONSILLITIS 206

AMBUSH AT MACROOM 207

UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS 212

FRIENDLY FIRE 216

REMINISCENCES 220

SCRUMPING 224

ITCHY FEET 225

NEW ZEALAND 226

BEST LAID PLANS... 232

WINNING STREAK 234

Epilogue 241

Version History 242

Appendices and reference material 243

Walking stick 243

##  Prologue

Ernest Lycette was born at Rugeley, in Staffordshire, on 6th July 1891, son of a coal miner.

The area was largely a sheep farming district but there were beginnings of some industry, particularly coal mining. At one time, when as a youth, Ernest was working with his father, who was a specialist in constructing tunnels, there was an accident and he had to work to free his father and help him out. He never did like mine work.

Little is known of Ernest's early education, but at that time it was probably of a basic nature. For his 16th birthday he was given a book, written by Lord Baden-Powell, about scouting and this became his main interest. He was ultimately appointed the local scoutmaster, as mentioned in the book.

Upon the outbreak of World War I he enlisted in the British Army on the 8th August 1914.

Ernest's story must be typical of those of millions of families throughout Europe, on both sides of the Great War. Anxiety, hardship, sadness, sorrow, relief and humour all played a role. Like most of the survivors, he said little about his experiences except on rare occasions some happening or event stimulated his memory. There were few war relics in our household. One was a pair of binoculars of American design. Many years later, when asked about them, he said that an American soldier lying in "no man's land" had been calling out for help. My father crawled out and found the casualty, badly injured with a leg missing. He brought him back to their trench and the soldier was sent off in an ambulance. Later my father visited him in hospital and the American gave Dad the binoculars, saying, "I won't need these any more, you can have them".

Ernest also had a large field telescope encased in thick leather, which had a deep jagged gash along most of its length, which was caused by a heavy shrapnel blow, presumably saving his life. When I grew up I realised that, not only had it saved his life, but also given me mine. Because of the huge numbers involved in that mayhem, there must have been other sons grateful for their fathers.

Years later I asked my father, whom I admired enormously, to write an account of his war. Sometime later I came across a large notebook written in pencil, which has been typed and edited.

The following pages describe those years.

RR Lycette
Dear Reader,

Please note that this memoir was written many years after the event and may contain some inaccuracies with regard to dates.

It has been typed solely from the original notes which were handwritten in 1966 by Ernest Lycette. Every effort has been made to preserve the words and character of the author, with some minor editing to maintain consistency of tense.

Photographs used in this book and on the cover are from his personal collection of memorabilia of those times.

We hope you enjoy reading of his experiences, and his unique view of "his war".

##  Memoirs

###

### SCOUTING

From 1911 until August, 1914, I was Scoutmaster of the 1st Heath Hayes Troop of Boy Scouts. Also, during that period I became Superintendent of St John Ambulance. From these associations I gained much knowledge and training, which was of great assistance to me as the years rolled by.

What influenced me to take to this work? Well, during the period of adolescence, the times when I was just a hobbledehoy, neither lad, man or boy, I was just fortunate to have a guiding hand to lead me on my teenage way. For my sixteenth birthday I was given a present of a book, _"Scouting for Boys"_ by Baden Powell, a man of great talent and vision. After I had read and studied this book, it influenced me immensely and in a short time I was carrying out the inspiration of this great man. I could see how essential such inspiration was to boys who came from poor homes and received little help or encouragement from their parents. So I gave four most strenuous years full of happiness and delight to help the boys of the village and district to become good and useful citizens. Even to this day, I often receive letters from old scouts expressing their appreciation and thanks for the joy, happiness and assistance given them.

Figure 1: Photo of Lady Bowring-Hanbury and scout troop

###  CLOUDS OF WAR

By July, 1914, the whole of Europe was in a state of fear and turmoil, with threats and counter threats from nation to nation. It seemed as if the peoples of the world had forgotten the immense importance of that five-letter word, PEACE. However, about the 23rd of July, we received a letter from our Patron, Lady Bowring Hanbury. She invited the 1st Heath ayHayes Troop to camp in the grounds of Ilam Hall, which is situated in the Peaks of Derbyshire, not far from Matlock and near to the farming town of Ashbourne. The countryside was beautiful, fascinating and most picturesque. We were 70 strong and arrived in Ashbourne by train. After unloading our gear, we marched to the grounds two or three miles away. We received a charming welcome from Her Ladyship, who was accompanied by her husband, a very tall man, who was much older, and very kind to us. Lady Hanbury was proud of her Scout Troop and was exceedingly kind to all its members, even our mascot, Billy the Goat, who was always in a fuss, unless he started nibbling something he should not.

Figure 2: Photo of Lady Bowring-Hanbury and scouts

Everyone got into action and soon tents were erected, and all the necessities of a camp were arranged. The cooks and fatigue personnel soon had things on the way and our first meal was served and enjoyed by everyone. Then, for the remainder of the day, Dovedale, Darleydale and the various peaks around were climbed and explored by the scouts. There was quite a large lake in the grounds, which was teeming with fish. The next afternoon Lady Hanbury invited all the keen fishing scouts to join her, and she taught them how to cast with rod and line. They were all so keen for this adventure, so we had to have two patrols one day, two the other. In no time at all we were successful in our efforts, so the Lady asked that all fish less than 4 inches in length, be thrown back into the water. I was thrilled with my efforts, because I had never fished before with a rod and line. In an hour or so, by our combined efforts, we had sufficient to cook for our evening meal. In the evening we lit a camp fire and sang and danced around, quite a number of the servants came along and joined in the fun. All lights had to be out at 10pm and all noise to cease.

Another day, Lady Hanbury acted as guide and explained to us the history of the rooms which were magnificent with treasures, paintings and tapestries. It was thrilling to see such splendour and workmanship. We had sports, competitions, dancing and singing – the time passed by too quickly. All good times come to an end, and the day arrived when the order to strike camp was given and all the gear loaded on to the trailer, which was pulled alternately by the senior patrols. We arrived in Ashbourne to catch the train, which was to take us back to Heath Hayes on the Cannock Chase.

As soon as we got back in to the town and villages we could see and feel the change. The war clouds had gathered and got darker. The newspapers and the political leaders were warning the people of the desperate and grave news. Lord Haldane had been busy trying to build up the Territorial Army. Orders for mobilisation were on the way.

On June 18th 1914, during a ceremonial visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand (heir to the thrones of Austria-Hungary) and his wife were assassinated by a young Bosnian student. That was the spark which was eventually to set Europe in flames. Armies were mobilised, and this provoked an aggressive attitude among the great powers – notably the German staff. Soon war became automatic and unpreventable.

### WAR IS DECLARED

Germany declared war on France on 3rd August 1914. German troops invaded Belgium, who called for help from Britain at midnight on 4th August. Britain was at war with Germany.

It now appeared that the peoples of the various nations, led by their leaders as they watched the press and streets during those demented days, fell victim to the hysteria as helplessly as any of the nameless multitudes around them. It seemed as if reason and humanity had ceased. Scares and hysteria of war filled the columns of the press. Calls were made frantically to join the army and answer the desperate calls that were being made. Volunteers crowded into the cities, towns and recruiting offices to add their names to the roll.

### ENLISTMENT

On 8th August 1914, I was to have gone back to my work in the coal mines, which I really did not like, but along with several other young men of the village, I went to Hednesford and enlisted into the army. After taking the King's Shilling, I went and spent it in the "Queen's Arms" (not actually) but in the hotel. On arrival home, I broke the news to my Mother who was naturally upset, but my father showed no feeling whatever. The next day I put on my best and only suit, minus a cap, which I had not worn. I had my ticket to take me by train from Brownhill's station to the nearest station to Lichfield Barracks. There were many more doing the same journey. We were met at the station by Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), formed up into fours and marched over the parade grounds to the officers who interviewed us and allotted us to a Company and a room.

What a motley crowd we looked – what a mixed up crowd we were! Some were tramps off the streets in worn, torn breaks, while others were quite smartly dressed but soon they mixed up with the rest. What a time it was, with thousands waiting patiently to get their instructions and sign on the dotted line. Then we drew a blanket and were assigned to quarters. We were told we would be there for three days and then we would be transferred to a Regiment of our desire. We were instructed by our NCO to make ourselves familiar with the orders of the day and see if there were any instructions for any of us.

The food was a real mess. Fortunately I had a little cash so I bought what I needed from the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) outside the Camp. It was summer time and I only stayed in the barrack room one night, the smell and lice were really grim, those dirty lousy tramps were awful. During the following morning I met another recruit, who had a moustache like Charlie Chaplin, and quite a refined voice, so we greeted each other and from that time we became great friends. Len Kirby was his name; he was a bank clerk at Bilston, a place where I had won a walking race only a few weeks previously. For the next few nights we smuggled our blankets past the guards at the gates and lay under bushes on the nearby common. Reveille was at 6am so we hid our blankets in the bushes until the next night and entered the barracks by a side gate and made our way to the YMCA to get a cup of tea and a sandwich. Then the bugle sounded the 'fall in'. We met our NCOs, who took us for a route march in the direction of Lichfield city.

It was very interesting to see the three spires of this very beautiful cathedral and other interesting landmarks. When we arrived back in camp, I was instructed to go to the orderly room. I was very surprised to hear the news that Lady Bowring Hanbury had visited the barracks and wished to see me, but we had been away for several hours and she did not wait. In the meantime she had refreshment with the Company Officer and other officers. She gave the Sergeant Major a pair of binoculars and left a cake, weighing about 20lb, for me, so I asked the Sgt Major to accept it from me for the Sergeants' mess. I received a letter from her a few days later, which was forwarded on from Lichfield to Stadden Heights. She said she could get me a Commission as an officer if I would accept it. I wrote to her expressing my deepest thanks and appreciation explaining that I would prefer to see service in the ranks, in order that I would be able to serve as a commissioned officer with greater confidence and satisfaction. She sent me a photograph of herself in Court dress and a parcel of clothing for myself, and asked me to visit her on my first leave.

The next day I got a permit from the Sgt Major to visit Lichfield as I wanted to do a little shopping and have my curly locks shorn. I went into the first hairdresser's salon and was eventually seated in the chair. A young lady came to perform, and said, "What lovely curls!" I told her that I had joined the army and that she could give me the army cut. This she carried out quickly. Now, the woollen pull over cap became quite useful.

When I arrived back in camp, Len Kirby met me and said, "Come and look at the orders of the day". Our names were in a list of a draft to go to Stadden Heights, Plymouth. We left Lichfield early next morning by train, arriving in Plymouth in the evening and marched up to Stadden Heights. We were given blankets and twenty-two men were allotted to each Bell tent which was quite a squeeze. We were served a quick meal, after which we were glad to get to bed.

In the morning we were up early viewing the landscape and watching ships of war going in and out. After breakfast we were paraded and inspected by Major Naples and several other officers. We were taken to the Quartermaster's Stores and issued with army uniform, trousers and tunics, though no caps yet, we still had to wear the woollen pull overs. We were instructed to send our civilian clothes home, and we now looked more like soldiers. We were formed into platoons and handed over to NCOs who lectured us, telling us "We are in the army now". We were taught to move in formations, and all kinds of drill.

### PROMOTION

At 7.00am on my second day at Stadden Heights I was standing outside my tent – I was supposed to be in charge of this tent of twenty-two and did not know even one of them. They were a very rough type – mostly chain makers from Cradley Heath, near Wolverhampton. Out of the blue, I heard a loud sharp command, "Private Lycette" – the first time I had been addressed. Not being an alert, trained soldier, I treated this command rather casually. I walked up to the Sgt Major, who had a tent to himself. He looked fiercely at me and I could see that he was annoyed. He measured 6'4", had broad shoulders, a dark bristly moustache twisted to points. I said, "Do you want me, Sgt Major?" He replied, "I could bloody well eat you, now listen to me: do you know Mrs Grocott, soldier?" I said, "No." "Well," he said, "you will bloody soon know her, son. Now, listen to me for a few moments. When I call your name in future, I want you to spring to attention immediately, double up to me, click your heels, and say, 'Sir'. Now go back to your tent, and wait until you are called." When I got back to the tent, the other occupants asked, "What does the old 'B' want?" I told them what he had said to me. Of course, the remarks they made were not very salutatory.

However, in a short time he bellowed out my rank and name. I did as he had instructed, clicked my heels and said 'Sir' after I had doubled up to him. The flash in his eyes and the look on his face indicated to me that I had pleased him. He said, "Splendid, I want to make a soldier of you. From 7am today," he said, "you will be a fully-paid Lance-Corporal. You will see it written in the Battalion Orders of the Day. Meet the Orderly Sgt and he will show you what your duties are." When I had to give commands to soldiers on duties or fatigues I did not feel at all embarrassed as my service in the Scouts and St John Ambulance had given me confidence. Now it was drill, drill, drill and instruction from the Army Manuals. On the fourth day I was instructed to join the Adjutants, NCO's class of instruction on musketry and drill. After three weeks of swotting and drill we had to go through an examination by the Battalion Major and his assistants. I was the youngest in the group of about forty students. Most of them were either ex-army NCOs with experience in the South African war or had been in the Reserve. However, they were much older, and not so quick to pick up the new ideas. I came second in the course and was made a full Sergeant.

### SERGEANT

My new responsibilities made life in the army harder, but more interesting. Stadden Heights Camp was perched on the cliffs overlooking Plymouth Harbour and the Hoe. It was very bleak on windy days, but we had a very wide view of the surrounding country. In the middle of the harbour is the famous Drake's Island. Several times, while we were there, one of my army chums, Graham Gardner, and I enjoyed a swim to this island, which kept us both very fit. The war on the other side of the Channel was getting worse and wounded soldiers were being brought in to Devonport Hospital.

### TAVISTOCK, DEVON

Once again, we were on the move. On this occasion we were made up to strength and became the 7th South Staffordshire Regiment and moved to new quarters in Tavistock, Devon, and were trained as a unit for overseas. Tavistock, a well known town not far from Dartmoor, provided excellent training grounds. We were billeted in large three-storied houses, which were very convenient, and comfortably housed the personnel from each platoon. There were plenty of flat fields for use as drill grounds. I still used to keep up my training in athletics, running and walking and I was very fit. The Battalion held a sports meeting on the college grounds. I had entered in eight events, and was successful in five, so I became popular as an athlete in the Battalion.

### SPIC 'N' SPAN

One of our senior officers was a stickler for discipline and dress, but his critical eye did not always succeed, so a full company parade was ordered, clerks, cooks, fatigue men and officer's batmen all had to appear on parade. The only exceptions were the Sgt's cook and one assistant. When my platoon fell into line on this morning I noticed a number of men I had not seen before. They appeared slow in their movements when called to attention. I had my inspection before the Company Commander arrived. I questioned one soldier, saying, "I have not seen you before, what is your name?" He answered, "I am Private Mossop, batman to Major Northcott." I said, "What the hell do you mean coming on parade unshaven?" He made some kind of excuse, so I took his name and told him he would have to appear for orderly room in the afternoon.

I marched my platoon to the Company Parade. We were in A Company No 1 Platoon, which was in front. The Sgt Major took us in command and put us through some movements and drill. We were drawn up ready for inspection and were standing at ease. In a few moments along came Major Northcott to inspect his first Company Parade. Naturally, all the NCOs from the Sgt Major down had done their best to put up a good show. The inspecting officer was still a distance away. Private Mossop, who was no 2 in the front rank, asked if he could speak to me. I said quickly, "What do you want?" He said, "If I pass the Major will you let me off your charge?" I had no chance to comment as the Sgt Major was preparing to call the parade to attention. He arrived on his horse, brought it to a halt and acknowledged the salute. He spoke a few words to the parade, and then dismounted. No 1 Platoon was called to attention while all the others were at ease. The inspection commenced.

Usually, the inspecting officer starts at the cap of the soldier down to his feet. Of course, some start at the feet and work upwards. The cunning, wily Mossop had prepared a trap for his officer. He was No 2 in the front rank, so the officer's eyes moved up from his boots until he saw the second button of his tunic undone. "Damn it all!" the officer shouted, "This man is improperly dressed." Before he could glance any further upwards I immediately shouted, "Pace to the rear!" Mossop lowered his chin while he fastened his tunic button and the Major had passed on. The serious crime of being unshaven had been missed. This artful soldier had purposely left this button undone, of course. Naturally, I let him off the charge of being unshaven. But this was only the first of experiences I had with Mossop. He told me that he was an orphan and that he was trained as a pickpocket, both in crowds and on the streets of London. He pinched my watch one day just to prove it to me. He had a very pleasant, intelligent face, and although his officer was severe and crusty, he was just like putty in Mossop's hands. I was always most amused with the antics of this soldier.

### TRAINING

As our training developed in this very historical and picturesque little town of Tavistock we got to like it very much. The battalion's headquarters company and the officers were billeted in the college grounds. But A, B, C and D companies were billeted in different areas, each with its own training ground. Every Monday the Commanding Officer (CO) inspected the whole battalion in the large square in the town. Company Commanders would march their companies into town; the Adjutant would then take over and get the parade drawn up ready to hand over to the CO. After the inspection it would be a battalion route march; at other times companies would move to their own training grounds. Most of the larger exercises were carried out on Dartmoor, which was very bleak, extensive and drear. We had plenty to amuse and interest us when off parade, as various organisations arranged dances, competitions, etc. Also the people, in general, were very friendly to us, which made our off duty time more interesting. The Devonshire cream and other tasty titbits were always patronised and appreciated.

For myself, I often went to the local Scouts Troop and helped them in their work. I introduced quite a lot of new ideas for their cooking, ambulance, bridge building and studies for proficiency badges. This increased the ranks so the Scoutmaster appreciated the help. Many soldiers used to get weekend leave to stay in Plymouth, which is a very large naval port and town.

But the war was getting more complicated. Lord Kitchener said the war was expected to last for years and after several great reversals by both the French and British on the Western Front, and the new tactics in the Mediterranean he was calling frantically for recruits to the new army to build up 70 divisions. The recruiting offices were crowded with volunteers. Of course, wherever one looked, he would see large placards asking for men for the new armies. The troops on the march and on the railway stations would be singing 'Tipperary', 'Sussex by the Sea' and all kinds of catchy songs.

"We don't want to lose you but we think you ought to go;

Your King and Country both need you so.

We shall miss you and need you, but with all our might and main,

We will love you, kiss you; meet you when you come back again."

The government had to hastily build and equip camping grounds to receive these thousands of recruits to train them to be soldiers. It was a gigantic task to organise the factories and its personnel to make munitions and arms to provide the rations, the guns and lorries to keep up our lines of communication to the armies in training and overseas in the field. During all these complications we began to hear rumours that were to move. The order came very quickly; we were to go to a very large camp on the Cannock Chase, Staffordshire. We were to leave our comfortable billets and those very friendly people. We immediately got to work cleaning up our rooms in order to leave everything shipshape and ready for handing over.

The Orders of the day.

"All companies to parade in the square and be ready to march to the Tavistock Railway Station for entraining."

This had all been organised, each company moved off at the stated time and we had a remarkable and emotional send-off by the townspeople. We left Tavistock at 8am. A small detachment was left behind to finalise all the details of cleaning up. So we were on our way. We passed through Exeter and in a few hours we were approaching the Midlands, on through the Trent Valley, passing through Lichfield and at Rugeley, Trent Valley Station, we were pulled into the siding and the troops were ordered to de-train. We were marched up to the camp at Pentridge Bank about 5 miles, climbing several hills which I knew so well from my boyhood days. I was about 7pm when we arrived and were detailed to our areas and rooms and after dinner, we collected our blankets.

### STAFFORDSHIRE

The last time I was on this wild common land it was covered with fern, heather and gorse – I was collecting bilberries. Now it was a good sealed road, all kinds of shops, post office and long hutments as far as the eye could see. Northwards, there were side roads and paths everywhere, going up to the lavatories, ablutions and parade grounds. We were quartered in the first camp on the right. The Chase is an elevated tableland and as we looked to the south we had a magnificent view of the Trent Valley countryside I knew so well.

What a day we had getting settled into our new quarters. Of course, we now had all the facilities for up to date training. Several small towns were situated a few miles away; Rugeley, three miles to the south, Stafford about eight miles to the east and Hednesford and Cannock, four miles to the north. After we were settled into our quarters and training I had weekend leave. It was nice to see my parents and friends after an absence of several months.

New regiments were coming in every week. Soon there were 50,000 troops in training and in readiness to be drafted overseas. The operation was enormous – I didn't realise how much until I went around in a van. It had a large hospital (which was already receiving wounded from the war zones), cinemas, electric light, sewerage and an extensive area for battle exercises.

There was another large camp, named Brocton, to the east. This was used by the Australian and New Zealand troops, who were very popular in the towns and districts. We were all undergoing extensive training in readiness for overseas mobilisation. By that time I was Battalion Machine Gun Sergeant attached to Headquarters Company. Of course, alterations were being rapidly made to increase the number of automatic weapons to give a heavy density of firepower in any quarter when required.

One weekend I met Lady Bowring Hanbury at Heath Hayes. She asked me to escort her to some of the drapery shops in the village, because she wished to purchase underclothing for the troops overseas. She ordered £250 worth of under vests and pants from each shop. The shop owners told me afterwards that it had been quite a shock to receive such an order.

Lady Hanbury asked me if I would accept a commission. I thanked her, but said I would prefer to have overseas experience first. She gave me a gold swastika to wear on a chain around my neck. I wore it for several years, but it was eventually stolen. She also said, on leaving, that if I ever needed help, to write to her. Later, she sent me her photograph in Court Dress, which I sent to the Scout Troop for its headquarters. I returned to camp after a busy, but happy weekend.

I was very busy assisting on the firing range, both with machine and Lewis guns and rifles. One day, when we were marching down to the range with a group of men, the officer confidentially asked if I had heard any news from the Adjutant. I told him "No". "Well," he said, "you will." I did a day or so later, when I received a letter from him requiring me to be at Orderly Room after the COs inspection of the Guard. I had no idea what he wanted me for. He said to me, "Sergeant, I have received a letter from the War Office offering you a commission if you wish to apply, following a satisfactory report from your commanding officer." After having already interviewed my company officer, the CO questioned me, and said he would support my application if I wished to apply. I told him that I had already refused as I wished to get overseas experience before taking on a commission. He said he didn't know whether I was wise or foolish, but left the decision to me. After six weeks more training, I was included in a draft for overseas.

We would be going to the Mediterranean area, where new tactics and movements had been launched. Winston Churchill, who held the position of First Lord of the Admiralty, had been pushing to relieve the situation in the Middle East. Several months ago the combined British and French fleets had bombarded the outer ports of the Dardanelles. The entire action was supposed to be over in a short time. The Greeks had already declaredu instant war with Turkey, but the attack had developed a magnitude and hazard beyond all expectations and so it went from bad to worse.

At daybreak on 25th April 1915, the first landings were carried out by the British on the Gallipoli Peninsula and the French on the Asiatic Mainland. Ships, men-of-war and transports had participated in the operation, which, in several months, proved to be Great Britain's greatest failure of the war. We had all been vaccinated and inoculated and were allowed leave for a few days. So I visited most of my friends and the Scouts gave me a send-off. When I arrived back in camp, a letter from Corporal Len Kirby awaited me. He had gone to Gallipoli with the first draft. He said, "Don't be in a hurry to come here – it's hell, rations, water, medical service all very scarce, millions of flies in the daytime and gets damn cold at night." However, we were still eager to leave the training camp.

At last, the names of the draft appeared on the orders of the day. All NCOs and men were instructed to fall in on the parade ground in full marching order. Most of the officers and men turned out to see us off. My old company officer, Major Northcott, looking very smart, and for once, with a smile, shook hands and wished me every success. The bugler sounded the 'fall-in'. The CO addressed us and wished us the best for the future and a safe return. The band struck up and played a few war songs and we departed for a great adventure. We marched down to Rugeley, through familiar countryside, Slitting Mill, where we could see the prominent landmark of Etching Hill on the left. The townspeople gave us a good reception at Rugeley as we marched through the market place, down to the Trent Valley Station, where some carriages in a siding were waiting for us to occupy. We were soon on the train, which was coupled up to the express and on we rolled through the beautiful countryside, not knowing when we would see it again. All the stations we passed through were crowded with soldiers.

### MEDITERRANEAN

Eventually, we arrived at our destination, Southampton and immediately embarked on the troopship. We had plenty of time to settle in, though the boat was crowded. The ship departed that night, escorted by several destroyers for a while. After they left us, we took a zig-zag course through the Bay of Biscay, which was not very rough. We moved on through the Straits to Gibraltar, where we stopped for a few hours but were not allowed ashore. We had daily boat drill, with look-out and submarine guards keeping surveillance. Those were all detailed in the orders of the day.

We arrived at Malta and stayed for a few hours, but as before, no one was allowed ashore. Battleships of all types were anchored around. We were interested for awhile, watching the Maltese boys diving for coins, which we threw into the sea. They were very quick and clever and did not miss many.

The ship was signalled on its way and we passed Cape Matapan and the Island of Crete and on through the Aegean Sea. We were instructed to keep a good watch as we passed numerous small islands. As we passed other types of boats, we were guided through traffic lanes, where our attention was drawn to a large boat, which had been sunk to provide a breakwater. We had passed through the channel and the anchor was lowered. We disembarked onto rafts and landed nearby.

Of course, everything was strange, but we were glad to find our land legs. We were quartered in a large camp for the night and next day we were transported by small craft to join our unit located east of Suvla Bay, which was wild and rugged, but nothing like it had been for the men who made the landing. We met some men that we knew and we found everything confusing. All kinds of war equipment, stacks of munitions and bales of stores were in disarray, with mules pulling wagons carrying materials from here to there. There had been attempts to make landing places, but there was much wreckage strewn around.

We were glad to leave the beach area, to take shelter from the scrub and rocks. Men were arranged into fatigue parties to carry rations, water etc. I was sent to the front, where there was a shortage of machine gun personnel. Intermittent shelling came from both sides and we had to look out for sniping. There were quite a few casualties, also, sickness, dysentery and frost bite.

We did not have sufficient machine gun personnel and it was difficult to teach them up here – so many real interruptions! We tried hard to improve our position; we would gain ground only to be forced back by shelling and Turkish patrols, which were very courageous. After weeks of trying to hold on, one morning they bombarded and attacked our positions in force. We inflicted heavy losses on them, but they did the same to us. Most of our officers were wounded or killed, but we hung on and reconsolidated our positions. I took charge of our front while fires broke out in the scrub, which made the going difficult. My chief concern was to keep the machine gun positions intact, and to instruct the men whenever I could just to leave the stoppages and rectify them.

One day, one of the officers, a major, came along – I had seen him once before but did not know his name. I said that I had held the position since the last attack. He urged us to carry on until he could send help, but there were few officers left. He told me he would send in my name for promotion - I would hear more of this later. So I held on awaiting reorganisation. I was then sent to Lemnos to train men on the machine guns in order to keep them active.

As the days passed there seemed to be no chance of improving our positions and the Turks were getting stronger. The orders of evacuation were kept as secret as possible to deceive the Turks. Machine guns kept up intermittent fire, also the guns shelling from time to time. We had our orders to embark on one of the large troopships in the Harbour. The engineers were keeping the operation going until we finally left. The operation was brilliant – the shining light of the whole war. Many thousands of pounds worth of stores and equipment were left or sabotaged. A few days before Christmas we were on our way into the Aegean Sea.

We had New Zealanders and Australians aboard and they were a great crowd who loved to gamble. I often watched them play 'Crown and Anchor', 'Find the Lady' and other games. This entertained the troops very much indeed, but, of course, they had more money than the home soldiers. The ship was crowded and we slept in hammocks, which hung closely together. The necessary guard duties had to be carried out and the ship's officer held parade every other day. Concerts and all kind of games were arranged to keep the troops interested. At times the Mediterranean Sea was very smooth; at other times it was very rough and choppy. Soon, we would be landing in Egypt for rest, reorganisation and other battle fronts.

### EGYPT

One morning in January, 1916, we arrived in Alexandria. It was exciting to land there and to meet the Egyptians, whose customs, manner and dress were so different. After we disembarked, we were moved to a camp at Siti Bicha, close to the sea. The Australians and New Zealanders had their own camp already established in another area. This was a base camp and currently there were thousands of details from many regiments and units, which were being reformed, retrained and refitted in readiness to be sent in a few weeks to Salonica, Mesopotamia and the Suez Canal Zone. After we settled in and became familiar with the area we were allowed late leave passes.

Sometimes I had to take 30 men and corporals on picket patrols to prevent soldiers from going to places which were out of bounds. We used to travel by tram. For miles on either side of the main road to Alexandria there were magnificent homes and villas, which housed important persons, diplomats from other countries, lawyers and many Germans and Greeks, who owned stores and factories. The climate was good, but a little chilly at night. Our uniform was lightweight khaki drill. We were close to the sea with a safe, wide and long beach nearby. In fact, I swam every day when possible and improved my style quite a lot. The flies were everywhere until we commenced spraying and using creosote around ablutions and toilets.

Very soon, a platoon was sent from our company and I was in charge. We had to form a composite guard, together with three other platoons from different units. We paraded at the docks and were inspected by the Chief Army and Marine Landing Officer. He explained to us the duties and said that we would be responsible for all personnel employed by the department. We had fixed guards and walking patrols. We also had to check and search Arabs as they were leaving the quays. After the duties were fixed, the rest of the guard marched to their tents near the area, which they had to protect. The interpreters were mostly Sudanese, who were good linguists and smart in their duties.

I was out early next morning to make sure that everything was in order, and had a good look around the area in my charge. Very early this morning hundreds of natives assembled after they had been signed on for work. They squatted in long lines, de-lousing; they didn't kill the lice, just threw them on the next employee. Then the working gangers arrived and called out the names of their group, who then went up the gangways to start on their task of unloading the ships. Boxes were loaded onto slings for be lowered to the quay, bales and boxes were loaded onto lorries to be taken to base stores, or placed on the quay in large, high stacks. The ship being unloaded was the 'Minnitonka', which had been German owned, but was captured in a foreign port by the British, who used it as a stores ship. It was very large and well-equipped and was used in the Dardanelles. I was surprised at the tremendous amount of stores that it held.

The Customs officers had their quarters near to my area and on the first morning they invited me to take refreshments with them. They said that I would be most welcome to come in every morning. This proved to be the case during the whole of my stay. At 1700 hours the whistle blew and our first day was over! The Egyptians came up to the security men, who just felt them down and off they went.

Several days later, we had an order from the A & M officer to search more thoroughly. The following day I supervised, instructing the interpreters to tell the men that some of them would be stripped to make sure that goods were not being concealed. When the ship's horn sounded, down the gangway and up to the narrow gates they came. I had quite a number of them stripped and we soon found out how the looting was carried out. They had strings around their necks, arms, thighs and bodies and on these were tied shaving brushes, tooth brushes, knives, forks, spoons – anything which was small. It was really amazing; instead of unloading, they must have spent much of their time preparing themselves prior to going home. Also, they used sheets for turbans.

We caught one man with 13 shirts on and some had duplicate jerseys. But, of course, this gave them a shock, as I sent for the Police and they took the first six to prison. While this was being done those left behind went down the quay and dropped all their loot, which was all cleaned up and dumped in the sea. By now, we knew what to look for and so did the 'Gyppos'. It meant that they lost their employment and were sent to prison.

That was our job for several weeks, searching, searching; we soon put a stop to the worst of it. Of course, those natives were dirty and lousy, so it meant we got lousy too. Every night the men, who had been on duty, had to go to the fumigation room, where they had baths, handed in their used clothes and received clean ones. Due to the weather being very hot, we did not wear much; light khaki shirt and pants and rubber shoes. This was done every day but Sunday, when I used to allow as much leave as possible provided that the men behaved themselves and did not come back drunk.

Another thing that the guards enjoyed was the food, which was good and plentiful. Those docks were fairly extensive, having been recently extended. Many boats moved in and out. The next day an Arab reported to me with a letter from the Marine Officer, who explained that he would be very useful to me if I could use him. I phoned the officer for confirmation and he said that it was OK. This Arab had a red beard and said his name was Mustafa Kalil. He cleaned my tent, boots and uniform and was mostly my shadow at night when I was on patrol and visiting the guards. He was a sincere and religious man and I knew that I could trust him. He spoke excellent English, which he told me he had learned at school as a boy, and so I got to like Mustafa.

One day, when I was on my way to visit a sentry, two Australian soldiers were walking along the quay, very much under the influence of alcohol. I could see the sentry in the distance as the Aussies went towards him. He challenged them, but they took no notice and caught hold of his bayonet. I immediately blew my whistle and shouted, so they started to run. Mustafa flashed past me in a few seconds, pushed one in the middle of his back, causing the soldier to lose balance and fall on the cobblestones. He was stunned for a few minutes with his face bleeding. His cobber returned and helped me to get him to the ambulance nearby, where he was treated. I took the soldiers' names, numbers and regiments. I told them that I would speak to their CO. Next morning they came down to apologise. I told them that it was dangerous to interfere with a sentry on duty because he has the order to shoot under such circumstances. They were relieved when I said that I would say no more about the incident – but reminded them that this should be a warning to them.

Often, when I had to interrogate seamen who were going to their ship, Mustafa was always near. When our meals arrived from the main cook house Mustafa always had his food with the soldiers. He helped them a lot, giving advice and running errands for them. After several weeks of unloading the boat still had a lot to discharge, but the quays were packed with high stacks of bales, boxes of boots etc. It was a sad sight to see the thousands of valises and kit bags, which had belonged to dead officers, strewn about with cuts and torn holes where they had been broken into by natives. Photographs, all kinds of articles, treasures and clothing had been stolen and discarded. I don't know what happened to them, but I expect that eventually they would be burned.

By that time we had done a month of duty on the docks at Alexandria. It had been a change from the harsh camp training. We received our orders to be ready on parade to be relieved by the new guards. When the new company arrived we were all ready. The officer in charge of the docks thanked us for the work we had done. The new guards were marched and posted, thus relieving the old guard, who were marched back to the parade ground outside the docks and were taken by tram to the camp by the sea at Siti Bicha.

The camp was still well occupied with troops; however, we heard that many had been drafted to Salonica, Mesopotamia and the Western Desert. Also we heard that our unit would be increased to battalion strength and sent to Ballah on the Suez Canal, where the Turks had broken through some months previously. We were all being fitted out and equipped in readiness for the order to entrain at Alexandria station and were soon on our way. We passed through large areas of irrigated land where onions, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber etc. were grown. When we approached the Canal we noticed how peculiar it was to see a ship passing through the Canal when viewed from a distance, in the desert.

We arrived at Ballah, quite a wide part of the Canal. The sidings were full of trucks and trains coming and going. We crossed the bridge to the other side of the Canal, where we could see a large camp of tents ready for the new arrivals. It was interesting to see the vegetables growing on the mud flats, which had been dredged from the Canal. The main body of the battalion was to join the other troops of the brigade, which already occupied part of the camp. I was detailed to stay behind with a party to clean up around the station. We were there for several days and we were able to do some swimming and sightseeing. The water seemed to be very buoyant.

One morning, immediately after the first meal at 0600 hours, we moved off in marching order – at times we hardly made an imprint on the sand. Everywhere was sand and we were dependant on the compass and the stars. I gave the men a rest every ten minutes. We arrived at the camp in the afternoon, minus a few men, so the Adjutant sent out a GS wagon to pick up their packs; they arrived a little later. We had our first pork and beans that day and I thought it was the best meal I had tasted for many a day. We reorganised and I was sent out with the left flank picket and our company became the advance guard. We moved off at 1500 hours and I went ahead to get a wider view. We made good headway until we were surprised by a small shell burst. I reported to the main body that I had been in that direction with a small patrol. We could find no tracks or anything in sight. At 1800 hours we received the signal to stop and made a strong point, so I sent a patrol for rations and water from our company headquarters. I received a message from the headquarters Adjutant, stating that the position would be named 'Bally Bunion'; that the battalion would remain there until investigation had been made from the air.

On the second day I said to Lance Sgt Evans, my NCO, "I am going to have a lookout on the landscape and I'll take Private Moms with me." I took my binoculars to enable me to get a clearer and wider view. Soon, out in the distance we both observed some camels. I looked through the binoculars and, sure enough, it was a Turkish Arab with three camels. We stalked around in order to keep from being seen, finally closing in on the Arab. We made the camels get down. Fastened onto them were five empty water tanks and the man looked scared as I pointed my revolver towards him. I took off part of my puttee strings and put his arms behind him, binding his wrists. My difficulty was to get him to sit on the camel. At last, I pushed him onto the camel, but I was surprised to find out this was a woman, as I felt her breasts as I pushed. Her hair was short; she was wearing a coarse kind of sacking garment with a loose belt and a kind of skull cap arranged which draped down the back of her neck. After quite a lot of trouble we got the camels to stand and led them back to out strong point. On arrival, I directed the signaller to Morse a message through to headquarters asking for instructions. I was told to bring them in at once, which I did.

The main body was several miles away, but it was not long before we could see the camp. Many of the troops were keeping lookout. The soldier led the camels by ropes, and I kept the prisoner under observation all the way. We went through the lines to headquarters, where the CO and Adjutant were waiting for my report. The interpreter was a woman who had been carrying water for the camel patrols, which had been worrying us from time to time. They laughed when I told them that I had found out that the captive was a woman. She was sent down to the Turkish Officers' camp at the Canal. I had a meal at headquarters and went back to our picket.

We made further advance into the desert, then after reorganisation, we joined the main body of troops. I was sent back to work with camel patrols and large native gangs to push on with a railway, a road and water pipeline. The project was planned by the engineers, pegs and long strings indicated the direction of the route. The personnel worked in 8 hour shifts, changing every 2 weeks, but the work was pushed for the whole 24 hours. I had a mule to ride if I needed it. Sometimes I used a camel to supervise the gangs in order keep them moving.

The natives were a happy lot, who used to pray to Allah at sunrise, midday and again at sunset. They washed their hands and face at the water pipeline, which was always flowing. The railway line was always ahead of the road. The steel rails and sleepers came from the Canal on long, low trailers. They had a pass-by to facilitate movement. The lengths of rail were put onto steel rollers and were soon manoeuvred into position and joined together; the empty trailer was pushed back and another fully-laden one moved into place. The guiding lines and pegs were always kept ahead by the men who were responsible for this work. Most of the work was manual labour. Later, there were mobile lifts and cranes, which facilitated the job. The road work was done by natives and camels, which had large mat baskets positioned on each side of the hump, to carry large, medium and small rocks.

As the railway advanced, a rail head was formed in order to bring in the stock materials, which minimised the distances the camels had to travel. First, there was a long line of camels carrying big rocks. These were dumped, accompanied by much grunting and groaning from the beasts as they got down and the driver released the peg in the heavy mat baskets on each side of the camel. Then it was up and away, following the string of camels to get another load. Natives placed the rocks along the lines and filled in the base. Then another gang of drivers and camels brought up the medium-sized rocks, which were finally dumped. Those different gangs were always well ahead of each other, to facilitate easy movement.

NCOs were busy supervising and keeping everything moving. The engineering officers had the whole project moving rapidly at a rate of 10 to 12 miles per week. We had plenty of rations, but the smell of the camels and the natives was strong. The last line of camels carried camel dung from along the lines. This was spread on the rock surface about 4 inches deep and the tramping feet of the animals packed it down until it was hard. The sand would not remain on it, so we always got a clear outline of the road.

I was on this work for about six weeks and we made a good advance during that time. Keeping up our lines of communication was very demanding. I got to know quite a number of the personnel, both military and native, and enjoyed the interesting work. However, I received orders to report to my unit, along with others. Our places were filled by other officers and NCOs and I joined the early morning camel patrol, which carried water in tanks to the battalion some 20 miles away. I reported back to the Adjutant and then to my Company Officer. I drew my quota of water; one bottle was allowed per officer and soldier. This had to last him until the next morning, using it for washing, shaving and drinking. It was distilled water and tasted more like urine. The drivers of the camels, which brought the water, were Indians and they looked after their beasts well. Every morning, when I went for my water, I would see them wiping them down with diluted kerosene. They told me that this was to keep the ticks away.

We were all suffering from scurvy, as there was little variation in our rations and no green vegetables. Sometimes we had pickled onions and pie melons, then they started to send us beer and charged 1/- for a billy-can full, but it was not much good. I tried it once – that was enough!

Unfortunately, I got tonsillitis, which kept me off duty. The medical services were bad, and to make it worse, I got dysentery. Several days passed before I could be sent to a hospital at the Canal and, by this time, I was weak and had lost weight. I was pleased to see a medical officer by my bed. He dosed me with powders and medicine, which tasted like rusty iron and I ate little for several days. My tonsils had not improved, either. I was kept there for 3 weeks before being sent to Alexandria Hospital, where I remained for 3 more weeks before returning to my old base at Siti Bicha.

### FRANCE

The next week I was included in a draft to be sent to France. However, when I arrived at Suez we embarked immediately and, as I was still not feeling too good, I reported sick next morning. The medical officer put me in the sick berth, where I remained until we arrived at Marseilles. Because I was so weak that I could not walk, I was taken by ambulance to an Australian military hospital, where, after several weeks of treatment, I began to improve. I was able to eat fish, eggs and chicken and soon regained my strength. The nurses had to support me until I learned to walk again. After awhile I could manage to walk using two sticks, later graduating to one! When I could finally walk unassisted, I was able to look around the city in a bus sent by a French organisation and the driver explained places to us along the way. The beach was nearby, so one day I went with other patients. It was a lovely experience to bathe and have a swim. I began to get stronger.

One morning, I received a letter from the War Office, which had been following me to tell me that my Commission was confirmed and was back-dated by 8 months. I was to proceed to base camp at Etaples. A group of about 50 NCOs and men was leaving to join their units and I was the officer in charge of the group on board the train. The Regimental Transport Officer (RTO) provided me with all the details, lists of names, units and destinations, where they had to report. Soon we were on our way to Paris. It was lovely to see the countryside of the magnificent Rhone Valley. I made contact with the NCOs in charge of any details and they understood their duties when they left the train. The north Station, Paris, was the first station to detrain. We all had to leave the train there, so I went with the NCOs to the RTO, who gave them instructions and particulars.

I still had a small group, one Warrant Officer and 18 others. One was a very tall, stout, bemedalled Regimental Sergeant Major from South Africa. He would have easily weighed 18 stone. Ten ambulances took us across Paris to entrain for Etaples and I must relate a humorous incident. The soldiers were all seated inside the ambulances and as I was intending to sit beside the driver in one vehicle I told the Sgt major if he wished that he could sit by the driver in the other vehicle. He said that he would sit in the back of the ambulance. As I went to take my seat the Warrant Officer tried to jump up to his seat, with his back to the vehicle. He did not quite make it and slipped down with his kilts caught on a hook on the van. I went to investigate. There was a crowd of French girls and women who were seeing us off. They were screaming with laughter because the Sgt Major's bare legs were dangling with no underpants on. It was a sight – My word, those women enjoyed it while it lasted. He was heavy and could not extricate himself so the driver and I lifted him up. Notwithstanding his embarrassment, the Sgt Major seated himself and faced the crown with composure. I waved to the women, threw them all a kiss - they had obviously enjoyed the fun!

### ETAPLES

We entrained at the station for Etaples. We had several tunnels to pass through and we were held up by other troop trains. I reported to the Regimental Transport Officer on arrival and to the Adjutant at the camp for instructions. He said to leave the gear in charge of the RTO, to be picked up by transport. We marched to the camp, and when we came to the crossroads I was not sure which direction to take so I waved to the military policeman on duty. As he indicated the way the Sgt Major said to him, "You are a Scotsman". The policeman said, "I have an uncle in Africa in the same regiment as you. What is your name?" The Sgt Major replied, "McKenzie." "Well," he said, "you must be my uncle." They exchanged photos and so he was. They made arrangements to meet each other in the evening and it was a great surprise for them. I didn't see either of them again.

On arrival at the camp, I reported to the Adjutant and handed over my papers, history sheets, etc. of the soldiers and was shown to my quarters. This was very large camp with all kinds of troops. The next morning I saw the troops being marched to the renowned bull ring. They handed over their personnel to the instructors, who were very rough. No wonder they did not want to stay in that place. Next day, I was attached to a company and met the Company Commander, who put me in charge of a platoon and told me that I would be responsible to him for their training and discipline. The following day I marched my platoon to the bull ring, where I told the officers to 'fall out'. We were taken over by camp Sgt Major in platoon and company drill. When my turn came I had to stand by him to give my commands. When they got over 100 yards from me, I had to shout my commands loudly. I did my best at the time, but it was not loud enough. So the Sgt Major bellowed, "About turn!" and left me to carry on. Afterwards he said that I would improve with practice – which I did. The young officers were put on special drills; small arms etc. and we had bayonet fighting across a system of trenches. It was drilled into us that the psychology of war is to kill the enemy. Although we had games, football, running and baseball, I was glad to leave that place.

I was sent to an officers' course of training which gave me a good chance to get strong again after the tonsillitis and dysentery of some months previously. It was a good course at Abbeville with very good instructors. After several weeks of training, good food, plenty of games and swotting, I felt the benefit of the change and I could hold my own in many competitions. I got a good report in the final test, exams, theory and practical. My team won the cross country run and bayonet fighting.

I reported back to Etaples with several other officers and in a short time I was sent to a details camp at Calais, where we were used for training soldiers who had come from England, or who had recovered from illness or injury. The majority had not been in action and I was put in charge of a company, and was responsible for their training and welfare. I had seen the instructors who would be with my group the day before with the Adjutant. I went to the parade ground, very expectant and interested in what would happen. The Senior Sgt called the parade to attention, reported, "All ready, Sir."

I told him to open ranks for inspection and I gave quite a number of them drills for being not clean and properly dressed, but to my surprise, one soldier had no rifle! I asked the instructor why he was on parade like that and I sent him off with a lance corporal to meet me at company orderly tent later. After the parade had moved off and were engaged in training under the instructors, I interviewed the soldier who would not carry a rifle. When I asked him why he had no rifle, he said, "I will not carry firearms, Sir." That was the first time I had encountered a conscientious objector. I asked him, "Why did you not raise this matter in England, before you came out?" He said that he had done so, but was prepared to work as a stretcher bearer. He had been sent to France on the understanding that he was going to Calais to join the ambulance. I met with the Adjutant and told him that it was, in my opinion, unwise to have a man like that around. The Adjutant questioned him and he reiterated that, under no circumstance would he carry firearms. He was told to report to the Sgt cook and I was pleased to get him away from the training ground.

However, next day, I happened to be orderly officer for the day. That entailed inspecting the lines, the guard, the cookhouse and a visit to the midday meal to see if there were any complaints. The Sgt cook and his assistants all had white overalls on. After I checked the cookhouse, the Sgt cook took me outside to where the coppers were used. He said, "What am I to do with this man, Sir? This morning, I issued him with a clean suit of overalls and instructed him to clean and sand the coppers because sometimes they are used for making stews after making tea in them. Instead of doing what he was told, he tried to clean off the soot on the outside, so you can see the state he's in – black from head to foot." The soldier said that he had misunderstood the order. I reported the incident to the Adjutant, who said, "My god, what sons some mothers have!" I never saw the man again, as he was sent to be an orderly at the nearby hospital.

We kept on with intensive training, as small drafts were being sent away every week. The next week, I was on orderly officer duty again and was just going to inspect the guard when the alarm was sounded and all lights went out. I could distinctly see a Zeppelin Airship, almost like a long cigar, in the northern sky. It was probably returning from England. I was amused to see the soldiers dashing out of their tents wearing only their shirts – they were really scared. In a few minutes I went to them and told them to go to their beds in the tents. The airship passed without incident and the 'all clear' was sounded.

The war was still at a very difficult stage, with uncertainty everywhere. The massive armies arrayed against each other on both sides had produced such enormous problems. The leaders on both sides were groping their way and never before had generals had to deal with such multitudes of men, both from a tactical and strategic point of view. Rations, medical supplies, munitions and other necessities of modern war had to be manufactured and sent from the workshops and factories. Only outstanding men, like Rathenau in Germany, Lloyd George in Britain and Clemencau in France, envisaged these things early during the war. New development began, both on the lines of communication and on the field of battle. Rapid firing rifles and machine guns became dominant weapons and those fire powers, when both sides possessed them almost made them immobile. On the Western Front 5,000,000 infantry men crouched in trenches, from which they could only emerge at the cost of immense casualties, and then only after intense artillery fire preparation, which sometimes lasted for over a week.

Just imagine two lines of trenches, stretching from the North Sea to the borders of Switzerland, occupied by two gigantic opposing armies. In between them lay the ragged shell-pocked land and wire entanglements, which was 'No Man's Land'. In some places it was several hundred yards wide and in other places, only 90 yards. This was trench warfare! The soldiers, who lived under such conditions, suffered appalling hardships, especially in level and low-lying country, where the land became waterlogged. Only efficient medical services saved them from being swept away by sickness. That is what was happening on the Western Front and in a few days we would be operating in part of this trench system. We heard rumours that another draft would be leaving soon and the names of 25 officers were on the orders of the day. We received orders to have medical checks etc. and to be ready to entrain by 0700 hours at Calais station.

###  6th ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT

We passed through Loos to Arras. From there we had to march 22 kilometres. Our kits were sent on later by lorry transport. There had been an attack on the Bethune Front and many officers were killed or wounded, so we had to take their place. We reported to brigade headquarters. I was sent to the 6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment. I was very tired on arrival and was posted to A Company, which was in reserve. The officers were friendly and lent me some blankets, as my valise had not yet arrived.

We had just finished our evening meal when a runner came in with a message, "One officer, three NCOs and twenty-six men to report at quartermaster store as soon as possible, to take shovels and ground sheets for a burial party on the front line. A lance corporal will guide you to the area." There was discussion to decide which officer should go, so I said, "Gentlemen, I am now an officer of your company, so you must include me in this draw." It was done with matches, with the person drawing the shortest match to go, so they asked me to draw first. It turned out that I drew the job, so I changed into battle dress and gumboots. One of the officers accompanied me to the quartermaster stores and introduced me to the quartermaster and the Sgt and corporals, who were to go. That was my first job with my new unit. Ground sheets and shovels were drawn and the lance corporal guide took the lead. He said that the Germans had been sending over heavy mortars, nick-named 'Rum Jars', and several had dropped along the reverses in the front line, killing all personnel.

It was a moonlit night, Very lights and star shells were being sent up along the front and shells were exploding near and far. I halted the party. The Sgt and 2 NCOs accompanied me as I inspected the area – it was a sad, sickening sight! I quickly had to decide what to do next. In the rear of the front traverses and about 30 yards away, one of those large trench mortars had exploded and left a deep, wide crater. I explained the situation to one of the corporals, who was with me, that he would be in charge of six men with shovels to square the bottom of the crater as quickly as possible. By the time we rejoined the burial party, the chaplain had arrived and the Sgt told him who I was. I spoke a few words to the soldiers, telling them I wanted them to work as quickly as possible, "It is a ghastly job, but they were your comrades. The first six will work with Corporal Evans to widen the crater; the remainder will work under my supervision, with the assistance of the Sgt and NCOs."

Most of the bodies had been blown apart, severing arms, legs or heads. They were placed on the ground sheets and carried to the crater, which was quickly finished. Many of the soldiers were weeping and in shock; they had known these men and, naturally, they felt the loss deeply. They all worked hard, toiling for over three hours. I asked the Padre to say the Last Rites, so that the bodies could be covered. He was really broken up. He began, "Ashes to ashes and dust to dust", but could not continue. I said, "These heroes are dead, their brave days are over, comrades, let's cover their bodies over." All those with shovels worked to fill the crater. I walked around with the Padre, offering support. We had done our duty. Another working party would build up the trench by morning. Thus was the war. The Sgt reported that all was correct. I thanked the men for the way they had worked and we returned to the quartermaster store. The time was 0130 hours, so I woke the officer and told him that I wanted to give the men a rum issue. I urged the soldiers to not refuse it, because it would help them to recover from the shock they had experienced this night. I gave each man half a cupful and had one for myself. The padre had left. The Sgt guided me to the officers' quarters, as I could not make it out in the dark. I slept until 1300 hours and felt refreshed after a shower and shave, and reported for duty. That was my introduction to my new regiment, with which I remained through many campaigns.

### LEVANTIE

So this is Levantie. It was a typical little village, but most of the population had left and most of the larger buildings were taken over by the battalion to use for billets. The trench system was approximately two kilometres away, but still, in between, quite a number of peasants and small farmers hung onto their small holdings, even if shells occasionally fell on the area. The country was low-lying and waterlogged at that time of year, so instead of digging trenches, breastworks needed to be built up to provide protection. That was my first experience on the long, irregular trench system in the Western Front. Our company was in reserve and we had to carry out fatigues, as well as being sent out in working parties. Another officer and I were detailed to take forty NCOs and men to raise the breastworks and parados, which had been levelled by shelling in the last mortar attack. We drew picks and shovels from the quartermaster's stores and were on this work for four hours, when another working party relieved us. It was fairly quiet on the front, with intermittent machine gun fire and sometimes a few whiz-bangs. We carried on this work for a few more days and then we heard of a new move. As yet I had only met the officers of A Company, but the officers, with NCOs and men to act as guides, came in the next day and moved us out.

We moved quite a distance away into a larger village, in order for the battalion to have parades. In the battalion's orders of the day I saw that I was to be transferred to D Company. In was introduced to Captain Bowater, who was a very lively, breezy kind of man. It turned out that most of those officers were from the Birmingham district. That was really formed as a Chums battalion. This company was one officer short, so I was put in charge of No.16 platoon, the last platoon when the battalion was on the march. Orders also came through, that we were to be part of a 'Flying Division', which could move quickly from one part of the front to another. This meant hard training for everyone. According to what I had seen, the discipline in the regiment was not too good. I could see this by the casual way that NCOs and men approached their officers. I was not accustomed to this, so I pulled several of them up.

We had been on training for about three weeks, when we received orders to move, in full marching order in the direction of the Somme. We moved off as a unit and the CO watched us march past, and seemed pleased with the turn-out under the circumstances. This was the first time that I had seen him. We had 20 kilometres to march, but, by the time we had done about 16 some of the men began to fall behind. I encouraged them to keep going as long as they could manage. I remember a little Jew named Solomon, who was not very strong, but full of fun. I took his pack and he was able to continue.

As soon as we arrived at our destination, guides took us to out billets and I immediately called a foot inspection to see how their feet had fared during the march. By the time this was done, the meal was ready in the field kitchens and orderlies drew their rations. The troops rested in readiness for the next day. Sometimes the company was housed in a large shed or factory; at other times they were separated. The billeting was always arranged beforehand by officers and guides took us to our billets, which made things easier.

The whole Division had been moving in an easterly direction in columns en route for 2 weeks and the men became hardened to the marching. Sometimes we were not far from the front; on other days we were 10 – 15 kilometres away. The order came from Headquarters that we would be remaining in this area, which was not far from Albert. So we had to train in readiness for action.

On the last day of marching, a small incident occurred, which was worth recording. We had not been long on the march, when, about three files in front of me, I saw an oil bottle fall from the butt of a rifle. I called out to the man, "Woods, pick up your oil bottle!" Instead of picking it up, he told me in 'soldiers' language' what to do with it. I said to the Sgt, who was by my side, "You heard what the soldier said?" "Yes, Sir," he replied. "Well, take his rifle from him, get two lance corporals, put one on each side of him and tell him that he is under arrest until the end of the march. Let him march immediately in front of you and me!" This was done with Woods scowling. I was sorry that this had happened. However, at the end of the day's march, Woods was handed over to the Military Police. I reported the incident to the company officer, Captain Bowater, who said that Woods was a rough diamond; a 'chucker-out' at a pub in Birmingham in civil life.

On this occasion, we were billeted on a farm in some sheds, which we had cleaned out. Training started the next morning, but first, I had to attend the company orderly room. However, the CO had remanded Private Woods to the battalion CO. This was the first time I had spoken to him, when he asked me to give evidence. I related to him the actual words that the soldier had said to me at the time I had told him to pick up his oil bottle. The CO said, "Seven days field punishment No 1." Private Woods was handed over to the military police. I thought that would be the end of the story. As I was leaving the orderly room, the Adjutant informed me that the Colonel wished to see me. I said that I was due back on parade and asked him to notify Captain Bowater that I may be delayed at Headquarters. I met with the CO for a few moments, saluted and we shook hands. He asked me about my army career and experiences, and said, "I want you to take over the Snipers' platoon; at present I am not satisfied with their progress." I told him that I was very happy working with Captain Bowater. "Well, I want you to take over this platoon for me," he repeated. And so, I was transferred to the headquarter company, but I still remained in my present billet. Captain Bowater wished me luck.

Next morning I reported to the Adjutant, who introduced me to the Sgt and the NCOs. I told the Sgt that I wanted to inspect the men and their quarters. I said, "First of all, I want you to get them to assemble in your drill room, 'fall them in' and report to me as soon as possible." In a few minutes the Sgt reported 'all ready'. He called them to 'attention'; I saluted and told them to sit down. "Firstly, I want to say that your commanding officer, Colonel Woodful, has today appointed me to be your officer. Now, I want you to understand me in a few words. I want to train you to be disciplined, clean, smart, well-behaved soldiers and to be a credit to your battalion. This can be done in a very short time. Firstly, are there any NCOs or men who wish to leave the snipers? If so, stand up and I will arrange for you to be replaced." No one moved. That was a good start. I continued, "Now, I want you to take out your equipment, scrub and disinfect your rooms, and then I want you to lay out your kits – the Sgt will show you how this is to be done – and I will inspect them at 1100 hours." Later, I inspected the kits, with each man standing by. I questioned each man and told the Sgt to make a list of losses etc. to be replaced. I continued with my next instruction; "I want to see all your beds properly set out for inspection by the Adjutant and me. Immediately after that, there will be a rifle inspection drill followed by a lecture on the duties of snipers, both in the line and in reserve."

For a week I kept them on their toes. I was still billeted in D Company, where they had several light field guns. I was on my way to lunch, when I saw Private Woods hitched to a gun wheel, arms tied out. I felt embarrassed, and told the Police Sergeant that I wasn't happy about this, especially right in front of my billet. This had to be done for three hours daily, so the next day I asked the adjutant about another billet at headquarters. He said, "There will be no need, Lieutenant Lycette, as the battalion will be going into the line soon. You will be going to the front with your snipers to take over the posts and provide guides for the four companies; you will receive full instructions so that you can move up tomorrow." Later, I received the instructions and notified the snipers to be ready to move. Arrangements were made for two lorries to take us to a map reference point at 1800 hours, where we would be met by a guide. We departed the next day.

Most of the buildings in the town of Albert had been badly damaged by shellfire. The church steeple and monument was still standing. We stopped in a long valley road, beyond the Orvilliers Cemetery, where we met our guide. We had Battalion Yellow Squares sewn on the arms of our battle dress, so I reported, "6th Royal Warwick Yellow Squares". By this time we were approaching part of the Somme Battlefield. It was so muddy that we had to take to the duck-boards, which wound about for miles, with pot-holes everywhere, half-filled with water covered in yellow scum. What a grim, desolate battleground it was, not a tree or any sign of vegetation! The last light of day was fading away and the dusk created quite a different picture. Very lights and star shells were being sent up all along the front, with intermittent shelling, sometimes quite heavy.

As we were going through Death Valley we had to make a dash for it, because the guide told us that it was shelled every night to catch the ration parties. I was urging the men to push on when a shell dropped a few yards away, amongst us. Fortunately for us, it was a dud and we escaped with a splashing of mud. We moved over a very bleak ridge, and were advised not to walk in the trench because the mud was feet deep and we could get stuck. So, we decided to risk the shelling. "Follow me as quickly as you can", I said. This time we had made it! I saw the sentry and heard his challenge, and shouted "Yellow Squares!" We stepped into the trench, which was floored with duck-boards, where the Captain of the group greeted us, saying, "I am bloody glad that you are going to relieve us soon from this hell!" I answered, "From the look of it, I expect you are."

### SOMME

The shelter, which held 120 men in close confinement, served as Camp Headquarters and was the first dugout I had been in on the Somme Plateau (which was actually a valley). It had been dug out and timbered about 20 feet below ground, with heavy props and planks, no doors or windows here, just earth and mud.

After studying the maps and getting all possible information regarding sniper posts and wire patrols, I arranged my groundsheet and covered myself with my blanket and trench coat and managed to sleep for a few hours. The men in my group had settled in earlier.

I had arranged to go out before dawn to inspect the posts with their sniping officer. I took my Sergeant and one of the corporals with me in order to gain a good idea of the front and the ground features. Then I arranged for my guides to be taken over the grounds to familiarise themselves with the area where their companies would be housed. They made two journeys over the duck-board lanes, because I wanted no errors when they had to lead their companies and platoons. The day arrived and the takeover was completed. We were there for seven days under terrible conditions - it was hell on earth; difficult to obtain rations or munitions. We patrolled at dawn and dusk, and were exceedingly busy for days and nights.

One day I received a message from the Adjutant that the CO wished me to lead a patrol to investigate an area of the German lines to see if the dugouts were occupied. My own men had been having a hectic time on duty, so I went to my old Company Commander, Captain Bowater to see if he could let me have three volunteers to make up a patrol for that night. We went down into the dugout. He asked for silence and said, "I want three volunteers to make up a very important patrol under Lieutenant Lycette." No one responded. "Very well, you can pick your men." So I chose Privates Sheldrake, Turner and Woods. Woods was the soldier who I last saw with his arms outstretched and tied to the gun wheel. He smiled when I had picked him.

At 2000 hours I arranged to bring my NCO and 3 soldiers to make the number up to seven. When we were outside I indicated the direction of our patrol and explained to them that we were about to proceed to carry out a difficult patrol. Our Headquarters intelligence wished to know whether the dugouts in the German trench system were occupied. I told them that the area ahead of us, known as 'no-man's-land', was pocked with shell holes; that there would be Very lights and star shells to illuminate the landscape, and there may even be some machine gun fire as we approached enemy lines. I gave them a clear outline of the project and told them if anything happened to me I wanted the man of the moment to take over my position. I asked, "Any questions?" There were none, so I said, "We will have a cup of tea together. I have taken readings with my compass in the daytime, so that is what we will work with tonight. We will move up in file until just over half-way. The distance to the trench is roughly 1,000 yards." I saw Captain Bowater and said, "We are leaving at 2030 hours, Sir, will you please notify the Adjutant immediately?" He wished us luck.

We left at 2030 and worked in an aeroplane shaped formation with one ahead of me in the nose position, I occupied the central position, with Sheldrake and Turner at either side at the wing-tips, and in file behind me, the final three, which included the Lance Corporal and Woods. We arrived within striking position at 2130 hours. The scout at the nose said he could see a sentry on duty. I went forward, crawling, as I wanted to do this without making any noise. We could see a rifle pointing in our direction with German Helmet, and waited. Then, I gave a message to the men at the wing-tips to move up to the trench as I covered the trench on each flank. I watched awhile, and then made a dash for it. In a few moments I could see that we had been duped. It was a dummy with a helmet on it and a rifle rigged up on a sandbag, pointing towards our front. The dugout was behind so I entered with the corporal and a soldier, my revolver and my torch ready for action. With my feet I felt my way down the steps to a short landing. With my revolver at the ready, I switched on my torch, which revealed several dead soldiers, (two officers and three NCOs). I warned the men not to touch anything as there may have been booby-traps. I picked up some German field books, papers and messages forms and we departed as quickly as possible, leaving the smell and disorder.

It was now 0100 hours, so we moved back quickly in the same formation. We heard several bursts of machine gun fire nearby on one of the flanks. We had almost got back to our dugout, when several salvos of heavy shells burst over the ground we had just traversed. It was 0200 hours when I reported back and left the three men at the dugout, thanking them very much for their courage and assistance. Then we went back to our own dugout. After we had scraped the mud off our putties, clothing and boots, I asked the cook on duty to make some hot tea and I scrounged some rum and we all had a good hot drink and were soon asleep. We had a few hours before the dawn parade. The ration party had arrived with kerosene tins filled with dry biscuits soaked in bacon fat, bully beef and tins of jam– these had been drawn from the nearest rail head. We drew our rum ration in an earthenware jar, and it was a treasured item under such conditions.

I was aroused from my slumber damp and cold. My faithful batman gave me a hot reviving drink. It was the darkest hour just before the dawn, when all the troops in the line stand, too, to look to the front and observe the enemy lines and movement, if any, always fully armed ready for combat.

I had to hurry to visit sniper posts, both in the front trench and near the barbed wire in 'no-man's-land'. These men had been out here during the night and would be relieved just before the dawn. On these visits I always carried a large thermos flask of hot tea or coffee, charged with rum, which was always well-appreciated. Once I had visited all posts and patrols, I returned to my hole-in-the-ground to write my report to hand over to the Adjutant before 0830 hours. I took out my field officer's message book, which had grid lines to facilitate map sketches to illustrate the report. I completed a clear and brief report of our visit to the enemy lines. I handed it to the Adjutant, along with the documents, message books, automatic pistol and several articles to certify our visit to the enemy lines. He said, "I am sure that the CO will be pleased with it."

I was just leaving to visit the posts again, when the HQ runner gave me a verbal message, "The CO wishes to see you at once at his dugout!" I could see as I approached him that he was pleased, "Well, Lycette, thank you for your report and documents. I wish to thank you and your patrol for the successful effort in obtaining this information." I asked the CO if it would be possible for me to have the sniping section in one dugout. This would enable me to keep a full and complete control of the group. The request was granted and I moved the men into a long narrow underground dugout. Unfortunately, this meant that we had to provide our own sentries.

The weather was so bad that there was little movement on the Somme area – apart from the usual shelling, heavy and light. In the daytime we would be able to see the large observation balloons, which were anchored down. They assisted us to get information of the enemy lines. Sometimes they were attacked by German fighters and then our anti-aircraft guns came into action to drive them off. The whole of trench war life was grim and grinding, especially for the infantry. The main task was to try to keep them fit and interested in what they were doing. Fortunately, we were coming to the end of our turn of trench duty, which was seven days off. Then another battalion of our brigade would take over the line while we went into reserve. Just as we had done, officers, NCOs and men came a day earlier to take over and act as guides.

The day and hour arrived and we were pleased to escape from these very strenuous conditions. The changeover was timed, and as the troops moved in, our troops moved out and were soon on the duck-board tracks. Without these I don't know how we would have managed. Often troops had to be sent out to repair these boards after shelling. What a treat it was to come to the end of the duck-boards. When we got to the metal road our knees would sag for a while until we were accustomed to the changed conditions.

We formed up into fours, which enabled us to move more quickly. We were informed that we were going to occupy circular steel hutments. The soldiers were treated to the view of trees, shrubs and some semblance of order. A cheer went up when the hutments came into view – very soon we would be occupying them. The outgoing troops had left them in clean and tidy order. The cooks had moved out earlier and we could see the smoke and steam rising from the kitchens. Each platoon was allotted a hut and soon all were settled in. The gong for the cookhouse sounded and orderlies went to draw the rations. It was a great treat to get our first hot meal after a spell in the trenches – it had to be experienced to be really appreciated! But while this happened, orders were being sent out for the next day, which would bring other unpleasant duties, fatigues and parades, including inspections of rifles and feet.

Oh, Oh, Oh, what a lovely war,

What do we want with eggs and ham?

When we have flour and apple jam,

Form fours, right turn, what do we do

With the money we earn?

Oh, Oh, Oh, it's a lovely war.

After living like animals up yonder, my word, we all wanted to clean up and when we read the battalion orders for the next day, it looked as though we were going to get it! Company parades, battle order, all men to be shaven, rifle inspection and later, foot inspection by platoon officers and then lectures. By the time our period as reserve was up the men were ready for another turn of duty. So up we go again. We were used to the duck-boards by this time, but we were on a different front. While we were in reserve, we taught the men how to rub their feet with whale oil to prevent trench feet which caused them to become soft and swollen. Naturally, nobody wanted that, but the men didn't mind, because it meant that they were sent down the line for a while. Of course, it was difficult to prevent.

Let me give you a word picture. On one tour in the line we had to occupy a long narrow dugout, which was about 40 feet long. It was about 20 feet down in the earth, with entrances via wooden steps at each end. These got bogged with mud and sometimes it was a case of slipping down on our bottoms, getting wet and muddy. In the long narrow trench was a form to one side, upon which we sat to rest and to sleep. It was a little more than two feet high, but the dugout had twelve inches of water in it, sometimes more. We lived and worked in these conditions for seven whole days and nights. The air was damp and musty, and the light was dull and grim. It flickered from some cotton wool, soaked with oil in a bottle or old jam tin. We couldn't have candles because the vibrations of the blasting, bursting shells above kept extinguishing them. It mattered not whether it was night or day; we had to rely on the old oil pot.

The men did not always sit in the same place because they were all on the duties roster, whether they were doing sentry, lookout or rations patrol and it gave them a chance to get out of that hole. Of course, there were no beds, bunks, windows or doors. We just had to sit on the long seat on the wall, but when we got tired from this and from that we were glad to crawl down there to sit and nap. It was sit and sleep and sleep and sit, but where the men went out to relieve themselves I cannot say, I do not know, but I'm sure that there was no designated place.

Every morning at 0700 hours I inspected each man's feet. Each man took off his boots and dried his feet with his towel and I checked to see that his toes were clean and dry, also that there was no swelling or puffiness in his feet. Then I gave each foot a thorough rub down from ankle to the tip of the toes with whale oil, which was smelly, but good. There was always a lot of joking when this task was carried out, but it always provided a chance to uplift morale, which was so essential in such awful conditions. My treatment was successful as I never had one case of trench foot. The most important parts of a soldier are his feet and yet, this is one of the most neglected parts of the anatomy. It can be observed in both males and females, when you see them walking on the street.

Then we were back to cleaning and training. The CO wanted to hold an inspection of the battalion in two days and it was some job to get them cleaned up. I arranged a hair cutting and shaving show and borrowed some clippers. There were no fancy cuts; I clipped the back and sides and two of the NCOs finished trimming, plus there were two lathering and two shaving and soon the men were all cleaned up. We got dixies of hot water and a large canvas bath and they washed each other down. Other officers were doing the same. We were billeted in sheds and houses, and there were good fires for drying the clothes after they were washed. New issues were made for those clothes which were beyond repair. It was much more amusing when everyone joined in. After the cleaning was done, we concentrated on rifles and Lewis guns and then equipment was scrubbed and dried – it was a huge job, but by united effort, we got there. It was time for battle-dress parade. We marched past the CO and then we were drawn up in columns of companies. The CO expressed his gratitude at the good turn out in so short a time after leaving the front line. We settle down to short marches and drill, followed by general training.

### VIMY RIDGE

The division is to be on the move again. This time we marched to the Vimy Ridge area. After several days of foot-slogging we rested. The weather was cloudy and wet as we marched near to the front line. We were on a plateau, and could see for some distance, especially when it fined up. The area was quite different from the Somme. We took over our length of front and we could see Lens not far away. The OC had to go to Brigade, so I took his place. We carried out many working parties in conjunction with the engineers, building up parados, and erecting wire entanglements. I kept the company fully engaged. Captain Bowater returned and I stayed on with him.

It used to be quite a 'comic opera' going around with him at 'stand to'; he would blast and scorch every sentry on duty. I had warned most of them not to take their eyes off the front when being questioned by him, but often they fell victim to him. On one occasion, he came to a sentry, who was not misled by his twists, "Now, that is a good sentry, never once took his eyes off the front!" he said. Into the next traverse we went just at the break of day. "Sentry!" he hollered. Like a fool the sentry turned around to him. What a blast he got! It was amusing to do the rounds with him. The Captain was really useless as an officer in the line.

One day he called an officers' meeting and told us that he had received complaints from the engineers that the young officers were not staying with their men when out wiring. He dismissed us after saying, "I will go with the next party to see for myself." I said, "It's my turn to take the next wiring party, Sir." He replied, "Very well, I will come with you."

That evening, we had a call to fix up the wire in the front line, which had been damaged by shelling. I got one sergeant, one corporal and fifteen men to make up the party. We drew tools and wire-cutters from the dugout and I reported to the OC that we were ready. We went into a long communication trench. There was little shelling. When we walked through the trench system we had to walk over a little fall of earth. There was a small sign nearby, which said, "Keep Low, Look out for Snipers". Just as I passed over the earth, I made a noise like a bullet. The Captain said, "Halt, pass the word down, keep low, snipers." So I said, "Keep your heads down!"

We were in the front line and came to a sign which indicated B Company. I stopped for a moment, when a young officer appeared and I told him that Captain Bowater was here with a working party. They laughed and thought it quite a joke. "Come and have a drink, Skipper," one of them quipped. That was enough. "Yes, I will. Carry on Lieutenant, report to engineers and pick up wire." That was the last we saw of him for a while.

I explained our job to the men. The sooner it was done, the better and the quicker we would go back. We had six dozen steel posts to screw in and six rolls of barbed wire to stretch out and then entangle it. We were in 'no-man's-land' and the German trenches were not far away. Star shells were lighting up the area. I urged the men to work as silently as possible; they had been trained to do this work and were fairly quick. The men, who were screwing in the posts, got into the trench when their job was complete, and then I inspected the entangling to make sure it was OK. When they were all gathered in the trench again, I asked the engineer officer if he was satisfied, and he said, "Alright, you can go." I went at once to the dugout and said, 'Sergeant, bring the party along, stop a few yards before the B Company notice. I am going to ask the Captain to inspect the wiring, but I know what he will say." At the Company notice, I went down the wooden steps, where an orderly asked who I wanted to see. I said, "Captain Bowater." He pulled aside the sacking curtains, so I had a full view of the officers. The OC looked quite flushed, so I said, "Wiring all completed, Sir, will you come and inspect the job?" "Not on your bloody life, Ernie; if you say it's done, that's good enough for me!"

One of the officers offered me a drink, for which I expressed my thanks. I winked at the OC of B Company, "Are you sure, Sir, that you would not like to inspect the wire?" The Captain replied, "Now be off, bring the men along and I will join you at the entrance." I emptied my glass and went to collect the Sergeant and the men. I said, "We will wait a few moments to give him a chance to empty his glass." The star shells were scattering their shiny sprays, brightening the gloom. Every now and then, bursts of machine gun fire let us know they were still there. I could hear the loud voice of the skipper, so he was ready to lead the party once again. He started to talk, so I said, "It's too risky to talk, Sir, we are still quite close to the German lines." So he said, "Sergeant, pass the word down, no talking."

We were soon in the long communication trench, which winds about a bit to prevent enfilade fire. We arrived back in our quarters and I dismissed the party, after requesting a cup of tea, which was usual on return. I debriefed the party and wished them goodnight, "See you all on dawn parade in the morning." In hindsight, I think that was the nearest the skipper had been to 'no-man's-land'. In civilian life, he was a top executive in the famous Bowater Group of firms involved in coal, timber, paper pulp and many other international concerns. I enjoyed serving under this interesting and fascinating man.

The weather was getting brighter and the sun and blue sky improved our outlook. We had our usual dawn 'stand to', but the area was quiet. All officers had to walk along their platoons and supervise the soldiers as they carried out their duties. When the mist of dawn had lifted, only the sentry posts watched the front while the others cleaned themselves up; washed and shaved, if possible. Then they would draw rations, eat breakfast and wait for orders. The sun came out and there were more aeroplanes flying around; both Germans and ours.

One day we saw a real scrap, when the enemy planes were trying to get over our lines; then we saw two of our aeroplanes going into the fray. In a few minutes, there was a real ding-dong fight, and two of the German fighters went down in flames, however, the pilots had parachuted behind their own lines. This successful pilot engaged another enemy aeroplane. The fights don't usually last long at close quarters, one or other must go, and again the enemy aeroplane crashed in flames, only to be followed down by our own pilot. We could see that he was having difficulties because he was losing height, finally crashing just in front of our trench. I dashed out with a few men and we got the pilot clear just as the plane erupted in flames. The Germans started shelling around the plane, so we hurried back into the trench. The pilot was only a youth of about twenty-one; from my observation, he had a fractured arm, fractured leg and cuts on his face. We bound him quickly and sent him down to the field dressing station. Later, we heard that he had died from his wounds.

The weather continued to improve, and, after weeks of trench dead-lock, there were signs that another attack was imminent. Our Division was on the move again, and we marched west, through many villages that I have since forgotten. After days of marching, we passed through Armentieres and Hazebrouck. We were approximately 20 miles from Ypres. A halt was made for rest and reparation, so I immediately applied for leave. I hadn't had any leave since I went to the Dardanelles. I was granted fourteen clear days in England, so I packed up my ordnance uniform, which was not very smart after rough wear, and my battledress and a few odds and ends. Several other officers and NCOs also had leave, mostly to the Midlands. What a thrill it was to escape the continual droning and confusion of war!

We travelled by lorry to Calais, the journey taking the whole night and we stopped at a few places for refreshments. On arrival at the port, we said goodbye to the driver, reported to the RTO, showed him our passes and tickets and left our baggage at his office, while we refreshed ourselves in town. We returned and retrieved our baggage in readiness to board the boat, which was crowded. Fortunately, the weather was fine, so we sat on the decks and, after a short time we could see the cliffs of Dover in the distance. There were quite a few boats passing by. At last, we entered the breakwater, where we disembarked and boarded the train from Dover Station. We had first class seats. The RTO and his staff were anxious to get us on our way.

### HOME LEAVE

It was wonderful to pass again through the English countryside. The trip was non-stop, but the stations were crowded with servicemen and women. It lifted our spirits to be in London again. Waterloo Station was very busy. We hired a taxi to take us to Euston Station. I contacted the RTO, who was very helpful with directions to Cox's, the army bank for officers. I also wanted to visit Robertson and Cleaver's to get a decent uniform. The RTO sent a guide who had a vehicle, and had other duties in the city.

First, I went to the tailors, and explained my position. They took my measurements and said that they would have everything ready for fitting at 10am the next morning. Then, I went to Cox's, which did not take long and I learned that I had a credit of ₤550. I was given a cheque book, so I was pleased. The guide left me at this time, after I said that I would work my way back to Euston Station, and because I told him that I would need to stay the night in London, he arranged to reserve a bed for me at the Euston Hotel. I very much appreciated his friendly and wonderful help. I had some time to wander around dear old London Town. I went to the cinema and returned to Euston Station at 6.30pm, where I saw the RTO and he gave me a memo to take to the Euston Hotel.

Everything was in order, so I took my light baggage and went to my room and enjoyed a bath and trim. I spent the remainder of the evening on the Station, watching the thousands of people moving to and fro' – without knowing anyone. The other officers had left for their homes earlier. It was entertaining watching the women prostitutes as they tried to lure the soldiers off the Station. The RTO had mentioned many of their wiles. The troops had probably collected their pay; so of course, it was easy money for them once they got hold of them. They were not allowed on the Station and the Military Police knew them and put the soldiers on their guard.

I was up early next morning and arrived at Robertson and Cleaver's for a fitting at 10am. It was necessary to make some adjustments and I gave them my 'yellow squares' and service stripes to sew on the sleeve of the tunic. An officer's belt, gloves and cap plus a British Warm and canvas valise completed the outfit. I was all set up, a full-blown officer. This was the first cheque I had signed on Cox's Bank. It was quite a sum, nearly £70. The tailor gave me 10/- to get a drink on the way home. I had missed the 1.30pm train, so I had lunch and made sure that I would catch the 3.50pm train to Birmingham. I went to the RTO and thanked him for his assistance and gave him 10/- for the guide he had sent with me on arrival.

The train arrived and I settled into my seat with a newspaper. Once again, I appreciated passing through familiar country, seeing how beautiful and green it was. I could see camps dotted here and there outside the larger towns. We stopped at Coventry, where quite a lot of soldiers alighted, and we resumed the last lap to New Street Station, running slightly late. We entered the station, which was dark and dingy. I asked a porter what time the train for Cannock departed and was told that I had missed the last train for the night.

I went to the RTO's office and explained my dilemma. He said that he could help me. There was a voluntary organisation run by civilians with 100 cars on the job, with ten cars on regular duty. The RTO contacted the secretary, who had an office below at street level. He told me to get a porter to take me and my baggage down there. Sure enough, there was a line of cars. They had not been busy that night and the man in charge spoke to the first man on the line. He inquired where I wanted to go and I told him Heath Hayes, North Cannock, about 30 miles away. "That's alright; we are here to get you home. Now we will have your luggage," he said. I tipped the porter and we loaded up, not having anticipated the moonlit trip to Cannock Chase by car. The driver was very friendly and most obliging. He told me that all the drivers considered it a great pleasure to be of help to the soldiers in that way.

We passed through Perry Bar, and then we turned onto the road, which took us through Brownhills, Chase Town, Chase Terrace and on to Heath Hayes. The view of the moonlight shining on the Norton Pool was very pleasant. The car turned up into the village and soon we were in Chapel Street. There were no lights because everyone was in bed. My luggage was transferred to the footpath and I thanked the driver for a wonderful trip home. I invited him to stop for a cup of tea, but he said he would get back home, because he had an early start next morning.

I opened the gate and was welcomed by Tiny, the little dog, who although he hadn't seen me for nearly three years, knew me at once. When I spoke to him and said, "Hello, Tiny," he went frantic with delight. I knocked on the door, but Tiny had already awoken everyone and I could hear them up and about. Mother opened the door and cried with delight, and Evelyn came downstairs and was thrilled to see me. Very soon supper was ready; it was grand to sit in the little kitchen once again, and to see the old pictures and the trinkets and brasses, which Mum liked so much. I asked if Dad was awake, and Eve went up to make sure, so I went up and had a few words with him. I shook hands and said that I was glad to see him, but he was a real Victorian, never spectacular and never showed any undue emotion. It was good to be back and I returned to the kitchen, where I talked with Mum and Evelyn for a while. By that time, they had made up my bed, and I was happy to be home.

At last, I could relax for a while. First thing next morning I went for a walk with Tiny. Mrs Hathaway and several other neighbours came around, saying 'the rambler returns', and they were all pleased to see me. People stopped me in the street, and I could see that they were pleased to see the old Scoutmaster, now an officer. I called on as many friends as I could, which took some time as I was well-known in the village. I invited Evelyn and her friend, Maisie Barratt, to come with me for a cycle ride. We rode through Chase Terrace and Cannock Wood, which was very nice. After tea, I went down to some old scout friends at Norton Canes, then I went to Rugeley to see Mabel, Bernard and their family; they were always very lively and interesting. I walked up to Etching Hill, which is quite a landmark in the district. I had visited them several times while I was in camp on the Chase. Jessie, my niece, used to come to meet me at the bottom of the hill. I called on my brother, George and his wife, Stella, and their children, Rex and Elsie. They had both turned out to be musical, like their father.

I had always made an allowance to my parents, when I first joined the army. At Christmas, I bought two little pigs for them that used to keep Dad busy, feeding and cleaning them, which he liked. They would let them grow to 'bacon-size', then kill one and sell the other. It worked out quite well for them. It was always nice to see pictures of bacon and hams hanging around, because they came in very useful during an emergency period. I would walk down to the village to see the queues in operation, my word, it was a time-killer, waiting and waiting and sometimes still not get what you were there to buy. I took home with me extra ration cards so Mum was able to get a few extras.

I was walking from Hednesford one morning, when I had just left the business area, I saw at the side of the road, a small baker's van and a girl in overalls lying underneath. On a second look I saw it was my sister, Evelyn, doing some adjustments under the van. I said, "Hello, Eve," and she got up, smiling, with grease on her face and hands. She was delivering bread for the Cannock District Co-operation Society, but she was travelling in the opposite way from me. I called on my brother, Lewis, on the way up Cross Key's Hill. He was very patient and clever in training his little dogs. Emma, his wife, used to work sometimes in her parents' shop.

The fourteen days passed quickly, but it had given me a rest. Also I was able to meet many friends of my youth. Going back was always the hardest part so I said goodbye to Mum and Dad, and Evelyn came with me on the bus to Hednesford, where we said our goodbyes.

I went to Walsall, then on to Birmingham where I met Captain Bowater's father. He was going up to London on business. He was crippled, but a most charming and interesting man. He started out selling wood and coal on the streets of Birmingham and was at that time one of the greatest exporters of these materials to all parts of the world. At the time of writing this account, the 'Bowater Group' had grown into one of the world's mighty companies.

The train arrived in Euston two hours after leaving Birmingham. It was a fast express train, especially to assist the business fraternity of the two cities. I set out to Waterloo Station to catch the boat train to Dover. I had packed my good uniform in my new valise, but as I had left my British Warm at home I used my trench coat. Too much luggage was not a good idea when on active service. Of course, Waterloo was crowded both day and night, with service personnel arriving and leaving, and always there were crowds of people to greet them.

As I waited for our train, I met the other officers from the unit. We had no idea what we were going back to. We boarded the train as soon as it arrived to claim our seats and wait for the departure signal. Our minds were occupied in thinking about what would happen with the war, whereas, earlier we were thinking of peacetimes. Stupid War! The winner loses, and the loser wins, or that's the way it seems to turn out. Big men, little men, do you have to learn it all again? We talked to each other of our leave and what was ahead of us, and what changes, if any, had been made during our absence. We were nearing Dover Station and began to gather our gear, ready to board the boat. Fortunately, we found out from the RTO that the boat was already in the breakwater and would leave by 1530 hours. We embarked, and were lucky to have good weather for our return trip across the channel.

### MARCH 1916

On arrival at Calais, we reported to the RTO to learn the location of our unit. They were situated at Hazebrouck, not far from Armentieres. The Division was scattered through several villages. We had refreshments and finally boarded the ration lorry, which took us to our unit. Settling in was always difficult upon return from leave, or even from a tour of duty.

The 7th Army, as a whole, was being moved to the Italian front as soon as it could be organised and equipped. We had just finished our last tour of duty on the Western Front and the Division was in for a hectic time, getting ready. This was about March, 1916. Companies were built up to strength with training from morning to night.

We entrained at Bethune; each train had its mobile army kitchens in open trucks. Goods wagons were used with straw spread on the floor and the troops lay side by side. This way large numbers of troops could be carried. Meals were served when a stop was made, if it was convenient. It was long trip, through Abbeville, Rouen and Versailles to Fontainebleau. The scenery improved after we left Versailles and we began to realise what an enormous country France was. The Rhone Valley, a most beautiful landscape, was well-cultivated and cared for. We did not have as many stops caused by troop movements, as we had in the north.

On the train, we all had duties to perform and we were able to improve the routine. Camps were arranged near large stations, so that troops could wash and exercise, and we even took them for short quick marches to keep them fit. At Lyons, we had a long stay, which was welcome. Then we pushed along the valley, which followed the river and made good headway to the Mediterranean seaport of Marseilles. We stayed there for several hours and roped off about 300 yards of the beach. Military Police were put on guard while the men had a swim. They didn't have swimsuits, so we had to make this area private for a short time. Next, we moved on through Toulon to Nice and Monte Carlo. We stayed there for a few hours to allow the troops to have refreshments and exercise, then on through Monaco and Savona to Genoa. The view along the Mediterranean Coast was magnificent, especially the sunsets and the snow-covered Alps. That was the last time we would see the sea for quite a while.

### ITALY

By that time, we were in Italy, whose people we were there to help. The trains moved inland and stopped at Piacenza for a little while before continuing on to the town of Cremona, a very nice town, where we left the trains, because from that point on we would be on foot. We stayed the night in schools and sent officers to arrange billets ahead to make it convenient, after a day's march, to settle in quickly.

On that night the CO shouted all the officers to dinner at the best hotel in town. It gave us a chance to meet each other, before we made our forward movement to the Alps, which was going to be strenuous. The NCOs and men began to sample Italian wines, some of which were very good and refreshing. The Italian people gave the men a great reception, and the dinner was very good. I met several officers for the first time; Captain and Major Partridge, Lieutenant John Cooper, Assistant Adjutant Lieutenants Assinder and Williams, and several others. After some good wine, food and conversation we knew more about each other, which would be helpful in the future.

I was still in 'A' Company and our OC was Captain John Wade, a very good officer, who came from Birmingham. Our batmen had already claimed our billets, so I was not going to make it a late night. The CO made a short speech, telling us that the reason for coming to Italy was the offensive of the Austro-German armies, which had broken the Italian lines. Their rapid advance turned the Italian army into a rabble. Also, the refugees had created a great obstacle. Those were the reasons that the British and French Divisions had been rushed in to try to hold up the advance. British and American relief organisations were on the job. However, though we were enjoying the social scene that night, the next day we would be advancing with full speed. The battalion orders had been issued to Company Commanders. The cookhouse was at 0700 hours and all were ready to move off as a battalion in column of route at 0800 hours.

The country was beautiful, though the mountains in the distance looked menacing. The troops were marching at ease and we expected to travel 15 kilometres before meeting the billeting guides. As we passed through several small settlements on our way to meet up with enemy, we were disconcerted to encounter passing Italian soldiers, who were retreating in a complete rabble. There were no officers with them and it was saddening to see them battle-worn, dirty, ragged and footsore. Worse still, they were leading out long lines of mules and ponies, which had been used as pack animals. They carried no packs, but on their backs and sides were large areas of festering ugly sores. The poor beasts were in a dreadful state and our troops were shocked at seeing their condition. Someone made the rough comment, "Are these the bloody people we have come here to help, when they treat their animals like this?" At our first short break, while the men were resting and having a smoke, I asked my men to listen for a few moments. I said, "You have just seen a distressing sight because you love animals, but this is one of the horrors of war and these men are just a rabble with no discipline, no leaders and no order. We must not be dismayed as we will most likely see more of these distressing sights as we march forward." The order came to 'fall in at ease and march' and we were once again moving on.

It was a long, straight road to Piadena, where we stopped to meet our billet guides. For most of the way, we saw small groups of straggling Italian soldiers making their way back, plus a few refugees amongst them, dragging along whatever they had salvaged. We were making good progress, but I could see some of the men were beginning to sag. However, I managed to encourage them along, saying 'one more kilometre'. It must have been the longest kilometre of the day, because I heard a few men joking about it.

At last, we saw familiar uniforms and we marched to attention; no joking or singing. The OC was waiting for his company so we halted, standing at ease while instructions were given to the officers to meet their billet guides. On this occasion we occupied the school and surrounding buildings. After they were fixed for their night's resting place, the order was given, "Wash your feet; there will be foot inspection immediately." All officers had to inspect and check so that attention could be given to them by medical orderlies.

Kitchens were smoking and steaming and in a few minutes it was 'cookhouse' time. The orderlies for the day drew their rations in Dixies and lids, returning to their platoon or section, where the food was served out by a Sergeant or Corporal. The chief concern was to get rest in readiness for the following day. When I had seen the men fixed up and fed, my batman took me to my billet, a small white Italian cottage, which was not far away. I met the Senora and she took me to my room, which was small, but had a comfortable bed. Covering the bed was a thick, soft eiderdown – I didn't realise how nice it was until I slept in it. I tried hard to speak to the lady of the house, but the language was difficult, so that meant that I quickly had to learn some greeting.

After a wash and tidy up, my batman took me to the Company Officers' Mess Room, where he also was going to give a hand. I met Captain Wade, Lieutenants Williams, Parks, Assinder and the Assistant Adjutant John Cooper. We had an enterprising and inventive cook, whose name I have forgotten, but he served a very nice meal. After some general conversation, we all retired to our billets. When I got back, the senora invited me to have coffee and was very friendly.

It was lovely to sink into the bed, but it was only the forerunner of comfortable beds. After a good night's rest we had to rise early in the morning, with breakfast at 0700 hours, parade and marching away at 0800 hours. I thanked the senora and left my billet, then went to inspect my platoon and saw that everything was left tidy. I saw my platoon paraded at 0700 hours, in order to have a rifle inspection and see that all men had washed and shaved. Then we joined the company parade and the battalion was soon wending its way in column of route.

### MANTOVA

We were going to Mantova, a little longer march to a larger town. We used to get the troops singing on the march, 'Tipperary', 'Sussex by the Sea', and many others. Of course, when the refugees came along it was too sad to sing. There were old women with children dragging or walking at their sides, and with a shawl or blanket carrying scanty belongings. The soldiers gave them biscuits and chocolates as they passed.

We kept to 50 minutes march with 10 minutes rest. Fortunately, to help break the monotony, the scenery was really magnificent and this was the only redeeming feature as we marched and marched across these northern plains of Italy. I could see that the men were trying hard to keep going and often took a soldier's pack to relieve him for a while. The refugees and the Italian soldiers were in complete retreat, and with no officers and no order, they seemed to have lost all hope. Several times I spoke to them, but it was difficult, not knowing the language. However, they always stood to attention and saluted me, and I noticed that they did the same to any of our officers. I could see several buildings in the distance, but, of course, the troops always wanted to hear, 'one more kilometre to go'.

The head of the column had already met their guides, and we did the same and were shown to our billets. We never knew what we were going to strike. Sometimes the company was in one large room. That time the platoon was divided between two homesteads and slept in sheds with the oxen were kept. Again, my billet was a little homestead, with an orchard and ducks and fowls. Fortunately for me, there were two teenage girls, one of whom could speak quite a bit of English. However, I had to leave my batman to make all arrangements for me.

Immediately at the end of the march, we would claim our billet, wash feet ready for inspection by the officers. It was necessary to be alert for blisters, sores, corns or bunions, which would be attended to by medical officers and orderlies. The cooks were always up to the mark in the mobile kitchens, one kitchen to each company. The platoons always sent orderlies for their rations and the troops would make themselves comfortable for the remainder of the day. We had our own company mess and the cook was always trying to concoct some surprise for us. It was good to meet the officers to discuss daily events. The orders for the next day were out of bed at 6am, breakfast at 7, inspection at 7.45 and company move off at 0800 hours.

I went back to my billet, with a comfortable Italian bed in my room. My valise was already there, so for the remainder of the evening, I tried to converse with the family. Believe it or not, I learned quite a lot of useful phrases. However, after a good night's rest, my batman collected my gear while I had breakfast and said goodbye to the people who provided the billet. We went through the same old procedure and would continue until we reached our objective, the enemy in the mountains. That day's march took us to Nogara, a small town only 15 kilometres away. We arrived in good time, and after the usual inspections, rations etc. the troops were able to rest longer.

The next day arrived soon enough and we were off again. This time the march was 27 kilometres to Verona, a picturesque town. The company was billeted in a large building, which could have been railway property. However, after our arrival and the usual inspections, we found that several areas were out-of-bounds to our troops. I went over to the station with several other officers to use the lavatories, but we could not use them because there was no privacy and they were fearful.

Just as we were about to leave, a train came in. It was a special train provided for the transport of refugees and was absolutely loaded. The train pulled mostly cattle trucks, and the people were packed in like sheep. So shocking were the conditions that the OC Company rushed to the CO and Adjutant to see if some assistance could be given. Immediately, officers, NCOs and men volunteered to assist. I had never seen anything worse, for, when the doors were opened the people fell out and they were filthy. They had messed their clothing as they stood there because they couldn't do anything else.

Fortunately, a train loaded with American and British Red Cross personnel arrived on the scene. The troops helped to unload the gear, also the men, women and children refugees. Receptacles of all kinds were filled with water so that they could be washed and given refreshment. Many of us worked late to help but as we had to be on the move in the morning, the Red Cross organised Italian civilians to help.

We heard news that the Italian army, what was left of it, had failed to make a stand and had to fall back further in the Piave River region. That meant that we had to push on as fast as safety allowed. The company being billeted together made it easier as regards rations. Billets always had to be left clean. The Red Cross were still working among the refugees when we marched by the station. Our next stop would be Montebello Vicentino, not a large centre. Of course, we were always getting nearer the mountains.

It was very interesting to see the maize fields and the mulberry trees, which grow on all sides, usually in squares or rectangular shaped fields. Our march that day was for about 25 kilometres and we stopped in different parts of the village. The usual procedure prevailed; inspections, rations and rest. We had several more days of marching yet, before we came to the most arduous part of our journey. The troops were in good shape and they sang and laughed at jokes.

The next day's march of 18 kilometres took us to Vicenza, which is a large old town, very quaint and historical, with a number of factories. Of course, all those villages and towns had large Catholic churches and usually had several priests. One of our officers, an expert on the organ, often asked me to pump the air while he played. He was a magnificent organist. The companies of the battalion were billeted in schools and factory sheds, the most convenient place yet. We had our company messes on the march, though we didn't see much of the other officers.

There were some nice shops, from which I bought some lengths of Italian silks, the like of which I saw being made into garments in one of the factories. There must have been about 100 girls, some unwinding cocoons and others spinning the silken threads. Before we left the plains and this interesting town, we were able to replenish our wines; this would be our last chance for awhile.

We were on our seventh day of marching, with about 17 kilometres to our next stop. There were not so many Italian soldiers or refugees on the roads by that time. The roads in Italy were very good for lorries and marching and were mostly made of tarmac so far. That afternoon we reached Thiene, a fairly large place, which we heard was to be the base for the British army. Large buildings were being constructed to house goods and materials, and were surrounded by wire entanglements. That was the end of our long march across the plains. The next day we would leave the first class roads.

We departed Thiene at the usual time and the road led us alongside the Astico River for awhile, then we started to climb upwards through the hairpin bends, most camouflaged with netting and imitation leaves. We keep climbing a long way to gain little altitude. On most of the mountain sides were small peasant farms, where the workers toiled hard and long. We came to a very pretty settlement, where as many as possible of the men were billeted; the rest, both officers and men, slept out under trees and shrubs.

We move on again, traversing still more hairpin bends. The climb ahead of us would be about 16,000 feet. The artillery had already established batteries just over half-way up, to support us when needed. Long lines of lorries, British, French and some Italian, loaded with ammunition, followed us closely. At the end of the second day on the mountain, with still a few more kilometres on the hairpin bend roads, we came to the last little settlement, where some of us were billeted, but others had to rough it.

The next morning we left the road and began our climb upwards in direct single file. We had about 1,000 yards of steep climbing, especially in full marching order. It was done in three stages with a short rest in between. My word, it was such a relief when we reached the last stage and I passed the word down to 'rest'. The view of the plains down below was magnificent! Unfortunately, a Padre came by with his stick and a small haversack and commented about the view. He was heard by one of the soldiers just behind me, who said, "If you had this full pack on your bloody hump, you would not have time to comment on the view." I was a bit taken aback by the remark, but it had been a very hard climb for the men – the Padre moved on.

The final effort would see us at the top of the mountain range. 'A' and 'B' Companies were already there and were moving in extended order on a frontage of about 1½ kilometres as rapidly as possible. They pushed on to the edge of the Asiago Valley and immediately put out barbed wire and made strong points to cover their front and then dug lengths of trenches for protection. Another battalion had also arrived on our left flank, and like our companies, were hastily building up defences, machine guns and trench mortars. 'C' and 'D' Companies arrived at the top, but we were instructed to move along quickly in column of route for about 2½ kilometres.

'C' Company was a little ahead of us, and were going to support 'A', and we were going to support 'B' Company. The men removed their packs and were in battle order. It was necessary to get slashers etc. to make tracks down to the front, and officers and NCOs were running out white lines to indicate where the tracks would be. Some troops were cutting down pine trees, lopping off branches to erect Swedish huts. While this was happening, wires were run out from the guns behind to the observations officer in front. Very soon, the guns were ready for action and were checking their ranges from the officer, who noted positions on a map where shells had exploded. They soon had the whole of the Asiago Valley, which was over 6 kilometres long, mapped out.

While all that was taking place, dugouts were made and pine huts were erected for cookhouses etc. It took about three weeks to establish order and routine. We had contacted the French on the right flank. Convoys of lorries were bringing up all the rations and ammunition that we wanted. Working parties went down to assist them on the front line, building shelters for the men to rest in. As soon as the 4 Company Headquarters were completed, the handler in charge of the dogs took them over the track from HQ to the Company HQs. They soon became accustomed to the track – it was always interesting when a dog pushed his way through the curtains, carrying a message in a special collar. He was always sure to get a pat and something to eat, whether the news was good or bad. The dogs were really marvellous at that work.

We went on patrols to ascertain where the enemy trenches and wire entanglements were situated. When the Germans and Austrians realised that we were out to get information, they started shelling, quite heavily at times, but our battalions were also doing good work. Everything was more or less stabilised. Two companies occupied the trenches for seven days and then they went into reserve for seven days while the other companies went in the line. Of course, all the time we were making our positions stronger and bringing field guns up closer. I was promoted to Battalion Bombing Officer. We were in the line at that time, so I had to go with a patrol to watch for enemy movements. Our job was to wait and watch.

Very soon, I saw the enemy patrol of three soldiers get close to our wire. At first, I could not make out what they were doing, but I saw them trailing something as they moved back to their own lines. When they were out of view we went to the position, where they had been. Fortunately, one of the men caught his foot in a fine cable wire. I traced it to our wire and found attached to the end a small metal ball, the size of a cricket ball. It had five or six projections around it about the shape of a small ear, like a mouse's ear.

I told the men to wait, while I went back towards the enemy wire. I cut the cable with a wire cutter, which we always carry when on patrol. I hurried back quickly, tied up the cable and threw it over our own wire entanglement. We cut our wire and crawled through to pick up the cable and ball. I reported it to OC Company. The ball was sent to Division Signals and they tested it back on the enemy wires. It was a listening cell and they could hear soldiers speaking German in their own lines, so they must have intended doing this on our wires to get quite useful information. Officers were asked to examine the wire on their fronts with their binoculars to check on this practice.

On another night, I went out with my batman and we saw some posts, which seemed to be about 20 feet apart as we went over a ridge. I thought that they were part of a fence line, but the next night I received an order from OC Company to take a small armed patrol to observe the wire at a point that we called 'Seek'. This was the very place, where I had seen what I thought were posts. I said to my Sergeant, "We must wait to see if they get up, then we will know that they are just watching our movements." Suddenly, the posts were there – they had just stood up.

Only last night, I had passed between them and they never gave their position away, so I told the Sergeant that I would take a Lewis gun and fire just one burst of fire across them from the flank. I asked him to keep a sharp lookout. I ran myself out of breath to get there quickly, just one breath, then I pressed the trigger, and in a moment the posts had disappeared. My Sergeant should have dashed forward, but he was content to stay where he was. When I got back to him, I said, "Sergeant, they were silent watches, but we were a bit too early for them tonight." When we got back the OC asked, "What was the firing?" So I explained the case.

We cleaned up the trenches and dugouts in readiness for our relief. We would be in reserve for a week in a separate dugout, with our own cook, who was a real whiz at devising tasty dishes from army rations. To augment the rations, I would go out to pick berries of different kinds, which the cook would mix with red wine for a nice change. However, we did not enjoy that for long.

I received an order to report to Colonel Harris at the Police Station Istrani. I collected my valise and batman and we caught the first lorry, with Italian driver, down the mountain. The hairpin bends scared us and the several other NCOs, who were with us. On arrival at the bottom I felt quite giddy. We met the Colonel, who announced that we were to organise a Bombing Course of ten days. We took over the best available rooms and chose a paddock for parade and training. We worked out a syllabus and asked for several NCO instructors and I was to act as Adjutant to the OC. We also had an officer to take charge of billeting.

In a few days, officers and NCOs arrived for instruction. The bombing trenches were fixed up. My first duty was to have all personnel drawn up on parade for the OC's inspection and introductory remarks. All went well, but I remember one morning, complaining of a stiff neck and shoulders. I thought that it was the result of bomb throwing; however, it turned out to be 'mountain sickness', which was affecting thousands of men. It was really a type of influenza, which had spread throughout the world. Fortunately, I soon got better and carried on.

On our tenth day, we received a message, "Close down the course at once, all personnel join units as quickly as possible; there is a possibility of enemy attack." We were all rushed back to our units in lorries, though the urgency had abated. I was back with my company and was instructed to train thirty NCOs and men to devise methods of attacking a hill, which was in the Asiago Valley. It was surrounded by wire and defended by enemy machine guns. We would have an artillery barrage for a few minutes to flatten out the wire, and then our duty was to dash up and take the position, Sugar Loaf Hill, to use for our defence.

For several days we practised this on a similar hill behind our lines. Zero hour for attack was arranged, but on the night before our attack was to start, the Germans and Austrians opened up a shattering barrage of heavy, light and gas shells, the alarm was sounded and we went to our posts, as instructed in such a case. The attack went on all night, necessitating us taking cover behind small hills. Dawn was just breaking, when I was instructed to take charge of two platoons and go down to Brigade Headquarters, to report to the Brigade Major, to assist in their defence.

I intended to dash down a long valley, but gas bombs had been dropped there, so I guided the men at a double up the spur, and we ran the risk of shrapnel injuries. They had their gas haversacks in position, but I hesitated to give the 'gas' command, because I wanted them to take cover along a high ridge a few metres away. We made it, but we were out of breath. I quickly reviewed the situation. The enemy shelling became worse, so I left the men under cover, under charge of Lieutenant Assinder, while I went to Brigade HQ, which was about 200 metres away. On my way there, I saw two of our gun crews blown to bits by direct hits, and I hurried into a strong point trench system, which overlooked a large area of the Asiago Valley.

The valley was about 20 kilometres in length. The strong point was about a kilometre back from the Gelpack front trench. I reported to the Brigade Major and told him that I had been sent, at his request, by the Battalion OC of the Royal Warwicks to give protection to Brigade HQ. The Brigadier General was in a very excitable state, and cursed and raved. He told me to wait by the Artillery Observation Officer in the OP. The General asked, "Why can't you get the guns in action?" The officers replied, "All our forward guns are out of action, we cannot get any contact at all!" The officers left.

At that moment, I was watching the enemy front through my binoculars, and noticed a few enemy soldiers running down towards our lines. The officer used his telescope and noted the same. They wore no arms, and we could not decide if they were deserters. However, we knew in a few minutes. It was the commencement of a battle between the French/British Divisions and the German/Austrian Divisions, which had been greatly strengthened by troops from the Russian front, after the Russian soldiers had refused to fight. From the other side of the Asiago Valley on the enemy side, we could see, doubling towards our lines, thousands of Austro-German soldiers in single file and about 200 metres apart.

At that point, I was instructed by the Brigade Major to take up a position to give protection to Brigade HQ. I went quickly to my platoons and soon had them in position, taking cover from behind large rocks with guns in position. At that moment, one of our planes flew quite low to ascertain where the British troops were. I stood up and waved my cap; he regained height above the ground as quickly as possible, spiralling upwards. By that time, enemy soldiers had broken into our front trench system, but just as quickly, our heavy and medium batteries came into action. It was terrific, wholesale murder, with shells exploding everywhere, maiming and destroying thousands – it was a terrible sight. I could see some of our officers, NCOs and men being marched back as prisoners to the Austrian lines. We were ready to bring our machine guns into action in readiness for counter attack. In ten minutes, the heavy and medium batteries had changed from shrapnel to gas and high explosives into our own front line. That put a stop to any further advance of the enemy, but they still occupied our front line.

I received a message from the Major asking me to draw some bombs from Brigade, and to go down to the front line and liquidate a double storied barn, which was being used by enemy machine guns. We manoeuvred into position, and fired several rifle grenades into the barn, which set it on fire. As it burned down, I sent a message to the Brigadier Major, "Shall I take my troops down from Brigade support to clear the trench?" I received the OK immediately and we approached at the double to the Gelpack trench, where we saw the sacking curtain, which hid the entrance. I said, "Right, follow me!" I tore the curtain aside to see enemy soldiers. I shouted, "Hands up!" "Handë Hoch!" and they trooped out. What a shock - over 100 hundred prisoners filed out!

I put several NCOs and men under Lieutenant Assinder to take them to Brigade HQ with a message to say that we would mop up the trench and send any further prisoners to Brigade. Major Partridge, from Battalion HQ, arrived and supervised the crossroads. We pushed on along the trench, such a terrible scene outside a dressing station, where there were scores of bodies, torn and blown apart, and many had the clothing completely blown from their bodies. There were many wounded, both our own men and prisoners. We put on small lookout guards, while we used all available personnel to help with the wounded. The medical officers set up a dressing station on the cross-roads, so that we could clear the trenches. The other two platoons came down to complete company strength, but we were short in officer personnel. I asked for help from the reserve troops, to enable us to bury the dead. The task took nearly two days.

It is always astounding to see the behaviour of troops, once 'hors de combat', or out of action, immediately giving away cigarettes and chocolates with the animosity of war completely gone. The reserves assisted greatly to clean up the trench system so that we could consolidate our position from sudden attack. During the first night after battle we could hear many calling out for help, but it was too dark and dangerous to locate them as they were in 'no-man's-land' outside the wires. When it became light we ventured out to look. We still had three Lieutenants and the Captain, so it was a little easier to organise our work and training. The officers had two hours on and six hours off. The job was monotonous and tiresome, but it had to be done. We had to be fully dressed to move out at a minutes notice. Every 50 metres we had a lookout guard, both night and day.

During the night I had two soldiers to accompany me from guard to guard as I made my rounds of duty in the darkness at the edge of this forest of pines. The main reason was to keep the sentries alert when on duty. Our barbed wire entanglements needed repairs, but like me, the men were very tired. Still the night visits had to be kept going and I always had a few words of encouragement for the sentries and NCOs as I passed along.

The time for relief came, and if the officer was not awake, I gave him a shake, told him to shake a leg, and I sat down in his place to fall asleep. We had no bunks. I was glad when day dawned. Everyone had to stand too. Conditions were very grim; no wash, no shave or rations, everything was in disorder. However, the battle had been in our favour all along the Asiago front, but it was the cleaning up that took the time.

I reported to the OC and asked if he could do something about rations. I also told him that we had heard cries for help during the night. He asked me to take a patrol and investigate. We found six men, with leg and arm wounds. I sent back for more men to bring stretchers, because two of them had to be carried. We could not talk to them, but we did our best to get them to the dressing station. When we got back to the trench we found that some hot tea and biscuits had arrived. We gave the wounded men a hot drink, too. That cheered them up, and the bearers, who were taking them to the medical set-up at the crossroads. We busied ourselves, cleaning up the terrific disorder. Amidst all the chaos, the OC received a message to attack and investigate the ridge on our left front.

The OC sent me to investigate and get some idea of the situation while he organised the personnel. When I arrived back, I suggested that we have three groups of thirty men under an officer. I suggested the OC take the right flank, I take the centre and Lieutenant Assinder take the left. I explained to Lieutenant Assinder that it was vital for his group to push on quickly as soon as we, from the centre group, had made contact. Everyone understood what was wanted. We advanced up the round hill in extended order. Very soon, we were in contact and were sending prisoners to the rear, some of them we found in square holes about five or six feet deep. Then we came under fire from enemy machine guns and I sent a message to Lieutenant Assinder to move quickly while I attacked the strong point.

In a few minutes we were in some kind of trench, and we proceeded along it as we were bombing and shooting. I could also hear that the OC was also engaged on the right. The left group did not move up quickly enough, and that made our advance in the centre more difficult. Eventually, my group put the offending machine gun out of action, so that we could retire back to cover and regroup. This was successful, but unfortunately, Lieutenant Assinder and several of his men had been wounded. We had reached our objective. Captain Williams had also retired through a depression on the right. We went back to our lines with about thirty prisoners and destroyed several machine guns. We got our wounded men back, also the officer, Lieutenant Assinder, who had a back wound, which was the most serious injury, and sent them to the dressing station.

We heard later that the Lieutenant had died, but the wounds of the men were minor. The OC sent in a report to Headquarters, and we were informed that the Brigadier and Battalion OC had both observed our attack from the high ridge overlooking the area. It was sad to lose Lieutenant Assinder, who was a very conscientious officer. In the midst of all this, the OC, Captain Williams, had to be taken to the dressing station, severely ill with 'mountain sickness' and was evacuated to the plains with quite a number of other personnel.

The situation in the company became worse because both rations and sleep were hard to obtain. We were a scruffy outfit, unshaven, unwashed, tattered and torn and we had only received very meagre rations, but still we kept the line intact although we were all very tired and battle-worn. I sent an urgent message to Headquarters, asking for assistance as Salmonds and I were now on 4 hours on duty, 4 hours off, and I didn't know how much longer we could keep going.

At 0800 hours, I was engaged on my visiting rounds, while Salmonds rested. To my surprise, I saw the Battalion OC coming towards me with his walking stick. I saluted and we shook hands. He had three orderlies with him. He congratulated us all on the great effort of maintaining the line under most difficult circumstances, but hoped that, from that point on, the position would improve. I escorted him along the frontage to the right flank and I explained to him that this group was responsible for keeping contact with the French on our flank, and that my NCOs and men had carried out their duties magnificently.

On our way back, we saw Lieutenant Salmonds, who was sleeping in a sitting position, in a hole in the wall of the trench. He had asked me to let him sleep on the old sacks and rags that we had collected to sit on. I saw the OC to the left of my front and told him that I hoped he could do something, soon, to relieve the situation. About ten minutes later, just as I was about to continue my trench routine, after having told my men that we could soon expect help, the Commanding Officer appeared on the scene. "Lycette," he said, "I have decided to come back to relieve you for a while, so that you can go back to HQ dugout, get a shave, wash and feed – you certainly need it after such an ordeal." He had sent a message to the Adjutant to let him know that he would stay in the front line until an officer could be sent to relieve him. I said, "I don't know where the HQ is." He turned to the Sergeant, who was with him and said, "Take this officer to the HQ mess, then report back to me."

The Sergeant walked with me up a rocky valley for about a kilometre. He introduced me to a soldier, named Gutteridge, who was a cook orderly, who was at once sympathetic and obliging. I said, "Give me a cup of hot tea first, then all else can follow." He made me at ease with his charm, gave me hot water and soap and a cut-down kerosene tin, in which I washed my hands and scrubbed off the blood and mud of a weeks accumulation.

I washed and douched my head and face and it was wonderful to feel the delightful freshness of the hot and cold douches. I looked down at my clothes, puttees and pants all muddy and torn and uniform in rags. "Breakfast all ready, Sir!" "Thank you a thousand times, Gutteridge!" I don't remember whether it was bacon and eggs, or bacon and tomatoes, but I really enjoyed eating and drinking for those refreshing few minutes. I knew nothing else from that time until noon, when I was awakened by the Adjutant and the Doctor, and the cook, who stood nearby. I had consumed half my breakfast, pushed it to one side and had fallen asleep with my head and arms on the table. I could see instantly that they were sorry for me. Gutteridge gave me a small mirror to have a glance – gosh! – I looked like the 'Wild Man from Borneo'. Just as well that I had that wash before breakfast.

The Doctor said, "Take off your puttees and trousers, so that I can see what wounds you have." I had several on my legs and arms. The Doctor said to Gutteridge, "Try and rig something, so that he can have a wash down, then bring him to my tent and I will give him a tetanus injection." I thanked them all and in a few minutes I was washing myself down and shaving with a borrowed razor. The orderly gave me a pair of his own trousers as mine were beyond repair. I didn't bother about puttees until I got my kit in the Company Stores. I went to the medical tent, where the Doctor plied me with a whisky first, and we had a little talk. He told what a terrible time they had in trying to clear and evacuate the casualties in the ambulances and lorries to the hospital on the plains. He said that he was more satisfied once I had received the injection and would see me later. I really felt 'on top of the world'.

The Medical Officer had chosen a very good site for his tents. They were just below the crest line, and what a delight it was to look across those famous Italian plains. However, I had to turn my eyes and footsteps to the east and go back to HQ. It looked a very humble hole, yet a few hours previously, it had looked a haven of delight and rest. I met a smiling Gutteridge, who said, "Well, Sir, you look a thousand times better than you did when I saw you coming up the creek this morning. I never saw a more pitiful-looking object!"

I told him of our experiences in the battle and the horrors of the maimed and charred bodies, the wounded men of both sides, lying disabled. I told him of the work of the stretcher-bearers, who carried the wounded and dying to the medical tent for treatment and evacuation. I also told him of the burying of over a hundred souls, no matter which side, who would fight no more. And of the cleaning and maintenance of the front trench and the strengthening of the wires, etc; the continual patrolling by officers and men, who, under such trying conditions, kept going, without a wash or shave, and no rations for several days. He was astounded at what had happened during those days of chaos and slaughter.

The cook had prepared a simple lunch and the Adjutant and the Doctor invited me to join them. I said that I was anxious to go back to the line and asked if he would do something about seeing that we had regular rations. He told me that they had already had hot food, but would be relieved by a fully organised Company in two days. I thanked them all for hospitality and advice, and begged to be excused. Whenever I saw Gutteridge on following occasions, I was never allowed to forget that incident.

I arrived, refreshed and invigorated, back at the front line, ready to lead and help my comrades in arms. By their smiles I could tell that they were happy to see me again. I was equally pleased to see them, because we had been bloodied together by the battle that we had all been through.

The Colonel had stayed for hours in the line, but Major Partridge, from Headquarters had taken over during my absence. Another officer had also joined us, Lieutenant Freer. Mr Salmonds had also managed a shave and wash. A field kitchen had been established quite near the front line. Pine trees had been cut down, branches lopped off, and the troops had built a long wall and partial shelter, which was very serviceable. As we had only one more day and night there, we were cleaning up in order to leave the area clean and tidy. On my last turn as trench officer, I had told the NCOs and men that I had arranged for hot water to be sent with the rations, because I wanted them all to be shaven. We also did some of the groundwork to build a headquarters and a mess, but the time had passed quickly and the day arrived when we would go into the reserve area.

The battle, which had been fought with such great ferocity on both sides, had ceased. The British and French Divisions had met with great success against the German-Austro troops. Many of them had been drawn from the Russian front, where the Russians had thrown down their arms. Over 2,500 prisoners had been taken in the Asiago Valley by our combined Divisions.

The new Company arrived and our NCOs and officers were explaining all the details of the front line. We were taken back to the reserve area, where we had more room to move around, better shelters, but still plenty of duties. The roads and tracks on the plateau had been greatly improved, with bigger and better signs to guide us to different places along the front.

On one sign was painted an owl, with the inscription:

"A wise old owl sat in an oak; the more he heard, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard; I ask you soldiers to imitate that wise old bird."

It was much easier for working parties to carry out their duties more quickly. Cooking and washing facilities had been improved, and ablutions and latrines had been erected. Rations were issued at regular intervals. The front was quiet, with the exception of probing raids made to obtain information. For a while, it was just a matter of maintenance, supervision and training. After the forced marches across the Italian plains and climbing the rugged mountains, ranging to 12,000 feet, to battle with the enemy, we, at last, saw signs of a restful period. There were several weeks of snow-clad mountains, but we soon became acclimatised. Working parties were busy, unloading shells and carrying to the batteries to build up stocks. They were just below the crest on the Italian side.

An episode occurred on our fourth week in reserve. I had a detail to do with NCOs and thirty men. We had to carry shells from a fairly large platform, where they had been placed after having been brought up from the plains by lorries. On this day, it was our duty to carry the shells to the guns. Two men with a sling carried one shell, resting when necessary. We walked along a well-worn track, which could not be mistaken.

###  DISTINGUISHED VISITOR

At about 1100 hours, we saw two officers climbing up to the track, one was small and slim, and the other was tall and well-covered. I recognised the Prince of Wales at once, but the other officer, who came up, panting, I did not know. The Prince jokingly called out, "Come on!" I'm not sure whether he said 'Batty' or 'Fatty', but it turned out to be his Aide, Mountbatten. I called the men to attention, but he said at once, "No, sit down, please." I said to him, "Lieutenant Lycette, Sir." He shook hands with me and introduced Major Mountbatten, his Aide. I explained that we were carrying shells to keep up the supplies for the guns. The Prince said, "What a hell of a job!"

Then he shook hands with every NCO and men and offered them a cigarette from his case. When they were gone, he called on Mountbatten to open his case, too. He stayed with us for about ten minutes, asking the men all kinds of questions and then he asked me to direct him to Headquarters. I told them to follow the track back to the ammunition dump, and then enquire from the officer in charge. They turned to go and said, "Cheerio!" All the party stood up and waved, "Cheerio, Sir, and good luck."

I'm sure it was a great thrill and stimulant for all of us, and had happened so suddenly. It certainly gave them something to talk about, and to write home about. Of course, when we told the gunners, they would not believe us. I remember, when censoring letters during the next few days, that they had quite long stories to tell of this incident to their home folk. When the officers met at out Company Mess that evening, they heard the men talking about it, and asked me what had happened. The Company OC had met the Prince and Major Mountbatten for a few minutes at HQ, but was surprised when I told him of our experience. I said to him, that of course, this was an incident which would not be forgotten for many a day.

### BACK TO WORK

After a few more days in reserve, we were back to the line again for our spell of seven days. We marched down in fours as far as possible, 'all spick and span, with a few tins of jam', but where the track narrows, we marched two by two. We saw the owl sign, which almost shouted, 'who, who, who? We followed in single file down to the Gelpack, where we soon occupied the line. The OC, Captain Williams was back again, also other officers, who had been stricken by the 'flu. The trench roster was fixed, with an officer on duty at all time to patrol his frontage, to check on sentries and see that everyone performed his duty. If rations arrived during his tour, he must see that they were issued fairly and properly. If any patrol approached or left our trench, he was to inspect the Officer's, or NCO's permit.

The front was quiet that afternoon and I was on my tour of duty. On the left, our trench ran over a ridge, and could be observed by the enemy. I saw one of the men on the top of the trench, and shouted to him, "Do you think that you are transparent?" He said, "No, Sir, I have no parents." "Well," I said, "don't let me ever see you up there in daylight again! What is your name?" "Picknall," he replied. He was a man of small stature and I asked, "What do you do in civilian life?" He told me that he was an apprentice jockey at Wootton Stables, which was very popular in horse-racing circles at that time. He always smiled when I saw him after that.

We were on our fifth day back in the line, and all was quiet. I was always interested when I saw the little messenger dog making his way to our Headquarters. I spoke to him, but he just wagged his tail and continued on to deliver his message.

### HOUSEKEEPING

While we were in the line that time, we had men working on the Company Mess and dugout. The size was increased and we built five bunks and a table from material we scrounged, in army language. We also obtained a few boxes, so that we did not have to sit on the bunks all the time. It was cleaned out and disinfected by the orderly every day.

On another day, the little dog came along when we had just had our tea at 1500 hours. The OC was to send an officer, with six to eight men, to investigate an area in "no-man's-land", between two map references, which were given in the message. We were to ascertain the formation of the enemy wire entanglement and to check on any prepared holes in the ground. It was really Lieutenant Freer's turn to go, but he looked so nervous, and said that he did not know the front. I asked the OC if he would let me take the patrol and let Freer do my tour of trench duty. I was conversant with the whole of our front, so I asked Freer to see the Sergeant, and tell him to detail six men for this duty. Eventually Captain Williams agreed to do this, and I looked up my map references and made a small plan of them. I told the OC that I would leave our wire at 1800 hours. "OK," was his reply.

I had about thirty minutes to finalise my plan. I left the dugout to see the Duty Sergeant, and told him to get the men who were to accompany me on the patrol. He said that they were with Lieutenant Freer. I said, "Bring them here as soon as possible, as I have only twenty minutes to be ready." When they arrived I said, "You are coming with me on a short patrol." The Sergeant was a coloured man, who was very efficient. Lieutenant Freer appeared and I told him I was taking the patrol, and that he was to do my tour of trench duty until I returned. I told him to report to the OC Company.

I wanted to speak to the patrol for a few minutes before leaving the wire at the appointed time. I had fifteen minutes. The men seemed quite disturbed, which puzzled me. Sergeant Reading said, "Sir, the other officer told them to write the brief green letter cards home, because they were really going into it!" I said to Sergeant Reading and the men, "It is nonsense; tear up your letter forms and get your gear quickly – battle order. We have to leave the wire at 1800 hours."

Just then, a salvo of shells screeched and exploded in front of the wires, so I kept the men under cover for a few minutes until it was quiet again. We hurried through the wire and I guided them to cover. We crawled up to a position where we could view the enemy wire system. I said to Sergeant Reading, "It is safer and better for me to do this alone. Will you keep a sharp watch on my movements? I will carry out this investigation as quickly as possible. I will join you later, no talking whatsoever!" I glanced at my pocket plan. I got to the left reference point and memorised the aprons of wire set out, then had to return to cover. I approached the right reference point carefully, sketched a few outlines and returned to my patrol. It had taken about forty minutes of tension and care.

The Sergeant said that he had seen flickers of light in the middle distance, so I told him to take three men back in the direction that we had come, say 200 metres, while I kept a lookout with the others, to see if there was any movement. Fortunately, we were early. We had seen no sign of movement, so we doubled back to the others. Just then, a machine gun opened up short bursts on the right front. I let them have a rest before we approached the wire. Just as we were getting near cover, several shrapnel shells exploded some way off. But we were near enough to be in the danger zone. Two of the patrol were wounded, one in the arm and leg, the other in the back. We moved forward and another salvo of shells burst out. We had all made it, but one of our men had fallen and got caught with shrapnel in his leg. It was my unfortunate friend, Picknall, so the Sergeant and I went and carried him through the wire.

I sent one of the soldiers to get two stretcher-bearers with a stretcher at the double. Before taking him to the dressing station, I said, "Well, Picknall, I want a few particulars about parents' names and address." He said, "I have no parents, Sir." I was reminded of the very words he had said only a few days prior. He gave me the address of Wootton, his last employer. I said, "It's only a minor wound, but it will get you to the hospital on the plains." I wished him good luck.

The Sergeant had already taken the other five back to the lines. I reported to the OC at 0030 hours. I gave him details of my investigation, which he forwarded to the OC Battalion. He said that he could not understand the shelling, "we have had none for days." I said, "We will have to make a thorough inspection of our wires to be sure that the Germans have no listening balls on the wires." I told him that I was sorry that Picknall had received a slight shrapnel wound to the leg. I arranged for the Sergeant and patrol to have hot coffee and a dash of rum. I always liked to do that when returning from patrol as it enabled the men to sleep after the tension and strain of battle.

The next day, we were relieved and we went into reserve. I went to the Medical Officer for advice, as I had knocked out two of my top front teeth, when I ran into a board in the dark after a shell flash the previous night. He told me that a dental hospital had recently been opened on the plains. I reported to him two days later to hear of the arrangements, and he gave me a certificate, which stated that I needed dental attention. I was allowed seven days leave. I was at Battalion Orderly Room next day to catch a ride in an ambulance, which would take us. My word, what an experience that was, going down those sharp, hairpin bends. I was quite giddy when we arrived. The name of the place was Istrana, a nice little settlement with a few shops. I reported to the officer in charge. He sent me to my tent with an orderly, who showed me around the camp. I was to report at 0900 hours next morning, so I had time to walk around. It was fairly cold at night, so I asked for an extra blanket.

Next morning I was up early and called at the dental office, where they gave me some medicine to gargle my throat and mouth. The dentist took a mould of my mouth, also the measurements of my teeth. It was very awkward when he pressed them in. The dentist told me to come to his surgery in the morning and he would fit both top and bottom teeth. The two teeth were fixed in my upper jaw and worked quite well. It was a bit awkward giving commands like "Slope Arms!" but I soon got used to it. I went for a trip to Castelfranco, a very interesting place, also to Vicenza, which was quite a large town. I got a lift up the mountains and reported for duty the next day. There was still plenty of work to be done in reserve.

After four months in the mountains, we were sent down to the plains to Castagnolia, a very picturesque town. It was supposed to be a rest period in readiness to go down to the Piave River area, so we had football and all kinds of games as well as training. After a while we began to have competitions between units and brigades. I had been doing runs up to three miles and was fairly fit. One day we received a message from Division asking units to choose their best runner to represent them at the Division sports. It was very sudden and we did not have much time to prepare. I represented the 6th Warwicks at Division and won the race and this gave me a trip to Rome to compete in the International Games. I was granted fourteen days leave and caught the train at Padua, which was crowded with troops. I met three other officers and we travelled together.

### ROME

When we got to Bologna, the Prince of Wales boarded the train. He was travelling with the Countess of Italy, who was also going to Rome. Later, while we were playing cards, he paid us a visit, shaking hands with us all and asked where we were going. I told him that I was competing at the Games and he wished me luck. He said he wished that he had a free leg like we had. When we arrived in Rome we saw where the ladies had arranged the welcome for the Prince and the Countess, and had laid a carpet of flowers for them to walk on. They seemed reluctant to walk on them. We left them to it and caught a taxi for the Hotel Bristol, which we had heard was patronised the English-speaking French and Italian patrons. We claimed our rooms, got to know the way around, and I went with my three cobbers to see the city of Rome.

Rome, known as the City of Seven Hills, where parts of the old Roman civilisation still remain, is very picturesque, with its topographical undulating features. The beautiful parks and public gardens soften the contrast of the large historical buildings to enhance the landscape. Naturally, there was much to see and it was difficult to know where to start looking. However, next to our hotel was a large open gateway through the old walls, so we followed that path down to the large public park with magnificent trees and shrubs until we came to a large, long building. That was the Art Gallery and we had a quick look around. I returned there three times, because it was not far from our hotel. We passed a very large school, where young men were being educated and trained to be priests.

As we passed through the grounds, I noticed all kinds of statues, depicting the great musicians and artists of Europe and great men of the past ages. We came to a long elevated structure with a concrete or stone fence about a metre high. At each side, say 100 metres, there were stone steps. It was a most convenient place to look down on to one of Rome's many famous squares. There was a fountain with its high spray of water, and several statues including the White Horse. While the other officers went their way, I went to see the secretary, who was responsible for the organising of the sports and games. He introduced me to the grounds custodian, whom I found to be very friendly. He walked around the track with me. I was particularly interested in the magnificent statues standing back from the track and surrounding the oval. He also showed me the dressing room and massage rooms, which was useful. I returned to the secretary's office and he gave me tickets and details. I gave him my hotel card and telephone number, so that he could contact me if necessary.

The Games were being opened by Sir Ronald Rodd, the British Ambassador. The next two days, I went alone to get in some training and massage. Every day, there were athletes arriving from different countries and it was educational to see the diverse methods of training. The USA Air Officers were the youngest group, and had only recently joined the conflict. They were mostly in training. On most days, after I had my run and shower, I walked around sightseeing, St Peter's Basilica, The Vatican, which I visited three times, The Colosseum, the old Roman Baths and the Temple of Agrippa. It was all so very interesting. Sometimes I had lunch in the City, and other times I would walk back to the hotel, seeing much along the way. I remember one day buying some tapestries for 11 lira each, sent three home and kept three. They still hang on the walls of our home. We have only two: Historical Rome, and the Slave Girls in Pompeii; the third one was spoiled.

When I tired of walking and sightseeing, I would sit in the large entrance hall of the hotel and watch the people passing by, sometimes dressed in their 'glad rags'. It was there that I met an Italian lady one afternoon. She was very tall and graceful, and had a daughter as I learned the next day. She asked if I had been on the Italian front, up north, and I said that I had. She told me that her husband was a General in the Italian Army, but was currently a prisoner of war in Austria. She had been staying there for several weeks. She would have been about 45 years of age.

Later in the afternoon, she introduced me to her daughter, a flashing young girl, about 19 or 20. They invited me to go with them to the opera that night, but I told them that I was competing in the International Sports the next day. I invited them to come with me to the Sports, but they were not keen. They suggested the next night for the opera, which I accepted with pleasure. We had many talks, sometimes in the entrance hall, and sometimes in the lounge. When the officers came in for dinner that night they asked me who the ladies were, and I said that, as yet, I wasn't sure. The officers had been with some of the USA Air officers and had been having cocktails in the hotel nearby, and were well-primed. I said that I would not be going out tonight, as I wanted to be up early, so I contented myself with watching people going to and fro' – one of my favourite pastimes.

Thursday came and I was anxious to get it over. Low, Finlay and Bennett accompanied me and we hired a taxi from the hotel to the grounds, so that I could show them around. I left them to watch the horse-jumping, while I went to get ready. I reported to the track steward, who took me to the secretary's office and he gave me my number. I gave myself a gentle massage, but, of course, we did not have the very useful zip suits, which the athletes slip on these days. They are able to keep their muscles soft and warm, until just before they start their event.

It was a hot day, and we had to wait until 3pm, the time for our event, I watched a few of the other events. Eventually the time came for the 'three mile' event and there must have been about 20 of us. "Get to your marks! Ready, Go!" And we were off. I kept up with the front group all the way. It was not a fast race and no one seemed eager to force the pace, but I gradually warmed up and went to the front two laps from home, but I could not maintain the speed in the last fifty yards. I was overtaken by the American airman and a Czech officer. However, it was a good race and I enjoyed it. While other races were taking place, we were presented with our medals by Lady Rodd, the Ambassador's wife. She invited us all to a party and dance in the evening, but I did not attend as I had already arranged to go with the Italian lady and her daughter to the opera.

### THE OPERA

After dinner I put on my best uniform and met them in the main hall. I felt embarrassed, because they were both tall and looked very charming in their evening dresses, and carried silk cloaks. The taxi was waiting outside and we left the hotel at about 8.30pm. The trip to the opera house took only a few minutes, so they showed me around. It was beautiful, spacious and very convenient. They had a box reserved for one night every week and it was in a good position. The programme book was very neat and was printed in English and Italian. There was a copy on each seat in the box. It was the first time I had seen a real opera and I enjoyed it very much; the singing and acting was wonderful. The house was not very crowded. I kept the programme for a long time, but eventually it was mislaid with a number of other souvenirs. We had refreshment at a café near to the hotel and it was midnight when we got back. The night porter greeted us and asked if we required attention. After a few minutes in the entrance hall, I thanked the ladies for the splendid evening's entertainment. I had enjoyed it immensely in such charming company.

The next morning the coffee girl knocked at the door and came in with coffee and biscuit. I asked her if the other officers were awake, and she said, "Yes". As we had arranged to be up early I went to their room and we arranged for a guide, who suggested places that we should visit, such as the Art Gallery. We had been there once, but would like to see it again. He was a very good commentator and explained places and other particular items of note. Of course, wherever one goes in Rome, there are always interesting features. Another place he took us was the Catacombs, which were extremely fascinating. There were miles of tunnels running underground at various levels from the surface. We went to a small office, where we paid a few lire and a bearded monk took charge. He had several languages at his command, but on this occasion he spoke mostly English. He told us that the early Christians used to live, eat and sleep in the tunnels to avoid being tortured and persecuted by the Roman soldiers. The guided tour took about two hours, and once we were again in daylight the men had a smoke.

We decided to dismiss the guide until 8.30am the next day. The rest of the day we wandered about, having tea in town and went to a show, some kind of night club and dance hall. There were already American and French soldiers in attendance, and we were guided to a table. Very soon, four scantily-clad painted ladies came to sit with us. The attendant came with his little book and took our order. Of course, the girls chose the wine, and we enjoyed the evening's fun of dancing and singing. Bennett and I left about 11pm and the others followed about midnight. They were not impressed with the look of the place.

Next day, we rose early to bathe and shave in time for an early breakfast. We set out with the guide and saw the Pope's Guards being mounted and moved on to the Vatican, an enormous building, not high but spread out over ten acres. It would really take weeks to see all the works of art, which had come from many lands, making it one of the greatest collections of wonderful and priceless treasures. I went again several times alone to visit the Vatican, because it was very interesting.

When we went to St Peter's Basilica, we were told by a newspaperman that the Pope would appear on the steps that afternoon to bless the crowd assembled in the large circle. He directed us to a good vantage point, where we would get a close view of the Pope. At about 3pm the Pope appeared, heralded by a fanfare of trumpets. He was a very pale, sickly-looking man, who did not mix much with his people in the general congregation outside of the church. He was, more or less, a prisoner in the Vatican City. We ventured inside the Cathedral, and were awed by the size and height of the interior. I was most interested in the wonderful work of Michelangelo, the large dome and the works of the great masters. It was all so beautiful, and difficult to find the words to describe them briefly.

We went to the underground vaults and chambers below the church, where we saw cloaks and vestments in cases with the names of the Popes who wore them. Magnificently embroidered with precious stones, they had come down through the ages of the church. We went up again into the church and stood under that most wonderful dome. Directly beneath the floor level is the crypt of St Peter. The architecture is sublime and displays many different kinds of marble. I think it is in the tomb of St Peter, where on a large pillar nearby is a statue of St Peter, in sitting position, that devout Catholics kiss his toe on leaving the building. I noticed that half the toe had worn away from the kissing.

We dismissed the guide and found our own way back to our hotel. Next day, we went with some American officers to the Colosseum. It was dirty and smelly. A few interesting items on the Colosseum of Rome: it seated about 45,000 spectators when in use, which is small compared with the stadiums of these days. It was called the Flavian Amphitheatre for about seven centuries. Its height was 160 feet and it covered six acres of ground. During a single show commemorating the thousandth anniversary of Rome, 2,000 gladiators fought, and hundreds of animals were killed. After the arena was abandoned, lightning and earthquakes damaged it and hundreds of years later man plundered the ruins for building materials. To prevent the complete destruction Pope Benedict XIV made it a Christian shrine in 1750.

We went to the old Roman Baths, which were very high and large. The whole place was cleaned by the slaves and when they wanted to test the water they would throw in a slave. We went down the truly historic Appian Way, past the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the Via di Porta Sebastiano. To the right are the famous Baths of Caracalla, which were opened in the year 217 of the Roman Era. The huge ruins give some idea of their amazing splendour and the luxurious accommodation for about 1,600 bathers at one time. It is stated that a good square mile was needed to embrace the baths themselves, the surrounding gardens, the field for gymnastic exercises, plus the theatre, the library, conference rooms, picture galleries and anything else that might allure the Romans of that day.

We went along to the Temple of Agrippa. Its walls were built of bricks and mortar and were about 10 feet thick at the base and became narrower with height. It had a very large dome with its centre open to the elements. It was in a good state of preservation at the time. I don't think that there is another city, which has so much to offer the student, or ordinary person for that matter, who are interested in all the things of the past and present down through the centuries. The Italians have been noted in all the countries of Europe and elsewhere for their sterling craftsmanship and in architecture and painting. They are a very clever and gifted, yet excitable, race and the world would be a much poorer place without them.

I still had five days of my leave left, so I decided to go to Naples, but the others stayed in Rome. I caught the early morning train and arrived in Naples at 11am. It is still quite a distance from the 'toe' of Italy. On the first day, I walked around and noted the sanitary arrangements, which were really crude and dirty at that time. In the slums it was just like the slums in other large cities, degrading filth and grime. The streets were high and narrow and in some places you could see the washing hanging out for the whole length of the street. Mostly, I kept to the main street, but I went to the railway station to check the time of the train for Pompeii. I booked into a comfortable hotel in a nice quarter of the city, and caught a train from the hotel to the railway, where there was quite a crowd at the station.

Vesuvius is always a menacing sight, sometimes belching much steam and smoke. We passed some areas where the result could be seen of other volcanic upheavals and lava flow down the mountainsides covered all in its path. It was in one of those big eruptions of Vesuvius, about 10½ centuries previously, that the gay and sports-loving town of Pompeii was completely covered by lava and the greater part of its population was destroyed. It must have been buried for a long time before excavations were begun.

Some of the lava had set like granite of different types and hardness and was used for making kerbs and slabs for paving the paths and streets of Naples. Of course, the old town of Pompeii has been excavated, leaving the walls standing but without roofs. The layout of the baths, a small collosseum and meeting houses were very interesting. The streets are narrow and all paved with small and large stones. The houses were built more on the bungalow style, with a number of rooms. Slave girls were employed in most homes. Many interesting features could be seen, including door knobs, measures, glass etc. However, a visit to the Museum at Naples was necessary to see on display all the articles that were used in that era. The guide explained the methods of excavation, which were slow and crude and also told us of the people, who used to live or visit there. It was a place of leisure and pleasure. I spent several hours there and returned by train to Naples and my hotel by 4.30pm and prepared for dinner.

I wrote a few letters and then went to a Concert Hall with two officers from the hotel. There was good singing and dancing, and we were asked to sing 'Tipperary' and other war songs, and everyone joined in. It was difficult to leave, but we managed to be home by 11pm. I began the early morning with a nice walk around a bay with beautiful buildings on the terraced hillsides. I returned for breakfast, before departing for the station and the morning train for Rome, arriving by lunchtime. The other officers had gone north the day previously.

Once again I saw the Italian lady with her daughter in the entrance hall. They were surprised, as they thought that I had left with the others. I invited them to join me for a cocktail before lunch, and I sat at their table for lunch. They both spoke English, and told me that they were leaving Rome in a few days for Genoa, where the daughter was taking up a position. I thanked them for their kindness to me during my stay in Rome and I hoped that her husband would soon return home to them.

I collected my luggage and caught the train, which would take me north. The train stopped for refreshment at Florence, which was a beautiful city, but I decided to go on to Padua (Padova), as I was due back the next day. The station was crowded with military personnel and I left my luggage at the station, taking a room at the nearest hotel. Padua was a nice town and I walked around the main square, which I would soon see again. To pass the time I went to the cinema. I arrived back at the hotel, which was quite pleasant, and I had a coffee and retired to bed. I arose a little later than usual and went to the station, where I went to the RTO to inquire if the Royal Warwicks Regiment was still at Legnago. He said he would find out and told me to call back in half an hour. He told me that the Regiment had gone to Castagnaro a few days previously. The next train for there would be leaving in half an hour, which would get me there at 1530 hours, all being well. I ate a light lunch and waited at the station. I had enjoyed my trip, but would be glad to be back with the boys.

We arrived mid-afternoon at Castagnaro, where I found that the RTO at Padua had contacted the Adjutant to advise him that I would be on the train. I saw a Warwicks corporal with a lorry, told him my name and he said that he had been told to expect me. He placed my luggage on his runabout lorry, which was loaded with other materials that he had picked up from the train. The CO and Adjutant were very friendly and asked me about the trip. They told the corporal to take me to our Company HQ, where I reported to Captain Wade. With him were Lieutenants Williams and Salmon and 2nd Lieutenant Somerville, who had recently been posted to the Company. They commented that they were supposed to be resting, but there was also plenty of training.

I asked about my billet and went to the orderly room, where Sergeant Reading said, "There are a couple of places nearby; meet Mr Somerville, our new officer; he will take you along." I was surprised to see such a large building. We rang the bell and, in a few moments, a man came to the door. I explained that I had just arrived to join my Regiment, and that I wished to have a room for a few days, if it was possible. He said at once that he was only the caretaker, and that the owner of the house was away on Government duty. He said that he and his wife looked after the place and it would be alright if I wanted a billet, as they had previously accommodated officers. Fortunately, they both spoke a little English and were very nice. The wife suggested that her husband show us around while she made coffee.

The place was immense, with about 25 rooms and four storeys. I realised that it would take a while to show me the whole place, and asked to see the rooms which I would occupy, and I could see the remainder another day. I also asked if my batman would be able to come to clean the room, my boots and buttons etc. and told him that I would introduce him later. The room he showed me was beautiful. It had two single beds, electric light and a bell to ring if I needed to call for anything. There were several large, beautiful paintings. Of course, I accepted this lovely room, with pleasure. After a quick coffee, I got back to collect my luggage and my batman so he could make himself acquainted with the place.

I went back to the mess, where dinner was at 1830 hours, and it was good to be back to the old procedure. The OC said that we were only here for a short time as we would gradually work our way down to the Montebelluna Sector on the River Piave. I returned early to my billet in order to fix my gear, and I introduced my batman to the caretaker. The owner of the building was a sculptor of some reputation, and in the lower rooms were dozens of statues of all kinds, which he had done in various shapes and sizes, including some smaller works. There were also beautiful paintings by Italian artists. I remember one of 'Dante's Inferno' as well as other spectacular works of that period.

I would rise at 0600 hours most mornings and the caretaker would appear with a coffee and biscuit. By 0630 I had my platoon out for a little run and a few exercises for awhile, until breakfast at 0730 and parade at 0830 hours for Captain Wade's inspection. If we didn't go for a short march until 1000 hours, we were separated to platoon training. One morning, the OC asked me if I would give lectures on the Mills Bomb and Rifle Grenades, to start the next morning. In the afternoons the men played football.

I walked around Castagnaro with Somerville in the evening. It was a beautiful town, situated in a long valley at the base of the mountains. Each village and town in Italy has a very large Catholic Church, usually with a high spire. The roads were good and on the flats most of the land had been planned into square of oblong shaped fields planted with mulberry trees. The leaves from the trees were stored in the attics to feed the silkworms. The Italian homes usually had large attics. When the cocoons were ready, they were taken to the factory in millions, where the hundreds of girls operated machines to unwind from the cocoons, the long silken threads. This was later woven into rolls of material ready for manufacture into silk dresses etc.

On my eighth day there, we prepared for our move to a small village, named Friola, which was only about 20 kilometres away. I thanked the caretaker and his wife for their charming hospitality to me during my stay at the 'castle', as I called it.

The countryside was interesting. The men were mostly billeted in sheds and in small farm oxen sheds, which were always kept very clean. Our Mess was in a larger type of cottage, where a widow lady lived, who had lost both her husband and son in the war. She was very friendly and, of course, she received lots of perks from us in return. Three officers slept in one room and the OC had a small room. Lieutenant Somerville occupied another small room. As it was getting nearer to Christmas, the weather was cold and I asked the OC if I could give the troops a rum ration at 2000 hours. It followed each evening that I went with a Sergeant, who carried a stone rum jar, and each man got a tot of rum. It was amazing how differently they reacted, some fell asleep, while others talked or sang, filling the air with continual chatter. However, that only prevailed until 'lights out' at 2200 hours. On some nights the officers played poker or other card games. Another night John Cooper, from HQ, came and instead of playing cards, he darned socks. He seemed to enjoy sitting and smoking, while working the darning needle around a small wooden globe that he carried with him. Those evenings provided quite a lot of fun, but in due time, we were on the move again.

The next move was to Settimo, a very nice little place. That time I had to bring up the rear party, which had stayed behind to clean up. We were lucky, as we were picked up by two lorries, and reported to HQ only a few hours after the main body of men. I asked about a billet and the Adjutant told me to see John Cooper, who walked me to a door and pointed down the road, "See the first cottage on the left; well, there are two nice young girls there." "Right you are, John!" I said. When the men had been taken to their billet with the company on the lorries, I walked along to the cottage, but I left my luggage at HQ until I had investigated.

However, when I went to the cottage and knocked on the door it was answered by an old lady, "Bona sera". I returned the compliment and asked, "Have you a room?" They invited me to come in. The two old ladies were friendly and took me upstairs to show me a very nice, clean room, which contained two beds. They showed me how to open the bed and then they opened the small cupboard nearby and took out the chamber (I thought, 'good gracious, surely they are not going to show me how to use it!'). But no, they carried it as if it had been used, went to the window, and made as if to empty the contents. That's what I had to do, I laughed and said, "Si, Si!" And they laughed too. "Coffee drink?" Again, I said, "Si, Si." I told them that a soldier would bring my luggage later. They were very friendly to me during the time that I was there.

Of course, in Italy at that time, the last thing they would have thought of, was something to sit on. That's near enough without being rude. I have seen girls, both young and old, when they wanted to relieve themselves in either way; they would go way down the garden, lift their dress and that was that!

### RIDING BREECHES

One day at Headquarters, the Assistant Adjutant, John Cooper, who was an English Rugby referee, well over six feet tall and looked a real tough guy, said to me, "Ernie, I want a cobber to come with me on a special duty to search some of these cottages around here." "Why is that necessary, John?" I asked. "Well, we have received information from Brigade that a large number of Bedford Cord riding breeches are disappearing." I agreed to accompany him, once Captain Wade had confirmed my participation. It was okayed and we went that afternoon.

Most Italian homes have large attics, so we arrived at the first home and I let John do the talking. We were admitted in order to look around, but found nothing. Coffee was offered, but we declined, saying, "No thanks, we are busy." After inspecting six homes, I suggested to John that we try one more, and knocked on the next door. The lady who opened the door seemed quite surprised when John related the story that we had come to search the house for British Army uniforms. We found nothing in the lower rooms and I said that we would look in the attic. John, being energetic, led the way up the stairs, the lady went next and I followed. When we were half way up, I glanced upwards and, believe it or not, the woman was wearing the type of cord breeches under her skirt, which we were enquiring about! In the attic we saw the usual mulberry leaves, which the silkworms were devouring.

When we descended to the lower floor, I was smiling and John asked, "Why the smile?" "Well," I said, "I know where, at least, there is one pair of those breeches. As we were climbing the ladder behind the woman, I happened to glance up and saw that she was wearing them." "Are you sure?" "Of course, there's only my word for it! Well, we will have the coffee that she is making and then we'll make an excuse that we need to see the attic again, but I will go first and you come last." We had another look around and I said to John, "Are you satisfied now, of course, with you being a lawyer, it is more definite now." I asked, "Are you going to take them off her, John? Of course, you are bigger than me, so I will leave you to carry out that gallant act." He said, "Not bloody likely!" I observed, "It's very cold here in Italy, and if she couldn't get pants, breeches would be the next best thing." We called it a day and went back to report. We put in a nil report. A few weeks later, when I told the officers in the Company Mess, it caused a lot of amusement.

### TOWN MAJOR

A couple of days later, the Adjutant sent for me. "Lycette," he said, "the CO wishes to see you." "Now?" I said. I knocked and walked in, saluted and said, "Good morning, Sir." I had no idea what was coming. He said, "Sit down; I have a nice little job, which I want you to do for us. I want you to act as Town Major while you are here, so that we have direct contact with the Local Government body. When we want information from them we can get it through you. The Adjutant will give you the Authority and a list of duties." I saluted and said, "Thank you, I will do my best." I arranged to see the Council Chairman that afternoon to present my 'Authority' for him to read. He was very nice to me and introduced his Secretary and several others. He arranged for me to have a small office, so that I would have somewhere private to meet with military personnel, who required information.

It was quite an interesting job, and I got to know all about the administration of the place. I had to sign all documents, which had reference to British Army personnel. The signing was quite an old-fashioned procedure. I signed with a proper pen and ink, but instead of using a blotter, the clerk threw some powder over the writing and a few moments later he gave it a flick with a soft brush or just a blow. I was getting to know quite a lot of Italian words, which I found very helpful, both in the work and outside. The chairman and Secretary both spoke English, having lived in the USA for a while. Once again, rumours began to spread that we were going to the Piave Sector for duty in the front line, so I had to turn my job over to another officer.

### PIAVE SECTOR

We went to a village named Istrana, about the size of Settimo. One of the companies had already been in for a tour of duty, so it was our turn. We were taken in lorries for a few kilometres, then we had to de-bus and march from that point. It was quite a long ridge, which we walked over in twos in battle order. We were met by an officer and guides and were shown around the places which we would occupy for the next fortnight. We occasionally got a glimpse of the river, but were mostly undercover as much as possible. It was so different from the mountain sector in the Asiago, no huts, barns or schools; we lived like the early Britons in caves, which had been tunnelled out by the Italian engineers some time previously. Some of the caves were very large and some small, with plenty of bunks to sleep on. We could look down on the River Piave from the higher caves. Down below there were lavatories. All along the side of the river were wire entanglements in steps. We slept in the caves in the daytime and had quite a number of lookout sentries and patrols at night. Occasionally, shells would burst, and the machine gins rattled out, just to let us know they were there.

The Piave River is fast flowing, even at normal times, and is about 40 metres wide, but after heavy rain or melting of thick snow it becomes wider and flows at a speed up to 80 miles per hour. On the opposite bank of the river on our front, there was a large triangular flat area, with scrub and trees, and beyond that the mountains rose steeply. Most of the cooking was done in army field kitchens further back and the rations were carried up, but we could boil billies of tea at times, out of view of the enemy. We kept the caves well-ventilated and they were disinfected daily, with the OC Company inspecting every day.

By the end of the first week, life became monotonous, living in caves, and both NCOs and men were glad when they had to go on duties or fatigues. Christmas was approaching, and we were hoping to be out on reserve. I had an inspection every day to see that every man was washed and shaved, and that they had cleaned their rifles. Of course, we were counting the hours when we would be out of the caves, and into the barns, farms, schools and houses. Everyone was busy cleaning so that the place would be left in good order. One officer held the fort with his platoon on duty until relieved by the incoming platoon and the remainder marched out to the place, where they were picked up by lorries and transported back to Istrana.

###  CHRISTMAS CHEER

We went back into our old billets. With about ten days until Christmas, the troops carried out training in the mornings and in the afternoons, made preparations for the Christmas Party and Concert. As I was the President of the Battalion Mess, the OC suggested that I go to Padua with the Quartermaster Sergeant. The Company Messes agreed with the proposal, and sent me an inventory of what they required, if available. When we arrived in Padua I called on several agents, inquiring into prices and quantities, and I notified Captain Boyes, the Quartermaster, by telephone.

He sent me a list of what the Messes desired. The list comprised quite a large order for whisky, port, sherry, gin, vermouth, asti spumante, red and white wines and some extras, which would last them for some time. A very nice Christmas dinner party was arranged by the Quartermaster and one officer for each Company. Beer, wines, lemonades and ginger beer, also turkeys had been ordered months earlier by the Quartermaster. The officers and Sergeants waited on the tables and the CO made a brief speech, wishing all a Happy Christmas. The officers and warrant officers and sergeants returned to their own Battalion Messes, where they all enjoyed themselves. We all attended the concert in the evening, with a full house, and it was really appreciated by all ranks. Boxing Day was mostly devoted to sports and visiting.

I had a 10.30am appointment with the dentist at his rooms in the town of Istrana to fill some cavities. I sat in the chair and he began pedalling and working on my teeth, but just before 11am, a hell of a noise crashed and roared overhead. The dentist dashed out to see what had happened, leaving me in the chair, but it wasn't long before I dashed out too, to see for myself what the noise was. It was all over in 10-15 minutes. A group of German/Austro air officers were holding a Christmas party, and as they were all very merry and partly drunk, they decided to give the townspeople a thrill. They came skimming over the mountains and dived low over the area, some of them so low that they crashed or landed.

The event was so sudden and it did give us a thrill. We picked up eleven of them, some slightly disabled. Most spoke English, so after a few drinks they were made prisoners. They didn't mind as, for them, the war was over. Several were taken to hospital for treatment and I was sure that was a spree that they would never forget. I made an appointment to see my dentist a few days later, and we had a good laugh. I said that it was a good job that we had no anti-aircraft guns, as that would have spoiled the fun. I wondered how the pilots, who got back, had fared. It was the talk of the place for days.

Christmas was behind us and we learned that we would be going to the Asiago front. I began to get tired of this messing about, so I applied for a transfer to the Air Force. In the meantime, the division moved back into the mountains. The defences had been reinforced all along the valley, and Swedish huts had been built from the trunks of pine trees. The routine of seven days on the line and seven days in reserve continued.

While we were in reserve, I received instructions from the War Office to report in London on a particular date for interview and examination. Captain Wade arranged a farewell party, with the CO and all available officers in attendance. At the time I was Sports Officer and had got a boxing tournament under way. Everyone expressed regret at my leaving but wished me the best of luck. I had about 10 days to get to London and the CO let me go as soon as I was ready. I stayed a day in Padua, and on to Milan, where I immensely enjoyed the area where the artists lived and practiced their music. You could hear them singing, and practicing violins and pianos. The Cathedral and the Opera House were famous historic buildings, which I visited. The Italians are interesting and excitable people and I enjoyed every minute that I was there.

The next morning we were delayed in Turin by troop trains, but I enjoyed that 'free and easy' trip back to England. I stayed in Paris for a day and wandered around so many fascinating places. Paris is the city of life and love and gaiety, and is forever 'blowing bubbles' of joy in life. The following day I departed Paris for Calais, crossed the Channel and eventually arrived at Waterloo in Good Old London Town. It was great to be back in England, because it would soon be Spring. I reported to the War Office. I had to wait three days and was given a ticket and permit to stay at the Savoy Hotel. I was fortunate in getting tickets to a few shows due to cancellations. I saw the "Maid of the Mountains" and "Chu Chin Chou", and the music and singing were wonderful. The examination day arrived and the test was very severe. I had a further three days at the Savoy because I had to report back again. I went for a few more excursions around the city.

On the third day I attended the Executive, who asked me if I was prepared to sign on for a further twelve years service after the war. I said no, the duration would be enough for me. I was given a week's leave, after which I had to report at Richmond to await orders. I caught the train at Euston Station and headed for home. Fortunately, I knew one of the clerks in the rationing office, who gave me a generous supply of rations cards, which was very welcome when I got home. Food rations were very tough at that time. A kipper and a few potatoes was all the food that my parents and brother, Lionel, had until I arrived with a parcel of food, which I had purchased from the Army Canteen. I rested at home, and met a few friends, before I had to get ready for my trip to Richmond in the north of England. The train took me from Cannock to Birmingham and York and on to Richmond, which was a pretty place with a large camp.

###  51st ROYAL WARWICK REGIMENT

In a few days I had my transfer to the 51st Royal Warwick regiment, who were in France. I had another long journey back to London, and left from Waterloo for Folkstone and arrived in Boulogne. From there I went to Abbeville and then up the line, where I arrived at Arras, which had been battered by shells. I reported to the RTO, who gave me the location of the Warwicks and sent me on to Douai. There I met one of the officers of the regiment, who said that he would be going back soon and had plenty of room in the lorry. He said that 'A' and 'B' Company were in the front and were rapidly advancing on Valenciennes and hoped to be in possession of the town soon. The Lieutenant reported that he was ready to leave and we stowed my baggage and departed.

Half and hour later, he deposited me at Headquarters and I reported to the Adjutant. They had been expecting me, but not so soon, and advised me to leave my valise at the Quartermasters Stores and take what I needed for battle order. I was posted to 'B' Company and a guide accompanied me to report to Captain Routh. I said, "Here I am, Captain Routh, I have been sent by the Adjutant to join you." He smiled and said, "Splendid, I am glad you are joining us." My first impressions of him were that he was a fine chap, blunt and breezy, but sincere. He said, "The Germans are in retreat and we want to push them like hell. We have captured a large number of prisoners in the last few days."

The OC showed me a map of the front area and said that the intention was for 'A' Company to go around one side of the town and 'B' Company around the other. We had to carry out the operation as quickly as possible. I was put in charge of No 6 Platoon, which was without an officer and I was introduced to the NCOs and soon became acquainted with the men. We carried out the stunt that night after we had sealed it off, and Valenciennes was in our hands. The Germans in the town were surrendering; those outside were retreating as quickly as possible, but they left pockets of resistance to delay us. It was a war of movement at that time, and we advanced with all speed and were several miles of outside the town.

### ARMISTICE

Rumours came up with the rations that an Armistice was expected soon, but we were to press on until it was announced. When it finally came, it was hard to believe. The last shots had been fired. We were to await orders, and hold our positions. In a few days the Battalion was billeted in the town of Valenciennes and had to patrol and clean up the place. The hotels, factories and homes were empty, with many of them having been damaged and looted. The Battalion was all together in a very large building with a large area, which was used for patrols and guards.

The Companies took over empty hotels for officers' quarters and messes. I forget the name of the hotel that we had, but the Germans had used it for a hospital. In the grounds of the hotel the entire area had been used for burying the dead, with the graves as near as possible to each other. They were about six feet deep and there must have been over a hundred of those graves. In those which had been used, up to five bodies, rolled in a blanket, had been placed on top of each other and covered with about a foot of dirt. It was really a ghastly, smelly, gruesome sight. I expect that was the only way that the Germans could dispose of the bodies at the time.

The town was divided and each Company was allotted an area. Streets were patrolled and buildings inspected, to try to bring order back to the town. As soon as the Battalion was organised and in full operations a committee was formed to organise and arrange sports and other activities to celebrate Armistice Day. When Captain Routh came into the mess that night he was wild! He said, "They are having a three mile race and HQ know that there is no one to beat the Regiment Sergeant Major. I do wish we could get someone to take the skite out of HQ!" I asked if it was open to all ranks, so he phoned the Adjutant, who was secretary of the committee, and he confirmed that the race was open to officers, and would be in Battalion orders the next day. "I would like to enter, Skipper," I said. He said, "Do you think that you could run three miles?" I said that I'd give it a go. The race was to take place in two days time and there were about seventy entered by the next day. I asked Captain Routh if there were any bets being made and he came in very excited before dinner, (at 7.30pm) and said that one of the HQ officers had thrown out a ₤30 bet to anyone who could beat the Sergeant Major. He said to me, "Has that called your bluff?" I said, "If you will take the bet Skipper, I will take half of it, or even the whole if you are not willing – now, what do you say?" The Skipper said, "I don't know whether you can run three miles." "Alright, I will take the whole bet, but I will still give you until morning to make up your mind."

After a very light dinner I slipped into my running gear. The Captain said, "Where are you going?" I said, "I am just going for a run." He said, "Half a minute, I will come with you." In a few minutes he appeared on his horse. "By Christ, you are a beaut, I thought you were going to run with me!" He said, "I am, but it will be on my 'gee gee', I will show you the route." So I just jogged along behind him until we got to the place which was to be the start. It was by a canal bridge and from this to the next bridge was 1½ miles and we had to run along the canal towing path and up the road on the other side. I said to him, "It's only a practice run just to see how I shape up." After the run he came to me just as I was going to bathe and said, "I will go fifty-fifty on the bet if I may, Lycette." I said OK. He went down to HQ and fixed the bet, which was to be settled immediately after the race.

Next morning, the whole Company was undergoing one hour of Physical Training at the Battalion Parade area with the Battalion Instructor in charge. Also, this gave all soldiers, who wished to enter events the opportunity to put their names on the lists. That was the first time that I met the PT Instructor, but not the last. After lunch the following day, the sports were opened by the OC Battalion and the sport events were taken first, followed by tug-of-war, at different weights, between Companies.

### THE RACE

At about 3pm, the three mile race was due to start at the bridge, the route was explained to all runners. Quite a crowd had gathered for the start, but the Sergeant Major was the tallest in the crowd and I made a mental note to try to hang on to him. However, we were called to get ready and in a few moments the race had started. Some raced away at the start, but I knew that they would not last long at that pace and I hung on to the Sgt Major for about half a mile, but the pace was a little too slow, so I went to the front. I could see Captain Routh waving on the other side of the canal, sitting on his horse. When I reached the canal bridge, which I had to cross, I could see that the field was beginning to stretch out, but I maintained my pace with ease. When the last half mile came I increased the pace to give the old Skipper a thrill. It was an easy race; of course, most of the men had not previously run in such a long race. I was not too fit, because it had been some time since I had been able to indulge in sport, but from that time on I became well-known in the athletic field. Captain Routh was excited and we both shouted a few bottles in the mess that night to celebrate the occasion.

The next morning the Captain advised me that the CO wished to see me after inspection of the Guards. I was there on the dot. I saluted, and he congratulated me on my win in the race, and invited me to sit. He said that he would like me to take on the position as Battalion Sports Inspector. I asked if I could have the services of the Battalion PT Instructor to assist me, and this was granted.

The Armistice celebrations were over, and we were training seriously and performing duties to bring the town back to normal conditions. Water, electric light and all the services were being repaired and brought back into use. Soon shop-keepers, factory-owners and employees were returning and gradually things began to improve. Soon after, we had a visit from several Allied General Officers, who came to address the citizens of the town. General Godley was the chief spokesman. The day was cold and we had to stand on parade wearing our great-coats.

I was fascinated by the New Zealand General, who was a very tall man and as he sat on his horse in the large square, he looked a very majestic figure. He spoke to the crowd in French and in English and was well-received by the populace for his encouraging address of help and goodwill. He asked the local authorities to take over and move forward.

We were to march forward again, this time passing through Mons, the place where our Mons Veterans of the Expeditionary Force put up such a courageous show against the German Forces. We came to a nice town, named Binche, which had not been damaged, but had been occupied by the Germans for a long time. On our way to Mons and elsewhere we could see signs of the delaying tactics, which the enemy had used. Where avenues of trees lined the roads they dropped the trees alternately in a criss-cross fashion. On the railways, they had blown down one side of a bridge and on the railway tracks they had blown out length of rail with gun cotton. Many times we had to leave the roads and take to the fields to aid our progress.

Of course, when we got to the outskirts of the town, the band opened up with lively tunes, such as 'Tipperary', 'Madalon', 'The Marseillaise' and 'Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile'. Soon, the streets would become crowded, with soldiers singing and the crowds sang, especially when the band struck up the 'Madalon'. The thrilling melodies and stirring songs had certainly aroused the emotions. It was always easy when the band plays, and they move briskly along and followed us to the Square and still they cheered and sang.

The billeting officers were waiting for us with guides to take us to our areas. The Battalion was halted after the band had ceased playing, but they were ordered not to break ranks. It was difficult with girls kissing soldiers and soldiers kissing the girls. That sort of moment does not come more than once in our lives. No one in the crowd had experienced such a visit to their town. The OC Companies had already contacted their billet officers and once more we were on our way, minus the playing of the band, to some school grounds, where we took over the building for the time being. Once the men were settled the batmen came along to show us to our rooms. The Mess was nearby. The people of the house, a woman and her two daughters, had prepared a meal for us until our Mess Cook was installed. Our stay with them was very pleasant, and they did everything to make us, one Captain and four Lieutenants, comfortable.

After such a wonderful reception, the people were very friendly, but we realised that these people had suffered a long, dreary war, which, naturally had left everything in disorder. It was sad to see large numbers of men, roughly clad lolling around the streets and at the corners of the Square. These men were unemployed, with nothing to do. Of course, there was plenty of work to be done, but someone had to have the authority and the cash to organise it. It was just as much the concern of the Victors as the Vanquished, and the leaders of the Army realised that and made large grants to local authorities to get the wheels of industry turning, in the factories, on road and building repairs, and the cultivation of the farms. Quite some time passed before a system of stabilisation was established, and we had factories going and many girls were employed. While Army funds were used, for some time, I would go every Friday to pay wages until the firms, or local authorities took over.

### BINCHE

Binche must have been a very busy and interesting town before the war. I liked its layout on the elevated landscape, where there were many features, such as a large Square, laid out with gardens, lawns and shrubs. Some of the buildings were three and four stories high and there were fine shops, hotels and offices.

Often the Battalion would form up in the Square, when about to move off on periodical route marches. The Band would be in attendance and would play for the first half and the last half miles. There was also a park with bandstand accommodation. On Sundays, the Band would play there for about two hours, which always attracted a crowd of the civilian population. It must have been wonderful for the people to be able to live again under peaceful conditions after the years of horror, and stupid, brutal war. The local authorities studied plans and schemes and overcame the complex problems.

### PEACE TREATY

At that time, the representatives of the victorious countries were meeting in Paris and Versailles to work out a Peace Treaty, which would later be put before the representatives of the defeated countries for ratification. But the gigantic problem was to get the peoples of the world back to work again, which was in the hands of the leaders of the nations involved. For the time being, we had to live with the smaller, day to day problems. The Allied armies and gangs of experienced engineers and men, along with civilians worked together to repair railways, bridges and roads, so that they were quickly brought into use again.

We knew that it would not be long before we moved towards the Rhine, which had already been occupied by the advance troops of the Armies and Air Forces of the Allies. Of course, by the time of the Armistice at the front for many kilometres in length and depth, the bridges had been blown down onto the tracks and parts of rails blown out by 'gun cotton'. Many bridges had delayed-action mines in them and German Engineers were returned to show where the mines were and to defuse and remove them. The work of reconstruction was arduous and continued day and night. The speed with which the work was completed is a great credit to the British Railway Companies, the Canadian Railway Troop Corps, and the Railway Construction Engineers, who controlled the work. The Mobile Transport Units also did a wonderful job in keeping up supplies of rations and the Mobile Workshops were compelled to work long hours under very trying and anxious conditions.

It was a service of all ranks to work hard and long until roads and railways could be got through to the forward areas, which the enemy had not damaged. It was a terrific job for the departments concerned with construction and supplies and the necessity for supplying the civilian population of the territories, through which the Allied Armies were advancing. This they did, with the greatest speed, in order to take over the bridge-heads in Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz. While we settled in at Binche, our training plans were based on the essentials; to keep the general bearing, smartness and march discipline of the troops at a very high standard. We wanted to wipe out all traces of the experiences and hardships that they had endured during the occupation of the German Army. We wanted to show the people throughout our advance into their countries, a high order of dignity and general behaviour.

We had general training and route marches in the mornings and sports and amusements in the afternoon and in the evenings we had boxing tournaments and concerts. Being Sports Officer of the Battalion, my duties often took me to judge competitions in other Battalions and Brigades and I got to know quite a large number of officers and warrant officers throughout the Division. At the time I was training a cross-country running team and that kept me fit. News came that the Division was holding sports and competitions in Brussels and that created much interest amongst the troops, especially those who wanted to compete. We also sent ten officers and a number of NCOs to assist with staffing on the day. We had no difficulty in obtaining personnel and the Adjutant and I went to the Division meeting which was to finalise all arrangements for routine welfare and competitions.

On the appointed date, the officers and men turned out on parade, marched to the station, and boarded the train. We arrived in Brussels at 0930 hours and were met by an officer and guides. All competitors were taken to the sports grounds and housed in quarters nearby. Those who were for staff duties went to other billets, or, if officers preferred, they could arrange their own accommodation. They all had a copy of the time and date of our return by train in five days, and they were able to see something of the city. The athletes arrived at their quarters and were shown around the sports grounds, stands, dressing rooms and facilities. The tug-of-war competitions started in the afternoon and the boxing took place in the evening.

The main events were on the following day and I was in one event with a team of six in the cross-country run of five miles with two laps on the track at the start and two at the finish. A good crowd of soldiers and civilians attended on free entry. Our race was to start at 1500 hours and we were told that there were several obstacles and a stream to cross, and men with flags would indicate the course to us as we went along. Approximately 120 runners assembled on the mark, and we started out on a heavy course, which was slippery due to recent rain. However, my team ran very well and we all kept together. After the half-way mark the pace increased, which resulted in a few going ahead and I decided to join the leaders. With half a mile to go to get to the ground, I was running about fifth, but there was not much distance between us. We all got properly wet, running through the stream, and then we had to scale a wire fence. I was unfortunate, because, as I attempted to jump the fence I caught the rebound of the top wire strain and slipped down in the mud, somewhat shaken. It took moments to regain my stride, however, as we arrived at the track, I was still running fifth and, on the final lap, I put in my final effort and finished in third place. The remainder of our team came in behind all together, so we made third place in the team grade, which was a good effort. We had one win at tug-of-war and one win in the boxing.

We relaxed and enjoyed ourselves for the rest of the time and the next morning we were escorted around Brussels and shown many places of interest. At night, there was a dance at the Hotel Metropole for the officers of the Division. I went with Captain Routh and two other officers. The dance floor was large and beautiful. Many of us were introduced to the old Queen, Elizabeth of Belgium. She was a tall, handsome lady, dressed in black, and had quite a number of other ladies around her. Many of the officers left early, as they wanted to find gayer spots. However, both Captain Routh and I were fortunate to dance with the Queen, who was a very charming lady. When I left her to join her attendants, she said, "I hope you enjoy your stay in Brussels." I had met several civilians of note at the Sports Committee, so I was just lucky in being introduced to the Queen. The experience was enjoyable, while it lasted. The next day we toured the city, did some shopping and went to another dance and wandered around. I returned to my quarters at the Sports Ground.

The day after, another officer and I visited the room where Nurse Cavell was tried and condemned to be shot, and many other places of interest. The main street was well-lit at night and was crowded. We went to the cinema and walked back to our rooms, where they were having a sing-song, and we joined them until about midnight. We had met many new pals from the other units. Next morning, we all assembled outside our quarters at 1000 hours and were taken by coaches to the station, where there were huge crowds. We entrained for our return to Binche, arriving later in the day after a very enjoyable trip.

###  CLEAN-UP AND SALVAGE

In a few days we got orders that "the Battalion will be engaged in a system of salvage of munitions of war, which have been left in all kinds of places". The military authorities had decided to work with the civilian authorities to clean up the thousands of shells and guns of all calibres, which had been left by the Germans.

The countryside was divided into areas on the map, and Company Patrols (each comprising one officer and about 30 NCOs and men) were sent to an area. They had a lorry and GS wagons to collect and carry shells to the stations in their area. These were loaded on to railway trucks and stacked at a large dump outside Brussels. In my area, which I worked from my map, planning for each day, I would go ahead of the patrols and interview citizens, farmers and anyone who could provide information about shells or guns lying around.

The work was interesting, and we heard many stories relating to the German treatment of prisoners, when they were carrying shells to the batteries or working on the farms. They would scratch out potatoes from the roots when they had a chance, and would eat them raw. My job was to get all the information I could and work out my own routine of collection. We soon had large dumps of munitions, when we had cleaned up each area and moved on to the next.

I arranged billets, games and amusements for the men. In the villages, influential persons would arrange dances, which were always appreciated by the girls and soldiers alike. I would go along to have a dance and monitor their behaviour – mostly they were very jolly. I also allowed them generous week-end passes to go to Brussels, or to Charleroi. It was a short trip by train and easily accessible. Big lorries cleaned up our dumps, conveying them to a large collection area outside Brussels. Engineering units certified all shells and guns were safe. The copper cases and other materials were loaded onto railway trucks and taken to smelting works. That dump must have been a square mile in area. We were on that work for about six weeks together with other units, and a very large area was cleaned up.

I received orders to join the Company at Binche. All other Companies were doing the same, and in a day or so, the Battalion had everything ready for the move. The Commanding Officer paraded all ranks of the Battalion, 'spic and span', and the Band played us down into the Square by the Town Hall. Once there, we lined the Square on three sides, where the mayor and Councillors spoke to the troops in glowing terms expressing their thanks and appreciation for all the good work, which had been done by all ranks. The Square was crowded. The Colonel replied to the address, and thanked the whole populace for the wonderful hospitality given to all ranks of the Battalion. A request was made by the people for a few marching songs before we departed. The Band played all the old favourites, especially the 'Madelon'. We marched off with the singing, cheering crowd following us until we reached our parade ground and dismissed. That was out final night amongst those very friendly people. There were parties everywhere.

The Bugler sounded the "reveille" at 0530 hours the next morning for the last time. Everywhere there was a hive of industry, with everyone packing kit backs and finalising their full marching order. Officers and NCOs were very busy, in order to have everything done on time. The "fall-in" sounded on the Parade Ground in the Square. Platoons already formed up on Company Parades, were inspected by the OC Company, who gave the order to "come to attention, slope arms and move to the right in a column of fours - quick march" and we were on our way to join the Battalion. The other Companies had also marched in from their areas. The Band was playing marching tunes on the lawn, as we marched to our position. It stopped while Company Commanders were asked to report their Companies to the Adjutant "all present and correct". The adjutant reported to the OC Battalion and instructed the officers to take over their commands. The train was already in the station and Companies were moved off at 15 minute intervals for entraining. It all went off without a hitch. A large crowd outside the station cheered and waved as the train moved away. We were on our way to join the Army of Occupation in Germany.

After we left Brussels, the trip was very interesting, as we travelled through Namur, Liége and on to a large station at Aachen, which is on the German-Belgium frontier, where we had to stop, owing to traffic. We immediately saw a difference as we went through the German countryside – no damage by war in those areas. The season was early Spring and everywhere looked fresh and green. I noticed the railways and how well-cared for and maintained they appeared to be. In the distance we could see some of the great factory buildings and high chimneys with smoke belching from them. We came to the famous Rhine River and the Hohenzollern Bridge, but we did not cross it as we stopped at the station, named on that side as Cologne Deutsch. No one was allowed to de-train until full information was obtained by the OC Battalion. We were instructed to de-train in the following order; Headquarters, 'A' Company, 'B', 'C', 'D'. There was great activity, as we formed up in column of route. The officer guides reported to the respective Companies and were marched off in that order at 15 minute intervals to the junction of a light railway system. Each Company had sufficient carriages to transport personnel. As they filled up, they moved out quickly and the operation was carried out efficiently.

### BERGISCH-GLADBACH

About twenty-five minutes later we reached our destination, which was quite a large industrial town, named Bergisch-Gladbach. There we de-trained and were taken by our guides to the billets, which were situated in rooms of an extensive paper factory. The factory covered a large area, with many empty rooms, because at that time, trade was slack. However, a system of guards and patrols was arranged to protect the interests of both the factory and the Company. As soon as the guards were fixed and the men settled in, the batmen met their officers and took us to our billets.

That was my first billet in Germany and I was introduced to the lady of the house, who was friendly. She showed me to my room, which was clean and looked comfortable. She suggested that I might like a bath, for which I thanked her, saying that I had experienced a very busy day. She also gave me a key to my room, so that I could come and go as I pleased. Her husband worked at the offices of the paper factory. They had a son of about fourteen years, who was a student and was learning English as he wished to travel abroad. I often talked to him as he said that the practice helped him.

We had a Battalion Mess, which was splendid because all officers got to know each other. Headquarters took over a large hotel in the centre of town, which was quite comfortable when all arrangements were completed. We had our first rushed dinner at 7.30 that evening. The Adjutant announced that there would be a meeting of all officers after dinner and the OC, Colonel Slater, wished to speak on Mess arrangements and to apprise us of what was required from us in our dealings with the German people.

That was a new experience, and we learned to carry out our duties at all times with firmness and goodwill. There were a number of guard and other duties, for which the Battalion was responsible. These came out in the order of the day, as we became acquainted with the situation. At 1000 hours the following day, the Battalion paraded for inspection and was taken to a large hall, where they could sit and listen to a speech delivered by the Colonel. "Officers, NCOs and men of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, you are now in the Army of Occupation." He wished us to carry out our duties like well-trained soldiers, both on the streets and elsewhere, especially when dealing with the civilian population.

Once we were established, there was ample time allowed for sports and amusements. We were also allowed night passes and short leave to enable the soldiers to visit the towns and places of interest. We found the people friendly towards us, in the shops, offices, and on the trams and streets. Bergisch-Gladbach was an interesting town; it had colleges, cinemas, concert halls, tennis courts and hotels.

We became accustomed to our Battalion Mess and enjoyed the friendliness of other officers, both at work and play. Of course, the city of Cologne was a great attraction, with much to offer. When off duty, I often visited the town, where there was a fine Officers' Club, which was well-managed. On weekend leave, we could arrange rooms and meals there at very reasonable rates, but it was more interesting to go to the German cafes and beer gardens.

We found German hairdressing very up-to-date, with very obliging and efficient staff. Of course, we met Frauleins at dance halls and enjoyed their company. We found at weekends that the trams, railways and 4-horse coaches would be crammed with people leaving the cities and towns for the forests, parks and other open spaces in the countryside. They would decorate their trams, and horse-drawn coaches were decked gaily with leaves and flowers and usually carried a cask of beer or wine; they really enjoyed themselves, both young and old. Boys and girls wore native costumes or appropriate clothing to suit the occasion. Mandolins and guitars, or some type of musical instruments were brought along to stimulate and get them singing.

We got to know more about these Saxon people by living amongst them, rubbing shoulders with them and seeing them enjoy every minute of their weekend escapades. I often went with other officers, when not on duty, and as we rambled through the woods, we would be invited to join in dances and games and to partake in refreshments and the wine. At other times we would arrange to join up with parties so that we could pay for the expenses. Time broke down the barriers and hate which had been engendered by the great conflict during the war.

I found my duties as an officer in the Army of Occupation of great interest. Sometimes, I would be in charge of a large guard protecting a factory, especially those, which had been manufacturing munitions of war, gas etc. and at other times I was responsible of the guard over huge army stores or Headquarter guards in the city. A very important job was the security at the Dom Hotel in the Square opposite the Cathedral. There was a continuous guard over the Headquarters of the Allied Armies.

In the initial stages some ceremony was attached to the changing and mounting of the Guard, with much 'spit and polish', an army saying which meant 'smartness'. I often watched the sentries, as they carried out their duties on the street frontage of the hotel. From sentry box to sentry box, they were like the Guards at Whitehall in London, and they carried out their duties with great precision and pride. This greatly interested the people who stopped to watch. At other times we were detailed to carry out important duties, such as Kings Messenger from the Governor of Cologne to the Ambassador in Berlin.

I visited the Cathedral several times. It was a magnificent building and one time I went while a service was being conducted. The singing was wonderful and so clear in the acoustics of the lofty dome.

The service of the hairdressing shops was excellent, whether it was haircutting, face massage or shaving, and was always performed cleanly and efficiently. Most of the owners and staff had lived in London or the USA before the war and naturally spoke good English. They were always talkative and had many interesting yarns to tell.

I asked one of them why the people were scared of the officers, and he told me it was caused by the harshness of the German officers towards the civilian people on the streets and in the theatres and operas. He explained that if an officer was walking on the footpath, they would have to step off the pavement to let him pass, or if they went to the theatre and there were no available seats, civilians would have to leave so that the officers could have a seat. But that was soon broken down as attitudes changed. The streets and footpaths were for the people.

### COLOGNE SOCIAL LIFE

Cologne is a very old, interesting city, which had much to offer in those days when the value of money was low and fluctuated every day. The beer gardens were pleasant and refreshing. It was good to see the people, despite those adverse circumstances, enjoying themselves. Time meant nothing and they would sit there all evening, listening to excellent music, even if they had one, or more drinks. Often I would go shopping with two other officers. We would always end up in a beer garden, sometimes with a space of floor for dancing. Civilian citizens would often ask us to join them, which we did and found enjoyable, especially if they could speak English. They treated it as a family affair – we got to make a lot of friends that way.

There were several large stores, six or seven storeys high, which were extensive and well-stocked. It was interesting to watch the newsboys, selling newspapers while pedalling one-wheeled cycles, at which they were very skilful. At that time in Germany, over 80% of the men had their hair cut as short as possible. No doubt, it was clean and healthy, but that was what they liked.

I remember one very happy evening, when I went with Lieutenant Price, nick-named 'Dolly'. He was a good singer and was always an asset at any party. He had a naturally comic face and could mimic and attract attention easily. On this particular evening, we decided to go down to the city early. We had heard of a very nice place, with a good orchestra, good food well-served, and a nice dance floor. It was always enjoyable and interesting watching all kinds of people, young and not so young. It was never difficult to find a partner if you wished to dance and, on this occasion, we had just finished dinner about 7.00pm. Dolly said, "Two nice-looking frauleins have just come in, Ernie." I said, "Yes, they look like sisters." I called the Ober and we asked him if he knew the girls. He said, "Yes, they are from a very nice family and often come here, sometimes with their parents." I asked the waiter if he would arrange for the orchestra to play a foxtrot, which was popular at that time. I said to Dolly, "As soon as it is announced, we will ask these girls for the pleasure." Dolly, being short, said, "I will take the short one, you take the tall one."

Our plan was successful and we had several dances with them and invited them to sit at our table. They said that they were sisters and often came here. After a while, we suggested a walk and they took us around by the Opera House, where it was crowded with people. They invited us to have supper with them at their home, and we accepted. We stopped at a large building, where one of the girls rang the bell. In a few moments a middle-aged woman answered the door. The girls spoke to her and then asked us to come in. The elder girl went into another room and talked with the housekeeper. The girl, who remained with us, said that their parents had gone to the opera that night and they thought it would be nice to have a sing-song for a while. The elder girl came back and said that it was alright. The housekeeper was not too willing at first, but she soon relaxed.

The tall girl played the piano and her sister sang. She played for Dolly, who sang several songs, and while this was happening, the kitchen-maid prepared a nice supper for us. They introduced us to the housekeeper when she came in to arrange the refreshments and I thanked her for the pleasant evening. One of the girls translated my remarks and she smiled graciously. We arranged that we would be out by 10.30pm so that would give them time to leave the room in order. Their parents would not be home until midnight, so they came to see us off on the train, which took us to Bergisch-Gladbach. We arranged to take them to the opera in a fortnight, but, owing to unforeseen duties, it never happened. We were sorry to leave Bergisch-Gladbach, as it was conveniently located and had modern facilities.

### NEUTRAL ZONE

We marched to our new quarters in battle order, through undulating countryside, well-wooded here and there and open country, divided into small farms. We had orders to do a tour of duty in the Neutral Zone and our Company was sent to a place, named Junkamüle. It was a small settlement with a large flour mill building, which was used to house the troops. We took over an area of several miles of the Neutral Zone. Our new Headquarters was situated by a lake with trees on one side. We passed the troops, who had occupied the area, on their way out, and there was a lot of joking and barracking from both sides. They had left a skeleton guard to hold the fort until they were released from duty.

Our cooks had arrived earlier with the field kitchens, so the midday meal was eaten there. While a system of duties was arranged I took over the central area and we had three posts, but only one road block. As soon as I arrived at the post I made myself acquainted with the duties which had to be performed by guards and patrols. When changing over the guards, the NCOs of the old guard would read the duties to the new guard as they were posted. That was our first tour of duty in the Neutral Zone.

A vast stretch of the German frontier had a long ribbon through it, which was three miles wide, with heavy barbed-wire fences on each side and entangled wire between. It was guarded and patrolled by the Allied Armies to prevent smuggling in or out of Germany. All roads were blocked and no one could pass through this zone without a special permit signed and stamped by the Chief Military Officer of the Zone.

The posts were taken over, and my first duty was to make my men as comfortable as possible. They had tents to live in and a small cook-house was erected nearby. I had a room and office, and stores in a cottage, which we took over, close to the barrier. I explained to the men of the Guard that it was essential for the benefit of them all that they perform their duties with smartness and civility. Fortunately, there was a bakers shop nearby, which sold a few other incidentals. There was a paddock, where they could play games when off duty.

Our frontage of the zone was about 1½ miles and we had the barrier post on the main road, with two small entrances on each side. The guards were on duty for 24 hours, with shifts of 2 hours on, 6 hours off. Patrols during the daytime were every two hours and continuous during the night. On some days, a number of vehicles would pass through as long as they had the certified signature.

One day, a runner from the Guard came to my office and said, "Sir, a civilian wants to get through with his horse and cab." "Has he got a pass?" "No, Sir." "Very well, tell the Sergeant to bring him to me." A few minutes later the man walked into my room and said, "I have no pass, Sir." I said, "You will not get through this barrier until you have the necessary pass." The man said, "I have been through here before and they did not hold me up."

He offered me a box of cigars and a dozen bottles of wine. He was a cunning, crafty little Jew. I said to him, "If you wish to get through this barrier, you will have to fill in this form and make application to pass through the post, stating the nature of your business and the sooner you get this permit, the quicker you will get through. You know all this is necessary without me having to tell you." I sent a note to the Sergeant to see what he had in the cab, and I asked him if he would like to speak to the Inspector of Police in Cologne. "I will send in a form and come again in a few days," he said. I explained the case to the Sergeant and said he could not be allowed through. The Jew was very annoyed and said that he would report me. "That's alright with me, now go, or I will put you under arrest!" He turned his horse and cab and away he went.

I asked the Sergeant if he had made the search. He had, and saw boxes of wine, cigars, watches and rings. "Good, that report will be helpful." There was no trouble with citizens who had the proper permit. The next day, a Neutral Zone Police Officer arrived on his horse. He stopped, tethered his horse to a post, put his sword on the ground and reported to the Sergeant of the Guard, "Can I see the officer?" I went down to see him; he gave me his authority to read, which confirmed that he was a Neutral Zone Policeman. I asked one of the soldiers to untether the horse, pick up the sword and hold them until I had completed my conversation with him. He explained to me his duties and said that they had been having trouble with a small group of Jews. I mentioned the traveller of a few days previously and he wrote some notes. I offered him a drink and refreshments and invited him to call again. He sheathed his sword, mounted his horse, saluted me and continued on his lone patrol.

I often walked around, sometimes with a soldier on patrol, or sometimes I would walk alone. I always reported to the sentry on duty if I intended to walk into the zone. One afternoon I saw the sentry standing at his post, which was a single gateway to a small track. I told him that I was going to walk to the ridge. He said, "Very good, Sir." I walked up the pathway, which was only just negotiable.

I could see down into an orchard and garden, where an old man, with a grey beard, sat on a seat, smoking. I surprised him and said, "Güten morgen, Mon Herr," and he returned the salutation. I asked what he was smoking and he pointed to the leaves on the pear tree. His pipe was a wooden double-decker style. At that moment, he called out 'Mutti', and she appeared at their cottage door. She was very surprised and embarrassed to see an English Officer in their garden, wondering whatever he could be wanting. I greeted her, "Güten morgen, Frau," which means 'good morning, gracious lady', and she smiled and so did I. "Nee coffee drinken?" I said, "Ya," but she made me understand that it was not coffee made from coffee beans, but from burned parsnips. I asked to be excused 'zehn minuten' and hurried toward my quarters. The sentry asked, "Anything wrong, Sir?" I replied, "No, only I have just seen two lovely people, whom I would like to help."

In our store room we had cases of coffee beans, and the troops did not drink coffee, so I put into my haversack about ten pounds of beans in a bag, also about five pounds of smoking mixture in packets – the troops smoked cigarettes. In put several tablets of soap into my tunic pockets. I went over to the bakehouse and got a loaf of white bread and walked past the sentry, telling him that I would not be long. I wanted to give them a surprise and a treat, in fact, I seemed to walk, at this moment, not on my feet, but on wings of joy as I made my way over the ridge and down through the garden.

The old couple were waiting, not expecting what was going to happen. I went into the room, opened my haversack and gave Madam the white loaf, the bag of coffee beans and the soap. She was delighted; she kissed me and tears ran down her cheeks. Then I gave the ten packets of smoking mixture to the old man, who was as pleased as his wife. While Madam was grinding some beans in her coffee mill, I took the old man's double-decker pipe, cleaned out the partly smoked pear leaves, filled it with the smoking mixture and gave it back to him. He put it in his mouth, I lit the pipe with a match and he puffed the smoke in ecstasy. I gave him the packet of matches, so that he would have no trouble stoking up.

I don't know of any other act in my life, which gave me so much joy and pleasure. I always regret that I did not have my camera with me. I had coffee with them, and could see by their smiling faces, that I had given them great pleasure. How I would have loved to speak to them in their language! However, that was not the end; the next time I went I took my batman with me, so that he could take gifts from me. From that day, every morning during the time I was there, the old man walked down to the sentry and gave him a box containing lettuce, spring onions and newly laid eggs, saying, "For zee Officer." That was the most interesting and delightful episode of friendship during my experiences in the Neutral Zone. I will never forget it and I don't expect that the old people would, either.

As I was the only officer on the post, I had to keep on the look out all the time checking on rations, patrols, cooking, sending and collecting of mails. Some mornings, half a dozen of the men, who were not for immediate duty, would come with me for a morning run. It kept them fit and it helped to pass the time.

Another morning, I walked into the Neutral Zone, which was like walking through a huge park, with beautiful trees and shrubs. About quarter of a mile in, I came to a small group of houses, and just for curiosity, I knocked at one door to ask the name of the village. A tall, grey-haired lady answered and I said, "Güten morgen, Madam." She answered in perfect English, "Good morning, Sir." I said that I was the officer on duty at the road barrier, and could she tell me the name of the village. I could see that she was afraid, and said, "Do not be afraid, I have not come to do you any harm." The place had no name, but was part of the village of Wipperfürth.

She asked me in, saying, "I cannot make you tea, but I will make you coffee." I said, "If you will join me, thanks." I asked where she had learned English, and she said that she had learned in Cologne, Germany, as a student at school. For many years, she had been a governess of children in an English family, who travelled extensively to different parts of the world. At that time, she was teaching at a small school further in the Zone. She said that she liked tea, but had not been able to get any for years. I thanked her for the coffee. Another day, I went down that way and left two packets of tea, but I did not go in.

The next day, we had a visit from the little Jew again, and that time he had a signed permit. He was held while the Sergeant came to me with the permit, which I examined and could not find anything wrong with it, but I was still not satisfied that it was genuine. However, I decided to let him through and followed him on the army cycle, wearing a cap and overall, borrowed from the bakehouse, after asking the Sergeant to delay him for a few minutes while I got ready. I rang through to Headquarters to tell them of my plans and asked them to send one of their runners to follow me on a cycle, so that I could contact HQ if necessary.

The Jew left the barrier quite cheerfully, after giving cigars to the Sergeant. I let him get ahead of me, and pedalled off with only the Sergeant to know what was happening. I kept him well in view as he passed HQ, the lake and then the mill. Instead of keeping to the main road, he turned left and went up a hill and was suddenly out of view. He had pulled his cab off the road and into a drive-way, protected from view by a high hedge and shrubs.

I waited for a minute or so, when I saw the HQ runner walking his bike up the hill. I went to him and he said he had been sent to follow the man in overalls and cap. I said, "Good, now take this message to HQ." I asked for a Sergeant and ten men to come up in the trees and occupy a position opposite the house, marked on the sketch. I would notify the Sergeant when I saw any sign of the cab leaving. When I arrived back I could see that they were carrying boxes etc. into the house. It was just getting dark, when the Jew came out to the cab with two other men.

I went to the Sergeant and gave him instructions, "If the cab turns right when he comes out of the gate, I want you to let him get clear of the house, but if he goes left I want you to take charge of him and drive him to HQ for questioning. Also, I want you to leave three men to watch the house until we return later." The Sergeant arrested the Jew and took possession of his horse and cab. His permit was checked with the Military Chief of Police, Cologne, and was found to be a fake. He was sent to prison in Bergisch-Gladbach to await his trial.

I told the OC Company that I had suspicions of the house that the Jew had visited, as I felt sure that it was used as a smuggling base. Of course, they all laughed when they saw me in my civilian garb of overalls and cap. They drove me back to the post, where I changed at once so that I could return to HQ by the van. Another officer had been sent to take my place while I was away, and I had dinner at HQ that evening. I told the OC of my plan to check on the smuggling. I already had three men watching the house, but I wanted Sergeant Renshaw to take up another three men and surround and watch the house without being seen, but not to move until he received orders from me, sometime during the night.

I would take five men and a full corporal with me to watch the approaches to the house. I went to another house 200 metres away, where I called on the occupiers, who were a widowed woman and her two daughters. The corporal, who spoke some German, told them that we suspected that smuggling was taking place somewhere in the area. We decided to stay outside so as to not inconvenience them. After a while, I posted the men in different positions, where we had a complete view of the valley. I watched with the corporal from the front of the house.

Later the women made coffee for us, and showed me a photograph, which she had received from the Cannock Chase Military Hospital. The corporal explained to her that I knew that hospital and the cemetery, where her husband was buried. I promised to take a photo of it the next time I went on leave and send it to her. I made a note of her address in my field note book. We drank the coffee, while we watched and talked, and at about 9.30pm we began to see movement.

I had given the members of the patrol full instructions to close in without being seen. There were six of them, carrying cases and packs on their backs. They entered the house, and the Sergeant and men closed in and surrounded the place. We banged on the door and as it opened, the corporal and I entered with revolvers drawn, ready to shoot, and the corporal said in German, "Hands up! Any further movement to escape and you will be shot! The place is surrounded by troops." Each man had his wrists tied at the back and they were tied to each other with rope. There were eight of them, and they looked a rough, tough group, but were taken utterly by surprise. It was the menacing point of my revolver, and my determination to use it at the slightest movement, that was the initial deterrent.

I immediately sent a report to the OC Company, informing him that I had eight suspects of smuggling and would like them to be secured in a room at HQ until morning. A large lorry was sent for them and they were taken to a room, watched over by guards. I left a Sergeant and eight men to keep watch at the house. Next morning, the men were sent to prison at Bergisch-Gladbach, until they could be brought up on the charge of smuggling.

It was reported to Police Headquarters in Cologne and must have stirred up a 'hornet's nest' as several officers were sent up from the police and Base Stores to investigate. They arrived early and the OC Company and I were sent to the house, which was used as a base. I explained to the officers the whole plan, which had tracked the smugglers to the house. The Sergeant and eight men were still on guard. I held the keys of the house and a large shed. Every room had dozens of boxes of cigars, soap, cigarettes, jewellery and many other articles. In the shed were six large wooden casks of olive oil and many small steel drums of chemicals and spirits, boxes of jam, coffee beans etc.

The officers saw the accused, who had been detained in a room at the mill. We were instructed to send the accused to prison at Bergisch-Gladbach, also the loot was to be sent there for storage, to await the investigation of a court of inquiry and trial by a Court. I had to go back to Bergisch-Gladbach at a later date with the Sergeant and soldiers to give evidence. After a while I got tired of the whole affair for it seemed that some persons in high positions were involved, from whom all these goods were being obtained. I was instructed by the Chief Officer at the trial that my duty was to give evidence on what I had done and seen during the operations. The accused received sentences of up to six months.

Just at that time, the question of ratification of the Peace Terms, which had been presented to the German Delegates, had to be signed by a certain date. Everything was being prepared for us to move further into Germany, but when the day arrived the Treaty was signed, so that hasty movements were not necessary. When we arrived back at Junkamüle the Company was getting ready to move to the village of Bechan, which was situated in a hilly district. On that occasion, I had to bring up the rear party and did not arrive until the next day. After getting them all fixed in their billets, I got my location from the Orderly Room. My batman accompanied me to the house, where we knocked on the door and it was answered by an old lady. I gave her the ticket and she showed me the room, and I asked for a key and was refused, so I had to take the risk.

I went down to the Mess, the first time I had seen the other officers for nearly seven weeks, owing to being away on other duties. I went back to my billet about 9pm, closed the door and went immediately to bed, but a few minutes later the old lady came looking around the room in her nightgown. I told her to go out, but about half an hour later she came in again. I pushed her out of the room and barricaded the door. The next morning, when my batman came, he found the door blocked, so I got up and opened it. After he had brought me a cup of tea, I told him to pack up all my belongings and I would get another billet. The old lady was crazy.

I reported it to the OC, who advised me to see the Burgomeister, Herr Pohl. I managed to see him during the morning. He was a very tall, pale-faced man; very friendly and, fortunately, spoke English. I told him how I was situated and gave him the ticket of the house where I had stayed. He said that the old lady was queer in the head, but both he and his wife laughed when I told them of my experiences. He said that he did not know of another place, so I asked him to let me stay with them until I could get another room.

They looked at each other, quite concerned. I said, "You have a large home." "Yes," he said, "we also have two daughters." "Well," I said, "give me a week and if I am not satisfactory I will go." They looked at each other again and then said alright. I got a GS Wagon and told Bacon, my servant, to collect my gear from the Orderly Room and to take it to my new room. It was in a very comfortable farmhouse home and I became friendly with them all. Greta was 22 and Paula was 18. There were two older sons, who were prisoners of war in England. They said in their letters home, that the English people were kind to them. When I went to my room that afternoon, I took with me three bottles of stout, a loaf of white bread and some tablets of soap.

From experience, I already knew that the great majority of German housewives were good cooks. She invited me to have tea with them. I was introduced to the two girls and soon got to know all members of the family. They showed me around; what a spacious and well-filled cellar they had with preserved fruit and vegetables and different German wines and sausages. My first tea was delicious, very fine slices of a large sausage, potatoes moulded to different shapes, pickled damsons, white wine, and finished off with cakes and coffee.

I had to attend an officers' meeting about 6.30pm to consider the final signing of the Reparations, which had been carried out that day. For the time being, we only had one post to operate and supervise on the Neutral Zone and our rotation came every eight weeks. Some evenings, I used to play cards with the family; at other times they would be preserving and I used to collect or peel. Twice during the month, the girls were allowed to attend a dance in another little village nearby. They had a little grey horse and gig, which they used and one night I asked, "May I come with you?" They said that only civilians would be there, but I could go in civilian dress.

When I arrived back from the parade that day, the two girls were smiling, "Well, we have got some clothes which may fit you; you can try them on, then we can decide, but of course, they don't dress very smartly at these turn-outs." They had trousers and jackets belonging to their brothers, and also one belonging to their father. I used a white shirt of Herr Pohl and one of the suits, which had been pressed by the 'Mutti' and I wore an old slouch hat, which belonged to the Burgomeister. I wore my own shoes and socks. They all had a good laugh at me in this rig-out.

On the following night I came back from the Mess at about 7pm and asked the girls if they still wished to go. "Yes" was the answer. I got into my civvies, which were a little tight or loose in places. While we got ready, Herr Pohl harnessed the pony, and the girls appeared, ready for the adventure. Mother and Father said, "Don't be late!" It was a bit of a squeeze in the gig. Paula was the driver and we had to cross a paddock and a shallow, stony creek. There wasn't much water in it, but in order to give the girls more room I took off my socks and shoes and paddled over. I replaced my shoes and socks and we came to a metalled road and soon arrived at the place where the dance was to be held.

There were not many people about, but music was already being played. Fortunately, I had done a bit of practice as they seemed to dance more quickly than I. I said, "As I don't speak much German, I will stay with you." We started into the fray with a 'valse', and Greta was my partner. By that time, a few more couples had joined in and my next dance was a foxtrot with Paula. Everyone was warming up and smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves. I had forgotten about my clothes, but they were no worse or better than the others around.

After I had danced with Paula and Greta several times, they introduced me to two other girls, who told me they were typists at the paper mill at Bergisch-Gladbach. I shouted them refreshments, with nothing stronger than beer. About thirty people were present, and we all enjoyed the real country affair atmosphere. I went out of the room for a few moments and noticed that there were no motor cars, or gigs and horses tethered to posts. Just then, I saw a soldier riding up on horseback and I went back inside, as I did not wish him to see me. I mentioned it to Greta and asked her to go out to see if he had arrived.

She went out to check and discovered that he was a military policeman on duty, wearing a red cap and on his tunic a red arm band. He asked her if there were any soldiers there, but she said, "No, it is only for civilians." So he went on his way. We had two more dances and all were happy, but time was passing quickly, so I said to the girls, "I think we will make tracks for home. I promised your parents that I would escort you home by 10.30pm." The two other girls, to whom I had been introduced, thanked me for the dances and gave me a goodnight kiss. Then Greta, Paula and I went out to the gig and pony. We stroked and patted him and boarded the gig and Greta was driving home. The other girls waved us good night. We had lit the two lamps, which were not really necessary, as it was a bright moonlit night. It had been a jolly evening. I could see the farmhouse by the lights in the windows.

We only had the stream to cross, which was not far and I asked Greta to stop while I removed my shoes and socks. She said, "It will be alright, we will make it." Over we went; the pony slipped on a large stone and into the water we went too. We had to release the harness in order to get the pony mobile and the three of us pulled the gig onto the side of the stream. Paula ran home to tell the story while Greta and I led the pony to its shed. We were both wet and cold and hurried in to change. Herr Pohl and his wife were having wine and cakes and were quite concerned, wondering what had happened. He laughed when he saw me in my sodden civilian garb. We changed immediately while 'Mutti' made hot coffee. I slipped off my wet clothes and put on my slacks and tunic and a scarf.

As we sat in the room, the story of the mishap was retold. For my part, I said it had been a very jolly evening until old Snowy, the pony, decided to dampen our enthusiasm. I thanked Herr Pohl and his gracious lady for allowing me to accompany the girls to the dance. I said that I would never forget the evening, and later the girls agreed, because some of the events were sudden and so funny. I went out with Herr Pohl early in the morning, to shoot rabbits and we were successful in getting a few. I like those excursions very much, as Herr Pohl was such a lively, friendly man.

I was notified by my OC that I was the officer for duty on the Neutral Zone Barrier at Wipperfeld for the next two weeks. I asked Herr Pohl if I could leave my surplus kit with them until I returned. He said, "Ya, ya, ya!" So I said, "Thank you; thank you; thank you!" The following Sunday I marched out with my platoon to the Neutral Zone, which was about three miles from Bechan, and arrived in time to take over from the previous guard, so that they could march back to HQ.

The settlement was small with not much through traffic. The troops and I were comfortable in our billets, but a few items needed straightening out, due to the laxity of the previous guard. Of course, that place was not as interesting. However, I had a letter from Herr Pohl, asking they could visit me the next Sunday. I sent a message back with my servant on the platoon cycle. He was pleased, because he liked them also. On the next Sunday they arrived with Snowy and the gig and they had borrowed another gig so that they could ride in comfort. My Sergeant must have said something about rations because they brought eggs, wine and cakes. It was very charming of them and we all had lunch at my billet. We talked and I showed them around until it was time for them to return to their home on the farm.

During that period, the great statesmen of the world were trying hard to set up the League of Nations for formulate a Treaty, so that peace could again be enjoyed by all people. It was a staggering, terrific problem, even with the best brains that each nation could produce. They were completely out of focus in their attempts to bring back a state of stability, due to the complexes that had been created by the First World War. For the time being, I was content to leave it to the Leaders of the Great Powers and their experts to grapple with that conquest. In the meantime we were moved from place to place in the Army of Occupation and returned with my platoon from duty on the Neutral Zone to the small village of Bechan.

It was a pleasure to be back at my old billet and I could see that the whole family were equally pleased. They had arranged a 'welcome back' dinner and I thanked them for their kindness to me. After dinner, the girls played the piano and we sang, and talked of things of yesterday, today and tomorrow. I hoped that their sons, who were, by that time, in England, would soon be back in the family circle. It was nearly midnight before we went to bed.

I always got a cup of coffee and two biscuits, brought by either my servant or one of the girls. If I was officer of the day I had to be on deck at 6.30am, and on other days at 7.30am. When I went to lunch at the Mess, Captain Routh showed me the orders for a move to a place named Mulheim. It had previously been occupied by the New Zealanders, who had been there for almost a year. The whole Battalion was going there and would be housed in the military barracks. One Company was already taking over as the New Zealand troops moved out. The New Zealanders were going home.

In two days we had to be ready to march to our new quarters, 15 miles away. When I arrived at the farm for a clean-up in the afternoon, I told the family of the news, and could see that they were sorry, especially the girls, because they said life had been more jolly and interesting during the last few weeks. The following night would be my last with those friendly people, so I brought back with me several bottles of stout, three boxes of scented soap tablets, a white loaf and a box of coffee beans. I told the skipper that I would like to be excused for dinner as the Burgomeister and family had invited me to eat with them.

Everything was ready for an early move and my servant had, more or less, got everything ready to put in my valise. After a very nice tea, to which my batman was invited, we all had an enjoyable evening. The girls arranged for the batman to carry my valise etc. to the transport the next morning. Once again, I thanked the family for giving us such a friendly home, and I kissed 'Mutti' and the girls. Herr Pohl gripped my hand and thanked me for the enjoyment we had given them. It was about 11pm and we had to rise early the next morning.

At 6am the bugle sounded 'get out of bed' and so we did, bright and early. The batman brought my cuppa and I was soon ready to leave. I asked him to be sure that my valise was delivered and I went to say goodbye to the family, and wished them all the best for the future. The girls walked with me across the paddocks to the road, where they again kissed me 'goodbye, Ernst'. At 8.30am we were already on parade and the OC had sent a message to the Burgomeister, asking him to attend the parade. After the inspection, the Mayor, and his wife and daughters, were standing with Captain Routh in front of the parade, and there were also villagers present to see us off. The OC made a speech, thanking the Burgomeister and citizens of the village for the happy time the troops had spent with them. Herr Pohl thanked him for his kind remarks. Captain Routh called for 'three cheers', while I just waved and smiled to them all in front of my platoon. Then came the order, "Attention, Slope Arms!" and we departed. That was the last time that I saw the Pohl family.

Fortunately, it was a fine day and the countryside was new and interesting. Soon we got to Opladen, which was a large settlement, and from there the trams started for Cologne. The next place we passed was Leverküsen, which was an industrial town. The Bayer factory was enormous, and there were houses all along the way until we reached Mulheim, where we saw the large barracks ahead. The OC called us to march to attention. The Guard turned out and we were guided to our quarters and in a very short time the NCOs and men were settled in. The OC allowed men to have passes to Cologne for the afternoon and evening, to be back at 11pm. We had a Battalion Mess and were able to meet the officers of the other Companies.

I was taken to my billet, which was at the top of a three-storeyed building – very good, but lots of steps to climb. The New Zealanders had left a good name behind them, but of course, they were paid much better than the British troops and could be more generous with the frauleins. I did not go to the city as I wanted to become acquainted with Mulheim, because it was quite a large industrial place, with large shops, though goods were in short supply.

###  ARMY OF OCCUPATION IN GERMANY

It was here in Mulheim, that I was called to my first tour of duty as a King's Messenger from the Governor of Cologne to the Chief Military Officer, Berlin. Mulheim was quite a centre of industry on the banks of the River Rhine, where we were stationed in the Barracks of this town. Of course, I was looking forward to the trip with interest and curiosity. On the appointed date I had to report with the authority from my unit to the Chief Officer Allied Command.

They occupied a very large building in the DOM Square, which was guarded by a Sentry to whom I had to show my credentials. An Officer met me and as soon as he knew what my duty was he escorted me and introduced me to the Chief Officer, who gave me instructions about my duties. I was then given the heavy leather locked and sealed Message Bag and a Full Corporal and three military Police escorted me to a Van and drove me to the Cologne Railway Station. The train was already in the station and the Police Officer on the Platform opened the carriage door for me. We saluted each other and I thanked him for his courtesy and he said both doors were locked. I had the important bag by my side.

The Officer said, "You will be met by a Military Police NCO at each station at which you stop, such as Hanover, Brunswick and Madgeburg". At the named stations the train stopped and the police asked if I required anything. It was a pleasant trip passing through very interesting country, also the German Railways were kept in very good order.

In due course we arrived in Berlin, which was crowded with civilians and soldiers from different nations. I was met by a Military Police escort, which took me in a car to the Allied Command Buildings. There I was introduced to the Chief Staff Officer, to whom I handed over the locked and sealed bag.

I was then taken over by a Junior Officer, who said I was granted 24 hours leave, and gave me a card to hand in at the Hotel reception counter. Here I was taken to a room, which had been reserved for me. The Hotel was only a short distance away. He also directed me to a very nice nightclub, which was well patronised by visiting officers. They had a good Orchestra, good artists and also dancing. I thanked him for the information and went back to my room to have a look around.

I went for a short walk around and in the distance I could see the very large Monument to General Hindenburg. It had a large wooden base where funds were raised for the German War effort. The people paid different values in Marks to knock nails in the wood and there were millions of nails knocked in by the patriotic Germans. At the moment there had been a lot of unrest on the streets, so I did not venture too far on my own. I had a very nice dinner at the Hotel, and sat with two French Officers, who both spoke English as they were attached to Allied Command. They invited me to go with them for the evening, to the nightclub and I was pleased to accept. Unfortunately there was some trouble on the streets about midnight and management advised us that all officers were to return to their units or duties.

### UNREST

Machine guns had already been firing from the Reichstag building and we were told to keep off the streets. I said good night to my French comrades and went to my room, it was already past midnight, and I slept until morning. About six o'clock there was more machine gun firing, then a large bomb report. We heard a short time afterwards that they had blown the Hindenburg Monument down. The German Government had been having trouble with the communists.

After breakfast I went to the reading room where there was quite a lot of talk and rumours of what had happened during the night. At 10am I reported back to Allied Command to the Chief Officer, who said my duty would commence four hours later owing to the disorders in the streets. I was invited to have lunch at the Officers Mess in the building, which was very elaborate.

At 2pm I called to report and was given further instructions and with the bag sealed and locked I was taken under escort to the station. On the way, I saw the remains of the Hindenburg Monument which had been toppled onto the street. Around the station the German civilians grimaced and spat towards us as we passed by. Quite a number of shops had been wrecked.

The MP Officer inspected and secured my carriage and I then carried in my bag, thanked him for his attention and wished them good luck and goodbye. My trip back helped me to glean more pleasure from the country as we passed along until at last we reached Cologne again. It was good to see the Cathedral Spire and the Hohenzollern Bridge, both very prominent landmarks in this very interesting city.

At the stations my escort reported to me, and I was soon on my way to hand in my message bag locked and sealed. The Chief Officer unlocked and broke the seal, all was OK. He asked if I had been in any adventures while the shooting and explosions lasted and I said that I was in the hotel at the time. He rang the bell and while I waited for the officer to appear he thanked me for my care and vigilance in my duty. I was signed off duty and given 2 hours off duty. As it was late, they had booked a room for me at the Officers Club, just off the Square. I had a good nights sleep and as I did not intend staying in Cologne I went back to my billet in Mulheim, where I arrived before lunch.

They were a very nice German family, man and wife and a daughter about 30, who was not very strong. He was an Engineer and the daughter a typist at an office in Mulheim. I pressed the button and the door was opened for me, but they occupied the top storey suite of rooms, so there were always three flights of stairs to climb. Only the wife was home when I arrived and she invited me to have cold lunch with them when her husband and daughter arrived home. I had gone down to the bottom floor to carry up my bag and was just beginning to unpack when lunch was ready. They asked me about the trip. I said I had enjoyed it and found the countryside very interesting and beautiful. Fortunately they all spoke English fluently and they thought Berlin was a grim city at this time of year. I told them about the shooting and bombing by the communists in the streets, but they had read it in the morning papers.

###  RUHR VALLEY

The enormous industrial Ruhr Valley fascinated me immensely with its forest of chimneystacks belching smoke, fumes and steam into the atmosphere. I also liked the well-maintained Railway system, which was a credit to all the men who worked and supervised its activities.

After lunch, while they went back to work, I went to my room for a nap and then wrote letters to home and friends. I had not received any letters for quite a while; perhaps there would be some awaiting me at orderly room when I reported back in the morning. In the late afternoon I went for a walk around the town, which was quite large and well planned. It was situated on the South West side of the Rhine. It had a large bridge, which opened and closed when required. On the opposite side there was a very large area of public gardens, fountains and lawns, which were well patronised, especially at weekends. Because the Germans loved to forsake the Towns and Cities, for the forests, woods countryside at that time, they really knew how to enjoy nature to the full.

In the evening I played cards with the family and just made up a foursome. In the morning I reported back to the OC Company from my tour of duty and of course all the Officers wanted to know all about this duty, so I explained it to them. Also they wanted to know if I had seen or heard any of the shooting or bombing etc. Then Captain Routh told me the news that the Warwick Regiment was leaving the Barracks and that the rooms and stores had to be cleaned out. A small rear party would finalise the last items of clean up so as to hand it back to the Germans. The OC also reported that the whole company was to do guard and patrol duty at a very large and extensive factory at Leverkusen.

###  THE BAYER FACTORY AT LEVERKUSEN

It was built beside the Rhine and it had quite a large port on the River to convey and transport materials. We took over an area of buildings at Flittard, in the factory, which we altered into sleeping quarters and dining rooms. Also there were Tennis Courts nearby, which the troops were allowed to use when they were not occupied by the office staff. It was about nine miles around the Factory, which was just off square in shape. It had a very good Fire Brigade and they had a fire engine at three main gates with a squad of personnel, who seemed to be drilling and practising every day, and could get off the mark very quickly. There were four entrances, one being a port entrance to the River and was always closed at night.

We arranged a very smart guard, mounting parade just off the centre of the crossroads, where this central parade ground had its position. The four guards were each facing the points of the compass to which they would march. The Officer of the day would inspect the guards and as soon as he was satisfied and the time had arrived he would give the command, "Attention, Slope Arms, to your duties quick march". The old guards would be marched to the central positions; inspected by the Orderly Officer and then the senior NCO would march them back to the company parade ground and dismiss them.

I will now try to give you some details of this great factory. When we occupied it, the production was at low ebb, owing to the great confusion of the War. It was famous because Bayer Aspirins were manufactured here, but of course, during the War years the German Scientists manufactured gas, chemicals, medicines and dyes. The quarters we used for sleeping and eating had been used to house large boilers and endless pipe systems to make the gas. All this machinery was presently dumped in large masses and rusting away in the weather. In many of the buildings I went into, chemists and skilled scientists were experimenting with dyes for which they were famous. In fact while carrying out my duties here I got to know many of these Doctors and Professors.

Almost every morning, when I was carrying out my round of duties, they would open their windows and either whistle or call to us to have refreshments with them. Sometimes we would arrange a game of Tennis, other times they would show me some of their latest tests in dyes, chemicals etc. This extensive factory was running almost North, South, East and West. The River Rhine and a railway dominated the eastern side. The transportation on the River was very busy taking goods to different parts of Europe and elsewhere. Our present quarters used by the NCOs and men were in the north east area, where there was a small village named Flittard. The railway used to run from the factory through there, across farmlands and to the Cologne Deutsch Station. On the Western side was the main road from Mulheim to Opladon and Dusseldorf and on the northwest side, a few hundred yards away from the factory of Leverkusen, was a very clean and tidy settlement. One could see by the size of the trees and the artistic layout that it had been established many years ago, and was surrounded by high hedges and large wooden or Iron Ornamental gates.

It was in this village that most of our Officers were billeted. I remember that I had a very nice billet, which was run by a widowed lady, who would have been nearly 70 years of age. She was a very well read woman and had books of Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Hardy and Shakespeare. She had two little German long dogs, which she was very fond of. It was here, too, that the nightingale would serenade us at midnight with his very interesting song. It was really worthwhile to listen to the song of this interesting bird and I always left my window open so that I could hear it more clearly.

### FLITTARD

In a little while we had to leave our billets in this village which we had got to like very much, with plenty of music, songs and dancing in the evenings. We got orders to leave here and get billets in the village of Flittard which was much closer to the Men's Quarters. We had a small house, which we used as servants' room and Officers' Mess. Here we had a very happy time for some months. We could go into Cologne on the light railway, which was very convenient and leave was quite liberal and as long as the men behaved themselves they had a happy time.

About this time I was attached to an Allied Commission which was made up of Military Civil Engineers from France, USA, England and Belgium. They spent some days at Leverkusen Factory and as I had been useful to them here, they asked for permission to have my services in other parts of the Rhineland. Their duties were to visit all factories, which had been making military equipment and machine tools, to see if they came within the scope for confiscation, as set up in the regulations by the Peace Conference at Versailles. While I was with this commission it was easy to see that several of these Military Engineers were camouflaged civilians. Often there would be serious discussions on patents etc by the German Engineers who fought hard to retain this or that machine. They had several mechanics with them and with their tools they would damage the most intricate parts if it were designated for confiscation. One evening I was invited to a dinner at the Allied Officers building. It was a seven-course dinner and I really found it difficult to see it through.

I returned to Leverkusen, which I liked very much as sometimes we were invited out for dinners, card parties and dances. On other nights when not on duty, I would go to Cologne on the light railway train. Sometimes the driver would let me drive the engine, but I was always scared, because I kept thinking it would surely jump the rails, especially when we came to the bends. The driver would tell me to "take it gently and have no fear" and he was always right. I remember many, many years afterward, when listening in to "Take it from Here" Jimmy Edwards would say to Dick Bentley, "Gently Bentley" and that always took me back to the driver when he let me drive the train. Both the driver and the guard were very friendly to me as they had both lived in England and had worked on the Docks in London, working cranes. He was working on the German Shipping line, when he got held up in Hamburg and then they got this job with the factory at Leverkusen. It was now the winter of 1919 and many changes were taking place all over Europe.

The Peace Treaty had been signed many months before and of course many great problems began to arise both in the countries of the victors as well as the defeated nations. There were many idle hands everywhere and many more soldiers were anxious to demobilise. But for the time being they would only release personnel who had a position to go to. It was a restless, anxious period everywhere and in Germany the authorities were striving very hard to put the unemployed to work.

### HIGH INTEREST RATES

They raised loans in London and New York, paying very high interest rates, for the convenience. This was all done even when countries like Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries could not pay such high interest rates.

The Jewish elements were eager to accept these very high interest rates; patriotism did not induce them to accept the lower rates. They immediately put idle hands to work constructing new modern motor roads and building new settlements and towns to house their people, and at the same time to give them employment. There were many schemes in their building techniques, which I later saw copied in New Zealand many years later. The paying of high interest repaid the Germans handsomely, and it was not long before they got their factories working. Under the Peace Treaty they had to send vast quantities of materials, steel and coal to comply with the enormous indemnities they had to send to England and other countries. This was a stimulant to German industries and the allies in due time had to alter this system completely.

In England there was a call for more men to be released from Services, so that the coal mines, building and other industries could be pushed on to greater production. Many more officers, NCOs and men were being released and our duties at Leverkusen began to get less. We had to reduce the number of guards and now that Captain Routh had gone, I was Company OC, and there were still about five officers left in the company. Owing to the number of personnel putting in for demobilisation it came out in orders that there would be several regiments in the Army of Occupation disbanded in the near future, but that others would be kept up to strength.

### RECOVERING COMMERCE

One could see that commerce and shipping on the Rhine was increasing rapidly and that industry was getting going again. At Leverkusen factory large numbers of workers had been engaged and they were starting to produce chemicals, etc. again in greater quantities. Very soon we took the guards off the main gate and just carried on at our quarters using it as a parade ground in the meantime. Very soon we began to demobilise more officers and men and I had to close the mess as some of the officers had left without paying their mess bills. However I claimed what cutlery was left and I gave most of the furniture away to friends around, and to the people with whom I used to live. In fact for the last two weeks the lady of the billet supplied me with my meals, but sometimes I went into Cologne on the train and had dinner at the officers club. There were not so many officers about now. One could also see a great difference on the streets. Also most of my officer friends had left, but there was always plenty to see and enjoy in the city.

At last I received orders that, with the personnel I had under my command, we would have to clean up the quarters in readiness to move the army barracks on the outskirts of Cologne to join the remainder of the Royal Warwick regiment. Those men left behind worked very hard cleaning up and burning rubbish during the day and then I gave them passes to go out in the evening. I was invited out several evenings to the homes of doctors with whom I had become quite friendly. I checked everything over with the chief Caretaker, who was very friendly and wished me goodbye. I packed my detachment on to the train, which took us to Cologne. We thanked the drivers and guards for their kindness and help while we were in Flittard, and wished them the best. Then I marched them to our new Quarters, some old German barracks on the outskirts of the city, where we joined what was left of the Battalion. Some officers and men had been transferred to other Units to make up the strength.

We were here for three weeks and I managed to get in three days leave to go for a trip down the Rhine. When I got down to the station, just below the Koln Bridge, there was quite a crowd waiting, Officers, NCOs and men. I did not know anyone, however I joined a group of Officers and in a few minutes a train came suddenly to a stop and we were soon all aboard for Bonn. The train rattled along at 60 to 70 miles an hour, close to the side of the River of which we got a good view. In places the Rhine is quite wide, but it was very beautiful and picturesque to see the old buildings or castles perched on hills and cliffs. Even in those days it was a very busy inland waterway with all kinds of boats. You would see tugs pulling large areas of timber poles which were lashed together very securely and sometimes we would see the men checking these huge rafts, as they were being tugged down for milling.

### BONN, KOBLENZ

As we approached the City of Bonn it was amusing to see the gates closed as the train rattled along. We stopped at the station to let down passengers and then proceeded on our way. It was a pity we had to rush the trip, as I would have liked to spend more time in Bonn. The next stop was Koblenz, which looked very interesting and historical. Mainz was quite a busy port, boats were being loaded and unloaded and there were quite a lot of French troops there.

Our next stop was the city of Wiesbaden where I stayed for two days. It was a very large holiday resort with beautiful well-built houses and a very up-to-date Hotel. At the time it reminded me very much of Harrogate, in the North of England. I went to the Opera with another Officer and one afternoon we went for a sightseeing trip on a coach, the commentator explaining all places of interest to us. Of course, at that time the German Mark fluctuated rapidly and there were crowds of Dutch and Belgians, middle class people taking advantage of the rate of exchange which was very favourable to them at that time. They could buy boots, shoes, clothing and articles, which they could not get at home. It was quite common to see shops closed because they had sold out.

### SHOPPING

It was very cheap for us to stay at the Hotels, and we could treat ourselves quite well. We tried to cash into Marks only what we thought we would use that day. The booths would open at 9am and before 5pm our Marks may have depreciated by half the value. One Officer I was with asked if I would go shopping with him, so I said OK. He was going to get married, so into a large store we went. When I went in I had no intention of buying anything for myself, but when I heard the price of the glassware, which the manager said he would have packed and forwarded on to London, I became a victim too. I purchased some very fine Czechoslovakian Glassware, 1 dozen champagne, 1 dozen large wine, and small wine glasses, 2 dozen tumblers, 1 dozen cut glass sherry glasses and half dozen coloured cut glass on pedestals, also 2 cases of cutlery and a lovely mantel clock with Westminster Chimes.

I forget how much I paid for these articles but it was only because I saw my friend buying that I thought I would be in it too. They packed them all in two wooden barrels and the next day I had to fill in forms and sign them so that they could consign them to my address in England. I thought it was a risk at the time but I chanced it. I wrote home and told them about my purchases. When they arrived they were to let me know at once.

About a month later I had a letter from my mother telling me that the two wooden casks had arrived. As I write these lines I can see those glasses in our china and glass cupboards. They have been seen and admired by many during those years. The six tall coloured cut glass wine glasses were beautiful and they cost me £1 when I got them. I priced them in the DIC Wellington sometime ago where the lady said, "they are very expensive as they are made in Czechoslovakia and they will cost you £9 the half dozen." I told her I did not want to buy them; I only wanted to compare them with mine. The clock I gave as a wedding present to my sister Elsie, when she married Dr JJ Howratty. The cutlery I gave to my other sisters, Ethel and Minnie and that was the outcome of that little episode.

We had a very enjoyable time in Wiesbaden as the Germans were very friendly towards us, and asked us to join them in dances at the beer gardens. The following morning we caught our train, which conveyed us back to Cologne, where I did a little shopping and reported back to the barracks. Not many Officers were left now and only a few hundred soldiers of different regiments were waiting for their turn to be sent down to base in France for demobilisation. It was getting a bit monotonous waiting for orders, so I used to give as many men leave in the evenings as possible.

At last we got the news which personnel left of the Warwick Regiment would go down to base for demobilisation. There were two other Junior Officers, myself and one hundred and fifty NCOs and men. We still had a few more days to get everything cleaned up and arrangements made for trains. I managed to get the men paid before we left Germany. It was a difficult period with the ugly trouble of inflation spreading out. The Mark was fluctuating badly and I advised the men to purchase their requirements as quickly as they could after payment, otherwise with the rising Mark they would lose money. How the working people of Germany survived I do not know! Large groups of people could be seen crowding the shops and the large stores, with people coming from Holland and Belgium to take advantage of the exchange rates and often there would be notices indicating, "Closed, Sold Out". However the soldiers were able to buy presents such as soaps, razors, toothpaste etc. which pleased them.

###  DEMOBILISATION

The day for departure arrived. We had three Officers and one hundred and fifty other ranks and, fortunately, we had with us the greater part of the Regimental Band. I was in charge of the group so I collected all the data, warrants and records of the men to hand over to Base Camp. I also had the rail warrants, places for food etc on the way down. We had early Reveille and breakfast and left the Camp at 7.30am. All kit bags were labelled and put on the lorries by the Quartermaster Stores and at 7.00am the Bugler sounded the "Fall In".

I conducted my final inspection to see that they were "all clean" and properly dressed before we marched through the city. I spoke to the men on parade explaining to them some of the details of our long trip to Dieppe by train and asked them to keep up the high standard of behaviour they had shown. I wanted to make the trip down through Germany, Belgium and France as amusing, interesting and as comfortable as I could and fortunately we had many stalwarts of our old Regimental Band travelling with us and I hoped to make use of them from time to time. I said, "I ask you all to join with me and make this long trip as enjoyable as possible. I have arranged with the Band Sergeant to play a march and a few army songs as we march through the city for the last time".

We must have made many of the shop assistants late that morning because the streets were crowded as we passed through. When we passed through the main square we had to pass the Guard at the Allied Command buildings and we marched to attention at the slope arms. I gave the order "Eyes Left", "Eyes Front" and also saluted. That was our final salutation to the soldiers of the Army of Occupation. Afterwards they marched at ease and sang and joked to the people on the crowded footpaths as they marched along over the Hohenzollern Bridge to the station. I had already sent one Officer with the luggage and asked him to report to the RTO, so that the entraining and loading of kits could be carried out as quickly as possible. Nothing makes the men so fed up as being messed about.

I reported to the RTO, the train was already in the siding and I put the Band in the leading coach and fixed up the cooks with their cooking kitchen. I thanked the RTO for his assistance and in a few minutes we were shunted onto another train on the main line. We were on the way, but I did not see much until we got to the large frontier town of Aachen, where we were held up for a short time while Customs Officers checked on Civilian Personnel on the other part of the train. We passed through Liege, a very interesting town, but our final stop was at Charleroi.

The front part of the train went on and as we were shunted into a siding I went to the stationmaster and asked him how long it would be before we made a move. He made enquiries and told me two hours, so I asked him if it would be safe to take the men for a short march. He said it would be all right and I asked him how long it took to march to the town, and he told me about ten minutes. This was about 10am. I blew my whistle, got the men on parade. I explained to them we would be here for at least two hours, so I suggested we march down to the town and back. We would take the band with us to liven things up and "wear tunics and caps, but no equipment. We will move in ten minutes". I asked the cooks to have lunch ready for 11.30 and I left a Sergeant and six men on guard.

I said to the Sergeant, "When I blow my whistle I want you to play 'Tipperary' and then the Belgian National Anthem, 'Madelon' and any other songs afterwards". As we marched on I could see the town not far away and so I blew my whistle and the Band started playing and the men singing 'Tipperary'. For a few minutes there were children and people running onto the footpaths. They couldn't make out what was happening. Then the Band played 'Madelon' and that made them frantic with joy. People were running along the footpath singing and waving and the school children came out and they followed us along. We had just enough room to march through the excited throng. Everybody was singing and enjoying it.

### FAREWELL

We came to a square and looked out for the widest place where I called a halt for a few minutes to give the Band a rest. A policeman and a newspaper reporter came to me and asked what we were doing. I told them I would like to speak to the crowd in English if there was anyone near who could translate my message to the people. The reporter said he would do that if I made it very short. So I took my stand on the back of the lorry and the policeman called for silence.

As soon as the crowd quietened down I shouted, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls of Charleroi, I am very happy to see you all in such a jolly and merry mood this morning. Several times I have been in your town but you have been going quietly about your daily duties, but today you are really thrilled. We are a small group of British Soldiers, who have served in the War and in the Army of Occupation, but now we are going to base to be demobilised. Like you we will soon be in the civilian ranks to take our places in the great task ahead. We have been held up at your railway station for 2½ hours and as we have the majority of our Regimental Band with us, I decided to take the Soldiers for a short march, to stretch their legs and to exercise their lungs. So far we have enjoyed it immensely, I arranged with Sergeant of the Band to play 'Madelon,' your great favourite. I knew that would get you out of your shells, also the 'Marseillaise,' that thrilling anthem of France and the Soldiers song, 'Tipperary'. As we march back to the station we will play these again and on behalf of the Soldiers and Officers I say thank you for your welcome. Good luck and goodbye."

The police cleared the way. Soldiers were kissing girls and girls were kissing soldiers, waving, singing and waving. The band opened up with their favourite 'Madelon' and we were on our way. The crowds were thrilled with the songs and as we passed along, droves of children followed us to the station. I asked one of the officers to have the gates closed and a few Officers posted to keep them back. In a short time the place was quiet again. I halted the soldiers and thanked them for their behaviour, under such circumstances of joviality and pleasure. I could see and feel that they had enjoyed it. I explained to them that in a few minutes I would see the stationmaster and check with the cooks about the time for lunch.

###  DEPARTURE FROM CHARLEROI

The stationmaster gave me the latest information he'd received and said that the train would leave at 12.15pm. The cooks had lunch ready and we ate immediately. I asked the sergeants to get the men to move quickly and at 12 noon they were all aboard the train, after the very happy and pleasant break at Charleroi. In a few minutes another troop train came and we were coupled on to the back and after a little barracking and shouting were on the way. We passed through many war-blasted areas, settlements, villages and now the town of Arras. The authorities had been busy having repairs made to roads and to shelled buildings which were partially destroyed.

We soon came to the areas which had not been affected by the ravages of war and our next stop was Abbeville, which had a camp close to the station. There the troops had tea, sandwiches and cakes. There were also wash basins, ablutions and latrines and a large paddock where some of the soldiers were playing football. I saw the RTO; I told him of our previous hold up and I said we would like to get to Dieppe tonight. He said at present that troop traffic was running at high pressure and would continue to be during this period of demobilisation. In about 40 minutes the orders were given to get aboard the train and we were on the way again, the countryside was very interesting – mostly farming.

Evening was approaching and we were getting near to this very busy seaport where I had not been before. I reported to the RTO and showed him my warrant of movement. He said there was an Officer on duty receiving the incoming troops and I interviewed him and said the troops were for demobilisation. He rang through to the Base Camp and in a few minutes he sent a Corporal with us to take us to a Camp about 5 miles away. I asked the Sergeant of the Band to play a few tunes on the way, as this would be the last time we would march together, also because each member of the Band was being given the instrument he played. On the way the Band played and the men sang the old army songs of yesterday.

I blew my whistle for the last time and I marched the detachment at the slope arms in order to salute the guard as we entered the Camp. For the last time, I halted what was left of the 6th Royal Warwick Regiment. I was met by the Camp Staff sergeant, who escorted me to the orderly room where I saw the Adjutant of the Camp and I gave him the list of the personnel I had marched into the Camp with all records. I asked him if he would excuse me for a few minutes, as this would be the last time I could speak to some of the NCOs and men with whom I had been in combat with on several occasions during the War. He gave me permission immediately and so I hailed the Staff Sergeant who was at the point of marching them away

I said to the soldiers, "This will be the last time I will be able to speak to you as a group. With many of you during the last two years, I have been your Officer, your mother and adviser. I have always strived and endeavoured to do the best I could for you, whether in the trenches, in the billets, in the camp, on the sports fields and wherever you have been as a Soldier. Now, like all things in this life it has come to an end and I want to thank each and every one of you for your service in the Royal Warwick Regiment. I wish you all very sincerely a very happy and prosperous future in the years that are ahead." I shook hands with each man; it was a moment of deep emotion for us all. They shouted, "Cheerio, Sir".

I went back to the Adjutant and I thanked him for giving me the time to say a few words to the men. He explained to me that his was a very large examination and clearing centre before troops could be demobilised. He said, "Thousands come in and thousands go out each day but we are so short of Officers."

As a Captain I stayed on for another four months to assist in this important and extensive organisation. We lived in huts and had our own Mess, with dances and concerts arranged from time to time. In the early days of demobilisation, after the War had ended, NCOs and men handed in Rifles and equipment to the Regimental Quartermaster stores and then they went to England and reported to one of the camps arranged for this purpose. They had to fill in forms which gave them full instructions of the conditions of discharge, leave and the Army gratuity they would receive.

### MEDICAL CLEARANCE

This method was severely criticised, as in thousands of cases these men went back to their homes without any medical checkup regarding venereal and other infectious skin diseases and eventually this caused many infections in wives and sweethearts. Now there were large medical and cleansing centres operating in France. I was attached to this very large centre which was about five miles from Dieppe. I will try to explain its organisation and work, which was planned out from start to finish in a very large, long oval and high building. The holding camp was very extensive and held up to 12000 soldiers, with troops arriving and leaving at all times of the day. About 9000 were housed in huts, the remainder in tents, with staff operating the organisation in other huts nearby. Special rosters and duties and movements were planned by the Head Office and made known to all concerned in the Camp Orders of the day.

At the time when I started at the Camp, the personnel were on two shifts, 4.00am to 12 noon and 12 noon to 8.00pm. Each Officer on duty would take over his detachment, which was on parade outside HQ Orderly Rooms. The Adjutant and Sergeant Major were in charge of the parade. I collected my details from the orderly room and immediately reported to the Adjutant and the Staff Sergeant Major detailed three or four staff Sergeants to assist me. The men were paraded in uniform with kitbags each having a label tied to it.

There were notices on posts for 20 detachments so there was plenty of room. It was now time for us to get started. I reported to the Officer on duty and gave him my list of personnel. Each man was then given instructions to take from his kit bag his spare under vest and pants. He would leave his kit bag, which was labelled, in line, where he would collect it when he had been through the process of fumigation. They were then ready to go through.

### FUMIGATION

We then approached the fumigating department and the Officer in charge told the men to take off all their clothing and to put each garment into the wire cages, which had steel sides and were labelled Trousers, Tunics, Shirts, Socks, Underpants, Vests, etc. As soon as they disposed of their garments, which had to be done quickly, they were completely in the nude, of course. They were embarrassed for a while, and they used their hands to cover themselves, as there were no fig leaves. It mattered not what abnormalities they had or whether they were tall, short, thin or fat.

They were then formed into six single files, a few yards apart. Just ahead were six Medical Officers, with wash basins and instruments, also large bowls of disinfectant nearby for dipping their hands, in case they needed to touch the soldiers. These Medical Officers determined the separate categories and by experience they were very quick on the job. Those with Venereal Disease in its different forms went to the left; those who were free of any infections went straight ahead; those infected with body lice, crabs etc. went to the right. The medical orderlies on the job kept them moving in all departments, as quickly as possible.

Of course, the men who went straight through were always in the great majority. After hot and cold showers, they were taken to the Quarter Masters Store, which was a very large store. The staff was very quick and efficient. Each man was issued with 2 pair of socks, 2 pair of pants, 2 vests, 1 grey shirt and a suit of civilian clothes as near as they could fit, a pair of light boots and a cap. Then they walked back to the entrance, formed in line with their kit bags, and were marched back to the camp for tea or lunch.

### TREATMENT

Those men who had been directed to the left needed to be checked over more thoroughly by other Medical Officers, and in all cases they were sent to a hospital for treatment and cure before they were allowed to go home.

Those men who had been directed to the right, because of body lice etc. were taken by medical orderlies, who rushed them into hot treated baths and then into a shaving department. There were from 12 to 20 of these shavers and they had heavy concave wooden benches for the men to lie on. Each man had the hair shaved from his armpits, chest and crotch. It was amusing to see them reclining on these benches, but the orderlies stood no nonsense and they were expert at the job. When each man had been shaved he was moved up to three more orderlies, who were armed with large tubes of Harrison's Pomade or Blue Unction. They gave each man a large wooden spoonful of this ointment into their hands to rub vigorously onto the shaven parts. They each took their turn to go through special hot showers and after drying they were inspected by medical orderlies to ensure that they were clean. It was a very effective treatment and they were quite clean, but each man was given a small tin of this ointment to rub on before he dressed, for the next few days.

### GOING HOME

Like the previous group, they were taken to the QM Store and issued with socks, underclothing, shirt, a new civilian suit, a pair of boots and a cap. They picked up their kit bags and marched back to the camp, where they received warrants and instructions, and were drafted into groups from 500 to 1000. Some went by boat from Dieppe; others went by train to Bologna and Calais. There were officers in charge of groups, who were being demobilised and in Dover and other ports on arrival in England. They were guided by the RTO to the camp where they received railway warrants to their homes, with pay covering their period of leave. They were given forms to fill in to claim their gratuities when they got home. In three days all the NCOs and men I had brought down from the Army of Occupation in Germany had left for England, with the exception of a few who had been delayed for hospital treatment. It was amazing how different they looked in their civvies suits after always seeing them in Khaki Uniforms. They were all pleased to be on their way home.

In a week or so I was soon settled down to my new duties. In those days, when so many men were being put through we worked on two shifts, one week 4.00am to 12noon and from noon to 8.00pm, but we had comfortable quarters and a good Officers Mess, also plenty of sport, dances and concerts. The Medical Officers also took turn in shifts and I got to know many of them, who were mostly young and getting good pay and experience.

After about two months there was a great reduction in the numbers being demobilised and we went to 1 shift, 8.00am to 4.00pm. We were now able to cope with the numbers passing through, although sometimes we got detachments from Italy and the Middle East. Never had I seen so many nude bodies, as I saw during those four months. It was amazing to see the freaks of nature; men with webbed toes, sometimes with six toes and other deformities. How they got into the army I do not know and also there were other freaks of nature, with sex troubles. But in later years the Medical Profession was successful in helping some of those unfortunates.

###  SOCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

By this time we were the only organisation left in Europe for British Personnel. Now, of course, many problems were coming onto the horizon and had to be solved. How to do this was not easy, as never had the world been stricken by such a great conflict and never had the economic, industrial, agricultural and shipping systems of the advance nations of the world been under such chaotic disruption and instability. It was therefore impossible to build up a new system on the old basis and the experience of the War greatly accelerated the changes, both social and technological, that were already evident in the immediate pre-war era.

The necessities of combat and economic mobilisation acted as a spur to invention and to boldness in the exploitation of unorthodox methods, i.e.: surgery, medicine and all methods of hospitalisation, in aeroplanes, synthetic products, electric power and radio. The newly invented motion picture and science in every phase had been advanced by the War. In the case of the automobile: when the War started horse-drawn vehicles dominated the streets and highways, but at the end of the War it was almost the reverse.

There was great advancement of technical development, with electric power being brought into use in many ways, being used in buildings, in the homes and electrification of the countryside. Radio and motion pictures had not advanced much before the War, but in the 1920's they were already commonplace and in a few years no prosperous home was without its radio set. Going to the pictures was a cheap form of entertainment and in this era of the silent films many clever and famous actors and actresses became very popular. I think Charles Chaplin was the great genius of the silent era. However, they all brightened the faces and minds of millions of peoples all over the World.

### MOVIE HEROES

The mud of Flanders, from 1914 to 1918, had few special attractions. Yet, in the cinemas and later on the Television screens, in books and newspapers, there were vast audiences waiting to see those dumb heroes, as they marched up the line to death, draped in ground sheets, wearing thick puttees, walking and shambling over duck boards, which were laid above fields of mud and blood, against a background of burned and splintered trees. And of the faithful mules carrying up their packs of ammunitions to service the Guns. This is not a pleasant memory. There has been enough written by the men who served in the trenches about what went on. But whatever some people may think, the myths will be preferred to the facts. However, posterity will have the vivid and amazing pictures, which were taken by the cameramen on all fronts and by both sides in this stupid but fearful combat.

While I was engaged in my duties at this very large cleansing centre, I had ample time to read of the many problems, which occurred almost daily. We read in the news of the day, in various newspapers, that unemployment was spreading and that industry and agriculture etc. was only geared up to absorb a certain number. We read of thousands of Officers who were out of work. However, towards the end of 1920 all the Western nations were suffering the same problems, such as sagging currencies, stagnating production and massive unemployment.

Of course, the War had churned up and dislocated the civil populations of Europe and only in the stable countries of the West did the mass of the people remain untroubled. But in Central and Eastern Europe, revolution and the changing of boundaries upset millions of people. It is impossible to estimate how many families, who, at one time or another, were on the road, driven from their homes by hunger or political terror. Masses of refugees refused to accept the new laws imposed by the boundaries of 1919 and Europe was teeming with these unwanted souls, with no home, no country and just wandering in rags, in filth and with no hope. The only escape for them was emigration to the United States. In fact, after the lifting of wartime restrictions on transport, nearly a million poured into the United States alone.

### QUOTA SYSTEM

The American Congress instituted the Quota System and thousands left Europe for the Argentine, Brazil and other British Dominions and eventually here, Quotas were made. Europe became a complex from which thousands in this generation could find no escape. Nevertheless one could see that the new society would be quite different from what it had been before the War. It would be less bound by tradition and more democratic with the Emancipation of Women, Technology, the formulation of the culture of the 1920s and the progress of natural science, biochemistry and its medical applications. Social Science and Philosophy, Sociology and Anthropology, Literature in forms of the Novel, Poetry and Drama, Music, Painting, Architecture; all these assisted in the new form of Culture, which was to guide us into this great century of achievement and adventure into time and space. The changes that have taken place in my lifetime have been wonderful, and it seems that they will continue to be so.

The emancipation of the coloured races, the conquest of disease and space, the education, occupation and feeding of all peoples, as well as the first essential – control of population. But what we have to put up with in the western countries of Europe, in no way compares to the millions who suffered persecution, hunger and disruption in Russia, India, China and the nations in South East Asia. Now, as I approach the year 1920 I try to work out for myself some sort of a plan of action, so that I can be ready by the time I get my orders of demobilisation.

Of course, many of the Officers who left earlier had positions to go to, but even they were disappointed at the changed conditions. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to study or to learn a trade, as I left school before I was 13 years of age to work in a brickyard and did all kinds of unskilled jobs. I was one of a family of 13, so there was not much chance for me in that respect. Then I went to the mines, which I did not like, as it was a dangerous and badly paid job. I went to a night school, which helped me quite a lot and then I became a Scoutmaster and even from that I became experienced in leading and guiding other boys and enlarging my knowledge in all kinds of handicrafts and trades.

### AFTER THE WAR

I worked in the mines until I joined the Army but I did not want to go back to them when the War was over. I wrote to Secretaries of Embassies in London, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and other places. I got quite a lot of literature but very little help. However, I received a letter from Donald McPherson of Norton Canes, whom I had met in the Scout Movement. He was the son of wealthy parents, who had mines on the Cannock Chase and estates in Scotland. He had received a great chance to have a good education and had been to Cambridge University, but said that he could not be bothered with it. He said he had asked his mother to let him go to an Agricultural College so that he could learn about farming. He was a very charming young man and we got on well together. Often I have been asked to have dinner with them, which of course brushed up my manners considerably. I said, "I have no evening dress, Donald." He said, "Come in your 'civvie' suit, Mother will understand," and so we became great friends.

But I will tell you more of my experiences with Donald later. However, in the letter I received from him, he asked me if I would go and work with him on the Ranch, which he had purchased. He said it was not far away from me, in which the then Prince of Wales was also interested. To read of this great offer from Donald was really thrilling and I thought at last that I would do something, which I would really like. He asked me to get release from the army, say in 3 months. So I wrote back to him thanking him to the best of my ability for this most generous offer.

### DIEPPE

I saw the Adjutant in the Mess one evening later, as I was just going to a show in Dieppe with some other Officers. I asked him how much longer the centre would continue with this work. He told me two to three months; at present arrangements were being made by the army to have one small Centre in Germany for the occupation forces and one in Suez for the Middle East forces. I asked when it would be convenient for me to be demobilised, and he said, "In about two months." Now I could make some arrangements towards that end, as the number of men coming through the Centre decreased rapidly and also the number of Officers in the Mess and NCOs and men in the camp.

It was not so hectic now, and of course, not so interesting but still we could play tennis and other games in the evenings when we were not on duty. Some weekends, we went to small settlements on the beaches, which were very pretty and enjoyable. I wrote home to my Mother and said that I would be leaving the army soon. At last the day came when the Centre was closed down. While it was in operation, it served hundreds of thousands of troops in the final stages of their demobilisation and the like of it may never come again.

We all had to have a medical check up by the Medical Officer before we could get a clearance and our demobilisation papers to leave France. On the last evening we had a farewell party at which many civilian friends were invited. It was a happy jolly evening and finished quite late the following morning. About 12 Officers were leaving early that morning, so we had to get a move on to be ready, because by now we had no batmen. We were going by train to Calais so that gave us a little time to get settled. It is always with a tinge of regret, that one leaves a place where he has spent many happy months with other army personnel. We were taken down to the station in one lorry and our baggage in another; several medical orderlies had attended to this for us. At last we were on the way, in the famous old rattling, jerky French trains; sometimes you don't know whether you are coming or going.

Eventually we got to Abbeville and here we were held up for several hours by a train derailment. Fortunately, there was a crowd of American Officers held up also. I approached them and asked if they would play us a game of soccer football and then we would play them a game of softball. We rang up the camp and they lent us ball and bat and we all enjoyed it immensely and the Americans insisted on shouting us afternoon tea before we got on the train. The RTO said we would miss the boat that afternoon so he arranged with Calais to fix things for us on arrival. It was about 7pm when we arrived so we stayed in temporary quarters until next morning. We went to a Cafeteria in the evening and had a few dances with the girls and a singsong. I was up early and had a walk around a few of the places I knew from past experience. Breakfast was at 7am and we had to be aboard by 7.30. We left at 8am and if I remember right it was a dull cheerless kind of morning, but brightened up as we got to Dover. We could see the white cliffs and the heights where we camped a few years before.

### HOME AGAIN

We entered the breakwater and in a very short time we were being disembarked, fortunately the Railway was nearby, so after our baggage was put on to the quayside we claimed it and put it onto the train. The RTO directed us to Sling Camp so we got the morning paper and we were soon puffing away through the English countryside. We arrive at Sling Camp Station, our baggage was collected and as there were several hundred of us we marched along to the Camp Headquarters. Here we paraded for a while, until we were given instructions when handing in our papers from our Units. There we were given our discharge papers, with Railway Warrants and Ration Cards. We were told that our forms to claim what Gratuity was due to us would be sent to our homes.

Most of the Officers were fortunate in getting fixed up and we managed to catch a late train, which got us into London about 6pm. Fortunately, I was able to get a room at the Railway Hotel and I left my baggage at the Railway station. It was lovely to be in the old city again and as I was with another young Officer from Coventry we decided to go to a show if we could get seats. We went to the reception clerk and told her we had just arrived in the city and asked if could try to get us two seats together if possible. In a few minutes she beckoned to us and said, "I have been able to get you two seats at a play called 'The Risk'." We went and both enjoyed it immensely; Cyril Hardwicke was very fine in the leading part. We purchased a large box of chocolates at the Theatre and we gave it to her the next morning with our compliments.

We both went to Coxes, the Army bankers, as we wanted to see what our Credit balance was. Both of them were fairly substantial so we were quite happy. We went to Waterloo Station, picked up our baggage and went over to Euston Station to catch our train for Birmingham. My friend, Lieutenant Jenkins was going to Coventry and we had to wait at Euston Station for about an hour. It was crowded with army and air Force personnel and the Military Police were very active, warning the soldiers to beware of prostitutes outside the station. They knew that many of the soldiers had been paid, and of course, the police were trying to protect them against the prostitutes.

I think our train left about 2.15pm and although it was about November we enjoyed going through the countryside, which we had not seen for quite a while. We stopped at Coventry and I said goodbye to my friend and I reached Birmingham at about 3.15pm. I immediately asked the porter what time I could get a train for Cannock. He said, "By the time I have got your baggage over to the platform, your train will be pulling into its platform." At 3.45pm the train left New Street Station. I got into First Class, as it was empty, but only until I got to Aston, where the Factory girls crowded onto the train. They were standing and I offered my seat but they waved me aside. In fact I said to one, who was standing, "You may sit on my knee," which she promptly did. They sang and were telling each other jokes, which they well knew I would hear. I joined in the songs with them and they appreciated the gesture of friendliness. However, Walsall came all too soon. I had really enjoyed this short time of cheerfulness with the factory lasses and they all waved and said goodbye.

Walsall had not altered much, the carriage was now empty and I looked out to see if there was anyone I knew, who was going my way. The train was not leaving for awhile so I had a little exercise walking up and down the platform and at last I saw someone I knew. It was Mr Southwell who was the Surveyor at the Fair Lady Mine Heath Hayes. It must have been six years since I had seen him. He recognised me at once and raised his hat. As he was with his wife and daughter, I saluted. They were travelling Third Class, so I excused myself while I collected my two bags from First Class and joined them.

I told them of my experience with the factory girls, which I quite enjoyed. As I didn't wish to sit in an empty carriage to Cannock, I said, "It gives me great pleasure in joining you for the remainder of my journey." I asked if he was still at the Fair Lady Mine. He was, but he had taken a day off to do some business in Walsall, so his wife came with him and, as his daughter was studying at an Art School, they had stayed late so that she could travel home with them. The daughter was a tall, dark, slim and very attractive girl. Mr Southwell told me of some of the changes that had taken place during the War years. He said he was pleased to see I had gained promotion also he asked me what War fronts I had been on, so I mentioned a few of my experiences and also a few of my humorous episodes, at which they all laughed and were eager to hear more. I was going to get off the train at Cannock, but they advised me to get off at Hednesford as there were coaches running through Heath Hayes every hour.

I told them I had been demobilised from the Army, and I expected to be home for a while, so they invited me to come to dinner with them one evening, and gave me their address and telephone number. Hednesford Station had not altered much. The Southwells helped me carry my bags to the Coach and I saw the driver. He took my bags and said he would be moving off in twenty minutes. I thanked my friends and wished them cheerio. I asked the driver if I could walk down the street for a few minutes, as I had not seen the place for about six years. Of course, being in an Officer's Uniform as a Captain, people wouldn't recognise me easily. I saw a few people I knew, but as they did not recognise me, I did not stop. I got back to the coach and the driver said Wednesday was a slack night.

Soon it was time to leave and the driver took his bus on to the starting point where I met a few people of Heath Hayes and I got into conversation with them and, of course, they asked me all kinds of questions. When we left at 7pm the coach was about three parts full. The driver stopped by the Plough Inn, then the Keys Hotel, up Corbetts Hill, then along a short run of straight road and then we stopped opposite the Talbot Hotel. I got down and the driver opened the back of the coach and gave me my bags. It wasn't long before people were shaking hands with me. I saw a boy I knew, Billie Palmer, who said, "Hello, Scoutmaster." So I said, "Billie, will you run along to my home and tell them I have arrived on the Coach and will be home in a few minutes?" I gave him an apple I had in my pocket, so away he went.

I was now in Chapel Street, where everyone knew me, at every gate I got greetings, "welcome back, Ernie," and, of course, all the ladies I knew impressed me with a smashing kiss. Two of the old scouts had already taken my bags home. Messrs Rowley, Price, Foster and Hall: it was lovely to see them all, even old Mr Palmer, and his son, Tom, neither of whom appeared changed, both were smoking pipes, with caps askew - the real dog racing type. They shook hands, "I always said our Scoutmaster would come back an Officer." I thanked them all for their greetings and comments and as I got round the bend I could see the old home.

### FAMILY

It was nearly 8pm and Mother and Evelyn were very busy getting something ready for supper. The tears were rolling down Mother's cheeks as she kissed me welcome home and Evelyn was all smiles. Dad was in bed. Just as we were having supper, Mrs Hathaway, from next door, hobbled in and said, "The old rambler returns." She had a cup of tea with us. Afterwards Eve and I went up the stairs to see Dad. He said he did not know what all the noise was about; I shook hands with him and asked if he was well, but he was always hard and showed no emotion whatever at seeing me. I could not understand him, he always seemed so far away in his feelings towards me, so I bade him goodnight and went down to Mum.

At 10pm Lionel came home. He was surprised to see me, but we were very happy to see each other and I asked about my brother Lewis. Lionel worked with him repairing the shafts at No.8 Colliery. It was a kind of specialist job and it was well paid. We talked and talked until nearly midnight. Evelyn went to bed earlier because she had to get up early as she worked at the Cannock Bakery, run by the Co-operative Wholesale Society. Owing to a shortage of men she was driving a van.

This was my first night home for two years. I slept in the middle room in which were two single beds. I don't think I was long before being in the Land of Nod. Next morning I could hear them down below, so I went down in my dressing gown and had a cup of tea. Evelyn was almost ready for work. I could see food was scarce, as every one had to have ration cards or coupons. I gave Mother my ration coupons and I had also got some extra coupons, from some of the girls I knew in the Office. I had also bought a few extra supplies from the Army Stores. This made it easier for them, because I was often away for meals when visiting.

After early breakfast I was interested watching Dad feeding his two pigs, which were getting on towards being baconers. I was pleased it gave him something to do. Sometimes they found it difficult to get meal for them, but Dad had two large wooden barrels, in which they kept the bits and slops, which the neighbours would save for them. They also got old bread from the Bakehouse nearby. About 11am Dad used to walk along to the Talbot Arms, to have a talk and a drink with his old friends.

I went down to Hednesford to get my Army valise from the station and I managed to get it on the back of the coach to Heath Hayes, where I borrowed a wheelbarrow from the Bakehouse, and so I got it home. I had not even unlocked my bags yet, so now I had some unpacking to do. I had presents for them at home; for Mother I had a box of chocolates, a scarf and a raincoat; for Dad I had a box of cigars and a large tin of tobacco. For Evelyn and Lionel I also had presents.

Going into the room which they called the "parlour" I was surprised to see the wonderful collection of cut glasses, wine, champagne, tumblers, cut glass fruit bowls and painted fruit bowls. We have all these treasures, now in New Zealand, in the china cupboards of our home. Also there was a beautiful eight-day clock for the mantelshelf, with Westminster Chimes. This I gave to Elsie and James Howratty when they got married. I also saw a large box of letters which I had written to Mother during the War years; there were several hundreds of them – it's a pity I didn't have them at the time of writing to refresh my memory.

### CATCHING UP

The next day I went down to Rugeley to see Mabel and Bernard and children. They lived in Albion Street. I walked around the streets of Rugeley, a very interesting little town, noted for its Horse and Cattle Fairs during my boyhood days. I met Mr and Mrs Potts at Mabel's, he was a Sgt cook up at the Penbridge Camp, but it was due to close down soon. Eileen Potts, a little girl of about 14 years, used to walk with me through the fields up to Etching Hill, a very pretty little settlement. My grandparents used to live near the bottom of the Hill, also later my sister, Minnie, who married a local named Fred Beck and had a family of three.

I must record this little incident, although it happened a long time ago when I would have been about 9 years old, and I was staying with my grandparents of whom I was very fond. Grandpa had a small farm and when he was not working on it he sometimes used to take the horse and dray to cart my parents coal from Hednesford, which would take him the best part of the day. Of course, when Grandpa was on this job Grandma would be on her own, but not quite, because she had a large brindled bulldog called Brin.

I loved my grandma and also Brin; fortunately I was staying with them on this occasion. Old Brin used to lie on the rug in front of the fire; he seemed always to have his eyes closed. On this afternoon I was reading the Jester, a small paper of coloured comic cuts, by the table and Grandma was sitting in the armchair.

### GOOD DOG, BRIN!

Very suddenly a gruff and rough bearded man stood by the open door and began demanding something from Grandma who started shouting, "Don't come inside that door, and go away or you will be sorry." The man was going to come in, until Brin appeared on the scene and then he started to run away but the dog had got hold of the seat of his trousers. The man struggled but Brin had almost torn his trousers off. Grandma called the dog off and said, "Let that be a lesson to you." Whenever I see a bulldog I always think of Brin and Grandma. Of course, when Grandpa arrived home and was told the story, he stroked his white beard, kissed Grandma and told Brin what a good dog he was. When I got home I told my brothers and sisters who enjoyed the story and, of course, Brin was always a great favourite, along with the horse, who was called Bonny.

Now, to get back to my visit to Minnie and Fred, I always used to take some sweets with me, and we used to climb to the rocks on the top of the hill. From these rocks you could see about five counties. On bonfire night and on other great occasions interested people used to cart timber, coal and tar. I have seen hundreds of men and women, boys and girls helping to carry the materials to the top. What a blaze there used to be! Etching Hill is a famous landmark and a playground for all. Jessie was my favourite; she was the oldest of ten and used to meet me when I walked over the chase to their home, a distance of ten miles.

Another day I visited my brother, Lewis and family. He was always most friendly and interested and was a specialist at his work. Then I called on Bill and Merci, who had quite a family, but he had a good job and was also a good workman. He was generous with his pals in the pubs. Unfortunately, he died when he was 38, leaving a family of eight. I called at brother, George and Stella's home in Littleworth; they had two children, Rex and Elsie. Stella's mother, Mrs Woodward was a fine old lady and always made me most welcome, also May Woodward was a charming girl and had helped us in the Scouts at Heath Hayes on several occasions. Elsie was a baby so Grandma would always let me nurse her whenever I called. I used to see George often as he used to run a milk round besides his work.

I remember one night George asked me to go to the Cinema with him and we enjoyed it very much and laughed and talked during the interval. But we must have been seen, because the next day I met two nurses I knew from the hospital and they said, "We saw you at the pictures with your father. What a nice looking man he was." The next time I saw George I said, "Hello, Father" and I told him the story and we both had a good laugh. George was only 18 months older than I was, but by the time he was twenty-five he was quite bald.

A day or so later, I went down to Norton Canes to see if Donald McPherson was at home. Fortunately he was and he introduced me to his mother and two sisters, who were very charming girls. Donald showed me around the farm, in which he took pride, and then he went to the stables and got his pony. He asked me to chase the heifers around while he tried to lasso them, and was getting on well with his endeavours when he asked me to have a go, but I couldn't get the hang of it. He said, "You know it will be useful when we get out to Canada." He invited me to dinner the following night but I told him I had no evening dress. He said, "Come in your suit; that will be alright as it will be very quiet."

I called on the Tews family on my way down to Norton Canes and I told Tom, the son, where I was going. He said, "You must be guarded with Mac; he is up to all kinds of tricks." I walked down to the Hall with Tom and I arranged to visit his family later. I walked to the front door, rang the bell and when the butler arrived he asked me into the Hall. Then Donald came with him; he was smiling and said, "Hello, Ernie" and we went into a small room. I was to take off my shoes and put on a pair, which the butler gave me. They were smooth, pointed and curled up at the toe, so I said, "Mac, I am not wearing these unless you wear the same." "Of course," he said, "I wanted to discard it but Mother insisted. We will go into the anteroom and have a drink with the ladies. I will take Mother's arm, you my sister's and the parson, my other sister." The butler opened the door and announced to the company, "Captain Lycette," so I entered and bowed and the girl I was to escort offered me a martini.

After a couple of martinis I was feeling more cheerful and at 7.30 Donald and his Mother led the way and I followed, escorting Miss McPherson and the parson, the young Miss McPherson. The conversation was mostly about the locality or about Donald's trip to Canada and also that Mrs McPherson and the girls were going to Scotland immediately Donald left. After dinner we went into the music room and the girls played the piano and sang, very well. I told Donald I did not want to be late, so at 10pm Donald and his sisters drove me home in their car. I kissed the girls goodnight and said I hoped to see them again. Donald took me out for several other trips around, but he was not a very good driver and several times while I was with him we had lucky escapes.

### MARKING TIME

I had already been in correspondence with several of the embassies and with Whitehall in London and had been for interviews, but was not successful. On a later trip I was told that the Government was going to form several companies of ex officers as auxiliary corps to work between the Army and the Police Force in Ireland. I was sent to one of the Under Secretaries, who took my name, rank, Regiment and home address, and he said he would notify me as soon as a decision was made.

I became fed up with not having something to do, so I got a job working for a large London contracting firm from the south of England. It was going to plan and lay out a very modern 18-hole golf course for the Marquis of Anglesea, on the high plateau south of Hazel Slade. It was an extensive area and was going to cost between £80,000 and £100,000 pounds. It was a good three miles away so I used to walk it both ways, over a short cut over the Hednesford Hills, and down by a Mr. Tom Coulthwaite's stables (he was a famous and well known horse trainer).

The walking and the work soon hardened me up and also I enjoyed the work and became interested in the project. The manager had been a famous golf player some years before and he told me it was going to be the most modern course yet constructed. He put me in charge of a dozen men and explained to me the nature of the work. Of course, in those days it was pick and shovel, wheelbarrows and horses and drays, with none of the elaborate time and money saving machinery, which we have today. We worked 9 hours a day and 5 hours on Saturdays. I got to know all the tricks of the trade, such as laying out greens, tees, bunkers and all kinds of hazards, and the fairways.

Then one day when I got home, a long "On His Majesty's Service" envelope had arrived for me and it contained instruction to report to Whitehall, London. I think it gave me a week's notice, so I asked for 3 days off, as I had several things to see to. I went down to Whyrley Hall to see Donald McPherson and find out what was happening there. I arrived at the Hall, rang the bell. When the butler came to answer the door, I told him I was Captain Lycette and gave him my card. He asked me to wait in the reception room while he went to see The Lady.

In a few moments he escorted me to the large sitting room. Mrs McPherson was surprised to see me as she thought Donald had written to me. She said that he had left the week before and had embarked on one of the Atlantic lines for Canada, as there had been some complications that he wanted to know more about before finally signing the agreement. She was certain that he would write me as soon as he was settled, as he had my address and seemed quite keen that I should join him in the venture. She told me that the girls were out exercising their horses and asked me to stay to lunch. I excused myself, saying that I had an early afternoon appointment. I was disappointed, and knew that Canada was off for the time being.

When I arrived home, I got ready and caught the first train to London, arriving at 8.30pm and booked a room at the Station Hotel. Then I walked around, stopping for refreshments before turning in for the night. I rose early next morning, bought the newspaper and scanned the news until breakfast time. I walked down through Trafalgar Square to Whitehall, where I met two officers that I had known at Sandhurst. They were doing the same course with me at that time and I was thrilled to see them. They asked what I was doing in London Town. "Well," I said, "to tell you the truth, I want a job." They replied, "So do we. Have you heard that the Government is considering forming a Corp of ex-officers?" I said that I had and that, as I was going for an interview that morning, they could come along with me to see what might happen.

### INTERVIEW

I arrived at the appointed time, gave my Rank, Regiment and service abroad, which included Gallipoli, Palestine, Western Front, Italy and the Army of Occupation. I filled in a form and was told that I would be notified later where to report. I mentioned the two officers waiting in the corridor. He told me to ask them in. They were eager to know what happened and I escorted them into the room. "These are the gentlemen, Sir." I waited outside while they were being interviewed and when they came out, they said, "Thank God, Ernie, we have something to do at last." We were all told that we would receive orders in the next few days. I said, "I'm going to walk back to Euston Station, for a little exercise and I want to catch the 1.20pm express to Birmingham." They had nothing to do so they came with me and I shouted them a drink at the bar, and said I would see them in a few days.

As always, I enjoyed the trip through the countryside into the midlands and arrived in New Street at 3.30pm and caught the 4pm train for Cannock. I met Daisy Foster, who had brought some people to catch the train and she asked me to join her for the trip to Heath Hayes and asked me to have tea with her. She had a little shop in the main street, with a middle-aged lady to do household duties and help with the shop when she was out. So over a cup of tea and fish and chips she told me the gossip of the occupants of the village. We went in to see her parents, who were not well and had a chap named Jack Daft minding their business for them (the village bakery).

I arrived home at 7pm and they were surprised to see me so early. I told them that I'd had a successful trip and I would be leaving in a week. They asked if I would be leaving England, which I confirmed but was not able to say where. We played cards whilst waiting for Lionel to come home from work at 10pm. Next morning, I went to work, as I had got to like the job and the men, who were a cosmopolitan crowd, including cockneys, Irish, Welsh and Scottish; some were navvies picking up casual work.

The manager wished me the best of luck when I left. Working out on the open Chase all day had made me quite tough and brown. On Monday, I had received my Warrant and notice to report at Grantham. Early next day, I donned my best suit and put a few odds and ends in a small case. I said goodbye to Mum and Dad and travelled with Evelyn on the same coach to Cannock. I said cheerio to Evelyn, telling her I would write home when I knew where I was staying. Poor old Eve, I could see she was sad at my leaving home again. She said it was always happier when I was there.

I arrived at the Camp about 2.30pm and found there about 40 others. We received instructions and our railway warrants and were taken to the station and caught the boat train, which would take us through to Holyhead. I chummed up with Jones and Lewis. It was a thrill; I had never been on this night trip before. In the late afternoon it was very interesting going through the beautiful Trent Valley country of England. We passed through Tamworth and Lichfield, very old and historic towns of the past. Then through Rugeley, my hometown where, as a boy, I had often seen this fascinating train all lit up under the evening sky. Through Great Hayward and Milford where we had spent delightful camps and had often admired this famous old train passing by with great speed. We came to Stafford, which was rapidly expanding, then on to Crewe. On our first stop, we had just time for a cup of tea and a walk up and down the platform. We saw many faces in this refreshment room that we had not seen before, but we felt that we would see much of them in the future as we had an idea that they were going to the same place.

We were soon pushing onward through the night air and the starry sky and at last we got to the seaside town of Holyhead. We were told not to move in a group, but as two's or three's, so we picked up our scanty luggage bags and followed the crowd. We saw the porter busily engaged unloading the Mail bags onto trolleys and conveying them to the boat side ready to be put into the holds, all supervised by special Uniformed Officers. The boat was lashed securely by large steel wire ropes to the quayside, as it was windy. We made our way through the gate, showed our warrants, climbed up the steps of the gangway and along to the starboard side of the ship, where we dumped our luggage. Then we stood by the rails and watched the attendants load the Mail bags and heavy luggage onto the boat.

We could see and hear the sailors releasing the boat and soon we were moving out into the Irish Sea, which can be very rough. It was not long before it began to rock and pitch and then a roll. I noticed that quite a number of well dressed ladies and gents, who promenaded gaily up and down in the early stages, were now beginning to feel the unpleasantness of being seasick and they were not alone. Some went into rooms and others dashed for the rails, just as I did. Many of them didn't care how they looked and neither did I, but Lewis, Jones and I sat outside on a seat, where we found it better than being in corridors or rooms. Once we got out of the deep moving current of the Irish Sea we began to find our sea legs but we didn't get much sleep. However, we arrived in the breakwater at Kingstown and were soon made secure. After breakfast we disembarked and entrained to Dublin.

###  AUXILIARY CORPS IN IRELAND

We were met at the station and were directed to catch trains, which took up to Rathmines. We made our way to the large Army Barracks at Beggars Bush, where the Sentry at the gate held us up. He sent for the Sergeant of the Guard and we had to show our papers before being admitted. The Officer had a blue uniform with a beret. We handed over our papers and were sent in to claim a bed. There were about 25 beds along each side and we claimed our three beds at the far end of the room. It was not long before it was filled up and all in this room belonged to No.4 Platoon and were taken over by a Sergeant.

He said that recruits had been coming in since Monday. It was about mid morning so he said a cup of tea was ready, after which he would show us around the different rooms. There was a large library where we could read or write and post our letters. Billiards and the canteen were open for a few hours. We were told there would be no leave to go to the city until we had been posted to our Platoon, Company and Unit. The next morning we were instructed to read the orders of the day and had to parade at 9am, just in our 'civvies' suits, with no caps or hats.

What a crowd we were: tall, short, thin and fat, a few with beards, but mostly shaven, many of them bald or nearly so. Some came from the Army, Air Force and Navy, also a few Chief Officers from the Merchant Fleet. There were Colonels, Majors, Captains and Lieutenants from the Army. From the Navy: Admirals, Captains, Petty Officers and from the Air Force there were Squadron Leaders and Flight Lieutenants. By Saturday there were between 600 and 700 present. All these ex officers had volunteered to serve in Ireland.

They were paid one pound a day, uniform and keep. For some it was an adventure but to the majority, it was a job as unemployment was very bad in England. Also it was an effort by the British Government to create a force that would work between the Army and Police and named The Auxiliary Corps, to prevent and break down the unrest, which was spreading all over Southern Ireland. I can say definitely that it was a most difficult and dangerous project to carry out, and many brave and courageous men on both sides lost their lives in their endeavours. On the Saturday we were inspected and addressed by General McCreadey, who told us of the situation. We were to go through 2 months intensive training in Police and Military Law and to engage in all kinds of Patrols to keep the highways and byways open.

Now we got down to work and Platoons and Companies were formed and Officers were selected to be OCs on a temporary basis, to see if they measured up to the job. We had orders of the day and had to do drill, work and study to a syllabus of training, set out by the OC of the Unit. We had parade ground drill and PT under instructions to make us tough and fit. Military and Police Law drivers were chosen to drive lorries and armoured cars and even though they were already good drivers, they had to pass the tests set down.

First Aid and specialist classes were set up and everyone seemed keen to learn. We had to take our turn in Sentry and Patrol duties and were allowed leave according to the roster, both for after duty to midnight and also weekends. We were fully advised on what precautions to take and to put on our best behaviour. There was plenty of fun and amusement in the barracks as they had Crown and Anchor, cards, billiards and all kinds of fun.

We were then issued with a uniform for on duty, consisting of a black tunic and trousers and a beret. Not spectacular but useful and we always wore it on duty unless we were on a special exploration duty. On leave we had to wear civilian clothes and we were advised not to go out alone. We had very experienced officers to teach us Police Legal procedure. Generally the people were friendly, but we always had to be careful as to what areas we visited as we never knew when the IRA would stage a holdup. We were not allowed to carry arms when in 'civvies', so it was a battle of wits if you happened to get into trouble.

One Saturday afternoon I went with Botha and Pringle to call at a little shop in the next street, after which we were to meet at the bottom of Grafton Street by the Statue. The shop was next door to the Albion Hotel, a small chemist that I had been in several times before.

However, this time was to be different. I saw the chemist was a little agitated. He was serving two men and I heard them giving him orders for goods and I turned to leave, but one of them said, "Hands up or I will blow a hole through you." He had his revolver already close to my stomach. Of course, I could have disarmed him in a flash, but it was no use on this occasion as I had the other one to deal with. So he said, "Who and what are you?" I said I was a commercial traveller from Brussels, Belgium and he felt in my inner pocket and found the Card with my supposed name and calling.

###  CHARGE IT TO THE IRA!

The chemist said, "All your goods are ready," and one of the men said, "Charge it to the IRA!" Then he said to me, "Where are you staying?" I told him the Grafton Hotel. "Right, stay here until we come back." One of them went out and the other came up to me, planting the pistol very close to my stomach. I tried out my unarmed combat instantly. I had my arms up, he said, "Move and you have had it!" So down my arms crashed and before he could pull the trigger, up went my knee violently into his crutch and he lay on the floor of the shop, groaning. I picked up the pistol and dashed onto a tram that was passing. I got on the wrong side but went on the other side as soon as the tram stopped, after being "ticked off" by the tram attendant.

The tram was going past the bottom of Grafton Street, so I got off there and after a minute or so I met my pals. "Where have you been, Ernie?" "Well, to tell you the truth, I have been held up; I was scared, I can tell you!" So I told them what happened and showed them the pistol, but it was empty. I said, "Come on; let's have a drink after that!" Dublin is always a lively and interesting city. We went to the cinema early so that we could get back before curfew came on at 11pm.

We used to catch the train, which came through Rathmines, and get off at our crossing. We always had to show our passes to get by the Sentries, even if they did know us. I reported the incident in town to the Orderly Officer and he gave me a chit acknowledging receipt of the revolver and said I would have to report to Orderly room next morning. Of course, all lights had to be out at 11pm Saturday but when the news got around next morning the chaps in the room wanted to know about it and how I executed the dislodgement of the weapon. I gave them an exhibition of it and after that I was quite popular. When I saw the OC, he said, "Smart work!"

After six weeks it was decided to have a small athletics meeting. We had contests of tug-of-war, running, walking, jumping and seven-a-side football. I won the mile walk and one mile run. I had recently started training for the London to Brighton walking race. I had already walked to Naas and back. Old Jock Fife came with me on a bike, as the distance was 36 miles, but the actual race was 52 miles so I still needed more practice. I interviewed the OC and told him I would like to represent our Unit in the Victory London to Brighton walking race, which was taking place in two months time, if I could get the necessary leave. He said that if everything went all right I could have a weeks leave.

### ON PATROL

By now we were doing all kinds of patrol work with the lorries and armoured vehicles and on bicycles, dressed as civilians, visiting and observing. One week three of us got dressed as farmers and went to a cattle sale just outside the city, mostly to listen and observe and mix with the farmers and labourers as they were selling the stock. At another time, dressed in appropriate clothing, I was supposed to sell newspapers by Sackville and Liffey Streets. I was delivered by car with my roll of papers, cap askew. I had to observe at the same time the comings and goings into a certain building. Sometimes we were picked up by the Curfew Patrol when out seeking information, and would then be taken to the Castle to report, and to be questioned.

But we also had plenty of evenings off and several times I went to the famous Abbey Theatre with some of my pals. At times we saw some very good modern plays. Whenever we went there was always a queue to stand in and while we were waiting to go in we were entertained by broken down singers and musicians, who laid a little carpet on which some people threw down a few coins. They knew they had only a short time to put their part over, so they were very slick. However, one night I was waiting my turn and the comedian had just finished his song, and as we started to move forward, I thought, "Ah well, I will give him a few coppers for his effort." But I found out when I got to the office to buy my tickets, that I had thrown him 5 half crowns instead of the pennies I intended. I had my leg pulled many a time over that but I didn't make that mistake again.

Next day, when orders came out the OC was asking for men with St John Ambulance certificates to report at Orderly Room. As I had been a Superintendent in a St John's Brigade, like a 'mutt' I put my name down. There were quite a number who did likewise and we had to report at the Hospital quite close to the entrance of Phoenix Park. We were told that we would be on special duties and have a special area of slums, to work in with nurses, especially in severe cases of sickness and accidents. We had an area from the Old Dutch Church to Sackville Street, where blocks of flats were four storeys high. The living rooms and conditions were very unhygienic, and in some rooms there was no furniture or perhaps boxes for seats and table, and boxes stacked on top of each other for cupboards. Sometimes these were covered with a length of cotton rag to act as a curtain, but mostly they were like Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

### POOR CONDITIONS

The beds were another shocker, sometimes dirty bags filled with straw and very smelly. I don't know how often they changed them. Of course, there was only a small percentage as bad as this. Some had ancient furniture and though they did try to keep it tidy what a battle they were waging. At the back of the flats they had iron steps by which they could ascend to the upper floors. They had no lavatories, but just inside at the top of each set of steps, there was a short wooden seat with a hole in it and a bucket underneath. Daily, the buckets were collected by sanitary men, but the stench used to make me feel sick whenever I had to pass near them. The nurses were middle-aged women and they could be angels when needed. I used to feel sorry for the children living under such conditions.

There were different types of people living in these tenements and some had never lived in anything else. There were labourers, wharfies, street cleaners, and lorry drivers. Some of the women worked in shops and offices, factories etc. One afternoon the nurse wished to interview two girls living in a room but she said that every time she wanted to speak to them they closed the door. I agreed to go and said, "You can come along later if I am successful." The door was partly open as I approached it and one of the girls came to the door. She was fully dressed, and said, "What do you want, a woman or a bed?" I said, "Neither." The girl said, "We are just going out, so don't be long about it." Just then the nurse came in and they began to be very abusive to us, the language being unprintable. However, I took out a box of chocolates from my haversack, and offered them one. They smiled and I said, "Have another; I don't want to delay you, but where do you work?" They replied, "We spend most of our time on the streets." I asked, "Are these your beds?" "Yes," was the reply.

They were two very old iron bedsteads with flat slats and were covered with sacks as black as "coalmen's asses". On the wall hung two fancy flimsy dresses, and on the mantelpiece were two pairs of the same type of shoes. I asked the nurse if she wanted to ask any questions and she said, "No." "Good for you; we have an appointment in the city." I said, "Have another chocolate and cheerio." Turning to Nurse O'Donnell, I asked if she had any more visits. "Yes," she replied, "we have one more down by the Old Dutch Church." I offered my assistance and said, "It is 3pm, let's have a cup of tea at the refreshment rooms, but as I have to be back at Headquarters by 4.30, we will have to hurry." On our way down we passed the two girls of the slum tenement, but they ignored us. They looked quite attractive in their turn out. I asked the nurse why she wanted to see these girls in their room. She said, "I have seen them coming down the street on several occasions when I have been visiting patients. They were dressed as we have just seen them and I wondered what their room was like. Now I know."

We arrived at our last call for the day, which was on the first floor, where two very dirty little girls came to the door, but the mother called to us to come in. I said, "Nurse, I will stay with the children for a while. Call me if you want me." I took my packet of chocolates and gave them what was left. Their faces brightened up immediately. I asked, "Why are you not at school?" They replied, "Dad has gone away and Mummy was sick." Just then the nurse came out smelling very strongly of disinfectant, which was quite a relief from the stench around. She had finished duty for the day. She said that the father was a member of the IRA and was on the run. I told her that I felt sorry for those kids, living under such conditions, and asked if something could be done for them. She said that there were so many and often when help was given it was only abused. However, as my duty for the day was done, the nurse asked me if I had even been in the old church, as it was worth a visit. It had been built during the 12th century. I said, "Thanks, I will try to arrange a visit later."

It was about 4pm so I thought I would take a tram to Grafton Street corner as no motor traffic was allowed in that thoroughfare and it was quite fashionable and interesting and one could see some of Dublin's most beautiful girls. I thought I would walk through and have plenty of time to walk to camp, but I had only gone a few steps when I met Botha, one of my pals from the Platoon. I said, "What are you doing?" He replied, "Well, I have the afternoon off so I came for a little walk for a change, come and have a cup of tea." I told him I had to see the OC Platoon at 4.30. (He wore civvies and I wore an Ambulance uniform). He said we could make it if we caught a tram to the Camp gates and I said, "Ten minutes at the most, just a cup of tea and sandwich." We went into quite a clean, showy place and sat down at a table. What do you know, the two girls, whom I had seen in the slums a couple of hours previously were with two army Officers, one, a Major; the other, a Captain. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves. I said to Botha, "I want to move from here," so we moved to the side near the door and I was telling him the story, but I said, "Come on, we will catch the tram." He was surprised when he had heard about it. "Well," I said, "you never know and you never can tell."

I made it to my appointment with a minute to spare and the OC informed me that the Platoon was on Curfew Patrol that night and we would be leaving the Camp at 9pm to report to the Castle HQ for briefing. Away I went for a bath and change in readiness for tea at 5pm. After tea several of us from our room went to watch and play roulette for an hour or so. It is a very fascinating game and we used to get a lot of fun. I did not have many bets, although I came out about five pounds in front. At 8pm I went back to our barrack room. I could see that the cadets, who were going on duty, were having a rest. We had to parade for a few minutes outside the room and then we marched over to the Vehicle Park by the OC Patrol.

Our Platoon was responsible for two semi-armoured lorries, with the driver at the wheel and the leader by his side and four men on a bench down each side, facing outward. All vehicles reported at Dublin Castle, where those in charge received maps and orders of the route to be taken. We always had to keep very alert when on this duty and there was no smoking, (this was strictly carried out). You never knew when the IRA was going to shoot or throw bombs. Fortunately, on that night there were no incidents, and we arrived back at our Camp just after midnight.

The next morning the news was going around on the grapevine that we would be moving soon, to another training camp – there was nothing authentic about the news. I was due for an afternoon and evening pass. So was Botha, so we went to Dublin Town, which was always very lively and interesting. We went by tram to the top of Grafton Street, where no vehicles whatever were allowed. Towards mid-afternoon it was usually very gay and full of charming and well-dressed young ladies, but you always had to watch your step. After we had an eyeful of this popular promenade, we made our way by Trinity College and along to O'Connell's Bridge, which runs over the River Liffey.

###  ST MICHAN'S CHURCH

I said to Botha, "We will go and have a cuppa in this café and then I am going to take you to St Michan's Church. I have been told that there's nothing like it anywhere. As we are supposed to be leaving here soon, what do you think?" Botha asked, "How long will it take?" I said, "I can't say for sure, it may be an hour, and then we can go for a dance at the Palace de Dance." "OK, Ernie," he said, "we will go to this church." It was about 200 yards on the eastern side of the river and when we got there we could see that there were six other people waiting.

In a few minutes a Sexton came out and asked if we wished to see the Church and Vaults. He was dressed something like a monk and he commenced a brief history of the church. It dated back to the 10th century and was supposed to have been founded by a Danish Bishop. It was built about 1095 above vaults on a site, which was supposed to have been an ancient Oak Forest. I don't know what it looked like then, but at a much later period it was rebuilt on Town Hall plan, in the eighteenth century, as you would see it today. It had several objects of interest, which the Sexton explained to us, a stool of repentance and a pulpit, which, at any one time, could be swung around to face any section of the congregation.

St Michan's had a good organ, sprouting gilded cherubs, and on which Handel, so the Sexton said, practiced his "Messiah" before his first performance in Dublin. I noticed that grooves had been deeply worn in the organ keys, supposedly by use and age. The Sexton said that most people came to this Church to look at the Vaults beneath.

He inquired if anyone wished to fall out he or she should do so and two people, who only wished to see the inside of the Church, departed. The Sexton took us outside, through the churchyard, where we came to heavy iron doors, on the ground level, against the Church. He unlocked these and we went down a steep flight of stone steps into the darkness of the underground rooms. We noticed that the air smelt earthy, not chilled or clammy and when I mentioned this to the Sexton as he preceded us, he said, "The best air in Dublin."

### BURIAL VAULTS

We came to a number of high vaulted cells, which lead off from each side of the central passage, running east and west beneath the Church. These were fitted with iron gates; the place looked gloomy and grim. The Sexton took an electric lamp and opened a gate and led the way, flashing his torch over the coffins. It was not a pleasant sight, but I was interested. Coffins were stacked on top of one another, almost to the roof. There were supposed to be vaults of Noble Families, with Lords and Ladies, Generals and Statesmen, known and unknown, lying around. In the top position, resting on the others below, could be Great Grandparents. Some of the coffins bore Coats-of-Arms and were covered with velvet, which had not decayed or faded. Some in black leather were studded with brass nails, which had not tarnished in the least. These were over 500 years old. I remember one of about 350 years with the brass work and timber looking like new, as if placed there yesterday.

It is fantastic and amazing that these bodies have not gone to dust, it is difficult to believe how well preserved they are. Their flesh is the texture of tough leather and you can trace your fingertips along what were arteries and the hair is in a good state of preservation. That is not all: the joints could still be moved, as the Sexton demonstrated, "Look at this knee," as he moved it, so that we could see for ourselves. The Sexton pointed to the body of a man lying with one leg crossed over the other and said that that was the traditional death posture of a Crusader. It indicated that he had been to the Holy Land. The Sexton said, "You may shake hands with him." I touched his hand and examined the nails and veins of man now dead for over 800 years. It was really hard to believe, but true!

We went to many other vaults of families, which have died out. The most amazing thing to me is how these bodies, by some natural process, have been preserved more perfectly than the Egyptian Mummies. Those I have seen in other parts of the World cannot be compared with these. Also, another amazing and bewildering wonder in these vaults were the multitudes of spiders and in places they had spun grey shrouds, like heavy curtains, from ceiling to floor. It was difficult to push them aside, so thick and heavy were they. We all wondered how they could live. I asked the Sexton how he could explain the remarkable preservation of the vaults. He said that it was generally accepted that the remains of the Oak Forests, which grew there in ancient times, chemically impregnated the air. However, the vaults must be kept clean and dry, and no moisture of any kind must be allowed to enter, otherwise the bodies and coffins would go to dust.

It was a relief to climb up the steps again into the fresh air and to see daylight again, and to see the traffic passing to and fro. The Sexton closed and locked the iron door once again, and I asked him how long he had been on this job. "About ten years," he said, "it was done with candles at that time and was really grim and frightful." We paid our tribute and thanked him very much for escorting and explaining everything to us as we passed through the underground vaults, with its mummies and spiders. In a few moments most of the group were smoking cigarettes. "Well, what did you think of the experience, Botha?" I asked. "I have never seen anything like it before, and I am pleased I have seen it, and I agree with you, I was very interested in all I saw."

###  LIGHTER ENTERTAINMENT

By this time, we thought we would like to see something brighter, so we walked around Sackville Street, did a little shopping and then decided to go to the Palace de Dance instead of the Abbey Theatre. We saw on the show boards in front of the building that the Band would start playing at 6.30pm owing to the Curfew at 10pm. We had tea in a café overlooking the street where we could observe the crowds passing by. At 6.30pm we walked along, had a look around the Hall to see the way out in case we had to make a hasty exit, left our coats and hats in the Cloak Room and went to the large long room below.

There were already about 50 people present and very soon the Band commenced playing. It was very lively and the MC was soon telling us to take part in the dances. We soon got to know a group of girls and from then on revelled and took part in every dance. It was very enjoyable, free and easy, no formality, everybody seemed happy. In fact, it seemed no time at all before the MC announced, "This is the last dance, Ladies and Gentlemen, then you will have to leave to catch the trams etc to get off the streets in time to beat the Curfew Patrols." We had enjoyed the dance so much that we decided to go twice a week. We caught the tram to Rathmines and from there it was about 100 yards to our barracks.

There was a little dairy and tearoom, which was always well patronised by our chaps, before they crossed the road to Camp. We went in, had a pot of tea, cakes and sandwiches, and watched the fun for a few minutes before reporting. We always had to show our passes, or sign our name and time of arrival in the Guard Book. We made our way to our beds early, but were awakened later by the rowdies from the roulette room. They were anxious to tell us the latest news of the grapevine.

### CURRAGH CAMP

"Have you hears the latest news, Ernie?" "Oh, let's get to sleep," I said. "No," he said, "the Company is leaving here and we are going to the Curragh Camp for a course of intensive training. The advance party will be leaving in a few days to take over part of the old army barracks, which is now empty." However, the next morning we were all anxious to see the orders of the day. There was an item that there would be movement of personnel. Also, there was a meeting called for 10.30am in the Lecture Hall that day.

We realised that there must be something doing, as the OC Company Captain, A Taylor, was to address the meeting. As a matter of security he did not wish us to talk about it outside the camp. He stated that he had received instructions from Headquarters that we were to move to the Curragh Camp as quietly and quickly as possible. A Platoon would move off tomorrow and the advance party was to take over the area to be occupied, making all arrangements to receive the remainder of the Company in a few days. As no definite date or time was set, it was quite an upset for many of us who had made appointments in the city. As soon as the meeting ended, A Platoon was told to parade at once for instructions and that Leave would not be allowed to anyone in the advance party to leave camp. Drivers and lorries from Headquarters Section would be attached to A Platoon for the movement.

All drivers and assistant drivers were to report to the Car Park at once and go through vehicle maintenance in readiness for an early move the next morning. The advance party was up at 5am and all blankets and kit bags had to be loaded onto the lorries, with rations etc. to move off as soon as ready. Several armoured lorries went out on different routes to check for any signs of trouble. Breakfast was over, the trucks were loaded with gear etc. and six lorries armed in case of attack, with Lewis guns, rifles and bombs. The armoured cars left and we were to follow ten minutes later. Fortunately, it was a fine morning and we moved off quickly from the side gates, which took us directly to the main road to Naas, which in turn, was straight and in good order. I knew this because I had been along it on a training walk a few days previously. It was about 20 miles if I remember rightly. I had walked both ways, which made it 40 miles, the longest walk I had done in Ireland.

We made good progress without any incident and came to a place named Newbridge, just one short street, mostly with old men standing outside the stores and a few donkey carts parked at the side. The people inside started to rush outside onto the footpath, but we did not stop and went straight through. Our next small settlement, a little larger than Newbridge, was called Kildare. It looked like it was a market day, with the animals and donkey carts at the sides. However, we waved to them and went on our way.

The houses were small, as well as the little stores and I found out later that they mostly stocked braces, aprons, boots and shoes, oranges, potatoes, saddles and sweets. The desires of the people seemed to be very simple. But one could buy a porter or stout from almost any store in the place. With the cows and donkeys, it put me in mind of Egypt, where the donkey was also very popular. We would often see this animal in use, pulling little carts with all kinds of articles loaded on them. The women looked old and some of them bent, wrapped mostly in black shawls, some carrying bundles as they trudged along.

Of course, our group was the centre of interest as we passed and I am sure this set their tongues going. We made good progress and eventually came to our destination, the Curragh Camp, which we soon learned to like very much. Soon we took over the hutments and buildings from the chief caretaker. There were plenty of facilities, ablutions, lavatories, wash houses, cook houses, dining and lecture halls, hot and cold showers and a good parade ground, with a football ground nearby. There were quarters also for the Senior Officers. The cooks took over the cookhouses and very soon we were unloading rations and stores.

Immediately a Sergeant and 8 Cadets mounted guard and put sentries on the entrance gates. All hands were busy getting everything in order for the main body. A number of local employees were taken on, after investigation, to take over sanitary and other fatigues, in order to release duty personnel. They were told that if they did not measure up to the work they would be discharged. We all worked hard to get the huts ready for the incoming personnel. Fortunately, we had struck a period of fine weather for this move to the Curragh, which is really a very fine area for training grounds, not only of men, but of horses too.

I remember that on my first tour of duty on the eastern entrance, we had a magnificent view of the landscape, which was wide open from the foreground, the middle distance, and to the background of the Dublin Hills. It was very interesting to see the long lines of racehorses, taking different roads as they were taken out on their daily exercises. Often we would hear the clatter of hoofs, and the talking of the stable boys as they passed by. It was not a heavy clatter, rather a delicate lady-like sound. A group of about twenty horses left the road and cantered over the turf towards the training grounds, by the racecourse. I expect they came up this way, so that they could see what was happening in the camp.

We received a message, saying that the main body of men would be leaving early and would arrive before lunch. A few minutes after 11 o'clock we caught sight of vehicles in the distance. The guides were paraded, to be ready to take the Platoons etc. to their quarters. They started to pass through the entrance at 11.20 and by 12 noon they were all in their quarters and vehicles in the car park. Of course, there was the usual talking and cursing and inquiry into this and that, but after lunch, (a fine effort by the cooks) and a rest on their bunks, they felt a lot better.

A parade was called in loose dress and the OC asked them to settle in quickly. A party was sent off to assist with the rations and clothing, which was to be housed in the Quartermasters Stores. At 6pm there was a meeting in the large lecture hall, where the OC Captain Taylor thanked the advance guard for the good work they had done in getting the camp ready for all involved in the movement. He said that we had excellent training grounds, good facilities and he wanted us to get settled down to study and training, so that we could use it with efficiency and confidence when we were up against trouble in the future.

"From tomorrow, the bugle will sound the calls of the day, commencing with Reveille at 6am and from 8.15am we will be following a syllabus of training, which will extend to the evening on some days." This would be put up in the barrack rooms along with the orders of the day. We would have special lecturers from Dublin to assist with Military and Police Laws. A special committee of the Company, which was by now 200 strong, would arrange entertainment, recreation and sport. Captain Taylor said he had noticed in a Kildare shop window, that there would be a Race Meeting on the Curragh three weeks hence, so that would be something to look forward to. He concluded by announcing that the Bar would be open until 9.30pm.

### TRAINING

It took us several days to get accustomed to the training tables, with musketry training, rifles, revolvers and bombs, Law study, physical training and unarmed combat. Instruction and practice on vehicle maintenance and driving was also given. Platoon competition football was played. We got on excellently with the people around the settlement.

From my second week there I used to turn out on short training walks before Reveille, covering up to 10 miles. When parades were suitable Jock Fife often accompanied me on a bicycle. I usually did about 7 miles per hour on these trips and sometimes Botha, from South Africa, would run with me also. I wanted to get fit, and keep fit for the London to Brighton walk, which was 3 months away, but the OC had promised me leave to compete and to represent the Company in this International Race. After a few walks, I soon got well known to the stable lads and trainers, when out with their horses. Some of the lads offered to run with me, both to help me and to keep their weight down. Sometimes, when I would be passing through Kildare or Kilcullen, there would be a group of men outside the village store. They would call out to me to stop. "Why are you doing this?" When I told them, they seemed interested. They would want me to have a drink of stout, porter, or whiskey.

In fact, one old man and his donkey set out to accompany me, but the donkey must have thought, "to hell with this," and he stopped and so did the old man. Jock and I shared many amusing incidents on these walks. One morning one of the trainers, riding in his gig behind his string of horses, (must have been thirty of them) said, "What the hell are you doing this for?" I said, "For the same reason that you are exercising your horses!" I added, "I cannot stop, we have to get back to camp for breakfast and parade." "See the stables in the trees," he said, "come and see me one evening, I would like to talk with you, don't forget, tonight or tomorrow night." I told the chaps about what he had said. So they said, "Why don't you go, you may get a good tip for the races on Wednesday." I asked Jock if he would like to accompany me, as it was a free night for both of us.

At 7pm we started out. The moon was about half way, so it was fairly light, in fact, the twilight in Ireland is lovely, (that's what I miss more than anything in New Zealand). Soon, we could see the roof of the stables in the distance and we came to the red house close to the entrance of the stables. It was here that the middle-aged man, with an English accent, met us. I said, "Good evening, I am the man you met this morning." He said, "Yes, but you look quite different in civvies." I said, "My name is Ernie Lycette, and my pal's name is Jock Fife, from Scotland."

He welcomed us to his home and said his name was Charlie Purcell, and introduced us to his wife, a very friendly and attractive lady. After awhile they said, "What part of England do you come from?" When I said, "Not far from Birmingham," they were not surprised as they came from there also. I mentioned the names of quite a lot of people, whom they knew. Then I asked Mr. Purcell if they knew a racehorse trainer, name Tom Coulthwaite from Cannock Chase, it appeared that they were great friends and met every year at the Grand National Steeplechase. He escorted us around and I had not realised that it was such an extensive place. Just ahead of us I saw a very large notice board, "The National Stud," in large bold lettering.

### IRISH NATIONAL STUD

The National Stud could stable 150 horses, but at present they had only about 100 as some 40 had left the week before for the Newmarket sales. Soon we were in a large square, around which were the stables. The place was cleaned and polished, with no straw or anything lying about and it looked well swept in every direction. Inside, were 50 yearlings, brought to their present state during the last twelve months, many of them sired by stallions from the National Stud. They looked in excellent condition as they pricked their ears at us. He seemed to greet and charm them with his manner, which was quite different, as he talked to the horses as to children. If they tried to nibble or bite he would snap his fingers, and they seemed to know. Of course, after years of love and devotion he had a great tenderness for them, especially when he saw these beautiful animals going out into the world to start racing careers. He was like a headmaster, who sees his students going out into the world.

We then went to another side of the square in which mares with their foals were stabled, but they didn't look much like racehorses, those fluffy foals. Every time he opened a stall door, the mother would look round to us and the foals naturally would run to her side for protection and to feel the touch of mother's nose upon their little bodies. The twilight was beginning to fade so he showed us two of the famous stallions whose progeny would go around the world. They stood proud and majestic and blew their nostrils in defiance. It seemed to us, that they looked as if they could kick the doors down.

I asked him why the Curragh was such a popular ground for breeding and training horses and he said the estate comprised a large limestone plain and the pastures were on some of the best bone-growing country in the world. I thanked him gratefully for his kindness in showing us around his famous stables, which were a reflection and a credit to him and all the boys and men who worked in them. He said he would like to show us over the gardens some other time. I thanked Mrs. Purcell for her charming hospitality and wished them the best for the future. They wanted us to stay longer, but I said we had to be in camp by 10pm because we had no passes. One parting shot, "Do you know of anything good for Wednesday of next week?" "I will see you one of these mornings when you are out training. Cheerio and goodnight," was his reply.

Jock and I had half an hour to get back to camp on time. There were some lovely walks around the Curragh and this was one of them on this beautiful moonlit night. We could have taken a short cut, but thought it better to keep to the road and in a few minutes we could see the lights of the camp. Jock said, "Slow down a bit, I am not on the bike now." With minutes to spare we made it. "Goodnight, Sentry."

The bar had closed but we could hear them chattering like parrots and so we made our way to the hut, in an effort to get into bed before lights out, which was always on a crisp, solemn note. The orderly officer instructed the bugler to blow the last call of the day. Of course, there was always a hullabaloo for awhile as some had too much to drink. Others were a little excited over their gambling at the roulette table, but after a while they were told to "put a sock in it" and to settle down. From this point on we would have a tough course of training and study.

Morning came all too soon, the Reveille was sounded at 6am and it clearly told us to get out of bed, or else. The Orderly Sergeant shouted, "Rise and shine – fall in for parade!" "Don't you ever sleep, Sergeant?" And all kinds of oaths and jokes were hurled at him as he carried out his duty. Of course, if you were late, it meant fatigues. What a mixed up mealy crowd they were, fat and tall, thin and small.

We were told "easy dress" and so it was, but it was never repeated. From then on, it was slacks, jerseys and shoes. We were taken for 15 minutes crisp sharp walk, on the way back down it was feet up a few times and then continued the walk and for the last 100 yards, we were told to "break and run for it." There was a scramble to get showered, to the ablutions and lavatories, where we got all the gossip of the camp. It wasn't long before we heard a different spirit in the camp, singing, joking and getting ready for the cookhouse call so that they could be on time. The cooks had come from Portobello Barracks and were doing a grand job, and it looked as if everything would be on time.

It was the first day of the training programme and the OC had already asked everyone for full cooperation. Shortly, the "Cook House Doors, Boy", was sounded. Breakfast was porridge, bacon and eggs, bread and butter and jam. Naturally the early morning walk and exercise in the crisp morning air of the Curragh had sharpened our appetites and we were all very chirpy and cheerful in their conversation. The OC inspection and lecture was the first thing on the morning's table of work and Platoons had a quick inspection and then we were marched on to the parade ground.

The Adjutant took over and after a few exercises in arms drill we got the command, "For inspection, open ranks march!" That meant that the near rank would take one pace step back and when the Adjutant was satisfied he handed over the Company to the OC, who then gave the command to "order arms" and we were ready for his inspection. This was the first occasion we had such a large parade. The OC, Captain Taylor, was very tall, so he could easily observe things and it did not take him long to carry out the inspection. He gave a short talk, "hoping that the 5 weeks training would be of great benefit to us in carrying out our duties in the future, with efficiency and confidence, wherever we would be sent to deal with illegal practices." Then he added, "as the Curragh horse races were being held on Wednesday" it gave him pleasure to announce that all ranks, with the exception of the Guards and those on duty, would be given time off after the 9am parade.

For the series of lectures being held we were told to take exercise books and pencils, because an examination would be held at the end of the training course. We had several very good, experienced lecturers from Dublin and they made the work very interesting. We had arms and movements drill then musketry in rifles and revolvers, followed by afternoon instruction in driving and vehicle maintenance, on the Car Park.

On the Tuesday, Botha and I were excused from early morning parade, as I was going for a training walk. We went in the direction of the racecourse and soon we could see a long string of horses with their talkative stable boy, making for the Curragh exercise grounds. Bringing up the rear was Mr. Purcell, the manager and trainer in horse and trap. He waved me towards him, "Have a few 'bob' on Tut Tut," he smiled, "it's in great form." I thanked him and waved cheerio. "Call and see us again one evening," were his closing words. We made our way back, as we didn't have much time now that training was on. I had training on Saturdays and Sundays as well.

### A DAY AT THE RACES

On Tuesday, after the duties of the day and the short lecture on Law, several of us went for a walk towards the racing ground, where the track had already received attention. Quite a number of tents had already been erected and others were on the way. Caravans with show people were arriving too. We were hoping that the weather would be fine, as this was the first time I had been to an Irish Race Meeting. I told most of the men in our Platoon about Tut Tut, and of course, the next morning there was quite a different spirit in the camp and quite a lot of movement early in the morning. We could see all kinds of vehicles out early as we made our way to breakfast. The day had dawned bright and clear, with high gold clouds whirling and floating in space above the Curragh area. The racecourse rails could be seen as they swept around, white and clear in the distance. For the moment, we had to be on first parade and then the day was ours. Everyone rushed to get ready.

The roads were busy, often putting up clouds of dust from cars, traps, jaunting cars, and not forgetting the donkey carts as they blazed the trail. As we approached the grounds, we could see men and women, on horseback, trotting and cantering along over the turf of the plain, and also children on little fat ponies, determined to join in the fair. Quite an encampment had grown during the night, scattered around the rails and elsewhere. There was smoke, dust and noise, and soon we came to a long line of Tinkers Carts, festooned with flags, pots and pans. The booths, which had been erected, were shining with vivid colours and there were long Bars in canvas apartments, which were already being patronised by men and women, sampling the Irish Whiskey, Porter and the famous Stout. We passed small, circular gaming tables on which people could splash their cash. There were "smart Alecs" and all kinds of "smarties" out to rook you with, "Try your luck to find the Lady (or Crown, or Anchor)." Bingo and the "one-armed bandit" were not yet invented.

Of course, all these things helped to brighten the picture, which attracted every kind of character at race meetings in Ireland. The shooting galleries and Aunt Sally stalls attracted some trade, until the races actually started. The crowd was getting quite large, and the Grandstand was full. Some parties had high double-decker coaches on the rising ground and they had a fine view of the fun and the races. Three of us were together and we wandered around enjoying it immensely, the Irish people can be very jolly and gay.

We went to the "bird cage" to see the horses as they were paraded, before going for their canter to the starting point. There were some very nice animals amongst them and we could hear the bookies shouting alongside their blackboards and writing down the odds. There was such a din, thousands of people talking and shouting, milling around from one bookmaker to another. After we had fixed our bets, which were very small, we went to some rising ground, where we thought we could get a better view of the horses as they raced along. When the first race was finished, we were invited to the top of a double-decker coach. I had just mentioned, "What a lovely view you have," when one of the ladies asked us to join them.

From then on, we had a wonderful view and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the afternoon. In the second race, there was a horse named "Hairy Legs". What a name to give to a horse! It certainly couldn't have had feathers! It was well backed, however we were not on it. One young lady on our coach had ten pounds on it and during the final stage of the race Hairy Legs put in a magnificent finish. Of course, this young lady was very excited and with her arms outstretched and waving, she shouted, "I've got Hairy Legs, I've got Hairy Legs." A man shouted from down below, "Well, don't tell everybody about it." She had succeeded in riding her horse home at 6 to 1 and had won 60 pounds and was thrilled, being the only one on the coach who had backed it. We were all happy and enjoyed this little interesting episode, in fact, I enjoyed it so much, I've told the story many times.

The next race was the third, of 7 furlongs and Tut Tut was in it. I asked the young lady, who had just backed her first winner, if she would like another win. "Most certainly," she said. I asked, "Would you like to come down and collect your winnings and then we will go to the "bird cage" and I will show you the winner of the third race if my adviser is right." Several others came down, she collected her winnings, and we went to see the horses.

There was Tut Tut, a magnificent specimen, and a real thoroughbred. I said, "I am going to put a fiver on it." We went along to the bookmakers, who were shouting 3 to 1, but before we could get there the price had fallen to 2 to 1. I placed my bet, the girl of the "Hairy Legs" fame said she would chance a tenner. In fact, all in our small group backed it. We went back to the coach taking a few bottles of refreshment to stimulate interest, asking all on the coach to join in. This enlivened us all immensely and, of course, we were eager to see our horse gallop. The horses were being lined up and then the shout, "They're off." We were going to see a race, in which one of the best sprinters of Europe was taking part. It was only a matter of seconds, and it was Tut Tut all the way. He won by about 8 lengths. It seemed effortless to this great horse. All the people on the coach had the pleasure of collecting their winnings. It was very useful, I could now bet with money I had won!

We arranged to have a sweep on every other race, five at a time and there were 15 of us. The winner got 3 pounds 10 shillings and second place got one pound. It made a lot of fun and if we didn't win or lose much we enjoyed the afternoon. We came to the last race of the day, with a few more furlongs to go, and several horses were neck and neck. The jockeys perched like monkeys on the horses' backs, urging them forward, to spend their last ounce of speed. The whips rose and fell above the shining flanks, and with flecks of white froth at the bridles, they were thudding over the ground. Suddenly, one of them sprang forward, just to get his nose in front, and that was just enough. "The favourite wins," I heard them shout, but none of us had invested, only in the sweep. We thanked the people once again for allowing us to share their double-decker coach. We had enjoyed their friendliness and the excellent view they shared with us.

On our way through the fairgrounds we had a few dying flutters at 'find the Lady' and a few shots in the shooting galleries. We had to keep our eyes and minds on the time, as we did not want to be late for tea, which had been arranged for 5.30pm. As we made our way back to camp we could see all kinds of vehicles making their way over the plain to strike the metal road, so that they could follow each other all the way home.

There was quite a lot of joviality in the mess, most of them were primed up, some had won and one chap, Williams had lost well over a hundred pounds. He said that he was broke. He had been a Group Captain in the Air Force, and he and a little Jew named Salmons were the greatest gamblers in the Company. Williams asked me if I would lend him a fiver, and he was very successful at the roulette table. After that I came to his rescue several times. He always paid me back, often with interest. He was mixed up with high society in Dublin and used to go to shooting parties, dancing and any near race meetings. He had special suits for special occasions and was quite a man about town.

After tea Botha and I went for a walk up the river, looking in the direction of the Racecourse, which was almost deserted, with just a few people packing up to move off early the following morning. Although the twilight was with us the shadows were falling over the plain. It had been a memorable, happy day, our first race meeting in Ireland. We wandered casually back to camp and intended going to the gaming room to try our luck at roulette. When we read the orders for tomorrow, we changed our minds, as we were both included in a Guard, which would be mounted at 9am. We stayed in the room, cleaned our rifles etc. so that we would not be so rushed in the morning.

It seemed no time at all before the Bugler was sounding the Reveille at 6am. The men sing to it as it sounds, "Get out of bed, get out of bed or cor' blimey, you'll mess the bed." Soon everyone was dashing around, washing, shaving etc. We started mounting of guard at 9am under the orderly officer. I managed to put in some time studying Police and Military Law, when not on Sentry duty. It was not yet time for me to go on my second spell of sentry, but I could see the men coming from the lecture hall with their pencils and notebooks, some of them talking about the lecture.

Botha and I got ready to do our second spell of sentry and of course we always had to be in a state of readiness, in case we were called out suddenly. We went on duty at 9pm and the twilight was still with us, but by 11pm all the shadows had gone and the night was with us. Nothing unusual happened, but it was very eerie at night to see a few lights blinking here and there in the local settlements situated around the camp. We could always tell when the boys in the stables were up and doing as a halo of light would cover the stables in the early morning.

### ON GUARD

Of course, we always had to be fully dressed when on guard, in case of a sudden call out, either by the orderly officer, or some sudden incident. Sentries always have to alert when on duty and keep a sharp lookout. If a call comes there is a scramble to fall in with arms at the slope. Very often a few swear words flying about, but that is all in the work. We were pleased when 9am came and our tour of Guard duty was over and we could look forward to a few hours off duty. From then on training was intensified in every way and of course, being in a camp, we got to know each other much better.

In addition to parades drill and lectures, we were sent out to get used to communal affairs. We usually worked in pairs, attended market days in most of the settlements around, to mix with the people who bring in their produce, whatever it may be on the donkey carts, some with eggs, fowl, little pigs and sows (sometimes with little piglets), butter and peat. In fact, it was amazing what we saw when on these adventures. We were told to dress in very casual clothes so as not to look out of place.

I remember going to a tailor I got to know in Kildare, who had learned his trade in London. One afternoon I met him in Kildare and he said, "Hello, what are you doing in civvies?" I asked, "Have you got time to have a drink, Pat?" "Sure, I have," he replied. So we had a stout and I told him I was visiting some of the markets. "God in heaven," he said, "You're not going rigged out like that! Damn it, come to my shop, I can make you something more in touch with market days than the rigout that you have," he said, "here you are, the real Irish Donegal Tweed." And sure it was. I said cheerio to Pat and cycled back to camp and I just managed to get to in time for tea.

When I saw Rennie, whom I had been with that day, he said, "Where did you get to, Ernie?" I told him about my visit to the tailor. The next day I was out with Robinson, who had a well-worn jacket and slouch hat and he also had a scraggy moustache. Sometimes we use to see other pairs out, mixing up, but we always kept apart. Some of the farmers came in a horse and gig, some on horseback. They were in business in a bigger way than the donkey cart owners of small sections were. We gradually improved our ideas, from day to day.

### DONEGAL TWEEDS

Next day, I called on Pat to see what progress he had made. "First of all, take your pants off, and try these on." I had the breeches on in a jiffy and then the jacket. I was surprised and I could see the suit was going to be good. Pat made a few adjustments to the jacket and told me to dress and call on Friday afternoon. That was two days later. We were kept in camp for the next two days, swotting up on Police Law and also some firing practice on the rifle range.

On Friday the shops remained open until 9pm. I asked Botha to come with me for a walk, as I wanted to see if the tailor had finished the suit. Kildare was quite lively and of course, the pubs were doing the best trade. I could see the tailor's shop was open, long before I got to it. Pat said, "I had it finished about 4.30 as I thought you may be calling on your bike." With my brown shoes it looked absolutely OK and old Botha was really surprised as the suit cost me £5. I was very pleased, but I told Botha, "It's too flash to wear around here," so I took it off and put on my old pants and grey vest. I carried that parcel, well pleased with old Pat's workmanship.

Two days later, a small group of us were going to Wicklow for three days. We were taken by a small covered van and were put off at the Wicklow Hotel. The van was to pick us up three days later, so we were all in civvies. I took my Donegal suit and Williams lent me a very nice pair of neat leggings as they matched the breeches well. Also he gave Botha and me a letter if introduction to a shooting friend of his. We stayed at his lovely home, just out of Wicklow for one day and night and then we called on a farmer we had met at the Curragh races, who gave us a very nice time, fishing and shooting rabbits, and playing tennis with the family.

We called on the local police on the last day to see if there was any IRA activity. The sergeant said it was quiet at present, so when we got back to camp, we reported accordingly. We split up into two and we had all had a very interesting trip. When they saw me in my cycling suit, most of the chaps said, "Christ, Ernie, where did you get your suit from?" Once I told them, Pat was kept very busy doing all kinds of things for them. I did not wear it in the country, but when I went to the cities on business I often wore it. Also, I wore it in England and for many years in New Zealand.

Most of our travels were done on cycles and we really enjoyed those trips. We had to draw maps, make notes and hide them in our shoes or boots until we got back to report to the Adjutant, always on the same evening of our return. Of course, these trips intermingled with our training making it much more interesting. We always had to be back in camp to attend the 7pm lectures on Law, which were always interesting by well-trained Police Officers.

Just about this time the IRA were stirring up trouble, burning down Police Stations in villages and small towns, also robbing Post Offices and trying hard to create a period of unrest and terror. Politically the British Government was trying hard to reach a settlement. But it dragged on from day to day and from week to week. We still had some time at the Curragh Camp, but the IRA went haywire in the south and Cork was in flames as we read in the Irish Times. We thought there must be some movement soon and the OC received orders that one Company was to be alerted and ready for movement as soon as possible. About twenty armoured vehicles arrived to make up our number. Drivers and assistant drivers were chosen and taken out on the plains to carry out movements, which would be of great value to them later. Also stacks of equipment and clothing and rations arrived and a new officer, Colonel Buxton-Smith arrived to take over our company.

He was an old soldier and also had been a Diplomat. Two hours after his arrival he called for a parade of personnel and equipment and we all worked very hard to be there on time. We were ready for inspection when Captain Taylor and Colonel Buxton-Smith arrived. The two officers made their inspection and they both seemed very pleased with the quick turnout. Afterwards, the Colonel gave a very inspiring speech, telling us what was taking place and what our job would be for the next few months ahead. We had to be ready to move at a moments notice after tomorrow, but for security reasons no times were issued of the movement. At 7am the next morning, Headquarters section, with its equipment and personnel moved off. A and B Groups moved off at 1 hour intervals, each group had 15 vehicles and were armed for battle order in case of any trouble on route.

### CORK

The route we followed from the Curragh was through Maryborough, Durrow, Cashel, Cahir and Mallow to Cork. The trip was very interesting, passing through some most beautiful scenery. But, of course, we were so tense and concentrated, realising that trouble could happen at any moment, as we passed through narrow cuttings and defiles etc. In many of the small towns and villages we saw the charred remains of what was the Police Station. We were feeling tired by the time we got near to the Cork area, but at last we were met by a motor cyclist, who presented his ticket and guided us directly to the Army Barracks, where we were to be billeted for the night. Everything was organised for our comfort but we did not take off our clothing, and just lay on our own blankets. We were not allowed out, but as we were on a rise, we could see large burnt out areas from the top rooms in the barracks. It was a great relief to be able to relax inside these walls. Of course, the city was quiet since the troops had arrived.

At 7pm the OC gave a short talk on the movement so far and thanked all those, who had taken part, and advised us to get to bed early. At 6am the following morning the bugle sounded and the check maintenance parade was held on the park 15 minutes later, followed by breakfast at 7am. At 7.30am Headquarters group moved off, so as to arrive early and give us plenty of time to get settled into our new quarters.

The central part of Cork is surrounded by water and has quite a number of bridges around it. Each group took a different route out of the city, before we got on the road, which took us through Dripsey, Coachford, and to our destination, Macroom Castle, the place in which we were to live and work for several months. The town was oblong in shape, more or less, with one street stretching for half its length, and then it spread out towards the large Market Square, around the Town Hall. The Square contains a fairly large Catholic Church, and also an English church. The river flows through the Castle grounds, which are large and spacious and dotted here and there with beautiful trees. A high wall with large wooden entrance gates surrounds quite a large part of it.

Sentries had already been posted when we arrived, with no one being allowed in or out without a signed permit. By 10.30 all personnel and vehicles had arrived and a party of three officers who had come several days earlier had planned out different areas for vehicles and rooms for personnel. Mostly, everything worked well, but a few adjustments were made later. When we reached our destination the whole shopping area was crowded with pedestrians on the footpaths and all kinds of donkey carts lined the streets. They all seemed interested, and we were the last group to arrive. The vehicles were directed to the car park and were unloaded; we collected our gear and were then taken to the rooms allotted to us. This night we were all domiciled in this very large Castle, by the river.

### MACROOM CASTLE

The Castle is a very large square building of stone blocks with quite a large part of the front covered with ivy and had a very large entrance. This six storey building has over a hundred rooms, some very large and several magnificent stairways. The large basement contained cellars. There was a large spacious yard at the back, partially covered, and also a separate back entrance of large high doors, which remained closed. It naturally took us some days to settle in.

Soon, I was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of my Platoon. It was chiefly so that I could carry out the position of Mess President. I was responsible to the OC for the ordering of local supplies, food, wines, etc. which did not come under the authority of the Camp Quartermaster. I soon got to know the local shop keepers, including the butcher, baker, grocers, greengrocers, wine stores and the Town Clerk and Chairman of the Town. I liked the work very much, but I still had to go on my duties with Patrols on the armoured cars and lorries.

We had an area of country to patrol, covering about a 50 mile radius of Macroom. A programme and a roster of patrols and guards was prepared and put into operation from the second day we were at the Castle. We were on dangerous duty, which was to keep the highways and roads open to traffic. Every morning the patrols would leave the Castle gates at 8am with definite route to be followed by the officer in charge. All in battle order and ready for trouble on the way, we took midday rations with us, also petrol to refuel if necessary. Notwithstanding the tension, it was very interesting, passing through the most beautiful country, but we never knew what was just around the bend. When passing through deep cuttings, sometimes we sent out scouts on either side ahead of us, for security against roadblocks etc.

Our new OC was a good firm experienced officer who would not tolerate any nonsense. He tried hard to impress upon all ranks that we were on very dangerous work and that must not relax at all when on duty. As soon as we entered the Castle gates on our return, the lorries were taken to the car park to be checked and repaired by mechanics, so as to be ready for any sudden call. We soon arranged for sport and recreation and the OC was very liberal with night passes, provided the men behaved themselves. I still kept up with my running, mostly with one of my friends accompanying me on the Unit cycle. I expected the local people, when they saw me first, wondered what I was up to so early in the morning. I used to wave to them and most would wave back. When I returned to the Castle yard, I had a hot and cold shower, then I was ready to enjoy a large breakfast.

I remember my first visit to the butcher's shop; it was very well stocked and clean. I saw the shop sign, Casey, Butcher, so I went in. There was a woman by the large round chopping block. I said, "Good morning, is the butcher about?" Very loud and clear she said, "Yes, I am the butcher." I soon realised that, when I saw her using the cleaver and sharpening her knife, also the way she cut up the carcasses to the requirements of her customers, left nothing in doubt. I assure you, I was amazed when I saw Mrs. Casey, a fairly tall, well built woman, carrying out the job so efficiently. I got to like her very much. She was as straight as a die.

After I had explained my business to her, it was arranged that I would give her my order every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning at 8am and I would arrange to pick them up using a little van at about 9am. I asked if she was agreeable to the account being paid every Saturday and she said that the arrangement would be quite all right. We worked on that principle the whole time we were there. Each Saturday morning I would visit her about 9am and she would take me into a small office, where I would give her the cheque (anything from £40 to £70) from the Quartermaster for the goods received. She would always have a Guinness with me, and it was good. She said that she gave the cheque immediately to her accountant, who had an office nearby. We always got good, fresh meat and she often gave us a few chickens for good measure. She was a great Irish lady and a very efficient butcher. Well done, Mrs. Casey!

I had similar arrangements with other tradesmen, which worked out well. I don't think that there was a single shop in the town, where you couldn't get a Guinness – it really is a great Irish drink and beverage!

Fortunately, we had some excellent cooks and they did a really good job for us. They were Cockneys and naturally were very humorous and witty, and created quite a lot of fun from time to time.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually went out on patrols and it was really lovely to leave the level ground and move into the hills around. On the skyline sometimes we would see big yellow clouds moving quickly and changing colour every moment. The white road curved through the valleys and hills, as we sped along, leaning this way and that. We saw a few bright fields, some with corn and vegetables, other patches were uncultivated summits, with grey rocks showing through tufts of grass. The roads were mostly deserted, but occasionally, carts drawn by donkeys and loaded with turf-like bricks, the colour of dark chocolate. Old men, or old women with their heads in black shawls, crouched above the shafts, in most incredible rag garments. They had been up early putting on their loads and I expect they were heading for their homes or to the nearest market to sell their goods. The scenery was picturesque as we moved along and at other times we came across groups digging and cutting blocks of peat, which would be stacked and left to dry out, then picked up later and carted direct to market. There were quaint folk, who indulged in a lot of Irish blarney together.

### TO MARKET

The first time we saw the market in Macroom, we really enjoyed the crude and rustic custom of barter and sale. The vendors started arriving very early in the morning and by 9am there were hundreds of tousled and mud splashed cows standing all along the main street, some on the pavements, others in the middle of the road. Sometimes the indignant shop owner came to smack a beast out of his shop. Attached to each cow, or group of cows, there was a man, who was just as casual as the beasts he owned. Generally, these herdsmen could be tall, wild looking chaps from the hills, or short, mild and fat men from the plains. Often leaning on a rough stick, usually with rough clothing and unshaven, they were most friendly to talk to. In another wide area there were a group of donkeys, many of them too young to be put to work, being chased by small boys trying to get on their backs. This was about the only happy time a donkey enjoyed.

At the sides of the streets, in another part, were lines of donkey carts, painted in blue, with shafts in different colours. On these, little pigs slumbered with sows, fowl, and pigeons in cages. The market seemed to spread everywhere, a real expression of village life. There were two or three pubs scattered around but you could buy stout or porter in any shop. Of course, this was in 1920. It was amazing how some of those people scratched for a living. They came to town with a load of peat, valued at about 5/- and some with a load of hay for about 10/-. Naturally, their wealth could be counted in pennies. Yet, if they did not get their price for cows, pigs, ducks or hens, or a load of hay or peat, then they would rather take them back home, than compromise their price; they loved to argue. It was very interesting to go around the market on this first day, but as I saw it many times later, it always seemed to be the same old blarney and argument.

I became very friendly with the Anglican Vicar (who was very tall) and his wife and her sister, who lived with them. They had a son, Stephen, and a daughter, Barbara, who was away, working in a bank. They lived in quite a large comfortable home, with a very large kitchen garden. They were very jolly and I often went over to spend the evening with them. They told me that, if there was anything we required from the garden, such as herbs, vegetables etc. I was to take advantage of it, because they could not use it all. The two women often gave me information regarding cooking, which I passed on to the cooks.

### FISHING

On most days, I used to walk along the river, which was in the Castle grounds, and of course, private. One morning I saw several large fish basking in the shadows of low branches, as they glided slowly around. I began to have ideas of how nice it would be to catch a few for lunch or dinner. I was told that they were salmon. I remembered the day, along the River Po in Italy, asking an Italian boy of there were any fish in the River. He said that he would take me to where there were plenty on this side of the corn-grinding mill, which was powered by the water wheel. I had similar intentions in this case.

Of course, it would have been very nice and sportsmanlike to catch the fish with a rod and line, but I didn't have those. My next venture was to take a Mills hand grenade and practise my stunt again. I took a couple of sacks with me in case I needed them and I chose a time when the patrols were out. I threw in some old meat bones and bread, and then I went back to the cooks to ask them if they would cook some fish if I was able to procure them. "Sure," they said, they could easily borrow some trays from the pub.

Away I went to commit this unsportsmanlike deed. I could see a few floating and swimming around, and I pulled the safety pin out of the grenade, counted three and pitched it into the river. In 4 seconds it went "wuff" and no one but I had heard it. In a few moments several large fish were lying stunned on top of the water. I walked into the river, collected them and put them in the sacks. It was very exciting and was all over in a few minutes. I made my way around the back of the Castle yards, dumped the sacks in the store room used by the cooks and went to change into some dry pants. I went down to the cooks and told them I had got some fish for dinner the next night.

"Come and have a look," I exclaimed. Sam and Bert came, and said, "Oh, Christ, they will come in very nicely." I said, "If there is any seasoning for sauce etc. let me know, so I can get it from the kitchen garden at the Vicarage." It meant a lot more work for the cooks and I got Botha to relieve me on my patrol the next day, because I wanted to assist with the cooking and arrangements. The cooks at the pub helped them out and after a very exciting and eventful day we had steaming hot salmon cutlets with parsley sauce as one of the courses. Everyone thought it magnificent and we should try it again they said, (but not for me, once was enough.) They had fish, of course, but it was not salmon. I had to keep it quiet for I did not know how the Colonel would react if he heard the true story.

We were getting well settled in by this time and we got to know the people, and we wanted to help them. We set up a welfare section and visited the Institute for old men and women. We met the matron and asked if it would be in order to arrange a few visits to the old people. We went once a fortnight and heard later that they enjoyed our visits and looked forward to our return. We took with us packets of tea, tobacco, chocolates, sweets and a few cigars for some of the men who liked them. It certainly was a break for them in the dreadful monotony, in which they existed. Also we arranged two short afternoon concerts on Sundays. Some of the artists were members of our Unit; some were townsfolk. It brought a little sunshine into their drab, dreary lives.

### CENSUS

We arranged a Census so that we could help if there were any severe cases of distress. It was arranged that, on a certain date, all members of the home were to put up a list of names of both males and females staying in the house on that night. Both churches assisted in the project, and it was successful, if not perfect. We found that some families were in great distress and that some of the homes were in terrible condition. But yet, they did not feel in the least distressed and seemed to take it as if it was just the natural way.

The day came for us to carry out the check up and it was planned that two of us did a street or part of one, according to number of houses. One collector did one side and the other person checked the other side. Everyone had been notified to expect us and we just knocked at the door. When it was opened, we said, "Census check." We carried on writing down the street number, and number of occupants. Some of the places were really pathetic, with earth floors, broken windows and doors, and leaks and holes in the roofs. Ducks, fowl and goats use to come in the shacks and nibble at anything that they found. Sanitary arrangements were very bad, just as rustic as the hens or goats in the yards. Many did not worry in the least at these conditions and sometimes we would just pass the time of day. Others would ask questions, such as why it was being done. I used to fill my haversack with sweets and chocolates and I knew that would help me out in some part, especially with the very small children.

I visited one house and as there was no card up, I asked where the list was. The woman said that she had no time for that. I wrote the details down for her, nine children, four girls and five boys. "Where is the father?" I asked. She said he was not there. I asked how they managed to get food and she said, "If we cannot get it, we have to go without." The two eldest girls slept in one small room with a window as big as a sheet of foolscap paper. They slept on dirty old mats, covered with ragged blankets. The boys, who were aged from about four to 14, slept in similar conditions in another small room. I asked her what she had for them to eat. She told me "potato peelings and some bones given to her by the butcher". "Where is your husband?" I asked. She said she did not know, and that he must have been on the run. Later, I asked the butcher about him, she said that he was lazy and would not work. I told the mother that I would try to do something for her family, but there were so many families in need. I had only two more homes to visit and my quota was complete.

In the next home I visited, was an old man, who lived with his daughter. His age on the card was 99 years and 6 months. I asked if I could come in and see him, and the daughter showed me to his room. He was tall, grey and bent and could not see very well. I tried to talk to him but did not get much response. She said that she had to do everything for him, as he was helpless as a baby. I thought, as I said goodbye to the woman, that I never want to reach a century and be so useless, and a nuisance to everyone.

I called at the grocer's and asked him some questions about the family of nine, and purchased three pounds of Irish butter, 4 pounds of sugar, 3 large loaves of bread, a large packet of Quaker Oats, and a tin of cocoa. He charged me 10/- and gave me a bag of sweets. I went along to the cottage with the parcel of goods, which I thought would help them out. The woman asked me in and I told her that I had got these few things to help out in the meantime. She showed me her pantry; it was like Mother Hubbard's.

I asked her to send along one of the boys at 5.15pm, with a basket or clean bucket and I would look out for him at the Castle gate. I asked which boy she would send. I picked the ragged little boy about ten. She blessed me many times and I said that I would give them further help from time to time. There were quite a number of large families in the township who were living in distressed circumstances. We gave a lot of information to the Welfare Committee after the Census was made.

For the remainder of the time we were in Macroom we supported a family of 13 and the family of nine that I have mentioned. We all subscribed a weekly sum, which was used to purchase provisions and these were delivered to them every week. Also we used to have a lot of good clean food left over after meals. After I had seen those skinny, neglected, hungry children, I couldn't bear to see it thrown into the large drums and boxes for collection by the pig man.

We arranged for a boy and girl from the families to come along to the back doors of the Castle, where the cookhouse was situated. From the first week the head cook and I used to give to these children liberal supplies of food which had been left over after meals. I was very pleased to see it put to a good purpose and I am sure those mothers were pleased when they saw what was given to them for the whole family. There was always bread, meat, butter, cake, soup and pudding. Sometimes we sent the food in enamel dishes, which had to be washed and returned. Instead of the pig man calling every day, he then called on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

If it rained I would take the food to their homes in the small van and it also gave me a chance to see that it was used properly. Later, we cared for two other families and I told the mothers that, as long as the food was not wasted, we would continue to help them. When we met with the local Welfare Committee I reported to them what we were doing for distressed families and that each cadet and officer in the Unit was contributing to a fund weekly to help the children.

While all this was being done, our patrols had still to be vigilant and alert in their duties. At the time the British Government was trying to negotiate a treaty with representatives from the IRA that would bring a just and peaceful settlement. Unemployment was still present in most countries of Europe and the World, caused by the gigantic upheaval of War and economics. There was no stability anywhere.

Colonel Buxton-Smith was a grand old man of about 60 years, who had served on the Diplomatic Corps with distinction, and often we were fortunate to listen to carefully written papers of his work. He was often away from the Unit to attend Conferences, both in Dublin and London.

The Castle estate was spacious and lovely to walk through, along the banks of the River Lee, which wound through the grounds. We had plenty of room for games but notwithstanding these facilities there was always that prevalent ring of confinement and security, which we observed especially when we were off duty. One Sunday several of us thought we would like to make a real exploration of the basement rooms of the castle. We equipped ourselves with torches and set out on our search through those dark rooms.

The foundations were in wonderful state of preservation and a credit to the architects and masons who built with the large stone blocks. It was a pleasure to see such workmanship. Some rooms were large and paved with oblong stones; others had earthen floors. They had not been used for many years and it was there that we had a find. We had been looking through a lot of empty bottles, when we found eight bottles of Spanish Wine, of very old vintage. We tasted it and it was wonderful, so we drank it at our special dinner. The wine was mellow and mature and I kept a cork from one of the bottles for many years.

After having been to the depths, we thought we would try the heights and we made our way to the roof. Quite a large area of the roof was more or less flat with a wall approximately four feet high and chimneys here and there. There was a magnificent view of the town and the surrounding countryside. Lookouts were posted on the roof during daylight hours and they were armed with binoculars, pencils and notebooks. They were instructed to 'see without being seen' and had a telephone to contact the Sergeant of the Guard at any time during the day.

After the result of the Census was known, the Welfare Committee of the Unit chose me to represent them on the Town Committee. The population of the town was 1250 in 1920. I explained to the Committee that we were not only keeping open the roads and highways, but also were trying to help and assist come of the local distressed families. When I raised the question of middle-aged men being absent from their homes they stated that many were away working in England and Scotland. It seemed to me that if an Irishman wanted to get a little money together he had to leave Ireland. To some people the Irish never seemed to take life seriously. Their mental attitude to life was infuriating to the materialists, who called it laziness. They were not really lazy; they were casual, indolent and metaphysical. The 'curse of industrial nations is the cruel and cynical subjection of man to machines.' Mechanical inefficiency, which was a shame and a disgrace to the modern world, was, to an Irishman, a Joke.

In the villages we often passed when on patrol, were mostly old people and school children. I learned that from May until October most of the youth and middle-aged of both sexes would leave their homes, to go by boat to Britain and work in England and Scotland and sometimes Wales. They worked in many types of job, as farmers, nurserymen and in Public Works. 'Work and Save.' Many farmers built large hutments to accommodate the workers close to the work of hoeing, weeding, sowing and planting, etc. Many family men would return to Ireland, but single men with good jobs stayed on permanently. The girls also found work in factories and homes. Of course, in the 1920's the outlook of these people began to change as it did in all countries. At that time the charm of Ireland was partly due to the relaxed pace of life and nobody seemed to worry.

I noticed that, in most Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and Ireland, the material world was overshadowed by the spiritual. The priests generally had great power over the people, especially in the country districts. I remember that on Sunday mornings from early morn to mid-day, the usual scene as we stood by the Castle Gate was a slow continuous parade of donkey carts from districts around, bringing the faithful to Mass. Townspeople usually walked. The church was quite large, surrounded by lawns and trees with other buildings nearby.

I invited one of the Cadets to walk with me to the Catholic Church. I wanted to see how they accommodated all those people who came to Mass. The Church was packed with hundreds kneeling and standing around. It started to rain, but it made very little difference to those who remained, still kneeling and getting wet through. "Why don't you go home?" I asked one. "Oh no, that would displease the Father!" was the reply. So they stayed and got very wet. However, we hurried back to the Castle, as we had no coats.

The Unit had no special parade and Cadets could go where they wished if they were off duty. We had patrols daily, so there were always men on duty. Often on Sunday afternoon, if I was off duty, Stephen Baines from the Vicarage came over with an invitation from his parents to join them for supper. I went many times and it was always jolly and friendly and Stephen enjoyed it very much. The Vicar often talked to me of his experiences, which were not always happy. Several times, he said he thought the Church would have to close owing to the tactics of the IRA, but eventually they managed to see it out. During those visits I met some important townspeople such as Lawyers, Accountants, Shopkeepers and Members of the Council.

One Friday evening while I was there I mentioned that I was travelling to Cork for the weekend, leaving on the morning train. The Vicar remarked that he was going also, to preach at the Church there on Sunday. I had intended to have lunch at the Grosvenor Hotel, so I asked him to join me. It was agreed so I rang and made reservations. The following morning was nice and sunny as I dressed in my Donegal Tweed walking suit, which I had not worn since leaving the Curragh. I had to report to the Adjutant for final instructions. When he saw me in my rigout, he said, "Christ, Ernie, you're all dressed up, have you got a date?" Of course, there was a bit of leg pulling. The Adjutant said, "I have to go to the station, Ernie, come with me." So I fetched my case, gloves and cap.

Shortly we arrived there and I told him that the Vicar was going too, so I would have company. We could see the tall and sprightly figure of the Vicar walking along the platform. When I stopped and saluted him by raising my cap he didn't know me for the moment. Both he and the Adjutant laughed, "We don't see you dressed up like this very often." We talked until the train puffed into the station. When we boarded the train the Vicar laughed again. "Well, I didn't really pick you at first glance; I've always seen you in uniform or slacks but never like this. I must say, you look quite smart and it fits you so well!" I told him that an Irish tailor in Kildare had made it for me, and that I was pleased with the result, but had few opportunities to wear it. I asked after his family and he remarked that Stephen would have liked to come with us.

We arrived in Cork at 10.30 and the Vicar booked in for two nights. I told him that I had already reserved for lunch and that I would be leaving him immediately after as I had an appointment at the Barracks. We were talking in the large ante-room, when, like a shot from the blue, an elderly gentleman with a very attractive young lady, probably his daughter, walked up to me and said, "Excuse me please, do you happen to be Sir John Frazer?" I was so surprised I hardly knew what to say without causing embarrassment. He said, "We were expecting him about now and we thought you looked like the photograph we have of him." I bowed and smiled, and they left the room. I turned to the vicar and said, "What do you think of that, you will have something to tell the Ladies and Stephen when you get home." The Vicar always called me Mr Lycette, but though I asked him to call me Ernie, he never did.

I suggested we go for a walk. It was surprising to find that the centre of Cork was an island surrounded by water, so we walked around the Quays. There were a number of bridges for access. In parts it looked very grim after the burning, with wrecked buildings of blackened timber. We saw small groups of tourists, some being Americans, who were taking photographs. I also saw a few Cadets in uniform. Of course, they had no idea that I was one of them. We made our way back to the Hotel, and watched people walking to and fro'. We thought we might see the real Sir John Frazer, but we later heard that he would arrive in the afternoon as the boat he was on had been delayed by storms.

Our lunch was very nice and after a further chat, I left the Vicar, as he had an appointment also at 2pm, mine was a little earlier. I said that I would try to come over on Monday evening to hear what they thought of the news. I retrieved my case and raincoat from the Cloak Room and was soon on my way up the rise towards the Barracks. I reported to the Sergeant of the Guard and showed him my credentials. He sent a runner to the orderly room and in a few minutes a young officer came and shook hands and took me to the orderly room, then to the Adjutant's room. I handed him the letter from Colonel Buxton-Smith with a plan to improve the system of patrols adjacent to our boundaries. We went to see the OC and it was late when we finished finalising the scheme, so that it could be put into action within a few days. They asked me to stay the night so I had dinner with them and enjoyed a game of billiards and discussed the news of the day.

I also met several Cadets, who had been at the Curragh Camp when I was there. I telephoned the Adjutant of our Unit and inquired if any lorries were coming to Cork that morning. I was picked up at 10.30 by the Mail Van and after a nice trip, arrived back in Macroom. I changed into uniform immediately, had a drink with some of my pals and was ready for lunch. I saw the Adjutant, who arranged for me to meet him at 2pm and the OC at 3pm. I explained to the OC that his letter was well received and we had started to work on a plan to improve the patrols on boundary roads of our area. It was agreed to, but it had to be ratified by the OC's. Colonel Buxton-Smith thanked me for the manner in which I had carried out my duty (even if I did not turn out to be Sir John Frazer). I had my leg pulled about this episode quite a lot by the boys when they got to know about it.

On Monday evening I went over to visit the Baines family and the Vicar had brought back with him a copy of the Cork newspaper, which had a photograph of Sir John Frazer. I certainly did look a bit like him. I carried this photograph in my diary for many years but it eventually got lost. He was a writer and was spending some weeks in Ireland collecting data of the country and its people during this very disturbing period.

Our patrols were still very active, but they were being extended to Killarney and Tipperary. The countryside was wonderful and very interesting; especially Killarney, but we always had to keep our eyes open and our minds alert as to what might be waiting for us just ahead. We changed out times and tactics every day, because we were up against determined men who would stop at nothing once provoked.

When not on duty, I still continued my early morning runs always followed by hot and cold water showers. Not once was I intercepted or held up in my training anywhere in Ireland. The London to Brighton Walk was still approximately five weeks away so I had to keep fit. I had already sent in my application form to enter, but had not yet received my acceptance form. As soon as I knew the exact date I could approach the OC regarding my leave. One day I went into Cork by lorry and walked back through Dripsey and Coachford to Macroom. The OC was on his way back to Macroom when he saw me. He stopped to offer me a lift and I told him I was on a training walk. He smiled and waved and drove on.

Quite a number of the older men had been sent back to Dublin, as the work was too strenuous for them. They were replaced with younger men, but all of us had seen service as officers in charge of men and machines. Although we made up the rank and file of our Unit, we thoroughly understood what discipline meant. Before you could command, you had to learn to obey. We had some excellent men who had seen service in different parts of the world, in the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Merchant Navy.

### KILLARNEY

One day I was listed for the Killarney Patrol. I had not been on this patrol yet, but those who had, said the countryside was beautiful. On this morning, Lewis was our driver. He had a small garage in Bristol and was very efficient in his work. We had Glover, a very good Rugby player from the same town and John Botha, a rugged individual, who was a grandson of General Botha of the African War of 1900. We had Routh, a Canadian tough guy, whose father was the Bishop of Liverpool, Bill Fife, a miner from Scotland, and from Birmingham we had Bill Onions, a holder of the VC. He was a real pal in trouble and in joy. Last, but not least, was Ernie Lycette, who was sure to be in it.

We made sure all of our gear was ready, including rifles, grenades, machine gun and binoculars. We drove out through the Castle Gate and were the in the last lorry in a convoy of six. The Guards waved to us and we returned the compliment. It was a fine morning and we were on our way.

Most of the drive, for about twenty miles, was through familiar country, and we soon entered the valley of winding dells to Killarney. There were stone walls on both sides of the roadway and the long lake in view. In summer, we were told, this was a Botanist's paradise. There were Cedars of Lebanon trees, Arbutus, wild Fuschia, and Mediterranean Strawberry trees. The Lakes of Killarney are in a vast cradle, surrounded by hills, woods and lanes as lovely as the lakes. Flowers grew on the grey stone walls and we could see hedges of Fuschia, tall Foxgloves, trim and radiant Canterbury Bells by the million, as well as millions of bees to visit the many flowers and blossoms.

The temperature at this time of year was identical to the South of France. I could not find words enough to express the beauty of that place. Nature had bestowed on it an element like a paradise. Windermere, in the Lake District and Loch Lomond are almost suburbs of cities, but Killarney is through the dales, over the hills, far away and forever lonely in these beautiful valleys. I know of no more perfect place in which to spend a summer holiday. It is a country in miniature. It has hills and valleys; little green pastures lands, dark woods, creeks and bays. Here is peace.

We had our lunch in the Police Court Grounds in Killarney, leaving a Guard over the trucks, while some of us had a quick visit to Muckross Abbey, and climbed the Waterfall. The people were very friendly and all kinds of souvenirs were on display for us to buy. That day it was quiet, otherwise the OC would not have allowed us to leave the vehicles. It was refreshing in the streets so different from other parts of Ireland. (I expect that since then, the tourists would have blurred much of the friendliness and Irish charm).

At about 2.30 we made our return journey through this most fascinating countryside. Fortunately, we arrived back at the Castle at 5pm, tired and weary, but nevertheless very satisfied with what we had seen. I thought that I would be making the trip again and I intended to take my camera to get a few snaps. When I got home that night I had a letter from the London Walking Club, advising me that my application had been accepted and giving me the date and starting time of the race to commence on the street just below Big Ben. After reading and digesting these instructions I went to see the Adjutant to arrange an appointment with the OC the next day. I noticed that on the orders of the day my name was not on the list for patrol duty and I had a message from the Adjutant to see the OC at 9am. That allowed me time to see about provisions for the Mess and I called on the Butcher and Greengrocer Stores.

It was always a pleasure to greet Mrs Casey and I was fascinated by the skilful way she used to manipulate the saw and cleaver when cutting a carcass of meat. She was ever cheerful and with her Irish blarney and charm she could thaw an iceberg. "Good morning, Mrs Casey," I said and she would always return the greeting with, "and a good morning to you." After leaving my order, which would be delivered to the cookhouse later in the day, I said, "Mrs Casey, I will not be able to have a Guinness with you this morning." She replied, "For why in the Mother of Mercy, why?" 'I have an early appointment with the Commanding Officer and I wouldn't like to smell that I had been part-taking of alcohol so early in the morning." She reminded me to call later in the day.

After completing my orders, I went back to my room to see that my dress etc. was correct. I was outside the Commanding Officer's door right on the dot, but he was not yet in his room. I could see him coming up the corridor, with the familiar slouch and expression. The Sergeant Major bellowed out, "Parade Attention," so we all reacted smartly. After the order to stand at ease, a few moments later, my name was called. He said, "Take off your cap and take a seat. Have you been doing any walking stunts lately?" I answered, "Yes, Sir. I want to see you about one in the very near future." I explained that I had discussed with the previous OC, Captain Taylor about three months earlier, the matter of obtaining leave to compete in the London to Brighton Walking Race, as a representative of the Auxiliary Corp.

I told him of my previous experience in athletics and that I had represented the British Army in Rome, Paris, Brussels and Antwerp. He told me to carry on my training and he would approve the leave when the time came. "I sent in my application to compete in the race some months ago, Sir, and today I received acceptance from the Secretary of the Walking Club, advising that my application was in order." I handed it to him. He said, "Very good, Lycette, I have also received excellent reports from the Adjutant and your Platoon Officer. It is with pleasure that I grant you 14 days leave, starting from the day of the race with full pay. I wish you the best of luck. Give the details to the Adjutant and he will finalise the arrangements for you." I said, "It is a month before it takes place, but there are a number of details to fix before that time." I stood up, put on my cap and the CO shook my hand and said, "Good luck." I saluted and thanked him. I could now make the necessary arrangements with the Adjutant.

Meanwhile I carried on with my training and duties. My next patrol was in our north-eastern area and we travelled the Tipperary District. I very much enjoyed the trip, winding in and out along steep defiles and high rugged hills. We passed through marshland where we saw many men digging out peat in blocks, and the womenfolk loading in onto donkey carts or stacking it to dry. Tipperary was not a large place and was quiet, not being a market day. Owing to a large landslip we had to deviate through Cork, Dripsey and Coachford. The OC Patrol telephoned the Adjutant from Cork that we would be an hour late.

At about 7pm that night, I had a call from Stephen Baines, who said his parents and aunt wished me to have supper with them. They were all musical so we enjoyed the playing and singing. They were surprised when I told them I would soon have 14 days leave to compete in the London to Brighton Walk. After that I planned to go to the Rhineland in Germany for several days, staying with friends. They wished me luck and said that they would miss me. I wrote home to Mother and told her I would be in England soon to compete in the Race and that I would advise the actual date of my arrival, and that I would try to bring some foodstuffs to help with the rations. The local Grocers helped me out. I obtained a leg of ham, and ¼ side of bacon, a 10lb round of cheese and several pounds of Irish butter. I had a good send off from the Unit and they wished me good luck.

I travelled to Cork on the Mail Lorry and the driver wished me the best. I got my luggage down to the boat, which would leave at 8pm. In the meantime I walked around Cork as I waited for departure, making my way back to the boat by 7pm. I took my luggage on board and found a good seat in a cabin. We left the Quay on time but were delayed at Queenstown and did not leave the Irish coast until nearly midnight. There was plenty of room on the boat and we had a crowd of Americans on board. They were 'Pussyfoot' Johnson, his wife and quite a number of his Prohibition organisation making a tour of England. However, they did not interfere with us and we danced and sang most of the way. We had breakfast aboard.

Later, I found a Porter and told him I wanted to catch the train to Birmingham when we disembarked. He said, "I will be at the head of the gangway and will help you to get your luggage to the train." (The railway was called the Great Western at that time). The train arrived just as we were getting off the boat and the Porter assisted me in getting my luggage and to get a seat. There was plenty of room. I tipped the Porter and made myself comfortable, got the morning paper, but I think I slept most of the way to Birmingham and don't remember seeing much countryside. We arrived in Birmingham at about 1pm and waited almost two hours for the Cannock train.

We left the station on time and soon we were passing through familiar country. I saw quite a number of people I knew at Walsall. I asked them, "Which is the best station to get off for Heath Hayes?" They told me Cannock and helped me with my luggage to the bus, which came along five minutes later. I knew the driver of the bus, so that made it easy. "Are you going home, Ernie?" I told him, "Yes, Chapel Street."

### HOME VISIT

In ten minutes we were unloading at the front gate and then Tiny, the dog, was giving me a salute. Lion and Evelyn helped to bring in the luggage. They were preparing tea. Mum was crying with delight and Dad was sitting on the sofa by the table in readiness for tea. They were delighted with the groceries I had brought with me, as it would help with the rations. The ham and bacon was soon hanging, but they were shocked when they saw the 10lb cheese in the flavour they liked, and the 5lb of butter was very much appreciated. I also had a number of ration cards, which I knew would be useful. After my bed was fixed up we spent the evening telling each other the news. Mrs Hathaway from next door came in later and was very pleased to see me. She always called me 'the rambler'.

I knew that Evelyn and Lionel had to be up early next morning and I told them, "I also have to be up early too, because I have to leave for London tomorrow." I asked Lionel if he would like to come with me and be my attendant and I would pay his wages for the lost days, and all other expenses until he got back home. He was thrilled and said, "I will." I asked him, "Is your cycle in good order?" He said it was. I wanted to be in London by afternoon, as it would give us all Friday to make the necessary arrangements, then we could have a look around. Evelyn said that there was a train leaving Cannock Station at 8.20am and arriving in London early in the afternoon. We retired early and after a good sleep I felt refreshed and ready for action.

Mum and Dad were up early and they had a breakfast of bacon and eggs ready for us. The Irish bacon that I had brought was very good. After collecting my gear and Lion, we went on the first bus, driven by Horace Stokes. He was pleased to know that I was competing in the London to Brighton road walk on the following Saturday and wished me luck.

We caught the 8.20 train, enjoyed a pleasant and uneventful trip through the countryside and arrived at Euston Station at 1.15pm. We booked a room not far from Charing Cross station in order to be close to the race starting point below Big Ben. After attending to my business I showed Lionel around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly. I said, "Lion, I am going in for a haircut and massage." When I was finished Lionel sat in the chair and the barber asked him what he wanted, so he said, "The same as my brother." I walked around while I waited. When he came out he said, "He charged me 7/6. I only wanted a haircut!" When the barber started putting on hot and cold towels and massaging with cream etc. Lionel said to him, "What's all this in aid of?" The barber replied, "You wanted the same as your brother." "So he stung me 7/6!" he said indignantly. I asked, "Do you feel better?" "Like a baby's bottom," he smiled. He still talked about this episode in his old age and about our trip. Though we turned in around 10pm that night, I did not get much sleep because of the noise.

###  WALKING FROM LONDON TO BRIGHTON

Next morning there was a black, damp fog. I had never seen anything like it; you couldn't see more then two yards away, and being so close to the River Thames, of course, made it worse. It was dismal and grim and I did not enjoy my breakfast. I put on my walking outfit, a pair of trousers and a pullover. At about 8am the sun broke through and the fog began to lift and disappear. We left our room at 8.30am and arrived at Big Ben at 8.45. There were already many entrants, hopping and jumping around. Lionel obtained my number and particulars from the Secretary, by which time the competitors were beginning to strip off. The Secretary advised us that we were to move off at the stroke of nine by the Clock. There were 52 of us ready for the fray.

My final look up at Big Ben told me we had two minutes so I could relax and wait. Then came nine big bangs, like a hammer striking a cracked pot and we were off! Lion was on his cycle and I told him to come with the other attendants until we got separated a bit. I still had on my pullover, as it was a bit cool. I could see Ross, the champion, and an Italian named Pavise, who was a very fine looking athlete. He was receiving quite a lot of attention along the way, being sprayed with lavender water. He wore glasses at first, which he later discarded for a long poked silk cap.

I was among the first five for three-quarters of the distance. Lionel joined me about 3 miles after we started, but there was plenty of service and attention if we needed it. I gave him my pullover and he handed me a pair of dimmed glasses to lessen the glare of the sun. I never let the leaders out of my sight. There was not so much traffic the further we got away from London.

The race didn't seem to arouse much interest. Lionel came alongside of me, just slightly to rear and asked if I was all right and said that there were service stations on the way. The road was quiet and the sun was shining. Just before the half way mark we were informed via loudspeaker that refreshments would be given to the walkers if they needed it. I was given jellied chicken, almost like soup, in a small compressed paper carton, suspended from a tape sling, which they put over my head. It was very useful, and from the carton was a small tube I put in my mouth to enable me to suck in the soup, without having to stop. It was a very good idea!

I was still close to the front and making good time. It was getting hotter as we got near to Brighton. I was now walking third and we were only a few miles away. Unfortunately, I had a spasm of stomach cramp, which was painful for awhile and I had to slow down, but I was still well ahead of the next man. So Lionel got me a sherry and an egg yolk, which eased the pain allowing me to maintain my position. If I had not had this cramp, I'm sure I could have made it a much keener finish. Pavise, the Italian, was the winner. I had a hot and cold shower at Brighton Baths. Lionel was able to put his cycle on one of the service vans, which later took a number of us back to London. I asked for my prize to be sent to my home address at Heath Hayes.

I asked the driver of the service lorry to put our cycle off at Euston Station, in the station luggage room. He kindly put us down in Trafalgar Square. From there we went to our hotel room, which was only a short walk away. After a change of clothes, I took Lionel out for a meal and a look around. We looked in at a Cinema close to Charing Cross Station. We arrived at our room after midnight, as I wanted Lionel to see as much of London by night as he could. We finally went to bed, but I did not sleep too well.

Next morning we rose early and packed. The clothes I did not want to pack, I gave to Lionel to take home in his luggage. We went for a short walk along the embankment. There were a few people still hanging around the seats and probably had been there all night, proper rag-bags. After breakfast in the refreshment room at Charing Cross Station, we went on the Underground to Euston Station, where I saw Lionel, with his ticket and cycle onto the train. I paid him the wages for the two lost days plus expenses until he got home. I thanked him for coming with me at short notice and he said that he had enjoyed it. I said, "Cheerio, see you later," as the train departed and I waved him off.

I was on my own again and I called at Cooks, who arranged my train and tickets. I went back to the hotel where we had stayed and paid up, and went to Waterloo Station to catch the boat train. There was quite a crowd of rowdy Americans, mostly Jews (I could tell by their noses) and a few soldiers returning after leave. The trip to Dover was enjoyable and had altered little since I last saw it. The boat was not crowded and it did not seem long before we were again disembarking at Calais. Our train to the north left immediately and we were soon passing through some of the old battlefields, but nature was healing the wounds and scars of the landscape. Most of the damaged houses had been repaired. As we sped along we could see where the small landowners had been busy tilling the land and bringing it back to use.

We passed through Belgium and came to the Frontier town of Aachen, where we showed our tickets and passed through Customs. From this point on the country was normal, as there had been no war here. I noticed at once how well the Germans looked after the rail tracks. Soon I saw the Rhine River and the Cathedral. The streets looked so different with not so many British, American and French soldiers to be seen. I reserved a hotel room near the DOM Square, which used to be the Officers' Club when I was here previously. I only booked in for two nights in case I wanted to move elsewhere. At dinner, about 7.30pm, I met quite a number of the waiters who were there in the Officers' Club days, and they looked after me well. I went around some of the old haunts and noticed the changed conditions, which I found interesting.

### TONSILLITIS

Unfortunately, I began to have trouble with a sore throat, and I found it difficult to swallow. I sent for the Head Waiter, whom I knew, and told him that I would like to have a doctor examine my throat. He said, "Right, I will send the Maid along to check on your room before the Doctor arrives." Half an hour later the Doctor, who was middle-aged, arrived. I told him the story and he looked at my throat, saying that I had Tonsillitis and that I must stay in bed. He gave me a gargle, some medicine and said he would see me again in two days time.

The Chief sent me hot water bottles and said he would tell the Maid looking after this area to see that I got attention. They were all very good to me. The next day the Doctor called again and said my throat looked much better and that I should be able to take porridge, soup, or bread and milk. I did feel much better the following morning and I went along to the Doctor, who said that it was clearing up, but I was to keep my throat warm. I paid the bill of twenty-five marks, which I thought very reasonable. I told him I was planning to return to England. He said he thought it wise and I thanked him for his advice.

I caught the first train back to London, where I arrived at 6pm. The 6.15pm train from Euston got me to New Street by 8.15 and I just caught the last train to Cannock. I was lucky all the way, as one of the old Scouts was at the station and gave me a lift home. They were surprised to see me. Dad had gone to bed and Mum and Evelyn were about to have a cup of tea. I explained that everything had happened so quickly that I couldn't let them know. "I have had a spell of Tonsillitis, my throat was sore and I could not swallow anything for two days. I am glad to be home to rest awhile." I still had 7 days leave.

Lionel was surprised to see me when he came in. I had just finished two cups of hot milk, though my throat was still a little sore. I went to the local doctor next day and he told me to go back to bed and stay indoors for 2 days. I went downstairs for meals with Mum and Dad, as I didn't want anyone to carry them up the steep stairs. I had quite a number of visitors when they knew I was at home. Dad was going up to the village, so I asked him to buy me a newspaper from Mr Moon, the newsagent.

### AMBUSH AT MACROOM

The greatest shock was to come when I opened the paper. I saw the large Headline news – "Large Auxiliary Patrol Ambushed at Macroom". I was astounded and shocked; it took me quite a while to get over it. The whole patrol had been killed and stripped of most of their uniforms. It was hard to believe – this was the first time any of our patrols had been caught in ambush. In a few days more news came through, but I wouldn't know the true story until I got back. When their names did appear I knew them all so well. I was eager to hear more of these courageous men, but I had to wait.

The British Government was still negotiating for a settlement with the Irish representatives. Mabel and Bernard called in at home at the weekend. I didn't want to leave home again until my leave had terminated and I had to return. I was feeling better after the rest and my throat was all right again, but I would need to be careful for awhile.

Lionel made them laugh at home at some of the tales he told them of our experiences in London, especially the one at the hairdressers. I saw most of my brothers and sisters while I was at home. One day, George took me around on the pillion seat of his motorcycle. I told Mum that I would send her another parcel of groceries. They were really enjoying the ham and bacon, which would last them quite awhile yet. I went for several more rides with Evelyn and her friend, Maisee Barratt, around Cannock Wood and Gentleshaw, very interesting countryside.

'All good times come to an end' and I had to see about packing up and going back to my Unit in Ireland. I caught the early train again and was soon travelling on the Great Western down to Bristol, admiring the countryside. I had to wait several hours in Bristol before boarding the boat. There were many boats in the port and many coloured seamen working or walking around. At last the gangways were opened and I went on board, stowed my luggage in the cabin and then amused myself watching the comings and goings of the motley crown of people. Not many people were travelling, so there was plenty of room. The sea was very rough so I went down below and was glad when I could see the land.

Eventually, we arrived at Queenstown, where we only stopped for a short time, before making our way around the Quays to the city. I had breakfast on the boat. That time I was travelling light, so I carried off my bags and went to the Post Office, where I rang the Castle Macroom to inquire if any vehicles would be in today. I was told that the Mail lorry was due in during the morning. I was told to go to Army Barracks and wait until the lorry arrived. I went to the Sergeant of the Guard and showed him my pass, telling him that I had permission to travel on the Mail Lorry to Macroom. I asked if there was a reading room or refreshment place nearby, and the Sergeant sent a guard, who escorted me to the YMCA.

The YMCA attendant asked if I was just coming back from leave and I said, "Yes, I am on my way back to Macroom," to which he added, "You were lucky being away while the ambush affair was on." I said that I knew very little about it yet. He was just about to tell me about it, when I saw a familiar looking lorry at the entrance. I excused myself, saying that I must catch that lorry. I saw Glover and Lewis on the front seat. They were both Welshmen and very fine sports and I said, "It's good to see you. I want to ride back with you to the Castle." "Right you are," he said, "hop up, and we will go and see what mail we have, then we will go to the Mess to get a cuppa before we return."

I helped them with the Mail, and, while we drank our cup of tea, they told me part of the story of the ghastly ambush that struck the Company a short time ago. It was a frightful affair and had shocked the Company and the people of Macroom. The place had been in mourning ever since. The whole town turned out for the funeral and one could feel that the people of the town really reflected their sorrow for what had taken place.

We had to pick up two other lorries, which had both arrived in town, so we got on our way. There were many more patrols out then, since the ambush. This morning, Cork seemed to be quite busy. We started out towards Dripsey. Lewis was an excellent driver. I remember one time when we were out in a semi-armoured Rolls on a special run and he was doing 82 miles an hour over difficult roads and he drove with great skill and was so relaxed. But, of course, we were not driving a Rolls at this time, and we had to conform to the speed of the lorries ahead. We were nearing Coachford and I told them, "The last time I did this route I walked from Cork to Macroom. I remember having a cup of tea and a sandwich at a small tearoom there. Later, a few miles nearer Macroom, the Colonel, our OC, came by with the Adjutant, and recognised me walking and offered me a ride. I declined, saying that I would like to complete the walk to the Castle. They had laughed and driven on."

They told me that there was a rumour going around that the OC would soon be leaving the Company. I expected that the ambush must have been a terrific shock to him. By this time, we could see part of the town in the distance and as soon as we passed over a little bridge I knew were about a mile and a half from the Castle. Although I had only been away just over a fortnight I felt glad to be back in Macroom. Soon, I would be back with the men I had got to know well and I liked and cherished their comradeship.

We stopped at the Castle Gate close to midday. The Sergeant eyed us over and waved us in and the Gate was closed. I reported to the orderly room and then went to my room. My bed was still rolled up and tidy and I was pleased to change from my civilian clothes into my uniform. The men greeted me on all sides, most of them having read in the newspaper the results of the Walk. Only those close to me during my training were keen to hear the details of the race. The ambush had seemed to put a damper on the atmosphere of the place.

I went around to the cookhouse. The cooks were please to see me and welcomed me back with their Cockney humour. I told them that I would be 'on deck' in the morning. I asked, "Do the boys and girls still come for the waste food?" "Just the same as when you left, Sir," old Sam retorted. The lunch gong sounded and I was soon seated amongst my old friends. It felt really good to be with them again, but all conversations ended with the ambush. That afternoon, I lay on my bed and read a number of the Irish Times and other dailies, poring over the deadly and sensational news of the tragedy. They said that the whole town had been in mourning, and it had been such a dreadful shock to these people, with whom we had worked and played for several months, with great composure and excellent behaviour. To consolidate the spirit of goodwill, fairness and friendliness, we continued to help the many distressed families of the town. The children could not to be blamed for this. Only the unforeseen and painful circumstances of the past had shown themselves.

During the following days, I met many different people in the town, all serving in their different positions and stations in the community and all expressing the horror and sadness of the situation. For quite a while it was a township of gloom and sadness.

When I saw the Vicar and his family in the evening, there was sadness indeed. They cried for a while. They knew so many of those courageous men and naturally were stricken with sorrow. At last I was able to dry those tears. I told them how the two Cockney cooks, Sam and Bert, had welcomed me back with their Cockney wit and charm,

"Struth and what did you see down Petticoat Lane?"

"Well," I said, "I did see your sisters Polly and Jane,

And they asked me if I would have a gin."

I said, "No, no, my girls, I am already steeped in sin,

but I have two cooks named Sam and Bert,

away in yon' Macroom. What they would give to have a flirt,

with Polly and Jane, from Petticoat Lane."

Stephen wanted to know more of the Sir John Frazer episode and that brought out a few smiles. I also told them of my brother and the hairdresser in London. We had supper and soon I had to leave. They reminded that if I wanted anything from the kitchen garden I was to come and get it.

The next morning, I was on the job early and called on Mrs Casey, the butcher, and on the grocer and other tradespeople. I never mentioned the tragedy, but they all expressed their sympathy. We still carried on with our patrols, but we were much more careful when approaching places, which we thought could be dangerous. Of course, those who occupied the hillsides where they could hide behind rocks etc. always had the advantage over those men confined to a vehicle.

I was told the story by some of the men who went to the rescue of the ambushed patrol. It was almost dark before those at the Castle realised that something must have happened. The patrol should have been back by 3pm and by this time it was 7pm. The rescue patrol was quickly organised and they moved quickly. It was in a drear and dangerous spot, where the Rebels had struck their blow. They had used machine guns and grenades. The men, who were travelling on the lorries, were an easy target.

The whole patrol of 22 were shot and killed, some trying to escape, but they were completely overpowered. The Rebels had then stripped most of them of their uniforms. It must have happened mid-afternoon. I did hear of a Solicitor who had passed that way soon after the outrage but he was afraid to report it in case he had been seen. The Solicitor's wife, who was an English woman, told me this. I never met him again, though I saw him several times in the street. Of course, the IRA made a complete getaway! Some phases of it crept into the papers, but nothing vital and the Politicians were still talking and talking.

Other rumours began to spread that we would soon be moving from this area. Colonel Buxton-Smith was the first to leave. He gave an excellent speech the evening before his departure. He was going back to the Diplomatic Service. We gave him a rousing send-off. I saw him once again at a Dublin Theatre.

The Adjutant took over the Company until we returned to the Dublin area and we kept the patrols going until the final week. There was also a terrific amount of cleaning up to be done. A few nights before we left the people of the town staged a concert and dance.

We left in two groups by lorries; a rear party was left behind, supplemented by Army personnel, to leave the Castle and grounds in good order. We departed Macroom very early, travelling through Coachford, Dripsey and bypassed Cork. After a short break at Wicklow, we continued to the outskirts of Dublin and arrived at Portobello Barracks by mid-afternoon. It was nice to be back again on duty, which included Night Curfew Patrols around the city, and all kinds of civil investigation work.

Just about this time, two Army Officers were shot and killed. There were many other unpleasant incidents taking place. Three of us were sent to a small seaside village named Bray. We reserved rooms and stayed for the weekend, mixing with the guests, as much as possible, boating and swimming and listening to local gossip. We had to report our experiences to the Intelligence Officer.

###  UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS

Our next adventure would be over a longer period. I was paired up with a pal named Rennie, who came from Belfast. He was to go under the name of Patrick O'Leary and I was to be Jim Murphy. We were to dress in clothing similar to the 'dock rats', let our beards grow and try to imitate them as much as we could. We had to try to get a room with an old Irish woman, who had several rooms. She turned us down the first time we tried, and told us to try a few doors away.

We tried again several nights later. "What, you have no room yet?" she said. "We have slept out the last two nights, but we only just missed the Curfew Patrol last night," I replied. "Where do you come from?" she asked. We told her we were from Cork. I continued, "We are looking for work on the boats, or as street cleaners." "What's your name?" she said. Rennie told her, "Patrick O'Leary." She looked at me, "What's yours?" I replied, "Sure, it's Jim Murphy." We said that we would pay for bed and breakfast and get other snacks outside. She said, "No booze allowed here, otherwise you go!" She had two other boarders, but they did not come home every night. We saw them several times but did not let them see we were watching them. We had a good look at them one morning as they were leaving. They were talking to the old lady. We decided to get picked up that night by the Curfew Patrol in order to obtain information.

We were just trying to dodge the Patrol as we turned a corner, but they spotted us and shouted for us to "Halt." We stopped as the lorry pulled up. "What are you bastards out here for? Hands up! Search him mate! What are you doing on the street?" We told them we were trying to get home. "Well, you can come with us for the night." I said, "Take me to the Castle; I want to make a complaint." When we got in the Castle we were taken to an officer for questioning. We showed him our cards. I said, "We want to see photographs of wanted IRA men and then, we want you to put us down, just off the street, where you picked us up." They gave us a feed and drink and returned us to the street.

We told the old lady, "We nearly got picked up by the Patrol last night. It was a near go and we will have to watch out in future." I said, "I don't think I will stay here too long – I like it better in Cork, but we did get a few hours work on a boat yesterday." The old woman said she had heard that the Curfew would soon be off. The next morning, the landlady was cleaning out the room of the other boarders as we came by. "Have they gone?" I asked. "No," she said, "they haven't been home." I commented that they must have been living a gay life.

It was a double-storey house. I suggested to O'Leary, "When we go down for breakfast, try and keep the Mrs in conversation while I come up and have a look around their room. We cannot hang around here too long." There were several letters and other notes in an old jacket. I wrote down several names and addresses, but could find no photos. I made a note of clothing etc. I pretended that one of my boots had a nail sticking up in the sole and asked the landlady if she had a hammer. She said she didn't. I told her I would fix it later and pretended to limp a bit.

I thought that the men were working with a gang, but could not do anything until they were on the premises. If they didn't return soon, we would have to get out. About 8pm the next night, they came back as we started to play cards and we heard them knock on the landlady's door. They asked if she would cook them some supper. I said to O'Leary, "Now is our chance; go to the Castle at once; report to the Sergeant of the Guard, show him your pass and tell him the story. They are to come as quickly as possible, surround the building at once before the Police knock on the door and get entrance quickly. Arrest me with the others and you wear your uniform, with your beard off, as you know the layout of the house. Is that clear and OK?" "Yes."

I had to hold the fort while he was away. It was after Curfew before the Police arrived and I did not hear them until there was a loud knock at the door. I saw one of the men dash down the stairs, the other was in his room as the Police closed in they told the one in his room to get his things together and come with them. Then they told me to do the same, and took me down below. "Where is the other one?" they asked. I told them I didn't know. When we were in the hall I could see a pair of bare legs under a coat, which was hanging on the rail. I pointed to the legs. We all smiled as the Policeman pulled the coat aside and said, "Hello, my friend, what are you doing there?" He did not speak. "Well, come up to your room, collect your gear and the three of you can come with me." I said to the Sergeant, "I am not with them." "Well," he said, "you can tell that to the Chief when you see him." They took him to his room, where he dressed quickly and put his gear into a bag. They also shouted at me to get a move on and swore so that the others could hear.

The landlady was looking sorry for us and I said to the Policeman, "Can I pay her the board I owe?" "Yes, and get a move on!" he said. I said to the landlady, "I will see you again when I get out, Mum." The IRA men and I were pushed into the Police Van. About 15 minutes later the van stopped at the Castle, the handcuffs were removed and we were put in separate cells.

I immediately asked the Sergeant where I could get a bath and shave, also a uniform to replace these ragged and dirty clothes. Rennie came in just then, so the Sergeant told him, "Take your mate over to get cleaned up and uniformed." Rennie yarned with me whilst I got ready and as it was getting towards midnight we asked if we could get transport to Portobello Barracks. The Sergeant said, "We will have a police car ready when you are, but I want you both to be here at 9am prompt tomorrow to make out a report of the whole affair." It was good to be back in our room with the boys. "Where the hell have you two been this week?" they asked. "See you in the morning," I said, "it's sleep I want now."

We didn't need to rise at a set time while we were on this work as long as we observed our own timetable of duty. We had a cuppa brought to us by the room orderly, and soon we were swapping experiences. I think on this occasion ours was the longest and most trying, but we felt better after the night's sleep, clean and without tension. We needed to walk down to the city for a little exercise, reported to the guard at the entrance of the Castle and were taken into a special room. We were there all day and had lunch and afternoon tea at the Castle.

We learned later that the two IRA men were part of a gang of terrorists operating in and around Dublin. At 3.30pm we were taken back by car to our Headquarters in Rathmines. The first person I met was Botha, who wanted me to go with him to a dance at the Palais that night. I said, "Not tonight, I would rather hang around and play roulette for a while, maybe cards, and then go to the Teashop outside the gate and watch people come and go." Mrs Thompson and her daughter had the shop and usually had extra help in the evenings. They were pleased to see us back and she shouted supper for us. It was always lively in there, most of the cadets who were on part-time duty came in to see the comings and goings of people. However, Botha and I decided to go to the dance hall in Sackville Street, as we were not on duty.

The following morning, we looked over the orders of the day and found that we were free so we got a leave pass from 3pm to 10pm, Curfew time, and went down to Grafton Street from Rathmines, by tram. That gave us more time in the city. It was good to promenade along Grafton Street, where no traffic was allowed. We had afternoon tea in a very nice café. You would see all the latest fashions there. We also enjoyed a walk, as we had not seen Dublin for months. We had tea in popular Sackville Street. The dance hall opened at 6.15pm and the orchestra started at 6.30, because the 10pm Curfew shortened the evening.

We met some girls that we had danced with previously. The orchestra was very lively and we enjoyed the fun. There was plenty of room and I don't think either of us missed a dance. Time passed quickly and at 9.30 we collected our coats and hats and caught the tram for Rathmines, which would take us home. When we reached our room we found it almost empty, so we went to the Games Room and watched and had a few bets on the roulette. We returned to our room, where a number of men were already in bed, reading or talking. In the morning, we got a cup of tea and perused the orders of the day to see if we were on duty. Unfortunately, I was on a patrol and we had to report to the Castle for orders.

### FRIENDLY FIRE

Section Leader Quale was in charge, with five other cadets and we had to be at the Vehicle Park at 8am. The Leader had been recently issued with a new powerful gun, which was a heavy 12 bore, I think. He was climbing down the lorry step, when he either hit the butt of the rifle or mishandled it somehow; anyway it let off one 'bang'. The driver of the lorry was killed and, as I was standing in front of the lorry, I was hit by some shot, but did not realise until one of the other men said, "Look, Ernie, blood."

It was running down my arm and onto my hand. It all happened in an instant and I was taken to the ambulance room, where the doctor examined me and told me it had only just missed my elbow. A splint and sling was put on my arm and I was taken to the hospital. During the trip, I became aware that I had also been hit in the knee. I was taken to the theatre and my arm was treated. I told the doctor that I had a pain in my left knee and they removed my trousers. The doctor examined my swollen knee and told the Sister to put on a raised splint and that he would look at it the next day. So that's how quickly events can happen.

The ward was large and sunny and I asked the Sister if I could move nearer the window so I could see Phoenix Park. They were all very friendly towards me and, fortunately, I had bathed on the morning it happened, but that did not save me from being put through the 'scrub'. The doctor came around the ward at about 10am and I received injections for the elbow. He told me I had fluid on the knee, and told the Sister to keep it on the splint in raised position and it should be so for several weeks. After the doctor's rounds were finished in the ward, the nurses came around to tidy the beds. As they fixed my sheets, I asked, "How long will I have to be like this?" They said, "Maybe six weeks, but don't worry, we will look after you."

I had quite a number of visitors from the Camp and also a Women's Organisation arranged for visits on Sundays and Wednesdays. We got newspapers early in the mornings and the Mail arrived at 10am, but it was very monotonous, lying in bed day after day. My elbow healed, but it was my knee that kept me in bed. Later, when I could get about, ladies would drive us around the Park to see the magnificent gardens, sports grounds, lovely trees and the home of the Viceroy.

The Park was large and about 7 miles across (I was told) and it was kept in excellent order. I could see by the newspapers that the Auxiliary Corp would not be needed much longer in Ireland. At last, the Politicians and Representatives were reaching agreement and a Treaty would be made.

Once I was rid of the splint, I could walk around the ward and look around. I needed a stick for a few days and then I could walk to the entrance and back. Later, I went round the flower borders, where a large gang of gardeners and boys were removing plants that had finished flowering and replacing them with others in bloom. They had a small tractor towing about ten trailers, bringing in and taking out plants all the time. There were large glasshouses in the trees, where the plants were propagated. Sometimes I followed the edge of the River. Each day we would see the smoke belching from the high chimney stacks at the Guinness Brewery.

At last, the doctor gave me a clearance, but told me to go easy for awhile. I thanked the Sister and nurses for the excellent care and treatment that I had received. The following morning I was collected by a car from the Company and taken to Barracks, where it was very quiet. Most days were spent playing cricket, tennis and other games; unfortunately, my elbow had not yet healed. Sometimes I went to the beaches or into the city. The OC asked if I would like to go on leave, but I told him I would rather stay and see it through and go when the Unit disbanded. I asked Botha if he was going back to Africa. He said he was going to work for an uncle in Belfast for awhile. It was common talk by now, "What are you going to do when this is finished?" I felt sure that seventy percent of us had nothing definite in view and there was still unemployment everywhere.

Eventually, the news came through that we were to be disbanded we were granted one month leave with pay and a gratuity according to our length of service in Ireland. There was a large party on the eve of our departure. We had to attend a lecture and our Final Parade. (Many of these splendid characters enter my mind as I write these lines.)

Captain Taylor, who had been our OC through the whole period, thanked us for the splendid service we had given and wished us the best of luck in our future adventures and lives. We also received a Letter of Thanks and details of our departure from the Camp. We had 48 hours to collect our clothing and gear. Most of us left the next day after saying goodbye to our friends in the Company. I had found some good and interesting comrades, but a feeling of sadness always hangs around when these times come to an end.

Botha and I arranged for a jaunting cab to call for us the next morning to take us to the Railway Station to catch the boat train for Kingstown-by-the-Sea. This was not the first time we had been on a Jaunting Cab, but on this occasion it seemed different, looking sideways onto the passersby, and as we waved to them, some waved and others smiled. We were generous to the cabby, who said, "May all the saints of heaven look on ye'."

We were not the only ones on the station and many of them had their girls seeing them off. This time it was not crowded and the sea was not bad, but eventually it got very rough around Holyhead, taking three attempts before they managed to rope us in, much to our relief. We had our feet on English soil again, and soon we were on the train for London Town. I said farewell to many before we started on this early morning train. It was not yet daylight. The train rolled onward and after several hours we heard, "Crewe Junction, 10 minutes, refreshments!" We all dashed for a cup of tea and sandwiches. I said to Botha, "I stop at the next station, I hope I do see you again," and we wished each other 'all the best' over a cup of tea.

"All aboard the London Train!" We rattled on and though the dawn had not yet lifted, we could soon see the lights of Stafford blinking and hear the cry of "Stafford Station". With one final cheerio to several of the boys the train was on its way.

So, now what! It was all chance, now!

I used to have an Uncle Lewis, who ran the Mail Van from Rugeley to Stafford for many years and I wondered if he was still on it. Anyway, I decided to try and I went to the Station. Nobody was about, then a porter came out and I said, "Excuse me, can you tell me if a man named Lew Lycette still runs the Mail Van?" He said, "Come with me, he is still on it but me may have left, though he has a Mail Bag to collect from the last train." Then he said, "You're lucky, there he is with the grey horses." Lew had just given one of the horses his nosebag and was adjusting it.

I said, "Hello Uncle Lew." "Where the Hell did you come from, Ernie? I haven't seen you for several years!" he said. We shook hands and I asked, "Any chance of a ride to Rugeley, Lew?" He answered, "There are a few more bags to load; I will ask the Mailman to lock up while we have a cup of tea before we leave." Soon we were back at the van; he removed the nosebags from the horses and gave them a pat. He filled a bucket with water from a nearby tap and the horses drank from it, blowing through their nostrils as if to say thanks. I got up onto my seat and Lew gave me a rug for my knees. The daylight had not yet arrived and I found it difficult to recognise the part of town we were passing through. I asked the horses' names and was told, "Bella and Bess, they have been faithful old steeds." When he mentioned their names they immediately pricked up their ears.

At last, I recognised that we were just passing the entrance doors to Stafford Jail. "The last time I was here, Lew, I was trying to get a job at a large factory, which was being built," I said. He replied, "That must have been about six years ago." The horses were trotting briskly along and soon began to climb a long hill. Next, we were passing the 'Y' Junction, where one road goes to Cannock and Hednesford, and the one we were taking brought us to Milford and Rugeley. A mile further on we could see the outline of the Milford and Brocton Hills, where the New Zealanders camped during the First World War, and where our Scouts had camped many times.

We were now in the Village of Milford, and soon we would leave the main road to Rugeley. Lew brought the horses to a stop and the Post Office and an old man appeared as Lew dismounted and unlocked the van doors to give him a bag of Mail. Lew entered the shop and signed a document, which acknowledged that he had delivered the Mail, sealed and tied. The next part of the journey was through part of the Trent Valley, which was a very fertile and beautiful part of England, and on to Little Haywood, our next stop. We delivered a small Mail Bag and Lew followed the same routine.

### REMINISCENCES

I knew this country so well because, almost every other weekend, I used to come down with the Scouts during training, which they enjoyed so much. We passed Ingestry Hall and Park, which extended to Great Haywood, where we delivered another bag of Mail. It was in Great Haywood that I recall the only happy adventure I had with my Father. He had a horse at that time, which was being looked after by a farmer, an old friend, and he arranged one week to walk over the Cannock Chase to Great Haywood, a distance of approximately ten miles to keep an appointment. Another farmer wanted to see the horse and would buy it if satisfactory.

We left early after a good breakfast and Dad was joking with Mum about his walking prowess. We set out and I kept behind Dad as he made the pace over the rough tracks of the Chase, but I could see towards Great Haywood that it was Dad, who was hanging back. We met the farmer, on whose land the horse was grazing, caught the horse in the paddock and took it to the prospective buyer. I had to take the horse, which was young, untrained and very lively, and run it up and down while they watched. Dad sold him and we went back by train. That was the only time I went on a trip with my Father and I enjoyed it.

When Lew returned after completing business at Great Haywood, he said, "Would you like to drive?" I said that I would, so he said, "Hop over to my seat, but don't pick up the reins until I am fixed." It was a thrill to take the reins and to feel the instant response of Bella and Bess as they broke into a brisk trot. On the left was a large Convent, near which we camped some years ago and we had given a display of First Aid and all kinds of Scout work. A little further on the right was a very old Village Church, where I used to take them to parade on Sunday and, of course, with our drums and bugles we used to rouse the folks of the village.

We were on level ground by now and the horses, being accustomed to the road, were easy to control. I enjoyed the trip immensely as we passed by the old, quaint thatched cottages on both sides of the road. I could see in the distance the River Trent and soon we had to cross over a fairly wide bridge to join the main Rugeley road. There was a village pub named the 'Barley Mow', and a few cottages and on the opposite side were Wolseley Hall and Park, from which the place took its name. We started up a rise, but because it was the main road, it was wider and in good order.

Very few cars were on the roads those days, and I don't remember any vehicle passing us until we got closer to Rugeley town. We did see large four-wheeled wagons, sometimes drawn by two horses, others with four, according to the weight of the load. On my right, I could see the outline of Etching Hill, a fairly steep hill with a deep layer of rock on top and with a high flagpole. The country on both sides of the road was very fertile and there were different types of farms. We were entering a little settlement named Coton, and saw a farmer, busy with his dogs, driving his large herd of cows from the grazing paddocks to a large milking shed. As our horses trotted along were getting nearer to our destination.

We passed what used to be the Rugeley Grammar School and Lew told me to pull up so he could take over on the wider streets. The Parish Church was next, followed a little further on the left by the Shrewsbury Arms Hotel and the Post Office on the right. Here Uncle Lewis guided the horses to the back of buildings. I helped him to unload the Mail, all the bags being tied and sealed and we carried them to a long platform, where they were received and checked by the Postmaster.

Lew drove the horses and van to some stables in the Shrewsbury Arms Hotel yard. I assisted in removing the harnesses. With relief to be free again, the animals shook themselves and snorted. While Lew gave them their food I rubbed them down with a rag and brush. He invited me to have a cup of tea at his home, but I knew he was on his own, so I said that I would go on to Mabel's place in Albion Street. He said, "I have only a few more months to go and then the Government is going to contract motor vehicles to operate their Mail Runs. I have been doing this for over twenty years, taking the rough with the smooth and I have enjoyed it and I have met some very friendly and co-operative people." I said, "Well, thanks again, Lew, and cheerio."

I walked down the dingy narrow street, which had long rows of houses on each side and a few small shops and outdoor beer licences. Mabel's house was the second last on the left and I knew the way. The door opened right onto the footpath, just one step up. I knocked but no one seemed to hear, so I went around the end of the row and along the back. It was a real slum area. In the second house I could see some children's toys around the low brick walls, which looked very old and dilapidated. At last, I heard the boys shout, "Someone at the door, Mum!" When Mabel caught sight of me, she invited me to put my bag in the front room. "Well, what a surprise," she said, "I usually go back to bed for awhile after Bernard leaves to catch the 6am train to work in Rawnsley." The three boys came down the stairs, Bernard 9, Selby 6 and Lester 3 years. I had only seen Bernard previously but he had forgotten me.

Soon, they were asking all kinds of questions. Mabel was cooking bacon and eggs and getting the boys' breakfast ready for Bernard and Selby to go to the school nearby. I told Mabel that I had come from Stafford on the Mail van with Uncle Lew, and also that he had allowed me to drive the horses for quite a long way, which I had enjoyed. She said I was lucky, as in six months time he was going to retire and that the Government was going to use motor vehicles to cart the Mail from Stafford to Rugeley.

Of course, the boys enjoyed the story I told them of the horses, Bella and Bess. Lester did not let me far out of his sight while I was there. I sent a Telegram to Evelyn and Mum, saying that I was at Mabel's and would be home later in the afternoon. I went downtown with Mabel, shopping and got a few things for Mabel and the boys. I gave Lester a bag of lollies, but Mabel said no, she would ration them out.

I arrived at Hednesford Station at 2.45pm and was able to catch the 3pm train to Heath Hayes. Mum was looking out for me by the gate, and waved when she saw me coming round the bend. I stopped, put down my bags and waved in return. I was at the gate in a few minutes and she told me Dad was resting, tea was already made and Evelyn and Lion were still at work. I told Mum that I had another bag to collect from the Post Office. Just as I reached the gate I could see Evelyn coming from Cannock Road, so I waved and waited for her. It was always lovely to meet Evelyn, ever bright and cheerful. We went arm in arm down Chapel Street to the Post Office, where we saw Pauline and Muriel Jones and they welcomed me home and invited me to call on them later. I retrieved my bag and Evelyn helped me to carry it home.

By the time we arrived, Lion was home from work and Dad was up from his afternoon nap. We exchanged greetings and sat down to tea. I had been wounded since they last saw me, so they wanted to hear about my elbow and knee injuries. I told them they were all right, but if I had any trouble I had a permit to go to the local doctor for treatment. I also told them that I had my name down for two positions, one in the Palestine Police and the other as a Superintendent in Sierra Leone, West Africa. They would notify me later for interviews, but for a while I would take it easy. I told Mum that I planned to start digging and planting the garden, to keep me busy, and the vegetables would be useful. I would also help Dad with the pigs.

Next morning, I saw brother, George, as he was delivering the milk. I hadn't seen him for awhile. He said he was able to help Stella some days with the round. I always had plenty of friends and relations to see when I was at home.

I had finished with the Army and with Ireland. However, after four days at home, I decided to go to Whitehall to be interviewed for the Palestine job and I was accepted for this. Then I had the interview for the position of Superintendent; the number of candidates was reduced to two, a Colonel and myself. They asked if I had been to Africa. I told them I hadn't and I listed the positions I had held. I was then asked to retire from the room while the other applicant was interviewed. He came out after a few minutes and we were both told to await their decision. The Secretary told me that Colonel Evans had been selected and thanked me for my application. I congratulated the Colonel and wished him good luck. I wasted no time in getting to Euston Station for my journey home.

Next day I went to the Rugeley district for a change and called at Mabel's and Bernard's home, where I stayed for a few days. I walked to Etching Hill to see my sister, Minnie and her family. I walked around Slitting Mill, a very pretty village, where I first went to school. I met many people that I knew from my boyhood days.

### SCRUMPING

I was reminded of an incident when we boys went on a scrumping escapade (pinching apples) in Mr Goodman's orchard. We were out to replenish a secret store of apples so we could each have two apples a day for school. On this morning we planned that I would get the apples, while the other two would keep a lookout. I was wearing a belt so I unbuttoned my shirt, climbed the chosen tree of good eating apples, and started stuffing apples into my shirt. As I was climbing down, I was shocked to see a very large bulldog at the foot of the tree. I started to unload the apples, when Mr Goodman came and demanded to know, "What are you doing here?" I didn't say anything. "Come down," he ordered. "Not until you call that dog away," I said. He called off the dog and picked up a stick. I dropped down from the tree and made for the fence, which I scaled as quickly as I could while Mr Goodman was hitting me with his stick. That was my last exploit at scrumping. Forty years later I revisited that same apple tree and related the story to Mr Goodman's daughter, who was then over 70. She said her father had often told her of this incident and laughed when he told of how an old croak had me caught up a tree.

Another day I went to Abbots Bromley, a very picturesque and historical town, which had large girls' Colleges, with many girls from different parts of the world. They used to give displays in the streets of the ancient 'Stag Dancing' with singing, music and ceremony, which always attracted large crowds of people.

I returned home, anxious for news from Whitehall. Nothing had arrived so far. On the fourteenth day I wrote, asking for information on the Palestine position. I was surprised to receive a letter from them saying that, since they had not had an answer to their letter requiring me to report for final interview, they had crossed me off the list. I hadn't received this letter so I asked the Postman if he could recall leaving a long envelope, bearing "On His Majesty's Service", during the last ten days. He said he was sure that he had, but could not be sure of the day. He said, "I gave it to your Mother." I was very annoyed at the time, as I felt certain that my Mother had kept this letter from me, but I never accused her of doing so.

### ITCHY FEET

The next day, I called on Mr Moon, the Agent for the New Zealand Shipping Company and asked him about the cost of going to New Zealand. He told me of a man from Cannock, who had been to New Zealand for several years and was soon going to return. Mr Moon gave me the name and address and said he would be able to give me some useful advice. I contacted the person in question, asking if it would be convenient for me to meet him, as I wished to migrate to New Zealand. I received a short note from him, asking me to call on him in the afternoon. I went to the first house beyond the Cannock Bowling Green at the top of the Square. It was a kind of lodging house and was run by two brothers, Harry and Jim. I knocked and a woman answered the door. I asked if Mr Jim Haycock lived there and she went to get him. A bald-headed man of about 50 approached and I asked, "Are you Mr Jim Haycock? My name is Ernie Lycette. Mr Moon, of Heath Hayes advised me to see you regarding New Zealand."

He assured me, "You need have no fear if you are prepared to work hard, no matter what the work, whether it be the mines, the factories, on roads or on farms." I asked many questions, and he answered me frankly, especially those about his work. I asked when he was going and he said he was trying to get a berth on the 'Remuera', which was leaving Southampton in June. "If you are going, make up your mind soon and I will do all I can to help you. I was there for 3 years and this time I think it will be for good."

On my way home, I walked so that I could think it over quietly and thoroughly. I checked over the conversation that I'd had with this sincere and frank man. I realised that it was a big thing to break from a mode of life, which I knew so well, but on that walk home, I made my decision to go to New Zealand. I called on Mr Moon the next morning and told him that I had seen Mr Haycock and was impressed with what he had told me about New Zealand. Mr Moon also told me of another youth from Littleworth, who wished to go on the same boat and offered to get us in the same cabin. "See me at 10am tomorrow, and I will arrange for the others to be here," he said.

### NEW ZEALAND

When I arrived home I told them I was leaving for New Zealand towards the end of June, but I had decided to get a job for 5 weeks. I went over to the Fairlady Mine and saw the under-manager, who said I could start on the afternoon shift that day. I returned home and told Mum the news and said that I would find some old clothes and an old pair of army boots. They laughed when they saw me rigged out; it was all so strange. However, Mum packed me some tucker and at 2.30 I went over to the mine, which was only 200 yards away.

On the first afternoon, I was sent to work with a middle-aged miner, named Sam, who told me he was on contract work and really wanted a mate, so that he could always be certain of having someone with him. At 6.30pm he suggested that we have a snack, so I took out the food and tea, which Mum had given me, and which I really enjoyed. While we were munching away, Sam said, "I would like you to come with me on this job." I told him that I would only be on the job for a few weeks. "That does not matter, I would like you with me for that time," he said. I asked what the conditions were and he said we would be equal in costs and profits and he had the tools, which would be at no cost to me. He said we would see the under-manager the next day if agreed.

I was pleased when the first shift was over, as I had to be careful with my hands, because it was the first continuous work that I had done since 1914 and it was now 1921. I remember when I came up on the cage that night, I wondered what the family would think, when I got home with my black face and hands, cap, haversack and glass tea bottle. At the back door I could see over the low curtain, that Mum, Lion and Evelyn were sitting on the couch, awaiting my arrival. They all started laughing when I came in, singing, "we go down white and up we come at night like a lot of little blackbirds in a cage!' The first thing I did was to strip off to the waist to have a good wash. Mum got me a vest and shirt and then served me some supper. They laughed when I told them of some of the happenings. I am sure Lewis must have laughed, when Lion told him the next day of my experiences.

After that I took with me an old pair of leather gloves, as I didn't want my hands to crack up. We saw the under-manager on our next shift and it was arranged that we carry out the contract together. The work was called 'rock-ripping' and I soon got the hang of it. I was surprised at our first pay packet; we were earning about 3 pounds a day and that increased to 4 pounds. Sam was married and they had 2 children and lived in Cannock. When I told him that I was going to New Zealand, he said that he wished he could go also and take his family.

People used to laugh when they saw me with my black face, but I didn't worry about it in the least. What I was concerned about was earning some money during this period of five weeks, because I could make good use of it later. Meanwhile, I got my luggage together, trying to comply with the Agent's requirements. I started making final calls on relatives and friends before it became time to leave at the end of June. I was gradually getting my hands accustomed to hard work and also I liked working with my partner, who was a good worker. He said to me, "I wish you were staying with me for good." I replied, "I know that, Sam, but I have made up my mind. I want to get into something new, but I am very happy to be able to spend these last few weeks working with you."

I went along to Scout Headquarters several times. Scoutmaster Morris was in charge.

Mr Moon, the Agent, brought the ticket labels and stickers and said that Mr Haycock and I would share a cabin and Dave Sambrook would be in the one next to us. We still had a few more days left and I said my final goodbyes. I finished work with Sam only three days before I was to leave.

I arranged with Jim and Dave to leave on the first train. Dave got on at Hednesford and Jim and I boarded at Cannock. I said goodbye to Evelyn and Daisy Foster, who had driven me down in her car.

We arrived at Euston Station before lunch. I went out of the station and chose the largest Taxi, telling the driver that there were three of us and our luggage, which he managed with a bit of a squeeze. Away we went through the busy London streets, never knowing when we would ride through them again and see Old Father Thames and Big Ben.

At last we were on our Great Adventure!

We passed through Southampton Station and the train took us right to the Quayside, where we departed the train, taking our gear with us into a large extensive building. We could see the name of the boat, 'Remuera', onto which we would soon embark. We were marshalled into queues, ready to be interviewed by the officers, who checked our tickets and papers and we moved along the gangway. When we got to the top we were guided to the cabins by friendly orderlies.

Once settled in, we went up on deck and watched the remainder of the passengers coming on board. Around 4pm the gangways were lifted and we were soon on the move. As we headed out into the English Channel we began to feel the roll and dip of the boat. We heard the signal for our first meal aboard. Those at our table were a rough, bad-mannered lot, mostly Scottish. I suggested to Jim that we should see if we could be moved to another dining room on a higher deck. The Chief Steward took our names and said he would arrange for us to go there in the morning.

The English coast had been left behind and it was still light, but I told Jim that I would lie on my bunk until I got my 'sea-legs'. Soon, he did the same and we talked about the various happenings of the day and planned the next day's activities. We lulled off to sleep by the vibration and rocking of the boat.

At midnight, we were jolted out of our sleep, being almost tossed from our bunks! The whole ship shuddered with a bang and we soon realised that something serious had happened. Old Jim said, "By gosh, that was a hell of a crash!" We could hear the call for 'All hands on deck'. I put on my British Warm Coat and cap, picked up my wallet with tickets and money and hurried out into the corridors, where women, men and children were shouting and crying. I was trying to get to a higher deck. The steps were packed with hysterical people, clamouring to get to the top, when I saw one woman in front, with two small children and a babe-in-arms, struggling to get there and a frightened youth pushing her back. I dragged him back by the neck and told him to let the woman through. She was in her dressing gown and was crying. I said to her, "Give me the baby and you look after the other children. I will see you on the top deck."

The night was black and foggy as we could hardly see a yard ahead. Fortunately, the electric lights were on and I was on the First Class Deck, by the wall. The baby started to cry and two women on a bench nearby, made room for me by squeezing together. I told them that I needed to find the baby's mother. But outside was a black, black fog. An armed officer was at the door to stop anyone from going inside. They gave me a blanket to put around the baby. After awhile I asked them to keep the seat for me, as I must find the mother. I told them of the incident on the steps to explain how I came to be holding the baby.

Meanwhile, the stokers and seamen were serving hot tea, coffee and rum in an effort to alleviate the seriousness of the accident at sea. Though they were black and grimy, they were doing a grand job to lift morale. The black fog persisted and we could see that the boat was listing. I was relieved of my anxiety for the baby, as I could see the mother, who was still wearing my British 'Warm' and had her two children with her. I told her, "The baby cried a little, but I'm pleased to see you because something might be happening." I took them up to First Class and introduced them to the ladies and spoke to the officer, who went to get a blanket for the mother. I was able to have my coat back and felt much warmer with it on.

We heard all kinds of rumours as we lay about the deck, but no one was allowed to leave. I hadn't seen Jim Haycock since we left the cabin several hours before and supposed he was on the boat deck. Towards dawn, when the first shades of light began to appear, the fog was not so heavy and we could see the outlines of other boats. We were relieved of the stress of not knowing what had happened or where we were going. When daylight was with us and the fog had cleared we could see the boat was listing badly and that it had received a battering. Several lifeboats had been smashed and the deck rails had been torn down. We were told that we were going back to Weymouth. We could return to our cabins to collect our luggage and be back on deck in readiness to re-embark onto a small steamer, which was anchored alongside and secured. When the boat was full it was ferried to a landing pier and from there we had to walk and carry our luggage to the train, which was waiting to take us back to Southampton. At Weymouth we had tea and refreshments, given to us before the train moved off.

From Southampton, we travelled to Eastleigh, where we detrained at a large relief depot. What a shock to find ourselves on English soil again! The Reception Hall was large and could accommodate thousands of people. During the war it had been a very large aerodrome and had been taken over by the Cunard and White Star Shipping Companies for people who had encountered accidents or distress at sea. This huge place had every facility including doctors, medical rooms, reading and writing rooms, baths, spacious dining halls with large, clean kitchens and even several sports grounds.

We were soon settled in to wait for whatever was in store for us, and the next morning, several Shipping Company Heads arrived. They expressed deep regret to the passengers from the ill-fated boat and said that they would 'do all in their power' to accommodate us here until we could be placed on another ship. We could either go home and they would make allowances, or we could stay free in the camp. We were told that it could be a fortnight, a month or six weeks, but they 'would do their best' to get us away. Only a small percentage went home. As I had only a few pounds left in English money I elected to stay. The time passed pleasantly enough.

What made it more interesting was the fact that the camp was also used as a cleansing camp for immigrants coming from Poland, Russia, Italy, and Greece and in fact, most of the peoples adjoining the Mediterranean Sea. They came in small boats from Europe to Southampton and from there they were conveyed to the camp in a convoy of coaches. They were not allowed to leave the camp. They were in a different area from us, with a hospital, medical staff and nurses.

I met one of the nurses and she said that, on arrival, they were examined for skin infections, lice etc. They all had hot baths and most had their hair completely shorn. Then they were carefully examined. Most were low type Europeans, leaving their homelands to become citizens of the USA. I felt certain that this hotch potch of peoples, sheltered under the cloak of Uncle Sam would, by education, discipline and goodwill, become absorbed into that great cosmopolitan country, and give it culture and characteristics, which would make it one of the great nations of the earth.

One day, I asked if I could be of any assistance while I was in the camp, as I was a certified member of the St John Ambulance. I was allowed to work with the male nurses, when a convoy of twenty coaches arrived with approximately 500 immigrants. They were met as they got off the coaches. What a motley, unwashed and ill-clad crowd they were! They were not allowed in the headquarters until they had undergone the process.

They were taken over by male and female nurses and all the clothing they wore was dropped from them into incinerators. In most cases their hair was shorn and then they went into the steaming hot baths, and afterwards checked by the nurses. After examination, they were issued with new clean clothing and allotted berths in the sleeping quarters. Some were sent to hospital. It was amazing to see the difference this care and attention made to those people! They were shown around their quarters and other facilities that were provided. In all, they received excellent treatment. What a wonderful transformation in a few days! The immigrants had tickets on their lapels, ready to leave the camp on the coaches, which would take them to embark on the great ocean liners for the USA.

We, of the shipwrecked 'Remuera', were also well cared for. We had news one morning that luggage, which had been in the holds, would be delivered in the camp that morning and passengers were asked to identify it. My baggage was a mess; most of the clothing was so badly stained, it would have to be thrown away. I saved what I could, washed all that was any good and then dried and pressed them. Old Jim Haycock would sit and read while he watched my clothes. I put it all in the Quartermasters Stores for safekeeping.

At the main office we learned that Jim Haycock and Dave Sambrook were booked on the 'Ionic' in two weeks time, and I was booked on the 'Ruahine' in six weeks. I thought that was too long to stay in camp, so I decided to go on a walking tour through the southern part of England, as long as my money lasted. I said cheerio to Jim and said I'd see him some time in New Zealand. I decided to travel light, with just pyjamas, toothbrush and razor in my haversack. I set my course for the main Southampton Road to Winchester. There were few cars on the roads those days. I planned to do so many miles per day and stayed in cheap lodging houses or pubs. When I reached Winchester I stayed at a little pub, which was both cheap and clean. I looked around the town visiting King Alfred's Statue and the old Church. I ate tea in town, watched the local inhabitants as they played darts and dominos and went to bed early after planning my route for the next day. I thought I had it all worked out.

### BEST LAID PLANS...

Morning came and I rose early to take another short walk around town, which had much to offer the visitor. After breakfast of bacon and eggs I prepared for a further tramp on those south country roads and the ever-changing scenery. The atmosphere in the little pub was very friendly, and as I was passing through the bar, I saw a man displaying a newspaper. I could see the large typed Headlines – 'Shipwreck in the Channel' – it also had photographs of the ill-fated 'Remuera'. I leaned over to have a look and said to him, "Unfortunately, I was on that boat." I opened my wallet and showed him my stamped ticket. He said, "I am sorry to hear that, anyway, have a drink with me." He asked me what I was doing and I told him about my walking tour, but that as I had not much cash in English money, I had to go easy. However, he said to me, "Would you like to put a few bob on a horse, which I know is very good for Wolverhampton? I am a Bookmaker and usually come in here early to collect a few bets." I asked him the name of the horse and he told me, "Angelus; I can't take your bet, but two other Bookmakers will be in the Private Bar shortly. I don't want them to see you with me. I assure you that it is good information, and I would like to help you make a few bob to help you on your way."

He asked me how much money I had, and I told him six pounds, ten shillings. "Well," he said, "put a fiver on it and if it loses I will give you two pounds, ten shillings to help you on the way back to the boat." He wrote in his notebook: Wolverhampton, Race 3, 5 pounds – Win Angelus. He told me to copy that and sign my name, and to approach the other Bookmakers later. He left me the newspaper, which I continued to read. I sipped my drink and pondered whether I should place the bet.

In ten minutes, just as he said, two men came into the bar. I saw several men hand slips of paper to them. I said to the publican, "I would like to have a bet on a horse, which is running at Wolverhampton." He pointed out the two men and said, "They are Bookies." I asked him to introduce me. "Sure," he said, and to them, "This young fellow would like to have a bet with you, that's OK." I wrote the slip out as instructed and handed over the five pounds. "If it wins, be here at the same time tomorrow." They told the publican to give me a beer. The publican told them that I was off the boat that was shipwrecked in the Channel. I thanked them for the drink and said 'cheerio.' I had reluctantly parted with my last fiver. How quickly my routine for the day had changed, so I booked in at the pub for another night.

Just as I was leaving the bar, the bookies were having quite a run of patrons. I went back to my room, which the maid had starting to clean, and told her that I was staying another night and showed her the card. To while away the morning, I walked to the town and after lunch I walked around this nice park that the maid had told me about. I couldn't settle for thinking and wondering if I had done the right thing in betting on a racehorse. I went to the cinema, but wasn't really interested in the picture and was just filling in time. Interval was at 3.30pm, and I walked to the front of the cinema, where a newsboy was shouting, "Stop Press News – Latest Racing Results". I bought a paper, searching the blank column first. It read, "Wolverhampton 3pm, Angelus – Winner." I wasn't interested in what ran 2nd or 3rd. I had no idea what it would pay. I went back into the cinema, feeling pleased and relaxed. I left the cinema at 4.30pm and went for a walk. The street was busy with many people on the way home from shopping or leaving the factories after work.

The time was approaching 5pm and I asked the newsagent the time of the next paper. He told me that in a few minutes I would hear the newsboys shouting the latest racing results. I gave the boy threepence for a paper and scanned its pages. I could hardly believe that 'Angelus' had won and paid 20 to 1! I didn't know a single thing about this horse, only that I had very good information. My only trouble now was whether I would get the cash.

### WINNING STREAK

I had tea in town and walked back to the pub, where there was plenty of old-fashioned English entertainment to fill the evening, darts, dominos, singing and sometimes dancing, reading the papers or talking and taking in the atmosphere. Nobody seemed to consume much beer or other stimulants, but they certainly seemed to have fun. I enjoyed the evening in this way and though I was a stranger, it made no difference to their friendliness. I didn't stay late as I wished to get a good night's sleep in readiness for tomorrow's walk. However, I did not sleep well. I rose early, had a bath, and went for a short walk, thinking anxiously about my winnings.

After breakfast, I saw the publican and we exchanged pleasantries. He said, "My word, you were lucky yesterday; your horse paid a good price!" I said I hoped the Bookies would be here soon and he assured me that they would be in at 9am. I went out to buy the morning paper, which confirmed for me the most important news about the race. Back in the pub I noticed that the Bookies had arrived. I pulled out the slip they had given me and went over to them. They smiles and said, "My word, you were lucky yesterday." I handed over the slip and in return I received £105. I thanked them and offered to buy them drinks. They each had a whiskey and I had a glass of beer. It was all over in a few minutes. I regret that I didn't again see the man who had prompted me to make this bet. I went to my room to collect my haversack and departed.

With all that money I decided on a quick trip home and sent a wire, saying I would be home for a short stay. I caught train from Winchester, through Reading, Oxford to Lichfield. I boarded the coach, which had me home by 9pm. They were surprised and wanted to hear all about the accident to the boat. I told them that I had left luggage back at the camp and only had my haversack. When I told them the news of my lucky streak they thought it was wonderful. I said that, "if it had not been for this good fortune, I wouldn't have been here." I gave £5 each to Mum, Dad, Evelyn and Lionel, so they could share in my good luck. I said that I would only be at home for one more day, then I would return to Southampton, via Cheltenham (perhaps call at the races) and prepare to join the boat 'Ruahine'. The time came once again to depart from Cannock, through Snowhill Station, Birmingham where I caught the race train to Cheltenham.

It was interesting to watch the passing parade, but from experience, I had learned to be careful to whom I spoke. Fortunately, this was a train of corridor carriages and there were six of us in ours, four playing cards. They asked if we wished to play. I said that I did not play cards and declined. So did the other man. They played among themselves until the ticket collector was approaching.

One of the four had no ticket and hid under the blanket. They made it as awkward as they could; we promptly passed ours over to the collector, while they still argued, finally handing over their tickets. As soon as he was gone, the offender reclaimed his seat and resumed playing. They all had small leather bags and were clad like ordinary men on the street, with suit and cap. They took turns to occupy the lavatory, where they changed into 'racing toffs rigout', with top hats, gloves etc. It was really astounding, and by the time the last one was ready we were close to our destination. They soon mingled with the large cosmopolitan crowd walking along the platform to the streets. I later saw them in Tattersalls enclosure during the afternoon.

I was on my own all day and I had amazing luck. I was given a tip for the first race and it won, paying 3 to 1 for my £5 bet. During the whole afternoon my luck did not forsake me. I had backed six winners out of eight. I had a race card and just picked out what I thought would win and then went on to the stand and waited for it to be run. Sometimes I considered the jockey as well as the horse. They were mostly 1st or 2nd favourites and it became quite a thrill to win. I would place my bet as soon as the Bookie opened up and then would go to the stand. Had I the courage to put on more money that afternoon, I could have made a good sum. I left before the last race and went into town, which was crowded with visitors. I booked into a small hotel near the station feeling very pleased and thrilled with my day's luck. I went to my room and washed up. On totting up my money I found that I had won £125! In my wallet I now had over £200.

I went to the railway station to arrange for my seat to Southampton, but was advised at the hotel that it would be better to go by coach to Bristol and go from there by train. The racing crowd was on the station for their return journey, so I made my exit and went for a meal in town. I was feeling tired after a very successful day, so retired to a restful sleep and felt much better in the morning. I caught the early coach to Bristol and, after a short wait I boarded the train to Southampton, passing through familiar country and was shortly at my destination. The Eastleigh coach deposited me at the camp gates. Nothing much had changed with people walking here and there around the large area of grounds. I showed my pass at the gate office and told the officer that I was back to stay until my boat departed.

I went back to my billet and saw Jim Haycock, whose bunk was next to mine, and we exchanged the latest news. He accompanied me to the stores as I went to collect my gear and fixed up my bunk. I told him of my adventures and he couldn't believe that I had been back to Cannock for just a few hours, or that I'd been so lucky. I asked when the 'Ionic' would be leaving and he told me they only had to wait three days. I lamented that I still had several weeks to wait. "How about coming with me to Southampton, we can leave about 4pm, and I will shout you dinner and we can go to the cinema." We fixed up our bunks, caught a coach to town and had a walk around the docks. The 'Ionic' had arrived that afternoon and we looked around, but couldn't go aboard. When I asked what they would like for dinner, Jim and Dave both said fish and chips and I agreed with their choice. Afterwards, we went to the cinema until 9pm. We had refreshments at a small pub, played darts and then caught a coach for camp, arriving back just before 10pm.

Of course, in such a large area with hundreds of bunks, you would not expect it to be quiet, and though lights were out by 10.30pm, we talked almost to midnight. As usual, I rose early next morning anxious to see how my clothes had stood up to the seawater, the washing and the pressing. There were some with serious stains, which went into the incinerator.

The next day was Jim's and Dave's last day in camp, and as I knew Jim was fond of walking, I suggested after breakfast that we could walk to Eastleigh. He readily agreed. We planned to walk through the paddocks to town and to return by the main road. The little town was very nice with a large railway workshop, which provides employment for many in the area. During our walk Jim told me quite a lot about his experiences on the west coast of the south island of New Zealand, saying that it had a fairly heavy annual rainfall and that he liked the quiet. I said, "Well, Jim, I have never liked working in the coal mines, in fact I have always tried to avoid them, but I assure you that if I cannot get work, I will come down to the west coast.' I noted my friend's address in my book. We arrived in town and sat in the park for awhile.

"Well, Jim, shall we head back to camp or shall we have lunch in town?" I said. He answered, "It's been a long time since I had a beer, some bread and old cheese with pickled onions." So we went into this little pub, and the lady at the bar greeted us. I said, "Madam, my friend is leaving England tomorrow and we would like to have a lunch of white bread, old English cheese, pickled onions and of course, come old ale." She said, "Of course, but if you wish you can have some fresh spring onions from the garden instead of the pickled ones." We agreed to the fresh onions, and she directed us to a little room at the side, inviting us to make ourselves comfortable. We took our glasses into the room and she soon reappeared with a large tray.

After the meal we walked back to the camp, calling at the office for mail or other instructions. While we were away, another 500 migrants had arrived and were going through the usual treatment. The coach drivers were fumigating their vehicles before leaving the camp. Again, I offered my services as male nurse. They knew I had been a Superintendent of St John Ambulance Brigade and were often in need of trained personnel at rush periods. The Secretary noted my room and bunk number and said he'd leave a message.

It was a very large organisation and they had a large medical staff, women and men, as well as male and female nurses, who took charge of their groups after they passed their medical examinations, which were thoroughly and quickly carried out. There were also attendants for the sleeping quarters and the dining halls, all financed by the Shipping Companies. It was amazing to see the change in those people after they had been processed. They came in labelled and tabbed and they went out the same, but cleansed of lice infections and grime. They were coming and going all the time.

The number embarking for New Zealand on the 'Ionic' the next day was about one hundred. A dance and sing-song had been arranged and I had a few dances, played cards with Jim for awhile, and then they sang English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh songs.

I always rose before Reveille to have my bath and cold shower. To my surprise one morning I heard voices in the bathroom. I was already inside, stripped and going into the shower and at that moment there was such a screech! Half a dozen girls were already there, stripped and having their showers, so I used my hand like a fig leaf to hide my nakedness. They were all giggling and scared. I told them that these were the men's showers and to leave before the men arrived. They dashed for their gowns and towels and rushed to the women's showers nearby. I heard them shouting and laughing, but they were lucky to get out when they did.

I met the girls when they came to breakfast and they asked me not to say anything about the incident, that if matron-in-charge got to know, she would be very annoyed. They were part of a group of domestics who would also be going on the 'Ruahine'. Since I was the only person who saw them I agreed to keep it quiet. "What a pal!" they said. Whenever we met afterwards, there was always a smile. Jim and Dave sat next to me a breakfast. "What did the girls want, Ernie?" they asked. "I'll tell you when I get to New Zealand," I replied.

We returned to our bunks, shortly Jim and Dave would be leaving by coach. Just then Jim said, "Letter for you, Ernie!" It was a letter from the camp Secretary, asking me to report for duty at 8.15am. I accepted and said goodbye and good luck to Jim and Dave. I was fitted out with a white uniform, white cap and gloves. Jim and Dave were surprised to see me dressed in this gear as we had our final hand-shake and I went on duty as a male nurse.

After being introduced by the Secretary to the Italian interpreter, he took me along to a group of Italian men for whom I would be responsible. They had already had their medical checks and cleansing on entry and this would be their final check in readiness for leaving the centre for the boat next day. Fortunately, all in my group were certified clean and free from skin infection. I saw that they gave each other a good scrub down. They were each issued with underclothing, socks, a pair of shoes, a cheap suit of clothing and a cap or hat. This was written on a docket and signed by the migrant. Once certified clean, every man and woman was issued with labels and tickets, which were pinned to their coats. The labels gave complete details to the embarking officers and to customs receiving officers in the USA. I am sure that many of those had never before been so clean.

Next day, these 500 new citizens, bound for the USA, were guided onto the coaches by their attendant and driven to the Atlantic Liner, under whose care they would be until they disembarked in their new home. They then met their future employers.

The next group of migrants from Europe came from Russia, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Romania. They were different from the Italians and Greeks, but the majority of them were poor, ill clad and dirty. They endured the same process of examination and cleansing, but among them were talented singers, musicians and dancers, who improved the atmosphere of the camp. Also their diet had been different in that they were great tea-drinkers, weak, with no milk but plenty of sugar, and they liked to drink it from glasses.

During my last weeks in this camp I had many interesting conversations with those who could speak English. I told them that I was in a similar position as I was also emigrating. Soon I would be leaving this country that I was born in, the country that I had fought for in several years of war. Due to increasing unemployment and the economic ills of a victorious nation, I could either go on the dole, or go elsewhere. It was difficult to predict how long this would last and I had decided to try my luck in New Zealand. I had no relations, or friends there and I paid my own fare, receiving no assistance from England or New Zealand. Under those conditions I must fend for myself, but I was determined to give it a go!

On 13th August 1921, I embarked on my second attempt to leave for New Zealand. Ours was the last draft from the unfortunate 'Remuera' to leave the camp. We gathered our luggage to be sent on ahead and soon we followed in the passenger coaches to the dock, where our boat, the 'Ruahine' was held secure. We passed a group of officers, customs, money etc, claimed our luggage and arranged to have it carried aboard. Soon, we were walking up the gangway to be allotted our berths, which were well below and not at all good.

Then I went on deck and watched the gangways being lifted and the ropes being released. Soon we were moving out into the English Channel once again, and I gazed back at my last view of England.

This is the end of my story.

* * * * *

##  Epilogue

Ernest Lycette died on 7 January 1979. He had suffered from coronary atherosclerosis but generally kept reasonably well. He was surrounded by family members and his wife. I was on the way home but he had died before I arrived. Two grandchildren (from his daughter, Evelyn and her husband) were sitting by him, when he suddenly sat up and smiled at them and then quietly died. Who did he smile at in his dying dream, a soldier mate, his family? Whoever it was he smiled at them.

RR Lycette

##  Version History

No. | Editor | Date

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Notes | 1.0 | Brian Atkin | 27/07/2014 | Published original word document online as an ebook through WordSmash.

1.1 | Brian Atkin | 13/08/2014 | Added Epilogue and Prologue from paperback version.

Added Table of contents, version history, additional notes by Brian Atkin, appendices and reference material (walking stick),some photos.

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Additional notes by Brian Atkin

My grandfather Ray Richard Lycette was born on the 11th November 1929 and passed away on the 4th April 2012.

Details of his memorial service are available online at:

 http://www.heavenaddress.com/Ray-Richard-Lycette/407857/

I never had the privilege of meeting my great-grandfather, Ernest Lycette, who died a few months before I was born.

I thank my grandfather for his foresight in ensuring that Ernest's story will never be lost.

Brian Atkin

##  Appendices and reference material

### Walking stick

Ernest owned a bamboo walking stick that he took with him during his travels in World War I. On it he inscribed the places that he visited. The names of these places inscribed on the cane are:

(From handle to tip)

  1. Levant

  2. Arras

  3. Somme

  4. Eypres (Ypres)

  5. Vimy Ridge

  6. Venice

  7. Albert

  8. Loupre (?)

Lt. Lycette RWR (Royal Warwickshire Regiment)

  9. Amiens

  10. Dar Dannelles (Dardanelles)

  11. Lemnos

  12. Ballah

  13. Katia

  14. Port Said

  15. Cairo

  16. Ishmalia

  17. Sinai

  18. Valetta

  19. Italia

  20. Egypt

  21. Padua

  22. Paris

  23. Piave

  24. Turin

  25. Montello

  26. Rome

  27. Lyons

  28. Milan

  29. Naples

  30. Pompei

  31. Nice

  32. Ambrosino

  33. Asiago Plateau

  34. Granezze (?)

  35. Alexandria

  36. Cesuna.Sec (?)

  37. Marseillei (Marseille)

  38. San Sisto

  39. Cannes

  40. Brussell

  41. Antwerp

  42. Coblenz

  43. Bonn

  44. Dublin

  45. Macroom

  46. Cologne

Figure 3: Photo 1 - walking stick

Figure 4: Photo 2 - walking stick

Figure 5: Photo 3 - walking stick

Figure 6: Photo 4 - walking stick

Figure 7: Photo 5 - walking stick

