Chaubattia
Almora
India
My dear Mum & Dad,
The English Mail is very late this week & we shant get our letters until Monday night, so I must write without hearing from you. I expect the parcel will arrive on Thursday week (May 11th), thanks so very much for sending it.
I believe that I have two old khaki tunics at Home besides my best khaki one & I should be very glad if, somtime or other you would send me a set of buttons off one of them. If they are painted it doesn’t matter as I can soon fetch it off, you need only send the 5 large ones as I have plenty of the small shoulder & pocket buttons, the set with the most brass & least copper in them is the best. I am well up for numerals & cap badges so you neednt trouble about them, i.e. if I have any at home.
There is going to be a furlough Camp near Naina Tal, where there is a large lake with plenty of fishing bathing & boating. It is only about 18 miles from here & I expect, later on, when there isn’t much work, I shall have a week or so there, as not taking furlough last year I am entitled to two lots now.
It is a good thing that our Draft was isolated for measles &c for they now have a case of Small-pox, so we shan’t see anything of them for 10 weeks. It is a pity that troops arent vaccinated before leaving England. My vaccination is good for another 21 months & innoculation (Enteric) for over two years, which is very satisfactory isn’t it. The Native Followers (213 in number) paraded this morning & those requiring it were vaccinated.
I suppose old Major Randell is now about at Gibraltar so no doubt you will see him. If so please tell him please tell him “C” Company is alright considering the change – No 12 Platoon has been on “Defaulters”, and one of the smartest men in No. 10 is now doing 2 Days C.B. with “Pack,” otherwise there hasn’t been anything amiss.
I much hope that you both & the Apps family are in the best of health & that by the time this reaches you we may have a bit of good War news. This week with the surrender of Townsend’s Division, the loss of the Russell & also a submarine, has been darned awful hasn’t it, as have also the Zeppelin raids: Floss tells me that they have been visiting Brighton but it was in such darkness that the town itself received no damage. Doesn’t seem as though our North Sea Fleet had many patrols out last week does it to allow a cruiser Squadron to bombard us for so long & then get away safely?
I wonder what part of the West Front the Russians went to, I suppose it was either Verdun to assist in defensive or Arras with the idea of taking the Offensive.
Floss has had her photo taken & I shall receive it by the next mail.
Not having seen her for a year and a half I shall be glad to see what she is like now.
This is a jolly nice little bunk & I get on very well with the 4 men under my charge, 3 of them are from Lavington & 1 from Bromham. After tea we always go down the Khud & get out part or the whole of a tree butt & sometimes a few kit-bags full of fir-combs so can always have a fire to fry rashers, onions chips &c with. We have all our photos over the mantel-piece (my collection in the centre). Mine comprise:-
- You two & Pott
- Floss & myself
- Charlie Page
- Cecil Young
- Henry Pinniger & Doreen
- Doreen alone
- Joe Stanley (now at Basra).
I am glad that we don’t have to remove photos for Barrack Inspection up here as it is hard to get tin tacks into these walls. I haven’t a photo of either of the Appses out here but perhaps they will send one when they have one of “Charles William James.”
I attend 2 parades a week here, viz one Battalion & 1 Adjutants, & show kit on the first Saturday each month. Considering the work caused by the Draft & time-ex men it is a pity that the Orderly Room Staff parade at all as it means extra hours to make the work up. If they give us any additional parades I shall return to duty. On the whole Col. Armstrong is far better than old Radnor, who during the Winter of 1914 convinced everyone that he was a nigger-driving old pig.
Best love to you both & to Rajah & Herbert.
Ever your loving
Jack
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Rajah xxx
Herbert xxx
The Jack Welch Diaries 