Our Despatches front the Front (No. 122),
Page 15
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Preparing an MS., A.S.C. Unit for Duty with a Siege Battery Overseas.
• WITH A. SLEGE BATTERY, November, 1916. (ConMwed from page 404.).
Two days later I was given command of a section of the Heavy Artillery Mechanical Transport. I had 60 men, 24 lorries, 7 motorcycles, and a car handed over to me, and was told to " carry on." I had ten days in which to mobilize and go Overseas1 and I did it, thanks to my previous experience in the Infantry and to the valuable assistance of two or three men whom later 1 recommended for stripes, and they became N.O.O.s. But it was hard work.
Preparing for Overseas Duty.
From early morning till late at night, drawing stores for a score of different places, issuing 'tools', etc., for the lorries, arranging the drivers so as to get the right man in the right place, seeing each man personally and getting to know all about him, issuing kit to the men, arranging their money Affairs, allotments, etc., having them inoculated, and on top of all this taking out convoys for trial runs, to say laothing of keeping an eye open all the time to spot men who would make good N.C.O.s. And there were a hundred and one other things besides these. Oh, it as no joke.
Variety of Stores Needed. Hand , cuffs to Kegs of Grease.
Go to Tidworth to draw-ordnanee stores, and it will take you half a day to find your way about the place, and then you will discover that they have not got half the stores you want. Besides, you want such a variety of things from handcuffs to kegs of grease, from electric torches to picks and shovels.
Ready for Journey to shipping Port.
Suffice it to say that in 10 days everything was ready, and at 6 a.m. to the minute on the bright summer morning of 21st July the convoy of .24 Daimler 3-ton lorries, accompanied by despatch riders and cyclist orderlies, and a 20 h.p. Daimler car, quietly filed out of the park and extended for a half a mile along the road to the south, and thus commenced its journey to that part of the front where it was to do its bit" in the greatest battle of history.
Along the peaceful country roads of England the convoy wound its way towards the coast, halting twice on the way for rest and food. At 4.30 p.m. we arrived at Bristol, where we were to park for the night and pick up the battery stores. On entering Bristol, a corporal on a motorcycle had a skid in the trandinas, and was eonveyad to hospital with concussion of the brain.
Picking Up the Caterpillar Section.
The next morning was spent in loading up the stores of the battery, and in the afternoon the convoy proceeded to MIIIIIIMIE111 where the guns and vehicles were to be put on board ship. Here I picked up my caterpillar section, consisting of an officer, 15 men, and four 120 11.p. Holt caterpillar tractors. The guns, or rather 8 in. howitzers, were being put on board when we got there.
A Captured German Boat Doers Transport Work.
I went down to the docks and found that there had been an accident. Whilst slinging a gun on board, something had given way and allowed the gun with carriage attached to fall down into the hold. A dozen or more men were standing below, but all escaped injury. Fifteen tons of metal dropping 20 ft. comes to earth with " some " bump ; no wonder then that the bottom of the hold required a littlerepairing and the loading was held up for a day. The gun and carriage were taken out and sent back to where they came from. The boat was originally a German, the
" ' but she had been cap tured and re-christened the " Hunsga,te.''