Our Despatches from the Front (No. 123).
Page 16
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Preparing an M.T., A.S.C. Unit for Duty with a Siege Battery Overseas.
WITH A SIEGE BATTERY,
J.Tovember, 1916.
(Continued from paye 425.)
Everything was in order by the evening,. so leaving the caterpillar officer and four men to travel with the vehicles, I returned to Bristol with the rest of my men in a couple of borrowed lorries.
Amongst the men was an old Guardsman. I spotted him the first day, and it was not long before he was wearing three stripes. He was a good fellow, tactful in the handling of men and a strict disciplinarian. I never regretted making him a sergeant,. and I always knew that if I gave him an order it would be carried out. I could absolutely rely on him. He was Popular with the. men, Who knew that when he said thing he meant it. He knew his job. 1 account it one. of my greatest misfortunes that I was deprived of his services awing. to a motorcycle accident a month or so
later. . .
We., spent that Monday night in Bristol; billeted at the White City,. our last night in England. At 10.30 next morning we paraded and marched to the station. It was a very hot day and the station was two miles away, but the men were very cheery, singing all the way. Leaving Bristol at mid-day, we reached Paddington just after 2.p.m. and invaded the free buffet. A special train on the underground took us to Charing Cross, where several men said good-bye to their relatives. There was just time to get some French money.
The train left Charing Cross at 4.55 p.m. and drew up inside the harbour at Folkestone at 7.15. 1 was lucky in being the first to get my men on board the s.s. —, and when I ascertained that they were all aboard I got permission to leave the harbour for half an hour. A car was waiting for me outside and I had a wild rush round for 20 minutes saying good-bye to friends. The half-hour slipped by quickly and I returned to the harbour and went on board.
.Another 20 minutes and we had cast off and were under way. "Another crowd going across." A little cheering, nothing more—it is
an every-day occurrence and no one takes any notice. When motorcars first came into use everyone would stop to see one start on a journey, but wbo takes any notice of a taxi now unless they are going to ride in it. I stood on deck looking towards the. shore until land disappeared from view. My thoughts and hopes—what of them ? I was glad to know that 1 was on my way to give a hand where help was needed. Everyone on board wore a lifebelt, in case of " accidents' " but a sense of security. was lent by our escort, a P.B.D., some few hundred yards to starboard.. In less than two hours we ran in between the piers and were brought up alongside the quay at—, (From now onwards it is necessary to omit the names of places, but I will leave them .blank in the hopes of being able to.fill them in at' a later date) It was pitch dark when we disembarked, formed up and marched to the rest camp which was between two and three miles from the harbour. Arrived there, tents were allotted, tea and a meal obtained, then we turned in for the night