Our Despatches front the Front.
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German Bus as British Breakdown Lorry—Leylands, DE nnis's, Scrims and Fodens at the Front--The Effect of Variety of Types— Extracts from Letters Home.
You must excuse me if this letter bears an odour of garlic. I have just been peeling onions and scraping potatoes for our dinner, while one of the others is doing the frying. Life is not so bad when we can obtain steak and onions for dinner. Cabbages and potatoes are boiling in two dismantled petrol cans, which are slung to a natural tripod formed by one cutting from a tree. Shortly after dinner we shall boil some water in one of the petrol cans for our afternoon cup of tea.. This seems to show that work is not plentiful, but this is not the case. We stay in just now on alternate days, and are thus able to get more time to ourselves after the work of loading is completed.
We are provided with very good waterproof ground sheets, about 6 ft. by 3 ft. A few yards away from me, one is being used as a bath, a hole being dug For this purpose and the sides of the sheet being pegged to the ground.
A Close Shave for a Convoy.
A fortunate—and yet unfortunate—incident occurred three days ago. One of our divisional convoys was delivering rations at a place a little distance from where previous deliveries had been made, when a shell exploded just where the vehicles had formerly stood, killing 10 of our cavalry and wounding about the same number. An episode like this illustrates what chances there are in the game of war, for if our vehicles had been standing there it is probable that it would have been some of our men and not the cavalrymen who would have been killed.
Four-men Crew to Each Wagon.
Every vehicle in a convoy now carries an average of tour men, consisting of the driver, his mate, and two spare men, who do jobs such as greasing, guard duty, fatigues, etc., thus lightening the work of the two drivers. There is sometimes a good deal of dissension regarding duties, such as cooking, washing-up, etc., especially after the rum ration has been served out ! However, taking matters as a whole, the members of the columns live together remarkably amicably, and I have yet to see a fight between any of them.
When the Mail Arrives From Home.
The event which is the most appreciated by all of us is the distribution of letters and parcels, which takes place, when possible, every two days. It makes us feel that we are not altogether isolated from home, and usually great excitement prevails. ' At the present time we are standing beside a wood, between which and the road is a narrow strip of grass. As it threatened rain this afternoon, we stretched a large tarpaulin trom the roof of one van across to a, couple of trees. Under this we arranged a couple of planks, supported on petrol cans, to form seats, while a round hole with our tripod over it makes a fine fireplace. If it does rain to-night, we shall be able to have a nice wash to-morrow morning in the water which will collect in the sheet.
B12 At first it was thought by many that much trouble would be experienced owing to the variety of makes and types in each column, and that some would not be able to keeppace with the others. This is so to a, certain extent, but not so much as was anticipated, those vehicles which lose on the hills usually gain on
the level, and the only actual difficulty experienced is in the lack of spares. If the vehicles had been similar the parts from a scrapped one could be utilized to replace defective parts on others, and tlius much loss would have been prevented. In fact, with a few spares in the first place, it would hardly have been necessary to scrap any at all.
Leyland& Doing Well.
Leylands are doing very well indeed out here, and we have a large number running. The 5-twiner, with which we fetched the Siddeley-Deasy, is still going strong and doing a great amount of useful work. Some of the engines are beginning to knock slightly, but this must be expected, as some have done nearly 3000 miles since leaving England, and that without once haying the cylinders lifted, and, in most cases, -without having the valves ground. Lubrication troubles have been conspicuous by their absence, except that at first, owing to the use of a very " wishywashy " engine oil, much smoking occurred; but this stopped when oil of the right consistency was obtained. There are large numbers of Thernycrofts out here, all doing well, but so far I happen to have run across but few of them. Nevertheless I hear from other columns that they are giving cause for no anxiety-. There are other well-known models, almost. all of them in fact. I daresay I shall have something to tell you of them—and of tires soon.
A Berna Carries the Patrol.
The petrol supply is ample. It is now seldom supplied in tins, but in large steel barrels, holding between 40 and 45 gallons. From these it is pumped into the petrol tanks on the vehicles by means of Willeo-x'a semi-rotary pumps. A big Berna 5-ton lorry carries the barrels of petrol, and this vehicle accompanies the column every time it goes out. It also carries supplies of lubricating oil, paraffin, castor oil and carbide; we are thus well provided for.
Dennis's and Fodens on Active Service, A day or two ago I was interested to note a column of 5-ton Foden wagons, which are used for transporting ammunition for the heavier guns. I do not know the number out here, but have seen about half-adozen. I hear there are a lot more doing heavy-haulage work, and no doubt shall run across some of their columns before long. A few days ago I noticed a column in which was a row of 14 new Dennis lorries, painted grey ; these made a fine show, and I was informed that the other vehicles in that particular column will not touch them for hill-climbing.
German Bus as British Breakdown Larry.
"I may have omitted mention of a German Daimler bus, which we found at the time when we came across that bridge across the Marne, which was described in one of my previous letters. [This was the subject of our illustration on page 100.—En.] The machine in question was one of 1Vlarienfelde make, and it was labelled 21-35 h.p. It was found on the other side of the aforementioned pile bridge. The magneto coupling was missing, and a new leather was required in the front universal joint. We soon replaced these parts, and the machine in question is now running well with one of the columns, loaded with what spares can be obtained. It is used, as a matter of fact, as a breakdown lorry. It seems very funny for a German bus thus to be assisting British breakdowns. The body is almost exactly similar to those on the Berlin buses which were shown in the C.M.' illustration in your issue for the 1st October, with the exception that the windows have been replaced by sheets of perforated zinc, and meat hooks are hung on steel runners inside the whole length of the bus." A German Car Put to Use.
"Some days back I found a German ear by the roadside. It was a bit smashed, so I repaired it, and it is now doing some useful work. I went with it to Paris and drove both ways, and it is a long way."— Corp. G. Waner, 1st Signalling Squad, RE.
"All Rot ; Only Lost for Ten Days."
" We hear all sorts of rumours both ways, but afterwards we find there is no truth in them. We had it read out to us that the 4th Division Ammunition Park had been captured, and we read it in "The Daily Mail" when it was sent out here. This was a few weeks ago, but since thin I have seen some of their cars, and had a word with some of their fellows, and they said it was all rot ; they had simply been lost for ten days, so you will see how things get about." Private George Carter, 1st. Div. Cav. Supply Column.
Journeys which take Three Days.
"Everything is done so secretly and so well, that we know practically nothing more than you do. When we are on a journey we never know our destination. I have been on journeys which have taken three clayaa so you will judge I have seen some country. Sometimes I have been out all night taking wounded from the Field. I am still driving a Commerca,r, although not the same one I had with me when I left 1111111111••11. The nights are cold out here now, and many nights we have ono covering, but are simply wrapped in blankets and oil sheets."—Private Thomas Hunt, Sec. 2, 1st Div. Cav. Supply Column, M.T., A.S.C.
The " C.M." at the Front.
"One of the men in our column has just received an early copy of the 'C.M.,' which has been sent out to him by his wife. You may be sure we were all delighted to see the old familiar.' So were our officers. I could fill three or four of the Drivers' and Mechanics' pages already. We are getting very busy now after a period of comparative rest. The railhead has gone forward, and we are going forward
with it."—Private , 3rd Divisional Supply Column, M.T., A.S.C.
With the Territorials.
"We noticed in last week's issue of the' C.M.' that there was a One Hears saying that certain_Territorial M.T. units were for the Front soon. We are all anxious to know if ours is one of the companies that has been picked. When we were advertised for, it stated that we were wanted for the Front at once. I am a mechanic, and we had our test at the National Steam Car Works. I have been enrolled first class, and we mechanics are still up here, which is not so bad, but a lot of the other drivers, who gave up good jobs, are having a rotten time. They have been on ordinary drill since the end of August. We have at last got two lorries and our establishment is 30. If our men could only go out they would be satisfied. They did not even know they were Territorials until they got here. When they joined, they were told the pay was 2s. ed. a day, but when they got here they were told it was a mistake, and their pay was Is. 5d.
It is hardly cricket. Private . M.T., South Midland Divisional Supply Column, Chelmsford.