Our Despatches from the Front (No. 151).
Page 17
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Experiences on the Western Front with a French Motor Ambulance.
1r'VIVI A FRENCH AmEHLANeR.UNii. 15th December, 1910.
. (Continued from page 87.) We have had snow for several days now, which is only to bu expected, as we are at an altitude of 2700 ft., and there is more than a suspicion that we are going to be snowed up. Two ears have been out this morning to be hopelessly held up by snowdrifts within two miles, and roads which have been snow-ploughed are covered again two hours later by drifted snow. You cannot, of course, place po Englishmen down in mountainous snow-covered country without finding winter sports in full swing a few hours later. Owing to, the lack of skies, skates, etc., our activities have been confined to tobogganing and loge-jog, but we have had some excellent sport and amusement and have two very fine runs in excellent condition. Part of one run has an inclination of about one in three, and, though short, it is sufficient to allow a speed of about 30 m.p.h. to be' attained. Everyone is very keen on holding the record for the run, and ina.ny a fine toss has been taken in the effort to break the record ; the record spill, so far, • produced three -complete somersaults, but owing to the softness of the snow there have been as yet no casualties. We have plenty of time for sport. as morning parade at 8 o'clock sees most of us finished for the day. This allows us to make long excursions to neighbouring villages, much to the astonishment of the inhabitants, who have not seen any English before.
Such weather conditions are not the bestl for cars standing out in
the open, and one or two minor troubles have beeri. experienced ; ignition troubles owing to the damp into nto ebils, a broken starting handle owing to the stiffness of an engine and the strength of the convoy Samson, and a. partially-seized camshaft bearing owing to the coldthickened oil not circulating properly. No trouble has been experienced through freezing of coolmg water, as a. 25 per cent. glycerine solution is used. ItA is quite impossible to move a yard without non-skid chains, of course, and the had effect of the continuous use of chains on the tires is very marked. With steel-studded tires and chains the studs are ripped out wholesale, and it is impossible to have all-rubber tires served out to each ear, as we are some considerable distance from any of the large automobile "pares." It is a source of wastage, of purse, but the more one sees of W r the more one realizes that a certain wastage is inevitable.
January, 1917.
Our period of " repos " did nd last very long—eight days instead of the month we expected and for which we hoped. Luckily orders to depart did not materialize until the Wednesday after Xmas, so we managed to pass a jolly evening in spite .oi the rumours flying round. As our mess was installed at quite a decent little hotel we did rather better than we expected, and our Xmas menu . is rather alarming-oysters, soup, fish, turkey, potatoes, pate, ham, salad, Xmas pudding, mince pies, gateaux, cheese. dessert, coffee, and beer, red and white wine, champagne, liqueurs and cigars... Happily there were no casualties, but should the Food Dictator see that list I shall expect to be shot at dawn before many days have passed. I suppose you have a Food Dictator by now 2
The dinner was 'a very "entente" affair, and our French guests tackled the Xmas pudding in a valiant manner and made excellent speeches afterwards. The toasts were many, "The King," by the senior French officer present, " The
resident," by our commandant. and after that "The Allies," "La Victoire et la Paix," and in a dead silence. "Absent Friends." followed by all the toasts one could imagine.