Our Despatches from the Front (No. 124).
Page 20
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Preparing an M.T., A.S.C. Unit for Duty with a Siege Battery Overseas.
WITH A SIEGE BATTERY,
November; TM
.(CoiLtinued from 2;iigo 4404
The next day the men stayed in. camp. and had. an easy time. As there was no Officers Mess in. the ,cainp, I _went vidth several of the battery officers to a small café where we were fortunate enough to get` a very nice omelette and some café au lait for breakfast.
Afterwards, in . pursuance of orders, I went down into the town to rePoit to the D.A.D.T. for instructions. It was. a bit of a. job finding his office, as my French was very rusty., but eventually I got there•-and saw the officer I wanted. Having a few hours • to spare, I strolled round the town to pass the time and lunched at a hotel near the harbour.
A Conscientious Batman.
Returning to the camp, 1 found my batman. sitting on the grass repairing a rent in my tunic.. He was a Lancashire man=vety. . Lancashire !---aged 36, though he looked about 60. He was very conscientious, and I think he believed he always did his best, but he was a soldier of just a few weeks service, and therefore had a lot to learn. He was an unconscious humorist and provided the column with a . fanamount of amusement, but it would have taken someone with the patience of Job to have taught him to use his common sense..
H Landing of the Lorries, The next day I again reported to the D.A.D.T. and received his in
structions. The boat -. with the lorries on board arrived at 2 p.m. The, guns and caterpillars were, put straight on to railway trucks ready to go off in the morning. The loiries were slung ashore and driven to the park at —, where the W.D. numbers were painted on them.
The Eve of the Departure.
The Major wanted to take his car up to the camp and I wanted to take up two lorries ; to. do this, it was necessary to obtain passes from the A.P.M., hence a race all round the town till that officer was found and the passes secured. Bymidnight all the lorries were parked up, and, having a guard over them, the rest of us went up to the camp in a couple of lorries. I turned in at 2.30 a.m. and was ma again at 4. The convoy was to leave at 8 a.m., but owing to delay caused by drawing petrol, oil, etc., and acijusting,loads, we did not -get away until
When all was ready, we started. It was a glorious day, bright and warm, but. the roads were very dusty. The convoy passed through . the town and out into the open country, running in a south-easterly direction with its heavy load of gun platforms, stores and men—the battery personnel travelling with the column. Everything was in order, there was not a single hitch.
A Misadventure with a Dog. : Shortly before the halt for lunch an incident occurred. I was going ahead on my bicycle to select a suitable piece of' road for a bait, and. one of the battery officers was following 10 or 32 yards behind.' At the hidc of the road • stood three French peasants and a dog: I was travelling at about 30 m.p.h., and as I came up with them the dog made a rush at me. I opened My throttle and just missed him; .but he ran slap into the front wheel of the Machine ridden by the battery officer, who came a 'tremendous cropper. He was rather shaken, but not hurt except for a grazed hand: • The bicycle was put into • a lorry, as the steering head was bent, and the ofli; cer rode in the major's car.
Through a Rich Countryside.
We halted for.lunch under a long avenue of trees out of the dust and sun. We had still a long way to go ; therefore, as soon as everyone had finished their rations, we pushed on again. It was a fine run, some of . the. roads were long and straight with trees on either side ; the cOun. try villages were quaint and pieturesque, and most of the land was under standing corn.