1 J2/83 (22)
Borden Camp
Hants.
4/2/'16.
My dear Father, We have had no
fresh cases of meningitis
among the troops for some
weeks so all danger of a
serious outbreak is past,
the result has been a
fresh crop of rumours
about our immediate
depart for warmer climates. In fact if half of these
had come true we should
now be keeping company 2 2 with the mumies and
crocodiles of Egypt, nubbing
up our forgotten Greek
grammar at Salonika,
with the prospect of
soon making the acquain-
tance of Kind Ferdy, or
digging ourselves, if not
into the mud of France,
at least out of it. However
they say there is no smoke
without a fire, and all
things are pointing in
the same direction. An
ordinance officer sent from
Aldershot yesterday to inspect
our rifles told us he had
got orders to do our
Brigade first as we
were leaving for the Front 3 3 very soon. A few days
before I had heard from
the Brigade Headquarters
that we leave on the 18th,
which seems very likely
as our artillery for the
whole 16th Division stationed
here, are leaving on that
hdate, and to confirm
all the Colonel told me
just now that orders had
come to close all accounts
and return surplus stores
to Aldershot. This will
take some days and then
we have to stand by, ready
to move at an hour's
notice. Packing for
departure is a simple
affair since on service 4 4 every man carries what
he wants and any little
extras on his back, only
36 lbs per man being
allowed on the transport
waggons and in this
might you have to include
your blankets and sleeping
bag with a bucket for
washing in. The poor old
Mother's four poster bed
would not do for active
service. We used to
sing long ago, Hard times
come again no more; it
seems to me they are
not far off at present,
but we are not downhearted!
Our destination is not known
even by the C.O. (Commanding
Officer) but as the 16th Division 5 5 Headquarters are at Bethune,
France, I may say it is
certain we are going there.
The enclosed map may
interest you on this account. I
have marked Bethune near
La Bassée. On the right
of the map you will see
two towns Tourcoing and
Roubaix to which I often
walked across the frontier
when staying in Belgium
and then to Lille, so
that I am coming back
to familiar ground. I
hope the Giniralwon't
send me out as a spy,
but having three Iron
Crosses already on my
uniform I would be 6 6 quite a hero among
the Germans. By the way
I find that army con-
fessions have a humour of
their own: I said damn
his soul, Father, but he
was only a Hun, which
of course made it an
act of virtue in the
poor chap's eyes. The calm monotony of
our usual life was enlivened
a few nights ago by an
outbreak of fire, when we
where snugly tucked up
in our blankets. It is
an iron law that the
moment the fire bugle
goes every man in
Camp must turn out 7 7 on parade instantly, doing
what dressing you can
while you run. You
may imagine the scene
in pitch darkness as all
external lights are now
extinguished, with 12,000
men rushing to their posts
for dear life, not for-
getting, you may be sure,
to consign the individual
who caused the fire &
dragged them out of bed,
to a certain place of
warmth. The poor chaplain
of the 49th Brigade, with
many groans, puffed up
the hill in the wind &
rain only to find that 8 8 a nervous sentry had
mistaken a burning
chimney for a passing
Zep: and that there were
no cor-n-nepses (as Bob.
calls them) to bury.

I don't think that I told
you about another of my
adventures during our
recent field manoeuvres.
Finding a platoon of
men wandering about I
without an officer I
thought I could not do
better than take com-
mand of them. Just
then a horseman was
seen in the distance
galloping from the
enemy's lines. With