From private to field-marshal

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Chapter I Recruit At Aldershot 2 ‘ ; : I

Enlistment in 16th Lancers—The ‘ Old Soldier’’ in the *Seventies — Barrack-room life — Rations — Pay — Kit and equipment—Uniform—Drills—Treatment of sick—Breaking out of barracks— Sundays— First Christmas Day — Night guards— Military offences and punishments — Guard-room— Articles of War—Muster parade—Punishment drill—Musketry course—Dismissed drills—Day guards—I allow a deserter to escape and so commit my first ‘“‘ crime’’—Imprisoned in guard-room—My second “ crime ’’—Promoted Lance-Corporal —Backward state of training—Field-days—Reasons for defective training—Lord Wolseley, Sir Evelyn Wood, and other rising Generals effect great reforms—Successes in competitions at skill-at-arms.

Chapter II Non-commissioned Officer . ; : ; > 19

Promoted Corporal—Stationed at Brighton—My third and last ‘‘ crime ’’—Special duty at Chatham—Rejoin regiment and go to York—Promoted Lance-Sergeant—Special duties while at York—Musketry course at Hythe—Promoted Sergeant— Signalling course at Aldershot—Regiment goes to Dundalk— State of Ireland—Appointed Assistant Instructor of Signalling —Lieutenant Dugdale—Success of signallers announced in regimental orders—Assistant Instructor of Musketry and Military Reconnaissance—Escort prisoners to Limerick Gaol— Regiment goes to Dublin—Promoted Troop Sergeant-Major— Suicide of predecessor—Influence of Troop Sergeant-Major— Consider possibility of obtaining commission—Difficulties in the way of this—Regimental officer’s expenses—Decline Commanding Officer’s offer of a commission—Accept the same offer made by his successor—Vexatious delays retard commission— Pass examination for commission—Regiment goes to Aldershot —Gazetted Second Lieutenant in 3rd Dragoon Guards—Leave the 16th Lancers.

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Chapter III Subaltern In India

Join Cavalry Depot at Canterbury—Officer’s course of musketry at Hythe—Leave England for India—Life on board a troopship—Join 3rd Dragoon Guards—Camp of exercise at Meerut—Pass Lower Standard Examination in Hindustani— Life at Muttra—Acting Adjutant and Station Staff Officer— Beer-tasting committees—Regiment attends Muridki Camp of exercise en route to Rawal Pindi—Ludicrous spectacle presented by native followers—State of training in India and reforms effected by General Luck—Visit of Prince Albert Victor to Muridki—Pass Higher Standard Examination in Hindustani— Successes at Rawal Pindi District Assault-at-Arms—On detachment at Murree—Pass examination in Persian—In charge of Government Grass Farm at Rawal Pindi—In charge of regimental signallers—Acting Station Staff Officer and Secretary of Assault-at-Arms Committee—Pass examinations in Punjabi and Pushtu—Black Mountain Expedition—Miranzai Expedition—Some amusing incidents in connection with the latter— Posted to Army Headquarters, Simla.

Chapter IV In The Intelligence Branch, Simla

Indian Intelligence Branch reorganised by General Sir H. Brackenbury—Curious division of duties at Army Headquarters—Comparison with system at home—Society favourites thought to have best chance of Staff employment—Colonels Elles and Mason—First permanent Staff appointment— Countries dealt with by North-West Frontier Section in which I am employed—Situation in Afghanistan — Kafiristan— Intricate frontier questions to be settled—Proceed on leave to England—Death of my mother—Frontier matters still disturbed on return to India—Question of Russian advance on India via the Pamirs—Ordered to reconnoitre route leading to Pamirs—Srinagar—Bridges in Kashmir—Gilgit—Rakapushi Mountain—Hunza—Meet Townshend and Fowler—Yasin— Darkot Pass—The Pamirs—Return to India via the Indus, Chilas, and Abbottabad—Pass examination in Gurkhali.

Cr A Pre aM,

ON THE INTELLIGENCE STAFF OF THE CHITRAL RELIEF

FORCE

Punitive expedition sent into Waziristan—In temporary charge of Frontier Section—Events leading up to the siege of

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CONTENTS

Chitral Fort—Umra Khan of Jandol implicated—Despatch of Chitral Relief Force from India and a detachment from Gilgit— Appointed to Headquarters Staff of the Relief Force—Sir Robert Low—Colonel Bindon Blood—Captain Nixon—Nature of country to be traversed—Capture of the Malakand Pass— Action at Khar—Passage of Swat river—Effective action of cavalry — Reconnaissances to Panjkora river and towards Umra Khan’s headquarters—Fine fighting of Guides Infantry— Reconnaissance up the Panjkora—Meet Roddy Owen—Advance on Miankilai and flight of Umra Khan—Siege of Chitral is raised—Reconnaissance down the Panjkora—Treacherously attacked by my two guides—Severely wounded—Sent back to India—Mentioned in Despatches and awarded D.S.0.—Promoted Captain— Preparation for Staff College Entrance Examination—Nominated for entrance—Leave for England— Some reflections on service in India.

Chapter VI Student At The Staff College

ON

Colonel Hildyard—His views on the education of officers— Nature of the Staff College Course—Colonel Henderson—Lord Roberts’ appreciation of him—First year’s work at the college —Go to France to learn the language—Second year’s work— Visit to battlefields of 1870 war—Visit the Meuse Valley and Belgian Ardennes— Umpire at army manceuvres—Sir H. Brackenbury—Inspection of Staff College by Lord Wolseley— Value of Staff College training.

THE INTELLIGENCE STAFF, WAR OFFICE

Posted to the Intelligence Division, War Office—Sir John Ardagh—Status of the Division—Its duties—Mr. Stanhope’s memorandum regarding military policy—Hartington Commission recommends appointment of a Chief of the Staff—Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman dissents—Recommendation not carried out—Effect of this in South African War—Colonial Defence Committee—Work in the Russian Section—Appointed Staff Captain in the Colonial Section—Captain Altham— Description of Colonial Empire—Work in the Colonial Section —Effect of our general unreadiness for war in regard to the South African situation—War declared against the South African Republics—Forecast of cost of war—Sir George White sent to command in Natal—Altham goes with him and I take charge of the Colonial Section—Early developments in the war —Dependence on the Press for information—Reverses at Stormberg, Magersfontein, and Colenso—Buller suggests abandonment of attempt to relieve Ladysmith—Am consulted by a Cabinet Minister as to what should be done—Recommend

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ON appointment of Commander-in-Chief as distinct from the Commander in Natal—Defence Committee of Cabinet appoint Lord Roberts, with Lord Kitchener as Chief of Staff—Proceed to South Africa to join the Staff of Lord Roberts.

CHAPTER Witt

THE HEADQUARTERS STAFF IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

Situation on arrival at Cape Town—Formation of mounted infantry—Lord Roberts’ plan of operations and measures taken to preserve secrecy—Composition of Intelligence Staff at Headquarters—Arrival of Headquarters at Modder river— Lord Roberts’ care for his troops—Mystifying Cronje as to the proposed line of advance—General situation at this time— Buller asks for reinforcements—Lord Roberts adheres to his plan—Cawvalry Division crosses Free State frontier and relieves Kimberley—Pursuit of Cronje—Battle of Paardeberg—Confusion caused by bad system of command—Investment of Cronje—Cronje surrenders and is brought into camp—dHe is sent to St. Helena—Grierson joins Headquarters—His efforts to improve defective methods of staff work—Lord Roberts’ instructions in regard to battle of Poplar Grove—Imperfect arrangements for the battle enable Boer forces to make good their retreat—Advance continued to Bloemfontein—Summary of events to date—Standard of staff work and tactics inferior to strategy—Strategy never so good again—Some reasons for this—Henderson’s health breaks down and he returns to England—He commences to write the Official History of the War—His death in Egypt in 1903—The soldier’s difficulties in writing official histories—The advance from Bloemfontein to Kronstad and thence to Pretoria—Boer guerilla warfare—Lord Roberts’ plan—Hardships of march and fine spirit of the men —Action of Diamond Hill—The advance to Middelburg—The De Wet hunts—Recalled to the War Office—Reach rank of

Major—Promoted Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel for services in the war.

CHATIER GIS

HEAD OF THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SECTION, WAR OFFICE

Resume work in Intelligence Division—Lord Roberts returns to England and becomes Commander-in-Chief—Visit defended ports—Intelligence and mobilisation combined under the charge of Sir W. Nicholson—Am made head of the Foreign Section of Intelligence—Promoted Colonel, 1904—Selection of military attachés—Preparations for war hampered by lack of a policy —Our International position—Defence of India—Examination of it and Lord Kitchener’s objections to our calculations— Esher Committee—Reorganisation of War Office and forma-

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CONTENTS Xlll

PAGE tion of General Staff—Post of Commander-in-Chief abolished

—Sir N. Lyttelton becomes first Chief of the General Staff— Committee of Imperial Defence established—-War preparations now become more feasible—Bogy of Russian attack on India disappears and contingency of war with Germany begins to take its place—Agreements with France, Russia, and Japan— Expeditionary Force formed—Grierson and Huguet largely instrumental in this—Lord Roberts resigns from Committee of Imperial Defence—First attempt to give a military lecture —Visits between 1902 and 1906 to Northern Africa, Canada, America, the Balkans, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, and other European countries—Leave War Office on expiration of appointment—Placed on half-pay, 1907.

Mert ive Pein

BRIGADIER-GENERAL, GENERAL STAFF, ALDERSHOT . eT hy

Translate German regulations regarding heavy artillery— Assistant Quartermaster-General, Aldershot, 1907—-Become Chief of General Staff there six months later—Smith-Dorrien— Officers on the Aldershot Staff—Comparison of soldier’s life in 1907 with that in 1877—-Similar comparison in regard to training—Smith-Dorrien’s methods—Weakness of units—Innovations in organisation and improvements in training—System of obtaining ground for manceuvres—False teaching of manceuvres—Smith-Dorrien’s practical views—Staff tours— Visits of King Edward—Visits of King George and Queen Mary — Aeroplanes— Balloons— The Caterpillar—Ordered to take up post of Commandant, Staff College.

Wd Bad Sg 1B SH OD. G

COMMANDANT OF THE STAFF COLLEGE ‘ F vee ioe

History of College—Students and stafi—Promoted Major- General—Subjects of study—Nature of staff tours—System of classifying the students—Defects in instruction—Points on which special emphasis was laid—Importance of considering defensive as well as offensive warfare—Warning given to students about war with Germany—Naval War College— Admirals Jackson and Colville—Visits to the Loire and Amiens battlefields of 1870 war—My first speech in French—General Picquart—With the King’s suite on army manceuvres— Adventures with Oxley while motoring—Trinity College— Created Knight of the Victorian Order—Leave the Staff College to become Director of Military Training.

XIV FROM PRIVATE TO FIELD-MARSHAL

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DIRECTOR OF MILITARY TRAINING . : : . “ee Duties—Unsatisfactory responsibility for training—Arrangements for command at home in time of war—“ Staff’”’

cannot ‘“ command ’—Question of invasion—Invasion ruled out as impracticable and replaced by theory of raids— Reversion to invasion theory—Question mainly one for the Admiralty—Constant discussions finally settled in August 1914 —Policy as to invasion during the Great War—Economy exercised to the detriment of training—‘‘ Curragh incident ”’ and its effect on Army officers—‘‘ Joe’? Maude—Collapse of the proposed coercion of Ulster and resignation of the Secretary of State for War, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and the Adjutant-General—Sir Charles Douglas—Army manceuvres arranged for 1914—-War with Germany declared—Am appointed Quartermaster-General of the British Expeditionary Force.

CHAP Ried bit

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 197

Organisation and duties of G.H.Q.—System of supply and maintenance—The I.G.C.—His duties are curtailed—The ‘““ Directors ’’—My Staff—Arrive at Paris with the Commander-in-Chief—Stay at the Hotel Crillon—Visit Joffre at Vitry-le- Frangois—Reach G.H.Q. at Le Cateau—Concentration of the Force—Various situations to be thought out—Discuss change of base with 1.G.C.—Commander-in-Chief’s conference before battle of Mons—tThe retreat from Mons—Replacement of clothing and equipment lost in the retreat—Confusion caused by change of base—Control of railways in French hands— Difficulty of knowing where troops were—Plight of refugees— Willing spirit shown by all ranks to help each other—Despatch riders—G.H.Q. move successively to St. Quentin, Noyon, Compiégne, Dammartin, Lagny, Melun—The move from Dammartin to Lagny—Force becomes part of Paris garrison under Gallieni—Battle of the Marne—Brutalities of German troops— G.H.Q. at Coulommiers and Fére-en-Tardenois—Want of heavy artillery on the Aisne—Move round to Flanders—First battle of Ypres—State of trenches—Cross the Channel with Lord Roberts—His death at St. Omer—Succeed Murray as Chief of the General Staff at G.H.Q.

CHAPTER XIV

CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE : ‘ : : . : ao

Duties—Arrangements for training—Reorganisation of the General Staff—My principal assistants—Signal communica-

CONTENTS XV

PAGE tions—Flying Corps—Life at G.H.Q.—Relations with units at the front—Liaison officers—Situation on West Front at beginning of 1915—-Position of British Commander-in-Chief— Results of unreadiness for war—Uncertainty as to reinforcements and war material—Neuve Chapelle—Second battle of Ypres—Withdrawal from part of the Salient—Festubert— Loos—Allies short of war material—Joffre’s first conference of Allied Representatives—My views on the general situation and conduct of the war—Decide to send them to the C.I.G.S. at the War Office—He forwards them to the Cabinet—Lord Kitchener asks me to become C.I.G.S.—I send him my views as to the status and duties of the General Staff—He cannot agree with some of them and proposes to resign—Meet him at Calais and discuss his objections—They are _ satisfactorily removed—I leave G.H.Q. for the War Office.

CHAPTER XV

CHIEF OF THE IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF, 1916 ‘ A PIAS

General situation in all theatres—Reorganisation of the General Staff—Position of C.1.G.S.—Relations with Joffre, Cadorna, and Alexeieff—War Council and War Cabinet— Relations between Ministers and their professional advisers— Proposed war policy approved by Cabinet—Send instructions to Commanders-in-Chief—Steps to improve training and organisation of troops at home and abroad—Home Defence— India and India Office responsible for Mesopotamia—Need for comprehensive plan for utilising man-power—Cabinet Committee set up to deal with the question—Lord Kitchener and compulsory service—Many people objected to it—Problem of providing officers—Production of tanks—Evacuation of Gallipoli—Operations in Mesopotamia—Campaign is handed over to the War Office—Fall of Kut-el-Amara—Appointment of Maude as Commander-in-Chief—His successes—Operations in Egypt and Macedonia—Disadvantages of employing armies of mixed nationalities—East Africa—Smuts and Van Dewenter— Operations on the West Front—Verdun and the Somme— Situation at the end of the year—Ministers’ dissatisfaction— Tendency to try new methods and plans—Joffre superseded by Nivelle as Commander-in-Chief of French armies—His plan for 1917 rejected by Governments in favour of Nivelle’s plan— My relations with Joffre—Change of Government—My relations with Lord Kitchener—The part he played in the war.

CHAPTER XVI

CHIEF OF THE IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF, 1917-18 FP RCT sf

Allied Conference at Rome—Method of conducting these conferences—Admiral Bacon—Dover patrol—Relations with Admiralty Staff—Admirals Jackson, Jellicoe, and Wemyss—Reorganisation of Admiralty Staff—Lord Fisher—Visit to Italian

Xvi

Front-—— General Staff views on man-power—Difficulty of providing drafts—Question many times raised during 1917— Young soldier battalions—Events on Russian Front—Palestine Campaign—Operations on West Front—Nivelle replaced by Pétain—Foch becomes Chief of French General Staffi—My relations with him — Messines — Passchendaele — Cambrai — Defeat of Italians— Alternative plans suggested during the year—Evils attending unnecessary changes of plan—Difficulty of keeping strategical direction of war on right lines—Consideration by General Staff of plans for 1918—Conclusions reached—Anxiety regarding man-power and shipping—Generals Pershing and Bliss—Question of unity of command—Various proposals made in 1915—Calais agreement of February 1917—Consideration by military authorities in summer of 1917—Rapallo Conference establishes a Supreme War Council— A political not a military body—The technical advisers of the Council become executive officers—Am unable to accept the Government’s arrangement for giving effect to this decision —This leads to my removal from the War Office—Measures taken after the German offensive in March 1918—My indebtedness to many friends whilst C.1.G.S.

CHAPTER XVII

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, GREAT BRITAIN

Appointed Commander-in-Chief of Eastern Command— Excessive number of men retained in United Kingdom—Reorganisation of the Eastern Command Staff—Become Commander-in-Chief, Great Britain—Reorganisation of Headquarters Staff—Organisation of commands—lInspections— Good work of hospitals— Defence schemes— Anti-aircraft defences—Air warfare of the future—Science should be given a more prominent place in our war preparations—Visits to the Grand Fleet—Co-operation of American Navy—Admiral Sims—Discontent on demobilisation—Industrial unrest—Chairman of Committee on Officers’ Pay—King reviews young soldier battalions in Hyde Park—Appointed to command the British Army of the Rhine.

CHAPTER XVIII

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, BRITISH ARMY OF THE RHINE

Composition of Headquarters Staff—Distribution of Allied troops—The British zone—The Military Governor—Administration of the occupied territory—Meaning of martial law— Policy as to industrial questions—Strength of Army—Its reorganisation—Preparations for the advance into unoccupied territory—Visit of the King and Queen of the Belgians— Visits of the Duke of Connaught, Marshal Foch, Marshal Joffre, General Pershing, and other distinguished officers—Visit of the

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Army Council—Interchange of visits with Allied Generals— Peace celebrations at Paris, Brussels, and London—Deer-stalking in Scotland—Sir Michael Culme-Seymour—Lord Charles Beresford—Changes made in system of administration and reduction of Army on ratification of peace—Farewells previous to leaving for England—Promoted Field-Marshal.

CHAPTER XIX

SOME FINAL REFLECTIONS Characteristics of British soldier—Unpopularity of the army as compared with the navy—Study of military history by statesmen—Results of its neglect.

DATES OF PROMOTION

FOREIGN HONOURS RECEIVED DURING THE GREAT WAR

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Portrait of Author ; : ; : . frontispiece FACING PAGE

At the Army Manceuvres, 1913.

Lord Roberts at the Staff College Gentlemen Cadets making a Cask-bridge Marshal Joffre .

Inspection of Gentlemen Cadets

Lord Kitchener.

Allied Conference at the Quai d’Orsay Visit to the Italian Front

Marshal Foch

Inspection of Italian troops

Canadian Officers

General Allen, American army .

General Michel, Belgian army General Mangin, French army .

General Gouraud, French army .

At Laeken Palace

Map illustrating journey to Pamirs, 1894, and Chitral Expedition, 1895 x1x

166 176 186

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Chapter I Recruit At Aldershot

Enlistment in 16th Lancers—The “ Old Soldier’ in the ’Seventies— Barrack-room life—Rations—Pay—Kit and equipment—Uniform —Drills—Treatment of sick—Breaking out of barracks—Sundays —First Christmas Day—Night guards—Military offences and punishments—Guard-room—Articles of War—Muster parade— Punishment drill—Musketry course—Dismissed drills—Day guards —TI allow a deserter to escape and so commit my first ‘‘ crime ’’— Imprisoned in guard-room—My second “‘ crime ’’—-Promoted Lance- Corporal—Backward state of training—Field-days—Reasons for defective training—Lord Wolseley, Sir Evelyn Wood, and other rising Generals effect great reforms—Successes in competitions at skill-at-arms.

I wAs seventeen and three-quarters years old when, having decided to seek my fortune in the army, I took the “‘ Queen’s Shilling’ from a recruiting sergeant in the city of Worcester on the 13th of November 1877. The minimum age for enlistment was eighteen, but as I was tall for my years the sergeant said that the deficient three months would involve no difficulty, and he promptly wrote me down as eighteen years and two months—so as to be on the safe side—and that has been the basis of my official age ever since. For some reason that has now escaped my memory I was detained at Worcester for four days, receiving in the meantime two shillings and a halfpenny per diem for board and lodgings. The odd halfpenny strikes one’as being a queer item, but it had no doubt been arrived at by Her Majesty’s Treasury after careful calculation of the cost actually incurred. The recruiting sergeant, a kindly disposed individual, took possession of the whole sum, giving me in return excellent, if homely, accommodation and food at his own house.

The regiment I selected to join, the 16th (Queen’s)

I B

Lancers, was stationed in the West Cavalry Barracks, Aldershot, and on arrival there, on a wet and dreary November evening, the first people I met were the “ orderly officer’ and the regimental sergeant-major, both of whom showed a sympathetic interest in me. I was at once posted as No. 1514 to ‘‘G” Troop, the officer saying to me as I went off, ‘‘ Give your watch to the sergeant-major of your troop, my lad,’’ and, as I wrote home a few days later, I did so, “‘ for it is unsafe to leave it lying about, and there is nowhere you can carry it with safety.”

The regiment was commanded at the time by Colonel Whigham, who had originally served in the infantry. The adjutant, Lieutenant “ Jimmy ” Babington, was a fine horseman, a strict disciplinarian, and universally regarded as an ideal cavalry officer. He was more than that, as is shown by his selection in 1914, when nearly 60 years of age, to command one of the Kitchener Divisions. This he took out to France the following year, and from then onwards was continuously in command of the division or an army corps, in France or in Italy, until the end of the war, a task which proved to be beyond the physical powers of many a younger man in the hard and incessant fighting on the West Front.

‘“G”’ Troop was commanded by Captain Henry Graham, one of the most kind-hearted men under whom it has been my lot to serve. His subaltern, Lieutenant “ Freddy ” Blair, was somewhat of a terror to all shirkers and wrongdoers in the troop, but I have no recollection of having been on his black list; and I am sure that neither of us then thought that forty-one years later I would be Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Command and he would be my military secretary. But so it turned out.

The life of a recruit in 1877 was a very different matter from what it is now. The system introduced in 1871-72 by Mr. Cardwell—one of the greatest War Ministers the country has ever had—under which men enlisted for twelve years’ regular service, had not yet had time to get into full swing. Regiments were, therefore, still composed mainly of old soldiers who, although very admirable comrades in some respects and with a commendable code of honour of their own, were in many cases—not in all—addicted to rough

ENLISTMENT 3 behaviour, heavy drinking, and hard swearing. They could not well be blamed for this. Year in and year out they went through the same routine, were treated like machines —of an inferior kind—and having little prospect of finding decent employment on the expiration of their twenty-one years’ engagement, they lived only for the present, the single bright spot in their existence being the receipt of a few shillings—perhaps not more than one—on the weekly pay-day. These rugged veterans exacted full deference from the recruit, who was assigned the worst bed in the room, given the smallest amount of food and the least palatable, had to “lend” them articles of kit which they had lost or sold, “‘ fag’’ for them in a variety of ways, and, finally, was expected to share with them at the regimental canteen such cash as he might have in the purchase of beer sold at 3d. a quart.

It so happened that I joined the regiment on pay-day, and accordingly the greater number of my newly-found companions spent the evening at the canteen—then a mere drinking saloon—or at public-houses in the town. On return to quarters, if not before, old quarrels were revived or new ones were started, and some of them had to be settled by an appeal to fists. One of these encounters took place on and near the bed in which I was vainly trying to sleep, and which was itself of an unattractive and uncomfortable nature. Argument and turmoil continued far into the night, and I began to wonder whether I had made a wise decision after all. I continued to wonder for several nights afterwards, and would lie awake for hours meditating whether to see the matter through, or get out of bed, put on my plain clothes (which I still had), and “ desert.” Fortunately for me another occupant of the room removed the temptation these clothes afforded, for, having none of his own, he one night appropriated mine, went off in them, and never came back.

Shortly before the period of which I write it had been the custom for a married soldier and his wife, with such children as they possessed, to live in one corner of the barrack-room, screened off with blankets, and in return for this accommodation and a share of the rations the wife kept the room clean, washed and mended the men’s underclothing, and attended to the preparation of their meals. This custom was not without its good points, as the women exercised a steadying influence over the men, while the latter seldom if ever forgot that a woman was in the room, and any one who did forget was promptly brought to order by the others. Still, it could not be wholly without its undesirable side, and the transfer of all women to “ married quarters ”’ was a distinct change for the better.

The barrack-room arrangements for sleeping and eating could not be classed as luxurious. The brown bed-blankets were seldom or ever washed ; clean sheets were issued once a month; and clean straw for the mattresses once every three months. Besides the beds, the only other furniture consisted of four benches and two deal tables. The men polished their boots on the former, and the latter were used for cleaning the remaining articles of kit as well as for diningtables. Tablecloths there were none, and plates and basins (paid for by the men) were the only crockery, the basin being used in turn as a coffee-cup, tea-cup, beer-mug, soup-plate, shaving-mug, and receptacle for pipe-clay with which to clean gloves and belts.

The food provided free consisted of one pound of bread and three-quarters of a pound of meat, and nothing more of any kind. Groceries, vegetables, and all other requirements were paid for by the men, who had a daily deduction of 34d. made from their pay of 1s. 2d. for that purpose. The regulation meals were coffee and bread for breakfast ; meat and potatoes for dinner, with soup or pudding once or twice a week ; tea and bread for tea. If a man wished to have supper or something besides dry bread for breakfast and tea he had to purchase it from the barrack hawkers or canteen. Putting the cost of this at 44d. a day, he thus had to expend a total of eightpence a day on his food, besides which he was subjected to a further daily charge of a penny for washing. This left him fivepence a day or about three shillings a week, and even this was not all clear pocket-money, for after the first free issue he had to keep up the whole of his underclothing as well as many articles of uniform, and also supply himself with cleaning

KIT AND UNIFORM 5 materials, such as polishing paste for brasses, oil for steel equipment, and soft-soap for saddlery.

A beneficent regulation, recognising these drains on the unfortunate man’s pay, laid down that in no case should he receive less than a penny a day! In my regiment the custom was never to give less than a shilling a week, but even this sum did not go far to supplement the allowance of food, to say nothing of beer and tobacco. The Government now provides ample food, practically all clothing, and the amount of pay actually received is five or six times greater than it used to be.

The “ kit ’’ with which I was issued free of cost consisted of a valise, stable-bag, hold-all (containing knife, fork, spoon, razor and comb, shaving, hair, lace, button, clothes and boot brushes), three baggage straps, tin of oil, tin of blacking, tin of brass paste, cloak, cape, lance-cap and plume, two forage caps, tunic, jacket, overalls (trousers), pantaloons, canvas ducks, jack-boots and spurs, Wellington boots and spurs, ankle-boots, braces, three shirts, three pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two towels, and a piece of soap. Finally, I was given a lance, sword, pistol, cartridge-case, cap-case, and numerous belts—an amount of armament that completely staggered me.

Uniform was of a very unpractical kind, especially the undress part of it. This comprised skin-tight overalls, an equally tight “ shell-jacket ’’ cut off short above the hips, and a forage cap of about the size of a breakfast saucer, and kept in its place immediately above the right ear by a narrow chin-strap worn under the lower lip (never under the chin in the cavalry, except on mounted parades). There were no “ British-warms’”’ or woollen “‘jumpers”’ as to-day, and cloaks were not allowed to be worn when off duty without a regimental order to that effect. This order was never given except when the weather was very inclement. Later on the forage cap became a ‘““free issue,’’ and was thoroughly disliked by everybody because of its ugly shape and abnormally large size as compared with the regimental pattern.

The first occasion on which it was worn by the regiment was at an inspection by the Duke of Cambridge at York in

1881, when an unofficial hint was sent round the barrack-rooms beforehand that it was to be put well on the top of the head, and generally made to appear as hideous as possible. Every one did his best, or rather his worst, to comply with the hint, and when the Duke—never in too good a temper early in the day—came on parade, the sight of the disfigured regiment nearly gave him a fit. It was alleged that he went back to the Horse Guards and wrote a furious letter to the War Office condemning the cap, but it remained the regulation article for some years afterwards, although the original pattern was still allowed to be worn off parade, and at the expense of the owner.

The cavalry recruit was kept hard at work, riding-drill, stables, foot-drill, gymnastics, and school following each other in bewildering fashion from six in the morning till six in the evening, without any appreciable interval for rest. Riding-school was the terror of most recruits, few of whom had ever before been across a horse. For some weeks no saddle was allowed, no stirrups for some months, and the chief aim of the instructor, or “‘ rough-rider,’’ was not to give his pupil confidence but as many falls as possible. The “ rough-rider ’”’ deserved his name, for he was as rough with a young horse as with a young recruit. He seldom possessed a decent pair of hands, and his system of training a horse was of the break-down rather than the break-in type. These unintelligent methods have long since passed into oblivion.

Gymnastics, or physical exercises, were conducted on much the same lines. Every recruit was expected to do the same thing in an equally proficient way, no allowance being made for differences in age, build, or general physical capacity. .

A robust constitution was required in winter to withstand the cold and draughty stables and the biting winds which swept across the barrack square during foot-drill, where the shivering recruit would struggle to grasp the explanations of drill gabbled out by his instructor, and painfully endeavour to master the mysteries of the “‘ goosestep’’ and the art of drawing swords “‘ by numbers.” I succumbed twice during my first winter, once being in

TREATMENT OF SICK 7

‘hospital for two months with rheumatic fever brought on by exposure.

When a man “ reported sick’ he was marched at about nine o’clock in the morning to the medical inspection room of his regiment, and after waiting about in all weathers for an indefinite time was seen by a medical officer. If considered a case for admission he was given an aperient, whether he wanted it or not, in the shape of half-a-pint of vile-tasting liquid known as “‘ black-strap.”” He was next marched off to hospital, which might be anything up to a mile or more away, and there he was interviewed by another doctor before being ‘‘ admitted ” to hospital. Next he was told off to a ward, where he might hope to arrive about mid-day, after having been on the move for some three or four hours. In the afternoon he would put on his hospital clothing, give his own into store, and lie down to await the visit of the medical officer in charge of the ward on the following morning. He was then again examined, treatment was prescribed, and if all went well he received it during the afternoon, or some thirty hours after he first set out from his barrack-room.