CAMP CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2523, 31 July 1915, Page 13

CAMP CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN

Sir,—lt may interest your renders to peruse the following account of recruit conditions in England last winter. It is written by a lady, whoso husband enlisted:—.., " joined tho. , and after a' brief stay at Exeter they got shifted to Colchester, where tho cold, wet, and mud were hard to bear, and caused a good deal of illness and ill-tempered grumbling. In fact, tho oaths expended on the ovil conditions and lack oE cuisine wore appalling. Apparently tho Government, although desirous that tho men should bear a smart appearance and clean their teeth, provided littlo or no appliances for thomatutinal bath, which, oj.-cnpt In the matter, of tout!, Is uow i¥»«exi6tent.. Tho ,troopers, mar*

ried, get 4s. 2d. a week, and the nearest hot bath obtainablo is. to bo got at Colchester at Is. a time, the result is that it is often done without. wrote saying lie had not had his clothes off for a fortnight 1 Ho and others slept in a cowshed. His pal, , got chronic rheumatism on account of tho stato of perpetual damp, and finally got his discharge. And , another Cornishmah, a solicitor by profession, county footballer by rcputatation, and a. trooper by choice, was in hospital for weeks. So they were amerry crow. Then tho authorities got a. wooden flooring put down, and each stall was furnished with,a peg or two and shelves; they further supplied oil stoves, and the men got blankets and bought themselves straw-filied mattresses to sleep on. Two men shared cach stall, andMiavo just enough room to turn in 'bed.' They expect to be sent to tho front at almost any time now, and would be glad to get anywhere from whero tlioy are." I may add that I havo a son who has been through the wettest time at Trentham, and owing to the excellent boots with which lie was supplied, states ho has never had wet feet. Also, al 7 though very fastidious in his home, he ha 3 not one complaint to make.—l am, etc., PRO PATRIA.