WITH KITCHENER’S ARMY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 62, 13 July 1915, Page 2

WITH KITCHENER’S ARMY.

CAMPING IN ENGLAND. Private A. Heywood, of the 18th Battalion of the Manchester*, wnt.irj; to friends in Stratford gives an interesting account of the training ol Kitchener’s Army in England. The following are extracts from his letter, (which is dated May 17: — “1 am seated in a little wooden hut surrounded by hundreds of other hints, whose sole furniture consists ol two tallies with a form on either 'side, one stove, and beds for about jthirty men; each bed consists of j three planks Gft long, two trestles (Jin. high, mattress packed with straw and three blankets, something after

the style of horse rugs; so you see |we are plenty warm enough, but they [have not supplied ns with spring mattresses. * * * * The firm 1 was working for in .Manchester. the Bleachers Association, [issued a notice stating that they thought that all single young men [ought to join the new army; and any man doing so, would be guaranteed [half his wages during the period of [the war and his situation would be [open for him as soon as he was released from the Army when the war [ is over. I could live in the Aimy on tiie 7s per week Army pay, and have proved it so as there is not much to spend money on here.

I was terribly afraid when I went up to enlist, thinking I would not be able to pass the test; anyhow they were passing them wholesale in Manchester at the time, so 1 got through. It tool* me all day to get it over, for there were about 700 a day at the time enlisting. I walked back to the office and gave my notice and finished right away. Then came the beautiful part of it, I was at home for six weeks, doing nothing, receiving half wages and twenty-one shillings per week from the Army.

After about six weeks we were marched over to the White City up at Old Trafford and then began our soldiering proper. We had to get up at 5.30 in the morning and were kept at it till 7 at night. Those were very hard times indeed,' nothing hut drill, drill, drill, for two months, every day just the same. After that time there was a. change of programme every day, and we were finishing at five o’clock every day and Wednesday afternoon holiday. At the beginning of February we left our barracks in Manchester and marched down to Heaton Park, where huts had been erected for us to join the other three Battalions in the Brigade. » *• * *

Altogether Manchester has raised eight new battalions, the last four being billeted in houses at Morecamhe. Besides these new battalions the city has sent about 80,000 men to the colours in different regiments.

Taking things on the , whole we had a very easy time at Heaton Park, as we very seldom had any night work and were allowed off every week-end from Saturday noon to Tatoo Sunday. Lights out are at 10.15, when every man should he in bed and I tell you we need all the sleep we can get.

AVe left Heaton Park the second week in April and proceeded to Grantham, in Lincolnshire, about 20-miles fiom the East C.'.ast, in range of the frightful ZeppeUns. Instead of the’-e being 4000 of us there are here 40,000. We are her 1 for diviscunl train ing and shorn-ug. The camn mjn 11 great big park, called Bel to i Park, belonging to the Earl of Brownian. Our work here is practically the last day’s of soldiers training, for we have plenty of night work, consisting of night marches, night entrenching, and night attacks. Of course we do all oui work in lull pack.

AA T o have different forms of entertainment in camp. lor instance, there is a picture palace, which is very well patronised indeed, for we get three hours different pictures for 3d. It is not the same as a civilian picture house, for it is crowded "’ith soldiers of different regiments, and there is plenty of singing when the pianist plays a popular tune such as “Here we are Again,” “Tipperary and “Little Grey Home In the West.”