Letters From the Front
Captain T. Magladery
Letter from England
New Liskeard Speaker Published: February 18, 1916
Note: any spelling errors, etc. are as they appear in the original article.
Dated: January 24, 1916
NEWSY LETTERS FROM CANADIANS IN ENGLAND
Letter from Capt. Magladery
Bramshott Camp, Jan. 21
This afternoon I took an hour off and went for a ride on a fiery sort of horse that kept me busy every minute wondering what it intended to do next. “Next” generally meant jumping at a bird flying close, snorting at a piece of paper blowing along or else firmly deciding in its own mind that it wasn’t going to be bossed any longer but would carry on at its own pace and where it wished. When I got back I wasn’t altogether sure that I had enjoyed my ride.
To-morrow we are to be inspected again!!! You must have an idea that most of our time is being spent in inspecting and if you have that idea firmly embedded and rooted in your mind, be sure to not let that idea get away for it is a correct one. Inspections seem silly, that is a great many of them, whereas in reality they have a tendency to make us smart and we all rather enjoy them:
Of course every duty that we get is grumbled at, no matter what it is, simply because it is a soldier’s privilege and almost his duty to grumble at everything that has to be done.
I don’t know who inspects us to-morrow but I think it is the Canadian High Commissioner and also some general. However, it doesn’t matter much as they are all about the same. This is what we do: Do a lot of hustling around finding out the order of dress. After the men are all properly rigged out as per orders, the order is changed and with much grumbling the rigging process is done over again. This happens at least three times and then finally the Battalion falls in on the parade ground. There we wait until it rains. Over here this doesn’t take long, but anyhow no proper inspection can take place until the men have stood in the rain at least 20 or 30 minutes. In the meantime the Col. and Adjutant have ridden off to the place where the inspection is to take place to pick out the wettest and muddiest spot for us to stand in. If more than one battalion is to be inspected, there is always great rivalry among the adjutants as to who gets the muddiest spot. Without exception our efficient Adjt. has always managed to get this for the 37th. After this matter has been arranged and our Colonel thinks we have had quite time enough to get wet right through, we are moved off. Then the biggest event of the day takes place which is waiting for the inspector whoever it happens to be. One can always tell the importance of the Inspector by the length of time he is late, and there is a regular scale by which they all seem to go: A Colonel about 15 minutes, a Brigadier about 30, G. O. C. one hour and Royalty as late as they like. After the Personage arrives the inspection takes place which lasts about five minutes, the usual words are said, fine physique, etc., and all is over. The last part is really unimportant, but an inspector always seems to think that he should really inspect and then say a few words. Still, after all if we were not inspected we would be “forming fours” or having lectures in musketry.
Jan 24-
Another long day nearly in and althoug we have worked extremely hard getting out our various guards, picquets, etc., on time, still it has been very interesting indeed, to see everything working so smoothly and to know that our organization is so good regarding these duties that so far we have not fallen down – right this minute I am “touching wood” because it is early in the week yet.
I nearly got a trip to London to-day on a course which will last three weeks, but the Colonel finally decided that this would be a bad time to be away. The course is a very fine one at Chelsea Barracks and one could hardly come away from there without being pretty smart with his work. However, my turn will come some of these days I hope.
A number of the Northern Ontario boys are in the Pioneer Battalion as you know and our fellows quite often meet them. It seems like being up in Temiskaming to hear about the fellows from home.
Transcribed by: Dion Loach
