The Fifth Leicestershire | Page 4

for it
was quickly crowded out, and in the end the upper portion of the red
pillar was visible standing on a conical pile of postcards.
Never had a field day passed without some reference to the 16th
milestone on the Bedford Road, but on this particular day orders did
not even mention the milestone. This in itself was sufficient to
convince us that real war had at length begun. Long before the 16th
milestone was sighted, we were diverted into a field, our kit was
commented upon, and we marched back to the same old billets. For
convenience of reference this incident is entered in our diary as the
march to France along the Bedford Road, and no bar was awarded. The
march formed a crisis in our history, for subsequent to it leave home
was not sought so eagerly. Positively the last words of farewell had
been said, and it was difficult to devise other forms of good-bye nearer
the absolute ultimate with which to engage our home friends, who, to
our credit be it said, were just as anxious as we were.
It was about this time that our attention was drawn to the anomaly of
the discharge rule. A man who had served for four years could take his
discharge as a time-expired soldier. At the same time men were
enlisting freely. One young man of under 21 was said to have claimed
his discharge on the very day that his grandfather, newly enlisted,
entered upon three days' "C.B." for coming on parade with dirty boots.
It was in Luton, too, that we overcame our distrust and dislike of
vaccination and inoculation against typhoid. We remember C.S.M.
Lovett being inoculated in public to give a lead to others, and we smile
now to think that in those days it was power of character and leadership
only that accomplished things, and incidentally made the way smooth
for a Government's compulsory bill.

We were inspected several times, in fact so often that the clause "We
are respected by everyone," which comes in our regimental ditty--(and
how could it not!!)--was given the alternative rendering "inspected."
Twice his Majesty the King honoured us with a visit, and in addition
General Ian Hamilton, Lord Kitchener, and others.
Regiments differ much; each has its peculiarities. The 5th
Leicestershire a county battalion, if in nothing else, excelled
individually in work across country. Though all may not have been as
clever as "Pat" Collins (G.A.), who acted as guide to the commanding
officer for many months--and we have the commanding officer's
permission to add "counsellor and friend"--there was never any
difficulty in finding the way in the day or at night. If we may anticipate
our early days in France, a few months hence, we can remember being
occupied all one night in extricating parties of men who had lost their
way hopelessly in open country in the dark. Those were men who came
from a city battalion, brought up amongst labelled thoroughfares, street
lamps, and brilliantly-illuminated shop windows. We practised night
work at Luton, and all was easy and natural, though we added to our
experiences, as on the night when in the thrilling silence of a night
attack the fair chestnut bolted with the machine gun; and having kicked
two men and lost his character, reverted to the rank of officer's charger.
On a day in October the whole division had entrenched itself in the
vicinity of Sharpenhoe and Sundon. To enliven the exercise night
manoeuvres were hastily planned. Our share was to march at about 11
p.m., after a hard day and half a tea, and to continue marching through
the most intricate country until five o'clock the next morning. At that
time we were within charging distance of the enemy, and day was
breaking. Filing through a railway arch we wheeled into extended order
and lay down till all were ready. When the advance was ordered,
though we had lain down for two minutes only, the greater number
were fast asleep. Despite this hitch the position was taken, and then a
march home brought the exercise to an end at 8.10 a.m. For this
operation we voted a second bar to our medal.
To those who knew all the details of the plan the most brilliant feature

was the wonderfully accurate leading of our Brigade Major, now
Brigadier-General Aldercron. He led us behind the advanced posts of
the enemy and it was their second line that we attacked.
Many officers were joining us. Since war had been declared, E.G.
Langdale, R.C.L. Mould, C.R. Knighton, S.R. Pullinger, C.H.
Wollaston, G.W. Allen, J.D. Hills, and R. Ward-Jackson had all been
added to our strength. Later came D.B. Petch, R.B. Farrer, and J.
Wyndham Tomson, of whom Petch was straight from school, and he,
with