Salisbury Plain is a great rolling field without town or village and
the places chosen were the nearest and in fact the only places, that
could be found reasonably close to the camp suitable for hospital
purposes.
We had been reviewed by Lord Roberts and the King early after our
arrival, and now it was rumoured that the King would review us again.
Inspections of various sorts became a daily occurrence; inspectors
from the War Office came down and condemned nearly everything we had
including motor and horse transport, harness and other equipment.
Later on we realized that it had been very wise to sacrifice a few
score thousands of dollars worth of equipment in England in order that
standard parts and replacements of equipment could be obtained at any
time in the field and the efficiency of the force thereby maintained
at all times. The authorities were much wiser than we knew.
Of course it rained on the morning of the day that the King came down
to review the Division; at breakfast the rain hammered the tin roof of
our mess room at Bustard Camp like so many hailstones and the outlook
was most gloomy. Later on it cleared, and when the guns boomed out the
royal salute announcing the arrival of His Majesty, the rain had
entirely ceased.
A review by the King in war time is a pretty sure indication that the
division will move shortly.
Pages:
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47