Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/176

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[12 S. I. FEB. 26, 1916.

Heplus.

GUNFIRE AND RAIN :

A RETROSPECT or THE AUTUMN MANOEUVRES OF 1873.

(12 S. i. 10, 56, 96.)

IN 1873 I was a member of the old Inns of Court R.V. ("the Devil's Own") at the autumn manoeuvres held on Dartmoor in August of that year. This was the second, I believe, of these new manoeuvres following the close of the Franco-Prussian War the first having been held on Wolmer Down, Hants, a year or two previously. I cannot now remember whether our brigade (the " grey brigade ") formed part of the sup- posed invading force or of the defending one I think the latter. But it made no difference, for during the fortnight in which we were " out " very little fighting practice was possible, owing to 1he rain and mist which were precipitated as soon as ever the artillery had been any time in action, and practically obscured everything from view at any distance. At least so it seemed to us, and so we were told. It further afforded a very good excuse for our commanding officer, who was obliged like " the brave old Dnke of York" having marched his men " to the top of the hill," to " march them down again." This happened more than once, until r.ll attempts at serious campaigning at least so far as artillery action was concerned were abandoned. I must f-t,y, though, that Dartmoor is pro- verbially known to be a very rainy place at certain seasons of the year ; but one would have thought that that would have been a matter for the Intelligence Department.

Our corps started from Paddington station one Saturday afternoon (I remember how lovely the city of Bath looked, bathed in moonlight, as we passed), and, reaching Moretonhampstead in the early hours of the following morning, we marched thence direct to oui allotted camp on the moor. Our baggage was supposed to have come on with us, but it did not reach us until the following Wednesday afternoon. four days after our arrival so that many of our fellows did not even ventuie to take off their wet boots at night, for fear lest they might not get them on again in the morning ! No one could get any change of clothes, so, after being pretty well wet through every day, we used to sit in the canteen, as near as we could to the fire, and dry, or steam ourselves dry, in our

capacious military overcoats before retiring to rest, eleven in a tent ! We learnt after- wards that the delay in the delivery of our baggage was caused by its having been taken to " the enemy's " camp first ; this being rendered possible by the economical (?) arrangement of one and the same transport having to serve both armies, whilst the state of the roads over the moor, rendered almost impassable by the mud, did not make the task any the easier ! It must be remembered that these were not the days of motor-transport. Each day the transport had to move the equipment of one " army " before it could move the other's ! In con- sequence many a time did we have to wait a long time for our "commissariat" to turn up.

I remember one particular occasion when we left camp about 4 o'clock in the morning, after a hasty cup of tea and a biscuit or two, and I got nothing more to eat until the evening, when, in exchange for treating a " Tommy " to some beer, he procured me some bread and cheese from his canteen. Our own corps did not get their rations served out until about 10 o'clock ! But, then, we were only " playing at soldiers," so what did it matter ?

This " system " was carried out right through the manoeuvres, with the result that a large number of horses were killed by- overwork or sank exhausted in their t lacks. At least, no we were told. And after the manoeuvres, I believe, many of the survivors, which had cost some 60Z. each, were sold at Plymouth and other places for about ]QL apiece ! I remember a few days subsequently seeing some sorry-looking animals- presumably the " survival of the fittest " passing through one of the western towns.

But it must not be supposed that nothing happened to relieve our monotony during our stay on Dartmoor. The whole thing was itself extremely humorous. An amusing incident occurred one Sunday when we had a day's " leave," and most of our fellows celebrated it by going to Plymouth, by road and rail, and indulging in a good shave, a hearty lunch, and a most excellent bathe at the Hoe. At the railway station a large crowd had assembled to see the various troops arrive, and evidently serious conjectures were going en as to what our corps was; for doubtless, mostly unshaven, in our rather weather-beaten very plain, but serviceable drab undress uniform and Glengarry caps, we did not present a very smart appearance. Opinions were freely ventured that we were