Officers’ Mess
9/ Worcs Regt
Blackdown
May 2nd 1915
My dear Father
Please give my thanks to everybody concerned for my present. I saw one of the same type that one of our officers had had given him, and it seemed satisfactory. It packs away into quite a small space and is light. They supply a spare mirror; the top one is always liable to be shot and broken. The whole thing is pretty simple and should not easily go wrong, and if it does might be patched up with a little ingenuity. I believe a certain number of trench periscopes are issued out in France, but I have no doubt the supply always falls short of the demand.
Tomorrow we are to be inspected by the GOC, an event originally fixed for yesterday but postponed. We shall be paraded in marching order with all transport.
We shall fire our second part of the machine gun course on the range this week I expect, we should have started on Friday if there had been range accommodation. We are turned out periodically by fire alarms as heather and gorse fires are becoming very frequent. Yesterday afternoon the brigade was marched two miles or more across the danger area of the ranges to put out a pretty big blaze. It was difficult to do very much more than check it at a few points and let it burn itself out, and then beat out all the remaining patches left behind. We were kept out over three hours yesterday in this manner. Generally the fire brigade and fire pickets are all that are needed, but this was a bigger affair so we all had to go.
I wrote a cheque two days ago to pay an old bill of mine at Milwards. I thought it might be as well to ask you to pay it in case the same item may have already been put in your bill, so I am enclosing it. Please thank Mother very much for the socks, which will be very useful. There is no doubt that hand knitted ones are much the most satisfactory both for comfort and lasting. I am surprised that Arthur still finds work slack, but I suppose hospital accommodation at present is greatly in excess of needs, with a view to increased numbers in the field and much heavy fighting in the near future.
Two days ago I heard the opinion of an artillery officer, now a major in our divisional staff. He thinks we should prove a better force than that now out there, which is very largely composed of reservists.
I hope George will find his attack of measles quite a light one; from all accounts it doesn’t seem to be troubling him.
I think you must have looked after Mela very well as she seems from all accounts and the tone of her letters to be recovering quite quickly considering what a nasty attack she had. She is extremely grateful to Mother and the girls for everything they have done, and says she finds it difficult to show her appreciation; I don’t suppose though she has seemed very ungrateful!
Give her my love, and say I think of starting a letter this evening, to be posted later. With love to all.
Your affectionate son
Cyril E Sladden
