Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1917-1918 (Vol. 2) - Part 7

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I agreed to held Lipscombe with his
duty as Officer of the Watch and was
given choice of shift 2 to 6 So I
decided to turn in early and get
some of the sleep I was deprived of
the night before.

4/1/18  I didn't relish the idea of
turning out at 2 AM. it was certainly
warm in the Cabin but outside a
bleak Cheerless East wind was blowing
and mingled with the fog it was a
real Corker we entered the danger
area at 11 and it lasted approximately
4 hours. We had a good destroyer
on our port side and when I
first went on deck she was just
a little way off zealously guarding
us. Without being well wrapt up
it was almost impossible to remain
on the Bridge A very sad prospect
for us in England especially as we
back on stricter track
 

61
considered we had had enough of
the cold weather for the time being. Very
few of the troops slept They were all
either too excited or cramped for
room both were probably correct. From
the bridge we could see the lights on
the Isle of Wight and those guarding
the entrance to Southampton water
my first acquaintance with England
and all it meant to us. We were by
this time well out of the danger zone
and calmly viewed. Our safety was
due to nothing else but British Strategy
As we approached Southampton we
could see thro the fog an outline of
the wharves and buildings behind
and anchored alongside one pier
was the Aquitania a Cunard Liner
and easily the biggest vessel I've ever
seen. It was immense a series of
decks going more than half the
length of the ship with four huge
 

62
funnels easily large enough for any
ordinary railway train to pass thro
stood out prominently. Without a doubt
it was a subject fit for the Scores of
admiring eyes. It is hard to say just
what I felt like stepping on to British
soil for the first time certainly made
me feel very proud of the honor of
fighting for her and undoubtedly we
felt we owed her a debt of Gratitude
for bringing us safely overseas. A
train was waiting to whirl us to
our Camp the R.B.A.A. Heytesbury
Wilts just on the edge of Salisbury
Plain. The day was cold but the Sun
was shining and gave us an opportunity
of admiring rural England under
the best winter Conditions. It was Something
like Northern France the same ancient
buildings hedges and trees but the beauty
of it all appeals to one as nothing
else can and I felt I wouldn't have
missed it for worlds and there was
 

63
still more to be seen but all in Good Time
We detrained at Codford and marched
thro a beautiful English line lined with
elms grown over with ivy to our Camp
at Heytesbury. Immediately we got there
one began to see familiar faces in
fact they were everywhere men who
had been to the front and had returned
wounded and others just ready to go
The Camp is well situated built
on the sloping sides of two hills
culminating in a hollow at the bottom
so that the drainage is good and it
isnt quite so cold as it otherwise
might be. We weren't long in losing
the men we had been associated with
for so long with few exceptions they
were all divided up and distributed
according to States amongst four
Batteries I was allotted for the time
being to Nort Battery tho next week
we go into Schools of Instruction
for officers tho nominally attached to the
 

64
same battery. So much for a cursory
glance around. Tomorrow we'll extend
our knowledge of our new Quarters
5/1/18.  We had no early parade and just
as well for I didn't wake up until 20
to 8 Just time to get up have breakfast
and get on parade at 8.45. It was
purely an off day So we wandered
about the Battery stables to have
a look at the horses harness &c
and saw that the troops had
settled down in their quarters
Everything has been organised
on good administrative lines
and one of the most interesting
things we saw was the way the
meals are systematically dealt
out. Each man has a bowl
for soup or tea and a plate
for meat and vegetables and
the bread is cut into slices and
each man gets one slice only
 

65
When the ration for each man is
put out All are marched in thro
one door pick up the food and
move on to a seat at the tables. It
obviates any waste at all and
when the joints are cut up into
slices the bones are thrown
into a dish and reserved for
soup. Nothing at all is wasted.
Even the ashes from the fires
are raked over and that half
consumed is used over again
We had nothing else to do so
got permission to fix up our
Quarters. We included in that
part of the business a visit to
the village to send Cables Wires
&c The Village - Heytesbury - is
typical apparently of England 
just one street with general
shops on either side. We couldnt
resist the temptation of having a
glass of English beer at the Village
 

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Inn but it was too cold to enjoy Most
of our fellows secured horses and
went for a ride to Warminster a
neighbouring village, tho much
larger than Heytesbury. Tomorrow
I shall probably take a run over
to Stonehenge certainly a place of
historic interest and of some
Great age.
6/1/18.  Sunday our first in England
and as far as parades are
concerned no different from any
other day. I was orderly officer so
had to get up for early morning
parade at 6.45 The next parade
for Church was at 8.45 so there
wasn't much time to spare
after Stables and seeing that
the men were properly fed
to have my own breakfast
and get back on parade
again. Just at dinner time
 

67
it commenced to rain so my trip
to Stonehenge was off and I
decided to stay in and write
home letters. Tomorrow we
commence our training in
earnest as we are all listed for
an Officer's School of Instruction
more or less of a preliminary
nature at first and until we've
had our disembarkation leave
We managed to get a fire going
and kept it up with coal
taken from a neighbouring officer's
room. It was a decided advantage
for otherwise we might have
frozen. Certainly couldn't have
remained seated blissfully
writing letters
7/1/18.  A day which will long live
in my memory for reasons
to be stated hereunder. We
didn't have any early parade
 

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much to our relief but at 8.45
which we were to discover meant
8 45 by the Adjutant's time and
no other we were to appear before
the aforesaid Adjutant and Supply
particulars of our birth and
Qualifications. I arrived before
the adjutant and was immediately
asked why I was one minute late.
I inwardly characterised the request
as peculiar but made some
fitting excuse and was forthwith
well towelled. However I was in
the wrong and deserved all I got
Seven others were five minutes
late and found the door closed.
In the end we were all forgiven
but it taught me a lesson So far
so good. We commenced our
class straightaway. It’s very
fine so far and we are going
right thro' with it in anticipation
of a similar school at Woolwich
 

69
or some such place. We received
the welcome news that we would
be supplied with 60 lbs a week
of that most effective Commodity
Coal. So we'll be able to run a
fire now in comfort.
8/1/18.  One disagreeable duty we had
to perform this morning was
to get out at 6.30 and be present
on early morning parade. Its of
no practical use as far as I can
can see except perhaps to inculcate
into us the art of rising under
most adverse Conditions this
morning perhaps the whitest
frost Ive ever experienced. Once
up of course there were no
Complaints but the idea of getting
out of a warm bed was most
repulsive. We had another taste
of the low state of the Thermometer