Strenuous, but Glorious Life.
Mr. W. T. Davies, the young Ammanford cricketer and footballer, dwells upon his experiences as a “soger,” and of the doings of the Ammanford boys at Farnham in a letter which he has sent to a member of our staff. Davies is attached to the 42 nd Field Ambulance. He states:
“I have now been a soger six weeks. When in company with another Ammanford chap named Os Williams, I arrived in Aldershot we met at the reporting office David Thomas and Wally Shaw.
That night we roughed it a little – we slept underneath an ambulance wagon. It was not quite as comfortable as our beds at home, but the experience was quite a novel one.
We spent the next few days at the Depot at Aldershot, and were transferred to a part of Aldershot called Redan Hill. We were here only one day, and we were transferred to our present camp.
Here at Tweseldown we Ammanford chaps were separated. Os Williams and David Thomas are in the same Ambulance as myself, but we are in different tents. Wally Shaw and Frank Dawson are in the same tent, but in a different field ambulance to us.
Camp life is rather strenuous, but is glorious. We Ammanford boys are as happy as mudlarks. The food is good.
Our field ambulance is attached to the 14 th Division of Kitchener's 1 st Army. We have been told by one of our young officers that is quite possible that we shall be ordered to France in the near future to complete our training. We shall then be housed in the branches evacuated by the French troops.
All of us sincerely hope that this will materialise, as it will be so much nearer the front, and all the chaps are aching to do their share and a little over for the ‘Old Country.'
Our work becomes more interesting day by day. At first we did about four or five hours drill, and two hours lectures, but now it is of a much more interesting character.
On Sunday some Ammanford chaps came over to see us. They are in the R.F.A., and are stationed at Yewshot Camp, which is quite near. It was quite a pleasant surprise.
I have the Chronicle sent me every week, therefore you can see that I am kept well posted up in home news. It is soon circulated amongst the boys from home. We are very interested in the letters from other Ammanford boys in the various camps, and enjoy reading these letters immensely.
I meet Will Perry every Sunday afternoon, and we have some decent walks. Last Sunday we visited the hangers and factories at Farnborough. Whilst we were there a very large airship ascended, and headed away for London .
Aeroplanes are quite common sight here, and it is nothing unusual to see six in the air at the same time.
By the way, if you see a post card of we five boys from Ammanford, for heaven's sake don't imagine that I look like it. It has been a huge joke. The chaps in our tent have twitted me a lot about it, and I don't think I shall ever be allowed to forget it.
I have been nick-named the ‘White Hope' after it. I hope you won't see it, but a good few have been sent home; therefore, I suppose you will have a glimpse of it with somebody or other.
I must cry 'finis' now as it is getting late.”
