Mr. Frank Dawson of Ammanford, undergoing training with the 28 th Field Ambulance stationed at Tweseldown Camp, in Farnham, writes home to Coun. J. Harries (Irlwyn) a letter brimful of fact and interest about their daily routine, and the treatment meted out to them.
It reads thus :-
I must thank you very kindly for the letter which I received on the 5 th of October, and I am very pleased to hear the works are going a little more regular than they were at the beginning of the war.
Now as you seem to be interested in the Royal Army Medical corps, and wish for the full details of our work I will try and describe it briefly.
We have reveille at 5.30 a.m. and must be on parade at 6.15, from which we drill until 7.30.;
Breakfast and clean up, and be on parade again at 9 o'clock; drill until 10; lecture until 11; and then drill until 12.15 p.m.;
Dinner and clean up again until 2 p.m.; lecture from 2 o'clock until 3, and then drill until 4.30 p.m.
We then get our tea and clean up again.
We are allowed out from 6 o'clock until 9 o'clock; lights out at 9.30 p.m.
Now by the word “drill” I mean squad drill, company, physical, and stretch drill. But of course these times are invariably changed on account of our route marches, which we get every alternative afternoon.
We generally get about 12 miles of it, but we all like it, as it is such beautiful country, and we are allowed to smoke pipes but not cigarettes whilst marching. We are also allowed to sing all the latest songs which help to make a march pleasant.
Well, I think by that you can see they are getting us physically fit and ready to meet any nation never mind the Germans. Now, as regards our food, we are getting a fairly good supply and we can't grumble under the circumstances.
But it wasn't like this when I first came here. The first night I arrived in Aldershot I got to the Barracks, but there was nowhere to sleep or anything to cover us, so I had to get down to it, as I was, on the grass for a night.
The second night I was pushed in a tent, one of twenty-four, with about eight blankets among the lot of us. But now things are working round a little; we have three blankets each and are sleeping 12 in one tent.
So things have worked more comfortable for us, and we have had the greatest part of our kit. We are expecting our uniform every day. And now, considering everything. I think the Army Authorities have done well and really deserve praise.
I have Wallis Shaw here in my tent and he goes by the mane of “Taffy.” He is a jolly little chap and keeps us well alive. We are attached to the 9 th division of the new army, that is, Kitchener 's First Army.
Well, I don't think I can give you any more news as regards the R. A. M. C., only that we have a very fine lot of Officers. We have three more chaps from Ammanford here, but they are in the 42 nd Ambulance. I may say the people about here are very kind.
Some are allowing us to go and have hot baths, whilst others open several rooms for writing purposes, etc.
You must excuse me cutting it short as time is limited, so I will close hoping to find you in good health, and with best respects to you and all at Ammanford.
