{"id":707,"date":"2013-06-11T08:06:25","date_gmt":"2013-06-11T08:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/warletters.falkor.gen.nz\/?page_id=707"},"modified":"2013-06-27T00:03:10","modified_gmt":"2013-06-27T00:03:10","slug":"neil-mother-28-aug-1918","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/warletters.falkor.gen.nz\/?page_id=707","title":{"rendered":"Neil \u2013 Mother: 28 Aug 1918"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Letter typed)<\/span><\/p>\n

Hornchurch, ESSEX.
\n28-8-18
\nDear Mother
\nThings are going on much as before. There has been a good deal of delay in replacing me by another English instructor,- I am getting pretty sick of the subject. The other man replaces me soon, however, and I take on arithmetic. They have presented me, without being asked with three buckshee stripes. I don’t get sergeant’s pay yet, though, but when my appointment is confirmed at some indefinitely distant date, the extra 2s. per day will be made retrospective so that I shall be paid extra from the time I started instructing. The stripes carry with them a table cloth, a cruet, a pot of tea in it, a basin with sugar in it, and a jug with milk in it, the prettiest of the V.A.D.’s for waitresses, a second helping when feeling glutinous, also a clean bath house, and a “G’morning, Sergeant”, when a combination of unfortunate circumstances renders the saluting of an officer unavoidable.<\/p>\n

While typing that last sentence, routine orders were brought in. They state that my successor commences work tomorrow, for which I am heartily thankful. I shall proceed to render myself indispensable at Arithmetic. It must be very heartening for the poor devils who have spent 2 1\/2 years in France to think of the dodgers over here who never have done anything and never seem likely to do anything. But it’s not my fault,- I gave the Colonel particulars of my active service (or rather lack of it) and he didn’t seem to think it all a grave objection; it’s a case of the devil taking the hindmost. I should prefer that you continued to address your letters Pte. If I get chucked out, and go to France again, I don’t want to have to explain to every Tom, Dick and Harry, why my letters are labelled Sgt.<\/p>\n

30-8-18 No more news<\/p>\n

I have the honour to be, Madam,
\nYour obedient servant,
\n49123 N H Smith, Sergeant<\/p>\n

They reckon the NZers have had a hell of a smack up at Bapaume<\/a>. I don’t know whether the casualties are as bad as rumour says. There are no reports thro’ here yet.<\/p>\n