MILLAIN
It was at Millain that I had my first personal interview with Colonel
Best-Dunkley. That interview is recounted in the following letter, dated
June 13:
" ... The weather continues to be glorious: too hot to do anything. I am
Orderly Officer to-day. One of my duties as such is to inspect the
billets. They are scattered on all sides of the village, so quite an
appreciable walk is entailed. The Orderly Sergeant and I had a drink of
milk at one farm. We felt a little refreshed after that. I mounted the
guard with the Regimental Sergeant-Major. (Clements.) This afternoon he
has been made Sergeant of the Transport, and has been succeeded as
R.-S.-M. by Sergeant-Major Hoyle of B Company. Sergeant Preston becomes
Company Sergeant-Major of B Company.
"Yesterday the padre was appointed President of the Sports Committee,
but, as the Colonel wanted to arrange everything on his own
lines--suggesting races in full pack, amongst other things!--he has
resigned to-day.
"I had my first interview with Colonel Best-Dunkley this morning. As
Orderly Officer I was present at Commanding Officer's Orders. When he
arrived at the Orderly Room he saw me and said:
"'Who are you? Let me see, I don't think I have been introduced to you
yet. How are you?'
"I replied that my name was Floyd; and he shook hands quite genially!
"There were only two cases up for orders. One man was there for cheeking
a sergeant. He had called the sergeant something which cannot be
repeated here.
"'Why the b---- h---- did you speak to an N.C.O. like that?' exclaimed
the Colonel in a Judge Jeffreys tone. 'Will you take my sentence? Or
will you have a court martial?' he demanded.
"The man replied that he would take the Colonel's sentence.
"'Fourteen days Field Punishment No. 1,' snapped the Colonel. Exit
prisoner.
"After orders, Colonel Best-Dunkley asked me: 'What is your strong
point?' I replied that I was sorry to have to say so, but I had none; I
was not a specialist on anything. He did not even then become annoyed,
but went on asking me one or two other questions. How long had I been
gazetted? 'Not long,' was his comment on my reply. How long had I been
in the Army? What unit was I in before? Where had I been educated? When
I had answered these questions he expressed himself satisfied; so I
saluted and departed. So I am on quite good terms with him so far,
despite his terrible reputation! The question is--how long shall I
remain on good terms with him? I wonder."
The next letter (June 14) recounts one of those solemn Battalion parades
which I recollect so well--those parades concerning which copious orders
used to be issued the night before, and in preparation for which we were
instructed in the formula which we (platoon commanders) had to employ
when the Colonel, to the accompaniment of sweet sounds from the band,
reached the edge of our platoons:
"We had a Battalion parade in a large field this morning. There was a
long type-written programme of the ceremony to be gone through. We
paraded on the company parade ground at 8 a.m. and the Colonel arrived
on the Battalion parade ground at 9 a.m. He rode round the Battalion.
When he reached my platoon he called me up to him and asked me whether I
had a roll of my platoon. I replied that I had. He asked me whether I
had it on me; and I replied that I had, and produced it. He seemed
perfectly satisfied. He also asked me one or two other questions; to
all of which I was able to give a satisfactory answer. And last night as
I passed him in the road and saluted he smiled most affably and said
'good evening.' So he is quite agreeable with me so far. I do not
therefore yet join in the general condemnation of him. As far as I can
tell at present his chief faults appear to me to be: that he suffers
from a badly swelled head; that he fancies himself a budding Napoleon;
that he is endowed by the fates with a very bad temper and a most vile
tongue; that he is inconsiderate of his inferiors wherever his personal
whims and ambitions are concerned; and that he is engrossed with an
inordinate desire to be in the good graces of the Brigadier-General, who
is really, I believe, a very good sort. Apart from those failings, some
of which are, perhaps, excusable, I think he is probably all right. You
may be sure that his unpopularity will not prejudice me against him; I
shall not join in the general condemnation unless and until he gives me
good reason. As yet I have no such reason. Up to now his personality is
merely a source of curiosity and amusement.
"During the course of the morning's training, Captain Andrews rearranged
the composition of the platoons in the Company; so I now command the
eighth platoon. Sergeant Clews is the name of the platoon sergeant.
Sergeant Dawson (who saw Norman Kemp killed and has the same high
opinion of his heroic qualities as everybody else, whether officer,
N.C.O., or man, who knew him; who tells me that he was by far the most
loved officer in the Battalion--'one who will never be forgotten') is
also in my platoon.
"In the afternoon I went with the Company on a bathing parade. It was
about half an hour's march. They bathed in a canal.
"After tea I had a stroll in the country: it is very pretty, especially
this weather....
"Captain Andrews goes home on leave to-night; so Lieutenant Halstead is
in command of B Company for a fortnight."
"June 15th.
"The weather continues hot. We had another Battalion parade this
morning: procedure the same as yesterday. The Colonel is still most
agreeable; he has not said a cross word to me yet.
"We took the afternoon easy, except that there was a parade for
inspection of equipment at 4 p.m.
"I received, this afternoon, a letter from you of June 11, and one from
Mother of June 10, also enclosures. I am sorry to learn that you are
both worrying. What's the use of worrying? What is there to worry about?
I am quite safe. If I had the 'wind up' it might be another matter; but
I do not, strange to say, even dread the time when we shall go back
into the line! I think it rather exciting. One is inclined to feel a
little 'windy' when shells and 'minnies' are bursting dangerously near,
or when a machine-gun spurts out of the gloaming; but there is a certain
element of excitement about it all. I would not have missed those few
days in the Salient for worlds. I had a pleasant 'baptism of fire'
there. Everybody seems to think that it was worse than going over the
top in a push. Those who fought at the Battle of the Somme last year say
that they would rather be there than in the place where we were last
week! Candidly, I cannot understand it.
"We shall remain out of the line for some time yet--so cheer up!"