CONFIDENTIAL.

The Brigade Major,

Reserve Brigade South African Infantry.

I have the honour to inform you that the audit of the books of the Officers Mess of the Reserve Battalion South African Infantry has now been completed and I enclose a certified Statement of Accounts.

On 13^th October there was a credit balance of £67-19-8 and of this amount £39-12-2 was divided equally between the 1^st and 2^nd Reserve Battalions leaving a balance of £28-7-6 at the credit of the Mess.  The amount is being retained against an account of a similar amount rendered by the Barrack Officer for deficiencies in Mess Equipment which I anticipate will be reduced when the final barrack check takes place on the 6^th and 7^th proximo.

There is an amount of £60-17-0 still due by Officers and I would draw your attention to the following observations:-

Captn. de Jersey £7-15-8.  I wrote to Captain de Jersey but not having received a reply I wrote of Colonel Grant, Camp Commandant, Potchefstroom and I expect a reply within the next fortnight.  Paid.  In the event of not receiving a favourable reply I purpose placing the matter before the Secretary, Union Defence Force providing the Brigade Commander approves.

Captn Tomlinson.  £11-6-11.  I am given to understand that Captain Tomlinson paid the amount to the 3^rd Regiment but so far it has not been received here.  Paid. Now that Captain Tomlinson has returned, possibly you will take the matter up.

Lieut. Davies.  £11-19-5.  I communicated with the Officer Commanding South African Scottish in this connection but so far have not had a reply.  Lieut Davies, is, I understand now in hospital in England, but I am not aware of which hospital he is in.

Lieut. Healy.  £17-19-0.  This amount may be regarded as a bad debt.

Lieut. Dixon.  £8-8-1.  This amount is being reduced by monthly instalments.

Lieut. Mallett. 10/8.  In view of the death of Lieut. Mallett this amount should be wiped off.

Lieut. Potgieter.  £2-17-3.  Lieut. Potgieter has been written to in this connection.

A considerable amount of laxity appears to have been allowed in the settlement of Officers Accounts and K.R.1132 should be strictly enforced.

Copies of this correspondence and State of Accounts have been sent to Officers Commanding 1^st and 2^nd Reserve Battalions.

I, have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant

Ian Macdougal Captain.

Statement of Accounts

Reserve Battalion

Officers’ Mess                                                                                     South African Infantry.

Liabilities                                                                                           Assets

Command Allowance          331-9-6                      Mess A/cs outstanding      

Less Dr Balance                  242-5-0                      Capt. De Jersey       7-15-8

Profit & Loss a/c 29/12/15 to 4/6/16                         “   Tomlinson         11-6-11

89-4-6             Lieut. Davies             11-19-5

    “     Healy              17-19-0

£89-4-6               “    Dixon              8-8-1

   “      Mallett                 10/8

    “     Potgieter         2-17-3    60-17-0

Cash Balance at Holt & Co

London                                  28-7-6

89-4-6

Profit & Loss Account

Octr 14

Febry     

Octr 14^th                                                                     By Profit  Liquor a/c             24-11-2

To Guests                                          10- 6-10          “ Balance Furniture a/c            18-6

“ Lt. Burts a/c unpaid                         1-16-6.        “    “ Newspapers                     5-19-3

“ Loss Provision a/c                         28-15-3.       “ Discount                                      4-3

“ Balance Maintenance a/c            176-  6- 0       “ Balance as above              242-18-2

“   “ Washing a/c                                 17- 1- 5

“ ½ share Balance to                                                                                              

1^st Res Battn                                         19-16- 1

“ ½ share Balance to

2^nd Res Battn                                         19-16- 1

£273-18- 2                                         £273-18-2

We certify that we have examined the books of the Reserve Battalion Mess a/c, also the vouchers, and the above Statement of Accounts is correct in accordance with the entries made therein.

Bordon 14^th Octr. 1916.

Ian Macdougal

J.A. Laquiwall Lieut.

Hospital

Oct 15^th 016

Woolwich

Dear Rev Walters

Pardon me for not writing to you, but I am in hospital again, & I do not know when I shall be out, but as soon as I am free again I will write to you.

Please accept my sincere regards

Yours most sincerely

J.W. Brotherhood.

Don’t write back.

In envelope addressed to Rev T.W. Walters M.A., Vicar of Whitwick, Whitwick Vicarage, Leicestershire.  Redirected to Leigh Rectory Oakham.

Letter postmarked WOOLWICH 20 OC 16.

YMCA postcard 29 Nov 016

Rev T.W. Walters M.A.

Vicar of Whitwick

Whitwick

Leicester shire

From Pte J.W. Brotherhood

4^th Res Batt Leic Regt A Coy

Address reply to Anglo-Continental Paper Co Louth Lincoln shire

Dear Rev Walters,

I see by the “The Coalville Times” that Mr J.J. Clarke desires the name & address of the Whitwick soldiers.  I have forgotten Mr Clarkes address so will you please inform him of my Regimental address which is on the back of this card.  You will see that I have changed Companies & also billets.  My home address is 64, Brooks Lane.

I Remain yours very Sincerely

J.W. Brotherhood.

Card postmarked LOUTH 30 NO 16.

YMCA postcard 29 Nov 016

From Pte J.W. Brotherhood 4564

4^th Res Batt Leic Regt A Coy

Address reply to Signalling Sec, Eastfield House, Louth, Lincs.

Dec 22^nd

Dear Rev Walters,

Many thanks for the Card.  Please accept my compliments.  Am writing you a letter on subject “When the Boys come Home” – reference to our conversation when I was last with you.

With best wishes I am Sincerely

J.W. Brotherhood.

Card postmarked LOUTH 23 DE 16.

France

October 15^th 1916

My dear Harry,

You will have been wondering what on earth has happened to me.  This is the first opportunity I have had of writing you for ages & ages.  I had your letter of the first on the ninth.  Since then we have been moving & working hard.  We joined the battalion again & fifty of us had to come here two days after.  We work like niggers here.  It is heavy & occupies nearly the whole day.  The letters I have sent Mother have been very short notes.  Thank Ethel for the fruit & sweets in the parcel Mother sent.  It arrived at the Prisoners Cage the day before we left.  A bottle costs five francs (4/2^d).  We wouldn’t mind giving up such luxuries to come home again.  Whilst we were at the PC latterly the rest of the battalion went up to the trenches & advanced a couple of hundred yards magnificently.  They went over the top & were under terrible machine gun fire.  We rest blue pencilled.  They had rest blue pencilled.  They were shelled constantly.  Some fellows only went up for the last night & yet they went under.  The battalion now is very different from when it left Aldershot.  My little crowd of pals who left Highbeach are nearly all wounded, several of them seriously.  I was the only machine gunner in our company left.  Rogers was one of the few N.C.O’s to come through safely.  Dickson is reported as wounded.  Any amount of people saw him so but do not know what happened to him afterwards.  Being away from the battalion means a delay in having letters but I am becoming very anxious as when Jack Francis was wounded I heard about five days afterwards.  He was last seen wounded in a shell hole & I am hoping he is all right.  Of course with all the excitement & plenty to do the mail is in a very confused state.  Jack Francis sent me a letter which arrived yesterday.  He is in St. Helens, Lancs.  I have an idea we have started leave at a tortoise’s pace.  I know not how it will affect we fifty but we are all looking forward to getting some.  Lister, a Crossleys boy was killed & Rippon, another, was wounded in the last affair.  I must write to the school & tell them one day.  When the survivors get their commissions I am afraid few of the Aldershot men will be left.  In these times we get drafts from anywhere & the fellows of our old depot companies have gone similarly to any other battalion.  If ever your group is called up I advise you to join anything but the infantry but I hope the Government won’t let you.  We miss the old fellows terribly.  Food is rather at a premium here.  The army is by no means generous & there is only a Y.M.C.A. which I haven’t had time or have been too tired to visit.  We might be worse off though, but as Mr Bristows says, not much.  I don’t know what on earth to say.  There doesn’t seem to be any news.  So I think I will close with love to Ethel.  I am

Your loving brother,

Alan.

Oct 17^th.  We moved last night after having rejoined the battn the previous day at a nice village to another decent little town near the very big one where we were before only for a few days I expect.

I received your & Ethel’s letters of the eighth yesterday & will reply again.

Very busy now.

On Active Service envelope addressed to Harry R King, Esq., Glen Hilda, 38, Park Avenue, Worcester.  Ans^d 22/10/16

Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 117 18 OC 16.  Hexagonal Passed Field Censor 3274 cachet.  Signed ** Bollard.

YORK 14 OC 16

D & M.S. Marlbro Lines.

To Major Scovell General Staff Northern Command York.

Am applying to obtain services of Capt Dorman Smith as instructor School Aldershot.

RJK

TO CONFIRM TELEGRAM

42

General Staff,

Northern Command.

To General Kentish, Marlborough Lines, ALDERSHOT

G.4716  Oct. 14^th aaa Will you postpone Dorman-Smith’s application until you hear from me aaa writing tonight

From Major Scovell.

TO CONFIRM TELEGRAM

33

General Staff,

Northern Command.

To General Kentish,

Senior Officers School,

Marlborough Lines,

ALDERSHOT

G.4700 Oct. 13^th aaa Will you be able to take Captain Dorman-Smith 5^th Northumberland Fus Fusiliers as an instructor otherwise shall try to get him myself.

From Scovell

O.H.M.S. 60

A.G. B*** Major,

Senior Officers School

To Major Scovell, General Staff, Northern Command York                  14^th Oct 1916

Am applying to obtain services Capt Dorman Smith as Instructor

From School Aldershot.

——————————————–

General KENTISH,

MARLBOROUGH LINES,

ALDERSHOT.

G.O.C. here most anxious for you to lecture officers school and others on leadership aaa early next week would suit if convenient.

Do come if you can.

Major Scovell, Brocton Camp.

Headquarters,

Northern Command,

YORK.

15^th Oct, 1916

My Dear R.J.K.,

Here is an unsolicited testimonial to the Northern Command which is rather pleasant reading:-

“I am running the 2^nd Anzac Corps Schools here and in consequence have had many opportunities of seeing numerous and varied Schools in this country.  I thought it might interest you to hear that in my humble opinion the Northern Command Training Schools have not much to learn from this side of the Channel but that the reverse in many instances is very much the case.”

Yours ever

(Sgd) G.J. Scovell.

Brig. Genl. R.J. Kentish D.S.O.,

Army and Navy Club,

Pall Mall,

LONDON, W.

Please remember to send me your dossier you promised me.  I am dying to get it.