22812 Rfn W.J.C. Brown

C Co 24^th (R) KRR

North Camp

Cambois Nr Blyth

Northumberland

July 28 1916

My dear M^r Walters,

            As I have a half hour to spare, I feel that I cannot spend it to any better advantage than by writing to you.

            Since I wrote to you last little of importance has happened, and days have passed with their usual monotony.  I have now been in the Army twelve weeks and have passed through my preliminary drills which certainly were very monotonous and wearying, but which however have to be experienced.  I also have “fired my course” returning to the camp here from the Ranges at Whitley Bay two weeks ago.  The weather condition during the fortnight there were not at all favourable, but we had to make the best of the circumstances prevailing, Whitley is quite an attractive sea-side resort frequented by Novocastrians to a great extent, and, our stay there provided us with quite a pleasant change from our usual routine here.  We were very sorry to turn our backs on Whitley.  I expect to have my bombing course during the next few weeks, then my first and final leave of six days, after which I can prepare for “yonder” as it is called in the camp.  I am greatly looking forward to my visit home, as I believe, my people are doing.  Unluckily, the leave is restricted here to a great extent, and only 36 hours are allowed to us, and that short time would be of little or no use to me as I am about 250 miles from home, and the train service is very poor from Blyth to Coalville.

The battalion is at full strength now, and is composed partly of Londoners and partly of Northerners.  The different countrymen agree exceedingly well together and practically the only grievance among the Londoners is that they have been sent so far from home and are not allowed sufficient leave to enable them to get home.  The majority of them are married men.  The battalion is a reserve one and drafts are sent from it as they are required.  About seventy men have been sent to date, and we are expecting that a draft will be sent out almost every week.

We have a very fine set of officers both commissioned & non-commissioned, and many of them have experienced warfare on one front or another, and so we get a very good training from men who have had practical experience, and who know what will be expected of us.

Our chaplain is quite a thorough man and quite popular amongst us.  He carries out his work in a very able manner.  There has already been one confirmation for us soldiers in the district, and there is to be another one on Tuesday next by the Bishop of Newcastle in Blyth.

The weather has improved greatly this last week, and the camp has dried up after the long spell of wet weather we have experienced.  We are all very pleased it has done so, as it was beginning to smell very unhealthy, and would have caused sickness amongst us had it continued very much longer.

I trust that everything is going well at Whitwick and that you are enjoying the best of health.

With very kindest thoughts

believe me

Sincerely & respectfully yours

Cecil Brown

P.S. I shall be pleased to receive a magazine for August if you have one to spare.

In envelope addressed to The Rev T.W. Walters, Whitwick, Lester.

Letter postmarked BLYTH 29 JY 16. 11.15 AM.