War Diary of AA Laporte Payne Sept 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

September 6 1915.

R.P.

R.A. Headquarters, 34^th Division.

Tidworth, Hants.

There are 4 officers on the Staff, and we have three cars, so we are all well off for transport. The General is Brig Gen F. Elmslie C.B., but is a dug out, and has already commanded the Artillery in another Division, but he was not allowed to go overseas with them. There are 23 Headquarter clerks and servants.

It is very cold and damp in camp. It rains most of the time. The whole Division is under canvas, 3500 horses, guns, wagons, & men.

I have got quite good groom and servant, and my two chargers arrive on Wednesday from Salisbury.

September 4 1915.

R.A.H.Q. 34^th Div. Tidworth.

“I have the unfortunate job of Mess Secretary, and what with contractors putting up tents, grocery bills, wines, servants, my life would be wearisome indeed if it were not for the fun you can get out of it. It has been very cold lately. The band is playing China Town. I went to Salisbury the day before yesterday.

September 9 1915.

Really beautiful weather, I am leaving this afternoon for two days on business I shall be back on Saturday morning. I have two new horses, or rather mares, one chestnut and one bay. They are not so good as my last but still they are better than the rest of the chargers here. At least they are English and not Canadian. One is to be called Peg o’ my heart. She is chestnut, so the name suits, the ginger hair. Unfortunately last night she got unmercifully bitten by the other. What shall I do with such a cannibal? I see this morning news of a Zeppelin raid. It is most amusing here at times. The mules get loose and rush about camp at night, kicking all and sundry. The wasps are awful. The night before last two officers of our mess and a friend who was dining with us, turned out after dinner armed with a petrol can, some Daily Mails, electric torches, to burn out a nest situated just behind our servant’s tents. They had already tried to destroy it but had failed. These brave men, all recently returned from the front, were more frightened of wasps, I hope than they are of Germans, for they were scared. One with the Military Cross ribbon on his tunic more so than the others. He let us call him B.M., held the torch at a safe distance with G. still further in the distance offering wise advice but no help. The guest held a paper funnel at arms length. I, the very junior, tried to pour buckets of petrol down the hole, when out came the beasts, and hurled themselves at the lights and the onlookers. Alas! I was the only casualty, and retired with an arm like a real German sausage. A hither-to admiring crowd of servants around shrieked with delight. The morning after the wasps were as happy as ever. They probably thought that it was a remarkably fine and warm night for this time of year. We are never off duty here. At the moment I am supposed to be working out a scheme for a Divisional Concentration March, but I have got fed up with it. I must go and find the Vet for my horse, then to the Ordnance to draw some stores, then to Salisbury to get a saddle.

September 9 1915.

I obtained two chargers from the Remount Depot, Salisbury, two chargers, Nos, 3981 and 4028. They were certified by the Veterinary Officer as being “properly shod and free from Disease”. I went for them on the 8^th September, and took them on charge on the following day.

(The first is a chestnut mare, and I named her Peg o’ my heart.)

Servant 12472 Gunner Ernest Thompson.

Religions in four Brigades of Artillery.

Church of England 3256

Wesleyan 236

Roman Catholic 182

Presbyterian 72

Jews 24

Others 114

———

3884

34^th Division/1100/A

Headquarters

Royal Artillery

The following telegram has been received from War Office.

“223 S.T. Reference your 1100/A dated 9^th instant A.A.A. War Office wires 4327 M.S.Q. appointment of 2^nd Lieut. A.A. Laporte Payne, Royal Field Artillery, as Aide Camp to General Officer Commanding 34^th Divisional Artillery has been approved with effect from 25 August 1915”.

This reference to your R.A. 4537 dated 7^th instant.

R.F. Lock.

Major. D.A.A. & Q.M.G.

34^th Division.

Cholderton.

16 September 1915.

September 23 1915.

Tidworth R.A.H.Q.

34^th Div.

There has been a field day today, and now it is pouring with rain. We move from here on October 1^st,and bivouac on the road to Warminster. We take up our new quarters on the 2^nd at Sutton Veny. This will prove our last move, I hope, before we go overseas. The Plain in the winter is too awful for words. I am thinking of motoring to Bournemouth on Sunday. We are having a series of dinner parties in the mess. The General asks in a lot of old fogies, and the conversation is most boring. You can imagine what agony I endure sometimes. The servants are quite raw, and I have to train them as best I can. They were miners a few months ago. They are much better now, but I am always anxious how the food is coming up, or whether the drinks or soda-water are running out. Housekeeping must be appalling, but usually one does not have six dishonest men doing away with every bit of food and all the drink they can lay their fingers on.

There are ladies to entertain too. The General’s wife and friends, and the Brigade Major’s mother and other relations, either for lunch or tea. The B.M. has brought a two-seater Humber. It is still raining. There is no whiskey, no soda-water and no fruit for tonight’s dinner party. Fancy going 14 miles to shop.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne August 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

E.C. No. 2/61612(N.A.)

War Office.

London. S.W.

19^th August 1915

112/Artillery/2695.

(A.G. 6.)

Royal Field Artillery. Sir,

Temp. Lieutenant A.A. I am directed to inform you that the

Laporte Payne. Officer named in the margin has been

From 4 “B” Reserve posted as specified and should be

Brigade, Royal Field Ordered to join.

Artillery. I am, Sir,

To 34^th Divisional Your obedient Servant

Artillery, Ripon A. Young, Lieut-Colonel,

For Brigadier-General.

Director of Personal Services.

The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief,

Eastern Command in Horse Guards. S.W.

General Officer Commanding, Troops.

Woolwich

For necessary action.

Horse Guards, S.W. C.A. Harding, Captain

August 21^st 1915. A/D.A.A.G. Eastern Command

G.O.C. Troops No. 13875/38

Officer Commanding 4^th “B” Reserve Brigade R.F.A.

For information, action and return please.

Woolwich W.D. Nixon, Captain

23/8/15 Garrison Adjutant.

(Herewith copy of letter posting you. O. Marr, Capt.

Adjutant , 4^th “B” Res Bde R.F.A. (26-8-15)

August 25 1915.

R.P.

161^st Brigade R.F.A.

South Camp

Ripon.

I arrived here this evening about 6 p.m. and managed to find a Division here, but as they have not heard anything about me I go on tomorrow to another Division and make enquiries there.

(Subsequently I was gazetted to the Personal Staff as A.D.C. as from this day, 25^th August 1915, and transferred to the General List.)

Second Supplement to the London Gazette of Tuesday, 21^st September 1915.

August 26 1915.

R.P.

34^th Divisional Artillery Headquarters

The Clergy House

Ripon

“This is the account of my wanderings in search of a Division and a home. I caught the 9.13 a.m. train to Kings’ Cross, and from there the 9.50, a.m. to York, where I arrived about 1.45 p.m. There I changed and waited for three quarters of an hour. Then I trained to Thirsk, changed again for Ripon where the train deposited me at 6 p.m. There appeared to be about 80,000 troops in the neighbourhood, and nobody knew anybody else or where anything was. Finally I wandered out to the 31^st Divisional Artillery, and reported there; but they had heard nothing of me. As it was late they took pity on me, and gave me part of a room to share with another man in a hutment. There I stayed until this morning, when I came to the 34 Divisional Artillery. I ascertained that I had been sent on approval to the G.O.C.R.A. At present he is in France, but returns on Monday when I hope he will confirm my appointment as A.D.C.

The Brigade Major here is Captain Waller. Yesterday he received the M.C. from the King.

The Principal here is Mr. Major, or rather Vice Principal. He edits the Modern Churchman. This evening he took me over the Cathedral.

The Division moves on Saturday to Salisbury Plain, Tidworth Pennings of all places! We shall probably be travelling most of Saturday & Sunday.

It has been extraordinarily hot here to-day.

Later. I am remaining on here till Monday, when I travel in charge of the Headquarters Staff by train. We go to Tidworth Park, then to Sutton Veny, and are due to go to France in October.

Saturday, August 28, 1915.

Plans again altered. We start tomorrow at 5 a.m. by troop train for Salisbury. That means shuntings on to sidings for a whole day. I dine with the Principal here tonight.

August 30 1915.

R.P.

R.A. Headquarters, 34^th Division.

Tidworth

Salisbury.

On Friday afternoon I went to Fountains Abbey, which is a most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. On Saturday I met the General, and I am appointed temporarily as A.D.C. to see how I get on.

On Saturday evening I went out to Copgrove Rectory to dine with the Rector who is also the Vice-Principal of the Ripon Clergy School, Mr. Major. He has a delightful old Rectory, full of old furniture. It rained hard on my return journey, and I got soaked.

On Sunday morning I was up at 4 a.m., entrained the horses including the General’s two chargers, five tons of baggage, ten clerks, and myself aboard a troop train. It poured with rain the whole time. We started at 7 a.m., and then crawled to Tidworth, where we arrived at 6 p.m. On the way we stopped at Leicester, where the nurses of the Volunteer Aid served us with tea, coffee and cake. We also watered the horses there.

When we arrived at our destination I met the Staff Captain and together we superintended the unloading and transport of the baggage to the camp by motor lorries.

There is only one hut in the camp, which we have for the Divisional Headquarters Office. I managed to get tents for the officers of the staff. It was a job to get the mess running at all. However we are settling down.

The General, Elmslie, is a very fine looking chap. Waller, the Brigade Major is the son of the Dean of Kildare. The Staff Captain is one Rew.

This afternoon I am going in to Salisbury.

(Train 5 a.m for 7 a.m. Troops 12 men, Horses G.O.C. 2 Capt Rew 2, Officers’ kit, Baggage 5 tons.)

SALISBURY TRAINING CENTRE.

G.O.C. General the Right Honourable Sir A.H. Paget, G.C.B., K.C.V.O.

Radnor House, Salisbury.

ORDERS BY

BRIGADIER GENERAL F.B. ELMSLIE. C.B.

COMMANDING ROYAL ARTILLERY 34^th DIVISION.

Tidworth Park.

Hants.

Part 1.

Strength. 1.

2^nd Lieut A.A. Laporte Payne R.F.A. reported his arrival on 25^th 8. 1915., and is attached to Artillery Headquarters.

Lt. Col. K.J. Kincaid-Smith, D.S.O., R.A. reported his arrival on 1^st September 1915, and is posted to command the 152^nd Brigade, R.F.A.

Hubert F. Rew.

Captain,

Staff Captain R.A.

34^th Division

August 30 1915.

R.A.HEADQUARTERS, 34^th Division

Tidworth.

I am sitting in a large hut surrounded by clerks with noisy typewriters. Guns and wagons are making a great noise and dust passing up from the station. The whole division is forming a new camp here to finish training before proceeding elsewhere – France, Dardanelles, Egypt, India, Who knows? I hope France. imagine the confusion. It is taking R whole days, 12 trains unloading every 8 hours, guns, horses, wagons, baggage, men. Tempers are shocking. My head is a bit muddled.

Tuesday I travelled up to Ripon, arriving about 6 p.m. Dined and helped to run a concert in 161 Brigade Mess. Slept in a hut on Wednesday. Thursday I moved into Ripon Clergy Training College, where I was billeted. Friday I went to Fountains Abbey in a car. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The Elizabethan Mansion at the back was lovely. It was a glorious day, and the creeper was just turning. Saturday I packed and loaded 5 tons of stationary in a railway truck. At night I went to Copgrove Rectory for dinner with the Rector and his wife. It was a delightful old house full of queer passages, good old furniture brass and silver. It was a great dinner. We had Moselle, Claret, Portland Chartreuse to drink. After dinner I did my best to admire his large collection of books and pictures. It poured all the way home and I got very wet, however I was in bed by midnight; but up at 4 a.m. I saw my four horses in the truck, and also my ten hangers on. WE started about 7 a.m. thoroughly wet and miserable. We arrived here at 6 p.m. and then had to unpack and get to camp 2 miles away.

I got to bed about midnight in a damp tent. Awfully jolly to be in camp again! Today I superintended putting up tents for the H.Q. Mess, making horse lines, opening telegrams. This afternoon I had a game of polo. Now I am doing correspondence. “Can I find a billet for a chauffeur”. Can I get rooms for Col. So and So” “Can I get a house for Mrs. Somebody-Else”. To all of this I reply “NO! not for love or money or influence”. The place is full of khaki, that ubiquitous deadly dull colour. I almost love a civilian. I have just had put in front of me a large quantity of Memoranda and Bye-Laws of the Southern Command, and Salisbury Training Centre, which I must read, learn and inwardly digest. The Mess bores me stiff. All they talk about is the sins of the A.S.C., or horses.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne June 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

June 13, 1915.

83^rd Brigade

Heytesbury House

“I am unable to get away this week end. It has been truly glorious weather, much too hot for work. We had two field days last week . This week we are doing night digging.

I motored over to Bath one evening early last week and went with some friends to hear the band of the 1^st Life Guards. We got back about one in the morning. The roads here are full of vehicles of every description ever invented since the Flood, from the donkey cart to the large steam lorry. Even the railway has been carried along the Codford Road. Hundreds of led horses, wagons of forage, stores, cause a vast confusion, and a solid block of sweating horses and men. Everywhere and above all is thick dust, turning the troops white.

I have just managed to get a beautiful little mare. She looks well, and is full of life. I have entered her for the Divisional Horse show to be held soon as a final social function. The Howitzer Brigade are firing this afternoon about eight miles away, and most of the officers have gone over there.

I had to go to Church Parade this morning in the tin tabernacle. A most awful little parson preached. He wore his wife’s fur stole round his neck. It may have been white once. Last Sunday afternoon I went to the Cathedral Service at Salisbury, and then had tea with some friends. Field Days. Colonel’s galloper.

June 22 1915.

“I had a most amazing journey last night. I caught the 9.50, from Paddington, and could not get further than Swindon, even with the help of a goods train. There I got a room at the local Railway Hotel, until 4.30, this morning, and then travelled by the early morning train to Heytesbury, arriving at 8.10 A.M. Today I have been Brigade Orderly Officer, and had the cleanliness of the camp to see to, and other similar duties, among them the inspection of prisoners in the cells. One is a trifle mad, and threatens to murder any one who goes near him. Tonight we are out picketing. Tomorrow there is an inspection by the General in preparation for Thursday, for rumour has it that the King and Kitchener are going to review us on that day. But I always doubt rumour. There is little news in the Times today, bar the War Loan.

Heytesbury Hole is just the same, 1only whiter with age and dust. The 17^th Division are just arriving, so more dust.

The Colonel had been away fishing and is in a good mood.

June 23 1915.

R.P.

I thoroughly enjoyed my week end at home. I had a long journey back via Swindon, where I spent the four midnight hours in the local Railway Hotel, and arrived at Heytesbury at 8 a.m. the next morning.

Tomorrow the King and Kitchener review us at Stonehenge, about fourteen miles from here. The whole Division will turn out. I am acting as Colonel’s Orderly Officer, so the Adjutant and I go by the saluting point together. I hope my mare does not run away with me. Tomorrow stables are at 4 a.m., and we start on our journey at 6.30 am. We shall be dusty when get there, unless it rains which it is trying to do now. The weather is on the change. The dust has been somewhat trying lately, covering everything with a white deposit. The day has been spent getting ready for tomorrow. Yesterday we spent the night, “picketing out” on the Plain.

The Divisional Horse Show is on Saturday. I am putting in my new mare.

They are still building huts here. The place may be completed after we have left.

Heytesbury is white with dust.

(Left Heytesbury on Tuesday afternoon, June 30^th 1915).

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne May 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

May 4 1915.

Shoeburyness

“…… We had a sort of (picnic) to-day. It consisted in tramping along dusty roads, carrying glasses, compasses, maps, directors etc., climbing up church towers, and locating places. It was rather interesting but very hot and thirsty work. It is a wonder our instructor got back at all as every one wanted him to have a pint at the village pub. I managed to finish my paper on Sunday night after I got back and verified my calculations on Monday morning, so I was alright. Several men missed the last train back and had to arrive with the milk in the morning. Our instructor here is a very interesting man. He was a non-commissioned officer in the famous “L” Battery R.H.A., which was blown to pieces by the Germans. He and two others continued to serve their gun when every other gun was out of action, and the other men killed or wounded, for which he and two others got the V.C. and commissions. He was badly wounded by the back burst of a high explosive shell ….

Thursday night is guest night with band, generally a lively time. (We have to honour the King in Mess Port!

May 12 1915.

After a strenuous morning riding, afternoon at gunnery, evening at lectures, we went out at 9 o’clock for gun-pit digging all night….. We returned this morning at eight.

Sunday May 15 1915.

R.P.

B.A.C. 83^rd Brigade R.F.A.

Heytesbury House

Heytesbury

Wilts

I arrived this afternoon with Dexter, and found that the whole of the officers of the 18^th Division were quartered in Heytesbury House. The surroundings are lovely, but the house is bare and much too overcrowded.

The Commandant of the Shoeburyness School of Gunnery has just been appointed Colonel Commanding our Brigade.

Thursday May 20 1915.

Somewhere on Salisbury Plain.

“I am sitting in a haystack surrounded by the muddy plain. We are on a field day with the infantry….. yesterday the whole 18^th Division went on a divisional route march, and General Maxse inspected us. As far as I can make out it was for the benefit of the ladies (wives of the generals and staff). See what I command sort of show,…..very boring for the (regimental officers and men and a day wasted.

The weather has been truly awful. I have never seen such mud. Thick chalky soup, almost up to one’s knees. The horses and men are never dry. You can imagine what it is like with the huts not yet finished. No stables and the horses in open lines.

Our new Colonel had arrived and dined in Mess last night. He is going to lecture to us every night on gunnery…..

Heytesbury House is the residence of Baron Heytesbury. The only furniture they have left are some awful family portraits and one or two broken chairs. Otherwise the place is empty and very dirty. There is a great crowd in the house. I am lucky as I am in a room with the adjutant and the Colonel’s galloper. The mess is very badly run, so we are enjoying ourselves.

Opposite here is a large wood, and on either side are high mounds, old tumuli, which probably contain the bones of British warriors. The only sounds are larks singing and gunners snoring. This American harness is very rotten, and is always breaking. Fancy having to go to America for our harness.

Some of the men are looking for what they call “nesties”. The usual instinct for hunting something. The language is a bit thick at times, but they are not bad chaps, very willing, though sometimes very stupid. The second in command of this Brigade is a priceless major, and he affords endless amusement because he can’t ride at all. He is very tall with long legs that hang down and dangle as he rides. He sits hunched up over the withers of his horse, and is quite incapable of controlling it. He backed into the General the other day, who was furious. The funny part is that when the battery goes into action and his horse takes fright at the noise, as it generally does, he is sure to be taken off to the rear, and as his battery staff have to follow him everywhere and keep him in sight, it is probable that the whole lot will be missing at the critical moment. They have put off our firing practice for a week, owing probably to the wet.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne April 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

April 20 1915

R.P.

R.A. Mess

Shoeburyness

“There is plenty to do here, and we are kept hard at it. We wear canvas clothes and are treated as ordinary tommies. We rise at 6.45 a.m. Breakfast at 7.45 a.m. Parades from 8.30 to noon or rather 12.30,p.m., then again from 1.30 to 5.30 p.m. Then tea and lectures till dinner time. Dinner takes an hour and a quarter. They turn out about 200 officers a month here. The detachment I am in consists of 24 subalterns under Captain Nelson V.C. He was a sergeant in “L” Battery R.H.A. and is now a Captain and our instructor. we are drilled by a regular sergeant one named Ford.

Eight of us live in one of the staff houses, and are quite comfortable. Two of us have a large room to ourselves. I share with a man named Cousens. Our camp kit is our furniture. Dexter & Gould are both here. The course lasts four weeks.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne March 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

March 8, 1915

R.P.

“Training has been considerably stiffened up. There are parades on Sunday mornings and on other days before breakfast and after tea in addition to the normal work. There are night marches and trench digging. I have been inoculated with two doses, and as a result I am rather stiff and sore. The 48 hours off duty which we are supposed to have, needless to say I never got.

Tomorrow I am motoring over to Ipswich where the 84^th Brigade is stationed. We are expecting to go into huts on the 20^th of this month. Leave has been cancelled from certain places such as Colchester, Braintree, Woolwich, Ipswich on account of the outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis which is bad.

We have had several officers convalescent after wounds posted us. Major Caruthers, Major Cornes and others.

On Sunday morning I took Church Parade of about 400 men. Then I groomed my own horse. Each officer has to be able to do this.

The Dardanelles show seems to be going well. How foolish the Turks are to join this war. Turkey will be the first empire to fall, and it should mean the end of the Ottoman Empire in Europe.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

March 8, 1915

R.P.

We have had several officers convalescent after wounds posted us. Major Caruthers, Major Cornes and others.

On Sunday morning I took Church Parade of about 400 men. Then I groomed my own horse. Each officer has to be able to do this.

The Dardanelles show seems to be going well. How foolish the Turks are to join this war. Turkey will be the first empire to fall, and it should mean the end of the Ottoman Empire in Europe.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne Feb 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

Sunday February 14^th 1915

R.P.

“I am Divisional Orderly Officer tonight, and have to sleep in the General’s Office near the entrance to the barracks. I am the only officer left in the Battery, as the others are away on courses, one at Aldershot, and the other at Woolwich. Part of the Divisional Artillery have moved to huts at Ipswich, the Dexters with them. I do not envy them in this weather, which is awful. The Saturday’s half-holiday has been cancelled now, and the work has been stiffened up a lot.

Tuesday February 24 1915. (?)

R.P.

“The scare here now is German air ships. I am on duty every forth night as Divisional Orderly Officer, and there has been a lot of night work lately. One day I went by road to Ipswich with six guns and full teams. Another day we had night trench digging. Other days our time is occupied in gun drill, ranging practices, and reconnaissance rides.

My routine for the last few hours has been: last night in the General’s office, when some business turned up which kept me occupied till after midnight. Next morning at 6.30 am stables, breakfast at 8, a.m. Parade 8.40 a.m. Brigade ride to various battery positions with Colonel Lushington from 9 to 12 noon. Demonstration Section Gun Drill noon to 1, p.m. Lunch at 1, p.m. Battery Parade at 1.40 p.m. Officer’s Standing Gun Drill from 2 to 3, p.m. Men’s rifle and marching drill 3 to 4.30 p.m. Stables 5 to 6 p.m. Battery accounts at 7 p.m. Dinner 7.30 p.m. After dinner I read Battery, Brigade, Divisional, Eastern Command and War Office Daily Orders.

On Sunday we had Church Parade. Then the Colonel found some dirty harness, and he ordered harness cleaning from 6 to 8 p.m.

Then at a late hour we had the excitement of the bomb bursting near by, which we may consider our baptism of fire.

It was quite a good shot for our barracks. The bomb fell just between the lower corner of the Artillery Barracks where our Battery has its quarters and the road in which I am billeted. A portion of the bomb was found in this road, and mine host declares that a portion of lead from his roof came down. I was not in my billet at the time, but was in another part of the town, so I did not hear much of the noise.

To night there is not a light to be seen anywhere. I hear a rumour that there are seven airships over Ipswich, but I have my doubts.

The other morning in the dim light of dawn I had to go down to the station to detrain a large number of kicking horses, which made me tear my hair until I managed to see the funny side of it, but my sense of humour took a long time to operate. Now we have a lot of vicious mules for the Ammunition Column, and some of the Battery wagons.

I expect leave will be hard to get now in case of emergency parades.

The 10^th Fusiliers move tomorrow to Andover.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne Jan 1915

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda & Correspondence

—————–

1915

January 10 1915

R.P.

“Today I am Brigade Orderly Officer, so I have to sleep in Officer’s Quarters as the other officers in the Battery are away I am extra busy. The weather is dreadful here.

I have seen Dick Pelly, who is Chaplain here. Influenza is rampant here. According to the doctors one in five have the complaint. We shall be a very small army if the Germans land on the coast.

The other morning I had to get up at 4.30 am to see two lots of men off at the station on leave. It meant riding to and from the station four times.

I hear that our Brigade is to go into huts at Reed Hall, two miles out of the town, probably at the end of this month.

There are rumours tonight of air ships over London. I hope it is not true for your sake.

We are hoping to get our new guns soon. It is about time too. Then it will seem more like business. We have a lot of new Canadian horses, but they are not exactly pleasant rides.

January 19 1915

R.P.

Maldon House

Wellesley Road,

Colchester.

“One day last week I motored to Clacton for dinner. The place was in complete darkness. It was most strange. There were no lights showing at all. Now I have a bad cold.

On Sunday morning I motored up to town to see some men off to the Front, and when I got back I was bundled off to bed, and no less three doctors came to see me. I slept all day yesterday, and now my temperature is normal. I hope to be out again tomorrow. Dick Pelly has been in to see me tonight, and yesterday my visitors were the three doctors. It is lucky we have not to pay for their visits. My host and hostess are looking after me very well indeed.

Monday January 25 1915.

R.P.

“Last night saw me back in Colchester. One officer is away at Shoeburyness on a course, and one officer has left us altogether, so we are shorthanded.

Tomorrow Capt Farmer and another officer and myself will be away all day on a Reconnaissance Ride. The mud here is worse than ever.

Give my kind regards to Amy Mac when she turns up.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne Dec 1914

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda &

Correspondence

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December1914

December 9 1914

R.P.

“We have guns, but only old 15 pounders, very ancient. At last the men in our battery have got khaki, and they look much smarter. The convict blue was really terrible.

I see that Vyvyan is gazetted today in the “Times” to the R.F.A. He will not come to this division.

December 20, 1914.

Everything is alright. Leave for various and very secret reasons has been cancelled. I suppose I had better not be more explicit now. Leave is supposed to reopen with luck on Wednesday next. Then I hope to get home again. Our train was full of angry officers called back from their homes. I was so sorry to give you such a fright, but I suppose one must expect such things to happen now, especially with such windy old dug-outs in charge. I hope the congregation did not think that the Germans had landed.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne Nov 1914

Jun16

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne

Extracted from

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda &

Correspondence

—————–

November 1914

Nov 13^th 1914

Sir,

I desire to apply for leave from 12, noon on Saturday, November, 14^th 1914, to midnight on Sunday November, 15^th 1914.

I have the honour to be,

Your obedient servant

A.A. LAPRORT Payne

2/Lieut R.F.A.

O.C. 260^th Battery

R.F.A. Colchester

Forwarded and recommended

H.F.T. Blowey

Lieut R.F.A.

O.C. 260^th Battery R.F.A.

To O.C. 83^rd Brigade R.F.A.

Colchester

Commanding 260^th Battery R.F.A.

Returned. Brigade Order No. 145 has not been complied with

Hanna

Colonel R.F.A.

Commanding 83^rd Brigade R.F.A.

Colchester, 13.11.14

Monday November 16 1914

R.P.

“Tomorrow I hope to go into a billet. It will only cost me threepence a day over the amount I am allowed for living out, which is 4/9 per day.

November 27

“We have a new Battery Commander, the last having left for France to join the Royal Flying Corps.

My host’s brother, Major Chopping R.A.M.C. has arrived tonight from Ypres for a short holiday of 3 days. He has told me a great deal of interesting information. He says that our troops can only hold the Germans for the present, and nothing further. The men are worn out with constant marching & fighting.

I see Huntriss, whom I knew at Salisbury, has been wounded.