A Soldier's Diary, South Africa 1899-1901 (1913)

IT was about the beginning of December when at last we got orders and were for the front after all. For weeks I had watched the transports steaming out between Forts Carlisle and Camden, in the latter of which my company was on detachment; and had even seen the " Simla " take out the plum puddings for the first Christmas of the war, before we were relieved by the Stafford Militia, rejoined the regiment at Cork and were embarked on one of those horrors of the soldier returning from or going on furlough— a Cork-Milford pig-boat.

I will draw a veil over that awful crossing, and take up the thread at Milford Station.

Here I had the luck to be told off as one of the corporals of the colour party, so that I rode in a first-class carriage, with a colour-sergeant, another corporal, and the colours.

The journey to Aldershot was a triumph ; all England was mad over the war, and a soldier was worth what he could drink in any company in the kingdom. We got an ovation at every station, and were adjured by people who probably didn't know whether the incident they referred to occurred in the Mutiny or Crimea, to "remember Ma juba Hill."

After having remembered it a sufficiency of times we arrived at Aldershot and took up some barracks (whether Albuera, Salamanca, Alma, or what, I cannot now remember ; but it was in Stanhope Lines, I think—anyway, it does not matter). Here we spent Christmas, and were pretty comfortable till the reserves arrived. These men were the popular heroes at the time, and undoubtedly were indispensable then, and formed the backbone of the army in South Africa; but — they put fifteen years on every non-commissioned officer in the service doing duty at the time they " came up." I was " orderly sergeant for the ensuing week," and I know !

I didn't see much of England in the war-fever, as I was always answering for other N.C.O.'s who had relatives near and were on pass to visit them, so rarely left barracks ; and I was most heartily glad when we entrained for Southampton and embarked amidst " great enthusiasm" (most of the regiment came from Southampton and Portsmouth) on the P. & O. boat "Assaya," a brand-new boat and well found. We lived as well on her as in barracks. I suppose I ought to know who saw us off and what speeches were made, etc., but I was too much interested in the doings of some of the aforementioned convivial reservists, who were having a good time on the quay with their friends and admirers, and seeing no reason why they should cut it short, would not do so until persuaded by a corporal and file.