Dated:

Letter from Capt. T. Magladery

Bramshott, Dec. 16, 1915.
Back from London safe and sound and very much impressed with all I saw. New York is big and high and the sights of London are as much more wonderful than N.Y. that they should not be compared. The old black stone buildings, massive, beautiful, are beyond description by one like myself whose English is limited. Westminster Abbey received about two hours of our time whereas two weeks would be time enough for only a superficial observation of all that it contains. Rather an experience you know to be visiting tombs, reading epitaphs of old Kings and Queens that have been there for hundred of years. The statues and monuments erected in honor of celebrated men whom we know well in history were also very interesting, probably none more so than that erected in honor of our own General Wolfe. The tower bridge and tower of London also very fine, but unfortunately visitors are not allowed in the tower so we missed that.
We did not forget our stomachs, and had dinner at the Cecil, Ritz, Carlton, as well as some of the smaller ones such as the Trocadero and Piccaddilly where we stayed. The stores are fine but the goods rather crowded and piled up, not nearly as much attention being given to display as is done in our own good stores.
Still it is good to be back to work again, not because I like work any too well, but I feel to some extent that every minute away from our work means just that much less in efficiency, and the harder we work the sooner the job will be done, and the sooner we will be home.
My musketry work is taking up a lot of my times as I have some thirty-two lectures to get up. Of course when I once get the subjects well in hand everything will be much easier as all I will have tp do will be to give these lectures and keep records of the tests, but just now I am the real busy thing.
Dec. 17.
It has not rained a drop all day to-day, although the sun has hardly been in sight. You see when it doesn't rain here, it fogs. And then the mud! it is something fierce, but of course one could hardly expect anything different as 15000 men, some horses, and a lot of mules are bound to mess things up a bit. Poor Cooper is busy most of the day cleaning boots and shoes for me. He was up at London for a couple of days and was quite disgusted with it - not nearly as nice as Canada in his estimation. All the Canadians get colds on arrival and I am no exception although mine is getting better. But all over the camp you hear men coughing away. Once you have had a cold or get rid of it, you are supposed to be climatized, and the damp and wet does not worry you.
Dec. 18.
To-day I took a long walk through the country with Major Morphy (all Saturday afternoons are holidays here) and we enjoyed it greatly. No matter how long I live here the beauties of their hedges, vines, houses, roads, will always appeal. In the Spring and Summer of course it must be absolutely beautiful, but even now in this dull rainy foggy weather, one can appreciate it.
So far none of our officers have been sent away for courses, and it isn't likely that anything will be done in that respect until after New Year's. The general feeling is that we would all be glad to go as we are only living a sort of hand-to-mouth existence: Although all our supplies for our mess have been ordered for nearly two week, yet nothing has arrived, and in consequence our officers' mess is not established.
We are all scattered around with the different battalions and only see one another on parade. This means that we miss our happy little times and parties that used to make quite a break in the monotony of our training. When goods are ordered here you can make up your mind they are going to arrive not when you want them but just when the stores and railroads decide to let you have them. The national evil, or perhaps virtue, over here is that nobody will be hurried. If you ask some one a simple question, he will probably ask you for a cup of tea and a quiet talk over it. It's their way here and I am not sure that the system has no virtues. In America we are used to seeing people flying around, making a big splash even if there is nothing to do but in England everyone is calm and serene even if the work is piled up in front of them. In the end they accomplish as much as we do and perhaps more, they are happier because they are never worried, and consequently live longer.
Dec. 19.
Directly after church this morning, Pat Murphy, McDougal and I struck off for a long walk and have just returned. To-day has been almost perfect, bright skies and sun, no wind, no fog, and just cold enough to make one feel comfortable when taking exercise. Last there was quite a heavy frost, that is heavy for this country, and this morning the mud was stiffened up. However it did not take long for the sun to bring the mud back to us. We had lunch at the “Moorlands Hotel” which is a very good country inn. The bread is served in the loaf and you break off what is required. After lunch you go to an entirely different room to have your tea or coffee, neither of these being served in the main dining room. There are always things like this cropping up that are strange in Canada which brings it back to us that we are a long way from our home.
Jack Mackay has been made a Major and he was quite pleased about it when I saw him yesterday and congratulated him, Jack is a very popular officer, not with the officers alone but with the men, and more especially with the men directly under him. When one is popular with his own men nothing more needs to be said. The news of his promotion pleased everyone and no one more so than myself.
To-morrow our Battalion commences shooting at the ranges under my supervision and it looks as if I were in for a busy time. They go out in batches of 250 and we are in orders for every day this week except Xmas. The ranges are 6 miles from here so you can see that by the time we tramp out there, do our shooting and tramp back, a rather big day's work has been done. Still I am rather sure that it is better to be busy and on the go than to be “forming fours,” etc. around here on a very muddy parade ground.
Dec. 22, 1915.
We have been at the ranges all day and are going again in the morning, so you can imagine me getting up at 5 sharp, getting a poor breakfast, and off with 300 men in the dark and mud. However we rather enjoy it, as we get clear of the eyes of Staff Officers. Then I think it is born in every man to like to shoot off a gun, and so the boys like to be banging away at the targets.
For several letters I believe I have forgotten to mention the weather, but it is still carrying on. Rather remarkable though is the fact that for two days this week it didn't rain. The oldest inhabitant is scratching his head and trying to remember a way back when it did that before, but without success. One of our fellows said to me the other day, that when we were on the boat he was struck with the vastness of the ocean and he often wondered where it originally came from. Now he knows, because he is sure it all ran off this little old island.
On Christmas day our men are being given a dinner of turkey and plum pudding and all the officers are eating with them, just a sort of home affair for us all. The mess rooms are being decorated with holly and everything is to look as gay as possible. The fact is, the officers are looking forward to it as keenly as the men.
Dec 24.
At the ranges again to-day and how it rained. It simply poured down in torrents and we were all wet to the hide. My cold is entirely better and I am feeling fine and dandy. After all the wettings that I get here without any ill effects, I feel that colds never need scare me. One thing that helps out is that immediately on our arrival from the ranges, we are served with bowls of hot soup in the men's mess, and that warms us all up in fine shape. Then young Cooper always has my underwear, clothes and everything hanging around the stove and he simply will not leave me alone until I get everything off that is wet and all my warm clothes on. He is a good boy and I am very fond of him.
To-night Major Murphy and I are going to a Christmas dinner in the 58^th Officer's Mess. They are also entertaining the officers of the 35^th. Since we got over here there is nothing but the very friendliest feelings existing between the Battalions that were at Niagara. You know how much rivalry there was over there, well that is all a thing of the past and we are all as happy as brothers.
Dec. 25.
There is no doubt that, conditions in Germany are very very bad and rapidly getting worse. Every day there are riots, windows smashed; and the police have had to shoot into the crowds several times to clear them away. Last week a big mob of mostly women attacked the Chancellor's House and partly wrecked it. The poorer classes cannot buy meat or butter and one paper (whose editor was jailed in consequence) gave a table showing the large number of people in one little district that had not had meat for over a year. This interior trouble is bound to have a big effect and is sure to shorten the war to a very great extent, even if it does not cause its rapid termination. In England the feeling is just the same as in Canada, quiet, grim determination that we will win, must win, that the war must go on, that money must be spent until the German Emperor is brought to his senses.
It makes one feel good these days to be a Britisher because every one seems perfectly happy and ready to make the greatest possible sacrifices for the sake of the grand old Union Jack. These sacrifices, this grim determination, this great pride in the flag and Empire can spell only one thing, and that is victory for the Allies and confusion to our enemies.
The dinner last night at the 58^th was a decided success, and we all enjoyed ourselves greatly. The dinner itself was very fine - 8 courses - so you can see that the 58^th did the job up right. Then a few very good after dinner speeches and a few songs, then the Maple Leaf Forever, God Save the King and home to bed. It was more like being in Canada than anything we have had yet and appealed to us all. The best part of the whole evening was the absolute good feeling that pervaded and the spirit of comradeship among the three battalions was very marked.
Dec. 26.
Sometime when you have a chance and want something good to read, buy “How Armies Fight.” The book was written 12 or 13 years ago by an English officer and it is all about a war between England, France and Belgium against Germany. When it was written there was much scoffing among the peace people, but now everyone is reading it with amazement. The battles, towns captured, etc., seem to fit in exactly with the present war, and one almost feels that the author is writing history rather than a story. I am reading it bit by bit when I get a chance and find it very interesting.