Geoffrey Watkins Smith - 13th Rifle Brigade, kia 10/7/16

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Now the time comes, after a long but interesting route.

1913 - 1916.

New College.

Oct., 1913.

Dear Father,

I have engaged in a large number of uncertakings which are filling up my time pretty well. I am supposed to be giving two public lectures, one in Liverpool and one in London, which are not yet written, and I am giving a course of lectures with practical work three days a week here, and I have ten ordinary pupils and eighteen moral pupils. The latter, of course, I don't teach but just look after generally; and I had five of them to lunch to-day, very pleasant fellows who did not need much entertainment.

I must have ricked a muscle in my chest, as I have a horrid shooting pain there which takes my breath away, but I believe it is nothing, and I never seem to have much the matter with me. This is all the news about myself, so you see life is leasantly busy in these parts......

The College is in a very flourishing condition just now; we are full of geniuses and rowing blues, and we shall probably have another record of great prosperity for this year. But after this year we do not look as if our rowing will be very good, and we shall proably lose the headship of the river, which will be disappointing, but perhaps some useful freshers may come up and put things right. We seem to have a good deal of coming talent in the work line.

Love to all from

Geoff.

[marina]

What on earth are moral pupils? Anyone know?

Marina

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Marina, No idea.

New College.

May 7, 1914.

Dear Dorothy,

I see that the Irish players are going to be acting in Oxford on the Monday evening you will be here. They are doing two pieces I do not know, but I dare say they would be good. I know you want to see the Irish players, but do you think Mother and Father would? The pieces may be amusing or very melancholy, or both mixed, but shall I get tickets for the Monday evening on the chance? It won't matter much if we don't go after all, as I could probably return the tickets.

......I tried to play tennis to-day, but it came on to rain, so we adjourned to the squash racquet court and got very hot instead.

I went to dinner at the great Club(1) the other day, and sat next to the President of Yale University, who was brought as a guest by Sir William Osler. Warde Fowler was there for the first time, and we had a very jolly talk about birds; he is a charming old man, very deaf, but full of vivacity. I have got a lot of lecturing to do, and am also teaching - or supposed to teach - agricultural zoology, quite a new subject for me.

Love to all from

Geoff

(1) The Tutors Club, to which he was elected in 1913.

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New College, Oxford.

Aug. 10, 1914.

Dear Mother,

On arriving here I found that 200 territorials were living in College, as a concentration camp, before going to ***** where they are stationed. They went off yesterday evening, and the Warden and some of us saw them off.

As far as we know, we shall not have any more here for the present. The principal thing here is a very large military hospital which is being imrovised in the Schools. It is to be one of the principal ones in the south of England, and as it is nearest to London, it is expected that it will be busy centre. It appears that both military and civil authorities are being rather overwhelmed by offers of help, but I saw Dr. Ormerod, the Officer of Public Health, to-day, who said that in a short time he thought that one's services might be useful in relief measures. Meantime Professor Dreyer, who is looking after the pathological department of the hospital, is preparing a lot of typhoid vaccine, and said that he would be very glad if I could lend him a hand in his laboratory, so I may find that there are some jobs for me to do without getting in the way. The military people do not want any recruits for the O.T.C. or territorials at present, though it is possible that the O.T.C. may start recruiting again in September, and if I find that there is nothing doing in the civilian line I may join them. So I shall stay here at present and go on with my work and give any help I can that seems to be wanted.

I saw Mr. Stening this afternoon, and he was evidently being rather bombarded by useless offers. After a time, no doubt, the organization will begin to clear ground, and we shall see where there is a need to fill gaps.......

It is uncertain whether we shall open for next term, but it is probable that we shall, at any rate partially.....

I will write again soon.

Your loving son,

Geoffrey.

[marina]

Marina, No idea.

Since he doesn't teach them, maybe he was a kind of Guidance teacher. supervising student welfare.

Marina

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New College, Oxford.

Aug. 13, 1914.

Dear Dorothy,

Since I wrote last there has been a scheme to restart the old Officers Training Corps, which is now depleted owing to its members having mostly got commissions either in the Special Reserve or Kitchener's New Army. The idea is, I believe, to have a training camp as soon as possible for partially trained as well as untrained men, and to be able to supply more men to take commissions. I have put my name down for the camp, as Mr. Stenning tells me that although I am over age to take a commission in Ktchener's Army, I might be useful either for the Territorials or else to carry on with the O.T.C. here in future. At present I am doing some recruit drills and have been taking some riding lessons. The latter is rather exciting, as at present I fall off most of the time, but as it is in a riding school with cocoa-nut fibre to fall on it does not matter much. I am afraid I am not making much progress at present, though I manage to get very stiff in the legs as the result of trying to stick on. There are several people up here hanging about with the same idea as myself, but we hope to get off to camp by next week.

There are a lot of unfortunate foreigners left stranded in Oxford for the Extension Classes, and among them a good many Germans, mostly ladies. There was a sort of reception for them yesterday evening and a small concert, but I am afraid it is rather dismal for them. A number of our forestry students were over in Germany attending a course in the Black Forest, and nothing has been heard of them since the outbreak of war, so we are rather anxious to know what has happened to them. I suppose that in the next few days there will be important developments on the Belgian frontier, as the big armies are coming into contact. Have you had any news of Hugh or his probable movements?

Love to everybody from

Geoffrey.

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New College, Oxford.

Oct. 25, 1914.

Dear Father,

The War Office have asked the O.T.C. here to supply a few men between 30 and 35 to act as Lieutenants in the New Army, as they find that in the most recently raised battalions they are getting nothing but very young subalterns and they have no older men among the Regulars to spare. I have applied for one of these posts, and have heard that I shall probably go in the course of the next month to a regiment, probably the *** Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, whic is camping at *** Park, near Aylesbury, where they are in training. They will probably be a long time before they are ready to go out, at any rate till the spring, I should think, so I hope one will have time to learn one's job as thoroughly as possible. I am pretty keen to get a job of this kind, as it is very difficult here doing military work half one's time, and taking pupils or what remains of them the other half.

The O.T.C. is going pretty strong and our Class I, of about 200 men, is getting quite smart. I am having some good practice in drilling small bodies of men, but we have not yet done any field work, which seems to me the most important. We were going to do a night march last night, but the weather was so applling that it was given up, which I thought rather feeble in the existing state of things. Next Saturday we have not got any night operations, so I shall try and slip off for the week-end and come and see you......

Love to all from

Geoff.

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New College.

Oct. 27, 1914.

Dear Dorothy,

At the same time as I got your and Father's letters I had a notice from the War Office to join my regiment, *** Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, at once, so I am off to ***, near Aylesbury, to-morrow. I was not expecting it so soon, but luckily I have got practically all my kit and am fully accoutred for any weather in camp. There is, I believe, a whole division, i.e. about 20,000 men, in and around Aylesbury, mostly in the Rothschild's parks, and I am told that the Rothschilds are doing everything they can for the comfort of the troops, and even provide hot baths, but I shall believe in those when I see them. I expect I shall be very busy at first, but when I get the chance of a week-end off I will bolt home to see you, uniform and all complete, as you say. Mind you, the Rifle Brigade is a very swagger affair, though we, as a newly raised battalion, will be nobodies at present. However, I believe we have got quite a lot of regular officers and are not to be despised even now. I feel rather as if I was going to school again for the first time, but that will probably wear off. Hugh would be amused, or perhaps horrified, to see me masquerading as a soldier, but necessity is the mother of strange inventions.....

Love to all from

Geoff.

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** Rifle Brigade,

The Club House, **,

**, Bucks.

Nov. 1, 1914.

Dear D.,

I have had a busy four days here, as I was put at once in charge of a company of 280 men, for whom I am responsible as to training, paying and conduct. It is really rather absurd, but so far everything has gone off all right. I paid out £100 yesterday, and to-night I am going to get my conduct sheets made up to date. Unfortunately my Quartermaster-Sergeant went away on leave just as I took over the company, so I had to work on as best I could, though I find the N.C.O.'s in general extraordinarily helpful and smart. I am amazed, too, at the quickness with which the ordinary soldiers pick up their drill and learn their duties, and there cheerfulness under really veryuncomfortable conditions is really amazing. I believe our camp here has been absolutely condemned as unfit to live in, and if you could see the mud in which we wallow you would scream with laughter as I did when I first saw it. Of course, as officers, we are comparatively well off, as we are only two in a tent; we have a good mess and this quite luxurious club to retire to occasionally, but the men are fourteen in a tent of the same size as ours, and have no special place for messing in, and often not a change in clothes. Nevertheless, they are as happy as larks - mud larks - and sing and talk away like anything. When I was inspecting our lines yesterday I heard this beautiful chorus from a tent:

They told me I'd soon be an officer

But I don't care two tut-tuts,

For if I'm not made a Colonel

I shall still be one of the nuts.

This is an allusion to the fact the Rifle Brigade men have got it into their heads that they are a cut above everybody else here.

We had a wonderful Church Parade this morning, the whole brigade forming a hollw square in a large field, with band in the middle, officers round the inside of the square. We mostly sang hymns, The Old Hundredth, Onward Christian Soldiers, and Jesu, Lover of my soul, very well-known ones which the men enjoyed tremendously. At the end General Hutton, commanding the division, addressed us from his horse and said that on the whole we had behaved ourselves well, but that a few people had made a row in Aylesbury and got drunk, and that we must not do it again.

We are awfully lucky in our battalion with our officers; we are all children, of course, except the Colonel, but really rather nice children. I share a tent with Mr. Wiggin of Oriel, who was Presidnet of the Union last year, and a very charming clever fellow. The there is Mr. Jackson of B.N.C., a famour mile-runner, who is extraordinarily pleasant, and several others, but it is quite difficult to particularize. Of course we must have some more experienced senior officers soon, but I really think we have got good material in the men and that they are coming on pretty well.

You would be amused to see me interviewing the prisoners of my company and making a preliminary examination of the cases before sending them up before the C.O. They have, so far, been fellows who went away on leave for a day then stayed a week with really no excuse. They generally have to forfeit so many day's pay, and I feel rather sorry for some of them who obviously are not the sort of men who can look after themselves well.

I hope to get away for next Saturday and Sunday and come home, and will write when I know for certain.

Love to all from

Geoff.

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** Rifle Brigade, **,

**, Bucks.

Nov. 10, 1914.

Dear Mother,

Thanks very much for the splendid gloves and the shoes. My Quartermaster-Sergeant was much impressed by the shoes; we will issue them when we get into the huts and keep them for the men with sore feet. He is of the opinion, however, that we shall have the whole company saying they have sore feet, in order to get them, but I told him that it would be good education for the men to treat one another fairly in the matter. We had a good field day on Monday, the battalion making an attack on a village. My company was in the front line and we managed to keep in touch with the other attacking company quite well. I hear that a certain number of senior officers will be joining us soon, so I expect to relinquish my command pretty soon and take a rather more suitably subordinate position, but it will have been a very useful experience.

To-morrow the whole division of 20,000 men is doing a field day, which will be rather exciting, though I expect there will be much confusion. We had a perfectly lovely morning to-day when we went out for our early morning march, the autumnal woods in a beautiful soft sunrise. Unfortunately I have developed rather a bad sore throat, for which I am sucking potash lozenges, supplied by the medical officer. We have now got 600 rifles for the battalion, which makes the training much more real and interesting for the men.

Love to all from

Geoff.

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** Rifle Brigade, **,

*, Bucks.

Nov. 26, 1914.

Dear Mother,

The shoes have arrived and have been issued to the company. They will be very useful, especially as we are going into billets to-morrow at **, where the men will want indoor shoes badly........For some reason or other the company did very well this morning in a little attack we arranged, and they seem to have improved greatly in the quickness of their movements and intelligence. I have been rather busy seeing about the billeting, which was sprung on us suddenly, and I went yesterday to ** and saw the Superintendent of Police about the arrangements. It was a useful experience to have, especially as I had our old Sergeant-Major to explain how the thing ought to be done. The reason we are going into billets is to enable the contractors to finish the huts properly and ake some roads which are badly needed.......

I had rather a successful lecture and discussion after the last field day which, I think, the men appreciated, and I am preparing some more lectures. Our senior officers are expected soon, when I shall retire gracefully from my resposible position, but I hope Sir Foster Cuncliffe wll take on my company, as I feel he would be really good and I should like to be under him, but of course one cannot pick and choose. I expect we shall be more comfortable in billets, but I am not very keen to go, as it will interfere with out training, I am afraid. The handkerchiefs have just arrived and are simply splendid: it is a real and frequent pleasure to blow one's nose. Many thanks to you all, and with best love

from

Geoff

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Bucks.

Dec 10, 1914.

Dear Mother,

Isent a postcard off this morning saying that I hope to get my leave on Monday next, until Friday, and I believe that it will really come off this time. Three days ago a Major Collett arrived here and took command of my compant, so I am now second in command. He commanded the Wellington O.T.C. for many years, and is a man of about 45. He knows Jack Cave well, and is a very nice man indeed, and I should think a very good officer.........We get on very well together, and I think the company ought to get jolly good in time. We did night operations under the Colonel yesterday, and he was very much pleased at the quiet and intelligent way the men worked.

We had a busy day to-day paying the company, as the men are going off on Christmas leave and are taking two weeks pay with them as well as 10/. clothing allowance. The latter is to cover what they have lost by using up the civilian clothes they joined with.

There is another rumour that we are going to Marseilles in January to finish our training, and this time it came from a Divisional Staff Officer, so there may be something in it. We have a Cinematograph Teatre, and a Baptisit Chapel in which to give lectures to the men. I have only used the Baptist Chapel so far.

.........We are being very well looked after by the people in our billets, and the men are looking much cleaner and smarter.....

Love to all from

Geoff.

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20 Merton Street, Oxford.

Dec. 18, 1914.

Dear Mother,

I did my exam on Friday; it consisted of a paper in the morning and two viva voces by a Colonel and a Staff-Major, and in the afternoon we had to drill a battalion. A number of 1st Lieutenants turned up from various parts, and among them several Oxford men, Mr. Guy Dickens and Mr. Stocks of St. John's, the brother of Fred Stocks. We all passed, except one fellow, unfortunately from our battalion, who, as a matter of fact, must have been feeling rather ill, as he is really quite good. The paper was absurdly easy; one question was: 'Why is it important to be able to recognize the Pole Star? Draw a diagram of the Gret Bear and the relation of the Polar Star to it' - the sort of thing children learn in primary school. Some of the questions were harder, but I happened to have looked most of them up recently. I am jolly glad to have got through and got rid of the absurd thing.

I came here last night and am staying till to-morrow afternoon with the Townsends.......

When I got back I heard that the report of our going out so soon as January was rather discredited; March or April being nearer the mark. It will be better weather then, anyhow, which is some consolation, and I expect we shall get a chance of doing something. They have started trench-digging with our battalion, so I am rather keen to get back and see what is going on.

I had a games of squash racquets this afternoon; quite a new experience playing a game.

Love to all from

Geoff.

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Bucks.

Feb. 6, 1915.

Dear Mother,

.....I took B Company to church to-day at 8.30 in the morning, since when I have stayed in doors and read and slept, as I am rather tired and my throat is rather sore, and I thought a little rest would do me good. We have had a very good week's musketry under good instructors who have been through the Hythe Course, and the men have learnt a lot. This week we are going to do some battalion training, then some more company training which will include bridge-building, bivouacking, and then go on to brigade training.

They evidently intend to give us a pretty thorough training before sending us out. I am sorry to say that Major Collett's rheumatism does not improve at all, and it seems possible that he may have to retire. I shall be very sorry if he does, as we may not get anything like such a good man.

.....Practically all our officers have been struck down by influenza, just the same as I was, though some have been a good bit worse.....

Love to all from

Geoff.

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Bucks.

Feb. 20, 1915.

Dear Mother,

I am going to come home for this week-end, but I am meeting about twenty-five New College men in London on Saturday evening to dine with them. Some of them are going out pretty soon, and we want to have a little farewell dinner. So could you leave the key of the back door for me on the window-sill of the kitchen facing west, in military language, as I may be rather late ?

We have tarted vaccination now and I was done yesterday, but feel no ill effects at present. They say three or four days afterwards is the time that it is felt.

We have had some very good day's training during the week, and I think I shall like being in D Company, as I get on very well with all the officers, and have got great confidence in Captain Cuncliffe. He really thinks out his schemes beforehand..........

We are having some real hard frosts and a good deal of snow.

Au revoir from

Geoff.

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The menu from this dinner mentioned in the previous post, at the Trocadero

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All the New College men that attended and signed the menu

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** Rifle Brigade,

Bucks.

April 7, 1915.

Dear Mother,

You have seen in the Gazette of to-day that I have been made a Captain; Sir Foster is a Major. We don't know why at this particular period, or why it is antedated to February 13th, but one just accepts things as they happen without attempting to understand. Also we have suddenly got the order to move from here to Salisbury Plain the day after to-morrow (Friday), where we shall be in Camp under canvas. We have been transferred to another brigade, the 44th, I believe, and we are K2 now, so that our battalion has been promoted.......I am sorry to say that Sir Foster has got a bad throat and a temperature, and is in bed for a week or so, so that I have to command the company. It is rather strenuous work, making all the arrangements for moving.

.....A parcel will arrive of some of my clothes and a few books. Could you put them away in a cupboard, the clothes with some lavender or something, to keep moth out ?

Love to all from

Geoff.

[marina]

Yopu might have posted what was on the menu as well!

Marina

[stiletto_33853]

Sorry Marina,

I do not have what was on the menu.

Photograph taken at Rye by M. Bradby, Summer 1913.

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Bucks.

April 8, 1915.

Dear Mother,

....We have been pretty busy to-day getting everything ready for our transfer. We go by train to-morrow. I had rather fun to-day riding Sir Foster's horse on a riute march this morning. I was at the head of the column with the Colonel, who had rather a blood mare, which made my beast rather skittish. We passed a horrible traction engine, and both horses skedaddled all over the place, and mine went backwards into a thick hedge where I thought I was going to be deposited, but fortunately I stuck on and held him.

What I found particularly difficult for the first time was getting about the column and going forward to my advance guard, and keeping a hand free for saluting the Colonel whenever he gave an order, as these things always seemed to occur when my animal was taking up all my attention. However, we live and learn, and I hope Sir Foster will get back before I do anything absurd. The Colonel was very sympathetic, in fact charming, as he always is, and gave me some little quiet hints on horsemanship all the time.

Love to all from

Geoff.

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** Rifle Brigade,

Camp.

April 10, 1915.

Dear Mother,

We have got into our camp here quite comfortably....... We are in the north-east corner of Salisbury Plain, with glorious downs stretching away all round us, an ideal place for a camp. We are brigaded now with a battalion of the Kings Royal Rifles, and two battalions of Fusiliers whose tents are all round quite close to us. **** The Fusilier Battalions look a very fine lot, a good bit in advance of us, and quite first class at drill. They also have very good bands, which performed this morning at Church Parade very well. Yesterday afternoon we were inspected by the Divisional General.... He didn't say much about us, except to ask if we always walked as fast as that, which I should have thought was fairly notorious for the Rifle Brigade. I have got a very comfortable tent to myself, and am in uproarious health, as I always am in the open under canvas. I had a very nice ride over the downs this morning on the black horse, who was extremely docile and didn't putme into a hedge, for the simple reason that there was not one within miles. About ten aeroplanes come over a day, as there is a flying school close here.

I hope to be able to get home for next week-end with any luck.

Love to all from

Geoff.

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** Rifle Brigade,

Camp.

May 3, 1915.

Dear Father,

I am sorry I have kept the song so long; so far from suggesting any alterations I think it is excellent throughout, and with a good tune it ought to be a real success. It reminds me of the songs you used to write when I was at Temple Grove, and which I used to sing at School suppers.

I spent this last week-end in camp, and after Church Parade I went a long walk with our medical officer, Mr. Dukes, through some woods which were full of primroses, violets, and anemones.

In the afternoon I made a map of some ground near the camp, as I have got to instruct half the junior officers in map reading and making. I don't know much about it, but with the help of a manual and a good deal of practice, I can now produce something which looks like a map.

We have got a big Brigade field day to-morrow which will probably keep us out all day, and the last three days of the week we are doing some more shooting on the ranges.........

My foot is alright again after a slight sprain I gave it riding, and otherwise I am very fit.

Love to all from

Geoff.

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** Rifle Brigade,

Camp.

May 10, 1915.

Dear Mother,

We had a very hard week during the hot weather, as we had to march over to the *** Ranges, which are about five miles away, shoot or mark in the butts all day, and then march back again. The men got very dusty and tired, but we managed to get plenty of water and some fruit for them, and they cooked their own food over wood fires. They are very handy at looking after themselves, and produced quite decent meals out of rather unpromising looking material. We are shooting all this week as well, so we ought to know something about it soon, especially as we are now all fitted out with new rifles. I have got my own rifle, which suits me excellently, and I have made some farly good scores with it.

I managed to ruch off to Winchester late on Saturday night after coming back from the range, and spent a delightful Sunday there. I went down to College and got there in time for chapel, and after chapel saw a lot of the masters. I had lunch with Mr. Fort in hall, and then went up to West Downs, where I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening. It was very jolly seeing the boys there, they all seemed supremely happy. I went with Mr. Helbert and the whole school over the downs to look at some new trenches which had just been made. After that we came back and went to chapel, and I had supper with the boys, sitting next to John, who looked after me most hospitably. They all made a perfectly wonderful noise, shouting and laughing at one another all through the meal, in perfectly rampageous spirits. I felt very proud of our three young men(1), as they are all capital fellows each in his own way, and are evidently very popular with the other boys.

Winchester as a whole was looking most beautiful with the fresh green of the trees and fruit blossoms....

With love to all from

Geoff.

(1) His nephew, John Nowell Smith, Robin and David Milford.

[Steven Broomfield]

Brilliant stuff - thanks.

Moral Pupil - as Marina suggests, someone he was mentoring/overseeing the moral guidance of, I'd reckon.

The names on the Menu: how many of them survived, I wonder.

What an extraordinary generation we lost. How different would the world have been....we'll never know.