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11 August 1918 – Ted to Gertrude

11 Aug

Dear Mother

Just a line to confirm my wire which I hope you got & understood to say I have been given a staff job. Brigade Major 34th Bde. I’m delighted with the appointment, as a Brigade Majorship is undoubtedly a good job, & I am lucky to get one first go off so to speak. I applied for staff employ 3 or 4 months ago, on the advice of Genl Brooking, & others, and after all, after dropping from C.O. to a company commander where I had the same work & responsibility as officers of 2 or 3 years’ service, I thought it better all round to try & improve my prospects in the service. You see I’ve got somebody else to think of now!

It is a splendid job, & you will find most staff officers who have gone on to higher appointments look back on their days as brigade major as the best. I must explain what it is. A Brigade (Infantry) is as you know commanded by a Brigadier general, who has two staff officers under him, a Bde-Major & a staff Captain. The B.M does all operations training & fighting, & the S-C all the administrative & disciplinary work of the Brigade, so obviously B-M is more interesting & it is the senior job of the two. My general is one Wauchope, a charming man & a very good soldier & a glutton for work. So I am indeed lucky to serve under him. I knew him in Amara last year, so I’m not quite in such a funk as I might be.

Of course it’s only a job, I am not leaving the regiment for good; normally a staff billet lasts 4 years, but one can’t tell nowadays. It may lead to other & better jobs later on, that remains to be seen. In any case rest assured I am mighty pleased with the appointment. I am sorry to leave the rgt: in many ways, having been so long with them & all through the war so far with them. But there are wider views to take & broader issues to consider; & after all my little experience & knowledge – if I may say so – stand more chance of use & development in my new job than in the comparatively narrow confines of a battalion.

My address will be

Major ERPB

BRIGADE MAJOR

34th INFANTRY BDE.

M.E.F.

So cease sending c/o Cox, & don’t put the regiment now; just as I have written it above is correct.

The 3rd course at the school here finished yesterday, & I am not sorry. I have had valuable & interesting experience here, & have met a lot of good fellows, & I do not in the least regret my stay here; far from it, it has been most useful & I have benefitted a great deal from it I know. But in my heart of hearts I don’t care for “school mastering” & I’ve just been here long enough to escape boredom: I go to my new job with pleasure.

I have got a week’s leave, & I am going down to Hillah to stay with a pal. The ruins of Babylon are there, & the tower of Babel, & Ezekiel’s tomb, & a host of other “sights”, so I should have an interesting – if rather hot – time. The average temperature of July was 109, & it’s been about that all along, hot, but not too bad. This is only a scribble to let you know my movements. My new Brigade is on the same “front” as Jim’s rgt, but not the same division: but we shan’t be very far off each other & I expect we shall meet.

Best love to all   yr loving son

Ted


Actually 34th Indian, part of 15th Indian Division

 
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Posted by on 11 August, '18 in About

 

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