Sunday Evening Sept. 30 /17

Dear Jennie.

First of all please pardon my not writing sooner for when I give you a little detail you will understand fully. I was one of the unlucky or lucky boys to be left and moved into the C.R.A. and for the last month I have been up at Reveille and doubling around until dark at night. A Reserve bunch is different from an ordinary Battery or Battn. especially a vast change from the old T.M.B. life. As drafts move out every week its essential to train men in short time and to do this very strict discipline is enforced. Now I was put right on riding school a two weeks course, where at the end of that time you have to be able to vault into the saddle from the ground the horse trotting or galloping, be able to put the right foot over, drop to the ground and without taking a step vault back into the saddle the horse trotting or galloping, be able to do physical exercises such as back bending backwards and forwards, body leaning to either side without stirrups or reins the horse trotting or galloping and finally jump three hedges and two bars to pass out. I finished that in two weeks. Then I was put on driving drill, where you do Battery movements at the walk, trot and full gallop with our horse teams and its rare sport at the gallop. We go out every morning, take our lunches and don't come in until tea time hence we have all our little extras to do after supper and so you are busy all the while. Expect to pass out driving next Friday, then I have a weeks' musketry, a six day leave (that looks good to me always) and then its (sic) only a matter of time until you see real life in France so I hope to be in the game the latter part of October. They even had us out all day today Sunday grazing horses so you can see how difficult it is to find time to write especially when you have to miss church service Sunday evening to do so.

We have fine eats now. The tables are all set and when the bugle goes its (sic ) like walking in to dinner at home, all that is lacking is someone to say Grace and the fellows are generally to (sic) hungry for any extras of that sort. Harvesting is all over now. The grain was a splendid crop and the Farm yards sure look good with three or four big stacks, each with its thatched roof, to decorate them. We were just laughing over a case of desertion a few minutes ago. At the riding school there was a man perhaps 40 year of age present. I don't ble believe he could ride a rocking horse and all the while he hung on for dear life, trotting he bounded like a rubber ball, going over the jumps I thought he would never come down, for he had high aspirations. Anyhow the instructor kept bawling him out every day, until finally one day he fell off trotting so the instructor I guess could'nt keep in any longer and he said "Hammond which was the fellows name) "for Gods' sake get out, if can't get out desert" and I guess the old fellow took his advice he was missing next day and that was about three weeks ago. Wish the old fellow all sorts of luck. Had a letter from Jim after he went across the pond Was O.K., bileted (sic), thought beau-coup of the grandes mademoiselles. Most of the other boys went into the heavy serge battery. Hence I'm deserted now in a bunch of strangers. I haven't been out of camp for a month now, generally put in the evenings reading or take in the movies, have forgotten all about women, so you can just imagine me now. The old bunk looks so good to me that I just crawl in about 8.00 P.M. and offer up my humble prayer something like this.
"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
And make the trumpter (sic) feel so sour,
He'll let reveille slip by an hour".

I haven't written to May for ever so long but when you see her give her my new address please plus my best regards and I'll try and find time next weekend.

Well Jennie I guess I'll have to ring off now, give my best regards to the boys and hoping all are well and everything going O.K. around the old burg.

Sincerely
Stuart

Add.
Driver Stuart J. Holmes,
1st Bde. C.R.A., B. Battery D Sub,
Witley Camp,
Surrey Eng.
# 639922