HLI Chronicle 1910 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHT...AND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE. 147
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. At the beginning of August 2nd Lieut.
Pltts Tucker left on leave, pending embarkation
for India. Previously, on the 19th
~uly, 2nd .Lieut.. C. L. Cornish joined, and
lIke 2nd LIeut. PlttS Tucker he is an old Carthusian,
having been with the former at school
at Charterhouse. During the same week the
Battalion went out on Company marches,
and as they had the fortune to camp on the
River Bride several officers during the
evenings succeeded in contributincr a welcome
addition to the commisariat. '"
2nd Battalion News.
THIS time last year Ireland belied its national
colour. After a hot and dry summer the
country was parched - up and brown, and
September and October were blazing hot.
In November not a drop of rain fell, thereby
considerably spoiling that month's hunting.
This year, throughout the whole summer,
or rather that time of year which mankind
call summer, there has been incessant rainnot
rainy days and fine days alternately, but
five days out of every week a deluge, culminating
at its highest point when the Battalion
went into camp. However, more of this
hereafter.
The Annual Games were held at the County
Oricket Club grounds on June 27th and 28th,
by kind permission of the members of the
Club, to whom we give our best thanks. Great
credit is due to those who gave tlleir help to
make them a success; and as the events were
this year more open than thev latterly
have been, it is a pity that a greater number
of spectators from the Battalion do not
a~tend. Directly after the games were over,
I,leut. W. Halswelle and 2nd Lieut. C. Pitts
Tucker went to Kilworth in charge of a party
of 100 recruits, who in spite of the bad weather
at the commencement of the course shot
exceedingly well. At the same time some
practice was gone through in the hopes of
bringing home the Young Soldiers' Cup from
the Curragh, and if-there is always an if
but still, if-we could have gone straight fro~
our practice instead of having a break of over
a month, I think possibly we might have been
successful. Amongst the March and July
:recruits there is the making of some very good
shots.
On Tuesday the 2nd August the Battalion,
under the command of Lieut. Col. Kays,
left. ~or Ballyvonare Camp, near Ruttevant,
to Jom the rest of the 17th Infantry Brigade.
The. Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the King's
RegIment from Kinsale having left their
stations previous to us, neither ofthem return
after manreuvres, the Royal Welsh going
to Dublin and the King's to Kinsale. The
first day's march was to Carr-o-neal, about
19 miles from Cork and three miles short of
Mallow. The camp was in a field belonging
to Colonel Williamson, lately commanding
the Royal Welsh, who kindly entertained
some of the Officers to dinner. On the 3rd
the remainder of the distance, just over 11
miles, was completed, and we found at Ballyvonare
that parties of the R.W.F. and the­
King's had partially pit~hed the camp, and
we were played into camp by their bands.
Fortunately we were favoured with good
marching weather.
;r The annual Wappenschaw, such as was
possible on the field firing range, was held
on the 10th and 12th August, after which 29
of all ranks left to compete at the All Irish
Army ~ifie Meeting at the Curragh, and when
we conSIder that we had no great opportunities
for pract~ce, and that some Regiments, such
as the RIfle Brigade, had over 300 men competing,
we must heartily congratulate them
on their sucess, especially CorpI. Lockyer,
Bugler Mearmg, Ptes. M'Guire and Strathdee,
and the Young Soldiers' Team. Next year
we hope to send more men up, and give a still
better account of ourselves. The weather
w~s wretched-incessant rain and very tricky
wmds.
Lieut. J. D. Blythe and 2nd I.ieut. Grahame,
both of our 4th Battalion,were attached to
us in camp, and 2nd Lieut. R. Brown Colthurst,