HLI Chronicle 1914 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

12 HIGJI~AND LIG):J;T INFANTRY CHRONICLE.AMBALA NEWS.OUlt sporting news for this quarter is verylimited in consequence of our move to Ambala,and although we did not carry out our projectedmarch from Lucknow we have completedfive weeks of our stay in the 3rd LahoreDivision on the line of march to and from theBrigade and Inter-Brigade manreuvres atMukerian, 136 miles distant from Ambala.On the outward journey we experienced veryheavy marching, the country being vcry sandy.but on the homeward march we clung all theway to that well-known Indian byway theGrand Trunk Road, and we had companionsin the South Lancashire Regiment, who werealso returning to Ambala.We found time in the evenings to try conclusionswith the corresponding Companies ofthe Lancs. at tug-of-war; also while at Ludhianawe received and accepted challenges toplay games at football and hockey.Our football opponents styled themselvesthe" Champions of the Punjab" and wereknown locally as the" Ludhiana Wanderers."In accepting their challenge we realised thatwe must put the best eleven available on thefield, and naturally thought we were "upagainst it," as the saying goes, the more sowhen we realised that our representatives hadto play in their ordinary marching boots, butvery early in the game we discovered that the7lst were quite capable of holding their ownand we stopped counting and playing after wehad registered 9 goals, thus depriving oureastern foes of their unbeaten certificate.Our hockey representatives did not fare sosuccessfully, as they retired defeated by 5 goals'to 3, their opponents being the LudhianaPolice team.The Inter-Coy. Tug-of-War contest with theSouth Lancs. resulted as follows :-" A ,,'Lancs. beat " A" H.L.I.; "B" H.L.1. beat" B "Lancs.; "D" H.L.I. beat" D " Lancs.;" F " H.L.I. beat" F "Lancs.; "G" H.L.I.beat" G" Lancs.; "H" H.L.I. beat" H "Lancs.; "E" Lancs. beat" K" H.L.I.; " C "Lancs. scratched to "I" H.L.I. Result­H.L.I., 5 pulls; South Lancs. 2 pulls.The above did not conclude our tug-of-warrivalry, as the sergeants of the Lancs. overcameour sergeants after a dour determined pull(query), but our subalterns nobly avenged thedefeat of the sergeants by having a victoryover the subalterns of the 40th.The tit-bit of the week took place on thelast night we were in camp together, a catchweightteam from each battalion opposingeach other. The superior build of the, Lancs.was obvious to all, but ours was a bettertrained lot of men, and soon had their opponentsover, gaining a regimental victory.OPEN-AIR CONCERT.AT Phillour we had a combined camp-fireconcert with the South Lancs. Regiment, andhad an excellent entertainment in spite of theusual diffic'ulties to be contended with throughlack of a piano accompaniment for the songsters.The programme was as follows :­Selected-Combined Band and Drums, S. Lancs.Song-" My Little Wife," Pte. Hopper, S. Lancs.Song_ UI've got my Jersey on," Pte. Wilson, S. Lancs.Comic Duologue, Pte. M'Ewan and Willets, H:L.I.Song_ U Twelve Months Ago," Pte. WiIson, H.L.I.Song_ U My.Latch Key," L.-Corpl. Micheison, S. Lancs.Selection-Band,S. Lancs.Reel-Pipers,Highland Light Infantry.Song-8elected,Corpl. Reid, S. Lancs.Sword Dance,Piper White, H.L.I.Song-" Dreamland," Sergt. Hill, S. Lancs.Song-" Little Grey Home in the West,"Lieut. Pitts Tucker, H.L.I.Song-" When a Fellow is It,". Ptc. Moran, S. Lancs.Song-" Thora," Lance-Corpl. Haddock, S. Lancs.Combined Tattoo Pipers and Buglers, H.L.I.Combined Tattoo Band and Drums, S. Lancs.INTER-COMPANY TUG-OF-WAR OUP,1913.As these notes go to press we hlll-ve concludedthe first round of the annual contest f~·r theInter-Company Tug-of-War Cup.The results are as follows :-" F " Companybeat "B" Company; "G" Company beat" I" Company; "A" Company beat" K "Company; "H" Company beat·" D " Company." F " and" G" are the favourites at present,and we should see some excellent "pulls" inthe semi-finals and finals.SERGEANTS' MESS NOTES." A chiel's amang ye takin' notes, an' faith he'll printthem."WE are indebted to l\fr. Donald Keith, latesergeant in " K " Coy., for a very interestingand instructive letter describing his voyagehome from India, via Colombo; and again hisjourney from home out to Canada. He alsogave a very good account of his .first impressionsof Canada.We had a billiard match with the Sergeantsof the K.O.S.B. of 800 up. Four games had