PRINTERS Somerset Hall, Bath We make a speciality of the printing of If they are satisfied we are alone we hope that every the production of his We do not merely take We have printed Book-Auction Records for twelve years, and we know of no severer critics of printing than the proprietors of that publication. satisfied, and for that reason bookseller who entrusts us with catalogues will also be satisfied. orders for work but we make suggestions and we offer examples of what we think likely to prove attractive when a possible purchaser of books opens a catalogue. A bookseller wants something out of the common, and we can give it. Do you want a suitable block for your catalogue cover? We will submit one. If you do not like it we will design one specially for you. If you do not like that we will not charge anything for it but will make another. We try to make our work of the best and our prices of the lowest according to the quality required. We print catalogues for numbers of booksellers. give us a chance of quoting for one for you? If so, write to Will you Harding & Curtis, Ltd. PRINTERS Somerset Hall, Bath TELEPHONE: 211 BATH Army Records: A LIBRARY : human and humorous BY CAPTAIN W. JAGGARD (Author of 'Shakespeare Bibliography' and other Works) MONG the myriad sights of the "honourable city of London" few perhaps appeal to the privileged visitor with greater force at present than the bureau known as the Army Record Office. Occupying a group of towering seven-storey buildings, it presented during the process of demobilisation the picture of a vast hive, giving daily employment to scores of officers and a thousand busy clerks, all specially chosen for aptness. The "O. i/c. R." (i.e.: Officer in Charge Records) has an onerous and responsible position. Like a Field Marshal on active service his business is mainly to know all and say little. The position brings to consciousness, from the dusty limbo of memory, an old nursery rhyme, which ran somewhat like this : A wise old owl sat up in a tree Little I'll do, or say, said he : For the more you gaze, the more you'll see, " Surrounded by endless rows of thick oblong folio registers, millions of cards, and foolscap documents galore, the visitor stands amazed at the ease with which the clerks turn up any desired name or detail within a few minutes. The dossier of every soldier contains from a dozen to a score of official documents, while those who have been in hospital, or in trouble, may have a hundred. Nothing too big or little," as the printers say, to escape the lynx-eyes of the Record Office. In those endless stacks of documents lies human nature in all its heroism, individuality, and frailty. From the moment the amateur enters the army, to the day he departs from it, every detail of his history is registered. His physical description, age, birthplace, trade, next-of-kin, are all entered down. In addition, everything affecting his military, monetary, medical, or misdemeanour history is likewise registered, also his travel, marriage, children, and other domestic details. " Number Umpteen, Private John Jones probably forgot, years since, a little incident that happened say on the 10th Sept., 1904, at 10.20 p.m., but not so the Record Office. He was found after lights out' had sounded, outside his quarters, saying soft nothings to a lady friend, which cost him next day, on trial, one day's pay, and he doubtless deemed the escapade cheap at the price. No. 000, Pte. Christopher Christmas might open his eyes if he thought you shared a buried secret, that at 9 p.m., on 5th Nov., 1905, he was discovered, contrary to orders, inside a native kraal in South Africa, playing "House," or its card equivalent, with a smelly Kaffir. No. ooo, Pte. Bill Brown would be surprised if he thought you knew all about that young-blood joke when he ran amok in barracks, after imbibing certain firewater." The practical side of sentiment appears in the documentary correspondence occasionally. A disillusioned maiden seeks present address of No. 000, Pte. Don Juan Moonlight, whom she loved not wisely but too well, and is anxious for justice, via the police court. Unusual romance surrounds another man, whose crime could only have one sequel-death. Through some technicality he escaped being shot, and returned to the ranks. Shortly after, he repeated the crime, was tried, and again condemned to be shot. By an extraordinary fluke he again escaped the penalty, which was commuted to two year's imprisonment, but sentence was suspended while he served in the trenches. Through an oversight, that man was nearly demobilized, proving he bore a sort of charmed life, if not a mascot. Then the worthy English matron, whose man is “doing his bit,” fails to get her allowance, or wants it increased with growth of family, so gives vent to her feelings in no uncertain manner. Her" English as she is spoke" may not be classical, but it causes the Record Office to sit up and take notice. The language of these fair ladies, I regret to say, is not always fit for print, but their unconscious humour often redeems their coarseness. From samples before me I select a few which have beguiled the tedium of checking, vouching, and signing thousands of similar documents. I omit names and addresses : (1). “Sir—This is to inform you my husband received his calling-up papers three weeks ago, and I can't get rid of him." (2). Sir-I have not received no pay since my Usband gone from nowhere." (3). "Sir-When I received your letter I was in bed with Happendicities. It will be very usefull now." (4). “Sir-You have changed my little boy into a little girl. Will it make any difference to my allowance?" (5).. Sir-My husband has been away at the Krystal Paliss and got four days furlong. He has now gone away to the Mind sweeping.” (6). Sir-My Bill has been put in charge of a Spitoon (platoon). Shall I get any more pay?" (7). Sir-In accordance with your instructions on my paper I have given birth to a daughter on the 21st of April.” " (8). Sir-We received your letter. I am his Granfather and Granmother. He was born and brought up in answer to your letter." (9). Sir-Unless I get my husband's pay at once I shall be compelled to lead an immortal life." (10). "Sir-Mrs. H. has been put to bed with a little lad, wife of Peter H." (11). Sir-Will you send my money early as possible, as I am walking about Bolton like a ruddy pauper." (12).“ Sir-In answer to your letter I have given birth to twins. Hoping this will be satisfactory." " (13). Sir-Just a few lines to say owing to your delay in sending money we have not a morsel of food in the house. Hoping you are the same.". 44 (14). Sir-I write these few lines for Mrs. M. who cannot write herself, for she is expecting to be confined and can do with it.” (15). Sir-I send you a marage sertifcate but you only sent six back, there were seven but one died, her name was Fanny and he was baptized on half a sheet of notepaper by the Revered Thomas." (16). Sir-I am expecting to be confined next month. Will you please let me know what to do about it?" (17). Respected Sir, Dear Sir-Though I take the liberty as it leaves me at present, I beg to ask you to let me know where my husbin is, tho he is not my legable husbin as he has got a wife, tho he says she is dead. But I thinks he dont know for sure but we are not married tho I am getting my allowance reglar which aint the fault of Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Mackena who would stop it if he could, but if you know where he is as he belongs to the R.F.C. for ever since he joined in Jan. when he was sacked from his work for talking back to his boss which was a woman at the laundry where he worked. I have not had any money from him since he joined though he tells Mrs. Jones what lives on the ground floor that he was a "Pretty Ossifer" for 6/- a week and plenty of underclothes for bad weather, and I have three children what he has been the father of them tho he says it is my fault. Hoping you will write to me soon and you are quite well as it leaves me, I must close now hoping you are quite well." (18). Sir-I have been in bed with the doctor for three days, but he does not seem to do me any good. If you don't send at once I shall have to have another one." [What the poor woman of course meant was, that she had been in bed for three days, and had had to have a doctor. But after such a harlequinade to Captain Jaggard's pantomime we had perhaps better ring down the curtain. For a note on Captain Jaggard's ancestors, and their connexion with Shakespeare as the publishers of the First Folio, see B.A.R., vol. 11, page viii., section Colloquialisms." For his contributions to knowledge, see appended list. Ed.]. |