Our Despatches from the Front (No. 79).
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IN A LEYLAND CONVOY,
28th February.
"Swinging the Lead."
" Swinging it" is a slang expression for avoiding work of whatever sort it may be. For instance, the man who gets on the sick list and is excused all duties when there is nothing wrong with him, is 'swinging it " in an excellent way, but I would advise him to keep a look out for No. 9 pills, or he won't have a very soft time of it.
At reveille in the morning the orderly wakes us with the request that we " rise and shine," which, in common or garden English means' that we get up, wash and get ready for parade.
M.T. Not a " Cushy " Job.
Some people imagine that the M.T. is a 'cushy "job, but if they had one day a week to get their has on the wash and thoroughly wash and grease it, they would cer tainly kn'ow what one day's work" was. Of course, on that day there is no other work, for which most of us are thankful. Other days we may have to start at seven or eight in the morning and not be in before midnight, although we may have done only a short journey to somewhere " for " something."
'Do as You're Told.
"When in the army be an Armenian" seems to be a motto for some of us, but I would warn everybody to do as he is told, as, although he may be on the right side, a grumble goes against him when he is after a nice job or weekend leave; officers and N.C.O.s have a nasty habit of remembering.
In the ranks are to be found men with letters after their names. I saw a B.Sc. on a washing fatigue the other day, and another man, who, I was told, is worth £12,000 a year and owns a couple of RollsRoyce cars, I saw shovelling coals.
20 Men at Is. 9d.
We had a jolly time on a convoy the other week. It was a three days job and we were billeted two nights. If there are any lady readers of the " C.M.," might I ask them how they would like to have to feed 20 hungry men for supper and breakfast and find them sleepinc, accommodation at the rate of sleeping 9d. per head, arid
boots here have a habit of carrying the mud. Yet one old lady did this for us, and made us all very comfortable, and was apparently quite glad to see us as well. Several people have asked me if we of the A.S.C., M.T. drill. I can assure them that we do. I can also assure them that it is a kind of relief to do an hour's drill under a smart N.C.0.—quite the opposite, of course, with an N.C.O. who is not an expert. Perhaps I nriay`conclude with the following dialogue which I overheard at recruits' drill the other day :— Overheated sergeant (with very awkward squad):'You there, you putty nosed civilian, what's your trade? " Mild and meek recruit, in civilian garb : Motor cyclist."
0.5.: "That's not a trade, it's a. disease. They say your King and Country need you—poor King and poor Country."
WITH THE b.ZD. CAN% 29th February.
The recent spell of heavy frost and snow was not given a hearty welcome by the majority of men in this column. A few of the more light-hearted were certainly anticipating fun in the form of skating, etc., but, unfortunately, frosts have invariably been followed by rapid thaws, thus shattering all hopes in this direction.
Coppersmiths Too Busy. Up to the present frost and snow have given a minimum amount of pleasure and a maximum amount of labour. Snow is doubtless essential to Christmas postcard artists and Polar expeditions, but on Active Service, taken in conjunction with the workings of an M.T. Column, it is an unnecessary evil. During the past week coppersmiths have been wanting transfers to more tropical climes, and storekeepers . have been doing a roaring business with radiator tubes and tanks.
Radiators with Plain C pper Tubes.
It may interest some of your readers to know that so far as radiators in general are concerned experience out here has proved that those fitted with a nest of ordinary plain copper tubes have given the least amount of trouble this winter. The particular pattern of radiator I have in mind is that fitted to Daimler lorries and L.G.O.C. buses. Should a. radiator of this pattern come into workshops for repairs, such repairs can be executed in a very short period, much shorter than repairs to a radiator with a honeycomb nest or gilled tubes. Again, this particular lorry radiator may be dismantled in a very short time, and, when necessary, new tubes are quickly and easily fitted.
Should Have Been Standard.
It is often a cause for reret that this or a similar pattern tas not been made a standard throughout. Apart from efficiency these days, too, these radiators have much to be said in their favour for general all-round, all-weather use.
Great Precautions Against Frost.
During winter months great precautions have been taken to prevent the effect of frost causing serious damage to radiators and engines. After a run all water is drained from the engine, petrol is turned off, the engine is run to clear the carburetter and pipes, lamps are lit and placed under bonnets, and heavy bonnet covers are placed in position. These would appear to be effective measures against frost, but sometimes they have been insufficient.
Frost and Sleeve Valves.
In the case of Daimler lorries, for instance, it is also necessary to remove the studs from cylinder heads, and, with the aid of a syringe, drain the head jackets. Often, too, a small amount of water is left in the pump, and it is necessary to heat up the pump na0 with the assistance of a blow lamp (or Primus stove) in the morning before attempting to run the engine.
A Radiator that Gives Trouble.
A radiator which has not proved a great success is the one fitted to
lorries. In this case the tanks appear to be at fault ; the rest stands up well, although it is not one which lends itself to speedy repair when necessary. The walls and tanks are made of a far too light material, and, owing to the amount of vibration set up by the engine, they have a habit of breaking adrift from the rest. At the same time, perhaps, this may in part be due to the method of fitting same. But the whole radiator appears unable to stand up to the strain of Active Service conditions.
This fault is, so far as the experience of this column is concerned, the onfly one to be faind with these lorries : in every other respect they have been doing excellent work with a minimum amount of trouble.
Wanted: Effective Non-skids.
Apart from engine trouble, frost arid caused much worry and radiator snow have out here in regard to the actual running . of lorries. The -question of effective non-skids is the next important one. At the pvesent moment there are several types of non-skid chain in use. It is impossible to fit a standard chain to every make and type of vehicle : a chain which acts admirably on one lorry cannot be fitted to a lorry of another type with the same amount of efficiency.
Chain Cases in the Way.
The most difficult lorry to find an effective non-skid for is a lorry, chain-driven and having chain cases fitted. Many makers of chains have not taken this class of vehicle into consideration at all, forgetting that in this case there is merely a small amount of clearance between the wheel and chain case, and a chain which must be fitted right round and over the rim is of no use at all.
Non-skids Quite Essential.
After a heavy fall of snow such as we have . recently experienced out here, it is impossible to run a lorry with any amount of -certainty as to the course it is going to steer without using non-skids, unless some new tire he invented.