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The Leicestershire Regiment in India - First and Second Battalions Meet at Belgaum

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Date: 13 Oct 1906 [unknown]
Location: Belgaum, Karnataka, Indiamap
Surname/tag: Leicestershire Regiment
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  • Leicester Daily Post 06 November 1906

Event referenced by the profile for Arthur Carver

THE LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT IN INDIA. – FIRST AND SECOND BATTALIONS MEET AT BELGAUM – REJOICINGS AND A FOOTBALL MATCH – Writing from Belgaum, Bombay Presidency, on October 13, a correspondent, who adopts a nom de plume of “Eph Delmage,” says:-
The monotonous routine of barracks life at Belgaum, where the 1st Leicesters have been stationed since February, 1906, was broken somewhat during the past week, and this usually quiet, almost forsaken spot “lived” for a few days. The cause of all the commotion was the arrival of the 2nd Battalion Leicesters from England, it having come out in relief of the 1st Battalion, which after a period of 18 years’ service abroad, was now proceeding home, sailing from Bombay on October 19. On arrival in England the men will take up their quarters at Shorncliffe.
Considerable excitement generally prevails in barracks at these times, wen the reliefs are at hand, for what with fatigues, packing of kits, marking and labelling, the soldier is not given the opportunity for indulging his propensity for “FORTY WINKS,” a luxury which every soldier who has served in India knows how to value at its true worth. These “forty winks,” snatched during the hours of the sun’s greatest altitude, are considered of more importance to the soldier than his dinner. That particular meal is very often dispensed with altogether, but the “forty winks” never.
When the relieving battalion is one of another regiment, there is a very promising prospect of a free fight among the soldiers, a certain amount of jealous feeling always being rife amongst men of different regiments, and ofttimes even between the two linked battalions of the same regiment, each regiment and battalion deeming it to be its bounden duty to uphold the honour of the particular unit. Undue zeal in this respect often precipitates the enthusiast into difficulties. When once the ball is set rolling, it is the signal for the general attack, and a free fight ensues, a fight in which there is no enmity as against individuals, but against the regiment as a whole. It is, perhaps, but natural that civilians should denounce these encounters as savouring of barbarity, but when we remember that armies of different countries will fight against each other to uphold their country’s honour – will fight against men for whom they have no personal enmity – why then, can we understand the feelings that prompts separate battalions in these encounters. Many will remember the fracas at Halifax (Nova Scotia), and the troubles at Jamaica, and also at the Bermudas which resulted in a serious enmity between regiment and regiment. But it is not always that miniature wars occur when strange regiments meet at times of relief. Sometimes the regiments or battalions have A SNEAKING LIKING one for the other, and there is then a series of merry-makings and rejoicings; men of both regiments, total strangers, mixing freely together, and in the free-and-easy fashion of soldiers when in their happiest moods making friends anywhere and everywhere, of anybody and everybody, big or small, sergeant or private. One and all are on the same footing. When this friendly feeling is existent among the soldiers, the relief becomes a pleasant holiday, a time of jollity and sing-song in the canteen.
The interest and excitement in the relief of the 1st Leicesters was at fever-heat, owing to the unusual circumstance of its sister battalion coming out from England to relieve them at Belgaum. It is only about once in a blue moon that this phenomenon happens among regiments of the line, there being but a few solitary instances of the two battalions of a regiment being in the same station together. Early on the morning of October 13 the inhabitants of Belgaum were awakened from their peaceful slumbers by the strains of the combined bands of the garrison, which had turned out in force to WELCOME THE FRESH FACED TROOPS, newly arrived from England. The band and drums of the 1st Leicesters, band and buglers of the 103rd Maharattas, and the pipers of the 82nd Punjabis, discoursed sweet music along the line of the march from the railway station to the barracks. Some of the newest and oldest popular songs were requisitioned to cheer the hearts of the men, who have a long time to serve in India ere they date to so much as foster a sneaking hope of seeing dear old England again. Even poor, weary “Bill Bailey,” outcast as he is, was among friends that day, and when the band introduced “Bill” to the men from England, their faces lighted up with a smile.
At the entrance to the barracks, the men of the 1st Battalion had congregated to accord a hearty welcome to the men from home. Some few having brothers, cousins and friends coming out, and almost everyone seeing someone they had known before they had come out to India. When the band struck up again that catchy ditty, “I’ve a sneaking feeling for you” the waiting troops took up the chorus, and shouted it out in sympathy for the new-comers, some of whom have seven years staring them in the face. The words sounded something like “I feel sorry for you,” and no wonder, seeing that Belgaum, despite its pleasing outlook, as compared with other military stations in India, is yet far from a paradise.
ARRIVED IN BARRACKS, the men marched to the quarters allotted to their respective companies, and having discarded all accoutrements for the time being, towels and soap were brought into play, and water being plentiful at this season of the year at Belgaum, the accumulated dust and dirt of the railway journey from Bombay was soon got rid of, and the men sat down to a breakfast, provided by a subscription among their comrades of the 1st battalion, who had dipped into their pockets to give the 2nd Battalion a breakfast worthy of them, and one which comes the way of a soldier only once a year – at the jolly Christmas season.
The remainder of the day was passed in a round of visits and friendly drinks, and a few were to be met with, after dark, searching on hands and knees for the barrack-rooms they had somehow managed to lose. But no disturbance out of the ordinary occurred; everybody was apparently in the best of humour with himself and the world at large, bearing enmity against no man, but willing to make friends with, and have a friendly drink with, anybody and everybody.
Some few of the new-comers, MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF TEETOTALER, went into the bazaar to see the sights of Belgaum, but were not in the least fascinated by what they saw, and came back to barracks with faces as long as fiddles, grumbling about “having three years to while away in a dirty forsaken hole, where the only things to be seen a n*ggers, dogs, beggars in filthy rags, and a mixed assortment of goats and cattle.” These men seemed to have come out from England with an idea that India is a paradise with its golden temples, alabaster mosques, gaudily dressed natives, male and female, fruit trees growing by the wayside, with the golden fruit dangling from the boughs, waiting for the hand to be put forth to pluck it. They came to India expecting to find a “Garden of Eden” and are disappointed now that they have found something quite the reverse.
ENTERTAINMENTS. The corporals of the 1st Battalion entertained the corporals of the 2nd Battalion at a smoker in the evening, 201 putting in an appearance, and with songs and recitations, a most pleasant evening was wiled away, the concert coming to an abrupt termination when the clock chimed the hour of midnight, thus ushering in the day of rest, the Sabbath, when all merry-making must come to an end. The sergeants also entertained the sergeants of the 2nd Battalion to a smoker, whilst Tommy was left to entertain Tommy if the 2nd with an improvised concert in the canteen. But there is an end to everything, and soon after midnight the merry-makers had separated, and were very soon snoring peacefully in their little co’s, of the world and its pleasures for the time forgotten.
On Sunday morning the men for England paraded for Divine service, when the chaplain of the garrison, Rev OW Barham, formerly of All Saints’, Loughborough, preached a farewell sermon to the men, congratulating them on their good fortune in thus proceeding home, and wishing them, one and all, God-speed on their journey, and a happy time at home with friends and relatives.
In the evening A FOOTBALL TEST MATCH was arranged between the teams of the 1st and 2nd Battalions. Great interest centred in this match as the 2nd Battalion came out with a good reputation, and the 1st Battalion had also made a name for itself and the game during its service in Ludin. The match was regarded as affording some sort of idea as to whether the 1st Battalion’s team would have any chance in the Army Cup, for which they have been entered this season, and in view of this great interest prevailed. From the kick-off the 2nd broke away, and in the first ten minutes of the game it it looked as through the 1st Battalion would have their work cut out to effect a creditable draw. The 2nd’s line for forwards were all around the goal of the 1st, sending in some excellent shots, which all but beat the goalkeeper, Lance-Corpl Harriman, of Loughborough, but he succeeded in keeping his charge against all-comers. After the first ten minutes the 1st Battalion got into their stride, and once they were fairly on the move the 2nd had not a ghost of a chance. At half-time the score was: 1st battalion two goals; 2nd Battalion none. In the second half the 2nd Battalion only once got across the half-way line. And a very one-sided game resulted in a win for the 1st Battalion by five goals to nil. This result has raised hopes that the 1st Battalion will work their way into the final round of the Army Cup.
DEPARTURE OF THE 1st BATTALION On Monday the advance party of the 1st Battalion entrained for Bombay, the remainder of the men, together with the women and children, entraining on Tuesday evening. They embark on the s.s. Dongola, and sail on the 19th inst., arriving at Southampton on November 10.
It is now necessary to say a few words with regard to those men whose “luck” was fairly out, and who have been left behind at Belgaum to rejoin the 2nd Leicesters at this station. The number proceeding to England as the 1st Leicesters is something like 470, and the number of those left behind in Luden 600 odd. It is hard for these poor fellows to see their chums going home to “dear old England,” and they themselves left in the deserted place. Many of them had not the courage to face the ordeal of bidding their chums farewell, and at the last moment took themselves to the bazaar, and there stayed till the “lucky ones” had departed, and them came out of their hiding places, and drowned their sorrows in the canteen. The ordeal is now over, and the men are settling down again to the routine of barrack life, intending to make the best of a bad job, and looking every forward to that day when they will sail back again to “England, home, and beauty.”

Sources

  • Leicester Daily Post 06 November 1906
    Find My Past (accessed 30 June 2023)




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