Our Family History
The Genealogy of the Story Family
Lt. Col. Robert Story
1854 - 1924 (70 years)
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Francis Edward Story - Letters 1922
April 1922
13/16 CavalryKohat23/4/22My dear Daddy,I own right here on the 21st at 7.00 AM after a month's travelling and have now more or less settled down and got into things. The whole show has greatly changed since I left and everything seems very strange. The regiment consists of four squadrons - Hd. Qtrs commanded by myself which includes gunners, signallers, ??? ??? And other ragtag and bob tale!A squadron - Dogras - commanded by Gordon,B squadron - Sikhs - CO Whitford Hawkey.C squadron - P??? Mus - CO Scott.Colonel, Adjutant and Qu. th are all 13th as also is second in command. This leaves the 16th fellows more or less in the minority but this is only to be expected when the CO is 13th. As far as I can see things run fairly smoothly though. I hear that our men consider that they have been done down. Scott and Gordon are teetotalers and reformed characters - the former is married and I hear she's making a new man of him. Scott is also talking of getting married so that may account for his sudden fit of virtue!
I like Kohat so far. It seems to be on a plateau, surrounded by high hills; plenty of trees & greenery & quite a call at present. Have been very busy since my arrival, first getting unpacked & then taking over the squadron with all its strange people. My broom is nice but rather hot & the bung. Is between the mess and the lines which is handy. The office, qr, etc. are wired in & the mess is sandbagged on the west side on account of snipers. The country round is not nearly so bare as the Derajot & there are plenty of trees & cultivation. I hear the hot weather is short - only three months & the temperature averages 5°lower than that of Peshawen. Sand flies make a nuisance of themselves at nights & I have been pretty well beaten.
Polo seems to be in abeyance just now - Scott has sold his ponies & got Rs3500/- for one from the Rahjah of Kialingash at the BC tournament. We were knocked out in the second round by the winners 17/37 by five goals to three. We might have done better if our team had played more together.
The Col. has fired a tactical scheme over our heads & I have been trying to cope with it. Arranged to go out at 8.00 AM this morning with one of the fellows & at 8.30 found him still asleep in bed. He had been dining out, well not wisely & felt rather the worse for wear this morning.
Started Hindustani yesterday with her munshi who seems a good man. He is 1st class qualified in Calcutta & I like his methods. We started on the 3rd part of the books which is far & away the hardest & fairly tied me up in knots! The exam it is in July & I have hopes of passing. I hear they are very stiff these days & in the last exam only one passed out of twelve - not a very bright outlook is it?! What with ??? tactical schemes, Vickers gun & a comic squadron my time is pretty full but I feel all the better for it!
I don't like the Irish names wonderful bit & it seems to be getting worse & worse. There seems to be very little hope of you being able to get away now - it ought to have been done years ago.
I hope Mummy is still keeping as well as possible.
I own right here on the 21st at 7.00 AM after a month's travelling and have now more or less settled down and got into things. The whole show has greatly changed since I left and everything seems very strange. The regiment consists of four squadrons - Hd. Qtrs commanded by myself which includes gunners, signallers, ??? ??? And other ragtag and bob tale!
A squadron - Dogras - commanded by Gordon,
B squadron - Sikhs - CO Whitford Hawkey.
C squadron - P??? Mus - CO Scott.
Colonel, Adjutant and Qu. th are all 13th as also is second in command. This leaves the 16th fellows more or less in the minority but this is only to be expected when the CO is 13th. As far as I can see things run fairly smoothly though. I hear that our men consider that they have been done down. Scott and Gordon are teetotalers and reformed characters - the former is married and I hear she's making a new man of him. Scott is also talking of getting married so that may account for his sudden fit of virtue!
I like Kohat so far. It seems to be on a plateau, surrounded by high hills; plenty of trees & greenery & quite a call at present. Have been very busy since my arrival, first getting unpacked & then taking over the squadron with all its strange people. My broom is nice but rather hot & the bung. Is between the mess and the lines which is handy. The office, qr, etc. are wired in & the mess is sandbagged on the west side on account of snipers. The country round is not nearly so bare as the Derajot & there are plenty of trees & cultivation. I hear the hot weather is short - only three months & the temperature averages 5°lower than that of Peshawen. Sand flies make a nuisance of themselves at nights & I have been pretty well beaten.
Polo seems to be in abeyance just now - Scott has sold his ponies & got Rs3500/- for one from the Rahjah of Kialingash at the BC tournament. We were knocked out in the second round by the winners 17/37 by five goals to three. We might have done better if our team had played more together.
The Col. has fired a tactical scheme over our heads & I have been trying to cope with it. Arranged to go out at 8.00 AM this morning with one of the fellows & at 8.30 found him still asleep in bed. He had been dining out, well not wisely & felt rather the worse for wear this morning.
Started Hindustani yesterday with her munshi who seems a good man. He is 1st class qualified in Calcutta & I like his methods. We started on the 3rd part of the books which is far & away the hardest & fairly tied me up in knots! The exam it is in July & I have hopes of passing. I hear they are very stiff these days & in the last exam only one passed out of twelve - not a very bright outlook is it?! What with ??? tactical schemes, Vickers gun & a comic squadron my time is pretty full but I feel all the better for it!
I don't like the Irish names wonderful bit & it seems to be getting worse & worse. There seems to be very little hope of you being able to get away now - it ought to have been done years ago.
I hope Mummy is still keeping as well as possible.
Love to all -
Your affectionate son
Teddy
June 1922
13/16 Cavalry
Kohat
N.W.F.P.
5/6/22
My dear Daddy,
your letter of 13/5 arrived this morning with one from Mummy. Many thanks.
As I said in previous letters to her I think I stand as much chance as the next man in staying on. They are choosing the fellows by confidential reports and records of service. I have had to reports one from the 13/16 and one from the R.D.H. In the former I was classified as Category B an ordinary everyday officer and the C.O. added that he had never met me but that Col. Means (late O.C. 16th Cav.) had included my name in the list for those staying on. Soon after I have arrived here I wrote to Major Ley of the R.D.H. who was my C.O. in Veemuch and put out feelers about getting back. He wrote me a very nice letter and said he had drafted I've report and Col. Lambert had signed it. He classified me as "A" (first class officer!) and said the usual things - promising young officer, good with Indians and so on. He also put that I was a good polo player - this he must have got from Col. Wogan of the R,D,H. whom I played against in a tournament in DJK. He has seen the Asst. Mil. Sec. about me and has applied for me. Altogether Hughie Ley has done me proud although I was only in the depot for 16 months but I always got on with him. It's a pity in a way that it even came to the 16th. If I had stayed on I should have passed a H.S and probably been through the cavalry school ??? Which is the aimar and ambition of every cavalry subaltern out here. On coming to the 16th - I got a certain amount of experience but also to years of continued ill health which even a year at home has not altogether put right. I'm ever so much better now but an none too strong yet and a Kohat hot weather does not help much in that way. I find the only thing to do is to carry on and not to worry and get as much rest as possible. The last few weeks have been hard sitting out in some from 6 a.m. to 9.30 on there range - and then had to have to turn out guards and visits sentries as a orderly officer at night. Any spare time I had was spent on my back under plumb bob!
As the RDH have done me so well I must help myself and an outgoing all out for the HS which is on July 3rd & 4th. As regards composition - yesterday I did a Proficiency unseen of October 1913 and be munshi gave me 80% for it - I looked up one or two words. So I think I have made some little advancement in that part. I hope to finish the book twice more before the exam once with the munshi and once by myself making a vocabulary as I go. I can now read fairly fast and find I can remember words and their beastly name spelling very much quicker than before. It's just a matter of practice. I only wish I had more time to give to it but I must take exercise - it is absolutely essential for fitness in the hot weather. Tho' taking it all round I think I can say that I have a fair chance of passing although it is now so much more difficult.
After July I intend working for my captaincy which is ??? in August 23. Four this I hope to go to the Young Officers School in Changla Galli in the U??? Hills. There the coach one for the various exams. I should like to go now but we are shorthanded as it is and I am commanding B Sqdrn pro tem - so must work on my own. Having done all that I can say 'bas hagya'for a month or two and go on a spot of leave - perhaps seem Ralph.
I see in the papers that are sort of young civil war has started in Ireland, North and South. I always thought it would come someday.
I have written to Pat saying that there have that I might blow in on him someday soon and asked for a job. I think I should like the NWM Police in Canada but don't know very much about it - I hate farming and tools and engines mostly bore me stiff; I found it very hard to make you realise that at home! Also I have no gift for being a handy man but quite realise that the advantages of it. One cannot be gifted in every way you know.
I hope to write to Mummy this mail but may not get time
Your affectionate son
Teddy
13/16 Cavalry
Kohat
N.W.F.P.
18/6/22
My dear Daddy,
Many thanks for your letter of 17/5 - I'm afraid your advice & tips about the HS will be somewhat wasted now as there is a 10 to 2 chance of my coming home before the year is out. The surplus officers bomb exploded last night. A wire coming from Simla saying that owing to the number of cavalry A's very few would be allowed to stay on - all B's and C's going off course. A few a A's might get infantry where they would be given preference to Inf. B's. therefore put my chances as 10 to 1 against staying on in the army. I are wrote off to Ralph at this morning & asked him to see if he could get me a job anywhere in Calcutta, which is very unlikely. There is of course a very faint hope that I might get Infantry or the Daccan House. When I get my actual orders to go I should start my counter attack, going up to Sevila myself if necessary. I don't suppose it will be much good but it will be worth trying. If Ralph cannot help me I don't think I should go out to NZ . Pat has gone smash(?) And doesn't want any additional burden just now. I shall therefore, home & tramp the streets of little old London until I get a job & if nothing crops up I shall have to reconsider NZ, the NWFP in Canada & enlist in the British Cavalry, any old thing as long as I can get my bread & a spot of butter. I should be much happier there than in a cow yard in NZ. That is the position at present & we are all at our wits' ends to know what to do. Two of the lads are clearing off to Durban when they don't know a soul, others are going farming but they have always wanted to & hated the army. We are all fed up to the back teeth & as Bolshy as the biggest Bolo in Russia. Meanwhile I will carry on with the H as best I can & will take the exam if I am not already on my way home! Hope you are all still all right at home & that Mummy is still well.
Your affectionate son
Teddy
PS. I fancy (Hindustani squiggle) means to "suddenly snatch". Major Fortescue gave me that translation but he is not certain. I said that rifle off to Basil & it cost me 10/-!
19th
I have opened this again to let you know that I am writing to the Woods & Fousts & the Police to see if they have any vacancies. I have heard that there were vacancies & there is just a hope they haven't been filled up. I am also writing to the DH today to see how I stand there. They sent me a wire asking if I would be willing to transfer to the infantry - I replied 'yes if forced to'. That is all I can do at present but I will take any job offered if I cannot stay on. Please thank M for her letter of May 28th received today. Am off to Pinal tomorrow to have a lecture on BC - I might go out there - I can't really care a hoot what happens to me if I'm hoofed out. Of
Bolarum
Deccau
28th June 1922
Dear Story,
I spoke to the C.O. about you. He does not hold out much hope of you being definitely posted to us, on account of being so long away from the Regt. Which has put so many fellows before you with prior claims, although you are on the list & and shown in A Category. He says that if you are transferred to Inf. you may still have a chance of being reposted two Cavalry later on. Also in the meanwhile is put your name down to everything you can.
My own advice he is, as it is to all young on officers, to clear out of this abominable country while you are still young & have the chance. You will bitterly regret not going someday, & you would be far happier in S. Africa or Br. Columbia, if you accept your gratuity etc. & and follow the advice given by the various Colonial Govts. who I am sure our all out to help & encourage Officer Settlers. Several senior officers from this Station alone are seriously contemplating resigning all retiring & going out to one or the other Colonies.
Much as I despise the Indian Govt. yet I cannot agree with you in what you say. After all you & your contemporaries wore not of very great service during the actual war as you were too young & inexperienced, & you would have had to do something. You have seen a bit of the world & have learned a lot from experience, & you are still quite young enough to make a fresh start in some other career, & finally you are really being "done" very well.
If you had not joined up, would you now have had a capital of £1000 or so, & £200 a year for three years? I doubt it!
It is nonsense for you with your capabilities to talk of enlisting, & there is no reason you should not in a few years have a comfortable little show of your own in one of the colonies, if that sort of life is to your taste, you'd be far happier their than in the Indian Police (I see nearly all the senior English Police Officials in the Punjab are going, which is most significant) or ???. In both services you will be under black men & lead a dog's life, especially in the Police & probably end up being "done in" sooner or later & nothing would induce me to soldier in the Foot out here. The Cavalry is ??? bad enough nowadays as it is. Have you realised that with the cost of living & passages so high you are either condemning yourself to a life of celibacy or years of separation from your wife & possibly children in the future & that in the event of your marrying & your wife requiring medical attention there will be only black doctors to attend to her? These are just too small points of ???
Yours sincerely
???
July 1922
13/16 Cavalry
Kohat 5/7/22
My dear Daddy,
I enclose herewith the HS papers which I had to cope with last Monday. I didn't find them very difficult I'm glad to say & in one I got 74% - the Urdu into English. If I had had more time I could have guessed to have the words - you will see the amount of English they put.
I also enclose a rough copy of the English unseen - which I hope you will be able to read, remember I wrote it very hurriedly & and made a fair copy of it later.
This surplus officer business is the chief topic of conversation! Rumours galore float about - first that the government has had more than enough applications to go. Then we hear otherwise. Two from the regiment have already got their orders & Edge is now up in Simla getting his & and my name's put in on the going list! Unfortunately we both originally signed on & and said we would go to Sup(?) If necessary. Consequently it may be difficult to get that altered but he has influence up their & and may work it. The latest is that any number of Majors are surplus & will have to go - they won't get the terms we are getting so I think I'm right in beating it while the going is good! I enclose a letter from Majoy Ley of the RDH & you can see what he says!
The news from Ireland seems very serious & and I heartily wish you were out all out of it. This seems to be a pitched battle round to the Crown Courts in Dublin & I suppose my letters will be delayed in consequence. I do hope however that Cavan will remain fairly quiet & that you will have no trouble.
I may have to run up to U??? for a few days. My ear is still giving me trouble & they say I should see a specialist - quite a good idea as I should then get out of the heat for a bit. We are not now so shorthanded as fellows are drifting back & more are coming. I'm still as busy as can be & the heat doesn't worry me so very much - some of the nights a pretty ghastly & sleep is difficult. We sit up till all hours playing bridge - I now played nearly every night & can hold my own if the cards are evenly divided.
Give my love to Mummy & say I hope she is fit and well.
Your affectionate som
Teddy
PS. The colloquial & reading were easy enough - I fancy I have passed all right.
Kohat
19/7/22
My dear Daddy,
Many thanks for your letter enclosed with Mummy's of 25.6. You have written a page or so in Hindustani giving me advice about staying on. I thought it all out long ago & ??? & I heard officially today that we should sail in a month's time - probably from Bombay! Bowe went off yesterday & he is going to be our representative when we get there & will look after the whole scheme for us. There will be four of us all told - the two ??ges, Bowe & myself. I'd asked the CO for leave this morning to go down & see Ralph. After enquiring into my money affairs he wouldn't give me the leave - for my own good he said as I shall want every penny I've got later on! So Ralph must come and see me off at Bombay.
The conditions here for the last fortnight have more than strengthened my resolution to be off! It has been stinking hot & the nights are awful. I cannot afford a night punkah cooly so sleep outside - or try to! I always hear to 2.0AM struck at the Qr Grd. before I eventually dropped off & and I'm called at 5.45. However I can usually get a good sleep in the afternoons under a wet punkah. The other night the lights & fans stopped in the mess for about half an hour. When they went on I looked round & I never saw such a collection of white drawn faces! It must have been 110°in that room! The Vice President opposite me looked on the verge of heat stroke & he told me afterwards that another 5 minutes would have finished him! The GOC commanding Ban??? (40m away) died of heat stroke the other day! I'm standing it fairly well myself but am none too strong. From chukkas of polo or a few sets of tennis just about finish me but one seems to carry on somehow. It's better than moping in one's bungalow anyway. I now have a bottle of beer most nights & that does me a lot of good - when I get to a cooler climate I shall not need it. The regiment will stay on here another 18 months which means another hot weather in Kohal - not for me thank you!
As for the HS, I reckon I have passed the beastly thing but I don't care now one way or the other. If I have passed I lose Rs, of the ???, as the munshi claims half of it & I have paid him Rs70/- for tuition. If I have failed I lose that Rs70/- ! That's all there is to it now. If I was staying on I would have a go at Proficiency & could probably get through it all right as I know something about the language now - or did. In a year's time I shall be able to tell you all about Unino(?) sheep.
I shouldn't use your (Hindustani squiggle) even if anything did happen. After all there is not much now in house that would be worth having & if the place was burnt it wouldn't be much loss - with all due respect to the family mansion. If you did pshunch-do(?) any 'murgsam' to them, they would only retaliate & you would be worse off in the end. I should certainly use the 'narm alfag' & give them a drink! After all you are the only male in the house (John doesn't count) & you cannot expect to hold the place by yourself.
They seem to be rounding up the rebels alright & I do hope that Ireland will settle down at last & get on with the washing! Everyone must be quite tired of this incessant fighting & fooling about, wasting time, money & manpower.
I don't quite know what my new address will be - I think the following should get me alright.
FES late Indian Army, C/O Australian F??? Ltd. Melbourne, Victoria.
Love to all
Your affectionate son
Teddy
Kohat
19/7/22
My dearest Mummy,
Only a short one this time as I haven't very much time & today is mail day. I have just written to Daddy, please read it, leaving out the Hindustani parts.
Edge's little mission to Simla was quite successful & we heard today that our names are to be included in the sixth batch of surplus officers & that we should sail in about a month. We are both very pleased about it & must now get busy & sell off as surplus kit. I have drawn up a fetching advertisement of my saddlery & so on, but so far have had no response although I have sent it round to all the messes. They are an un??? Of fellows here & think more of their beastly musketry results than a game of polo! The CO is nibbling at one saddle & may buy but is very hard up himself.
Yesterday our surplus officers team took on the station in four chukkas and beat them 2-1. It was bad polo though & we didn't enjoy it very much.
I have received two letters from you, one 18.6 & the other 25.6. So glad to hear you are feeling fitter & are able to cope with things more. You will find it a blessing to have Vera at home to give you a hand. I hope all this trouble in Ireland hasn't worried you too much - I can't think they would harm Daddy.
Must finish up now - my address is in Daddy's letter
Love to all
Your affectionate son
Teddy
I hope the new servant turns out successful
6th D.C.O.Lancers
Kohat
N.W.F.P
13.8.22
My dearest Daddy,
I enclose half a dozen snaps which may interest you. Five of them were taken on this little ??? trip of mine - one is all wobbly which is a pity as it shows the Kohat- Peshawan road on the P. side of the pass. You can see it once on the side of the hills & again lower down to the left beside the white smudges. The attack ones are rather good & one shows the bridge over the ??? - railway on top road traffic underneath. The ??? ??? one was taken at the mess which you can see is sandbagged as a protection against raids. You can actually ??? made in the wog's hand ??? show was a put up one I think.
I hear the 8th surplus list is out & contains a large number of cavalry fellows. There will have to be any number more so far only about 40 at the outside have come out in the lists & they are going ???. I am just waiting & meanwhile am selling gradually some of my kit. Sold a saddle and two bridles yesterday & made on the deal - sold two saddles the other day & made there also. My chief customer - Uaja Dick Laudu is very broke & won't to give good prices. However I have told him that if he won't give me what I want for my best saddle I shall take it with me. I paid Rs40/- for it & am asking Rs150/-.
My big horse is still as lame as a tree from the fall - his off ??? is so swollen that we cannot yet see what the damage is - he has strained a tendon anyway & I shouldn't think he will ever be much use again. We certainly came an almighty pearler as we were going H for L & he is by way of being a racehorse! I'm lucky to have escaped. I may lose the money for him but hope not.
And trying to get Ralph to come to Bombay to see me off & hope to fix it between us. No news of my passage yet & he wants me to fix a definite date which of course I cannot do. I surmise I shall sail on the "Atlanta" from Bombay on September 8th, which means arriving in Bombay about August 1st - only another fortnight in the Indian army! It will seem funny to start on a new show but I'm young enough not to have got into the rut.
I think that is all for the present
Your affectionate son
Teddy
You will have heard about the HS in Mummy's letter
| Date | 1922 |
| Linked to | Francis Edward Story; Lt. Col. Robert Story |
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