28.2.15

Dear Mr Mansford,

Some little time back you suggested that I should give a lecture on the history of the West Kents, I have been thinking of the matter lately and have at last decided to do so. I have practically everything at my disposal here, a large hall which has been given up entirely for our use, a screen already fitted up, and a lantern in one corner which I know would readily be lent to me on the mere asking. I wrote to our regimental depot asking them if they could aid me in any way. They wrote back an awfully nice letter, saying they had no slides or the regiment at all, or anything that would be of any use to me in the lecture line. However they hoped the enclosed pamphlet might be of some assistance to me, as it dealt with the history of our regiment. As I have two of these copies there is no need for you to return the enclosed. It contains everything I want. Would you mind reading it through and then let me know what you think of it? My chief stumbling block is the question of slides I remember seeing a huge thick book somewhere at school advertising lantern slides on every topic under the Sun almost. Could you put me on the track of some, or of some place where I could get them? I don't mind how much it costs me, but I should like them as early as possible, for I am afraid that we might move from Worthing any day now, and then the thing would be absolutely impossible, so that, you see, I have left it until the last minute. Needham come down and joined us on Saturday night. It is the first time I have seen him since leaving school. In spite of his six months in the Queen's Westminster's and his month on the square at Oxford, he is still the same Johnny Needham of our D.G.S. days, It is five months exactly since I was gazetted The men have been formed as a battalion just over five months, but they have only had five months drill and instruction. Kitchener was right when he said he could get an army trained in six months. Thank you most heartily for all you have done in aiding me in my work down here, and I hope that my present enquiries will not cause you any inconvenience. Yours very sincerely, P.T. Smith.