TCD MS 3414 folio 1 recto
[1914]
Capt SC Beresford Mundy. Oxf Bucks Lt; Infty (43rd)
My Diary of the Great War.
Cptr I.
On the outbreak of the European war Aug 4, 1914, my regiment the 1st Oxford & Bucks: Lt Infty was stationed at Ahmednagar in the Bombay Presidency of India. I myself had been sent to Perandhar, a sanitarium 26 miles from Poona, as officer in charge of details: my commandant was Major Braithwaite Loyal N.Lanc regt, he poor fellow was killed in German East Africa during the attack on Tanga; his regiment having been taken from Poona to join a force from Bangalors under General Aitken, who commanded that expeditionary force. We heard that the 3rd Lahore & 7th Merut Divisions had been mobilized, & guessed their ultimate destination to be France, which ultimately proved correct. Our Division, the 6th Poona division, was always thought to be the first to be mobilized for an oversea expedition, so great was our chagrin when we saw the possibility, as we thought, of being left behind for interior defence. The sanatarium was closed up after a few weeks and I rejoined the regiment at Ahmednagar. It was not till <12 Nov> that we received orders to mobilize, “Destination unknown”. When a battalion goes on active service, one officer is always detailed to remain in charge of the Depot to look after regimental property, women & children, & the equipping & forwarding of drafts as required. This duty, an unpopular one,