Extract from the diary of Sergeant Couldrey (1st/4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment) 'From Workshop to Khaki'

On August 4th 1914 I was at home on holiday – from work, when the war broke out, and I at once enquired if my old Regiment (the 1/4th Wilts) were recruiting. They were in Camp on Salisbury plain at the time and I wanted if possible to get with the Boys I knew, but as they did not recruit then I went back to work to wait till they did. I waited a week or so and heard nothing so I made up my mind to join the R.E.’s but found they were full up. I was getting very fed up at work and wanted badly to be in the Army. However on Sept 2nd I had a telegram saying the Wilts were recruiting and I felt happy that I had a chance to be with the old boys as well as being in my County Regt. So on Sept 3rd 1914 I gave notice at the L.S.W.R. shops at Eastleigh that I was joining the Army. In the morning, I got ready and left my tools in the shop anyhow – same with my belongings at Mrs Trenchard, 10 Stoke Rd. What did I care so long as I was going in the Army where all the cream of the British boys were going. I left Eastleigh 1.30pm, got home 3.30, was examined by Dr Stratton, and at 5pm was sailing up to Salisbury Plain in a motor Char-a banc as happy as a sand boy – to join the old Regiment (with whom I had 4 yrs service as a Territorial from 1909 till 1913)

We were then at Durrington Down and after drilling hard etc in our “civvy” clothes for 3 weeks we shifted to West Down South Camp and were put into Khaki. We heard rumours that we were going “overseas” and really speaking I didn’t mind much where we went away from that cold and windy Salisbury Plain. At last the men were picked out to form the 1/4th Territorial Wilts Regt. And we heard we were going to INDIA to relieve regular troops for the front. So after two days leave in which I saw Len. Min. Mother. Arth. Friends and relations etc we were ready to go just where they thought fit to send us.