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Western Mail, Thursday 9 February 1933, page 2
Sandy's Survivors.
Dear "Non-Com." - The story about the ration cigarettes has prompted me to add my little tale. An old soldier of the Boer War, who was also one of French's Contemptibles, still has two cigarettes and a "wee bit 'bacca" saved from Christmas, 1914. Every soldier overseas during the 1914 Christmas received a present of tobacco and cigarettes from H.R.H. Princess Mary. Sandy Menmuir, late of the Royal Scots Greys, a "real old sodger," has stuck well to his Christmas box, but there have been times when he and I have been very hard up for a smoke. On those occasions Princess Mary's box has been reverently opened. I am sending you one of Sandy's survivors. He intends to hang on to the other until the "Last Post."
"One of Harper's Duds," West Bendering, via Corrigin.
Those in the story:
French's Contemptibles = The name self-adopted by British troops belonging to the regular army in 1914, the term was supposedly derived from a comment made by the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, who upon hearing that German forces were being held up in France while en route to the French capital, is said to have exclaimed his exasperation of "Sir John French's contemptible little army"
Sandy Menmuir = 5743 Trooper Alexander J Menmuir (1878 - 1970), 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys).
Royal Scots Greys = The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971. In 1877 their nickname was finally made official when they became the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys).
Cap badge of the Scots Greys
Harper's Duds = The 51st (Highland) Division was a British Territorial Force division that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War. The division's insignia was a stylised 'HD' inside a red circle. Early doubts about the division's performance earned it the nickname of "Harper's Duds" after the name of its commander Major General G.M. Harper.
