Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-21
FROM WILLIAM BOYD, Y. NJ A. SECRETARY
IN THE HOLY LAND

You would have smiled to see YOUR
hnTnple son leading a miniature caravan
% three beasts and three natives going
10 the wells for H.O. II you had seer
us coming down Broadway, no doubt it
would have seemed funnier yet but, of
couf3e, OUT here it is nothing, as you
may see literally thousands passing all
Gay long. We so to the wells, the canlels
are made to kneel down by a series of
Missing sounds made by the boys, and the
fantasies are, then filed by means of
small hand pumps and we are then ready
70 proceed holneward with our precious
liquid.
Didn't go to church this a. NJ. as the
nearest church is probably some hundred
miles away, that is, to our rear; we don't
know what is in front of us-Eet How
ever did the next best thing. They say
MAI cleanliness IS next to goodness,
failing the one, pursued the other with
great energy. / not only washed the
man but the wherewithal the man is
clothed. The process lis very simple. You
take basin OF water and a little soap
go anywhere you like, in front Of the Y
M canteen, outside your dugout. strip
on your shirt, shorts and sox, all that
style requires out here ana set to. Hun
dreds may pass by while you are pro-
ceeding with this very necessary per-
Iormance without so much as noticing
you, because they all do it in about the
same way In fact, ] was stopped once
Whlle applying the lather vigorously to
wait on chap at the canteen. When he
mad gone carried on" as before, When
then dry yourself and rub off another
layer or two with the towel This hav-
ing been completed, you put your few
clothes in the same basin YOU have lust
finished your own bath in. and scrub away
at them for a while. 1t would be a waste
Of precious water to use fresh, so this
otherwise uneanny idea of unclean water
must be dispensed with. After your
clothes have been hung up to dry, you
may perhaps have a shave in the same
water, and when this is completed you
Ya11 1v
more tinicl1y would shave first and then
wash and launder. but you can suit your
self as to the order You pursue.
Of course all the work is along the
Palestine front. You may or may not
know what part of Palestine we are in,
bat to give you a faint idea with say that
We are now in the same fields OF wild
grass through which Sampson chased the
wild foxes some 1900 years ago. We are
not, however, as yet in the city whose
gates Samson removed and carried on his
back some twenty miles across the sand,
depoSltlng them in another city, to the
great glee and amusement of the inhabit-
ants thereof. Nor have / seen the bar
Der shop in which Samson had his hair
cut, through the smiles and taGntS of that
fair Palestinian dansel who disgraced
and forced him to do the work of a COW
or camel, the grinding of corn for many
long day. / have been trying to find
the above mentioned barber shop, for
am badly in need of haircut not having
had one for month But | have search
ed the desert paths for many day with
out success. Although my strength is
not increasing with the added hair,
would be glad to have it removed for
comforts sake.
Perhaps the best Y. NJ. dugout at any
front is one of those which / am now
looking after. erected during the admin
istration of my predecessor about 200
yards behind the trenches This is a dou-
bic roomed affair. built entirely under
ground and lined with a double wall of
sand bags. One of the rooms is cam
teen. one side of which has an open win
dow in its through which the various ar
ticles of consumption are passed to the
purchasers, who come down long Stop