Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-05
CHAPTER X. "The pay's Work"


 I was fast learning that there is a l regular routine about the work of the ] trenches although it is badly upset i at times by the Germans. The real work in the fire trench commences at sundown. Tommy IS like burglar he works at night.
 Just as it begins to get dark the word Stand to- is passed from tra- verse to traverse, and the men get busy. The first relief, consisting ot two men to traverse mount the Ire step, one man looking over the top, while the other sits at his feet, ready to carry messages or to inform the platoon officer of any. report made by the sentry as to his observations lp No Mans Land The sentry is not al lowed to relax his watch for a second. If he is questioned from ,the trench or asked his orders, he replies without turning around or taking his eyes from the expanse of dirt in front of him. The remainder of the occupants of his traverse either sit on the fire step, with bayonets fixed, ready for any emergency. or if, lucky. and dug out happens to be in the near vicinity of the traverse, and if the night is quiet, they are permitted to go to same and try and snatch few winks
 
 orally the men sit around. smoking l flags and seeing who can tell the big gest lie. Some of them perhaps with ttheir feet in water, would write home | sympathizing with the governor be- i cause he was laid up with a cold, con- ] tracted by getting his feet wet on his way to work in Woolwich Arsenal Ii man should manage to doze off, like i ly as not he would wake with start as the clammy, cold feet of rat 1 passed over his face, or the next re- l lief stepped on his stomach while stumbling on their way to relieve the sentries in the trench. Just try to sleep with a belt full of i ammunition around, you, your rifle bolt l biting into your ribs, entrenclling tools handle sticking into the small of your 1 back. with a tin hat for a pillow; and feeling very q damp and cold with l "cooties' boring for oil in your arm l pits the air foul from the stench of 1 grimy human bodies and smoke from
 a juicy pipe being whiffed into your nostrils, then you will not wonder why Tommy occasionally takes turn in the trench for a rest
 While in front line trench orders forbid Tommy from removing his
 boots,, puttees clothing or equipment | InG 7COOIl6S take dQVanCaS0 or Lnls
 order and mobilize their forces an6
 Tommy swears vengeance on then and mutters to himself just wait un. til I hit rest billets and am able tc
 get my own back
 Just before daylight the men 'tur1 , to- and tumble out of the dugouts
 man the fire steps until it gets light or the welcome order. stand down ! is given. Sometimes before ''stant . down" is ordered, the command ''fv rounds rapid" >is passed along tn trench. This means that each mai : must rest his rife on the top and fir F as rapidly as possible five, shots aimee f toward the German trenches, and thel . duck .(with the emphasis on tn . tduck.") There is a great rivalry be tween the opposing forces to get thei . rapid fire off first, because the cal | bird, in this instance, catches tn
 worm-sort of gets the jump on tn , other fellow, catching him unaware!
 We had a sergeant in our battalie | named Warren. He was on duty wit
 his platoon in the fire trench one aft
 ernoon when orders came up fror e the rear that he had been grante 7. seven days leave for Blighty. an = would be relieved at five o'clock t e proceed to England.
 Il He was tickled to death at thes h welcome tidings and regaled his mor l. or ''H's envious mates beside him 0