The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1918-05-16
CHAPTER VI.


our tour IN inc ltnnl'hh' ''"'"
lasted four days. and then We were
relieved by the - brigade.
Going down the communication
trench We were In n merry mood. al
though we were cold and wet. and
! every bone In our bodies nchcd. II
makes lot Of difference whether you
are "golng In" or going out"
At the end Of the communication
trench, limhers were waiting ON the
road for US. thought we were going
TO ride back to rest blllcts, but soon
' found out that the only time an In
fnntrymun rides IL when he IL
wounded and Is bound for the base or
Blighty. These llmbers carried our
/ reserve ammunition and rations. our
march 20 rest billets was thoroughly
| enjoyed by me. II seemed rs II l
/ were on furlough. aud was leaving he
/ hind everything that was Disagree
/ able and horrible. Every recruit t"e'-
| this way inter being relieved from the
/ trenches.
We marched eight kllos and thea
4 halted In front Of a French cstaminet.
| The captain gave the order 10 turn
/ out ON each side ~ the road and walt
| his return. Pretty soon he came back
| and told u company To occupy blllets
III, lis and ila. Billet III was an
/ old stable which had previously been
occupied hy COWS. About four feet Ia
/ front of the entrance was huge ma
nurc pile. and the odor from u was
anything but pleasant. Using my
I ilashllght stumbled through the door.
Just before entering | observed IA
white sign reading: sitting "a. lying
/ ~" hut. az the time. its Significance
did not strike me. Next morning |
/ asked the sergeant major what II
meant. lie nonchalantly answered.:
"Thnts some OF the work of the Il.
/ A. NJ. &. (Royal Army Medical corps).
I I, simply means that In case Of an nt-
tack. this billet VIII accommodate
fifty wounded who are able % SIT up
I aud take notice. or twenty stretcher
cases"
/ 1t was not long after this that l was
Z one Of the go lying"
soon hit the hay and was fast
asleep. even my friends the "cooties"
/ failed to disturb me.
The next mornlng AT about six
o'clock ! was awakened by the lance
corporal Of our section, informing me
I that | had been detailed AS mess or
| derry. and to report Ia the cook and
| give him hand. helped him make
/ the fire. carry water from an old well.
| and fry the bacon. Lids OF dlxies are
used 10 cook the bacon In. After
breakfast was cooked. I carried dixie
/ Of hot tea and the I'D full OF bacon Ia
our section. and told the corporal that
breakfast was ready. lie looked ut me
: In contempt. and then shouted. Break
fast up. come and get IT," lmmedi-
ately got wig. 10 the trench parlAnce.
and never again Informed that Break 4
| fast was served"
II didn't take long for the Tommles
| to answer this call. Half dressed.
they lined up with their cnnteens and
! dlshed out the tea. Each Tommy
carried In his hand n thick slice of
I bread which had been issued with the
/ rations the night before. Then | had
l the pleasure of seeing them dig Into
/ the bacon with their dirty fingers. The
| allowance was one slice per man. The
/ late ones received very small slices.
/ As each Tommy got his share he Inn
medlately disappeared into the billet.
Pretty soon about fifteen Of them made
a rush 10 the cookhouse, each carrying
n huge slice Of bread. These slices
they dipped into the bacon grease
which was stewlng over the fire. The
last maa invariably lost out. was
{ the last man.
After breakfast our section carried
their equipment into "a field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing the
/ trench mud therefrom. because ut 3 40
n. M, they had 10 fall In for inspection
and parade, and woe bctlde the man
who was unshayen, or had mud on his
uniform. Cleanliness Is next 10 godli-
ness In the British army, and Old Pep
per must have been personally ac-
qualnted with st. Peter.
our drill consisted Of close-order
formation, which lasted until noon.
During this time we had two ten-min-
ute breaks for rest. and no sooner the
word, "Fall out for ten minutes" was
given than each Tommy got out IA flag
and lighted II.
Fags are Issued every Sunday morn
ing, and you generally get between
twenty and forty. The brand gen
orally issued Is the "Woodbine." Some
times we are lucky and get Cold
fakes" players" or "Red Hussars."
Occasionally an issue of life Rays"
comes along. Then the older Tommies
Immediately get busy on the recruits
and trade these for "Woodbines" orr
"Goldfiakes." A recruit only has to
be stuck once In this manner, and then
he ceases to be a recruit. There Is u
reason. Tommy Is u great cigarette
smoker. He SMOKES under all condi.
tons. except wnen unconscious or
when he Is accommodating In No Mans