The Benson signal., 1918-04-20
The corporal borrowed a jackknif

had gone west, and in despair he said
to the cook for "duff'' (plum pudding).
This decision elected little "grous-
ing" but quiet was finally restored.
biscuits, tins, One."
With his borrowed jackknife, the
corporal opened the: tin Of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselves-no-
body responded to this invitation.
Tommy is "fed up" with biscuits.
"Butter, tins, two"
"Nine in one, ten in the other"
| Another rumpus.
| "Pickles, mustard, bottles, one."
Nineteen names were put in steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only 18 names, as the winner is elimi-
mated until every man in the section
has won bottle.
| The rattle is closely watched, because
Tommy is suspicious when it comes to
gambling with his rations.
At the different French estaminets
in the village and at the canteens Tom
my buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and
pastry. Occasionally when he is flush,
he invests in tin Of pears or april
cots. His pay is only shilling day,
"a cents, or a cent an hour. Just imag-
inc, a cent an hour for being under
fire-not much chance Of getting rich
out there.
When he goes into the fire trench
(front line). Tommy's menu takes q
/ tumble. He carries in his haversack
what the government calls emergency
or iron rations. They are not supposed
to be opened until Tommy dies of star
vation. They consist Of one tin Of
bully beef, four biscuits, little tin
which contains tea, sugar and Oxo
cubes concentrated beef tablets).
These are only to be used when the
enemy establishes curtain of shell
fire on the communication trenches,
thus preventing the carrying in" Of
ratiOns, or when in an attack a body
of troops has been cut off from it's base
Of supplies.
The rations are brought up at night
by the company transport. This is a
section of the company in charge of
the quartermaster sergeant, composed
of men, mules and limbers (two-
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom
mys wants while in the front line.
They are constantly under shell fire
The rationS are unlOaded at the en-
trance to the communication trenches
and are carried in" by men detailed
for that purpose. The Quartermaster
sergeant never goes into the front-line
trench. He doesn't have to, and have
never heard Of one volunteering to
do so.
The company sergeant major sorts
the rations and sends them in.
| Tommy's trench rations consist of all
cheese, timed butter (sometimes II
men to tiny, jam or marmalade, and
occasionally fresh bread (ten to a
loaf). When it is possible he gets tea
and stew.
When things are quiet, and Fritz is
behaving like a gentleman, which sell
dom happens, Tommy has the opportu-
nifty of making dessert. This is
trench pudding" 1t is made from
broken biscuits, condensed milk, jam
a little water added, slightly favored
with mud-put into a canteen and
cooked over little spirit stove known
as "Tommy's cooker"
GA firm in Blighty widely advertises
these cookers as a necessity for the
men in the trenches. Gullible people
buy them-ship them to the Tommies,
who, Immediately upon receipt Of same
throw them over the parapet. Some
times a Tommy falls for the ad, and
uses the cooker in a dugout to the dis
gust and discomfort Of the other Oc-
cupants.)
This mess is stirred up in tin and
allowed to simmer over the flames
from the cooker until Tommy decides
that it has reached sufficient (gluelike)
consistency. He takes his bayOnet and
by means of the handle carries the
mess up in the front trench to cool.
After it has cooled off he tries to eat 1t.
Generally one or two Tommies in a
section have cast-iron stomachs and
the tin is soon emptied. Once tasted
trench pudding, but only once.
In addition to the regular ration is
sue Tommy uses another channel to
enlarge his menu.
In the English papers a "Lonely
Soldier" column is run. This is for
the soldiers at the front who are sup
posed to be without friends or rela-
tives. They write to the papers and
their names are published. Girls and
women in England answer them, and
send out parcels of fOOdstuffs, ciga'
rettes, candy, etc. I have known a
"lOnely" soldier to receive as many as
five parcels and eleven letters in one
week.
| II Ennev realizes for the first III