The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-04-04

BY this time the corporal's nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins were to be turned over
to the cook for duff" Opium pudding).
| This decision elected little sgrous
Ing" but quiet was finally restored.
biscuits tins, one"
With his borrowed jackknife, tho
corporal opened the tin Of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselvss-no.
| body responded to this invitation.
Tommy is "fed up" with biscuits.
Butter, tins, two"
"Ninc In one, ten in the other"
Another rumpus.
"PicklcS, mustard, bottles, one"
Nineteen names were put in q steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only IS names, rs the winner is elimi-
mated until every man in the section
has won Il 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 Il tin Of pears or april
cots. His pay is only Il shilling q day,
"a cents, or n cent m hour. Just imag-
inc, cent an hour for being under
| firc-not much chance of getting rich
out there.
When he goes into the fire trench
| (front linc). Tommy's menu takes
a Orr;n tn, l,;e
| 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 she'll
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 its base
Of supplies.
The rations are brought up at night
by the company transport. This Is q
section of the company In charge Of
the quartermaster sergeant, composed
Of men, mules and limbcrs (two-
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom
my's wants while in the front line.
They are constantly under shell fire.
| The ratiOnS are unloadcd ut 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
the bully beef he can eat, biscuits,
cheese, timed butter (somctimcs II
men to a tin), jam or marmalade, and
occasionally fresh bread (ten to
loaf). When it is possible he gets tea
and stew.
When things are quiet, and Fritz is
behaving like n 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
little water added slightly favored
with mud-put into canteen and
cooked over a little spirit stove known
as "Tommy's cooker"
Ga firm in Blighty widely advertises
these cookers as necessity for the
men in the trenches. Gulible people
buy thcm-ship them to the Tommies,
who, Immediately upon receipt Of same
throw them over the parapet. Some
times Tommy falls for the ad, and
uses the cooker in 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 1T 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 1t has cooled Off he tries to eat 1t.
Generally one or two Tommles in q
section have cast-iron stomachs and
the tin is soon cmptied. Once tasted
trench pudding, but only cnce.
/ In addition to the regular ration IS
sue Tommy uses another channel to
enlarge his menu.
In the English papers LONELY
Soldier" column is run. This is for
the soldiers at the front who are sup
posed to be without friends or rela.
yves. They write to the papers and
their names are published. Girls and
women In England answer them and
send out parcels Of foodstuffs, clga.
rettes, candy, etc. I have known
lonely" soldier to receive as many rs
I'VE parcels and eleven letters in one
week.