The review., 1918-04-11
CHAPTER X-Continued.


We had sergeant in our battalion
named Warren. He was on duty with
his platoon in the fire trench one after
noon when orders came up from the
rear that he had been granted seven
days' leave for Blighty, and would be
relieved at five o'clock to proceed to
England.
He was tickled to death at these
welcome tidings and regaled his more
or less envious mates beside him on
the fire step with the good times in
store for him. He figured it out that
in two days time he would arrive at
Waterloo station, London, and then
seven days bliss!
At about five minutes to five he
started to fidget with his rifle, and
then suddenly springing up on the fire
step with muttered, "Pn send over
a couple of souvenirs to Fritz so that
he'll miss me when I leave" he stuck
his rife over the top and fired two shots
when "crack" went a bullet and he
nmDled off the step, fell into the mud
at the bottom of the trench. and lay
still in huddled heap with a bullet
hole in his forehead.
At about the time he expected to ar
rive at Waterloo station he was laid
10 rest in a little cemetery behind the
lines. He had gone to Blighty.
In the trenches one can never tell
It's not safe to plan very far ahead.
After "stand down" the meR sit on
The fire step or repair to their respec-
i've dugouts and wait for the rum is
sue" to materialize. Immediately fol-
owing the rum comes breakfast,
brought up from the rear. Sleeping is
then in order unless some special work
turns up.
Around 1890 dinner shows up.
When this is eaten the men try to
amuse themselves until ''tea" appears
1t about four o'clock, then "stand to"
and they carry on as before.
While in rest billets Tommy gets up
about six in the morning, washes up,
answers roll call, is inspected by his
platoon officer, and has breakfast. At
3:45 he parades (drills) with his COM
oany or goes on fatigue according to
he orders which have been read out
" the orderly sergeant the night pre-
7iOus.
Between IL 80 and noon he is dis
missed, has his dinner and is ION his
own" for the remainder of the day,
dnless he has clicked for a digging or
working party, and so it goes on from
day to day, always '1OOping the loop"
and looking forward to peace and
Bighty.
Sometimes, while engaged in a
"cootie" hunt, you think. Strange to
say, but it is a fact, while Tommy is
searching his shirt serious thoughts
come to him. Many time, when per-
forming this operation, I have tried
to figure out the outcome Of the war
and what will happen to me.
My thoughts generally ran in this
channel:
viii I emerge safely from the next
attack? If do will / skin through the
following one, and so on? While your
mind is wandering into the future it,
is likely to be rudely brought to earth
by Tommy interrupting with, "What's
good for rheumatism
Then you have something else to
THINK Of. Will you come out Of this
war crippled and tied into knots with
rheumatism, caused by the wet and
mud of trenches and dugouts? You
give it up as bad job and generally
saunter over to the nearest estaminet
TO drown your moody forebodings in
glass of sickening French beer or to
Try your luck at the always present
game of 'house." You can hear the
Slng-song voice Of a Tommy droning
out the numbers as he extracts the
nttle squares Of cardboard from the
Gag between his feet.