Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-03-27
Machine Gunne, Se,Dins IN France


o'clock was awakened by the lance
corporal Of our section, Informing me
that had been detailed as mess or
derby, and to report to the cook and
give him a hand. I helped him make
the fire, carry water from an old well,
and fry the bacon. Lids Of dixies are
used to cook the bacon in. After,
breakfast was cooked, ! carried dixie
OF hot tea and the lid full OF bacon to
our section, and told the corporal that
breakfast was ready. He looked at me
In contempt, and then shouted, Break
fast up, come and get I'll" immedi-
ately got wise to the trench parlance,
and never again informed that Break
fast was served. !"
II didn't take long for the Tommies
to answer this call. Half dressed,
they lined up with their canteens and
/ dished out the tea. Each Tommy
carried In his hand thick slice OF
bread which had been issued with the
rations the night before. Then I had
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.
Az each Tommy got his share he i'm
mediately disappeared into the billet
Pretty soon about fifteen Of them made
rush to the cookhouse, each carrying
huge slice Of bread. These slices
they dipped into the bacon grease
which was stewing over the fire. The
last man invariably lost ont. was
the last man.
After breakfast our section carried
their equipment into field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing the
trench mud therefrOm, because at 40
.. M, they had to fall IN for inspection
and parade, and woe betide the man
who was unshaven, or had mud on his
uniform. Cleanliness Is next to gOdli-
ness In the British army, and Old Pep
per must have been personally ac-
quainted 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 flag
and lighted It.
Il Flags are issued every Sunday morn
ing, and you generally get between
twenty and forty. The brand gem
orally issued is the 'Woodbine." Some
times we are lucky and get "Gold-
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' or
"Gold fakes." A recruit only has to
be stuck once in this manner, and then
he ceases to be recruit. There Is q
reason. Tommy is great cigarette
smoker. He smokes under all condi-
lions, except when unconscious or
when he is accommodating in No Mans
Land at night. Then, for obvious rea.
sons, he does not care to have a light.
ed cigarette in his mouth.
Stretcher bearers carry flags for
wounded Tommies. When stretcher
bearer arrives alongside Of Tommy
who has been hit the following CONVEX
sation usually takes place: Stretcher
bearer" Want fag? Where are you
hit?'' Tommy looks up and answers,
Eyes. In the leg" 5$
After dismissal from parade, we re-
turned to our billets and ! had to get
busy Immediately with the dinner is
sue. Dinner consisted Of stew made
from fresh beef, couple Of spuds,
bully beef, Maconochie rations and wa
ter-plenty of water. There is great
competition among the men to spear
with their forks the two lonely pota-
toes.
After dinner l tried to wash out
the dixie with cold water and rag,
and learned another maxim Of the
trenches-sIt can't be DONE" slyly
watched one of the older men from
another section, and was Mortified to
see him throw into his dixie four or
five double handfuls Of mud. Then he
poured in some water, and with his
hands secured the dixie inside and out.
I thought he was taking an awful risk.
Surprising the cook should have seen
him! After half an hour of unsuc-
cessful efforts I returned my dixie to
the cook shack, being careful to put on
the cover, and returned to the billet.
Pretty soon the cook poked his head
in the door and Shouted "Hey, Yank,
come out here and clean your dixie !"
I protested that j had wasted q half
hour on it already, and had used up
my only remaining shirt in the at
tempt. With a look of disdain he ex-
claimed: BLOW me, your shirt! Why
in didn't you use mud?"
Without word ia reply got busy