The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-04-11
MACHINE GUNNER ,jERNNGM FRANCE
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Cheese, pounds. two"

(Corporals are always hOrrowing), and
sliced the chceSe-each slicing bring
ing forth pert remark from the on
lockers as to the corporalS eycsight
"Raisins, ounces, eight"
BY this time the cOrporal's nerves
had gone west and in despair he said
that the raiSns were to be turned over
TO the cook for duff" Opium puddlng).
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 thcmselvCs-no-
body responded to this invitation.
Tommy is "fcd up" with biscuits.
"Butter, tins, two"
'Nine In one, ten in the other"
Another rumpus.
"PlCkles, mustard, bottles, one"
Nineteen names We're put in a steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only Is names, as the winner is eliml-
mated until every man in the section
has won bottle.
The raftie Is closely watched, because
Tommy is suspicious when it comes to
gambling with his ratlons.
When the issue Is finished the cor
poral sits down and writes letter
home, asking them If they cannot get
some NJ. p. (member of parliament) to
have him transferred to the Royal Fly
ing corps where he won't have to issue
ratlons.
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 a shilling a day,
"a cents, or cent an hour. Just imag
Inc, a cent an hour for being under
flre-nOt much chance of getting rich
out there.
When he goes into the fire trench
(front line), Tommy's menu takes a
tumble. He carries In his havorsack
what the government calls emergency
or iron ratons. Jrhey are not supposed
to be opened until Tommy dies of star
vation. They consist of one tin of
bully beef, four biscuits, a little tin
which contains tea, sugar and Oxo
cubes concentrated beef tablcts).
These are only to be used when the
enemy establishes a curtain of shell
fire on the communication trenches,
thus preventing the carrying in" Of
ratiOns, or when in an attack a body
of troops HIS been cut off from its base
Of supplies.
> The rations are brought up at night
by the company transport. This is It
section Of the company in charge of
the Quartermaster sergeant, composed
Of men, mules and limbers (two-
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom
my's wants while In the front line.
They are constantly under she'll 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.llne
trench. He doesn't have to, and have
never heard Of one volunteering to
do so.
The company sergeant mn]or sorts
the ratlons and sends them in.
Tommy's trench ratlCns consist Of all
the bully beef he can eat, biscuits,
cheese, timed butter (sometimes II
men to TIM, jam or marmalade, and
occasionally fresh bread (ten to n
lOaf). When 1t 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" II Is made from
broken biscuits, condensed milk, JAIN
little water added, slightly favored
with mud--put into cantecn and
cooked over little spirit stove known
as "TOmmy's cooker"
Ga firm In Blighty widely advertises
these cookers rs q necessity for the
men In the trenches. Gullible people
buy them--shlp them TO the Tommles,
who, Immediately upon receipt Of same
throw them over the parapet, Some
times a Tommy falls for the cd, and
uses the cooker In q dugout to the dis
gust and discomfort Of the other oc.
cupunts.)
This mess is stirred up In tin and
allowed to simmer over the flames
from the cooker until Tommy decides
that II 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 epoled of he tries to eat II