Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-23
T0STY WRITES
FROM OVERSEAS
Impressions of England by a
Newly Arrived North
Dakota Soldier.
(By f.. H. Tosteyin.)

~ "A1ANA SOIlSO SA1lh =. "OA4A ISk
pass-at least the few I presumed
they would pass. l don't know how
much we can say on this because it
appears that each nso has. his own
idea of what might be Of value to the
enemy and what would not.
One Of the most laughable things
that has come to my attention was
that q captain recently in writing to
one Of the English papers quoted a
verse Of Kipling's occasional" The
line Captain and Kings may depart"
was cut from the quotation and
marked deleted by censor.
1t was truly a strange Christmas
we passed v here.
Merry Christmas" I shouted on
Christmas eve to a few Of the boys
who were passing.
Merry the Devil, and sc hunt. him
up" was the answer.
Boys Christmas.
Christmas v was nearly too busy
q time for me to spend much time
In thinking Of what might be trans
piring at home. For Christmas eve
and early Christmas morning were
spent on train en- route from port of
d~ebarkation to this camp which has
been established some place in Eng
land for the purpose Of giving troops
a vacation after the trip across the
ocean.
1t was not until about ,the time
when boys and girls back home were
piling out Of bed and stealing down
stairs to see what Santa Claus may
have left. about 5 or 6 o'clock that we
piled out Of the trains and on a long
hike to this camp.
Christmas morning. the time when
folks back home were going from
house to house delivering belated
gifts, looking over the gifts of friends
and exchanging the seasons greeting,
was far from the usual Christmas for
the boys. We slept most of us until
noon. then had a scanty lunch and
about S o'clock Christmas night had
a rather generous meal.
Christmas dinner came the next
day. 1t was then. for there was tur-
key, that we had time to think to
away. For England while not suffer-
ing, is serving no more than the law
allows and is absolutely needful. But
the great majority of the boys are
looking for the cheerful and the fun
ny side Of things rather than the dis
agreeable or hard things. Sergeant
Bill Jones for instance remarked aft
er Christmas dinner: We'll a year
from now you'll never miss what you
OlAIl l. lldVc. AS d. uldIIcI vi ldCl /
feel better than I did last Christmas
after eating dinner"
Christmas Dinner. .
For dinner consisted of a vel:
roasted turkey served to fourteen
water, and nc potatoes. Bread. tur-
key and water! But there wasn't a
kick.
We had turkey again today, and
with it a gravy, boiled rice, potatoes
and more bread. The English have
charge Of messing the men here. The
United States system of lining men
up single file and marching them
by a serving station where cooks and
kitchen help dish out the various
items on the menu, is no longer used.
Men march into a mess hall and
fourteen are seated at a table. One
of the men is detailed to 60 to the
kitchen where he receives a dish pan
full of chuck" For the last four
evenings it has been the same. Two
loaves of bread, two cans OF jam,
cheese, butter and coffee, all for four
teen men. The bread is made of
whole wheat flour, is dark and really
is very palatable. You get used to it.
Besides we drew a big ration of nuts
and half a box of dates as special
Christmas dinner.
Since coming here lie has been
one great loaf. The boys have, out
side Of a small hike each day, had
nothing to do but sit around the bar
racks. Everything is very much
English, of course, we are in England.
and n of the stock expressions you
hear on all sides is. well 1 never
thought a year ago that I'd be in
England now"
Value of English Money.
1t is giving a lot Of the boys who
happened to have a little Jack" left,
a dickens Of a time trying to figure
out the values Of English money.
They have all learned that the Eng
States cents, and that a shilling is
twelve pennies. but when it gets into
sixpense, thrupence, h%a'penny, florins
sOvereigns, crOWnS ETC., they are
hopelessly at sea.
But then the sovereigns and pounds
and half crowns don't bother them
much for the eagle has not as yet
screamed or the sovereign "souved"
and they are waiting for the 'ha'-
penny to happen.
We don't know when we will go
to France, and If w did know the
censor probably would not let it get
by If I should mention it in this let
ter. However. everyone is anxious
to get over there. although they re-
alize that it means hard work and
the risking of everything once they
get started. But the feeling that they
want to get action and get things
started and do their bit and end this
war, is predominant over all others.
I have developed a strange friend
ship with a likeable sort of a chap
a Q~uartermaster sergeant of the Brit
ish army, Sid Stanton, at one time
holder of some of the best running
records ever established in England.
He is home on 'blighty" recovering
from wounds received.
Benny Fine Crowd.
your boys are a bonny fine crowd
Of brave lads" said this wounded
Englishman to me
What do you think they will do
when it comes to fighting? ?" I asked.
We'll the bloomin' bloody blight
ers." he exclaimed, won't stand in
action. They are full of v en-
ergy and ready to get into action, and
it is the waiting which will get on
their nerves.
How do 1 know? Don't I know
what happened in France? Don't I
know that they have chafed under
the training. Do you know that time
after time men of the American
forces first to reach France would
disappear, completely disappear. They
would be marked absent without
leave and many Of them were posted
up for desertion. Then they would
come struggling back into camp with
in a few days. all mud and tired out,
but happy. faces Just bloomin' we'll
busting with happiness. They had
left their quarters and stolen ammu-
milton and taken their guns.
Where have you been ?" their Of
hcers asked.