Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-05-10

they dipped into the bacon grefse
which was stewing over the fire. The
last man Invariably lost out. / was
the last man.
After breakfast our section carried
their equipment into a field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing tho
trench mud therefrom, because ut 8 :45
81. m, they had " 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 a fag
and lighted II.
Tags are issued every Sunday morn
Ing, and you generally get between
twenty and forty. The brand gen.
orally issued is the "woodbine." Some
i
/ ilakes,' players" or Red lIussars."
+ Occasionally an issue of Life Rays"
comes along. Then the older TomInies
immediately get busy on the recruits
ana trade these for "Woodbnes" or
"Goldilakes." A recruit only has to
be stuck once in this manner and then
ne ceases to be n recruit. There is a
10 a.
smoker. He smokes under all condi-
uons, except when unconscious or
when he Is accommodating ins No Mans
Land Mt night. Then, for obvious -ea.
sons. he does not care 10 have n light
ed cigarette In his mouth.
Stretcher bearers carry flags for
wounded Tommies. When n stretcher
bearer arrives alongside of Tommy
who has been hit the following CONVEX
sation usually takes place: Stretcher
benrer-"Want n flag? Where are you
hitT" Tommy looks up and answers,
"Yes. In the leg"
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 or spuds,
bully beef, Maconochie ratons 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 tried to wash out
the dixie with cold water and a rag,
and learned another maxim of the
trenches-"It cant 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.
/ thought he was taking an awful risk.
Surprising the cook should have seen
him After half an hour of unsuc-
!cessful efforts l 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 had wasted half
hour on II already, and had used up
my only remaining shirt In the at
tempt. With look of disdaln he ex-
claimed: "Blow me- your Shirt Why
In - didn't you use mud?"
Without n word In reply got busy
with the mud, and soon my dixie was
bright and shining.
Most of the afternoon was spent by
the men writing letters home. used
my spare time to chop wood for the
cook and go with the quartermaster to
draw coal. ! got back just In time To
Issue our third meal, which consisted
Of hot ten. l rinsed out my dixie and
returned II To the cookhouse, ana went
back To the billet with an exhilarated
feeling that my days labor was done.
| had fallen asleep on the straw when
once again the cook appeared In the
door of the billet with: "Bllme me, you
Yanks are lazy. Who in ------ a-goln' to
draw the water for the mornin' tea?
DO you think I'm a-goIn' to? Wen,
I'm not" and he left. | filed the dixie
with water from an old squeaking well,
and once again lay down In the straw.
ITO he continun \