Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-04-19


nure pile. and the odor from II wal
anything but pleasant. Using m,
hashiigbt stumbled through the door
Just before entering ] observed q
white sign reading: Sitting 80, lynn
TO-" but. at the time. Its signIfcane.
did not strike me. Next morning
asked the sergeant major what II
meant. He nonehaiantly answered:
That's some Of the work Of the r
A. N. c. Royal Army Medical eorps)
II simply means that In case Of an at
tack. this billet will accommodate
fifty wounded who are able to sit uI
aud take notice. or twenty stretchei
cases"
IL was not long after this that wal
one Of the 20 lying"
] soon hit the hay and was fasi
asleep. even my friends the "cooties'
failed to disturb me.
The next morning at about six
o'clock was awakened by the lance
corporal Of our section. informing me
that ] had been detailed ss mess or.
derly, and TO report 10 the cook and
give him a hand. ! helped him make
the IRE. 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 a 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" I lmmedl.
ateiy got wise to the trench parlance,
and never again informed that "Break.
fast was served"
It didn't take long for the TOmmies
to answer this call. half dressed.
they lined up with their eanteens and
| dished out the tea. Each Tommy
carried In his hand q thick slice of
bread which had been issued with the
rations the night before. Then / 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.
As each Tommy got his share he i'm.
mediately disappeared into the billet.
Pretty soon about fifteen of them made
a rush to the cookhouse, each carrying
A huge slice of bread. These slices
they dipped into the bacon grease
which was stewing over the fire. The
last man invariably lost out. / 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 8 AS
a. 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 fag
aud lighted 1t.
Fags are issued every Sunday morn
Ing, and you generally get between
twenty and forty. 1'he brand gen
orally issued is the "Iroodbine." Some
times we are lucky and get "Goid-
dakes," "Players" or "Red Hussars."
Occasionally an issue of life Rays
comes along. Then the older TommIes
get busy on the recruits
and trade these for "Woodbines' or
"Goldfakes." A recruit only has to
De stuck once In this manner, and then
ne ceases to be = recruit. There Is q
reason. Tommy is o great cigarette
smoker. He smokes under all condi.
IONS except when unconscious O,
"hen DE is recOnnoitering in No Mans
Lahd at night. Then. for obvious rea-
sons, he does not care to have llgh,
ed cigarette in his mouth.
Stretcher bearers carry fags fol
wounded Tommies. When q stretchei
bearer arrives alongside Of Tommy
who has been hit the following conver.
ation usually takes place: Stretchef
hearer-"Want fagf Where are you
httT 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, a couple of spuds,
bully beef. Maconochie rations and wa.
OF water. There is great |
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 rag.
and learned another maxim Of the
can't be DONE" slyly
watched one Of the older men from
another section, and was horrified to
see him throw into his dixie four OF
i've double handfuls Of mud. Then he
poured In some water. and with his
hands secured the dixie inside and out.
thOught he was TAXING nv, ov,f,,l y,Sh !