Gunnison news-champion., 1918-03-01
CHAPTER vi.
Back Of the Line"


! 4, .rh We were in merry mood, al
! iN.4sh We were cold and wet, and
! o.. ~ bone In our bodies aChed. II
! sees a lot Of difference whether you
~. going in or going out"
A. the end OF the communication
| :. ..a. Umbers were waiting on the
/ 7, o.. Tor Us. thought We were going
! 1. .,i.. back 10 rest billets, hat soon
| (, rI out that the only time an in
! {. r. man rides is when he IS
1 ; ...lod and Is bound for the base or
I J. ary. These llmbers carried our
! :, ," ammunition and ratIons. our
d. 20 to rest billets WIS thoroughly
/ g. y"d by me. II seemed as II l
y ru furiough. and was leaving be
] D. ... Everything that WIS Disagree
| Il sud horrible. Every recruit feels
| III way after being relieved from the
/ q. o., hes
N" marched eight kilos and then
! hu',-t In front Of French estaminet.
| T.. captain gave the order 10 turn
OF au zach side of the road and walt
n r-rurn. Pretty soon he came back
~. told Il company TO occupy blliets
III IFS and ll9. Billet III was an
OIL stable which had previously been
! %. u.ned by cows. About four feet in
| frrui OF the entrance was n huge ma
nUrr pile. and the Odor from Ii was
any hing but pleasant. Using my
| Ga>hlIEht stumbled through the door.
| Ju-t before entering l observed a
\ white sign reading: Sitting 30. lying
| y" hur, at the time. Its significance
did not strike me. Next morning
asked the sergeant major what II
meant. He nonchalantly answered:
That's some OF the work of the X.
A VI. c. (Royal Army Medical corps).
II simply means that In case OF an at
mck. this billet will accommodate
flfiy wounded who are able to sit up
gnd take notice, or twenty stretcher
| csl~es."
! S'it was not long after this that was
one of the 40 lying
/ soon hit the hay and was fast
asleep. even my friends the ''cooties"
| failed to disturb me.
/ The next morning ut about six
O'clock ! was awakened by the lance
corporal of our section. informing me
that had been detailed as mess or
rlerly. and to report to the cook and
i've him hand helped him make
he fire, carry water from nm old well.
and fry the bacon. Lids of diNies are
used TO cook the bacon in. After
breakfast was cooked, ] carried u dixie
If hot tea and the lid full of bacon TO
our section. and told the corporal that
breakfast WIS ready. He looked ut me
IN contempt, and then shouted, Break
fast up. come and get it, ] lmmedi-
ateiy got wise to the trench parlnnce,
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 canfeens 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 l 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 Inn
mediatelyl disappeared into the billet.
Pretty soon about fifteen of them made
rush to the cookhouse. each carrying
a huge slice of bread. These slices
they dipped into the bacon grease
which was stewlng over the fire. The
last man invariably lost out. I was
the last man.
After breakfast our section carried
their equipment into a field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing the
trench mud therefrom, because at 8 :45
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
and lighted 1t.
Fags are issued every Sunday morn
ing, and you geperally get between
twenty and forty. The brand gen.
orally issued is the "Woddbine." 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
-0oldfakes." A recruit only has to
be STUCK once in this manner. and then,
he eeaees to be . recruit. There II .
reas4n Tommy is great cigarette;
smoars he smokes under all.eoadl-,
ticae exeept when uneonscioas eer.
W., ,Aesjs reconnoitering in No 1EanS,
LnnH n aiaht Than - nhmHnn6 -