The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-04-04

o'clock I was awakened by the lance
corporal of our section, informing mg
that / had been detailed as mess or
derly, and to report to the cook and
give him Il hand. l helped him make
the fire, carry water from an old we'll
and fry the bacon. Lids of diXieS are
used 10 cook the bacon in. After
breakfast was cooked. carried a dixie
of hot tea and the lid full of bacon ia
our section, and told the corporal that
breakfast was ready. He looked mt me
in contempt, and then shouted, Break
fast up, come and get it" | immedi-
atcly got wise to the trench parlance,
and never again Informed that Break
fast was served"
1t didn't tuke long for the Tommies
to answer this call Half dressed.
they lined up with their canteens and
l dished out the tea, Each TomHy
carried in his hand Il thick slice Of
/ bread which had been iSsUcd with the
rsti0ns 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 inn
mcdiatcly disappeared into the billet
Pretty soon about fifteen of them made
| a rush TO the CooFhOuSc, each carrying
huge slice Of bread, These slices
they dipped into the bacon grease
which was Stewing over the fire. The
last man invariably lost out. l 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 s 40
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 cIose.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 it,
Fags are issued every Sunday morn
Ing, and you generally get between
twenty and forty. The brand gem
orally issued is the "WOOdbine." Some
times we are lucky ana get Gold
flakes" "players" or "Red Hussars."
Occasionally aA issue of Life Rays"
comes along. Then the older Tommies
Immediately get busy on the recruits
and trade these for "Woodbinpe" or
"GOldflakes." A recruit only has to
be stuck once In this manner, and then
ne ceases TO be recruit. There Is
reason. Tommy is great cigarette
smoker. He smokes under all condi-
tons, except when unconscious or
when he Is reConnoiterlng in No Mans
Land at night, Then, for obvious rea.
sons, he does not care TO have a light
ed cigarette in his mouth.
Strctcher bearers carry fags for
wounded Tommics. When IL stretchcr
bearer arrives alongside of q Tommy
who has been hit the following conyer.
satlon usually takes place: Stretcher
bcarer-"Want fag? Where are you
hltT Tommy looks up and answers,
Eyes. In the leg"
After dismissal from parade we re.
turned to our hIllctS 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, Mnconochie ratOns and wa
tcr--penty 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 can't be DONE" l 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 wafer, and with his
hands secured the dixie inside and ont.
| thought he was taking IN awful risk.
Supposlng 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.