Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-02
rHAPTER yI1-continued.

Then I spread the waterproof sheet on the ground while the Quartermas- ter's Batman dumped the rations on it. The Corporal was smoking flag. I carried the rations back to the bn- let. The Corporal was still smoking a flag How I envied him. But when the issue commenced my senvy dleo' and realized that the first requisite l of a n-commissioned officer on ac- tive service is diplomacy. There were nineteen men in our section, and they soon formed a semi-circle around us i after the Corporal had called out, ''Rations up." The Ouartermaster-Se Sergeant had given a slip to the Corporal on which was written a list of the rations. Sit ting on the floor. using wooden box as a table, the issue commenced. On the left of the Corporal the rat1ons were piled. They consisted ol the following: Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf of a different size, perhaps one out or the six being as flat as pancake, the result of an Army Service Corps man placing a box of bully beef on u during transportation Three tins of jam, one apple, and the other two plum.
 Seventeen Bermuda onions all dn- ferent sizes.
 A piece of cheese in the shape of a wedge.
 Two pound tins of butter.
 A handful of raisins.
 A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls them Claw breakers"
 bottle of mustard pickles.
 The bully beef" spuds, condensed milk, fresh meat, bacon, and Macon ochie Rations" Ca can filled with meat, vegetables, and greasy water), had been turned over to the Company Cook to make stew for next days din ner. He also received the tea, sugar, salt, pepper, and four.
 Scratching his head, the Corporal studied the slip issued to him by the quarter. Then in a slow, mystihed voice he read out, NO. 1 Section, IS men. Bread, loaves, six He look ed puzzled and soliloquized in mus ing voice: 'Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see, that's three in a loaf for fifteen men,-weli to make 1t even, four of you'll have to muck in on one loaf" The four that got stuck mad a howl, but to no avail. The bread was dish ed out. Pretty soon from a far corner of the billet, three indignant Tom mics accosted the Corporal with,
 What do you call this, a loaf of tread, Looks more like a sniping plate"
 The Corporal answered.:
 'Well, don't blame me, didn't bake 1t, somebody's got to get it. so shut up until dish out these blink in rations."
 Then the Corporal started on the fam
 "Jam, three tins-apple one, plum two. Nineteen men, three tins. Six in a tin, makes twelve men for two tins, seven in the remaining tin"
 He passed around the jam, and there was another riot. Some didn't like apple, while others who received plum were partial to apple. After awhile differences were adjusted, and the issue went on.
 Bermuda onions, seventeen"
 The Corporal avoided a row by say ing that he did not want an onion and I said they make your breatt smell, so guessed I would do without one too. The Corporal looked hiG gratitude.
 Cheese, pounds two"
 The Corporal borrow a jacknift (corporals are always borrowing), ant sliced the cheese,-each slicing bring ing forth pert remark from the on lockers as to the Corporars eyesight "Raisins, ounces, eight''5
 By this time the Corporaps nerves had gone West, and in =, despair ht said that the raisins were to be turn. CT 10 the cook for "duff'' (plum pud ding) This decision elicited a little "grousing," but quiet was finally re- stored. R
 Biscuits tins, one"
 With his borrowed jacknife, ths Corporal opened the tin of biscuits and told everyone to help themselves nobody responded to this invitation Tommy is fled up" with biscuits.
 Butter. tins, two"
 Nine in one, ten in the other"
 Another rumpus.
 Pickles, mustard, bottles, one"
 Nineteen names were put in d stee helmet, the last one out winning tn pickles. On the next issue there wer only eighteen names, as the winner i eliminated until every man in the sec uon has won a bottle.
 The raffle is closely watched. be cause Tommy is suspicious when comes to gambling with his rations.
 When the issue is finished, the Cor poral sits down and writes a Iette home asking them if they cannot ge some M. P. (Member of Parliament to have him transferred to the Roya Flying Corps where he won't have issue TdLlOnS.
 At the different French estanninet in the village, and at the canteens Tommy buys fresh eggs, milk. breal and pastry. Occasionally when he flush, he invests in a tin of pears Q apricots. His pay is only a shilling day, twentyfour cents, or a cent a. hour Just imagine, a cent an hon for being under fire-not much chanc or getting rich out there
 When he goes into the fire trenc tfront line), Tommy's menu takes tumble. He carries in his haversac what the government calls emergenc or iron rations. They are not. suppose to be opened until Tommy dies C starvation. They consist of one tin q bully beef, four biscuits. little ii which contains tea, sugar and Ox cubes Concentrated beef tablets There are only to be used when kl enemy establishes a curtain of she fire on the communication trenche, thus preventing the carrying in' [ rations, or when in an attack, a bod of troops has been cut off from if