Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-27
CHAPTER X
About Turn.

The next evening we were relieved
y the -th brigade. and once again
eturned to rest billets. Upon arriving
t these billets we were given twenty
our hours In which to clean up. had
ust finished getting the mud from my
inform when the orderly sergeant in
ormed me that my name was in orders
. leave, and that / was to report to
be orderly room In the morning for or
ers, transportation and rations.
I nearly had a at, hustled about
packing up, filling my pack with SOU
tenirs such as shell heads. dud bombs,
lose caps. shrapnel balls, and a Prus-
Ian guardsman's helmet. In fact. be-
ore l turned in that night, had every
hing ready to report at the orderly
(oom at nine the next morning.
I was the envy Of the whole section.
wanking around, telling Of the good
ime l was going to have, the places l
you'd visit, and the real. old English
beer l intended to guzzle. Sort of
kubbed 1t into them, because they all
10 1t, and now that 1t was my turn, ]
pook pains to get my own back.
At nine ! reported to the captain. re-
Eelving my travel order and pass. He
lsked me how much money I wanted
. draw. I glibly answered. "Three
(undred francs, str" he just as glibly
landed me one hundred.
Reporting ut brigade headquarters,
Fith my pack Weighing n ton, l waited,
rith forty others, for the adjutant to
inspect us. After an hours wait, he
ZANE out must have been sore because
he wasn't going with US.
The Quartermaster sergeant issued
hs two days r%ations, in a little white
canvas ration bag, which we tied to
our belts.
Then two motor lorries came along
and we piled In, laughing, joking. and
10 the best Of spirits. We even loved
the Germans, we were feeling so happy.
Our journey to seven days bliss in
Blighty had commenced.
The ride In the lorry lasted about
two hours; by this time we were Gov
cred with fine, white dust from the
road, but didn't mind, even II we were
DEARLY choking. .
At the railroad station at p we
reported to an officer, who had a white
band around his arm. which read ~
7. O." (Royal Transportation O1icer)'
To IN this officer was Santa Claus.
The sergeant in charge showed him
our orders; he glanced through them
and said: make yourselves comfort
able on the platform and don't leave
the train is liable to be along In I'VE
minutes-or Ave hours"
Il came In Ave hours. q string o.
eleven match boxes on big, higf
|styheels. drawn by a dinky little engine
with the "con." These match boxei
were cattle cars, on the sides Of which
was painted the old familiar sign
"uommes 40. Chevaux 8"
The II. T. O. stuck us all into on
car. We didn't care; 1t was as goo
a. q Pullman to rs.
Two days we spent on that tfon
humping, stopping. Jerking ahead, nm
sometimes sliding back. At three sta
tons Ne stopped long enough to max
some tea. but were unable to wash. Q
when we arrived ut B., where "
were to embark for Blighty. We wei
20 black o. Turcos and. with our ri
rshavsn faces, VI looked like . lot
Ntrappa. Though tired out. We wei
shappy.
We had packed up. preparatory /,
rdstraining, when 4 r. T. 0. held up n
hand for 10 to stop where We we
and came ever. This II what he Sale
Boys, I'm sorry. but orders have ~
been received ~cancelling oil leave.
you had been three hours earlier "
would have gotten away. Just stay
that train, % II ID going back. Ratiol
k4wiM 30 issued to you for your retu'
tourney 70 your respective station
Bsastly rotten, ! know" Then no lei
a dead silence resulted. Then in'
started 10 curse. threw their rides
the hoor q The car: others seid moi
ing. seemed TO be stupened. while sor
had tho tears running down Stht
cheats II was y bitter disaprolntius
20 al