Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-16
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decks sometimes condescend to lend
them after much coaxing.
So you see, MIR. Atkins has his fun
mixed in with his hardships and, con-
trary to popular belief, the rank and
Ale of the British army In the trenches
is one big happy family. Now in vir-
ginia, at school, I was fed on old Nc
Guffy's primary reader, which gave me
an opinion of an Englishman about
equal to 78 Minute Mans backed up
by q Sim Feiner's. But I found Tom
my to be the best Of mates and gen.
tleman through and through. He never
thinks Of knocking his officers. If one
makes a costly mistake and Tommy
pays with his blood. there is no gen.
eral condemnation of the officer. He
is Just pitied. 1t is exactly the same
as it was with the Light Brigade at
Balaclava, to say nothing Of Gallipoli,
Neuve Chapelle and Loos. Personally
I remember a little incident where
twenty Of us were sent on trench
raid, only two Of us returning, but ]
will tell this story later on.
said 1t was big happy family, and
so 1t is, but as in all happy families,
there are servants, so In the British
army there are also servants, officers
servants, or 20. S." as they are termed.
In the American army the common
name for them Is dog robbers" From
a controversy in the English papers,
Winston Churchill made the state
mcnt, as far as I can remember, that
the officers servants In the British
forces totaled nearly two hundred
thousand. He claimed that this re-
moved two hundred thousand excep-
tionally good and well.trained fighters
from the actual firing line, claiming
that the officers, when selecting man
for servants duty, generally picked the
man who had been out the longest and
knew the ropes.
But from my observation find that
q large percentage Of the servants do
go over the top, but behind the lines
they very seldom engage in digging
parties, fatigues, parades or drills.
This work is as necessary as actually
engaging in an attack, therefore think
it would be safe to say that the all
round work Of the two hundred thou
sand is about equal to fifty thousand
men who are on straight military du.
ties. In numerous instances, officers
servants hold the rank Of lance-corpo-
rails and they assume the same duties
and authority Of a butler, the one
stripe giving him precedence over the
other servants.
There are lots Of amusing stories
told Of 20. s."
One day one Of our majors went into
the servants billet and commenced
"blinding" at them, saying that his
horse had no straw and that he per-
sonally knew that straw had been is
sued for this purpose. He called the
lance-corporal to account. The cor
poral answered, "Blime me, sir, the
straw was issued, but there wasn't
enough left over from the servants
beds; in fact, we had to use some OF
the 'ay to 'elp out, sir"
It is needless to say that the serv'
ants dispensed with their soft beds
that particular night.
Nevertheless 1t Is not the fault OF
the individual officer, 1t is just the sur
vival of a quaint old English custom.
You know an Englishman cannot be
changed in day.
But the average English officer Is q
good sport. He will sit on q fire step
and listen respectfully to Private
Jones' theory Of the way the war
should be conducted. This war is
gradually crumbling the once insur-
mountable wall Of caste.
You would be convinced Of this II
you could see King George go among
I his men on an inspecting tour under
fire, or pause before q little wooden
cross in some shell-tossed field with
tears in his eyes as he reads the In
scription. And little later perhaps
bend over wounded man on stretch
er, patting him on the head.
More than once In hospital have
seen q titled Red Cross nurse fetching
and carrying for q wounded soldier,
perhaps the one who in civil life de-
livered the coal at her back door. To
day she does not shrink from lighting
his fag or even washing his grimy
body.
Tommy admires Albert Of Belgium be.
cause he is not pusher OF men; ne
leads them. With him it's not case
Of "take that trench" it Is "come on
and we will take it."
It is amusing to notice the different
characteristics of the Irish, Scotch and
English soldiers. The Irish and Scotch
are very impetuous, especially when II
comes to bayonet fighting, while the
Englishman, though tri1e slower
thoroughly does his bit; he Is more
methodical and has the grip Of bull
dog on a captured position. he is
slower to think that n the reason why
he never knows when he Is licked.
Twenty minutes before going over
the top the English Tommy will sit on
the fire step and thoroughly examine
the mechanism Of his rifle to see that 1t
is in working order and will fire prop.
| erly. After this examination he Is sat
isfied and ready to meet the Boches.
| But the Irishman or Scotchman sita
on the fire step, his rife with bayenet
fixed between his knees. the butt Of
which perhaps is sinking into. the mud
the bolt couldn't be opened with Q
team Of horses It is so rusty-but he
spits on his sleeve and slowly poEshei
his bayonet; when this Is done he also
is ready to argue with EritS.
/ It is not necessary to mention thu
colonials (the Canadians, Australian
and New Zealanders), the whole world
knows what they have done for Eng
land. Hs
| The Australian and New zealandea
IL termed the *Ansae." takint th<
name from the first letters Of their Of
ncial designation, Australian and New
Zealand army corps.
/ Tommy divides the German arm,
into three classes accordino TO- theal
| fighting abilities. They rank - FOL