The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-04-12
cHApTER VI.
~saek 81 the Line.


Our tour In the front-line trench
lasted four days. and then we were
relieved by the -- brigade.
Going down the communication
trench we were In merry mood. al
though we were cold and wet, and
every bone in orr bodies ached. 1t
makes lot OF difference whether you
are 'going in" or 'going out"
At The end OF the communication
trench, lImbers were waiting on the
road for US. thought we were going
TO ride back TO rest blllets. but soon
found out that the only time an in
fnntryman rides Is when he Is
wounded and is bound for the base o.
Blighty. These liTnbers carried orir
reserve ammunition and rations. Our
enjoyed by me. II seemed as II l
were on furlough. and was leaving be-
hind everything that was Disagree
able and horrible. Every recruit feels
this way after being relieved from the
trenches.
We marched eight kllos and then
halted in front OF French estaminet.
The captain gave the order to turn
out ON each side OF the road and wnit
his return. Pretty soon he came back
and told B company TO occupy billett
III. 11s and 119. Billet III was an
old stable which had previously been
occupied by cows. About four feet In
front Of the entrance was n huge ma
nure pile. and the odor from IL was
anything but pleasant. Using my
flashllght stumbled through the door.
Just before entering observed a
white sign reading: "SittIng so. lying
90" but, at the time, its significance /
did not strike me. Next morning l !
asked the sergeant major what II /
meant. He nonchalantly answered:
That's some OF the work Of the r. |
A. NJ. c. (Royal Army Medical corps). !
II simply means that In case Of an at I
tack, this billet will accommodate
fifty wounded who nre able to sit UP
and take notice. or twenty stretcher
cases."
II was not long after this that i was ,
one Of the 400 lying
soon hit the hay and was fast
asleep. even my friends the Coolies"
failed TO disturb me.
The next morning at about six
o'clock / was awakened by the lance
corporal Of our section, informing me
that / had been detailed as mess or
ierly, and TO report to the cook and
give him hand. helped him make
he fire, carry water from an old well,
md fry the bacon. Lids Of dixies are
used to cook the bacon in. After
breakfast was cooked. carried a dixie
IF hot tea and the lid full Of bacon to
,ur section, and told the corporal that
was ready. He looked Mt me
n contempt, and then shouted. Break
asst up come and get It'll" l immedi-
ltely got wise TO the trench parlance.
md never again informed that Break
asst was served"
1t didn't take long for the Tommies
o answer this call. Half dressed. ,
hey lined up with their canteens and !
dished out the tea. Each Tommy {
'arried in his hand thick slice of |
read which had been issued with the !
ations the night before. Then l had
he pleasure of seeing them dig into
he bacon with their dirty fingers. The
llowance was one slice per man. The
nte ones received very small slices.
Is each Tommy got his share he inn l
nedlately disappeared into the billet. 4
'retty soon about fifteen of them made S
rush to the cookhouse, each carrying e
huge slice of bread. These slices I
hey dipped into the bacon grease
ihich was stewlng over the fire. The
Isl man Invariably lost out. / was
he lust man.
After breakfast our section carried
heir equipment into field adjoining !.
he billet and got busy removing the \