World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British
I had been driving a lorry all day in the East African bush with a
Cockney escort. When we "parked" for the night I invited the escort to
sleep under cover in the lorry, as I was going to do. But he refused,
saying proudly that he had slept in the open since he had landed in
Africa. So, undressing, he proceeded to make the rim of the rear wheel
his pillow, covering himself with a blanket and greatcoat.
About 1 a.m. I was awakened by hearing someone climbing over the
tail-board. Responding to my challenge the Cockney said: "It's all
right. The blighter's been and pinched my blanket and greatcoat. It's a
good job I had my shirt on." We found next morning that a lion had run
off with them: about 100 yards away they lay, and one sleeve was torn
out of the coat.--_H. J. Lake, 40a Chagford Street, N.W.1._
The Carman's Sarcasm
While our allies, the Portuguese, were holding part of the line to the
left of Festubert, a Portuguese officer rode up on the most emaciated
and broken-down old "crock" I had set eyes on.
He dismounted and was looking round for somewhere to tether the horse,
when one of our drivers, a Cockney carman in "civvy" life, cast a
critical eye over the mount and bawled out, "Don't worry abaht tying it
up, mate. _Lean it up agin this 'ere fence._"--_A. G. Lodge (Sergeant,
25th Division Artillery), 12 Derinton Road, S.W.17._
Burying a Lorry
During the Battle of the Somme, near Ginchy, a R.A.S.C. motor-lorry ran
off the main track in the darkness and got stuck in the mud. The driver
came to our battery near by and asked for help, so six gunners and I
volunteered and set out with shovels.
On arriving at the scene, there was the motor-lorry almost buried to
the top of the wheels. We all stood around surveying the scene in
silence, wondering how best to make a start, when the Cockney member
of the volunteer party burst out with: "Lummy, the quickest way out of
this is to shovel some more blinkin' dirt on top, an' bury it."--_H.
Wright (ex-Sig./Bdr., C/74 Bde., R.F.A.), 45 Colehill Lane, Fulham,
S.W.6._
Striking a Bargain
During the battle of the Narrows at the Dardanelles (March 18, 1915) I
was in charge of No. 3 stokehold in H.M.S. _Vengeance_. The front line
of ships engaged consisted of _Irresistible_, _Ocean_, _Vengeance_, and
an old French battleship, the _Bouvet_. The stokers off watch were the
ambulance party and fire brigade.
[Illustration: "Give us yer week's 'navy' and I'll let yer aht."]
When the battle was at its height one of the fire brigade, a Cockney,
kept us informed of what was going on, and this is the news we received
down the ash hoist:
"_Ocean_ and _Irresistible_ 'as gorn darn, the Froggy's gone up in
smoke: our blinkin' turn next.
"Pat, give us yer week's 'navy' (rum ration) and I'll lift this
bloomin' 'atch (armoured grating) and let yer aht!"--_"Ajax," 23 King's
Drive, Gravesend, Kent._
Bugling in 'Indoostanee
After the evacuation of Gallipoli a transport was conveying British
troops to Egypt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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