World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British
"Strewth, Old Sausage and Mash," he cried, "your blokes may be good at
the cannon game, but we can beat yer at pottin' the blinkin' red. Look
at yer perishin' number board" (meaning the German killed and wounded).
And with a sniff of contempt he struggled after his mates into
captivity.--_T. C. Rainbird (late Pte., 1st West Yorks), 41 Cavalry
Crescent, Eastbourne, Sussex._
Run?--Not Likely
It was the beginning of the spring offensive, 1918, and the 2nd Army
Gun School, Wisques, was empty, as the men had gone into the line. A
handful of Q.M.A.A.C. cooks were standing by.
I sent two little Cockney girls over to the instructors' château to
keep the fires up in case the men returned suddenly. I went to the camp
gate as an enemy bombing plane passed over. The girls had started back,
and were half-way across the field. The plane flew so low that the men
leaned over the side and jeered at us.
I held my breath as it passed the girls--would they shoot them in
passing? The girls did not hasten, but presently reached me with faces
as white as paper.
"Why didn't you run?" I said.
"Lor', mum," came the reply, "yer didn't think as 'ow we was a-goin'
ter run with them there Germans up there, did ye? Not much!"--_C. N.
(late U.A., Q.M.A.A.C.), Heathcroft, Hampstead Way, N.W._
At "The Bow Bells" Concert
Whilst having a short spell away from the front line I attended a
performance given in Arras by the divisional concert party, "The Bow
Bells."
During one of the items a long-range shell struck the building,
fortunately without causing any casualties among the audience.
Although front-line troops are not given to "windiness," the
unexpectedness of this unwelcome arrival brought about a few moments'
intense silence, which was broken by a Cockney who remarked, "Jerry
_would_ come in wivvaht payin'."--_L. S. Smith (late 1-7 Middlesex
Regt., 56th Division, B.E.F.), 171 Langham Road, N.15._
A Bomb and a Pillow
During part of the war my work included salving and destroying "dud"
shells and bombs in the back areas. On one occasion in an air-raid a
"dud" bomb glanced through the side of a hut occupied by some fitters
belonging to an M.T. section of R.E.'s.
This particular bomb (weighing about 100 lb.), on its passage through
the hut had torn the corner of a pillow on which the owner's head was
lying and carried feathers for several feet into the ground.
We dug about ten feet down and then, as the hole filled with water as
fast as we could pump it out, we gave it up, the tail, which had become
detached a few feet down, being the only reward of our efforts.
While we were in the midst of our operations the owner of the
pillow--very "bucked" at being unhurt after such a narrow shave--came
to look on, and with a glance down the hole and a grin at me said,
"Well, sir, if I'd known it 'ud give yer so much trouble, I'd 'a caught
it!"--_Arthur G. Grutchfield (late Major (D.A.D.O.S. Ammn.) R.A.O.C.),
Hill Rise, Sanderstead Road, Sanderstead, Surrey._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account