E-text prepared by Suzanne Lybarger, Melissa Er-Raqabi, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/toronto) Note: Images of the original pages are available through the Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/combedout00voiguoft Transcriber's notes: The author is listed as F.A.V. on the original title page. His full name was Fritz August Voigt, although he chose to be called Frederick. Footnotes, being quite brief definitions, have been moved inline [like this]. COMBED OUT by F. A. V. The Swarthmore Press Ltd. 72, Oxford Street, London, W.1. 1920 CONTENTS PAGE. I.--SQUAD DRILL 1 II.--THE FATIGUE PARTY 9 III.--ON DETACHMENT 42 IV.--THE CASUALTY CLEARING STATION 53 V.--WALKING WOUNDED 74 VI.--AIR-RAIDS 90 VII.--THE GERMAN PUSH 109 VIII.--HOME ON LEAVE 127 IX.--ACROSS THE RIDGES 143 X.--THE ARMISTICE 155 "The silent, colossal National Lie that is the support and confederate of all the tyrannies and shams and inequalities and unfairnesses that affect the peoples--that is the one to throw bricks and sermons at." (MARK TWAIN). COMBED OUT I SQUAD DRILL Our Sergeant looked at us contemptuously and we looked anxiously back at him. Then he gave his first instructions: "Now I'm goin' ter show yer 'ow ter do squad drill. It's quite heasy--yer've only got ter use a bit o' common sense an' do hexac'ly as I tell yer. Now we'll start wi' the turns. When I gives the order Right Turn, yer turn ter yer right on yer right 'eel an' yer left toe. When I gives the order Left Turn, yer turn on yer left 'eel an' yer right toe. Now just 'ave a try an' see if yer can do it.--Squad!--now when I shouts Squad it's a word o' warnin', an' it means I want yer ter be ready ter go through yer evverlutions. Now then, yer s'posed ter be standin' to attention. That's not the way ter stand to attention--yer want ter use some common sense--when yer stand to attention, yer stand wi' yer chest out, yer stomach in, yer 'eads erect an' facin' to yer front, yer shoulders straight, an' yer 'ands 'angin' down by yer sides wi' yer thumbs along the seams o' yer trousers. Now then, Squad! Stand at Ease!... When I gives the order Stand at Ease, yer places yer feet about eighteen inches apart an' yer clasps yer 'ands be'ind yer backs, yer right 'and inside yer left, but yer mustn't look round or talk until I shouts Stand Easy! Now then, Stand at Ease!"