World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, Canadian
with the picturesque language we would have made use of.
Bob went home on leave about this time, and while in London he ran
across an old schoolmate of his who was also home on leave. The lad's
name was Harold Rust. He had spent several years in Canada, but
happened to be in England when the war broke out and he had joined up
with a London regiment. He had been one of Kitchener's "Contemptible
Little Army" and had seen considerable service in France--he had been
wounded and at the time Bob met him was home on sick leave--but he had
been in America too long to enjoy the discipline of the British Army,
and as he said himself he was "fed up" with it. So he asked Bob if
there was any chance of getting into our brigade. He had tried several
times to get a transfer into the Canadians, but each time he was turned
down, so he said if Bob could get him in he would desert his own
regiment and so save all the trouble of a transfer. Bob told him to
send in an application to our Colonel, and shortly after Bob returned
Colonel Embury sent for him. He said: "Goddard, I have here a letter
from a man in London; he says he is a Canadian, and as all his chums
are here, he wants to join the 28th. Do you know him?" "Yes, Sir, I
knew him in Winnipeg," says Master Bob. "Well," said the Colonel, "we
are one or two under strength, so I'll see what I can do." Bob came
back tickled to death and told Tommy, Bink, and me all about it. If he
got in we saw where we would have no end of fun having a fellow with us
who had seen service in France and no one knowing it but ourselves.
Well, a few nights later we were sitting in our tent foot-sore and
dog-tired after an all-day route march when in walks Rust. Bob jumped
up and made the introduction; he had been sent for to come down and
take his medical examination. We wondered how he would ever get
through without the Doctor seeing his wounds, but when he came up for
his examination he got through by keeping his hand over the old scar.
Next day he was attested, put into uniform, and then he was given leave
to go home and fix up his business affairs. This is what he did--he
changed on the train from khaki into civies, went home, put on his
Imperial uniform, and went up to draw his regimental pay. He drew all
that was coming to him, and tried to get an advance but failed. Then
he went home, changed into his Canadian uniform, and leaving his other
in a bundle, he came away without even letting his father know where he
was going. He came down to Shorncliffe and we got him into our platoon
and into our tent, and then the fun started. The boys thought him a
greenhorn, and they were all showing him how to do things. He would
let them help to put his puttees on, show him the hundred and one
things that a soldier needs to know; we would almost burst trying to
keep from laughing. When we were out drilling, he was just as clumsy
as though he had never held a rifle--after him meeting the Germans in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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