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One young man : $b The simple and true story of a clerk who enlisted in 1914, who fought on the western front for nearly two years, was severely wounded at the battle of the Somme, and is now on his way back to his desk.

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One young man : $b The simple and true story of a clerk who enlisted in 1914, who fought on the western front for nearly two years, was severely wounded at the battle of the Somme, and is now on his way back to his desk.

World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British

"We got drenched the night before last--every one soaked to
     the skin. We came out of the trench, and as there were no
     huts or dug-outs ready for us, we had to stand out in the
     rain for over an hour when we arrived at our destination.
     As the weather changed next day we managed to dry our
     things. It was a funny sight to see chaps walking about in
     pants, and some with sandbags for trousers.

     "It is rumoured we are leaving here to go ----, but being a
     rumour it won't come true. However, I shouldn't mind a
     change. We are all fed up with this spot.

                                        THE ALCOVE DUG-OUT,
                                        _July 8th, 1915._

     " ... How I long to be within the walls of our dear old
     church! Some of the fellows can't realise or understand when
     I tell them my church life and work are so much to me. I owe
     all my happiness to God through my home and to the
     associations and work at the church. I hope it will be His
     Divine Will to spare me for fuller activities and to make up
     for the sins of omission.

     " ... Don't imagine for a minute we learn French out here.
     We rarely see a civilian, and when we do we say, 'Avez vous
     du pain?' and the reply is generally 'How many do you want?'
     They know more English than we do French."

                                             _Later._

     "The fight for Hill 60 and the struggle with the Canadians
     against the Hun at St. Julien has weakened our division, and
     we are to be transferred further south to a quieter part of
     the line.

     "We are not sorry, for we feel sadly in need of a rest, and
     Ypres and its environments are _literally_ a shell-swept
     area of countless graves. The H.A.C. has relieved us, and we
     marched back the other night to huts a few miles behind the
     line. The following evening we marched still farther back,
     crossing the Franco-Belgian border to the rail-head. We are
     having a few days' rest, spending many hours cleaning up,
     not only our clothes and equipment, but our ceremonial drill
     and exercises."




One Young Man's Sunday




CHAPTER VIII

ONE YOUNG MAN'S SUNDAY



                                        _July 25th, 1915._

     "To tell you that I am at present on this Sunday afternoon
     lying on the grass watching a cricket match no doubt seems
     strange. But that is what I am doing--and with quite an easy
     conscience.

     "We are some miles from the firing line in a fair-sized
     French town. It's a treat to be away from the noise of
     battle, and from sleepless nights, and in a civilised place
     again. We are only here for a day or two, however, and then
     on we go--or at least that is the rumour.

     "We had Church Parade at 10 o'clock this morning, followed
     by a route march, and so we are free this afternoon.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

One young man : $b The simple and true story of a clerk who enlisted in 1914, who fought on the western front for nearly two years, was severely wounded at the battle of the Somme, and is now on his way back to his desk.

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