"Over the Top," by an American Soldier Who Went: Together with Tommy's Dictionary of the TrenchesEmpey, Arthur Guy
History
"Over the Top," by an American Soldier Who Went: Together with Tommy's Dictionary of the Trenches
Empey, Arthur Guy
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
"Get up, you white-livered blighter! Curse you and the day you ever
joined 'D' Company, spoiling their fine record! It'll be you up
against the wall, and a good job too. Get a hold of him, men, and if
he makes a break, give him the bayonet, and send it home, the cowardly
sneak. Come on, you, move, we've been looking for you long enough."
Lloyd, trembling and weakened by his long fast, tottered out, assisted
by a soldier on each side of him.
They took him before the Captain, but could get nothing out of him
but:
"For God's sake, sir, don't have me shot, don't have me shot!"
The Captain, utterly disgusted with him, sent him under escort to
Division Headquarters for trial by court-martial, charged with
desertion under fire.
They shoot deserters in France.
During his trial, Lloyd sat as one dazed, and could put nothing
forward in his defence, only an occasional "Don't have me shot!"
His sentence was passed: "To be shot at 3:38 o'clock on the morning of
May 18, 1916." This meant that he had only one more day to live.
He did not realize the awfulness of his sentence, his brain seemed
paralyzed. He knew nothing of his trip, under guard, in a motor lorry
to the sand-bagged guardroom in the village, where he was dumped on
the floor and left, while a sentry with a fixed bayonet paced up and
down in front of the entrance.
Bully beef, water, and biscuits were left beside him for his supper.
The sentry, seeing that he ate nothing, came inside and shook him by
the shoulder, saying in a kind voice:
"Cheero, laddie, better eat something. You'll feel better. Don't give
up hope. You'll be pardoned before morning. I know the way they run
these things. They're only trying to scare you, that's all. Come now,
that's a good lad, eat something. It'll make the world look different
to you."
The good-hearted sentry knew he was lying about the pardon. He knew
nothing short of a miracle could save the poor lad.
Lloyd listened eagerly to his sentry's words, and believed them. A
look of hope came into his eyes, and he ravenously ate the meal beside
him.
In about an hour's time, the Chaplain came to see him, but Lloyd would
have none of him. He wanted no parson; he was to be pardoned.
The artillery behind the lines suddenly opened up with everything they
had. An intense bombardment of the enemy's lines had commenced. The
roar of the guns was deafening. Lloyd's fears came back with a rush,
and he cowered on the earthen floor with his hands over his face.
The sentry, seeing his position, came in and tried to cheer him by
talking to him:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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