Produced by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/toronto), Suzanne Lybarger, William Flis, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net THE AMATEUR ARMY BY PATRICK MACGILL BY THE SAME AUTHOR CHILDREN OF THE DEAD END THE RAT-PIT [Illustration: RIFLEMAN PATRICK MACGILL] HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED ARUNDEL PLACE HAYMARKET LONDON S.W. MCMXV _Wyman & Sons Ltd., Printers, London and Reading._ PREFACE I am one of the million or more male residents of the United Kingdom, who a year ago had no special yearning towards military life, but who joined the army after war was declared. At Chelsea I found myself a unit of the 2nd London Irish Battalion, afterwards I was drilled into shape at the White City and training was concluded at St. Albans, where I was drafted into the 1st Battalion. In my spare time I wrote several articles dealing with the life of the soldier from the stage of raw "rooky" to that of finished fighter. These I now publish in book form, and trust that they may interest men who have joined the colours or who intend to take up the profession of arms and become members of the great brotherhood of fighters. PATRICK MACGILL. "The London Irish," British Expeditionary Force, _March 25th_, 1915. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I I ENLIST AND AM BILLETED 13 CHAPTER II RATIONS AND SICK PARADE 23 CHAPTER III PICKETS AND SPECIAL LEAVE 36 CHAPTER IV OFFICERS AND RIFLES 48 CHAPTER V THE COFFEE-SHOP AND WANKIN 60 CHAPTER VI THE NIGHT SIDE OF SOLDIERING 71 CHAPTER VII DIVISIONAL EXERCISE AND MIMIC WARFARE 85 CHAPTER VIII THE GENERAL INSPECTION AND THE EVERLASTING WAITING 99 CHAPTER IX READY TO GO--THE BATTALION MOVES 111 CHAPTER I I ENLIST AND AM BILLETED What the psychological processes were that led to my enlisting in "Kitchener's Army" need not be inquired into. Few men could explain why they enlisted, and if they attempted they might only prove that they had done as a politician said the electorate does, the right thing from the wrong motive. There is a story told of an incident that occurred in Flanders, which shows clearly the view held in certain quarters. The Honourable Artillery Company were relieving some regulars in the trenches when the following dialogue ensued between a typical Tommy Atkins and an H.A.C. private: T.A.: "Oo are you?" H.A.C.: "We're the H.A.C." T.A.: "Gentlemen, ain't yer?" H.A.C.: "Oh well, in a way I suppose--" T.A.: "'Ow many are there of yer?" H.A.C.: "About eight hundred." T.A.: "An' they say yer volunteered!" H.A.C.: "Yes, we did."