The War Stories of Private Thomas AtkinsMilne, James
History
The War Stories of Private Thomas Atkins
Milne, James
World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes
We took turns on outpost duty--twenty-four hours on and twenty-four
off. We slept in the open with equipment and rifle, and had to stand to
arms an hour before dawn, about two o’clock. The reconnoitring patrols
got a feed at nearly every farm or house they passed. We didn’t see a
sign of Germans all the time, although the Uhlans were only a few miles
away. We had a decent time, and the people are the best I have met.
They think no one is as good as an Englishman, especially an English
soldier: _A Private of the Royal Marine Light Infantry_.
A Baby Bunting
I heard a cry from an empty house, and when I went in I found a baby,
about eleven months old, lying crying in its nightgown. I brought the
youngster out. It was raining in torrents at the time, and I carried
it about five and a half miles. It was crying all the way, and I tried
to conceal it from our sergeant, but eventually he said I should be
obliged to put it down as we were going into action, so I laid it in
a hedge and covered it with some straw, hoping that someone would
soon find it and take care of it. It made me think of my own children:
_Bombdr. Stoddard, Royal Artillery_.
Early Piety
What struck me most was the number of Boy Scouts smoking clay pipes!
They were only about six or seven years old, and they came up to us and
asked us if we’d like a chew of tobacco. They seemed to enjoy it too.
We were absolutely covered with flowers. All the horses were decorated
up. There were some lovely crops of wheat destroyed. You could tell all
the men were at the war. The women were in the fields bringing in the
harvest. Children seemed pleased to see us, and they would walk along
and hold our hands: _Sapper Magridge_.
Quiet and Restful
We are having a very quiet, restful time in an old semi-fortified
farmhouse. The enemy has a very strong position directly ahead, and
until they are turned out we cannot move. Four motor-cyclists are
quartered in an old hen-house, the floor of which is covered with
straw; the perches come in very useful as clothes-racks. We are just
going to have dinner, consisting of mutton chops (killed last night),
potatoes, fried cheese, and bread and jam. We can occasionally get
eggs, but otherwise we live on bread and jam and stew made of tinned
meat and vegetables: _Dispatch-Rider Schofield, 5th Cavalry Brigade_.
On the Quiet!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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