The War Stories of Private Thomas AtkinsMilne, James
History
The War Stories of Private Thomas Atkins
Milne, James
World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes
We had been lying in the trenches firing for all we were worth. On my
right, shoulder to shoulder, were two Salvationists. I remembered them
as having held a meeting with some of us chaps about a week before. As
we lay there with the bullets whistling round us these two were the
coolest of the whole cool lot! After we had been fighting some time we
had orders to fall back, and as we were getting away from the trenches
one of the Salvationists was hit and fell. His chum didn’t miss him
until we had gone several hundred yards, and then he says, “Where’s
----?” calling him by name. “I must go back and fetch him!” and off
he hurried, braving the hail of shot and shell. I admired his bravery
so much that I offered to go with him, but he said, “No, the Lord
will protect me; I’ll manage it.” So I threw myself on the ground and
waited. I saw him creep along for some yards, then run to cover; creep
along, and take shelter again; and, finally, having found his chum, he
picked him up and made a dash for safety! How the bullets fell around
him! Into the shelter of some trees he went; out again, and in once
more; and when he did get into the last piece of clearing I couldn’t
wait any longer, so I rushed forward to help him. Then I got hit. What
do you think the brave fellow did? He just put his other arm around me
and carried us both off. Darkness was fast coming on, and presently
he laid us both down and found the wounds, which he bandaged up with
strips which he tore from his shirt. I shall never forget that terrible
night: _An Anonymous Private_.
“A Rare Good One”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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