The War Stories of Private Thomas AtkinsMilne, James
History
The War Stories of Private Thomas Atkins
Milne, James
World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes
My hat has six holes punctured by shrapnel. One shot carried half of
the badge away, another caught the wire rim and doubled it up like a
hat-pin to five inches. I have had up to a sovereign offered for it,
but I am sticking to it, you bet: _Pte. Cawley, 3rd Coldstream Guards_.
Jammy!
Now about this jam. If you get a big pot you’ll carry it along, and
like as not get it smashed. Then your whole kit’s muckered up. Likewise
if you get it in a tin you’ll open it and take what you want, but
you’ll have no lid to put on, so you’ll leave the rest behind: _Pte.
Moss, of the Hussars_.
Next for Shaving
One daring thing I saw on the Aisne was done by a man of the Buffs. He
was surprised by the Germans, and the only weapon he had to meet the
attack of one who came at him with a rifle was a half-brick. He let fly
with it, and caught the “sausage” on the head, bowling him clean over.
Then he picked up his rifle and coolly took his position, calling out,
“Next for shaving”: _Pte. G. Barton, Royal Engineers_.
A Strange Meeting
A few years ago I was a delegate for the I.L.P. at the International
Socialist Congress at Stuttgart, and stayed at the house of a German,
Hans Woesschhoeft by name. After the battle of the Marne I was with a
force pursuing the Germans, and one day engaged in bayonet fighting
a German cavalryman. Looking at him closer, I recognized my host of
happier days. He recognized me, and we had not the heart to fight
further. He saved the situation by surrendering: _Corpl. Hayhurst,
Shropshire Light Infantry_.
“All We Want”
We are still getting on in the pink of health, and have all we want. My
chum, ----, wishes to be remembered to you; he says he doesn’t want to
come back again to England. We are amongst some of the finest people
I have ever met, and they will give us anything we want. We can get
plenty of tobacco here, so will you please send me a pipe? I shall
get it some time. Well, dear, I can’t say more now, so will wish you
good-bye for the present. Tell the missis I wish to be remembered to
her. I will close with heaps of love: _A Sergeant of the 3rd Hussars_.
Dare-Devils
The army is full of dare-devils who are never happy unless they are
risking their lives in some extravagant way. Two men of the Leinster
Regiment had an argument about each other’s running powers. To settle
the dispute they had a hundred yards sprint outside the trenches under
German fire all the time. Both had some narrow escapes, but got through
without a scratch. They wanted to do it over again, but an officer
stopped them: _Pte. R. Collier, Sherwood Foresters_.
An Evil Eye!
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