The War Stories of Private Thomas AtkinsMilne, James
History
The War Stories of Private Thomas Atkins
Milne, James
World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes
I am one of the fortunate ones. I was always told I would never be
killed, and I begin to think I was born under a lucky star. I have
been engaged in driving motor-wagons to and from the men lying in
the trenches fighting our battle on the Aisne. Certainly I have seen
very little of the fighting, but the roar of the big guns has been my
companion night and day. I had not been on the job four days before I
lost my first wagon, which I named the “London, Croydon, and Purley
Growler.” On my second journey to the field of operations we were
ambushed by a body of Germans, who pounced out of a wood, but not one
of them got back to tell the tale. It was a perfect eye-opener for
me and a nerve-tester, I can tell you. We were just congratulating
ourselves when crash went a shell on to the bonnet. How I escaped I
don’t know. My growler was no good; she was a complete wreck. After
transferring the load to another lorry we abandoned her and got away,
but not before several of our fellows were winged: _Private W. G.
Davies, A.S.C._
Joke, but No Beer
Some men prefer to prepare their own food, but the majority divide
themselves into sections and get one, or sometimes two, of their number
to do all the cooking, washing up, etc. And whatever “cookie” serves
up is always accepted as excellent. And many are the jokes cracked and
tales told round the fire during meal-times. Very often the cooks have
just got a fire going and the pots on when the order comes, “Wind up,”
_i.e._ start engines going, and then there is commotion. Semi-boiling
water has to be thrown away, and half-cooked food put back in the
“grub-box” till the next stop. But we have nothing to grumble at.
There is food--and to spare--for all of us. One thing that is often
wanted by our men is a good glass of English ale. I know a few here
who would gladly give their day’s rations for a “pint.” The “land
of wine and cider” will never be the “land of beer” to the English
Tommy. We have many a sing-song of a night round the camp fires. I have
got a melodeon, which was left on a battlefield by a German soldier,
so that is our band. It is an impressive sight to see about thirty
fellows around a fire singing lustily “A Little Grey Home in the
West,” accompanied by a melodeon, with the roar of cannon occasionally
breaking in: _Driver Drake, of the Supply Column_.
The Country Round
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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