World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
"Of two things one is certain: Either you're mobilised or you're not
mobilised. If you're not mobilised, there is no need to worry; if you
are mobilised, of two things one is certain: Either you're behind the
lines or you're on the Front. If you're behind the lines there is no
need to worry; if you're on the Front, of two things one is certain:
Either you're resting in a safe place or you're exposed to danger. If
you're resting in a safe place there is no need to worry; if you're
exposed to danger, of two things one is certain: Either you're
wounded or you're not wounded. If you're not wounded, there is no
need to worry; if you are wounded, of two things one is certain:
Either you're wounded seriously or you're wounded slightly. If
you're wounded slightly there is no need to worry; if you're
wounded seriously, of two things one is certain: Either you recover
or you die. If you recover there is no need to worry; if you die you
can't worry."
When once past the "Wall of China," as the French authorities call
the difficult approaches to the war zone, Meaux was the first town
of importance at which we stopped. We had an opportunity to
sample the army bread, as the driver of a passing bread wagon
flung a large round loaf into our motor.
According to all accounts received from the French soldiers who
are in the prison camps of Germany, one of the greatest hardships
is the lack of white bread, and they have employed various
subterfuges in the endeavour to let their relatives know that they
wish to have bread sent to them.
Some of the Bretons writing home nickname bread "Monsieur
Barras," and when there was a very great shortage they would
write to their families: "Ce pauvre Monsieur Barras ne se porte pas
tres bien a present." (M. Barras is not very well at present.) Finally
the Germans discovered the real significance of M. Barras and
they added to one of the letters: "Si M. Barras ne se porte pas tres
bien a present c'est bien la faute de vos amis les Anglais." (If M.
Barras is not well at present, it is the fault of your friends the
English.) And from then all the letters referring to M. Barras
were strictly suppressed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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