Part 13 (1/2)
To reach the rear lines movement could only be made ON THE TOP and fully exposed to enemy snipers, who, suffering badly from forced inactivity and ennui, delighted to exercise their shooting powers by a few minutes'
pleasant concentration upon your helpless figure.
Mud and water, upon which floated an interesting conglomeration of filthy rubbish, flowed saucily around your ankles, sometimes your knees, and when you fell off a high duckboard, your neck.
The humour of it--afterwards! The acute misery and suffering of those long, long nights standing in water; cold, hungry and weary. Body aching from the fierce winter's blast and the fingers gone stiff, immovable, almost unfeeling ... with no hope for the future, but always the ceaseless watch and wait until the great Peace of Death overtakes the tired body and a troubled soul leaves its burden to be carried on by those who follow after.
Rain lashed stinging into the face, dripping in rivulets from off the steel helmet and forcing its way into the neck ... the shrieking of an unnerving wind ... the blast of mighty sh.e.l.l ... the gas ... death was NOT the worst alternative.
Fritz played heavily on the back areas; we returned sh.e.l.l for sh.e.l.l, but no infantry action took place on either side during the eight days of Norman occupation. The enemy was concentrating his man-power for a Push with the opening of finer days, and we did not have an excess of men to waste after the heavy toll of the Cambrai stunt.
The Ten Hundred were relieved for a brief rest.
XIII
Pa.s.sCHENDAELE SECTOR
POPERINGHE--STEENVOORDE--BRANDHOEK
The Ten Hundred had revelled in the luxury of a hot bath. ”Casey,” who had found and hurriedly slipped into his trouser pocket a full packet of ”f.a.gs” inadvertently left behind by some individual with an unbalanced mind, portrayed his bare arm for general admiration of the four small scars thereon.
”Waccinated,” he said, ”by good ole Kinnersley.” (Dr.--Captain Kinnersley, undoubtedly the one man who held the softest corner in the hearts of all the old Normans, and whose friendly hand-shakes as from man to man were never forgotten by the ”boys” of the original 1st Battalion).
”Wots the good?” Le Page demanded.
”Good--wot a question. Why, it stops fever, an' smallpox, an' almost everythin'.”
”Any good fer toothache?” The crowd chuckled noisily.
”Would it stop a clock?”
”Any good for a bloomin' non-stop thirst?”
”P'raps it might stop the war?”
”Ever tried it on yer ole woman's tongue, Casey?--but it wouldn't stop that!”
They were interrupted by a command from the Company Officer to ”get a move on.” Company Officer controls a Company. Main functions to dole out pay (when he's not stopping it), C.B., and rum.
C.B. (Confined to Barracks) and similar punishments are usually granted you by the genial administrator as an adequate reward for such crimes as too little razor, too much beer, too weak a polish, or too strong a language, late on fatigue or early OFF it....
Some men are always in trouble, but provided with a programme of glib excuses and prepared at a moment's notice to call witnesses (false), always escape punishment. Some do not care if punished or not and who boast that they had full value for their ”two days C.B.” Heaume had a cute dodge of replying to an officer's angry expostulation that he (Heaume) had already been ”up” twenty times with: ”No, sir,--only sixteen so far.”
Seven or eight days at Brake Camp were followed by a week at English Camp, from whence working parties daily moved up the Line by rail to the vicinity of Merrythought Station. The Ten Hundred were put through the mill as never before. ”Out fer a rest,” a Stafford summed up, ”be 'anged fer a yarn ... called the last place Brake ... breaking us in fer this.”
Poperinghe made up for it. A week without one Jerry aeroplane dropping an experimental bomb or two, without the unpleasant company of Jerry sh.e.l.ls and free from apprehensive hours of uncertainty following a gas alarm from forward areas in an unfavourable wind.
To be able to purchase from the inhabitants almost every conceivable necessity dear to the heart of the soldier, to mingle freely with ”civies,” to walk on hard, firm roads, theatres, cinemas, and to mingle nightly with other regiments compensated somewhat for what had pa.s.sed.