Combed Out

ility is the commonest result of army life. Our morale was dominated by the small, immediate event. Bad weather and long working hours would provoke outbursts of grumbling and

e to us kindly or did us some slight service we would call him a "brick," a "toff," or a "sport," and overflow with sentimental devotion. It was not difficult to please us, indeed it was often touching to observe for how small a thing the men would show the most ardent gratitude and work enthusia

, belonging as they did to the comparatively wealthy and leisured classes, had been able to cultivate lux

nk it "necessary"? To dominate is worse than to be dominated. The very feeling that a man has power over others gives him an exaggerated notion of his own importance and merits, it arouses latent brutality, it fosters grandiose thinking (that terribly harmful vice of

been treated, if they were not men of exceptional imagination, sympathy, and intuition? We never had an officer who was really a b

ved later would have to wedge themselves in as best they could and remain with knees drawn up for the rest of the night-any attempt at forcing them down would be sure to create a disturbance and lead to a furious dispute and an exchange of insults and obscenities. When w

oned myself to more than another hour, so I thought, of delicious indolence. I closed my eyes and was beginning to doze and dream again when I heard the flop, flop

o'clock, parade at 5.30

p in dismay

too early! Wha

l answered

he matter-show a leg

his order, and then to the next, and so on,

hour of sleep. I could not understand why reveillé sho

and yawned and stretched out their arms, or turned round impatien

ed'n' 'ell d'they want to wake us this time of

't it 'ah'

e blowed! 'Tain't

don't get up at this time!-'e don't get up afore ten or eleven, you bet yer life. 'E 'as eggs an' bacon for 'is bloody breakfast wi' a batman t

'! Why don't the 'eads come an' bloody well fight it out amongst theirselves-why don't King George 'ave a go wi' Kaiser Bill? What d'they want ter drag us out 'ere for ter do their dirty work for 'em? If I was ter 'ave a row wi' another bloke, I'd take me coat orf an' set about 'im

The air was heavy with the rank smell of stale tobacco. Several men lit cigarettes and the ends glowed in the darkness, each one illuminating a face as the smoke was draw

what the we

uter darkness. A cold gust of wind blew

snow

day o' misery afore us-

water and the piercing wind. I longed to remain in the warm tent, and for a moment I wavered. Then, with an effort of the will I suppressed the strong temptation, and squeezing through the ten

y against my face. I folded my arms across my chest and found a little protection from the gusts that seemed to pierce me. My left foot had sunk deeply into the slush. I pawed the mud with my right in order to find the duckboard. I touched th

other man was going to wash; he must have grown accustomed to the darkness, for he walked along without hesitation. He slowed down as he approached

ist's sake. It's too cold to w

then it suddenly slid out of the boot. I ground my teeth and took a box from my pocket and struck a match, although my numb fingers could hardly hold it. There was a splutter and for a moment I saw a whirl of white snowflakes, a patch of gl

ty yards away. Our Commanding Officer was a keen sportsman and he had stopped the laying

o far, I resolved to go on. My teeth began to chatter. The man who had passed by me had already reached the abl

uter gloom. The well was only a few yards off-I could just distinguish its black mouth. I placed my basin on the edge. I grasped the cold, wet rope and

er and quickly splashed face, chest and shoulders. The water was a dirty grey colour and full of sand and grit. I rubbed myself with my towel

way to the shed. I could now just distinguish the duckboards and I quickly reached my tent. I lifted the flap and stepped in. Some of the mud, with which my boots w

was afraid I might have to stand in a long queue outside the cook-house, but fortunately only a few men were waiting befor

ared and a voice shouted: "Breakfast up!" We raised a feeble cheer and filed past while one

ing that the wind might blow away the thin bacon fragment. The snow fell into the mug and

ad been nibbled by mice overnight and was soiled and dusty. Other men arrived, one by one. We ate our me

iece of cheese. I tied up my boots-the laces were covered with liquid clay-and put on my puttees which were hard and stiff with caked mud. It was a quarter-past five and I lay down

by the banging of mess-tins, mugs and plates, and by the angry shouts of "Ge

ed by a head and shoulders. Thereupon the man tried to step in, but he tripped over the brailing underneath the flap, and plunged forward, spilli

p of his tunic caught one of the hooks on the flap and his progress was sharply a

ith furious resentment. Someone jumped up and took the mug

his breakfast. But before he could reach his place there was a l

d been accumulating si

h yer breakfast-'tain't 'alf-

at yer li

t's the worst o' this mob though, yer'll neve

ing Officer, abuse of the army, abuse of the war, and abuse of the Government. The man could find

ing at an entire life of discomfort. He was rebelling against his degrading slavery and enforced miser

last of the whistle, louder and more prolonged th

rly reluctant fashion. The day had just begun to dawn, and in the grey twilight I could perc

. The Sergeant-Major blew his whistle a third t

grew longer and longer. Another double line wa

shouted to the Corporal of the Police: "Corporal, take those men's names-have 'em up for orderly room this evening." Then he tur

and slink round the bottom of the parade ground in order to join us from behind and escape observation. I wished him success and followed his movements with interest.

peremptory tones, but the man pretended h

ere, da

out of the line, crossed over to the Sergea

u deaf? Why aren't you on parade in

was at half-past-and-and-I c

hink yer talkin' to-S

dn't help it, sir ..

e him up for Orderly Room to-night.... Fall in and lo

l-trodden mud and slush. We sank into it up to our ankles. Our feet were torturing us, but only a few men in the rear ranks v

"Listen to the Orders." He held a bundle of pap

ap-badges and numerals must be cleaned thoroughly once a day. Box-respirators and steel helmets will always be carried. Except

realize that when marching at all times each section of fours must keep their dressing and cover off correctly and keep the step and when at attention there must be no talking and the order to stand

rwise the tins, which are of thin material only get-er-d

ot only-er-reprehensible, but also against their own interest if men tease these pigs and pull them

harply raising and lowering their heels. The Sergeant-Major suddenly observed them, blew his whistle and shouted angrily: "Stand still there -- -- d'you hear? Stand still

llied by ours. He was bullied into being a bully. And his superiors were bullied by their superior

gue parties. We felt relieved and thought tha

ergeant Wal

across the mud and lined

rgeant Hemin

sense of duty had prompted him to report the man whom he saw

g fur collar, emerged from the half darkness and the whirl of snowflakes and walked up to the Sergeant-Major, wh

y move on-I'm perishin' wi' cold." Another added: "They don't say nothin' when 'e comes late

to an end. Salutes were exchanged once more and the officer walked over towards a house on the far side of the road that ran alongside the camp. As he opened the front door a warm

t Fuller

m because I noticed that one of my friends was of their number, while all the

raged, for there could now be no objection to my presence. The Sergeant asked: "Where's Priva

e you do

tley, Sergeant," I replied, hopin

e you pe

said I could t

God Almighty? Get ba

not

r-get back

th my mate. Hartley'll take my place again to-mor

l you, and do

not

der? Get back at once, or I'

vexation. I even forgot my numb feet in thinking of t

l Locke'

im. Corporal Locke counted his men and found he had one

my party-you'll have

rivate Black-I've been

you weren't with me yesterday-I

notice the

his t

g too many men on my party. He went off the deep end* about

ut and I fell in with my own, the last of all and a

d shouted, "Move off!" and one by one

le-Right Turn! By th

us drew a shovel or a pick from a g

last began the longed-for march which would r

eet began to glow but our ears became painfully cold instead. We held our hands over them and as our ears grew warm our fingers became n

I thought of home and made plans for the future. I had a long, stubbornly contested argument with an imaginary opponent about the issues of the war. And then

heavy, sodden great-coat. The strap of my haversack was mak

d signs of weariness and began to grumble at our speed. There was an ironical

Flemish landscape. We marched on in silence for an hour or more until suddenly the front

ht in the wintry atmosphere. On the other side was a barbed wire fence. Beyond it lay flat fields on which the snow had settled e

r work would be. We were to carry all the sleepers across the

task job?

eant did

make us bring o

such a na?ve ques

know the ar

aded each sleeper on to the shoulders of a couple of men who carried it across the

ow, squelching mud, aching backs and sore shoulders. When one shoulder became so sore that mere contact with our load was intensely

any effort of the will. Our minds became blurred and numb-a numbness that was broken from

et's 'ave a blow," sa

s a quarter-past ten-nearly

l number of men were working

' fellers swingin' the lead be'ind them stacks. I'm go

le

two more leadswingers!"* We leaned against the wood and rested, but a few minutes had hardly passed when a Corporal appeared an

r. I again looked at my watch-it was twenty to eleven. The quarter-past ten seemed several hours ago! The way the

gth it stopped altogether. There was a long straggling queue in front of the half-demolished stack. The first pair of men refused to take the sleeper held in readiness for them, protesting that there were others who ought to have gone before, and the other

interruption made at least a portion of our time pass more quickly. Then we continued our wearisome tramp. An age seemed to pass. I looked at my watch, but it was only twenty-three minutes after eleven. To and fro

it was still a long way off. Besides, somehow or other, the afternoons always seemed to pass more quickly than th

uted. "Yer only gettin' 'alf an hour fur yer

rblimy-we ain't done 'alf of it! We won't ge

y fault. Yer've got ter git

ntinued while we formed a queue and filed past a ma

still hot and perspiring after our morning's labours. We ate our rations in sile

nd whirled round and round in front of our eyes. Gradually we began to feel the cold again. Many of us got up and walked about

geant blew the wh

ished. It's a task job. Yer didn't shift 'alf the sleepers this morn

was renewed

ell grousin'. The work's g

old stacks to the new increased steadily. We tramped

in which my limbs seemed to move automatically and time to have no existence at all. Although I was aware of pain I was yet indifferent to it. And now my partner was going to drag me back to

bsequently laid on to my shoulders produced such a pang that I had to close my eyes for a mome

ustrated the effort. I was full of growing resentment against my partner. My dormant anger was aroused, it had found an object and,

shouted, in great pain. "Chr

omething-I hope I didn't hurt you!" I felt ashamed and all my resentment va

not know how long, when an officer arrived. He stood st

my lads, but I'll try to get you a day off

nd had not observed the arrival of the officer, who was walking slowly towards him. Suddenly he jumped up and there was an exchange of words which we could n

by one. Time appeared to slip by with gathering speed. A kind of common rhythm se

mental calculation. "Only four hundred sleepers left now, boys-that's five apiece or

p obstinately. We counted the sleepers as we received them-one, two, three and so on. This occupied our minds and the time passed all the more quickly. Eight ... nine ... ten! At last our work was done! "Thank God," said my partner with deep convi

ates, are yer? Call yerselves sportsmen, do

for each pair. If it doesn't work out it's because some of the others have been swingi

er think I'm goin' ter stand over yer all day? Some o' you blokes is

're there for, t

nt no tellin'. Get stuck into it an' don't let me 'ave any o' yer bloody

. My partner growled: "I 'ope I meet 'im in civvy life-I'll give 'im somethin'

would be enough men in front of us to clear the lot. The officer shouted: "Come along,

ere loaded on to our shoulders-my partner and I received the las

s long rows of dark squares in the snow showed where the sleepers had lain before we moved them. A brown stretch of churned and trodden mud and water connected them with the new stacks that extended in four rows along the other side of the lines. We had shifted five thousand eight hundred sleepers in all. Around us were level, snow-covered fields unrelieved by anything except an occasional tree and the farm. It c

aid one of the men in

forget it

have it for

don't want it, I want

et in first so as to secure any available boxes or petrol-tins that might serve as seats. A noisy, turbulent throng clustered round each lorry. We scrambled in, pushing, hustling, and swearing. We were soon so crow

d, and swayed from side to side. The roof of the lorry in which I stood was so low that I had to

d up on the road. Sergeant Hyndman perceived the Commanding Officer str

mers when yer dismissin' else yer'll get extra shovel-drill an' get me into trouble in t

ccustomed sharpness: "Eyes-Right!" We all turned our heads smartly to the right and he saluted with strained, affected precision. The Captain touched the peak of his cap

vel properly,

. The ground was so muddy and uneven that it was sometimes impossible to keep the exact military formatio

voice, as though my transgression were intended as a personal insult. Bu

nt of balance-no, no, no, not like that ... here, Sergeant, take that man's name and number and

's name and then said to us in an awestruck whisper

cks and shovels and transferred them from our right hands to our left, touched the peaks of o

infuriated C.O. "If you don't do it correctly this time, you'll get an h

in every limb, oppressed and wearied in mind and body, we only had one intense desire-

d performance with anxious punctiliousness, but three men, either through fear, wearines

ade ground there was a wild stamped

r splashed through the mud in a frantic attempt to get served first, p

lakes were floating about in the ai

er. I knocked him down and gloated over him as he lay sprawling in the mud with my hand s

tents like a dingy snake in the gathering gloom. It was rapi

move on." Fretful, smouldering impatience increased until it flared up in anger. "Get a bloody move on-we want somethin' ter eat afte

s and plates were banged until the uproar was deafening. It gradually di

eatin' when y

s'pose, 'nough ter

they give yer in the army-I wouldn'

up again. There was hooting and booing and bang

pushed up and one of the cooks appeared in the ope

in' all day? Swi

n' a bloody sight 'arder 'n what you 'ave. Yer never satisfied, yer bl

he queue took up

er could'n catc

my job an' see

in't a man's job at all, it's only old

ve on-don't stan

late. The next man held out his plate, and then the next. The cumbrous serpent moved forward inch by inch while

n were sitting on their kits. The noisy manner

silence. I asked him to come with me to the village. He put on his great-coat and we walked along t

a day did you

amping with our feet and trying to get warm. Lieutenant Rowlatt was in charge of us. He wouldn't let us leave the quarry or go into an estaminet. And he only gave us half an hour for dinner. Of cours

uttered, but the light shone through cracks and chink

d our turn. The air was hot and moist and smelt of stale tobacco, burning fat, and steaming clothes. There was a glowing stove at one end of the room. It looked like a red-hot spherical urn on a low black pedestal. A big bowl of liquid fat was seething on the fire. A woman with flaming cheeks was throwing handfuls of sliced potatoes into it while she held a saucepan in which a number of eggs were spluttering. The heat was becoming intolerable and we edged away from the stove. We waited patiently. More and more men came in until there was no standing room left. The conversation was boisterous and vulgar, much of it at the

nto rain that fell in a steady drizzle. I was so tired

er this is going to las

nue for years. All I look forward to now is the spring and

weeks-we won't get leave for

hink about and look

ittle glimmer of hope to go to sleep with and dream about. I took up my copy of the Times which I received irregularly. I began to read the leading article but was so irritated by its unctuous hypocrisy that I turned the page over and scanned the headlines. Suddenly a big drop of water splashed on to it. I became aware of the rain outside, swishing down upon the canvas, and, looking up, I saw a glistening patch of moisture col

ike anything, my whole

n infliction. He ground his teeth with fury at those pattering drops of water, but the realization of impotence seemed to descend upon him with such power that he lay back and closed his eyes, a prey to violent mental agitation.

earing far longer than any of us. I was amused, and my own equanimity,

ly: "When you come to the end of a perfect day." I began to feel warm and was filled with a sense of intense comfort. I could hear the water dripping on to my

I ran my fingers through my hair and found that it was soaked. My pillow-a shirt stuffed with spare clothing-was wet also, but the rain was no longer beating down on the canvas. The air inside the tent was pervaded by a foul, acrid stench. I threw the flap asi

te rose colour. The purity of the dawn seemed extraordinarily beautiful comp

mud, usually so hideous, was flecked with luminous patches. But my feet were becoming numb and cold again. I felt that the pain they were giving me was about to deprive me of all pleasure in the rising sun to which I had been looking forward ever since reveillé. I foug

the parade ground and scrambled into them. They quickly

e us. We wondered what our work would be. Someone suggested we would have to restac

ad been made the day before. We nearly groaned with apprehension. He leered at

pposed ter spend two days on the job an' yesterday yer did two days' work in one. I see the officer about it an' 'e says yer worked bloody fine an' says 'e won't

ospect of having a holiday, and there was shouting and singing as the lorries sped along. We reached the camp and

here've these men come from?" The Sergeant explained. "They'v

for once and explained that we had worked exceptionally hard the day before and that the officer in charge had promised us a holid

inspection-they'll have t

re capable in order to please the Captain, and walked off the parade ground in the strictest regulation m

ld gust of wind came and whistled round our shoulders, was no pleasure. But the ordeal was quickly over and before eleven o'clock in t

ity. I was scheming how to make the most of this precious holiday. I decided to go for a solitary walk

s, the bare trees and hedges, were steeped in warm sunlight. In the

in a zig-zag winding course from the North Sea to the Alps. It was strangely silent at that hour, but I was fascinated by it and thought about it harder and harder

me hard work so that my own thoughts cannot oppress me a