Combed Out

o signs of war. But soon we saw a number of shell-holes grouped round cross-roads, and gradually, as we proceeded, the fields came to be pitted more and more thickly. We skirted a

d amongst trees and bushes, so that often the muzzle alone was visible. Shell-holes we

uined cottages on either side. To the left of the poplars was a wood in which a large white chateau was half concealed. It looked very dreary with its black, gaping windows. To our right was a big farmhouse.

d a group of trees among

except for the frogs that uttered raucous musical croaks in a pond near by and puffed out

Several of the men expressed disappointment

began to fire a long way behind us. The shells passing high overhead made a fa

t bear to look at them, and great blasts of air and thunder-claps that seemed to strike our ears with colossal hammers and make them drone intolerably. Thunder-clap followed thunder-clap, long jets of white flame pierced the darkness, and now and again the very air seemed to kindle,

thronged the sky. At times the shells fell so thickly that a white flame of dazzling brilliancy would dart writhing along the tree-tops with lightning s

curious to see the effect on the other men. Frequent

l frightened, being one of the few who realized that we had been in no danger. By the light of the gun-flashes I saw, a few yards in front of me, one of our men, a young nervous fellow, stretched out at f

excitement, was saying in a strained, halting voice, that he felt very unwell, that he had hurt his knee, and would like to go back to camp. The other, a small, broad-shouldered, full-chested, squat individu

died down altogether. Soon the big yellow disc of the moon rose above

e them. The engine came along, rattling and puffing. It

sed in number. We passed a straw-thatched cottage nestling amid a group of bushes and poplars. A light shone from th

ped out of the trucks and retired into o

ved orders to proceed to the ter

pale and complained of the usual "pains all over." The Medical Officer gave him "light duty"

e wood with the white chateau were still standing there so peacefully after the bombard

we sat down in the grass and a

was seized by a mood such as I had rarely felt since childhood, when almost every lonely and desolate building filled me with a sense of awe and mystery, as th

no sound

e mysterious attraction of the chateau that I barely noticed the event. As I passed a small ruined cottage, which I had not observed before, for it was hidden amongst the trees, there was a short whizz on a high note, and then a loud crash. Smoke issued from the windows and the riddled roof, and bits of wood and débris hurtled through the air. Then there was a loud wailing noise followed by a terrific detonation. The chat

d was enveloped in a dark cloud. There was a deafening thunder-clap an

tal whizzed past the ear of a man standing a few yards away. He became unnerved, dashe

evious night's bombardment, but many of the men had been terrified. Now, when they were in considerable danger

r-a long-drawn whine-and a sepia coloured puff appeared high up in the sky. A sharp ringing crack followed. Then a

t the same time a motor-ambulance came rushing up and stopped at the cross-roads. Two soldiers issued from the wood, carrying a stretcher. A wounded man was lying on it. He did not move arms or

pond. He was laid on to a stretcher. He seemed rather dazed b

into the ambulance which dis

n agitation. Nevertheless, there was no hysteria and no ignomin

n journey began. The shelling continued unabated. Above the belt of poplars a little black speck was moving alon

who had arrived during the afternoon and were quartered in the town. Two o

t down on some of the kits that we

a time have yo

shows at night-time! We heard the archies firing in the distance and we yelled, 'Put out that light!' The Sergeant didn't take any notice though-he was reading a book. So Deacon, who's got a decent bit of pluck, walked across and asked him to blow out his candle. The Sergeant told him to mind his own bloody business. So Deacon said he'd blow the candle out himself. The Sergeant flew into a rage and swore at him and told him to sling his bloody hook. Deacon got wild too-he's one of those fellows who won't stand any nonsense-and blew out

in my letters, else I'd have got a stiff sentence. I wrote: 'Being in the army is just like being back at school; the only difference is that whereas at school your superiors generally know a little bit more about things than you do, in the army that is not the case.' The C.O. told me off properly. He said it was most serious, a court martial offence, in fact. The charge would be one of 'Conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline.' He let me off, though, because it was my first transgression. Old Peter Cowan was nearly run by the S.M. a couple of days ago. He was inspecting us and when he came to Peter he shouted, 'Why haven't you cleaned your boottons?' Peter answered with a perfectly solemn countenance, 'I omitted to do so, sir.' The S.M. glared at him, but he wasn't quite sure about the meaning of the word 'omitted,' and being afraid of making a fool of himself he passed on. Fletcher, who was standing only a few numbers away, smiled at Peter's remark. T

nd pip, but he's quite a decent old stick taking him all round. He gets drunk every evening, so that he's generally too far gone to trouble about lights out. He doesn't make a fuss over our le

I'm glad in a way-the monotony of our lives was becoming unbearable. I'd rather have she

he war. I confess I wasn't particularly scared by the shells we had-of course, none of them came very near. But I don't want to have any more, not after seeing those wounded carri

boom in the distance and a long, deepening howl,

shell passed overhead and e

ad left the building there was another reverberating crash and once again we were enveloped by smoke and dust while the bits of plaster showered down upon us from the ceiling. I bowed my head and held my arm up to protect my face. Something whizzed closely by, and a man dropped heavily with a groan in front of me. He lay on his face with one arm doubled up underneath, quite motionless. Two men went up to him and crossed their hands under his chest to raise him. His

the open fields. We were joined by the two men who ha

erious?"

p against a wall. We couldn't stop the blood from flowing. He came to for a few seconds though, and moaned, 'O my poor mother! O my poor mother!' enough to break

dy els

pped into a mess-room and laid out a dozen or more, and just as we were coming along we saw an artilleryman lying in the road with a big hole rig

an' now 'e's dead. The way 'e said 'O me poor mother!' nearly set me cryin'. Poor old ch

he billet, the men made their beds in the barn at nightfall. I returned to ca