Combed Out

y-the Kaiser had been assassinated, the German Fleet had surrendered, German troops were deserting in masses, German submar

e lying exhausted in our tent. Suddenly the flap was thr

e Armistice has been

Did you see

despatch rider. He got it

. We've heard tha

't!" the man shouted

e gone when our

urkey, and Austria have collapsed. The Germans have decreasing resources and no reserves. The Allies have increasing resources and unli

e Germans will not be silly enough to imagine that, once they are disarmed and helpless, we shall stick to the Fourteen Points or be bound by any promises of any kind. No, the

lockade has done its work amongst the civilian population. We shall have an armistice within the next few days. Perhaps rumour

d officially-news like that

hing is being discussed and a deci

reach us within a few minutes from the actual signature. And then, what would we do then? How would our feelings find an outlet? It was impossibl

tell. And, therefore, we would be the first to receive the news. Bad as the army was, it was not so bad as to keep such tidings from us. Besides, everybody would rejoice so much, tha

of the previous Thursday and did not add to our knowledge. The suspense was becoming unbearable. My conviction that the Germans would reject the terms of the Allies was shaken-not by any further evidence, but by the general atmosphere of excitement and hopeful expectation which communicated itself to me. I

one of us said: "What's that funny noise?" There it was again, a low, hollow sound like that of a distant sea. It grew louder and then ceased. Then it became audible once more and grew louder and still l

and the howling of catcalls. A huge bonfire was lit in the camp and sheets of flame shot skyward. The brilliant stars of signal-rockets rose and fell in tall parabol? and lit up all the neighbourhood. The Sergeant-Major blew his whistle with the intention of restoring order. He was ans

our tents and sang with

and saw innumerable rotting dead that lay unburied in all postures on the bare, shell-tossed earth. A horror of death such as I had never known before came upon me-a crushing, annihilating horror that seemed to impart a fiendish character to the shouting and singing in the camp, as though millions of demoniac spirits were howling and dancing with devilish glee over the accomplishment of the greatest iniquity ever known. At the

read out officiall

ll get a day

r midnight and the uproar was dying down a little. I felt sleepy and

e, be an official announcement that the Armistice had been signed and perhaps a letter of thanks to the "splendid t

e Sergeant-Maj

rk as usual. It's a damned shame, I know, but I can't help it. I expect

the power of taking concerted action. A sudden fear seized me-cou

.C.O.'s had no vestige of authority left. Men from other units whom we met knew no more than

p in the afternoon

an intense anxiety which began to spread to the others. Still,

usual, but again no work was done. Suddenly I caught sight of a soldier walking along

ews?"

day, the 11th November-only a day old.

tration had been a

had been signed by Sunday midnight from a despatch rider who

alians had renewed the offensive. In the evening some of us thought they could hear distinct gunfi

coming unbearable. No work was done. I questioned men from five ot

forget our bitterness towards the arm

't want u

ned sorry it

wi' soft jobs what wants

ot to do with us? The Armistice concerns the Staff, not

t the entrance. I bought a Times. It was Tuesday's.

war had come to an end. I thought of home and of freedom. It almost seemed as though army-life had been a dream. I was

making no concessions to allow us time for rejoicing or reflection. After having slaved and suffered all these years w

y of those that were held on the Sunday night. Nevertheless, the rejoici

in felt that bitter thoughts were gathering, but I was

get any wine or spirits and ge

quiet all the evening, suddenly sat up

ols-all shouting and singing and wanting to get drunk! They ought to have more respect for the dead! The war's over, and we're bloody lu

rot-call yourself a soldier? Yo

ver made a soldier of me! I've never been any use to them! I only worked when they forced me to. I've been more expense and trouble to them than I'm worth. I haven't helped to win this wicked war, and I'm proud of it too! Sentimental rot be damned-if everyone had been my way of thinking the

s sake ch

lking to fellows like you. Go and get drunk, then, do a

nd wrapped himself up in his bla

SS, PRINTERS, L