Over The Top

outine about the work of the trenches, althou

commences at sundown. Tommy is

his orders, he replies without turning around or taking his eyes from the expanse of dirt in front of him. The remainder of the occupants of his traverse either sit on the fire step, with bayonets fixed, ready for any emergency, or if lucky, and a dugout happens to be in the near vicinity of the traverse, and if the night is quiet, they are permitted to go to same and try and snatch a few winks of sleep. Little sleeping is done; generally the men sit around, smoking fags and seei

ack, with a tin hat for a pillow; and feeling very damp and cold, with "cooties " boring for oil in your arm pits, the air foul from the stench of grimy huma

pment. The "cooties" take advantage of this order and mobilize their forces, and Tommy swears vengean

ds rapid" is passed along the trench. This means that each man must rest his rifle on the top and fire as rapidly as possible five shots aimed toward the German trenches, and then duck (with the emphasis on the "duck"

fire trench one afternoon when orders came up from the rear that he had been granted sev

beside him on the fire step with the good times in store for him. He figured it out that i

r a couple of souvenirs to Fritz, so that he'll miss me when I leave," he stuck his rifle over the top and fired two shots, when "crack" went a bu

rloo Station he was laid to rest in a little ce

ever tell, -- it is not s

d wait for the "rum issue" to materialize. Immediately following the rum, comes breakfas

try to amuse themselves until "tea" appears at about fo

ted by his platoon officer, and has breakfast. At 8.45 he parades (drills) with his company or goes o

ainder of the day, unless he has clicked for a digging or working party, and so it goes

le Tommy is searching his shirt, serious thoughts come to him. Many a time, when performing

nerally ran in

ng one, and so on? While your mind is wandering into the future it is likely to be

ive it up as a bad job and generally saunter over to the nearest estaminet to drown your moody forebodings in a glass of sickening French beer, or to try your luck at the alw