Show private ginger As seen through the barbed wire wa by sergeant arthur guy empey author of over the top fust call etc 0 0 0 mr empens expert t teen months in the First line trenches of the british army in france by the newspaper New paper there were six of us curly wallace was called curly he had the cutest little delia or spit curl as the gum chenera call it you ever saw wallace was kawas of that curl and gave it the est of attention and care he was scotch II appy houghton Hough toi earned bis dick same by hla constant smile and happy he was english a londoner hungry foxcroft rox croft really earned his title he took special pains that our rations would not become mildewed mil dewed by around too long in the dampness f our he was english also london akey honney dubbed ikey because in one of our theatrical attempts he took the part of ikey co and made quite a hit eng aso via london dick turpan called dick in memory of the notorious highwayman he used to hi ip the quartermaster ccann so the name was very appropriate he was irish from dublin I 1 was alie sixth the boys ant the yank to my name because I 1 was and from tha town behind the statue of lib arty the six of us composed the crew of pea na 2 of the th brigade machine company were martna runners and our gun was the nate it was a rainy afternoon in june nd we were sitting n our dugout in the front line trench about yards the german lines I 1 yon should ask a tommy atan what Is a dugout be would look at yoa in astonishment and pitying you SOT your apparent lick of education would answer a dugout wiy a dugout Is a well a dugouts dug outs a degout only being a tommy pro tan pro tern in my case meaning for duration of war will try to describe to the best of my ability this dugout A dugout Is a hole in the ground gets its name because tt Is dug out ly the stoval or II 11 E s as we call tham it Is used to shelter the men in the trenches from shell fire they also sleep in it or try to from bar point of view its main use Is to drain the trenches of muddy water and give us rheumatism it also a good hotel for rats these guests 1001 upon us as intruders and complain that ft e overcrowd the place occasionally we give in to them and a turn in the ti anch to rest our breves our dugout was about twenty feet dap or at leist anere were twenty steps leading down to it the ceiling and walls were braced by scary square cut over the timbers in the belling sheets of cor iron were spread to keep the wt earth from falling in on us the entrance was heavily sandbagger sandbagged sand bagged and wry narrow there ns only room for woe atson to leave or enter at a time the belling was juls feet high and the floor space was ten feet by six feet through the belling a six inch square oln was cut we used to tale terni sleeping under this in act wilher ahe timbers bracing the walls were artan toll of nails to hang our equip wat on after our ammunition belt ahing machine equipment rifles etc ted been elored awny there was not each space tor six men to live not the rats it was very dark lr the dugout and xi wo were only issued a candle and a lafit every twenty four hours we had te economize on light woe betide the bian who left the candle burning tat hotel of oura we would sit the lonely candle and through A thick haze 0 tobacco smoke would anoint conr different experiences at points of the line where we sri been or spin yarns about home we gouid write a letter jifca we were fortunate enough to be afar the candle at other times we d d for an hour without saying a word listening to a german over in the en essays assays front trench playing a comet aby how that roche could eliy I 1 just so make us hate the war hed play su arance allver home sweet biome r over the waves the latter was any during his recital our were strangely quiet kevch a hot from either falde sometimes when he and finished accy would fro into the trench and alay on his harmonica As soon sf wed see that harmonica come out t was a case of ducic down low for mie germans would be sure when the art strains readied them to send over fi rapid we hated that more than once we n ry aue the top but hed sit i fit n and in ab outten days time would receive through the mall little oblong package and wed know we were in or some more five round rapids we blame the germans still that harmonica bad its uses often we would get downhearted and fed up with the war and grouse at everything in general then ikey would reach in his pocket and out would come that instrument of torture we would then realize there were worse things than war and cheer up accordingly on this particular rainy afternoon in june we were in a talkative mood perhaps it was due to the fact that curly wallace had mide his tom mies cooker do what it was supposed to do make water boll in an hour and a half A Tom cooker Is a spirit stove which Is very widely advertised verti sed as a sultane sul tabe gift to the men in the trenches many were sent m and many were thrown away anyway the collir coo Lir lived up to its reputation for once though a little behind its advertised schedule in making water boll culy cu ly passed around the result 0 his efforts in the form of an ammunition tin halt full of fairly good tea we each took a good lighted a cigarette they had come up with the rations the night before and settled buck against the damp earthen walls of the dugout to see who could tell the biggest lie for a few minutes silence reigned no one seemed to care to be the first to break in then dick turning to me asked remember burton of A company think ho was in the third platoon the fellow that was recommended for the V C and refused it got the recommendation ommen dation for rescuing his platoon commander under alro I 1 answered in the affirmative and dick carried on with 1 I never could see into that affair because they seemed to be the worst of enemies the officer was always picking on him used to have him on the crime sheet for the least offen ie got him severs al days of extra pack drill and once he clicked twenty one days crucifixion field punishment no 1 tied to a limber wheel two hours per day for twenty one days no matter what dirty fatigue or working party came along bartons burtons Bur tons name was sure to head the list this burton appeared to be a surly sort ot a chap kept to himself a whole lot always brooding have many friends in the company either there seemed to be something on ats mind most of the company men eald his sweetheart back in blighty had thrown him down for some other bloke butted in the way with this world always ham at a fellow well I 1 know this burton and theres not a better mate in the world so let that sink into your dont get sore happy said non ney if you don t mind lets have the story I 1 meant no offense just nat aurally curious all you cant deny that the whole affair has been qute a mystery to the brigade spit it ont and get it off your chest lets have it happy we all chimed in chorus happy mollified lighted a cigarette took two or three puffs and started well it was this way but dont ask any questions until I 1 am through you know burton what call a prize beauty when it comes to looks hes about five six in height damn you I 1 was going to kill you but I 1 wont stocky a tralle bowlegged and pug rosed to top this he has a crop of red hair and his clock face Is the hoarding house for every freckle la the united kingdom but strong I 1 say that fellow could make samson look aile a consumptive when he got started in blighty before tho war burton and this lieuten anthis name Is bius ton went to the same college I Iuston was nearly six feet high and slender sort of a dandy fair haired lots of dough which he never got by working his papa it on him when be went west died ne was good looking and had a way with the girls which made them think he was the one and only care much for athletics girls dances and card parties were more in his line they were in the same class burton was working his way through and consequently looked down on him as a bally bounder among the athletes burton was popular wasat burton was engaged or thought he was to a pretty fine girt by the name af pf betty she thought burton or ginger as ehe called him ft as tha finest thing out one day ginger took clr y abia her to see a football game at the college he was playing on tho team so she had to sit it out alone during this sitting it out she met huston and the trouble started he was dead gone on her and she liked him so be made hay while the sun was shining she exactly turn ginger down but he was no boob and saw how things were so bo eased out of the running although it almost broke bis heart be certainly loved that girt this state of affairs widened the gap between IT iston and burton they bated each other pretty fiercely but burton never went out of his way to show it while huston took every opportunity port unity to vent his spleen ginger saw betty iery seldom and when he did she was generally accompanied by huston then the war came ginger immediately enlisted as a private he could have had a commission but did not want to take a chance of having to mix with auston A few after dingers gingers Gin gers enlistment huston joined too was losing prestige in bettys 05 cs by staying in lie went into the 0 T 0 officers training corps in seven months he received his commission and was drafted to france ginger had been out three months before leaving huston proposed to betty and was accepted by one of j the many strange coincidences that happen in this world huston was sent to the battalion and company that gin 1 ger was in and was put in command of dingers gingers Gin gers platoon then things hap bened ginger could hardly believe his eyes when ho first saw huston and knew he was to be bis platoon commander he knew be was in tor it good and plenty that night hasten sent for ginger and had a talk with him tried to make him believe that he harbored no animosity detailed him as mall orderly the first act of a campaign of petty cruelty by being mall orderly ginger would have to handle bettys letters to and custons hustons Hus tons letters to her ginger saw through it immediately and his hate burned stronger from that night on it was one indignity after another just a merciless persecution but ginger never complained just stored up each new act and vengeance it came to euch a ass that ginger could bear it no longer he decided to kill huston and only waited for a favorable opportunity to present itself I 1 think it was only his love for betty which had held him back so long he bear the thought of her grieving for her dead lover one night in the front line trench orders were received that after an hours intense bombardment of the en lines the company would go over the top at four thirty the next morning huston was to go over with the first wave while ginger was in the second here wag his chance all that night jie crouched on the fire step musing and brooding nursing revenge prayed to betty to forgive him for what he was going to do after the bombardment te next morning over went the first wave a line of bayonets and madly cheering rhe ering men ginger only saw one in that crowd ats eyes never left his finger twitched and caressed the trigger of his rifle his long looked for opportunity port unity bad come the first wave had gone about sixty yards when ginger let ont a curse had been hit and was down and he saw his revenge through his fingers but no was not dead he was trying to rise to his feet he was up hopping oa one leg with the blood pouring from the other then be fell again but was soon sitting up bandaging his wounded leg using a tourniquet from bis first aid packet A surge of unholy joy ran through ginger lifting the safety latch on his rifle unheeding he rain of bullets which were ripping and tearing the sand bagged parapet about him he took deliberate aim at hasten then he saw a vision of betty dressed in black with teat stained eyes with a muttered curse ginger threw the rifle from him climbed over the parapet and raced across no mans land no act of his should bring tears to bettys brown eyes he would save her worthless lover and then get killed himself it dlan t matter reaching he hissed at him damn you I 1 was going to kill you but I 1 wont fit carry you back to betty but always remember it was the man you who saved your worthless life you despicable skunk F auston murmured forgive me burton but for god s sake get me out of this be killed tor god s sake man hurry hurry I 1 it Is it whine limn you whine its music to my tars lieu tenant begging a bally bounder for his life and the bounder sang it to him I 1 would to god that betty could see and hear you now with that ginger stooped and oy main strength lifted bustorf onto his back and staggered toward our lines the bullets and pieces 0 were cracking and swishing all around lie had gone about fifty yards when a piece ot shell hit bis left arm just below the shoulder down ho want with him but was soon up his left arm dangling and swinging at bis side turning to huston who was lying on bis back be said tm hard lilt its your life or mine were only tea yards from our trench try to malre it on your own you ought to be able to crawl in but answered burboa Bur toa don t leave me I 1 im bleeding to death fop the love of god get roe in I 1 you can have batty money anything I 1 have it is ell yours just save my ufa answer me man answer you want my answer do you I 1 well take it and damn yoal with that ginger slapped the officer in the face then grabbing him by the collar with his right arm the blood soaking his tunic from the shell wound in his left ginger slowly dragged huston to the trench nd fainted A mighty cheer went up from our lines stretcher bearers took them both to an advanced first aid post and their journey to blighty and betty was started on the trip over ginger never regained consciousness they landed in a hospital in england and were put in beds next to each other ginger w as taken up into the pictures operating theater where his arm was amputated at the shoulder custons hustons Hus tons wound was slight bullet through the calf of leg while ginger was coming out of ether he told all he knew A bed A red cross nurse with tear dimmed eyes was holding his hand cross nurse with tear dimmed eyes was holding his hand occasionally she would look across at auston in the next bed be would slowly nod his head at each questioning glance of hers while the red blood ft shame mounted to bis temples then ginger came to he saw a beautiful vision thought he was dreaming sitting by his bed dressed in a red cross nurses uniform was betty custons hustons Hus tons betty holding his hand betty with tears in her eyes but this time tears of joy the sweat came out on his forehead k be true he gasped cut the one word betty I 1 stooping over the vision kissed him on the lips and murmured my ginger you have come back to betty then he slept next morning the colonel of the altal pl tal came to dingers gingers Gin gers bedside and congratulated him telling him that he bad been recommended tor the V 0 ginger refused the V C from the government said ho bad not earned it would not give the reasons but persisted in his refusal they cant force you to take a V 0 alve months later ginger and betty were married she cuts his meat for him now says that all hla faults were contained in his left arm he lost that so you see ginger was somewhat of a man after all be mates we agreed that bo wag I 1 asked happy how he came to know these details he answered well yank betty happens to be my sister gamme a tag some one I 1 am about out and anyway weve only got a few minutes before stand to just then the voice of our sergeant sounded from the mouth of the dugout equipment on I 1 stand tol so it was a case of turn out and mount our gun on the parapet it was just getting dark we would dismount tt at stand down in the morning tommy Is like an owl sleeps in the day and watches at |