Show Blight yf hopes by sergeant arthur guy empey author of over the top first call ftc 0 0 0 mr empens expert teen months in the First line trenches of the british army in france copyright 1917 br the mcclora the battle of the somme was still raging I 1 bad been bit by three rifle bullets one through the left cheek the other two through the left shoulder while engaged in a trench raid for prisoners and was on my journey to blighty I 1 remember being carried down a flight of steps and placed on a white table jn a brightly lighted room a doctor and a sergeant bending over me a delicious drink of ale then the whispered word chloroform something like a gas helmet being placed over my nose and mouth a couple of long indrawn gasping breaths a rumbling in my cars then the skyline of new york suddenly appeared this was quickly followed by the statue of liberty shaking bands with the singer building a rushing hissing sound in my ears like steam and then blackness I 1 opened my eyes I 1 was lying on n stretcher covered with blankets in a loft rooted wooden building across the way from me was a long row of stretchers each stretcher holding a wounded tommy some lying flat others propped up by folded blankets others were sitting on their stretchers tenderly caressing an arm bound up with walto bandages occasionally a stretcher reclining on which was a muddy and bloody cordler cold ler would be carried down the aisle by two stretcher bearers this stretcher would be placed in an open depaco in the row opposite I 1 could hear a hum of conversation all about me and as my brain cleared snatches of it became intelligible my right hand seemed to be if a vise I 1 could not release it squirming in bed which sent a sharp shooting pain through my left shoulder I 1 tried with my eye to see what w is holding my wrist A royal army medical corps man was sitting on the floor at the head of my stretcher and had my wrist in his grasp he was about twenty years old and looked dog tired his chin would gradually sink to his chest as if he were falling asleep then he would suddenly start lift up his with a jerk and stare around the room pretty soon his eyelids would slowly close I 1 gave my arm a tug and he quickly opened his eyes then across his face flashed a smile to me it appeared like the sun rising from behind a hill at daybreak that smile sent a warm glow through me I 1 believe that right then I 1 was in love with his boyish face then he opened bis mouth and as Is usual in such tases spoiled it all strafe me pink but you do tyke our own bloomin ln time to come out chloroform ere ive been bloody t well balmy a oldan your bloomin ln out of the comer 0 my mouth I 1 asked him where am ay iy still smiling he hailed a stretcher beirer across the way 1 I sye awkins this blighter wants a mooman map of nce e wants to know where e Is awkins across the way answered cell am es well in sam fish ouse down tottenham court road awalt ln for Is order 0 nh and chips tills brought a general laugh from the commies tommies opposite me and on my right and left somewhat incensed at their merriment I 1 retorted ault your kidding for the love of liike have some sense the matter am I 1 wounded the stretcher bearer still with the cunny smile on his face which made me feel a little ashamed at my resentment answered naw you aint wounded you just appended app ened to fall down in the bloomin ln road and one 0 those tanks crawled over you this rather frightened me and in a pleading voice I 1 asked please tell me what Is the matter with me the stretcher bearer leaned over and read from a little tag pinned to ray tunic G S W left face two left shoulder cot then be carried on att mcana that you ave a rifle bullet through the left side of our clock face and two bullets through jour left shoulder and that youre a fot case which means that yon wont ate to bloody well walk two of us poor blokes will ave to carry you on a stretcher yon sure are a lucky moke pretty cushy I 1 calls it I 1 him if the wounds were good or blighty he answered yes youre good for blighty and a a that good for a that left h arm 0 bor n I 1 will be out 0 com for the est 0 i our life your wife it youe you e got one will bloomin ln well ave to cut your meat for you that Is if you re lucky enough to get any meat on the pension the top ate omo will and you A feeling of pride surged through me in a hospital of wounded soldiers a severely wounded case Is more or less looked up to while a man with a superficial wound Is treated as an ordinary mortal I 1 could read respect perhaps intermixed with a little envy in the eyes of the surrounding tom and medical men the door at the end of the ward opened A howl came from the cot at my right and a gruff irish voice shouted close that damned door you bloomin ln hospital men have no elase at au nere I 1 am knocked about by a shell and the likes 0 youse puts me in a bloody draft its a good thing we have a navy with the likes 0 you blokes in the army we certainly need one A snicker went up from the patients then a tommy on my left answered this outburst with bloody nerve I 1 call it ere e Is a covered with blankets and grous ln about a little and not many hours back e was byln in a bloomin ln shell ole with the wind a blowin the whiskers off am and e ap rayln for stretcher bearers ill wager a quid e belongs to the royal irish rifles the man on my right retorted naw im not in the royal irish rifles but I 1 belong to a good outfit the royal bubul fusiliers Fusi liers and I 1 can lick the man that says they aint just then from a comer of the ward came the voice of a stretcher bearer jones get the M 0 medical officer iturry up quick this poor blokes a coln west the man holding my band suddenly released bis grip and rising to bis feet hurriedly left the ward A dead sl the matter am I 1 wounded iunce ensued I 1 tried to turn in the direction from which the first voice had come but the sharp pain in my shoulder warned me that it was useless in a few seconds the door opened and I 1 could hear low voices flown in the corner I 1 could see the commies tommies around me intently gazing in the direction of the voices after a few minutes the door opened again then closed and jones came back I 1 looked up at him and he solemnly nodded one more son of britain bad paid the toll of war my eye suddenly became cloudy and misty and a hot tear rolled down my cheek the door at the other end of the ward opened and two stretcher bearers entered going in the direction of the dead man pretty eoon they left the viard carrying a stretcher on which was a still form covered with a blanket the irishman on my right was repeating to himself poor bloke poor bloke he sure done his bit and it wont be long before hell be op the daisies somewhere in france and before this war Is over therell be lots more in the same fix one of the commies tommies Tom mies in an effort to be brave addressed jones Is nyme mike what battalion Is e from jones answered james coulas a lance corporal out of the royal five machine gun bullets through the right lung hemorrhage the door opened again and two stretcher bearers entered carrying a tommy bis bead lying flat and a smell of ether pervaded the ward we know it was a case from the pictures operating room the stretcher bearers placed him on the right of the irishman jones now left me and getting a little white basin went over to the new arrival the commies tommies turned inquiring looks in ids direction answering these glances he read from the tag pinned to the tunic of the patient shell wound left tion then and there I 1 knew that I 1 had lost my prestige in a short while the form on the stretcher began to mumble this mumbling soon turned to singing that tommy sure could sing I 1 he must have been a comedian in civilian life because the commies tommies were soon roaring with laughter so was I 1 as much as my wounds would permit harry tate the famous english comedian in his pal days never had a more appreciative precia tive audience after a while the singing ceased and the commies tommies began conversing among themselves the main topic was aughty IIo pcs each cne wag hoping ats edib aa A nas benoun or him t be sent to 1 the bearers were being pestered ath questions as to what chance the Toi ninea hid of reaching their coveted goal I 1 believe they all envied the man under ether because with a left foot miss ing he was sure to be sent to baty A sergeant major of the royal arvay medical corps entered the ward the medical men promptly stood at attention except one or two who were taking care of serious cases the sergeant major ordered get this ward in shape the M 0 Is coming through in five minutes to inspect cases and clear out the medical men went from cot to cot carefully smoothing out blankets tucking in loose ends and picking up fag ends cigarette butts the sergeant major left in about ten minutes the door opened again and with a smart shun from tho sergeant major a dead sl lence reigned la the ward tha medical men all came to attention then the doctor entered followed by a clerk and a R A M C sergeant he stopped at each cot carefully read the tag on the wounded man occupy ing it passed a few remarks which he clerk jotted down on a pad of paper and as he left each wounded soldier he made a cheering remark to him when be came to me he asked well how are you feeling my lad at the same time stooping over my tag hum three rifle bullets well my lucky fellow it means england for you I 1 could have kissed that doctor then be passed to the irishman on my right stooping over him he said how are you my lad the irishman answered tm d d sick and I 1 want to get out of here I 1 want to get out of here out of this draft every tin minutes openly ope and that door the doctor with a wink turned to the R A M 0 sergeant and said shrapnel left foot alnee and right breast I 1 see no why this man wont be ready for duty in a couple of days the irishman with a yell an dooty how the h 1 can I 1 do dooty when I 1 cant walk the doctor answered that will be all right my lad well fix you up with a cushy job at brigade headquarters pounding a typewriter the irishman with a groan of als gust addressing nobody in lar sighed out since mons and I 1 end up a bloody typewriter at headquarters stick me in skirts and ill go as a manicurist the doctor paying no attention to this remark went to the next case and soon left the ward As soon as the door closed a string 0 oaths came from the irishman ln a typewriter at headquarters just like the bloody british army what in b 1 do I 1 know about one of those machines just my luck why that shell have hit me in the bands but I 1 spose if id lost my bloody bands made a tight rope walker out 0 me win this war what hopes the commies tommies were eagerly ques each other what did he sye to you are you good for blighty he marked angland on my tag I 1 what does base hospital mean does it deac that im to stick it out in this bloody mud while you blokes are a coln to blighty etc soon a stretcher bearer en carrying a little oblong green box which we all knew contained cigarettes he was greeted with a chorus of gamme a fag mate im all out come on chum dont forget me a good fellow lets have one pretty soon every tommy ato waa able had a lighted fog between his lips and a sigh of content went up as he inhaled deep drafts of the smoke I 1 certainly enjoyed mine too sergeant major again entered the medical men came to attention in crisp tones he ordered get the convoy for england ready look alive tho ambulances are expected any minute the stretcher bearers entered bus about and the ward was in an uproar then outside could be heard the chugging engines of the waiting ambulances As each fortunate tommy was carried out the more unfortunate ones who were to be left behind at thu base hospital bravely wished him a good luck mate give my regards to trafalgar square be careful and dont lose your watch in petticoat lane give cr my love aa I 1 was carried through the door the cold air sent a shiver through me and my wounds began to pain the effect of the chloroform waa wearing off outside it was dark and concu slon beamed to reign supreme lanterns flashing to and fro and long lines of stretchers could be seen moving toward the ambulances I 1 was placed in an ambulance with three others A rasping noise as the gears were shifted and with a jerk the ambulance started that jerk made me grind my teeth but 1 waa happy in the thought that at last I 1 was on my way to that longed for heaven blighty t |