THE LIGHTER SIDE OF ACTIVE SERVICE

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 116, 2 April 1942, Page 5

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF ACTIVE SERVICE

By

Sgt. K. A. BAILEY,

M.M.

As you read this, try and picture the scene that meets my eye as I leisurely open the door of the Hare and Hounds and stroll out into the main street of a typical English village. A large dog ceases its eternal scratching and meanders over to give me a friendly lick on the hand. Two lost war veterans sit in their wheel chairs on the Post Office corner, chatting away an idle hour or two— daily occurrence with them. A youth in Home Guard uniform strolls proudly down the street with his lady love, while, further along, two New Zealand soldiers appear, making their usual visit to the local tea-rooms. As I round a corner into a leaf-strewn lane known as Lovers Walk, I spy a sentry leaning languidly on his rifle, indulging in idle [chatter with two nurse-maids. A foreign sound jars the peaceful scene as, around the corner glides a camouflaged Humber with our 0.C., “Hooky,” at the wheel. A sudden scurry as the girls start guiltily away from the gate, and the sentry embarks on a series of unhurried evolutions which finally end with the rifle at the “slope,” and a salute which, although far from snappy, still treats the uniform to the respect to which it is entitled.

All this tends to show the peaceful atmosphere of the place, and illustrates just how far the war is away from the English countryside, the sight of a uniform bringing the only jarring note to an otherwise perfect setting. But enough of this. I must get on with my narrative, which has as its beginning an old building known as the Catholic Rectory, Ash. There are five of us holding these billets for our unit at present quartered at a small village. Life is very dull for us. Nothing to do all day but eat well-cooked food and laze about wait-

ing for something— that somehow never seems to turn up. This house is very old,' the kitchen, I understand, dates back to the days of Queen Anne, and a few weeks ago ‘Jerry’ came over and dropped three shrapnel bombs in the field next door, shattering all the windows and scarring the old brick walls. The windows have been mostly boarded up, but rattle all night with the concussion of exploding bombs and ack-ack fire, as this is a very important area. Our boys have been down near the coast for six months now, my enforced absence being due to motorcycle accident three months ago. But at long last comes the news that we have to move into new billets about eight miles away. All is feverish activity as it has to be done in doublequick time, our company being ex- ’ pected up very soon. Follow days ' crammed full of work, carting truckloads full of gear to the new quarters, bales of straw for palliases, barrack stores, coal and coke, which we have to shovel ourselves. Arguments with English quartermasters, followed by the amazing experience of getting some commodity from “Q” stores without having to wait about eight hours

t for it. Finally settling down in our . new billets and making everything as , comfortable as possible for our boys 5 when they arrive, having earned for ) themselves a much-needed rest after j strenuous times in an advanced posi- , tion on the coast. It is a lovely little village, built ■ on rising ground, thereby avoiding , most of the early morning fogs that pervade the lower levels. Our billets consist of a very imposing house which has three nissen huts built at the rear, two-storied bungalows, and a hall known as the Institute Hall complete the billets. By the sixth of November the company has arrived in full force with their many trucks and numerous N.C.O’s and despatch riders on their noisy motor-cycles. They over-run the place like a horde of rats, sorting our gear and finding suitable sleeping places. One man happy, another grousing in true soldier fashion because some chap is better off than himself. Still in next to no time, with a speed born of long j experience in roughing it, every man is settled down and doing full justice to a meal which the cook seems to grab out of thin air. (To be continued)