Stretcher Bearers at the Double - ElectricCanadian.com

104 "SUNNY FRANCE
Nicholson, Barton, Kenney and Jenkins. C. Section went to
G.15, in charge of Colonel Farmer, Major Philp and Captains
Turner, Newton, Burgess, Kelly, Lough and Clarke. The Motor
Transport and Horse Transport also located at G.15, which was
merely a map location between Busseboom and Poperinghe.
from the 73rd
At Remy Siding we took over a field hospital
Imperial Field Ambulance. Here in a large muddy
field were five
immense huts, connected to each other by duckboards. The Fifth
men billeted in the farm barns.
The first
day we were at this place the 73rd colonel severely
reprimanded Sergeant Irwin for spitting in the farm cesspool! He
must have thought Sharkey had galloping halitosis - - or some
thing. The same Prussian-like Imperial officer also bawled out
many of our lads for not having their brass buttons polished to
the brightness of those of his own men, and for failing to salute
with the promptness and deference to which he had been accus
tomed by the Imperials. Once again we thanked our lucky stars
that we were in the Canadian army and not in his. We often
called our own army "Coxey s Army," but were mighty glad
that we were in it and in no other on occasions like this.
Across the road from our camp there were two casualty clear
ing stations and, throughout our stay in the Salient, many of the
wounded were brought to these stations for treatment.*
Perhaps You Can Answer These!
<
Were you one of the fellows who stuffed absorbent cotton into
Major Jones
stethoscope just
before he went the rounds of the
sick wards one morning?
Did you parade to the Commanding Officer and complain
that the staff-sergeant had more personal cooks, batmen and
billet orderlies than there were men looking after over two
hundred patients? And do you remember the cleanout that fol
lowed, and how some of the staff s pets had to do real work for
the first time in their army
How lives?
many times did you visit that house almost directly
opposite the Remy Siding gate - - for coffee, eggs and chips,
etc.,
avec?
*Not far from where the two clearing stations then stood there is now located the
second largest British cemetery in Belgium Lijssenthoek Cemetery. Sad evidence of
the great number of men who died in this region.