Stretcher Bearers at the Double - ElectricCanadian.com

28 ENGLAND
and the crescent-shaped steel plates on the toes, and the heavy
on the heels? And the blistered heels
steel horseshoe-shaped plates
and chafed insteps which resulted from wearing them the first
few times?
Were you one of the B. Section lads who used to watch Alf.
Pountney energetically shining his shoes and buttons, while he
sang at the top of his voice :
When the fields are white with dysies,
A.nd the rowses bloom agyne,
Let the lovelight in your eyes more brightly burn;
For I love you sweetheart ownly,
So remember when you re lownely -
When the fields are white with dysies Til return.
Do you remember the nightly arguments in C. Section hut,
between the two Jocks, McLaren and McFarlane - - about the
relative merits (if any !)
of "Glesca" and Edinburrrgh?
Did you see that famous battle between Reginald Seneca
Smith and his fellow flyweight, Nobby Clark? If you didn t you
missed !
something It happened one hot, sultry night about twenty
minutes after
Lights Out had blown. Staff Smith was sitting
hut. Because of the heat, he was
writing letters in the sergeants
clad only in an undershirt. The hut lights were still burning, for
although Reggie had heard Lights Out, he considered that order
applied only to privates and lower ranks than staff-sergeants.
Besides, he had some long letters to write to some people a long
way off, and he had some long words to put in those letters.
He was just in the middle of an eight-syllabled word when
Orderly Sergeant Clark entered the hut. You ll ave to put owt
them there loights roight awiye, Smith!" called out Nobby;
"Loights
owt blowed nearly an arf hour agow." Reggie glared
at the orderly sergeant.
"I shall do no such absurd thing!"
he
asserted; "and,
on future occasions, Sergeant Clark, you will
please address me properly as Staff Sergeant Smith !" he added.
Meanwhile Nobby undressed. He peeled off down to his under
shirt and was about to flop onto his bunk when he noticed that
the staff was unconcernedly going on with his writing, without
any apparent intention of turning off the lights. "Hey,
Smith!
Turn owt them bloody lights and get to bed. Us other blowkes
as to bleedin well sleep, if you aven t!"