Hold the Oxo! by Marion Fargey Brooker

Author:Marion Fargey Brooker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn Press Limited
Published: 2011-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

By the end of the Battle of the Somme, in spite of their limitations, tanks had proven themselves as weapons with great potential for the future battles of the war.

8

A Day in the Life

France, March 15/16

Dear Father,

At present we’re billeted in a barn and have very comfortable quarters and plenty of straw to lie on. They are fine billets and it is something to be able to stretch out and have a good sleep. The average dugout in the front line holds about two and you have to curl up in some peculiar shapes in some of them.

“Stand-to” was a part of every soldier’s life. Leaders believed that raids were most likely during early dawn or in the evening, when visibility was low. Thus, soldiers in the front trenches were wakened an hour before dawn to take their position on the fire step of the trenches, ready for an attack. They repeated this procedure in the evening. After morning stand-to, soldiers cleaned their guns before breakfast in preparation for a later inspection by their commanding officers. In some battalions, the cleaning of guns was enhanced by a shot of rum.

Life in the trenches involved a daily routine of filling sandbags, draining or repairing trenches, preparing latrines, and repairing duckboards. After the chores, daytime activity in the trenches was restricted because of snipers. This quiet time would be spent writing letters home, playing cards, catching up on lost sleep, and preparing meals.

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