When Our Jack Went to War by Sandy McKay

Author:Sandy McKay [Sandy McKay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781775533108
Publisher: Random House New Zealand
Published: 2013-11-27T05:00:00+00:00

We’re getting closer to action time now, Tom, and I’ve learned a lot more about what to expect at the Front. Frontline fighting takes place in trenches and the system is quite complex. Trenches are like ditches surrounded by masses of barbed wire. They go for miles on end with the no-man’s-land area in the middle. These trenches take a lot of digging and the ANZACs have done their fair share of it. That’s why we’re called ‘diggers’.

Apparently, if you want to stay alive you need to stay down low for as long as you can. If an attack is ordered you have to go forward. Going forward is also called ‘going over the top’. And your job is to take as many Germans as possible before taking over their trenches.

Of course, the infantry are the ones who cop it first. We’re the little guys with the most to lose. The big guns behind us send out the barrage. And if the barrage goes well the enemy soldiers are killed (theoretically, their barbed wire should get broken by exploding shells).

By gaining ground, yard by yard, we are supposed to win the war. It’s a bit like a game of chess and the Generals move us around like pawns.

Billy said we should think of it like rugby. He said it’s all about territory and possession. If the forwards do a proper job, the backs just need to pick up the ball and run. But if the forwards don’t do their job properly, the infantry end up facing all the enemy tackles. Let’s hope the artillery do their job right, that’s all I can say.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.