At the beginning of March 1918, near Flesquières, we captured a number of prisoners, some of whom were put in the charge of "Nipper," a native of Limehouse.
I heard him address them as follows: "Nah, then, if yer wants a fag yer can have one, but, blimey, if yer starts any capers, I'll knock 'Bow Bells' aht of yer Stepney Church."--_J. Barlow (20th London Regt.), 18 Roding Lane, Buckhurst Hill, Essex._
My father tells of a raw individual from London Town who had aroused great wrath by having within a space of an hour given two false alarms for gas. After the second error everyone was just drowsing off again when a figure cautiously put his head inside the dug-out, and hoarsely said: "'Ere, sergeant, yer might come and 'ave a sniff."--_R. Purser, St. Oama, Vista Road, Wickford, Essex._
While my regiment was in support at Ecurie, near Arras, I was detailed to take an urgent message to B.H.Q.
I mounted a motor-cycle and started on my way, but I hadn't gone far when a shell burst right in my path and made a huge crater, into which I slipped. After going round the inside rim twice at about twenty-five miles an hour, I landed in the mud at the bottom. Pulling myself clear of the cycle, I saw two fellows looking down and laughing at me.
"Yus, matey, thought it was Sanger's Circus. Where's the girl in the tights wot rides the 'orses?"
Words failed me.--_London Yeomanry, Brixton, S.W._
After a dismal trek across the mud of Mespot, my batman and I arrived at the ruins of Babylon. As I sat by the river under the trees, and gazed upon the stupendous ruins of the one-time mightiest city in the world, I thought of the words of the old Psalm--"By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept----"
Moved by my thoughts, I turned to my batman and said, "By Jove, just think. This is really _Babylon_!"
"Yes, sir," he replied, "but I'm a-wonderin' 'ow I'm goin' to do your bully beef up to-night to make a change like."--_W. L. Lamb (late R.E., M.E.F.), "Sunnings," Sidley, Bexhill-on-Sea._
An attack was expected, and some men were kept in reserve in an underground excavation more closely resembling a tunnel than a trench.
After about twenty hours' waiting in knee-deep mud and freezing cold, they were relieved by another group.