"THE SKIPPER'S TALE."
64
The Ypres Times.
A YARN OF THE EARLY DAYS OF YPRES.
By ONE WHO HEARD IT.
I was a young Subaltern then. Though I had been serving since 1914, I had only
been in France some three weeks. Therefore I still had a lot to learn, and I listened
eagerly to the experiences of officers and men who had come through the earlier phases of
the Great War. Early in October, 1916, having had my baptism of fire in the memorable
attack wherein the tanks were first used (September 15th. 1916). I was posted to a Light
Trench Mortar Battery on the Somme Front. The Drain Pipe Merchants," as some
of the wits termed us, were never very popular either with our side or the enemy's, conse
quently every Toe Emma Battery developed into a family party, where, having few
friends outside, friendship became very strong inside. My skipper, familiarly known
amongst us as Wilkie," was C.O., Quartermaster, Counsellor, Friend and Father to the
whole battery. He was fearless, yet tender-hearted daring, yet considerate and his
word was as sure as the Bank of England. It was after dinner one evening, whilst the
Division was resting near Millencourt, that he told us, in his tent, the story which
follows
In the early days of 1915 I was Brigade Bombing Officer. Perhaps, I should have
been more correctly described as a jam tin merchant. Wipers was a terrible hole to be in.
When you dug down you came to water, and no sooner had you built up the parapet
when Fritz promptly blew it down. Digging, wiring, raiding, bombing, sniping, and
fatiguing were the usual occupations of the troops, but my job was largely tin hunting.
I was loathed by all the C.O.'s, adjutants and quarter blokes in the Brigade. I had a
little chant for every one
Jam tins large, jam tins small,
Send them back, I want them all.'
BRITISH TANKS ON THE SOMME FRONT, 15th SEPTEMBER, 1916.
Imperial War Museum Photograph. Crown Copyright.
