TIT FOR TAT.
'iiiE Ypres Times.
167
of the Virgin Mary which topped the ruins of Albert Cathedral, and which caused the
superstitious inhabitants of that town to declare that when the overhanging Virgin fell,
the war would cease. Ah what memories but what next The cry of a paper
boy interrupted the old Piatoon Commander's meditation. Yes, he would spend a penny
even if it brought no luck again, one never knows. Gazing down the Situations
Vacanthe sighed, and turned to 'the more important news." His eye centred on
a headline in bold letters£1,000 A WEEK REFUSED." Jack Fulbrook, the star
comedian, had refused a three years' contract at £52,000 a year because it was not worth
his while to accept it.
The Platoon Commander gave a silent cry of My God." Throwing his paper to
the winds, and then burying his face in his hands, he was soon lost in the long, long trail
of London's madding crowd.
"Uncensored," the bright little organ of the Sheepbridge Officials Ex-Servicemen's Social Association,
writes to apologise for re-printing The Tripod," by Derek Gilpin Barnes, which appeared in our last issue.
In retaliation, we publicly apologise for re-printing the following
The Three Meetings.
Long will live the memory of Ypres, more especially to the writer the night of September 26th,and
early morning of September 27th 1917.
After being equipped with four days' Iron Rations and the other things usually called Iron
Rations," we started from Popperinghe in fighting kit en route for Ypres. A short rest was made for a
meal and incidently to hear the speech that the Colonel always madewhich ended up God bless
you Boys,"prior to going over the Sticks. It was here that I went to have my last chat with my
mixing chum," Sam, who was in another company. We parted with the usual Good luck."
After a wait that seemed eternal, we moved off to go into that fire of hell and death which every
soldier knew was sure to meet him on the Menin Road. Going up Jerry was putting over 9.2's
and Johnsons and of course we had several men knocked out.
DAWN the ceaseless barrage grew fiercer and fiercer giving us the signal to advance. The
Whizz-bangs, Gas Shells, Flying Pigs, Trench Mortars, Maxim Guns, Lewis Guns, and last, but not least,
Tommie's Rifle were all dealing out their deadly fire.
About an hour after going over," fate brought my chum and I together. He was terribly excited
and we decided to carry on together. We reached the top of Hill 40 by noon, Zonnebeke being captured
on our right.
As one of our stretcher bearers was hors-de-combat, my pal took his place and was soon busy, fetching
in a Tommy, wounded in the leg. Before he could remove him, however, an impudent German Officer
put his hands up and said Kamerad, me first, me first." My chum's reply was a beautiful straight left
to the point and down Jerry went. After that I do not think he minded whether he was first or
last. He then took his charge to a Pill Box," thinking it was a temporary dressing station. When
he looked inside however, he found it full of Jerrys shouting Kamerad," May be Samuel was
touched by their cry, but he was not long in throwing them all out, and putting his wounded comrade in.
We had to give ground at night, and somehow or other I was parted from my chum. During the
next morning, however, we regained lost ground, and for the second time I found Sam.
For three days we held on and then were brought back to first reserve, and Sam and 1 were again
separated.
On the morning of the fourth day I decided to find my colleague. I succeeded. He was in a shell
hole, and from his lamentable condition I came to the conclusion he was gassed. I picked him up, and
at a great risk of incurring the wrath of the authorities that be, went out of the line and took him to
Hospital.
The night of the fifth day 41 bedraggled Tommies, the remnants of about 1,100 that attacked!
marched out from the line. Can anyone picture a more glorious victory or a more ghastly tragedy
YpresScottie.
