Clive Ward - Trench 31

‘I’m sorry David, it’s come as a shock to me… it really has,’ Archie said, in a quavering voice.

David grabbed Archie by the scruff of his neck.

‘So, what are you trying to tell me Archie, that you’re not the father is that what you’re telling me eh… eh?’

‘No David, it must have been that night I was drunk, the night before we joined up.’

‘Be careful old chap, you’re strangling him,’ cautioned Bertram.

‘Strangle him, I’ll do more than strangle him. What am I to do with you eh, you’re too young to shoot and too skinny for my bayonet. Right, you’re coming with me, come on,’ David instructed, as he grabbed Archie’s arm.

‘Where are we going?’ Archie asked, fearing the worst.

‘He’s probably going to take you into the wood where he took my Shirley,’ Bertram answered.

A wave of relief washed over Archie as David dragged him towards the padre’s accommodation and not the woods. A while later, after speaking to the padre, both men stood in front of the Company Commander, along with their Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant Johnson. After explaining the situation, David requested compassionate leave, so that Archie could do the decent thing and marry his sister.

‘Hmm, what do you think Sergeant?’ asked the Company Commander.

‘What do I think, sir? I think he should face the firing squad sir. If that was my daughter, I’d make sure of it, however, we need every man we can get.’

‘Have you any children Sergeant?’

‘Six, sir, and they all drive me crazy, so I think he should face up to his responsibilities and marry the girl.’

‘Ok, I’m granting you both forty-eight hours leave. Private Manning, this man is now your prisoner, make sure he goes home and does the honourable thing by marrying the girl. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind.’

David and Archie were issued with travel warrants for their journey home. They arrived to a cold family atmosphere but the initial bitterness in the air soon mellowed. The wedding was hastily arranged, as were so many other weddings during the Great War. The following day, Archie and Charlotte were married. The wedding celebration that evening was a joyous affair and all the ill feelings were soon forgotten. Now young Archie had a wife and he was going to be a father, but he also had a war to take care of. How things had changed for young Archie in such a short time, this young man had come of age pretty quickly.

In early April, the weather had improved and the battalion was on the move again, to a canvas camp close to Lulworth, where they spent the whole of that spring. It was a picturesque place and the local woods were alive with primroses and bluebells. On hot afternoons, the battalion was allowed to bathe on the beaches at Durdle Door.

It wasn’t long before the real training began, to prepare them for what was to come. Soon, those happy, healthy days had gone, resigned to memory. Sadly, many of those young men would never experience them again.

The training was intended to be as realistic as possible and to emulate the real live conditions of war. On one particular day, the battalion marched ten miles in full kit, to relieve a battalion of the 50 thBrigade, who were positioned in training trenches in Wareham. They then spent the day learning all about trench warfare and enacting war games. During the night, they were relieved by another Battalion and marched back to camp, arriving at dawn the next day.

Dear Diary,

The lie factory is in full flow, rumours and more rumours, to be quite honest, these rumours about the date of our crossing to France are an inexhaustible topic of conversation and the date is always in two months. Now we’ve been told the division has been selected for Home Defence duties, so apparently, we won’t be going to France after all. I’ve decided to ignore all rumours from now on. They are sending me slowly mad.

On the 16 thMay, Archie received the news that Charlotte had given birth to a baby boy, Archie junior. The first person to congratulate him was David, who, from nowhere produced a crate of ale and a large bottle of rum.

‘Where did you get this from?’ Archie asked.

‘We’ve been saving up haven’t we lads?’ replied David, indicating their fellow hut mates.

‘Congratulations brother-in-law. Well, what are we waiting for? It’s time to wet the baby’s head.’

That night the drinking went on until the early hours. The bond between the three men was now very strong, especially when Archie asked Bertram to be Godfather to his baby son.

At the end of May the Division was on the move again, they were off to Winchester, but this time it was different. They had to march for five consecutive days and bivouac each night. Luckily the weather was good and some of the countryside was delightful. On 30 thof May they arrived at Flowerdown Camp, near Winchester.

This was to be the last posting for the 10 thBattalion before they left for France. Very little training was carried out during this posting, due to the dense countryside, so a system of trenches was dug by the Royal Engineers, so that the battalion could train for trench warfare.

The men were excited when the short Lee Enfield rifles arrived, at long last they sensed that something was happening. The men finally had real rifles, up until now, ninety percent of the rifles they’d been using were for drill purposes only. From that day on they were constantly out on the ranges and a large amount of musketry was fired. The soldiers also had a few days of field firing. More and more equipment began to arrive, including Lewis guns and signalling equipment.

On the 10 thJuly, Archie, David and Bertram were sitting outside the billet, cleaning their rifles, when they heard the news.

‘Right, listen in you lot, it’s official, no more rumours. We move overseas on the 14 th’ announced the Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant Johnson. The news was met with huge excitement, the waiting was over and all the men cheered.

‘I suppose that’s you done then Sergeant, you’ll be going home to your six kids,’ Bertram said.

The men had always assumed that Sergeant Johnson had been drafted in solely for the training of the recruits and that he was too old to go off to fight a war.

‘No lad, I’ll be on that boat with you, you can be sure about that.’

The men were happy to hear that he was going to be with them. Despite his grumpiness at times, Sergeant Johnson had become something of a father figure to his men.

‘I might have a wife and six kids at home, but I’ve got thirty big kids to look after here,’ remarked Sergeant Johnson and then continued to address the men. ‘As we speak, lots are being drawn to decide which of you lucky men will be granted forty-eight hours leave. The list of names will be put up in the orderly room at fourteen hundred hours, good luck.’

‘I bet I’m not one of the lucky ones. I’ve never been lucky me,’ complained Bertram.

‘You never know Bertie,’ replied David ‘It might be your lucky day. I know it won’t be me or Archie, we’ve had our quota of leave.’

Archie’s heart sank at the prospect of not being able to see his baby son or wife.

‘I’d love to see Charlotte and my new baby son before we depart. I’m afraid that I may never see them again.’

‘Eh, we’ll have none of that sort of talk! You’ll be coming back, you can be sure of that, we’ll all be coming back,’ said David, with conviction.

‘If David says we’re coming back, then we’re coming back,’ Bertram added.

‘Anyway, I’ve got Charlotte with me at all times, right here in my locket and when I have a picture of Archie junior he’ll be in there as well.’

The lots were drawn and the lucky few prepared to go on leave. As expected, Archie, David and Bertie were not amongst the fortunate ones. This outcome didn’t go down too well with the other men and before long the whole battalion descended on the orderly room demanding the same forty-eight hour leave. After some deliberation, this leave was granted to every man.