Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 119
You are here
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 119]
"sang" too close to the ear hole altogether! The laziest man would "get a move on" under those conditions!
The fatigue party for rations were very glum going out for they had to follow a track on which a light railway was about to be laid instead of going back through the "Sap" & at one or two places they were known to be exposed to Machine Gun fire &, all the time, to shells that may be dropped short, but on their return late at night they looked & felt like heroes – but did not "rush it" the next evening nor did those who had formed the water fatigue.
The Company remained in the line for four days & then were moved back to billets, this meant a march of 4 miles.
The work of "holding the line" proved quite enjoyable after the first few hours & each & every one was very enthusiastic, & kept mentioning the fact that this sort of work was what they had enlisted for & was much better than all the "old drills".
On the third day the Coy Sergt Major came gleefully down the line during the early afternoon & while congratulating the men, said we intended to "liven" up" the Hun very much more straight away. A fuller explanation showed that we intended treating the enemy to a doze of 60 lb "plum puddings" from trench mortars.
A "plum pudding" is a large circular shell with a steel rod 18 Inches long by 2 Inches in diameter fastened into it. It is fired by inserting this steel rod into the barrel of the mortar, & which on reaching the breech explodes a charge sending the "pudding" into the air almost vertical & the Steel rod makes its decent so very erratic that although it can be seen, no one knows where it will fall.
The Huns have a shell somewhat similar, called from its shape a "Rum Jar". The metal case of this shell ranges from an inch & a half to 3 Inches in thickness, so that no one knows much about it, if it bursts very close.