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 437
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[Page 437]
for the last four or five days having run right out of cigarettes he had been "humming" (cadging) on his pals and as they were getting "short" & as the men were going into the line, would the officer oblige him with an order on the officers' canteen for one tin of cigarettes?
"You don't belong to my Company"? said the officer, Go to one of your own officers!
All our officers were busy with the O/C! which was fairly right (they were busy having a good time so he said he was telling the truth) & one can never tell after an action how long a man may be without a "fag" (cigarette)! He said he was wise enough to get in a salute wherever he reasonably could.
The officer seemed mollified & hastily wrote a "chit" on the Canteen for a tin of Cigarettes for Private [dash]. Thanks! & another "good" salute found Private [dash] hurrying towards the Canteen & then he said temptation came to him with the result that he had made the order read. "Please give Private [dash] Five tins cigarettes & one bottle whisky" (signed) [dash] (officer)
On presenting the "order" to the Orderly at the Canteen, it was naturally questioned The idea of whisky being served out to privates? Of course Orderlies did not touch it! Oh no! & Private [dash] did not forget to plainly tell him, but, he said, he did not want a private quarrel with an orderly to block his great enterprise, so pointing out that if Private [dash] had to go back to the Officer & tell him the Orderly considered the officer's authority to write an order was improper & was being questioned by the orderly, it would certainly mean that the orderly would lose his "cushy" (easy) billet or job. The private still keeping his temper & showing no sign of wavering in the least, the orderly became amenable to reason & issued the articles.
Private [dash] says once he got a grip on them his "time" (running) back to the section was certainly "a record".
When he was summoned to the Court-martial he said he walked straight into the room where the Court was sitting & pretending he did not know better, walked straight over to a chair & sat down.