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 63
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Transcription
[Page 63]
What led up to this was the desire of the O/C to promote one of the privates but as he was grey headed & he knew perfectly well that no grey headed NCO or officer would be given any important work or post in the firing line in France, but would be kept back from 7 to 10 miles at least superintending the despatch of ammunition or Ration parties to the men in the line, & as the private said he did not enlist for this sort of work, but to be up in the line to shoot Huns, & by remaining a private, he knew whether his hair was grey or green or brown or blue he would have to go into the line whether he wished to or not, & so the promotion was refused.
Go to your line Corporal (not Lance Corporal) [dash]! says the Captain to the private, No Sir! I go back to my lines as Malingerer [dash]! if you insist on me being a corporal.
Who the [dash dash] is running this Coy You or I.!!! Please understand that you cannot make me do the work of a Corporal if I do not wish to do it,! said the private, whether you are running the Company or not!!
At that moment the private informed the Captain that he would like to have a man to man chat with him (the O/C of the Company) & asked him to, metaphorically, remove his stars (he was just then in his singlet & shorts) They are off! said the Captain. The Private then pointed out that although the men knew the O/C to be a good officer in that he knew his job as regards drill etc, & that they knew he was acting with every good intent to make the Company a good one, his methods were unusually harsh & severe in a large number of general instances & his deductions & conclusions quite rediculous in others & in certain individual Cases his judgment concerning temperaments was absolutely wrong.
One striking Case was where a really splendid man had openly
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