CHAPTERII

chapterii

theautumnof1915waswetinflandersandartois,whereourmensettleddown—knee-deepwherethetrencheswereworst—forthewintercampaign.onrainydays,asiremember,ahighwindhurtledovertheflemishfields,butitwasmoist,andsweptgustsofrainintothefacesofmenmarchingthroughmudtothefighting-linesandofothermendoingsentryonthefire-stepsoftrenchesintowhichwatercametricklingdowntheslimyparapets.

whenthewinddroppedatduskordawnawhitishfogcreptoutoftheground,sothatrifleswereclammytothetouchandablanketofmoisturesettledoneverystickinthedugouts,andnothingcouldbeseenthroughtheveilofvaportotheenemy'slines,wherehestayedinvisible.

hewasnotlikelytoattackonabigscalewhilethebattlefieldswereinthatquagmirestate.anadvancingwaveofmenwouldhavebeenedinthemudafterthefirstjumpovertheslimysand-bags,andtoadvanceartillerywassheerimpossibility.nothingwouldbedoneoneithersidebutstick-in-the-mudwarfareandthosetrench-raidsandminingswhichhadnoobjectexcept“tokeepupthespiritofthemen.”therewasalwaysworktodointhetrenches—drainingthem,strengtheningtheirparapets,makingtheirwalls,tilingorboardingtheirfloorways,timberingthedugouts,andafteritwasdoneanotherrainstormorsnowstormundidmostofit,andtheparapetssliddown,thewaterpouredin,andspaceswereopenedforgermanmachine-gunfire,andtherewaslessheadcoveragainstshrapnelbulletswhichmixedwiththeraindrops,andhighexplosiveswhichsmashedthroughthemud.theworkingpartieshadabadtimeandawetone,inspiteofwadersandgumbootswhichwereservedouttoluckyones.someofthemworeanewkindofhat,seenforthefirsttime,andgreetedwithguffaws—the“tin”hatwhichlaterbecametheheadgearofallfighting-men.itsavedmanyheadwounds,butdidnotsavebodywounds,andeverydaythecasualtylistsgrewlongerintheroutineofawarfareinwhichtherewas“nothingtoreport.”

ourmenwereneverdry.theywerewetintheirtrenchesandwetintheirdugouts.theysleptinsoakingclothes,withbootsfullofwater,andtheydrankrainwiththeirtea,andatemudwiththeir“bully,”andendureditallwiththephilosophyof“grinandbearit!”andlaughter,asiheardthemlaughinginthoseplacesbetweenexplosivecurses.

ontheothersideofthebarbedwirethegermansweremoremiserable,notbecausetheirplightwasworse,butbecauseithinktheylackedtheenglishsenseofhumor.insomeplacestheyhadtheadvantageofourmeninbettertrenches,withbetterdrainsanddugouts—duetoanindustrywithwhichourscouldnevercompete.hereandthere,asinthegroundtothenorthofhooge,theywereinaworsestate,withsuchriversintheirtrenchesthattheywenttoenormoustroubletodrainthebellewardelakewhichusedtoslopoverintherainyseason.thosefield-graymenhadtowadethroughasloughofdespondtogettotheirline,andatnightbyhoogewherethelineswereclosetogether—onlyafewyardsapart—ourmencouldheartheirbootssquelchinginthemudwithsucking,gurglingnoises.

“they'redrinkingsoupagain!”saidourhumorists.

there,athooge,germansandenglishtalkedtooneanother,outoftheircommonmisery.

“howdeepisitwithyou?”shoutedagermansoldier.

hisvoicecamefrombehindapileofsand-bagswhichdividedtheenemyandourselvesinacommunicationtrenchbetweenthemainlines.

“uptoourbloomingknees,”saidanenglishcorporal,whowastryingtokeephisbombsdryunderatarpaulin.

“so?...youareluckyfellows.weareuptoourbeltsinit.”

itwassobadinpartsofthelineduringnovemberstormsthatwholesectionsoftrenchcollapsedintoachaosofslimeandooze.itwasthefrostaswellastherainwhichcausedthisruin,makingtheearthworkssinkundertheirweightofsand-bags.germanandenglishsoldierswereexposedtooneanotherlikeantsupturnedfromtheirnestsbyaminorlandslide.theyignoredoneanother.theypretendedthattheotherfellowswerenotthere.theyhadnotbeenproperlyintroduced.inanotherplace,recklessbecauseoftheirdiscomfort,thegermanscrawledupontheirslimyparapetsandsatontoptodrytheirlegs,andshouted:“don'tshoot!don'tshoot!”

ourmendidnotshoot.they,too,satontheparapetsdryingtheirlegs,andgrinningatthegrayantsyonder,untiltheseincidentswerereportedbacktog.h.q.—wheregoodfireswereburningunderdryroofs—andstringentorderscameagainst“fraternization.”everygermanwhoshowedhimselfwastobeshot.ofcourseanyenglishmanwhoshowedhimself—owingtoaparapetfallingin—wouldbeshot,too.itwassixofoneandhalfadozenoftheother,asalways,inthistrenchwarfare,butthedignityofg.h.q.wouldnotbeoutragedbythethoughtofsuchindecentspectaclesasbritishandgermansrefusingtokilleachotheronsight.someofthemenobeyedorders,andwhenagermansatupandsaid,“don'tshoot!”edhimthroughthehead.otherswereextremelyshort-sighted...nowandagaingermanscrawledovertoourtrenchesandaskedmeeklytobetakenprisoner.imetafewofthesemenandspokewiththem.

“thereisnosenseinthiswar,”saidoneofthem.“itismiseryonbothsides.thereisnouseinit.”

thatthoughtofwar'sfutilityinspiredanepisodewhichwasnarratedthroughoutthearmyinthatwinterof'15,andledtocuriousconversationsindugoutsandbillets.aboveagermanfront-linetrenchappearedaplankonwhich,inbigletters,wasscrawledthesewords“theenglisharefools.”

“notsuchbloodyfoolsasallthat!”saidasergeant,andinafewminutestheplankwassmashedtosplintersbyrifle-fire.

anotherplankappeared,withotherwords:

“thefrencharefools.”

loyaltytoouralliescausedthedestructionofthatboard.

athirdplankwasputup:

“we'reallfools.let'sallgohome.”

thatboardwasalsoshottopieces,butthemessagecausedsomelaughter,andmenrepeatingitsaid:“there'sadealoftruthinthosewords.whyshouldthisgoon?what'sitallabout?lettheoldmenwhomadethiswarcomeandfightitoutamongthemselves,athooge.thefighting-menhavenorealquarrelwithoneanother.weallwanttogohometoourwivesandourwork.”

butneithersidewaspreparedto“gohome”first.eachsidewasinatrap—adevil'strapfromwhichtherewasnoescape.loyaltytotheirownside,discipline,withthedeathpenaltybehindit,spellwordsofoldtradition,obediencetothelawsofwarortothecastewhichruledthem,allthemoralandspiritualpropagandahandedoutbypastors,newspapers,generals,staff-officers,oldmenathome,exaltedwomen,femalefuries,adeepandsimpleloveforenglandandgermany,prideofmanhood,fearofcowardice—athousandcomplexitiesofthoughtandsentimentpreventedmen,onbothsides,frombreakingthenetoffateinwhichtheywereentangled,andrevoltingagainstthatmutual,unceasingmassacre,byarisingfromthetrencheswithashoutof,“we'reallfools!...let'sallgohome!”

inrussiatheydidso,butthegermansdidnotgohome,too.asanarmyandanationtheywentontothepeaceofbrest-litovskandtheirdoom.butmanygermansoldierswereconvertedtothatgospelof“we'reallfools!”andwouldnotfightagainwithanyspirit,aswefoundattimes,afteraugust8th,inthelastyearofwar.