“What I have heard, sir, is that futureuse will most likely be by means of shells fired by the big howitzers. Guaranteedto land it in the German lines then. Same for smoke, sir. Not very effective.Basically the smoke served to identify where the attacking troops were andenabled the Hun to lay down an area barrage. Not well thought through, sir.Among other problems, our troops could not see when they got into the smoke. Therewill be an issue of proper respirators, gasmasks, as well, within a few months.Most of the troops had no more than a wetted handkerchief. The masks they putout just had a pad of damp cotton wool inside. They did not work well.”
“I was told that the handkerchiefs werewetted with the men’s own urine.”
“That’s right, sir. From the little Iknow, the ammonia in piss neutralises chlorine. So I was told.”
“God help us all. Hawkeswill. What sort ofwar is this?”
“It compares well with South Africa, sir. Thebattles were smaller there but no better run. As for the Crimea! The less saidthe better!”
“Is there a chance of hot food in the nearfuture?”
“Not if you mean today or tomorrow, sir.By the end of the week, quite possibly. The cookhouses were all packed up,ready to move forward behind the cavalry. Now they have to be set up again andbrought back to their previous efficiency, which wasn’t that bad, all thingsconsidered.”
In all honesty, it probably was good foodfor the conditions. Where the general at Division cared, the cookhousesproduced recognisable meals. They had to send them a mile or two forward onhandcarts then, so they were not hot when they reached the men; that could notbe helped.
“Some of the bully beef the men aregetting is of very poor quality, Hawkeswill. Fat and gristle more than actualmeat in some of the cans I have seen.”
“I have sent samples back to Brigade, sir,and I know they have forwarded them to Division. Whether the complaints have gotany further, I don’t know. The whisper is that the contractors who supply thestuff have their hands in the politicians’ pockets – or vice versa, thinking onit. Corruption, in any case. War profiteers are said to be making millions andputting hundreds of thousands into outstretched hands in Westminster.”
“Nothing to be done then. When that amountof money is floating about, forget about honesty. I suppose we could make alist of all the men who are given peerages during the war and shoot themafterwards. Might get back at the biggest thieves that way.”
“Unlikely, sir. Men that rich will own theguns as well.”
“You grow cynical, Hawkeswill! So do I.For wire, keep nagging, if you would. I will see what we can do with what we’vegot.”
Richard took his field glasses into theforward trench and peered carefully out into the wide no man’s land in front ofthem.
“Caton! Have they any snipers set up yet?”
“None, sir. Any day now, I would bet. Apair of machine guns that sweep across at random – not more than three or fourtimes a day, that’s all. All their concerns seems to be for the big defensiveworks.”
The fortified bunkers were made stronger eachnight, displaying more wire and low concrete machine gun nests. They wereuntouchable other than by artillery.
“A solid thirty yard apron of wire all theway along, sir. If you look carefully, you can see that it’s pegged down tightto the ground by short metal stakes. I would bet there are alarms there aswell, like the bells Mr O’Grady set up.”
“Must be routes through it for their ownpeople to get out on working parties. Can’t see them, would never find them atnight.”
“No, sir.”
“Forget about trench raids until we workout some way of getting through the wire unheard and quickly.”
Both men knew that to mean never.
“That leaves us with no means of takingoffensive action, sir. We will simply have to stay put in cover and act as agarrison.”
The effects on morale would be severe ifthey left the men idle, doing nothing other than wait.
“Put snipers out, ideally on the otherside of our own wire, in hides in no man’s land. The company will be able to makea few kills that way. See if you can get a forward observation post out, mannedovernight. If we can get a pattern for their wiring parties, it will bepossible to set an ambush, to put up flares and wipe one out. You might be ableto put a section forward to throw Mills Bombs over the wire into their trenchand then run. Anything to be active, Caton. See what ideas you can come upwith.”
Captain Caton wished he had kept his mouthshut. There was such a thing as too much of offensive spirit.
“Yes, sir. Can do.”
Richard assessed the confident smile onCaton’s lips, suppressed his own grin. It was necessary to keep the men active,to make them believe that they were killing the enemy, winning the war.
“Now, Caton. Wire.”
“Barbed wire, sir? We are short of it.Unlike the Hun.”
“Exactly. The sole immediate answer seemsto be to use what the Hun has left us. Ideas to me at morning prayers,tomorrow.”
Caton was comforted somehow by Richard’suse of army slang for the morning orders meeting; it suggested that he was asoldier, a professional, not just a jumped-up newcomer given command for beinglucky.
Richard spent the rest of the day going fromcompany to company and holding essentially the same conversation. They mustkeep up the offensive spirit, somehow. He noticed how rarely he had to duck forincoming fire. He doubted there had been a dozen shells fired at them all dayand he had heard no call for stretcher-bearers. There was an irregular rattleof machine gun fire, just sufficient to tell soldiers on both sides to keeptheir heads down. He heard occasional rifle shots, presumably snipers, possiblybored soldiers firing at rats – he had heard that occurred occasionally.
‘Desultory’ was
