A hole more or less deep in the side of a trench where soldiers are supposed to rest.
A place where supplies are left for distribution.
A sort of small shovel for quick digging. Carried as part of equipment.
A French saloon or café.
A cigarette.
Any kind of work except manning the trenches.
Tommy’s way of saying “too much is enough.”
A narrow ledge running along the parapet on which a soldier stands to look over the top.
A star light sent up from a pistol to light up out in front.
An affectionate term for our friend the enemy.
A dugout.
Any poisonous gas sent across when the wind is right. Used by both sides. Invented by the Germans.
A piece of equipment similar to that used by motorists, supposed to keep off tear gas. The rims are backed with strips of sponge which Tommy tears off and throws the goggle frame away.
To die.
Complain. Growl. Kick.
A German.
A fiber tablet bearing the soldier’s name, regiment, and rank. Worn around the neck on a string.
About two pounds of nonperishable rations to be used in an emergency.
A short dagger with a studded hilt. Invented by the Germans.
The lowest grade of noncommissioned officer.
A very light machine gun invented by one Lewis, an officer in the American army.
A very narrow-gauge railway on which are pushed little hand cars.
One or more men go out in front, at night, of course, and listen for movements by the enemy.
A scientifically compounded and well-balanced ration, so the authorities say. It looks, smells, and tastes like rancid lard.
Medical Officer. A foxy cove who can’t be fooled with faked symptoms.
A combination teapot, fry pan, and plate.
An officer’s decoration for bravery.
A decoration for bravery given to enlisted men.
The most commonly used hand grenade.
German trench mortar projectiles.
The head.
A much hated practice manoeuvre done at night.
The area between the trenches.
At liberty. Your time is your own.
Somewhere in France.
The back wall of a trench.
The front wall of a trench.
One or more men who go out in front and prowl in the dark, seeking information of the enemy.
A boxlike arrangement with two mirrors for looking over the top without exposing the napper.
A short club with a nail-studded head.
A German shell which makes that kind of noise when it comes over.
To be killed and buried.
A party of men which goes to the rear and brings up rations for the front line.
Relief from trench service. Mostly one works constantly when “resting.”
Same as bloody, but not quite so bad.
A bag which is filled with mud and used for building the parapet.
Time on guard in the front trench, or at rest at headquarters.
A pit made by the explosion of a shell.
Any kind of junk picked up for keepsakes. Also used as a begging word by the French children.
Order for all men to stand ready in the trench in event of a surprise attack, usually at sundown and sunrise.
Countermanding “stand to.”
A bomb weighing about eleven pounds usually thrown from a mortar, but sometimes used by hand.
One of the few words Tommy has borrowed from Fritz. To punish.
The battalion bombers.
Steel helmet.
A line of men going over the top.
Exhausted. Played out.
A German shell that makes that sort of noise.
Nervous. Jumpy. Temporary involuntary fear.
The small wooden cross placed over a soldier’s grave.
Colophon
A Yankee in the Trenches
was published in 1918 by
Robert Derby Holmes.
This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
Jason Livermore,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2004 by
Janet Kegg and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans from the
Internet Archive.
The cover page is adapted from
A Group of Soldiers,
a painting completed in 1917 by
C. R. W. Nevinson.
The cover and title pages feature the
League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by
The League of Moveable Type.
The first edition of this ebook was released on
June 19, 2024, 7:16 p.m.
You can check for updates to this ebook, view its revision history, or download it for different ereading systems at
standardebooks.org/ebooks/robert-derby-holmes/a-yankee-in-the-trenches.
The volunteer-driven Standard Ebooks project relies on readers like you to submit typos, corrections, and other improvements. Anyone can contribute at standardebooks.org.
Uncopyright
May you do good and not evil.
May you find forgiveness for yourself and forgive others.
May you share freely, never taking
